Wednesday 3 October 2012

Wednesday.


Spent today in Long Melford, at the monthly antique fair there. I took the above photo to illustrate the beginning of autumn colouring in the trees.  At about three o'clock this afternoon, Ann grabbed the camera and rushed outside to take the below picture which show much the same view but with a rather dramatic skyscape.

  Below is pictured a small item of furniture we purchased this morning, not as stock, but as a nice item to keep. Adrian, the dealer from whom we got it said "If it were Welsh it would be a coffor bach. I think it's English so it's a small mule chest. It was made about 1790, I think."  I think I agree with him on every detail, and although there has been a certain amount of restoration done on it over the last two centuries, we still think it's a nice small item of country furniture.
 The bottom picture shows me leaning on it just to give an idea of scale.  It's nice to find something we both like, for ourselves.




We got up early, 5.45 a.m., and are now both fairly nack......... er..... fatigued, so I'm going to knock off.
Goodnight all.

5 comments:

Liz said...

Hi Mike.

Is it me, or is the sky never quite that striking shade of blue anywhere other than over East Anglia?

I like the look of your new purchase. As well as being pleasing to look at, it also looks as though it might be useful

Unknown said...

Hello Liz. Been racking the memory, and I seem to think that the sky over the Algarve in February/March can give much the same colour and effect.
Yes, the little mule chest is a satisfying piece of country furniture, and as you say, should be useful. The next question will be finding the right place to display it.

Unknown said...

P.s. On the Algarve COAST that is, looking North, or inland.

Sir Bruin said...

Or, maybe you are already the proud owners of a little mule and this was purchased specifically to house it?
Sorry if I'm being an ass.

Unknown said...

Sorry Crowbard and Sir Bruin, my computer seems to have lost one (each) of your comments; but I'm going to answer them anyway.

The name 'mule chest' refers to the fact that the top part of this item is hinged and the lid opens up as a box or chest, whilst the lower part has a drawer in it, and therefore as a piece of furniture it is a hybrid or mule.
Our ancestors generally were not asses, they had more horse sense than we give them credit for.