Italian decorative duck marble and alabaster
Price: £30
This is a beautiful decorative duck made from highly polished green and brown marble joined with fine alabaster, eyes are also stonef
Victorian Chinoiserie chatelaine note pad
Price: £125
This is a gorgeous piece of ephemera - a writing pad meant to hang from a lady's chatelaine, comprising two Chinoiserie silver incised panels that open to expose 4 celluloid pages
Chinese Embroidered Silk Table Screen 1960s
Price: £30
This is a very delicate table screen made of four panels all with a section of embroidered silk that creates a natural setting with birds and branches, in fitted box
Chinese carved hardwood frame, 1920s
Price: £55
This is a striking Chinese wood frame densely and deeply carved with a mixture of symbols, stylised flowers and dragons. The ground is finely incised with closely packed micro dots and on it we see two roundels resembling ‘shou’ medallions, various abstract geometric patterned shapes, scrolling flowers, mainly lotus, and two dragons at the top left and bottom right corners. The style of carving suggests early C20th work and the wood is possibly boxwood as indicated by the traces of yellow which can be seen (images 3,4,5) and are a hallmark of the type. Perhaps originally intended to hold a mirror (the composition is really too distracting for presenting a porcelain or fabric panel) this piece can be used today as its new owner wishes and will considerably enhance whatever it displays.
Pair of Japanese Imari Plates, Meiji Period circa 1880
Price: £150
Pair of fine quality Japanese Imari Plates, Meiji Period (1868-1912) circa 1880, decorated in underglaze blue, iron red and gold with a typical fabric derived 'brocade' style design, the central three leaf clover shape roundel surrounded by three shaped panels with fans all on a ground of stylised scrolling foliage, the reverses plain with two concentric circles in underglaze blue next to the foot rim. The form of these plates is unusual, copying the standard design of a Chinese eighteenth century dinner plate.
Papier Mâché Tray with Millefiori Decoration, Kashmir, C20th
Price: £55
A Papier Mâché Tray of octagonal form with rounded indented corners profusely decorated in rich and detailed colourings with small floral blooms, the ‘millefiori’ (thousand flower) pattern, a central roundel and four hemisphere panels at the corners all set on an orange ground, the border with bands of floral spray and repeating geometric design in gilt, the reverse plain showing the black lacquer ground. Trays and boxes in this distinctive style were made in Kashmir in India and some carry the label for Srinagar, a city famous for traditional Kashmiri handicrafts like the Kashmir shawl, papier mâché, wood carving, carpet weaving, and jewel making, which is most likely the place where this tray was made, probably in the 1920s. It is a superb example of the type with exquisite detail in the decoration and a strikingly attractive use of colour.
Pair of Silver Plated Fish Servers with fitted box, probably Edwardian
Price: £45
A pair of silver plated fish servers of typical form, one in the shape of a large fork and the other a flat slice, both elaborately decorated with engraved scrolling acanthus, the slice with openwork detail, and bordered with a repeating rectangular geometric design, the modelled handles, which appear to be dyed bone, set in ropework sockets. There is certainly quality here but no maker’s mark so origin and dating have to be guessed. The rather florid style suggests Edwardian rather than Victorian work and relates to the ‘renaissance revival’ style which features elsewhere in this auction. English manufacture is therefore the most likely. Certainly a touch here of the grand elegance of a bygone era and the set retains its original box which is in excellent condition.
French Souvenir Verre Eglomise Box and Cover, Sacre Coeur de Montmatre, circa 1900
Price: £55
This box, and others like it, was probably made in France as a tourist souvenir in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. Formed as a small casket, the base is of pressed brass with relief decoration and four small pad feet. The lid has a ‘verre eglomise’, or reverse painted glass, bevel edged panel set in a brass mount and the box is lined inside. Some of the decoration of the lid is probably transfer with other elements hand painted on the back of the glass in true ‘verre eglomise’ style. The scene depicted is the well known Basilica of Sacre Coeur situated on the top of Montmatre, one of the most frequently visited sites in Paris and therefore eminently suitable as the subject for a memento of the ‘great city’. This is the ‘Grand Tour’ style rather towards its end with cheaper materials and a more mechanical method of production but an authentic example of a period souvenir to tempt the traveller.
Art Nouveau Bronze Plaque c.1900
Price: £75
This is a beautiful bronze hanging plaque depicting an Art Nouveau woman in natural setting, with integrated ring to hang
LOT 1
Set of 5 matching 18ct gold sewing tools in fitted case, August Boileau, French c.1850
Estimate: £100 – 200Auction Begins
01/01/70 UTC
£0.00
Beautiful Victorian ruby glass scent bottle, circa 1880
Price: £350
This is a lovely ruby glass scent bottle decorated with enamel flowers in a rope twist design. It has a brass top with chain and is fitted with the original stopper which is quite rare.
Bisque Scottish boy character doll c. 1900
Price: £60
This is a very sweet souvenir doll comprising a young Scottish boy in tradition dress with a bisque head, hands and feet and a fabric body. With traditional Scottish garb. Made in Germany.
Victorian marquetry miniature table top games table
Price: £75
This is a very unusual miniature table top games table comprising a beautiful marquetry design ready for chess or any game. It is an octagon shape with eight legs. Could be a cabinet maker's example of a large table.
Baroque Style Picture Frame with Still Life, C20th
Price: £25
The elaborate stylised floral decoration of this picture frame looks to the baroque era prevalent in Europe during the late C17th and early C18th with its elaborate floral scrolling but its date of manufacture is rather more recent. The material seems to be resin and the aim was clearly to produce a lavish effect at a bargain price. The picture enclosed is, of course, far from baroque but the semi impressionist style of this floral still life actually matches its surround rather well. A piece of decorative whimsey then, probably 1950/1960s and continental, and a clear antidote to austerity!
Pair of Brentleigh Ware Wall Hanging Ballet Shoes, 1930s
Price: £35
A ceramic wall hanging model of a pair of ballet shoes glazed in red with black laces, one pierced at the back for display, the soles also glazed in red and with an impressed mark ‘Brentleigh Ware’ ‘Made in England’. Brentleigh was one of the trade names of the Howard Pottery Co Ltd in Shelton Staffordshire who seem to have made pieces from the 1920s to the 1950s. The art deco style of this group suggests a pre war dating to the 1930s. The model sometimes appears in black, making these a rather more decorative example and the glaze is often subject to substantial loss and flaking which is not the case here and therefore much more pleasing to the eye. Kitsch perhaps but an amusing piece of wall decoration for shoe lovers everywhere!
French Souvenir Verre Eglomise Box and Cover, Sacre Coeur de Montmatre, circa 1900
Price: £55
This box, and others like it, was probably made in France as a tourist souvenir in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. Formed as a small casket, the base is of pressed brass with relief decoration and four small pad feet. The lid has a ‘verre eglomise’, or reverse painted glass, bevel edged panel set in a brass mount and the box is lined inside. Some of the decoration of the lid is probably transfer with other elements hand painted on the back of the glass in true ‘verre eglomise’ style. The scene depicted is the well known Basilica of Sacre Coeur situated on the top of Montmatre, one of the most frequently visited sites in Paris and therefore eminently suitable as the subject for a memento of the ‘great city’. This is the ‘Grand Tour’ style rather towards its end with cheaper materials and a more mechanical method of production but an authentic example of a period souvenir to tempt the traveller.
Massive Victorian Carnelian Cameo Shell
Price: £55
This is a very large example of a carnelian shell, such pieces often being used for the creation of cameos in the nineteenth century and before. This example has been polished in certain areas to give the shell a more elegant and finely worked decoration suitable for use as a table ornament. Carved carnelian cameo shells were favoured souvenirs from the Grand Tour and were found mainly in the North and West African waters. This piece is of an exceptionally large size, which is both desirable in itself and occurs much less frequently.
Victorian leather bound photo album made by Mechi and Bazin c.1870
Price: £110
This is an incredible photo album comprising a finely tooled green leather cover and gilt edged pages that have inserts for the photos. It is made by Mechi and Bazin, a well respected manufacturer based on Regent Street in central London and mainly known for their campaign fitted toiletry boxes and writing slopes. This album is quite petite so it was most likely also meant for travel. It holds 23 beautiful Victorian photographs : mainly portraits with a few outdoor views.The album Is marked 'Mechi & Bazin Makers London' on front cover.
Beautiful small daguerreotype in a frame c. 1850
Price: £25
This is an amazing daguerreotype of two young girls probably made for an officer to take as a memento while travelling. The daguerreotype was the first commercially successful photographic process in the history of photography. Announced to the public in 1839 the daguerreotype enjoyed great popularity in the 1840s and 1850s. Named after the inventor, Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, each daguerreotype is a unique image on a silvered copper plate.
Georgian small glass scent bottle in a fitted Etui case circa 1800
Price: £45
This is a rare small glass scent bottle that comes in a fitted etui case perfect for a gentleman's pocket. The moulded glass is finely fluted on both the body and top.
Victorian Bronze Chamber Candlestick in the form of a Griffin, late C19th
Price: £40
This is a very striking bronze chamber stick in the form of a griffin with fine detail to the casting of the face and feathers. The griffin is a well known legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. Griffins were known as the guardians of treasures and priceless possessions even in Classical antiquity and were to become familiar elements of heraldry. The choice of this creature as the suppport for a candlestick (the form suggests a chamvber candlestick) cannot be easily explained. Does the griffin here protect its owner in some way? Whatever the answer the result is a striking decorative ensemble which could enhance many a domestic interior.
Pair of Georgian Style Square Gilt Bronze Table Salts, English C19th
Price: £45
A pair of gilt bronze table Salts of square form with openwork sides decorated with stylised scrolling foliage, flaring below to a pedestal base with paw feet, one edge with milling, and above to the squared top rim. The paw feet and general solidity to the decoration suggest the Georgian style but these pieces may have been made later in the nineteenth century. The square form is most unusual and the openwork sides clearly held a container, possibly metal but most probably glass, for the salt itself. The milling to the edge of just one of the sides is something of a mystery; it has been suggested, though, that it might have been done to assist an owner with impaired vision, perhaps to distinguish one vessel from another if they were actually used to contain different condiments. Be that as it may, if not necessarily for practical use today, these pieces make an elegant accessory with a true sense of the antique.
Pair of Brentleigh Ware Wall Hanging Ballet Shoes, 1930s
Price: £35
A ceramic wall hanging model of a pair of ballet shoes glazed in red with black laces, one pierced at the back for display, the soles also glazed in red and with an impressed mark ‘Brentleigh Ware’ ‘Made in England’. Brentleigh was one of the trade names of the Howard Pottery Co Ltd in Shelton Staffordshire who seem to have made pieces from the 1920s to the 1950s. The art deco style of this group suggests a pre war dating to the 1930s. The model sometimes appears in black, making these a rather more decorative example and the glaze is often subject to substantial loss and flaking which is not the case here and therefore much more pleasing to the eye. Kitsch perhaps but an amusing piece of wall decoration for shoe lovers everywhere!
Silver Medal or Watch Fob dated 1923, B.P.C.G.S.
Price: £35
A small piece of history here which will need some unravelling. Suspended on a piece of blue ribbon from a silver bar pin marked ‘1923’ is an oval silver medal or watch fob, decorated to the front with two bands of laurel leaves, geometric shapes in an art deco style and a central gilt coloured shield with the engraved letters B.P.C.G.S. The reverse is plain with the engraved wording ‘SENIOR 1ST’ ‘APPARATUS’ ‘LMILES’ and hall marks for 1923 with the maker’s mark ‘JD&CO’, standing for Joseph Daffern & Co, silversmiths at Hatton Garden from 1908 to 1931 and producers of commemorative medals and watch fobs. ‘Apparatus’ is the Latin word used in English to denote equipment or organisation but may have had a special meaning for whatever body is indicated by the acronym on the front. We may never know but L MILES was clearly a successful and deserving recipient!
Pair of Dorset Fossil limestone goblets in presentation box
Price: £35
This is a very unusual pair of goblets or wine cups made from worked Dorset limestone that is known for its fossils. These goblets are dense with different types of fossilised shells and other marine life. It comes in a velvet fitted presentation box.
Art Deco onyx Chess Set with board and fitted box, 1930s
Price: £110
This is a very elegant chess set comprising finely carved onyx pieces which are stored in their own fitted case. The top of the case has been inlaid with onyx and agate pieces to make up a chess board. The pieces are smaller than a standard chess set which makes the fine carving even more beautiful and all have survived in excellent condition which is unusual. The perfect gift for devotees of the game!
A silver filigree decorative Spoon with an openwork shell shape bowl, probably Scottish circa 1900
Price: £65
This is a delicately worked filigree spoon with an openwork bowl in the form of a shell with stylised leaves, the slender handle of rope twist design with thistle leaf terminals at either end and finished with a thistle flower. Of a decorative rather than practical design, the use of thistles suggests that this piece is Scottish; dating is probably around 1900 or the the early Edwardian period.
Victorian Whitby jet mourning brooch
Price: £75
This is a quite large brooch in a scroll work design and Greek key edging. It is Whitby jet a fossilised wood stone that is from the Jurassic period that is found in the North York moors in northern England. Whitby jet was the main material for mourning jewellery during the Victorian age for obvious reasons.
A gilt metal and onyx figure of a Cherub holding a Globe 1960s
Price: £45
This is an amusing figure of a cherub holding a globe, perhaps intended as a desk ornament or paperweight or possibly as part of a two piece clock set. The cherub is modelled in gilt metal with a smiling face, standing on one leg with the right arm upraised and supporting a globe which is held in place by a screw attachment. The globe and base are formed from onyx with typical striations. Similar pieces are usually dated to the 1960s which would seem to be the case here. Mounted onyx globes do appear, but the addition of the cherub figure is more unusual.
Chinese Silk picture of Two Birds and Flowering Plum Blossom, signed, C20th
Price: £20
A Chinese silk picture of two birds sitting on a branch of flowering plum blossom or prunus, the flowers and leaves delicately rendered, a red seal mark to the top, perhaps indicating the maker, alongside four characters of calligraphy probably describing the scene depicted. This piece is not framed but simply taped to card backing. The style and quality of the workmanship suggests a C20th dating perhaps to the mid 1950s and the composition retains great charm.
Wade green glazed Posy Vase, 1950s
Price: £20
A ceramic vase in the form of a narrow shallow urn with a lobed body and raised loop handles, green glazed and marked at the base ‘Wade’ ‘England’.
Wade Ceramics Ltd was a manufacturer of porcelain and earthenware, headquartered in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Founded in 1867, it was run by various members of the Wade family until the death of George Anthony Wade in 1987 after which there was a succession of management buyouts. Despite substantial investment in 2009, the firm eventually went into administration in 2022. Wade produced a wide variety of ceramics, including the well known Wade Whimsies animal figurines.
This vase was designed to hold a small bunch of flowers and was produced in a variety of sizes and colours, green being the most common. The form has an almost ‘neo classical’ feel but the piece dates to the 1950s when this particular format of the factory mark was used.
Framed Watercolour of a Countryside Scene, C20th
Price: £45
This is a highly attractive watercolour painting of a countryside scene. A river winds from left to right with a mother and child walking along a path in the foreground and trees and buildings to the rear. On the river sails a barge drawn by a horse which has just passed under the brick built bridge to which the couple are approaching. This is certainly a ‘period’ composition suggesting the nineteenth century but the artist, an accomplished amateur, was clearly working in the twentieth. If the frame is contemporary, then this indicates a dating to the 1960s or 1970s but this is admittedly something of a guess. But the charm of the piece is obvious and it would be an appealing addition to a modern home.
Kenton Clock Radio Hong Kong 1970s
Price: £35
This is an early example of the clock radio format made by the Kenton factory, Hong Kong. The casing is in red leather and the format resembles that of the standard travelling clock, where the mechanism is hinged to the lid and then clips in to the base. There are six transistors and the loudspeaker is of Permanent Magnet Dynamic (PDyn) type (moving coil). The clock is of the standard wind up type and the radio, which still works but can only receive a limited range of frequencies, is powered by two AA batteries. The front face with the makers name and the interior marked 'Genuine Leather Case Hand Made in Hong Kong'.
Victorian Brass Paperweight in the form of a Fireplace, English circa 1900
Price: £20
This is a rather charming paperweight or table ornament in the form of a fireplace with a dog seated at the front. It is hollow cast in brass with a solid back and shows a raised basket grate with blazing coals within an elaborate, almost neo classical, fireplace with columns at the left and right and a small figure scene frieze at the top. The mantelpiece is decorated with two vases and a clock and the hearth below is fitted with a poker and a sleeping dog.
The design of the fireplace suggests manufacture in England in the Victorian period and the weight and quality of the brass used conforms with this. The composition is appealing, so much so that modern reproductions exist which can be clearly distinguished from the original by the brass work used and a hollowed out construction at the back where our example is solid (see image 2).
PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS FREE UK SHIPPING ON THIS ITEM. For international buyers the shipping cost will be reduced by the UK shipping cost, so don't worry if you are outside the UK, you still receive this benefit!
Noritake Vase in the Form of a Pomegranate, marked, Japanese, early 20th Century
Price: £25
A Japanese Porcelain Vase manufactured by the Noritake Company, the spherical body with three short feet and two handles and finished with a short flaring neck and a crimped rim, intended to resemble the form of a pomegranate. The decoration comprises a continous panorama landscape scene with two central circular panels, depicting trees, mountains and a lake, set on a dark blue glaze ground with raised bead work decoration in gilt and blue enamel, the base marked 'Noritake' 'Made in Japan' with a geometric design enclosed by a circle.
The Noritake compnay was set up by the Morimura family at Noritake near Nagoya in the early twentieth century. Called at first 'Nippon Toki Kaisha Ltd' on its founding in 1904, the business soon changed its name to 'Noritake' and began the manufacture of porcelains for the domestic and export markets. The mark seen here is interesting. It comprises a 'Komaru' symbol, crowned with "Noritake" and with the mark 'Made In Japan'. The centre symbol said to be taken from the Japanese character "Komaru", meaning "overcoming difficulties". According to the Noritake company tradition this mark was designed when contact with the different culture of the west early in the 20th century caused problems of adaptation. It is also known as the 'tree crest mark' which is the clan crest of the Morimura family. This mark is said to have been registered in London for the UK market by 1908. The curled up ends of the Komaru symbol seen here distinguish this mark from later versions and allow a dating of this piece to the early twentieth century.
Noritake porcelain became synonymous with finely potted tea and breakfast services made in great quantities for export. This vase is a rather more unusual production and shows the factory capable of producing high quality pieces.
Victorian small note pad for chatelaine
Price: £45
This is a charming small note pad that would have hung from a ladies chatelaine or a ladies "tool belt" so to speak. It is silver plated with the original paper pages with actual notes on them which is fun. There is also the original mechanical pencil. There is a spring hinge so the notepad opens automatically. The silver plate has a repousse design of angels or putti very typical during this time.
Vintage Carved wood figure of a seated Man, Bali, Indonesia, second half C20th
Price: £75
A finely carved wood figure with a rich patina of a seated man in deep contemplation wearing traditional headdress. The style and quality of this piece indicate that it was the work of a Balinese craftsman. The island of Bali in Indonesia has a rich tradition of wood carving dating back hundreds of years. Known in the Balinese language as 'Batuan', wood carving has its roots in Bali's Hindu-Buddhist culture. Typically, the pieces are made from hardwoods with a coarse grain including teak, chempaka wood and sandalwood. The highly decorative grain effects here suggest teak and the patterning complements the composition perfectly. Dating is probably to the 1950s or 1960s. Similar pieces are said to have been purchased around that time.
LOT 4
Two similar Chinese Export Style Monteith Form Jardinieres, C20th
Estimate: £60 – 80
12d 18h 6m
£0.00
Pair of Arts and Crafts Pewter Salts, early C20th
Price: £45
A pair of small salts, pewter and of circular form with brass bands to the top and bottom and inset glass beads in green, red and blue. The rather austere and slightly mediaeval appearance of these salts indicates the influence of the ‘Arts and Crafts’ movement which flourished in Britain from the late nineteenth century to the 1920s. Ornament "must be secondary to the thing decorated", declared the designer Owen Jones, and said there must be “fitness in the ornament to the thing ornamented". Certainly, there are few traces of florid decoration here as is the case with the salt and pepper set elsewhere in this sale. These pieces may date slightly later and there are silver serviette rings in the same format which are hallmarked for 1933 which may explain why they also have a slightly Art Deco feel in their simplicity of design.
Victorian Silver Buckle set with Paste Stones, German circa 1900
Price: £85
This is a striking silver buckle of rectangular form with two bands of brilliant paste stones surrounding four stylised flower head paste stone clusters, the reverse plain and marked 900 which implies manufacture in Germany where the standard for silver was a minimum of 800 parts to 1000 with 900 parts to 1000 as one of the alternatives (as opposed to the more usually found 925). There is in addition a double mark with a star and a wheel which may well be the maker's mark, but this is hard to identify.
The sparkling stones and high quality mounting (there is a considerable weight of silver in this piece) would have made this buckle a notable addition to the Victorian ladies' wardrobe and it could equally well catch the eye today.
A Set of Six Blue and White Willow Pattern Coasters English Ironstone 1980s
Price: £25
A set of six Ironstone china coasters, decorated in the traditional 'Willow Pattern' with a typical Chinese landscape scene. Ironstone china is a type of vitreous pottery first made in the United Kingdom in the 19th century by potters in Staffordshire, England, as a cheaper, mass-produced alternative for porcelain. It is often associated with the firm founded by Mason in 1813 following his registration of a patent for the ware. Subsequently others manufactured it as well including William Turner and Josiah Spode. Essentially a product of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries there was a revival of interest in these traditional wares from the 1970s onwards and one of the manufacturers was the 'English Ironstone Tableware Ltd' which traded from 1973 to 1994 when it went into receivership. Their impressed mark can be seen on the back.
These coasters formed part of their range. The decoration employs the transfer pattern technique developed in England in the mid eighteenth century and a staple of nineteenth century productions. Printed designs were 'transferred' to the ceramic surface allowing the production of extensive services in a matching pattern. The Chinese derived 'Willow Pattern' design seems to have been first used around 1790 and was probably designed by Thomas Minton for Spode. All the versions contain similar elements besides the pagodas and landscape scenes most notably the three figures on a bridge and a pair of flying swallows. In order to promote sales, various stories were invented based on elements of the design. These coasters are an amusing recollection of times past and highly practical in addition.
Pair of Bakelite Salts, Italian Fontanini, mid C20th
Price: £45
A pair of Bakelite table salt dishes in the form of two cherubs wearing a quiver and holding a bow and arrow and standing on shell with a rococo style plinth at the edge and three supporting feet underneath. Both pieces are marked 'DEPOSE 186 ITALY' with a small spider mark in addition. This signifies the Fontanini workshop which made a variety of small polychrome resin figures in a rather charming rococo (the term itself derives from the French 'rocaille' which means 'shell work') style of which these are an excellent example. The small spider emblem is often seen on their pieces. Dating is probably to the 1950s.
The well known Italian firm Fontanini, now famous for producing nativity Sets, was founded by Emanuele Fontanini as a small local business in a single room in the tiny Tuscan town of Bagni di Lucca. Working at first in papier mâché, the business turned to the use of bakelite once it became available, marking their pieces with a spider emblem and the wording ‘depose Fontanini up until the 1970s after which these were replaced by the Fontanini name, the date of manufacture, and a small fountain, which allows fairly accurate dating here. Manufacturing is now caried out by the fourth generation of the family.
A set of three Brass Lizards, Peerage Brass, England 1930s
Price: £55
A set of three brass lizards, naturalistically modelled with crouching feet and sinuous tails, the largest with its head slightly raised and turned to the left and all with carefully punched decoration representing the skin. One of them bears a mark in which the letters 'p' 'e' 'e' and a further 'e' at the end can be made out above 'ENGLAND'. This indicates the English manufacturer 'Peerage Brass' which is known to have commenced in business before 1900 and made original copper & brass ware, with the height of production between 1910 and the 1940's. Their aim was quality period reproductions which were occasionally marked. Peerage Brass became the brand name after World War II until the trademark lapsed in 1991. The format of the mark here, then, with just the wording 'peerage', indicates a date before the second world war probably in the 1930s. The weight of the brass and the quality of the casting and modelling indicate that the factory certainly attained its goal here. While obviously decorative these animals may well have been intended as desk items, the two smallest perhaps as paperweights. Even larger examples are known and these probably acted as doorstops.
Egyptian Silver Pill Box with Mother of Pearl Inlay, marked, second half C20th
Price: £45
An oval silver box and cover, the lid with an inlaid mother of pearl design comprising geometric shapes which combine to produce a 3D ‘trompe l’oeil’ effect of solid shapes within a rope twist border, the exterior of the lid with a small stamped mark and the interior of the box with three small stamped marks. The markings here, which can be seen on other examples indicate that we have Egyptian work and there are a fair number of similar silver boxes but more commonly in a round shape. They are usually dated to the mid twentieth century. The quality of the craftsmanship is obvious and the form and decoration make this a highly desirable collector’s item.
Vintage Carved wood figure of a seated Man, Bali, Indonesia, second half C20th
Price: £75
A finely carved wood figure with a rich patina of a seated man in deep contemplation wearing traditional headdress. The style and quality of this piece indicate that it was the work of a Balinese craftsman. The island of Bali in Indonesia has a rich tradition of wood carving dating back hundreds of years. Known in the Balinese language as 'Batuan', wood carving has its roots in Bali's Hindu-Buddhist culture. Typically, the pieces are made from hardwoods with a coarse grain including teak, chempaka wood and sandalwood. The highly decorative grain effects here suggest teak and the patterning complements the composition perfectly. Dating is probably to the 1950s or 1960s. Similar pieces are said to have been purchased around that time.
Japanese satsuma style match stick holder c1940
Price: £45
This is a lovely little figure of a Japanese man holding a vessel that is used to hold matches. It is done in a satsuma style motif and is marked Made in Japan on the bottom. A lovely souvenir from a trip long ago.
Framed Watercolour, Harbour or Beachside Scene, signed, C20th
Price: £25
This is an attractive watercolour depicting a harbour or beachside scene with a sailing boat moored to the left, a lighter boat to its side and various sailing boats in the distance with mountains beyond. The tones used are mainly sepias and browns but more colours combine in the rendering of the sky with its setting sun. The artist’s signature can be seen to the bottom left but is unfortunately very hard to read. The impressionistic style is typical of mid century work - the well known English artist George Hann comes to mind and perhaps the painter here, an accomplished amateur, shares his nationality. The appeal here is obvious and not just to a collector of maritime scenes!
English Silver pin cushion in the form of a boot, London 1991
Price: £75
This is a charming small pin cushion in the form of a worn out boot. It has a typical blue velvet interior and is very lifelike with a hole in the sole. It has full English hallmarks for London 1991 and a makers' mark 'DB'.
Souvenir White House Enamel Box and Cover
Price: £15
A box and cover of ovoid form, the blue enamel ground with raised cloisonne enamel style decoration depicting the White House with the US flag atop, trees to the left and right and a profusion of stars which are repeated on the base with a single star on the interior. Doubtless to be found in the White House gift shops but available here without the need for a trip to Washington!
Four Art Deco style small Glass Vases with silver decoration, possibly Murano 1930s
Price: £55
Four Art Deco style small Glass Vases with silver overlay decoration, possibly Murano 1930s
This is a set of four complementary small coloured glass vases (green, blue, amethyst, turquoise) each with applied silver decoration now slightly tarnished. The clean lines of the shapes, two of baluster form and two with conical bodies suggest the Art Deco era and the decoration, which features gondolas and palaces, suggests Venetian origin and therefore manufacture at the Murano glassworks there. This has to remain slightly speculative and the pieces might be slightly later but the group provides a highly decorative ensemble for collectors or decorators alike.
A Pair of African Carved Wood Figure Head Plaques, C20th
Price: £45
A pair of carved wood plaques depicting the heads of a man and a woman and carved in a semi abstract style with black coloured detailing to the hair and facial features and marked ‘O’ ‘B’ to the reverse. The style of these and other similar pieces suggests African work but the provenance is uncertain. Both Senegal and Ghana are sometimes mentioned. These are certainly striking examples and probably date to the late C20th.
Korean Najeonchilgi lacquerware jewellery Box, C20th
Price: £25
This is an example of Korean lacquerware known as ‘Najeonchilgi’. The technique, derived from both China and Japan, involves the inlay of shellfish derived small pieces onto a lacquerware base. ‘Najeon’ means ‘mother of pearl’ and ‘chilgi’ lacquerware. These wares were produced quite early on in Korea’s history with a ‘golden era’ during the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) but continued to be made until quite recent times. This box, then, made in the late C20th, comes at the end of a long run of a traditional manufacturing process but retains some of the hallmarks of its predecessors. The shape is rectangular with a bowed front, the hinges and clasp fastening in polished metal and the interior lined in red fabric with a mirror fitted to the underside of the lid. The highly polished black lacquer surface is inlaid with mother of pearl decoration, flowers to the front and a moonlit scene of storks to the lid, symbolising long life. Highly decorative in itself, this box is also extremely practical as storage item for a small jewellery collection and would be an elegant addition to the dressing table.
LOT 9
Two Braun Edition Pictures framed : Monet - Coquelicots and Lilas, 1970s
Estimate: £80 – 120
12d 18h 16m
£0.00
African rosewood sculpture of a seated musician c. 1960
Price: £75
A rosewood figure of a seated musician playing a wind instrument, carved in a semi abstract style and with elongated proportions, the surface highly polished and showing in places the variegated patina of the wood. The style suggests African work similar to the pair of Makonde style figures also included in this sale but while similar pieces can be found there are no direct parallels. But the composition is striking and the quality of the wood enhances the carver’s skill. Dating to the second half of the C20th seems likely, perhaps to the 1960s.
Tubular Onyx Box and Cover, 1960s
Price: £35
A box and cover of tubular form, the circular body with a flush fitting flat lid, the onyx stone with typical veining and striation in shades of amber and brown. Onyx is named from the Greek 'ónux', meaning “nail,” or “claw,” and is a variety of the mineral chalcedony, a kind of quartz. Onyx with flesh-coloured and white bands can sometimes resemble a fingernail and similar effects can be seen here. Its use is known since ancient Egyptian times and it has also been commonly employed during the twentieth century. Similar pieces are usually attributed to Italian makers with a mid twentieth century dating. The clean lines of this piece are certainly consistent with that and it combines elegance with practicality.
Octagonal Agate Mortar Bowl, C20th
Price: £25
Truly Art Deco in style, the form of this bowl, octagonal with flaring sides and an upright bevel edged rim, deeply cut out to a rounded interior, is however normally regarded as a mortar shape and would have been used with a pestle, probably in the same material. Commonly used in a laboratory context for grinding samples these agate pieces are very much fit for purpose since the stone is much harder than porcelain, thus reducing the level of impurities introduced during the grinding process. Found in a wide variety of locations including Italy, Africa and Brazil, agate, a form of chalcedony with a wide variety of banding effects, was used for jewellery from the earliest of times but has also had practical uses because of its hardness. This bowl shows the typical banding effects of the stone but perhaps because most likely intended for practical use an impurity in the piece used has been left visible (see image 5).
Art Deco Wooden Cigarette Box, 1930s
Price: £25
An oak wood cigarette box and cover of rectangular form with the sides and handle finished in a dark hard wood, possibly mahogany, the interior lined in green baize. The clean angular style of this piece recalls the Art Deco era and there is little reason to doubt that it was actually produced at that time. Most likely the work of a talented amateur carpenter, the box is carefully constructed with an imaginative combination of woods. Perhaps less likely to be used for cigarettes now, but handy for all those small things that would otherwise get lost!
Pink Alabaster Box and Cover, Italy late c20th
Price: £25
An attractive box and cover of circular form made from pink alabaster, each section mounted in gilt metal and attached by a hinge, the lid with a finely detailed design of flowering lotus. Italy is a prime source for alabaster and many similar boxes have a sticker on the base saying ‘Made in Italy’ giving us the country of origin here. Dating is probably to the 1980s/1990s.
Pink Alabaster Box and Cover, Italy late c20th
Price: £25
An attractive box and cover of circular form made from pink alabaster, each section mounted in gilt metal and attached by a hinge, the lid with a finely detailed design of flowering lotus. Italy is a prime source for alabaster and many similar boxes have a sticker on the base saying ‘Made in Italy’ giving us the country of origin here. Dating is probably to the 1980s/1990s.
Korean Najeonchilgi lacquerware jewellery Box, C20th
Price: £25
This is an example of Korean lacquerware known as ‘Najeonchilgi’. The technique, derived from both China and Japan, involves the inlay of shellfish derived small pieces onto a lacquerware base. ‘Najeon’ means ‘mother of pearl’ and ‘chilgi’ lacquerware. These wares were produced quite early on in Korea’s history with a ‘golden era’ during the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) but continued to be made until quite recent times. This box, then, made in the late C20th, comes at the end of a long run of a traditional manufacturing process but retains some of the hallmarks of its predecessors. The shape is rectangular with a bowed front, the hinges and clasp fastening in polished metal and the interior lined in red fabric with a mirror fitted to the underside of the lid. The highly polished black lacquer surface is inlaid with mother of pearl decoration, flowers to the front and a moonlit scene of storks to the lid, symbolising long life. Highly decorative in itself, this box is also extremely practical as storage item for a small jewellery collection and would be an elegant addition to the dressing table.
African Carved Wood Figure of a Lady, probably mid C20th
Price: £25
A carved wood figure of a lady in abstract expressionistic style represented kneeling with her legs presumably tucked up behind her, the body smooth and with detailing to the hair which flows down onto her back, the base in the form of a sketchily modelled rock. The colour and patina of the wood suggests ebony and the style seems African - Nigerian, in fact, if the label is to be believed, although the town indicated, Takarodi, seems to be located in Ghana. Dating, though, is probably as the label suggests and this was, no doubt, one of the many pieces made by local craftsmen as tourist souvenirs.
Wonderful Murano glass clown c1970
Price: £95
This is an fantastic glass figure of a clown. This type of figure is exclusing to Venice and Murano. This is a great example and it is in excellent condition.
LOT 14
Set of Three Celluloid Figures of Monks, Japanese, first half C20th
Estimate: £20 – 30
12d 18h 26m
£0.00
Vintage Brass Pocket Case with a lid, probably a Vesta case for Matches, circa 1900
Price: £55
A small brass case with a hinged lid of irregular rectangular form decorated in high relief repoussé tecnique with a devil’s head encircled by a snake whose scaly tail continues onto the lid. Repoussé work is a metalworking technique in which a malleable metal is shaped by hammering from the reverse side to create a design in low relief. Other examples of these cases are known with a similar shape and technique and even the devil and snake motif. It is more than likely that this case was designed for matches, the so called 'Vesta Case' of which there is another example in this auction. Like that piece it is fitted with a ring, presumably to allow it to be attached to a watch chain. But other uses could have been intended, possibly for business or visiting cards (the Victorian calling card was much smaller) or perhaps for pills. The style of decoration very much recalls 'Arts and Crafts' pieces made around 1900 and a similar dating seems likely here.
Vintage Brass Vesta Case in the form of a Violin, circa 1900
Price: £55
A Brass Vesta, or Match, case in the form of a Violin with an opening cover to the bottom and a fabric covered bar inside. Vesta was the Roman Goddess of the hearth, home and family and
altars and temples dedicated to her commonly employed a live flame, which caused some manufacturers of matches in the nineteenth century to name their products 'Vestas', the most famous being the Swan Vesta match produced from around 1900. Early matches were highly combustible and cases to keep them safe were produced from around 1830 onwards. The peak of popularity of the 'Vesta Case' was around 1900 and their use declined in the 1920s when the first cigarette lighters were produced. The cases were made in a variety of forms and materials, even gold and silver. This example is brass and probably from around 1900. The surface of the cover is ribbed in order for a match to be struck against it but he function of the interior covered bar is less clear. The case is fitted with a ring, presumably to allow it to be attached to a watch chain. Practical in their time, Vesta Cases are collectible now and the rarer shapes much sought after.
Kitsch Style Conch Shell with painted landscape decoration, C20th
Price: £45
This is a conch form shell which has elaborate painted landscape decoration to the exterior and interior, the design flowing on almost continuously and extending deep into the inside of the piece. Whether necessarily in good taste or not, the skill of the artist is evident and the detailed and colourful riverside scene is continued right inside the interior of the shell. While painted shells are known, there are no immediate comparisons to what we have here and provenance and dating are rather a matter of guesswork. There seems to be a 1950s feel though and the work looks more English than European. A conversation piece perhaps!
Chinese style Vase and Cover decorated with ladies and courtiers in a garden scene, C20th
Price: £55
A Chinese style vase of ovoid form with a short neck and foot fitted with a matching dome shape cover with a plain finial, decorated with a polychrome design of two ladies in a garden scene being watched through a stylised window by two courtiers, flowering trees to the front and reverse, probably plum blossom or prunus, and typical verandah fencing, the foot, shoulder and cover with pattern designs loosely imitating those of the eighteenth century, including lotus panels, ju'i form lappets and floral borders with scrolling peony. This piece is a pastiche of Chinese work and probably dates to the 1960s. While it looks back in some respects it has a contemporary feel, particularly in respect of the shape which is simpler and more Western than that of its sources. The mark is pseudo Chinese and the manufacturer was clearly European, most probably an Italian pottery since some pieces exist with a label stating 'made in Italy'.
Wood Mask, Borneo late C20th
Price: £25
This is a striking wood mask, probably ebony, carved in a bold, semi abstract style, the facial details flanked on each side by two volute decorated ‘ears’, the back hollowed out and pierced at the top for hanging. These gargoyle like creations were made in Borneo, the island north of Java whose sovereignty is shared between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. They are held to be the work of the Dayak tribe and were sometimes used for harvest festival or fertility rites, soul catching and death ceremonies and spiritual dances, but were also, no doubt produced as tourist souvenirs which is most likely what we have here. The decorative appeal is obvious and the potential spiritual functions an added bonus.
Oil Painting of a landscape scene with trees, framed, C20th
Price: £25
An oil painting on hardboard in impressionistic style of a landscape scene with trees, a field in the foreground and a river bank in the distance, signed, but illegibly in the bottom right corner. Doubtless the work of an amateur artist this presents an attractive scene employing the techniques of the ‘impressionist’ masters and rather more affordable than their work. The frame is simple but complementary. The use of hardboard suggests a dating to the 1950s or 1960s when that material was particularly in vogue. On the back can be made out the letters 'RICHARDSON' 'NO PIC' 'G' and the signature at the front may well be read as 'Richardson'. Many artists by that name are known but while this picture cannot be atrributed to any of them, the painter was clearly accomplished.
Two Wedgwood Glass paperweights designed by Ronald Stennett-Wilson, late C20th
Price: £40
These are two Wedgwood Glass paperweights both of rounded conical form, one clear glass with small bubbles and one clear glass with speckled green large bubbles, a design understandably known as ‘topiary’. Both have acid etched marks to the base which can be read ‘Wedgwood’ ‘England’ although the mark on the first is off centre and indistinct (see image 5); this is compensated for by the attached paper label which also reads ‘Wedgwood’ ‘England’. Both were designed by Ronald Stennett-Wilson, one of the most prominent UK glass designers, who set up the firm King’s Lynn Glass in 1967. Before that he had worked for Swedish glass manufacturers and the influence of their styles can be seen in his own work. The clear glass example could be felt to recall Kosta Boda. King’s Lynn Glass was taken over by Wedgwood in 1969 and their name marked on its production thereafter, although there was apparently a slight delay in the delivery of the machine which was used to apply the marks, meaning that the very first ‘Wedgwood’ pieces are hard to identify. Stenett-Wilson remained as Managing Director and chief designer for Wedgwood’s newly acquired firm until his retirement in 1980. Many of the staff at King’s Lynn Glass when it started had worked in Sweden or Europe and they began to train local workers who followed, no doubt, the styles and techniques of their teachers. After Stennett-Wilson’s retirement, the firm was subject to various acquisitions and mergers, finally being sold to Caithness Glass in 1988 with the factory closing in 1992. These two pieces, then, are an excellent example of the Swedish inspired designs made by Wedgwood Glass in its early years. Both decorative and practical they can appeal to a specialist or non specialist alike.
Indian wooden toy model of a Horse with metal fitments, early C20th
Price: £25
This is an amusing wood model of a horse, its right leg raised and the head looking expectantly forwards, the finely grained wood with metal fitments in brass and copper representing the ears, muzzle, saddle, saddle bags and tail, all with fine detailing and small nail fastenings. Many examples exist of these wood and metal horse figures which are usually held to have been made in India at Jodphur, Rajastan, in the early C20th. Presumably more intended for the local colonial audience these pieces have an obvious and wider appeal. The smaller sizes were probably intended as toys and perhaps the original owner of this piece played with it a little too vigorously which might explain the damage to the right front leg!
Burgundy Leather Jewellery Box with Bramah Lock, early C20th
Price: £95
This is a fine quality jewellery box covered in red burgundy leather. The rectangular base is fitted with a shallow flush lid bevelled at the front and back and attached by brass lever hinges. The front of the base has a lock marked ‘Bramah’ with the original key and the lid an inset brass handle, the surface of which would have been suitable for the engraving of the owner’s initials. Inside are two removable trays, the top one with compartments for jewellery and a circular holder for a watch. The linings of the box and trays are in burgundy leather and velvet. There are many features here of a ‘deluxe’ item, in particular the ‘Bramah’ lock, known for its high security, and the lever hinges. The box most likely dates to the early 1900s and would clearly have been sold by a purveyor of ‘luxury’ items for a wealthy clientele. It retains, of course, its functionality today.
A pair of Art Deco style Onyx Bookends, C20th
Price: £35
A pair of Art Deco style bookends made from onyx and formed in two sections with a stylised figure of a horse's head set on a rectangular base with a rounded end. Onyx is named from the Greek 'ónux', meaning “nail,” or “claw,” and is a variety of the mineral chalcedony, a kind of quartz. Onyx with flesh-colored and white bands can sometimes resemble a fingernail and a similar effect is seen here. Its use is known since ancient Egyptian times and it has also been commonly employed during the twentieth century. The origin and dating of these bookends is uncertain. Similar examples with a stylised horse's head are ascribed to Mexico in the 1940s but there can be no sure proof that this is the case here. The design is striking with clear reflections of the Art Deco period and the veining of the stone here enhances the decorative effect.
Obsidian Mayan Statuette inlaid with semi precious stones, C20th
Price: £35
An attractive Obsidian statuette of a Maya chief, modelled in an abstract style, his headdress decorated with mother-of-pearl ornament complemented by semi-precious stones which are also used for the collar and foot, including calcite, abalone and sandstone. Obsidian is held to be a purifying stone that encourages personal development and is said to offer protection and solve problems of the past. It is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed when lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimal crystal growth and is therefore found wherever volcanoes occur and particularly in South America. Since the figure is a Mexican image, a Mexican provenance is likely but dating is less certain. The stylised design and combination of stone and inlay combine, though, to produce a striking ornamental item.
Vintage Ceramic Table Brush marked Germany, 1930s
Price: £15
A Vintage Ceramic table brush in the form of an Art Deco style lady wearing a blue hat, her brown blouse with a red bow and a woven material belt below, her 'skirt' forming the brush itself. Table brushes in a similar form were made in various countries but ours is clearly marked 'Germany' so its origin is certain. The composition of the figure, the style of decoration and the form of the mark itself all point to a pre-war dating, probably in the 1930s. This piece is highly decorative but also extremely practical, even today!
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Vintage Carved wood bust of a Lady, Bali, Indonesia, second half C20th
Price: £65
A finely carved wood bust with a rich patina and veining of a young woman wearing traditional headdress. The style of this piece indicates that it was the work of a Balinese craftsman. The island of Bali in Indonesia has a rich tradition of wood carving dating back hundreds of years. Known in the Balinese language as 'Batuan', wood carving has its roots in Bali's
Hindu-Buddhist culture. Typically, the pieces are made from hardwoods with a coarse grain including teak, chempaka wood and sandalwood. The decorative grain effects here, though, suggest mahogany and the highly polished finish is quite striking and far less commonly found today. Dating is probably to the 1960s but the aura of calm contemplation recalls Chinese pieces of an earlier era.
A Pair of African Ebony Wood Makonde Style Carved Figures, probably late C20th
Price: £55
A Pair of African Ebony Wood Makonde Style Carved Figures of a Man and a Woman, probably late C20th
This pair of wood figures represents a man (left) and a woman (right) carved in a semi abstract and elongated style. Both are dressed in flowing robes, the lady’s pulled away to expose her right breast. The man holds a stylised shield and the lady a stylised musical instrument as indicators of their gender and the lady is slightly more ornately dressed with a necklace collar and bangles at her hands and ankles. Both are represented with the stretched earlobes typical of the Maasai people. The weight, graining and dark highly polished surface of the wood sugests ebony which became the preferred material for wood carving of the Makonde people after the 1930s when their art began to attract the attention of Western collectors.
Maasai and Makonde are ethnic terms used to describe African peoples who live in Tanzania, Mozamique and Kenya, with their own distinctive languages, culture and art. This pair of figures is typical of the wood carvings produced by their craftsmen in the second half of the twentieth century but their quality and size is well above average, the ebony wood finely rendered with much attention to detail and finished with a highly attractive glossy patina. The two figures complement one another well, their heads slightly turned to face one another with their legs turned slightly outwards and their robes flowing almost in mirror image. The abstract style makes them well suited to a contemporary interior where they could prove a striking accessory.
Abstract Heart Shape Ceramic Sculpture, Pier One Imports, late C20th
Price: £25
This is an unusual ceramic sculpture formed in the shape of a heart and glazed in a lustre finish of copper brown. These pieces appear to have been sold by the American firm Pier I Imports which traded as a physical presence from 1962 to 2020. Offering a stylish range of home furnishings the company had up to 1000 stores at its peak, but changing market conditions forced it into liquidation in 2020, eventually being bought out by Retail ECommerce Ventures (REV) which now operates the brand online as Dallas-based Pier 1 Imports Online, Inc. Towards the end of its trading history from its stores, a new range of items was brought in to appeal to a new and wider audience. This piece may well be one of them and, if so, is a quirky souvenir of the original business.
Indian wooden toy model of a Horse with metal fitments, early C20th
Price: £25
This is an amusing wood model of a horse, its right leg raised and the head looking expectantly forwards, the finely grained wood with metal fitments in brass and copper representing the ears, muzzle, saddle, saddle bags and tail, all with fine detailing and small nail fastenings. Many examples exist of these wood and metal horse figures which are usually held to have been made in India at Jodphur, Rajastan, in the early C20th. Presumably more intended for the local colonial audience these pieces have an obvious and wider appeal. The smaller sizes were probably intended as toys and perhaps the original owner of this piece played with it a little too vigorously which might explain the damage to the right front leg!
Blackpool souvenir teapot c1920
Price: £35
This is a wonderful souvenir teapot from Blackpool with a pewter cover. Blackpool was a very popular holiday destination for brits back one hundred years or so. Blackpool is a seaside resort on the Irish Sea coast of England. It's known for Blackpool Pleasure Beach, an old-school amusement park with vintage wooden roller coasters. Built in 1894, the landmark Blackpool Tower houses a circus, a glass viewing platform and the Tower Ballroom, where dancers twirl to the music of a Wurlitzer organ.
Edwardian large text magnifying glass with horn handle c1910
Price: £25
This is a very usual large magnifying glass that has a buffalo horn as a handle. It would have been used to read the newspaper, as the text was so small. It is brass.
Three Powder Boxes, gilt metal, alabaster and porcelain, mid C20th
Price: £45
A group of three contrasting powder boxes all probably dating to the mid twentieth century. (1) Gilt metal with elaborate stylised floral designs, the lid with a petit point floral tapestry, English (2) Alabaster with a design of roses to the lid, Italian (3) Porcelain with a courting couple depicted on the lid, deep red ground with gilt floral decoration and gilt tripod feet, French, Limoges and marked underneath ‘Table et Décor’ ‘LIMOGES’ ‘FRANCE’.
Mint Coronet Rapid camera with case 1950s
Price: £45
Coronet Rapide is a folding 120 film camera model of Coronet Co., Birmingham, England. It was also manufactured under license by Tiranty Company, Paris, France and produced in late 1940s and early 1950s. This one is particularly interesting because of its condition and the condition of the case. They appear to be unused or very well cared for. It has a Meniscu lenz. This camera has not been tested so we cannot guarantee it works although the condition would indicate that it does work.
Vintage Carved wood bust of a Lady, Bali, Indonesia, second half C20th
Price: £75
A finely carved wood bust with a rich patina and veining of a young woman wearing traditional headdress. The style of this piece indicates that it was the work of a Balinese craftsman. The island of Bali in Indonesia has a rich tradition of wood carving dating back hundreds of years. Known in the Balinese language as 'Batuan', wood carving has its roots in Bali's
Hindu-Buddhist culture. Typically, the pieces are made from hardwoods with a coarse grain including teak, chempaka wood and sandalwood. The decorative grain effects here, though, suggest mahogany and the highly polished finish is quite striking and far less commonly found today. Dating is probably to the 1960s but the aura of calm contemplation recalls Chinese pieces of an earlier era.
African wood figural group, Guinea c1970
Price: £35
This is a carved wood group depicitng a woman carrying water with a pig, fruit and other household implements.
Abstract Heart Shape Ceramic Sculpture, Pier One Imports, late C20th
Price: £25
This is an unusual ceramic sculpture formed in the shape of a heart and glazed in a lustre finish of copper brown. These pieces appear to have been sold by the American firm Pier I Imports which traded as a physical presence from 1962 to 2020. Offering a stylish range of home furnishings the company had up to 1000 stores at its peak, but changing market conditions forced it into liquidation in 2020, eventually being bought out by Retail ECommerce Ventures (REV) which now operates the brand online as Dallas-based Pier 1 Imports Online, Inc. Towards the end of its trading history from its stores, a new range of items was brought in to appeal to a new and wider audience. This piece may well be one of them and, if so, is a quirky souvenir of the original business.
Art Nouveau Bronze Tray, stamped 172 Deposé, French c1900
Price: £95
Typical of the style of the Art Nouveau era with its emphasis on organic forms, this bronze tray, perhaps intended for serving salad, is of lobed rectangular form with two handles in the form of lotus branches. Deeply and intricately cast there is a lotus spray at the top which complements the handles at the side and both are set on a wavy line ground with milled detail, perhaps intended to represent water. The underside has four small feet and is decorated with minute punch work dots. There is also a stamped mark ‘172 Deposé’ which occurs on other examples of this design. For devotees of Art Nouveau this would be a classic acquisition of an object which is truly representative if not archetypal.
Fairing Figurine – A Mouse A Mouse, German, late C19th
Price: £25
Fairing Figurine "A Mouse A Mouse". 'Fairings', as they are known, were ceramic figures made to be given out, sold or won as prizes at fairs, hence the name. They were a product of the late Victorian era but continued to be made until the beginning of the First World War when they fell out of fashion. Manufacture was in Germany principally by the firm Conta and Boehme who developed a mass production method that no other company could match, thereby achieving a market advantage. They exported large quantities to Britain and the United States, but their pieces have even been found in Australia along with other destinations.
The various figures were made in white glazed porcelain with coloured decoration. The compositions were sculptural and often accompanied by an inscription, as here. Many models are known. Two typical examples are 'Returning from the Ball' and 'Twelve Months after Marriage'. Here we have a composition entitled “A Mouse A Mouse!”, which shows a couple, the wife raising herself from the bedclothes while her husband crawls on the floor, having knocked over a chamber pot in the process. Notably absent is the mouse itself…
Some of the fairing figurines are marked, as here. The impressed number '1886', which would be a series number, is combined with the impressed shield mark found on Conta and Boehme pieces from the late C19th. The paste of the foot is consistent with this and the slightly ‘brassy’ look to the gilding (compare Lot 5) complements this as well. It has been suggested that this particular model type is, in fact, a modern reproduction and there are other versions of the design which do indeed look contemporary but this is unlikely to be the case here and we most likely have an amusing and period example of the genre.
Pair of Ceramic Wall Hanging Plaques, Butterflies, probably continental 1960s
Price: £40
A pair of ceramic wall hanging plaques modelled in the form of butterflies with outspread wings, brightly decorated in green, red, orange and black enamels with beaded detail, the reverses plain and with a central cavity, pierced at the top for the wire wall hanger which also forms the proboscis. The fairly coarse paste of the foot rim at the back and general style of decoration suggests continental work, most likely Portugal or Spain and these pieces have a mid century look to them suggesting a a dating in the 1960s when brightly coloured ornaments (and carpets!) enjoyed something of a vogue. Highly decorative then, this pair of lepidoptera would certainly enliven a contemporary interior.
LOT 17
Framed poster for Victor Bicycles, Overman Wheel Company, C20th
Estimate: £40 – 60
12d 18h 32m
£0.00
Pair of Capodimonte ceramic Wall Hanging Plaques, boy and girl praying, Italian 1960s
Price: £25
This is a charming pair of small ceramic wall plaques, the biscuit porcelain with a slight ivory tint, with moulded designs of a boy and a girl praying, their hair and robes carefully detailed, set in velvet covered oval frames with cording at the edge which also forms the loop hangers at the top. Near identical pieces often have a paper mark at the back reading ‘Porcellane Capodimonte’ ‘Made in Italy’ surrounding a crown device with an ‘N’ above. Capodimonte porcelain was first made at Naples, Italy, in the mid eighteenth century and was often marked with an ‘N’ and a crown above. The original factory was to enjoy a relatively short life but there were many imitators in the nineteenth century and beyond to the twentieth who freely used the Capodimonte name. This pair of plaques is a very modest and fairly recent (probably dating to the 1960s) example of these ‘Capodimonte’ wares but nonetheless have a distinct appeal of their own.
Pedestal footed Onyx Vase, mid to late C20th
Price: £25
An onyx vase the body of slender ovoid form with a tall slightly flaring straight neck, hollow inside, supported by a spreading pedestal foot, the stone with typical and colourful banding effects. Onyx is named from the Greek 'ónux', meaning “nail,” or “claw,” and is a variety of the mineral chalcedony, a kind of quartz. Onyx with flesh-coloured and white bands can sometimes resemble a fingernail and a similar effect is seen here. Found in many parts of the world, its source can never be determined with certainty but an Italian origin is likely here. The style of the piece suggests the 1960s or 1970s
Renaissance Revival Brass Desk Set, English c 1900
Price: £55
A brass desk set, comprising an inkwell and a pair of candlesticks, all with square bases and short feet, the inkwell of pagoda like form with a hinged lid above a square surround, the candlesticks with urn like candle holders and loop handles again with a square surround, all with heavily cast decoration of floral scrolls and and mask heads. The solidity of the shapes here with an element of the architectural in the design and the style of the decoration which loosely recalls pieces from the classical period both reflect one of the design fashions of the late nineteenth century which looked back to and developed variants on renaissance art. The ‘renaissance revival’ style could be found in many areas of the arts including architecture and interior decoration. Accessories were also produced to match of which this desk set is an excellent example. The pieces are unmarked and the maker cannot be determined but the well known firm of William Tonks and Sons, whose 1890 catalogue still exists, produced many pieces in a similar style which allows the late nineteenth century dating here. This set is probably now rather more decorative than practical but would certainly add a touch of opulence to interior furnishings.
Léon Vidal Photochromie : A Japanese Woman with a Parasol, late C19th
Price: £550
This is a very special coloured photograph produced by the French photographer, Leon Vidal. In the 1870s Vidal invented and perfected a whole new process of photographic printing which allowed for a far more accurate reproduction of colour. He named it ‘Photochromie’. It was used for book illustrations and to create copies of famous contemporary pictures, here the ‘Portrait of a Japanese Woman with a Parasol' by Pierre Beyle. The reverse of the mount is clearly stamped with Vidal’s logo and the Photochromie trademark confirming that it is an authentic production by Vidal in the late 19th century. A true collector’s item for lovers of photography and the decorative arts.
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Art and artistry combine in this striking photographic reproduction of a painting by the French artist Pierre Marie Beyle (1838-1902) produced by the ‘Photochromie’ printing process invented and perfected by the French photographer Leon Vidal (1834-1906).
Leon Vidal (see image 11) developed the photochrome printing process in the 1870s as a method of accurately colouring photographs for quantity reproduction. From the original negative a number of copy negatives were made, on glass or thin paper. On each negative, those areas which were not to be coloured were blocked out with an opaque medium. For example, on the negative prepared for the colour blue, only those areas to be coloured blue in the final print remained uncovered. Negatives were prepared for as many colours as required, up to twelve, and then used to make lithographic tint plates which were employed to transfer colours in succession to the monochrome photograph from the original negative.
‘Photochromie’, as the photochrome printing process was called, was patented in 1872 and 1874 and refined by Vidal in the studios of the Société Anonymes des Publications Périodiques, whose director he became in 1875. This Société was founded in 1869, initially for a period of 60 years, and its first major publication, published in 1878, was a lavishly illustrated book entitled ‘Le Trésor artistique de la France’ in which the French heritage in the arts was represented by thirty nine specially selected items of particular cultural and artistic merit, each described by an expert in the field and all illustrated, a few in monochrome and the bulk, thirty in all, in colour employing the newly discovered photochromie process. The results were unfortunately uneven and the cost of the volume, three hundred francs, prohibitively high which resulted in the first volume of a proposed series being its last. Individual plates from this publication appear on the market today and are sought by collectors.
Less commonly seen are individual representations of contemporary paintings which Vidal also produced in the studios of the Société at its premises, 13 Quai Voltaire, Paris. Vidal’s printing process was not the only one available to the French public in the late nineteenth century but it was probably the most accomplished and Vidal sought to exploit this by issuing a series of reproductions suitable for interior decoration. Most popular amongst the artists whose work he chose to reproduce seems to have been Pierre Marie Beyle (1838-1902).
Beyle was born in Lyon in 1838 and studied in Paris where he later exhibited regularly at the Salon, from 1867 to 1900. Around 1870, he went to Algiers and the themes of the city are reflected in his paintings of those years (see image 12 for an example). Later he became known for landscape and genre scenes many of which depict the surroundings of Normandy where he used to spend his summers and in addition he followed the contemporary fascination with the Orient producing paintings with themes from the Far East such as we have here. Beyle also worked as a caricaturist in satirical newspapers such as the Petit Journal, the Fun Journal and Bouffon in the 1860s and 1870s. He exhibited at the Grafton Gallery in London in 1881, then went to Scotland where he exhibited at the Institute of Fine Arts in Glasgow. In 1900, he exhibited at the Universal Exhibition. After settling in Chennevieres-sur-Marne towards the end of his life he died in Paris in 1902 and was buried at Montparnasse.
The rich palette of colours employed in Beyle’s paintings were well suited to reproduction by Vidal’s newly invented printing process and he doubtless chose those works which he felt would have a particular popular appeal. The rage for ‘Japonisme’ in the second half of the nineteenth century is well documented and its influence was widely spread, perhaps most famously in David Belasco’s play ‘Madame Butterfly’ which inspired Puccini’s opera of the same name. The Geisha figure here fortunately holds a fan rather than a sword and is seen gazing at an elaborate bronze incense burner. The elaborate colours of her robe are well reproduced by the ‘Photochromie’ technique and the whole composition has a richness of presentation which doubtless reflects the original painting which appears still to be in the private domain. Beyle’s signature is accurately reproduced at the bottom right and Vidal’s invention is proudly announced on the reverse with the sun inspired emblem at the top and the wording below ‘Photochromie’ ‘Photographie en Couleurs’ ‘sans le secours du pinceau’. No hand colouring here! The modern frame acts acts as complement to the image and both combine to present a highly decorative picture of considerable cultural interest.
Arts and Crafts Stumpwork Firescreen 1900
Price: £25
This is a wonderful firescreen in a typical Arts and Crafts minimal design, with lovely stumpwork embroidery depicting two couple in garden
Framed Chinese Embroidery Silk Textile, signed, second half C20th
Price: £25
A Chinese silk textile with an embroidered design of a peacock and a peahen (the male and female peafowl) standing on a grass embankment with a flowering peony bush behind them. There is a four character signature to the top left, probably denoting the artist. The style of the embroidery and the calligraphy of the signature suggest mid to late C20th work, perhaps dating to the 1960s or 1970s. Other embroidery panels with a similar design can be found which are much later. As with the previous lot the composition and the detail and colourings of the embroidery work are pleasing, combining to produce another excellent example of the genre. The frame is European and perhaps contemporary with the date of manufacture (see Lot 24).
Framed Chinese Embroidery Silk Textile, signed, second half C20th
Price: £45
A Chinese silk textile with an embroidered design of a phoenix standing on a rock at the edge of a river, flowering peony below and to the rear a prunus or plum blossom tree with bamboo. On the riverbank also stand a pair of cranes, ducks can be seen in the water and a pair of birds sitting on one of the prunus tree branches with another pair flying to the left. In the distance, the setting sun and at the top right a four character signature probably denoting the artist. There is a mixture of motifs here. The phoenix can denote the Empress, cranes represent long life, peony represents spring while prunus denotes winter. Ducks point to marital happiness and the flying magpies happiness and good luck, whereas the setting sun is often a metaphor for sadness and sorrow. Perhaps a deliberate contrast is intended here or perhaps the various motifs were simply chosen for their decorative elements. As with lots 2 and 3 in this sale, this is another excellent example of the genre and the frame provides a clearer indication of dating. The frame makers ‘Charles and Co’ had a business in Notting Hill, London in the post war years and the telephone number ‘PARk 6306’ indicates a date before 1966 when UK telephone numbers ceased to include letters.
Silver prayer beads with seventeen Beads, 20th century
Price: £75
This is a lovely set of prayer beads made from solid sterling silver. The 17 beads are heavy and have decoration at the ends. They are strung on a chain with aslider and tassel at the end. These are hallmarked, most likely with continental silver marks.
Victorian book chain with locket c1900
Price: £350
This is an outstanding example of a book chain with its locket. These types of necklaces were very popular during the Victorian period and each one has different ornate links ending in a central drop, as you see here. The link is a star link with silver balls attached. The locket has engraving and small silver balls around the edge to mirror the chain. The chain is very sturdy and is held together by two silver ring clasps.