The Art of Fruit

For some reason, any time I visit an antique shop or flea market, I am drawn to old pictures or paintings of fruit. I especially like some of the old calendars that featured still lifes of fruit.

One of my most prized treasures is this large Chippendale tole tray that I found at an antique show several years ago. I paid $35.00 for it, and was absolutely thrilled with it. It stands behind my cooktop in my kitchen and makes me happy every time I look at it.

I saw this pretty fruit plaque by R.F. Harnett, at a flea market south of Jackson, Mississippi, and took a couple of pictures of it, but didn't buy it.

I liked the picture so much that I used it to make a logo for my blog.

Here are a couple of things I did buy several years ago, and I'm so glad I did. I found this old wire basket decorated with handpainted fruit in an antique shop in Arcadia, Louisiana. We use it on our game table to hold dominoes, cards, Checkers, and other small games.

This old plaque used to hang in my kitchen, but it has been "recycled" to the attic for now. I love its rich, warm colors.

And last, but not least, this ancient fruit still life print is another one of my favorite treasures. I found it in a stack of old pictures in a dusty storage building that someone was cleaning out and let me browse through first. It was dirty and battered and chipped, and no one else probably would have looked at it twice, but it was love at first sight for me.

You can see it in the next picture, waaaay up there on top of the cabinets behind the rooster and hen.

My husband got it down for me last night and I'm planning to use it on my Welsh Dresser in our breakfast area as part of my Fall decorations. And speaking of Fall ... I can't wait 'til it gets here, can you!