On the Eleventh Day of Christmas

As a child, we always anticipated the arrival of parcels from the UK. My Auntie Margaret and then my cousins would post a package sometime in November, and with the surface mail, usually on a slow boat, it would arrive just before, or just after Christmas. It had been bounced around and handled so much, that the brown paper packaging was soft from wear. My father would open the parcel and there would be a half dozen or so small packages, all wrapped in the lovely English paper. 

That wonderful experience was repeated yesterday when a massive parcel arrived for me from Andy in Wales. When I picked it up from reception, I was gobsmacked at how heavy it was – somewhere upwards of 15 lbs. I started opening it, but then decided to wait until I had someone to share the fun with… and I knew just who to call.I rang my pal, David Wiesand, owner of the fabulous McLain-Wiesand, and told him what had arrived. Once I arrived at the shop with my parcel, he and I got to work like two greedy children, opening all of the little packages.

Here’s just a peek of what was in the box.  Detail from a fork. On another set, the knife blade features a fishing creel, a rod and two salmon, amongst other decorative elements. The handle of this piece is carved like a piece of twig. Detail from the end of a spoon. And of a knife. I am undecided as to whether this is a phoenix or a griffon. Ideas? How about this tulip-shaped pattern on the ends of a set of knives and forks? This set of knives and forks were just stunning. The handles of this set of knives and forks just stopped both David and me in our tracks. This set of knives and forks was more elaborately decorated than any other I’ve seen. The knife blade has a little fantastical dolphin on it, and the forks are incised on both sides, as is the knife. Even some of the boxes the silverware came in had wonderful details, like this little clasp on a faux shagreen box. Whew! This was just about the most incredible brown paper package I’ve ever received. If you’re interested in any of these pieces, check my Etsy shop in the next week or so and it will be for sale.