Turning Japanese

Yesterday I made my first trip through the hazardous winter wonderland of the Ards Peninsula to The White Elephant Emporium (TWEE), owned by FATC exhibitor Rowan McConnell. I was rewarded for my bravery as this emporium of eclectica presented me with a new addition to my ever-increasing family of similarly eclectic home furnishings. A jewel in the crown of the Hoops antique courtyard in Greyabbey, TWEE includes both a room of antiques and a room of delightfully quirky vintage treasures. Gent's vintage shirts, little girl's dresses from the '60s/'70s, vintage toys and sports items, books, dressing table sets, glasses, china, hats, bags and jewellery all vied for my attention, but it was a large Japanese lacquer and mother of pearl decorative wall panel that made its way home with me. Now it is hanging beside my fireplace I am even more in love with it as it doesn't look at all out of place beside a Victorian shelf holding 2 pink china cats (who lost their whiskers long before I was born), my 1930s lady lamp, a Mallorcan wall hanging and one of my umpteen owls. But, then again I have been told that I am mad!

The Japanese wall panel that can be seen in the bottom right of the picture left now adorns my living room wall as can be seen in the picture below.