Collections

I'm a collector of little things.  I just can't help it, I find something little and precious and I just can't resist.  I've tried twice now to write this crazy entry and keep tilting it out and losing a boatload of work in a click of a mouse button.  I'm going to try once more with my dainty little fingers crossed...which makes it hard to type, btw.  The first collection obsession I have is for bathtub babies.  I found my first one on my honeymoon...hubby and I had wandered into an antique shop and I just loved it.  I'm not at all a doll collector...but these are different.  They come in two pieces...a tub and a baby.  The ones I've found are made in either Germany or japan around the turn of the century.  They're way hard to find because they're so breakable...I'm not sure how many lasted.  The baby on the back, far right met with a horrible fate when Kimber accidentally knocked it off a shelf.  It was my favorite at the time because it's original owner had taken pity on the doll's naked condition, sewing a victorian ribbon dress onto her, even a tiny diaper underneath!  I glued all the pieces back together and try not to notice the hole in her head.  Now I treasure the two on the front left.  They're SO TINY!!!  and look at the second one...tiny bathtub buddies and see how culturally diverse! :)  These little babies were fired together and are literally joined at the hip.  The German babies are the pink ones...beautifully hand painted with sweet details.  Their hands are almost always raised.  The babies from japan are much more basic...usually only white bisque and if you're lucky, you'll still have some old painted details, like yellow hair and an eyeball dot or two.  These babies must have come from homes without hot water, because they're usually always hugging themselves and shivering. If you want to take a closer peek...just click the thumbnails.

My next collection obsessions are my little incense cottages...have you ever heard of them?  They were made in Japan around the 1940's.  They're tiny little houses with an opening in the back where a cone incense is placed.  Once lit, the smoke slowly curls out of the little chimney.  I love these, they're just cozy and sweet...I don't like the smell of incense, so I've never actually USED one, but I still imagine them to be little fairy houses.  I have so many of these...all different  (close to 50 different houses).  I've pictured some of my favorites here.  These are all from japan except for the Hansel & Gretel, which is German...it's way cool because the witch has holes in her glasses...when lit, the smoke would come out of her chimney, and her eyes!!
Thanks for letting me share this with you...I'll share more of my treasures soon, if you'd like.  oxox

Comments

[violetismycolor]

Love the bathtub babies! And I have some carved figurines from Germany that are 'smokers'. You burn incense in them, and the smoke comes out of their mouths. Awesome. You should try the house to see how it works.

[tania]

oh my so cute!! i love the babies! and i have never seen those houses, how clever, smoke coming out the chimney! you can bet now i will have my eyes open for both these things. :) i do have a cafe press shop, but only a mug with birdies on it, thanks for asking! maybe i will expand. have a great weekend! t

[BeeBee]

Ahh, so cute! Show your pics anytime, I love to see all the differant things you have and make. I have never said thank you for a wonderful and colorful blog, so that's what I want to correct right now. Thank You!!

[Giao]

I agree with your other commenters: I've never seen bathtub babies before! That is such a sweet collection to have! And!! The incense cottages. I love those. They truly are like little fairy houses. And I do love incense myself, so the little curls of smoke from them, oh, the thought is just supreme. =)

[naomi]

I'd love to see more of your treasures, the bathtub babies are adorable.

[Faith]

The bathtub babies are cute-I like the two sharing the bath. I had no idea there even was sucha thing to collect. How fun! I used to watch The Incurable Collector on A&E on Sundays but they stopped making it. :( It was so cool to see what epole collected.

[Mimi K]

thanks for showing! Those bathtub babies are the cutest- I've never seen anything like that before. I'll have to keep my eye out!