Mint The Shop – Archives

Art deco Crown Devon casserole dishes

When I first started collecting vintage pieces many years ago, art deco was probably my favourite of all the styles, but over the years I’ve come to like a slightly cleaner (and perhaps harder) look. Certain art deco pieces though, still get me very excited, and the handles on this pair of 1930s Crown Devon casserole dishes are a perfect example of why I still love this iconic style so much! They really are so striking! And the hand-painted flowers, which almost sit in contradiction to the strong angles of the lids and handles, are just as beautiful!

Note: Both dishes are in pretty good nick for their age, but there is some minor discolouration to the glaze on the one dish, and the paintwork is slightly scratched in places on both of the casserole dishes.

Dimensions: Each dish measures 19.5cm in diameter x 14cm tall (with lids on)

Price: R160 each

Mint puts up four new items every weekday. The first post goes up at 07h00, the second at 08h00 and the third and fourth at 08h30. You can subscribe to our daily email which goes out at around 09h00 by clicking on the pink envelope on the right hand side of the blog

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Burleigh Zenith espresso cups & saucers

You don’t get more art deco than this 1930s set of Burleigh ‘Zenith’ coffee cups and saucers! I love the strong angle of the handles, and that autumn pattern is oddly appealing, but it’s the saucers that I like the most! I like how deep they are – perfect for someone like me who’s no good at carrying a full cup of tea! Sadly there are only five cups and saucers, but given their age the pieces that remain are in surprisingly good condition, with only very minor signs of wear!

A beautifully stylish set that really stands out!

Price: R220 for the set

Note: Mint puts up four new items every weekday. The first post goes up at 07h00, the second at 08h00 and the third and fourth at 08h30. You can subscribe to our daily email which goes out at around 09h00 by clicking on the pink envelope on the right hand side of the blog

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Art Deco Susie Cooper coffee set

I was very lucky to find this delightful Susie Cooper coffee set tucked away at the back of Mrs Lavender’s cupboard! It’s missing one of its saucers* and it’s sugar bowl, but the rest of the set is there, and for the most part, is in decent nick. Susie Cooper is probably one of the UK’s best known ceramic artists, with Kestral being one of her most collectible designs, and it’s easy to see why! The shape was first introduced in 1932 and proved to be a massive hit, being manufactured right through to the 1960s. The pattern on this set is known as Dresden Spray, and was produced in a number of variations and colours. This particular version (pattern 1017) was introduced in 1935. Susie Cooper pieces can sell for some crazy prices, especially the Kestral series – it’s not unusual to see these coffee pots selling for upwards of R1000. There’s one for sale at the moment on a NZ website for $145 (that’s just over R1200!) and another part-coffee set which sold on ebay recently for a staggering £236 (R4100). Madness!

* There are actually six cups, I just haven’t shown one of them

Dimensions: Coffee pot – 18cm tall x 9cm in diameter; Milk jug – 8cm tall x 8.5cm in diameter; Cups – 6cm tall x 5.5cm in diameter; Saucers – 12cm in diameter

Price: R480 for the set

Note: Mint puts up four new items every weekday. The first post goes up at 07h00, the second at 08h00 and the third and fourth at 08h30. You can subscribe to our daily email which goes out at around 09h00 by clicking on the pink envelope on the right hand side of the blog

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Sylvac boat posy vase

I like to think that I’m not that affected by trends, but clearly I am! A couple of years ago I don’t think I would have given this 1930s Sylvac posy vase a second glance, but with wall vases becoming so popular once again, it seems that posy vases are next, and I’ve seen a definite increase in the prices of these terribly kitsch little vases! Especially ones with good names like Sylvac – a larger version of this exact vase has just sold on eBay for a crazy $76 Aussie dollars!

This version is a bit smaller and it has a hairline crack along the top of the sail, but the damage isn’t terribly noticeable – it’s easy to spot it if you’re looking for it, but I don’t think it shouts out at you.

A suitably kitsch posy vase with some good age to it. Let this little boat be the start of your crazy collection!

Dimensions: 29cm long x 20cm wide x 4cm deep

Price: R130

Note: Mint puts up four new items every weekday. The first post goes up at 07h00, the second at 08h00 and the third and fourth at 08h30. You can subscribe to our daily email which goes out at around 09h00 by clicking on the pink envelope on the right hand side of the blog

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Pair of small blue vintage vases

Looking at the style of these vases, and the type of glass that they’re made from, I’d guess that they date to sometime between 1930 and the mid ’40s and are what’s commonly referred to as ‘depression glass’. During the economic depression of the 1930s companies offered cheap glass as a giveaway to incentivise customers to buy their goods – mass produced, coloured glass was given away with everything from breakfast cereals to movie tickets! But even though cheaply produced, depression-era glass has become highly sought after, especially in the American market, where most of it was made. This pair of vases is a lovely example of this type of glass, and are both in excellent condition for their years. Although quite small, the blue glass makes them lovely to look at and the fact that there’s a pair of them is an added bonus!

Dimensions: Each vase measures 15cm tall x 7.5cm in diameter

Price: R65 each

Note: Mint puts up four new items every weekday. The first post goes up at 07h00, the second at 08h00 and the third and fourth at 08h30. You can subscribe to our daily email which goes out at around 09h00 by clicking on the pink envelope on the right hand side of the blog

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Vintage Sol-Tan lamp

Going on the name you would think that the purpose of this 1930s Sol-Tan lamp would be to catch a tan, but from what I’ve read it seems that it’s a heat lamp designed to help with things like arthritis and muscle injuries. I’m not sure if people would have the patience these days to spend hours sitting under a heat lamp (although perhaps if the pain was bad enough!), but it takes a standard bulb, so even if you’re not an athlete in need of repair, you’re sure to find a use for it as an ordinary lamp – although it really is anything but ordinary! The paint work may be a bit tired looking, but given that it dates to 1939 that’s to be expected, plus I don’t think it detracts from the beauty of this piece!

A great vintage lamp that will be a feature item in whatever home in lands up in!

P.S. Justin decided that the fabric cord was a bit manky so he’s replaced it with a white plastic cord – I have to say, it looks much better!

Dimensions: Approx. 24cm in diameter (shade) x 45cm tall; Base measures 22cm in diameter

Price: R320

Note: Mint puts up four new items every weekday. The first post goes up at 07h00, the second at 08h00 and the third and fourth at 08h30. You can subscribe to our daily email which goes out at around 09h00 by clicking on the pink envelope on the right hand side of the blog

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