Japanese Kutani Teapot in a carrying Basket, circa 1900
Price: £45
A Japanese Kutani teapot, the body of broad ovoid form with two lug handles and a curved spout, fitted with a very faintly domed flush lid with a knob finial, set in a matching carrying basket of woven wicker with a metal hook and eye fastener, two ring hinges and two loop handles.
Kutani (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. Vases, bowls and plaques are found in this style but also teapots of which this is a typical example. The decoration is of birds and flowers on a faintly craquelure glaze ground and the lid has a complementary ‘brocade pattern’ design. The base has a two character mark reading ‘ku’ ‘tani’ as is often found. The basket is of tightly woven wicker with the metal fitments as described and is probably Chinese in common with many similar examples, although the Japanese did, of course, have a basket weaving tradition of their own. Slight damage means that the ensemble has to be of decorative value rather than practical use but it remains an interesting and entertaining souvenir item from the orient.
Pair of continental style openwork border Dishes, probably Chinese C20th
Price: £20
A pair of small oval dishes with openwork borders and loop handles, decorated to the centre with fruit, the reverses with impressed marks ‘4’ and iron red stamped numbers ‘12’ (rather indistinct on one). These dishes follow closely pieces made by the German ceramics manufacturer Schumann whose premises were located in Bavaria and which made fine quality hard paste porcelains, tastefully decorated with floral designs, from their beginnings in the 1870s to the mid 1990s when the business ceased trading but close inspection of the fruit surfaces here indicates that they were not hand painted but produced by the technique of laser printing which is evident from the ‘micro dot’ effets which here can be seen even by the naked eye. This suggests late twentieth century Chinese work and the paste of the foot (also the numbering at the back) confirms this.
Unusual floral spray brooch 1960s
Price: £10
This is a lovely small brooch set with yellow and amber glass stones
Pink Glass Centrepiece Set, Arabella, Walter and Sohne, 1930s
Price: £55
A centrepiece set formed from frosted and clear pink glass comprising a figure of a lady, semi nude, her flowing drapery exposed to reveal her body, a dolphin at her rear and a pierced circular base below to act as a ‘frog’ or flower holder together with a scalloped edge dish with pointed corners and a turnover rim with pressed decoration of fish and waves.
The influence of Art Deco style of this piece is clear and it does indeed date to the 1930s. The model, termed ‘Arabella’ can apparently be seen in the 1934 catalogue of the German glass manufacturers Walther and Sohne, founded by August Walther in 1888 at Ottendorf-Akrilla near Dresden. In the 1930s the firm was famous for its Art Deco designs and also produced a version of ‘cloud glass’ which at one time was held to be exclusive to the English manufacturer Davidson. But some of the English glass makers also drew on their German rival’s work such that Walther and Sohne patented some of their designs in the UK in 1937, presumably to protect their work. This centrepiece set is a classic example of Walther and Sohne’s pre war productions and a distinctive example of Art Deco glassware.
Faux pearl necklace c1910
Price: £15
This is a lovely necklace that features very lustrous faux pearls in natural shapes. The central pendant is a massive 25 mm faux pearl.
Three Indian gouache paintings depicting Krishna and Radha, framed, first half C20th
Price: £150
Three Indian gouache paintings, one depicting Krishna and the other two depicting Krishna and Radha, all with lady attendants in stylised landscape scenes within elaborate floral borders. The Hindu God, Krishna, and his beloved consort, Radha, were often portrayed in Indian paintings from the early to mid C20th. The relationship between them was complex. Radha was acknowledged as the Supreme Goddess and Krishna was held to achieve fulfilment only by devotional service from her. Devotees would worship her in order to attain Krishna through her and this may be intended in some of the compositions here. This triptych probably derives from a larger set but stands on its own as an excellent and atmospheric example of Indian art. Dating is probably to the early to mid C20th but the frames are later.
Egyptian Revival necklace depicting Tutankhamun c1980
Price: £45
This is a a dramatic necklace in the Egyptian Revival style. It has a large central pendant with three drops with stations all the way around depicting Tutankhamun in a rather humorous way. This necklace appears to be a museum edition from possibly the British Museum or the Met in New York. The reverse of the stations and pendant are also finished with Egyptian designs. A very well thought out and finished piece.
Lithograph Print, Le Pont Alexandre III in Paris, signed Herbelot, 1950s/1960s
Price: £45
This is a lithograph print of the famous ‘Pont Alexandre III’ in Paris. The bridge itself was built between 1996 and 1900 and named after Tsar Alexander III of Russia, who had concluded the Franco-Russian Alliance in 1892. It connects the Champs-Élysées quarter with those of the Invalides and Eiffel Tower and is one of the landmarks of the French capital. Herbelot (doubtless a pseudonym; his first name is unknown) was a French artist active in Paris from the 1940s to the 1960s. Most of his works depict Parisian scenes and are found as lithographs produced from watercolour originals. His style, impressionistic with a muted palette of colours, is typical of mid century work and extremely pleasing to the eye. Perhaps sold as a tourist souvenir at the time this image today is a highly evocative portrayal of the ‘great city’ and is matched by a frame typical of the era.
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.
Art Deco beaded dress adornment
Price: £30
This is a very rare and detailed dress adornment comprising beads and glass stones attached to a long fringe
Victorian tortoiseshell hair ornament
Price: £20
This is a very lovely hair comb with engraved decoration set with paste stones
Japanese Imari Bottle Vase, circa 1900
Price: £30
A Japanese ceramic vase of slender bottle form with a near globular body rising to a narrow cylindrical neck, decorated in the ‘Imari’ palette of underglaze blue, iron red and gold with two red enamel ground stylised floral panels on a ground of scrolling peony, the neck with scrolling prunus above a band of repeating chrysanthemum heads and the base with a band of repeating stylised leaves. The paste of the foot and the style of the decoration suggest a dating to the end of the Meiji period (1868-1912) probably around 1900.
Hollywood Regency Ormolu and Glass Scent Bottle, second half C20th
Price: £95
This is a classic example of the decorative pieces produced in the ‘Hollywood Regency’ style which evolved from the work of designers furnishing the homes of film stars and actors from the 1920s onwards. Opulence was the key here with recollections of and variations on the design styles of earlier years particularly those of the rococo era. Dressing table pieces were made to be intentionally luxurious with elaborate gilt metal decoration and bevelled glass panels combining to produce ornaments of showpiece quality. The scent bottle here has two oval bevelled glass panels set in a gilt metal case with elaborately cast sides, a spreading foot and a crown knob stopper, all with twisting and interlocking stylised floral decoration. The body of the piece was refillable and the stopper has a glass rod for application. Similar pieces were made by the New York firm ‘Stylebuilt’ which was founded in 1946; many carry an impressed mark but some have just a paper label reading ‘Stylebuilt Accessories’ ‘NEW YORK’ ‘’24 K GOLD PLATED’ ‘GUARANTEED NOT TO TARNISH’. The style here is so close that we may well have a genuine ‘Stylebuilt’ accessory here missing its original paper label, but there is no certain proof of this. Accessories from the firm seem to date from the 1950s to the 1970s and this is most likely the time of production of this particular piece. It survives in perfect condition with the gilt work bright and shining, definitely living up to the claim of remaining untarnished, and is a fine memento of an extravagant style, once so popular.
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.
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.
Butler and Wilson Skull Necklace, boxed, modern
Price: £125
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!
Chinese Small Blue and White Potiche and Cover with wood stand, late C20th
Price: £45
A small Chinese porcelain potiche and cover, the straight sides curving out slightly to the top and the overhanging lid slightly domed with a wide knob finial, decorated in underglaze blue and white with a continuous scene of birds and flowers and rocks, the flowers repeated on the lid as floral sprays. The design here is unusual for Chinese ceramics and rather ‘modern’ in appearance which fits with a probable dating to the late twentieth century. While the porcelain is of good quality the paste of the foot suggests fairly recent manufacture (see image 9) and the painting appears to depend partly on stencilled outlines (see especially the bird in the first image). But the wood stand suggests at least some age and the ensemble can be enjoyed its own right as a modest decorative item with the potential for practical use.
1950s Ocean Themed Earrings
Price: £15
This is a striking pair of earrings with a marine inspired design, comprising modelled turquoise metal sea shell plaques with suspended gilt metal sea horses suspended from gilt metal mounted facetted turquoise glass beads, the hooks in gilt metal.
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
Chinese Bone Netsuke carving of a man holding a musical instrument, early C20th
Price: £25
A Chinese Bone Netsuke carving of a man holding a musical instrument, depicted with its strings, and dressed in a simple robe decorated with incised detail in brown and black, two typical holes to the reverse, early C20th. Netsuke were developed in Japan as a fastener or toggle by which small hanging storage boxes, okimono, could be attached to the sash of a kimono. They were made in a variety of forms but the small figurine, as here and in the previous lot, was the most common. Chinese examples seem to have been made in the early twentieth century and were more often crafted from bone rather than the ivory or wood favoured by most of the Japanese craftsmen.
Pewter and brass box and cover in the form of a Mallard Duck, Gatco, Hong Kong, 1960s
Price: £25
This is a novelty box and cover, possibly for pills or more likely trinkets made from pewter and brass in the form of a mallard duck. The details are simply but amusingly modelled with an effective contrast of the two metals used. The base, in common with other examples of this model, has an engraved mark comprising a reversed ‘3’ below an ‘8’. Other examples carry a gold ground paper label which reads ‘Made in Hong Kong’ and this is sometimes found elsewhere on brass items which also have a label for the firm ‘Gatco’, implying that this was the manufacturer here (see image 11). These amusing boxes were made in Hong Kong in the 1960s and retain their charm today.
Pair of Royal Worcester Grainger and Co Vases, date mark for 1902
Price: £150
A pair of Vases of ovoid organic form, the concave bodies with flaring necks and spreading bases all modelled as stylised leaves, the cream coloured glaze at the centre merging into yellow at the top and bottom, the bases glazed white with identical printed marks, a shield with the wording ‘G&Co Established 1801’ surrounded by a circle of words ‘Royal China Works Worcester’ with below ‘.England.’ ‘L’ ‘973’ ‘G’ (separated by a line).
The influence of the Art Nouveau movement, with its emphasis on organic and plant forms, is clearly seen here. The vases date to the early 1900s and were made by the ‘Grainger and Co’ branch of the celebrated Royal Worcester factory. The first porcelain factory at Worcester was set up in 1751 by John Wall (a doctor) and William Davis (an apothecary), along with 14 other businessmen. Fifty years later in 1801 Thomas Grainger (1783–1839) started a rival company ‘Grainger’s Worcester Porcelain’ and during the nineteenth century both companies traded successfully. However following the death of George Grainger, the son of Thomas Grainger, in 1889 the Grainger factory was sold to Royal Worcester who continued manufacture on its old rival firm’s St.Martin’s Gate site until finally closing the works in 1902. Ivory style porcelains were one of the specialities of this brief manufacturing period and the date mark ‘L’ which appears on these vases is for the year 1902, just before the two concerns were completely merged.
Edwardian Scottish agate panel bracelet
Price: £75
This is a lovely and delicate bracelet comprising both carnelian and banded agate plaques, mounted in brass with an integrated clasp.
Chinese Qu Wine Decanter, Sam Seng Wine Co, late C20th
Price: £35
The Sam Seng Wine Company is based in Hong Kong. Founded by Hee Lin in 1974, it is known for producing a range of medicinal wines and rice wines, of which the ‘Qu Wine’, which originally formed the contents of this elaborate decanter or bottle, is the best known example. The Company seems to have adopted the practice of selling its wines in novelty ceramic containers which are now collectible items in themselves. This example is in the form of gourd on which sit three revellers each holding wine cups and seemingly rather the worse for wear. The complex and detailed modelling of the figures, which recalls that of earlier stoneware examples made at the Shiwan kilns from the Guangdong province, along with the extensive inscriptions are a surprising feature of an object which was essentially a ‘free gift’ but can certainly be enjoyed today. Fortunately the original trade label survives and the format of this suggests a late twentieth century dating.
Stunning opera length string of rock crystal beads
Price: £35
This is a very long strand of approximately 95 graduating facetted rock crystal beads that have been recently restrung using pink cord. This necklace is difficult to date but judging form the type of beads it is most likely early 20th century or could be Victorian.
Large costume cameo brooch, marked W. Germany
Price: £15
This is a fun large oval brooch set with a very detailed glass cameo portrait with faux pearls, market W. Germany
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
Chinese painting on Silk, Storks and Pine, circa 1900
Price: £25
A Chinese painting on silk, the fine and detailed brushwork depicting a gnarled branch of pine with three cranes astride on a background of blue clouds with a full moon in the distance. Both the crane and the pine tree symbolise long life and longevity and so there is perhaps a hidden message here which might be uncovered in the elaborate calligraphic inscription at the top right with no less than three red artist’s seals. Great care has been taken with this composition and the overall style suggests earlier work than that found in many pieces perhaps dating to the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. The board mounting is considerably foxed but the painting itself much less so and if reframed it would provide an attractive if slightly enigmatic example Chinese decorative painting.
Chinoiserie necklace with peking glass plaques c1960
Price: £45
This a lovely necklace by an American company called "Exquisite". It has faux jade or Peking glass plaques and oriental motif gold tone stations. It is signed or marked Exquisite.
Silver Brooch in the form of a Butterfly, Taxco 1940s
Price: £65
A silver Brooch in the form of a Butterfly with modelled wings set with beads in metal and turquoise, the slender body terminating in two antennae. Marked Made in Mexico, Sterling with the maker's mark AE in a heart shape. There is also an Eagle mark which indicates the Taxco workshop but this is difficult to identify.
Tigers Eye bracelet with a large central carved dragon bead, certificate for 2012
Price: £15
This is a very striking bracelet comprising very high quality tigers eye beads and a carved dragon. It comes with original certificate of authenticity dated 2012 from Thailand.
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!
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.
Taxco bracelet set with carved obsidian stones c1950
Price: £55
This is a bracelet that is often seen in different forms and must have been quite popular in its time. It is silver with a gold colour wash and set with carved obsidian stones. Aztec face heads alternate with square stone stations and the surrounding silverwork borders depict the headdress of the Aztec face carvings with scrollwork to the square stations. Marked 'Heche en Mexico' with an eagle head which denotes 925 silver.
Stunning Victorian Scottish agate necklace
Price: £175
This is a beautiful necklace comprising graduating Scottish agate beads with a banded agate heart pendant
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
A Pair of Royal Doulton Ewers, marked, early C20th
Price: £150
An attractive and unusual pair of Royal Doulton Ewers, the broad ovoid body with a defined collar narrowing sharply to the neck which flares out to form the spout, a short flaring foot to the base and the back with a high rising loop handle joined to the top rim. While combining elements well known from other Doulton wares of the period, the decoration here is slightly unusual. A light blue splash glaze is combined with a central section of relief moulded whorl pattern within a modelled lambrequin style border with stylised flower heads, the base is finished in brown and the top interior in a complementary olive green splash glaze. The underside of the foot carries one of the standard impressed 'Royal Doulton England' marks where the lettering forms part of a circle combined with three thick lines and the centre is filled with four interlocking 'D's, indicating a circa date between c1900 and c1930. Usually this mark is combined with a lion and sometimes a crown but these were omitted when space was short, as seems to have been the case here. Impressed marks 'LD' are for the artist Jessie Lord and dating to the 1920s seems likely.
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.
Large graduated necklace of nut carving beads, 1930s
Price: £25
This is a very unusual necklace comprising 51 nut carvings with a floral motif.
Statement fob brooch with large faux citrine drop c1950
Price: £15
This is a very unusual brooch featuring very detailed gilt metal elements that have a hanging fob that has a large faux citrine. It is a three dimensional cushion shaped drop with a wreath and basket weave design on the back.
Art Deco Catalin Bakelite necklace, American c1930
Price: £125
This is a fabulous necklace comprising very large mustard coloured catalin beads in tubular, ovoid and globular shapes. Catalin is a form of plastic that is comtemporary with Bakelite. They are very similar as they are both composed of phenol and formeldehyde. The main difference is that Catalin was poured a poured liquid and Bakelite was moulded from a granular powder. Catalin is a brand name developed and trademarked in 1927 by the American Catalin Corporation of New York City, when the patent on Bakelite expired that year. It was used in a variety of applications, including costume jewellery, until the end of the second world war when it became too expensive, as every piece had to be individually cast and polished. Catalin jewellery is often incorrectly referred to as bakelite but has a distinction all of its own and this necklace is prime example of the fashion designs produced in the 1930s.
Large Mdina Glass Paperweight/Doorstop, late C 20th
Price: £55
A very large glass paperweight or doorstop of rounded, slightly flattened globular form decorated in a swirling design of yellow, green and blue and signed to the base ‘Mdina’. Mdina Glass was founded in the Maltese town of Mdina in 1968 by Michael Harris and Eric Dobson. The town had no history of glass making but the venture proved to be a success. Its wares, free formed organic glassware, often in colours inspired from the sea, sand, earth and sky, proved very popular with tourists visiting Malta. Michael Harris left Mdina in 1972 and formed a new company, Isle of Wight Studio Glass, on the Isle of Wight, UK, leaving Eric Dobson in charge, but many of the designs he created continued to be made at Mdina Glass after his departure although new designs and patterns were added as well. Ownership of the company later changed but it is still producing a popular range of glasswares today. Traditionally this pattern has been referred to as ‘Sea and Sand’ but a recent study of Mdina by Mark Warner states that the correct name for this range is ‘Blue Summer’.
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.
Vintage Leather Map Case, probably 1940s
Price: £45
Although resembling a rather oversize wartime identity label holder, this leather case, with a large clear celluloid covered open panel, a flap at the back with a fastening button and a long shoulder strap with loop attachments seems to have been intended as a map holder. Similar examples can be found dating back to the First World War and many have a grid printed onto the celluloid. This particular piece probably dates to the Second World War and is most likely Russian or German. It remains in excellent condition with the fine quality stitching and celluloid panel intact and the strap with minimal wear, making it a desirable acquisition for a collectors of militaria from that era.
Viartec Murano Style Selenium Red & Orange Glass Sculptural Dish, Spanish 1950s/1960s
Price: £45
A sculptural dish or bowl of undulating form, the surface twisted at each end to form two ‘fish tails’, the red glass encased in orange glass and the whole in imitation of Murano glass designs. While Venetian in style, research has proved that this piece and others like it, matching in either colours or form or both, were made by the Spanish factory Viartec and sometimes pieces can be found with an original Viartec label reading ‘Viartec Hand Made in Spain’. The red glass used here is called selenium glass and reacts, when lit by UV light, to display a bright orange or pink colour. A similar type of colour change effect is, of course, displayed by the more commonly found green uranium glass. The form suggests dating to the 1950s or 1960s and it is said that many of these pieces were brought back to the UK as souvenirs by visiting tourists which explains why they can be found here today.
Sowerby Blue Glass Footed Bowl, 1930s/1940s
Price: £25
A pressed blue glass bowl with ribbed sides and four spreading feet, made by the firm Sowerby of Gateshead. Other examples exist with their label mark attached and the style of this piece points to a manufacture date in the 1930s or 1940s. It is a clear reflection of the Art Deco designs produced at that time.
The Sowerby family came from the North West of England near Carlisle and settled in Gateshead in the late eighteenth century. The firm Sowerby Glassworks is known from 1807 onwards and continued production until 1972, concentrating on pressed glass. Catalogues of their wares still exist and they produced pieces in a wide variety of styles and shapes which retain their popularity today.
Art Deco Style Malachite Glass Box and Cover, Hoffmann & Schlevogt, C20th
Price: £55
Malachite glass aims to imitate the mineral malachite, a green copper carbonate mineral which occurs naturally. It was made by many of the glass manufacturers in Britain and Europe in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries but large quantities especially were produced in Bohemia, now part of the Czech republic, and most of these were created from moulds produced by the designer Curt Schlevogt.
Heinrich Hoffmann (1875 – 1939) and Henry Schlevogt (1904 – 1984) were relatives as well as business partners, Schlevogt having married Hoffman’s daughter. They worked together on a variety of designs and from the moulds they produced came pieces exclusively pressed by the family glassworks of Josef Riedel established in Polaun (Polubný), Bohemia. The collection was marketed under the brand name ‘Ingrid’ and had an immediate success in Europe and the United States, being introduced at the Spring Trade Fair in Leipzig in 1934 and later in the same year presented at the Chicago World’s Fair. Hoffmann died around the time of the beginning of the second world war but Schlevogt remained in Bohemia until his capture by the invading Red Army in 1944. Eventually rescued through the intervention of influential friends, he settled in Paris and in the 1950s founded a highly successful wholesale business trading in crystals and glassware which he sold in 1972. The Czechoslovak government meanwhile nationalised the glass industry after World War II and some of Schlevogt’s moulds were reused with pressings known from the 1970s made as before at the glassworks of Josef Riedel.
Dating of the pieces is extremely difficult since the later versions resemble the earlier ones so closely and there are few firm guidelines. But the example here, even if there is the possibility that it does not date to the 1930s, is an extremely accurate reflection of the model types produced. The design is striking with the malachite effect glass formed into a two section box the deep base fitted with a shallow domed lid and both parts decorated with naked ladies swimming amidst waves in a swirling design of life and movement. The joins of the moulds can be clearly seen at the sides (see images 8 & 9). The style is quintessentially Art Deco and this is a ‘must have’ for collectors of pieces from that era.
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!
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.
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.
Victorian Scottish agate brooch
Price: £65
This is a lovely brooch in excellent condition comprising a large central stone surrounded by smaller round stones, in silver gilt
Fun group of two porcelain brooches with paid of small earrings 1960s
Price: £15
This is a group of two brooches with matching earrings. All have inset porcelain plaques with a floral motif. The brooch with the purple flowers seems to have a monogram signature.
Vintage Petit Point Tapestry Bag, Austria, 1920s
Price: £15
This is a fine example of the minutely stitched embroidered bags made in Austria during the 1950s. Of sack form, the black ground tapestry canvas is decorated on each side with a profusion of multicoloured flowers including peony and lotus worked in the ‘petit point’ style with tiny stitching within a gold rococo border, the sides and base decorated in the same style. The top and snap clasp are in gilt metal and suspended from a gilt metal chain. The inside is finished in cream coloured silk with two green stitching bordered pockets and a label which reads ‘MADE IN AUSTRIA’. The maker is anonymous but their work rivals that of the well known firm ‘Jolles Original’, founded in Vienna in 1923, whose creations won a Grand Prix award in the 1958 World Exhibition held in Belgium and were sold by premier American Department stores such as Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue making this bag a desirable addition to a collection of embroidered bags or vintage bags in general.
Pair of Orange Glazed Flasks and Covers, Fabienne Jouvin Paris, C20th
Price: £150
A pair of flasks and covers of rectangular form with cylindrical cap covers, glazed overall in orange, the shoulders, collars, interiors of the covers and bases with a white craquelure glaze, the bases with printed marks, a stylised ‘A’, ‘Fabienne Jouvin’, ‘PARIS’, ‘Fabrique en Chine’ and two Chinese characters to the foot rim.
The French designer Fabienne Jouvin (see image 9) graduated from the superior school of applied arts Duperré in 1985. Since then, she has travelled the world collecting designs for pieces sold and exhibited under her name internationally, with a studio based in Paris. On her website, she writes “From my travels - from Tokyo to The Habana, from the streets of Paris to the sea bed of The Maldives - I bring back sketchbooks, pads of notes, drawings and collages: hispanic or contempory architectures, faces reminding those of Piero Della Francesca, enigmatic objects non identified... These spontaneous sketchbooks give rise to unique pieces and editions painting, textile, porcelain, cloisonné...”. Her first exhibition was in 1989 and in 1996 she began an association with the firm ‘Asiatides’ allowing her to create pieces made in China and Thailand and utilising their designs and techniques.
This pair of flasks, possibly intended as tea caddies, are typical of her ability to give a ‘twist’ to the pieces from which she draws her inspiration. The shape is Chinese from the seventeenth century (see image 10), while the iron red colour is found on Chinese pieces two hundred or more years later. Combining this with a white ‘crackle glaze’, also well known from Chinese ceramics, was Jouvin’s own idea completing the mix of ancient and modern. Marked as from the Asiatides range with the stylised ‘A’, pieces like these are no longer available currently implying that they were probably made early on in her association with the firm and now have a uniqueness of their own.
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.
Japanese Arita Dish circa 1880
Price: £45
A Japanese Arita circular dish, stoutly potted and with a lightly scalloped rim, decorated in underglaze blue with the addition of green, blue and brick red enamels all highlighted in gold, the central roundel with a basket of flowers surrounded by three large panels with a duck, rocks and flowers, interspersed with arrow head panels with stylised flowers and separated by three smaller geometric shape panels again with stylised flowers, the reverse with three pairs of two of the eight ‘precious objects’ (cash, double lozenge) in underglaze blue.
The town of Arita in the former Hizen Province, northwestern Kyūshū island was a major cente for the production of porcelains in Japan. Best known for blue and white pieces it also produced polychrome wares as well, including the familiar imari colourings. While similar to Imari, the wider palette of colours used here is usually termed ‘Arita’ and the decorative appeal of the style is clear. This plate probably comes from an original set of five and its quality is much above average. Dating is to the Meiji era (1868 - 1912) probably around 1880.
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
Egyptian Revival filigree cuff bracelet 1930s
Price: £95
This is a very unusual statement bracelet comprising alternating filigree stations. The round stations have a central incised portrait of Nefertiti and the ingot shape stations have the typical papyrus design. The bracelet has Egyptian hallmarks indicating a dating to the 1930s.
Large Islamic silver necklace with heart shaped box c1920
Price: £85
This is a very large statement necklace comprising a detailed pendant that is a tubular piece set with malachites stones with handing drops. There is a very large hard shaped pendant attached that is a box with a red fabric interior. This may have some religious signficance such as a prayer box. This is set with beautiful agate stone that is also heart shaped. The pandant has filigree work on both the pieces of the pendant. It comes with its original herringbone style chain. This does not appear to be silver like the pendant. The pendant is 800 silver so a slightly lower grade fo 925 or sterling silver.
Two Carnival Glass Vases, Marigold, probably Fenton USA, early C20th
Price: £55
These are two fine examples of so called ‘carnival’ glass. The forms are similar, a tall columnar like body, slightly tapering inwards to the spreading base and flaring outwards to the broad crimped rim, but one has a plainer panelled body and the other is fluted. Carnival glass is moulded or pressed glass to which an iridescent surface shimmer has been applied, which can be seen very clearly here. The technique was developed by the American firm, Fenton Art Glass Company, in 1908. Sales were initially sluggish but when the wares were discounted in price they rapidly gained in popularity and were then manufactured in great numbers over a period of approximately twenty five years. The aim was to recreate the effects of the much more expensive blown iridescent glass by makers such as Tiffany, leading to the unfortunate designation ‘poor man’s Tiffany’, but the modest purchase price allowed a wide circulation amongst the enthusiastic buyers. Various American firms produced these pieces which were then mass produced around the world. The term ‘Carnival’ was adopted in the 1950s and derives from the fact that these pieces were often given out as prizes at carnivals, fetes, and fairgrounds but originally the majority of them were bought as decoration for the home. Few pieces are marked, but the colourings here match the ‘Marigold’ tones produced by Fenton in the 1920s and these vases were most likely made by them.
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.
Japanese Imari Dish in the form of a Treasure Boat ‘Takarabune’, Meiji Period, circa 1900
Price: £250
A Japanese Imari Dish in the form of a Treasure Boat, the body shallow potted with a modelled stern and prow, the decoration in the typical ‘Imari’ palette of underglaze blue, iron red and gold with the addition of small areas of green enamel, the exterior sides decorated with stylised waves and sea spray in underglaze blue, the interior with a fabric derived ‘brocade’ design of floral panels with two ‘ho ho’ birds within a border of repeated roundels with lozenge on a blue and gilt ground, the flat base unglazed.
In Japanese folklore, the Takarabune or "Treasure Ship", is a mythical ship piloted through the heavens by the Seven Lucky Gods during the first three days of the New Year. Ceramic boat shape dishes were produced during the Meiji period (1868-1912) in both Arita and Imari porcelains. Paste of the foot rim and style of decoration suggest a circa date here towards the end of the nineteenth century.
Vintage Carved wood bust of a Lady, Bali, Indonesia, second half C20th
Price: £75
A finely carved wood bust with a rich patina and veining of a young woman wearing traditional headdress. The style of this piece indicates that it was the work of a Balinese craftsman. The island of Bali in Indonesia has a rich tradition of wood carving dating back hundreds of years. Known in the Balinese language as 'Batuan', wood carving has its roots in Bali's
Hindu-Buddhist culture. Typically, the pieces are made from hardwoods with a coarse grain including teak, chempaka wood and sandalwood. The decorative grain effects here, though, suggest mahogany and the highly polished finish is quite striking and far less commonly found today. Dating is probably to the 1960s but the aura of calm contemplation recalls Chinese pieces of an earlier era.
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!
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
Stunning Art Deco onyx and rock crystal necklace
Price: £250
This is a gorgeous necklace comprising large carved "pumpkin" shaped stones in onyx and rock crystal with spacing beads. The clasp is integrated into one of the onyx beads so it looks as beautiful from the back as it does from the front. This necklace has been constructed from the large beads which are from the Art Deco period c. 1930 with modern spacer beads which are rock crystal and black tourmaline. The necklace has been restrung using modern techniques.
Pair of French Blue Ground Square Vases Choisy Le Roi, late C19th
Price: £45
A Pair of Vases of squared baluster form with flaring necks and short spreading feet, the mazarine blue glaze decorated in thickly applied enamels with a central design of birds nesting on flowering branches with insects hovering, surrounded by three panels of flowering branches, the central design also highlighted in gold. One of the vases with a stamped triangular mark,
slightly indistinct but doubtless reading 'HB' 'Choisy' for the French ceramics factory Choisy Le Roi.
Faience pottery was first produced in Choisy-le-Roi, France, in 1804. By 1836, the factory came under the management of Louis Boulenger who was succeeded in 1863 by his son Hippolyte
Boulenger. By that time, the factory had some three hundred employees. Much of the production was of majolica pieces whose quality matched that of the major British manufacturers.
When marked, the pieces bear a stamped ‘Choisy le Roi’ or ‘Choisy’ impression and and may include the letters 'HB' which presumably stands for Hippolyte Boulenger. Blue glazed pieces
with gilt and enamel decoration are found and this is what we have here, the narrrow elegant form suggesting pieces suitable for the mantel piece. Dating is probably to the end of the nineteenth century.
Two Ceramic Jugs with Erotic Decoration, continental perhaps German, circa 1900
Price: £25
Two ceramic jugs, the first of near globular form with a narrow concave neck and a flaring rim with a simple loop handle to the shoulder, blue glazed with a biscuit design to the reverse of a cherub kissing a man, the unglazed base with incised numbers '186 [??] 2' and the second of a slender ovoid urn shape with a wavy edge rim and a modelled loop handle to the shoulder, green glazed with traces of gilding, much worn off, and with a biscuit design to the reverse of a man seated with something in his hand which could be interpreted as a flower or just possibly the male member.
These pieces represent something of a puzzle. Seen the right way round (with the handle on the right) they are plain and the decoration only reveals itself on the reverse. This suggests a playful intent to conceal which, when combined with the subject matter, suggests something a bit ‘naughty’ which could confirm the second interpretation of what the seated man is holding! The paste, and general style of the pieces, looks continental and a German origin might be a good guess, but no more than that. The blue glazed jug has an impressed mark to the base ‘186 [plus an unidentifiable number]’ which might be the date but is more likely the pattern number; a dating of around 1900 for both seems reasonable - certainly there is an ‘old’ look to the pieces. There are one or two similar examples but little in the way of firm information. One for a collector to puzzle out!
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.
Silver Art Nouveau Mucha style brooch c1910
Price: £35
This is a very lovely and substantial brooch depicting a female profile very much in the style of Alphonse Mucha (1860 - 1939). It is unmarked continental sliver.
Small circular ceramic plaque after Fragonard marked Limoges, framed, late C20th
Price: £25
The scene reproduced here is found on many porcelain and occasionally glass shapes dating from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, most of them made in one or other of the workshops at Limoges, France. Often referred to as a ‘Courting Couple’ we see here a lady and gentleman in eighteenth centur dress in a rustic garden setting with trees and an architectural niche in the backgound. The lady is seated listening to the standing gentleman who is playing a musical instrument, perhaps a guitar or a lute. The composition is loosely base on a picture by the famous eightenth century artist French Fragonard entitled ‘The Music Contest’ (see image 7). Not all of these pieces are very old and this one probably dates to the late twentieth century. The frame with a gilt metal border at the front, which is marked ‘Danish Design’ is consistent with this. Marked ‘Limoges’ on the front (other examples have ‘Fragonard’ in addition) this plaque is also marked ‘Meissner’ ‘Limoges’ ‘France’ to the reverse which confirms the provenance of a piece which is a modest reflection of the eighteenth century rococo style.
Amber statement necklace with round drops c1960
Price: £65
This is a really fun necklace comprising stations of large flat amber round beads that are honey coloured. They are strung as stations on brass fittings.
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.
A Large Islamic Pewter Ewer, C20th
Price: £45
A pewter ewer with a globular shape body above a flaring foot, rising to a slender neck with a collar and slightly flaring out at the top, the conical lid hinged and with a knop finial, an ‘S’ curved handle to the reverse and a slender tapering spout with a zoomorphic terminal, the whole decorated with bands of impressed stylised foliage. The form of this ewer is typical of middle eastern designs and occurs in a multitude of variants adopting the same basic format. Provenance and dating are uncertain but a Turkish origin seems likely, perhaps from the mid C20th. The use of pewter rather than brass gives a slightly rustic feel and enhances the middle eastern origins of the piece.
Victorian book chain with locket c1900
Price: £350
This is an outstanding example of a book chain with its locket. These types of necklaces were very popular during the Victorian period and each one has different ornate links ending in a central drop, as you see here. The link is a star link with silver balls attached. The locket has engraving and small silver balls around the edge to mirror the chain. The chain is very sturdy and is held together by two silver ring clasps.
Three Indian Brass hanging plates, Thanjavur, C20th
Price: £55
Three circular brass wall plates, similarly decorated, with central designs of deities surrounded by panels of birds and scrolling foliage, all worked in high relief, the backs with rings for hanging and one with an engraved mark ‘INDIA’.
The style of decoration here is typical of the art brass hanging plaques produced by the metalworkers of Thanjavur, formerly known as Tanjore, from the late eighteenth century onwards. A Tanjore Art Plate consists of three components: the base plate (brass), a circular central relief panel of a deity worked in silver surrounded by relief panels in copper and silver often depicting flowers. Various deities are depicted here including the well known many armed Shiva. All the reliefs have milled borders but the wells are finished differently, some with engraved designs and one with circular bosses. Dating is probably to the mid C20th but the style of these pieces was continuous and relatively unchanging so an earlier period of manufacture is quite possible.
NB Stands for display purposes only and not included
Pair of fine quality Japanese Bronze Vases decorated birds, circa 1880
Price: £220
A pair of Japanese bronze vases of angular baluster form with stepped bases, a concave neck and a stepped flaring rim, the necks with applied cast handles in the form of cranes and the front and reverse with raised cast decoration of birds amidst plants and flowers. Vases in bronze, usually with applied cast decoration and elaborate handles, were a staple production of Japanese metalware manufacturers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, essentially for export to the West. Some of the pieces attained nearly art studio status but many were fairly routine and some rather hastily produced with poor materials. These vases are well above average with good quality bronze in an attractive patina cast in an imaginative and pleasing shape. The applied decoration is well defined with good detailing and the ornate handles effectively offset the clean lines of the shape. Attractive ornaments in their time this pair of vases would be an elegant enhancement for a contemporary interior.
Pair of Georgian Style Square Gilt Bronze Table Salts, English C19th
Price: £45
A pair of gilt bronze table Salts of square form with openwork sides decorated with stylised scrolling foliage, flaring below to a pedestal base with paw feet, one edge with milling, and above to the squared top rim. The paw feet and general solidity to the decoration suggest the Georgian style but these pieces may have been made later in the nineteenth century. The square form is most unusual and the openwork sides clearly held a container, possibly metal but most probably glass, for the salt itself. The milling to the edge of just one of the sides is something of a mystery; it has been suggested, though, that it might have been done to assist an owner with impaired vision, perhaps to distinguish one vessel from another if they were actually used to contain different condiments. Be that as it may, if not necessarily for practical use today, these pieces make an elegant accessory with a true sense of the antique.
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'.
Art Deco beaded bag with celluloid frame
Price: £25
This is a wonderful bag in beautiful condition. It comprises all over bead work with geometric designs with the original beaded handle
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.
Burgundy Leather Jewellery Box with Bramah Lock, early C20th
Price: £95
This is a fine quality jewellery box covered in red burgundy leather. The rectangular base is fitted with a shallow flush lid bevelled at the front and back and attached by brass lever hinges. The front of the base has a lock marked ‘Bramah’ with the original key and the lid an inset brass handle, the surface of which would have been suitable for the engraving of the owner’s initials. Inside are two removable trays, the top one with compartments for jewellery and a circular holder for a watch. The linings of the box and trays are in burgundy leather and velvet. There are many features here of a ‘deluxe’ item, in particular the ‘Bramah’ lock, known for its high security, and the lever hinges. The box most likely dates to the early 1900s and would clearly have been sold by a purveyor of ‘luxury’ items for a wealthy clientele. It retains, of course, its functionality today.
Sowerby Amber Glass Centrepiece circa 1930
Price: £75
This set comprises a standing figure of a young boy, nude and holding a kid or young goat, mounted on a round plinth with ten pierced holes, combined with a centrepiece bowl with rounded modelled walls and a crimped edge rim, the interior with a central starburst design suurounded by a stylised floral border. Both pieces are made from pressed amber glass with a matt finish and resemble very closely pieces made by the Sowerby factory in the 1930s.
The Sowerby family came from the North West of England near Carlisle and settled in Gateshead in the late eighteenth century. The firm Sowerby Glassworks is known from 1807 onwards and continued production until 1972, concentrating on pressed glass. Catalogues of their wares still exist and they produced pieces in a wide variety of styles and shapes which retain their popularity today.
The centrpiece figurine, which was intended as a flower holder or ‘frog’, is rather unusual; normally the figures are female but the style of the modelling is identical. Similar designs to the bowl can be found in a 1936 catalogue but versions of it even appear in another catalogue from 1882. Many centrepiece/bowl combinations are found and some of them are not always original. This may possibly be the case here but if so the ‘match’ is extremely pleasing to the eye and the two elements set one another off perfectly to produce a striking example of Art Deco decorative design.
Wall Vase, designed by Noomi Backhausen, Søholm Stentøj, Denmark, late C20th
Price: £95
A stoneware wall vase of flattened rounded form, decorated to the front with an abstract floral design in shades of cream, brown and blue/green, the sides and base with a brown speckle glaze and the back unglazed and pierced for hanging. On the side is the first name of the designer ‘Noomi’ and at the back are impressed script marks ‘Søholm’ ‘Denmark’ ‘Stentøj’ with the numbers ‘3575’ for the model.
The company Søholm Stentøj was founded by Herman Sonne Wolffsen and Edvard Christian Sonne in 1835 at Rønne, the principal town of Bornholm, a Danish island off the south coast of Sweden. One of the most respected of the Danish potteries it continued producing a wide range of ceramics until the firm closed in 1996. Noomi Backhausen was a designer for Søholm from 1966 to 1990 and set up her own pottery in Rønne in 1996 after the closure of her old employers. This wall vase is a typical example of her abstract organic designs and would be a worthy addition to a collection of twentieth century Danish design.
Small Art Deco wrist bag with Bakelite closure, French 1920s
Price: £35
This is a lovely small bag that is made from taffeta in the form of a gathered sack with a strap handle. The interesting feature is the large carved Bakelite closure in black and white. It is lined in a woollen fabric as the original lining, traces of which remain, has been removed as it must have degraded. Although quite small for today's requirements still quite usable and definitely a collectible piece!
Russian Enamel Brooch, probably Rostov Finift, mid C20th
Price: £20
This delicate brooch with its elaborate filigree work has a circular painted enamel plaque painted in greens, pinks, light brown and yellow with scrolling lotus flowers and surrounded by fine silver decoration, with scrolling rope twist strands and slender milled ribbons inset with beads. The style and composition, combining enamel and silver work, is typical of the Russian maker ‘Rostov Finift’ (‘finift’ comes from the Greek ‘fingitis’ which means ‘gleaming’) many of whose pieces can be found on the market today. The art of painting on enamel was first developed in Rostov Veliky (125 miles northwest of Moscow) in the 18th century and continued thereafter with pieces of jewellery, made by Rostov Finift and in which enamels are surrounded by elaborate filigree work, appearing in quantity after the second World War. The pieces are not signed and attribution is mainly speculative but this brooch has much in common with other pieces believed to have been made by the same factory.
Chinese Straw Thread Picture on Silk, framed in original box, late C20th
Price: £45
This is an attractive picture of Chinese Junks moored by a river bank with birds settled on one and seen flying away in the distance. The technique is unusual. On a silk ground, the detail of the image is rendered in fine straw threads with some of the features coloured in underneath. Great skill would have been required to work in this medium and far fewer examples exist than of the more standard silk thread images. The composition is pleasing but the clean, almost ‘modern’ lines of the picture suggest mid to late C20th work. The picture is fitted into a contemporary Chinese fabric covered box suggesting that it was it is framed in China at the same time as its production.
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
Pair of Art Deco style Wall Pocket Vases, Poole Pottery, mid C20th
Price: £55
A pair of wall pocket vases of urn form with scrolling handles, a crimped base and a scalloped top, the backs flat with one pierced hole for hanging, kiln spur marks and impressed marks ‘POOLE ENGLAND’ ‘879’ and a stamped mark ‘C 54’, both glazed in shades of cream and brown. Poole Pottery began production in 1873 and continued into and throughout the twentieth century, suffering vicissitudes and even periods of liquidation in more recent years but still continuing production to this day. The design of these wall pockets has an Art Deco feel and may have been originally created in the 1930s but was still being made into the 1950s. The two colour or ‘twintone’ decoration was also first produced in the 1930s and the form of the marks here, where the just the factory name appears without the ubiquitous dolphin, may well indicate a pre war rather than post war dating. The impressed numbers indicate the model number and the stamped mark the colour scheme. Pairs of these wall pockets in good condition are not often found and the particular colour range here, which is rather pleasing, is unusual. Desirable items, then for collectors of Poole Pottery but also with a general decorative appeal.
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, 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.
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.
American Art Deco silver and marcasite brooch
Price: £35
This is a very interesting brooch in an Art Deco architectural design. It comprises marcasite and paste stones set into silver. It is marked Sterling which indicates that it is American. A real find the vintage collector.
Chinese Soapstone Brushwasher with flowering lotus, early C20th
Price: £95
A Chinese soapstone brush washer unusually modelled as a rounded triangular shallow basin in the form of a lotus leaf, footed and with a sprig of flowering lotus growing upwards from it with a vase behind in the form of lotus leaves. The skill of the carver is self evident and the design has been very carefully conceived, artistically employing the varied detail of the natural stone from which the piece was made. 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. This piece is an excellent example of the genre and has survived in pristine condition to become a scholar’s object from the past which can be enjoyed and appreciated today. Production of soapstone carvings continued into the twentieth century and this is probably what we have here but almost certainly from the early years of the period.
Victorian marquetry miniature table top games table
Price: £75
This is a very unusual miniature table top games table comprising a beautiful marquetry design ready for chess or any game. It is an octagon shape with eight legs. Could be a cabinet maker's example of a large table.
