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.
Pair of Ceramic Goblets : the Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981
Price: £20
A pair of ceramic goblets blue glazed with a bulbous body above a spreading foot, the front with silhouette portraits of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer within a circle of wording commemorating their marriage below the Prince of Wales feathers, the reverse plain and the interior gilt. Inside the foot is the mark for Prinknash Pottery in gold. The Prinknash Abbey Pottery was started in 1942 by the Benedictine monks there when they found a seam of clay during some building work. Situated in the abbey Granham in Gloucestershire their pottery continued production until 1997 when it was sold to the Welsh Porcelain Co. Their blue glaze commemorative wares stand apart somewhat with something of a ‘regal’ feel.
Outstanding Taxco silver and abalone Bangle c1980
Price: £200
This is a striking and large Taxco bangle that has been expertly set with curved abalone pieces and has a typical hinge and spring closure so that it is easy to get on and fits any wrist. It is marked 'TH-105', the Taxco silversmith reg number, 'Mexico' '925'.
Art Deco Guilloché Copper Ash Tray and matching Cigarette Holder, boxed, c1930
Price: £35
This matching set comes from an era when the cigarette was seen as an elegant accessory rather than a danger to health. The ash tray and the end of the cigarette holder are made from copper, burnished to two contrasting colours in respect of the tray, decorated in the guilloché technique whereby precise and intricate patterns are engraved onto the surface using a machine. Here a wavy line design was applied to the centre of the tray and the end of the cigarette holder and contrasted with stylised floral sprays at the border created by the repoussé technique in which the metal was hammered from the reverse to create a design in low relief. The mouthpiece of the cigarette holder, formed from celluloid, is deliberately plain. The set comes in an original blue leather fitted box and the combination here is found much less often than the ash trays themselves.
Japanese turned wood tea caddy, chazutsu, mark for Hakone, C20th
Price: £45
A Japanese turned wood tea caddy, the polished surface of the base, shoulder and lid revealing the grain of the timber and contrasting with the natural bark finish of the central section. The ovoid section body is capped with a tightly fitting circular lid to ensure an airtight seal which would keep the tea fresh. Known in Japanese as ‘chazutsu’, this particular type of tea caddy was made at Hakone, a mountainous town in the Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan, famous for its traditional wood crafts. The two character mark on the shoulder appears to comprises 根 (Ne) to the left translating as ‘root’ and 箱 (Hako) to the right translating as ‘box’ which, taken together reads ‘Hakone’. This is an excellent example of the type with an elegant shape and a fine patina and has survived in perfect condition without scratches or damage to the surface. Dating is most likely to the second half of the twentieth century.
Japanese Samurai China Biscuit Box and Cover, C20th
Price: £25
A Japanese ceramic Biscuit Box and Cover with a wicker handle of squared octagonal form, the body slightly flaring outwards and with a flush fitting cover, decorated in bright satsuma style enamels with panels of a samurai and a geisha and two with landscape designs alternating with orange ground panels with stylised foliage in enamel and gilt, the design repeating onto the lid, the base marked ‘Genuine Samurai China’, ‘Japan’, ‘Hand Painted’, and a ‘Reg No’ which cannot be read, the lettering surrounding a shield like device with Japanese characters. The firm ‘Samurai China’ seems to have made modest ceramic items, mainly tea services, for export to the West. Dating is most likely pre war, perhaps to the 1930s.
Pair of Wade green glazed Mermaid salts, 1950s
Price: £55
A pair of ceramic salts in the form of a slender organic urn, green glazed with moulded handles in the form of mermaids and moulded decoration of sea urchins, aquatic reeds and seaweed, the base unglazed and with a raised mark ‘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 pair of salts is rather different to many of their productions and have a distinctly ‘Art Nouveau’ feel but, in fact, date to the 1950s when this particular format of the factory mark was used. It seems to be one of the rarer forms and pairs are even rarer still, so definitely one for Wade collectors!
Spanish red tooled leather trinket dish with the coat of arms for Castile and León, C20th
Price: £25
This is a very striking square dish with a deep central well made from finely worked red leather and decorated with scrolls and fleur-de-lis. There is something of a royal connection here as the embossed decoration includes lions and heraldic shields and the coat of arms presents as those for the house of Castile and León, the shield with four quarters, the first and fourth with a castle (Castile) and the second and third with a lion rampant (Leon). Castile and León is Spain’s largest autonomous community comprising territories that once belonged to the Kingdom of León, including Salamanca, as well as territories of the former Kingdom of Castile, particularly Valladolid and Segovia. Since it most likely dates to the twentieth century, this dish probably belonged to a municipal setting rather than a palace of the nobility but it is an item of luxury nevertheless.
Chinese cloisonne bangle with raised enamel decoration circa 1900
Price: £35
Chinese cloisonne bangle, the exterior with raised enamel decoration of stylised scrolling foliage set on a speckled gilt ground between two bands of stylised floral sprays and clouds on a brick red ground, the interior finished in blue enamel; gilt rims to the top and bottom. The style of decoration suggests a circa date in the early twentieth century.
Chinese cloisonné hinged Bangle, C20th
Price: £45
A Chinese cloisonné bangle of typical circular form when closed, hinged to allow it to open and revealing the clasp opposite, the decoration in the cloisonné technique of polychrome glass derived enamels set in wire outlines (the so called ‘cloisons’ from the French word), the brick red ground set with stylised floral plum blossom sprays in enamels and clouds in a wire design. The style of work here suggests an early twentieth century dating and the hinged clasp was doubtless intended to assist the wearer as it could still do today.
Porcelain Figure of a seated Panda, Lomonosov, USSR late C20th
Price: £25
This is an amusing figure of a seated Panda looking enquiringly outwards and with its paws clasped together, the fur depicted in black with flecking and the face with expressive eyes and mustard colouring to the snout, signed to the base with a red stamped cipher device and the rather indistinct lettering ‘MADE IN USSR’. The cipher device in iron red is for the Lomonosov, factory situated in St Petersburg. With a history of production spanning back to the mid eighteenth century, Lomonosov became well known for its ceramic figures of animals in the mid twentieth century, expressively modelled and brightly coloured, including tigers, giraffes, dogs and, as here, pandas. This figure comes from the 'Porcelain Zoo' series created by the sculptor Pavel Veselov and the artist Victor Zhbanov and apparently comprising around a hundred different figurines. Dating here is determined by the form of the mark which was used from 1986 to 1992. Red was reserved for the best quality pieces and the mark itself is in the Russian alphabet (ЛФЗ), that is ‘LFZ’ in English which is an abbreviation of the factory name ‘Lomonosovkiy Farforoviy Zavod’. The words ‘MADE IN USSR’ may imply that the piece was intended for export. It would be hard not to imagine someone somewhere giving this animal a new home!
Pair of Staffordshire style figures, Boy and Girl, probably German, late C19th
Price: £75
A pair of ceramic figures of a boy and a girl modelled standing on a base resembling tree stumps, both dressed in country attire, the girl carrying a basket and a bag and the boy holding boots and a scarf, the white glaze with polychrome colourings and highlights in gilt, the bases hollow with markings ‘27’. While these look superficially to be English Staffordshire, the paste of the foot and some elements of the decoration indicate continental work most likely from Germany. There are resemblances here to the figures, many of them ‘fairings’, made by Conta and Boehme in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and some see the factory Heubach here, who did indeed make ceramic figures in a ‘rustic’ style but these are usually more elaborately modelled. So while German work is the most likely an exact attribution has to remain uncertain. But this young couple make an attractive pair and while intended for a late Victorian interior would not look out of place in a more modern one.
Victorian enamel buckle c1900
Price: £40
This is a lovely example of these buckles in a scrollwork design with bright enameling in turquoise and pinks. It is brass.
Arts and Crafts bar brooch with turquoise and coque de perle c1910
Price: £75
This is a very simple and elegant brooch typical of the Arts and Crafts style. It is set with a turquoise cabochon that is flanked by two coque de perle stones and is unmarked.
Set of five small landscape paintings attributed to Charles Boyland Turner, C20th
Price: £110
While ‘antique’ in appearance, both in respect of the frames and the style of the paintings themselves, this set of small landscape compositions most likely date to the mid to late years of the twentieth century. As the inscriptions on the backs indicate, all five display Norfolk scenes and are attributed to the artist Charles Boyland Turner. Charles Turner seems to have painted many Norfolk landscape scenes and his pictures sometimes appear at auction. The style is always similar, traditional and with a nineteenth century ‘feel’, but Charles Turner worked in acrylic rather than oil paint, a much more modern medium, and was the author of a book on the subject, ‘Painting Miniatures in Acrylics’, published in 1990 whose cover displays an image very similar to these. Accordingly, while little is known about him, his work is relatively recent which is not to say that it is without its attraction. The five scenes depicted here are extremely pleasing. Many, but not all, of his pieces are signed but these are not, perhaps because of the size, and we have to take the labelling on trust. The close similarity with signed works, though, gives little reason to doubt the attribution.
Art Deco chalcedony brooch or pendant
Price: £65
This is a lovely and delicate brooch with bail for a pendant. It is set in silver that has a modern floral design is both polished and textured giving it a very fine and detailed look. The stone is a Scottish chalcedony stone. Marked 925
Exceptional Paste necklace 1940s
Price: £25
This a very delicate and bright paste necklace with seven floral stations interspersed with single stones. Set in brass with barrel clasp.
Porcelain Mug : Buckingham Palace 1997
Price: £10
A bone china mug, slightly flaring at the rim and base and with a modelled loop handle, richly decorated in gilt with swags and floral wreaths, the front marked ‘Buckingham Palace’ and the reverse ‘1997’, the base with a circular floral wreath surrounding a crown and the wording ‘Buckingham Palace’ ‘1997’. This mug is one of a series produced from 1993 to 2010 for sale in the Royal Collection souvenir shops. Each year was given a different design and all were dated. The manufacturer is unkown. The design and decoration of the ‘1997’ model seems particularly pleasing.
Blue and Green Ice Glass Square Bowl, designed by Tapio Wirkalla for Iitala Finland, late C20th
Price: £55
A heavily modelled glass bowl of rounded square form with raised corners and indented concave sides with a textured base underneath, the clear glass blended with green and blue glass, each of the colours covering half the surface of the interior with a diagonal 'join'. The weight and textured finish to this piece is clearly intended to represent ice and while 'ice glass' pieces were made by various Scandinavian manufacturers, the model here was made in the 1970s by Iitala, a glass studio in Finland, and was part of the ‘Lunaria’ range designed for them by Tapio Wirkalla.
The Finnish designer Tapio Wirkkala (1915–1985) was a major figure of post-war design, working in a wide variety of media including ceramics, wood and glass as well as postage stamps, bank notes and even light bulbs. His first piece for Iitala was produced in 1946 and the commercial ‘Tapio’ collection from 1954. Some of his ‘ice glass’ effects took the Iitala craftsmen many hours to perfect the glass blowing techniques required to produce them but enjoyed immense popularity. These chunky bowls, almost brutalist in style, were produced in the 1970s and 1980s and are an excellent example of his work for the popular market.
Long lapis lazuli bead necklace c1980
Price: £30
This is very elegant necklace that features different shaped stone beads of Lapis Lazuli. These beads are very high quality with excellent colour. They are flat pebble shaped, together with square and round beads. They are connected by gold fittings with a toggle clasp.
Jigsaw Puzzle of Guy’s Hospital London, with box, 1930s
Price: £10
A novelty jigsaw puzzle with a picture of Guy’s Hospital London, comprising thirty large interlocking pieces which make up the design, complete with the original box which has the picture on the front of the lid to act as a design guide. The motor vehicles seen here and the dress of the bystanders indicate a pre war dating probably to the 1930s. The subject matter, hardly an obvious choice for a commercial item for general sale, points to this item being used as a rehabilitation tool for a patient recovering in hospital or most likely Guy’s Hospital itself. Perhaps her name was indeed Myrtle! Similar puzzles were made by the firm ‘W.G.Evans and Sons’ and advertised as ‘specially recommended for invalids’.
Herend porcelain Trinket dish/Ash tray, Rothschild Bird Pattern, early C20th
Price: £45
A small fine quality porcelain oval shallow dish with semi circular ‘handles’ at each end, delicately decorated in coloured enamels with birds on a branch and insects, the reverse with a blue printed crown and castle mark above the lettering ‘HUNGARY’ and impressed marks ‘HEREND’ and the numbers ‘XXXX’ [CHECK].
This dish was made by the Herend Porcelain factory. Founded in Hungary in 1826 it almost immediately enjoyed enormous popularity with wealthy customers including members of the European aristocracy. Production continued into the twentieth century through nationalistion in 1948 and reprivatisation in 1993 and continues to the present day. Many of the patterns created in the nineteenth century are still reproduced. The design here is known as ‘Rothschild Bird’ doubtless from its first purchasers all those years ago. The format of the mark allows a fairly close dating to the years 1915-1930, making this an earlier version of the model than many others which appear on the market today.
Japanese Gouache Painting of Flowering Lotus, signed and framed, C20th
Price: £45
A Japanese Gouache painting in tones of green and blue of flowering lotus and reeds with a butterfly hovering above, inscribed to the left with a two character signature in black and a seal mark in red. While the artist of this piece cannot be identified his skill is self evident in both the overall composition and its execution. The fine white and yellow detail on the lotus leaves is striking and the depiction of the butterfly vivid with life. Executed on a circular panel, perhaps originally from a screen, the painting has been sympathetically framed in an octagonal format, with a dark blue mount into which it is inset. The combination presents an object of obvious decorative appeal both to a specialist and to a general collector.
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.
A Matched Pair of Chinese Cloisonne Bottle form Vases circa 1900
Price: £25
A matched Pair of Chinese Cloisonne Vases of squat bottle form with broad bodies and a slender flaring neck, decorated with flowering peony on a blue enamel ground with a gilt wire design of stylised clouds, the bases with two bands of overlapping semi circles and the tops with a band of repeating ju'i lappets, the top interior rims finished in metal and the bases with a gilt foot rim enclosing blue enamel. The designs on these vases match very closely and the peony flowers are in mirror image but the vases are unlikely to have been an original pair. Weight and style of decoration suggest a circa date at the end of the nineteenth century.
Cup : Marriage and Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary, 1911
Price: £10
A china cup with flaring sides and a simple loop handle, transfer decorated with portraits of King George V and Queen Mary in beaded frames with flowers, the union jack and royal standard flags, the royal coat of arms and inscribed scrolls commemorating the royal marriage in 1893 and coronation in 1911, the reverse marked ‘In Commemoration’ below the royal crown. The base has an indistinct mark which appears more clearly on other pieces and can be read as ‘England’ ‘The Paragon China’ below a crown and a cipher with interlinked letters which read ‘S C Co’ for ‘The Star China Company’, China manufacturers at the Atlas Works, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, England from 1899 to 1919 who introduced the trade name ‘Paragon China’ in 1903.
Production of this piece was presumably contemporary with the coronation in 1911 and many similar pieces were made by other factories at the time, more often in a straight sided mug shape. The form here suggests that there might have been an original saucer but none seem to have survived.
Needlework sampler with a prayer by Sarah Flower Adams, probably late C19th
Price: £25
Samplers (the name derives from the Latin ‘exemplum’, meaning ‘example’) were exhibition pieces intended to demonstrate skill in needlework and have a long history dating back even to BCE times. They were produced in Europe from the sixteenth century onwards but enjoyed something of a heyday in England in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, becoming one of the accomplishments expected of young girls to demonstrate their achievement and industry, a fashion which was to die out after the 1900s.
Many of the samplers found today were signed by the maker, but not all, as here. At a guess this piece was probably made in the second half of the nineteenth century (the frame is much later) by a fairly devout needleworker. The text closely follows a known prayer composed by Sarah Flower Adams (1805-1848). As a member of the congregation of the Rev. W. J. Fox, a Unitarian minister in London, she contributed 13 hymns to his work ‘Hymns and Anthems’ which was published in 1841.
The prayer by her found there reads as follows:
Part in peace!- Christ's life was peace; Let us breath our breath in Him. Part in peace!- Christ's death was peace, Let us die death in Him. Part in peace!- Christ promise gave Of a life beyond the grave, Where all mortal partings cease Part in peace!
It is just possible that the last line has been altered to reflect a recent family loss, but this must remain speculation. The sentiments, though, are clear enough and have been carefully and devotedly worked.
Large suede pouch bag with concertina opening c1930
Price: £65
This is a wonderfully large handbag comprising a brown suede pouch with a brass opening. It is unlined.
Butler and Wilson Skull Necklace, boxed, modern
Price: £95
There is certainly a hint of the macabre in this ‘halloween’ necklace made by the well known British firm, Butler and Wilson. Founded by Nicky Butler and Simon Wilson in 1969 and initially trading from the once famous Antiquarius antiques market in Chelsea, the company is best-known for its crystal costume jewellery and their pieces have been worn by celebrities and even members of the Royal Family. The firm still trades today and their current range does include a number of skull design pieces but this necklace is around 15 years old. Silver metal and crystals are used to create five skull heads, the largest acting as a pendant with five skull drops. These are linked by a chain which terminates in a spring closure which has a circular medallion embossed with the firm’s name. The necklace comes with its original box which remains in excellent condition. Not perhaps to everyone’s taste but certainly a statement accessory!
Uredale Glass Vase, late C20th/early C21st
Price: £55
This is a typical example of one of the range of pieces produced by the Uredale Glass Studio, set up in 1981 by Tim Simon in Masham, North Yorkshire. Simon had studied with a Master glassmaker from Stuart Crystal in the 1960s and his enthusiasm and interest in this craft led him on to start his own business with his wife, Maureen. Now trading for over forty years it is one of the longest running studio glassmakers in the United Kingdom. Their premises at Masham include a shop where a selection of their wares can be seen and purchased and there is also the opportunity to attend demonstration glass making courses. This round beaker like vase employs mottled and swirling glass effects in a range of purple tones and is very close in style to the ‘autumn’ hot glass range which can be seen on the studio’s website today. As with other Uredale pieces, the vase has a distinctive label with its maker’s name. Any collection of late twentieth century studio glass should include at least one piece from this well known maker and the vase shown here would be an ideal addition.
Chinese Verre Églomisé Snuff Bottle with landscape scenes, fitted box, C20th
Price: £35
A Chinese glass snuff bottle of typical flattened oval rounded form with a replacement domed stopper, the interior decorated with intricate landscape scenes depicting a riverbank and a lakeside market and employing the ‘reverse glass’ or ‘verre églomisé’ technique. Dating of these pieces seems to be in the second half of the twentieth century but the skill of the maker is self evident and has produced a true landscape in miniature.
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!
Beautiful Chinese carnelian silver bracelet
Price: £75
This is a very elegant and substantial bracelet comprising five stations of carved carnelian mounted in silver with hinges. There is quite an large an unusual bowed bar clasp that would be nice for engraving someone's name perhaps. Marked 925.
Globular art glass Vase with trailing swirls, signed and dated 1994
Price: £45
An art glass vase of compressed globular form with a short concave neck and a flaring flat rim, the base flat with a pontil mark to the centre and an etched signature, perhaps to be read as ‘St Cl’, with the date ‘1994’, the clear glass body decorated in greys, blues and browns with trailing swirls and dashes and dots, perhaps intended to represent stylised fish and pebbles in flowing water. There is clearly considerable skill in the manufacture of this piece which was hand blown as indicated by the pontil mark underneath but the signature is unclear and the work without an exact parallel.
Vintage Indian silver pendant Necklace, 20th century
Price: £85
This is an assembled necklace with both elements probably of Indian workmanship. The circular slide pendant has elaborate concentric bands, chain, cord and beadwork within a repeating stamped roundel border and terminating in a ‘V’ device. The reverse is plain with the stamped mark ‘925’. Pieces with similar designs also have the word ‘INDIA’ which most likely indicates the provenance here. The herringbone chain which has been matched with the pendant is clearly marked ‘INDIA’ with other marks in addition, probably those of the maker. The two combine to produce a bold piece of statement jewellery with timeless appeal.
Mods at Clacton 1964, Photograph by Terry Disney for the Daily Express
Price: £45
Easter 1964 saw a gathering of two wheeler transport fanatics in the sea town of Clacton, Essex. These were the ‘mods’ and ‘rockers’ famous at the time, the ‘mods’ with their sharp suits and scooters and the ‘rockers’ with leather jackets and motorcycles. Relationships between the two groups were less than friendly and the inevitable resulted. But if the two rival ‘gangs’ disliked one another, they disliked the police even more and when officialdom stepped in, the chaos increased. Exactly what happened has been debated ever since. The press called it anarchy (see image 6) but the local council was not so sure.
It was, though, a newsworthy confrontation and press photographers were sent in to record events. The most notable of these was Terry Disney who worked for the Daily Express newspaper. Disney was a distinguished and prolific photographer from the 1960s onwards and many of his striking images survive, not least those capturing the major personalities of the entertainment world at the time, including the Beatles themselves. His images of the ‘mods’ (he seemed less interested in the ‘rockers’) capture the atmosphere of the scenes vividly and this photograph is an excellent example of his work on that Easter weekend (for another see image 5). Often only obtainable under licence, this print is an ideal opportunity for a collector to acquire a near iconic image. It is offered with a very basic frame which might well be replaced with something which would enhance the photograph more sympathetically.
Silver metal Perfume Bottle Necklace, probably Indian early C20th
Price: £55
A silver metal perfume bottle and attached stopper, the body spherical with a short cylindrical neck, the whole elaborately cast with bead work below and repeating fleur de lis above underneath repeating raised bosses, the neck with rope twist work and the stopper with beading. The stopper is attached by a short chain and the bottle itself has two lugs which attach it to the necklace chain. Many of the motifs here suggest Indian work, probably from the 1920s and made for the local market.
Labradorite statement necklace c2000
Price: £110
This is a stunning necklace that has a very contemporary design. It has a large pear shaped labradorite stone that is splite between luminous blue and white. It is set in a heavy silver setting that has a small accent cabachon also in labradorite. This is then joined with stations that create a choker. It is marked 925 with full English hallmarks.
Majolica Style Jardiniere, French, circa 1900
Price: £55
A ceramic jardiniere of elongated rococo style form with upraised handles and a spreading foot, one side of the wavy edge rim with pierced lattice work, decorated all over in brightly coloured glazes on a mustard ground with slight craquelure, the front with a multicoloured panel of flowers and the back with a moulded panel of a floral spray, the foot with a moulded mark ‘D 9’.
This is a French interpretation of the ‘Majolica’ style which became so popular, particularly in England in the second half of the nineteenth century. A very distant relation of the tin glazed Italian and Spanish wares which share the name, nineteenth century majolica employed a wide variety of brightly coloured glazes applied to elaborate forms some of which had a slightly ‘classical’ feel and some a reflection of ‘rococo’ designs. The paste and glazes here suggest France, which produced various pieces in the ‘majolica’ style and dating is probably to the end of the nineteenth century.
Fairing Figurine - The last in bed to put out the light, German, late Nineteenth Century
Price: £25
Fairing Figurine "The last in bed to put out the light". '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' but the most common example is represented here 'The last in bed to put out the light'. A couple are seen climbing into a covered bed at the foot of which stands a candle in a holder. These candles are usually broken off, most likely because of simple damage over the years but it has been suggested that this was done deliberately for good luck.
Some of the fairing figurines are marked, as here. The impressed number '2851' comes from the first series of figures produced by the Conta factory with numbers ranging from 2850 to 2899. The earlier examples do not have the shield mark found on most of the pieces which indicates an earlier dating here, more towards the middle of the nineteenth century.
Fairings have been collectors' items for many years now and still hold a naif charm which makes them appealing display items, with a history of their own.
Cherry amber Bakelite necklace, Germany 1920s
Price: £150
This is a very beautiful necklace comprising graduated bright and clear facetted cherry amber Bakelite beads, strung with braided and knotted orange thread and with a spring ring clasp. These necklaces are quite rare and the clear red colour here, enriched by the faceting, is one of the most desirable.
Egyptian table decoration depicting a Pharoah and Attendant, c1940
Price: £45
This is a Egyptian souvenir table decoration depicting aPharoah and attendant. The sun is radiating down to indicate his divine rule. It is made from bovine buffalo bone, a material commonly used for Egyptian decorative objects.
Egyptian revival Tutankhamun head silver Cuff Bracelet, 1940s
Price: £75
The iconography here needs little introduction. This elegant silver cuff bracelet displays recurring portrait heads of Tutankhamun between two plain bands at each edge. The piece carries Egyptian silver hall marks which give some indication of its date. The central character, indicating silver, is a lotus flower apparently used from the 1940s. To the left of it can be seen a loop and two dots which is the date mark for 1942 to 1943 and to the right is a mark indicating the purity of the silver, possibly reading 800 thousandths. (see https://www.silvercollection.it /EGYPTSILVER HALLMARKS). This classic piece of Egyptian revival work from the 1940s is timeless and an elegant accessory for the 2020s!
Old Tupton Ware jug with tubular floral design, Crown mark, early C21st
Price: £30
An attractive jug of broad near globular form with a short straight neck, the pointed spout opposite a simple loop handle, decorated in brightly coloured glazes with overlapping fruit, the designs picked out with tubular lines, the base with a black printed crown mark. While the work here resembles pieces by Moorcroft it is, in fact, of much more recent manufacture being an example of ‘Old Tupton Ware’, a firm founded by two partners in 2001 based in mid Wales and producing individual handmade pieces characterised by outlining in fine tubular clay. All their pieces carry a crown mark as a symbol of the brand’s ‘commitment to quality and authenticity’. Their current range can be seen on their website (www.oldtuptonware.com) but this does not include jugs of this shape indicating that they must have been amongst their earliest productions and that this particular range has now been discontinued. Not quite a collector’s item yet, perhaps, but a very attractive example of this particular pottery’s individual style.
Art Glass Vase probably designed by Joanna Jellinek for IKEA, Swedish early C21st
Price: £35
An art glass vase of ovoid form, the encased white glass body with a ‘sommerso’ base, blue streaks dripping from the top and scattered irregularly shaped ovoid black ‘pebbles’. Similar designs can be found on pieces from Orrefors, Sweden, Tarnowiec, Poland and Italla, Finland, as well as from some of the Italian glasswork studios. But the closest parallel is with vases designed for Ikea around twenty five years ago by Joanna Jellinek who joined the firm in 2002. These striking designs are collectors’ items now and this is a particularly attractive example.
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.
Art Deco lapis and marcasite earrings c1930
Price: £65
These are a pair of pure Art Deco earrings. They are very architectural like a skyscraper. They feature silver set with marcasite and large lapis stones. They are marked A935.
Chinese Soapstone Brushwasher decorated with flowering Lotus, early 20th Century
Price: £45
A Chinese soapstone Brushwasher, carved in high relief with two vase like vessels and a shallow bowl all surrounded by flowering lotus and set on a ground of stylised rockwork, the back flat carved and the base hollowed out at the interior. Various similar pieces can be found with one or more vases surrounded by flowers or sometimes animals and presumably intended as brushwashers. Soapstone was first used by the Chinese over three thousand years ago but began its popularity in the Ming dynasty (1368 -1644) with the height of production during the ensuing Qing dynasty (1644 – 1911) when a stone mined in the Shoushan village in northern Fujian was most commonly used. Shoushan soapstone is noted for its smooth texture, bright colours and fine grain and a wide variety of objects were carved from it. Production continued into the 20th Century which is what we have here but the quality of the work, with sparing use of the drill, suggests a dating in the early 1900s.
Scandinavian Glass Dish, probably Kosta Boda, 1970s
Price: £45
A Scandinavian glass dish of slightly irregular form decorated with sprays of fern and a pseudo Chinese seal mark. The form and technique and style of decoration of this piece resemble closely very similar dishes made in various designs by the well known Swedish firm Kosta Boda. None of these are marked but the designs are distinctive and this is most likely what we have here. These dishes seem to have been table ware and were made in a range of sizes; the dimensions here imply a serving dish. The decoration is formed by the hand pressing of the glass into a mould. The topside is smooth while the underside is modelled with the design. There is a well known series of Kosta dishes comprising a hand made set in the 'Party' pattern and designed by Ann & Goran Warff in 1975. The similarities here imply a similar dating.
Kosta Boda, previously known as Kosta Glasbruk, is a Swedish glassmaking company founded by two foreign officers in Charles XII's army, Anders Koskull and Georg Bogislaus Staël von Holstein, in 1742.It is located in Kosta, Sweden. Early production consisted of window glass, chandeliers and drinking glasses. From the 1840s, the factory was at the forefront of new trends and technical developments, producing pressed glass, and in the 1880s setting up a new glass-cutting workshop. In 1903, the company merged with the Reijmyre glassworks but both retained their own names and Kosta went on to maintain its reputation as one of the leading Swedish manufacturers with a range of fine art glass and tableware by distinguished designers such as Vicke Lindstrand, artistic director from 1950-1973.
Mounted aquatint engraving of a Courting Couple, signed, probably French C20th
Price: £45
The aquatint process is similar to that of engraving but it is powdered resin rather than a needle which is used to create the desired print effect and it is areas of colour which are produced here rather than an outline design. Often, though, the two techniques are combined, as in this print. Within an oval frame are depicted in pastel tones of blue, yellow and green a courting couple in eighteenth century dress. Boucher springs to mind but perhaps we are closer to Fragonard since the scene depicted is not wholly innocent. The lady’s right breast is clearly exposed and her right hand rather artfully placed. Perhaps this explains the slightly surprised expression on the young man’s face. The general style indicates much more modern work of course, perhaps to the mid C20th, but the artist, who signs his name as ‘Ceilli’, could well have been of the same nationality as his more famous predecessors. Certainly, he has produced a work of impish charm.
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.
Edwardian brooch with flowers and various stones c1910
Price: £125
This is a lovely brooch in a cartouche shape that is set with flowers and five stones. There is an amethyst, peridot, citrine and rose quartz stone. The flowers are set with small turquoise cabachons. It is marked for export Made In England, Silver.
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'.
Mille fiore bead flapper necklace c1930
Price: £50
This is a a very detailed necklace disc and cubed shaped mille fiore beads strung together with three strands of microbeads ending in a long tassel detail.
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.
Art Deco Galalith Necklace and Pendant with Coral Red plaques, 1930s
Price: £75
This is a striking necklace and matching pendant made from Galalith, the necklace comprising red facetted graduated beads separated by small rings with grey facetted beads below and two silver gilt metal large modelled ovoid beads, all with silver gilt chain links, terminating in a trapezoid form plaque with a large grey hemispherical stone set in a stylised floral silver gilt mount, with further red and grey stones below and two triangular drops with silver gilt metal styised floral mounts.
Galalith is a a synthetic plastic made out of the interaction of casein and formaldehyde and was introduced to the fashion world by Coco Chanel in 1926. The commercial name is derived from the Ancient Greek words 'gala' (milk) and 'lithos' (stone).
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.
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Lapis and Lemon quartz torque necklace, modern
Price: £95
This is a very sleek necklace with a geometric pendant on a torque necklace. The pendant has a half moon shaped Lapis Lazuli stone and a fancy cut five sided lemon quartz stone. This is a very elegant and balanced piece. Both pendant and necklace are marked 925.
Arts and Crafts brass Tray with hammered decoration, early C20th
Price: £45
An oval brass tray polished at the front, the sunken centre with a broad flat rim, the interior decorated with a punched or ‘hammered’ design and the outer rim with six embossed stylised flowers, probably intended to represent lotus, the reverse unpolished. There are slightly hybrid design elements here. The general form draws on the aesthetic of the Arts and Crafts movement with its emphasis on simplicity of design and a slightly rustic appearance whereas the six flower heads with their flowing semi abstract design reflect more the style of Art Nouveau. The two design trends were partially contemporary, of course, and not dissimilar in their objectives so that there was sometimes an overlapping between the two. Unsigned, this tray was probably made as a modest decorative item for the home but it has an appeal of its own, even when set beside rather more grand productions. Dating is probably to the Edwardian period when this style was still very much in vogue.
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’.
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.
Studio Pottery Bowl, possibly Derek Clarkson (1928-2013) with impressed mark, C20th
Price: £55
This is an elegant studio pottery bowl, the deep incurving sides above a short cylindrical foot, covered overall in an off white speckled glaze with decoration in blue, dark ‘copper’ red and grey, the exterior with leaves and berries sprouting from a branch and blue circles with a grey border, the interior with in blue, the interior with two blue circles, two berries and a grey roundel at the centre, the base with a small impressed mark.
While it is not absolutely certain the mark on this piece is possibly that of Derek Clarkson (1928-2013). Clarkson trained at the Manchester college of Art between 1944-47 and Burnley School of Art from 1959-61 and then combined a successful lecturing career with the making of his own work which is now to be found in international and private collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. In 1980 he retired from lecturing to focus on his work as a potter, continuing to produce pieces of great skill and attraction until his death in 2013. There are other pieces signed by him which strongly resemble the bowl here (see images 11,12) making it a possibility that this is his work. Certainly, the potter who created this piece and impressed his mark at the bottom was clearly accomplished and this bowl is more than worthy to stand comparison with pieces by more famous contemporaries.
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.
Large Cinnabar and filigree silver brooch, 1930s
Price: £35
This is a large carved cinnabar lacquer brooch that was very typical of the 1930s. The carefully detailed plaque, modelled with peony blooms, is mounted in silver with a filigree work border.
Chinese cord bracelet with jade stones carved as fish
Price: £15
This is a modern bracelet comprising six carved fish beads interspersed with round beads. it is on a typical adjustable cord.
Pair of Navajo Kingman turquiose earrings, signed, 1970s
Price: £65
This pair of earrings boasts 10 large cabachons of Kingman turquoise. The Kingman mine located in Arizona, is the last commercial turquoise mine in the US. It is known for its intense colour and unique matrix. These earring where produced by a Navajo silver maker. They are signed MJ which indicates the specific workshop. Marked Sterling for 925 silver.
Continental Earthenware Vase with geometric motifs in the style of Amphora, C20th
Price: £45
An unusual earthenware vase of squat ovoid shape with a short cylindrical neck, heavily enamelled with a design of repeating Chinese style geometric motifs in black with polychrome stylised lotus flowers all on a cream coloured ground, the neck and foot glazed black with repeating mottled green tinted stylised lotus leaves below and above, the interior glazed cream and the base glazed mustard both with a light craquelure effect. In common with another abstract decorated vase in this sale, there are no clear parallels for this piece but the work here does resemble that of the well known Austrian firm Amphora which may give some indication of the country of manufacture. The chinoiserie influenced motifs used do suggest Art Nouveau and an early twentieth century dating seems reasonable but despite the uncertainties this is certainly a piece of arresting appeal, highly suitable as an accent accessory.
Chinese Cinnabar Lacquer Egg, C20th
Price: £55
A Chinese cinnabar lacquer egg, deeply carved with peony and prunus flowers within stylised scrolling foliage, the top and bottom with geometric form ‘shou’ medallions. The technique of lacquer carving (lacquer being the sap of a species of tree native to southern China, but also found elsewhere, which dries to a plastic which can be coloured and carved) was practised by the Chinese from the 12th Century onwards and has continued even into modern times. This egg is an example of their rather later creations but reflects techniques developed over many hundreds of years. There is symbolism here, prunus representing winter and peony spring with the ‘shou’ medallions standing for long life, so perhaps a good luck charm was intended. Dating is probably to the later twentieth century, perhaps the 1970s and if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, copies of the model, rather inferior in quality, were produced by the well known firm, Franklin Mint.
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!
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.
Ewenny Pottery Beaker, signed, late C20th
Price: £25
A studio pottery beaker of broad flaring form with a stepped base, channelled at the top, the interior glazed with pronounced potting rings and the base also glazed with an incised script mark ‘Ewenny Pottery’, the main body coloured in mottled grey/green and the interior and base in mottled brown.
There has been a pottery at the small Welsh town of Ewenny since 1610, the area around being, at the time, a fertile source of clay. In the early 1800s Evan Jenkins married Mary, the daughter of then owner John Morgan, and this began a period of ownership by the Jenkins family which continues today, the studio and shop being run by Alun Jenkins and his daughter Caitlin, who is the eighth generation member of the business. Their mark can be seen at ‘British Studio Potters’ Marks’ by Eric Yates-Owen and Robert Fournier (2nd edition 2005 p157). Production has tended to concentrate on modest utilitarian items, hand potted and finished with the distinctive glazes for which the studio is known which involve dipping the pot in one glaze adding another with the splash technique and firing the item so that the two glazes fuse. The effects seen on this beaker are typical of their work as is also the clear evidence of hand throwing. Ewenny pieces are made and sold today, but the current catalogue does not list items exactly similar to this, so a late twentieth century dating is the most likely.
Large Scottish agate specimen brooch 1910
Price: £55
This is a unique large oval brooch set with a slice of agate with that has beautiful markings that really highlight the stone.
Victorian Chinese turquoise beads 1900
Price: £400
This is a Chinese graduated turquoise bead necklace. The stones are untreated and natural colours and markings really make this a stunning example. It is very finely graduated so they imperceptibly decrease in size which adds to the elegance and quality.
Native American Zuni silver cuff bracelet c1970
Price: £125
This is a stunning bracelet made by Zuni silversmiths in the area of New Mexico. It comprises a large mosaic of turquoise, mother of pearl and coral that is indicative of Zuni design and work. This mosaic is set into a silver halo of a flower and leaves, also a typical design. It is marked Sterling 925
Cranston Ware Art Nouveau Style Vase, early C20th
Price: £95
A ceramic vase of bottle form, the broad compressed globular body with a tubular neck terminating in a ‘garlic’ rim, glazed overall in a mottled effect employing tones of mustard, blue and green with two stylised motifs of leaves and grapes on the neck, the interior also with a mottled glaze and the base glazed white with a stamped mark ‘CRANSTON’ ‘POTTERY’ in an oval frame with two globes in the centre displaying a banner ‘P P CO LTD’ and a script mark ‘52/4’.
Cranston Ware was one of the ranges produced by the Pearl Pottery Company, based in Hanley, Stoke on Trent. Founded in 1892, the firm produced a varied selection of ceramic wares, often following contemporary fashions, until its closure in 1947. This vase is demonstrably in the Art Nouveau style and would have been produced when it was at its zenith in the early 1900s. The pattern was known as ‘Tukan’ ware and some of the pieces, but not all, have an impressed mark displaying this. This is an excellent example of the type with the glazes and decorative detail well rendered and certainly deserves the attention of collectors of Art Nouveau.
Art Deco silver plate Cigarette Box with monogram, 1930s
Price: £35
While similar pieces with an ovoid profile pointed at the corners are usually described as tea caddies, the flat flush fitting top here, which is not hinged as those of its counterparts are, suggests that this piece was intended rather for cigarettes. The clean lines clearly point to Art Deco and a dating to the late 1920s or 1930s seems likely. By way of example, a similar silver tea caddy made for Harrods has hallmarks for 1922. This is a fine quality item and has, in addition, an elaborate monogram to the lid, presumably containing the original owner’s initials. This was cast separately and fitted to the lid with staples. The device is elaborate but the letters ‘G’, ‘W’, ‘A’ and ‘F’ can be made out although their correct ordering must remain uncertain.
Chinese boxwood carved figure with silver inlay of Li Tieguai circa 1900
Price: £55
A wood carving of Li Tieguai dressed in an elaborate robe, carrying a crutch in his right hand and holding his belt in his left, represented standing on a crab. Li Tieguai was one of the eight Daoist immortals and is often depicted as a beggar carrying a crutch. He was associated with medicine and while known for his irascible temper was benevolent to the poor and needy. By legend, a handsome scholar whose spirit left his body to meet with other immortals, it is said that on one occasion his apprentice cremated his body before his return to it, forcing him to inhabit instead the body of a lame beggar. He is associated with the crab, a deer, or a bat, the crab motif, seen here, perhaps being related to the story of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea and using their powers to traverse the waves. Li Tieguai was often the subject of the wood carvers’ art and this figure is a good example of the representations of him produced in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. The carving is expressive and unusually inlaid with silver wire detail indicating considerable care in the manufacture. Most likely this figure was intended for the export market and would have been destined to stand on the mantle piece of a Victorian interior.
Betterwear celluloid Crinoline Lady Crumb Brush & Tray Set, mid C20th
Price: £20
Betterwear was a UK company founded in 1928 which initially produced brushes which were sold ‘door to door’ and enjoyed great popularity. In 1970 it was renamed ‘Betterware’ to reflect the wider range of domestic products which were now being marketed and in 1986 it became a public company and was one of the best-performing shares on the stockmarket in the early 1990s when its share price rose more than tenfold. But in 2018 it went into administration eventually to be relaunced in 2025.
This crumb tray and brush was a popular design in the 1950s. Made from celluloid, the brush is in the form of a Victorian lady wearing a crinoline, the bristles forming a skirt, with the tray, which is marked ‘Betterwear’ to the reverse, modelled to fit. Elegant and practical, these pieces are now more the province of collectors than home accessories.
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.
A Blue Glass Icicle Bowl, designed by Tauno Wirkalla for Humppila Finland, late C20th
Price: £150
A blue glass Bowl of shallow form with straight flaring sides modelled with repeating icicle like shards with pointed edges, the base flat and with an indented foot. The design here is very much representative of the Art Deco period but was made much later. The manufacturing technique is that of pressed glass in which molten glass is pressed into a mould with a plunger. This was the most common way to produce inexpensive glass from the middle of the 19th century onwards and enjoyed a great vogue in England in the 1920s and 1930s. But this piece is much later and was designed by Tauno Wirkalla for the Finnish glassworks Humppila probably in the 1960s or 1970s.
Tauno Wirkalla was the brother of the celebrated Finnish designer Tappio Wirkalla and like him favoured an ‘ice glass’ effect in his designs. He was one of the designers for the Humpilla Glassworks in Finland which was founded by the Helander brothers in 1952 and was then subject to various takeovers, finally being acquired by the firm Nuutajarvi (for whom the Helander brothers had originally worked) in 1986. Wirkalla produced many ‘ice glass’ designs for Humppila, some of which are signed and some still surviving with their factory labels, which is not the case here. This bowl is of an exceptionally large size and has miraculously survived undamaged with all its pointed edges intact. A truly distinctive centrepiece recreating the style of an earlier era.
A Pair of Glass Vases or Paperweights, probably Selkirk Glass, Scotland, 1980s/1990s
Price: £25
A pair of Glass Vases of bottle form the pear shape bodies rising to slender necks, each decorated in a complimentary design of swirling ribbons in red white and blue, the bases with a clear smooth slightly irregular circular foot. While obviously with decorative appeal the weight and form of these pieces suggest that they might also have been intended as paperweights. Similar pieces, but with slightly different decoration were made by the Selkirk Glass factory in Scotland and bear their paper label and the provenance of this pair of vases is most likely the same. The business was set up by Peter Holmes and Ron Hutchison in 1977. Peter Holmes left in 2002 and Caledonian Investments bought it in 2004 but the firm was finally closed in 2006.
Chinese silk textile picture, Zhichun Pavilion, the Summer Palace, C20th
Price: £25
This is a Chinese silk textile picture depicting the Zhichun Pavilion within the Summer Palace, Beijing. Built by the Chinese Empress Cixi as a sanctuary for quiet retreat, the Summer Palace is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces. The Zhichun Pavilion is situated on the small island in front of the Hall of Jade Ripples, beside Kunming Lake’s east bank. It backs onto a hill and to the south it faces the sun allowing a view of spring’s arrival, it’s name translating as ‘knowing Spring’. Image (7) shows a contemporary view and this silk textile was, no doubt, made as a tourist souvenir, perhaps in the 1960s.
Etruscan style garnet cross earrings c1910
Price: £65
These are a lovely and delicate pair of earrings comprising square cut stones surrounding a large cabachon. They are marked illegibly. Most likely Italian in origin.
Gilt decorated English porcelain powder box and cover, probably mid C20th
Price: £15
This is a large English porcelain powder box and cover, the circular body with a shallow domed cover, the surface glazed white with elaborate gilt decoration of embossed stylised floral bands with stylised floral gilt borders above and below. The base is unmarked but the paste of the foot suggests English manufacture and the rich gilt decoration reflects that of dinner services produced by some of the well known twentieth century porcelain producers, Minton in particular.
Print by Kanu Desai, Rhythm, from the Geet Govind series, C20th
Price: £20
Kanu Desai (1907-1980) was an Indian artist and art director. In 1947, his production company released a film titled ‘Geet Govind’ based on the novel ‘Prembhakta Kavi Jaydev’ written by the prolific Indian novelist and essayist Jaybhikhkhu, the pen name of Balabhai Virchand Desai (1908-1969). A series of prints based on this film was released afterwards of which this is an example, carrying Desai’s distinctive signature at the bottom right (‘(कनु’ which reads as ‘Kanu’). It is entitled ‘Rhythm’ and probably dates to the mid twentieth century, The movement and motion of the two figures, depicted in vivid colours, aptly matches the subject of the print.
Ewenny small vase
Price: £45
A studio pottery vase, stoutly potted, the ribbed body of broad globular form with a short foot below and a concave neck above rising to a stepped rim, the mottled splash glaze with patches of greens on a predominantly brown ground, the interior glazed brown and the base also with three spur marks and an incised script mark ‘Ewenny Pottery’.
There has been a pottery at the small Welsh town of Ewenny since 1610, the area around being, at the time, a fertile source of clay. In the early 1800s Evan Jenkins married Mary, the daughter of then owner John Morgan, and this began a period of ownership by the Jenkins family which continues today, the studio and shop being run by Alun Jenkins and his daughter Caitlin, who is the eighth generation member of the business. Their mark can be seen at ‘British Studio Potters’ Marks’ by Eric Yates-Owen and Robert Fournier (2nd edition 2005 p157). Production has tended to concentrate on modest utilitarian items, hand potted and finished with the distinctive glazes for which the studio is known which involve dipping the pot in one glaze adding another with the splash technique and firing the item so that the two glazes fuse. The effects seen on this vase are typical of their work as is also the clear evidence of hand throwing. Ewenny pieces are made and sold today, but the current catalogue does not list items exactly similar to this, so a late twentieth century dating is the most likely.
Gouache Painting of a Court Figure Scene, Indian or Persian, C20th
Price: £45
A painting on silk depicting finely detailed figures at court within an elaborate architectural setting, edged with a simple gilt frame and surrounded by a green ground floral border. The style of painting here is typical of Persian work which was then translated into India and often adopted by artists working in the ‘Mughal’ style. In the late C19th and C20th, many individual scenes were created, some deriving from the book illustrations of Persian romance, and all essentially intended as decorative items for framing. This painting is a typical example of the best work created and is further enhanced by the contemporary frame and silver effect corner mounts.
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.
Incredible quality silver and paste Brooch c1950
Price: £45
This is an amazing brooch that comprises silver set with paste stones in a very detailed and flowing ribbon design. The numerous stones are prong set and there is a central faux pearl. It is marked '925' and it has a very secure barrel clasp that pulls out so that the pin is held fast when closed.
Taxco Silver and Copper Bracelet, c1940
Price: £55
This is a striking bracelet comprising Mexican or Mayan iconographic designs in silver and copper work surrounded by crushed turquoise, lapis and other stones and with Greek Key pattern borders. It is marked 'Hecho en Mexico', '925', and with an Eagle stamp '3' and an illegible maker's mark.
Chinese Plate No 3 from the series Beauties of the Red Mansion, Jingdezhen, 1985
Price: £35
This is the third plate from the series ‘Beauties of the Red Mansion’ 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. The twelfth plate depicts Chiao-chieh, the daughter of Hsi-Feng who was eventually forced to abandon the luxury and wealth of court life as a result of the unscrupulous actions of her Mother. The plate has an elaborate inscription on the back along with the factory name and the date of production, 1985. 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. The plate comes with its original box and descriptive leaflet which gives extensive background detail and a translation of the inscription on the reverse. These are not always found, making this an interesting collector’s item.
Chinese silk embroidery panel, early C20th, later framed
Price: £75
A very fine quality Chinese silk embroidered panel, the main design showing two birds sitting on branches of flowering lotus, the scene in two halves in close mirror image, within an inner gilt thread border of stylised clouds and an outer border of repeating butterflies. The precision and detail of the stitching display the very best work of the Chinese needlework craftsmen, most likely women, working in the early twentieth century. Embroidered panels were exported to the West, sometimes in their own Chinese made frames as screens or table screens and sometimes unmounted for framing on arrival. The frame here is modern, although highly sympathetic, but the fabric borders at the edge, a common feature of these pieces, look to be contemporary with the panel itself suggesting that an older frame was recently replaced. The combination is most successful, and the embroidery itself remains in excellent condition with no loss to the threads or staining to the silk backing, which is not always the case, making this a fine decorative addition for a contemporary interior.
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.
Art Deco French jet and pearl necklace c1940
Price: £25
This is a wonderful and unique necklace comprising square stations of faux pearls ending with 6 strands of French jet beads. This really is an Art Deco find for the collectors.
Charming Dog motif Earrings c1930
Price: £15
This are very unusual and charming pierced earrings with dog heads that appear to be beagles or some sort of hound. They are set with paste stones and faux pearls.
Scottish agate modernist brooch c1970
Price: £25
This is a striking brooch comprising a large agate stone set into an abstract shape. It is marked 925.
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.
Modernist Silver White Anthurium Brooch, Mexico, 1970s
Price: £25
This is a very unusual brooch that has two white anthurium flowers and gilt stamens. It is marked 'Made in Mexico'.
Chinese Porcelain Teabowl and Spoon Tray with calligraphy insciptions, 1997
Price: £15
Probably a remnant from a rather larger more extensive tea service, these two pieces of Chinese porcelain comprise a tea bowl and a small spoon tray, white glazed with calligraphic inscriptions. The writing on the tray reads ‘Tea Ceremony’ ‘Tea for the lucky ones’ ‘Those who are rich drink tea and those who are rich drink tea exclusively’ ‘Xinhele Tea’ ‘National Treasure blessing’ with a stamped iron red four character mark to the reverse. The characters on the bowl indicate the ‘Ding Chou’ year, the Chinese year of the Ox recurring every sixty years and accordingly most likely 1997 here. The admonition on the tray should, perhaps, be taken to heart by tea drinkers!
Japanese Carved Wood Figure of a Young girl, Kokeshi doll style, C20th
Price: £45
This is a rather charming carved wood figure of a young girl standing dressed in an elaborate robe decorated with floral blooms and fan shape panels in blue with floral designs. She holds something in her hands (an offering?) and looks out expectantly. The naif style resembles closely the kokeshi dolls that have been made in Japan for more than 150 years as children's toys but the portrayal is much more lifelike than that of its abstract counterparts. Dating is probably to the mid twentieth century.