Around the world, Christmas is associated with generosity, welcoming others into your home and celebrating together. Now we're on the cusp of December and Christmas is just around the corner. It's time to get your Christmas shopping wrapped up! We all like to treat our family and friends to unique and thoughtful gifts that will 'wow' them, so we've compiled a list of some unusual vintage Christmas gifts.
Winter gift giving is an ancient tradition dating back to the winter solstice, during the ancient ceremonies of Saturnalia. Celebrated for seven days from December 17th, the Ancient Romans believed that trading gifts would bring good fortune to their households in the coming year. When the popularity of this tradition faded, Christianity brought with it the celebration of the birth of Christ on December 25th. Many believe that the biblical story of the three kings bringing gifts of gold, myrrh, and frankincense lead to the tradition of gift giving, but Christmas presents weren't commonly given until the Victorian era, when Queen Victoria's tradition of giving New Years gifts merged with Christmas.
Here at Kernow Furniture, we are adding new stock to our online store daily, and have many vintage gifts online that can be delivered nationally. Here's some of our favourite vintage gifts for your loved ones this Christmas.
Antique Victorian Book Slide
The perfect gift for a book lover this Christmas - a decorative way of storing books anywhere you like! This Victorian book slide is made of quality rosewood with beautifully ornate pierced brass mounts. Different from a book trough, book slides are collapsible and adjustable, making it easy move from room to room and store varying amounts of your favourite books. It would a fantastic addition to a desk, bedroom or living room - you could even use it to store cookery books in the kitchen.
Large Porthleven Pottery Vase
The Porthleven Pottery opened in 1967, with Graham Fern and his daughter Fenella creating many beautiful pieces of pottery. It ran until the late 1990s, when they moved to New Zealand. This Large Porthleven Pottery vase measures 31cm high, made by an iconic Cornish pottery. Pottery collectors will appreciate a vintage addition to their collection, and interior lovers will love the rustic shades of brown and blue. Keep an eye out for more items on our site from Cornish potteries such as Bolingey Pottery.
Graphis Magazines
Searching for a Christmas gift for a designer or design addict? These vintage Graphis magazines date from 1947 and showcase work and interviews from illustrators and designers all over the world. A huge influential force in the design world, Graphis magazines contributed to shaping design culture and still continues to do so. These would be welcome in any designers office/study or studio, whether they are displayed or preserved for years to come! We have Issues 16 - 21, 1947.
Large Framed John Miler Botanical Prints
You don't have to be green fingered to appreciate this set of three large framed botanical prints. Plants and botanical homeware have certainly become one of the hottest interior trends of the past year. A quick search of interior Instagram accounts will show just how popular greenery is at the moment, along with macrame plant hangers and retro mid century and antique plant stands. These tomato, cabbage and courgette prints are by John Frederick Miller, an English illustrator, who was well known for his botanical illustrations. We have a number of pictures and mirrors in stock that would made fabulous gifts this Christmas.
Serpentine Pin Dish
Serpentine is a wonderful stone that polishes up like marble. The Cornish variety of Serpentine is found on the Lizard Peninsula, typically red, green or grey with contrasting veins. The serpentine industry was championed by Prince Albert, when in 1846, he and Queen Victoria visited Penzance on the Royal Yacht, and were shown polished specimens and were captivated by the colours. They ordered many items for their residence, and the Royal interest was enough to increase their popularity. This lovely shallow Serpentine pin dish is of the red variety and 8cm in diameter. Perfect Christmas present for storing small jewellery items on a bedside or dressing table..
Retro Baldelli Italian Dish
This brightly coloured, square Retro Baldelli Italian Dish can serve many purposes. Apart from being a lovely retro home decor piece, it could be used as an ashtray or to store coins, or the contents of someones pockets! Christmas gifts for Dad can be be hard to find, so make it multi purpose. The Baldelli family have been producing ceramics since 1943. Based in Città di Castello, near Perugia, Italy, four generations of ceramicists have made beautiful pottery. Known for using vibrant colours and mid century modern designs, there are many collectors throughout the world.
