The 6th annual Christmas Open House is now over.   I would like to thank so many very special people for making this year’s party a huge success.  We had a great turnout with lots of friends coming into the shop and lots of treasures going out of the shop.  The group of garden figures in this photo, all covered in winter’s chill, welcomed you as you came in.  Remember to click on images if you wish to enlarge.

The 19thc crazy quilt provides a great backdrop for the four seasons garden figures.  The quilt has a number of very creatively stitched “P”s.  We are lucky enough to have a note pinned to the quilt stating it was made by a member of the Parker family.

Hanging on both sides of the crazy quilt are four Chinese-export bird watercolors dating to the late 18th century.

The American Flyer Train comes complete with its Pullman cars, just the right color for the holidays.

German Kugels from the 19thc are suspended over the train, reflecting the world around them.

Draped over the center table is an amazing French Aubusson carpet from the late 18th to early 19th century.   The coal hod holding the orchids sports a hand-painted winter scene perfect for the season.

A French wire basket seems right at home filled with gold-gilded dried pomegranates.

The European painting was a lucky find.  It came out of a wonderful, stately St. Louis home.  The oil has now left its brief home at the shop and gone back into another beautiful St. Louis home.

Sheep everywhere you look, in the old paris porcelain, on the bow-front chest, and under the early glass cheese dome.  The English brass candlesticks are another recent addition to the shop.  The sticks have a curious form, somewhat Christopher Dresser-like.

This lady’s writing desk is one of the nicest pieces of painted satinwood furniture I have ever been fortunate enough to have in the shop.

The desk is covered in hand-painted garlands of flowers as well as neoclassical figures.  It also has several hidden compartments, just big enough for those “private” letters.

This is an image of the decoration on the back of the desk chair that accompanies the lady’s writing desk.

This painted chair is not typical of my usual merchandise mix, however I could not resist its five legs, looking as if it’s ready to flee the scene.

So after the front of the shop has begged for your attention the next thing you come to in the shop are the bookcases.  I like the fact that the bookcases force the eye to focus and to see in a different way than when looking at a room full of furniture and objects.  This image shows an early 20thc cast iron windmill weight made in Nebraska, as well as a zinc clock trade sign an over-sized store price stamper for a window display.

Sterling silver on one shelf and a hand-painted tin trolley on the other makes for visual contrast.

A shelf of dog oil paintings, toy dogs, and an early leather dog collar.  The lower shelf contains a wonderful architectural terra-cotta panel from a St. Louis building that was torn down.

The bookcases at the shop are full of things you just don’t see at very many other places, from hands to heads to caravans, it’s all here!

These two photos are of a collection of French stone fragments from a Gothic church dating from the 17th century.  Displaying them in a vitrine or dark bookcase would make a dynamic display.

General store cabinet filled with vintage Christmas as well as an early Steiff  bear on wheels with his original button.

Spun cotton ornaments share space with vintage wind-up Santas and Shiny Brite ornaments.

These watercolors are by James Godwin Scott, well known for his depictions of life along the Mississippi and in and around St. Louis.  The watercolors were  painted during the time he lived in this area.

Pond boat fits perfectly on the Korean Tansu chest.

The middle room of the shop was decorated with a nod to the nautical.  This image  shows a vintage toy tin racing boat on a  marble topped drafting table base.  The table is flanked by a French creel fishing basket on one side and a tall buoy on the other.

Feather tree festooned with ornaments on top of an Italian gold gilded iron table.  A bit of sparkle is good for the holidays…. or anytime.

Bead garland, clip-on birds, Shiny Brite ornaments all on a dense little feather tree.  As I have said before…. every house should have at least one feather tree!

These 19thc Apothecary jars are filled with silver-leafed dried artichokes and share space with a 1920′s butterfly weathervane.

The vintage ski poster, ca 1928,  is by artist Paul Brusset and advertises winter sports at Mont-Geneva.   The poster hangs next to a huge porcelain enamel letter “X” from a sign that was on a St. Louis building.  The X begged to be joined by the 1930′s letters M, A, and S, all covered in red sparkles.

The French cast iron coal hod is filled with more gilded artichokes.

It is safe to say I have never had anything quite like this in the shop before.  The “hurdy gurdy” type street-cart has been fitted with a Regina ca. 1900′s music box that still plays beautifully.  The coin slot took pennies, several wheat pennies were found in the base which holds the extra metal playing discs.  There are 25 different music discs with this Regina.

The cart yoke looks like it could have been pulled by goats or a large dog.  The case has been painted with baskets of flowers on the doors topped with a rather New Orleans looking “house” that contains the Regina.

The music box cart is right in the middle of the back room so it can be appreciated from all sides.  It was played several times during the party.  It is interesting how music that is 100 years old can sound so cheerful and fresh.

For the party the desserts were placed on these European pastry stands, perfect for our tasty American Christmas cookies.

This image was taken the day after the party with the sunlight pouring in.

The German hide covered rocking horse was awarded a wreath of vintage glass balls and foil leaves.

French carousel painted panel above a vintage paper-mache store display figure.

This 1930s paint store display figure was found in a Kirkwood, Missouri estate.  He would have originally held a small can of  “Mautz” brand paint.  Christmas at the shop will extend throughout the season with new merchandise added weekly.  Be sure to call the shop or email me if you have any questions about any of the merchandise shown in the blog images.  Please click on images to enlarge.