This is Muriel~ and she is indeed a very special dollye. Unlike my other dollys, Muriel is solid Maple wood....but not just any ol piece of wood~ ohh no~ she is the ultimate 'Goode Huswife'.. Muriel started her life around 1900, as a turned maple wooden pestle~ you know, the necessary kitchen tool for reaming fruits into jams....mashing and grinding down all sorts of nuts, herbs and spices. I have had this olde pestle for as long as I can remember....but one day when I went to move it, something happened, and a little spirit inside of it spoke to me, and asked me to let her out to play~
So I carved her eye sockets, and inset them with a wondrous, very special pair of antique blue glass eyes~ they are just haunting to look into. I have been saving them for the perfect dollye, and Muriel was it. Her nose is a wedge of dark walnut, the same I carved her hands from.
I dressed her in pretty skye blue silks, her skirt and separate petticoat are from this same silk~ and her stomacher laced with little brown ombre silk ribbon. Muriel's necklace is antique tiny turquoise heishe beads, with a really old brass bead in the center.
Pretty antique lace trims her sleeves, and she wears a gorgeous antique pin tucked bonnet over her floor length human hair wig
paint is worn and sparse for precious Muriel~ always such a help in the kitchen, she more than earned a second life as a make-do dollye for a special little girl. I have no doubt in my mind, that old utensils such as these, were 're~purposed' as dollys for a child in need
Here you can see the bottom of the pestle~ she has no legs. So charming, I will include the little glass measuring cup I use to stand her up in~ which adds even more to her humble appeal.
Muriel stands 11" tall, and is a most definite, special, Diamond K Folk Art one of a Kind Queen Anne dollye~ She will be available for purchase this evening at 7pm CST on the TDIPT Mercantile ~ hope you can stop by and say hello to her, Mollye & me~
The stories she could tell! She is a wonderful piece of folk Art.
ReplyDeleteI KNEW you were up to something!! She's gorgeous!! Who got their hair cut, Pip or Tressa?? :-)
ReplyDeleteLY, Mom