Stunning patent crocodile bag, Germany 1960s
Price: £100
This is a very beautiful bag that is made from very fine crocodile, lined in smooth leather, Marked as 'authentic croc', Made in Germany
Three Art Glass Paperweights, late C20th
Price: £75
An attractive group of three contrasting paperweights, two teardrop shape and one globular. Provenance and dating are inevitably speculative but all three were most likely made in the later years of the twentieth century. The globular one is probably British, perhaps one of the Scottish studios such as Selkirk or Caithness but there are no markings or labels to confirm this. The narrower teardrop one, with its design of red fish swimming amidst stylised rocks is probably Italian and possibly Murano; the workshops there often favoured marine influenced designs. The other, with its design of bubbles above a cranberry coloured base is even less identifiable with any certainty but is again probably British. All three are in excellent condition comprising an assembled set which is both practical and decorative.
Edwardian Transitional necklace c1920
Price: £75
This is a stunning necklace comprising blue glass bead stations in a lariate style ending with a large blue glass pendant with three drops. It is transitional as it is a bit later than Edwardian so has both Edwardian elements and Art Deco elements in its design. It is set into gilt metal with a screw barrel clasp.
Pair of Japanese Noritake Vases, early C20th
Price: £35
A pair of Japanese Vases of flattened baluster form with short necks and feet and applied loop handles to the sides, the bodies decorated in a salmon pink glaze with a central panel of flowers (chrysanthemum, lotus and plum blossom) surrounded by a wavy edge gilt border, a green border to the top, gilding to the handles and a gilt rim to the base, the foot with a Noritake mark in underglaze blue.
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. These vases are a rather more unusual production and show the factory capable of producing high quality pieces with decorative potential.
A silver filigree decorative Spoon, probably Scottish circa 1900
Price: £55
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.
Set of Four Chinese Plates, Beauties of the Red Mansion, Jingdezhen, 1980s
Price: £75
This is a partial set of four plates from a series comprising twelve plates in all, produced by ‘Imperial Jingdezhen Porcelain’ and titled ‘Beauties of the Red Mansion’. The plates were designed by the master artisan Zhao Huimin and depict characters from the famous Chinese romance novel ‘The Dream of the Red Chamber’ or ‘The Story of the Stone’ written by Cao Xueqin during the Qing Dynasty. Each plate depicts one of the court lady characters which appear in the work (Pao-chai, Yuan-chun, Hsi-feng, Hsi-chun, Mao-yu, Ying-chun, Tai-yu, Li-wan, Ko-ching, Hsiang-yun, Tan-chun, Chiao-chieh), all renowned not only for their physical beauty but also for their complex personalities and roles in the narrative of the novel. They are shown in a variety of settings, some in ornate interiors and others in landscape scenes. Each plate has an elaborate inscription on the back, doubtless describing the figure depicted on the front. There is also the factory name and the date of production - here 1985, 1986 (twice) and 1987. While the work is detailed it is not hand done but seems to have been produced by some form of printing process. The ‘micro dot’ detail of this can be seen in some of the images. Originally in boxes with a descriptive leaflet, these plates are now found singly, in part sets and occasionally as a complete series. This selection can provide an ensemble in itself or the source for additions to a growing collection.
Please note that the stands are for display purposes only.
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.
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.
Shelley Harmony Ware Vase glazed in blue, 1930s
Price: £45
A ceramic vase of plain ovoid form, the body slightly ribbed and painted with various shades of ‘spun’ decoration in blue, the base glazed and with a transfer mark ‘Shelley England’ and the impressed numbers ‘979’ presumably denoting the model number. Shelley Potteries, situated in Staffordshire, was originally known as Wileman & Co. which had also traded under the name ‘The Foley Potteries’. The first Shelley to join the company was Joseph Ball Shelley in 1862, and it remained a Shelley family business until 1966, when it was taken over by Allied English Potteries. Josph’s son Percy employed first the designer Frederick Rhead then Walter Slater who had worked with Doulton. It was Walter Slater’s son, Eric, who initiated the ‘Harmony’ range in 1932, at first with a series of banded designs as here and then with drip ware patterns which became enormously popular. Harmony ware was produced in a wide variety of colours and this auction includes three vases which well reflect the range.
Edwardian silver and turquoise brooch c1910
Price: £55
This a very unusual brooch created from silver set with turquoise stones. It is in a crown shape and has nine large stones and numerous smaller stones. It is continental with the turquoise being most likely from the Middle East. It is unmarked and comes in its original box.
Art deco style necklace with large blue stone c1970
Price: £35
This is a beautiful necklace in an Art Deco lariat design. It comprises one oval stone with a long hanging drop of a large blue stone. It has diamante encrusted stations all around. Unsigned.
French Regency style Bevelled Amber Glass & Filigree Ormolu Casket, mid twentieth century
Price: £55
A Regency style bevelled amber glass & gilt filigree ormolu Casket, the pentagonal body with five ovoid amber glass panels with bevelled edges, the borders with an arrow form repeating geometric design, all set between gilt filigree work of stylised foliage, the three spreading feet also with floral gilt filigree work, the hinged lid with a similar circular amber glass panel surrounded by a repeating design of stylised gilt leaves, the interior lined in gold velvet studded with tiny gilt nails.
Various pieces in this style where amber glass panels are combined with elaborate gilt metal work can be found. Most were intended as dressing table ornaments, as here. Sometimes termed 'Hollywood', after the American made products in this style of which Lot 1 in this sale is a prime specimen, these items were designed to add a touch of luxury to the bedroom. They are usually regarded as French and thought to have been made between the 1920s and 1940s. This is a particularly nice example with no damage to either the glass or the metalwork.
French Orientalist etching aquatint - Paris La Rue Saint Rustique
Price: £35
This is a beautile small etching aquatint that is signed. One reverse is the printers label of "Georges Hautecoer & Co. Gravures Encadements 172 Rue de Rivoli Paris". It is a scene of a very famous street in the Monmarte district of Paris. The signature is illegible but it is lovely quality.
Japanese Imari Bottle Vase, circa 1900
Price: £30
A Japanese ceramic vase of slender bottle form with a near globular body rising to a narrow cylindrical neck, decorated in the ‘Imari’ palette of underglaze blue, iron red and gold with two red enamel ground stylised floral panels on a ground of scrolling peony, the neck with scrolling prunus above a band of repeating chrysanthemum heads and the base with a band of repeating stylised leaves. The paste of the foot and the style of the decoration suggest a dating to the end of the Meiji period (1868-1912) probably around 1900.
Chinese Cloisonné Bowl with a wavy edge, 20th Century
Price: £25
A Chinese Cloisonné Bowl of shallow form with a short gilt metal foot and a wavy edge rim also finished in gilt metal, decorated with peony and rocks and a flying bird in bold polychrome enamels with shading effects on a black ground with a gilt wire design of repeating small stylised clouds, the base finished in blue enamel. The style of decoration suggests a circa date in the first half of the twentieth century.
Victorian Silver Mounted Banded Agate Brooch, late C19th
Price: £100
An oval brooch formed from banded agate, the brown surface with amber and mustard colour striations, mounted in silver with a bar clasp to the reverse, the rounded border with four engraved collar devices. Found in a wide variety of locations, agate, a form of chalcedony with a wide variety of banding effects, has been used for jewellery from the earliest of times and was extremely popular in the late nineteenth century. The source here is probably Scotland which may imply that the mount is Scottish too, which would certainly not be inconsistent with its style but there is no firm proof of this.
Trade+Aid Teapot, Van Gogh Café Scene, UK 1990s
Price: £25
This is an amusing enamel teapot, the rectangular body curving in towards the lid and with a loop handle and spout. It is brightly decorated in coloured enamels with a Parisian Café scene after the painting by Van Goch whose first name can be seen on one of the sides. The original is in the Kröller-Müller Museum Otterlo, Netherlands (see image 7). The base of the teapot is marked ‘Trade+Aid’ ‘No.158.UK’ and it comes from a range of teapots produced for ‘Charlotte di Vita Collections’ under the trading name ‘Trade+Aid’. These were hand crafted items using traditional techniques whose sale benefited charitable projects and initiatives worldwide. The various designs were usually limited editions and some are quite collectible today
Regency style statement necklace c1950
Price: £125
This a very usual necklace comprising brass and glass elements that have a "rather" regency style in the design. Maybe more of a nod to the design is more accurate. The central pendant has a central stone surrounded by glass leaves and flowers. It is a lariat style with green and blue glass beads that perfectly match the central pendant.
Exceptional strand of Scottish Moss agate beads
Price: £45
This is a lovely example of these Art Deco beads as they have very clear stones where the inclusions are bright and noticeable. They are graduated with a silver clasp.
Unique 40 strand micro coral bead necklace, India 1910
Price: £150
This is a totally unique necklace comprising forty strands of perfectly worked coral beads to create a dense bib effect. It has a clasp that is a hammered Edward VII British India copper coin that dates from circa 1910. This necklace ends in woven panels.
Two American Polychrome Enamel Bracelets decorated with Kabuki Masks, 1980s
Price: £20
Two American polychrome enamel bracelets decorated with Kabuki masks on contrasting blue and red enamel grounds, each with spring loaded hinges, 1980s
Rare early Czech glass brooch c1920
Price: £45
This is an early example of Czech costume jewellery that dominated the European market before the second World War. It comprises heavy brass elements with cut glass stones. An incredible find for the costume jewellery collector.
Set of two vintage Chinese painted eggs in glass display boxes
Price: £25
This is a beautiful set of very detailed painted eggs mounted in glass display boxes. The eggs are decorated with butterflies and flowers and both are set in red tufted silk. Not sure what kind of bird the eggs are from. The seem small for Chicken eggs.
Art Deco Statement Necklace with a Demon Head Plaque, 1920s
Price: £50
This is an unusual necklace comprising pale blue opaque and clear glass drops, some mounted and with gilt chain links, terminating in a large gilt metal plaque modelled with the head of a gargoyle or demon.
Early Neiger Brothers book chain necklace c1910
Price: £325
This is quite an early necklace by the Neiger brothers that features a large stylized central pendant depicting Sobekneferu or it might be conglomeration of different figures. This then has a hanging pendant with a molded glass plaque that depicts another Egyptian figure. The chain is interesting as it is a book chain style particularly popular in the Edwardian era.
Large Art Nouveau enamel and silver brooch c1910
Price: £150
This is a large brooch meant to be worn on high necked dresses in an Art Nouveau design. It is continental silver with enamel depicting a brightly coloured moth. Unmarked with safety chain.
Chinese Celadon Glaze Bottle Vase with White Slip decoration, Jingdezhen mark, C20th
Price: £75
A Chinese Vase of bottle form, the globular body rising to a straight neck with a short foot, covered all over in a celadon glaze and highlighted at the front with decoration in white slip depicting birds on branches of flowering lotus, the design continuing towards the rear. The base with a four character seal mark in underglaze blue reading 'Jing-De-Zhen-Zi', indicating manufacture at the well known kiln town of Jingdezhen in the Jiangxi province. Celadon pieces with white slip decoration, usually depicting birds and flowers, seem to have been first produced in China in the nineteenth century. Vases and garden seats are the most commonly found forms. This vase continues the style and the quality of the glaze and decoration compares very well with its predecessors. The mark is found on other pieces and seems first to have been used around 1950 but was still employed around forty years later so dating must also take into account the quality of the decoration and the paste of the foot, both of which suggest the mid C20th here.
Japanese Awata ware Teapot and Cover, signed, circa 1900
Price: £25
An earthenware teapot of rounded cylindrical form, curving in at the base and with a flush fitting lid, the handle, spout and lid finial all modelled to imitate bamboo, the beige ground with a minute craquelure and with polychrome enamel decoration of birds and reeds, the modelled bamboo attachments glazed green and a sketchy signature in iron red at the base of the handle. The Awata district of Kyoto, Japan, was the home to many famous kilns including those run by various members of the Kinkozan family. Some of their Satsuma productions were of extremely high quality, indeed prize winning and in great demand from Western collectors which has continued until the present day. Other kilns produced more modest Satsuma wares for export and some are marked with the same maker’s name as their more illustrious counterparts. This teapot, not marked Kinkozan, is a typical example, originally deriving from a small tea service decorated in the same pattern. The signature, hastily drawn, is either that of the decorator or the merchant shop which sold the ware. These pieces too seem to have been popular with Western buyers and are still collected today.
Long strand of Chinese cloisonne beads c1950
Price: £45
This is a beautiful strand of Chinse cloisonne beads in an unusual green colour. It has the original corresponding clasp also in cloisonne. These would be very fresh for the spring or summer.
Pair of large hoop earrings with stone drops
Price: £45
This is a pair of statement earrings comprising to large silver hoop that have a chalcedony and a carnelian drop. The pendants were originally for necklaces and they have been repurposed here. Marked 925.
Celluloid Bangle with Tortoiseshell style decoration circa 1930
Price: £20
This is an unusual bangle made from celluloid which was used from the late nineteenth century onwards as an imitation of more expensive materials such as ivory or tortoiseshell. It was, therefore, the earliest form of plastic and was to be replaced in the 1920s and 1930s by bakelite. This piece has quite stout proportions and utilises a more complex form than the standard circular ring bangle, with two concave bands between a central ridge. The tortoiseshell style decoration displays considerable and pleasing variegation with an attractive selection of colours in close imitation of the original.
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!
Art Deco Scottish agate brooch 1930s
Price: £35
This is an incredible brooch made up of different elements of Scottish banded agate, with a pendulum that moves side to side. It is rare to find these pendulum brooches complete and in such good condition.
Art Deco style earrings with onyx and amethyst c1970
Price: £85
This is a pair of earrings that have a quintessential Art Deco design. They are set with onyx stones (not enamel), marcasites and amethysts. They are marked 925. These are not from the Art Deco period but show how popular these designs remain in the present day.
Chinese lace agate earrings and necklace suite
Price: £50
This is a beautiful and detailed set of necklace and earrings in Chinese grey lace agate. The necklace is in a lariat style with beads and a circular carving that has four carved "charms" hanging from it. The beads are facetted agate and the clasp is a very fine carving of a flower. The earring compliment the necklace with carvings that have a barrel shape.
Fun vintage souvenir shell necklace 1960s
Price: £15
This is quite an intricately made necklace that would have been a souvenir piece in the 1960s. It comprises three types of shells that are woven together. It is difficult to name the shells unless you are an oceanographer (!) but the main type of shell is a flat and there are two other smaller shells with one artificially coloured green.
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!
Tigers Eye long necklace 1970s
Price: £25
This is a necklace comprising large round and octahedron shaped beads, with matching clasp
Chinese painting on Silk, Storks and Pine, circa 1900
Price: £25
A Chinese painting on silk, the fine and detailed brushwork depicting a gnarled branch of pine with three cranes astride on a background of blue clouds with a full moon in the distance. Both the crane and the pine tree symbolise long life and longevity and so there is perhaps a hidden message here which might be uncovered in the elaborate calligraphic inscription at the top right with no less than three red artist’s seals. Great care has been taken with this composition and the overall style suggests earlier work than that found in many pieces perhaps dating to the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. The board mounting is considerably foxed but the painting itself much less so and if reframed it would provide an attractive if slightly enigmatic example Chinese decorative painting.
Egyptian Revival winged scarab statement necklace c1920
Price: £45
This is a very unusual necklace comprising a large silvered pendant that features a large winged scarab beetle with a purple glass stone body and drop. It is unusual that the design is so realistic which emphasise the lines of the Art Deco design. The workmanship is most likely Czech.
Oriental Style Vase, West German Pottery, possibly Scheurich, late C20th
Price: £45
An Oriental Style Vase, the body of baluster form with a ribbed shoulder and a slender slightly flaring neck, the bottom with a spreading foot and ridged bands, the base glazed to the centre with an unglazed foot rim, covered in a purple flambé glaze with mottled effects. While Chinese in style overall, the paste of the foot clearly indicates European manufacture and is very similar to that found on some West German pottery pieces; the brown glazing at the interior top rim reflects West German work as well. The most likely candidate is the firm Scheurich Keramik who were well known for their experimental glazes. Three other examples of their work are included in this sale. Not all of their pieces were marked and this may well be a slightly later example of their work, perhaps dating to the 1980s. Certainly it is a fine quality piece and the elegantly potted form is combined with complex glaze decoration which would not have been easy to achieve and certainly can match that of its Chinese counterparts.
Mexican silver floral brooch 1930s
Price: £40
This is a very large floral spray brooch in silver with a slightly abstract modernist design, marked Sterling. Hammering of silver sheets like this was a popular technique in Mexican silver and this is an excellent example.
Unique Butler & Wilson Neoclassical Tiara 1980s
Price: £195
This is a very unusual piece of vintage Butler & Wilson from the 1980s. It is at the very least quite unique and it is possibly bespoke. It it extremely ornate and beautifully made with mounted festoons, putti and swans. It is finished with a large crown which is quintessential B & W. It is set with faux pearls. There are faux pearls that encircle the swans necks and hanging faux teardrop pearls along the edge. All this is built on a stiff mesh frame. It bears the Butler & Wilson mark.
As most people who love costume jewellery know, Butler & Wilson have been and are a powerhouse British brand that have been designing costume jewellery since the 1970s. Pieces like this one are quite collectable due to their age and design. There are many collectors around the world that collect both vintage and new pieces. This one is for you!
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.
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.
Taxco charm bracelet, makers mark Castelan, 1950s
Price: £85
This is a fun bracelet comprising a heavy curb chain mounted with charms that have a Mexican motif. It bears the marks 'Castelan' , Eagle mark 15, '925' 'Sterling'.
Japanese red lacquer Box and Cover with inset bone plaque, late C19th
Price: £75
A Japanese lacquer box and cover, the base and lid decorated with a design of massed peony and chrysanthemum heads in red lacquer and the lid inset with an irregularly shaped carved and coloured bone plaque depicting a garden terrace scene with peony, a butterfly and rocks, within an irregularly shaped, diaper design brown lacquer border. The interior with a contemporary paper lining. The style of the lacquer work, slightly less deeply cut and a darker colour, the decorative elements used, with an emphasis on chrysanthemum, and the employment of bone decoration suggest here Japanese, rather than Chinese, work made for export and the paper lining of the interior, not often found in Chinese lacquer boxes, conforms with this. Dating is probably to the end of the nineteenth century and the combination of materials used is rather unusual making this an accessory both decorative and functional.
Striking modernist necklace with large butterscotch amber pendant c1970
Price: £50
This is an unusual necklace comprising a large egg yolk amber pendant and spacing beads. In white metal with barrel clasp.
Bird form ewer with cover, possibly Russian c1960
Price: £45
This is a very unusual large jug or ewer modelled in the stylised form of bird with a man riding on it. It appears to be Russian although there are no markings to confirm this.
Chinese four panel Table Screen with embroidered silk panels, signed and boxed, C20th
Price: £110
A fine quality table screen each of the four panels made from rosewood, joined with brass hinges and set with glazed delicately embroidered silk panels, the first panel with a seal character signature. Small screens with four or six panels, usually termed table screens, were made for export by the Chinese in fairly large quantities in the twentieth century, but mostly the panels display paintings on silk. Embroidered pieces are much less common and the fine silk embroidery seen here is much less common and of excellent quality. The composition is a linked design of two birds amidst flowering prunus or plum blossom. The colourings are mostly greens and browns with the addition of light purple for the flowers. The first panel has a six character seal mark signature which may indicate the artist or be a mark of commendation. The screen comes with its original silk fabric covered box with two bone clasp fasteners and probably dates to the mid twentieth century. It is highly attractive and an example of later Chinese export work at its best. A restful distraction for the scholar at work!
LOT 1
Butterfly brooch by Marius Hammer (1847-1927), Bergen, Norway
Estimate: £350 – 450
1d 5h 50m
£260.00
Curb link pad lock bracelet, London 1977
Price: £85
This is a very classic heavy curb bracelet with the padlock clasp. It has a safety chain and the clasp is very firm and holds well. The padlock is fully hallmarked for London, 1977 with a makers mark of RGS. r
Chinese Doll of a man dressed in traditional costume, early C20th.
Price: £95
Chinese Doll of a man, standing with his arms hanging down and dressed in elaborately embroidered Chinese costume with booted feet, the head detachable. This type of doll is believed to have been made in Shanghai by professional doll makers and then equipped with its dress in Christian missionary orphanages, in order to teach the girls there embroidery and raise money for the orphanage in general. Other examples are known and dating is generally made to the 1920s. The quality of the needlework here is exceptional and the young ladies were clearly extremely well taught! In this example the detachable head is signed which may indicate the doll maker's workshop.
Pair of Italian faux tortoiseshell earrings, 1980s
Price: £20
This is a wonderful pair of earrings that have large fan shaped faux tortoiseshell drops and metal clips that are marked BREV PAT (see image). BREV., which stands for "Brevetto." This is the Italian term for license, and the stamp signifies that the particular design or piece has been licensed or patented. These earrings are VERY light and the clips are brilliant making these very easy and pleasant to wear.
Ceramic Model of a Fish, Jema Holland, signed, 1950s/1960s
Price: £30
A ceramic model of a fish strikingly modelled with outstretched fins and rising out of flowing waves, lustre glazed in tones of green and blue, the base with an incised script mark reading 'Jema' 'Holl.' '132'.
The Jema factory in Holland was started by two brothers, Jelis Mager ( born 1912 in Rotterdam, Netherlands) and his brother Johan Willem Mager (born 1919 also in Rotterdam) both living in Maastricht who took over an existing ceramics factory, founded originally by J.Meussen, in 1942 and traded together in a partnership which was dissolved in 1955 when the firm JEMA KERAMISCH ATELIER N.V. (jema ceramic studio; the first JE standing for Jelis and MA standing for Mager) was created under a new agreement between them. Ceramic products of many types were produced with figurines a speciality and the business continued until 1984 when it became insolvent and closed its doors.
Most of the pieces seem to have been marked, usually with an impressed script as here indicating the factory itself and the model number of the piece. For modest decorative items the quality of the manufacture is of a high standard as can be seen in both the modelling and the glazing of this piece. Their animal figurines were immediately approachable and provided modest but amusing items of decoration.
Figure of a Young Girl Praying, Continental, probably mid C20th
Price: £55
This is an elegant figure of a young woman at prayer, her slender body carefully modelled with upraised elongated hands and expressive detail to the face and enshrouded, niche like, in a robe green tinted on the inside and brown on the exterior, the base with an oval opening and impressed numbers ‘825’ and a stamped number ‘31’. There are no obvious parallels to this piece which has some resemblance to Goldscheider compositions but a completely different finish to the foot and none of the Goldscheider markings. And while there are some similarities it also looks later with more of a mid century feel. Italian work comes to mind, but there is no proof of this. Perhaps we are intended to see the Virgin Mary here although the young lady seems a bit too youthful for a secure identification. Whoever she is, she has been rendered with skill and charm and well deserves her admirers today.
Large brass portrait bust of Ramses II
Price: £45
This is an amusing portrait bust cast in brass with slender profile form depicting Ramses II, (Ramesses/Rameses II) the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt c1303BC - 1213BC and one of the most famous rulers of the country of whom the statues and images surviving have become iconic. He is depicted here wearing a typical bird beak helmet and a heavy metal shawl collar. The composition reflects 'Egyptian Revival ' pieces of the early twentieth century but the dating here is rather later.
Striking green glass brooch 1950s
Price: £10
This is a very sparkly brooch set with different colours of green stones
Fine quality Japanese Cloisonne bottle form Vase with black ground, late C19th
Price: £45
A cloisonne vase of bottle form, the bulbous ovoid body rising to a tall narrow cylindrical neck, the flat base in copper metal, the black ground decorated on the body with flowers including peony and butterflies, with a stylised wave border below and a band of peony blooms on the shoulder on a brown speckle ground, and on the neck with stylised hanging floral blooms. While not necessarily at the level of some of the signed pieces produced by the Japanese craftsmen in the late nineteenth century, this vase is an excellent example of the best work produced for export. The decoration is detailed and complex and employs some of the ‘special effects’ used, including shading to the enamels and a speckle ground, created with the addition of gold filings to the enamel, both seen in the decoration to the shoulder (see image 5). No doubt intended as a cabinet piece and not necessarily one of a pair, this vase is an excellent tribute to one of the classic ‘arts of Japan’ produced towards the end of the nineteenth century.
Novelty Perfume Bottle with Grecian Scenes, late C20th
Price: £15
A ceramic perfume bottle the compressed bulbous body fitted with a high domed cover and a separate ‘dipper’ finial, the rich blue glaze brightly decorated with polychrome and gilt figures in a pseudo classical style reclining and conversing, the interior with traces of perfume cream. The Greek manufacturers of perfumes seem sometimes to have turned to the Classical era as inspiration for the decoration on the vessels containing their products. Similar bottles can be found with packaging labelled ‘Anapal by Anastasios’. The designs are pastiche in the extreme but the effect is opulent and no doubt reflects the luxury of the contents inside!
Fine Quality Cloisonne Box and Cover in the form of a Snail, Japanese circa 1880
Price: £95
A fine quality Japanese Cloisonne Box and cover in the form of a snail, the lid modelled with typical shell spirals and the base with a conforming shape, the decoration comprising small flower heads and butterflies on a blue enamel ground with gilt scroll work, the lid and base edged with a red enamel band highlighted with repeating gilt circles, the foot with a similar red enamel band highlighted with gilt semi circles and with two bands of gilt semi circles filled with a minutely speckled green enamel fill, the interior and the foot of the base finished in blue enamel.
The Japanese produced copies of natural forms in a variety of media. Carved ivory fruit and small animals are well known. Here, cloisonne enamel is used which is less common. The quality of the work speaks for itself and can be judged form the small butterflies on the cover and the green speckle enamel fill at the base. It is typical of the best Meiji period (1868-1912) work and a circa date towards the end of the nineteenth century is most likely.
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.
Arts and Crafts Brass and Cobalt Glass Salt and Pepper, early C20th
Price: £55
An unusual pair of condiment servers for salt and pepper in which cobalt blue glass, more normally associated with the liners for pieces of a condiment set, is combined with brass metal in curious almost water-dropper like form, the ovoid glass body encased in non-functioning hinged brass mountings with a spreading foot, open at the base, narrow necks and screw top stoppers with a single hole for salt and multiple holes for pepper. There are few parallels for this design but it has characteristics of pieces produced by craftsmen working in 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". The rather austere design here, which admits decoration but concentrates on function, seems to follow the precepts laid down and provides an interesting example of the movement’s style.
Chinese Framed Ceramic Plaque depicting Peony, C20th
Price: £150
A Chinese ceramic plaque decorated with delicately painted flowering peony in shades of grisaille with highlighting in red and blue, an elaborate inscription to the left with two red seals and a further red seal to the bottom right. The frame is Chinese and most likely contemporary with the plaque. Style of painting and decoration combined with the very even surface and high white glaze of the plaque itself suggest a dating to the 1960s or 1970s rather than the Republican period (1912-1949) when similar pieces were made which are highly sought after now. But the work is of extremely high quality nevertheless and the composition artistic and appealing.
Suite of Scottish agate necklace and bracelet c1970
Price: £50
This is a very unusual suite of two pieces that both have the same curved link design with similar agate stones. Both have full marks with a makers mark A Mc N. An extender chain has been added so it is very wearable.
Two Avon Perfume Bottles, Lady and a Girl, 1970s
Price: £20
These are two from the series of perfume bottles in the form of ladies or young girls issued by Avon in the 1970s. The first represents a figure in 1920s dress and is sometimes found with a label (missing here) which reads ‘Roaring Twenties’ followed by the name of a perfume. The second is a country girl complete with its label which reads ‘Avon’ ‘Nearness’ but the same model is found with other labels, indicating that both these containers were used for more than one brand of perfume. These bottles were an amusing marketing ploy which doubtless contributed to many successful sales.
Pair of Japanese Blue and White Seto Ware Vases, early C20th
Price: £240
A pair of Japanese Vases of ovoid form with modelled concave necks, decorated in bright underglaze blue with densely flowering peony and chrysanthemum, the design continuing right round to the reverse, the necks with a band of repeating geometric design below a band of stylised clouds and waves, the bases glazed and each with indistinct markings in underglaze blue, more extensive on one vase than the other.
The finely drawn brushwork here and the distinctive bright blue are characteristics of pieces made at Seto in Japan in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The city of Seto is located in the Aichi Prefecture and was the location of one of the Six Ancient Kilns of Japan. Pottery was produced there from the 13th century onwards. The kilns took part in the export of decorative wares to the West from the second half of the nineteenth century onwards producing a wide variety of forms, in particular pairs of vases, but with a speciality in flat plaques and table tops, for which they gained something of a monopoly. Their pieces are usually marked, to include the characters for Seto, and this pair of vases may have originally been signed themselves but with the marks partially obliterated in the firing process. The quality here matches anything else produced by the factories but the light weight and thinly potted body suggests a dating to the early 20th century rather than before, probably during the Taisho period (1912-1926). Nevertheless the skill in craftsmanship is obvious and contributes to a highly attractive pair of ornaments for a contemporary interior.
Striking 1950s applique summer handbag
Price: £65
This bag is made for spring and summer! It is a large bucket style bag trimmed in faux leather. The body of the bag is a sort of faux hessian finish. It is appliques on the front with a butterfly design in rhinestones, crystals and ribbon work. It is lined in Naugahyde and has a wooden base.
Incredible long jade necklace with large carnelian pendant
Price: £135
This is a constructed necklace comprising numerous large celadon colour beads interspersed with different coloured jade beads. There is a ox carving at one of the stations and it ends in a large carnelian disc pendant and silk tassel. This necklace is a very long opera length.
Japanese silver souvenir brooch c1950
Price: £18
This is a fun brooch that depicts a Japanese genre scene. It is repousse silver and is unmarked.
French Art Deco Clutch bag with faux jade insert
Price: £65
This is a very elegant small bag that features a faux jade moulded glass plaque surrounded by Art Deco motif paste stones. It comprises very soft kid suede and is lined in taffeta with the typical inside purse. The taffeta on this bag is quite degraded as can happen. This is not noticeable on the exterior so this bag is very usable. It has two chain handles.
Lustreware Vanity Box, Lady in Crinoline, probably continental early/mid C20th
Price: £35
A ceramic figure of a lady dressed in a crinoline formed in two parts, the upper section comprising the body and head of the figure of a lady dressed in a full multicoloured crinoline, which she draws to one side with her right hand while her left holds a fan, the lower section with a flat base on top of which is a deep vessel, presumably for storage, the underneath glazed and with a small impressed mark. While other examples are generally described as English Staffordshire ware, this piece has more of a continental look to it, very possibly German which would be consistent with the paste of the foot rim. Dating is probably to the 1920s or 1930s but if the provenance is slightly uncertain the function is clear and we have here an amusing storage item, perhaps intended for the dressing table. Truly a boudoir item!
Rectangular Green Onyx Box and Cover, 1960s
Price: £35
Rectangular Green Onyx Box and Cover, 1960s
A box and cover of rectangular form constructed from joined sections of green veined onyx, the lid with a gilt metal hinge. 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 which explains the name but is obviously not in evidence here. These boxes are usually attributed to Italian makers with a mid twentieth century dating which seems reasonable here.
Japanese Arita Dish circa 1880
Price: £45
A Japanese Arita circular dish, stoutly potted and with a lightly scalloped rim, decorated in underglaze blue with the addition of green, blue and brick red enamels all highlighted in gold, the central roundel with a basket of flowers surrounded by three large panels with a duck, rocks and flowers, interspersed with arrow head panels with stylised flowers and separated by three smaller geometric shape panels again with stylised flowers, the reverse with three pairs of two of the eight ‘precious objects’ (cash, double lozenge) in underglaze blue.
The town of Arita in the former Hizen Province, northwestern Kyūshū island was a major cente for the production of porcelains in Japan. Best known for blue and white pieces it also produced polychrome wares as well, including the familiar imari colourings. While similar to Imari, the wider palette of colours used here is usually termed ‘Arita’ and the decorative appeal of the style is clear. This plate probably comes from an original set of five and its quality is much above average. Dating is to the Meiji era (1868 - 1912) probably around 1880.
Victorian style copper bracelet with buckle detail 1950s
Price: £20
This is a lovely collectible piece of Victorian style copper jewellery. This would have had a gold wash on it originally. It has a bold buckle detail and a hammered sunflower design. It is marked "Exquisite".
Art Deco rock crystal bead necklace
Price: £25
This a very unusual necklace comprising many different shaped beads made from rock crystal.
Vintage Leather Map Case, probably 1940s
Price: £45
Although resembling a rather oversize wartime identity label holder, this leather case, with a large clear celluloid covered open panel, a flap at the back with a fastening button and a long shoulder strap with loop attachments seems to have been intended as a map holder. Similar examples can be found dating back to the First World War and many have a grid printed onto the celluloid. This particular piece probably dates to the Second World War and is most likely Russian or German. It remains in excellent condition with the fine quality stitching and celluloid panel intact and the strap with minimal wear, making it a desirable acquisition for a collectors of militaria from that era.
Abstract Design White Glaze Vase, probably British mid C20th
Price: £25
This is an unusual vase of slender ovoid form, glazed in white and with an abstract geometric design to the front with vertical rows of dots and dashes, the reverse plain. The paste of the foot suggests British manufacture and the geometric patterned design recalls pieces from the 1950s and 1960s, although there are no exact parallels for the decoration here. But the elegant shape combined with truly minimalist decoration together produce an object of decorative appeal, highly suitable for the most contemporary of interiors!
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.
DeNicola brooch and earrings 1950s
Price: £20
This is a striking set of brooch with matching earrings by DeNicola the New York jewellery designer that was well known in the 1950s and it quite collectible today. Gunmetal colour set with paste stones and faux onyx central stones. Earrings have strong clips and are easy to wear.
Chinese carving of a Beggar, possibly Shoushan stone, Soapstone stand, C20th
Price: £55
This is a stone carving of a figure resembling a beggar, the elderly man semi clad and holding something (an offering box?) in his left hand while with his right he strokes his head. The carver has incorporated features of the original rock into his work and the black veining is used to accentuate and embellish the profile of the figure, contrasting with the main body of white stone. This effect resembles closely pieces carved in ‘shoushan’ stone which comes from the village of Shoushan in Fujian province, East China and that is most likely the material which was employed here. The separate base is formed from the more commonly found soapstone, with its brown tinges, and contrasts well. The style of carving suggests early twentieth century work and this was probably a piece destined for the export market.
Terracotta Glazed Bottle Vase with floral enamel decoration, Watcombe Pottery, circa 1900
Price: £45
A terracotta earthenware vase of bottle form with a bulbous compressed hemispherical body rising to a tall slender neck above a flaring spreading base, recessed to the interior and glazed with the foot rim unglazed revealing the fine terracotta clay, the body decorated in thick ‘famille rose’ enamels in the Chinese style depicting flowering peony.
Pieces combining glazed terracotta with polychrome enameling were one of the designs produced by the well known Watcombe pottery based in Devon. Production commenced in the mid 1860s when a fine red Devon clay was discovered in the grounds of Watcombe House near Torquay, prompting its then owner G. P. Allen to establish the Watcombe Terracotta Clay Company off Teignmouth Road, St. Marychurch in 1869. Classical styles of the period like terracotta busts, figures, urns and jugs were produced first, followed by terracotta glazed pieces some in the style of the famous designer Christopher Dresser. Not all of the pieces were marked and the appearance of ‘Watcombe Porcelain’ on some of their wares seems to post date the first years of production. Various mergers followed and the range of designs developed, adapting to changing tastes, but finally the business was forced to close its doors in 1962.
While the decoration is typical of Watcombe, the shape is typical of Dresser and also loosely follows a Chinese shape as did so many of his pieces. Allowing for the fact that the Devon potters introduced their own individual ‘twist’, one example of the Dresser prototype for this piece is included in the collection held by the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Watcombe, in common with other potteries at the time, aimed to produce pieces which, while they followed the ‘best’ designs were more accessible to a general audience. This vase is in no way inferior to the ‘real thing’ and maintains a charm of its own.
Art Deco Scottish moss agate ring
Price: £35
This is a very striking ring that is mounted with a very unusual Scottish agate stone that has both red and green inclusions. Mounted in an architectural Art Deco setting. Marked 925
Mexican silver bracelet set with turquoise plaques, c1990
Price: £75
This is a very striking hinge bangle bracelet set with turquoise (perhaps sodalite) plaques. It has an integrated clasp where you press down on the lower part to release. It is marked 'Mexico 925'.
Japanese Fukagawa Imari Vase of Sake Bottle Form circa 1880
Price: £180
A fine quality Japanese Imari Vase of Sake bottle form with a bulbous body narrowing towards a broad neck with a faintly everted rim, decorated in iron red, underglaze blue and gold with the addition of green enamel. The main body with two shaped panels of flowering chrysanthemum within underglaze blue borders on a ground of stylised flowering chrysanthemum, the shoulder with panels of lotus and stylised flower heads on an underglaze blue band, the neck with further stylised foliage below plantain leaves in iron red and underglaze blue, the rim gilt. The base with a four character mark reading Koransha Fukagawa Sei ('made by the Koransha Fukagawa [factory]'. The Fukagawa kilns produced the best quality Imari items made in Japan in the late nineteenth century for export to the West. Dating here is within the Meiji period (1868 - 1912) probably around 1880. The form is unusual and reflects Sake bottle shapes produced in a variety of mediums.
Pair of J Kent Chinoiserie Foley Ware Vases c1920s
Price: £75
A pair of Vases of pear shape form with slender flaring necks decorated in the Chinoiserie style, the blue transfer ware design depicting Oriental figures in a stylised garden scene with iron red highlighting to the ground, the necks with a stylised floral design and the base with gilt highlighting, the top similarly finished with the gilt decoration extending to the interior. The bases with six character marks in underglaze blue, loosely imitating the Chinese, and reading 'J Kent' 'Ye Olde' 'Foley' 'Ware' 'Fenton' 'England'. Early twentieth century circa 1920s.
Foley is a small district alongside King Street, Fenton, near the border with Longton, in Staffordshire, England. There was a pottery at Foley as early as the eighteenth century, and there were to be 5 different companies which had "Foley" in their name operating in this area, the last of which closed down around 10 years ago. One of these firms was the Old Foley Pottery of James Kent and this was the manufacturer of this pair of vases, marked as 'Ye Olde Foley Ware'. James Kent made a variety of vases in the Chinese style in the 1920s loosely adapting original Chinese models. Decoration was in blue transfer applied before glazing, and the ground was highlighted in gold or iron red, as here. The productions presented modestly priced versions of original Oriental pieces for the English market. These vases are less commonly found now and seldom as original pairs.
Taxco clamper bracelet, attr. to Justo or Jorge Castillo, 1940s
Price: £450
This is a very unusual bracelet that is designed in a double fan form. It has a a three dimensional soft design with large mill grain work around the shapes. It is signed 'Taxco', 'JC 925', 'Sterling', 'Hecho en Mexico' ('Made in Mexico').
Justo and Jorge Castillo come from the Los Castillo workshop. Los Castillo was an influential and ongoing design and manufacturing enterprise established in 1939 by Antonio Castillo and his brothers Justo and Jorge and their cousin Salvador Teran. Los Castillo is known for sterling jewellery and fine pieces in "married metals" combining various metals such as silver, copper and brass. Castillo who arrived in Taxco in 1923, began his long career working for William Spratling at Taller de las Delicias. He married Margot van Voorhies prior to opening Taller Los Castillo bu they were later divorced in 1946. (see The Little Book of Mexican Silver Trade and Hallmarks, 2013)
Striking Art Deco brooch
Price: £15
This is a very vivid brooch in a Regency design, featuring a faux onyx stone and faux pearl drops
Islamic Silver Necklace with Niello work plaques, c1930
Price: £75
This is an interesting silver necklace, probably made in Turkey in the mid twentieth century. Four strands of wheat chain join seven circular plaques and terminate in a push pin clasp. The faces of the plaques are decorated with fleur-de-lis and scrolling foliage in a clover leaf format on a black ground and the square reverses are all stamped ‘925’. Similar decoration appears on the clasp.
The technique used is that of ‘niello’ work. (The word derives either from the classical Latin word ‘nigellum’ or the later mediaeval words ‘nigello’ or ‘neelo’.) Niello is a black mixture, usually of sulphur, copper, silver, and lead and used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal, especially silver. Added as a paste, it hardens to a black colour after firing and is then polished. Here it is the ground that formed from niello while the design shows though in silver, a less common version.
There is much skill in the craftsmanship here and the result is a piece of classic and timeless simplicity.
Fun lot of two Indian silver elephant brooches c1930
Price: £45
These are are two very different yet similar brooches depicting elephants. One is quite realistic with much detail such as skin, face and ears. The other is a typical Indian stylised design that is also quite detailed. Both are made in the typical repousse style. They have been "married" as they look so good together! :)
Doulton and Slaters Patent Jardiniere circa 1890
Price: £750
A Doulton Jardiniere of squat form, the body tapering sharply towards the base with a short slightly flaring neck, decorated with a fabric derived design, the brown biscuit body with an impressed floral design over which are applied gilt flower heads and carefully modelled strands of lotus in blue and aubergine enamel, a band of light blue beads at the top and the interior glazed in dark blue, the base unglazed and with a series of impressed marks including ‘Doulton Lambeth’.
The Doulton factory began production in 1815, first at Vauxhall and later moving to Lambeth. In 1882 it opened an additional factory at Burslem, Stoke on Trent in the centre of the English pottery. Known at first mainly for utilitarian works it began to develop decorative wares more extensively in the 1860s and soon gained a reputation for its distinctive designs. As the mark indicates, this piece was made at the Lambeth factory and the absence of ‘England’ in the Doulton mark, which has the typical design of interlocking ‘D’ at its centre, indicates that it dates to before 1891. The decorative technique, employing impressed designs was known as ‘Chine’ ware and protected by the patent ‘Doulton and Slaters Patent’ which is clearly marked underneath. Pieces of linen, lace, net or other fabrics were pressed onto the unfired soft clay shortly after potting, leaving a corresponding pattern behind. This piece has elaborately modelled lotus strands in addition as well as gilt flower heads, an unusual combination which does not seem to often occur. On the base are found stamped numbers and letters which should indicate the pattern number and artist decorator but it has not been possible to identify these accurately. Dating though is confirmed and this was clearly a deluxe item amongst the range of pieces produced at that time.
Japanese Blue and White Sugar Bowl and Cover, first half C20th
Price: £25
A Japanese porcelain sugar bowl and cover of globular form, two modelled loop handles to the sides and a flush fitting lid with a squat knob, decorated in bright underglaze blue with stylised scrolling lotus, the design repeated on the lid. In common with many blue and white pieces exported from Japan in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the decoration here is not handpainted but applied with the use of a stencil which explains the slightly ‘mechanical’ effect. These sugar bowls are often paired with a cream or milk jug but do not seem to have formed part of a larger tea service. The slightly uneven profile of the handles is found elsewhere and while dating is most likely to the 1920s or 1930s this piece is still of either decorative or even practical use around a hundred years later!
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.
Large Islamic silver necklace with heart shaped box c1920
Price: £85
This is a very large statement necklace comprising a detailed pendant that is a tubular piece set with malachites stones with handing drops. There is a very large hard shaped pendant attached that is a box with a red fabric interior. This may have some religious signficance such as a prayer box. This is set with beautiful agate stone that is also heart shaped. The pandant has filigree work on both the pieces of the pendant. It comes with its original herringbone style chain. This does not appear to be silver like the pendant. The pendant is 800 silver so a slightly lower grade fo 925 or sterling silver.
Striking continental silver modernist bracelet c1960
Price: £35
This a very beautiful and detailed bracelet comprising panels with organic shapes in front of coral like designs. It is marked Sterling Foreign 925. It seems that it should be attributed to a particular jewellery designer as it is so unique and of such high quality.
Art Deco large cuff bracelet
Price: £75
This is a wonderful cuff bracelet comprising silver and coral, probably from Morocco.
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!
Large Shelley Harmony Ware Vase glazed in blue and grey, 1930s
Price: £75
A ceramic vase of plain ovoid form, the body slightly ribbed and painted with various shades of ‘spun’ decoration in blue and grey, the base glazed and with a transfer mark ‘Shelley (in a border frame and underlined) England’, the impressed numbers ‘988’ presumably denoting the model number and the letter ‘d’ in black, probably hand inscribed.
Shelley Potteries, situated in Staffordshire, was originally known as Wileman & Co. which had also traded under the name ‘The Foley Potteries’. The first Shelley to join the company was Joseph Ball Shelley in 1862, and it remained a Shelley family business until 1966, when it was taken over by Allied English Potteries. Joseph’s son Percy employed first the designer Frederick Rhead then Walter Slater who had worked with Doulton. It was Walter Slater’s son, Eric, who initiated the ‘Harmony’ range in 1932, at first with a series of banded designs as here and then with drip ware patterns which became enormously popular. Harmony ware was produced in a wide variety of colours and shapes, the plain ovoid form being typical and reflecting the Art Deco styles of the period, but this example is exceptionally large with a more unusual range of colourings.
Art Deco Islamic silver bracelet with inset stones
Price: £195
This is a very striking bracelet that features a central plaque with inset turquoise, amethyst and carnelian stones. The setting has fine repousse stars and teardrop design with filigree work. The band is very wide and is comprised of a very fine woven silver. The clasp mirrors the plaque motif and has a bolt fitment.