West German ceramic Vase, Scheurich, No 290-40, 1960s
Price: £55
A large ceramic vase with a broad ovoid body flaring out towards the rim, the lower half covered in a mottled mustard/orange glaze which merges into a band of rocky texture drip glaze in greys and brown, the interior glazed brown and the mustard/orange glaze of the base with the moulded marks ‘290-40’ ‘W GERMANY’.
Although not marked as such, this vase has all the hallmarks of the firm Scheurich Keramik which started production in 1954, rather later than most of its competitors, but soon became the largest producer of commercial art pottery in Germany. Their pieces rarely carried the factory name but usually the model number followed by the height in centimetres with ‘W.Germany’ below, as here. Scheurich were well known for producing a wide variety of pieces with variegated, almost experimental glazes and this vase is yet another successful example of their work, the simple lines of form combining with a more austere selection of glaze effects than found in some of their other pieces. Dating is to the 1960s.
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.
Art Deco Catalin Bakelite necklace, American c1930
Price: £125
This is a fabulous necklace comprising very large mustard coloured catalin beads in tubular, ovoid and globular shapes. Catalin is a form of plastic that is comtemporary with Bakelite. They are very similar as they are both composed of phenol and formeldehyde. The main difference is that Catalin was poured a poured liquid and Bakelite was moulded from a granular powder. Catalin is a brand name developed and trademarked in 1927 by the American Catalin Corporation of New York City, when the patent on Bakelite expired that year. It was used in a variety of applications, including costume jewellery, until the end of the second world war when it became too expensive, as every piece had to be individually cast and polished. Catalin jewellery is often incorrectly referred to as bakelite but has a distinction all of its own and this necklace is prime example of the fashion designs produced in the 1930s.
Pukeberg Glass Horse Head with label, 1970s
Price: £55
A heavily modelled glass head of a horse with a raised mane, the abstract form enhanced by an ‘ice glass’ effect whereby the clear glass was given a textured effect in order to represent a block of ice from which the figure was formed. As the label indicates, this was a product of the well known Pukeberg Glass works in Sweden, founded in 1871 by C.W. Nystrom, who had previously worked at Kosta. The factory started to manufacture decorative glass in the 1930s and still continues production today. This piece dates to the 1970s and was designed by Stig A. Karrstrand. It is a fine example of modernist Scandinavian design and retains its maker’s label which is quite unusual. The weight suggests a paperweight form and other naturalistic pieces were produced at the same time to provide the same function but this example can be enjoyed just for its own decorative appeal.
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.
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.
French Orientalist etching aquatint - Paris La Rue Saint Rustique
Price: £35
This is a beautile small etching aquatint that is signed. One reverse is the printers label of "Georges Hautecoer & Co. Gravures Encadements 172 Rue de Rivoli Paris". It is a scene of a very famous street in the Monmarte district of Paris. The signature is illegible but it is lovely quality.
Japanese Carved Wood Figure of a Young girl, Kokeshi doll style, C20th
Price: £45
This is a rather charming carved wood figure of a young girl standing dressed in an elaborate robe decorated with floral blooms and fan shape panels in blue with floral designs. She holds something in her hands (an offering?) and looks out expectantly. The naif style resembles closely the kokeshi dolls that have been made in Japan for more than 150 years as children's toys but the portrayal is much more lifelike than that of its abstract counterparts. Dating is probably to the mid twentieth century.
Chinese carved wood Box decorated Dragons, early C20th
Price: £150
A Chinese wood box with a hinged lid of rectangular form, deeply carved with dragon designs , a large sinuous example on the lid, his scales graphically depicted, within a border of bats and floral rosettes, the sides with smaller companions, two confronting at the front and rear between a shield, with a circular geometric motif at the corners, the interior with another large example slightly stylised and wrapped round a large circular panel, perhaps intended to be carved to display the name of the owner. The richly coloured wood is a form of the rosewood used so often by the makers of the furniture and decorative items intended for export and the style of the carving, accomplished but not with the finest detail, suggests early twentieth century work. But this in no way detracts from a rather striking creation intended for the foreign market.
Metropolitan Museum of Art Egyptian Hieroglyphic wall plaque c2000
Price: £20
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.
Hanley Ware circular bowl, Lancaster and Sons, 1920s
Price: £25
A shallow circular bowl of compressed form, the rim turning in at the top, decorated to the top exterior with a continuous polychrome transfer design depicting a rustic landscape scene edged in black on a yellow lustre ground which is repeated on the interior, the base glazed white, with a transfer mark ‘Made in England’ above a lion couchant, ‘L&Sons Ltd’ above a shield shape panel with ‘Hanley Eng’ below, and impressed numbers ‘216’
Lancaster & Sons Ltd were manufacturers of earthenware at the Dresden works, Tinkersclough, in the Shelton area of Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, England. The firm was founded in 1899 under the name ‘Lancaster and Barker’ was renamed ‘Lancaster & Sons Ltd’ in the early 1900s and continued production until 1944. In the 1920s they produced various pieces with rural landscape scenes of which this is an example. Some see reminiscences of the ‘Arts and Crafts’ movement here but the mark found on the bottom clearly dates the piece to the 1920s. The yellow lustre glaze is interesting and free from the crazing sometimes found.
Victorian Rolled Gold Necklace with Pendants, late C19th
Price: £45
This is an interesting necklace made from rolled gold (in which a thin layer of gold is applied to a baser metal) and comprising a linked chain from which are suspended a facetted rose de france amethyst bead in the shape of a heart, a ‘lucky bean’, a framed portrait medallion and a miniature whistle (that works!). The choice of the pendant ‘charms’ is not wholly clear. While the heart has an obvious meaning and the bean shape denotes good fortune (during the Victorian and Edwardian eras, beans washed up on the seashore which then went on to germinate were regarded as infused with good luck), both of which might well been associated with the young lady whose portrait photo can be seen, the significance of the whistle is not certain and was perhaps only known to the wearer. A piece of evocative nostalgia then for collectors of Victorian decorative jewellery.
Indian tribal necklace, 19th century
Price: £175
This is a very unusual and rare tribal necklace that is from India, most likely from the Rajasthan region. It features a large silver disc with a free form design, This is strung with a necklace that has thousands of garnet beads. The pendant is marked 925 which indicates that it was exported to the west.
Japanese Awata ware Teapot and Cover, signed, circa 1900
Price: £25
An earthenware teapot of rounded cylindrical form, curving in at the base and with a flush fitting lid, the handle, spout and lid finial all modelled to imitate bamboo, the beige ground with a minute craquelure and with polychrome enamel decoration of birds and reeds, the modelled bamboo attachments glazed green and a sketchy signature in iron red at the base of the handle. The Awata district of Kyoto, Japan, was the home to many famous kilns including those run by various members of the Kinkozan family. Some of their Satsuma productions were of extremely high quality, indeed prize winning and in great demand from Western collectors which has continued until the present day. Other kilns produced more modest Satsuma wares for export and some are marked with the same maker’s name as their more illustrious counterparts. This teapot, not marked Kinkozan, is a typical example, originally deriving from a small tea service decorated in the same pattern. The signature, hastily drawn, is either that of the decorator or the merchant shop which sold the ware. These pieces too seem to have been popular with Western buyers and are still collected today.
LOT 31
Edwardian large text magnifying glass with horn handle, early C20th
Estimate: £30 – 40
7d 16h 48m
£0.00
Chinese Cinnabar Lacquer Egg, C20th
Price: £55
A Chinese cinnabar lacquer egg, deeply carved with peony and prunus flowers within stylised scrolling foliage, the top and bottom with geometric form ‘shou’ medallions. The technique of lacquer carving (lacquer being the sap of a species of tree native to southern China, but also found elsewhere, which dries to a plastic which can be coloured and carved) was practised by the Chinese from the 12th Century onwards and has continued even into modern times. This egg is an example of their rather later creations but reflects techniques developed over many hundreds of years. There is symbolism here, prunus representing winter and peony spring with the ‘shou’ medallions standing for long life, so perhaps a good luck charm was intended. Dating is probably to the later twentieth century, perhaps the 1970s and if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, copies of the model, rather inferior in quality, were produced by the well known firm, Franklin Mint.
Three Powder Boxes, gilt metal, alabaster and porcelain, mid C20th
Price: £45
A group of three contrasting powder boxes all probably dating to the mid twentieth century. (1) Gilt metal with elaborate stylised floral designs, the lid with a petit point floral tapestry, English (2) Alabaster with a design of roses to the lid, Italian (3) Porcelain with a courting couple depicted on the lid, deep red ground with gilt floral decoration and gilt tripod feet, French, Limoges and marked underneath ‘Table et Décor’ ‘LIMOGES’ ‘FRANCE’.
Mint Coronet Rapid camera with case 1950s
Price: £45
Coronet Rapide is a folding 120 film camera model of Coronet Co., Birmingham, England. It was also manufactured under license by Tiranty Company, Paris, France and produced in late 1940s and early 1950s. This one is particularly interesting because of its condition and the condition of the case. They appear to be unused or very well cared for. It has a Meniscu lenz. This camera has not been tested so we cannot guarantee it works although the condition would indicate that it does work.
Two Ceramic Jugs with Erotic Decoration, continental perhaps German, circa 1900
Price: £25
Two ceramic jugs, the first of near globular form with a narrow concave neck and a flaring rim with a simple loop handle to the shoulder, blue glazed with a biscuit design to the reverse of a cherub kissing a man, the unglazed base with incised numbers '186 [??] 2' and the second of a slender ovoid urn shape with a wavy edge rim and a modelled loop handle to the shoulder, green glazed with traces of gilding, much worn off, and with a biscuit design to the reverse of a man seated with something in his hand which could be interpreted as a flower or just possibly the male member.
These pieces represent something of a puzzle. Seen the right way round (with the handle on the right) they are plain and the decoration only reveals itself on the reverse. This suggests a playful intent to conceal which, when combined with the subject matter, suggests something a bit ‘naughty’ which could confirm the second interpretation of what the seated man is holding! The paste, and general style of the pieces, looks continental and a German origin might be a good guess, but no more than that. The blue glazed jug has an impressed mark to the base ‘186 [plus an unidentifiable number]’ which might be the date but is more likely the pattern number; a dating of around 1900 for both seems reasonable - certainly there is an ‘old’ look to the pieces. There are one or two similar examples but little in the way of firm information. One for a collector to puzzle out!
Egyptian Silver Pill Box with Mother of Pearl Inlay, marked, second half C20th
Price: £45
An oval silver box and cover, the lid with an inlaid mother of pearl design comprising geometric shapes which combine to produce a 3D ‘trompe l’oeil’ effect of solid shapes within a rope twist border, the exterior of the lid with a small stamped mark and the interior of the box with three small stamped marks. The markings here, which can be seen on other examples indicate that we have Egyptian work and there are a fair number of similar silver boxes but more commonly in a round shape. They are usually dated to the mid twentieth century. The quality of the craftsmanship is obvious and the form and decoration make this a highly desirable collector’s item.
Japanese Celadon Dish decorated basket of flowers, circa 1900
Price: £45
An unusual shallow dish of lobed and fluted circular form, the rich celadon glaze decorated in underglaze blue and overglaze enamels with a basket of flowering lotus, the design slightly off centre, the reverse with a blue transfer mark representing fungus (a plant traditionally symbolising long life).
Celadon glazed wares with enamel decoration in fairly muted colours are a familiar product amongst the ceramics produced by Japanese potters at the end of the nineteenth century but examples of this type of dish are rather less commonly found. The basket of flowers is a regular decorative feature of Chinese ceramics, but given here a slightly different interpretation with the depiction of lotus, the emblem of summer. The mark probably imitates Chinese ‘commendation’ marks inscribed within the foot rim, another nod on the part of the Japanese potters towards their Chinese counterparts.
African wood figural group, Guinea c1970
Price: £35
This is a carved wood group depicitng a woman carrying water with a pig, fruit and other household implements.
An unusual pair of Art Deco style Japonaiserie ceramic vases, probably French 1920s/1930s
Price: £55
The fashion if not mania for ‘things Japanese’ in the late C19th and early C20th is well known and well documented. Sometimes pieces were produced with the aim of being more affordable and this seems to be what we have here. This earthenware pair of vases are of hexagonal form, flaring at the neck and base with a rounded foot, and covered in a craquelure glaze which graduates from black at the foot, through dark brown to mustard yellow at the top with the addition of reds and greens. On this is applied stencil decoration in black of two contrasting but complimentary scenes, on the one two geisha planting small bonsai trees and on the other a single geisha standing in a garden scene with a covered bird’s house in the distance. The reverses are plain and the foot glazed in cream, each with the numbers 1593. Modest pastiches of the Oriental style were produced in England in the 1930s (elsewhere on the site can be seen a Pair of Orientalist Staffordshire ‘Foley Ware’ vases) but this pair were more probably made in France at around the same time, where there was an equal if not an even greater enthusiasm for the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’. The clean lines of the shape very much recall the Art Deco era but no parallels seem to exist, making this pair a rather ‘one off’ addition to a collection of Japanese influenced decorative arts.
Large suede pouch bag with concertina opening c1930
Price: £65
This is a wonderfully large handbag comprising a brown suede pouch with a brass opening. It is unlined.
Long lapis lazuli bead necklace c1980
Price: £30
This is very elegant necklace that features different shaped stone beads of Lapis Lazuli. These beads are very high quality with excellent colour. They are flat pebble shaped, together with square and round beads. They are connected by gold fittings with a toggle clasp.
Outstanding Art Deco necklace with French jet and rock crystal beads c1920
Price: £175
This is a stunning and rare necklace comprising French jet glass beads combinded with facetted rock crystal beads. There are two stations that are tear drop shaped that have both French jet and crystal elements, this is very typical of the Art Deco period in jewellery. This necklace has been recenlty restrung to ensure that it is strong.
Pair of Wade green glazed Mermaid salts, 1950s
Price: £55
A pair of ceramic salts in the form of a slender organic urn, green glazed with moulded handles in the form of mermaids and moulded decoration of sea urchins, aquatic reeds and seaweed, the base unglazed and with a raised mark ‘Wade’ ‘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.
This pair of salts is rather different to many of their productions and have a distinctly ‘Art Nouveau’ feel but, in fact, date to the 1950s when this particular format of the factory mark was used. It seems to be one of the rarer forms and pairs are even rarer still, so definitely one for Wade collectors!
Mexican Silver Bracelet with Aztec Designs, Taxco, 1950s
Price: £65
This is a fine example of a ‘classic’ bracelet design produced by the Mexican silversmiths working at Taxco, the artistic centre of Mexican silver production. The bracelet comprises four curved rectangles of silver joined with hinges and terminating in a square push clap. When assembled the pieces form a circular bracelet which sits snugly on the wrist. Each piece has an engraved design employing Aztec motifs, so often a source for decoration on Taxco jewellery, key pattern between a triangular and a stylised floral motif on a ground etched to imitate stone. The square clasp is stamped at the back with a diamond tablet with the characters ‘GURDO925’‘FP’ and an eagle mark 4. Dating is most likely to the 1950s. FP is the Taxco silversmith who would have been active in the 1940s and 50s based on this eagle mark.
Japanese Blue and White Sugar Bowl and Cover, first half C20th
Price: £25
A Japanese porcelain sugar bowl and cover of globular form, two modelled loop handles to the sides and a flush fitting lid with a squat knob, decorated in bright underglaze blue with stylised scrolling lotus, the design repeated on the lid. In common with many blue and white pieces exported from Japan in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the decoration here is not handpainted but applied with the use of a stencil which explains the slightly ‘mechanical’ effect. These sugar bowls are often paired with a cream or milk jug but do not seem to have formed part of a larger tea service. The slightly uneven profile of the handles is found elsewhere and while dating is most likely to the 1920s or 1930s this piece is still of either decorative or even practical use around a hundred years later!
Japanese Arita Square Sake Flask and Cover decorated flowers, C20th
Price: £25
This is a rather striking example of a Japanese sake flask of less conventional form. The slender square form rectangular body (compare lot XX) is topped with a slender slightly concave neck of gently conical form, the top capped by a stopper like cover. On one of the corners is an elaborate loop form handle and on the other a short spout. The base is flat and unglazed. The decoration is rather hybrid. The iron red and gold scrolling pattern at the top recalls kutani pieces, but the main body, with its heavily enamelled chrysanthemum heads employing a wide variety of colours, looks almost towards satsuma wares. The combination is quite arresting if not eyecatching and raises the question of whether there was once a set of cups with a matching design… The slightly ‘brassy’ look to the gilding indicates an early C20th dating but probably no later than around 1920. Best regarded, perhaps, as a functional piece of whimsy!
Bone parquetry box decorated in the manner of Fornasetti, Venetian, mid C20th
Price: £85
A rectangular box with a hinged lid, the surface covered with small bone rectangular slabs laid in a parquetry technique and decorated on the sides with an architectural design in black, the interior showing the wood body of the piece. These boxes with their bone tessera like patterns combined with scenes of buildings were made in Venice probably from the 1950s to the 1970s. Some examples have a more stylised representation, as here, and some a more realistic depiction of Venetian palaces. The stylised architectural designs recall closely the work of the Italian artist Piero Fornasetti whose atelier produced ceramic vases with very similar decoration (see image 8 for an example) although it is not suggested that these boxes were the work of Fornasetti himself. The combination of building designs on a ground of what could be held to be building blocks is ingenious and the result stylish and attractive.
Fine quality pair of Brass Cobra Candlesticks, Indian first half C20th
Price: £95
A pair of brass candlesticks cast as two Cobra snakes with twisting tails acting as the feet with the bodies rising up erect from them, the stylised heads supporting the candle sconces and serrated edge drip pans. There are many examples of Indian made candlesticks cast in a similar form where the brass metal is combined with enamel decoration. This pair, lacking even incised detail to the metal surface as can occur, are much more unusual and striking in their simplicity. The brass itself is high quality and the pieces have a good weight. It is as if the Indian workmen have tried to adapt themselves to the angular simplicity of the Art Deco style. Unlike their more heavily decorated contemporaries, this pair of snakes would not have looked out of place in an Art Deco themed European interior. Dating is therefore quite reasonably to the 1920s or 1930s. Arresting in their time, these two Cobra snakes would deservedly attract attention today.
Necklace with massive Agate Disc strung set with facetted ruby beads, India, c1940
Price: £325
This is a very substantial and heavy necklace that features a very large banded agate stone mounted in silver and set with facetted rubies. The necklace is strung with very large facetted ruby beads that are approximatelyl 12 mm wide. This really is a one off. It is from India and may have been a commissioned piece. It has been restrung recently on metal cord with a new clasp so is quite strong. The ruby beads are particularly interesting and hard to find in this size.
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.
Mexican Silver Bolo Tie with Aztec mask Head, Taxco, c1950
Price: £125
The word ‘bolo’ derives from ‘boleadora’, an Argentine or Uruguayan lariat or lasso and is used to describe this semi formal type of neckwear in which a cord is held together by a medallion of some sort so that it can be draped around the neck. Mexican silversmiths working at Taxco, the artistic centre of Mexican silver production, produced versions of the bolo in which the medallion is in the form of a hardstone mask head set in silver. In common with many, this piece has an aventurine hardstone face in the form of an Aztec mask framed by an elaborate silver headdress. Through this runs a black cord with silver tips at each end. The mask is stamped at the back ‘925’ ‘TAXCO’ ‘Cheo’ ‘MEXICO’ with an eagle mark 185 at the top left. Dating is most likely to the 1950s. The bolo was regarded as semi formal wear for a man but can equally, or even better, serve a decorative piece of neckwear for a lady with a distinct hint of South American style.
Figure of a Young Girl Praying, Continental, probably mid C20th
Price: £45
This is an elegant figure of a young woman at prayer, her slender body carefully modelled with upraised elongated hands and expressive detail to the face and enshrouded, niche like, in a robe green tinted on the inside and brown on the exterior, the base with an oval opening and impressed numbers ‘825’ and a stamped number ‘31’. There are no obvious parallels to this piece which has some resemblance to Goldscheider compositions but a completely different finish to the foot and none of the Goldscheider markings. And while there are some similarities it also looks later with more of a mid century feel. Italian work comes to mind, but there is no proof of this. Perhaps we are intended to see the Virgin Mary here although the young lady seems a bit too youthful for a secure identification. Whoever she is, she has been rendered with skill and charm and well deserves her admirers today.
Fairing Figurine – A Mouse A Mouse, German, late C19th
Price: £25
Fairing Figurine "A Mouse A Mouse". 'Fairings', as they are known, were ceramic figures made to be given out, sold or won as prizes at fairs, hence the name. They were a product of the late Victorian era but continued to be made until the beginning of the First World War when they fell out of fashion. Manufacture was in Germany principally by the firm Conta and Boehme who developed a mass production method that no other company could match, thereby achieving a market advantage. They exported large quantities to Britain and the United States, but their pieces have even been found in Australia along with other destinations.
The various figures were made in white glazed porcelain with coloured decoration. The compositions were sculptural and often accompanied by an inscription, as here. Many models are known. Two typical examples are 'Returning from the Ball' and 'Twelve Months after Marriage'. Here we have a composition entitled “A Mouse A Mouse!”, which shows a couple, the wife raising herself from the bedclothes while her husband crawls on the floor, having knocked over a chamber pot in the process. Notably absent is the mouse itself…
Some of the fairing figurines are marked, as here. The impressed number '1886', which would be a series number, is combined with the impressed shield mark found on Conta and Boehme pieces from the late C19th. The paste of the foot is consistent with this and the slightly ‘brassy’ look to the gilding (compare Lot 5) complements this as well. It has been suggested that this particular model type is, in fact, a modern reproduction and there are other versions of the design which do indeed look contemporary but this is unlikely to be the case here and we most likely have an amusing and period example of the genre.
Taxco brooch with abalone shell c1950
Price: £20
This is a very striking brooch comprising a central abalone stone surrounded by leaves made of crushed lapis. It is marked on reverse Taxco with an illegible "eagle" mark. It also has bail so could be used as a pendant.
Pair of Chinese Ceramic Shoes, seal mark and with fitted box, C20th
Price: £55
An amusing pair of Chinese ceramic models of shoes or clogs, modelled in the form of a kylin head with a pronounced snout, the sides of the shoe with impressed repeating geometric patterns below a band of stylised scrolling foliage, the brightly coloured glazes all with craquelure patterning, the interior glazed turquoise with an impressed seal mark and the underneath glazed in cream, also with a small circular impressed mark. The pair are presented in a fitted box, fabric covered and silk lined, which is presumably contemporary. Neither of the marks can be deciphered and dating is uncertain, probably to the late C20th, but this does not need to detract the rather humorous design which does have at least one parallel from the C18th (see image XX)and may have been intended as a brushwasher for a scholar with something of a sense of humour.
Pair of Bohemian Harrach Glass Vases, Morocco pattern, second half C19th
Price: £95
A pair of opaque glass vases of flattened pear shape, the necks spreading slightly outwards towards the top with a cup shape rim, the white ground glass heavily enamelled with polychrome decoration, a variety of bead bordered shaped panels with yellow, blue and pink grounds dotted with stylised floral blooms. The pattern of these pieces is known as ‘Morocco’, presumably a nod towards the decorative items produced there, and can be found in the nineteenth century pattern books of the Harrach factory situated in Bohemia, now part of the Czech republic.
The Harrach glassworks is named after Alois Raimund von Harrach (Count Harrach), on whose estate it was founded in Bohemia, in the early eighteenth century. Managed at first by one Elias Muller, the firm traded under a variety of names becoming known as Harrach in the nineteenth century and Harrachov, the name eventually given to the town where the factory was situated, in the twentieth. These opulent vases were a popular part of its range in the nineteenth century, the pattern being produced in a variety of similar shapes and always as shelf ornament pieces. The decoration here is particularly lavish with an attractive use of colour and has survived in excellent condition making these a desirable addition for collectors of Bohemian glass or admirers of nineteenth century glass style generally.
An unusual Pair of Chinese carved Soapstone Vases, circa 1900
Price: £110
A pair of Chinese soapstone vases with mottled colourings in a wide variety of brown and beige, the triangular form deeply carved on the two front faces with flowering peony and birds nestling in the branches, the reverses flat, each with a rock and a leaf, the base also flat and the interior hollowed out. 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). The triangular form of this pair of vases is most unusual and the depth of carving displays near virtuoso expertise. There is little or no trace of the drill here, unlike some of the later twentieth century pieces, and all the pointers are to a dating no later than around 1900. The carver was fortunate to find two matching pieces of stone which allowed him to produce such a well balanced pair in shape, colour and decoration. The nature of the material means that soapstone pieces are found less often as matching pairs and this triangular shape, perhaps suggested by the original stone pieces themselves, is rarer still.
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.
Indian wooden toy model of a Horse with metal fitments, early C20th
Price: £25
This is an amusing wood model of a horse, its right leg raised and the head looking expectantly forwards, the finely grained wood with metal fitments in brass and copper representing the ears, muzzle, saddle, saddle bags and tail, all with fine detailing and small nail fastenings. Many examples exist of these wood and metal horse figures which are usually held to have been made in India at Jodphur, Rajastan, in the early C20th. Presumably more intended for the local colonial audience these pieces have an obvious and wider appeal. The smaller sizes were probably intended as toys and perhaps the original owner of this piece played with it a little too vigorously which might explain the damage to the right front leg!
Pair of Capodimonte ceramic Wall Hanging Plaques, boy and girl praying, Italian 1960s
Price: £25
This is a charming pair of small ceramic wall plaques, the biscuit porcelain with a slight ivory tint, with moulded designs of a boy and a girl praying, their hair and robes carefully detailed, set in velvet covered oval frames with cording at the edge which also forms the loop hangers at the top. Near identical pieces often have a paper mark at the back reading ‘Porcellane Capodimonte’ ‘Made in Italy’ surrounding a crown device with an ‘N’ above. Capodimonte porcelain was first made at Naples, Italy, in the mid eighteenth century and was often marked with an ‘N’ and a crown above. The original factory was to enjoy a relatively short life but there were many imitators in the nineteenth century and beyond to the twentieth who freely used the Capodimonte name. This pair of plaques is a very modest and fairly recent (probably dating to the 1960s) example of these ‘Capodimonte’ wares but nonetheless have a distinct appeal of their own.
Pair of Capodimonte ceramic Wall Hanging Plaques, boy and girl praying, Italian 1960s
Price: £25
This is a charming pair of small ceramic wall plaques, the biscuit porcelain with a slight ivory tint, with moulded designs of a boy and a girl praying, their hair and robes carefully detailed, set in velvet covered oval frames with cording at the edge which also forms the loop hangers at the top. Near identical pieces often have a paper mark at the back reading ‘Porcellane Capodimonte’ ‘Made in Italy’ surrounding a crown device with an ‘N’ above. Capodimonte porcelain was first made at Naples, Italy, in the mid eighteenth century and was often marked with an ‘N’ and a crown above. The original factory was to enjoy a relatively short life but there were many imitators in the nineteenth century and beyond to the twentieth who freely used the Capodimonte name. This pair of plaques is a very modest and fairly recent (probably dating to the 1960s) example of these ‘Capodimonte’ wares but nonetheless have a distinct appeal of their own.
Bombay Japan pattern deep Dish, Minton or Samuel Alcock, English mid C19th
Price: £25
An earthenware deep dish of shaped oval form with moulded handles to the sides, transfer decorated in ‘flow blue’ with coloured highlights and gilt detail with a central stylised garden scene within a diaper pattern border, the rim with floral sprays and the two handles in the rococo style, the reverse plain and with a central blue transfer mark in the form of a vase with flowers and reading ‘BOMBAY’ ‘JAPAN’ with red script numbers ‘1273’. Various pieces can be found with this florid design, all with the same mark and script numbers. Attribution is either to the well known firm Minton or the factory of Samuel Alcock, whose Staffordshire pottery produced a highly popular range of pieces in the early to mid nineteenth century. Given the slightly rustic nature of this piece, the latter seems more likely. This is a serving dish from a much larger set which would have all been decorated in the same pattern. Oriental designs have been adapted to suit European taste with great aplomb and the result is both functional and attractive.
Chinese Scroll Painting of a Merchant and his Client, C20th
Price: £45
A scroll painting depicting what appears to be a scene in a Chinese merchant’s shop where there can be seen scales and a box containing coins on a table in the background. The elderly trader is seated next to a younger gentleman, presumably his client. One attendant stands watching and another bears an object on a tray which may well be the subject of a bargain to be made. The painting is colourful and expressive, with the faces carefully delineated. The style looks to be early twentieth century work and resembles that of reverse glass paintings from the period. The scroll is offered with a complementary scroll box, European with chinoiserie scenes in gilt, which considerably enhances the decorative effect.
Two Corgi Silver Jubilee Toys Boxed, (41) State Landau, (417) London Bus, 1977
Price: £45
The silver jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 1977 stimulated the production of a near avalanche of commemorative items. Mettoy, the manufacturers of the well known brand of Corgi toys, played their part in this producing a model of the 1902 state landau used in the royal processions and an accompanying model of a silver jubilee London bus with its special silver livery colour. The state landau is an example of their rather more ambitious pieces with the carriage rendered in great detail and the figures of the Queen and Prince Philip realistically modelled. The designer also allowed himself to include a corgi dog, appropriate for two quite distinct reasons. The bus is a typical example of the ‘Corgi Toys’ collected by so many during the years of their production and indeed thereafter. The typical ‘Corgi Toy’ was finely cast with detailed modelling and colouring accurately reflecting the features of its original. The two together, then, complete with their original boxes and in in good condition are a souvenir in themselves of a whole area of collecting.
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.
Art Deco Catalin Bakelite necklace, American c1930
Price: £125
This is a fabulous necklace comprising very large mustard coloured catalin beads in tubular, ovoid and globular shapes. Catalin is a form of plastic that is comtemporary with Bakelite. They are very similar as they are both composed of phenol and formeldehyde. The main difference is that Catalin was poured a poured liquid and Bakelite was moulded from a granular powder. Catalin is a brand name developed and trademarked in 1927 by the American Catalin Corporation of New York City, when the patent on Bakelite expired that year. It was used in a variety of applications, including costume jewellery, until the end of the second world war when it became too expensive, as every piece had to be individually cast and polished. Catalin jewellery is often incorrectly referred to as bakelite but has a distinction all of its own and this necklace is prime example of the fashion designs produced in the 1930s.
Indian wooden toy model of a Horse with metal fitments, early C20th
Price: £25
This is an amusing wood model of a horse, its right leg raised and the head looking expectantly forwards, the finely grained wood with metal fitments in brass and copper representing the ears, muzzle, saddle, saddle bags and tail, all with fine detailing and small nail fastenings. Many examples exist of these wood and metal horse figures which are usually held to have been made in India at Jodphur, Rajastan, in the early C20th. Presumably more intended for the local colonial audience these pieces have an obvious and wider appeal. The smaller sizes were probably intended as toys and perhaps the original owner of this piece played with it a little too vigorously which might explain the damage to the right front leg!
Maud Frizon Handbag c1980
Price: £150
This is a lovely calfskin shoulder bag by the well known shoe designer Maud Frizon. It has multiple interior compartments and a flap over front with stud detail. The zip pulls are tiny shoes with her initials MF. Her name also appears on the label inside.
Japanese Seto Ware Blue and White Vase, late C19th
Price: £450
Famous for over a thousand years, the ceramics produced at Seto in the Aichi prefecture, Japan, became synonymous in the late nineteenth century for high quality blue and white porcelains finely painted and produced in a wide variety of forms, some of near demonstration quality. The vase presented here is an outstanding example of their work, immaculate in both its craftsmanship and condition.
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A fine quality Japanese porcelain vase, the ovoid body with a curved flaring foot and rising to a tall concave neck with a well defined shoulder, applied elephant and ring handles to the sides and a galleried rim, decorated in bright underglaze blue with two bands of stylised flowering chrysanthemum at the top and bottom between a continuous scene of flowering peony and chrysanthemum, the top rim with repeating whorl design on the exterior and stylised leaf design inside, the stepped base glazed white.
The kilns at Seto in the Aichi prefecture of Japan and situated close to Nagoya form one of the traditional ‘Nihon Rokkoyo’, the six old kilns of medieval Japan. The location of Seto was ideal for the production of ceramics with an abundance nearby of both porcelain clay and forests to provide firewood for the kilns. Production began as early as the Heian period (794-1185) and continued without a break thereafter, the earlier pieces being more pottery forms copying Chinese wares. It was in the early nineteenth century that the kilns turned to producing porcelains decorated in underglaze blue and white, a development initiated by the potter Tamikichi Kato who went to Arita to learn the techniques of its production there, returning to Seto in 1807. Production grew and developed and was directed towards the export market in the Meiji period (1868-1912) with Seto wares being displayed at the European and North American exhibitions and fairs. Their delicately painted designs of birds and flowers proved to be immensely popular and were, in their time, to influence Art Nouveau and Art Deco designs. Some of the forms produced were truly virtuoso creations including, besides vases, screens, jardinieres and even ceramic tables.
Signed pieces are known and besides Tamikichi Kato the distinguished potters included the Kichiemon brothers, Kato Chuji and Kawamoto Jihyoe, and Kawamoto Hansuke. But not all the best pieces carried an artist’s signature as this vase well demonstrates. Formed from fine quality clay, as can be seen from the foot rim (image 10), the complex shape with its spreading base, angled shoulder and galleried rim would have been difficult to create. The handles show remarkable skill with the rings somehow formed so as to hang loose (presumably some form of kiln waster technique was used). The detail and artistry of the painting speaks for itself. Note in particular the shading effects on the peony flowers. While not perhaps an exhibition piece, this vase is definitely of exhibition quality and would be a worthy addition to a collection of nineteenth century Japanese ceramic art.
Murano Style Calla Lily Trumpet Shape Vase, second half C20th
Price: £75
A delicately blown glass vase of trumpet shape, the squared cylindrical body flaring towards the base and top with four fins, the neck spreading outwards with a deeply scalloped rim resembling flower petals, the glass in a variety of colours, green merging into cream with red at the top. The artistry of this piece is quite clear and the form would have required skilful glass blowing techniques. The work is similar to that of Murano pieces, made in Venice in the 1960s and 1970s but there is no proof of manufacture there. Often termed ‘Jack in the Pulpit’, from a supposed resemblance to that flower, this vase is actually modelled on the Calla Lily. (‘Jack in the Pulpit’ has a raised petal at the back whereas here the petals are all similar.). Despite the uncertainties we certainly have here a striking piece of C20th Italian art glass with considerable decorative appeal.
Continental Figure of a Cellist, Conta and Bohme, Germany late C19th
Price: £55
This is an amusing ceramic figure of a cellist, seated with his instrument between his legs and a bow in his right hand. He wears a floral decorated tailcoat with brown knee breeches and a purple cap on his head. Below is a rectangular base with gilt decoration to the front. The composition is carefully modelled and finely painted, especially the detail to the face. The underneath has impressed marks, a shield device and the numbers ‘5313’ and ‘154’. The shield device, a small arm holding a dagger (see image 10), was used by the makers Conta and Bohme best known for the manufacture of ‘fairings', which were exported in large quantities to Britain and the USA in the late nineteenth century which is most likely the date of production of this figure. Sometimes this composition is found with a companion figure of a violinist, bearing the same shield mark but different numbers and it is most likely one of an original pair. But it can clearly stand on its own a good example of the decorative porcelains produced in Germany before the first World War.
West German Pottery Lava Glaze Vase, Scheurich, 1960s
Price: £45
A ceramic vase of squat cylindrical form, the body incurving at the shoulder and the neck with a slightly flaring rim, the heavily pitted glazes combining mottled blues above and black below, the interior glazed brown and the base glazed black with moulded marks ‘215-18’ and ‘W.Germany’. This is an excellent example of ‘lava ware’, a rugged and rustic glaze effect which became very popular in the 1960s and was produced extensively by some of the West German potteries of the period. The marks here indicate the firm ‘Scheurich Keramik’ which started production in 1954, rather later than most of its competitors, but soon became the largest producer of commercial art pottery in Germany. Similar pieces by them can be found in either form or decoration. Their pieces rarely carried the factory name but usually the model number followed by the height in centimetres with ‘W.Germany’ below, as here. The size and form of this piece makes it particularly attractive.
Viartec Murano Style Selenium Red & Orange Glass Sculptural Dish, Spanish 1950s/1960s
Price: £45
A sculptural dish or bowl of undulating form, the surface twisted at each end to form two ‘fish tails’, the red glass encased in orange glass and the whole in imitation of Murano glass designs. While Venetian in style, research has proved that this piece and others like it, matching in either colours or form or both, were made by the Spanish factory Viartec and sometimes pieces can be found with an original Viartec label reading ‘Viartec Hand Made in Spain’. The red glass used here is called selenium glass and reacts, when lit by UV light, to display a bright orange or pink colour. A similar type of colour change effect is, of course, displayed by the more commonly found green uranium glass. The form suggests dating to the 1950s or 1960s and it is said that many of these pieces were brought back to the UK as souvenirs by visiting tourists which explains why they can be found here today.
Two Amelia Art Glass Vases, Apple and Pear
Price: £30
Two art glass vases, one in the form of an apple and one in the form of a pear, both with delicate glass stems and black patterning to the white bodies. These are part of the ‘Amelia Art Glass’ range and are both hand blown. Perhaps intended a paperweights they have an obvious decorative appeal suitable for the contemporary interior. It is remarkable that they have both survived intact!
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.
Framed Chinese Embroidery Silk Textile, signed, second half C20th
Price: £25
A Chinese silk textile with an embroidered design of a peacock and a peahen (the male and female peafowl) sitting on the branch of a pine tree with peony growing below in a stylised garden scene. There is a four character signature to the top left, probably denoting the artist. The style of the embroidery and the calligraphy of the signature suggest mid to late C20th work, perhaps dating to the 1960s or 1970s. The composition and the detail and colourings of the embroidery work are pleasing, combining to produce an excellent example of the genre. The frame is European and perhaps contemporary with the date of manufacture (see Lot 24).
Framed Chinese Embroidery Silk Textile, signed, second half C20th
Price: £25
A Chinese silk textile with an embroidered design of a peacock and a peahen (the male and female peafowl) standing on a grass embankment with a flowering peony bush behind them. There is a four character signature to the top left, probably denoting the artist. The style of the embroidery and the calligraphy of the signature suggest mid to late C20th work, perhaps dating to the 1960s or 1970s. Other embroidery panels with a similar design can be found which are much later. As with the previous lot the composition and the detail and colourings of the embroidery work are pleasing, combining to produce another excellent example of the genre. The frame is European and perhaps contemporary with the date of manufacture (see Lot 24).
Framed Chinese Embroidery Silk Textile, signed, second half C20th
Price: £45
A Chinese silk textile with an embroidered design of a phoenix standing on a rock at the edge of a river, flowering peony below and to the rear a prunus or plum blossom tree with bamboo. On the riverbank also stand a pair of cranes, ducks can be seen in the water and a pair of birds sitting on one of the prunus tree branches with another pair flying to the left. In the distance, the setting sun and at the top right a four character signature probably denoting the artist. There is a mixture of motifs here. The phoenix can denote the Empress, cranes represent long life, peony represents spring while prunus denotes winter. Ducks point to marital happiness and the flying magpies happiness and good luck, whereas the setting sun is often a metaphor for sadness and sorrow. Perhaps a deliberate contrast is intended here or perhaps the various motifs were simply chosen for their decorative elements. As with lots 2 and 3 in this sale, this is another excellent example of the genre and the frame provides a clearer indication of dating. The frame makers ‘Charles and Co’ had a business in Notting Hill, London in the post war years and the telephone number ‘PARk 6306’ indicates a date before 1966 when UK telephone numbers ceased to include letters.
Swirl design Cranberry glass Decanter and Stopper, probably Italian mid C20th
Price: £45
An unusual decanter and stopper set, the broad pear shape body narrowing towards the neck which has a curved lip at the front and a loop handle at the back and is fitted with a flattened ovoid stopper. Both pieces have moulded decoration and the handle has repeating circular indentations, the clear glass with swirling ribbon highlights in cranberry glass. While cranberry glass decanters are seen with a combination of clear and coloured glass there is no close parallel to what we have here. Similar pieces were made in England (for example Fenton glass) and by the ‘Bohemian’ workshops (Bohemian glass was made in the regions of Bohemia and Silesia, now parts of the Czech republic). There are also a few Italian pieces, some made on the island of Torcello near Venice. But none of these is exactly the same and the form of the stopper is very rarely found. The rather ‘open’ decoration with the trails of Cranberry coloured glass suggests most of all though the last of these with a dating, perhaps, to the mid C20th. While something of a mystery this remains an attractive and appealing item in particular for collectors of Cranberry glass wars.
Japanese Celadon Ground Tazza with Chinese Nanking decoration, late C19th
Price: £25
This is an unusual and hybrid piece combining elements of both Japanese and Chinese decoration. The stoutly potted footed bowl, or tazza, is Japanese porcelain employing a fine quality stone like clay, visible on the underneath of the three feet, often found in these celadon glazed pieces made for export towards the end of the nineteenth century. The pedestal feet support a stubby bulbous column which in turn supports the circular serving dish on top. The underside of the dish has moulded decoration and its edge is slightly shaped. The celadon glaze is enhanced with blue and white decoration and the dish itself is wholly decorated in blue and white with a landscape scene closely resembling the designs on Chinese export wares of the late eighteenth century (see the previous lot in this sale for a typical example) and often known as ‘Nanking’ ware in Europe, Nanking being the Chinese port from which it was shipped to the West. The elaborate border with cell and diaper work and stylised flowers also copies the Chinese exemplar. The shape is a Japanese interpretation of a European form and was clearly intended as a serving dish, perhaps for a small desert service of pieces in a similar pattern, but it can stand on its own today as a piece both decorative and practical.
Two Wedgwood Glass paperweights designed by Ronald Stennett-Wilson, late C20th
Price: £40
These are two Wedgwood Glass paperweights both of rounded conical form, one clear glass with small bubbles and one clear glass with speckled green large bubbles, a design understandably known as ‘topiary’. Both have acid etched marks to the base which can be read ‘Wedgwood’ ‘England’ although the mark on the first is off centre and indistinct (see image 5); this is compensated for by the attached paper label which also reads ‘Wedgwood’ ‘England’. Both were designed by Ronald Stennett-Wilson, one of the most prominent UK glass designers, who set up the firm King’s Lynn Glass in 1967. Before that he had worked for Swedish glass manufacturers and the influence of their styles can be seen in his own work. The clear glass example could be felt to recall Kosta Boda. King’s Lynn Glass was taken over by Wedgwood in 1969 and their name marked on its production thereafter, although there was apparently a slight delay in the delivery of the machine which was used to apply the marks, meaning that the very first ‘Wedgwood’ pieces are hard to identify. Stenett-Wilson remained as Managing Director and chief designer for Wedgwood’s newly acquired firm until his retirement in 1980. Many of the staff at King’s Lynn Glass when it started had worked in Sweden or Europe and they began to train local workers who followed, no doubt, the styles and techniques of their teachers. After Stennett-Wilson’s retirement, the firm was subject to various acquisitions and mergers, finally being sold to Caithness Glass in 1988 with the factory closing in 1992. These two pieces, then, are an excellent example of the Swedish inspired designs made by Wedgwood Glass in its early years. Both decorative and practical they can appeal to a specialist or non specialist alike.
Triple strand of amber Bakelite beads, British 1930s
Price: £750
This is an imposing three strand necklace comprised of assembled graduated marble effect butterscotch amber beads joined at the head with a silver clasp. The beads have recently been restrung with wire to make the whole more robust and safer to wear. The three strands interlock perfectly and the selection of beads has been carefully chosen in respect of colouring and size to produce a striking ensemble which is bound to impress.
Outstanding Taxco silver bracelet c1960
Price: £295
This is a heavy and substantial bracelet made in the style of William Spratling (1900-1967) the father of Taxco who opened his workshop there, Taller de las Delicias, in the early 1930s . His designs continued to dominate the Taxco silver districts of Mexico and this piece is an excellent example of this. Its design elements reflect the Art Deco styles of the 1930s and 40s that are softened by the scroll work. This bracelet is marked 'Mexico', '925', 'C-11'. C-11 is the registration number of the silversmith and all Taxco silversmiths had these registration numbers. It has a very sturdy integrated clasp.
Silver prayer beads with seventeen Beads, 20th century
Price: £75
This is a lovely set of prayer beads made from solid sterling silver. The 17 beads are heavy and have decoration at the ends. They are strung on a chain with aslider and tassel at the end. These are hallmarked, most likely with continental silver marks.
Vulcanite long necklace with Maltese cross and fob c1880
Price: £195
This is the holy grail of Vulcanite necklace due to the length and it also has two integrated Vulcanite pendants a Maltese cross and a fob that may have been intended to be engraved. The links are round and there are further links at the end giving it a lariat style.
ABOUT VULCANITE
Exciting scientific and technological advances punctuated the nineteenth century. Growth and development with regard to jewelry-making techniques and new and innovative jewelry materials were an important part of these creative endeavors. Combining imitation gems with various imitation jewelry materials had already been en vogue since the early Eighteenth century and viable replacements for faux non-metallic jewelry materials were chiefly derived from plastics and rubber.
Uncured rubber is somewhat brittle and does not have the stamina to hold up over the long term necessary to be viable for jewelry use. It was not until Charles Goodyear patented the vulcanization process in America in 1844 and Thomas Hancock did the same in England, that jewelry production with a rubber composition was possible. Vulcanization is a high-heat process that adds sulfur to the mix and renders the result more durable than rubber or plastic alone. Both gentlemen exhibited their achievements at the Great Exhibition, displaying molds of items intended to substitute for the very popular, but exceedingly brittle jet.
One of the main purveyors of vulcanite jewellery was the Britannia Rubber and Kamptulicon Company, set up in 1854 at Cannon Street in the City, with the works in the East End of London at Bow Common, “for the purpose of manufacturing in England articles invented by Mr. Goodyear.” From 1866, they placed advertisements in The Times for ” Indiarubber chaines Benoiton, wholesale and export only,” offering a full range of industrial, household and ornamental goods including “Imitation Jet (India Rubber): Albert chains, Victoria chains, long chains, Latin, Greek, Maltese and Dagmar crosses, brooches, bracelets, earrings, waist-clasps, charms and trinkets, gauntlets and armlets, fancy black combs, and dressing combs,” assuring their customers that these items had the “the beauty of polish and deepness of colour of jet, without its dangerous quality of brittleness…You may dash a bracelet or chain of this material to the ground without injuring it.”
Sources:
Lang Antiques (www.langantiques.com)
Gere, Charlotte and Rudoe, Judy. Jewellery in the Age of Queen Victoria: A Mirror to the World: London, The British Museum Press, 2010.
Victorian vulcanite anchor chain necklace with carved jet pendant c1880
Price: £195
This is quite a rare necklace as due to the type of link combined with the long length of the necklace. The links are a large anchor design combined with the finely carved jet pendant.
ABOUT VULCANITE
Exciting scientific and technological advances punctuated the nineteenth century. Growth and development with regard to jewelry-making techniques and new and innovative jewelry materials were an important part of these creative endeavors. Combining imitation gems with various imitation jewelry materials had already been en vogue since the early Eighteenth century and viable replacements for faux non-metallic jewelry materials were chiefly derived from plastics and rubber.
Uncured rubber is somewhat brittle and does not have the stamina to hold up over the long term necessary to be viable for jewelry use. It was not until Charles Goodyear patented the vulcanization process in America in 1844 and Thomas Hancock did the same in England, that jewelry production with a rubber composition was possible. Vulcanization is a high-heat process that adds sulfur to the mix and renders the result more durable than rubber or plastic alone. Both gentlemen exhibited their achievements at the Great Exhibition, displaying molds of items intended to substitute for the very popular, but exceedingly brittle jet.
One of the main purveyors of vulcanite jewellery was the Britannia Rubber and Kamptulicon Company, set up in 1854 at Cannon Street in the City, with the works in the East End of London at Bow Common, “for the purpose of manufacturing in England articles invented by Mr. Goodyear.” From 1866, they placed advertisements in The Times for ” Indiarubber chaines Benoiton, wholesale and export only,” offering a full range of industrial, household and ornamental goods including “Imitation Jet (India Rubber): Albert chains, Victoria chains, long chains, Latin, Greek, Maltese and Dagmar crosses, brooches, bracelets, earrings, waist-clasps, charms and trinkets, gauntlets and armlets, fancy black combs, and dressing combs,” assuring their customers that these items had the “the beauty of polish and deepness of colour of jet, without its dangerous quality of brittleness…You may dash a bracelet or chain of this material to the ground without injuring it.”1
Sources:
Lang Antiques (www.langantiques.com)
Gere, Charlotte and Rudoe, Judy. Jewellery in the Age of Queen Victoria: A Mirror to the World: London, The British Museum Press, 2010.
Suite of Taxco - necklace, bracelet and earrings c1960
Price: £475
This is an outstanding suite of jewellery made in the Taxco silver district in Mexico. It comprises graduating fine links of turquoise and silver. Both the necklace and bracelet of a fluidity that shows the beautiful quality of this jewellery. It bears the Birmingham assay import mark and initials LR presumably for the company that imported it to the UK. It also is marked 925. There are no Mexican hallmarks although the origin of these pieces is not in doubt. The necklace and bracelet have the signature box clasp and each is fitted with a safety chain.
Sold silver and enamel Panda pendant necklace c1980
Price: £55
This is a super cute pendant in the form of a panda bear playing with a beach ball.The bear is made from solid silver with a texture to resemble his fur and black enamel detail. The beach ball is also enamel and the piece is marked 'SILVER'.
Blue and Green Ice Glass Square Bowl, possibly Pukeberg, late C20th
Price: £45
A heavily modelled glass bowl of rounded square form with raised corners and indented concave sides with a textured base underneath, the clear glass blended with green and blue glass, each of the colours covering half the surface of the interior with a diagonal 'join'. The weight and textured finish to this piece is clearly intended to represent ice and 'ice glass' pieces were made by various Scandinavian manufacturers, notably Pukeberg of Sweden who produced many 'ice glass' pieces in a 'modernist' style in the 1970s although these seem to be just in clear glass. A very similar bowl was made in the 1970s by Ittala, a glass studio in Finland, and this has colouration similar to the bowl here, but Ittala pieces tend to be signed with the factory name, and often that of their designer Tapio Wirkalla, whereas there is no discernible signature here. 'Scandinavian 1970s' is perhaps the safest bet then but this does not detract from the appeal of a bold statement item which has the potential to be functional as well.
Monochrome tubular bead necklace, Modern
Price: £95
This is a rather fabulous necklace that feature very large tubular beads that are half crystal and half onyx. They ae paired with smaller crystal beads with black inclusions. The large beads adre very unusual. It has a silver clasp.
Chinese Cloisonné Square Vase on Stand, C20th
Price: £25
A Chinese cloisonné enamel vase of slender squared baluster form flaring towards the base and with a concave neck, decorated with panels of a lady standing on a veranda reading a scroll and two ladies standing on a bridge over a river, the designs repeated, on a black ground with stylised scrolling foliage in blue, the base with a border of gilt repeating fish scale pattern and the rim with a border of repeating stylised lotus leaves, the interior and base in blue enamel. The vase is fitted with a matching wood stand which is probably contemporary.
The cloisonné technique, in which glass derived enamels were set in wire outlines (the so called ‘cloisons’ from the French word), was developed in China in the early Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and then used throughout, right up until the C20th, indeed pieces are still produced today. The style of enamelling here with fairly bold outlines to the decoration and the use of bright enamel colours suggests a dating here to the mid twentieth century which corresponds to the probable date of the accompanying wood stand. Perhaps intended as a desk ornament or possibly a flower vase, this piece could certainly find a home in a contemporary setting.
Four Papier-mâché Trinket Boxes, Kashmir, mid C20th
Price: £35
Four papier-mâché boxes, one circular and three of rounded rectangular form, all decorated in typical colourful floral designs, the circular example resembling quite closely the Chinese ‘mille-fleur’ pattern, the bases and the interior in black lacquer. The well known papier-mâché technique, in which items are formed from pulped paper dried to form a hard surface, is nearly ubiquitous, but Kashmir in India was a famed centre for the technique usually held to have commenced in production there in the 15th century when King Zain-ul-Abidin invited papier-mâché artists from Central Asia to practice their craft in his kingdom. These examples are much later, of course, and were probably made some time in the twentieth century, perhaps towards the middle, when the Kashmiri craftsmen were exporting their wares expansively. Their decorative appeal is obvious but, as storage items for trinkets they can perform a practical function as well.
Art Deco Vase, Springtime, Price Brothers, Staffordshire, 1930s
Price: £35
A ceramic vase of inverted conical form with a wide spreading foot, mustard glazed overall with green splash glaze effects at the base, the whole with moulded ribbing and moulded polychrome floral decoration to the front and reverse, the base with impressed marks ‘MADE IN ENGLAND’ ‘ENDON’ ‘SPRINGTIME’ and with a stamped mark ‘PRICE BROS’ within a floral wreath above ‘MADE IN ENGLAND’.
Price Bros was an earthenware manufacturer established at the Crown Works, Burslem, Staffordshire, England, in 1896 by the Price brothers. They specialised in tabletop accessories and teapots and success was rapid such that in 1934 they moved to larger premises at the Top Bridge Works in Longport, where they became known as Price Bros Ltd. A close association with another firm, Kensington Potteries, was finally cemented when the two firms merged in 1962 taking on the name ‘Price and Kensington’ and continuing to manufacture their popular wares to the present day. This vase is typical of the decorative pieces which Price Bros produced during the 1930s and, as with so much of the pottery produced at that time, it reflects the Art Deco styles, particularly in the semi abstract shape. This vase was mould made as can be seen from the joins at each side (see image 7) but there is nothing mechanical about the finished result with its pleasing combination of colour and decoration.
Studio Pottery Vase signed Kamini, Greece, 1970s
Price: £45
An elegant ceramic vase of cylindrical form, the upright body narrowing towards the very faintly outcurving neck, the mottled mustard glaze coloured ground with drip colour effects in blue, brown and orange, the interior glazed in mustard and blue and the base with an unglazed foot rim and a stamped mark reading ‘KAMINI’.
Although ‘Kamini’ is both the Greek word for a kiln and the name of a village on the Greek island of Hydra, it actually stands here for the Greek firm of that name whose registered office was at Kallithea, a suburb of Athens. The Kamini pottery produced a wide range of appealing but often slightly rustic wares in the 1970s, many with the splash glaze effects we see here and all stamped with the firm’s name. This vase stands out somewhat for the simple lines of its form and the variety of effects in its decoration with a particularly pleasing palette of colours and demonstrates that this Mediterranean pottery could well rival at times the work of some of its European competitors.
West German Studio Pottery Vase, Scheurich, 1960s
Price: £35
A ceramic vase of near cylindrical form, the body tapering slightly outwards towards the base and incurving towards the foot, the sharply defined shoulder below a compressed circular rim, the whole decorated in shades of yellow and brown with a wide variety of glaze effects including speckle and craquelure. The base has moulded marks reading ‘XX-XX’ and ‘W.GERMANY’ indicating the firm ‘Scheurich Keramik’ which started production in 1954, rather later than most of its competitors, but soon became the largest producer of commercial art pottery in Germany. Their pieces rarely carried the factory name but usually the model number followed by the height in centimetres with ‘W.Germany’ below, as here. Scheurich were well known for producing a wide variety of pieces with variegated, almost experimental glazes and this vase is a particularly successful example of their work with a well balanced selection of colours and interesting glaze effects.
Pair of Brass Wall Plaques of Jousting Knights, Peerage Brass, mid C20th
Price: £45
This is a decorative pair of wall plaques with two brass jousting knights on horseback in mirror image on a black background with a simulated wood grain effect. The decoration is in cast metal and the square metal sheet continues to the back where it is folded over at the edges on top of the hardboard backing. While there are no markings beyond ‘Made in England’ on the hanging loops, these pieces were, in fact manufactured by ‘Peerage Brass’ who produced many quality brass decorative items from 1946 onwards. There is one group where they are joined by a larger rectangular plaque with similar mediaeval inspired decoration and which has a label reading “Peerage” ‘Brassware at its Best’ ‘Regd’ ‘Needs no Cleaning’ ‘England’ (see image 7). Peerage Brass was the successor to ‘Pearson-Page’, manufacturers of high quality brass and copper reproductions who enjoyed considerable commercial success before the Second World War. The trade name ‘Peerage’ was first adopted in 1946 and this pair of plaques would have been produced in the years thereafter.
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.
Aseda Glasbruk Blue Glass Bottle and Stopper by Bo Borgstrom, 1960s
Price: £55
This is a glass bottle, or possibly decanter, and stopper, the pear shape body heavily formed from blue glass with a stepped shoulder and a turnover rim and with irregular modelled shapes often held to resemble thumbprints, the ovoid stopper in clear glass with heavily indented ribbing. This piece was made by the firm Aseda Glasbruk which was a Swedish glass factory located in Aseda, Kronoberg County. It began production in 1947 and continued through until 1975 when it was incorporated into the Royal Krona group, which unfortunately then went into liquidation in 1977. Aseda Glasbruk's chief designer was Bo Borgstrom, who graduated from Stockholm's Swedish School of Arts and Crafts in 1951. Known as an artist in ceramics Borgstrom joined the firm in 1961 and perhaps his earlier work influenced his later creations for his new employers and can be seen here in what is certainly rather a sculptural piece and which appears in the firm’s catalogue with the number 991/1. As with another of Borgstrom’s pieces also in this sale dating is to the 1960s or early 1970s.
Green Murano Millefiori Latticino Glass Bowl, 1960s
Price: £150
A green glass bowl, thickly walled, of globular form with a wide rim and a flat base, decorated with trailing ribbons of opaque white glass and multicoloured flowers. The general effect here points to Murano work and this piece employs two techniques familiar from the workshops there. The opaque white glass ribbons are referred to as ‘latticino’ (milk derived) and found in many Venetian pieces. Even more frequently seen are the dense multicoloured flowers (elsewhere on the site can be found some paperweights also employing the technique) known as ‘millefioiri’ (thousand flowers). The combination of the two on a green ground presents a striking and decorative item which can be enjoyed in its own right or used for the display of flowers.
Mods at Clacton 1964, Photograph by Terry Disney for the Daily Express
Price: £45
Easter 1964 saw a gathering of two wheeler transport fanatics in the sea town of Clacton, Essex. These were the ‘mods’ and ‘rockers’ famous at the time, the ‘mods’ with their sharp suits and scooters and the ‘rockers’ with leather jackets and motorcycles. Relationships between the two groups were less than friendly and the inevitable resulted. But if the two rival ‘gangs’ disliked one another, they disliked the police even more and when officialdom stepped in, the chaos increased. Exactly what happened has been debated ever since. The press called it anarchy (see image 6) but the local council was not so sure.
It was, though, a newsworthy confrontation and press photographers were sent in to record events. The most notable of these was Terry Disney who worked for the Daily Express newspaper. Disney was a distinguished and prolific photographer from the 1960s onwards and many of his striking images survive, not least those capturing the major personalities of the entertainment world at the time, including the Beatles themselves. His images of the ‘mods’ (he seemed less interested in the ‘rockers’) capture the atmosphere of the scenes vividly and this photograph is an excellent example of his work on that Easter weekend (for another see image 5). Often only obtainable under licence, this print is an ideal opportunity for a collector to acquire a near iconic image. It is offered with a very basic frame which might well be replaced with something which would enhance the photograph more sympathetically.
Two Japanese Woodblock Prints by Toyohara Kunichika, second half C19th
Price: £75
These are two prints by the celebrated Japanese print maker Toyohara Kunichika (1835-1900) whose signature appears on both. The first does not appear to have been published online and cannot be identified here although the calligraphy inscriptions on this and the second are nearly identical implying that they may both be from the same series . The second is a kabuki (Japanese theatre) portrait of Iwai Hanshiro as Princess Wakana looking up from the spell she is rolling up, smiling at a large spider holding the other end of the scroll. She wears a light blue patterned kimono over a red under robe. Her long hair falls over her shoulders with a cluster of tiny flowers adorning her head. This print comes from the series ‘Competition of Powerful Magicians’ published in 1873.
Toyohara Kunichika achieved great fame and distinction a Japanese print artist. Born in 1835 he studied under Toyohara Chikanobu and then Utagawa Kunisada (also known as Utagawa Toyokuni III) eventually using a combination of both his teacher’s names to create his own professional one. At first he worked within Kunisada’s studio and when his teacher died in 1865 was asked to design two memorial portraits of him. The beginning of the Meiji era (1868-1912) saw Kunichika issuing his own prints, often in themed series and he became known in particular for his portrayals of kabuki actors, indeed he regarded the theatre as almost his second home. A contemporary once wrote ‘"Print designing, theatre and drinking were his life and for him that was enough.’ He achieved great fame and was rated as one of the masters of woodblock printing. Contemporary observers noted Kunichika's skilful use of colour in his actor prints, but he was also criticized for some of his choices for unlike most artists of the period, he made use of strong reds and dark purples rather than the softer colours used previously, exploiting the recent import of new dyes from Germany. Red, for the Japanese, meant progress and enlightenment so there was probably hidden meaning here. Eventually Kunichika’s lifestyle took its toll and he died in poor health, aged 65. It had been a Japanese custom for people of high cultural standing to write a poem before death. Kunichika's own, inscribed on his grave, reads ‘Since I am tired of painting portraits of people of this world, I will paint portraits of the King of hell and the devils.’ For many years his prints fell out of favour but interest has now revived and Kunichika is regarded as one of the eminently collectible Japanese artists in the field and these two prints are an excellent example of his work.
Each print is accompanied by a printed text on fine paper which presumably describes the character represented. The second of them is accompanied by two sheets one of which has become attached in one small place to the print itself but could probably fairly easily be detached by a restorer. In general there are some typical signs of age with minor losses (illustrated), tears and folding but the colours remain bright and fresh.
Framed Oil Painting on Board of a Winter Landscape Scene, C20th
Price: £55
Clearly the work of an accomplished amateur artist, this dramatic landscape painting of a snowy winter scene shows a gabled house set by a river with reeds and trees in the foreground and craggy snow capped mountains in the background. The location is really a matter of guesswork but the building resembles some found in Holland which might indicate a Dutch setting. The grandeur of the scene is obvious with the mountainous outcrops graphically depicted. The board surface used and the style of the frame suggests a mid to late twentieth century dating but this picture would grace a room setting of any age.
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.
Vintage Needlepoint Picture of a lady dressed in a crinoline, framed, probably 1930s
Price: £25
Like the previous lot this embroidery picture employs the so called ‘needlepoint’ technique in which over half a dozen stitching techniques are used as opposed to ‘cross stitch’ which uses only one. The varieties of technique employed here can be clearly seen in the detail images (2), (3) and (4). We have another garden composition, this time a lady dressed in a crinoline gathering flowers and standing on a paved terrace (note the weeds between the paving stones!) with roses and hollyhocks. There are other similar examples of this scene which are thought to be from the prewar era and the slight foxing of the canvas and the form of the frame itself are consistent with this.
Victorian Silver Mounted Banded Agate Brooch, late C19th
Price: £100
An oval brooch formed from banded agate, the brown surface with amber and mustard colour striations, mounted in silver with a bar clasp to the reverse, the rounded border with four engraved collar devices. Found in a wide variety of locations, agate, a form of chalcedony with a wide variety of banding effects, has been used for jewellery from the earliest of times and was extremely popular in the late nineteenth century. The source here is probably Scotland which may imply that the mount is Scottish too, which would certainly not be inconsistent with its style but there is no firm proof of this.
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
Edwardian rolled gold and white agate brooch, c1910
Price: £45
An attractive brooch combining an oval piece of cloudy white agate with red inclusions mounted in a rolled gold rope twist frame with stylised floral petals decorated in an abstract design. The reverse has a bar clasp and is fitted with a guard chain implying that the wearer was intended to take some care of this elegant accessory. The combination of the milky white stone with its coloured detail and the gold coloured surround is particularly appealing and the design of the mount suggests a dating to the early 1900s.
Large silver fancy link Bracelet, modern
Price: £50
This is an unusual variation on the chainmail bracelet form where a triple series of interlocking oval links are combined with small rolled wire beads, quite a demand on the silversmith’s skills. The ends terminate in a ball and clasp fastening and the clasp is marked ‘925’ with a double oval. The style suggests a late twentieth century dating with perhaps English craftsmanship.
Victorian rolled gold and black and white agate Brooch, English c1920
Price: £50
An attractive brooch in which an agate stone of rounded rectangular octagonal form, the grey surface with clearly defined striations in grisaille and white, is framed by an elaborate rolled gold mount with a rococo style border, scrolling milled cord joining two stylised leaf shape panels at each end with round balls in gold tones in between, the bottom with a gold chain loop and a hanging drop and the reverse with a bar clasp. As with the other rolled gold and agate brooch in this sale, the design of the mount suggests the 1920s
Edwardian silver fleur-de-lis collar necklace circa 1910
Price: £85
The ‘fleur-de-lis’, a stylised form of lily symbolising fertility and purity, has been used as decorative motif for centuries and is particularly associated with the French royal family. It is more normally found as a single pendant necklace but the Victorians produced various collar necklaces in silver with the motif. These tend to be slightly heavier in construction than the example here suggesting a slightly later dating probably to the Edwardian era and most likely English manufacture. The finely cast silver fleur-de-lis leaves are joined by links and terminate in a spring ring closure presenting a delicate accessory, perhaps for a young lady.
Please note that the necklace is not marked for silver and has not been tested.
Monumental Mille Fiore glass bead necklace c1970
Price: £175
This is a very large long necklace comprising different types of Mille Fiore Venetian glass beads. The largest beads measure 31 mm these are the joins for a double strand of round and tubular beads on the higher part with barrel shaped beads on the lower part of the necklace. For vintage jewellery collectors this is one in a million. And for fashionistas this would go with everything. :)
Vintage Needlepoint Picture of a Garden Scene, framed, second half C20th
Price: £25
This is a charming embroidery on canvas employing the so called ‘needlepoint’ technique in which over half a dozen stitching techniques are used as opposed to ‘cross stitch’ which uses only one. The varieties of technique employed here can be clearly seen in the detail images (3), (4) and (5). The picture depicts a garden scene with a bird bath and path in the foreground leading to a gate with a pergola like floral arch over it and, in the distance, a thatched cottage. The attraction of the design speaks for itself. Dating is difficult but most likely post war and the frame suggests the mid to late twentieth century.