View All Items

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!

These coasters formed part of their range. The decoration employs the transfer pattern technique developed in England in the mid eighteenth century and a staple of nineteenth century productions. Printed designs were 'transferred' to the ceramic surface allowing the production of extensive services in a matching pattern. The Chinese derived 'Willow Pattern' design seems to have been first used around 1790 and was probably designed by Thomas Minton for Spode. All the versions contain similar elements besides the pagodas and landscape scenes most notably the three figures on a bridge and a pair of flying swallows. In order to promote sales, various stories were invented based on elements of the design. These coasters are an amusing recollection of times past and highly practical in addition.

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.

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!

Inverurie is a town in Scotland where Pictish carved stones are found in the graveyard dating from the 7th Century. The Picts were a tribe of peoples living in the East and North of Scotland. Little is known of their origins but they were called 'Picts' by the Romans because of their painted and tattooed bodies. The Inverurie horse is the inspiration for this brooch. The actual design of the three horses was created by George Bain (1881-1968) the Scottish artist and teacher, famous for chronicling Celtic Art.

St Justin of Cornwall is well known for the production of 'craft' pieces in a variety of forms and materials. This piece probably dates to the 1980s and certainly cannot be found in their current catalogue.

'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.

The Jema factory in Holland was started by two brothers, Jelis Mager ( born 1912 in Rotterdam, Netherlands) and his brother Johan Willem Mager (born 1919 also in Rotterdam) both living in Maastricht who took over an existing ceramics factory, founded originally by J.Meussen, in 1942 and traded together in a partnership which was dissolved in 1955 when the firm JEMA KERAMISCH ATELIER N.V. (jema ceramic studio; the first JE standing for Jelis and MA standing for Mager) was created under a new agreement between them. Ceramic products of many types were produced with figurines a speciality and the business continued until 1984 when it became insolvent and closed its doors.

Most of the pieces seem to have been marked, usually with an impressed script as here indicating the factory itself and the model number of the piece. For modest decorative items the quality of the manufacture is of a high standard as can be seen in both the modelling and the glazing of this piece. Their animal figurines were immediately approachable and provided modest but amusing items of decoration.

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!

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.

Although not marked with their name (few pieces were until the later years of production) this vase has all the hallmarks of the Scheurich factory founded in 1954 by Alois Scheurich who had been a partner before then in the firm ‘Scheurich and Greulich’ (S&G) since 1927. While founded later than many of its competitors, Scheurich grew to become the principal exporter of West German ceramics through until the 1980s and beyond, making vases in a wide variety of shapes and designs. This piece is rather more austere than many of their productions and the clean lines of the form combined with the rather stark decoration perhaps make it particularly suitable for a contemporary interior.

The distinctive style of embroidery and applied work here is typical of Burmese work known as ‘Kalaga’ which means ‘curtain’ in Burmese and is used to refer to heavily embroidered appliqué tapestry sewn with a technique called ‘shwe gyi do’. First produced around 150 years ago, Kalagas are generally linen, silk, cotton or velvet background fabrics embellished with sequins, embroidery, beads, coloured stones, tiny pearls, coral, braids and metal threads, the choice of materials depending in part on the client’s budget. Cotton padding was used to produce the ‘3D’ effect seen here and on many other examples of the work. The elaborate decoration meant that some of the larger pieces could take many months to produce. These two panels are an excellent example of the genre with the lavish use of gold thread. They have survived in excellent condition and can decorate an interior today in the same way that they graced the interiors of the makers’ contemporaries. Dating is difficult and a mid C20th attribution is probably sensible but an earlier period of manufacture is quite possible.

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!

Chippendale glass was designed and patented in the USA in the early years of the 20th Century and imported into Britain. The moulds were purchased by a Charles Pratt and Davidson’s used them to produce this range of glassware purchasing the exclusive rights to manufacture Chippendale glass when they realised its popularity. Various forms were included in the range and manufactured by the pressed glass technique for which the firm had become famous. The mould marks of this pair can be clearly seen at the bases (see image 4). The clean angular lines are typical of art deco designs and Davidson’s produced here a model which was both practical and decorative.

Shelley Potteries, situated in Staffordshire, was originally known as Wileman & Co. which had also traded under the name ‘The Foley Potteries’. The first Shelley to join the company was Joseph Ball Shelley in 1862, and it remained a Shelley family business until 1966, when it was taken over by Allied English Potteries. Joseph’s son Percy employed first the designer Frederick Rhead then Walter Slater who had worked with Doulton. It was Walter Slater’s son, Eric, who initiated the ‘Harmony’ range in 1932, at first with a series of banded designs as here and then with drip ware patterns which became enormously popular. Harmony ware was produced in a wide variety of colours and shapes, the plain ovoid form being typical and reflecting the Art Deco styles of the period, but this example is exceptionally large with a more unusual range of colourings.

Pieces combining glazed terracotta with polychrome enameling were one of the designs produced by the well known Watcombe pottery based in Devon. Production commenced in the mid 1860s when a fine red Devon clay was discovered in the grounds of Watcombe House near Torquay, prompting its then owner G. P. Allen to establish the Watcombe Terracotta Clay Company off Teignmouth Road, St. Marychurch in 1869. Classical styles of the period like terracotta busts, figures, urns and jugs were produced first, followed by terracotta glazed pieces some in the style of the famous designer Christopher Dresser. Not all of the pieces were marked and the appearance of ‘Watcombe Porcelain’ on some of their wares seems to post date the first years of production. Various mergers followed and the range of designs developed, adapting to changing tastes, but finally the business was forced to close its doors in 1962.

While the decoration is typical of Watcombe, the shape is typical of Dresser and also loosely follows a Chinese shape as did so many of his pieces. Allowing for the fact that the Devon potters introduced their own individual ‘twist’, one example of the Dresser prototype for this piece is included in the collection held by the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Watcombe, in common with other potteries at the time, aimed to produce pieces which, while they followed the ‘best’ designs were more accessible to a general audience. This vase is in no way inferior to the ‘real thing’ and maintains a charm of its own.

A Chinese soapstone brush washer unusually modelled as a rounded triangular shallow basin in the form of a lotus leaf, footed and with a sprig of flowering lotus growing upwards from it with a vase behind in the form of lotus leaves. The skill of the carver is self evident and the design has been very carefully conceived, artistically employing the varied detail of the natural stone from which the piece was made. Soapstone was first used by the Chinese over three thousand years ago but began its popularity in the Ming dynasty (1368 -1644) with the height of production during the ensuing Qing dynasty (1644 – 1911) when a stone mined in the Shoushan village in northern Fujian was most commonly used. Shoushan soapstone is noted for its smooth texture, bright colours and fine grain and a wide variety of objects were carved from it. This piece is an excellent example of the genre and has survived in pristine condition to become a scholar’s object from the past which can be enjoyed and appreciated today. Production of soapstone carvings continued into the twentieth century and this is probably what we have here but almost certainly from the early years of the period.

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

Please note that the stands are for display purposes only.

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!

Hydrangeas flourish in Japan and also carry a hidden meaning of apology and gratitude based on a mythical story of an Emperor, who angered a woman he loved by neglecting her, and gave her in recompense a bunch of blue hydrangeas as a symbol of his deep emotion and gratitude. Used here as a decorative motif, the painting of the flowers is skilful and elegantly combined with the plainer exterior. The paste of the foot rim suggests an early C20th dating, perhaps to the late Taisho era (1912-1926).

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.

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.

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.

The West German ceramics produced after the second world war are characterised by their distinctive and colourful designs. The Jasba factory was founded in 1926 by Jakob Schwaderlapp in Ransbach-Baumbach. The name is derived from his name and the town his factory was located. Production of decorative ceramics ceased in 1975 and the firm concentrated on industrial items and tiles which they still make today. This vase probably dates to the 1960s and the form and glaze effects are quite striking.

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!

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!