THE COLLECTION
Chrissie Fernyhough’s passion for New Zealandmade objects gradually overtook her commitment to furnish The Butterfly House in sync with its midcentury origins.
“Today, it is filled with objects that define New Zealanders, that take us back in history to our golden time and beyond. Some are used every day and are chipped and worn, dented and discoloured. Others are decorative and stand on shelves or are hung on walls to give pleasure and delight.”
Though Chrissie has read books over the years on how to accumulate and display collections, she reckons she’s getting better at it and that there are no rules, anyway. What is the difference between a collector and a hoarder?
“My collection is filled with things that could be found in a hoarder’s messy home, yet I believe these unassuming objects are important treasures. It is extraordinary how the most humble egg cup takes on a presence when one knows its origins.
“In an unpretentious way, New Zealanders have loved their Fibrolite baches, DIY cribs and pāua-shell clocks. And the souvenir market created items with the most endearing themes that were uniquely New Zealand. For example, the decorative kiwi (above left), has an elegant-ized neck much longer than it is in reality and is nibbling on a fern frond, which they don’t eat as they are not vegetarian.
“And, at the same time, objects from this era were exuberantly colourful and generally made from robust materials that lasted well. There is no need for a coaster under a wine glass on a Formica table like there is on polished mahogany or waxed Georgian oak.
“It is important to me to preserve these items; otherwise they’ll be lost. People think that because they are so cheap, they are not worth saving.” Chrissie’s 25-year collection is now vast and available to see online catalogued under the Museum of the Everyday at ehive.com/collections/6051/newzealand-museum- of-the- everyday
Items from the MoE collection featured in every issue of NZ Life & Leisure from March/April 2017 through to November/December 2018.