West German ceramic Vase, Scheurich, No 290-40, 1960s
Price: £55
A large ceramic vase with a broad ovoid body flaring out towards the rim, the lower half covered in a mottled mustard/orange glaze which merges into a band of rocky texture drip glaze in greys and brown, the interior glazed brown and the mustard/orange glaze of the base with the moulded marks ‘290-40’ ‘W GERMANY’.
Although not marked as such, this vase has all the hallmarks of the firm Scheurich Keramik which started production in 1954, rather later than most of its competitors, but soon became the largest producer of commercial art pottery in Germany. Their pieces rarely carried the factory name but usually the model number followed by the height in centimetres with ‘W.Germany’ below, as here. Scheurich were well known for producing a wide variety of pieces with variegated, almost experimental glazes and this vase is yet another successful example of their work, the simple lines of form combining with a more austere selection of glaze effects than found in some of their other pieces. Dating is to the 1960s.
Strand of Chinese ceramic beads c1950
Price: £25
This is a lovely necklace comprising 19 barrel shaped ceramic beads with vulcanite spacer beads. The ceramic beads are chinese porcelain with Famille Rose style decoration. This necklace has not clasp but will fit over the head.
Mounted aquatint engraving of a Courting Couple, signed, probably French C20th
Price: £45
The aquatint process is similar to that of engraving but it is powdered resin rather than a needle which is used to create the desired print effect and it is areas of colour which are produced here rather than an outline design. Often, though, the two techniques are combined, as in this print. Within an oval frame are depicted in pastel tones of blue, yellow and green a courting couple in eighteenth century dress. Boucher springs to mind but perhaps we are closer to Fragonard since the scene depicted is not wholly innocent. The lady’s right breast is clearly exposed and her right hand rather artfully placed. Perhaps this explains the slightly surprised expression on the young man’s face. The general style indicates much more modern work of course, perhaps to the mid C20th, but the artist, who signs his name as ‘Ceilli’, could well have been of the same nationality as his more famous predecessors. Certainly, he has produced a work of impish charm.
Set of Three Empire Porcelain Company Biscuit Jars circa 1900
Price: £120
This is a set of three biscuit jars each of rounded straight sided barrel form, one squat, and fitted with brass lids and loop handles. The light blue, or teal, ground is decorated with a central circular panel depicting a mythological scene, the largest showing the three graces and the other two a pair of classical lovers perhaps Cupid and Psyche in one, within white dot and gilt borders. The bases all have printed marks (some slightly indistinct), a crown above a banner reading ‘EMPIRE WARE’, the cipher monogram ‘E’ ‘P’ ‘C’ and a further banner reading ‘STOKE ON TRENT’ with ‘ENGLAND’ below. Two also have the written mark ‘300/4479’ which is presumably the pattern or model number.
The Empire Porcelain Company was established in 1896 at the Empire Works in Stoke Road, Hanley, Stoke on Trent. A wide range of pottery and porcelain was subsequently produced until the factory’s closure in 1967. The various marks include the initials EPC, EP or the word Empire. The form of the mark seen here occurs on the earliest pieces made between 1896 and 1912. Blue ground pieces with mythological scenes were produced in a variety of forms during this period, some decorative, such as ornamental vases, and some more practical, as here : modest but graceful accessories for the Edwardian drawing room.
Set of five small landscape paintings attributed to Charles Boyland Turner, C20th
Price: £110
While ‘antique’ in appearance, both in respect of the frames and the style of the paintings themselves, this set of small landscape compositions most likely date to the mid to late years of the twentieth century. As the inscriptions on the backs indicate, all five display Norfolk scenes and are attributed to the artist Charles Boyland Turner. Charles Turner seems to have painted many Norfolk landscape scenes and his pictures sometimes appear at auction. The style is always similar, traditional and with a nineteenth century ‘feel’, but Charles Turner worked in acrylic rather than oil paint, a much more modern medium, and was the author of a book on the subject, ‘Painting Miniatures in Acrylics’, published in 1990 whose cover displays an image very similar to these. Accordingly, while little is known about him, his work is relatively recent which is not to say that it is without its attraction. The five scenes depicted here are extremely pleasing. Many, but not all, of his pieces are signed but these are not, perhaps because of the size, and we have to take the labelling on trust. The close similarity with signed works, though, gives little reason to doubt the attribution.
Group of Three Chinese carved bone Horses with wood stands, probably mid C20th
Price: £30
This is a group of three bone horses carved in China most likely in the 1930s/1940s. The patina is attractive and the three different poses imaginatively created. One horse is shown grazing, another standing with his head turned back and the third galloping with his tail upraised. These are almost certainly three from an original set of eight which would have represented the famous 'Eight Horses of Wang Mu', so often depicted in Chinese Art. The Emperor Mu of the Zhou dynasty (1023-983 BC) was the subject of a romance legend in which he sought to visit the heavenly paradise and taste the peaches of immortality. A charioteer named Zaofu used his chariot drawn by eight horses to carry Wang Mu to his desired destination and the legend was then perpetuated in Chinese Art. As well as being found in Chinese painting and on Chinese porcelains, the horses were also the subject of Chinese sculptors working in ivory, bone and even wood. Many of these small groups exist and most are no more than a hundred years old. The style here and the form of the fitted wood stands suggests mid C20th work, probably as tourist souvenirs. While missing their companions, this group still enjoy a unity of their own and make a highly decorative ensemble.
French Orientalist etching aquatint - Paris La Rue Saint Rustique
Price: £35
This is a beautile small etching aquatint that is signed. One reverse is the printers label of "Georges Hautecoer & Co. Gravures Encadements 172 Rue de Rivoli Paris". It is a scene of a very famous street in the Monmarte district of Paris. The signature is illegible but it is lovely quality.
Japanese Carved Wood Figure of a Young girl, Kokeshi doll style, C20th
Price: £45
This is a rather charming carved wood figure of a young girl standing dressed in an elaborate robe decorated with floral blooms and fan shape panels in blue with floral designs. She holds something in her hands (an offering?) and looks out expectantly. The naif style resembles closely the kokeshi dolls that have been made in Japan for more than 150 years as children's toys but the portrayal is much more lifelike than that of its abstract counterparts. Dating is probably to the mid twentieth century.
Chinese carved wood Box decorated Dragons, early C20th
Price: £150
A Chinese wood box with a hinged lid of rectangular form, deeply carved with dragon designs , a large sinuous example on the lid, his scales graphically depicted, within a border of bats and floral rosettes, the sides with smaller companions, two confronting at the front and rear between a shield, with a circular geometric motif at the corners, the interior with another large example slightly stylised and wrapped round a large circular panel, perhaps intended to be carved to display the name of the owner. The richly coloured wood is a form of the rosewood used so often by the makers of the furniture and decorative items intended for export and the style of the carving, accomplished but not with the finest detail, suggests early twentieth century work. But this in no way detracts from a rather striking creation intended for the foreign market.
Metropolitan Museum of Art Egyptian Hieroglyphic wall plaque c2000
Price: £20
This is a very detailed plaque that depicts an Egyptian owl. It is a replica from Tutenkhamun's tomb that was issued by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
A group of twenty assorted artists Stamps in H&R Johnson sample Box, C20th
Price: £75
This is a most interesting group of stamps, possibly intended for tiles, nearly all with naturalistic designs of trees or stylised floral emblems. Twelve are mounted on thick clear plastic or perspex blocks while the remainder are mounted on wood. Examples of the pressed designs can be seen in images 1 and 2 and their appeal is obvious. The stamps are contained in a wooden box with the name of the well known tile manufacturers H&R Johnson Ltd printed on the front with the words ‘ceramic glazed tiles’ below. H&R Johnson began trading in 1901 and are still producing tiles in imaginative and innovative designs today. The box was clearly for tile samples rather than stamps and was presumably adapted by the owner of these stamps to hold his small collection. Perhaps this is why the three central dividers are missing (the grooves for them can be clearly seen in image 3); their presence would not have allowed all the stamps to fit inside! This assembled collection with its impromptu container was clearly used by an enthusiastic amateur artist. Both the box and the stamps look to have been made in the 1950s or 1960s and were clearly well used. Printing block stamps can be much in demand today and there is a family firm, Stamped in Tradition, based in London and Devon who produce a truly vast selection of handmade pieces in bronze, some of which are similar in design to some of the stamps in this box (see images 9,10). The tradition truly lives on then, and this collection allows the opportunity for experimentation today in an age old craft.
Minton Indian Tree Pattern Pitcher and Basin circa 1900
Price: £350
The so called ‘Indian Tree’ pattern, fusing elements of Indian and Chinese designs, was a staple in the repertoire of many of the English potteries in the nineteenth century. Minton’s version was amongst the finest and is used here to decorate a pitcher and basin from an original toilet set. Surviving in pristine condition, the pieces are an imposing example of a Victorian pattern once so popular, with striking decorative appeal for a contemporary setting.
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The celebrated firm of Mintons was founded by in 1793 by Thomas Minton (1765–1836) at Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England as ‘Thomas Minton and Sons’, producing earthenware. The initial ranges were standard tablewares in blue transfer-printed or painted earthenware, including the ever-popular Willow pattern. By the mid nineteenth century and in partnership with Michael Hollins, Mintons began the production of decorative finishes for the interior and in particular floor tiles which enjoyed enormous demand and were the subject of numerous prestigious commissions including a contract for the flooring of the American Capitol. This was followed by the introduction of the plain white glazed ‘Parian’ wares and then the Italian inspired ‘majolica’ pieces with their richly coloured lead glazes. Mintons continued to follow popular trends, working with Christopher Dresser, recruiting Louis Solon from Sevres who had developed pâte-sur-pâte wares and finally contributing to Art Nouveau ceramics with a speciality in secessionist wares.
But the manufacture of tableware continued alongside all these other developments and Mintons adopted and adapted the popular ‘Indian Tree’ pattern which was first produced by Coalport in 1801. This design fused elements from Indian textiles and Chinese ceramics into an amalgam with immediate appeal. The pattern includes the crooked branch of a tree and a partial landscape including exotic flowers and leaves with a palette of colours emphasising green, blue, pink, and orange, resembling quite closely the Chinese export wares decorated in ‘Famille Rose’ enamels which had been exported to Europe in great quantities in the eighteenth century. Many of Coalport’s rivals, including Spode, Wedgwood and Royal Worcester produced their own versions of the design, but Mintons’ interpretation was held to be one of the most successful.
It was used by Mintons to decorate a variety of shapes, mainly dinner and tea wares, but the toilet pitcher and matching basin are seldom found in this pattern. Both the forms are extremely elegant, the pitcher with light fluting, a scalloped rim and a complementary handle, while the basin, also lightly fluted, employs simple lines with a turnover rim which follow the shape of a Chinese original. All the standard elements of the pattern can be seen, in particular the twisted tree, and the diaper work borders again reflect Chinese originals.
Both pieces are marked with the pattern number ‘T 216’ and a Minton stamp, the form of which allows fairly accurate dating. The globe topped by a crown with the banner ‘Mintons’ was used from 1873-1912 but ‘England’ was only added after 1891, giving a circa date in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, probably around 1900. The original toilet set, which would have included the pitcher and basin along with, probably, a chamber pot, a soap dish, candlesticks and other accessories, was clearly a ‘deluxe’ item at the time and its quality is still apparent today when it can be enjoyed simply for its decorative appeal and as a reminder of a past era of grandeur.
Egyptian Silver Pill Box with Mother of Pearl Inlay, marked, second half C20th
Price: £45
An oval silver box and cover, the lid with an inlaid mother of pearl design comprising geometric shapes which combine to produce a 3D ‘trompe l’oeil’ effect of solid shapes within a rope twist border, the exterior of the lid with a small stamped mark and the interior of the box with three small stamped marks. The markings here, which can be seen on other examples indicate that we have Egyptian work and there are a fair number of similar silver boxes but more commonly in a round shape. They are usually dated to the mid twentieth century. The quality of the craftsmanship is obvious and the form and decoration make this a highly desirable collector’s item.
Pair of Chelsea style Figures of a Country Couple, probably Samson late C19th
Price: £55
This is an attractive pair of small porcelain figures depicting a Country Couple, both in bright day clothes, the young man with a dog and playing the flute and the young lady holding a goat. Each stand on oval bases, gilt rimmed and with a raised geometric pattern and each is marked with a gold anchor to the reverse. Students of ceramics will immediately recognise the Gold Anchor mark as that found on Chelsea porcelain made during the period 1756 to 1769 but these figures are a hundred years later or more and probably made by the well known ‘Samson’ factory of France (Samson, Edmé et Cie) which produced skilful reproductions and recreations of English, European and Oriental porcelains during the nineteenth century and beyond. Samson pieces tend to have a much harder paste than that of their originals, their glazes are more glossy and the colours often more vivid. All these characteristics can be seen here but there were other manufacturers in France making these derivative copies as well and in the absence of a Samson mark, which was not always applied to their work, certainty is impossible. But this should not detract from quality and charm of this pair of figures which can appeal to amateurs and professional collectors alike.
Japanese Awata ware Teapot and Cover, signed, circa 1900
Price: £25
An earthenware teapot of rounded cylindrical form, curving in at the base and with a flush fitting lid, the handle, spout and lid finial all modelled to imitate bamboo, the beige ground with a minute craquelure and with polychrome enamel decoration of birds and reeds, the modelled bamboo attachments glazed green and a sketchy signature in iron red at the base of the handle. The Awata district of Kyoto, Japan, was the home to many famous kilns including those run by various members of the Kinkozan family. Some of their Satsuma productions were of extremely high quality, indeed prize winning and in great demand from Western collectors which has continued until the present day. Other kilns produced more modest Satsuma wares for export and some are marked with the same maker’s name as their more illustrious counterparts. This teapot, not marked Kinkozan, is a typical example, originally deriving from a small tea service decorated in the same pattern. The signature, hastily drawn, is either that of the decorator or the merchant shop which sold the ware. These pieces too seem to have been popular with Western buyers and are still collected today.
Edwardian large text magnifying glass with horn handle, early C20th
Price: £25
This is an unusually large magnifying glass that has a buffalo horn as a handle. The large lens itself is set in brass with a brass attachment fitting to the handle. It would most likely have been used to read a newspaper by those for whom the text was too small and its size would have made it hard to misplace. Dating is probably to the early years of the twentieth century, the era of the celebrated Edwardian detective, Sherlock Holmes!
Chinese Cinnabar Lacquer Egg, C20th
Price: £55
A Chinese cinnabar lacquer egg, deeply carved with peony and prunus flowers within stylised scrolling foliage, the top and bottom with geometric form ‘shou’ medallions. The technique of lacquer carving (lacquer being the sap of a species of tree native to southern China, but also found elsewhere, which dries to a plastic which can be coloured and carved) was practised by the Chinese from the 12th Century onwards and has continued even into modern times. This egg is an example of their rather later creations but reflects techniques developed over many hundreds of years. There is symbolism here, prunus representing winter and peony spring with the ‘shou’ medallions standing for long life, so perhaps a good luck charm was intended. Dating is probably to the later twentieth century, perhaps the 1970s and if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, copies of the model, rather inferior in quality, were produced by the well known firm, Franklin Mint.
Three Powder Boxes, gilt metal, alabaster and porcelain, mid C20th
Price: £45
A group of three contrasting powder boxes all probably dating to the mid twentieth century. (1) Gilt metal with elaborate stylised floral designs, the lid with a petit point floral tapestry, English (2) Alabaster with a design of roses to the lid, Italian (3) Porcelain with a courting couple depicted on the lid, deep red ground with gilt floral decoration and gilt tripod feet, French, Limoges and marked underneath ‘Table et Décor’ ‘LIMOGES’ ‘FRANCE’.
Navajo suite of Necklace and Earrings set with sleeping beauty turquoise, 1990s
Price: £250
This is a beautiful and high quality suite of a silver necklace and matching earrings set with ‘Sleeping Beauty’ turquoise. The necklace has three linked stations employing the overlay technique of building up different layers on the design, which represents flying eagles against a background of stylised clouds. Both the necklace and earrings are fitted with bright blue turquoise bead drops, the purity and colour of the stone indicating a provenance from the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ mine, located in Globe, Arizona, which was the only source for turquoise of this type and closed in 2012 enhancing the rarity of the stone today. For many years it was extremely popular among Native American artists, particularly from the Zuni Pueblo region.
The Navajo are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States with the largest reservation in the country, mainly concentrated in Arizona and New Mexico. Their silverwork, which they began to produce in the late C19th, came to enjoy great popularity and often employed the use of turquoise. This matching suite is an excellent example of their work. The necklace is marked ‘Sterling’ for 925 silver and the same material would have been used throughout, providing a perfect backdrop to the ‘sleeping beauties’.
Pair of Lovatt and Lovatt Langley Mill Vases, early C20th
Price: £110
A pair of earthenware vases of tapering ovoid form, with globular necks and a flaring rim, the bodies decorated with peach enamelled impasto flowers and green leaves with gilded accents on a dark blue background with ‘threaded’ textures, the neck and rim glazed brown, the bases unglazed and with impressed marks ‘Lovatt’, ‘Langley Mill’, ‘England’, ‘12’ and a scratched mark ‘18’ with ‘LEADLESS GLAZE’ slightly below.
The Langley Mill Pottery was located in Langley Mill, Derbyshire on the Derbyshire – Nottinghamshire border. From its establishment in 1865 to its final closure in 1982, it went through five distinct periods of ownership, producing a wide range of stoneware ranging from utilitarian items and to high quality art pottery. This pair of vases dates from the third company that traded there, Lovatt and Lovatt. The Lovatt family had entered into partnership with the owner of the founding business at Langley Mill, James Calvert. From 1895 the business was in sole control of the Lovatt family and traded as ‘Lovatt and Lovatt’ until 1935. The early years of the twentieth century proved to be something of a zenith for them and a wide range of art pottery pieces were made which enjoyed great popularity. Production techniques were streamlined without a reduction in quality and in 1905, leadless glazes were introduced. These are proudly announced on the base of this pair of vases which are an excellent example of the Lovatt and Lovatt style and probably date to 1912, indicated by the impressed numbers for that year.
Mexican Silver Bracelet with Aztec Designs, Taxco, 1950s
Price: £65
This is a fine example of a ‘classic’ bracelet design produced by the Mexican silversmiths working at Taxco, the artistic centre of Mexican silver production. The bracelet comprises four curved rectangles of silver joined with hinges and terminating in a square push clap. When assembled the pieces form a circular bracelet which sits snugly on the wrist. Each piece has an engraved design employing Aztec motifs, so often a source for decoration on Taxco jewellery, key pattern between a triangular and a stylised floral motif on a ground etched to imitate stone. The square clasp is stamped at the back with a diamond tablet with the characters ‘GURDO925’‘FP’ and an eagle mark 4. Dating is most likely to the 1950s. FP is the Taxco silversmith who would have been active in the 1940s and 50s based on this eagle mark.
Chinese Blue and White Box and Cover with pierced lid, late C20th
Price: £25
A Chinese Blue and White Box and Cover, possibly intended as an incense burner, of rounded form, the base decorated in underglaze blue with panels of dragons and flames on a diaper ground above a band of stylised waves and the lid similarly decorated with piercing to the surface, the underneath with a broad flat foot rim. The paste of the foot and style of the decoration suggest later twentieth century work and some examples are found with an affixed label which reads ‘Andrea by Sadek’.
The Charles Sadek Import Company was founded in 1936 by the father and son Charles and Norman Sadek and began by importing decorative items from Japan later broadening their range to a wider variety of suppliers including China. These pieces were sold under the ‘Andrea by Sadek’ brand, named after Norman's daughter Andrea. The business continued to a third generation until it was taken over by Fitz & Floyd in 2015.
This box, then, is a typical example of their range of wares, good quality decorative items marketed at an affordable price. The quality of these boxes can vary and this piece seems to be an above average example.
Japanese Celadon Dish decorated basket of flowers, circa 1900
Price: £45
An unusual shallow dish of lobed and fluted circular form, the rich celadon glaze decorated in underglaze blue and overglaze enamels with a basket of flowering lotus, the design slightly off centre, the reverse with a blue transfer mark representing fungus (a plant traditionally symbolising long life).
Celadon glazed wares with enamel decoration in fairly muted colours are a familiar product amongst the ceramics produced by Japanese potters at the end of the nineteenth century but examples of this type of dish are rather less commonly found. The basket of flowers is a regular decorative feature of Chinese ceramics, but given here a slightly different interpretation with the depiction of lotus, the emblem of summer. The mark probably imitates Chinese ‘commendation’ marks inscribed within the foot rim, another nod on the part of the Japanese potters towards their Chinese counterparts.
African wood figural group, Guinea c1970
Price: £35
This is a carved wood group depicitng a woman carrying water with a pig, fruit and other household implements.
Large suede pouch bag with concertina opening c1930
Price: £65
This is a wonderfully large handbag comprising a brown suede pouch with a brass opening. It is unlined.
Long lapis lazuli bead necklace c1980
Price: £30
This is very elegant necklace that features different shaped stone beads of Lapis Lazuli. These beads are very high quality with excellent colour. They are flat pebble shaped, together with square and round beads. They are connected by gold fittings with a toggle clasp.
Modernist Taxco brooch 1980s
Price: £45
This is a lovely and substantial brooch that is fashioned in a stylised bow design. It could also be worn as a pendant. It is marked 'TC-132' 'Mexico' ' 925'. The TC letters stand for the specific workshop in the Taxco region but here is no definitive list of the numbers attached, so an exact provenance is difficult to determine.
Decorative pair of Chinese ceramic figures of children, Yunu and Jintong , late C20th
Price: £45
This is an amusing pair of ceramic figures depicting the two children Yunu and Jingtong, Taoist deities well known from Chinese mythology and traditional religion. They are represented with hands clasped and attached to their arms are coins or ‘cash’ (to use the Chinese word, later adopted into the European language), considered to be good luck symbols. Yunu and Jintong were the favoured servants of the Jade Emperor and the martial God Zhenwu. They acted as guides to the underworld but also became known as the paradigm of happily married couples; pictures of them are sometimes displayed during the Chinese Sprig Festival. There are accordingly many associations with good fortune here and these pairs of figures were doubtless sold as lucky charms in the later years of the twentieth century.
Mexican Silver Bolo Tie with Aztec mask Head, Taxco, c1950
Price: £125
The word ‘bolo’ derives from ‘boleadora’, an Argentine or Uruguayan lariat or lasso and is used to describe this semi formal type of neckwear in which a cord is held together by a medallion of some sort so that it can be draped around the neck. Mexican silversmiths working at Taxco, the artistic centre of Mexican silver production, produced versions of the bolo in which the medallion is in the form of a hardstone mask head set in silver. In common with many, this piece has an aventurine hardstone face in the form of an Aztec mask framed by an elaborate silver headdress. Through this runs a black cord with silver tips at each end. The mask is stamped at the back ‘925’ ‘TAXCO’ ‘Cheo’ ‘MEXICO’ with an eagle mark 185 at the top left. Dating is most likely to the 1950s. The bolo was regarded as semi formal wear for a man but can equally, or even better, serve a decorative piece of neckwear for a lady with a distinct hint of South American style.
Pair of Beige Opaline Glass Vases, enamelled decoration, probably French late C19th
Price: £75
An elegant pair of beige glass vases of bottle form with a stepped foot, modelled collar and a tall slightly flaring neck, decorated in coloured enamels with flowering holly, the reverses plain and the top rims gilt. Opaline glass is produced by adding materials such as bone ash or lead-crystal to produce a semi opaque effect, the colour varying according to the minerals added and ranging from white through yellows, greens and blues to black. First made in Murano in the sixteenth century it was to enjoy an enormous vogue in France during the nineteenth but had also been produced in England at Bristol in the eighteenth. The delicate style of the decoration here clearly points to French work and a dating towards the end of the nineteenth century seems reasonable indeed the beginnings of the Art Nouveau can perhaps be seen here. Form, colour and decoration combine to produce a highly attractive pair of ornaments which can be enjoyed in a contemporary setting as much as they were when they were made.
Japanese Blue and White Sugar Bowl and Cover, first half C20th
Price: £25
A Japanese porcelain sugar bowl and cover of globular form, two modelled loop handles to the sides and a flush fitting lid with a squat knob, decorated in bright underglaze blue with stylised scrolling lotus, the design repeated on the lid. In common with many blue and white pieces exported from Japan in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the decoration here is not handpainted but applied with the use of a stencil which explains the slightly ‘mechanical’ effect. These sugar bowls are often paired with a cream or milk jug but do not seem to have formed part of a larger tea service. The slightly uneven profile of the handles is found elsewhere and while dating is most likely to the 1920s or 1930s this piece is still of either decorative or even practical use around a hundred years later!
Chinese Soapstone Seal with Shou Lao, C20th
Price: £45
A Chinese soapstone seal of cylindrical tubular form with the figure of Shou Lao on a pedestal, the base with incised script characters. 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) and then beyond into the twentieth century. The style of carving here, fairly coarse and lacking in detail, suggests fairly late work but is expressive, nevertheless. The figure represented is the famous god of immortality, Shou Lao. As often he is represented as an old man with a long beard, a high forehead and a bald head, carrying a peach (which represents immortality) and a staff. The pedestal is decorated with an incised stylised landscape scene and to the reverse is a circular panel containing the character ‘shou’ which means longevity. The seal characters, which unfortunately cannot be translated but probably represent the name of the owner, are stained with the red ink which would have been used when the seal was stamped.
Japanese Arita Square Sake Flask and Cover decorated flowers, C20th
Price: £25
This is a rather striking example of a Japanese sake flask of less conventional form. The slender square form rectangular body (compare lot XX) is topped with a slender slightly concave neck of gently conical form, the top capped by a stopper like cover. On one of the corners is an elaborate loop form handle and on the other a short spout. The base is flat and unglazed. The decoration is rather hybrid. The iron red and gold scrolling pattern at the top recalls kutani pieces, but the main body, with its heavily enamelled chrysanthemum heads employing a wide variety of colours, looks almost towards satsuma wares. The combination is quite arresting if not eyecatching and raises the question of whether there was once a set of cups with a matching design… The slightly ‘brassy’ look to the gilding indicates an early C20th dating but probably no later than around 1920. Best regarded, perhaps, as a functional piece of whimsy!
Bone parquetry box decorated in the manner of Fornasetti, Venetian, mid C20th
Price: £85
A rectangular box with a hinged lid, the surface covered with small bone rectangular slabs laid in a parquetry technique and decorated on the sides with an architectural design in black, the interior showing the wood body of the piece. These boxes with their bone tessera like patterns combined with scenes of buildings were made in Venice probably from the 1950s to the 1970s. Some examples have a more stylised representation, as here, and some a more realistic depiction of Venetian palaces. The stylised architectural designs recall closely the work of the Italian artist Piero Fornasetti whose atelier produced ceramic vases with very similar decoration (see image 8 for an example) although it is not suggested that these boxes were the work of Fornasetti himself. The combination of building designs on a ground of what could be held to be building blocks is ingenious and the result stylish and attractive.
Taxco suite of necklace and earrings, malachite and onyx stations, 1990s
Price: £250
This is a quite rare suite of necklace and earrings that come from the Taxco region of Mexico. Both comprise stations of malachite and onyx that go all the way around each piece. The stations are each individually hinged which gives these pieces a fluidity and quality that only comes from the Taxco workshops. Both have the typical box clasp and are marked 'TN-57' 'Mexico' '925'. The TN number indicates the workshop although there is no definitive list regarding the numbers attached and an exact provenance cannot be determined.
Art Deco Style brown lustre glaze triangular form Vase, signed, C20th
Price: £35
There are few, if any, parallels for this unusual vase. Triangular in form it is covered in a brown lustre glaze with raised diagonal ‘slashes’ on the two front faces joined by a raised horizontal band at the reverse, both the body and the raised bands with incised abstract decoration, the reverse seemingly with the sun or moon above waves which continue round to the front. The base is unglazed with clear traces of fine fabric webbing which would have been used to assist in the firing of the piece and has a blue monogram mark ‘MC’. The interior is glazed green, again with traces of fabric webbing. The angular form suggests Art Deco but the other elements of the decoration seem rather later and certainly post war. This vase is probably European and possibly German but remains something of an enigma which does not detract, though, from its stylish design.
Indian wooden toy model of a Horse with metal fitments, early C20th
Price: £25
This is an amusing wood model of a horse, its right leg raised and the head looking expectantly forwards, the finely grained wood with metal fitments in brass and copper representing the ears, muzzle, saddle, saddle bags and tail, all with fine detailing and small nail fastenings. Many examples exist of these wood and metal horse figures which are usually held to have been made in India at Jodphur, Rajastan, in the early C20th. Presumably more intended for the local colonial audience these pieces have an obvious and wider appeal. The smaller sizes were probably intended as toys and perhaps the original owner of this piece played with it a little too vigorously which might explain the damage to the right front leg!
Two small metal perfume Flasks and Stoppers, 1920s
Price: £35
Two small metal flasks, the first in brass of rounded rectangular form with a ball shape stopper, the surface plain, and the second in copper of ovoid form again with a ball shape stopper and also a loose ring handle, the surface with beaten decoration of a repeating design of small circles. The shapes of both of these are usually described as perfume bottles which makes sense here where the stoppers are both screw top. The copper example was perhaps intended for attachment to a belt and the size of either would have made them suitable travelling accessories. Dating is probably to the 1920s and the beaten decoration of the second is a feature of pieces made under the influence of the ‘Arts and Crafts’ movement which flourished in Britain from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century.
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.
Taxco brooch with abalone shell c1950
Price: £20
This is a very striking brooch comprising a central abalone stone surrounded by leaves made of crushed lapis. It is marked on reverse Taxco with an illegible "eagle" mark. It also has bail so could be used as a pendant.
Pair of Chinese Ceramic Shoes, seal mark and with fitted box, C20th
Price: £55
An amusing pair of Chinese ceramic models of shoes or clogs, modelled in the form of a kylin head with a pronounced snout, the sides of the shoe with impressed repeating geometric patterns below a band of stylised scrolling foliage, the brightly coloured glazes all with craquelure patterning, the interior glazed turquoise with an impressed seal mark and the underneath glazed in cream, also with a small circular impressed mark. The pair are presented in a fitted box, fabric covered and silk lined, which is presumably contemporary. Neither of the marks can be deciphered and dating is uncertain, probably to the late C20th, but this does not need to detract the rather humorous design which does have at least one parallel from the C18th (see image XX)and may have been intended as a brushwasher for a scholar with something of a sense of humour.
Pair of Bohemian Harrach Glass Vases, Morocco pattern, second half C19th
Price: £95
A pair of opaque glass vases of flattened pear shape, the necks spreading slightly outwards towards the top with a cup shape rim, the white ground glass heavily enamelled with polychrome decoration, a variety of bead bordered shaped panels with yellow, blue and pink grounds dotted with stylised floral blooms. The pattern of these pieces is known as ‘Morocco’, presumably a nod towards the decorative items produced there, and can be found in the nineteenth century pattern books of the Harrach factory situated in Bohemia, now part of the Czech republic.
The Harrach glassworks is named after Alois Raimund von Harrach (Count Harrach), on whose estate it was founded in Bohemia, in the early eighteenth century. Managed at first by one Elias Muller, the firm traded under a variety of names becoming known as Harrach in the nineteenth century and Harrachov, the name eventually given to the town where the factory was situated, in the twentieth. These opulent vases were a popular part of its range in the nineteenth century, the pattern being produced in a variety of similar shapes and always as shelf ornament pieces. The decoration here is particularly lavish with an attractive use of colour and has survived in excellent condition making these a desirable addition for collectors of Bohemian glass or admirers of nineteenth century glass style generally.
Pair of Navajo Kingman turquiose earrings, signed, 1970s
Price: £65
This pair of earrings boasts 10 large cabachons of Kingman turquoise. The Kingman mine located in Arizona, is the last commercial turquoise mine in the US. It is known for its intense colour and unique matrix. These earring where produced by a Navajo silver maker. They are signed MJ which indicates the specific workshop. Marked Sterling for 925 silver.
Large Hubei turquoise silver pendant Necklace, c1960
Price: £225
This is a very large ovoid pendant with a beautiful piece of Hubei turquoise set in a beaded silver mount. It is paired with a silver herringbone chain that is not original to the piece. Both pieces are marked '925'. Hubei indicates a type of turquoise renowned for its colour and quality, from the Hubei Province of China.
Indian wooden toy model of a Horse with metal fitments, early C20th
Price: £25
This is an amusing wood model of a horse, its right leg raised and the head looking expectantly forwards, the finely grained wood with metal fitments in brass and copper representing the ears, muzzle, saddle, saddle bags and tail, all with fine detailing and small nail fastenings. Many examples exist of these wood and metal horse figures which are usually held to have been made in India at Jodphur, Rajastan, in the early C20th. Presumably more intended for the local colonial audience these pieces have an obvious and wider appeal. The smaller sizes were probably intended as toys and perhaps the original owner of this piece played with it a little too vigorously which might explain the damage to the right front leg!
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.
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.
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.
Bombay Japan pattern deep Dish, Minton or Samuel Alcock, English mid C19th
Price: £25
An earthenware deep dish of shaped oval form with moulded handles to the sides, transfer decorated in ‘flow blue’ with coloured highlights and gilt detail with a central stylised garden scene within a diaper pattern border, the rim with floral sprays and the two handles in the rococo style, the reverse plain and with a central blue transfer mark in the form of a vase with flowers and reading ‘BOMBAY’ ‘JAPAN’ with red script numbers ‘1273’. Various pieces can be found with this florid design, all with the same mark and script numbers. Attribution is either to the well known firm Minton or the factory of Samuel Alcock, whose Staffordshire pottery produced a highly popular range of pieces in the early to mid nineteenth century. Given the slightly rustic nature of this piece, the latter seems more likely. This is a serving dish from a much larger set which would have all been decorated in the same pattern. Oriental designs have been adapted to suit European taste with great aplomb and the result is both functional and attractive.
Compagnie des Indes style reticulated edge Armorial Plate, Chinese C20th
Price: £45
The general appearance here is that of a piece of Chinese Export porcelain dinner ware (the so called ‘Compagnie des Indes’ or ‘East India Company’ style) made around 1800. This plate essentially follows the late eighteenth century form, even in its openwork or reticulated edge which was not uncommon at the time although the lightly scalloped edge is anachronistic and the piece is far heavier than an original would be.. The centre is painted with an armorial crest but not, on this piece, one that can be identified indicating a ‘pseudo’ composition. The border has a repeating grape vine pattern and a band of blue enamel with stars, both typical of late C18th Chinese work, but if the front seems reasonably authentic the reverse betrays the date of manufacture with the printed wording in iron red which reads ‘For decorative purposes only’ ‘Not for food use’ [and as if that was not enough] ‘Article may poison food’. Similar wording is found on other C20th Chinese pieces and is probably indicative of a post war dating to the 1950s or 1960s. There was clearly no attempt to deceive here and the producers presumably sensed a demand for such pastiche pieces which do seem to be collectible, even today.
Native American Zuni silver cuff bracelet c1970
Price: £125
This is a stunning bracelet made by Zuni silversmiths in the area of New Mexico. It comprises a large mosaic of turquoise, mother of pearl and coral that is indicative of Zuni design and work. This mosaic is set into a silver halo of a flower and leaves, also a typical design. It is marked Sterling 925
Large amber cabochon cuff Bracelet, c1970
Price: £95
This is a lovely cuff bracelet with a delicate floral design. The star of the show is the large Baltic amber cabachon; it is extremely good quality as indicated by its inner glow. Marked '925', this elegant piece is most likely from Denmark or one of the Baltic states.
Pair cast iron Doorstops, Basket of Fruit, probably American mid C20th
Price: £45
This is a pair of doorstops made from cast iron in the form of an urn containing fruit including orange, lemon, peach and grapes, combined with foliage and flowers. Hollow at the backs, these pieces were most likely mould cast and then cold painted. Various similar compositions are found with the impressed numbers ‘456’ and a few identical ones marked ‘DONSCO’ ‘JOHN WRIGHT CAST IN USA’. ‘456’ was a model number used by the well known manufacturer of metal products, Hubley, which, like John Wright, had its premises in Pennsylvania, USA. These doorstops (at least that is how they are always termed; the weight of the pieces seems quite light to retain a heavy door) seem to have been made in the 1950s and this pair most likely originate from a manufacturer operating in the same area as the two named ones. As a pair, which is unusual, they also have decorative potential and remain in excellent condition for their age.
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.
Framed Chinese Painting of a Court Official, C20th
Price: £45
A Chinese painting on silk depicting a court official or ‘mandarin’ standing on a wooden decked veranda, dressed in his official robes with a phoenix emblem on his chest, an elaborate bead necklace round his neck and his sceptre of office by his left wrist (the hand is mysteriously lacking). A pavilion can be seen to the rear and beyond the terrace wall are reeds and flowering prunus in a stylised garden setting. The artist has caught the self important majesty of the figure who is perhaps described in the calligraphy inscription to the top right with an artist’s seal stamped in red. Perhaps a portrait but more likely a generic design, this composition probably dates to the early C20th. The frame and mount are, of course, much later but complement the image well and provide an attractive ‘ready to go’ example of Chinese decorative painting.
Chinese Calligraphy Scroll, Qing Dynasty (1636-1912)
Price: £25
This is a short scroll painting entirely composed of calligraphy. Nine lines of vertical text in flowing black ink script are flanked by two red seal marks and a black ink signature to the left and an iron red seal mark to the top right. The text is written on very thin mustard coloured silk (the colour may have darkened with time) which is mounted on a silk fabric ground with a brocade design. Below is mounted a similarly sized light aubergine panel, plain. The silk is backed by very thin light brown paper and fitted to a black lacquered wood scroll handle. From appearance this scroll, which is in rather poor condition, seems to date from at least the end of the nineteenth century but is perhaps earlier. It requires the assistance of an expert in Chinese calligraphy for further identification but may possibly reveal some hidden secrets of some interest.
Maud Frizon Handbag c2000
Price: £150
This is a lovely calfskin shoulder bag inspired 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 and her name also appears on the label inside. Maud Frizon began designing and making shoes in 1969 and her innovative and hand crafted designs were an immediate success. Bridgette Bardot was a regular customer and it was said of her shoes that they 'are to footwear what Dom Perignon is to champagne'. Frizon founded her company with her husband Luigi De Marco and they worked together for thirty years before selling the business to Helene Wajnblum-Liu and her husband in 1999. The new owners broadened the range to include handbags and expanded the chain of Frizon boutiques to include Paris, Lyon, New York, Beijing and Hong Kong where they are still to be found today.
Japanese Seto Ware Blue and White Vase, late C19th
Price: £450
Famous for over a thousand years, the ceramics produced at Seto in the Aichi prefecture, Japan, became synonymous in the late nineteenth century for high quality blue and white porcelains finely painted and produced in a wide variety of forms, some of near demonstration quality. The vase presented here is an outstanding example of their work, immaculate in both its craftsmanship and condition.
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A fine quality Japanese porcelain vase, the ovoid body with a curved flaring foot and rising to a tall concave neck with a well defined shoulder, applied elephant and ring handles to the sides and a galleried rim, decorated in bright underglaze blue with two bands of stylised flowering chrysanthemum at the top and bottom between a continuous scene of flowering peony and chrysanthemum, the top rim with repeating whorl design on the exterior and stylised leaf design inside, the stepped base glazed white.
The kilns at Seto in the Aichi prefecture of Japan and situated close to Nagoya form one of the traditional ‘Nihon Rokkoyo’, the six old kilns of medieval Japan. The location of Seto was ideal for the production of ceramics with an abundance nearby of both porcelain clay and forests to provide firewood for the kilns. Production began as early as the Heian period (794-1185) and continued without a break thereafter, the earlier pieces being more pottery forms copying Chinese wares. It was in the early nineteenth century that the kilns turned to producing porcelains decorated in underglaze blue and white, a development initiated by the potter Tamikichi Kato who went to Arita to learn the techniques of its production there, returning to Seto in 1807. Production grew and developed and was directed towards the export market in the Meiji period (1868-1912) with Seto wares being displayed at the European and North American exhibitions and fairs. Their delicately painted designs of birds and flowers proved to be immensely popular and were, in their time, to influence Art Nouveau and Art Deco designs. Some of the forms produced were truly virtuoso creations including, besides vases, screens, jardinieres and even ceramic tables.
Signed pieces are known and besides Tamikichi Kato the distinguished potters included the Kichiemon brothers, Kato Chuji and Kawamoto Jihyoe, and Kawamoto Hansuke. But not all the best pieces carried an artist’s signature as this vase well demonstrates. Formed from fine quality clay, as can be seen from the foot rim (image 10), the complex shape with its spreading base, angled shoulder and galleried rim would have been difficult to create. The handles show remarkable skill with the rings somehow formed so as to hang loose (presumably some form of kiln waster technique was used). The detail and artistry of the painting speaks for itself. Note in particular the shading effects on the peony flowers. While not perhaps an exhibition piece, this vase is definitely of exhibition quality and would be a worthy addition to a collection of nineteenth century Japanese ceramic art.
Taxco silver elephant cuff bracelet c1970
Price: £85
This is an incredibly fine bracelet that features mother elephants and their babies. It is 3 dimensional with so much detail. Although it does not bear any makers mark it is most likely from the Taxco region due to the quality of the silver and the type of work. It is marked 925. There are times when due to the silver work there is no room for a makers mark so they leave it off. This seems to be the case here.
Egyptian silver cuff bangle with portait plaques of Pharoahs
Price: £85
This is a very detailed bangle that comprises many placques that depict Egyptian rulers Nefertiti, Ramses III and Tutankhamun. These are interspersed with Egyptian lotus flower icons. Bears Egyptian silver marks.
Burmese Lacquer Three Section Betel Box, early C20th
Price: £95
This is a typical example of the so called ‘betel box’ which was a feature of so many of the homes in Burmah in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The betel nut, in fact a form of berry, comes from the Areca palm and, wrapped in betel leaves, often with added ingredients, is chewed as a stimulant, although both addictive and with potentially adverse side effects it is not necessarily conducive to good health. ‘Betel boxes’ were used to store the ingredients for making a betel ‘quid’, the leaves being stored in the lower compartment and the upper compartment filled with small tins, often made of silver in the wealthier homes, containing various other ingredients such as the betel ‘nuts’ themselves, slaked lime, anise seed and a varying range of other spices (see image 16). A guest would be offered the host’s box to sample along with tea and cheroot.
The betel box seems to be mainly confined to Burmah, now Myanmar, and was normally made using the lacquer techniques for which the country was so well known. A woven bamboo, or sometimes cane or wood, base (which can be seen here where the lacquer has flaked away : see image 12) was covered in multiple layers of lacquer paste, each allowed to dry and then polished, and finally the piece was decorated. The format here is typical : an upper section with a tray on top covered by a lid which fits on to a lower section also with a tray on the top. The trays are coloured red on the inside and black on the outside, the lid and the boxes orange on the inside. The exterior decoration of the two section body and the base of the lid employs a wide mixture of narrow bands, some indented and some raised, with a broader band of repeated stylised floral decoration at the top and another with modelled vertical line decoration below. The base is slightly flared and the lid slightly very slightly domed. The top of the lid has a densely packed design comprising temples and dancing figures and the base a design of circles and waves. As with many of these boxes great care was taken in the ornamentation and this example was, perhaps, made for one of the wealthier households.
Dating of these boxes is put in the early years of the twentieth century and they survive as a memento of a tradition which is still practised, but with less elaborate accessories, in the present day.
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.
Japanese Studio Pottery Vase, signed, C20th
Price: £75
This is a most unusual Japanese vase of elongated proportions, the slender cylindrical body rising to a narrow concave neck with a flaring rim edged in brown. The fine quality white glaze is decorated in underglaze colours of blue, copper red and green in a continuous design of flowering lotus against two horizontal double edged bands. Pronounced potting rings can be seen inside the top interior but the white glazed base is quite smooth and has a seven character mark in underglaze blue, presumably indicating the studio which produced it. Late twentieth century dating seems most likely. There are no ready parallels for this piece, although perhaps with imagination one might possibly see a form of sake bottle here, and for the time being it must be appreciated for itself as strikingly modernist example of Japanese ceramic art.
Chinese circular silk textile Panel in later European brass metal Frame, C19th/C20th
Price: £55
This is a fine quality Chinese silk embroidery circular panel, most likely cut out from an original robe as is indicated by the very feint unevenness at the edge, the black ground circular border with finely stitched blue flowers surrounding the central scene of a crane amidst tree branches with flowering lotus in the background. The detail of the embroidery work is evident throughout especially in the rendering of the crane’s feathers and the leaves of the lotus plant, implying that the original robe was a luxury production. This, combined with the fabric of the silk background, indicates that we clearly have nineteenth century work here. Perhaps the rest of the robe had not fared too well but for some reason the decision was taken to extract this sample and fit it into a glazed brass frame with its coil spring border. This has the look of the 1940s or 1950s and is probably English but its provenance cannot be absolutely certain. But the care taken at the time was entirely justified and allows us today to enjoy this fine example of Chinese embroidery work.
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).
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) standing on a grass embankment with a flowering peony bush behind them. 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. Other embroidery panels with a similar design can be found which are much later. As with the previous lot the composition and the detail and colourings of the embroidery work are pleasing, combining to produce another excellent example of the genre. The frame is European and perhaps contemporary with the date of manufacture (see Lot 24).
Classic Taxco cuff bracelet, c1980
Price: £75
This is a striking bracelet in a typical Taxco diamond design. It is a cuff shape so brilliant for most wrists and easy to wear. It is marked Mexico TF-15 925. This mark indicates the Taxco silversmith.
Chinese Shoushan Soapstone Seal with the characters A.H., C20th
Price: £45
A Chinese soapstone Seal of slender square form, the top with a relief carved figure of a sage dressed in flowing robes and holding two scrolls in his left hand, set in a niche with a curved top, the base with two raised carved letters ‘A.H.’ The stone used here with its burnt orange, finely mottled surface is an example of ‘Shoushan’ soapstone which was very commonly used in the production of seals. It was mined in the Fujian province at or near the village of Shoushan in the North, from which it takes its name. Seals made from Shoushan stone in this burnt orange colouring, often found as pairs, were made from the nineteenth century onwards. The rather sketchy carving of the figure here suggests the mid to late twentieth century work, though, and, with its two European letters below, this was clearly a special commission. But the form and the quality of the material used are pleasing making this a useful addition to a collection of Chinese desk ornaments.
Monochrome tubular bead necklace, Modern
Price: £95
This is a rather fabulous necklace that feature very large tubular beads that are half crystal and half onyx. They ae paired with smaller crystal beads with black inclusions. The large beads adre very unusual. It has a silver clasp.
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.
Mexican silver dolphin bangle bracelet c1990
Price: £65
This bracelet has a fun depiction of a dolphin in the ocean with the sun and waves. It is marked Mexico 925.
Outstanding Taxco silver bracelet c1960
Price: £295
This is a heavy and substantial bracelet made in the style of William Spratling (1900-1967) the father of Taxco who opened his workshop there, Taller de las Delicias, in the early 1930s . His designs continued to dominate the Taxco silver districts of Mexico and this piece is an excellent example of this. Its design elements reflect the Art Deco styles of the 1930s and 40s that are softened by the scroll work. This bracelet is marked 'Mexico', '925', 'C-11'. C-11 is the registration number of the silversmith and all Taxco silversmiths had these registration numbers. It has a very sturdy integrated clasp.
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.
Vulcanite long necklace with Maltese cross and fob c1880
Price: £195
This is the holy grail of Vulcanite necklace due to the length and it also has two integrated Vulcanite pendants a Maltese cross and a fob that may have been intended to be engraved. The links are round and there are further links at the end giving it a lariat style.
ABOUT VULCANITE
Exciting scientific and technological advances punctuated the nineteenth century. Growth and development with regard to jewelry-making techniques and new and innovative jewelry materials were an important part of these creative endeavors. Combining imitation gems with various imitation jewelry materials had already been en vogue since the early Eighteenth century and viable replacements for faux non-metallic jewelry materials were chiefly derived from plastics and rubber.
Uncured rubber is somewhat brittle and does not have the stamina to hold up over the long term necessary to be viable for jewelry use. It was not until Charles Goodyear patented the vulcanization process in America in 1844 and Thomas Hancock did the same in England, that jewelry production with a rubber composition was possible. Vulcanization is a high-heat process that adds sulfur to the mix and renders the result more durable than rubber or plastic alone. Both gentlemen exhibited their achievements at the Great Exhibition, displaying molds of items intended to substitute for the very popular, but exceedingly brittle jet.
One of the main purveyors of vulcanite jewellery was the Britannia Rubber and Kamptulicon Company, set up in 1854 at Cannon Street in the City, with the works in the East End of London at Bow Common, “for the purpose of manufacturing in England articles invented by Mr. Goodyear.” From 1866, they placed advertisements in The Times for ” Indiarubber chaines Benoiton, wholesale and export only,” offering a full range of industrial, household and ornamental goods including “Imitation Jet (India Rubber): Albert chains, Victoria chains, long chains, Latin, Greek, Maltese and Dagmar crosses, brooches, bracelets, earrings, waist-clasps, charms and trinkets, gauntlets and armlets, fancy black combs, and dressing combs,” assuring their customers that these items had the “the beauty of polish and deepness of colour of jet, without its dangerous quality of brittleness…You may dash a bracelet or chain of this material to the ground without injuring it.”
Sources:
Lang Antiques (www.langantiques.com)
Gere, Charlotte and Rudoe, Judy. Jewellery in the Age of Queen Victoria: A Mirror to the World: London, The British Museum Press, 2010.
Taxco leaf shape brooch set with Abalone, c1950
Price: £45
This is a very lovely silver brooch that is leaf, or just possibly feather, shape, the veining set with abalone. It is has an oval mark 'RLC' surrounded by 'Taxco Mexico 925' and dates to the 1950s
Desktop Model of a Typhoon Bomber Plane, Modern
Price: £25
This is a scale model of the celebrated Typoon Bomber plane, a single pilot aircraft used to great effect by the British during the Second World War. It is made from polished aluminium with an integral stand and is produced by the firm Widdop and Co under the brand name Harvey Makin. Definitely one for the man cave!
Japanese Arita Brushwasher, C20th
Price: £25
A small deep bowl with high slightly incurving walls and a lightly scalloped rim, decorated in underglaze blue with small floral blooms, peony representing Spring and prunus representing Winter, the base unglazed. The form suggests a brush washer and the paste of the foot an early to mid twentieth century dating. A modest scholar’s desk ornament then which might find a home in a contemporary office.
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.
Pair of large hoop earrings with stone drops
Price: £45
This is a pair of statement earrings comprising to large silver hoop that have a chalcedony and a carnelian drop. The pendants were originally for necklaces and they have been repurposed here. Marked 925.
Chinese Cloisonné Square Vase on Stand, C20th
Price: £25
A Chinese cloisonné enamel vase of slender squared baluster form flaring towards the base and with a concave neck, decorated with panels of a lady standing on a veranda reading a scroll and two ladies standing on a bridge over a river, the designs repeated, on a black ground with stylised scrolling foliage in blue, the base with a border of gilt repeating fish scale pattern and the rim with a border of repeating stylised lotus leaves, the interior and base in blue enamel. The vase is fitted with a matching wood stand which is probably contemporary.
The cloisonné technique, in which glass derived enamels were set in wire outlines (the so called ‘cloisons’ from the French word), was developed in China in the early Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and then used throughout, right up until the C20th, indeed pieces are still produced today. The style of enamelling here with fairly bold outlines to the decoration and the use of bright enamel colours suggests a dating here to the mid twentieth century which corresponds to the probable date of the accompanying wood stand. Perhaps intended as a desk ornament or possibly a flower vase, this piece could certainly find a home in a contemporary setting.
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.
Studio Pottery Vase signed Kamini, Greece, 1970s
Price: £45
An elegant ceramic vase of cylindrical form, the upright body narrowing towards the very faintly outcurving neck, the mottled mustard glaze coloured ground with drip colour effects in blue, brown and orange, the interior glazed in mustard and blue and the base with an unglazed foot rim and a stamped mark reading ‘KAMINI’.
Although ‘Kamini’ is both the Greek word for a kiln and the name of a village on the Greek island of Hydra, it actually stands here for the Greek firm of that name whose registered office was at Kallithea, a suburb of Athens. The Kamini pottery produced a wide range of appealing but often slightly rustic wares in the 1970s, many with the splash glaze effects we see here and all stamped with the firm’s name. This vase stands out somewhat for the simple lines of its form and the variety of effects in its decoration with a particularly pleasing palette of colours and demonstrates that this Mediterranean pottery could well rival at times the work of some of its European competitors.
Taxco Mayan Sundial earrings, c1980
Price: £25
This is a lovely and delicate pair of stud earrings that depict a Mayan sundial, They are marked Mexico 925.
Past Times Art Nouveau Style Vase, Veronese Collection, 2004
Price: £45
This deceptively attractive vase which reflects Art Nouveau design in both its form and decoration is, in fact a recent reproduction sold by the once popular UK firm ‘Past Times’. The organically shaped slender ovoid body with a flaring base and a wide, open top is decorated with applied decoration of lotus, water lilies, reeds and a dragonfly, both the ground and its ornamentation intended to imitate bronze metal whereas the material is, in fact, bronze effect resin. The base has an attached felt pad with the repeating words ‘Veronese’, the name of the collection or range to which it belonged. There is also a small signature on the body and a copyright mark for the date of manufacture, 2004.
‘Past Times’ was founded in 1986 by John Beale, at first as a mail order company but then trading from physical stores and developing into a business which enjoyed enormous popularity with over one hundred shops in the early 2000s. The stock was focused on retro and vintage style items also including a wide range of licensed products, such as Harry Potter and Beatrix Potter merchandise. Badly impacted by the recession in 2008 it went into administration in 2012 and was bought by W.H.Smith a year later leading to the disappearance of its products from the marketplace.
This ‘Art Nouveau’ vase can be seen as an example of their range at its best. Manufactured with care it presents an appealing souvenir of the era it aims to recreate at a rather more affordable price than the authentic originals.
Vintage Needlepoint Picture of a lady dressed in a crinoline, framed, probably 1930s
Price: £25
Like the previous lot this embroidery picture employs 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 (2), (3) and (4). We have another garden composition, this time a lady dressed in a crinoline gathering flowers and standing on a paved terrace (note the weeds between the paving stones!) with roses and hollyhocks. There are other similar examples of this scene which are thought to be from the prewar era and the slight foxing of the canvas and the form of the frame itself are consistent with this.
Aseda Glasbruk Blue Glass Bottle and Stopper by Bo Borgstrom, 1960s
Price: £55
This is a glass bottle, or possibly decanter, and stopper, the pear shape body heavily formed from blue glass with a stepped shoulder and a turnover rim and with irregular modelled shapes often held to resemble thumbprints, the ovoid stopper in clear glass with heavily indented ribbing. This piece was made by the firm Aseda Glasbruk which was a Swedish glass factory located in Aseda, Kronoberg County. It began production in 1947 and continued through until 1975 when it was incorporated into the Royal Krona group, which unfortunately then went into liquidation in 1977. Aseda Glasbruk's chief designer was Bo Borgstrom, who graduated from Stockholm's Swedish School of Arts and Crafts in 1951. Known as an artist in ceramics Borgstrom joined the firm in 1961 and perhaps his earlier work influenced his later creations for his new employers and can be seen here in what is certainly rather a sculptural piece and which appears in the firm’s catalogue with the number 991/1. As with another of Borgstrom’s pieces also in this sale dating is to the 1960s or early 1970s.
Indian Brass and Copper Inkwell, C20th
Price: £55
This is a finely worked inkwell in brass and copper, the square lobed edge base with shallow walls and a lidded pot attached to the centre, also in brass but with a copper body. Both elements have precisely cast stylised floral decoration with elaborately curved tendrils which shows strong Persian or Islamic influence, but the work is most likely Indian and probably the product of the workshops in Kashmir. Dating is most likely to the early twentieth century and this piece probably formed part of a desk set with a pair of candlesticks in addition, made either for local market, perhaps to be bought by colonial settlers, or for export.
Green Murano Millefiori Latticino Glass Bowl, 1960s
Price: £150
A green glass bowl, thickly walled, of globular form with a wide rim and a flat base, decorated with trailing ribbons of opaque white glass and multicoloured flowers. The general effect here points to Murano work and this piece employs two techniques familiar from the workshops there. The opaque white glass ribbons are referred to as ‘latticino’ (milk derived) and found in many Venetian pieces. Even more frequently seen are the dense multicoloured flowers (elsewhere on the site can be found some paperweights also employing the technique) known as ‘millefioiri’ (thousand flowers). The combination of the two on a green ground presents a striking and decorative item which can be enjoyed in its own right or used for the display of flowers.
Mods at Clacton 1964, Photograph by Terry Disney for the Daily Express
Price: £45
Easter 1964 saw a gathering of two wheeler transport fanatics in the sea town of Clacton, Essex. These were the ‘mods’ and ‘rockers’ famous at the time, the ‘mods’ with their sharp suits and scooters and the ‘rockers’ with leather jackets and motorcycles. Relationships between the two groups were less than friendly and the inevitable resulted. But if the two rival ‘gangs’ disliked one another, they disliked the police even more and when officialdom stepped in, the chaos increased. Exactly what happened has been debated ever since. The press called it anarchy (see image 6) but the local council was not so sure.
It was, though, a newsworthy confrontation and press photographers were sent in to record events. The most notable of these was Terry Disney who worked for the Daily Express newspaper. Disney was a distinguished and prolific photographer from the 1960s onwards and many of his striking images survive, not least those capturing the major personalities of the entertainment world at the time, including the Beatles themselves. His images of the ‘mods’ (he seemed less interested in the ‘rockers’) capture the atmosphere of the scenes vividly and this photograph is an excellent example of his work on that Easter weekend (for another see image 5). Often only obtainable under licence, this print is an ideal opportunity for a collector to acquire a near iconic image. It is offered with a very basic frame which might well be replaced with something which would enhance the photograph more sympathetically.
Two Japanese Woodblock Prints by Toyohara Kunichika, second half C19th
Price: £75
These are two prints by the celebrated Japanese print maker Toyohara Kunichika (1835-1900) whose signature appears on both. The first does not appear to have been published online and cannot be identified here although the calligraphy inscriptions on this and the second are nearly identical implying that they may both be from the same series . The second is a kabuki (Japanese theatre) portrait of Iwai Hanshiro as Princess Wakana looking up from the spell she is rolling up, smiling at a large spider holding the other end of the scroll. She wears a light blue patterned kimono over a red under robe. Her long hair falls over her shoulders with a cluster of tiny flowers adorning her head. This print comes from the series ‘Competition of Powerful Magicians’ published in 1873.
Toyohara Kunichika achieved great fame and distinction a Japanese print artist. Born in 1835 he studied under Toyohara Chikanobu and then Utagawa Kunisada (also known as Utagawa Toyokuni III) eventually using a combination of both his teacher’s names to create his own professional one. At first he worked within Kunisada’s studio and when his teacher died in 1865 was asked to design two memorial portraits of him. The beginning of the Meiji era (1868-1912) saw Kunichika issuing his own prints, often in themed series and he became known in particular for his portrayals of kabuki actors, indeed he regarded the theatre as almost his second home. A contemporary once wrote ‘"Print designing, theatre and drinking were his life and for him that was enough.’ He achieved great fame and was rated as one of the masters of woodblock printing. Contemporary observers noted Kunichika's skilful use of colour in his actor prints, but he was also criticized for some of his choices for unlike most artists of the period, he made use of strong reds and dark purples rather than the softer colours used previously, exploiting the recent import of new dyes from Germany. Red, for the Japanese, meant progress and enlightenment so there was probably hidden meaning here. Eventually Kunichika’s lifestyle took its toll and he died in poor health, aged 65. It had been a Japanese custom for people of high cultural standing to write a poem before death. Kunichika's own, inscribed on his grave, reads ‘Since I am tired of painting portraits of people of this world, I will paint portraits of the King of hell and the devils.’ For many years his prints fell out of favour but interest has now revived and Kunichika is regarded as one of the eminently collectible Japanese artists in the field and these two prints are an excellent example of his work.
Each print is accompanied by a printed text on fine paper which presumably describes the character represented. The second of them is accompanied by two sheets one of which has become attached in one small place to the print itself but could probably fairly easily be detached by a restorer. In general there are some typical signs of age with minor losses (illustrated), tears and folding but the colours remain bright and fresh.
Taxco Silver and Copper Bracelet, c1940
Price: £55
This is a striking bracelet comprising Mexican or Mayan iconographic designs in silver and copper work surrounded by crushed turquoise, lapis and other stones and with Greek Key pattern borders. It is marked 'Hecho en Mexico', '925', and with an Eagle stamp '3' and an illegible maker's mark.
Victorian style Bracelet in Mother of Pearl and Silver, modern
Price: £95
This is a beautiful bracelet that has been designed with the Victorian era in mind. It has 14 herringbone chains that join two hemispherical plaques that have floral motifs set with marcasite stones, one also with an attractive and large circular mother of pearl plaque. While retrospective in style, this piece is contemporary and most likely European, possibly made in France or Belgium. It is marked '925'.
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.
Victorian Silver Mounted Banded Agate Brooch, late C19th
Price: £100
An oval brooch formed from banded agate, the brown surface with amber and mustard colour striations, mounted in silver with a bar clasp to the reverse, the rounded border with four engraved collar devices. Found in a wide variety of locations, agate, a form of chalcedony with a wide variety of banding effects, has been used for jewellery from the earliest of times and was extremely popular in the late nineteenth century. The source here is probably Scotland which may imply that the mount is Scottish too, which would certainly not be inconsistent with its style but there is no firm proof of this.
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
Edwardian rolled gold and white agate brooch, c1910
Price: £45
An attractive brooch combining an oval piece of cloudy white agate with red inclusions mounted in a rolled gold rope twist frame with stylised floral petals decorated in an abstract design. The reverse has a bar clasp and is fitted with a guard chain implying that the wearer was intended to take some care of this elegant accessory. The combination of the milky white stone with its coloured detail and the gold coloured surround is particularly appealing and the design of the mount suggests a dating to the early 1900s.
Large silver fancy link Bracelet, modern
Price: £50
This is an unusual variation on the chainmail bracelet form where a triple series of interlocking oval links are combined with small rolled wire beads, quite a demand on the silversmith’s skills. The ends terminate in a ball and clasp fastening and the clasp is marked ‘925’ with a double oval. The style suggests a late twentieth century dating with perhaps English craftsmanship.
Victorian rolled gold and black and white agate Brooch, English c1920
Price: £50
An attractive brooch in which an agate stone of rounded rectangular octagonal form, the grey surface with clearly defined striations in grisaille and white, is framed by an elaborate rolled gold mount with a rococo style border, scrolling milled cord joining two stylised leaf shape panels at each end with round balls in gold tones in between, the bottom with a gold chain loop and a hanging drop and the reverse with a bar clasp. As with the other rolled gold and agate brooch in this sale, the design of the mount suggests the 1920s
Modernist Silver White Anthurium Brooch, Mexico, 1970s
Price: £25
This is a very unusual brooch that has two white anthurium flowers and gilt stamens. It is marked 'Made in Mexico'.
Zuni turquoise silver pendant Necklace, modern
Price: £35
This is a delicate necklace with a pendant designed in the Native American Zuni style of fine inlay. It has the silversmiths initials 'RK' on the reverse together with '925'. It is combined with a strong box chain that is not original to the pendant.