Chalkware Obsessions

Damn you 'Country Living'. Why do you have to be so full of wonderful ideas and inspiring photographs? If you could see me now I am shaking my fist at the sky for dramatic effect, well ceiling of the study actually. I read an article, which of course I am unable to find at the moment (but I will add the issue later), about an artist who painted pictures all over the walls of her cottage. She had the most beautiful wall of vintage chalkware displayed in her kitchen.


Her walls were plaster pink. While I did entertain the idea of a plaster pink kitchen I settled on blue, my favouritest of colours. I was hooked, off to Ebay I toddled.

I have eight chalkware pieces at the moment, although there is wall space for more; of course. What makes this collection all the more special is that I purchased six of the pieces from the one seller. The two bossons round ones were purchased separately. They are displayed in my kictchen; you can see them here.

Two ladies were selling their great Aunt's collection, which they had inherited. The ladies were in their seventies and the great Aunt had been in her nineties. When I purchase the entire collection by good fortune (I say good fortune as the most expensive one cost £2.60), I emailed them to ask the story behind them. I love to know the history of things I buy, it makes them more part of your home, rather than just a decorator item.

The great Aunt was a gypsy from eastern Europe who came to the United Kingdom with a carnival in the 1930s, met an English man and settled there.

The chalkware is her collection of carnival prizes she had won during her time working for the carnival. Until the nieces told me I was unaware that this type of chalkware were given as carnival prizes.

I have scoured Ebay for more 'shaped' chalkware, as opposed to the round ones, but to no avail. I do like the round ones as they give a nice contrast to the brimming baskets of flowers, but deep down I love shaped chalkware best. The pink poppies at the top are my favourite and the fourth one down is my next favourite. Good grief Charlie Brown, listen to me talking about my next favourite; I sound like I'm eight......but it is true it is my next favourite!

I love that it is chipped. I love that it is hard to find; as I imagine alot as been damaged beyond repair in the past 80 or so years.

Most of all I love that I have, by chance, ended up with a woman's life-long collection. The nieces were so pleased I had managed to buy all of them and that they would being going somewhere they would be loved as much as their Aunt had. Things like that make me smile :)