Friday 13 November 2009

The lost language of crones

Those humble and honest objects that WASPy old dears pressed into service with great aplomb.



Terracotta pots and saucers instead of cachepot.



Wicker baskets, used for everything from bread to wastepaper.




A colourful 19th century American hooked rug with a geometric design.


A cushion faced with a floral needlepoint panel.


Bright, purposeful handiwork pieces: hooked rugs, needlepoint (in all its mutations), patchwork quilts, etc.
Both the cushion and the hooked rug are from Sybil Colefax & John Fowler Antiques.



Tole ware, whether decorated or plain, fashioned into absolutely anything useful.



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13 comments:

little augury said...

Could fall right into that! la

Kathleen said...

The first image is great. I'd make a good crone.

An Aesthete's Lament said...

I think I count as an old crone then. Your title for this post is brilliant by the way, absolutely brilliant.

Jill said...

You can never have too many terra cotta pots!

Charlotte said...

Oh my! I have all those things hard at work in my house (except for my great-grandmother's hooked rug which is in storage.) Just made the command decision yesterday to just use my terracotta pots for my Christmas rosemary trees instead of the fancy-pants, faux French pots everyone here in Houston seems to favor. I'm 40, but will gladly take waspy crone over cougar anyday!

Tara Dillard said...

Pressed into service because it looked, damned good, with,

ZERO EFFORT.

Beautiful, low-maintenance.

Beautiful, aging in place.

Beautiful, sustainable.

Beautiful, organic.

Beautiful, green.

Today, everyone trying to sell you something, Martha Stewart, when the "crones" have already told you how to do it.

And perhaps some of the "crones" names may have begun, David, Bill, Mario, Miles, Frank, Michael...

Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

Blue said...

A wonderful pun, sir! Excellent post about simple beauty.

Easy and Elegant Life said...

Very possibly your best title ever.

atayala said...

I think this is a great design and it is great property also.

Deirdre G
homes for sale philippines

Pigtown-Design said...

Count me as a crone! I just picked up a couple of those beautiful Guy Wolff pots at a junk shop. Wonder if they knew how much they cost at retail?

soodie :: said...

and never the subject of popular, fleeting, fading whims.

Teacats said...

Another crone here -- complete with an old iron cauldron sitting on the hearth and baskets and clay pots full of herbs! (not even fancy enough to write "terracotta" LOL!) Although I do have a remarkable old satin coverlet on the bed!

Jan at Rosemary Cottage (crone center)

Ashfield Hansen Design Inc. said...

We don't hear near enough about croneS!
David @Ashfield Hansen Design