Upcoming Textile Show!

By Toronto Antiques on King | Published: October 21, 2010

Our good friend Roushell Goldstein visited Toronto Antiques on King on Tuesday. In addition to being an avid antique collector, Roushell is also a textile artist. We were excited to hear about her upcoming show—so excited that we thought you would be too! Roushell is part of a group show, pieceWORK, at the Gladstone Hotel on Saturday Nov 27th and Sun Nov 28. Check it out!

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Check out this Furniture Bank Charity Fundraiser: The Chair Affair!

By Toronto Antiques on King | Published: October 12, 2010

We have very exciting news. Today Elaine Frost, a friend of the store, visited to tell us about an event she is organizing through the charity Furniture Bank. Furniture Bank accepts donations of gently used household furnishings from Torontonians and gives (at no charge) them to people in need—mostly women and children from shelters, new immigrants/refugees, and the homeless.

Furniture Bank is is hosting an event, The Chair Affair. Thirty Toronto designers have created works of (usable!) art out of donated chairs. These one-of-a-kind exquisite pieces of furniture will be auctioned off, in both silent and live formats, at the Steamwhistle Brewery on October 21st, 2010. Toronto Antiques on King is proudly selling tickets to this event. Tickets are $100/per person; income tax receipts are available. For more information please visit www.furniturebank.org/chairaffair

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The Hot New Movie Red with Bruce Willis Features Antique Props From Our Store

By Toronto Antiques on King | Published: October 8, 2010

 

 

The staff at Toronto Antiques on King moonlight as movie enthusiasts. You can imagine we are all a bit excitable as we anticipate the opening of Red, starring Helen Mirren, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, and John Malkovich. Aside from the thrilling prospect of Helen Mirren playing a killer, we have reason to be even more excited about this movie then any other. Red rented a Royal Crown Derby dinner set from Toronto Antiques on King, which features prominently in the movie and which you can even see in the movie’s trailer.

The Royal Crown Derby factory began in 1756 under a different name. We have Robert Bloor to thank for the company’s most illustrious pattern, Imari. In spite of heavy debt, Bloor, the company’s former sales clerk,  took over the company in 1815. Inspired by Japanese art, Bloor designed the Imari pattern using rich blue, red and gold colours in elaborate designs. At Toronto Antiques on King we have a vast collection of this luxurious china. This is also the pattern that was rented for Red, giving the pattern another source of fame—not that it needs it. In an age of downsizing and disposable dinnerware Imari still enjoys immense popularity. We have everything that Red rented up on our website, check it out—you could have Helen Mirren’s teapot!

Royal Crown Derby Imari Tea Set

Royal Crown Derby Imari Bowl and Plate with Ladle

Royal Crown Derby Imari Chocolate Pot and Cup and Saucer Set with Teaspoon

 

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October Birthstone: the Opulent Opal

By Toronto Antiques on King | Published: October 5, 2010

Look for these and more beautiful opal jewellery soon to come on the website!

Opals have traditionally been rooted in spirituality. Archeologist Louis Leakey, for example, found opal adornments in a 6000 year old Kenyan tomb. The most recent folklore originated in the nineteenth century. According to this superstition, opals bring good luck to to people with October birthday, for anyone else, however, opals were though to bring bad luck. This folktale originated from Walter Scott’s novel Anne of Geirstein (1829). Fortunately, Queen Victoria used her royalty to bring the stone back to popularity.

Further back in history, opals were revered—often in connection with sight, both literal and metaphorically. For example, the ancient Greeks believed that an opal would grant foresight to its wearer. In addition to believing that opals could protect against disease, the Romans revered opals and saw them as a symbol of hope and purity. On the Asian continent the opal was regarded as a symbol of truth. The ancient Arabs believed that opals came from heaven and that the stone’s colour comes from flashes of lighting. Furthermore, in the Middle Ages, people believed that opals were beneficial for eyesight and even that they could render the wearer invisible.

It’s no wonder opals have historically been associated with sight; opals’ reflective colour makes the stone look almost alive, perhaps like an irridescent eye. What accounts for the colours and reflective quality of opals? Simply, opals are composed of a mineraloid substance that is deposited in a low temperature, often in the crevices of a rock. “Mineraloid” is similar to a mineral composition except that a mineraloid, unlike a mineral compound, is a non-crystalline structure. Other examples of non-crystalline minerals are amber and jet. Furthermore, tiny spheres of the mineral cristobalite layered in siliceous jelly cause the diffraction and interference patterns that cause the rainbow-like effect of the opal.

But we do not need to totally understand the chemical compositions of opals to appreciate their beauty. Whether we believe the light in an opal comes from flashes of heavenly lightning or siliceous jelly, there is no denying the stone’s appeal. Opal reminds me of the changing autumn colours. Perhaps this is why it is a  fitting birthstone for October. I, however, agree with Queen Victoria that anyone should be able to wear opals, any time of year—I do hope you agree!

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September Birthstone: the Sumptuous Sapphire

By Toronto Antiques on King | Published: September 1, 2010

Sumptuous Sapphires…look out for these stunning pieces, and more on our website!

The cool, clear blue of a crisp September night sky calls to mind the striking richness of a quality Sapphire, birthstone of September babies.

Sapphire is a variety of the mineral corundum, which can be found in any color seen in the sky, except red, which is designated as ruby. All other hues including yellow, black, white, orange, pink, brown and even an orange-pink type called padparadsha, which means “lotus flower”, are considered Sapphires.

Named after the Greek word “sapphirus”, meaning blue, Sapphire, of course, exists in all shades of blue. Purply cornflower is a popular color but the most prized stones are a clear, deep royal blue.

One of the hardest minerals, second only to diamond, sapphires are durable gemstones ideal for setting into jewellery; highly prized since ancient times for their beauty, strength and symbolic significance.

Historically, this gem was thought to protect against evil, envy and poisoning, and when ground into a powder and consumed, to cure colic, rheumatism and mental illness, and to strengthen eyesight.

Some ancient civilizations even believed that the world was actually an enormous sapphire, which tinted the sky blue with its reflection. This legend, as well as the belief that the Ten Commandments were inscribed upon tablets made of Sapphire, has given September’s birthstone a royal place among gemstones.

Indeed, Sapphire is prominent among the British Crown Jewels, and Prince Charles chose it as the engagement stone for Princess Diana.

Long considered symbolic of wisdom and purity, a gift of Sapphire represents truth, honesty, sincerity and faithfulness. This tradition makes them perfect for engagement or friendship rings to be given to a well-loved companion.

To browse and shop our fine selection of Sapphire jewellery click the following link.

www.cynthiafindlay.com/sapphire

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Kennedy Miniseries Picks Props from Toronto Antiques on King

By Toronto Antiques on King | Published: August 26, 2010

Last we heard, filming is still ongoing in Toronto for the History Channel’s forthcoming miniseries The Kennedys, slated for broadcast in 2011. Greg Kinnear as former U.S. president John F. Kennedy, and Katie Holmes as first lady Jacqueline Kennedy are on location in the Toronto area, and just to add to the buzz, we wanted to give you a glimpse of a few pieces from our collections that were chosen as props for the drama series!

Items from Toronto Antiques on King chosen as props for the dramatic miniseries, The Kennedys.

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Toronto Antiques on King Goes 3D!

By Toronto Antiques on King | Published: August 25, 2010

In the much anticipated CBC presentation of the first Canadian 3D television broadcast, a documentary called “Queen Elizabeth in 3D”, airing on September 20th at 7pm, our very own Alex Stairs will make a brief guest appearance to explain a bit about stereoscopes, the original 3D image viewers.

CBC crew members arrived at our store last Thursday and filmed a byte or two, showing viewers how to use a stereoscope, and looking at some stereographs of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897.  So what’s the connection between Queens and 3D? Queen Victoria was quite a proponent of the stereoscope and its subsequent evolution into moving pictures once it caught her eye and the attention of the world when it was displayed at the 1851 London Crystal Palace. And in allowing herself to be filmed on occasion, she did her part in popularizing photography in its various forms and helping to encourage the development of mass production and distribution of images in the 19th century.

Stereograph of Queen Victoria

A stereograph is simply a simultaneous double-image of the same subject that, when viewed through a stereoscope, appears to be one three-dimensional photograph. Utilizing the science of our own three-dimensional eyesight, stereographs are made by a single camera with two lenses set approximately two-and-a-half inches apart- about the same distance as that between the eyes. The viewer places the stereograph in the holder on the stereoscope and then looks through the two lenses, moving the holder back or forth until the single three-dimensional image is in focus.

Stereoscope showing stereograph slide of Queen Victoria

Stereographs of Royalty and Royal Business were as popular as images of world events and were an early form of the public Royal-watching that continues today through television and print media.

Given this pastime’s current popularity and the recent explosion of 3D feature films, the CBC stated that it hopes to bring the best of both worlds together with “Queen Elizabeth in 3D”, appealing to younger viewers as well as an older generation full of fans of the Queen.

The program will consist of new 3D footage following Her Majesty on her June Canadian visit and material shot at Buckingham Palace, alongside archival colour 3D footage from 1953. To view the show, two million pairs of 3D glasses will be made available free at Canada Post outlets in early September on a first-come, first-served basis.

As a thank you from CBC for participating in the program, Toronto Antiques on King was given 100 pairs of glasses to give to our customers, so drop by the store on or after September 7th to pick up your pair and try out a stereoscope! Just be sure to get home for 7 pm on September 20th, and enjoy the show!

Get your 3D glasses to watch the show!

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