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.
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.
Taxco clamper bracelet, attr. to Justo or Jorge Castillo, 1940s
Price: £450
This is a very unusual bracelet that is designed in a double fan form. It has a a three dimensional soft design with large mill grain work around the shapes. It is signed 'Taxco', 'JC 925', 'Sterling', 'Hecho en Mexico' ('Made in Mexico').
Justo and Jorge Castillo come from the Los Castillo workshop. Los Castillo was an influential and ongoing design and manufacturing enterprise established in 1939 by Antonio Castillo and his brothers Justo and Jorge and their cousin Salvador Teran. Los Castillo is known for sterling jewellery and fine pieces in "married metals" combining various metals such as silver, copper and brass. Castillo who arrived in Taxco in 1923, began his long career working for William Spratling at Taller de las Delicias. He married Margot van Voorhies prior to opening Taller Los Castillo bu they were later divorced in 1946. (see The Little Book of Mexican Silver Trade and Hallmarks, 2013)
Rennie Mackintosh silver scarf ring with scarf included, c1990
Price: £45
This is a very elegant scarf ring that bears the designs of Rennie Mackintosh. It is hallmarked with the mark of Mackintosh's estate copyright. It i also marked 925. The black and white silk scarf is included so you are ready to go!
An Unusual Pair of Bradawl Form Sewing Tools with Silver and Gilt metal chased handles, probably Persian C20th
Price: £45
The indented twisting to the ‘blades’ of these pieces suggests a device for making a hole, similar to a gimlet used in woodworking. The size and delicacy of these pieces, though, suggests use with a less robust material, perhaps leather. The handles are elaborately decorated with a raised gilt metal design of bamboo with a bird on a silver metal ground with ‘punched’ decoration reminiscent of Chinese Tang Silver work. An Eastern origin is clear but it is hard to determine the exact provenance. China seems less likely but there are similarities here to Japanese, Indian and Persian work, the latter perhaps being the most likely. Probably early to mid C20th and quite possibly part of a set of sewing tools, so perhaps something for collectors in this field.
Tigers Eye bracelet with a large central carved dragon bead, certificate for 2012
Price: £15
This is a very striking bracelet comprising very high quality tigers eye beads and a carved dragon. It comes with original certificate of authenticity dated 2012 from Thailand.
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!
Chinese Cantonese style Vase decorated butterflies, late C20th
Price: £55
This is a vase of typical Chinese nineteenth century baluster form with a broad ovoid body narrowing to a near cylindrical neck which flares out towards the galleried rim at the top; each side has two applied and modelled confronting fo dogs. The decoration employs the ‘Famille Rose’ palette with vividly represented flying butterflies amidst flowering peony and lotus; the kylins are finished in iron red and the galleried rim has a band of repeating key pattern. All of this points to the nineteenth century but the brushwork and general appearance of the deccoration indicate a much later date of manufacture, probably late C20th, and the finish of the foot, with its ‘baked in’ imitation dirt, is wholly consistent with this. The fo dogs too are much more sketchily modelled than their older counterparts. But this is a pastiche with great charm and much above the average quality of late C20th work. Even when making copies, the Chinese could sometimes try quite hard!
Taxco silver bracelet, c1980
Price: £50
This is a very recognizable Taxco design with heavy ball and bar stations. It has a typical Taxco box clasp that is marked 'Mexico' 'TC-314' '925 with additional stamped smaller marks including '925'.
Florentine style lapis and silver brooch c1900
Price: £35
This is a intricate brooch designed with scroll work and column details. It is Scottish due to the thistle design on the east west corners. This was always included in Scottish designs as it is the national flower.
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.
Stunning jade and silver lariat necklace, 20th century
Price: £150
This is a constructed necklace comprising a long rope chain that is joined at the front leading to two tassel like asymmetrical drops. The drops are pieces of carved apple jade. These appear to be natural in colour although they have not been tested so might possibly be treated in some way, as many jade pieces are. The chain and the jades have been combined and so they date differently. Both, though, appear to be relatively modern, probably late 20th century. The chain clasp is marked '925'
Pair of Italian faux tortoiseshell earrings, 1980s
Price: £15
This is a wonderful pair of earrings that have large fan shaped faux tortoiseshell drops and metal clips that are marked BREV PAT (see image). BREV., which stands for "Brevetto." This is the Italian term for license, and the stamp signifies that the particular design or piece has been licensed or patented. These earrings are VERY light and the clips are brilliant making these very easy and pleasant to wear.
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!
Nesting Set of Four Small Brass Trays with an engraved designs of Bats, Chinese C20th
Price: £30
A set of four brass trays in graduating sizes of rounded rectangular form with indented corners each with an engraved design of four bats symbolising good fortune, longevity and happiness surrounding a central ‘shou’ symbol of simplified form, again representing longevity. The function of this set is unclear but care was taken in its manufacture so that the individual pieces fit precisely into one another. Perhaps for sweetmeats or other delicacies and probably made in the early twentieth century for the local market.
Stunning rope and tassel necklace, signed, c1990
Price: £45
This is a very striking necklace with twisted rope motif ending in two large tassel drops. It has a signature monogram that we cannot seem to find so perhaps you will know! :) This might be quite a find.
Edwardian large text magnifying glass with horn handle c1910
Price: £25
This is a very usual large magnifying glass that has a buffalo horn as a handle. It would have been used to read the newspaper, as the text was so small. It is brass.
Brown Alabaster Egg painted with a bird and flowers, fitted wood stand, Chinese C20th
Price: £25
This is a charming decorative ornament comprising an alabaster egg shape stone in light brown carefully painted with a design of a bird sittting amidst a spray of flowers with peony and bamboo, fitted with a complementary wood stand. The work is typical of Chinese painters and the fitted stand suggests a late C20th dating.
Statement 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. It has three tiers of drops and the swirl design is the main design element. The origin of this necklace is unknown but it is amazing quality and is drenched in buttery gold plating.
Two brooches - Jerusalem Mother of Pearl and Egyptian Silver, 1950s
Price: £15
This is a lovely group of two very different brooches. One is a large very finely carved mother of pearl brooch that is known as Jerusalem Mother of Pearl. The other is an Egyptian filigree silver brooch depicting a camel.
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!
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.
Taxco charm bracelet, makers mark Castelan, 1950s
Price: £85
This is a fun bracelet comprising a heavy curb chain mounted with charms that have a Mexican motif. It bears the marks 'Castelan' , Eagle mark 15, '925' 'Sterling'.
Japanese Kutani Shell Shape Dish, circa 1880
Price: £45
A Japanese Kutani dish in the form of a shell with typical modelled ribbing to the front and finely decorated in iron red, sepia, grisaille and gold with three shell shape panels filled with birds
and flowers (peony and chrysanthemum) on an iron red ground with stylised gilt foliage with, in addition, roundel and part roundel shape panels with gilt floral patterns, the reverse plain
and with a two character mark 'Ku' 'Tani' to the centre.
Kutani (the word means 'nine valleys') porcelain was made at various factories in the former Kaga province of Japan. The earliest pieces were in a completely different style employing a palette of colours emphasising green, the so called 'Ko Kutani'. Production of this ceased around 1730, and manufacturing was not revived until the early nineteenth century when the more familiar colourings of iron red and gold were introduced. Many pieces were exported to the West in a variety of forms including vases and wall plates. This shell dish is more unusual; the shape is more normally found in Chinese ceramics. Perhaps one of an original pair, this dish, like its Chinese counterparts, was probably intended as a serving dish and could even be used as such today although it can well stand as a decorative item.
Ceramic and Bronze figure of a Blue Tit, Albany Worcester, late C20th
Price: £35
A superbly modelled polychrome ceramic figure of a Blue Tit hanging from a gnarled twig well worked in bronze, the base stamped 'Albany England'. Albany Worcester was launched in 1973 by David Palmer, Bill Nichols & David Lovegrove, who all previously worked at the Royal Worcester Porcelain factory. Their pieces, distinguished for their quality and detail, rapidly became popular and Harrods and the Queen's jeweller Asprey became customers. Sales grew to be global and some of their china and bronze pieces were even reputed to have been bought as wedding presents for the Prince and Princess of Wales. But the firm, which had just two full-time employees at the end, started to decline in the late 1980s and sales figures fell even further when the factory, which was then based in Lowesmoor, suffered a serious fire in 1995. There was something of a revival after this but fashions had changed and it proved to be short lived with the company closing in 2005. This piece is truly a sculpture in miniature and well deserves the protective dome in which it now stands. A reminiscence of a past era, perhaps, but surely deserving of a place in a contemporary interior.
Pair of Chelsea style Figures of a Country Couple, probably Samson late C19th
Price: £55
This is an attractive pair of small porcelain figures depicting a Country Couple, both in bright day clothes, the young man with a dog and playing the flute and the young lady holding a goat. Each stand on oval bases, gilt rimmed and with a raised geometric pattern and each is marked with a gold anchor to the reverse. Students of ceramics will immediately recognise the Gold Anchor mark as that found on Chelsea porcelain made during the period 1756 to 1769 but these figures are a hundred years later or more and probably made by the well known ‘Samson’ factory of France (Samson, Edmé et Cie) which produced skilful reproductions and recreations of English, European and Oriental porcelains during the nineteenth century and beyond. Samson pieces tend to have a much harder paste than that of their originals, their glazes are more glossy and the colours often more vivid. All these characteristics can be seen here but there were other manufacturers in France making these derivative copies as well and in the absence of a Samson mark, which was not always applied to their work, certainty is impossible. But this should not detract from quality and charm of thi pair of figures which can appael to amateurs and professional collectors alike.
Floating Flower jade pendant on bead necklace
Price: £175
This is a beautiful constructed necklace comprising a large very detailed Floating Flower jade carving of a waterfall with mountains and trees. There is also a temple and a boat with two figures. The reverse also has a very detailed of a landscape. This is a wonderful example of Chinese carving. It is strung together with green and white jade beads ending in a silver gilt Chinese filigree clasp. The bale is 9K gold.
Indian silver repousse cuff bracelet, c1920
Price: £85
This is a beautiful cuff bracelet which has very fine repousse work with floral designs and millegrain patterning. The large central panel has two bands of delicately rendered stylised scrolling foliage on a textured ground edged with a border of repeating stylised shells and detailed beading work and is flanked by two similar smaller panels at the sides. The piece is unmarked but is most likely '925' grade as was the tradition with Indian silver at this time.
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 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!
Striking continental silver modernist bracelet c1960
Price: £55
This a very beautiful and detailed bracelet comprising panels with organic shapes in front of coral like designs. It is marked Sterling Foreign 925. It seems that it should be attributed to a particular jewellery designer as it is so unique and high quality.
Victorian enamel buckle c1900
Price: £45
This is a lovely example of these buckles in a scrollwork design with bright enameling in turquoise and pinks. It is brass.
Paris tourist novelty bracelet c1970
Price: £15
This is a fun bracelet in a tarnished silver finish. It depicts Parisian landmarks and the city's coat of arms. They have a 3D effect which is interesting.
Japanese satsuma style match stick holder c1940
Price: £35
This is a lovely little figure of a Japanese man holding a vessel that is used to hold matches. It is done in a satsuma style motif and is marked Made in Japan on the bottom. A lovely souvenir from a trip long ago.
A very finely carved white pendent on traditional silk cord, Modern
Price: £25
This is a lovely piece of white jade that has been carved with a typical dragon motif and Chinese characters. It is strung onto a very well designed silk cord. This is quite a modest item and it is almost surely treated in some way.
Persian Painting on Silk depicting Courtiers in a Palace Scene, C19th/C20th
Price: £75
A finely detailed painting on silk depicting court figures in a palace scene with fountains to the front and a mountainous forest to the rear, the border with scrolling foliage. The work is typical of that produced by Persian artists and the scene bears a close resemblance (lacking the patient lying on the floor) to a work entitled ‘The Physicians Duel’ which depicts a scene from the Khamsa by Nizami Ghanjavi and is included in the British Museum collection.
The ‘Khamsa’ (Quintet or Quinary) is the best known work of Nizami Ghanjavi (c1141 – 1209) considered the greatest romantic epic poet in Persian literature. It comprises five long narrative poems the first of which is ‘Makhzan-ol-Asrar’ (The Treasury or Storehouse of Mysteries) and contains an episode where two physicians agree to fight each other with poison: each would give the other a poison and the doctors would then attempt, by their skill, to provide an antidote. One doctor succeeds but the other has less luck and in the version of the scene mentioned above is depicted lying ill on the ground.
The Khamsa was a popular subject for lavish manuscripts illustrated with painted miniatures at the Persian and Mughal courts in later centuries. The British Museum picture mentioned above, for example, comes from a manuscript created for the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 1590s. Scenes from these works were then copied or adapted in turn by Persian artists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries which is what we have here. The quality of the execution remains high producing a highly decorative example of the best Persian work.
Show stopping suite of necklace and earrings c1960
Price: £85
This is a dramatic necklace comprising five strands of aurora borealis glass beads with the matching clip earrings. The beads are graduating and are facetted with gold tone spacer beads. The clasp is original in a matching design. The earrings are clusters of the same beads and the clips are quite sturdy.
Taxco bracelet with Aztec mask motif, 1940s
Price: £65
This is very unusual bracelet comprising stations of heavy silver masks connected with five silver rods. It is marked 'Made in Mexico' and 'Silver' and would have been made for export to the USA.
Doulton and Slaters Patent Jardiniere circa 1890
Price: £750
A Doulton Jardiniere of squat form, the body tapering sharply towards the base with a short slightly flaring neck, decorated with a fabric derived design, the brown biscuit body with an impressed floral design over which are applied gilt flower heads and carefully modelled strands of lotus in blue and aubergine enamel, a band of light blue beads at the top and the interior glazed in dark blue, the base unglazed and with a series of impressed marks including ‘Doulton Lambeth’.
The Doulton factory began production in 1815, first at Vauxhall and later moving to Lambeth. In 1882 it opened an additional factory at Burslem, Stoke on Trent in the centre of the English pottery. Known at first mainly for utilitarian works it began to develop decorative wares more extensively in the 1860s and soon gained a reputation for its distinctive designs. As the mark indicates, this piece was made at the Lambeth factory and the absence of ‘England’ in the Doulton mark, which has the typical design of interlocking ‘D’ at its centre, indicates that it dates to before 1891. The decorative technique, employing impressed designs was known as ‘Chine’ ware and protected by the patent ‘Doulton and Slaters Patent’ which is clearly marked underneath. Pieces of linen, lace, net or other fabrics were pressed onto the unfired soft clay shortly after potting, leaving a corresponding pattern behind. This piece has elaborately modelled lotus strands in addition as well as gilt flower heads, an unusual combination which does not seem to often occur. On the base are found stamped numbers and letters which should indicate the pattern number and artist decorator but it has not been possible to identify these accurately. Dating though is confirmed and this was clearly a deluxe item amongst the range of pieces produced at that time.
Chinese Reverse Glass Painting of Two Ladies on a Garden Terrace, first half C20th
Price: £240
A reverse glass (or verre eglomise) painting depicting two ladies in elaborate court dress on a garden terrace with fencing at the front and a stylised garden scene at the rear with rocks, prunus and bamboo (symbolising longevity and renewal); one reads a book and the other holds a small library book box. Reverse glass paintings became a staple of the decorative items exported by China in the eighteenth century and production continued into the twentieth. The style of painting here, a little less detailed than that found in older counterparts but still with charm and skill in the brushwork, suggests a dating to the 1920s which would fit with the frame which is most likely original and retains its original fastening pegs at the back. The composition is well balanced and attractive and this is an excellent example of the genre in good and original condition.
A Pair of African Ebony Wood Makonde Style Carved Figures, probably late C20th
Price: £55
A Pair of African Ebony Wood Makonde Style Carved Figures of a Man and a Woman, probably late C20th
This pair of wood figures represents a man (left) and a woman (right) carved in a semi abstract and elongated style. Both are dressed in flowing robes, the lady’s pulled away to expose her right breast. The man holds a stylised shield and the lady a stylised musical instrument as indicators of their gender and the lady is slightly more ornately dressed with a necklace collar and bangles at her hands and ankles. Both are represented with the stretched earlobes typical of the Maasai people. The weight, graining and dark highly polished surface of the wood sugests ebony which became the preferred material for wood carving of the Makonde people after the 1930s when their art began to attract the attention of Western collectors.
Maasai and Makonde are ethnic terms used to describe African peoples who live in Tanzania, Mozamique and Kenya, with their own distinctive languages, culture and art. This pair of figures is typical of the wood carvings produced by their craftsmen in the second half of the twentieth century but their quality and size is well above average, the ebony wood finely rendered with much attention to detail and finished with a highly attractive glossy patina. The two figures complement one another well, their heads slightly turned to face one another with their legs turned slightly outwards and their robes flowing almost in mirror image. The abstract style makes them well suited to a contemporary interior where they could prove a striking accessory.
Metropolitan Museum of Art Egyptian Hieroglyphic wall plaque c2000
Price: £15
This is a very detailed plaque that depicts an Egyptian owl. It is a replica from Tutenkhamun's tomb that was issued by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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.
Unusual Brass Table or Desk Set with Elephant Heads, Indian, first half C20th
Price: £240
This is an unusual table or desk set comprising a pair of candlesticks and a spherical censer like vessel, all made from fine quality brass, well cast, the candlesticks with a circular base with a gadroon edge on which sit three elephants' heads supporting the elaborate candlestick column with a gadroon edge drip pan at the top and an urn like candle holder above, the central vessel with a similar base supporting a near spherical container with a hinged lid, its sides modelled to match the candle holders and the lid decorated with stylised leaves and with a pine cone finial, the inside with a loose brass container and cover.
The craftsmanship of this set is self evident both in the quality and weight of the brass and the casting techniques used. Its purpose is less certain and there are no easy parallels. The central vessel might have been designed for incense (although the cover is solid rather than openwork) in which case we could have a table ornament here, but the interior of the vessel can seem to resemble an inkwell in which case we might have a desk set. It's new owner will have to decide! Style of decoration suggests India in the early part of the C20th and this set would then be one of the many pieces exported to the Britain from India at that time and which became very much a feature of contemporary domestic interiors.
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!
Vintage Brass Pocket Case with a lid, probably a Vesta case for Matches, circa 1900
Price: £55
A small brass case with a hinged lid of irregular rectangular form decorated in high relief repoussé tecnique with a devil’s head encircled by a snake whose scaly tail continues onto the lid. Repoussé work is a metalworking technique in which a malleable metal is shaped by hammering from the reverse side to create a design in low relief. Other examples of these cases are known with a similar shape and technique and even the devil and snake motif. It is more than likely that this case was designed for matches, the so called 'Vesta Case' of which there is another example in this auction. Like that piece it is fitted with a ring, presumably to allow it to be attached to a watch chain. But other uses could have been intended, possibly for business or visiting cards (the Victorian calling card was much smaller) or perhaps for pills. The style of decoration very much recalls 'Arts and Crafts' pieces made around 1900 and a similar dating seems likely here.
Vintage Brass Vesta Case in the form of a Violin, circa 1900
Price: £55
A Brass Vesta, or Match, case in the form of a Violin with an opening cover to the bottom and a fabric covered bar inside. Vesta was the Roman Goddess of the hearth, home and family and
altars and temples dedicated to her commonly employed a live flame, which caused some manufacturers of matches in the nineteenth century to name their products 'Vestas', the most famous being the Swan Vesta match produced from around 1900. Early matches were highly combustible and cases to keep them safe were produced from around 1830 onwards. The peak of popularity of the 'Vesta Case' was around 1900 and their use declined in the 1920s when the first cigarette lighters were produced. The cases were made in a variety of forms and materials, even gold and silver. This example is brass and probably from around 1900. The surface of the cover is ribbed in order for a match to be struck against it but he function of the interior covered bar is less clear. The case is fitted with a ring, presumably to allow it to be attached to a watch chain. Practical in their time, Vesta Cases are collectible now and the rarer shapes much sought after.
Kitsch Style Conch Shell with painted landscape decoration, C20th
Price: £45
This is a conch form shell which has elaborate painted landscape decoration to the exterior and interior, the design flowing on almost continuously and extending deep into the inside of the piece. Whether necessarily in good taste or not, the skill of the artist is evident and the detailed and colourful riverside scene is continued right inside the interior of the shell. While painted shells are known, there are no immediate comparisons to what we have here and provenance and dating are rather a matter of guesswork. There seems to be a 1950s feel though and the work looks more English than European. A conversation piece perhaps!
Indian Silver and Enamel pill or trinket Box, early C20th
Price: £55
A small Indian silver and enamel box and cover of near spherical form with three ball like tripod feet and a round finial, the silver body with cloisonne enamel decoration of a central panel of elephants in procession and geometric floral designs to the lid and base with blue enamel compartmented borders, the interior finished in translucent green enamel. Style of decoration indicates an early C20th dating for this highly appealing item which might even have a practical use for its new owner.
French Orientalist etching aquatint - Paris La Rue Saint Rustique
Price: £30
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.
A Brannam Bowl, Barum ware, Terracotta and Glaze, marked C.H.Brannam, circa 1900
Price: £45
A rustic bowl with a wavy edge rim and moulded shells to the sides, terracotta with green and black 'tea dust' glazes, the foot coardely modelled and with stamped marks 'Made in England'
'C.H.Brannam' 'Barum' 'N.Devon'. Brannam Pottery was a British pottery started by Thomas Backway Brannam in Barnstaple, Devon, England, in 1848. Ownership passed through the family, Thomas' son Charles Hubert joining the firm aged 12 in 1867 and passing on direction of the business himself to his sons in 1913. It later became part of the "rustic" wing of the art pottery movement, mainly owing to efforts of Charles Hubert who began producing his own distinctive wares in 1879 and registering the name 'Royal Barum Ware' in 1886 after receiving an order from Queen Victoria in 1885. The pieces were widely sold including at Liberty in London. Many pieces were produced in terracotta, sometimes with additional glaze effects but the form
and decoration of this bowl is unusual combining the marine motifs with interesting glaze effects offset by the terracotta base. Perhaps it is not too fanciful to see the work of Charles Hubert himself here. Certainly, great care was taken with the production of this piece and the style and mark suggest a dating to around 1900.
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 pottery since some pieces exist with a label stating 'made in Italy'.
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 pottery since some pieces exist with a label stating 'made in Italy'.
Large python handbag with wood closure detail 1930s
Price: £125
This is a very interesting bag that comprises python skin throughout. It is lined with taffeta and has python on the interior accents. It has an unusual wooden closure and a handle that is also covered in python skin and is in great condition. It is large enough for use any time day or evening.
Pair of Japanese Noritake Vases, early C20th
Price: £35
A pair of Japanese Vases of flattened baluster form with short necks and feet and applied loop handles to the sides, the bodies decorated in a salmon pink glaze with a central panel of flowers (chrysanthemum, lotus and plum blossom) surrounded by a wavy edge gilt border, a green border to the top, gilding to the handles and a gilt rim to the base, the foot with a Noritake mark in underglaze blue.
The Noritake compnay was set up by the Morimura family at Noritake near Nagoya in the early twentieth century. Called at first 'Nippon Toki Kaisha Ltd' on its founding in 1904, the business soon changed its name to 'Noritake' and began the manufacture of porcelains for the domestic and export markets. The mark seen here is interesting. It comprises a 'Komaru' symbol, crowned with "Noritake" and with the mark 'Made In Japan'. The centre symbol said to be taken from the Japanese character "Komaru", meaning "overcoming difficulties". According to the Noritake company tradition this mark was designed when contact with the different culture of the west early in the 20th century caused problems of adaptation. It is also known as the 'tree crest mark' which is the clan crest of the Morimura family. This mark is said to have been registered in London for the UK market by 1908. The curled up ends of the Komaru symbol seen here distinguish this mark from later versions and allow a dating of this piece to the early twentieth century.
Noritake porcelain became synonymous with finely potted tea and breakfast services made in great quantities for export. These vases are a rather more unusual production and show the factory capable of producing high quality pieces with decorative potential.
Antique English Staffordshire pitcher, William Brownfield and Sons, circa 1860.
Price: £55
A cream glaze pitcher, the pear shape body rising to a modelled spout with a short foot below and with an applied rope twist handle, decorated all over with a relief modelled design of fern leaves and wheat sheaves, the spout fitted with a weighted pewter lid, a moulded mark to the base which includes the manufacturer 'W' 'B' 'Brownfield' and the pattern 'Fern'.
William Brownfield and Sons occupied a factory in Waterloo Road, Cobridge from the mid nineteenth century onwards. Cobridge is an area of Stoke-on-Trent, in the county of
Staffordshire, England, the heart of the English Pottery industry. From 1850 to 1871, the firm produced only earthenwares, the best-known products being perhaps the moulded jugs
which often bear the initial mark 'WB'. This pitcher is a prime example of the type with its highly attractive and detailed relief moulded decoration in the 'Fern' pattern, as marked underneath. The elaborate moulded mark allows accurate dating. In the outer circle is the manufacturer and the pattern, '24' being perhaps the pattern number. The diamond shape inside is an example of the English Pattern Registration diamond system which was used from 1842 to 1883. 'IV' at the top indicates the type of item registered (pottery). The date of registration of the pattern is shown by (i) The letter at the top ('G') indicating the year, (ii) the number at the centre right ('14') indicating the day and (iii) the letter at the centre left ('B') indicating the month. Putting these together we have 14 October 1863. This is the date after which the pattern was used. This fits with the mark on the pewter lid which was made by the well known firm 'Spurrier' and registered in May 1868. We have, then, a classic example of the design which can be securely dated to the mid nineteenth century. Truly a collector's item.
Pair of Gilt Metal and Onyx Scales, probably French, C20th
Price: £35
A decorative pair of scales with an elaborately cast fluted central column from which branch out two rococo like arms. From each arm is suspended an onyx vessel which sits on a gilt metal pan hanging by three linked chains. The column is fitted to a spreading onyx base which is supported by three gilt metal feet attached to a circular gilt metal rim. The casting of the metal work and general style of the piece suggests France and dating is most likely to the mid C20th.
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.
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.
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.
Small Chinese Gilt Ground Cloisonné Bowl, C20th
Price: £35
A small bowl with a short foot and an everted rim, the gilt ground decorated in raised cloisonne enamel with prunus flowers, the base and interior finished in mottled turquoise enamel. The cloisonné technique, where glass derived enamels are inlaid between gilt metal outline designs, the so called 'cloisons' or 'partitions', was developed in China from as early as the fourteenth century and employed continuously thereafter, even until the present day. In the early twentieth century pieces were produced with a gilt ground onto which were applied raised cloisonne enamel designs, as here. The quality of the work is excellent and self evident but note in particular the shading effects in the enamels which are seen in images (3) and (4). Prunus is the emblem of Winter and the symbol of life because its blossom appears in springtime on an apparently lifeless tree. This small bowl or cup was probably intended for drinking tea or wine which explains the shape of the rim. Dating is most likely to the first half of the C20th.
LOT 3
Aseda Glasbruk Art Glass Vase by Bo Borgstrom, Swedish, 1960s/1970s
Estimate: £40 – 60
4d 12h 35m
£26.00
Chinese Celadon Glaze Bottle Vase with White Slip decoration, Jingdezhen mark, C20th
Price: £75
A Chinese Vase of bottle form, the globular body rising to a straight neck with a short foot, covered all over in a celadon glaze and highlighted at the front with decoration in white slip depicting birds on branches of flowering lotus, the design continuing towards the rear. The base 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. Celadon pieces with white slip decoration, usually depicting birds and flowers, seem to have been first produced in China in the nineteenth century. Vases and garden seats are the most commonly found forms. This vase continues the style and the quality of the glaze and decoration compares very well with its predecessors. The mark is found on other pieces and seems first to have been used around 1950 but was still employed around forty years later so dating must also take into account the quality of the decoration and the paste of the foot, both of which suggest the mid C20th here.
Studio Pottery Vase, Leeds Fire Clay Lefco, circa 1900
Price: £150
A studio pottery vase of elegant bottle form, the squat base rising to a flaring neck, glazed overall in brown with a feint craquelure effect and with raised coloured slip decoration boldly depicting flowering chrysanthemum in yellows, greens and browns, the top interior and base finished in mustard yellow. This vase is attributed to the Leeds Fire Clay Company which was formed in 1889 by the amalgamation of various companies in the area including Wilcock & Co of Burmantofts, The Farnley Iron co and The Wortley Fireclay Co. Much of the production centred on architectural items, often utilitarioan, and 'Lefcoware' garden ornamaents became a staple product in the early 1900s. Burmantofts ceased production of their well known decorative vases around 1904 and this piece seems to have been one of their successors. As the two potting lines on each side indicate, it was mould made not modelled on a potter's wheel, and this is consistent with the type of wares produced by Lefco generally. The aesthetic is clearly reminiscent of the early 1900s and the form and decoration combine to produce a highly decorative item which would not be out of place in a contemporary interior.
A pair of Art Deco style Onyx Bookends, C20th
Price: £35
A pair of Art Deco style bookends made from onyx and formed in two sections with a stylised figure of a horse's head set on a rectangular base with a rounded end. Onyx is named from the Greek 'ónux', meaning “nail,” or “claw,” and is a variety of the mineral chalcedony, a kind of quartz. Onyx with flesh-colored and white bands can sometimes resemble a fingernail and a similar effect is seen here. Its use is known since ancient Egyptian times and it has also been commonly employed during the twentieth century. The origin and dating of these bookends is uncertain. Similar examples with a stylised horse's head are ascribed to Mexico in the 1940s but there can be no sure proof that this is the case here. The design is striking with clear reflections of the Art Deco period and the veining of the stone here enhances the decorative effect.
Silver cuff bracelet set with Scottish banded carnelian stone, Birmingham 1975
Price: £85
This is a very striking bracelet set with a very large Scottish.banded canelian stone. The setting is a very simple and elegant three band design. Bears full silver marks for Birmingham 1975. The makers mark is AP.
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.
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.
Burmese doll figure of a Priest, C20th
Price: £45
This is a very curious piece indeed. The figure represented by the doll is clearly a man from the depiction of the face with its broad moustache; his hair is swept back and the forehead painted with three red lines which most likely have a ritual or religious significance suggesting that we have a priestly figure here. His torso and arms are closely bound in gold and blue fabric strips and below is a billowing pink robe with gilt thread decoration, now somewhat worn, but the truncated profile is strange. If there is a religious element perhaps the doll had some ritual function; it certainly has the appearance of one. The treatment of the face suggests Burma and there is clearly some age here, perhaps a dating to the mid or even early twentieth century but there do not seem to be any close parallels. One for a specialist collector perhaps and certainly someone with more knowledge than the puzzled cataloguer!
Chinese Doll of a man dressed in traditional costume, early C20th.
Price: £95
Chinese Doll of a man, standing with his arms hanging down and dressed in elaborately embroidered Chinese costume with booted feet, the head detachable. This type of doll is believed to have been made in Shanghai by professional doll makers and then equipped with its dress in Christian missionary orphanages, in order to teach the girls there embroidery and raise money for the orphanage in general. Other examples are known and dating is generally made to the 1920s. The quality of the needlework here is exceptional and the young ladies were clearly extremely well taught! In this example the detachable head is signed which may indicate the doll maker's workshop.
Pair of French Blue Ground Square Vases Choisy Le Roi, late C19th
Price: £45
A Pair of Vases of squared baluster form with flaring necks and short spreading feet, the mazarine blue glaze decorated in thickly applied enamels with a central design of birds nesting on flowering branches with insects hovering, surrounded by three panels of flowering branches, the central design also highlighted in gold. One of the vases with a stamped triangular mark,
slightly indistinct but doubtless reading 'HB' 'Choisy' for the French ceramics factory Choisy Le Roi.
Faience pottery was first produced in Choisy-le-Roi, France, in 1804. By 1836, the factory came under the management of Louis Boulenger who was succeeded in 1863 by his son Hippolyte
Boulenger. By that time, the factory had some three hundred employees. Much of the production was of majolica pieces whose quality matched that of the major British manufacturers.
When marked, the pieces bear a stamped ‘Choisy le Roi’ or ‘Choisy’ impression and and may include the letters 'HB' which presumably stands for Hippolyte Boulenger. Blue glazed pieces
with gilt and enamel decoration are found and this is what we have here, the narrrow elegant form suggesting pieces suitable for the mantel piece. Dating is probably to the end of the nineteenth century.
Japanese Kutani Vase of Water Dropper form, circa 1880
Price: £45
A small Japanese Kutani vase of globular form with a narrow straight neck, decorated in the typical colourings of iron red, grisaille, salmon pink and gold with a continuous scene of
flowering peony below stylised clouds, the neck in iron red with gilt highlighting also depicting stylised clouds. The base with three simple bands in iron red and the base
with a two character mark reading 'Ku' 'Tani'.
Kutani (the word means 'nine valleys') porcelain was made at various factories in the former Kaga province of Japan. The earliest pieces were in a completely different style employing a palette of colours emphasising green, the so called 'Ko Kutani'. Production of this ceased around 1730, and manufacturing was not revived until the early nineteenth century when the more familiar colourings of iron red and gold were introduced. This small vase is typical of pieces exported to the West in fairly large quantities at the end of the nineteenth century. The form suggests a water dropper and is found in Imari colourings as well. Many of the Kutani pieces were marked, sometimes simply 'Ku' 'Tani' as here. The glaze was sometimes unstable with a tendency to craze as can be seen here, but this is original to the manufacture and does not detract from the piece's decorative appeal.
Japanese Arita Bowl decorated with panels of flowers and interior Scenes, circa 1820
Price: £45
A Japanese Arita small Bowl the deep sides narrowing towards the base with a short foot, decorated in underglaze blue, iron red and gold enamel highlights in green and grey
with two panels of flowers alternating with two panels of interior scenes with screens and a small animal resembling a buffalo sitting on a table, the foot with small blue
panels highlighted in gold between geometric designs, the top interior rim with alternating segments of iron red and underglaze blue both highlighted in gold and the base interior
with flowering chrysanthemum.
The rather more elaborate style of decoration here and the addition of enamel colours to the standard imari palette of underglaze blue, iron red and gold resembles 'kenjo imari' pieces produced in Japan in the eighteenth century and in the early nineteenth century, a specific type of Imari that was highly decorated and meant for domestic consumption, Kenjo, meaning 'for presentation'. The paste of the foot, harder and smoother than that used in the later nineteenth century, suggests a dating here to around 1820 before trade with the West was temporarily paused. The form suggests a cup for Sake and this piece was probably one of an original set of five, but it stands on its own as a decorative item in miniature.
Pair of silver fobs adapted as earrings, Birmingham 1904 & 1905
Price: £75
This is a wonderful way to upcycle two watchain fobs. These fobs were earned by the same person for ;perfect attendance by the Kent Education Commitee. Although they are undated the silver marks indicate the years 1904 and 1905. These have very fine quality siliver work. It bears the coat of arms for the KEC. These have been set on silver earring hooks.
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.
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.
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".
Fun group of two porcelain brooches with paid of small earrings 1960s
Price: £15
This is a group of two brooches with matching earrings. All have inset porcelain plaques with a floral motif. The brooch with the purple flowers seems to have a monogram signature.
Celtic Style Pewter Brooch in the form of a Panthers Head, C20th
Price: £10
A pewter brooch in the form of a Panther's head, the mouth holding a horseshoe like ring inset with diamante stones, the design in a Celtic style and perhaps intended to represent a door knocker. There are no markings to this piece and its origin and dating are difficult to determine. Perhaps it can be seen to relate to Arts and Crafts pieces of the early C20th and manufacture in the South West of England (compare the Celtic Style brooch, Lot 13 in this sale) is perhaps a possibility.
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Silver Monogram Celtic Style Brooch Hallmarked 1878/1879
Price: £45
A Silver Celtic Style Brooch, the design with interlacing strands in a variety of surface textures, three of which seem to represent the letters 'S' 'S' 'E', hallmarked to the reverse with the stamps (from right to left) lion (fitness mark), anchor, (Birmingham Assay Office mark), 'd' (Date letter for Birmingham 1878 to 1879), 'EU' (Sponsors mark - the firm which submitted the item to the assay office - for Edwin Umfreville who traded at 119 Jermyn Street, St James's, London and offered items with bespoke monograms).
An advert for Edwin Umfreville appeared in 'The Bazaar, The Exchange and Mart - 19th April 1879' where one of his pieces is described. "Like all the “ E. U." jewellery that we have seen, the workmanship is first-class, and the design most tasteful."
Strand of large Peking glass beads c1920
Price: £25
This is a striking string of beads that are Peking glass. Peking glass was created as a more economical alternative to jade and is a favorite stone for beads and and costume jewellery from the 1920s. With barrel clasp.
A Celtic or Pictish Brooch decorated with Horses, St Justin of Cornwall, circa 1980
Price: £10
A circular pewter Brooch, the decoration based on a Pictish horse engraving found on a stone in Inverurie. The three horses are shown embedded in a nest of classic Celtic lines and knots. This brooch was made by the firm St.Justin of Cornwall with Cornish Pewter. Their mark can be seen to the reverse.
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.
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Two lacquer bird brooches 1980s
Price: £15
This is a fun set of two brooches in an unusual lacquer design.
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.
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.
A Pair of Royal Doulton Ewers, marked, early C20th
Price: £150
An attractive and unusual pair of Royal Doulton Ewers, the broad ovoid body with a defined collar narrowing sharply to the neck which flares out to form the spout, a short flaring foot to the base and the back with a high rising loop handle joined to the top rim. While combining elements well known from other Doulton wares of the period, the decoration here is slightly unusual. A light blue splash glaze is combined with a central section of relief moulded whorl pattern within a modelled lambrequin style border with stylised flower heads, the base is finished in brown and the top interior in a complementary olive green splash glaze. The underside of the foot carries 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, indicating a circa date between c1900 and c1930. Usually this mark is combined with a lion and sometimes a crown but these were omitted when space was short, as seems to have been the case here. Impressed marks 'LD' are for the artist Jessie Lord and dating to the 1920s seems likely.
Obsidian Mayan Statuette inlaid with semi precious stones, C20th
Price: £35
An attractive Obsidian statuette of a Maya chief, modelled in an abstract style, his headdress decorated with mother-of-pearl ornament complemented by semi-precious stones which are also used for the collar and foot, including calcite, abalone and sandstone. Obsidian is held to be a purifying stone that encourages personal development and is said to offer protection and solve problems of the past. It is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed when lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimal crystal growth and is therefore found wherever volcanoes occur and particularly in South America. Since the figure is a Mexican image, a Mexican provenance is likely but dating is less certain. The stylised design and combination of stone and inlay combine, though, to produce a striking ornamental item.
Vintage Wicker and Plastic Woven Basket with Handles, probably mid C20th
Price: £45
A highly attractive woven basket with a lid and handles, the composition combining both wicker and plastic twine in an attractive combination of textures and colours, the base, the edges of the top and lid and the loop handles finished in wicker and the main body mainly in plastic. There is also a simple plastic twine fastening to keep the cover closed. By repute purchased in France, it is extremely hard to assign a country of origin to this piece, but the use of woven plastic suggests a dating to the 1950s, a time when the well known 'Lloyd Loom' items enjoyed great popularity. The condition of this basket is excellent and it is quite sturdy so could be an eye catching accompaniment to a summer excursion!
Strand of Chinese ceramic beads c1950
Price: £25
This is a lovely necklace comprising 19 barrel shaped ceramic beads with vulcanite spacer beads. The ceramic beads are chinese porcelain with Famille Rose style decoration. This necklace has not clasp but will fit over the head.
Vintage Ceramic Table Brush marked Germany, 1930s
Price: £15
A Vintage Ceramic table brush in the form of an Art Deco style lady wearing a blue hat, her brown blouse with a red bow and a woven material belt below, her 'skirt' forming the brush itself. Table brushes in a similar form were made in various countries but ours is clearly marked 'Germany' so its origin is certain. The composition of the figure, the style of decoration and the form of the mark itself all point to a pre-war dating, probably in the 1930s. This piece is highly decorative but also extremely practical, even today!
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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
Chinese Framed Ceramic Plaque depicting Peony, C20th
Price: £150
A Chinese ceramic plaque decorated with delicately painted flowering peony in shades of grisaille with highlighting in red and blue, an elaborate inscription to the left with two red seals and a further red seal to the bottom right. The frame is Chinese and most likely contemporary with the plaque. Style of painting and decoration combined with the very even surface and high white glaze of the plaque itself suggest a dating to the 1960s or 1970s rather than the Republican period (1912-1949) when similar pieces were made which are highly sought after now. But the work is of extremely high quality nevertheless and the composition artistic and appealing.
Chinese Bone Netsuke carving of a man holding a musical instrument, early C20th
Price: £25
A Chinese Bone Netsuke carving of a man holding a musical instrument, depicted with its strings, and dressed in a simple robe decorated with incised detail in brown and black, two typical holes to the reverse, early C20th. Netsuke were developed in Japan as a fastener or toggle by which small hanging storage boxes, okimono, could be attached to the sash of a kimono. They were made in a variety of forms but the small figurine, as here and in the previous lot, was the most common. Chinese examples seem to have been made in the early twentieth century and were more often crafted from bone rather than the ivory or wood favoured by most of the Japanese craftsmen.
Chinese Bone Netsuke carving of a Sage, early C20th
Price: £45
A Chinese Bone Netsuke carving of a bearded Sage dressed in an elaborate robe, his hands upraised and holding a staff and a bowl, the decoration detail in dark grisaille and red, two typical holes to the reverse and signed at the base within an irregular ovoid circular border panel, early C20th. Netsuke were developed in Japan as a fastener or toggle by which small hanging storage boxes, okimono, could be attached to the sash of a kimono. They were made in a variety of forms but the small figurine, as here, was the most common. Chinese examples seem to have been made in the early twentieth century and were more often crafted from bone rather than the ivory or wood favoured by most of the Japanese craftsmen.
Art Glass Doorstop with Starburst and Bubble designs, perhaps British, late C20th
Price: £45
An Art Glass Doorstop of near spherical form with a flat foot, the crystal style glass incorporating starburst effects in light maroon and blue above a purple ground, all interspersed with bubbles. Similar pieces in a slightly smaller scale are usually described as paperweights, but the size and weight of this item suggests rather a doorstop or 'dump'. High quality paperweights in a variety of rounded forms were made by various studios in Scotland in the mid to late twentieth century and perhaps this is what we have here but no firm attribution is possible. The skill of the maker, though, is self evident.
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.
Miniature Staffordshire flatback model of two spaniels and a barrel, second half C19th
Price: £55
This is a charming model of two spaniels, one sitting on a barrel, with a stylised garden ground below. The modelling is slightly impressionistic and the earthenware body is applied with an all over cream coloured glaze with a slight craquelure effect decorated with brightly coloured enamels fairly coarsely painted. All this is typical of the so called ‘Staffordshire’ figures produced in England in the nineteenth century which enjoyed huge popularity and were to be found in many homes. Various small potteries made these wares and not only ones based in Staffordshire; they are not marked but the style is consistent and instantly recognisable. Many of the pieces, both people and animals, were designed as shelf or mantelpiece ornaments and were therefore made with a flat back, hence the descriptive term. The model here exists in both a full size and miniature form, usually with the same decorative elements. The smaller scale only adds to the charm and this pair of dogs could find a home in a modern setting just as easily as they did in a Victorian one.
LOT 8
Murano glass Sommerso three layer Tear Drop shape Vase, 1960s
Estimate: £40 – 60
4d 12h 45m
£26.00
Ceramic Model of a Viking Longboat, Wade, 1950s/1960s
Price: £25
A ceramic model of a Viking longboat with planking to the sides fitted with overlapping shields, the prow and stern in the form of a stylised dragon and the foot in the form of rolling waves, colourfully glazed all over in blues and browns and the underneath with a moulded mark for the Wade factory ‘Wade Porcelain Made in England’.
Wade Ceramics Ltd was a manufacturer of porcelain and earthenware, headquartered in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Founded in 1867, it was run by various members of the Wade family until the death of George Anthony Wade in 1987 after which there was a succession of management buyouts. Despite substantial investment in 2009, the firm eventually went into administration in 2022. Wade produced a wide variety of ceramics, including the well known Wade Whimsies animal figurines.
Many of their pieces were designed to act as small containers for flowers and trinkets and this piece is a particularly amusing example of the type. Two colour ranges exist, one as here and one with much darker tones which is held to be later. Dating here, then, is most likely to the 1950s/1960s when the Wade production lines were in full swing and enjoying considerable popularity.
LOT 1
Pink Glass Centrepiece Set, Arabella, Walter and Sohne, 1930s
Estimate: £40 – 60
4d 12h 31m
£26.00
Moroccan tooled leather bag c1960
Price: £65
This is a wonderful tooled leather bag that has Morrocan designs all over. It has outer pockets on both sides with a large inner compartment. It is lined in leather and has two grab handles.
English silk handbag with embroidered Chinoiserie design c1950
Price: £95
This is a beautiful bag comprising a silk body that has an unusual embroidered design that depicts a Chinese lady in a field of floral designs. It is fitted with a gold tone frame and has a label 'Made In England' 'LKW', a manufacturer known for producing affordable and attractive evening wear handbags.