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ARTS & CULTURE / ANTIQUES
bright & beautiful ALL THINGS
Bold, bright, cheerful and awash with vibrant colours, naive folk art and characterful antiques from Eastern Europe are currently all the rage
Jennie Buist Brown
words, is the catch-all term used to describe aesthetically enhanced objects produced by those without any type of formal training, and is valued as a pure form of expression which is impossible to learn in art school – a heartfelt connection to a simpler time. The vibrant folk art of Eastern Europe encompasses this pure form of expression and includes everything for the home – from vibrantly hand-painted enamel kitchenware and furniture to colourful embroidered textiles and clothes. Everyday items are transformed into extraordinary and beautiful pieces, many of which are now highly collectable
I
and, even better, still highly functional.
A great many of the
painted designs relate to the natural beauty and abundant fl oral and animal life of
Eastern Europe, as well as to the design infl uences of the many cultures that have occupied this region for centuries.
Traditionally girls and
young women would begin decorating items as part of their dowries and you can still
fi nd some exquisite hand-painted dowry
GO AUTHENTIC
Look out, too, for antique and vintage embroidered quilts, throws and cushions from Eastern Europe. Some of the embroidery is incredibly beautiful. Team your textile fi nds with a painted bedside cabinet for an authentic Eastern European look.
• Flea markets, boot fairs, antique fairs and online auction sites are great hunting grounds but if you want to be certain that the pieces you are buying are vintage, it’s better to buy from a dealer who specialises in this type of ware. A NOTE OF CAUTION: There are many brand-new pieces on the market and it is easy to make a mistake and buy a new piece thinking it is vintage. This is fi ne, of course, if you know that the piece is new and you absolutely love it anyway, but it is upsetting to buy a piece thinking it has age and provenance only to discover it was made last week.
t’s fairly diffi cult to defi ne exactly what ‘folk art’ is but it serves as a very useful description for pieces that were made for use and not decoration by tradesmen and unknown makers. Folk art, in other
chests, which work very well today as blanket boxes or coffee tables. Many have the date of the marriage painted on the front and original ones will still have a candle box inside. Other items of painted furniture include wardrobes, benches, kitchen cabinets and cupboards. Benches with their cheery fl oral designs can bring a delightful and joyful mood to your hallway – and, as many of them double as storage boxes, they’re great for stashing shoes and other clutter.
KITCHENALIA!
When it comes to kitchenware, you are really spoilt for choice – all things culinary, including the kitchen sink! – are available in enamel – some painted, some plain. I particularly like painted enamel jugs, which come in all shapes and sizes, and in all colours. Other enamel pieces to look out for are basins,
spice jars, coffee pots and buckets. Buy one or two pieces to brighten up your
kitchen or go the whole hog and start a collection. As well as enamelware, there is a whole host of delicious Eastern European painted pottery to discover. I have a small, cherished collection of Boleslawiec Polish pottery which, when mixed with other plainer pieces, looks really wonderful and is also very durable.
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