Vintage Kitsch or Modern Wit?

In a showdown between the kangaroo and the pig, who would win? No this isn’t a childish riddle, but a real question about the aesthetics of quirky tchotchkes. We agree that a little levity in decorating is a good thing, but where are the boundaries between tasteful and tasteless humor in design?

Confession #1: We actually find the Coink, a modern piggy bank, to be a clever version of the old standby and to make saving pennies much more fun. We also noticed that at a recent gift exchange, the Coink was less than sought after.
Confession #2: We think the 1950’s kangaroo change and wallet holder is absolutely hilarious and when we found it at an antique store, we had to have it. Our friends did not agree and gave us a look of bewildered resignation.

Confession # 3: When we found this vintage vase of a bombshell with long eyelashes and dangly pearl earrings, we squealed with delight.
Confession #4: The cream and sugar set of the coquettish girls was found in a family cupboard and makes us smile every time we dress up our tea.

These vases, containers and figurines of animals and people seem to have been common collectibles in the 40’s and 50’s. They can be found in antique stores and are hotly sought after by on-line collectors. Interestingly, 50 years later we see sleeker, modern tongue-in-cheek gifts and accessories (usually in all one color) at some of the trendiest shops, as if what was old is new again.

(Deer Shot Glass, Wonderland Candle Holder, Rolling Salt and Pepper Shakers, Gun Vase)

If these new items seem cool and chic, does that mean that their older counterparts are completely outdated? Or more specifically, if a kangaroo wallet holder is amusing to you, is it just as worthy of a place in your home as a Jonathan Adler snail?

Next question: If you do push the aesthetic envelope, go for humor, and collect these unconventional accessories, how do you display them in the a way that seems fresh and intentional?

Readers, we’d love to hear from you in the taste debate and to see your photos of off-beat collections that work.

Comments (29)

Love the kangaroo. We found one on eBay. Did you know it's from the movie Pulp Fiction?

The Kangaroo does look vintage and I'll bet one like it was used in Pulp Fiction although I've not noticed the kangaroo in the countless times I've seen the film (One DOES have to be in the mood to view it IMO).

As to tchotchkes and kitsch, I think there is a time and a place for such items and a little of it goes a long way and these sorts of things do come in various styles and therefore it can be made to fit into just about anyone's decor, however some of it is just bad.

As usual, I find it's all in the mix. In some places in my home, the kangaroo would be perfect. Like on top of my white credenza, against a white wall in my living room. It would be disastrous in my kitchen which is badly in need of an update. The pig would do quite well in there though, but would completely fade into the background on my credenza. It all depends on the context.

http://notyourgoddess.blogspot.com/

Kitsch is wit past its expiration date. But WAY past its expiration date it starts looking fresh again.

djdooms: I had no idea the kangaroo was in Pulp Fiction as I have only seen it once or twice (as you do have to be in the mood to see it). My kangaroo has the date 1951 on the bottom but I have no idea where it came from originally and did not know any others were floating around out there. Do you know anything else about it?

The kangaroo has been in a feature film. He's a celebrity. You'll have to take into consideration that he will probably have an episode with drugs, most likely get arrested for DUI, go to rehab, get clean, and if he doesn't kill himself, try to make a comeback by going on Dancing with the Stars.

I'll take the pig.

i love the coink. sometimes nostalgia is a good thing. that's the whole point of kitsch, isn't it?

I've actually had that same kangaroo, in grey since I was a kid.

The backstory is they were given away as a gift with purchase from a high end jewelry company in the 50's and 60's. My grandfather, a Jeweler, had a bunch of these hence my father and I each ended up with one...I think they're pretty rad and it's actually really useful storage wise.

I'm not particularly enamored with any of these pieces, but I do love vintage tchotchkes...in moderation. Extreme moderation. Used unexpectedly and singularly, they can breathe life and humor into staid, sober decor.

The kangaroo wins hands down!

http://junkcultureshop.blogspot.com/

Kitsch is to "modern wit" as smiling is to smirking. Most of the same reflexes are involved.

A $40 Coink would probably qualify as Edelkitsch.

I love the Coink. When they first came out, I bought one. An accident involving a new puppy ended it's short stay on earth. (however, it did leave it's mark in my hardwood floors).

Later when I replaced it with a new one, I found that they had made it smaller in size. I was kind of disappointed since it really had some presence before. I still really like it, but feeding it quarters just doesn't seem to make it grow.

My grandfather had the kangaroo, and I loved it when I was little.

I think a really fun way of displaying kitsch-y items would be by providing different colored backgrounds behind each of them (for example, each cube of an expedit would contain one piece of the collection and a color that matched something in that piece on the back). It'd be super-colorful, but you'd have to love color to collect these, I think. I've also seen this done with pyrex collections before, and it's pretty fun.

I'd pass on the pig and take the kangaroo.

I kind of love those sugar-and-cream girls, and using the bust vase to hold your makeup brushes is a great idea. Not such a fan of the coink or the kangaroo, but then I'm not huge on kitschy items.

That said, I do have a yellow QEII coronation mug in pride of place on my sideboard (it even has an embossed portrait of her on the front) so I can't complain too much about other retro china.

Both are hideous. Sorry.

I'm going to Ebay to hunt down a Coink right now!

My opinion is that these are cute as kitsch only when they are vintage. When they are remade into intended kitsch, that is tacky. I don't think all of the vintage ones are cute, but I think if you like the idea of having kitsch, its only good if it is genuine kitsch. The kangaroo is sort of cute and it's funny and kitschy because of the era its from. To do a remake is just... junky.

Good design should include a bit of humor (kitsch or otherwise). Kitsch is often a more affordable way to get that. And it is usually pretty accessible. Ironically, it seems that a lot of the "new kitsch" stuff takes itself very seriously. Kitsch for kitsch's sake?

I like the gun vase.

I love the kangaroo. The pig is just just trying too hard to be clever- it is the hipster of the tchotchke world.

Agree for the most part with livc – there's something a bit sad with Urban Outfitters remakes. You don't need to show off that you got something in a junk shop or from your gran, but it's nice to at least hunt for a prize rather than pick it from a pile of hundreds.

That being said, I do like the gun vase. And both the pig and the kangaroo, in the right context.

oh! I almost bought that exact kangaroo at a local antique store, until my boyfriend nearly slapped my hand away. He puts up with a lot, but I guess he just couldn't handle that kangaroo.

I've seen that kangaroo everywhere. In antique shops, consignment shops and thrift stores. For $5- $12ish. He's cute, and I've contemplated picking it up, but I never have. I'm a vintage/antique collector and re-seller, so I have way too many things just like it already. I'm perfectly fine with my place being filled with these vintage whatnots. I feel like each piece tells a story. I'm not too fond of the newer tchotchkes found in modern home goods stores and websites. Everything now just feels so... fake.

Gosh, if I had to spend that much money on a piggy bank I'd have nothing to put in it! :( I prefer the homemade piggy bank! And I adore the vintage bombshell vase!

GreatFriend at 4:05 made me laugh out loud. Too funny!

I love any tchotchke that is actually vintage and not "fake vintage," and I especially love the ones that have personal family stories and connections, like your cream and sugar bowls. Those are absolutely priceless.

I don't have a lot of tchotchkes in my own home, because I tend to shy away from having too much clutter. But I do have a real lava lamp in my husband's office at home, and we secretly think it's super awesome.

I have been so amused by all the comments on this thread and I am thrilled to discover that there are more kangaroos out there -- and that the kangaroo is famous. Thanks for the great feedback!

I love the kangaroo. I have one that belonged to my grandfather who passed away before I was born. My father has one as well - it has sat on the same dresser, in the same house for 50 years!

It doesn't really go with my modern decor, but I don't really care because it makes me smile.

This post reminds me of the time shopping at Target with a co-worker a few years ago. I walked past a foot-and-a-half "tree" made of metallic glass ornaments, and gushed, "Oh, that's fantastic!" A second later, we walked past something equally tacky and he said, "Do you love that?" I replied, "No, that's crap." He looked bewildered.

So, I spent the next few minutes explaining the difference between KITSCH and CRAP...

Kitsch can be somewhat crappy or cheap (as in price) but has an purposeful, aesthetic value, usually somewhat whimsical. Crap is just that; it offers no artistic value and cheapens the surroundings. To this day, I still don't think he gets the difference!

Btw, I still have my Target (and display) mini lighted tree.