16 Apr 2009

FAN-tastic flea-market find - a true fairytale

Gather 'round children, and I will tell you the story (just fetch me a glass of gin for my poor digestion first, will you?):

It was the Friday the 10th of April; a lovely sunny and warm day, and the party - Mme Berg, her virtuos husband and their dear friend M:lle Emma, all agreed on that it was the perfect day for spending an hour or two, and a few silver coins, at the weekly open-air flea-market in central Stockholm.

The friends, in the jolliest of spirits, strolled around the marketplace and admired as well as rejected the many various pieces of junk as they were presented to them. Little did they find that was worth paying for, and they had just decided that the time had come for a stop at the nearest coffee house for refreshment and conversation when M:lle Emma cried out:

'Mme. Berg! Quickly, quickly, get yer fat bum over here, for this sutler carries fans of the most exquisite kinds!'

*Sips gin*

The good madame walked over to her friend without particular haste, because she expected to find Spanish souvenir fans with bullfighting flamenco dancers and black lace (she did find Spanish souvenir fans with bullfighting flamenco dancers and black lace, but that is beside the point), but imagine her astonishment when she discovered a metaphorical nugget of purest gold glittering in the metaphorical ashes!

That's all for tonight, children. My stomach is worse than it ever was and it appears we're out of gin... Oh, well, allright then! LittleTim, run down to The Cock and Goat and ask them to put another bottle on your grandfather's account. Don't tell them he ran away.

Madame Berg soon realized that the fan she held in her hands was an original from late 18th century France, for she had seen a picture of a fan exactly like this one, belonging to the museum Kulturen in southern Sweden, in a book she actually kept in her very home.
The good madame, who was known for her greedy and ruthless business sense, did not bat an eyelid when she haggled the already low price down a bit, and before she knew it, she was the owner of an original 18th century fan (or maybe early 19th century).

And all was well!
And that was the whole story, children. If you behave and work well in the salpeter factory tomorrow, maybe grandma will tell you another story soon... Good-night!


6 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness, how lucky! Are you sure it's real? I think the responsibility of owning an original would terrify me - I'd be too scared to touch it, let alone use it!

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  2. Yes, I'm quite positive it's an original! I first thought that the sticks looked too new but they're identical to other contemporary fans from France. I've made some very brief research on the subject and I hope to make a post about it in the near future if you're interested :)

    But I'm with you on the responsibility bit - it's not like I can use it or even have it on display. It just sits there in a drawer and I haven't opened it since the day I bought it since the paper is so fragile. Not so much fun as one could imagine.

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  3. It's gorgeous! I am not sure how you should take care of it though.

    If only I lived in Europe! I don't think that I'll find a bargain like that in Australia.

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  4. Just think of how we handled it at the coffeshop. Examined it with little care. At least I did. Had we only known. My english not good, plz do blogg in french next time or i comment in svenskish.

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  5. Herregud! Du skojar?? Var någonstans var detta? Jag bor i Stockholm men fick banne mig inte gå på nåt sånt kul. Vill också. Också också också!! *snyftar*

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  6. Hötorgets loppmarknad! Det är dock det enda fynd jag gjort där evah! Så trissa inte upp förväntningarna...

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