Another thing I love to collect while travelling is hotel ware. Items that formerly graced the tables of grand hotels that now, after having served for years, have been set free to enjoy a quieter life at a more leisurely pace. Nicely adorned, admired and appreciated, polished or in full regal patina. I find layering items like these into the home gives it interesting depth and intrigue. As the curator, living with these finds will always remind me of my adventures and hints of a grander era in the South of France.
The turquoise rimmed white compote is from the Palace Hotel, Nice, which no longer exists as far as I can tell. For now It is lovely place for my lemons to live. When transported to Seattle, I think it might look pretty in my white and turquoise bathroom holding soaps, shells or maybe a giant sponge.
I loved the stack sturdy little silver plate bowls in the foreground. Two of them are faintly hand engraved with WP, the other two are from The Regina Hotel in Menton. I’ve adored all of the visits I’ve been able to make to Menton on this trip, the gardens, the markets, the streets lined with citrus trees… so I am pleased to have a special little memento from this splendid town.
They are the perfect size for for serving salted nuts during cocktails or chocolate covered almonds with dessert and digestives.
This silver plated beauty obviously worked hard during her days
at the Splendide Hotel!
Splendid jr. gave this to me for Christmas {L*O*V*E!}
I love finding straight sided silver wine buckets, they are the perfect vessels in which to place a hearty orchid plant,
bits of moss stuffed around the perimeter adds an extra touch of verdant lushness and conceals the flower pot and any unruly roots.
The engraving on this vessel is beautifully faint and worn,
I wonder how many tables it was placed upon, filled with ice and fabulous French wines at the Plaza Nice?
The other is inscribed with Casino Juan-les-Pins,
oh, if wine buckets could talk…
Emily,
I could not agree more, these pieces surely have tales to tell…of celebrations, afternoon tea and gossip with the girls, family dinners and so much more.
Thank you for stopping by and for sharing your finds!!!
Take care, Elizabeth