Tole

Tole is the folk art of decorative painting on household items. Tole is a French word for tin, and it is usually decorated by means of japanning. Modern tole work typically uses long lasting acrylic paints.

Chinoiserie

Chinoiserie is the European adaptation of Oriental designs. Chinoiserie can be dated back to the beginning of the 17th Century French, Rococo and Regency periods. The term chinoiserie comes from the word “chinois” which is French for “Chinese”. Common chinoiserie prints and motifs include foo dogs, pagodas, nature scenes, and dragons.

Samovar

A samovar is a metal device that originated in Russia that was used to heat and boil water for tea. Samovars consist of an urn shaped container with a vertical metal pipe running through the center. Since the original intent of the samovar was to boil water used for tea, many samovars contain a ring-shaped attachment used to hold and warm a teapot. Antique samovars are typically admired for their beautiful craftsmanship and frequently used as decoration.