The witches have finished their dinner, and it seems they wandered off to warm themselves by the fire. Not that this fire gives off any heat. Our little mantel at Pollyanna’s Antiques has taken on the same dark Halloween mood as the dining table across the shop, and it may be the most quietly unsettling corner we have.
Start at the top. A black wreath of mesh and tulle hangs over an empty carved frame, studded with silver skulls, and a pale figure in a black gown has climbed right into it. Below, bare black branches reach out of nowhere, and a small witch in a violet hat keeps watch at the corner of the mantel, one hand raised as if she is halfway through a spell. Purple lights glow through a tangle of black leaves, a skull-faced pumpkin grins beside a striped one, and a bright little spider creeps toward the edge.
Old pieces, new mischief
On either side of the frame, black plates stand in scrolled wrought iron racks, each one backed by a disc of amber glass that catches the light like a watchful eye. The black marble surround holds an iron fireplace screen wound with grapevines, and behind it, where a fire ought to be, a nest of tiny lights flickers as if something is breathing in there. A pair of tall silvered candlesticks stands guard at the hearth.
Off to the right, a little white cabinet wears black lace like a mourning veil, and on top sits an ornate white telephone with a rotary dial and a small black skull resting at its base. We would not answer it. Buffalo check ties the whole scene together, from the scarf draped across the mantel to the lamp glowing overhead.
Come see it for yourself, and bring someone who does not startle easily. We’re open Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, 10 to 4, at 287 North Avenue in downtown Mt. Clemens. The table is still set, the fire is still going, and the telephone has not rung. Yet.