Author Topic: Favorite Finds: Synchronicity Rocks! (Read 3486 times)

Redfaery · « **on:** November 28, 2014, 04:40:37 am »

So I thought I'd start a thread for people to share their favorite finds - the items they use in their practice that came to them secondhand or unexpectedly. It could be as gifts, found in unexpected places, bought secondhand...anywhere but when you were looking for them!

I'll start off with, well, most of the objects on my altar.

The main thing in this altar is Benzaiten-sama's image. It's a vintage Japanese doll I bought from the Collector's Antique Mall in my home town. I have a special relationship with the genius loci of that store, which is probably worth its own topic...but suffice to say, the Antique Mall always rewards my visits with something that ends up either on my altar or on display. The faux-wedgewood vases were a nice surprise from an antique dealer in Raleigh, but I don't really count them, as I was specifically looking for matching vases, and knew I could find some at this store. However, the teeny-tiny prayer wheel stage right (at Benzaiten-sama's feet) was indeed a find from the pagan store Terra Blue, which often gets Tibetan Buddhist objects, but doesn't seem to know what to do with them...

The last thing is the censer in the very front, but that's going to get a whole separate bit of its own.

This lady is another Collector's Antique Mall find. I bought her at the same time as Benzaiten-sama. I call her my Niō Tennyō, since she's supposed to represent a Niō, one of the wrathful temple gate guardians in Japanese Buddhism. I have dubbed her "Anyō" The candleholder is my favorite, and also from the Antique Mall. I've been dying to track down the manufacturer and see if I can buy a replacement, since it's gotten so battered.

This is Unyō, the second Niō Tennyō. Also an Antique Mall find. I was delighted to find her. I hadn't been to the Mall in ages; honestly, I had missed visiting her. I think the feeling was mutual, because I hadn't but walked in the door when I started noticing stuff that I had to have. Including miss Unyō, who matches her sister perfectly!

And then there's the crowning find - my antique brass thurible from India. You can see it front and center in the top picture. I don't think it cost more than $12. It may have been as little as $6. It was certainly cheap. It was being sold with a cruet and a water pitcher, each also antique Indian brass, each also no more than $12. In total, I paid about $25-$30 for the set. From the looks of the items, they were definitely religious - probably Catholic. And had they found their way to an import store rather than a small town antique mart, the price tag would have likely been in the triple digits.

So share your finds. Pictures encouraged! I have lots more to come. But first, I want to see from everyone else!

Valeria Crowe · « **Reply #1 on:** November 28, 2014, 12:20:57 pm »

Quote from: Redfaery;166253

.

Oooh, can't believe I missed this thread last night!

My most notable find is my altar itself.

Its an old, old chicken incubator that looks almost exactly like this:

Spoiler:

I sort of inherited it (not allowed to take it with me when I get a house of my own) from my parents, who got it back in Australia.

On top, I have a silver plated goblet I use to symbolize the element of water and offer libations with that I found in an antique flea market in Metairie. Fancy thing, with cherubs and grapes and such. Has an obvious line down one side where it was welded together.

Looks a lot like this:

Spoiler:

SunflowerP · « **Reply #2 on:** November 28, 2014, 12:55:19 pm »

Quote from: Cuthwin Crowe;166273

(Psst... you don't need spoiler tags to post pics.)

Sunflower

Valeria Crowe · « **Reply #3 on:** November 28, 2014, 01:00:51 pm »

Quote from: SunflowerP;166283

(Psst... you don't need spoiler tags to post pics.)

Sunflower

Helps slower computers load the page easier, iirc.

Or maybe not. Sigh. Tech stuff.

Aisling · « **Reply #4 on:** November 28, 2014, 01:16:41 pm »

Quote from: Redfaery;166253

So I thought I'd start a thread for people to share their favorite finds - the items they use in their practice that came to them secondhand or unexpectedly. It could be as gifts, found in unexpected places, bought secondhand...anywhere but when you were looking for them!

Great finds Redfaery... let's go shopping sometime.

Most of the items that I use with or have on my altar were serendipitous finds. One of my favorites, though, is an old compact that I use for mirror work. It's similar to the one shown here. I stumbled across it in a sale bin at an antique store. IIRC, it was just a couple of bucks.

SunflowerP · « **Reply #5 on:** November 28, 2014, 02:04:00 pm »

Quote from: Cuthwin Crowe;166284

Helps slower computers load the page easier, iirc.

Or maybe not. Sigh. Tech stuff.

Mainly applies to huge pics, though. Yours aren't.

Sunflower

Valeria Crowe · « **Reply #6 on:** November 28, 2014, 02:15:43 pm »

Quote from: SunflowerP;166292

Mainly applies to huge pics, though. Yours aren't.

Sunflower

Point. Just a habit I picked up on my other forum.

Steampunk costume threads get pic-heavy.

Redfaery · « **Reply #7 on:** November 30, 2014, 04:47:28 am »

Quote from: Cuthwin Crowe;166273

My most notable find is my altar itself.

Yeah, my own altar is itself a "find" from....the Collector's Antique Mall! It's a Victorian "commode" or washstand. However, my mom was the one who bought it, many many years ago. It served as storage space in our kitchen for a loooong time. Cookbooks in the cabinet, toaster oven and microwave on the top, dishtowels on the rail. Mom gave it to me to use as a dresser, but I was like "LOLnope!" and used it for various purposes before realizing that it made a perfect altar.

Redfaery · « **Reply #8 on:** November 30, 2014, 04:53:44 am »

Quote from: Aisling;166285

Great finds Redfaery... let's go shopping sometime.

When are you free? I'd love to take you to the Collector's Antique Mall. I'm sure she'd like you.

Seriously, I went yesterday to look for treasure, and as soon as I walked in the door, I saw this on top of one of the cases:

Dolls have special meaning to me, and this particular type of doll - the Japanese craft dolls made for export - are especially significant, since I often use them as sacred images in my practice. This one may very well replace the lady in the first picture I posted! She was priced as being $35, which was awfully high (these figures are essentially tourist items, so aren't really worth more than $20-$25). However, I felt the genius loci of the Mall shushing me as I checked out, so I didn't bother to question the price. Lo and behold, she was on sale for 50% off.

Redfaery · « **Reply #9 on:** November 30, 2014, 05:25:32 am »

Quote from: Redfaery;166253

So I thought I'd start a thread for people to share their favorite finds - the items they use in their practice that came to them secondhand or unexpectedly. It could be as gifts, found in unexpected places, bought secondhand...anywhere but when you were looking for them!

My biggest "find" was a Tibetan Buddhist ritual dagger, specifically a "water knife" or kukri. I don't have it with me now, so I can't post a picture at the moment, but this is an idea of the style it was in:

The above picture is a different kind of blade called a kartika, with a very different shape. Mine is a kukri.

I was pretty shocked to find one for sale at Terra Blue. It was on consignment, shoved to the back of a shelf, in the corner of the store right under the window by the entrance, in a spot that was both overexposed and under-visible. It was unlabeled, unmarked, and had no price tag.

Terra Blue regularly sold Tibetan Buddhist items such as malas, small statues of both buddhas and buddhist deities, and sometimes carried antique ritual implements on consignment. I purchased a pocket-sized brass prayer wheel there. They also once carried a double vajra and a pocket phurba. All unusual trinkets that were probably designed as souvenirs. Certainly they weren't "normal" ritual items given their small size and cheap make.

However, the water knife was definitely the real deal. I took it to the register and asked a price, bracing myself for triple digits. The answer? ..."Uh...$20?" I bought it on the spot. Honestly, I felt like I was "rescuing" it, since it's not the sort of object that's supposed to be shoved to the back of a shelf in a New Age store and then sold for a fraction of its value.

I don't use it for much, though. I feel I'm not really ready. It's a very powerful object that I'm not sure I can use effectively yet. I will...but not now.