Massive natural coral beads
Price: £150
This is an unbelievable bit of set of graduated coral beads that are natural in both colour and shape. They are ready to be strung to your taste, either as a choker style like Iris Apfel or possibly to mix it with other beads. This size of bead does not come up often and they are only getting more rare.
Murano ruby glass bullicante bowl, second half C20th
Price: £55
A rounded glass bowl of irregular shape, the undulating rim with seven ‘dips’, the ruby coloured glass with a multitude of ‘trapped’ small bubbles in the ‘bullicante’ technique. ‘Bullicante’ is the Italian word for ‘boiling’ and the process for creating small bubbles encased in the glass surface so named was developed and perfected at Murano during the 1930’s by Archimede Seguso. But its use continued and this bowl, which retains its original label, albeit slightly damaged, dates to the 1960s or 1970s. The ruffled rim suggests an ashtray but this piece can equally easily stand on its own as an attractive decorative accessory.
Iridescent art glass Vase with loop handles, possibly continental 1950s
Price: £45
A fine quality art glass vase, the broad pear shape body flaring to the neck which turns over to form two large loop form handles, the cream iridescent glaze skillfully combined with an iridescent green highlighting the inside of the neck and the handles. The quality of manufacture here is self evident but a provenance hard to determine. The flowing lines employed can reflect pieces form Czechoslovakia or Italy and the general finish some of the productions of the Orrefors factory in Sweden. Dating is equally problematic but the mid twentieth century seems a reasonable attribution.
Kosta Boda Bowl, designed by Anna Ehrner, with label, second half C20th
Price: £45
A small glass bowl with a straight flaring profile and a flat base, the decoration with swirling trails of blue glass on a clear glass ground, the label for Kosta Boda attached and reading ‘‘KOSTA BODA since 1742’.
Kosta Boda, previously known as Kosta Glasbruk, is a Swedish glassmaking company founded by two foreign officers in Charles XII's army, Anders Koskull and Georg Bogislaus Staël von Holstein, in 1742.It is located in Kosta, Sweden. Early production consisted of window glass, chandeliers and drinking glasses. From the 1840s, the factory was at the forefront of new trends and technical developments, producing pressed glass, and in the 1880s setting up a new glass-cutting workshop. In 1903, the company merged with the Reijmyre glassworks but both retained their own names and Kosta went on to maintain its reputation as one of the leading Swedish manufacturers with a range of fine art glass and tableware by distinguished designers.
Anna Ehrner, born in 1948, has been associated with the firm since 1974. This bowl is from the ‘Contrast’ range and is made using a technique called centrifugation which creates trails of colour inside the glass body. While the design is still produced today, it is no longer available in this size and the lines here are more angular than those found in the modern examples, suggesting a dating to the late 1970s or 1980s soon after Ehrner began working for Kosta Boda.
Striking Art Deco jade necklace
Price: £150
This is a lovely necklace comprising an Art Deco jade disc pendant with dragon motif together with a necklace of jade beads, this necklace has been restrung and the pendant was not originally together with these beads but it looks great!
Abstract form stoneware Vase, Mourne Grange, signed, probably late C20th
Price: £35
This is certainly a ‘one off’ creation with no parallels whatsoever. Made from rugged stoneware, which can be clearly seen underneath, a conical base, ridged and pierced at the bottom with four sets of four holes, is surmounted by an onion shaped neck, also ridged, with raised bands above and below. The speckled glaze, which is almost slightly tenmoku like, employs a wide variety of colours, light brown, grey green and black which merge and blend with one another. Just possibly some sort of incense burner is intended but this is far from certain. The incised mark at the base ‘Mourne Grange’ at least gives the origins of this piece. Mourne Grange is a community centre located at Kilkeel, Co Down, Ireland, established in 1971, which provides care services for people with learning disabilities and other support needs. Craft workshops are part of the programme and there is an online shop selling items made by some of the residents. Although perhaps never offered for sale on the open market, this vase must be one of the objects made there and it advertises the location rather than the name of its maker. Something of a mystery piece, then, but with considerable attraction nevertheless.
Korean Najeonchilgi lacquerware jewellery Box, C20th
Price: £25
This is an example of Korean lacquerware known as ‘Najeonchilgi’. The technique, derived from both China and Japan, involves the inlay of shellfish derived small pieces onto a lacquerware base. ‘Najeon’ means ‘mother of pearl’ and ‘chilgi’ lacquerware. These wares were produced quite early on in Korea’s history with a ‘golden era’ during the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) but continued to be made until quite recent times. This box, then, made in the late C20th, comes at the end of a long run of a traditional manufacturing process but retains some of the hallmarks of its predecessors. The shape is rectangular with a bowed front, the hinges and clasp fastening in polished metal and the interior lined in red fabric with a mirror fitted to the underside of the lid. The highly polished black lacquer surface is inlaid with mother of pearl decoration, flowers to the front and a moonlit scene of storks to the lid, symbolising long life. Highly decorative in itself, this box is also extremely practical as storage item for a small jewellery collection and would be an elegant addition to the dressing table.
Pair of Lovatt and Lovatt Langley Mill Vases, early C20th
Price: £85
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.
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.
Silver Butterfly form Pendant set with Abalone, Bali, C20th
Price: £95
A Balinese Art Nouveau style silver plaque Pendant in the form of a butterfly, the wings with beaded and ‘micro dot' decoration and set with four abalone panels. The plaque dates to the late C20th, probably 1970s/1980s and has been fitted with a complementary modern English silver belcher chain.
Pink porcelain powder box, Radnor Bone China, English Staffordshire, 1950s
Price: £15
This is an attractive porcelain powder box and cover, the circular body in pink fitted with a matching cover mounted with a delicately modelled floral spray, yellow petals with green and blue below, both the box and cover with gilt rims, the base marked ‘HB’ within a crown, ‘Hand Made’, ‘RADNOR’, ‘Bone China’, ‘Staffordshire’, ‘England’, all within a floral border.
Radnor 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.
Chinese soapstone Amulet decorated with a coiled dragon, C20th
Price: £25
This is an amulet, intended to protect the wearer in some way, made from Chinese soapstone in mottled mustard colourings, the near circular disc carved to represent a coiled dragon with broad overlapping scales, the reverse plain and with a small hole to allow the attachment of a cord for hanging. For the Chinese, the dragon symbolised prosperity and good luck, so this accessory item might be a useful acquisition for the scholar hard at work at his desk! The style of carving suggests mid to late twentieth century work and this piece was probably intended as a tourist souvenir.
Pair of Japanese red lacquered low stands, Taisho period
Price: £150
Pair of Japanese red lacquered low stands, Taisho period (1912-1926). The stands have a square insert on the stand with bowed supports and plain stretcher base. The upper rims are inset with abalone shell, the inset vase stands are round. With original fitted softwood carrying box with character marks on lid
Ceramic Tankard celebrating the Marriage of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in 1986
Price: £10
A ceramic tankard of bell form and with a shaped loop handle glazed in blue inside and out, the front with titled silhouette portraits of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson between the royal coat of arms and the reverse with an image of Westminster Abbey and wording marking the event of their marriage in 1986. The base has the mark for Prinknash Pottery in gold. The Prinknash Abbey Pottery was started in 1942 by the Benedictine monks there when they found a seam of clay during some building work. Situated in the abbey at Granham in Gloucestershire their pottery continued production until 1997 when it was sold to the Welsh Porcelain Co. Their blue glaze commemorative wares stand apart somewhat with something of a ‘regal’ feel.
Korean Najeonchilgi lacquerware jewellery Box, C20th
Price: £25
This is an example of Korean lacquerware known as ‘Najeonchilgi’. The technique, derived from both China and Japan, involves the inlay of shellfish derived small pieces onto a lacquerware base. ‘Najeon’ means ‘mother of pearl’ and ‘chilgi’ lacquerware. These wares were produced quite early on in Korea’s history with a ‘golden era’ during the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) but continued to be made until quite recent times. This box, then, made in the late C20th, comes at the end of a long run of a traditional manufacturing process but retains some of the hallmarks of its predecessors. The shape is rectangular with a bowed front, the hinges and clasp fastening in polished metal and the interior lined in red fabric with a mirror fitted to the underside of the lid. The highly polished black lacquer surface is inlaid with mother of pearl decoration, flowers to the front and a moonlit scene of storks to the lid, symbolising long life. Highly decorative in itself, this box is also extremely practical as storage item for a small jewellery collection and would be an elegant addition to the dressing table.
Vintage Woven Straw and Raffia Beach Bag, 1950s
Price: £65
This is a roomy beach bag made from woven straw with a bold floral design to the front in raffia work using soft vintage colours in pinks, yellows, blues and light apricot with green foliage. Semi circular in shape it has a double zip with the tags marked ‘Rex’ and a simple loop handle. The edges are bound in fabric and the base protected by a sheet of clear plastic with eight metal stud feet. The interior is fabric lined with a design of repeating rose blooms on a black dot ground and there is a large pocket. A summery design from the 1950s which could find its place on a picnic today!
Pair of Aesthetic Movement Candlesticks Porcelain and Gilt Bronze, late C19th
Price: £150
A pair of candlesticks, the bodies comprising slender ceramic columns decorated in blue and white with birds and reeds, the widely flaring bases with small tripod feet and decorated in repoussé (a process of hammering from the reverse to create a design in low relief) with two bands of scrolling foliage on a ‘punched’ ground, the drip pans and nozzles also with floral repoussé work, the underside of one marked ‘W B’.
The design and style of these pieces recalls products of the ‘aesthetic movement’ era popular in Britain from 1860 to 1900. The object was to produce items of beauty and the furnishings and domestic objects of the middle-class home were to be of a quality that would please the eye of the artist and grace the houses of collectors and connoisseurs. William Morris, in particular, concentrated on distinctive organic forms and the floral designs of his wallpaper and tiles are reflected in the gilt bronze decoration here (see image 8) . The influences on the movement were diverse and Oriental porcelains extremely popular. Perhaps this explains the use of blue and white ceramic here, although the work looks Western rather than Eastern. The form of the nozzles also has many parallels in other contemporary candlesticks. Although there is a slightly continental feel to these pieces, the aesthetic movement was very much a British fashion so English manufacture is the most likely with a circa date in the late nineteenth century before the style lost its popularity in 1900.
An Octagonal Brass Tray with a roundel of an elephant, probably Persian early C20th
Price: £55
An octagonal Brass Tray with a short squared rim and a wide central well decorated with panels of sylised floral designs in various shapes all interlinked by narrow bands in milled edge decoration, the well with repeating geometric pattern borders and the centre with a raised design of a well modelled elephant standing amidst palm trees. The reverse plain and unpolished. The techniques employed here include repoussé and chased work, but with the addition of niello work where a black metallic alloy is employed as a background to other metal working techniques. Some of the elements of the design, particularly the borders and the central roundel of an elephant can look Indian but the floral work and use of colour is much more typical of Persian decoration and this is most likely what we have here, probably an early twentieth century creation intended as a tourist souvenir. Doubtless designed as a serving tray, this piece functions well as a decorative object for the wall which is why it was later given a soldered hanging fixture.
Art Deco Islamic silver bracelet with inset stones
Price: £195
This is a very striking bracelet that features a central plaque with inset turquoise, amethyst and carnelian stones. The setting has fine repousse stars and teardrop design with filigree work. The band is very wide and is comprised of a very fine woven silver. The clasp mirrors the plaque motif and has a bolt fitment.
Chinese Blanc de chine figure of Budai, late C20th
Price: £35
A Chinese white glazed figure of Budai, the so called ‘laughing Buddha’ modelled standing with his typically broad chest exposed, a smiling expression and a small sphere in his hand which represents the ‘wish fulfilling jewel’. These white glazed wares, termrd 'blanc de chine' were a classic of Chinese ceramics and made principally at Dehua in the Fujian province from the fourteenth century onwards becoming one of the staples of the Chinese porcelains exported to the West in the eighteenth century. But they are produced even today and the modern examples can be of surprisingly good quality as is the case here where the paste and finish of the foot suggests a late twentieth century dating. The interior is unglazed and there are scratched marks to the bottom which can be ead as either '617' or 'L19'.
Victorian Scottish agate brooch
Price: £65
This is a lovely brooch in excellent condition comprising a large central stone surrounded by smaller round stones, in silver gilt
Chinese Blue and White Snuff Bottle and Stopper, early C20th
Price: £45
A Chinese porcelain snuff bottle and stopper, the round slender pear shape body with a concave neck and a lobed ‘garlic’ rim decorated with a typical landscape scene of rocky outcrops, trees pavilions and a lake with mountains and birds in the distance, the cap form stopper in blue with an unglazed wand, the glazed base with an artemisia leaf. The form here is rather less commonly found than the standard flattened ovoid shape and the work recalls pieces from the Kangxi period (1662- 1722) where an artemisia leaf is often found as decoration underneath, but the paste of the foot and the style of the painting indicate rather later work, most likely dating to the early twentieth century. But the traditions of old have been well maintained and this is an attractive piece in miniature which has survived in excellent condition.
Two Avon Perfume Bottles, Lady and a Girl, 1970s
Price: £20
These are two from the series of perfume bottles in the form of ladies or young girls issued by Avon in the 1970s. The first represents a figure in 1920s dress and is sometimes found with a label (missing here) which reads ‘Roaring Twenties’ followed by the name of a perfume. The second is a country girl complete with its label which reads ‘Avon’ ‘Nearness’ but the same model is found with other labels, indicating that both these containers were used for more than one brand of perfume. These bottles were an amusing marketing ploy which doubtless contributed to many successful sales.
Lomonosov Teapot decorated Cockerels, late C20th
Price: £45
This is a fine quality teapot of compressed globular form with a short straight foot, a flaring neck fitted with a countersunk domed cover and a curving loop shape spout and handle. The base has a stamped mark in iron red which is for the Lomonosov factory situated in St Petersburg. With a history of production spanning back to the mid eighteenth century, Lomonosov has continued manufacturing up to the present day. Dating here is determined by the form of the mark which was used from 1986 to 1992. Red was reserved for the best quality pieces and the mark itself is in the Russian alphabet (ЛФЗ), that is ‘LFZ’ in English which is an abbreviation of the factory name ‘Lomonosovkiy Farforoviy Zavod’. In addition are the words ‘Made in USSR’ implying that the piece was intended for export. There are also two small marks, possibly for the model number and the decorator. Lomonosov pieces were always known for the high quality of their execution and while fairly recent, this teapot is an excellent example of their work with a striking and attractive design.
Pair of chandelier silver earrings 20th century
Price: £35
This is a striking pair of earrings comprising three drops of incised silverwork with drops. The silver has been plated with gold and rose gold to give a tri colour effect. Is marked 925.
Chinese Mandarin Pattern Spoon Tray, Qianlong period circa 1760
Price: £280
A Chinese Spoon Tray of typical form with lobed hexagonal sides and a flat unglazed base, decorated in 'famille rose' enamels to the centre with a court figure scene depicting a male courtier sitting on a low table surrounded by ladies and a child (the term 'mandarin' derives from the name of the male court officials who are so often seen in the scenes decorated in this style), the border with small vignette panels in puce and orange enamel depicting landscape scenes and flowers on a gilt stylised floral ground, the exterior plain.
This piece comes from an original tea service which would have comprised a wide variety of objects decorated in the same pattern to include a teapot, cover and stand, a caddy and cover, a sugar bowl, a cream jug and cover, bowls and saucers and so forth. The form can be seen (along with a matching teapot stand) at Lunsingh Scheurleer, Chinese Export Porcelain pl 149. Dating is to the middle of the Qianlong period (1736-1795) around 1760. The quality of the decoration speaks for itself and this piece has survived intact with very little wear to the decoration.
Pair of Worcester Saucers with Chinoiserie Decoration circa 1780
Price: £45
A pair of saucers of typical form with gently curved sides and an unglazed foot rim, decorated in imitation of the Chinese Mandarin pattern (the term derived from the court figures, so called ‘Mandarins’, included as a promiment feature in the designs) with two ladies and attendants in a stylised garden scene with pine and rocks, a pavilion to the right and a lake scene in the background with further buildings in the distance, the edge with a double border, scroll work in puce and repeating dots in grisaille.
While close to the Chinese originals, many features indicate European and indeed English manufacture, in particular the drawing of the ladies’ heads, the palette of colours used, the borders employed and, most importantly, the glaze and paste of the reverse. The most likely producer here was the Worcester factory whose ‘Mandarin’ pieces were well known and a circa date in the second half of the eighteenth century is reasonable. The saucers would have come from a small tea service with matching bowls and various serving items, including, of course, a teapot. Not so likely to be used now, they provide an elegant example of the vogue for Chinoiserie in England at the time.
Striking amber modernist brooch c1970
Price: £35
This is a very unusual large brooch comprising twisted silver tendrils and a very large old egg yolk amber stone. It is unmarked but is most likely silver and probably by a German maker.
Two Wood Boxes : Marriage of Charles and Diana, Birth of Prince William, late C20th
Price: £15
These two wooden round boxes, doubtless intended for trinkets, announce their purpose on the respective covers, to commemorate (i) The Marriage of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer on 29th July 1981 (ii) The Birth of Prince William on 21st June 1982. Both have the initials of the subjects inset on the covers and the first has an incised mark underneath (see image 6). If these were produced commercially, no other examples seem to exist, which just possibly suggests that they were the work of a skilled amateur or trial pieces for a range which was never produced.
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.
Purple art glass bowl with a streaky wave design, probably Italian late C20th
Price: £75
This is an unusual glass bowl of irregular ovoid form, the purple glass thickening at the rim and merging with a polychrome streaked wavy design at the base. There are no exact parallels for this bowl although it clearly required considerable skill in its construction. Slightly similar designs can be seen in a series of bowls, ‘Contrast’, designed by Anna Ehrner for Kosta Boda, and slightly similar shapes in the ‘folded’ bowls made at Murano; indeed the streaked wave design is also very similar to effects found in Murano pieces. While neither of these are close matches, an Italian provenance seems the most likely but perhaps not one of the Murano workshops. More research is needed but for the time being this interesting bowl well deserves to be enjoyed on its own merits.
Dresden style model of a Coach and Horses, probably German early C20th
Price: £75
This is a spirited ceramic model of a Coach and Horses, the coachman himself seated at the front of the carriage with two outriders at the front and back, while inside sits a lady clearly dressed for a ball to which she is presumably being conveyed. A sense of urgency and speed is artfully conveyed, the coachman’s cloak billowing behind him, the outriders’ horses prancing and the carriage horses themselves straining at the reins (now lost) as they speed the vehicle along. The composition sits on a rococo style base with scrolling foliage which complements it well. Considerable care was taken in the manufacture of this piece which has miraculously survived undamaged apart from the loss of the original fitments which would have been made from cotton rope or wire. The detail of the modelling speaks for itself with the addition of the passenger figure cunningly placed inside the carriage. Many German factories made these ‘coach and horse’ models in the late C19th and early C20th and some of their pieces are marked which helps with identification. For all of them the style is clearly ‘Dresden’. Italian ‘Capodimonte’ examples also exist but the paste and finish of the base here does suggest German work and the ‘brassy’ effect of the gilding an early C20th dating. Clearly a shelf or mantelpiece ornament designed to be seen best from the front and an item of immediate and obvious appeal both to a contemporary and current audience.
Large round Scottish agate cloak pin c 1900
Price: £125
This brooch is a traditional Scottish cloak pin and would have been used on the should to hold the cloak in place. This one is a particularly nice example as it has a very intricate twisted design that includes all type of Scottish Agate such as jasper and blood stone. This brooch is unmarked which is not unusual for Scottish silver of this type.
Two Victorian Cranberry Glass Bowls, late C19th
Price: £75
Two cranberry glass bowls with wavy edge rims, a band of clear glass shells to the middle and clear glass ‘shell’ feet. Cranberry glass (the name obviously deriving from the colour) is a red glass made by adding gold salts or colloidal gold to molten glass. It was produced in relatively small quantities due to the cost of the raw materials. Known from Roman times the most famous period of production was in 19th century Britain during the Victorian Era and pieces in the colourings can be found in a wide variety of forms. Many of the makers must remain anonymous but there is one known for making pieces with ‘threading’ effects (bands of fine moulded lines), Stevens and Williams. Since they made bowls in a similar shape with this ‘threading’ effect (and also the ‘shell’ feet) they may be the manufacturers of these two bowls, but this must remain supposition. But whatever the provenance these two pieces, which remain in excellent condition, are excellent examples of a style once so popular.
Murano Style Calla Lily Trumpet Shape Vase, second half C20th
Price: £75
A delicately blown glass vase of trumpet shape, the squared cylindrical body flaring towards the base and top with four fins, the neck spreading outwards with a deeply scalloped rim resembling flower petals, the glass in a variety of colours, green merging into cream with red at the top. The artistry of this piece is quite clear and the form would have required skilful glass blowing techniques. The work is similar to that of Murano pieces, made in Venice in the 1960s and 1970s but there is no proof of manufacture there. Often termed ‘Jack in the Pulpit’, from a supposed resemblance to that flower, this vase is actually modelled on the Calla Lily. (‘Jack in the Pulpit’ has a raised petal at the back whereas here the petals are all similar.). Despite the uncertainties we certainly have here a striking piece of C20th Italian art glass with considerable decorative appeal.
A pair of Mughal style carved wood miniature screen picture frames, C20th
Price: £55
A pair of wood picture frames, probably from a four leaf miniature folding screen, of rectangular form with short legs and crown style finials, richly decorated in the typical Mughal style with carved stylised floral tendrils and lattice work panels. These are productions from the British Raj occupation of India which lasted between 1858 and 1947. The craftsmen were probably catering for British officials posted to India and aimed to design something suitable for a group of family photo portraits. The photos here appear to be original with an officer and two young children represented. More family members, and perhaps the officer’s wife, would, no doubt, have been depicted in the missing two frames. East very much meets West here and the original screen no doubt graced the interior of an official residence. Dating is probably to the early C20th.
Liqueur Service by Francis Bongiovanni, signed, Vallauris mid C20th
Price: £150
Seen here is an unusual set of a jug and stopper, six beakers and a matching tray created by the ceramicist Francis Bongiovanni who worked at Vallauris during the 1950s and 1960s (source: www.meubliz.com). His pieces, which are nearly always signed, concentrate on domestic wares which are worked in a distinctively rustic style.
Known for its ceramics since Roman times, when the deposits of clay found locally acted as stimulus for the production of pottery, the French Riviera town of Vallauris has been called the ‘city of 100 potters’. Indeed, pottery has been made there continuously since the classical period with a growth in production in the late nineteenth century followed by the establishment of various well known ateliers in the twentieth and the residence of Picasso himself who is said to have produced over 3500 pieces there.
There are many items to be found with the Bongiovanni mark, usually a flowing ‘FB’ as here, but sometimes his first name, Francis, is written followed by ‘B’ and some pieces, probably the later ones, have an impressed script mark ‘F Bongiovanni’. Usually there is an impressed mark for Vallauris as well, which again occurs here. Little is known about him but much of his output comprised jugs and dishes although various serving sets were also produced including ones for tea and even fondue. The liqueur service seems to be the rarest of these and complete sets in perfect condition are not often found. The jug is almost double gourd in form with a flat circular stopper terminating in a cork which suggests its use for liqueur or spirits which would require an airtight seal. The thick glaze employs a variety of ‘splash’ effects in tones of mustard and brown with speckling in addition, a complex mixture to achieve. It trickles down unevenly towards the base, revealing the terracotta clay of the body which is also seen on the foot rim. The interior of the base is glazed and has a stamped mark ‘Vallauris’ with the initials ‘F’ ‘B’ boldly written in black. The six cups, with broad ovoid bodies and flaring rims, complement the form of the jug and the set is completed by the circular tray, glazed at the back apart from the foot rim and similarly marked as the jug. Both the cups and the tray also employ similar glaze effects with the distinctive speckling.
Dinner guests at the time would have been pleased to have been served from an ensemble such as this and the opportunity now exists for someone today to recreate the experience!
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.
Two marcasite convertable dress clip brooches c1940
Price: £35
These are two complimentary dress clips or brooches that have a distinctive designs. They are set with marcasite stones and can be either mounted as a brooch or used separately as dress clips.
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.
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.
Art Deco Scottish moss agate ring
Price: £35
This is a very striking ring that is mounted with a very unusual Scottish agate stone that has both red and green inclusions. Mounted in an architectural Art Deco setting. Marked 925
Novelty ceramic Wall Vase in the form of a Gretsch Guitar, English, 1950s
Price: £25
This is a fun ceramic wall vase in the shape of a guitar with an opening at the top for flowers or perhaps pens or stationery items and a string cord, which may well be original, for suspension. The shape is taken from one of the designs produced by the famous American guitar manufacturers Gretsch who began the manufacture of electric guitars in the 1950s, eventually reaching tremendous popularity in the 1960s after the Beatle, George Harrison, used one of their models during the band’s first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. This piece predates that and was most likely made in the 1950s. There is no mark for the manufacturer beyond ‘Made in England’ but it is possible that this is an example of Brentleigh ware, a firm which produced ceramic novelty pieces such as the pair of shoes to be seen elsewhere in this sale.
Edwardian belt buckle encrusted with marcasite stones
Price: £50
This is a beautiful and unusual belt buckle that features a grapes and grapevines motif
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.
Keim Ltd London, silver putto dress clip c1930
Price: £35
This is a lovely little dress clip in the shape of a putto or cherub holding a torch. It is marked 'SILVER' with the maker's name 'KEIM LTD LONDON' and most likely dates to the 1930s.
Art Deco necklace with French Jet and paste stations
Price: £25
This is a beautiful and un unusual long necklace comprising stations of long French Jet bugle beads and paste spheres. It also features some interesting cracked crystal effect glass beads and clear glass beads.
Unusual pear shape art glass vase, possibly Scandinavian, C20th
Price: £25
An unusual art glass vase of a broad pear shape, the very narrow neck with ridged rounded decoration matching the top rim, the interior with an abstract leaf shape object at the base, the glass cloudy and with small flecks. There are no clear parallels for this piece, although it loosely resembles designs by Ingeborg Lundin for Orrefors, Sweden, (see image 9) which perhaps suggests a Scandinavian origin although this is far from certain. Elements of the decoration are clearly organic but the precise function of this vase remains something of a mystery.
Art Deco concave cut agate ring c1930
Price: £55
This is a very usual ring due to its central stone. The stone is a typical Scottish agate that has been carved into a concave shape. It is set in silver and surrounded with milgrain work.
Fairing Figurine - The last in bed to put out the light, German, early Twentieth Century
Price: £25
Fairing Figurine "The last in bed to put out the light". 'Fairings', as they are known, were ceramic figures made to be given out, sold or won as prizes at fairs, hence the name. They were a product of the late Victorian era but continued to be made until the beginning of the First World War when they fell out of fashion. Manufacture was in Germany principally by the firm Conta and Boehme who developed a mass production method that no other company could match, thereby achieving a market advantage. They exported large quantities to Britain and the United States, but their pieces have even been found in Australia along with other destinations.
The various figures were made in white glazed porcelain with coloured decoration. The compositions were sculptural and often accompanied by an inscription, as here. Many models are known. Two typical examples are 'Returning from the Ball' and 'Twelve Months after Marriage' but the most common example is represented here 'The last in bed to put out the light'. A couple are seen climbing into a covered bed at the foot of which stands a candle in a holder. These candles are usually broken off, most likely because of simple damage over the years but it has been suggested that this was done deliberately for good luck.
Some of the fairing figurines are marked, as here. In comparison with the previous Lot 4, this example has a glazed circular mark which reads 'Made in Germany'. These marks appear on the later productions of the Conta factory and indicate a dating here to shortly before the First World War. This is consistent with the rather 'brassy' looking gilding used which is typical of ceramic production generally post 1900.
It is interesting to compare Lots 4 and 5 and to see how consistent the manufacture was throughout the period. Only the glazed base with its circular mark and the type of gilt decoration separate this example from its earlier companion.
Fairings have been collectors' items for many years now and still hold a naif charm which makes them appealing display items, with a history of their own.
Heavy silver curb collar necklace, Mexico 1970s
Price: £125
This is a striking necklace comprising a large curb chain connected to two bead work chains to create this statement look. It is unmarked but is quite typical Mexican silver work.
Bisque Scottish boy character doll c. 1900
Price: £60
This is a very sweet souvenir doll comprising a young Scottish boy in tradition dress with a bisque head, hands and feet and a fabric body. With traditional Scottish garb. Made in Germany.
An art glass Perfume Bottle and Stopper, Martin Andrews Glass, C21st
Price: £75
A perfume bottle and stopper, the body of slender conical form with a short slender conical stopper, the glass with mottled and bead cluster effects in blues on a brown ground towards the base blending into clear blue glass above, the whole with two double swirling white stripes, the stopper in clear glass with a small interior bubble. This piece comes from the ‘beach’ range produced by Martin Andrews glass in recent years. A selection of these pieces including a perfume bottle which is nearly identical can be seen in image 10 which is taken from a 2016 Facebook page from the studio.
Martin Andrews (see image 9) graduated from West Surrey College of Art and Design with a BA (hons) Glass in 1991. Following this he was based in London until 2000 when he then launched his current workshop at the Ruskin Glass Centre in Stourbridge. His work often draws on the earth's natural forms and patterns and his ‘beach’ range is a prime example of this. Most of his pieces are signed, but this bottle is not, perhaps because of its size, but its inclusion in the studio’s inventory makes its provenance beyond doubt.
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.
Jakob Bengel Machine Age necklace c1930
Price: £55
This a very collectable necklace by the jewellery manufacturer Jakob Bengel. It comprises five graduated triangular stations in galalith and chromed metal.
Jakob Bengel was a chain and costume jewelry factory, founded by Jakob Bengel in 1873 in Idar-Oberstein, Germany. Until 1920, the company specialized in the production of watch chains and chatelaines but in the 1920s and 1930s it became one of the leading manufacturers of fashion jewelry in the Art Deco style.
Three Indian Brass hanging plates, Thanjavur, C20th
Price: £55
Three circular brass wall plates, similarly decorated, with central designs of deities surrounded by panels of birds and scrolling foliage, all worked in high relief, the backs with rings for hanging and one with an engraved mark ‘INDIA’.
The style of decoration here is typical of the art brass hanging plaques produced by the metalworkers of Thanjavur, formerly known as Tanjore, from the late eighteenth century onwards. A Tanjore Art Plate consists of three components: the base plate (brass), a circular central relief panel of a deity worked in silver surrounded by relief panels in copper and silver often depicting flowers. Various deities are depicted here including the well known many armed Shiva. All the reliefs have milled borders but the wells are finished differently, some with engraved designs and one with circular bosses. Dating is probably to the mid C20th but the style of these pieces was continuous and relatively unchanging so an earlier period of manufacture is quite possible.
NB Stands for display purposes only and not included
Silver Brooch in the form of a Butterfly, Taxco 1940s
Price: £65
A silver Brooch in the form of a Butterfly with modelled wings set with beads in metal and turquoise, the slender body terminating in two antennae. Marked Made in Mexico, Sterling with the maker's mark AE in a heart shape. There is also an Eagle mark which indicates the Taxco workshop but this is difficult to identify.
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.
Wave shape glass Vase, probably Murano, second half C20th
Price: £95
This is a dramatically modelled sculptural vase representing a cresting wave, the variegated blue glass with minute bubbles imitating water and blending into clear glass imitating the foam atop. It stands on an irregularly circular base, similarly finished. There are similar wave shape glass sculptures made by British artists such as Alison Vincent or David Wight but this piece resembles more closely the marine inspired designs made at Murano, Italy, in the later part of the twentieth century, some of which are attributed to Cristiano Toso. The maker here must remain anonymous but has created a dynamic piece which successfully recreates the sense of an ocean swell.
Jean Paul Gaultier Mini Fragrance Set, La Parade Des Extraits, 1993
Price: £75
This is a clear plastic box containing four 3.5 ml miniature atomiser bottles of Jean Paul Gaultier perfumes with a travelling case (the metallic cylinder) in the centre, which is enclosed in a thin plastic slip case detailing the contents and with the date 1993. This was the year in which the famous French fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier launched his range of perfumes of which this is a sample box. The four containers are modelled in the form of ladies’ busts with corsets reflecting the infamous ‘cone bra’ designed by Gaultier for Madonna and worn by her during her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour. Surviving in near perfect condition with the contents intact this is now a sought after collector’s item which accurately recalls Gaultier’s individual and provocative style.
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.
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.
Taxco butterfly brooch with abalone, makers mark EL 1960s
Price: £55
This is a large brooch in silver with inset abalone pieces, marked Heche en Mexico EL. It is not clear who the maker is. It could be Enrique Ledesma but he did not tend to sign his pieces EL.
Art Deco silver and marcasite brooch c1920
Price: £75
This is an excellent example of Art Deco design with its geometric shape and elegant balance. The brooch is silver with marcasite stones and is marked 935 for French silver.
Chinese rice grain Dish with Jingdezhen Mark, late C20th
Price: £35
A small ceramic dish of saucer form, decorated in underglaze blue, red, green, black enamel and gold with a central roundel of a dragon amidst flames within a border of geometric design and bats, itself within a ground of stylised fans and flowers edged with a diaper border, the reverse with a four character seal mark in underglaze blue reading 'Jing-De-Zhen-Zi', indicating manufacture at the well known kiln town of Jingdezhen in the Jiangxi province. The rim of the plate has 'rice grain' decoration where the porcelain is pierced and the glaze allowed to cover the openings made so that the holes can be seen in a strong light. The mark here found on other pieces and seems first to have been used around 1950 but was still employed around forty years later. Dating is probably to the late twentieth century.
A Japanese Hichozan Shinpo Brushwasher circa 1880
Price: £25
A Japanese brushwasher of squat cylindrical form with a short neck and a flat unglazed base, decorated in brightly coloured enamels with Samurai and banners. The style of painting and palette of colours resembles pieces made by the Tashiro factory in Japan, founded by Tashiro Monzaeman (1816-1900) in the late Edo period during the mid-1850s, and which were marked ‘Hichozan Shinpo’. This piece carries very feint traces of a red mark underneath which may have originally indicated the artist’s name, but even without this, the resemblance is very close and an attribution almost certain. The form suggests a brush washer, part of the scholar’s desk set.
Arts and Crafts Hand Mirror with Repousse Decoration, circa 1900
Price: £55
A very unusual hand mirror of shaped paddle form, the wood body with applied hammered pewter decoration, the back with an overall design, very finely worked, of flowering lotus and a butterfly on a minutely hammer punched ground, the plain border with studded nail head fixings, the front with a small pewter panel to the handle, similarly decorated and secured, and with a single red cabochon bead to the head, the frame of the mirror in plain wood.
Elements of two contrasting contemporary styles combine here with features from both the Arts and Crafts and the Art Nouveau movement. The hammered pewter with the almost rustic nail head fixings and the red bead reflect the former but the elegant depiction of the lotus and butterfly, with more than a hint of the Orient, reflect the latter. The maker is anonymous but doubtless British and clearly a highly skilled craftsman. Much thought and expertise went into the design of this piece which would be a desirable addition for collectors of either or both of the pieces made under the influence of these two highly popular design movements.
Chinese Rice Grain Plate decorated in underglaze blue, iron red and gold, circa 1900
Price: £45
Chinese Plate of typical form with a straight flaring edge, decorated in underglaze blue with a central panel of chrysanthemum within a border of bats and a repeating geometric design, the edge with a band of diaper design and between a border of stylised scrolling floral blooms in iron red and gold with turquoise enamel highlighting. The reverse with concentric circles in underglaze blue and a 'shop mark' to the centre, the rim of the plate also with 'rice grain' decoration where the porcelain is pierced and the glaze allowed to cover the openings made. Paste and style of decoration suggest a circa date towards the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1912) probably circa 1900.
Stoneware Goblet, Tremar Pottery, signed, 1960s/1970s
Price: £25
A stoneware goblet the cup shape bowl, with the pronounced potting rings clearly visible inside, supported by broad foot slightly tapering outwards towards the flared base, glazed overall in mottled mustard with brown highlighting and detail, the front of the foot with an oval cartouche in terracotta enamel with the lettering ‘WINE’ below and a stylised face at the centre, the foot rim unglazed and with an impressed mark ‘TREMAR UK’.
Tremar Pottery was started in the early 1960’s by Roger and Doreen Birkett and is named after the village it was situated in, situated in East Cornwall. The pieces produced were rustic in effect and drew on the inspiration of earlier Celtic work native to the region but also displayed dexterity of craftsmanship. Demand was strong and the business grew and expanded until the recession of the early 1980s forced it to close. Nearly all the pieces were marked and it is the earlier ones that have the impressed mark seen here, dating this goblet with its clear links to the Celtic style to the 1960s or early 1970s. Perhaps part of an original set with a matching jug, it remains as a modest reminder of a short lived but highly successful Cornish firm.
Phoenician Glass Vase, signed, late C20th
Price: £45
A glass vase of slender bottle form, the globular body rising to a tall cylindrical neck flaring outwards to the top rim, the vertical banded decoration employing a mixture of yellows, mustard and greens on a blue ground and possibly intended to represent seaweed, the base with etched script marks ‘Phoenician’ and ‘Malta’ and the body with a diamond shape affixed paper label reading ‘PHOENICIAN GLASS’ ‘MALTA’
Phoenician Glass was founded on Manoel Island, Malta in the 1980s by Leonard Sullivan, who had worked previously at Mdina Glass and many of his designs resembled those of his old employers. Certainly, the influence of Mdina and perhaps that of one of its founders, Michael Harris, can be seen here. Phoenician Glass took its name from the ancient Phoenician civilisation, which colonised Malta during the first millenium BC.
Victorian style copper bracelet with buckle detail 1950s
Price: £20
This is a lovely collectible piece of Victorian style copper jewellery. This would have had a gold wash on it originally. It has a bold buckle detail and a hammered sunflower design. It is marked "Exquisite".
Rose de France cross on torque necklace, c2000
Price: £55
This a large necklace that comprises a large cross set with rose de france stones. Rose de france is the lighter form of amethyst. The stones are bezel set to give a bubble effect. These are together with a torque necklace. They torque has full English hallmarks. The pendant is marked 925.
Egyptian cuff bracelet c1970
Price: £65
This is a very detailed Egyptian silver cuff bracelet that depicts many of the Egyptian hieroglyphic symbols such as the Anke, Scarab, Cartouche and Pyramid. These symbols are raised with the background being oxidized. It is unmarked, although Egyptian hallmarks can be very small and well hidden. It tests as silver.
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.
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!
Beautiful small daguerreotype in a frame c. 1850
Price: £25
This is an amazing daguerreotype of two young girls probably made for an officer to take as a memento while travelling. The daguerreotype was the first commercially successful photographic process in the history of photography. Announced to the public in 1839 the daguerreotype enjoyed great popularity in the 1840s and 1850s. Named after the inventor, Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, each daguerreotype is a unique image on a silvered copper plate.
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'.
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.
Etched crystal glass Perfume Bottle, possibly Stuart Crystal, second half C20th
Price: £25
A fine quality crystal glass perfume bottle and stopper, the ovoid body tapering inwards towards the base, the neck with a flaring rim and fitted with a stopper, both this and the base with cut glass detailing, the body with an etched design of flowers. The work here is probably English but the manufacturer cannot be identified with certainty, although some of the features resemble those found on Stuart Crystal pieces. Dating is most likely to the 1960s or 1970s and this bottle would make a most elegant addition to a contemporary dressing table.
Townshend & Co : Butler’s Crumb Tray and Matching Brush, Birmingham c1900
Price: £75
This is a brass tray with a matching brush designed for the clearing of crumbs from the dining table. It might have been used by a butler, hence the apocryphal term, or possibly a maid or even by a member of the household depending on the grandeur of the establishment. The tray is unusually cast in the form of a pair of confronting sea serpents below a stylised openwork shell, the surface of the tray engraved to represent the scaly bodies of the beasts. The edge of the tray is scalloped and the curving design is repeated in the wooden brush which is decorated with an applied brass sea serpent complementing its companions on the tray. The back is stamped ‘Townshend & Co’ one of the marks used by the manufacturers, Townshend, whose premises were on Earnest St, Holloway Head, Birmingham and who made quality brass and copper art metalware for up-market retailers. (see www. oldcopper.org). This particular trademark was used from around 1890 until the beginning of the first world war after which demand for art metal ware seems to have declined. This fits with the design of the piece whose emphasis on organic forms reflects the productions of the art nouveau style so popular at the time. But while other crumb trays from the period are known, Townshend produced one of the most upmarket examples and this example, rarely a complete and matching set, probably began life in a very grand house indeed. A relic of the past perhaps but not without a practical function, even today!
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!
Carved oak wood Box, possibly German, late C19th
Price: £55
A light brown oak wood box with a hinged lid, the interior lined in blue velvet and the lid with a mirror inset inside, the exterior deeply carved with panels of leaves on a textured ground, the lid in addition with a repeating geometric pattern border, the corners with dovetail joints clearly visible. The work on this attractive box is clearly European (there are other similar examples from India and China) and the naturalistic motifs suggest German work in the well known ‘Black Forest’ tradition which exploited woodland themes including animals. Dating is most likely to the late nineteenth century and this piece well retains its attraction today.
Carlton Ware fruit Cruet Set, Australian Design, 1950s
Price: £35
This is a fun cruet set with all the four elements in the form of fruit. On top of a yellow banana leaf tray sit a lemon pepper pot, a russet red pear salt pot and a green and red apple mustard pot. The apple and the tray have impressed numbers underneath ‘2431’ and the tray has printed marks in black ‘Carlton Ware’ ‘Hand Painted’ [in script] ‘Made in England’ ‘ “Trade Mark” ’ ‘Registered’ ‘Australian Design’.
Carlton Ware was the trade mark used by the pottery manufacturer Wiltshaw and Robinson, whose premises were located in Stoke on Trent, four years after the firm’s establishment in 1890. The well known script mark was introduced in 1928. The firm mostly concentrated on decorative giftware and new methods of production introduced in the 1920s put it at the forefront of the earliest Art Deco pottery pieces produced, firstly with designs originating from Tutankhamun’s tomb and then with pieces with an Oriental chinoiserie influence. Tablewares were also produced and this cruet set is an example of the imaginative designs made after the second world war and most likely dates to the 1950s. The appeal is obvious and today this set, complete with the original stoppers for the salt and pepper, can fulfil both a practical and decorative function.
Some examples appear to have an original matching spoon for the mustard pot; if that is the case, then it is absent here, but the spoon often illustrated looks quite generic and may not necessarily have been an integral component.
Lot of 3 Chinese bangles
Price: £35
This is nice lot of three bangles, one cloisonné and two cinnabar. The larger cinnabar bangle is beautifully detailed on black ground, the thinner cinnabar is more typical and has more age, the cloisonné is lovely work on a blue ground.
Ewenny Pottery Jug, signed, late C20th
Price: £25
A studio pottery jug, the body of broad ovoid form below a flaring rim pinched to the left to form a spout, the opposite side with a simple loop handle and the interior with pronounced potting rings, the base glazed with an incised script mark ‘Ewenny Pottery’, the body with splash glazes in greens, browns and mustard, the handle, top rim and underside with brown splash glaze.
There has been a pottery at the small Welsh town of Ewenny since 1610, the area around being, at the time, a fertile source of clay. In the early 1800s Evan Jenkins married Mary, the daughter of then owner John Morgan, and this began a period of ownership by the Jenkins family which continues today, the studio and shop being run by Alun Jenkins and his daughter Caitlin, who is the eighth generation member of the business. Their mark can be seen at ‘British Studio Potters’ Marks’ by Eric Yates-Owen and Robert Fournier (2nd edition 2005 p157). Production has tended to concentrate on modest utilitarian items, hand potted and finished with the distinctive glazes for which the studio is known which involve dipping the pot in one glaze adding another with the splash technique and firing the item so that the two glazes fuse. The effects seen on this jug are typical of their work as is also the clear evidence of hand throwing. Ewenny pieces are made and sold today, but the current catalogue does not list items exactly similar to this, so a late twentieth century dating is the most likely.
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.
Native American turquoise cuff bracelet, 1960s
Price: £225
This bracelet comes from the US although it is not certain which maker. It has the look of a Navajo design which would be from the South West in Arizona or New Mexico. It has two very large natural shaped turquoise stones with a greenish hue and a strong matrix. It is marked 925 inside and then 925A1 and L79 on the outside of the cuff.
Green Leather Jewellery Box with Bramah Lock, early C20th
Price: £55
This is a fine quality jewellery box covered in green leather with a graining effect. The rectangular base is fitted with a shallow flush lid and attached by brass lever hinges. The front of the base has a lock marked ‘Bramah’ (lacking its original key) and the lid a leather strap handle with fine stitching. Inside are two removable trays, the top one with compartments for jewellery, and the bottom of the box is divided into two compartments. The linings of the box and trays are in green leather and velvet with moiré silk to the inside of the lid. As with the previous lot, there are many features here of a ‘deluxe’ item, in particular the ‘Bramah’ lock, known for its high security, and the lever hinges. This box perhaps dates to a little later than the previous one, more to the 1930s but is no less of a ‘luxury’ item which equally well retains its functionality today.
Art Deco Taxco bracelet c1940
Price: £100
This is a rare bracelet that is in a distinctive curved Art Deco design. It is a hinged bracelet that opens at the top. It is set with obsidian. It is marked Taxco MCC 950 Mexico TC-60
Large brass portrait bust of Ramses II
Price: £45
This is an amusing portrait bust cast in brass with slender profile form depicting Ramses II, (Ramesses/Rameses II) the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt c1303BC - 1213BC and one of the most famous rulers of the country of whom the statues and images surviving have become iconic. He is depicted here wearing a typical bird beak helmet and a heavy metal shawl collar. The composition reflects 'Egyptian Revival ' pieces of the early twentieth century but the dating here is rather later.
Continental Figure of a Cellist, Conta and Bohme, Germany late C19th
Price: £55
This is an amusing ceramic figure of a cellist, seated with his instrument between his legs and a bow in his right hand. He wears a floral decorated tailcoat with brown knee breeches and a purple cap on his head. Below is a rectangular base with gilt decoration to the front. The composition is carefully modelled and finely painted, especially the detail to the face. The underneath has impressed marks, a shield device and the numbers ‘5313’ and ‘154’. The shield device, a small arm holding a dagger (see image 10), was used by the makers Conta and Bohme best known for the manufacture of ‘fairings', which were exported in large quantities to Britain and the USA in the late nineteenth century which is most likely the date of production of this figure. Sometimes this composition is found with a companion figure of a violinist, bearing the same shield mark but different numbers and it is most likely one of an original pair. But it can clearly stand on its own a good example of the decorative porcelains produced in Germany before the first World War.
Pair of shield or arrowhead shaped amber and silver earrings
Price: £30
These are a very fine example of worked amber which has been highly polished to mesh seamlessly with the silver work. The amber is very vivid with many inclusions. Marked 925.
Wedgwood Biscuit Jar with brass handle and cover, marked, early C20th
Price: £55
A bone china biscuit jar and cover, the globular body with a short straight neck mounted in brass with a loop handle attached and a flat flush fitting lid with a knob handle, the cream glaze richly decorated in polychrome enamels and gilt with leaves, flowers and berries, the berries with raised surface detail, the base glazed in white with stamped marks ‘WEDGWOOD’, ‘***’,‘ETRURIA ENGLAND’, and the brass lid stamped underneath 'J.W&Co' '9863' '7' .
The naturalistic decoration here with its vivid and finely executed detail has elements of the Art Nouveau style to it and this is consistent with the format of the mark. The Wedgwood factory needs little introduction. Founded by Josiah Wedgwood in 1769 in Stoke-on-Trent, England and named after the Italian Etruria region to reflect its neoclassical designs, it rapidly became famous for its stoneware designs in the classical style but ceramic tablewares were produced as well and this biscuit barrel is a good example of the high quality wares produced in the early twentieth century. The inclusion of ‘ENGLAND’ indicates a dating after 1891 and the addition of three stars occurs after 1900 suggesting that this piece was made in the early 1900s The rather grand design is in keeping with the opulence of the Edwardian era and survives in excellent condition with the brass metal fittings undamaged and intact.
Tall Murano style bottle vase, second half C20th
Price: £150
This is an exceptionally tall art glass bottle vase, the pear shape body rising to a tall, slender neck very slightly tapering inwards and then flaring gently outwards to the uneven profile top rim, the base flat and the decoration with trails of gently spiralling mottled and feathered orange glass on a black ground heightened with gilt speckle. The techniques used here have all the hallmarks of the Murano glassworks and the form, while unusual, is not inconsistent with the work produced there but, while these vases are often described as ‘Murano’ there is no proof of this and ‘Murano style’ is perhaps a safer description. But this does not detract from the grand magnificence of this piece, which would have been a striking decorative accessory when it was made, probably in the 1960s or 1970s, and remains so today.
Chinese Rose Medallion Saucer circa 1860
Price: £45
A Chinese saucer with a lightly lobed edge decorated in the Cantonese style with ‘c’ border panels of ladies with attendants and birds and flowers on a gilt ground with green enamel scroll work, butterflies and peony blooms. This well known design is termed ‘Rose Medallion’ from its palette of colours and the use of vignette panel scenes (the ‘medallions’). It was one of the successors to the ‘Mandarin’ wares produced for export in the late eighteenth century and evolved around 1840, being produced in a varying range of qualities until the end of the century. It was used to decorate vases, bowls and table wares and this saucer, originally with a matching cup, would have come from a small tea service. The work is good quality with no flaking to the enamels and the gilt detail to the ladies’ hair well preserved, implying a circa date of around 1860. While it has become detached from its original companions it can stand today as a decorative item in itself and a fine recollection of a once popular style.
Pink Alabaster Box and Cover, Italy late c20th
Price: £25
An attractive box and cover of circular form made from pink alabaster, each section mounted in gilt metal and attached by a hinge, the lid with a finely detailed design of flowering lotus. Italy is a prime source for alabaster and many similar boxes have a sticker on the base saying ‘Made in Italy’ giving us the country of origin here. Dating is probably to the 1980s/1990s.
Brass and Enamel Campaign Serving Set, Made in British India mark, 1920s
Price: £45
This is an attractive set of three small serving dishes, presumably for sweetmeats or cakes, hinged to fold flat and be used as a travelling or 'campaign' item. The central dish rotates around a pivot which can be tightened to hold it in position when open and the side dishes drop down in alignment. The brass body is decorated in relief modelled enamels with stylised floral designs in red, blue, turquoise and cream typical of Anglo British work in the early 20th century. Each of the dishes and the hinges are marked '2.6' and the two outer dishes are stamped 'Made in British India' in addition.
Indian silver plate Cheroot Case, engraved scenes Taj Mahal, early C20th
Price: £35
A silver plated slender rectangular case, hinged to one side with a small clasp fitting opposite, which opens to reveal two shallow tray compartments with cloth ‘retainers’, the lid and base both engraved with elaborate near identical designs, a roundel depicting the Taj Mahal to the centre flanked by two confronting peacocks on an intricate stylised floral ground, the scene enclosed within a geometric pattern and foliate border. The work here is typical of that produced by Indian metalworkers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries intended both for the home colonial and the export market. The quality of their craftsmanship stands out and they have chosen here a ‘classic’ design with India’s most famous building accompanied by two peacocks who are doubtless intended to recall the famous ‘Peacock Throne’ which was commissioned in 1628 by Shah Jahan before the Taj Mahal itself in 1632, but which reputedly cost twice as much. Peacocks are also to be seen in the gardens of the Taj Mahal and the two are often represented together in Indian art. The length of this case suggests that it was intended for the Cheroot, a form of Indian cigar, which was much longer than a standard cigarette. Probably, then, this particular item was made with the home market in mind but it can certainly enjoy a wider appeal today.
Oriental style studio pottery Jarlet signed HA, C20th
Price: £35
A small vase or jarlet of globular form with a short concave neck glazed in browns and greens with popped bubbles in some places and traces of the ceramic body in others where the glaze has crawled slightly, the interior with clearly visible potting rings and the base unglazed with a brown glaze circle to the centre within which are the incised initials ‘HA’ as a monogram. This piece, in common with so many of its studio pottery companions, looks clearly towards the East and reminiscences can be seen of both Chinese ‘Cizhou’ (see image 7) and Japanese ‘Bizen’ (see image 8) wares but while the identity of its maker is yet to be established the skill of the craftsmanship is evident enough.