Are you ready? Are you sitting down or holding tightly on to the shoulder of whatever poor person may be your closest arm rest? Because this is part 1 of 2 of the remarkable events that occurred on Friday the 21st of this month during our buying trip to Ebeltoft.
We had gone to pick up a gorgeous antique silver plated cocktail shaker (soon to be for sale), but as we always do, we made the most of the long-ish trip, and stopped at a number of other locations as well.
We quickly learned that the whole day was a special one, and the amazing occurrences just kept coming.
To preface this story, I should mention that my sister and fabulous co-owner of Rolighed Scandinavian Antiques, Kathrine had been down with a cold-like virus, and due to current circumstances had therefore been tested for the covid-19 virus. Since I am traveling to England on the 25th, I needed to be tested as well, knowing that if she had it, I likely would have it too.
Just before we began our journey of awesome events, we were both cleared that morning - and so we could go on with not only relief, but also elation in our minds.
We arrived at the shop and went roaming, as we do, and just as I was in a little spell of 'well, shall we just hurry and move on' sister points to a group of four glasses and exclaims, "how about we just grab those?". What she pointed to were four of the very rare Vivianna Torun Bülow-Hübe for Iittala ‘Thea’ glasses. Mould blown crystal with sculptural steel handles made for hot drinks. We were suddenly very excited. I'll tell you just why after the little flashback below:
The first time we ever came across these special glasses were a couple of years ago now.
It was in the beginning of our time focusing on this antiques/design interest, going to charity shops, and one day they just stood there looking special, and stylish, and I had to get them - knowing they were Iittala, but nothing else about them really.
Kathrine came home, and as I always do, started some extensive research, realizing that they were in fact by Torun Bülow-Hübe and quite rare. So now she was really excited.
What happened next, unbeliveably, was that she later the same week went to a different shop, and remarkably found a second set. This time a set of another similar design of hot-drink glasses, also designed for Iittala by Torun Bülow-Hübe, called ‘Mix’. She'd found two perfect sets of something she'd never seen even one of before, and not seen one of since.
Above: The four Vivianna Torun Bülow-Hübe Iittala Thea Hot Drink Glasses We Found Early That Day
Now, it’s a couple of years later. We regularly walk past mountains of uninteresting hot-drink glasses, and LITERALLY just a week ago I announced to my sister: "I really want to find some more of those Torun Bülow-Hübe glasses soon". And just as I asked, the universe responeded.
So there we were, with not one, not two, but four perfect glasses - exactly what I'd asked for. We were ecstatic - and joked that all we were missing now, to complete the set, were some of the other design too just like the first time she found them. We finished the shop visit with a good collection of finds, and moved on.
Well, the universe seemed to really want to give us a Friday to remember, because just as we were in the very next shop, I went to the hot-drinks glasses section determined to find a set of the second ‘Mix’-design. Quite like a golfer would jokingly look for their ball in the hole, when they know it's gone right over. And to my not only surprise and amazement, but utter disbelief, there were, in original packaging, a set of ‘Mix’ glasses. All I could do was walk over to Kathrine and say "you will not believe what I have just found". Her reaction mimicking mine, she took out the camera to capture my speechlessness.
Above: First image is the Mix Glasses. Second Image is the Two Designs Side by Side
So to just reiterate the utter ridiculous nature of these coincidences: We found two sets of these glasses a couple of years ago, for the very first time, and somehow in the same week. We have never found them again since, and they are rarely seen online either.
Then we start off our Friday with news of being corona-free, and just a week after my very specific wish to find the glasses again, we find not just a couple but four of the ‘Thea’ style, and subsequently another two of ‘Mix’ in the VERY NEXT SHOP. I was gobsmacked, and still am when I consider how all these things sound when seen in context of one another.
I once heard someone suggest that the universe is made up of waves that can be manipulated by the people in it - which would make certain events able to repeat, because conditions are just right. And on the back of this, I'm inclined to listen to such a theory.
And as if this was not enough of an amazing day - a PART TWO will follow, in which Kathrine explains the other truly remarkable event and find that made this day one we will not forget for a long time.