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Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Stone Fruit

Greetings Friends...

My goodness, I have been away for so long that I feel like I am a stranger on my own blog!!

My apologies for neglecting all of you. It's been almost a month since my last entry...far too long to be away I know,  but I hope that once we find a house and get moved in, I will have a little more to write about and to share with you. Unfortunately, for now...I am afraid that my posts will have to be a little more "few and far between" since I am finding it harder and harder to find anything worth while to talk about. :(

I do have something fun though for today...at least I hope you will think it is fun...let's talk about
"STONE FRUIT"!!!

I had seen stone fruit in pictures, books, magazines, and on line, but never really took an interest or a good look at it, and I certainly never thought about collecting it...not until I had the opportunity to see it in person. Most of the homes that I photographed for my book "An Early Christmas" had collections...REALLY nice collections, and I very quickly developed a fondness for it...actually, I fell in love with it, and it wasn't long before I started to collect some of my own.

Before I show you my "meager" collection...there are lots and lots of sources out there on the history of stone fruit, but here is a very brief overview on the subject...

Stone Fruit is made from Italian marble and was made in Italy approximately 60 to 100 years ago. Although there are newer pieces out there, the most sought after pieces are the earlier examples. Each piece was hand carved and then hand painted in beautiful life-like colors and have stems that were cut from real grapevine. There were fruit pieces made true to size, in miniature and over-sized, and there were also nuts and vegetables made.

Here are a few shots of the pieces I have collected so far...Notice I said "so far"...collecting stone fruit is very addicting!!

These are the latest pieces I have acquired...a persimmon and a cute little tangerine. I actually found these yesterday while out and about with my Mom.


Here are some of my favorite pieces...I love the warm, worn reds and oranges. Shown here are an orange, tangerine, two persimmons, a peach, purple fig, several plums, cherries and one of my favorites...a beautiful cluster of red grapes.

Here are several pieces in pretty shades of yellow. A banana, a couple of apples, a plum, a peach and two different pears...the one on the top left has a wooden stem and the the one on the right has a plastic stem...obviously the one with the plastic stem isn't as old as the other, but it came in a "lot" that I purchased on eBay, so until I get my collection built up more, I will keep it and use it as a "filler". The brightly colored peach on the bottom right is also newer...this piece is "sprayed or air brushed" and not hand painted like the older pieces...another filler that came with the lot from eBay.

Here is a large bunch of green grapes. I found these on eBay also, and I really misjudged the size of them...loved the color, but...

...just look how big they are compared to the smaller red bunch!!! Both of the grape clusters have grapevine stems and the grapes themselves are attached with wire.

Two more of my favorites...the persimmons. The one one the left is the one I got yesterday.

Four darling little plums...maybe the peach colored ones are kumquats...if anyone knows for sure, please feel free to advise me, OK?

An orange and the little tangerine that I also found yesterday. Can you imagine carving that orange by hand??? Just look at that detail!!

Again...I just LOVE the colors!!

Here are all of the pieces I have collected so far. It's just a start, but not so bad since I have only been collecting them for a little over a year. Eventually I will weed out my least favorites and replace them with better ones...and I would also like to add a couple of the half pieces...which are very rare and fetch a VERY pretty penny, but I am determined to own at least a couple of them some day! :) 

Well, My Friends...it is time to get dinner started, so off I go...I hope that you have all enjoyed seeing my collection of stone fruit. Maybe it will inspire you to start a collection of your own some day!!

As always, I thank you all for stopping by!!

Enjoy your day...Tina :)


10 comments:

  1. I don't consider it a meager collection! For a year, you've done very well. Around here, I've never even seen a stone fruit so I guess it could take decades! Purchasing online is the only option. Nice to read a post!

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  2. You have a very nice collection. I have been bitten by the stone fruit bug, also. I have enough to fill a good sized wood bowl. I love it! I am amazed at how real it looks. Don't you wonder where it has all been hiding all of these years? I don't ever remember seeing any, until it became popular and now I see tons of it. Hmmm, if we had only known!

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  3. The fruit is amazing.I've come across a single piece here and there but never thought much about it,now I'm wishing I had bought it..smile..Warm Blessings!~Amy

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  4. Hi Tina, Your new collection is looking good! I adore stone fruit! My collection is in my grandmother's wooden dough bowl and I love looking at all the colors every time I walk by it. Good luck with the hunt!
    Good to hear from you,
    Robyn

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  5. Wow ... How I wish I had Mother's stone fruit. Have no idea where it has gone...so sad. Very interesting and has my curiosity aroused. Thanks for sharing such an informative piece.
    Have a blessed day, Barb

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  6. Tina, what a wonderful collection of stone fruit you have. I am so delighted to have found you! I just added your site to my list of wonderful places in which to visit, and I thank you for having me on yours!

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  7. That is sooooo funny!!! I just bought my first piece not long ago from Pat, at Olde Bittersweet Farm!!! It is a bunch of grapes!! I love them and I am also starting to look for them. I do want some that are not too bright, crazy me I like everything with chipping paint or faded!!!
    I am inspired by your collection:)
    Have a great Week!!!
    Vicky, Tansy Annie Studio

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  8. OH YEAH!! I forgot to say that I have a picture of the stone grapes on My Un-Farmhouse Blog :) Just in case you would like to see them:)
    Vicky, Tansy Annie Studio and My Un-Farmhouse Blog

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  9. Love it! I have loads of it--one of my favourites!

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  10. i found some that have not been painted. how can you tell if they are "old" or new?

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