Witch Collection Continued

Long ago, I had all of my books on witchcraft bound in black leather and trimmed with gold leaf.


I also had all of my Franz Kafka bound too. I was a German major and suffered through Kafka for one whole year. I had them bound upside down and backwards. How Kafkaesque!


I've shown this before but it is my most favorite piece from my collection. This is a witch tambourine from the mid 1800's.

Click for close ups.


An owl is perched on her right hand.


You can see by the back that this was used a lot.


She has a star painted on each shoe. I would love to know who this belonged to?


Notice the open sleeve on her dress. This would have been considered rather risque for the era.


I always wonder if this belonged to a gypsy?


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Comments

I like how her hat is perched so jauntily on her head!
I love tambourines. How lucky you are to have this tambourine in your collection.

You have a lovely collection of books. Kafka makes my head hurt. :)

Have a happy day and stay cool.

xoxo to "Teddy Waits for Fall".
Melodie said…
That tambourine is cool! I agree,too bad it can't tell you it's story!
brokenteepee said…
How Kafkaesque...you crack me up.

Maybe your tambourine was in a witch bordello.
Hahahahahahaha!
I love how You bound Kafka upside down and backwards :-) I think he would have loved it too :-) It all depends on my mood, but I can actually enjoy some of his work :-)

It´s a beautiful tambourine, but wouldn´t it been somewhat of a risk to own such an object back then? It must have a very interesting history.

Have a great day now!
Christer.
Wizardess said…
You have the best stuff. Maybe there's something like an Antique Roadshow online, where you could send your pictures & get someone to make a few educated guesses about your tambourine??
Dirgesinger said…
My husband was literature major and he loves Kafka too:)
What a stunning book collection. Beautifully done. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers!
that witch and owl...what a winner...love it..and YES..don't you wish that tombourine could talk????

oh, the stories it could tell.....

we are taking teddy for a car ride this afternoon...up see canyon again to look at the apple farms.....

kary and teddy
p.s. making pizza tonight :-)
The Traveler said…
That tambourine is beautiful. How did you get the books bound? Did you rebind them or get them reprinted and bound?
The Traveler said…
Neat! I wonder if there is a local binder around here, hmmm.
Making your own candles is a lot of fun and pretty easy. Here's a link to a site that has some awesome tutorials on candle and soap making. I've found it really helpful!

http://www.candletech.com/
Sharlene T. said…
Just when I think you've shared the best, even more bestest comes along! What a fantastic tambourine... I'm sure it must have a very interesting background with lots of tales to tell around the fire... love the bookbinding... was it by a commercial binder or young entrepreneur... I knew one, many years ago, who dressed up as Elvis EVERY night when he got home from work... wife had sewn him about ten outfits... it was hard to have a conversation... he was 5'2"... but his books were beautifully done...

Twitter: SolarChief
tinypearl5758 said…
Wow you have collected some magic stuff. Try this site and maybe someone will leave you a messege about it.

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/collectors/
If I remember there isn't a joining fee. Join, upload a picture and hopefully a response will be forth coming. Good luck. xxx
Cindi Myers said…
You should sell tickets for a tour of your home! People would line up and around the block! And I would camp out to make sure I was the first one there.Everythng you have ever shown is stunning!
That tambourine is too cool for words!
AlphaBetsy said…
Beautiful pictures!! I am so envious of that gorgeous tambourine!!

And I have given you an award. Stop by my blog to claim it. Thanks.
Anonymous said…
I love the tambourine. She certainly looks like a bold, confident woman who was way ahead of her time.

Teresa
Good looking volumes and the tambourine would be interesting to learn more about.
Debbie said…
This is just beautiful Joyce and what a find! I think it would be my favorite too. You must really cherish this. I am amazed at the history you have in your collection. Have you read all of those books on witchcraft? I love the black leather and gold trim look. I have one very important book that has a leather jacket and I love the feel of it. Franz Kafka?...I'm afraid I have no idea who he is? Great post.
LisaDay said…
Thanks for showing off your collection.

LisaDay
Celia said…
I love this! And the bound books are beautiful! What a neat thing to do!
MeganRose said…
I know I am new here, but do you have any posts about how/when/where you started your collection of treasures and any tips for young ladies in the market for witch(y) treasures of our own?