
Prince Albert Necklace with T bar pendant c1900
Price: £95
Cranston Ware Art Nouveau Style Vase, early C20th
Price: £95Cranston 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 necklace with French Jet and paste stations
Price: £45
Amber buddha carving on egg yolk amber and lapis necklace
Price: £175
Persian silver bracelet with inset enamel plaques, c1930
Price: £125
Suite of Art Deco banded carnelian necklace and earrings c1920
Price: £95
Massive Egyptian Revival long necklace c1930
Price: £195
Very finely carved soapstone pendant necklace
Price: £175
Steiff Hedgehogs : Macki and Mucki, 1950s/1960s
Price: £120…………………………………………………………………………………………........................................................................................…
The firm Steiff was begun by Margarete Steiff in 1880. A seamstress by training Margarete recognised a strong demand for some fabric elephants which she had made and intended for use as pincushions but soon became adopted as toys. Many other animals followed and a felt factory was founded in Giengen, Germany, in 1893 soon to be followed two years later by the first consignment of her wares to Harrods, London. In 1897, Margarete’s nephew Richard joined the firm and went on to design the first plush bear with movable arms and legs for which a substantial order was received of 3000 examples in 1903 from an American buyer who sensed a growing demand for these animals as a result of the US President Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt being shown in a photograph with a young cub in The Washington Post of the previous year. By 1907 a little under one million of these bears were being produced and turnover went on to increase substantially. Steiff bears can be purchased today and the earlier examples are actively sought after by collectors.
In the 1930s, Steiff began to collaborate with the Walt Disney company and characters from their films were reproduced starting, unsurprisingly, with Mickey Mouse and going on to include some of the most famous creations even up to the present day with ‘Nemo’ and ‘Woody’ from Toy Story being recent and popular additions.
The Hedgehog family, comprising Mecki and Micki with their children Macki and Mucki first appeared in 1951 and continued in production until the 1990s. These four characters are often found, sometimes with the characteristic round Steiff tag bearing their name and with the wording ‘Steiff–Original–Marke’ with an arrow pointing to a teddy bear’s head, but other hedgehog models which can be regarded as ‘cousins’ were made for a brief period in the 1960s. The nuclear family, though, comprised these four and they are sometimes illustrated together on postcards. Some of the round tags have additional wording ‘nach Diehl Film’ (‘from/after the film [maker] Diehl’) which refers to a German film company set up by three brothers Ferdinand, Hermann and Paul Diehl in 1937. They specialised in the ‘stop motion’ technique which involves the minute movement of model figures which, when photographed and with the images displayed in quick succession, allows the illusion of movement, now familiar today in the films featuring Wallace and Gromit.
Mecki and his family were popular characters in some of the films the Diehl brothers made and first made their appearance in 1949 designed as mascots for a German periodical called ‘Hor Zu’ which began publication in 1946 and covered radio and television news. Some of the tags attached to members of the family allude to this and Macki’s here reads at the back ‘Redaktionsigel von Hor Zu’ (‘the hedgehog editor of Hor Zu’). This explains the blue stain on Mucki’s skirt which is clearly meant to represent ink. Other members of the family also display marks on their clothes as a sign of being hard at work. Sensing the popularity of these characters, Stieff negotiated an exclusive right to produce dolls of them in 1951 and the hedgehogs became a staple of their output. The Diehls’ last film was made in 1970 and the hedgehogs featured in more than one over the years, becoming much loved characters in Germany during the 1950s and 1960s.
The techniques of production of the figures varied over time as did the attached labels. The earliest were made from 60% wool and 40% cotton with the faces formed from rubber like latex over a straw filling. Such example of these as survive are in rather poor condition. The very latest versions, made from 1968 to 1990 have a different form of chest name tag and a different ‘button’ label. (From the earliest times, Steiff toys had a yellow rectangular label listing the materials used and the country of origin and sometimes the price, attached by a small button marked ‘Steiff’. Unfortunately, these are missing here but the chest tags are intact and in good condition which does not always occur.) Dating of these two examples is therefore midway and probably to the late 1950s or early 1960s and they survive in near pristine condition making them an excellent addition to a collection of Steiff soft toys and a fine memento of almost iconic companions to so many children in post war Germany.

Teapot and Cover : Golden Jubilee Queen Elizabeth II, 2002
Price: £10
Pair of Bohemian Harrach Glass Vases, Morocco pattern, second half C19th
Price: £95The Harrach glassworks is named after Alois Raimund von Harrach (Count Harrach), on whose estate it was founded in Bohemia, in the early eighteenth century. Managed at first by one Elias Muller, the firm traded under a variety of names becoming known as Harrach in the nineteenth century and Harrachov, the name eventually given to the town where the factory was situated, in the twentieth. These opulent vases were a popular part of its range in the nineteenth century, the pattern being produced in a variety of similar shapes and always as shelf ornament pieces. The decoration here is particularly lavish with an attractive use of colour and has survived in excellent condition making these a desirable addition for collectors of Bohemian glass or admirers of nineteenth century glass style generally.

Vintage Cobalt Blue Glass Perfume Bottle and Stopper, 1930s
Price: £25

Pair of Japanese Shaped Saucer Dishes, Maruku China, 1940s
Price: £25The Maruku factory seems to have operated in Japan after the second world war producing modest but good quality wares for export, rather in the style of Noritake pieces. Usually their pieces are marked in addition ‘Made in Japan’ but for some reason not here. The forms, colourings and designs here are quite unusual and while modest, these are good quality decorative items suitable for a contemporary interior.
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Jean Paul Gaultier Mini Fragrance Set, Le Duo Miniatures Saint Valentin 1990s
Price: £55
Collection Parfums Lalique miniature set in display box 1990s
Price: £55
Chinese soapstone Amulet decorated with a coiled dragon, C20th
Estimate: £20 – 30
Continental Figure of a Cellist, Conta and Bohme, Germany late C19th
Price: £55
Outstanding Taxco silver and abalone Bangle c1980
Price: £200
Glossy brown crocodile handbag 1960s
Price: £65
Small suede handbag, England 1940s
Price: £25PLEASE 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!

Pair of Royal Doulton slender Ku form Vases, 1920s
Price: £75
Pair of Worcester Saucers with Chinoiserie Decoration circa 1780
Price: £45While close to the Chinese originals, many features indicate European and indeed English manufacture, in particular the drawing of the ladies’ heads, the palette of colours used, the borders employed and, most importantly, the glaze and paste of the reverse. The most likely producer here was the Worcester factory whose ‘Mandarin’ pieces were well known and a circa date in the second half of the eighteenth century is reasonable. The saucers would have come from a small tea service with matching bowls and various serving items, including, of course, a teapot. Not so likely to be used now, they provide an elegant example of the vogue for Chinoiserie in England at the time.

Art Deco Style Ceramic Jug with Floral Handle, probably 1930s
Price: £35
Pair of Indian brass candlesticks c1900
Price: £175
Murano Style Calla Lily Trumpet Shape Vase, second half C20th
Price: £75
Blue Millefiore beads c1950
Price: £65
Yellow ground Bursley Ware Dragon Bowl by Frederick Rhead, circa 1920
Price: £55

West German Keramik Jug with drip glaze, second half C20th
Price: £45
Pair of Royal Doulton Spill Vases with gilt decoration, 1920s
Price: £180
Massive Grotto style belt buckle c1980
Price: £25
Long strand of Chinese cloisonne beads c1950
Price: £60
Vintage black crocodile Handbag, Italian, 1980s
Price: £150
Japanese Seto Ware Blue and White Vase, late C19th
Price: £450A fine quality Japanese porcelain vase, the ovoid body with a curved flaring foot and rising to a tall concave neck with a well defined shoulder, applied elephant and ring handles to the sides and a galleried rim, decorated in bright underglaze blue with two bands of stylised flowering chrysanthemum at the top and bottom between a continuous scene of flowering peony and chrysanthemum, the top rim with repeating whorl design on the exterior and stylised leaf design inside, the stepped base glazed white.
The kilns at Seto in the Aichi prefecture of Japan and situated close to Nagoya form one of the traditional ‘Nihon Rokkoyo’, the six old kilns of medieval Japan. The location of Seto was ideal for the production of ceramics with an abundance nearby of both porcelain clay and forests to provide firewood for the kilns. Production began as early as the Heian period (794-1185) and continued without a break thereafter, the earlier pieces being more pottery forms copying Chinese wares. It was in the early nineteenth century that the kilns turned to producing porcelains decorated in underglaze blue and white, a development initiated by the potter Tamikichi Kato who went to Arita to learn the techniques of its production there, returning to Seto in 1807. Production grew and developed and was directed towards the export market in the Meiji period (1868-1912) with Seto wares being displayed at the European and North American exhibitions and fairs. Their delicately painted designs of birds and flowers proved to be immensely popular and were, in their time, to influence Art Nouveau and Art Deco designs. Some of the forms produced were truly virtuoso creations including, besides vases, screens, jardinieres and even ceramic tables.
Signed pieces are known and besides Tamikichi Kato the distinguished potters included the Kichiemon brothers, Kato Chuji and Kawamoto Jihyoe, and Kawamoto Hansuke. But not all the best pieces carried an artist’s signature as this vase well demonstrates. Formed from fine quality clay, as can be seen from the foot rim (image 10), the complex shape with its spreading base, angled shoulder and galleried rim would have been difficult to create. The handles show remarkable skill with the rings somehow formed so as to hang loose (presumably some form of kiln waster technique was used). The detail and artistry of the painting speaks for itself. Note in particular the shading effects on the peony flowers. While not perhaps an exhibition piece, this vase is definitely of exhibition quality and would be a worthy addition to a collection of nineteenth century Japanese ceramic art.

Pair of French Blue Ground Square Vases Choisy Le Roi, late C19th
Price: £45
Fun vintage jade necklace with hook and ring closure c1980
Price: £25
Large Victorian Turquoise pendant c1900
Price: £95
Druzy Quartz and Onyx panel Bracelet, c1940
Price: £125
Native American turquoise cuff bracelet, 1960s
Price: £225
Taxco grape motif necklace, c1980
Price: £250
Sack form plastic beaded bag, English, 1950s
Price: £65
Maud Frizon Handbag c1980
Price: £150
Chinese Doll of a man dressed in traditional costume, early C20th.
Price: £95
An Unusual Pair of Bradawl Form Sewing Tools, probably Persian C20th
Estimate: £40 – 60
Tigers Eye bracelet with a large central carved dragon bead, certificate for 2012
Price: £15PLEASE 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 paste bracelet by Schreiber & Hiller c1930
Price: £75
Taxco silver bracelet, c1980
Price: £50
Florentine style lapis and silver brooch c1900
Price: £35
Continental Earthenware Vase with geometric motifs in the style of Amphora, C20th
Price: £45
Burmese doll figure of a Priest, C20th
Price: £45
Nesting Set of Four Small Brass Trays with an engraved designs of Bats, Chinese C20th
Price: £30
Stunning rope and tassel necklace, signed, c1990
Price: £45
Egyptian Revival necklace depicting Tutankhamun c1980
Price: £45
Brown Alabaster Egg painted with a bird and flowers, fitted wood stand, Chinese C20th
Estimate: £10 – 20
Statement necklace in the manner of Lalaounis c1990
Price: £75
Art Nouveau repousse Pendant on later chain, c1910
Price: £95
Ceramic Tankard celebrating the Marriage of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in 1986
Price: £10
West German Ceramic Vase, Marei, 1970s
Price: £45While not stamped with a maker's mark, vases of this type are attributed to the West German Ceramics factory Marei which produced pieces from 1949 to 2016. Marei was the commonly used abbreviation for the firm's name which was Majolikafabrik Rheinbach Jean Fuss and Sohn. The pieces are distinguished by the use of a reddish clay but this was sometimes more brown or dark brown depending on the suppliers used. Marks are usually impressed into the base although these are often just pattern numbers, as here. Many pieces are unmarked and some are stamped 'MADE IN GERMANY' or 'W.GERMANY'. The pattern number here is '7104'and is found on similar pieces with the same shape but different decoration. This vase was probably made in the 1970s and is typical of the striking designs the firm produced.

Japanese Kutani Shell Shape Dish, circa 1880
Price: £45Kutani (the word means 'nine valleys') porcelain was made at various factories in the former Kaga province of Japan. The earliest pieces were in a completely different style employing a palette of colours emphasising green, the so called 'Ko Kutani'. Production of this ceased around 1730, and manufacturing was not revived until the early nineteenth century when the more familiar colourings of iron red and gold were introduced. Many pieces were exported to the West in a variety of forms including vases and wall plates. This shell dish is more unusual; the shape is more normally found in Chinese ceramics. Perhaps one of an original pair, this dish, like its Chinese counterparts, was probably intended as a serving dish and could even be used as such today although it can well stand as a decorative item.

Ceramic and Bronze figure of a Blue Tit, Albany Worcester, late C20th
Price: £35
Small Art Deco wrist bag with Bakelite closure, French 1920s
Price: £35
Floating Flower jade pendant on bead necklace
Price: £175
Indian silver repousse cuff bracelet, c1920
Price: £85
Modernist Silver White Anthurium Brooch, Mexico, 1970s
Price: £25
Two Corgi Silver Jubilee Toys Boxed, (41) State Landau, (417) London Bus, 1977
Price: £45
Pair of Ceramic Goblets : the Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981
Price: £20
Victorian enamel buckle c1900
Price: £45
Paris tourist novelty bracelet c1950
Price: £35
Victorian set of matched Scottish agate beads c. 1880
Price: £450
A very finely carved white pendent on traditional silk cord, Modern
Price: £25
Persian Painting on Silk depicting Courtiers in a Palace Scene, C19th/C20th
Price: £75The ‘Khamsa’ (Quintet or Quinary) is the best known work of Nizami Ghanjavi (c1141 – 1209) considered the greatest romantic epic poet in Persian literature. It comprises five long narrative poems the first of which is ‘Makhzan-ol-Asrar’ (The Treasury or Storehouse of Mysteries) and contains an episode where two physicians agree to fight each other with poison: each would give the other a poison and the doctors would then attempt, by their skill, to provide an antidote. One doctor succeeds but the other has less luck and in the version of the scene mentioned above is depicted lying ill on the ground.
The Khamsa was a popular subject for lavish manuscripts illustrated with painted miniatures at the Persian and Mughal courts in later centuries. The British Museum picture mentioned above, for example, comes from a manuscript created for the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 1590s. Scenes from these works were then copied or adapted in turn by Persian artists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries which is what we have here. The quality of the execution remains high producing a highly decorative example of the best Persian work.

Vintage Lacquer Box with an inset ceramic Shard, probably Persian C20th
Price: £25
Chinese Scroll Painting of a Merchant and his Client, C20th
Price: £45
Taxco Silver and Copper Bracelet, c1940
Price: £55
Chinese Reverse Glass Painting of Two Ladies on a Garden Terrace, first half C20th
Price: £240
A Pair of African Ebony Wood Makonde Style Carved Figures, probably late C20th
Price: £55Maasai and Makonde are ethnic terms used to describe African peoples who live in Tanzania, Mozamique and Kenya, with their own distinctive languages, culture and art. This pair of figures is typical of the wood carvings produced by their craftsmen in the second half of the twentieth century but their quality and size is well above average, the ebony wood finely rendered with much attention to detail and finished with a highly attractive glossy patina. The two figures complement one another well, their heads slightly turned to face one another with their legs turned slightly outwards and their robes flowing almost in mirror image. The abstract style makes them well suited to a contemporary interior where they could prove a striking accessory.

Vintage Carved wood bust of a Lady, Bali, Indonesia, second half C20th
Price: £75
Vintage Carved wood bust of a Lady, Bali, Indonesia, second half C20th
Price: £75
Fun 1970s button bangle
Price: £25
Reproduction Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Teapot, Modern
Price: £35
Bombay Japan pattern deep Dish, Minton or Samuel Alcock, English mid C19th
Price: £25
Cold painted brass necklace 1920s
Price: £50
Vintage Brass Pocket Case with a lid, probably a Vesta case for Matches, circa 1900
Price: £55
Vintage Brass Vesta Case in the form of a Violin, circa 1900
Price: £55
Kitsch Style Conch Shell with painted landscape decoration, C20th
Price: £45
Indian Silver and Enamel pill or trinket Box, early C20th
Price: £55
Czech Egyptian Revival bracelet 1930s
Price: £30
Arts and Crafts Hand Mirror with Repousse Decoration, circa 1900
Price: £55Elements of two contrasting contemporary styles combine here with features from both the Arts and Crafts and the Art Nouveau movement. The hammered pewter with the almost rustic nail head fixings and the red bead reflect the former but the elegant depiction of the lotus and butterfly, with more than a hint of the Orient, reflect the latter. The maker is anonymous but doubtless British and clearly a highly skilled craftsman. Much thought and expertise went into the design of this piece which would be a desirable addition for collectors of either or both of the pieces made under the influence of these two highly popular design movements.

Pair of Capodimonte ceramic Wall Hanging Plaques, boy and girl praying, Italian 1960s
Price: £25
Burgundy Leather Jewellery Box with Bramah Lock, early C20th
Price: £95
Framed Picture of Two Elephants signed Mary Beth Zeitz and dated 2003
Price: £25
Large python handbag with wood closure detail 1930s
Price: £125
Pair of Japanese Noritake Vases, early C20th
Price: £35The 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.

Antique English Staffordshire pitcher, William Brownfield and Sons, circa 1860.
Price: £55
Nine strand authentic seed pearl necklace 1980s
Price: £45
Arts and Crafts Hand Mirror with Repousse Decoration, circa 1900
Price: £55Elements of two contrasting contemporary styles combine here with features from both the Arts and Crafts and the Art Nouveau movement. The hammered pewter with the almost rustic nail head fixings and the red bead reflect the former but the elegant depiction of the lotus and butterfly, with more than a hint of the Orient, reflect the latter. The maker is anonymous but doubtless British and clearly a highly skilled craftsman. Much thought and expertise went into the design of this piece which would be a desirable addition for collectors of either or both of the pieces made under the influence of these two highly popular design movements.

Figure of a Seated Huntsman, Zsolnay Pecs, 1970s
Price: £55The mark is for the well known ceramics manufacturer Zsolnay, based in Pecs, Hungary. Founded by Miklos Zsolnay in 1853, the firm gained a worldwide reputation in the late nineteenth century exhibiting at international fairs and exhibitions. Production declined after the first world war and the factory was bombed during the second. Revived under communism in 1948, the firm started to produce utilitarian pieces under the name ‘Pécs Porcelain Factory’ but gradually their traditional wares were revived and the Zsolnay name was restored in 1982.
This figure is one of the products of Zsolnay’s late renaissance but dating to the 1970s, as indicated by the form of the mark, it still carries only the Pecs brand name. But the quality typical of Zsolnay is emphatically there with fine quality porcelain and careful modelling and decoration all combining to produce a most decorative and attractive composition.

Chinese Celadon Glaze Bottle Vase with White Slip decoration, Jingdezhen mark, C20th
Price: £75