Gifts and Collectibles #2of8

In Tangiers, Morocco, in North Africa, we bought two round brass trays, trimmed in copper, brass, and a silver colored metal, nickel perhaps. They are old trays, actually used in a Moroccan restaurant (perhaps), not just ‘distressed’ to look old.” One tray is 17 inches in diameter, the other 19. We also, bought a four by six feet Berber rug made of lambs wool and trimmed with camel hair. It’s very heavy, and according to the people involved, each rug is registered with the government, to make sure we get what they say we bought.

We drove from Lugano to Locarno, Switzerland, where I finally bought the brass scales I had wanted to buy. The scale is 20” high, maybe 20” side to side, and is more decorative than useful. Don’t think we have ever seen one like it in use in a market, but it is seen as a decoration. When we got home we had to buy some heavy pieces of lead to put in the base to keep the scale from tipping when things are put on the “pan.” I had seen this same style scale for sale in several other stores, but the condition and/or the price wasn’t what I wanted.

In Titograd, Yugoslavia we bought a little brass bell. It appears hand-made, about 4” high, and the bell itself is oval 2 by 3 inches. We rang many bells before we selected this one, and it has a beautiful sound. One year, soon after we left Switzerland, we stopped at a little store in France where we rang a hundred bells, cow and otherwise, and finally bought one—bell, that is. It has a beautiful peal, has some “relief” decoration. The “handle” is made to attach to a belt, around the neck of a cow.

In Carcassonne, France Emmy managed to find a cute something (other than the driver) on which to spend her money. It took awhile to make up her mind to buy a coffee(?) pot in copper with brass trim. It’s supposed to hold one and one/half liters of something besides air, and they said it was made in France in the late 1800’s. The shiny “hammered” copper pot is about 13 inches high to the top of the lid handle, and has a brass handle and spout. On the bottom it says, 1 1/2 with the letter “Z” next to a quarter-inch circle with two fish headed in opposite directions. That must be the manufacturer’s trade mark, but we don’t know what it really means. Up to now all it has held is some phony flowers, but if that’s what Emmy calls useful, then it’s useful.