The Flickr Sweetmeatdish Image Generatr

This well-made and decorative sweet/confectionery dish was hand-crafted by BALLYDOUGAN POTTERY of Craigavon in County Antrim. Ballydougan Pottery in Northern Ireland was established by Sean O'Dowd in 1984.

Both its handles are of twisted stoneware strands and studded with decorative roundels. The semi-matt glaze has a brown speckled effect and the rest of the decoration is hand-painted. The pottery name BALLYDOUGAN is hand-inscribed onto the base of each vase.

www.ballydouganpottery.co.uk/pottery/

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DESCRIPTION:
Size: about 7 1/4" length (including the handles) x 3" height x 6" width (180mm x 76mm x 155mm).
Material(s): white stoneware.
Finish: a semi-matt glaze with brown speckled effect. Other colouring is hand-painted..
Imprint: BALLYDOUGAN hand-inscribed into the base.
Weight: about 460g
Age: 1970's to 2000's ?

Volksfest, Thüringen, Schale, Blattschale, sweetmeat dish, Rokoko, Blumen, Blatt, www.kabelitz-porzellan.de

Volksfest, Thüringen, Schale, Blattschale, sweetmeat dish, Rokoko, Blumen, Blatt, www.kabelitz-porzellan.de

Volksfest, Thüringen, Schale, Blattschale, sweetmeat dish, Rokoko, Blumen, Blatt, www.kabelitz-porzellan.de

Volksfest, Thüringen, Schale, Blattschale, sweetmeat dish, Rokoko, Blumen, Blatt, www.kabelitz-porzellan.de

MUTZLI: "Malachi, are you quite sure that Daddy isn't gong to mind us taking our elevenses here on the mantlepiece?"

MALACHI: "Why on earth should he mind, Mutzli?"

MUTZLI: "Well, he might not be so pleased that you relocated his Royal Worcester Babes in the Wood figurine to create the perfect place for us to sit and take tea and cake."

MALACHI: "They are a statue, and don't care about a soft place to sit, like this nice comfortable doily. Nor do they care about food."

MUTZLI: "No, that's true Malachi, but they might care about now being lots of broken shards all over the hearthstone and floor."

MALACHI: "This beautiful vantage point was wasted on them. It's much more suited to us, Mutzli. Just consider them collateral damage in the never ending search of the perfect spot for elevenses. Besides, don't forget that you helped get rid of them too."

MUTZLI: "Only because you asked me to assist you Malachi."

MALACHI: "Well, let's have no more talk about them, or you'll spoil my appetite, and when there is strawberry cream sponge on the offing, that's the last thing I want. Grumbly tummy Mutzli! Grumbly tummy!" *Rubs tummy vigorously.*

DADDY: "Malachi! Mutzli! What on earth are you doing sitting on the dining room mantlepiece?"

MALACHI: "Well, I should have thought that was obvious, Daddy! We are about to have elevenses. After all, it is just on eleven." *Points to clock.*

DADDY: "And where is my Royal Worcester Babes in the Wood figurine that was where you are sitting?"

MALACHI: "I couldn't say, Daddy. Perhaps they went and got lost somewhere."

MUTZLI: *Points down to the hearth with paw.*

DADDY: *Looks down.* "Oh no!"

MALACHI: "You had to go and spoil our elevenses, didn't you Mutzli?" *Tuts and shakes head.*

The theme for "Smile on Saturday" for the 7th of January is "capture the time", where anything that has to do with time is allowed and may include 'a moment in time', 'a period in time', 'the progression of time' or 'measure the passage of time'. I immediately thought of that most British of customs, elevenses, also known as morning tea. Elevenses is a short break taken at around eleven the the morning to consume a drink or snack. It is perhaps most famously associated with Paddington Bear.

If you follow my photostream, you may know that I collect 1:12 size miniatures, some of which have featured in past themes in the “Smile on Saturday” group. This includes Malachi the bear, who today is joined by his cousin, Mutzli and the pair are enjoying a rather splendid elevenses of tea and cake. I do hope that you like my choice, and that this photograph makes you smile!

Malachi I acquired in mid-March 2020 (and mid Coronavirus) from a wonderful Melbourne stalwart toy shop: Dafel Dolls and Bears, when I went looking for a present for one of my goddaughters. Malachi is designed by Mary and hand-made by Wendy Joy in Australia. He has articulated arms and legs, and an extremely sweet face. Malachi was the name he came with, written by hand on his little tag.

Mutzli was a lovely surprise gift from a dear friend in Britain who kindly slipped him into a parcel of other delightful gifts for me. Like Malachi, he is mohair, has articulated arms and legs, and an extremely sweet face. Mutzli got his name from the tiny gold tag around his neck. He is made by Mutzli, a Swiss bear manufacturer since 1949.

The cow creamer Mutzli holds has been hand made and painted by Welsh miniature ceramist Rachel Williams who has her own studio, V&R Miniatures, in Powys. If you look closely, you will see that the cow actually has a smile on her face and that she has her own removable lid which is minute in size! The Peter Rabbit in the watering can tea pot to the right of Malachi was made by French ceramicist and miniature artisan Valerie Casson. The strawberry sponge cake is made from polymer clay and is very realistic and was made by Karen Ladybug miniatures in England. The porcelain cups and saucers and plates were part of a job lot of over one hundred pieces of 1:12 chinaware I bought from a seller on E-Bay.

The clock Malachi and Mutzli flank is a dainty Swiza seven jewels Swiss made brass alarm clock from the mid 1940s with an enamelled face. It has a very pleasant ring. Swiza established their business in 1943 and whilst they became famous for making clocks and watches, the company is better known today for its Swiss knives sets.

Meissen, Schälchen, Schale, Konfektschale, Oval, chinesischer Schmetterling, Chinese Butterfly, sweetmeat dish, Kupferfarben, www.kabelitz-porzellan.de

Meissen, Schälchen, Schale, Konfektschale, Oval, chinesischer Schmetterling, Chinese Butterfly, sweetmeat dish, Kupferfarben, www.kabelitz-porzellan.de

Meissen, Schälchen, Schale, Konfektschale, Oval, chinesischer Schmetterling, Chinese Butterfly, sweetmeat dish, Kupferfarben, www.kabelitz-porzellan.de

Meissen, Schälchen, Schale, Konfektschale, Oval, chinesischer Schmetterling, Chinese Butterfly, sweetmeat dish, Kupferfarben, www.kabelitz-porzellan.de

MALACHI: “Careful Mutzli! I don’t want you overbalancing.”

MUTZLI: “I’ve got the bottom of it in my paws.”

MALACHI: “Right, well I’ll slide it forward them Mutzli. If you can step backwards as I do, and then it will fall down like the other one did, and we shall have one Krówki each for afternoon tea.”

MUTZLI: “Alright Malachi.” *Ponders.* “Are you quite sure Daddy won’t mind us eating two of his Krówki Polish fudge sweets?”

MALACHI: “Of course he won’t Mutzli! Look how many there are in this sweetmeat dish. Besides, don’t you have a grumbly tummy?”

MUTZLI: “Oh I do, Malachi! Grumbly tummy, Malachi. Grumbly tummy.” *Goes to rub tummy vigorously.

MALACHI: “Careful Mutzli! Don’t let the Krówki sweet fall!”

DADDY: “Ummm… Malachi?”

MALACHI: “Oh!” *Looks up and sees Daddy watching he and Mutzli. “Yes Daddy?”

DADDY: “Malachi, pardon me for asking this, but what exactly are you and Mutzli doing?”

MALACHI: “Well, I thought that was obvious Daddy! We are helping ourselves to some afternoon tea. Grumbly tummy Daddy! Grumbly tummy!” *Rubs tummy vigorously.*

MUTZLI: “Hullo Daddy!” *Blushes pink beneath plush white fur.* “Grumbly tummy?”

DADDY: “Then why didn’t you and Mutzli ask me for some Krówki Polish fudge, Malachi?”

MALACHI: “Well I should have thought that was obvious too, Daddy.” *Puts paws on hips.* “We couldn’t find you, so we had to take matters into our own paws.”

DADDY: “Oh!” *Surprised.*

MALACHI: “Now, if you’ll excuse us Daddy, Mutzli and I have to get this second Krówki sweet out of the dish so that we have one each.” *Thinks.* “Of course you could hep us, Daddy, by picking it out of the dish for us.” *Looks hopefully at Daddy.*

MUTZLI: “Grumbly tummy, Daddy! Grumbly tummy.” *Looks hopefully at Daddy.

The theme for “Looking Close on Friday” for the 10th of June is “candy”. This was not the easiest theme for me, only because I do not have the sweetest tooth in the whole world, however I was lucky, as a very dear friend gave me some Krówki Polish Fudge at Easter, and not having such a sweet tooth, I still have plenty left to photograph. Krówki, literally meaning "cows," are Polish fudge, semi-soft milk toffee candies. When hand-made, they are hard and crispy on the outside, but the inside is more fluid than solid. It is one of the most common Polish confections, sold worldwide, and might be considered "dulce de leche candy". If you follow my photostream, you may know that I collect 1:12 size miniatures, some of which have featured in past themes in the “Looking Close on Friday” group. This includes Malachi the bear, who today is joined by his cousin, Mutzli. I do hope that you like my choice, and that this photograph makes you smile!

Malachi I acquired in mid-March 2020 (and mid Coronavirus) from a wonderful Melbourne stalwart toy shop: Dafel Dolls and Bears, when I went looking for a present for one of my goddaughters. Malachi is designed by Mary and hand-made by Wendy Joy in Australia. He has articulated arms and legs, and an extremely sweet face. Malachi was the name he came with, written by hand on his little tag.

Mutzli was a lovely surprise gift from a dear friend in Britain who kindly slipped him into a parcel of other delightful gifts for me. Like Malachi, he is mohair, has articulated arms and legs, and an extremely sweet face. Mutzli got his name from the tiny gold tag around his neck. He is made by Mutzli, a Swiss bear manufacturer since 1949.