
Chinese painting on Silk, Storks and Pine, circa 1900
Price: £25
Very fine Indian silver repousse plaque Necklace, c1970
Price: £85
Graduated set of three Royal Doulton Harvest Pattern Jugs, early C20th
Price: £150While this model, often called the ‘harvest pattern’, is found quite often, it is very unusual to see a graduated set of three, all matching. The form of the mark, where the lion does not sit above a crown, was used between 1922 and 1927 which gives us the dating here. The largest jug carries the letter ‘a’ which was a decorator’s mark and stands for Louisa Ayling. Perhaps she worked on all three, but this must remain a guess although the quality of the work on all three is quite consistent producing a highly decorative and attractive ensemble.

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

Murano Style Calla Lily Trumpet Shape Vase, second half C20th
Price: £75
Continental Figure of a Cellist, Conta and Bohme, Germany late C19th
Price: £55
West German Pottery Lava Glaze Vase, Scheurich, 1960s
Price: £45
Vintage Leather Map Case, probably 1940s
Price: £45
Indian Brass Potiche and Cover, early C20th
Price: £35
Townshend & Co : Butler’s Crumb Tray and Matching Brush, Birmingham c1900
Price: £75
Framed Chinese Embroidery Silk Textile, signed, second half C20th
Price: £25
Framed Chinese Embroidery Silk Textile, signed, second half C20th
Price: £25
Framed Chinese Embroidery Silk Textile, signed, second half C20th
Price: £45
Swirl design Cranberry glass Decanter and Stopper, probably Italian mid C20th
Price: £45
Japanese Celadon Ground Tazza with Chinese Nanking decoration, late C19th
Price: £25
Large Islamic silver necklace with heart shaped box c1920
Price: £85
Outstanding Ottoman silver marriage mirror, Turkey early 20th century
Price: £125
Vintage Indian silver pendant Necklace, 20th century
Price: £85
Silver prayer beads with seventeen Beads, 20th century
Price: £75
Vulcanite long necklace with Maltese cross and fob c1880
Price: £195
Victorian vulcanite anchor chain necklace with carved jet pendant c1880
Price: £195
Suite of Taxco - necklace, bracelet and earrings c1960
Price: £475
Sold silver and enamel Panda pendant necklace c1980
Price: £55
Victorian book chain with locket c1900
Price: £350
Three Indian gouache paintings depicting Krishna and Radha, framed, first half C20th
Price: £150
Egyptian revival Tutankhamun head silver Cuff Bracelet, 1940s
Price: £75
Four Papier-mâché Trinket Boxes, Kashmir, mid C20th
Price: £35
Art Deco Vase, Springtime, Price Brothers, Staffordshire, 1930s
Price: £35Price Bros was an earthenware manufacturer established at the Crown Works, Burslem, Staffordshire, England, in 1896 by the Price brothers. They specialised in tabletop accessories and teapots and success was rapid such that in 1934 they moved to larger premises at the Top Bridge Works in Longport, where they became known as Price Bros Ltd. A close association with another firm, Kensington Potteries, was finally cemented when the two firms merged in 1962 taking on the name ‘Price and Kensington’ and continuing to manufacture their popular wares to the present day. This vase is typical of the decorative pieces which Price Bros produced during the 1930s and, as with so much of the pottery produced at that time, it reflects the Art Deco styles, particularly in the semi abstract shape. This vase was mould made as can be seen from the joins at each side (see image 7) but there is nothing mechanical about the finished result with its pleasing combination of colour and decoration.

Studio Pottery Vase signed Kamini, Greece, 1970s
Price: £45Although ‘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.

West German Studio Pottery Vase, Scheurich, 1960s
Price: £35
Pair of Brass Wall Plaques of Jousting Knights, Peerage Brass, mid C20th
Price: £45
Pair of Art Deco style Wall Pocket Vases, Poole Pottery, mid C20th
Price: £55
Pedestal footed Onyx Vase, mid to late C20th
Price: £25
Abstract Heart Shape Ceramic Sculpture, Pier One Imports, late C20th
Price: £25
Green Murano Millefiori Latticino Glass Bowl, 1960s
Price: £150
Mods at Clacton 1964, Photograph by Terry Disney for the Daily Express
Price: £45It 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: £75Toyohara 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.

Framed Oil Painting on Board of a Winter Landscape Scene, C20th
Price: £55
Korean Najeonchilgi lacquerware jewellery Box, C20th
Price: £25
Set of Three Japanese Lacquer Nesting Trays, mid to late C20th
Price: £45
Abstract Heart Shape Ceramic Sculpture, Pier One Imports, late C20th
Price: £25
Green Chalcedony silver mounted brooch with marcasite stones, 1940s
Price: £45
Edwardian rolled gold and white agate brooch, c1910
Price: £45
Large silver fancy link Bracelet, modern
Price: £50
Victorian rolled gold and black and white agate Brooch, English c1920
Price: £50
Edwardian silver fleur-de-lis collar necklace circa 1910
Price: £85Please note that the necklace is not marked for silver and has not been tested.

Japanese Celadon glaze vase with enamel decoration, late C19th
Price: £25
Gilt decorated English porcelain powder box and cover, probably mid C20th
Price: £15
Micro bead silver mounted Flapper Bag, 1920s
Price: £125
Vintage Needlepoint Picture of a Garden Scene, framed, second half C20th
Price: £25
Vintage Needlepoint Picture of a lady dressed in a crinoline, framed, probably 1930s
Price: £25
Monochrome tubular bead necklace, Modern
Price: £95
Triple strand of amber Bakelite beads, British 1930s
Price: £750
Chinese agate carving with onyx beads, 20th century
Price: £35
Pink porcelain powder box, Radnor Bone China, English Staffordshire, 1950s
Price: £15Radnor was the trade name used by Hall Bros (Longton) Ltd. Hall Brothers was a China manufacturer based at the Radnor Works, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, England which traded from 1947 until its liquidation in 1972. It produced figures, birds, toby jugs and floral ware, mainly small porcelain boxes which were distinguished by their decoration of finely modelled flowers (see image XX for an advert from the 1960s). This box is a typical example and survives in excellent condition with just a very small amount of near inevitable damage to the petals.

Framed Watercolour of a Countryside Scene, C20th
Price: £45
Indian wooden toy model of a Horse with metal fitments, early C20th
Price: £25
Mexican Silver Bolo Tie with Aztec mask Head, Taxco, c1950
Price: £125
Mexican Silver Bracelet with Aztec Designs, Taxco, 1950s
Price: £65
Egyptian Silver Pill Box with Mother of Pearl Inlay, marked, second half C20th
Price: £45
Victorian Rolled Gold Necklace with Pendants, late C19th
Price: £45
Russian Enamel Brooch, probably Rostov Finift, mid C20th
Price: £20
Chinese Straw Thread Picture on Silk, framed in original box, late C20th
Price: £45
Renaissance Revival Letter Opener and Stand, English, c1900
Estimate: £20 – 30
Earthenware Jug, Falstaff or Old King Cole, Furnival and Clark, mid C19th
Price: £75The design for this jug, usually termed ‘Falstaff’ but sometimes ‘Old King Cole’ is known to have been registered (Rd.No. 32601)by the firm Furnival and Clark on December 30th 1845. This was a very short lived partnership between Thomas Furnival and Richard Clark, based at the Stafford Street Pottery Works, Hanley, Staffordshire and which traded from 1844 to 1846 apparently producing just this one model, albeit in a variety of colours. Thomas Furnival had been involved in other firms before this brief venture and was to be involved in others afterwards. The dating of these mugs is usually attributed to the short period when Furnival and Clark traded but it is quite possible that more pieces were produced afterwards by Furnival himself. The paste and finish of this piece, though, which is not marked, certainly suggest a mid nineteenth century dating. In general, the model is quite rare. Some examples were fitted with a Britannia metal or pewter lid but this was never integral to the piece. This striking composition, then, is a rare and desirable item collectors with an interest in British Staffordshire wares.

Japanese Polychrome Bowl, Shibata Toki ware, late c20th
Price: £45
Art Deco style Glass Box and Cover decorated with a dancing Ballerina, mid C20th
Price: £35
Art Deco style Glass Box and Cover decorated with a dancing Ballerina, mid C20th
Price: £35
Art Deco Style Malachite Glass Box and Cover, Hoffmann & Schlevogt, C20th
Price: £55Heinrich 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.

Chinese Straw Thread Picture on Silk, framed in original box, late C20th
Price: £45
Japanese Arita shallow Bowl circa 1880
Price: £55The town of Arita in the former Hizen Province, northwestern Kyūshū island, was a major centre 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 this bowl employs not only the colourings but also many of the decorative elements found in these wares. The angular form, though, is unusual. Dating is to the Meiji era (1868-1912) probably around 1880.

Chinese Republican Style small Famille Rose Ginger Jar and Cover, late c20th
Price: £20
Art Nouveau style turquoise glazed Urn shape Vase, Bretby ware, early C20th
Price: £75The firm Bretby was the result of an amalgamation between Henry Tooth and William Ault who formed a partnership in 1883. Both had previously worked at the Linthorpe pottery established by Christopher Dresser in 1879 and retained a comnnection with the celebrated designer even after striking out on their own. Success came early and the firm won a gold award in the Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1884, patenting their trademark with its sunburst design above the name Bretby in the same year. Ault left the partnership in 1887 to set up his own business under his own name but Henry Tooth continued to oversee production until his death in 1918, the business then remaining under the control of the Tooth family until it was sold in 1933. Production continued, though, well into the twentieth century until the firm closed around in the late 1990s.
This piece is typical of their earlier work with a nod to both the art nouveau style and Dresser himself, particularly in the shape of the handles. ‘Hammered’ decoration was typical of the Arts and Crafts movement popular at the time and the applied floral decoration has some parallels with Japanese pieces again much in vogue at that period. Similar pieces are known with the same shape and pattern number (1742) which seems itself also to indicate an early twentieth century dating, but the applied decoration seen here is unusual.

Purple Art Glass Vase by Anthony Stern, late C20th
Price: £150
Tubular Onyx Box and Cover, 1960s
Price: £35
Rectangular Green Onyx Box and Cover, 1960s
Price: £35
Pair of Chinese Ginger Jars decorated Birds and Flowers, late C20th
Price: £45
Framed Watercolour, Harbour or Beachside Scene, signed, C20th
Price: £25
Vintage floral decorated Sugar Bowl and Cream Jug, probably Bohemian mid C20th
Price: £25
Bohemian Green Glass Moser style Ewer, late C19th
Price: £35
Pair of Chinese Hand Painted Eggs in Case, 1970s
Price: £25
Exceptionally large Chinese Blue and White Teapot with metal handle, C19th
Price: £350The form here, without a ceramic handle but with an attached carrying handle, suggests a travelling teapot, a well known variation of the teapot type produced in China but rarely found on such an epic scale. Presumably this piece was intended for use at a rather large gathering or banquet so that a multitude of guests could be served at once! The paste of the footrim, style of decoration and clearly visible hand thrown potting rings (see images 8 and 9) all point to late nineteenth century work which is confirmed by the minute vertical lines seen on the exterior which are often found on blue and white pieces from that period. It is sometimes suggested that these brass handles, for similar examples can be found, were made in Thailand but there is little evidence for this. However, a local audience rather than an international one seems more than likely since there would have been little call for such a serving item in Western homes.

Japanese Kutani Teapot in a carrying Basket, circa 1900
Price: £45Kutani (the word means 'nine valleys') porcelain was made at various factories in the former Kaga province of Japan. The earliest pieces were in a completely different style employing a palette of colours emphasising green, the so called 'Ko Kutani'. Production of this ceased around 1730, and manufacturing was not revived until the early nineteenth century when the more familiar colourings of iron red and gold were introduced. 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.

Two Avon Perfume Bottles, Lady and a Girl, 1970s
Price: £20
Two Avon Perfume Bottles, Lady and a Girl, 1970s
Price: £20
Art Nouveau Bronze Tray, stamped 172 Deposé, French c1900
Price: £95
Figure of a Seated Huntsman, Zsolnay Pecs, 1970s
Price: £55The mark is for the well known ceramics manufacturer Zsolnay, based in Pecs, Hungary. Founded by Miklos Zsolnay in 1853, the firm gained a worldwide reputation in the late nineteenth century exhibiting at international fairs and exhibitions. Production declined after the first world war and the factory was bombed during the second. Revived under communism in 1948, the firm started to produce utilitarian pieces under the name ‘Pécs Porcelain Factory’ but gradually their traditional wares were revived and the Zsolnay name was restored in 1982.
This figure is one of the products of Zsolnay’s late renaissance but dating to the 1970s, as indicated by the form of the mark, it still carries only the Pecs brand name. But the quality typical of Zsolnay is emphatically there with fine quality porcelain and careful modelling and decoration all combining to produce a most decorative and attractive composition.

Silver Medal or Watch Fob dated 1923, B.P.C.G.S.
Price: £35
French Souvenir Verre Eglomise Box and Cover, Sacre Coeur de Montmatre, circa 1900
Price: £55
French Souvenir Verre Eglomise Box and Cover, Sacre Coeur de Montmatre, circa 1900
Price: £55
Pair of fine quality Japanese Bronze Vases decorated birds, circa 1880
Price: £220
Two Chinese folding Fan Leaves with landscape scenes, now mounted, C20th
Price: £25
Fine quality Japanese Cloisonne bottle form Vase with black ground, late C19th
Price: £45
Pair of Silver Plated Fish Servers with fitted box, probably Edwardian
Price: £45
Continental Earthenware Vase with geometric motifs in the style of Amphora, C20th
Price: £45
Art Deco style Ceramic Bowl and Cover by Louis Dage (1885-1961), early/mid C20th
Price: £180……………………………………………………………………………………....................................................................................……
Born in 1885 at Lille, France, Louis Dage was early known as a ceramics artist, describing himself on the birth registration of his daughter in 1906 as a ‘decorator on faience’. In 1920 he joined with Louis Fontinelle (1886-1964) to create a faience factory in Antony, near Paris, but the venture was short lived and they parted company two years later. In 1930, Dage set up his own studio at Saint-Sever in company with his brother and daughter becoming managing director of the firm three years later. There then followed a little over thirty years of production under his direction until his death in 1961. Art Deco designs with their simple lines and bold decoration were produced initially to be followed by pieces of more rugged shapes and patterns, partly resulting from the shortage of conventional raw materials during the second world war.
This bowl and cover represents the best of Dage’s earlier work. The base has straight sides curving in slightly towards the base and has a flush fitting flat and gently domed cover overhanging slightly at the edge. The piece is covered overall with a mottled glaze in tones of blue and light aubergine on which are painted maple leaves in green with bright blue berries, a design which can be found on some of Dage’s other pieces (see image 13). The lid carries his signature ‘DAGE’ with a flowing line underneath, a much less common version of the Dage mark but which can be found elsewhere (see image 14). More normally pieces are signed ‘L.Dage’, the name being in lower case rather than capitals.Form and decoration combine to produce a striking object, characteristic of the fashions of the time of its production and a worthy tribute to its maker.