What started with a bee became much more for Trace Mayer.
What do you get when you combine impressive creativity, antique frame pieces, ornaments (some antique, some new), and precious stone? Museum Bees.
Trace Mayer is the creator of Museum Bees, and his business is near Louisville, Kentucky. The collection ranges in size from one inch to seven inches, and the mounting is made from antique frames that date from 1860-1880. Some Bees are mounted on pieces of the charred inner portion of bourbon barrel staves, which not only enhance the background but provide the addition of a wonderful aroma. Although the first offering of these unique collectibles was Napoleon’s Bee, over time the company began offering gilded ornaments of horses, dogs, insects, ceramics, and curiosities mounted to the frames. Museum Bees can also make custom bees from your cherished pieces that come from “that” drawer where keepsakes live.
Trace Mayer signs every Museum Bee with the initials of the current Kentucky Derby winner. This year it was Rich Strike, so you will find an R on the back of the Bees that are created in 2022. The team at Museum Bees likes to say that the year begins on the first Saturday in May.
Even though they are small, Bees present well not only alone but in groupings. You can place them on a shelf in front of books, hang them with framed artwork, display a collection of them on a wall next to a doorway or a piece of furniture, combine them with other small items on a side table, or mix them with hanging decorative plates. The possibilities are endless.
One thing is certain. If you buy one, you’ll be hooked and find it difficult not to go back for more.
The collection of Bees seen here as well as the limited first-edition hardcover 2021 book Museum Bees by Trace Mayer are available at The Rock House Antiques, 415 Mauldin Road, Greenville.
