The Kitchen Shelf Project

New on Willemien's kitchen shelf

2011-04-13T03:54:00.001-07:00

Dit is het bordje van mijn oom Jan. Hij is alleen nooit oom geweest,

want hij is maar vier jaar geworden. Rennend uit school is hij onder

een paard en wagen gekomen en aan zijn verwondingen overleden.

Dat was in 1927.


This plate belonged to my uncle Jan. He never really was my uncle,

because he died at age 4. He just came running out of the school

when he was run over by a horse carriage and died of his injuries.

In 1927.

Earthenware, made in the famous earthenware factory in Maastricht, in the south of Holland. The factory no longer exists, but their pieces are still on many Dutch 'kitchen shelves'!

This particular decoration (which may very well be designed by Rie Cramer) is also mentioned in Geheugen van Nederland, together with all other decorations they ever used.

On Ed's kitchen shelf

2010-12-07T14:05:00.000-08:00

This late Victorian "Mustache Cup" (ca, 1890) is on Ed van Engeland's kitchen shelf.
The images were sent to me by Mirjam Thiel.

"Blijkens het opschrift THINK OF ME kan zal het wel een cadeautje zijn geweest.

Met de hand beschilderd, de tekst is aangebracht met een sjabloon.

De snorrenkop is een typisch mannelijk attribuut uit de periode 1870/1910, toen kolossale knevels modieus waren. De snor werd in model gehouden met snorrenwas of snorrenpommade, een soort gel die al dan niet geparfumeerd was. Door de gewaste snor in warme thee te dopen loste de was of pommade op in de drank en dat was ongewenst. De snor verloor zijn vorm en hing als een nat gordijn voor de mond van de eigenaar en de thee smaakte er niet beter door. De snorrenkop was dus een uitkomst. De martiale knevels verdwenen rond de eerste wereldoorlog en daarmee ook de snorrenkoppen."

On Lisettes Kitchen Schelf

2010-10-15T01:55:00.000-07:00

Grannies China (MZ Czechoslowakia):
My nana was florist and had her shop in her very big house with an even bigger attick. I always went there to play, dressed up in my nana’s peignoirs pretending to be a lady from a novel like Jane Austen’s pride and prejudist . Best part was having dinner on her special china with roses, like a proper English Rose. I miss those days!

Eva’s dinner set (Royal Copenhagen):

I went on roadtrip with my dear friend Wynet to Arhus, Denmark. There we saw the beautifully painted baby set in one of the lovely stores. When my daughter was born april 22th Wynet gave me a big box: It was the babyset! She bought it just in case one of us would get a baby :)

John’s cuppa (Tuscan China):
When in Rome....when in England we drink tea from posh porcelain with a dash of skimmed milk. Shall I put the kettle on?

On Willemien's kitchen shelf

2010-08-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

Willemien: "My mother bought this little ceramic box in Swtizerland, I think in the seventies."

[This is a typical 'raku'-fired piece. The nifty part of the box is the way the lid only fits in one way and can't slide off due to the organic shaped rim.]

On Ralph's Kitchen Shelf

2010-07-29T02:30:00.000-07:00

Ralph: "Our home town Hilversum (NL) has numerous enjoyable restaurants, but onlye one really top restaurant: The Golden Madarin. Here we enjoyed our first meal ever together and since then we come back to celebrate each year. And these cute knife rests are the fun reminders in our home..."

On Myriams Kitchen Shelf

2010-07-29T02:24:00.000-07:00

Myriam, Holland: "We found these bowls on a market in Lhasa, capital of Tibet. We had a hard time choosing between all beautiful bowls and jewelry. But we just loved these bowls the most. For us they mark our journey to Tibet in 2007 and the trail we walked over the planes of Tibet. That was hard work, but above all an experience to never forget."

On Sonja & Marcel's Kitchen Shelf - 3

2010-07-12T15:05:00.000-07:00

And Marcel's small Czech shnapps goblets. Very eastern Europe and delicately casted. Interesting design with the double wall at the bottom side of the cup.

On Sonja & Marcel's Kitchen Shelf - 2

2010-07-12T15:03:00.000-07:00

The soup bowls look fifties. There used to be more bowls in different colours I am sure. Belgium made by Boch La Louvière. Calls for a little investigation!

On Sonja & Marcel's Kitchen Shelf

2010-07-12T14:48:00.000-07:00

The blue and white serving bowls of Sonja's granny

On Inga's Kitchen Shelf

2010-07-12T08:21:00.000-07:00

Inga (Iceland): For long as I remember I've watched this jug in my mother's kitchen. My mother used it for milk or any other beverage served with our dinner. And for some time now I have had it in my kitchen but it is never used, it is a symbol of old times and good memories. It has a stamp underneath, but it is blurred, the only thing I can make out is: Made in Poland. This jug is about 60-70 years old."

On Sue's Kitchen Shelf

2010-07-12T00:14:00.000-07:00

Sue (Malta) : A lot of these pieces have stories attached to them and are symbolic of my interest in clay and the people that produce ceramic items. Among them is a Stephen Parry vase, Wendy Kershaw holder, Clarice Cliff plate, Alan Bain pit fired pot, Clive Bowen mug, Ray Abela figurine, Black Friar goblets and Broadstairs Pottery goblets and decanter. I like the idea that a little of each makers personality is captured in each piece.

On Charlotte's kitchen shelf - 4

2010-07-10T02:57:00.000-07:00

My grandma's dinnerset - or what is left of it...
It's an earthenware set, produced by the Maastricht Ceramics Factory.

Charlotte's kitchen shelf - 3

2010-07-10T02:53:00.000-07:00

Tante (aunt) Annie's fruit bowl. This is such a nifty design! Freshly washed fruit goes on top of the 'drainer device': the excess water leaks through and the fruit stays dry. It's like an inside-out colander. I feel very blessed I inherited this wonderful piece. It sits on my 'kitchen shelf' next to my mum's cake plates. On the bottom there's a mark" Zaalborg, Holland.

Charlotte's kitchen shelf - 2

2010-07-10T02:35:00.000-07:00

My mothers cake plates. I always loved this set. I used to ask my mum to be careful with them, because I hoped to own them 'when I was grown up'. Later, my mum gave them to me as a birthday present. I think there used to be more small plates. The set is made by Flora, a Dutch earthenware factory which was founded in 1945, just after WWII and still exists as Royal Goedewaagen.

On Charlotte's kitchen shelf - 1

2010-07-10T01:41:00.000-07:00

This wonderful kitchen set came from my grandma's kitchen.
She gave it to me many many years ago. There is no 'factory stamp' on the bottom of any of the items, so origin is unknown. There must have been so many of these sets. I am curious what happened to them...

On Willemiens kitchen shelf

2010-06-27T14:14:00.000-07:00

The beautiful old cups of WiIllemiens mother. There used to be many more, only three survived, now standing next to the old salt glazed 'salt jar' of Willemiens grandma. Isn't this great?!! I really love the tulips on the cups. Very stylish. I am not sure if they are porcelain or earthenware. I'll find out! Wilemien tells me the cups are made by Goedewaagen, Gouda.

On Myriam's kitchen shelf

2010-06-27T06:59:00.000-07:00

Myriam bought these wonderful treasures from a potter in Fez. I love the shape and the decoration, which is typical traditional Fez. It's earhtenware, with a white glaze on which the decoration is painted. The mugs are not fired at a very high temperature, which makes them kind of vulnerable.

On Loeke's kitchen shelf

2010-06-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

This beautiful old French kitchen set on Loeke's kitchen shelf is not signed, so I have no idea where it comes from, who made it etc. Might be nice to look into. Could be the start of a new series: what is on my friends' kitchen shelves!