Five cave painting coasters – handmade, gold rim, cork backing

A giraffe gazes over leaping figures, a hunter runs with shield and spear, an archer follows: these five coasters bear images modeled after prehistoric rock and cave paintings. Hand-applied, framed in cream-white, and finished with a gold edge – a vintage set from approximately the 1960s to 1970s.

How the coasters are made

Each square image was glued onto an ivory-colored plate, leaving a wide light border all around. The edge is painted gold, and the underside is covered with cork. The images are not laminated – the paper edges can be felt with a fingernail. The work is executed very precisely. It is possible that the coasters were made entirely by hand; it is equally conceivable that finished blanks were decorated with the images later.

The images in detail

• Etched animals: light outlines of horned animals and figures on a brown-green clouded background
• Hunters and cattle: a spear-thrower, patterned cattle, and shield-like signs with dots
• Dance with giraffe: black figures with grass skirts, a pitcher, and the long neck of a giraffe
• Brown figures: slender figures with spears and bows, next to a black animal with long horns
• The pursuit: a running hunter with shield and spear, an archer to the right

Dimensions and key data

• Quantity: 5 pieces
• Size: approx. 10 × 10 cm each
• Material: plate with ivory-colored surface, paper images, gold paint, cork
• Dating: approx. 1960s–1970s, no manufacturer mark
• Origin: Heidenreichstein flea market, Waldviertel

Condition

• On the coaster with the brown figures, there is a distinct circular glass mark in the image
• On the light borders, faint ring marks, occasional tiny light specks, and one small brown spot
• Gold edges slightly rubbed in places
• Cork sides with light signs of wear, one with darker spots

Use and care

Because the images are not sealed, they do not tolerate moisture. It is best to only set down dry glasses and mugs and wipe off any drops immediately with a dry cloth – do not wash, do not soak. Those who wish to protect them can display them as a small series of pictures on a shelf or frame one of them.

Price applies to 1 set of 5 coasters. Shipping from Austria, carefully packaged.

Heidenreichstein, the flea market that returns every year. Among all the dishes and tools lay five small squares with images older than any writing. One already bears a glass ring right in the middle of the hunting scene – as if someone had forgotten where they were setting their glass while lost in conversation.

Primeval times on the coffee table — Things with a soul · VintageAustriaShop