Posted 3 years ago
dav2no1
(719 items)
Vampire Slaying Kit
Not only do I collect art but I also create art.
This is my version of a Victorian vampire kit.
The bottles, handcuffs and bible are antique 1800s. The corks on the bottles I shaped and cut down from Champagne corks.
All the wood has been treated with shou sugi ban(Yakisugi) technique. The head of the hammer is encased in metal with brass screws ground down to simulate rivets. Included crude carvings to replicate an antique look.
The glass is treated with a mirror paint and vinegar solution to create a faux mercury glass effect.
I was having trouble deciding how to lay out the fabric. I had several different options in my head so I consulted my friend. My friend Terry is a retired award-winning hot rod interior guy. He helped me decide and finish the crushed red velvet interior.
Poison bottle - PD & CO. 295 - Park Davis - square brown
Hydrozone - Prepared by Chas Marchand New York USA - large brown
Bromo Seltzer - Emerson Drug Co. Baltimore MD - small blue
YAKISUGI
Yakisugi is a traditional Japanese method of wood preservation. Yaki means to heat with fire, and sugi is cypress. It is also referred to in the West as burnt timber cladding and also known as Shou Sugi Ban.
By slightly charring the surface of the wood without combusting the whole piece, the wood becomes water-proof through the carbonisation and is thus more durable. It also protects against insects, as well as making it fire retardant.
VAMPIRE SLAYING KITS
A widely accepted theory is that vampire slaying kits were novelty items for tourists visiting Transylvania after the publishing of Bram Stoker’s DRACULA in 1897. Sales of these items, as well as vampire tourism to the region, also increased after the releases of the 1922 film NOSFERATU and the 1931 Universal adaptation of DRACULA.
Congratulations.
Thank you and thanks to all that loved it!
It took me awhile to get all the antique items and decide on the final look. As soon as I saw this table for sale, I knew right away I had to have it.
Great idea. I have a very similar table I keep filled with Halloween worthy items.
I'd like to find another table. And make a werewolf kit maybe with a Flintlock and some silver balls....
A big thanks to everyone that loved my project!
Well this is certainly something different. It'd make anyone do a double take if seen in an antique store. Looks great!
Looks like the real deal! I hope you never have to put it to work. :-)
Good job with this!
Unfortunately, these were all the rage a few decades ago. Most I saw included an old single- shot percussion pistol (usually a non descript, low value piece) to enhance the set.
Saw a few sell in the $8,000- $12,000 range!
Old- timers told me at the time, that most of these were 20th century gun dealer creations. A great way to sell a cheap gun and gun box for a huge profit.
The internet has shed more light on these and most now know that they are fantasy items.
scott
Thanks to everyone for looking and comments.
The idea was a way to display some items in a fun way. I create a lot of art, some better than others. Ideas get in my head and I'm not satisfied until I create something..
And of course it wasn't until after I completed it, that I found a few era correct pistols for sale.
Happy Halloween everyone! Perfect time to revisit my Vampire Slaying Kit...
Happy Halloween Dave, hope you had a great day & didn't need to use these on Count Dracula!
nice this noir art
Thank you. I enjoyed making this one. Still want to do a werewolf kit. I have an old black powder pistol that would look great.
Really well made, great work!
Lata - Thank you for the comments. I like how it turned out.