Sahalie and Koosah Falls

Hi friends! Three thousand years ago volcanic activity here in Oregon sent thick flows of basaltic andesite lava into the McKenzie River from nearby Mount Washington in what is now called the Willamette National Forest. That activity created two beautiful waterfalls - Sahalie and Koosah.

Sahalie Falls is a loud roaring cascade of water that plunges 100 feet straight down into the McKenzie River producing misty sprays of icy cold river water that float in the air. As James and I stood at the viewing area watching the falls and feeling droplets of cloudy water-mist on our skin, we breathed in the fresh mountain air and looked in wonder at all the green that surrounded us.

We then walked along the McKenzie River following the 2.6 mile foot trail from Sahlie Falls to Koosah Falls. The trail takes you through a conifer forest of mostly Douglas Fir, some old-growth Douglas Fir, and other species such as Hemlock and Cedar. There are a variety of mosses, ferns, wild flowers and fungi as well. Koosah Falls flows 70 feet down into a deep pool of cold water.

Of course I did some exploring with my camera as I do have a fascination with scouting out nature compositions. And because there was a slight tinge of autumn beginning to show itself I was interested in capturing the forest as it looked in that moment on that particular end-of-summer day.

In 1893 U.S. President Grover Cleveland designated the Willamette National Forest as part of the Cascade Range Forest Reserve. This official designation came about as a result of campaigns conducted by Oregonians concerned by wood choppers intent on exploiting the resources of the forest. It is said that the famous naturalist and explorer John Muir spent a considerable amount of time in Oregon exploring, lecturing and gathering information which aided his efforts in helping to establish the Cascade Range Forest Reserve. In his call for Oregonians to protect their forests, Muir is believed to have stated "The trees and their lovers will sing their praises, and generations yet unborn will rise up and call them blessed".

Blessed indeed!
  

Vintage Finds: Booths Ltd Silicon China Plate

Hi Friends! I have another interesting piece of antique English earthenware to share with you today. This 10 inch 'silicon china' plate was manufactured by Booths Ltd in 1916.

Silicon china was the result of a pottery manufacturing method that utilized a technique called tin-glazing. Tin-glazing was a glaze that contained tin oxide and produced a white, shiny, opaque background surface that imitated Chinese porcelain and supported brightly painted decorations.

Indeed, the lovely chinese-inspired floral motif of pink and blue stylized peonies, other red flowers, and free flowing vines of 'greenery' have certainly retained their eye-catching bright colors for over one hundred years now!

I'm sure you will agree that the Booths Ltd claim of "Opaque Porcelain of the Finest Quality" was indeed true, especially when considering that their silicon china was used in the catering markets such as in hotels and on sea liners and railways. Surely this high quality earthenware would have greatly enhanced the dining experience of any travelers lucky enough to experience it.

No doubt the longevity of the colors we are looking at here can be attributed to the meticulousness of the tin-glaze method. Tin-glaze was applied to red or buff-colored earthenware and the decoration was applied to the unfired glaze surface by brush with metallic oxides such as cobalt oxide, copper oxide, iron oxide, manganese dioxide and antimony oxide.

When I first saw this floral plate at the charity shop I knew right away that it was hand painted but I did not know until I brought it home and researched the Booths Ltd company what a gem of a plate this truly is!

My initial thought was that it is definitely a chinoiserie revival era piece because of the stylized peonies. Upon further investigation, as mentioned above, I discovered that the bright white opaque surface is a Chinese influence. And then I discovered the 1916 date of manufacture impressed into the earthenware, near the inked back stamp which further confirmed my initial thought that this, indeed, was an early 20th century piece.

Not only have the colors retained their magnificent brightness, but also the overall excellent condition is quite impressive and a result of the loving care its predecessors gave it. There are some normal wear marks from it having been used but no chips, cracks or crazing. I cannot even find a fleabite! There is still a lot of life left in this old plate and I intend to help it in its journey further into the future.

I hope you have enjoyed this edition of Vintage Finds and I'll see you again soon. Thank you! 

Faffing with Vintage Tea Treasures - Royal Stafford, Johnson Bros, & Royal Albert

Hi Friends! There's been a flurry of activity in my Etsy shop Vintage Tea Treasures this week with three sales packed and shipped! And so I thought it would be fun to share with you a peek into what customers are buying.

The first item sold was the Royal Stafford Order of the Eastern Star teacup and saucer set shown above. This set features a five-pointed star both inside the teacup and in the middle of the saucer. The star is the emblem of the Masonic Order of the Eastern Star which is a fraternal organization of stonemasons dating back to about the 14th century.

Each color of the hand painted five-pointed star represents an inspirational biblical figure. Both pieces are further embellished with an array of small gold stars and there is gold gilding on the edges of each piece as well as sponged gold gilding around the top rim of the teacup and around the perimeter of the saucer.

Also sold was this lovely set of pastel blue porcelain tea ware (below) by Johnson Bros. The pattern is called Greydawn and it was developed in the 1920s and produced through 1987.

The Dawn series came in sky blue (pictured here), rose, green and gold. The saucers and small plates feature a distinctive beveled edge and a slight delicate scalloping which is repeated on the foot of the teacups.

And lastly, this Royal Albert #4360 teacup and saucer is heading to Australia. Both the Malvern-shaped cup and the scalloped saucer are grounded in a robin's egg blue, graced with pretty floral bouquets, and features gold gilded edges with heavy gilding on the foot of the teacup. A fine example of the Royal Albert quality.

If you enjoy quality vintage tea ware, you may like to browse Vintage Tea Treasures on Etsy and see what treasure you may find for yourself or a friend. And don't forget - I have a special code for readers of this blog - if you enter code PLUMBLOSSOM10 you'll receive a ten percent discount off your order.

Thanks for looking!

Eugene Obon & Taiko Festival

Every July here in Eugene the Japanese American Association of Lane County, the City of Eugene, and the Asian American Foundation of Oregon sponsor the Obon & Taiko Festival. Each year the event is held in the early evening in Alton Baker Park, a 373 acre park that is located next to the Willamette River.

Obon, or Bon, is the Buddhist custom of honoring the spirits of one's ancestors. The Bon Odori, or dances, that are performed during Obon are a way of remembering and appreciating their sacrifices. Dances are performed by members of the Japanese American Association and the public is invited to join in the fun.

Taiko, or Japanese drumming, is performed by Eugene Taiko. The ensemble plays modern interpretations of traditional pieces as well as their own compositions. Taiko drumming is thunderous, dynamic and energetic. It is rooted in warfare but in the present-day it is enjoyed at festivals and cultural events.

The formal dances proceed either clockwise or counter-clockwise around a yagura, or high wooden platform, and are performed in unison to recorded traditional Japanese folksongs that are played through a PA system.

For over twenty years now, attending Obon has been our family tradition, with each year being a variation of family members and friends coming along for the fun. This year our daughter Audrey accompanied James and I.

On this carefree summer evening we enjoyed catching up on family news while watching the dancing and drumming and ate delicious Japanese cuisine from local food vendor Masa's Yatai.

As the festival wound down and darkness began to descend, we packed up our things and felt grateful for good times and happy family memories of another year spent at Obon.

Thanks for looking!

City of Eugene Mayor's Art Show

Friends, I have some exciting news. A collage of mine entitled Two Women, No. 2 (shown above) has been accepted into the City of Eugene Mayor's Art Show!

This is my first juried show and I couldn't be more excited. For years I have been entering my artwork into the non-juried shows at the New Zone Gallery. It is the only gallery in town where anyone could pay the entry fee and participate in a gallery show. That has been an invaluable experience for me because it motivated me to keep practicing the art of collage and taught me how to navigate the process of entering artwork into an exhibition.

The Mayor's Art Show runs from July 27th through August 25th and the opening for the show is Friday, July 27th at 5:30 p.m. Located in the Maurie Jacobs Community Room at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts, the Mayor's Art Show is also part of a week long Downtown Visual Arts Festival which celebrates street art, contemporary art and gallery art.

Thank you for reading and maybe I'll see you there!

Faffing with Vintage Tea Treasures - Queen Anne 'Fedden' Teacup & Saucer

Hi Friends! A customer in India recently purchased this pretty vintage Queen Anne teacup and saucer set from my Etsy shop Vintage Tea Treasures. But before I carefully packed and shipped the package I had a little bit of 'faffing' fun with it because I wanted to share it with you here on the blog.

This is quite a beautiful set - heavy on the florals and gold gilding, but even more interesting is the fact that it features the artwork of British artist Mary Fedden (1915-2012).

There are colorful floral bouquets of pink, yellow and green on the front, back and inside of the fluted teacup and on the scalloped saucer.

And when you look closely, you'll be amazed at how realistic the transferred pattern features the brushstrokes of the artist.

Also, both the teacup and the saucer bear the 'Fedden' signature.

In addition to that stunning floral arrangement, the saucer also has a lush green leaf and ivy border around the perimeter.

As mentioned earlier, there is quite a bit of gold gilding which I'm finding is a much loved feature in English tea ware.

And here is the Queen Anne backstamp, which, not surprisingly, indicates a manufacture date sometime in the 1950s.

If you, like my customer in India, are fond of vintage teacups, teapots and cake plates, you might like to have a browse in my Etsy shop Vintage Tea Treasures. There is a wide selection of not only English tea ware, but also some vintage pieces made in Japan. And I have a special offer for Under The Plum Blossom Tree blog readers - just use the code PLUMBLOSSOM10 for a 10% discount off your order.

Thank you for looking!

Vintage Tea Treasures: An Etsy Shop Update

Hello friends - it's been a very long time since I updated you on my Etsy shop Vintage Tea Treasures. Where has the time gone, right? But I am very excited to share this vintage Aynsley Pembroke tea ware with you!

The Pembroke pattern was originally designed and manufactured by Aynsley in the 18th century and then reproduced again, as shown above, by Aynsley between the 1960s and the 1980s. Pembroke is a classic chinoiserie design, following a long tradition of immensely popular oriental-themed tableware.

If you enjoy having a special cake serving plate for special occasions, this plate would make a gorgeous presentation at your table. At 10-1/2" it follows a traditional pattern design with its whimsical outside border of pink, blue and red flowers and a stylized center design that repeats the florals from the border and features a colorful blue, yellow and red bird. There is a free form scalloped border edged in gold gilding.

Likewise, the two teacup sets feature the pink, blue and red flowers and the pretty blue, yellow and red bird on the front of the teacups and on the saucers. There are more florals on the backs of the teacups and a small bouquet on the inside of the cups. Gilded in gold on the edges and on the interesting branch-like handle which has a perfectly positioned thumb rest for an elegant tea sipping experience. The pair would make a lovely 'tea for two' gift set.

For all of the details, prices and shipping information, visit Vintage Tea Treasures. And don't forget that Under The Plum Blossom Tree blog readers receive a 10% discount off their order with code PlumBlossom10!

Thank you for your support!