Antique Round Braided Silk Tabletop Mat - One of Two cast iron owl and lovely both with candles

and lovely both with candles in them (they take very thin tapers) or just by themselves

typically featuring bold but organic shapes against a white slipped stoneware body

) the basic principals of atomic structure

I have seen images of orange vessels just like these topped with highly stylized pointy lids ending in exaggerated bulbous tips

Antique Round Braided Silk Tabletop Mat - One of Two cast iron owl and lovely both with candlesI've become such a fan of these old braided mats, and look at a lot of them before landing on ones I really like. This and one other I am listing I found together and assume were made by the same person, who I think had a very good eye for color and pattern. Good on the table under the coffee pot or tea pot or dishes or candlesticks or whatever. 14 1 8" in diameter and in good antique condition on both side, definitely used and a bit faded, but lovely.