My Vintage Precious: Thomas Hamberg's Beaver

My Vintage Precious is a monthly series where I ask people working on the creative field to share their most beloved second hand possessions and reveal the stories behind them.

Photo Salla Poutiainen

"My most cherished vintage object is a stuffed beaver I’ve jokingly named Seppo. Our paths with Seppo came together when a former customer of mine contacted me asking whether I’d be interested in buying a stuffed beaver for my antique shop. At first I wasn’t too keen on the idea of having a beaver, but after I saw how uniquely expression rich face it possessed, I was immediately sold. Something about his fuzzy face also reminds me of my sister’s dog, which was probably also part of the attraction.

Photo Salla Poutiainen

I choose all my belongings very carefully and when it comes to taxidermy, I’m not interested in perfect pieces, I like critters that have seen life and which possess a spirit of their own. I added him the paper hat and the basket, placed it on a table in my shop and ever since that Seppo has sat there greeting customers with it’s delighted grin."

Thank you Thomas! Thomas runs a superb little antique shop in Helsinki called Götan Maailma which I had the pleasure of visiting last November. You can read the story here.

For more information about Göta, visit their fb page here.

My Vintage Precious will be back on January 2013!

x
Salla

The world according to Göta

Overview of Göta. | Photo Salla Poutiainen
(Click the photo to enlarge)

I visited a truly inspiring and unique place last week. It was an antique shop called Götan Maailma (engl. Göta’s World). Located in the Punavuori area of Helsinki, the little boutique filled with eclectic memorabilia and beautiful furniture offered a true haven of peace compared to the hectic atmosphere of the main streets.

Some of the stuffed animals I've previously seen have been a bit eerie, but all the pleasant little fellows at Göta really stole my heart away. | Photo Salla Poutiainen

The thing that really struck me about this place was how coherently put together everything was. Beginning from the gorgeous, marine themed display window to the lovely entryway decorated with old newspapers, continueing to the shop itself, the whole place really had a spirit of its own.

Sea gulls gazing over at Tarkk'ampujankatu from Göta's display window. | Photo Salla Poutiainen

From Göta you can even find a human skull among with variety of other bones.
Photo Salla Poutiainen

Nothing was just tossed in randomly, everything had its own special place. The shop even has it’s own signature scent (mix made of tobacco, tar, apple, cinnamon, carnation and amber) which I personally found incredibly appealing, since scent design is something that is often completely neglected when planning shop concepts.  

Tortoise shells, old paintings and graphiques decorate the walls. | Photo Salla Poutiainen

 

An elk should always wear a straw hat. Photo Salla Poutiainen

Götan Maailma is ran by Thomas Hamberg, who co-owns the place with his parents. The range of items found from their collections include stuffed animals, bones, skulls, insects, medical antique and old paintings & litography (and I'm only mentioning a fraction here).

Thomas' Boston Terrier Aimo holds court on the floral sofa. | Photo Salla Poutiainen

 

 

 

 

 

Götan Maailma, Tarkk'ampujankatu 11, Helsinki.
Open: Mon-Fri 10-18 Sat 10-15

Götan maailma is named after Hambergs' great ant, who was
also an enthusiastic collector. Photo via Götan Maailma.

Summarized: absolutely amazing place. If you haven’t yet visited, I strongly recommend you do. Places like this don’t come across often (especially in Finland) so it’s most definitely worth it.

You can find more information about Göta from their Fb page here.

x
Salla

Ps. December’s My Vintage Precious will feature something really cool from Thomas Hamberg so remember to check it out!