It's always a thrill to uncover a little bit of the history of the Sow's Ear while it's undergoing work.
After all the old fibro cladding had been removed under the house last week, a couple of old VJs (vertical join timber boards) were found in amongst the framing. Normally this would be very uneventful but these particular VJs were painted with what appears to be a decorative frieze.
We had no idea the Sow's Ear was so fancy back in her day.
I wonder which room it would've adorned? Or maybe it was an old cupboard in the house? I love how this single piece of timber tells me so much about the house and its occupants.
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| remnant painted frieze on Queenslander VJ board |
I also took a few snaps of the areas which will be re-clad with the timber weatherboards next week. My God, we're sore and sorry after painting those blasted things this weekend. And we still haven't finished. There's about 30 or so left to paint...before work begins on Tuesday.
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| This is the sunroom side of the house |
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| Under the deck |
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| under the house on the sunroom side |
so what are you going to do with the vj - it must be kept and re purposed somehow maybe .... best le
ReplyDeleteThat's a really nice little frieze, Bris. How old is it, and is Jason going to have to repaint the whole house to match?
ReplyDeleteNot surewhat to do with it Le...
ReplyDeleteTom, it's over 80 years old if it is original to the house...
xx
Just as one swallow doth not make a spring. One tarted up VJ doth not make it original to the house. Gut feeling is that the art deco art work on a japanned background is anachronistic to the vintage of the sows ear. The downstairs area was closed in in the late 1940's early 1950's at a time of post war building shortage. The VJ in question was probably recycled from a demolished building of greater vintage than the sows ear. If there were more pieces of the jigsaw puzzle, it would be easier to say definitively. I don't think it was part of the original equipment, it looks a lot like stuff I have torn out of buildings built pre WW1 in places like Kangaroo Point, East Brissie and the Gabba. Mr D is going like a steam train. Well done him.
ReplyDeleteHey Mr Rooney...so it was wishful thinking on my part. What a shame...I thought the painted frieze was still being used in the 1920s and maybe it could've been from the old bathroom when it was moved to the verandah? But I think your version is more on the money.
ReplyDeleteStill a nice find and a good piece of wood. xx
And I still could be very wrong. Were there any more?
ReplyDeleteEither way, it is a nice piece of wood and a great piece of history.
I could well be wrong.
ReplyDeleteEither way, it doesn't make it any less interesting. It is still part of the homes history and it IS a nice piece of wood.
The old boathouse would have a more informed opinion on its provenance than mine.
The fence was first class. It is all looking fabulous.
Lucky you! It's always fun to dig something up a little old, isn't it? We've unearthed some china eggs used to encourage chickens to lay as well as some small glass vials filled with pink liquid ... I'm thinking condies crystals rather than poison. The fact we dug them up still intact amazes me.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful find - are you going to keep it For Ever?
ReplyDeleteIt's a great find and lovely to hear from Mr R.
ReplyDeleteInteresting find,love the progress downstairs.Jason is a painting dynamo.
ReplyDeleteWhat an exciting find! Whether it's original to the house or not, it's just lovely and very interesting!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great find, I imagine it will find a place in the house perhaps as a small piece of art work to fondly remember the history of the sowa ear & also of your renovating experience!!!
ReplyDeletecant wait to see this down stairs area progress its going to be fantastic!!!
I agree with SarahB. It is an interesting find, and part of the house.
ReplyDeleteCan you attach a hook on it and hang it somewhere downstairs? Or keep it in the boot of the Peugeot?
I love a good find, whether or not it is orginal, it is still exciting.
ReplyDeleteMy head spins at the pace you guys work! We made a few of our own little discoveries yesterday when the builder started removing timber panels from the bathroom - mountains of cockroach shit and an old ceiling in working order that is at least a foot higher than the current one! Yay! (exept for the cocky poo!)
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