LOT 39
An Unusual Pair of Bradawl Form Sewing Tools, probably Persian C20th
Estimate: £40 – 60
4d 13h 9m
£0.00
Souvenir White House Enamel Box and Cover
Price: £15
A box and cover of ovoid form, the blue enamel ground with raised cloisonne enamel style decoration depicting the White House with the US flag atop, trees to the left and right and a profusion of stars which are repeated on the base with a single star on the interior. Doubtless to be found in the White House gift shops but available here without the need for a trip to Washington!
Massive Victorian Carnelian Cameo Shell
Price: £55
This is a very large example of a carnelian shell, such pieces often being used for the creation of cameos in the nineteenth century and before. This example has been polished in certain areas to give the shell a more elegant and finely worked decoration suitable for use as a table ornament. Carved carnelian cameo shells were favoured souvenirs from the Grand Tour and were found mainly in the North and West African waters. This piece is of an exceptionally large size, which is both desirable in itself and occurs much less frequently.
Lovely fleur de lis brooch 1960s
Price: £10
This is a lovely and delicate brooch in a fleur de lis design set with glass stones and faux pearls
Lomonosov Teapot in the form of a Samovar, late C20th
Price: £75
This is another teapot from the Lomonosov factory but in the rather unusual design of an adapted samovar with a teapot on the top acting as the lid. The conventional samovar form used in Russia had an urn shaped base with a spigot for the release of hot water. A teapot surmounted it in which the tea was brewed. Here the base is in the form of a teapot not an urn and the lid merely acts as a decorative accompaniment. This novelty form seems to have been developed by the Lomonosov factory in the late twentieth century and can be purchased new today. Various examples can be found with widely different marks underneath but sharing the same shape and decoration (by repute known as ‘sunny day’ and attributed to the designer L. I. Grigoryeva). The mark underneath includes the Russian letter cipher for Lomonosov often found (ЛФЗ), that is ‘LFZ’ in English which is an abbreviation of the factory name ‘Lomonosovkiy Farforoviy Zavod’, but also the word ‘Russia’ which dates the piece post 1991 after the fall of the USSR. But if fairly late in the series of pieces produced by Lomonosov, there is no relaxation in the quality here and fine hard paste porcelain is combined with detailed and skilful decoration to produce a work of great appeal.
Art Deco style Ceramic Bowl and Cover by Louis Dage (1885-1961), early/mid C20th
Price: £180
Louis Dage was one of the most distinguished French ceramicists of the twentieth century and his works, created in the workshop he started in 1930, with their distinctive designs reflecting contemporary fashions, are highly sought after today. This bowl and cover with its clean lines and striking decoration is an excellent example of his work in the Art Deco style and a rather less commonly found form amongst the examples of his work now available.
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Born in 1885 at Lille, France, Louis Dage was early known as a ceramics artist, describing himself on the birth registration of his daughter in 1906 as a ‘decorator on faience’. In 1920 he joined with Louis Fontinelle (1886-1964) to create a faience factory in Antony, near Paris, but the venture was short lived and they parted company two years later. In 1930, Dage set up his own studio at Saint-Sever in company with his brother and daughter becoming managing director of the firm three years later. There then followed a little over thirty years of production under his direction until his death in 1961. Art Deco designs with their simple lines and bold decoration were produced initially to be followed by pieces of more rugged shapes and patterns, partly resulting from the shortage of conventional raw materials during the second world war.
This bowl and cover represents the best of Dage’s earlier work. The base has straight sides curving in slightly towards the base and has a flush fitting flat and gently domed cover overhanging slightly at the edge. The piece is covered overall with a mottled glaze in tones of blue and light aubergine on which are painted maple leaves in green with bright blue berries, a design which can be found on some of Dage’s other pieces (see image 13). The lid carries his signature ‘DAGE’ with a flowing line underneath, a much less common version of the Dage mark but which can be found elsewhere (see image 14). More normally pieces are signed ‘L.Dage’, the name being in lower case rather than capitals.Form and decoration combine to produce a striking object, characteristic of the fashions of the time of its production and a worthy tribute to its maker.
Fun 1970s button bangle
Price: £25
This is a super bangle comprising buttons encased in lucite. it has a rather homemade quality so it might have been made from a kit. This just adds to the vintage look and makes it even more fun! :)
Vintage Needlepoint Picture of a Garden Scene, framed, second half C20th
Price: £25
This is a charming embroidery on canvas employing the so called ‘needlepoint’ technique in which over half a dozen stitching techniques are used as opposed to ‘cross stitch’ which uses only one. The varieties of technique employed here can be clearly seen in the detail images (3), (4) and (5). The picture depicts a garden scene with a bird bath and path in the foreground leading to a gate with a pergola like floral arch over it and, in the distance, a thatched cottage. The attraction of the design speaks for itself. Dating is difficult but most likely post war and the frame suggests the mid to late twentieth century.
A Complementary Pair of Gilt Metal Art Nouveau style picture frames, 20th Century
Price: £45
Two Gilt Metal Picture Frames of differing sizes but with matching designs in mirror image modelled in typical Art Nouveau style with slender ladies holding a branch and flowering wheat sheaves and lotus, the reverses with swing mount stands
Victorian tortoiseshell hair ornament
Price: £20
This is a very lovely hair comb with engraved decoration set with paste stones
Fairing Figurine – A Mouse A Mouse, German, late C19th
Price: £25
Fairing Figurine "A Mouse A Mouse". 'Fairings', as they are known, were ceramic figures made to be given out, sold or won as prizes at fairs, hence the name. They were a product of the late Victorian era but continued to be made until the beginning of the First World War when they fell out of fashion. Manufacture was in Germany principally by the firm Conta and Boehme who developed a mass production method that no other company could match, thereby achieving a market advantage. They exported large quantities to Britain and the United States, but their pieces have even been found in Australia along with other destinations.
The various figures were made in white glazed porcelain with coloured decoration. The compositions were sculptural and often accompanied by an inscription, as here. Many models are known. Two typical examples are 'Returning from the Ball' and 'Twelve Months after Marriage'. Here we have a composition entitled “A Mouse A Mouse!”, which shows a couple, the wife raising herself from the bedclothes while her husband crawls on the floor, having knocked over a chamber pot in the process. Notably absent is the mouse itself…
Some of the fairing figurines are marked, as here. The impressed number '1886', which would be a series number, is combined with the impressed shield mark found on Conta and Boehme pieces from the late C19th. The paste of the foot is consistent with this and the slightly ‘brassy’ look to the gilding (compare Lot 5) complements this as well. It has been suggested that this particular model type is, in fact, a modern reproduction and there are other versions of the design which do indeed look contemporary but this is unlikely to be the case here and we most likely have an amusing and period example of the genre.
Dutch Delft Blue and White Gourd Vase in C18th Style, late C20th
Price: £25
A ceramic vase of double gourd form with a short foot and a flaring rim, the fluted body decorated in underglaze blue with flowering peony and flowers in a chinoiserie style, the base with underglaze blue marks including the symbols for Delft ware and the name Delft itself. The tin glazed earthenware pieces, mostly blue and white, produced at Delft in Holland are a familiar staple of the ceramics repertoire. Production began as early as the sixteenth century but the most famous era of output was between the mid seventeenth and eighteenth although pieces continued to be manufactured after that, both in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, usually copying the forms and designs of the earlier wares but no longer employing the tin glaze of the earlier pieces which proved to be too expensive.
This vase is typical of one of these later creations and copies an eighteenth century original which itself was based on Chinese pieces. The marks underneath, although some of them are blurred, offer a clue to the dating. Below an ‘A’ at the top can be seen a vase which stands for ‘De Porcelyne Fles (The Porcelain Bottle) a factory which was established in 1653 and continues production today. There follow the initials ‘JT’ as a monogram standing for Joost Thooft who bought the factory in 1876 and below this ‘Delft’. At the bottom are usually found the painter’s initials to the left and letters to the right which are the date mark. On this vase these are unclear but the painter’s initials read ‘MA’ which appears to stand for M.H.van Aalst who worked for the firm from 1941to 1983. This would fit with a likely dating here to the second half of the twentieth century, but the artist has successfully recreated the work of his predecessors and produced a piece of great charm.
LOT 6
A group of twenty assorted artists Stamps in H&R Johnson sample Box, C20th
Estimate: £60 – 80
4d 12h 3m
£0.00
Heavy brass and enamel collar necklace in the manner of Albert Gustav Bunge (1893 - 1967)
Price: £35
This is a very unusual and striking necklace comprising two pieces that make up as a collar with three heavy brass drops. Each drop has very unusual enamel work that is quite thick and has a piece of agate in the centre.
The style is very similar to the designs of Albert Gustav Bunge (1893 - 1967). He was a German metalworker and enamel artist best known for his elegantly crafted bracelets, plates, cups, book ends, and other household objects. Bunge combined utilitarian properties of design with decorative depictions of colourful, geometric shapes and stylized animals.
The piece is unmarked and therefore a firm attribution is not possible but the parallels are striking nevertheless.
LOT 18
Chinese Cloisonne Small Tray decorated with Flowers and Rocks, 19th Century
Estimate: £100 – 150
4d 12h 27m
£0.00
Pair of Silver Plated Fish Servers with fitted box, probably Edwardian
Price: £45
A pair of silver plated fish servers of typical form, one in the shape of a large fork and the other a flat slice, both elaborately decorated with engraved scrolling acanthus, the slice with openwork detail, and bordered with a repeating rectangular geometric design, the modelled handles, which appear to be dyed bone, set in ropework sockets. There is certainly quality here but no maker’s mark so origin and dating have to be guessed. The rather florid style suggests Edwardian rather than Victorian work and relates to the ‘renaissance revival’ style which features elsewhere in this auction. English manufacture is therefore the most likely. Certainly a touch here of the grand elegance of a bygone era and the set retains its original box which is in excellent condition.
Rare Ermani Bulatti brooch 1980s
Price: £45
This is a very unusual brooch by Dutch company Ermani Bulatti . A very modern design in gilt metal and set with a faux hematite stone
Art Deco moulded glass necklace
Price: £25
This is a great necklace in lovely colours, all are moulded glass beads ending in a tassel, restrung using period elements
Two lacquer bird brooches 1980s
Price: £15
This is a fun set of two brooches in an unusual lacquer design.
Vintage Japanese Doll of a Hat Seller, C20th
Price: £25
A vintage Japanese Doll of a lady, standing with her head turned to the right and wearing an elaborate floral robe tied with a sash at the back. Her hair is covered by a simple circular cap form hat which acts almost as a sample of the wares she is holding in each hand, three sets of similar hats linked with cord. Like the young ladies in the previous lot, this is another excellent example of the rather charming dolls made in Japan after the 1950s and probably dates to the same period in the late C20th.
Victorian Silver Buckle set with Paste Stones, German circa 1900
Price: £85
This is a striking silver buckle of rectangular form with two bands of brilliant paste stones surrounding four stylised flower head paste stone clusters, the reverse plain and marked 900 which implies manufacture in Germany where the standard for silver was a minimum of 800 parts to 1000 with 900 parts to 1000 as one of the alternatives (as opposed to the more usually found 925). There is in addition a double mark with a star and a wheel which may well be the maker's mark, but this is hard to identify.
The sparkling stones and high quality mounting (there is a considerable weight of silver in this piece) would have made this buckle a notable addition to the Victorian ladies' wardrobe and it could equally well catch the eye today.
Cold painted brass necklace 1920s
Price: £50
This is a lovely and delicate necklace comprising stations of autumn maple leaves that cold painting in green and red to represent the change of the seasons. It has a bead chain and a hook clasp. Cold painting on metal refers to an enamel paint being applied to the cold metai i.e. not fired. The metal is gilt brass.
Pair of Alhambrian Ware English Majolica Vases with raised decoration circa 1880
Price: £30
Pair of English Alhambrian Ware Majolica Vases of ovoid form with moulded bases and a short flaring neck, decorated in multicoloured glazes, mainly ochre and blue, in imitation of continental 'majolica' wares, the body and neck with a modelled basket work design in mustard brown set with raised panels of flower heads, the base and top rim finished in a blue glaze with the mustard brown glaze repeated on the interior. The foot rim unglazed with a cream glaze to the centre with a stamped or transfer mark in iron red which reads 'Alhambrian'. Alhambrian marked wares were produced by one of the Staffordshire potteries between 1880 and 1910, reflecting the craze for Majolica glazed wares produced by Minton and others. The pieces are very modest imitations but quite decorative in their own right. The form here was quite commonly produced and no doubt intended as a mantel piece ornament.
Czech glass faux turquoise brooch c1930
Price: £65
This is a very rare brooch comprising a central faux turquoise glass stone surrounded by smaller beadwork set into white metal. This is a typical Czech glass design for makers such as the Neiger Brothers.
Art Deco Scottish shield brooch
Price: £20
This is a very striking broochc comprising a large gilt brass shield design set with a large glass stone
Art Deco Scottish shield brooch
Price: £35
This is a very striking broochc comprising a large gilt brass shield design set with a large glass stone
Pair of Capodimonte ceramic Wall Hanging Plaques, boy and girl praying, Italian 1960s
Price: £25
This is a charming pair of small ceramic wall plaques, the biscuit porcelain with a slight ivory tint, with moulded designs of a boy and a girl praying, their hair and robes carefully detailed, set in velvet covered oval frames with cording at the edge which also forms the loop hangers at the top. Near identical pieces often have a paper mark at the back reading ‘Porcellane Capodimonte’ ‘Made in Italy’ surrounding a crown device with an ‘N’ above. Capodimonte porcelain was first made at Naples, Italy, in the mid eighteenth century and was often marked with an ‘N’ and a crown above. The original factory was to enjoy a relatively short life but there were many imitators in the nineteenth century and beyond to the twentieth who freely used the Capodimonte name. This pair of plaques is a very modest and fairly recent (probably dating to the 1960s) example of these ‘Capodimonte’ wares but nonetheless have a distinct appeal of their own.
Bay Ceramic Ewer No 268-30, West Germany, 1960s
Price: £55
A ceramic ewer stoutly potted with a bulbous body above a short straight foot, the slightly concave neck terminating in two slightly flaring bands and fitted with a simple loop handle, the light mustard coloured glaze with moulded decoration of palmette leaves separated by an abstract geometric design and with bands of a repeating ovoid bead work pattern resembling a wheatsheaf, the interior glazed brown and the base with modelled marks ‘Bay’, ‘W-Germany’ ‘268-30’.
Bay Ceramics was founded by Eduard Bay in the 1930s and based in Ransbach Baumbach, the heart of the main West German pottery producing region. Their productions included vases in a wide variety of shapes and designs which continued in production until the 1980s. Bodo Mans was amongst their most famous designers working in the 1950s and 1960s. He seems to have concentrated on organic semi abstract designs and ewers in this form, with the same pattern number but in a variety of different glazes, are attributed to him. This monochrome mustard glaze seems particularly attractive and complements the design very successfully producing a striking and decorative item which might enhance a wide variety of interior settings.
Wood Mask, Borneo late C20th
Price: £25
This is a striking wood mask, probably ebony, carved in a bold, semi abstract style, the facial details flanked on each side by two volute decorated ‘ears’, the back hollowed out and pierced at the top for hanging. These gargoyle like creations were made in Borneo, the island north of Java whose sovereignty is shared between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. They are held to be the work of the Dayak tribe and were sometimes used for harvest festival or fertility rites, soul catching and death ceremonies and spiritual dances, but were also, no doubt produced as tourist souvenirs which is most likely what we have here. The decorative appeal is obvious and the potential spiritual functions an added bonus.
Two jade carvings mounted as a necklace
Price: £125
This is a very striking necklace comprising two large jade carvings that have been joined together on a very thick herringbone chain. The carvings are 20th century but they have the look of a more archaic style. This is a very interesting piece that is totally unique. It is all silver.
Egyptian Revival suite of a necklace and earrings, 20th century, c1980
Price: £65
This is a lovely set of a necklace and earrings in silver both with typical Egyptian iconographic designs and Egyptian silver hall marks.
Wall plaque by Giovanni Schoeman depicting classical style figures, 1970s
Price: £75
A diamond shape wall plaque comprising over 40 small tablet form plaques in various colours and sizes, moulded in high relief with Art Nouveau style classical figures. This is the work of the artist Giovanni Schoeman (1940-1981) who was born in South Africa and worked in London and America. He was well known for working in the recently developed medium of ‘Cold Cast Resin Metal’. Metal powder, often bronze, was mixed with a resin binder and poured into a mould to produce a cast with the appearance of solid metal. Different metal powders such as brass, nickel and copper were also used depending on the effect desired and this plaque is an excellent example of the effects which could be achieved.
While Art Nouveau in style, Schoeman only perfected these techniques in the late 1960s, producing pieces in the style from a studio in Kentish Town which sold well in the London outdoor art markets. In the late 1970s, Schoeman moved to America with the intention of producing large scale art but the venture foundered and he died in 1981. This plaque, of which other examples are known, must have been one of his most popular designs in those London years and is a striking example of the techniques he developed and mastered.
Stunning Amber and Islamic silver necklace
Price: £45
This is a very beautiful necklace comprising silver filigree stations with amber beads both yellow and cherry, tested as amber
Necklace with soapstone pendant and amber beads
Price: £65
This is a wonderful necklace comprising amber beads with a brown soapstone pendant. Finished with amber, bone and silver beads and a tassel. This is a constructed necklace from the 1990s although the elements are from various periods.
Art Deco necklace with French Jet and paste stations
Price: £45
This is a beautiful and un unusual long necklace comprising stations of long French Jet bugle beads and paste spheres. It also features some interesting cracked crystal effect glass beads and clear glass beads.
Oriental style ceramic plate, signed Alice Smith, possibly American mid C20th
Price: £10
There are no obvious parallels for this plate. The form is that of a typical Chinese nineteenth century desert plate with a broad shallow well and a slightly upcurving rim but the back is glazed all over including the foot rim which is not the case with Chinese examples and the general appearance of the decoration is Western. The theme of children at play is typically Chinese but it is usually boys that are represented where here we have girls, four of them in coloured robes playing with tops, one standing apart from the rest. At the edge are a few sparse gilt leaves and the ground is a light mustard coloured wash, with the reverse plain and the signature in black ‘Alice Smith’ under the glaze. Whoever the artist was, she was capable of having a piece of hers professionally fired which implies a degree of commercial expertise. But there is nothing else to suggest other than the work of an accomplished amateur. Americans were and are prone to manufacture ‘home grown’ pieces in an Oriental style (some of their modern wallpapers are particularly notable) which leads this cataloguer to hazard a guess as to provenance and date. Otherwise, we have a true ‘mystery piece’ here but the composition is a sympathetic recreation of the East, wherever it was produced.
Glossy brown crocodile handbag 1960s
Price: £65
This is a stunning hard side bag that is covered in brown patent croc. It is lined with suede. It is most likely made in England although it is unmarked. The handle has been restored to it's original beauty and is ready for daily use.
Earthenware Jug, Falstaff or Old King Cole, Furnival and Clark, mid C19th
Price: £75
An earthenware jug glazed in white with a minute craquelure effect and some staining in places, boldly mould modelled as a seated man with a pot belly, a mug in his right hand and his left resting on a branch which forms the lower part of the handle, details of his head picked out in red and a broad hat, forming the spout, seated on his flowing locks, the reverse modelled as his chair and the base with a band of key pattern design.
The design for this jug, usually termed ‘Falstaff’ but sometimes ‘Old King Cole’ is known to have been registered (Rd.No. 32601)by the firm Furnival and Clark on December 30th 1845. This was a very short lived partnership between Thomas Furnival and Richard Clark, based at the Stafford Street Pottery Works, Hanley, Staffordshire and which traded from 1844 to 1846 apparently producing just this one model, albeit in a variety of colours. Thomas Furnival had been involved in other firms before this brief venture and was to be involved in others afterwards. The dating of these mugs is usually attributed to the short period when Furnival and Clark traded but it is quite possible that more pieces were produced afterwards by Furnival himself. The paste and finish of this piece, though, which is not marked, certainly suggest a mid nineteenth century dating. In general, the model is quite rare. Some examples were fitted with a Britannia metal or pewter lid but this was never integral to the piece. This striking composition, then, is a rare and desirable item collectors with an interest in British Staffordshire wares.
Bohemian Green Glass Moser style Ewer, late C19th
Price: £35
A small green glass ewer, the slender body of rounded inverted cone form above a rounded spreading foot, the narrow cylindrical neck with a deeply scalloped rim forming the spout and to the side a tall loop handle, decorated with beaded gilt bands and flowers, the top rim and handle with traces of gilding. The form and decoration here is typical of the so called ‘Bohemian’ glass produced for export in the nineteenth century by the workshops from the regions of Bohemia and Silesia, now parts of the Czech Republic. With its origins in the renaissance, Bohemian glass in elaborate forms and with colourful decoration of thickly enamelled floral subjects was made in substantial quantities in the second half of the nineteenth century satisfying an eager demand in both Europe and America. This ewer resembles pieces made by the well known factory Moser but is unlikely to be one of their productions, more a modest version for a mass audience. But it is highly representative of the style and attractive in its own right.
Pair of Japanese Prints, C20th
Price: £25
Pair of Japanese Prints depicting geisha ladies in an interior and a garden setting with elaborate panel inscriptions.
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!
Turquoise Native American Cuff Bracelet, 1960s
Price: £95
This is a very striking bracelet comprising a puzzle work of large turquoise stones. Please note: this bracelet does not adjust and is made for quite a small wrist. Please only consider if your wrist is 6 inches or less. It is marked Sterling 925. The maker is not certain but it has the look of a Zuni piece from New Mexico.
Maud Frizon Handbag c1980
Price: £150
This is a lovely calfskin shoulder bag by the well known shoe designer Maud Frizon. It has multiple interior compartments and a flap over front with stud detail. The zip pulls are tiny shoes with her initials MF. Her name also appears on the label inside.
Burmese silver plated Scent Bottle on a chain c1880
Price: £45
This is a very wearable piece of fashion history. It comprises a large repousse decorated scent bottle cast from silver plated white metal and depicting Burmese lions, fitted to a very long necklace chain. The stopper is attached by chain and comes out to reveal the scent wand. Not without a practical use this piece certainly fulfils a decorative function!
Two Wood Boxes : Marriage of Charles and Diana, Birth of Prince William, late C20th
Price: £15
These two wooden round boxes, doubtless intended for trinkets, announce their purpose on the respective covers, to commemorate (i) The Marriage of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer on 29th July 1981 (ii) The Birth of Prince William on 21st June 1982. Both have the initials of the subjects inset on the covers and the first has an incised mark underneath (see image 6). If these were produced commercially, no other examples seem to exist, which just possibly suggests that they were the work of a skilled amateur or trial pieces for a range which was never produced.
Balinese Silver Bangle with Elephant Heads, 1980s
Price: £45
Balinese Silver Bangle with a typical rope twist design terminating in two elephant heads with raised trunks. One terminal with a small circular pad marked 925 (the nine is very feint and can only be seen with a loop). Style and form of decoration suggest a circa date in the 1980s.
Czech rhinestone jewelled glass metal filigree Perfume Bottle and Stopper, C20th
Price: £25
This is an elaborately decorated perfume bottle of a type produced by Czech workshops in a variety of similar but differing designs. The blue glass bottle is encased with elaborate gilt filigree work which does not cover the entirety of the reverse as is quite common. The intricate filigree design is enhanced by studded rhinestones, or imitation diamonds, in greens and blues, which adds to the opulence of the piece. There is a removable gilt cap fitted with a glass wand which remains intact. Definitely an addition to the handbag for a very special occasion!
Chinese Famille Rose Bowl decorated with ladies, Qianlong mark, Republican period
Price: £45
Chinese Famille Rose Bowl of typical deep form with a short foot decorated to the exterior with two panels of ladies seated in a stylised garden scene, the lobed borders in iron red, on a ground of densely packed floral blooms in the 'mille feur' pattern, the interior similarly decorated with peony and lotus, the exterior decoration continuing over the foot rim which is unusual. The base with an apocryphal Qianlong period mark (1736 - 1795) in iron red. The style of decoration and paste of the foot rim suggests a dating in the Republican period (1912 - 1949), perhaps around 1930 and this piece, which very loosely follows Imperial designs from the eighteenth century, was probably intended for the local market, in common with the 'Straits Chinese Porcelain' pieces also produced for the local market in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
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!
Stunning Art Deco silver bead work necklace
Price: £85
This is a very striking necklace comprising detailed silver beadwork. It has 8 hanging central strands ending in triangular stations. Most likely English silver although it is unmarked. Tests as 925 silver.
Antqiue Scottish agate specimen brooch/pendant
Price: £55
This is a very good example of this type of brooch with a bale so can be worn as a pendant. The panels are carnelian, jasper etc.
West German Ceramic Vase, Marei, 1970s
Price: £45
A West German Ceramic Vase, the bulbous body rising to a slightly flaring ribbed neck and with a short spreading foot, thickly glazed in yellow with green and blue enamel stylised scrolling
foliage, green bands to the foot and top rim, the top interior finished in blue and the foot finished in mustard brown with an impressed mark '7104'.
While 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.
LOT 22
Chinese soapstone Amulet decorated with a coiled dragon, C20th
Estimate: £20 – 30
4d 12h 35m
£10.00
Brass and Enamel Campaign Serving Set, Made in British India mark, 1920s
Price: £45
This is an attractive set of three small serving dishes, presumably for sweetmeats or cakes, hinged to fold flat and be used as a travelling or 'campaign' item. The central dish rotates around a pivot which can be tightened to hold it in position when open and the side dishes drop down in alignment. The brass body is decorated in relief modelled enamels with stylised floral designs in red, blue, turquoise and cream typical of Anglo British work in the early 20th century. Each of the dishes and the hinges are marked '2.6' and the two outer dishes are stamped 'Made in British India' in addition.
Balinese Silver Bangle with Elephant Heads, 1980s
Price: £45
Balinese Silver Bangle with a typical rope twist design terminating in two elephant heads with raised trunks. One terminal with a small circular pad marked 925 (the nine is very feint and can only be seen with a loop). Style and form of decoration suggest a circa date in the 1980s.
Victorian enamel buckle c1900
Price: £45
This is a lovely example of these buckles in a scrollwork design with bright enameling in turquoise and pinks. It is brass.
Chinese Rice Grain Plate decorated in underglaze blue, iron red and gold, circa 1900
Price: £45
Chinese Plate of typical form with a straight flaring edge, decorated in underglaze blue with a central panel of chrysanthemum within a border of bats and a repeating geometric design, the edge with a band of diaper design and between a border of stylised scrolling floral blooms in iron red and gold with turquoise enamel highlighting. The reverse with concentric circles in underglaze blue and a 'shop mark' to the centre, the rim of the plate also with 'rice grain' decoration where the porcelain is pierced and the glaze allowed to cover the openings made. Paste and style of decoration suggest a circa date towards the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1912) probably circa 1900.
Pair of Art Deco chrome wall sconces
Price: £50
This is a stunning pair of Art Deco sconces in polished chrome. These hold candles and are in a very unusual Art Deco design. A not to be missed lot for Art Deco collectors!
Art Nouveau Bronze Plaque c.1900
Price: £75
This is a beautiful bronze hanging plaque depicting an Art Nouveau woman in natural setting, with integrated ring to hang
Framed Chinese Embroidery Silk Textile, signed, second half C20th
Price: £25
A Chinese silk textile with an embroidered design of a peacock and a peahen (the male and female peafowl) sitting on the branch of a pine tree with peony growing below in a stylised garden scene. There is a four character signature to the top left, probably denoting the artist. The style of the embroidery and the calligraphy of the signature suggest mid to late C20th work, perhaps dating to the 1960s or 1970s. The composition and the detail and colourings of the embroidery work are pleasing, combining to produce an excellent example of the genre. The frame is European and perhaps contemporary with the date of manufacture (see Lot 24).
Studio Pottery Vase with Robin’s Egg Glaze marked Zambia, Modern
Price: £30
This is a stoneware vase, the pear shape body with a slender concave neck and flaring rim, covered overall with a mottled blue glaze closely imitating the Chinese ‘Robin’s Egg’ effects which extends to the interior, the foot rim unglazed and the lightly glazed base with incised marks ‘ZAMBIA’ ‘BJ’ above and (?) ‘R’ below. The stoneware body aside (and, of course the marks at the base) this vase could almost have originated in China both in respect of its shape and its glaze which almost exactly copies the Robin’s Egg colourings produced by the Chinese potters, a glaze which originated in the eighteenth century and employed the technique of blowing turquoise onto a blue glaze base to produce mottled effects. But the studio potters based England in the early to mid twentieth century often turned to their Oriental counterparts for inspiration and when studio pottery was developed in Zambia in later years, partly with the assistance of visiting European artists, it was no surprise that this influence should be repeated. Zambia now has its own tradition of studio pottery and other pieces are found marked with the country of origin just as this one is. The potters must remain largely unknown to us, despite their signature marks, but this vase shows that they are capable of producing pieces of high quality, both collectible for students of studio ceramics and decorative in their own right.
Amber buddha carving on egg yolk amber and lapis necklace
Price: £175
This is a recently constructed necklace comprising a charming amber buddha head carving set with Art Deco egg yolk amber and lapis beads. With Chinese silver filigree clasp. It is difficult to date the buddha head but it is 20th century. The egg yolk beads are Art Deco and the lapis beads are late 20th century. With brown silk tassel.
Fun vintage jade necklace with hook and ring closure c1980
Price: £25
This is a lovely necklace comprising celadon jade beads with a jade ring and dragon head hook that is a feature of the necklace. The jade is most likely treated or stabilized.
Large Art Deco green Bakelite Buckle with a label for Harlem Adler, American 1930s
Price: £35
This is an unusual and rare buckle in olive green swirl and marble effect bakelite. The design is a classic Art Deco shape its angular form and typical carved geometric lines. The closure does not depend upon metal fitments which is uncommon and pleasing. The buckle is a very large size and comes with its original sample store tag from Harlem-Adler & Co. in New York, who were known principally as manufactures of buttons from the 1930s to 1950s but carried lines in other fashion accessories as well. A classic of its time, then, complete with a bit of history and true collector’s item!
Green Chalcedony silver mounted brooch with marcasite stones, 1940s
Price: £45
This is a silver mounted brooch, the central oval green chalcedony or chrysoprase stone bordered with an elaborate rounded hexagonal frame, the stylised flowers with scrolling foliage and a milled border, all set with marcasite stones, a bar clasp to the reverse and an engraved mark ‘925’ for silver. Chrysoprase is a variety of chalcedony distinguished by its shades of green and has been used for jewellery since antiquity. Maracsite, a brittle, metallic, semi-precious stone is also often used in jewellery and sometimes known as ‘white iron pyrite’ or more colloquially ‘fool's gold’. Its use here, combined with the elaborate design of the mount, suggests a dating to the 1940s
Lot of 3 vintage Chinese miniature cork groups
Price: £25
These are very delicate cork groups that also have colour added. They depict cranes and well as birds in an cherry blossom tree.
LOT 1
Set of 5 matching 18ct gold sewing tools in fitted case, August Boileau, French c.1850
Estimate: £100 – 200Auction Begins
01/01/70 UTC
£0.00
Small Chinese Gilt Ground Cloisonné Bowl, C20th
Price: £35
A small bowl with a short foot and an everted rim, the gilt ground decorated in raised cloisonne enamel with prunus flowers, the base and interior finished in mottled turquoise enamel. The cloisonné technique, where glass derived enamels are inlaid between gilt metal outline designs, the so called 'cloisons' or 'partitions', was developed in China from as early as the fourteenth century and employed continuously thereafter, even until the present day. In the early twentieth century pieces were produced with a gilt ground onto which were applied raised cloisonne enamel designs, as here. The quality of the work is excellent and self evident but note in particular the shading effects in the enamels which are seen in images (3) and (4). Prunus is the emblem of Winter and the symbol of life because its blossom appears in springtime on an apparently lifeless tree. This small bowl or cup was probably intended for drinking tea or wine which explains the shape of the rim. Dating is most likely to the first half of the C20th.
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.
Silver Medal or Watch Fob dated 1923, B.P.C.G.S.
Price: £35
A small piece of history here which will need some unravelling. Suspended on a piece of blue ribbon from a silver bar pin marked ‘1923’ is an oval silver medal or watch fob, decorated to the front with two bands of laurel leaves, geometric shapes in an art deco style and a central gilt coloured shield with the engraved letters B.P.C.G.S. The reverse is plain with the engraved wording ‘SENIOR 1ST’ ‘APPARATUS’ ‘LMILES’ and hall marks for 1923 with the maker’s mark ‘JD&CO’, standing for Joseph Daffern & Co, silversmiths at Hatton Garden from 1908 to 1931 and producers of commemorative medals and watch fobs. ‘Apparatus’ is the Latin word used in English to denote equipment or organisation but may have had a special meaning for whatever body is indicated by the acronym on the front. We may never know but L MILES was clearly a successful and deserving recipient!
Liberty Dollar 1922 mounted as a pendant on necklace
Price: £35
This is a very interesting piece of ephemera that can be worn. It is a Liberty silver dollar encased in a filigree design. It has been "married" to a torque necklace so it really stands out at the neckline. You definitively won't see many of these around town! :)
Set of ring and earrings with obsidian mask motif, Mexico, 1950s
Price: £45
This is a very striking and recognizable motif of Aztec masks that feature often in Mexican design. These are carved obsidian set in silver. The earrings are screw back and marked 'Silver Mexico'. The ring is marked 'Sterling'.
Graduated set of three Royal Doulton Harvest Pattern Jugs, early C20th
Price: £150
A graduated set of salt glaze earthenware jugs, each of compressed globular form with straight necks, a pinched spout and a strap handle, ribbed with a leaf terminal, the bodies glazed in contrasting fields of matt mustard and glossy brown with moulded decoration in cream depicting scenes of rural life including hunting and drinking, the base unglazed and with an impressed mark for Royal Doulton, the pattern number ‘2892’ on two of the jugs and on the largest jug the artist’s mark ‘a’.
While this model, often called the ‘harvest pattern’, is found quite often, it is very unusual to see a graduated set of three, all matching. The form of the mark, where the lion does not sit above a crown, was used between 1922 and 1927 which gives us the dating here. The largest jug carries the letter ‘a’ which was a decorator’s mark and stands for Louisa Ayling. Perhaps she worked on all three, but this must remain a guess although the quality of the work on all three is quite consistent producing a highly decorative and attractive ensemble.
Victorian decorated papier mache glove box with pair of kidskin gloves
Price: £65
This is a stunning Victorian papier mache glove box with very fine painted decoration depicting an Austrian landscape and flowers, the interior finished in red. It is offered with wonderful pair of kidskin gloves, perhaps contemporary. These are a good size suitable to fit a small hand, size 4 or 5. Truly a collector's item for the fashion conscious!
Set of 6 small Art Deco style plates by C.T. Altwasser, Silesia, 1920s/1930s
Price: £75
A set of six porcelain plates, Art Deco style, with fluted edges and a modelled design of four overlapping leaves and basket weave, glazed in shades of green and mustard yellow, the rims gilt and the bases with a transfer mark in blue of an eagle above the initials CT.
Carl Tielsch founded the Altwasser factory in 1845. It swiftly became second largest porcelain factory in Silesia, a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. After twenty years the factory employeed 1,400 employees. Products of the Tielsch factory quickly became known for their high quality and artistry even being compared to Berlin or Meissen porcelains and seem to have continued to be manufactured until the 1950s, the later pieces being marked first ‘Germany’ then ‘Poland’. The mark here, an eagle above the initials CT, was used from 1875 to 1935 but the style of decoration, which shows the influence of Art Deco pieces, indicates a dating to the 1920s or 1930s. Probably intended as side plates, this set is rather unusual amongst the Altwasser pieces found today and highly attractive.
Silver prayer beads with seventeen Beads, 20th century
Price: £75
This is a lovely set of prayer beads made from solid sterling silver. The 17 beads are heavy and have decoration at the ends. They are strung on a chain with aslider and tassel at the end. These are hallmarked, most likely with continental silver marks.
Cranberry Glass Vase circa 1900
Price: £30
A cranberry glass (the name obviously deriving from the colour) vase the globular almost spherical body with impressed dimple effect large roundels and rising to a slender round neck with a ‘squared’ top, the flat base densely dimpled. Cranberry or 'Gold Ruby' glass is a red glass made by adding gold salts or colloidal gold to molten glass. It was produced in relatively small quantities due to the cost of the raw materials. Known from Roman times the most famous period of production was in 19th century Britain during the Victorian Era. Many pieces from that era are known with similar ‘dimple’ effects and this is clearly what we have here. The workmanship is high quality, the richly coloured glass with many interesting glaze effects (see image 4) and skilfully modelled. Perhaps just an ornament or possibly a small table decanter but either way an attractive addition to any glass collection.
Ceramic Tankard celebrating the Marriage of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in 1986
Price: £10
A ceramic tankard of bell form and with a shaped loop handle glazed in blue inside and out, the front with titled silhouette portraits of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson between the royal coat of arms and the reverse with an image of Westminster Abbey and wording marking the event of their marriage in 1986. The base has 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 at 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.
Nesting Set of Four Small Brass Trays with an engraved designs of Bats, Chinese C20th
Price: £30
A set of four brass trays in graduating sizes of rounded rectangular form with indented corners each with an engraved design of four bats symbolising good fortune, longevity and happiness surrounding a central ‘shou’ symbol of simplified form, again representing longevity. The function of this set is unclear but care was taken in its manufacture so that the individual pieces fit precisely into one another. Perhaps for sweetmeats or other delicacies and probably made in the early twentieth century for the local market.
Operculum shell demi parure
Price: £35
This is a wonderful set set with operculum shells. A large statement necklace and earrings set in silver tone base metal. What is an operculum shell?
An operculum is a calcareous structure created by many sea snails that serves as a little “trapdoor” to safely close them inside their shell. When, say, the tide goes out, stranding a sea snail too far from the water, the gastropod can draw itself deep into its shell and pull the operculum closed behind it.
Yellow ground Bursley Ware Dragon Bowl by Frederick Rhead, circa 1920
Price: £55
A shallow ceramic bowl of squat form with a turnover rim, resembling a Chinese brushwasher, the yellow lustre glaze with a feint craquelure and boldly decorated with an interior design of a dragon pursuing the flaming pearl amidst seaweed, the exterior with two similar dragons, all coloured in bright shades of red and green with the outline design in blue, the base glazed and with the mark ‘Dragon’ within a rococo style border and the manufacturer’s name ‘Bursley Ware England’.
From 1910 to 1982, the firm Wood and Sons Ltd operated potteries at the Trent, New Wharf and Stanley Potteries Burslem. Throughout its history the firm produced high quality earthenware pieces aimed at the middle market, using a variety of brand names including Bursley Ware. Frederick Alfred Rhead, the Father of Charlotte Rhead, was a ceramicist and designer who worked for Bursley Ware in the 1920s and 1930s. The ‘Dragon’ pattern is one of his best known designs and was made in a variety of forms and colours including white and orange. The yellow glaze here is particularly effective and the piece combines Chinese inspired designs with an Art Deco twist to produce an object with decorative appeal even today.
Large floral ivory white Bakelite buckle, British 1930s
Price: £65
This is a very large buckle in ivory white bakelite carved with leaves and flower heads set in an openwork ‘bow tie’ frame, the reverse with metal fitments for securing the belt and fastening the buckle. The naturalistic decoration here is something of a contrast with many of the Art Deco buckles produced although floral design brooches from the period are quite commonly found and there is enough abstraction in the design here to make this piece clearly representative of the period.
Rare large ruby red Bakelite buckle, American 1930s
Price: £75
This is a very unusual and large buckle made from ruby red Bakelite, shaped in a semi abstract form with a large rectangular central plaque between two similar smaller plaques each with a stylised openwork foliate device at the ends, the plaques with deeply cut wavy line designs, the reverse plain with metal bar attachment fittings and a curved edge clasp all attached with screws. There are no real parallels for this piece which almost seems like a reinterpretation of ancient Chinese lacquer wares but the angular and abstract design is very much from the Art Deco era.
Framed Picture of Two Elephants signed Mary Beth Zeitz and dated 2003
Price: £25
This attractive composition was, in fact, drawn on a serviette as the label at the back indicates and can easily be seen from the material itself. Depicted are a pair of confronting elephants with colourful saddle hangings and open top howdahs. The painting is skilful and there is much detail in the representation of the fabric hangings and the sides of the howdahs. But then, this is the work of an accomplished and known artist, Mary Beth Zeitz, whose signature appears at the bottom right hand corner (see another example of her work [image 7] for comparison). Born in the C20th in Louisville, Kentucky, she was raised in Wilmington, Delaware from the age of 3 and then went on to study French at the University there following this with a spell the Universite de Montpellier while she was living in the South of France. Her work is distinguished by detailed subjects and antique-style textures which are often to be seen in her watercolours. Her paintings have found their way into several galleries and have been purchased by private and corporate collectors. The recipient of this gift was lucky then and received a decorative object of great charm and skill.
Arts and Crafts Stumpwork Firescreen 1900
Price: £25
This is a wonderful firescreen in a typical Arts and Crafts minimal design, with lovely stumpwork embroidery depicting two couple in garden
Fairing Figurine - The last in bed to put out the light, German, early Twentieth 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. In comparison with the previous Lot 4, this example has a glazed circular mark which reads 'Made in Germany'. These marks appear on the later productions of the Conta factory and indicate a dating here to shortly before the First World War. This is consistent with the rather 'brassy' looking gilding used which is typical of ceramic production generally post 1900.
It is interesting to compare Lots 4 and 5 and to see how consistent the manufacture was throughout the period. Only the glazed base with its circular mark and the type of gilt decoration separate this example from its earlier companion.
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.
Large tooled leather bag with Moroccan Designs 1970s
Price: £85
This is a beautiful large bag made from light soft leather that has been tooled all over with Moroccan patterns and vignette roundels depicting camels and palm trees.Lined in leather, it has four stud feet and is in immaculate condition..
Very fine Indian silver repousse plaque Necklace, c1970
Price: £85
This is a necklace comprising a large pendant of elongated hexagonal shape with a traditional Indian repousse floral design. It has a double bale each with a rosette and is marked '925'. It is combined with a long snake chain which is later.
Art Nouveau repousse Pendant on later chain, c1910
Price: £95
This is a large repousse plaque pendant decorated in a typical Art Nouveau floral design. It is marked 'AL-P' which seems to suggest a European origin but more likely Belgium or one of the Scandinavian countries rather than France, to judge from the style. The plaque dates to the early twentieth century and is fitted with a later chain.
Lacquer Box in the form of a Duck, possibly Persian C20th
Price: £35
This is an amusing trinket box in the form of a duck made from black lacquer with gilt decoration, the lid with wings and a feathered tail and the head with gilt eyes and beak. The base has a simple band of a repeating gilt geometric design. The form resembles the well known Chinese export porcelain 'goose' tureens made in the eighteenth century but the lacquer technique has more of Persian feel to it and this may be a more likely provenance. The whimsical style also suggests a date of manufacture in the 1960s or 1970s.
Elegant Modernist pendant 1970s
Price: £15
This is a delicate silver necklace with a pendant in a Modernist shape set with a tigers eye stone
Four Papier-mâché Trinket Boxes, Kashmir, mid C20th
Price: £35
Four papier-mâché boxes, one circular and three of rounded rectangular form, all decorated in typical colourful floral designs, the circular example resembling quite closely the Chinese ‘mille-fleur’ pattern, the bases and the interior in black lacquer. The well known papier-mâché technique, in which items are formed from pulped paper dried to form a hard surface, is nearly ubiquitous, but Kashmir in India was a famed centre for the technique usually held to have commenced in production there in the 15th century when King Zain-ul-Abidin invited papier-mâché artists from Central Asia to practice their craft in his kingdom. These examples are much later, of course, and were probably made some time in the twentieth century, perhaps towards the middle, when the Kashmiri craftsmen were exporting their wares expansively. Their decorative appeal is obvious but, as storage items for trinkets they can perform a practical function as well.
Victorian Egyptian Revival motif necklace with red stones c1900
Price: £85
This is an unusual statement necklace designed in the Victorian era.. These designs were due to the The Egyptian Pavilion at the Exposition Universelle of 1900 in Paris. This world's fair was extremely popular and it was global news. These designs have more of a European look to them. It wasn't until the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 that the iconography. became more accurate. This necklace is mounted with red glass stones and is the necklace also had red glass beads and diamante roundels.
A Ceramic Moneybox in the form of a Pig, Helensgate Ceramics, mid twentieth century
Price: £25
A ceramic moneybox, pink glazed and amusingly modelled in the form of a rotund pig with wide eyes and ribbon bow, the back with a slot to insert the coins and the base with a circular aperture to retrieve them, sealed with a plastic plug, probably original. A paper label affixed reading 'Helensgate Ceramics'. Little seems to be known about this firm but they clearly specialised in amusing animal figures and in particular moneyboxes. The piece has a mid twentieth century look to it and a circa date of 1960 seems reasonable. While less in use now, there are still some for whom 'cash is king'. If so, this would be a desirable acquisition!
Art Deco Style Bagley Glass Vase with fin type handles 1930s
Price: £45
An Art Deco style glass Vase made by Bagley Glass, of urn form, the slender ovoid body modelled with a swirling design and finished with a crimped rim, set with two fin shape handles and resting on a squared base, all finished in a mottled blue colour wave. The form clearly reflects pieces from the Art Deco period and coloured glass was not produced by the firm until the 1930s. The shape here is unusual and similar examples are hard to find. This piece was mould made, as can be seen from the base, but probably also finished by hand in common with many other pieces from the firm. Dating has to be assumed. Bagley pieces are not marked and popular designs were sometimes continued long after their introduction.
Set of three Wade Bramble Pattern teaware items, 1950s
Price: £25
A set of three teaware items in the ‘Bramble’ pattern made by Wade Ceramics, comprising a pot for honey or jam, a jug and cover and a sugar basin. All are similarly decorated with a colourful briar design of raised blackberry leaves and berries on a cream textured ground, the handles in the form of twigs. The bases are marked ‘Wade’, ‘Bramble’, ‘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. A pair of Art Deco green glazed ‘salts’ are also included in this sale. The ‘Bramble’ design was created in the 1950s and a wide variety of tea service shapes were produced in the pattern. Collectors today can attempt to assemble examples from the whole of the range, towards which these three pieces might provide some assistance.
Vintage Brass Pocket Case with a lid, probably a Vesta case for Matches, circa 1900
Price: £55
A small brass case with a hinged lid of irregular rectangular form decorated in high relief repoussé tecnique with a devil’s head encircled by a snake whose scaly tail continues onto the lid. Repoussé work is a metalworking technique in which a malleable metal is shaped by hammering from the reverse side to create a design in low relief. Other examples of these cases are known with a similar shape and technique and even the devil and snake motif. It is more than likely that this case was designed for matches, the so called 'Vesta Case' of which there is another example in this auction. Like that piece it is fitted with a ring, presumably to allow it to be attached to a watch chain. But other uses could have been intended, possibly for business or visiting cards (the Victorian calling card was much smaller) or perhaps for pills. The style of decoration very much recalls 'Arts and Crafts' pieces made around 1900 and a similar dating seems likely here.
