Page 25 - Cornwall Issue 6 2021

HOBBIES

am married to Herman Pienaar collector’s items have been acquired Where do you find the miniatures
who is employed by the and are being displayed in the dolls’ and who do you meet?
United Nations, with his base cabinets or houses, many of which are There is not a big dolls’ house
office in Nairobi. He travels vintage and antique. culture in South Africa as it relates
a lot for work. We have five to collectable vintage and antique
children: Annike, an animator What is on display in the current items, and few places sell these. Most
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I ris, about to relocate to completed scenes/dolls’ houses? purchases, therefore, have come from
the UK; Bernadette, an attorney in The collection started with mostly abroad. I am lucky in that we have
Johannesburg; Heleen, a marketing Victorian period dolls and furniture in travelled a lot, which has provided
specialist in Stellenbosch; Lucas, a a 1:12 scale. There is a huge collection me with opportunities to acquire
stem cell biologist/entrepreneur with of 1:12 scale dolls’ houses and furniture, some items. I have also met some
his own business in the Cape and which are all still a work in progress. The wonderful people along the way. I
Johannesburg and Herman Jnr, a game following are currently displayed in 1:12: have purchased items in South Africa
developer in the Cape. • Refurbished Victorian era cabinet from older people who were selling
with four floors, the bottom one them; these would have been brought
My hobby and passion are dolls’ being a garden. into South Africa from abroad by their
houses and furniture, and I have been • Display cabinet with Dracula’s parents and grandparents. In some
collecting them for almost 20 years. Chambers, Rosebud Daycare and cases, they have also made many of
Elizabet square and garden with the items themselves. I find these
Where did this all start? two shops i.e. Tiny Treasures toy items and the memories that people
Since her childhood, my mother had a workshop and Buttons & Bows have fascinating, and I like to preserve
passion for small and miniature things. sewing shop. those memories when I include these
She used to also collect them and give • Del Prado dolls’ house. items into my own scenes. As an
them to me. At the time (60’s to 80’s), • Refurbished modern dolls’ house. example, the toy workshop includes
miniatures of good value were found all handmade items by Mr. Katzer
in Christmas crackers which were I later developed a further passion for from Orange Grove who, with his wife,
added to the collection of miniatures, Lundby dolls’ houses on scale 1:18. did this for many years as a hobby
charms and galloopies (from petrol Lundby is a Swedish company that after they went on pension. She sadly
stations). Some of these items are was started during the second world passed away some time ago and he
currently displayed in the dolls’ war (registered in 1947). The vintage decided to sell everything as he felt
cabinets and dolls’ houses (with some dolls’ houses and content are highly he was too old to carry on with their
still left to be used). collectible worldwide. The following passion. The toy shop in my scene is
are currently displayed in 1:18: called Tiny Treasures, Katzer and Co.
I also have a collection of Pinocchio • Lundby Carolines Home x 2.
puppets on a string, miniature tea • Lundby Gothenburg Basement. Also, a very dear friend of mine, Miems
sets, miniature antique baby dolls and • Marx Toys (established 1921) tin Hattingh, who passed away suddenly
nativity scenes. Specific dolls’ house dolls’ house. some time ago, got hooked on

Cornwall View • Issue 6 2021 23