Well, winter is giving us her ‘cold shoulder’ here in the midlands. Icy temperatures with a snowy-edged wind driving all but the bonkers indoors! Time spent cuddled up next to a roaring fire noticing the specially collected items loaded with personal memories. The sun-bleached shells from a wild trip to Mozam, the tiny hand-carved bone hare on top of that pile of old books (that took hours of haggling in Hakkari), the tarnished pieces of ‘fiddle and rat-tail’ silver.
I think as we progress in life, it’s not about the quantity of items we have, it’s about the quality. The meaning and purpose behind the pieces is what makes a home uniquely ‘individual’. To quote Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s mantra “Have nothing in your homes that you do not know to be useful and believe to be beautiful.”
Collections are also about preserving endangered history.
Take Linnware for example – the pioneering South African Pottery studio. These Ceramic artists played an important role in the development of South African ceramics – the work of ‘Ceramic Studio’ and ‘Linn Ware’ was made during the early part of the twentieth century at Olifantsfontein.
It is precious – the amazing array of turquoise, celadon and emerald glazes (I could go on and on) – these are unique , the studio closed down in the 1950’s. As pieces get broken and discarded, another sliver of this history disappears.
Hi there. I have several pieces of Linn ware. My husband grew up in Olifantsfontein and we enjoyed many a meal on Linn ware crockery. My mother in law used all her Linn ware daily. Would you be interested in buying some of these?
Kind regards
GLENDYR Swemmer
HELLO I AM INTERESTED IN BUYING LINNWARE . PLEASE CONTACT ME . HILLARY PALME info@cypresscottage.co.za tel 0798458523
Hi…do you still have any linn ware?? I would like to start collecting. Thanks. Sue van niekerk. 0828984023