Treasures

Last Friday, I checked out a couple of local yard sales with my in-laws, and boy did I find some treasures. First, this lovely enamelware bowl caught my eye. I've been searching for a nice fruit bowl for some time now, but just haven't been able to find quite the right thing. Then I spied this gem, hidden amongst a pile of old Tupperware, kitchen gadgets, and other odds and ends. I picked it up and carried it around, while I continued to case the sale. At one point, I walked by an older woman, who was obviously part of the family holding the yard sale. She noticed I was holding the bowl, and she said, "I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've helped myself to a serving of my mother's potato salad out of that bowl." That was all that I needed to hear, to know that I had to buy it. $4.00 later, it was mine. My sister-in-law, Danielle, bought a matching cook pot (which was missing its cover, unfortunately) and then gave it to me, so here is the pair together:

I had noticed a stamp on the bottom of the bowl, but couldn't really make it out, with the exception of "Norway". The Potato Salad Lady proceeded to tell me that her family was Norwegian, and that most likely, her father had brought the bowl and cook pot back to America, after going to Norway to visit family. I had to know more about these dishes, so of course I Googled "Norway, enamelware", and discovered that they were in fact Catherineholm of Norway cookware, in the 'Lotus' pattern, created by Grete Prytz Kittelsen. She was born in 1917 in Oslo, Norway, and was one of the most influential designers in the mid-century in Scandinavia. I came across many pictures of other Lotus pieces, and would just about kill for a tea kettle or fondue pot from this collection. Beautiful.

I found this Fire King coffee mug (in Peach Lustre) at another yard sale. I have one just like it in Jadite, but I think I might love this one even more. It was manufactured sometime in the 1950's.

Finally, there has been a set of three of these little snack trays/cups, sitting on the shelf collecting dust, at the local thrift store. I originally thought they were Fire King, but there were no markings on them, so I passed them by. Over the weekend, I was at the local antique shop, thumbing through some of their reference books. They had a great Fire King book, and wouldn't you know, I opened it up to a page with a picture of this exact snack set. The pattern is called "Fleurette", and it originally came in a set of four, manufactured in the 1960's. Perfect for tea and biscuits, if you ask me.