A Collection of Domestic Brushes

We were just watching the “Antiques Roadshow”,* and this little girl comes on, probably about 10 years old.

The specialist: So, what have you got here?
The Little Girl: It’s Gran’s collection of domestic brushes.

And what do you know? Twenty or so antique brushes of every possible kind and shape. Brushes for hair, and clothes, and carpets; polished wooden backs (some with inscriptions), pristine bristles, the sort of things that we would snap up for one purpose, and one purpose only: the smacking of bottoms. (Usually mine, obviously.)

The specialist: What’s so special about brushes?
The Little Girl: I like their texture and weight and bristles and…

Yes, I quite understand. It’s hard to explain to an antiques seller, but there is nothing quite as enticing as an old wooden brush with its years of imaginary disciplinary history. How can you not want to buy one the second you see it, even if you have ten others back at home?

The pride of the girl’s collection was this enormous square-backed brush the size of a paperback novel, which was supposedly meant for brushing fur coats. Guess what we’ll be looking out for on eBay.

(Abel’s really pleased. She had exactly the same carpet beater as he uses to punish me.)

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* In case you don’t know: a TV show wherein people who have stuff in the house they think might be old and valuable (as opposed to just old), bring it to specialists to value. The entertainment value is in a) looking at antiques b) marvelling at how a garish painted pot can be valued at 3000 pounds.