Treasures of a French Flea Market: From Vintage Tableware to Furniture - AUCBURG | AUCBURG
Treasures of a French Flea Market: From Vintage Tableware to Furniture
In a consignment shop near Paris, you can discover many interesting items. Among the finds are white ceramic cacti, which were once a very fashionable decorative element. One large piece was on sale for €2.50.
In one of the consignment shops near Paris, you can find many interesting items. Among the finds are white ceramic cacti, which were once a very fashionable decorative element. One of the large ones was being sold for €2.50.
A particularly eye-catching item is an unusual dark-colored ceramic vase designed for three flowers, with three separate tubular openings. Also found was a wooden tray with three sections and a 'Made in the Philippines' sticker.
A white ceramic aroma lamp with an elegant embossed pattern was also spotted. Such items are used for aromatizing rooms with essential oils.
Exquisite Porcelain: From a Chocolate Pot to a Trinket Box
Among the porcelain items, an interesting cup and saucer were discovered. The bottom is stamped 'The Royal Bavaria'. Presumably, this is not just a cup, but a special chocolate pot intended for serving hot chocolate. This item was acquired for a collection.
Another rare find is an antique porcelain toothbrush box from the Creil et Montereau manufactory. It is made of white porcelain with a blue floral pattern and a bird depiction. The lid has three small holes, which likely served for ventilation to prevent the brushes from getting musty.
The store also featured a sugar bowl from the famous French manufactory Limoges, adorned with an exquisite pattern.
Exquisite Porcelain: From a Chocolate Pot to a Trinket Box
Wooden and Metal Artifacts
In the shop, there was an unusual carved wooden vessel with a lid and several spouts around the perimeter. According to the accompanying instructions, this is a traditional item from the Aosta Valley region, intended for communal drinking of alcoholic beverages, such as liqueur, in a group.
Among the metal items were two decorative daggers with richly decorated hilts and sheaths. The hilts are made of brass and inlaid with red and green stones, and the black sheaths are adorned with a gold ornament. The price of each dagger was €4.
Also spotted were antique wooden tools, possibly parts of a spinning wheel for making yarn by hand, and a vintage folding wooden hanger.
Wooden and Metal Artifacts
Vintage Furniture at the Trocante Store
Another store, called Trocante, features a large selection of furniture. Vintage chairs are particularly noteworthy. For example, an elegant Louis XV style chair with a carved wooden frame and pink patterned fabric upholstery.
Also spotted was a set of armchairs upholstered in fabric with a floral tapestry pattern. Such furniture pieces often require restoration but can become a unique element of an interior. In the store, you can buy similar furniture at an affordable price, for example, dressers costing from €30 to €169.
Besides chairs, the assortment included various dressers, cabinets, and tables, including one with a beautiful tabletop made of patterned marble in greenish-burgundy shades.
Vintage Furniture at the Trocante Store
Variety of Tableware and Decorative Plates
The range of tableware at flea markets is always diverse. In one of the stores, English soup plates with a brown pattern were found, sold as a set for €3. There were also various coffee and tea sets, including some from Limoges.
A plate with a picture of pheasants.
A ceramic fruit bowl on a stand with a red-violet pattern.
Souvenir plates from various places, for example, from Madagascar.
A plate with a portrait of Pope John Paul II.
Such tableware is often bought for decoration or to create a unique table setting, for example, at weddings where each guest might be offered a plate in an individual style.
Variety of Tableware and Decorative Plates
Unusual Items for Home and Interior
Besides tableware and furniture, flea markets also offer other interesting items for the home. For example, a vintage metal umbrella stand priced at €19.99.
An antique brass item with a long handle was also discovered, which appears to be a bed warmer. Hot coals were placed inside the bowl, and the device was then put under the blanket to warm the bed.
Among other finds were: vinyl records, which are gaining popularity again; various cookbooks; ice cream and jelly making kits; glass goblets and vases; candlesticks and metal trays.