Mater Theos

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You've probably been wondering about my latest huntings and gatherings. As you know, G-Dub, my local Goodwill store, is my favorite weekly foraging spot. The rarity or value of a certain piece is not the objective for me; the mellow, the little bit worn, the unwanted, are usually what strike my fancy.

Last week, I found this lovely vintage icon to add to my collection. I'm not personally of the Catholic or Orthodox faith, but I love them for their beauty, history, symbolism, and suggestion of the Divine Feminine. I'm guessing this one is Ukrainian, circa 1920s.  The sticker, still on the back, says, "Zawada Book Store, The Store of Gifts, 80 So. 15th St., Pittsburgh, PA".   The print is 12" x 16", and the colors amazingly still vibrant. I paid $7.99 for it, which is more than reasonable.

The Greek MP and OV are an abbreviation for "Mater Theos", the Mother of God. By the way, it's OV, not "oy", in the bubble cloud above Mary's head.

it's about passion

my vintage rosaries
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I'm not sure exactly how I contracted the passion for collecting, but the symptoms were evident at a very early age. Maybe I enjoy collecting because it takes me back to the simple comfort and joy of my childhood Little Golden Book and postage stamp collections.  

It may lie dormant for a while, but once you have caught the virus, it is a life long condition and it often returns with a renewed vigor. It might just be that it is instinctive for humans to collect, just as a magpie is compelled to hunt and gather shiny objects and drag them back to her nest.  I definitely like to have my things about me, like Mary Kate Danaher in The Quiet Man.

McCoy pottery, mercury glass, insulators, tarnished silver
in my retro metal medical cabinet

chalkwork icons
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There is a certain explorer spirit in me. I like to dig in dusty places. One discovery often leads to another, to a fresh search and the start of a new collection. In fact, I would have made a great archaeologist.  

Garage sales, flea markets, Gee-Dub (my local Goodwill store) and various antique shops are my favorite places to forage...the junkier the place, the better.  The rarity or value of a particular piece, is not the objective for me, but the mellow and a little bit worn, the unwanted, the unappreciated and orphaned, are what happens to strike my fancy.

the manor is filled
with the scent of old books

Other people's gatherings are endlessly fascinating, since it reveals an obvious look at the personalities behind the collections.  What objects do you like to hunt and gather? 

I think that interiors need 

a bit of a twist... most have 
no sense of irony or of real life, 

and there is nothing harmonious or soulful.

  

--Hubert Zandberg

Snow and Icons

Yesterday, I curled with with a good book in front of the fire, but kept looking up at the blank wall at the far end of the room. For the last year, I have been thinking of hanging some of my icon collection there. So, being snowed in and not much else to do, I dove into the project.

My collection all started about 15 years ago, when Traveler brought me back a beautiful vintage icon in "kiosk" (framed in a wooden box) from Lithuania. I have some that are called "oklad", where the Madonna and child are painted on the background and then silver or other metal is attached on top, with openings for

their faces and hands. Since then, he has brought me several from Russia and Eastern Europe. I am not of the Catholic or Orthodox faith, but I love them for their beauty, history and symbolism. It was a perfect day for my little project and I love their new look!