Art Nouveau Bronze Tray, stamped 172 Deposé, French c1900
Price: £95
Typical of the style of the Art Nouveau era with its emphasis on organic forms, this bronze tray, perhaps intended for serving salad, is of lobed rectangular form with two handles in the form of lotus branches. Deeply and intricately cast there is a lotus spray at the top which complements the handles at the side and both are set on a wavy line ground with milled detail, perhaps intended to represent water. The underside has four small feet and is decorated with minute punch work dots. There is also a stamped mark ‘172 Deposé’ which occurs on other examples of this design. For devotees of Art Nouveau this would be a classic acquisition of an object which is truly representative if not archetypal.
Silver Cricket Box, Islamic probably Persian, early C20th
Price: £110
A silver box with openwork sides and a pierced cover most likely intended as a portable cricket cage, in the manner of similar Chinese designs, the sides with two geometric openwork bands between raised grooved borders, the cover with an elaborate openwork design incorporating swirling stylised foliage, raised heart and bird form plaques, and two roundels, inset with three hardstones in amber and celadon, the base flat and stamped 'R A'. The style of decoration suggests Islamic work, probably Persian in origin. Weight and quality of decoration indicate a circa date in the early C20th
Japanese Polychrome Bowl, Shibata Toki ware, late c20th
Price: £45
A fine quality Japanese porcelain bowl with deep sides curving in towards the base and with ribbing in the lower section, the interior delicately decorated in polychrome enamels with a design of flowering peony, the exterior with gilt diaper work on an iron red ground above a border of repeating stylised leaves, the base with a four character mark in iron red reading ‘Shiba-ta-to-ki’, ‘Shibata Porcelain’. The porcelain manufacturer Shibata began production in 1948, based at Mizunami city, near to Nagoya in Japan. They were known for their fine quality porcelains whose work resembles that of the nineteenth century Fukagawa kilns. Their pieces are marked, as here, sometimes with the addition of their name in Western lettering. This bowl probably dates to the 1970s and is a fine example of their work. Since 2004, the company has also operated from workshops in China.
Japanese Noh Figure Doll of a Lady, Showa Period (1926-1989)
Price: £55
A Japanese Doll of an actor playing a lady wearing an elaborate kimono, the light gold coloured fabric with a cream floral design, worn over an underdress in deep gold also with a floral design and tied at the lapels with an elaborate gilt tassel, the face concealed by a cream coloured ‘Noh’ mask with a crown above.
Dolls such as these were made for display, sometimes at the special ‘Doll’s Day’ or ‘Girls Day’ festival held annually on the third of March and termed ‘Hinamatsuri’. The elaborate dress is sometimes known as ‘Hagoromo’ (‘feathered’) and the mask with its fixed expression derives from the well known ‘Noh theatre’, a major form of Japanese musical drama created in the fourteenth century which combines dance, music and song and is still performed today. The actors are all male and play the female roles wearing a lady’s mask.
The craftsmanship of this piece is self evident and it was most likely made in the second half of the C20th. It can stand equally well on its own or as part of a wider collection and would be a desirable acquisition either way.
Taxco grape motif necklace, c1980
Price: £250
This is a wonderful example of Taxco work in the grape pattern design which was regularly used by the Taxco silversmiths from the early 20th century onwards. It is marked 'Taxco' 'TS-19' 'Mexico' '925', the second mark indicating 'T' for Taxco and 'S' for the city and the silversmith registration number, an identification system which only came into use after 1979, indicating a dating here circa 1980.
Art Deco bee motif necklace 1930s
Price: £125
This is a very unusual and beautiful necklace comprising three stations with three dimensional bees interspersed with blue glass cabacons. It is set into gilt metal and has some enamel work on the flowers. It appears to Czech in origin based on the mounts and type of necklace.
Large floral ivory white Bakelite buckle, British 1930s
Price: £65
This is a very large buckle in ivory white bakelite carved with leaves and flower heads set in an openwork ‘bow tie’ frame, the reverse with metal fitments for securing the belt and fastening the buckle. The naturalistic decoration here is something of a contrast with many of the Art Deco buckles produced although floral design brooches from the period are quite commonly found and there is enough abstraction in the design here to make this piece clearly representative of the period.
Rare large ruby red Bakelite buckle, American 1930s
Price: £75
This is a very unusual and large buckle made from ruby red Bakelite, shaped in a semi abstract form with a large rectangular central plaque between two similar smaller plaques each with a stylised openwork foliate device at the ends, the plaques with deeply cut wavy line designs, the reverse plain with metal bar attachment fittings and a curved edge clasp all attached with screws. There are no real parallels for this piece which almost seems like a reinterpretation of ancient Chinese lacquer wares but the angular and abstract design is very much from the Art Deco era.
Czech rhinestone jewelled glass metal filigree Perfume Bottle and Stopper, C20th
Price: £25
This is an elaborately decorated perfume bottle of a type produced by Czech workshops in a variety of similar but differing designs. The blue glass bottle is encased with elaborate gilt filigree work which does not cover the entirety of the reverse as is quite common. The intricate filigree design is enhanced by studded rhinestones, or imitation diamonds, in greens and blues, which adds to the opulence of the piece. There is a removable gilt cap fitted with a glass wand which remains intact. Definitely an addition to the handbag for a very special occasion!
Framed Chinese Silk Embroidered Runner Panel, garden scenes, C20th
Price: £15
The repeating design we see here (the figure on the left reappears on the right) indicates that this textile is a section from a longer piece which perhaps acted a ceiling border for a wall. Depicted in a fairly muted palette of silk threads with an emphasis on light green and turquoise is a stylised garden scene with labourers (hoe, wheatsheaves, fruit basket) and one figure seated at leisure, all within a border comprising a mixed assemblage of the common motifs of Chinese decoration including stylised flowers, dragons, elephants, shou medallions and the endless knot (one of the eight Buddhist emblems). The stitching is not particularly detailed suggesting mid C20th work but the design is pleasing nonetheless.
Two Chinese Fans, painting on silk, 1960s
Price: £15
Two fans of circular form with bamboo effect handles, the silk panels edged with stitching and delicately painted, one with a landscape scene, signed, and the other with a bird seated on a branch of flowering lotus. These fans seem to have been made in China for export in the mid twentieth century as part of the many handicrafts items which were sent to Europe for sale. Each of the scenes depicted here has an attraction of its own and both are a modest reflection of contemporary Chinese painting. It is sometimes suggested that these might be 'wedding fans' but that may be apocryphal.
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.
Pair of large hoop earrings with stone drops
Price: £45
This is a pair of statement earrings comprising to large silver hoop that have a chalcedony and a carnelian drop. The pendants were originally for necklaces and they have been repurposed here. Marked 925.
Chinese style Vase and Cover decorated with ladies and courtiers in a garden scene, C20th
Price: £55
A Chinese style vase of ovoid form with a short neck and foot fitted with a matching dome shape cover with a plain finial, decorated with a polychrome design of two ladies in a garden scene being watched through a stylised window by two courtiers, flowering trees to the front and reverse, probably plum blossom or prunus, and typical verandah fencing, the foot, shoulder and cover with pattern designs loosely imitating those of the eighteenth century, including lotus panels, ju'i form lappets and floral borders with scrolling peony. This piece is a pastiche of Chinese work and probably dates to the 1960s. While it looks back in some respects it has a contemporary feel, particularly in respect of the shape which is simpler and more Western than that of its sources. The mark is pseudo Chinese and the manufacturer was clearly European, most probably an Italian factory since some similar pieces exist with a label stating 'made in Italy'.
Lacquer Box in the form of a Duck, possibly Persian C20th
Price: £35
This is an amusing trinket box in the form of a duck made from black lacquer with gilt decoration, the lid with wings and a feathered tail and the head with gilt eyes and beak. The base has a simple band of a repeating gilt geometric design. The form resembles the well known Chinese export porcelain 'goose' tureens made in the eighteenth century but the lacquer technique has more of Persian feel to it and this may be a more likely provenance. The whimsical style also suggests a date of manufacture in the 1960s or 1970s.
Elegant Modernist pendant 1970s
Price: £15
This is a delicate silver necklace with a pendant in a Modernist shape set with a tigers eye stone
Powder Compact, British Empire Exhibition (1924-1925), dated 1925
Price: £45
The success of the Franco-British Exhibition held at the White City, London, in 1908 stimulated plans for an exhibition to showcase the arts, scientific achievements and commerce of the British Empire itself, the largest in the world at the time. Arrangements began to be made in 1913 with the exhibition to be held at the same venue but were put on hold by the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. However, at the end of this in 1918, the project was revived culminating in the opening of the ‘British Empire Exhibition’ on the 23rd April 1924, this time at the Wembley stadium where the Cup Final had been held for the first time in 1923 when the building was completed. Planned to close on the 1st September, the exhibition enjoyed such popularity that it reopened in 1925 for a second season. Over the two years it received 27,102,498 visitors.
Souvenirs and medals were produced, amongst which were silver plated powder compacts as here. The round container for the powder has a hinged lid revealing the powder well below, originally fitted with a mauve ribbon tasseled powder puff, and a mirror above. On the surface of the lid, which has a tab for lifting, is a stylised brass lion, a symbol of the British Empire, vitreous enameled in black, red and blue with the wording ‘British Empire Exhibition 1925 ’ There is a short rounded handle and the back has an engraved mark ‘Rd [registered] 689177’ for the patent number. While many were doubtless made (and there is another version with a more slender handle, with a ring at the end, and the background colourings of the lettering reversed) few of these compacts seem to have survived making this a desirable addition to a collection of British memorabilia.
Two long infinity strands of cultured pearls
Price: £45
This is a stunning pair of two 160 cm strands of cultured pears that have been dyed soft metallic tones of green, grey, peach, pink and gold. This makes quite a statement when worn together as multiple strands.
Chinese Fan, painting on silk, 1960s
Price: £15
A Chinese fan of irregular hexagonal shape with a bamboo effect handle, the silk panel edged with stitching and delicately painted with two goldfish and reeds in a pond setting. This lot is another example of the fans made by the Chinese as handicrafts exports to the West in the mid twentieth century, two other examples of which can be seen in the previous lot. The representation of the fish here is particularly pleasing.
Trade+Aid Enamel Teapot, No.292.UK, 1990s
Price: £25
This is an intriguing enamel teapot, the rectangular body curving in towards the lid and with a loop handle and spout. It is brightly decorated in coloured enamels on a yellow ground with a large sheaf of sunflowers on each side. The base is marked ‘Trade+Aid’ ‘No.292.UK’ with three Chinese characters below. It comes from a range of teapots produced for ‘Charlotte di Vita Collections’ under the trading name ‘Trade+Aid’. These were hand crafted items using traditional techniques whose sale benefited charitable projects and initiatives worldwide. The various designs were usually limited editions and some are quite collectible today. The decoration on this piece is inspired by the famous painting ‘Sunflowers’ by Gustav Klimt making it one of the more interesting models produced.
Hollywood Regency Ormolu and Glass Scent Bottle, second half C20th
Price: £95
This is a classic example of the decorative pieces produced in the ‘Hollywood Regency’ style which evolved from the work of designers furnishing the homes of film stars and actors from the 1920s onwards. Opulence was the key here with recollections of and variations on the design styles of earlier years particularly those of the rococo era. Dressing table pieces were made to be intentionally luxurious with elaborate gilt metal decoration and bevelled glass panels combining to produce ornaments of showpiece quality. The scent bottle here has two oval bevelled glass panels set in a gilt metal case with elaborately cast sides, a spreading foot and a crown knob stopper, all with twisting and interlocking stylised floral decoration. The body of the piece was refillable and the stopper has a glass rod for application. Similar pieces were made by the New York firm ‘Stylebuilt’ which was founded in 1946; many carry an impressed mark but some have just a paper label reading ‘Stylebuilt Accessories’ ‘NEW YORK’ ‘’24 K GOLD PLATED’ ‘GUARANTEED NOT TO TARNISH’. The style here is so close that we may well have a genuine ‘Stylebuilt’ accessory here missing its original paper label, but there is no certain proof of this. Accessories from the firm seem to date from the 1950s to the 1970s and this is most likely the time of production of this particular piece. It survives in perfect condition with the gilt work bright and shining, definitely living up to the claim of remaining untarnished, and is a fine memento of an extravagant style, once so popular.
Pair of slender green glass Vases with silver decoration, possibly French early C20th
Price: £45
A pair of light green glass vases of slender form with near cylindrical bodies and a flaring neck above an ovoid globular base with a spreading foot, each decorated in silver inlay with flowers (chrysanthemum) and geometric designs. In contrast to the previous lot, the shape here suggests the designs of the Art Nouveau era and the decoration certainly has a French feel to it which would be consistent with this. The elegance of this pair of vases is striking, probably an ornament for a mantel piece at the time and more than suitable for a mantelpiece of today.
Art Deco Czech glass bracelet
Price: £35
This is a fantastic piece of Czech glass comprising stations of turquoise colour cabochons and faux pearls. All elements are intact and the clasp works well.
Victorian marquetry miniature table top games table
Price: £75
This is a very unusual miniature table top games table comprising a beautiful marquetry design ready for chess or any game. It is an octagon shape with eight legs. Could be a cabinet maker's example of a large table.
Wall plaque by Giovanni Schoeman depicting classical style figures, 1970s
Price: £75
A diamond shape wall plaque comprising over 40 small tablet form plaques in various colours and sizes, moulded in high relief with Art Nouveau style classical figures. This is the work of the artist Giovanni Schoeman (1940-1981) who was born in South Africa and worked in London and America. He was well known for working in the recently developed medium of ‘Cold Cast Resin Metal’. Metal powder, often bronze, was mixed with a resin binder and poured into a mould to produce a cast with the appearance of solid metal. Different metal powders such as brass, nickel and copper were also used depending on the effect desired and this plaque is an excellent example of the effects which could be achieved.
While Art Nouveau in style, Schoeman only perfected these techniques in the late 1960s, producing pieces in the style from a studio in Kentish Town which sold well in the London outdoor art markets. In the late 1970s, Schoeman moved to America with the intention of producing large scale art but the venture foundered and he died in 1981. This plaque, of which other examples are known, must have been one of his most popular designs in those London years and is a striking example of the techniques he developed and mastered.
Two lacquer bird brooches 1980s
Price: £15
This is a fun set of two brooches in an unusual lacquer design.
Massive Grotto style belt buckle c1980
Price: £25
This is a very unique belt buckle that comprises many different shells cast in gilt metal with glass inset stones. This is definitely a statement!
Art Deco Davidson purple cloud glass bowl, stand and frog, 1930s
Price: £75
This is a sunning flower display set, comprising a bowl, stand and ‘frog’ (or flower holder) made by George Davidson & Co in purple 'Cloud Glass'. This type of glass work was unique to the firm which was founded by George Davidson as the Teams Flint Glass Works in 1867, later becoming known as George Davidson & Co. In the 1880s the company began producing pressed glass tableware in a variety of shapes and by the 1920s their designs began to reflect the new Art Deco trends. From 1923, Davidson began producing their hugely successful ‘Cloud Glass’ range, created by applying streaks of dark coloured glass to paler glass, creating a random swirled, ‘clouded’ pattern of which this piece is an excellent example. The firm continued production until the 1980s, closing in 1987.
This model can be seen in the firm's catalogue for 1931 where the bowl and stand are combined with a separate pierced flower holder in the same style. No doubt the size of the ‘frog’ was up to the purchaser who could choose from a range of dimensions which probably explains the slightly different proportions here to the catalogue image which otherwise illustrates our example extremely well, even down to the milled edging to the rim of the bowl. With its archetypal shape and colouring this piece would be an excellent addition to any Art Deco collection as well as providing a striking and decorative item for a contemporary interior.
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.
Art Deco Scottish bloodstone brooch
Price: £25
This a petite brooch comprising one piece of work bloodstone.
Small Chinese Bronze Vase of Ku Form with Elephant Head Handles, Qing Dynasty circa 1800
Price: £75
Chinese Bronze Vase of Ku Form with typical spreading foot, bulbous body and wide flaring neck and rim, set at the side with a pair of elephant head handles. The base decorated with a circling dragon, the body with two panels of peony, rocks and butterflies, the neck with repeating stylised plantain leaves with stylised floral decoration in an 'archaistic' style and the top rim with a band of repeating geometric designs. Note in particular the detail of the casting of the elephant heads and the dragon's head. This, combined with the quality of the bronze which has excellent weight and patina, suggests a circa date at least towards the middle of the Qing dynasty (1644-1912) if not perhaps before. The piece was probably conceived as part of a miniature altar set and was possibly intended as an incense burner.
Unusual Chinese Bowl decorated in the Japanese Kutani Style, early 20th Century
Price: £45
This is an unusual Chinese Bowl decorated in the Japanese Kutani Style. The form resembles a flower head with petals and the exterior is highlighted with narrow moulded ribbing. The inside and out are decorated with a wide variety of densely packed floral blooms including peony, lotus and chrysanthemum, the pattern closely resembling the well known 'millefiore' or 'mille fleur' designs painted in Famille Rose enamels which were produced in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. But the colours used here are iron red and gold with the addition of grisaille highlights which is typical of the palette used in Japanese Kutani wares. The Chinese did sometimes copy or adapt these wares and vases with the 'hundred sage' pattern copying the Japanese are well known. Even the form here is more Japanese than Chinese in style so the aim was clearly to make the adaptation as close as possible. The paste of the foot rim and the nature of the gilding suggest a circa date in the early 20th Century, perhaps around 1920.
Two Scottish Tartan Plaques, C20th
Price: £35
Two round plaques mounted with tartan cloth of two different designs in reds and blues, both studded with metal bosses in imitation of a shield and both with circular gilt metal medallions at the centre depicting a thistle and a deer respectively, presumably the motifs associated with the two clan tartans. Identification here is for the true expert but these were presumably commissions from the firm whose name appears at the back, probably made in the 1970s/1980s. The ‘Targe’ was a shield used by Scottish Highlanders in the early modern period. From the late 16th century, until the Battle of Culloden in 1746, the Scottish Highlander's main means of defence in battle was his targe and the designs regularly included studding and a raised central boss. But these two plaques are items of peacetime and to be enjoyed as such!
Chinese painting on Silk, Storks and Pine, circa 1900
Price: £25
A Chinese painting on silk, the fine and detailed brushwork depicting a gnarled branch of pine with three cranes astride on a background of blue clouds with a full moon in the distance. Both the crane and the pine tree symbolise long life and longevity and so there is perhaps a hidden message here which might be uncovered in the elaborate calligraphic inscription at the top right with no less than three red artist’s seals. Great care has been taken with this composition and the overall style suggests earlier work than that found in many pieces perhaps dating to the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. The board mounting is considerably foxed but the painting itself much less so and if reframed it would provide an attractive if slightly enigmatic example Chinese decorative painting.
Art Nouveau style turquoise glazed Urn shape Vase, Bretby ware, early C20th
Price: £75
A ceramic urn shape vase, the body of compressed bulbous form with a wide cylindrical neck and two angular handles, the moulded and dimpled surface glazed in turquoise a craquelure effect, applied modelled floral decoration to the front and reverse in pinks and greens, the base with impressed marks ‘BRETBY’ below a sunburst motif, ‘MADE IN ENGLAND’ and ‘1742'.
The 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.
Four Art Deco style small Glass Vases with silver decoration, possibly Murano 1930s
Price: £55
Four Art Deco style small Glass Vases with silver overlay decoration, possibly Murano 1930s
This is a set of four complementary small coloured glass vases (green, blue, amethyst, turquoise) each with applied silver decoration now slightly tarnished. The clean lines of the shapes, two of baluster form and two with conical bodies suggest the Art Deco era and the decoration, which features gondolas and palaces, suggests Venetian origin and therefore manufacture at the Murano glassworks there. This has to remain slightly speculative and the pieces might be slightly later but the group provides a highly decorative ensemble for collectors or decorators alike.
Ring Tail Lizard Skin Minaudiere with a strap handle marked JD, 1930s
Price: £95
The Minaudière is a women's fashion accessory intended to substitute for an evening bag. A case with compartments, it allows storage for several items in a small space, such as a makeup compact, lipstick, watch, reading glasses, or keys.Minaudières appeared during the 1930s and their invention is attributed to Charles Arpels, of Van Cleef & Arpels, but many jewellers and haute couture designers have created their own models.
This example opens out on one side (the clasp is rather stiff) to reveal a mirror and two lidded powder compacts (complete with the guaze liners) and a holder for a comb (now missing) and on the other where there is a cigarette holder and a compartment presumably for matches. On the lid of this is a pouch doubtless intended as a purse. At the end is a pull out lipstick holder with a small strap and the piece hangs from a strap handle marked with the initials JD.
The piece is in remarkable condition for its age and recalls an era of elegance which a contemporary user might emulate on some special occasion.
Black glass apple pendant on a long chain, 1980s
Price: £25
This is an amusing necklace comprising a black glass pendant in the form of an apple mounted with a leaf with diamante stones and suspended from a long complementary chain.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS FREE UK SHIPPING ON THIS ITEM. For international buyers the shipping cost will be reduced by the UK shipping cost, so don't worry if you are outside the UK, you still receive this benefit!
Victorian Bronze Chamber Candlestick in the form of a Griffin, late C19th
Price: £40
This is a very striking bronze chamber stick in the form of a griffin with fine detail to the casting of the face and feathers. The griffin is a well known legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. Griffins were known as the guardians of treasures and priceless possessions even in Classical antiquity and were to become familiar elements of heraldry. The choice of this creature as the suppport for a candlestick (the form suggests a chamvber candlestick) cannot be easily explained. Does the griffin here protect its owner in some way? Whatever the answer the result is a striking decorative ensemble which could enhance many a domestic interior.
Victorian guilloche enamel and marcasite ring
Price: £60
This is a lovely and delicate ring comprising a panel of blue guilloche enamel surrounded with marcasite stones
Arts and Crafts Stumpwork Firescreen 1900
Price: £25
This is a wonderful firescreen in a typical Arts and Crafts minimal design, with lovely stumpwork embroidery depicting two couple in garden
Islamic silver choker necklace 1920s
Price: £120
This is a very unusual choker length necklace featuring three heavy strands of woven silver held together with floral motif findings. The necklace has a screw clasp that has birds and mill grain work.
Art Deco Wooden Cigarette Box, 1930s
Price: £25
An oak wood cigarette box and cover of rectangular form with the sides and handle finished in a dark hard wood, possibly mahogany, the interior lined in green baize. The clean angular style of this piece recalls the Art Deco era and there is little reason to doubt that it was actually produced at that time. Most likely the work of a talented amateur carpenter, the box is carefully constructed with an imaginative combination of woods. Perhaps less likely to be used for cigarettes now, but handy for all those small things that would otherwise get lost!
Davidson Glass Topaz Briar Table Centrepiece, 1930s
Price: £45
A matching glass bowl, flower holder and stand, the bowl with flaring sides with a band of moulded diamond work above a squat circular foot, the flower holder (or ‘frog’) circular with twelve holes and moulded marks reading ‘Made in England’ ‘Pat’ ‘3290’ [?] ‘31’, the circular stand stepped and with three feet.
George Davidson founded the Teams Flint Glass Works in 1867, which later became known as George Davidson & Co. In the 1880s the company began producing pressed glass tableware in a variety of shapes and by the 1920s their designs began to reflect the new Art Deco trends. The firm continued production until the 1980s, closing in 1987. Some of their catalogues still exist and one from the early 1930s shows a piece very similar to this one (see image 11). The colour is known as ‘Topaz Briar’ and the swirling effects resemble other pieces in their ‘cloud glass’ range, a pattern for which the firm was famous.
The colourings and small size of this piece make it an unusual find amongst the Davidson wares which can be seen today and the presence of all three elements (perfect and complete) make it a desirable addition to a collection of twentieth century pressed glass.
A Chinese Crackleware Famille Verte Ginger Jar decorated with Warriors circa 1880
Price: £45
A Chinese Crackle glaze Ginger Jar of typical rounded ovoid form with a short neck decorated in principally 'Famille Verte' enamels with a continuous scene of warriors, some on horseback, the shoulder and base with incised matt brown glaze bands intended to imitate bronze, the base with an apocryphal four character mark within a brown glaze square. Paste of the foot and style of decoration suggest a circa date in the late nineteenth century.
'Crackleware' glazed pieces, usually with 'bronzed bands, were a staple output of the Chinese potteries from the mid nineteenth century onwards and were produced in a wide variety of mainly vase shape forms, both in polychrome and blue and white and intended as decorative pieces for the Victorian rooms of the West. As with other ceramic types, the quality deteriorated and this piece is typical of late nineteenth century productions of a more modest level of craftsmanship but still retaining a naif charm. As with many ginger jars, this one lacks its original domed cover which would have been decorated to match.
Classic black crocodile handbag 1940s
Price: £75
This is a very classic style bag in a square shape typical of the period. It is lined with black leather and is in excellent condition. The handle has been restored to it's original beauty and is ready for daily use. All you need are some white gloves and you are ready for anything!
Art Deco Burmese dragon head Necklace, 1920s
Price: £75
This is a stunning and large necklace comprising a bold dragon head pendant formed from moulded brass with filigree work mounted with enamel to simulate stones. It comes attached to the original brass link necklace. This is a real show stopper!
Art Deco Burmese dragon head Necklace, 1920s
Price: £75
This is a stunning and large necklace comprising a bold dragon head pendant formed from moulded brass with filigree work mounted with enamel to simulate stones. It comes attached to the original brass link necklace. This is a real show stopper!
Rennie Mackintosh Arts and Crafts silver brooch
Price: £25
This is a lovely and delicate brooch comprising a typical Arts and Crafts motif with a fresh water pearl drop. It is marked with Scottish marks and could be trademarked for Rennie Mackintosh but it is not clear.
Art Deco necklace with French Jet and paste stations
Price: £45
This is a beautiful and un unusual long necklace comprising stations of long French Jet bugle beads and paste spheres. It also features some interesting cracked crystal effect glass beads and clear glass beads.
Octagonal Agate Mortar Bowl, C20th
Price: £25
Truly Art Deco in style, the form of this bowl, octagonal with flaring sides and an upright bevel edged rim, deeply cut out to a rounded interior, is however normally regarded as a mortar shape and would have been used with a pestle, probably in the same material. Commonly used in a laboratory context for grinding samples these agate pieces are very much fit for purpose since the stone is much harder than porcelain, thus reducing the level of impurities introduced during the grinding process. Found in a wide variety of locations including Italy, Africa and Brazil, agate, a form of chalcedony with a wide variety of banding effects, was used for jewellery from the earliest of times but has also had practical uses because of its hardness. This bowl shows the typical banding effects of the stone but perhaps because most likely intended for practical use an impurity in the piece used has been left visible (see image 5).
Abstract Design White Glaze Vase, probably British mid C20th
Price: £35
This is an unusual vase of slender ovoid form, glazed in white and with an abstract geometric design to the front with vertical rows of dots and dashes, the reverse plain. The paste of the foot suggests British manufacture and the geometric patterned design recalls pieces from the 1950s and 1960s, although there are no exact parallels for the decoration here. But the elegant shape combined with truly minimalist decoration together produce an object of decorative appeal, highly suitable for the most contemporary of interiors!
Victorian facetted cherry amber beads with intergrated clasp c1900
Price: £150
This is a set of rare amber beads in all graduated and matched in colour. It has a screw clasp that is also a bead. These beads have a glowing quality that is only present in the highest quality amber.
Nefertiti suite of pendant necklace and earrings, 20th century
Price: £75
This is a wonderful set of matching earrings and a necklace all depicting the familiar profile face of Nefertiti. They are in solid silver, not hollow, and each bear very tiny Egyptian hallmarks, one of which is visible in the last image.
Incredible long jade necklace with large carnelian pendant
Price: £135
This is a constructed necklace comprising numerous large celadon colour beads interspersed with different coloured jade beads. There is a ox carving at one of the stations and it ends in a large carnelian disc pendant and silk tassel. This necklace is a very long opera length.
Art Nouveau comb with coral fish and pearls
Price: £45
This is a beautiful piece of Art Nouveau, a celluloid hair comb with an inset carving of a koi fish in coral and seed pearls. It is carved with swirls and incised with very fine designs.
Studio Pottery Vase with Robin’s Egg Glaze marked Zambia, Modern
Price: £30
This is a stoneware vase, the pear shape body with a slender concave neck and flaring rim, covered overall with a mottled blue glaze closely imitating the Chinese ‘Robin’s Egg’ effects which extends to the interior, the foot rim unglazed and the lightly glazed base with incised marks ‘ZAMBIA’ ‘BJ’ above and (?) ‘R’ below. The stoneware body aside (and, of course the marks at the base) this vase could almost have originated in China both in respect of its shape and its glaze which almost exactly copies the Robin’s Egg colourings produced by the Chinese potters, a glaze which originated in the eighteenth century and employed the technique of blowing turquoise onto a blue glaze base to produce mottled effects. But the studio potters based England in the early to mid twentieth century often turned to their Oriental counterparts for inspiration and when studio pottery was developed in Zambia in later years, partly with the assistance of visiting European artists, it was no surprise that this influence should be repeated. Zambia now has its own tradition of studio pottery and other pieces are found marked with the country of origin just as this one is. The potters must remain largely unknown to us, despite their signature marks, but this vase shows that they are capable of producing pieces of high quality, both collectible for students of studio ceramics and decorative in their own right.
Japanese Studio Pottery Vase, signed, C20th
Price: £75
This is a most unusual Japanese vase of elongated proportions, the slender cylindrical body rising to a narrow concave neck with a flaring rim edged in brown. The fine quality white glaze is decorated in underglaze colours of blue, copper red and green in a continuous design of flowering lotus against two horizontal double edged bands. Pronounced potting rings can be seen inside the top interior but the white glazed base is quite smooth and has a seven character mark in underglaze blue, presumably indicating the studio which produced it. Late twentieth century dating seems most likely. There are no ready parallels for this piece, although perhaps with imagination one might possibly see a form of sake bottle here, and for the time being it must be appreciated for itself as strikingly modernist example of Japanese ceramic art.
Long strand of Chinese cloisonne beads c1950
Price: £60
This is a beautiful strand of Chinse cloisonne beads in the unusual green colour. It has the original corresponding clasp also in cloisonne. These are very fresh for spring summer.
Porcelain Figure of a seated Panda, Lomonosov, USSR late C20th
Price: £25
This is an amusing figure of a seated Panda looking enquiringly outwards and with its paws clasped together, the fur depicted in black with flecking and the face with expressive eyes and mustard colouring to the snout, signed to the base with a red stamped cipher device and the rather indistinct lettering ‘MADE IN USSR’. The cipher device in iron red is for the Lomonosov, factory situated in St Petersburg. With a history of production spanning back to the mid eighteenth century, Lomonosov became well known for its ceramic figures of animals in the mid twentieth century, expressively modelled and brightly coloured, including tigers, giraffes, dogs and, as here, pandas. This figure comes from the 'Porcelain Zoo' series created by the sculptor Pavel Veselov and the artist Victor Zhbanov and apparently comprising around a hundred different figurines. Dating here is determined by the form of the mark which was used from 1986 to 1992. Red was reserved for the best quality pieces and the mark itself is in the Russian alphabet (ЛФЗ), that is ‘LFZ’ in English which is an abbreviation of the factory name ‘Lomonosovkiy Farforoviy Zavod’. The words ‘MADE IN USSR’ may imply that the piece was intended for export. It would be hard not to imagine someone somewhere giving this animal a new home!
Vintage Carved wood figure of a seated Man, Bali, Indonesia, second half C20th
Price: £75
A finely carved wood figure with a rich patina of a seated man in deep contemplation wearing traditional headdress. The style and quality of this piece indicate that it was the work of a Balinese craftsman. The island of Bali in Indonesia has a rich tradition of wood carving dating back hundreds of years. Known in the Balinese language as 'Batuan', wood carving has its roots in Bali's Hindu-Buddhist culture. Typically, the pieces are made from hardwoods with a coarse grain including teak, chempaka wood and sandalwood. The highly decorative grain effects here suggest teak and the patterning complements the composition perfectly. Dating is probably to the 1950s or 1960s. Similar pieces are said to have been purchased around that time.
Charming Dog motif Earrings c1930
Price: £25
This are very unusual and charming pierced earrings with dog heads that appear to be beagles or some sort of hound. They are set with paste stones and faux pearls.
Art Deco Long Mille Fiore bead necklace
Price: £65
This is a stunning necklace featuring 8 oblong flat Mille Fiore glass beads connected by multiple strands of glass seed beads in white and blue. This necklace is perfectly constructed and is in wonderful condition.
Long Murano Glass Necklace 1970s
Price: £15
This is a very striking long necklace comprising a geometric design with different shaped Murano glass beads and metal links.
Cosmetic Box with Japonaiserie Decoration, Boch Freres, early C20th
Price: £45
A ceramic box and cover, the base of inverted hemisphere form, the angular cover gently sloping towards the columnar knob finial, the black glaze ground with gilt bands and the lid with a stylised Japanese landscape design showing a snow capped Mount Fuji with trees and a pavilion and surrounded by two floral sprays of lotus and chrysanthemum, the base with a stamped circular mark for ‘Boch Freres’, script (? pattern) marks and impressed numbers ‘1251’.
The firm Boch Freres Keramis was founded by Eugene and Victor Boch and their brother-in-law, Jean Baptiste Nothomb, in 1841 and was located in La Louviere in eastern Belgium. In 1906 Charles Catteau joined the company as artistic director and was responsible for a new and wide ranging series of designs, some under the influence of Japonisme, transitioning the company from producing utilitarian objects to highly decorative ceramics. His work can clearly be seen here in a piece which appears to be quite unusual. Both the form and the decoration reflect early twentieth century fashion in the clean lines and the images inspired by Japan. There is a hint of the aesthetic movement here producing an object of great attraction and interest.
West German Ceramic Vase, Marei, 1970s
Price: £45
A West German Ceramic Vase, the bulbous body rising to a slightly flaring ribbed neck and with a short spreading foot, thickly glazed in yellow with green and blue enamel stylised scrolling
foliage, green bands to the foot and top rim, the top interior finished in blue and the foot finished in mustard brown with an impressed mark '7104'.
While not stamped with a maker's mark, vases of this type are attributed to the West German Ceramics factory Marei which produced pieces from 1949 to 2016. Marei was the commonly used abbreviation for the firm's name which was Majolikafabrik Rheinbach Jean Fuss and Sohn. The pieces are distinguished by the use of a reddish clay but this was sometimes more brown or dark brown depending on the suppliers used. Marks are usually impressed into the base although these are often just pattern numbers, as here. Many pieces are unmarked and some are stamped 'MADE IN GERMANY' or 'W.GERMANY'. The pattern number here is '7104'and is found on similar pieces with the same shape but different decoration. This vase was probably made in the 1970s and is typical of the striking designs the firm produced.
Purple Art Glass Vase by Anthony Stern, late C20th
Price: £150
This is a strikingly bold art glass vase heavily blown with thick walls, the simple ovoid body with a small concave aperture at the top and a rounded spreading foot below. The light purple of the body is contrasted with the clear glass base and the underneath contains the incised signature of Anthony Stern. Born in Cambridge in 1944, Anthony Stern (see image 7) was initially known as a film maker working with many of the pop stars and media personalities of the 1960s and 1970s including Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones. By 1976 he had begun to tire of this and went on to complete an MA at the Royal College of Art in Glass then becoming a highly successful glass maker whose work eventually found its way into the collections of Queen Elizabeth II, Sir Elton John, the Saudi Royal Family (Red Sea Palace), the Victoria & Albert Museum, Barclays Bank, Morgan Stanley, the Nomura Group, Sir Derek Jacobi, and the Broadfield House Glass Museum amongst others. To Stern, there was a firm link between the two disciplines once saying that ‘Glass and film are identical, they’re both translucent materials through which light passes.’ Eventually succumbing to Parkinson’s, after which he made a brief return to the world of film, Stern died in 2022. His work was mainly sculptural and often employed an imaginative use of colour effects (see image 8 showing his glass studio). The form here is much simpler and seems also to have been made in much smaller white glass examples. His pieces are signed with an etched, slightly dotted inscription bearing his name as here. The size and colour of this piece appear to make it unique and a desirable acquisition for collectors of C20th art glass or perhaps devotees of the pop culture which flourished at the time.
Oriental Silver Metal Box decorated Dragons and Chrysanthemum, C20th
Price: £25
A silver metal box and cover of rectangular form with spreading feet, the surface with highly detailed cast decoration, a swirling dragon on the lid and profuse chrysanthemum to the sides, the interior lined in wood and the base with a two character mark within a diamond shape frame. Similar examples are catalogued as both Chinese and Japanese and the same mark appears on some. The style of decoration here, particularly the rendering of the flowers, suggests more Japanese work than Chinese and a dating to the early C20th when the cigarette box was a favourite form for export to the West.
Toy Wicker Chair, mid C20th
Price: £35
A masterpiece in miniature, this is a small size wicker chair of tub shape, the arms merging into the back rail, the seat and lower sides closely woven with the upper sides and back in openwork and the legs with loop stretchers. Dating is probably to the mid twentieth century and this may be the work of an accomplished amateur, perhaps as a gift for their child. Certainly, these model chairs are much less commonly found than their full size counterparts and do not seem to have been manufactured widely. The perfect display item for a treasured Teddy!
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.
Pendant and chain commemorating 25 years of service at Ford, London 1965
Price: £35
This is quite an interesting item. It is a pendant with three generations of Ford men depicted in profile and it says 25 years. This appears to be a company gift to an employee who worked at Ford for 25 years. Presumably this is what the women received. The men probably received a gold watch and a promotion! This is silver with full marks for London 1965 with a makers mark PP & P.
Art Deco Scottish agate necklace
Price: £125
This is a very unusual necklace comprising carved stations of different Scottish agate stones, the stones are slightly graduated and are connected by gilt brass spring like connectors. With original screw clasp.
Oriental style ceramic plate, signed Alice Smith, possibly American mid C20th
Price: £10
There are no obvious parallels for this plate. The form is that of a typical Chinese nineteenth century desert plate with a broad shallow well and a slightly upcurving rim but the back is glazed all over including the foot rim which is not the case with Chinese examples and the general appearance of the decoration is Western. The theme of children at play is typically Chinese but it is usually boys that are represented where here we have girls, four of them in coloured robes playing with tops, one standing apart from the rest. At the edge are a few sparse gilt leaves and the ground is a light mustard coloured wash, with the reverse plain and the signature in black ‘Alice Smith’ under the glaze. Whoever the artist was, she was capable of having a piece of hers professionally fired which implies a degree of commercial expertise. But there is nothing else to suggest other than the work of an accomplished amateur. Americans were and are prone to manufacture ‘home grown’ pieces in an Oriental style (some of their modern wallpapers are particularly notable) which leads this cataloguer to hazard a guess as to provenance and date. Otherwise, we have a true ‘mystery piece’ here but the composition is a sympathetic recreation of the East, wherever it was produced.
East German Ceramic Vase, VEB Haldensleben, 1950s
Price: £35
An East German Ceramic Vase of simple rounded form with an open neck decorated in yellow, blue and grisaille with bands of overlapping, cloud like segments, the interior glazed in black and the foot glazed in aubergine with an impressed factory mark and the numberd '8409'.
The factory mark, a shallow dish superimposed over the letter 'H' inside a circle, is that of the East German pottery VEB Haldensleben. VEB stands for 'Volkseigener Betrieb', meaning a people-owned enterprise and used in relationship to the state owned workplaces in the GDR. Haldensleben is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany and a ceramics factory was created there in 1945 with the nationalization of the Carstens Uffrecht plant that followed the division of Germany at the end of WWII. Halsdenleben focused primarily on the manufacture of vases. Its output tended to be of superior quality and employed more restrained glazes than those used by its West German counterparts. Upon the reunifucation of Germany in 1990, the factory was returned to its original owners, the Carstens family. The pattern number here is found on other pieces with the same shape but the abstract decoration used is quite individual and evocative of 1950s and early 1960s designs.
Mille fiore bead flapper necklace c1930
Price: £95
This is a a very detailed necklace disc and cubed shaped mille fiore beads strung together with three strands of microbeads ending in a long tassel detail.
Incredible Taxco collar necklace c1960
Price: £350
This is a very rare example of Taxco silver. it boasts 150 grams of silver that has been formed as a ribbon like collar ending in two modernist plaques with pebble formations. It is marked Sterling 925 Mexico
Gilt brass and glass stone bangle bracelet 1930s
Price: £25
This is a stunning costume bracelet comprising an ornately designed central raised part that has been attached to a simple brass bracelet It has the original green glass stones and is in immaculate condition. Probably French or Austrian.
Amber Glass Bowl and stand, Stölzle Hermanova Hut factory, Czech 1930s
Price: £55
An Art Deco style amber glass bowl and stand, both with alternating segments of clear and patterned glass, the bowl with a flaring rim and the stand concave to match. This model can be seen in the pattern books of the Stölzle ' Hermanova Hut' factory situated in what is now Czechoslovakia. In 1805, Carl Stölzle founded two glass factories in Austria and by 1867 owned a further six in Austria, Bohemia and Hungary, the Heřmanova Hut' factory being founded in 1907. Many of the art deco style glasswares produced by the firm were made there and this bowl and stand, a matching combination not often found, typifies the styles of the era both in form and colour.
Victorian Whitby jet mourning brooch
Price: £75
This is a quite large brooch in a scroll work design and Greek key edging. It is Whitby jet a fossilised wood stone that is from the Jurassic period that is found in the North York moors in northern England. Whitby jet was the main material for mourning jewellery during the Victorian age for obvious reasons.
French cockerel brooch 1920s
Price: £75
This is a very striking large brooch in hand worked brass with enamelled feathers, head and feet. It is very cleverly made to give you the effect of many voluminous tail feathers.
Porcelain Figure of an English Pointer Dog, Lomonosov, USSR late C20th
Price: £55
A porcelain figure of an English Pointer dog, modelled recumbent with its front paws stretched out, its head slightly raised with an expectant expression, the markings on the fur and face highlighted in brown. The underside 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 became well known for its ceramic figures of animals in the mid twentieth century, expressively modelled and brightly coloured, including tigers, giraffes and, as here, dogs. 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, rather indistinct, ‘Made in USSR’ which may imply that the piece was intended for export. There is much appeal here both for lovers of dogs and collectors of decorative porcelain.
Chinese circular silk textile Panel in later European brass metal Frame, C19th/C20th
Price: £55
This is a fine quality Chinese silk embroidery circular panel, most likely cut out from an original robe as is indicated by the very feint unevenness at the edge, the black ground circular border with finely stitched blue flowers surrounding the central scene of a crane amidst tree branches with flowering lotus in the background. The detail of the embroidery work is evident throughout especially in the rendering of the crane’s feathers and the leaves of the lotus plant, implying that the original robe was a luxury production. This, combined with the fabric of the silk background, indicates that we clearly have nineteenth century work here. Perhaps the rest of the robe had not fared too well but for some reason the decision was taken to extract this sample and fit it into a glazed brass frame with its coil spring border. This has the look of the 1940s or 1950s and is probably English but its provenance cannot be absolutely certain. But the care taken at the time was entirely justified and allows us today to enjoy this fine example of Chinese embroidery work.
Massive natural coral beads
Price: £175
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.
French Souvenir Verre Eglomise Box and Cover, Sacre Coeur de Montmatre, circa 1900
Price: £55
This box, and others like it, was probably made in France as a tourist souvenir in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. Formed as a small casket, the base is of pressed brass with relief decoration and four small pad feet. The lid has a ‘verre eglomise’, or reverse painted glass, bevel edged panel set in a brass mount and the box is lined inside. Some of the decoration of the lid is probably transfer with other elements hand painted on the back of the glass in true ‘verre eglomise’ style. The scene depicted is the well known Basilica of Sacre Coeur situated on the top of Montmatre, one of the most frequently visited sites in Paris and therefore eminently suitable as the subject for a memento of the ‘great city’. This is the ‘Grand Tour’ style rather towards its end with cheaper materials and a more mechanical method of production but an authentic example of a period souvenir to tempt the traveller.
Chinese Soapstone Brushwasher decorated with flowering Lotus, early 20th Century
Price: £45
A Chinese soapstone Brushwasher, carved in high relief with two vase like vessels and a shallow bowl all surrounded by flowering lotus and set on a ground of stylised rockwork, the back flat carved and the base hollowed out at the interior. Various similar pieces can be found with one or more vases surrounded by flowers or sometimes animals and presumably intended as brushwashers. Soapstone was first used by the Chinese over three thousand years ago but began its popularity in the Ming dynasty (1368 -1644) with the height of production during the ensuing Qing dynasty (1644 – 1911) when a stone mined in the Shoushan village in northern Fujian was most commonly used. Shoushan soapstone is noted for its smooth texture, bright colours and fine grain and a wide variety of objects were carved from it. Production continued into the 20th Century which is what we have here but the quality of the work, with sparing use of the drill, suggests a dating in the early 1900s.
Chinese cloisonne bangle with raised enamel decoration circa 1900
Price: £35
Chinese cloisonne bangle, the exterior with raised enamel decoration of stylised scrolling foliage set on a speckled gilt ground between two bands of stylised floral sprays and clouds on a brick red ground, the interior finished in blue enamel; gilt rims to the top and bottom. The style of decoration suggests a circa date in the early twentieth century.
Scottish silver ring inset with a Chalcedony stone, 1950s
Price: £45
A Scottish silver ring with a thistle design, inset with a Chalcedony stone, marked ‘silver’ to the interior, 1950s.
Italian silver Cuff Bangle with chainmail decoration, modern
Price: £30
An Italian silver cuff bangle, heavily cast with a chain mail design, the interior marked 925, modern
Dutch Delft Blue and White Gourd Vase in C18th Style, late C20th
Price: £25
A ceramic vase of double gourd form with a short foot and a flaring rim, the fluted body decorated in underglaze blue with flowering peony and flowers in a chinoiserie style, the base with underglaze blue marks including the symbols for Delft ware and the name Delft itself. The tin glazed earthenware pieces, mostly blue and white, produced at Delft in Holland are a familiar staple of the ceramics repertoire. Production began as early as the sixteenth century but the most famous era of output was between the mid seventeenth and eighteenth although pieces continued to be manufactured after that, both in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, usually copying the forms and designs of the earlier wares but no longer employing the tin glaze of the earlier pieces which proved to be too expensive.
This vase is typical of one of these later creations and copies an eighteenth century original which itself was based on Chinese pieces. The marks underneath, although some of them are blurred, offer a clue to the dating. Below an ‘A’ at the top can be seen a vase which stands for ‘De Porcelyne Fles (The Porcelain Bottle) a factory which was established in 1653 and continues production today. There follow the initials ‘JT’ as a monogram standing for Joost Thooft who bought the factory in 1876 and below this ‘Delft’. At the bottom are usually found the painter’s initials to the left and letters to the right which are the date mark. On this vase these are unclear but the painter’s initials read ‘MA’ which appears to stand for M.H.van Aalst who worked for the firm from 1941to 1983. This would fit with a likely dating here to the second half of the twentieth century, but the artist has successfully recreated the work of his predecessors and produced a piece of great charm.
Fine Quality engraved French Glass Dish with naturalistic Ormolu Mounts, early C20th
Price: £25
A small glass circular dish with deep sides and engraved to the centre with flowering lotus, mounted to the rim in gilt meatal or 'ormolu' with a circular band cast with a repeating loop design,
astride which are a well modelled frog and a lily pad. Perhaps intended as a bonbonniere or a trinket dish, this charming piece clearly reflects the Art Nouveau style with its emphasis on
naturalistic design. Similar pieces are held to be French and this is most likely the provenance here with a dating to the early C20th.
Green Chalcedony silver mounted brooch with marcasite stones, 1940s
Price: £45
This is a silver mounted brooch, the central oval green chalcedony or chrysoprase stone bordered with an elaborate rounded hexagonal frame, the stylised flowers with scrolling foliage and a milled border, all set with marcasite stones, a bar clasp to the reverse and an engraved mark ‘925’ for silver. Chrysoprase is a variety of chalcedony distinguished by its shades of green and has been used for jewellery since antiquity. Maracsite, a brittle, metallic, semi-precious stone is also often used in jewellery and sometimes known as ‘white iron pyrite’ or more colloquially ‘fool's gold’. Its use here, combined with the elaborate design of the mount, suggests a dating to the 1940s
Estruscan style necklace in the manner of Lalaounis c1990
Price: £75
This is a wonderful quality necklace comprising two tiers of Etruscan design elements and numerous acorn form drops. This is made to emulate the designs of Lalaounis a very popular jewellery designer and goldsmith who worked in Greece until his death in 2013. The origin of this necklace is unknown but it is amazing quality and is drenched in buttery gold plating.
Vintage Lacquer Box with an inset ceramic Shard, probably Persian C20th
Price: £25
A lacquer box of rounded square form with a concave, pillow form cover inset with a blue and white ceramic shard. The box is decorated with stylised scrolling foliage on a dark red ground and the ceramic fragment with a design of lotus flowers and clouds. The box was clearly designed to fit the shape of the shard which presumably derives from a vase of some form. Similar boxes are usually described as Chinese with inserts that are obviously Chinese as well, but the lacquer work on these looks more to be Persian and here, the ceramic fragment definitely has a Persian rather than Chinese style of decoration, suggesting that in this case, at least, both the box and its insert are, in fact, Persian. This was an ingenious way of recycling broken pieces of porcelain and these boxes seem to have been made as tourist souvenirs. Despite the aged appearance, dating is probably to the early to mid twentieth century.
Spanish red tooled leather trinket dish with the coat of arms for Castile and León, C20th
Price: £20
This is a very striking square dish with a deep central well made from finely worked red leather and decorated with scrolls and fleur-de-lis. There is something of a royal connection here as the embossed decoration includes lions and heraldic shields and the coat of arms presents as those for the house of Castile and León, the shield with four quarters, the first and fourth with a castle (Castile) and the second and third with a lion rampant (Leon). Castile and León is Spain’s largest autonomous community comprising territories that once belonged to the Kingdom of León, including Salamanca, as well as territories of the former Kingdom of Castile, particularly Valladolid and Segovia. Since it most likely dates to the twentieth century, this dish probably belonged to a municipal setting rather than a palace of the nobility but it is an item of luxury nevertheless.
Art Deco Chinese Export silver Buckle later converted to a Necklace
Price: £125
This is a beautiful necklace comprising a very detailed silver buckle that depicts a sinuous dragon encricling the characters for "Blessing", It has been converted to a necklace using a period belcher chain. Full import marks to the reverse and marked Silver.
Victorian Indian paste pendant
Price: £55
This is a very large pendant that was made in India for European taste. It comprises numerous paste stones surrounding a very large paste pear shaped stone, set in brass. The design is typical of the Victorian era with scroll work and fleur-de-lis. With rock crystal bead drops, the chain not included.
Pair of Royal Doulton Vases decorated Cherries, early C20th
Price: £95
A pair of Doulton Vases of slightly tapering tubular form, incurving at the base and shoulder and with a short cylindrical neck, glazed overall in mottled shades of blue with a modelled spray of cherries to the front and two to the reverse, the interior glazed brown at the rim and the base unglazed with a impressed marks for Royal Doulton, the numbers ‘X8910A’ and ‘8546 and ‘Made in England’ with a scratched artist’s mark which seems to read ‘d’.
The mark for Doulton is one of the standard impressed 'Royal Doulton England' marks where the lettering forms part of a circle combined with three thick lines and the centre is filled with four interlocking 'D's. The addition of a lion but not with the usual accompanying crown allows a fairly precise dating to between 1923 and 1927 which matches with the pattern number ‘8546’, one of the range of numbers used between 1924 and 1927. The artist’s signature cannot be identified but he/she produced a pair of vases of great skill and charm which follow the Art Deco trends fashionable at the time.
Vintage hand carved Fossil Stone Trinket Box and Cover, C20th
Price: £25
A rounded box of compressed apple-like form with a lid finished with a concave set knob, carved from fossil stone in which can be seen shells and a multitude of other marine life objects
all combining in an intriguing and decorative design. Doubtless intended for trinkets this box is an ornament in itself.
Pair of Chinese Hand Painted Eggs in Case, 1970s
Price: £25
This is an excellent example of a type of souvenir model made in China, probably in the 1970s. The pair of eggs are delicately painted with ladies in a garden scene to the front which continues to the reverse. They are displayed on small stands set on a crushed fabric base and set within a purpose built case made from wood and glass. Underneath is a label reading ‘Made in China’ with four Chinese characters ‘Zhong Guo Zhi Zao’ which translate as the same. This type of mark seems to have been used on porcelains from the 1970s allowing an approximate dating here.
Reproduction Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Teapot, Modern
Price: £35
The sixty years of Queen Victoria’s reign in 1897 were marked by various commemorative wares produced at the time but this celebration of her Diamond Jubilee, which it does not actually mention by name, is rather later, indeed it is most likely of near contemporary manufacture. Like the ‘Limoges’ box elsewhere in this auction, it was most probably produced in China and there is another example which can be found which has an iron red stamped circular mark underneath indicating exactly that provenance. As with the box, some form of laser printing seems to have been used here as can be seen in the detail of the Queen’s head (image 6). The wording used is found nowhere else so the Chinese producer was certainly not aiming for an accurate copy intended to deceive!