sister_raphael | Squirrel love

When I go away for events which are a long way away, I often come back with a squirrel ornament to add to my little collection, and this time I found this charming little one, the perfect "pet" for a Single Medieval Women!

My friend and I first discovered this antique shop and garden centre in New South Wales whilst travelling to Newcastle Medieval Festival, so this year we made it a point to stop again and see what was new. They have a really eclectic mix of genuine antiques, some "antiques" which I recognise from my early childhood (the 1970s) and a few collectibles which aren't hugely valuable, but are a little tricky to get.

This sweet little red squirrel is a brand I'm not particularly familiar with, John Beswick, but it certainly caught my eye and just had to come home with me. I did a little googling to find out more about my new friend.

John Beswick has been making ceramics in Devon, England since 1894 (not personally, one assumes) and offers a variety of porcelain animals, most of which do not seem to be hugely valuable, but are certainly rather adorable and don't seem to be particularly easy to find for sale. An otter and rabbit from the same set were for sale at a UK26.00.

I didn't buy if for it's monetary value, so I'm still very happy with my purchase. The price was a bit inflated, perhaps, but I guess they're less common in Australia. I thought it was super cute anyway, so I'm content.