July 16, 2010
Everytime I travel to Italy I find great antiques, but I also find incredible artisans who are willing to share with me their craft and explain the process.
On my recent trip I met Enrico Giannini, a fifth generation marbleized papermaker in Florence. He was gracious to show me how he crafts these beautiful one-of-a-kind papers.
Different colors are sprinkled onto a liquid bath that contains a glue he makes by combining seaweed and water. The glue keeps the colors floating and separate from each other
He then uses a series of tools, including combs and skewers, to make patterns with the colors.
He transfers the pattern to paper by carefully laying the paper on the surface of the liquid.
He then pulls it through a blade to take off the excess color and water, revealing the beautiful pattern.
Once the sheets have dried they are used to make beautiful objects, such as decorative frames and boxes. Here is my purchase from this trip. These beautiful pieces have much more meaning and value when you know how much time has gone into their creation. True works of art and all uniquely different.If you are planning a trip to Florence his tiny workshop is located on Via dei Velluti, 10/R.
July 14, 2010
Religious fragments are always something that I appreciate and value. They are beautiful objects that have held special and inspirational meaning to many people. Here are just a few pieces that I selected from my recent trip. These are Italian, of course, and from the 18th century.
June 23, 2010
Typically while on vacation I would be disappointed if I looked out my window and my view was blocked by a large building. Here in Florence, the building blocking my view doesn't seem to bother me.
June 16, 2010
We have several antique bed frames at Mercato. We recently put this one together with the help of my friend Valerie Johnson who has her own tailored home furnishings business.
May 28, 2010
For all of you Buon Ricordo plate fans we have now listed them all online under the Terracotta/Ceramics category.
If you don't know what they are, here is the story....
May 7, 2010
We are excited to tell you that we are listed in the resources section of Elizabeth Helman Minchilli’s latest book Italian Rustic. I know many of my customers have her books and often bring them in as reference. This book we recommend as well. And Linda G…..if you are reading this, refer to chapter two which is about interior wall finishes. A great reference for your project.
April 29, 2010
We really love these amphora shaped antique glazed jars originally used to store oil.
This large one is really spectacular. You can’t ever replicate the age and texture from time gone by. This is what gives the piece its soul.
We are pleased to announce we have a new name.... Mercato Italian Antiques and Artifacts. Since we specialize in offering a wide variety of antiques and artifacts personally sourced in Italy, the new name and logo better reflect how our business has evolved over the last year six years. We are the same people excited to share with you the great things we have found and learned on our travels. We think you will like the new look.
July 30, 2009
For everyone that attended, I hope you enjoyed the afternoon with Sarah Dunant. She is an amazing writer and captivating as a speaker.
Many of you requested recipes of the dishes we served. I promise to get those to you soon!
June 20, 2009
This summer my family and I have enjoyed many evenings dining outdoors, or "alfresco" as the Italians refer to it. Friends join us often for these evenings as well. It really is the best way to unwind and enjoy life.
One of those friends recently returned from a family vacation in Italy where they had a wonderful time. Here are a couple of pictures from the trip. I particularly like the one of her children waiting to enjoy an authentic Italian meal alfresco. Hopefully an experience they will remember forever.
June 5, 2009
We are really looking forward to Sarah Dunant’s 2nd visit to our store on July 27th at 1:00 PM. Sarah is the International Bestselling Author of THE BIRTH OF VENUS and IN THE COMPANY OF THE COURTESAN which have received major acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic.
May 30, 2009
Inspiration comes in many forms. Sometimes in the form of fun and entertainment. The recent 5th annual Art Tougeau parade in downtown Lawrence Kansas was a great display of “thinking outside of the box”. I am thankful that there are people who put together events like this! Bikes and cars are decorated and onlookers can admire and even laugh at the creativity of the participants in the parade.
Here’s Ian, a friend’s son. Great job Ian!
This is how you surf in Kansas…..
May 22, 2009
Discovering that apes practically rule in Gibralter is only the beginning. Have fun and go discover the world.
Love,
MomMay 8, 2009
Last year I planted a few dianthis plants in between the stones of our backyard terrace area. This year they came back stronger and more vibrant than ever. This particular one I see every morning while enjoying a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper. Simple pleasure.
April 24, 2009
There are a couple of places I like to visit every year at this time when I begin dreaming of life al fresco.
Not too far from my shop is Prairie Star Farm . The owners Margit and Bart Hall have a great selection of flowers. I just stopped in after work the other day. This was just the kind of therapy I needed. A sign that warm and sunny weather will be here soon.
April 10, 2009
In Italy around Easter time you see these chocolate Easter eggs in various sizes. Inside is a little gift. They can be very simple to over the top and extravagant. Here is a photo my friend Angie took on one of our buying trips. Happy Easter.
March 27, 2009
I really enjoy looking through this book. It is by French photographer Claude Nori . He really captures the feeling of Summertime in Italy. Most of these photos were taken during the mid 80’s to early 90’s.
March 6, 2009
The Italian antiques are here and waiting to be unpacked this weekend. This always makes me feel like a child at Christmas waiting to unwrap my presents! We look forward to hearing from or seeing you soon.
Here is a peek of a few of the items inside…..
February 27, 2009
Here's proof. A few customer examples...
Italian antique wrought iron chandelier being used in a family room.
Italian wrought iron chandelier for an office.
February 13, 2009
Ex-Votos are wonderful tokens of devotion or gratitude and you will see them throughout Italy in churches or around holy or religious images. They come in many shapes such as animals or various body parts. My favorite shapes are the hearts, and since Saturday is Valentine’s day, I thought these images would be appropriate.
January 16, 2009
They don’t make em like that anymore. This is the phrase my sister-in-law Mary Sue always uses when describing the antiques we find on buying trips. It makes me laugh when she says it because it is so heartfelt. The phrase however, is absolutely true.
Today I was looking at some photos of the pieces we purchased on our most recent trip to Italy. Here are a few examples:
I really loved this garland that I spied while out and about. It is supposed to look like della Robbia. Luca della Robbia (1400-1482) was an Italian sculptor from Florence noted for his terracotta roundels. This idea I am going to take home.
Taking a walk through the San Lorenzo Market. My daughters have requested scarves. There are plenty to choose from here.
These always remind me of my good friend Mary Jo. Marzipan, which is almond and sugar paste, in the shapes of fruits and veggies. She doesn't eat them though. She collects them and keeps them in her china cabinet! I always enjoy seeing them when I am at her house.
One among the many different confectioneries on display.....The fisherman's cookie. These are my favorite. They're great.
The confectioneries during the holiday season are really special!! Sometimes you have to go in and sample. Here I am trying something new. Candied chestnuts. They are very good.
I arrived in Florence the end of last week and have already found some fantastic Italian antiques to ship home. Can't wait to share those with you. Sunday, Mary Sue (my sister-in-law) and I decided we sould take a little passeggiata and do a little Christmas shopping. Monday was another day for some personal time. It was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception which is a holiday here in Italy. You can see all of the people out and about. Not Tourists either like there are in the warmer months, These are mostly Italians out in droves having a great time.
Another tantalizing display outside a restaurant. No plastic here. This
display is real. I love that!
~ we go to italy, we find great things, we bring them home. ~