Decorative Arts & Ephemera
Commemorative Ware Silver Jubilee Plate, James Kent Ltd, England, 1935
Price: £35
A small circular serving dish the shallow concave centre surrounded by a shaped and modelled edge with gilt decoration, cream glazed with polychrome transfer decoration in honour of the Silver Jubilee of King George the Fifth in 1935. He is shown with his wife Queen Mary in an elaborate composition of shields and flags with the royal crown and the motto ‘honi soit qui mal y pense’. At the back is the mark ‘SILVER JUBILEE WARE’ ‘James Kent Ltd’ ‘England’. James Kent Ltd were long established earthenware and porcelain manufacturers based in Stoke on Trent, England. For the 1935 Jubilee they produced a range of wares including mugs and plates. This serving dish seems to be a slightly more unusual form and would be a useful addition to a collection of these commemorative wares.
Reproduction Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Teapot, Modern
Price: £35
The sixty years of Queen Victoria’s reign in 1897 were marked by various commemorative wares produced at the time but this celebration of her Diamond Jubilee, which it does not actually mention by name, is rather later, indeed it is most likely of near contemporary manufacture. Like the ‘Limoges’ box elsewhere in this auction, it was most probably produced in China and there is another example which can be found which has an iron red stamped circular mark underneath indicating exactly that provenance. As with the box, some form of laser printing seems to have been used here as can be seen in the detail of the Queen’s head (image 6). The wording used is found nowhere else so the Chinese producer was certainly not aiming for an accurate copy intended to deceive!
Vintage Leather Map Case, probably 1940s
Price: £45
Although resembling a rather oversize wartime identity label holder, this leather case, with a large clear celluloid covered open panel, a flap at the back with a fastening button and a long shoulder strap with loop attachments seems to have been intended as a map holder. Similar examples can be found dating back to the First World War and many have a grid printed onto the celluloid. This particular piece probably dates to the Second World War and is most likely Russian or German. It remains in excellent condition with the fine quality stitching and celluloid panel intact and the strap with minimal wear, making it a desirable acquisition for a collectors of militaria from that era.
Pair of Opera Binocular Glasses in green leather Case, French, first half C20th
Price: £25
Pocket size binoculars intended for use at the opera to gain a close up view of the stage and the singers for those seated in the rather more distant seats were made in various countries from the early 1900s onwards. Some are marked, as here where ‘PARIS can be clearly seen, indicating manufacture in France. Their form is typical, the curved brass frames with a central ridged adjustment knob which causes the lenses to expand or contract in order to achieve the desired focus. This pair come with a fitted case in green leather, plush lined with gold tooling to the edges at the cover and a small engraved brass push button closure device, all features of high quality manufacture. The design of the case looks to the 1920s and probably gives an indication of the date. These would have been a luxury item at the time and, surviving in excellent condition, remain highly collectible today.
Trade+Aid Enamel Teapot, No.292.UK, 1990s
Price: £25
This is an intriguing enamel teapot, the rectangular body curving in towards the lid and with a loop handle and spout. It is brightly decorated in coloured enamels on a yellow ground with a large sheaf of sunflowers on each side. The base is marked ‘Trade+Aid’ ‘No.292.UK’ with three Chinese characters below. It comes from a range of teapots produced for ‘Charlotte di Vita Collections’ under the trading name ‘Trade+Aid’. These were hand crafted items using traditional techniques whose sale benefited charitable projects and initiatives worldwide. The various designs were usually limited editions and some are quite collectible today. The decoration on this piece is inspired by the famous painting ‘Sunflowers’ by Gustav Klimt making it one of the more interesting models produced.
Reproduction Limoges Porcelain Box with Scent Bottles, Modern
Price: £25
Presenting itself as production of the celebrated ceramics factories in Limoges, France, this elaborately decorated porcelain box containing four glass scent bottles is, in fact, a contemporary reproduction and most likely made in China. While it looks hand painted, close examination shows the microdots of laser printing (see image 7) a technique commonly used by the Chinese now to create high quality looking but machine made ceramic items. The mark, employing a single ‘L’ in a style sometimes found beginning the word ‘Limoges’ inscribed on genuine pieces, is found nowhere else on true Limoges items and seems to have been a flight of fancy on the manufacturer’s behalf. But this particular box certainly looks the part and could perhaps find its place as a purely decorative item for the dressing table!
Desktop Model of a Typhoon Bomber Plane, Modern
Price: £45
This is a scale model of the celebrated Typoon Bomber plane, a single pilot aircraft used to great effect by the British during the Second World War. It is made from polished aluminium with an integral stand and is produced by the firm Widdop and Co under the brand name Harvey Makin. Definitely one for the man cave!
Two Avon Perfume Bottles, Lady and a Girl, 1970s
Price: £20
These are two from the series of perfume bottles in the form of ladies or young girls issued by Avon in the 1970s. The first represents a figure in 1920s dress and is sometimes found with a label (missing here) which reads ‘Roaring Twenties’ followed by the name of a perfume. The second is a country girl complete with its label which reads ‘Avon’ ‘Nearness’ but the same model is found with other labels, indicating that both these containers were used for more than one brand of perfume. These bottles were an amusing marketing ploy which doubtless contributed to many successful sales.
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.
Mintons Coronation Plate, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth 1937, boxed
Price: £25
This was a rather deluxe souvenir amongst the many produced to commemorate the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on May 12th 1937. It was made by the famous porcelain manufacturers Mintons, who specialised in high quality pieces, particularly dinner services. The plate shows many distinctive features of their work with fine quality enamelling and gilding (see images 5 and 4). Marked with an inscription on the reverse beneath the Mintons trademark, this plate was number ‘89’ of a limited edition of 1000. It comes complete with its original presentation box which unusually has the coat of arms of Oman (see image 10) stamped in gilt on the underside of the lid implying that it might have been a gift to the Omani royal family at the time.
Wedgwood Calendar Plate, 80th Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, 2006
Price: £10
From the 1970s to the early 2000s the Daily Mail newspaper commissioned a series of ‘Calendar Plates’ from the celebrated manufacturers Wedgwood to be offered for sale to their readers. The themes chosen were varied, but in 2006 the Queen’s Eightieth Birthday was the subject and this blue and white decorative plaque produced. The central image of the smiling Queen is surrounded by the twelve calendar months and there is a brief description on the reverse. These plates were issued in boxes coloured in the distinctive ‘Wedgwood Blue’ and this example retains its original packaging.
Queen Victoria Golden Jubilee Jug, 1887
Price: £10
1887 marked fifty years of Queen Victoria’s reign and her Golden Jubilee was commemorated by a wide variety of gift items including this jug form with transfer decoration in ‘grisaille’ colourings. The manufacturer is not known but was presumably one of the Stafforshire potteries. The form chosen, a flat circular body with a ridged face, the handle and spout with crisp modelling and a short spreading foot below, is quite unusual and does not seem to have parallels with other commemorative wares. The Queen’s head is shown in semi profile, with her titles above and an ivy wreath, symbolising everlasting life, below. On the reverse is the imperial crown.
Prince Edward and Princess Alexandra, Silver Wedding Jug, 1888
Price: £25
1888, the year after Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, marked the Silver Wedding Anniversary of her first son, Edward, later to become King Edward VII. This was commemorated by a transfer printed jug in exactly the same form as one produced for his Mother in 1887 (see Lot 3). This shape, a flat circular body with a ridged face, the handle and spout with crisp modelling and a short spreading foot below, is unusual and the manufacturer was clearly the same. Other examples of the 1888 model are marked ‘Made in Germany’, which is not the case with this one, but is a clear pointer to the country of origin. Perhaps the manufacturers had some blanks left over and found an ingenious way to reuse them. The Prince and Princess are shown in portrait form and on the reverse is the distinctive feathered coat of arms of Edward as Prince of Wales. These jugs are much rarer than the Golden Jubilee examples and this example is in excellent condition for its age.
VE Day, 50th Anniversary Commemorative Mug, 1995
Price: £10
On Tuesday 8th May 1945, the Allies of World War II accepted the unconditional surrender of Germany’s armed forces. Celebrations broke out everywhere, particularly in London where the Prime Minister Winston Churchill joined the royal family in an appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace before cheering crowds. The day was known as ‘Victory in Europe Day’ or ‘VE Day’ and has been celebrated on its anniversary in the years thereafter. Special commemorations took place 50 years later and this mug is one of the souvenirs produced at the time. Depicted are the US President Franklin D Roosevelt, who died shortly before on April 12th, Winston Churchill and General Montgomery who accepted the surrender of the Germans in 1945, all prime movers in the victory that was achieved. The form of the mug loosely recalls Georgian tankard shapes which is not inappropriate for a souvenir commemorating British endeavour.
Two Beakers : Wedding of the Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, 1981
Price: £15
The wedding of ‘Charles and Diana’ in 1981 was the occasion for a flood of commemorative items celebrating what seemed at the time to be such a happy and auspicious event. Chinacraft Ltd are retailers of decorative chinaware with shops in London, at one time occupying prestigious premises in Regent Street. These beakers were a commission by them from the pottery manufacturers Caversall China, based in Stoke on Trent. The polychrome transfer decoration has oval framed portraits of the couple on the face with floral wreaths and an inscribed scroll and a depiction of Highgrove on the reverse, the private home of Prince Charles. 5000 were produced and these are numbered ‘86’ and ‘228’. For some reason, the portraits chosen of the couple seem less than cheerful which unfortunately, if accidentally, was to be prophetic of events to follow.
Two Wood Boxes : Marriage of Charles and Diana, Birth of Prince William, late C20th
Price: £15
These two wooden round boxes, doubtless intended for trinkets, announce their purpose on the respective covers, to commemorate (i) The Marriage of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer on 29th July 1981 (ii) The Birth of Prince William on 21st June 1982. Both have the initials of the subjects inset on the covers and the first has an incised mark underneath (see image 6). If these were produced commercially, no other examples seem to exist, which just possibly suggests that they were the work of a skilled amateur or trial pieces for a range which was never produced.
Cup : Marriage and Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary, 1911
Price: £10
A china cup with flaring sides and a simple loop handle, transfer decorated with portraits of King George V and Queen Mary in beaded frames with flowers, the union jack and royal standard flags, the royal coat of arms and inscribed scrolls commemorating the royal marriage in 1893 and coronation in 1911, the reverse marked ‘In Commemoration’ below the royal crown. The base has an indistinct mark which appears more clearly on other pieces and can be read as ‘England’ ‘The Paragon China’ below a crown and a cipher with interlinked letters which read ‘S C Co’ for ‘The Star China Company’, China manufacturers at the Atlas Works, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, England from 1899 to 1919 who introduced the trade name ‘Paragon China’ in 1903.
Production of this piece was presumably contemporary with the coronation in 1911 and many similar pieces were made by other factories at the time, more often in a straight sided mug shape. The form here suggests that there might have been an original saucer but none seem to have survived.
Porcelain Mug : Buckingham Palace 1997
Price: £10
A bone china mug, slightly flaring at the rim and base and with a modelled loop handle, richly decorated in gilt with swags and floral wreaths, the front marked ‘Buckingham Palace’ and the reverse ‘1997’, the base with a circular floral wreath surrounding a crown and the wording ‘Buckingham Palace’ ‘1997’. This mug is one of a series produced from 1993 to 2010 for sale in the Royal Collection souvenir shops. Each year was given a different design and all were dated. The manufacturer is unkown. The design and decoration of the ‘1997’ model seems particularly pleasing.
Teapot and Cover : Golden Jubilee Queen Elizabeth II, 2002
Price: £10
A ceramic teapot and cover transfer decorated and with gilt detail, the front with a single and the reverse with a double portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, both sides inscribed ‘Golden Jubilee’ ‘1952-2002’. While crowned in 1953, Queen Elizabeth II acceded to the throne on the death of her Father, King George VI, in 1952. 2002, therefore, marked fifty years of her reign and various souvenirs were produced in commemoration her Golden Jubilee of which this piece is one. This teapot was sold either as an individual item in a matching box or as part of a set of four items, packed in polystyrene and fitted also into a box (see image 5). In both cases the boxes were marked ‘Limited Edition Collectable’ but the numbers produced might have been rather greater than the wording implies.
Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee China Mug, 1977
Price: £10
A china mug, the white glazed concave body flaring towards the top and bottom, each edged with moulded decoration and the base of a wavy design forming eight feet, a simple loop handle to the side. The front with transfer decoration depicting the Queen in a roundel with flags and wording commemorating her Silver Jubilee in 1977, the reverse with similar decoration displaying ‘EIIR’ within an oval frame, a crown and the wording ‘1952 1977’ ‘Jubilee’, the base with a crown and a printed mark, slightly indistinct, ‘English’ ‘Bone China’. These mugs were originally sold with deep red colour fitted boxes but few of these survive. Most are marked as here but some carry a different mark ‘St George Fine Bone China Made in England’ below an image of the knight holding a sword and this may be the manufacturer here.
Cup : the Silver Wedding Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1972
Price: £25
A bone china loving cup with two silver decorated lion handles made by the Paragon China works to commemorate the Silver Wedding (1947–1972) of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1972. The front has the royal coat of arms between a lion and a unicorn and the reverse a cipher, intertwined ‘E’ ‘P’, within a wreath below a crown and sceptres, the blue scroll work reading ‘Love and Unanimity in Married Life’. Lettering in puce at the top and sides celebrates the Royal Wedding in Westminster Abbey in 1947.
The Paragon China Company, formerly the Star China Company (see Lot XX), produced high quality gift items from 1920 to 1971, at first independently and then in alliance with other companies, finally being absorbed by Royal Doulton in 1972 who kept the ‘Paragon’ name until 1991. Commemorative wares were a speciality and this cup is a fine and typical example.
Mug Commemorating the Coronation of Edward VIII in 1937
Price: £25
This bone china mug, with straight flaring sides and a moulded handle, was made to commemorate an event which never took place. Due to be crowned on the 12 May 1937, Edward, the eldest son of King George V, who died in January 1936, abdicated in December of the same year in order to pursue his plan to marry the American divorcee, Wallis Simpson, and was succeeded by his brother, known as ‘Bertie’, who became King George VI. Plans for the coronation were well advanced and the same date was kept. But the makers of commemorative wares had already started production and accordingly ‘coronation’ souvenirs for the never to be crowned King Edward are found today. This piece was made by the firm Roslyn China whose mark appears underneath and was decorated in typical style with transfers depicting the King and the Union Jack on the front and a lion beneath the royal crown on the reverse. The wording ‘Long Live our King’ seems poignant now although Edward did outlive his brother, dying twenty years after him in May 1972.
Cup Commemorating the Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary in 1935
Price: £55
A bone china loving cup with two handles decorated with modelled roses and thistles made by the Paragon China works to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary in 1935. George V acceded to the throne in 1910 and was crowned the following year. He was to see the Silver Jubilee of his reign but died early the following year. The twenty five years of his reign were commemorated in various ways and this cup is an example. Portraits of the King and Queen are on the front and the royal coat of arms on the reverse. Above are the words ‘To Commemorate The Silver Jubilee Of Their Reign’. As the celebrations continued during that year, few could have anticipated the turbulent events that were to follow, leading to the start of the second world war four years later.
The Paragon China Company, formerly the Star China Company (see Lot XX), produced high quality gift items from 1920 to 1971, at first independently and then in alliance with other companies, finally being absorbed by Royal Doulton in 1972 who kept the ‘Paragon’ name until 1991. Commemorative wares were a speciality and this cup is a fine example.
Ceramic Tankard celebrating the Marriage of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in 1986
Price: £10
A ceramic tankard of bell form and with a shaped loop handle glazed in blue inside and out, the front with titled silhouette portraits of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson between the royal coat of arms and the reverse with an image of Westminster Abbey and wording marking the event of their marriage in 1986. The base has the mark for Prinknash Pottery in gold. The Prinknash Abbey Pottery was started in 1942 by the Benedictine monks there when they found a seam of clay during some building work. Situated in the abbey at Granham in Gloucestershire their pottery continued production until 1997 when it was sold to the Welsh Porcelain Co. Their blue glaze commemorative wares stand apart somewhat with something of a ‘regal’ feel.
Pair of Ceramic Goblets : the Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981
Price: £20
A pair of ceramic goblets blue glazed with a bulbous body above a spreading foot, the front with silhouette portraits of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer within a circle of wording commemorating their marriage below the Prince of Wales feathers, the reverse plain and the interior gilt. Inside the foot is the mark for Prinknash Pottery in gold. The Prinknash Abbey Pottery was started in 1942 by the Benedictine monks there when they found a seam of clay during some building work. Situated in the abbey Granham in Gloucestershire their pottery continued production until 1997 when it was sold to the Welsh Porcelain Co. Their blue glaze commemorative wares stand apart somewhat with something of a ‘regal’ feel.
Past Times Art Nouveau Style Vase, Veronese Collection, 2004
Price: £45
This deceptively attractive vase which reflects Art Nouveau design in both its form and decoration is, in fact a recent reproduction sold by the once popular UK firm ‘Past Times’. The organically shaped slender ovoid body with a flaring base and a wide, open top is decorated with applied decoration of lotus, water lilies, reeds and a dragonfly, both the ground and its ornamentation intended to imitate bronze metal whereas the material is, in fact, bronze effect resin. The base has an attached felt pad with the repeating words ‘Veronese’, the name of the collection or range to which it belonged. There is also a small signature on the body and a copyright mark for the date of manufacture, 2004.
‘Past Times’ was founded in 1986 by John Beale, at first as a mail order company but then trading from physical stores and developing into a business which enjoyed enormous popularity with over one hundred shops in the early 2000s. The stock was focused on retro and vintage style items also including a wide range of licensed products, such as Harry Potter and Beatrix Potter merchandise. Badly impacted by the recession in 2008 it went into administration in 2012 and was bought by W.H.Smith a year later leading to the disappearance of its products from the marketplace.
This ‘Art Nouveau’ vase can be seen as an example of their range at its best. Manufactured with care it presents an appealing souvenir of the era it aims to recreate at a rather more affordable price than the authentic originals.
Leaded Slag Glass Bowl, C20th
Price: £45
‘Slag’ glass takes its name from a by product of steel production. When iron ore is smelted there is a residue of a glass-like, often glossy material that takes on different colours depending on the minerals and elements present in the iron. Termed ‘slag’ its visual marbling is reminiscent of slag glass which employs a wide variety of colours and tonal variation. The technique of producing it was developed in England in the late nineteenth century, one of the first patents being taken out by Sowerby in the 1870s, but the method soon spread to the United States culminating in its use by Tiffany for their famous series of lamps with their leaded glass shades. These are reproduced today, but later leaded slag glass pieces appear in a wide variety of forms including irregularly shaped bowls such as we have here. There is an Art Deco look to this piece but there are no obvious predecessors from the period so that we seem to have an inventive pastiche. Not a true ‘fake’ then but probably not as old as it might appear, even dating, perhaps, to the late twentieth century, but with considerable decorative appeal, nevertheless.
Pair of Art Deco chrome wall sconces
Price: £75
This is a stunning pair of Art Deco sconces in polished chrome. These hold candles and are in a very unusual Art Deco design. A not to be missed lot for Art Deco collectors!
A group of twenty assorted artists Stamps in H&R Johnson sample Box, C20th
Price: £75
This is a most interesting group of stamps, possibly intended for tiles, nearly all with naturalistic designs of trees or stylised floral emblems. Twelve are mounted on thick clear plastic or perspex blocks while the remainder are mounted on wood. Examples of the pressed designs can be seen in images 1 and 2 and their appeal is obvious. The stamps are contained in a wooden box with the name of the well known tile manufacturers H&R Johnson Ltd printed on the front with the words ‘ceramic glazed tiles’ below. H&R Johnson began trading in 1901 and are still producing tiles in imaginative and innovative designs today. The box was clearly for tile samples rather than stamps and was presumably adapted by the owner of these stamps to hold his small collection. Perhaps this is why the three central dividers are missing (the grooves for them can be clearly seen in image 3); their presence would not have allowed all the stamps to fit inside! This assembled collection with its impromptu container was clearly used by an enthusiastic amateur artist. Both the box and the stamps look to have been made in the 1950s or 1960s and were clearly well used. Printing block stamps can be much in demand today and there is a family firm, Stamped in Tradition, based in London and Devon who produce a truly vast selection of handmade pieces in bronze, some of which are similar in design to some of the stamps in this box (see images 9,10). The tradition truly lives on then, and this collection allows the opportunity for experimentation today in an age old craft.
Novelty ceramic Wall Vase in the form of a Gretsch Guitar, English, 1950s
Price: £25
This is a fun ceramic wall vase in the shape of a guitar with an opening at the top for flowers or perhaps pens or stationery items and a string cord, which may well be original, for suspension. The shape is taken from one of the designs produced by the famous American guitar manufacturers Gretsch who began the manufacture of electric guitars in the 1950s, eventually reaching tremendous popularity in the 1960s after the Beatle, George Harrison, used one of their models during the band’s first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. This piece predates that and was most likely made in the 1950s. There is no mark for the manufacturer beyond ‘Made in England’ but it is possible that this is an example of Brentleigh ware, a firm which produced ceramic novelty pieces such as the pair of shoes to be seen elsewhere in this sale.
Pewter and brass box and cover in the form of a Mallard Duck, Gatco, Hong Kong, 1960s
Price: £25
This is a novelty box and cover, possibly for pills or more likely trinkets made from pewter and brass in the form of a mallard duck. The details are simply but amusingly modelled with an effective contrast of the two metals used. The base, in common with other examples of this model, has an engraved mark comprising a reversed ‘3’ below an ‘8’. Other examples carry a gold ground paper label which reads ‘Made in Hong Kong’ and this is sometimes found elsewhere on brass items which also have a label for the firm ‘Gatco’, implying that this was the manufacturer here (see image 11). These amusing boxes were made in Hong Kong in the 1960s and retain their charm today.
A pair of stamp collage Postcards, Alsace and Nice, framed, early C20th
Price: £45
These are a fine example of collage pictures where the image is made up or mainly made up from fragments of stamps. The technique was used in various parts of the world including America and China but we obviously have French work here. The artist, whose signature appears on both pieces, has chosen to represent two ladies dressed in local costume, that of Alsace and Nice. The first is seen holding flowers which fits with a rural location and the second standing on a rock looking out to sea which suits a maritime one. The heads and hands are painted and the costumes made from stamp fragments. Eagle eyed philatelists might be able to date these pieces form the stamps used but the amateur has to rely on the style and ‘feel’ of the representations and we are probably looking at the 1920s or 1930s. The frames and mounts, though, are likely to be slightly later. The appeal is obvious and while there may be other parts of France represented in the same way, this pair of pictures are most likely ‘one off’ and would be an individual addition to the decoration of an interior.
Cruet set in the form of three Friar Tuck Monks on a Tray, Hummel, West Germany, 1960s
Price: £55
The portly figures of ‘Friar Tuck’ Monks seen here are perhaps rather appropriate for a set intended for the serving of condiments : salt, pepper and mustard. The three similar figures are amusingly modelled with benign expressions, the smaller ones pierced at the top for salt and pepper with plastic stoppers underneath and the larger in two parts, here complete with the original spoon. This set comes from the ‘Hummel’ range produced by the German ceramic manufacturers Goebel. Founded in 1871, the company began to enjoy enormous popularity in the 1930s when Franz Goebel, grandson of the founder, began an association with a Benedictine nun Berta Hummel who later took the name sister Maria Innocentia Hummel. Hummel had produced a range of postcard drawings of figures which Franz Goebel realised he could turn into porcelain figurines. Production started in 1935 and was immediately successful. Sister Hummel died in 1947 but the association with her covent continued and figures in her distinctive style were produced for many years thereafter. Dating is established by the format of the mark, which went through many variations. Here we see a ‘V’ with a bee within at the top and the wording W.Germany. The German word ‘hummel’ means ‘bee’ and the ‘V’ stands for ‘Verkaufsgesellschat’ or ‘Distribution Company’. This bee has sharp angular wings set parallel to the tips of the ‘V’ which was the format used between 1960 and 1972. In addition all ‘Hummel’ pieces were marked with the model number which can be seen clearly here on the base of the mustard pot, ‘S 183’. For some, the Hummel figurine might be an acquired taste but few can fail to admire the whimsy here and this set would add spice, so to speak, any dinner table conversation.
Set of five small landscape paintings attributed to Charles Boyland Turner, C20th
Price: £110
While ‘antique’ in appearance, both in respect of the frames and the style of the paintings themselves, this set of small landscape compositions most likely date to the mid to late years of the twentieth century. As the inscriptions on the backs indicate, all five display Norfolk scenes and are attributed to the artist Charles Boyland Turner. Charles Turner seems to have painted many Norfolk landscape scenes and his pictures sometimes appear at auction. The style is always similar, traditional and with a nineteenth century ‘feel’, but Charles Turner worked in acrylic rather than oil paint, a much more modern medium, and was the author of a book on the subject, ‘Painting Miniatures in Acrylics’, published in 1990 whose cover displays an image very similar to these. Accordingly, while little is known about him, his work is relatively recent which is not to say that it is without its attraction. The five scenes depicted here are extremely pleasing. Many, but not all, of his pieces are signed but these are not, perhaps because of the size, and we have to take the labelling on trust. The close similarity with signed works, though, gives little reason to doubt the attribution.
Egyptian table decoration depicting a Pharoah and Attendant, c1940
Price: £45
This is a Egyptian souvenir table decoration depicting aPharoah and attendant. The sun is radiating down to indicate his divine rule. It is made from bovine buffalo bone, a material commonly used for Egyptian decorative objects.
Pair of Silver Filigree Bonbonnieres, probably continental circa 1900
Price: £110
A pair of bowls formed from minute and delicate silver filigree work, the shallow incurving sides with a deeply scalloped rim above an openwork foot with plain sides, the decoration in the from of leaves, perhaps those of a cabbage plant, with elaborate silver thread detail. The workmanship here is obvious but the provenance of these pieces less so. Silver filigree pieces were made in both Russia and China but there is little resemblance to those here. A much closer parallel lies in Portuguese work and there is one very similar bowl known to have belonged to one Charles William de la Poer Beresford, an Admiral and Member of Parliament who died in 1919. If there is a connection here, then this pair of bowls most likely date to the early years of the twentieth century.
Crown Winsor Jockey Teapot, 1980s
Price: £35
This amusing teapot depicts the head and shoulders of a jockey (his red cheeks implying perhaps a fondness for light refreshment between races) and the head of a horse. The modelling is vivid and colourfully painted, the white glaze with an original light craquelure. The base has a stamped mark. A circle with a cipher inside, above a crown and below the wording ‘Crown Winsor’ (note the spelling) and ‘England’ (rather indistinct).
Crown Winsor was a short lived earthenware manufacturer at the Sylvan Works, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, England, previously the premises of the firm Shaw and Copestake, who traded under the well known name ‘SylvaC’ and went into voluntary liquidation in 1982. A workers co-operative trading under the name of Longton Ceramics attempted to take the business over but with little success and eighteen months later the enterprise was fully taken over by United Co-operative Society and run under the name of Crown Winsor. The Co-operative society already owned the Windsor Pottery works and the Crown Clarence Pottery works which was the source of the ‘Crown Winsor’ name. Production centred on whimsical and novelty items, sometimes made from the old SylvaC moulds but demand proved weak and the business ceased trading in 1989. This teapot is typical of their range and the elaborate cipher underneath seems to read ‘CW’ grandly announcing a trade name which unfortunately had a very short life
Chinese Qu Wine Decanter, Sam Seng Wine Co, late C20th
Price: £35
The Sam Seng Wine Company is based in Hong Kong. Founded by Hee Lin in 1974, it is known for producing a range of medicinal wines and rice wines, of which the ‘Qu Wine’, which originally formed the contents of this elaborate decanter or bottle, is the best known example. The Company seems to have adopted the practice of selling its wines in novelty ceramic containers which are now collectible items in themselves. This example is in the form of gourd on which sit three revellers each holding wine cups and seemingly rather the worse for wear. The complex and detailed modelling of the figures, which recalls that of earlier stoneware examples made at the Shiwan kilns from the Guangdong province, along with the extensive inscriptions are a surprising feature of an object which was essentially a ‘free gift’ but can certainly be enjoyed today. Fortunately the original trade label survives and the format of this suggests a late twentieth century dating.
Pair of small green depression glass Jars with bakelite Covers, 1930s
Price: £45
A pair of square green glass jars with cut off corners and curved bases and shoulders, the bodies with press moulded line and panel decoration and the tops with screw fittings to secure the black bakelite covers. The covers are marked 'GM' within a stylised 'A', '58', 'P' and the base of one has the same 'GM' symbol with 'U' '895' and what looks like a small triangle while the base of the other only has the 'GM' symbol and '95'. The style of these pieces is often termed ‘depression glass’ and refers to a whole range of modest glass wares, sometimes distributed free of charge, made during the 1930s in America around the time of the great depression. Certainly the form and decoration reflect the Art Deco era and the use of bakelite for the covers is consistent with this. Also, the glass here contains easily visible imperfections which were inevitable from a manufacturing process which emphasised speed and low cost and are something of a hallmark of these pieces. Perhaps originally intended for kitchen or bathroom storage (one lid has an old label reading ‘borax’, a cleaning agent) these jars are more collectors’ items now recalling the ‘thrift purchases’ of a challenging era.
Small circular ceramic plaque after Fragonard marked Limoges, framed, late C20th
Price: £25
The scene reproduced here is found on many porcelain and occasionally glass shapes dating from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, most of them made in one or other of the workshops at Limoges, France. Often referred to as a ‘Courting Couple’ we see here a lady and gentleman in eighteenth centur dress in a rustic garden setting with trees and an architectural niche in the backgound. The lady is seated listening to the standing gentleman who is playing a musical instrument, perhaps a guitar or a lute. The composition is loosely base on a picture by the famous eightenth century artist French Fragonard entitled ‘The Music Contest’ (see image 7). Not all of these pieces are very old and this one probably dates to the late twentieth century. The frame with a gilt metal border at the front, which is marked ‘Danish Design’ is consistent with this. Marked ‘Limoges’ on the front (other examples have ‘Fragonard’ in addition) this plaque is also marked ‘Meissner’ ‘Limoges’ ‘France’ to the reverse which confirms the provenance of a piece which is a modest reflection of the eighteenth century rococo style.
Pair of Chinese hand painted jade Eggs with modern stands
Price: £25
Each of these eggs is made from light green coloured jade formed into the shape of an egg. Both are attractively painted in bright colours with birds and flowers, the designs complementary rather than matching. They were made in China, doubtless as tourist souvenirs and are most likely quite recent in date but the combination of the stone shape and colour and the careful decoration make them attractive decorative items nevertheless.
Pair of continental style openwork border Dishes, probably Chinese C20th
Price: £20
A pair of small oval dishes with openwork borders and loop handles, decorated to the centre with fruit, the reverses with impressed marks ‘4’ and iron red stamped numbers ‘12’ (rather indistinct on one). These dishes follow closely pieces made by the German ceramics manufacturer Schumann whose premises were located in Bavaria and which made fine quality hard paste porcelains, tastefully decorated with floral designs, from their beginnings in the 1870s to the mid 1990s when the business ceased trading but close inspection of the fruit surfaces here indicates that they were not hand painted but produced by the technique of laser printing which is evident from the ‘micro dot’ effets which here can be seen even by the naked eye. This suggests late twentieth century Chinese work and the paste of the foot (also the numbering at the back) confirms this.
Trade+Aid Teapot, Van Gogh Café Scene, UK 1990s
Price: £25
This is an amusing enamel teapot, the rectangular body curving in towards the lid and with a loop handle and spout. It is brightly decorated in coloured enamels with a Parisian Café scene after the painting by Van Goch whose first name can be seen on one of the sides. The original is in the Kröller-Müller Museum Otterlo, Netherlands (see image 7). The base of the teapot is marked ‘Trade+Aid’ ‘No.158.UK’ and it comes from a range of teapots produced for ‘Charlotte di Vita Collections’ under the trading name ‘Trade+Aid’. These were hand crafted items using traditional techniques whose sale benefited charitable projects and initiatives worldwide. The various designs were usually limited editions and some are quite collectible today
Pewter Plate in the Art Nouveau style, marked Joh. Heidl, C20th
Price: £20
This is a circular pewter plate, flat with a narrow turnover rim, also flat and ridged at the edge, the centre with an embossed head portrait of a lady with flowers within a pentagonal border, the reverse with the engaved name ‘Joh. [Johannes?] Heidl’ at the bottom. Similar plates, often called card trays, are known from the early twentieth century, many made by the German company WMF (Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik) but some also in France. The designs often have lady’s head to the centre in the Art Nouveau style but the work is much more sculptural and highly raised. The mark on this piece cannot be traced but its appearance implies that the maker took some pride in his work and the lettering style is consistent with an early twentieth century dating. But while this could possibly be a later pastiche there are no parallels for this version of the design either. It is best, then, to regard this dish as in the Art Nouveau style, if of uncertain date and to enjoy its decorative appeal.
Andy Pandy Oil Lamp, German, Karl Meyer, 1950s
Price: £35
Our users of a certain age will recognise the small seated figure wearing a blue and white striped jump suit with a white frilled collar but others who need to rely on a Google search will easily discover his identity. It is Andy Pandy, the earliest creation by the BBC for childrens’ television, who made his first appearance in 1950 and was then seen frequently in the years thereafter with a remake in 1970 and again in 2002. Accompanied by his companions Teddy, a teddy bear, and Looby Lou, a rag doll, Andy, a marionette doll, entertained young children with a collection of unrelated songs and games with no ongoing narrative. Viewers were invited to sing or dance along and each episode ended with a variation on the famous song: "Time to go home / Time to go home / Andy is waving goodbye."
TV linked merchandise was created even in the earliest days of the medium and this charming small ceramic oil lamp, hardly the safest accessory for the nursery, is an amusing example. Andy sits next to a table with an urn on the top which forms the base of the lamp. Oil or paraffin would have been contained inside and once lit the wick could be adjusted by turning the round flat knob on the side. This has the trademark symbol for the German toy manufacturers Karl Meyer (see image 7). The base is marked ‘FOREIGN’ which was a common requirement for items imported into the UK after the second World War and allowed the makers to conceal their country of origin, which might have been useful to some of them at the time. A true piece of nostagia whether the figure represented is familiar or not.
Novelty match holder with cat, Klimax Japan, mid C20th
Price: £20
This is a novelty ceramic match holder made in the form of a cat, colourfully dressed with a slightly puzzled expression, holding a vase to contain the matches. The base is stamped in orange ‘Klimax’ ‘Hand painted’ ‘Foreign’. Little seems to be known of the firm, but they produced modest, hand painted decorative ceramics before and after the second world war for the export market. Their work is often similar to Noritake or very late Kutani pieces and concentrates on tableware and vases. These march holders seem much less common. The word ‘foreign’ was used by Japanese manufacturers when there was a feeling that the true country of origin should not be advertised. It was more common before the war but used sometimes afterwards, so a dating here to the 1940s or 1950s is the most likely. Not the most sophisticated ceramic item, but certainly an amusing one!
Delft style garniture vase, probably Chinese C20th
Price: £20
The marks underneath this vase proudly announce production at Delft, Holland which is written below the standard apothecary bottle and the cipher ‘JT’ (from Joost Thooft, the company owner from 1876) with, in addition, a painter’s mark, which cannot be identified and a date code leeter ‘R’ for 1896. There are also some impressed letters and numbers which are hard to identify. The form and decoration is similar to that of a Chinese eighteenth century garniture vase (there should be a cover to this in addition) which is entirely consitent with original Delft pieces which copied or based themselves on Chinese models, although the shape here is exaggeratedly slender. But the mechanical craquelure glaze is totally unauthentic as is the thickly potted body and the paste of the base which is most likely Chinese and therefore yet another example of the European style pieces they made during the late twentieth century, a few example so of which can be seen elsewhere on this site. A novelty pastiche then but with the potential for the display of small flowers which it would complement rather well.
Orrefors Zaglo signed crystal glass Decanter, Riding Scene, mid C20th
Price: £35
This is one of the series of engraved crystal glass decanters designed and engraved by Aleek Zaglo for the Swedish glassworks Orrefors in the second half of the twentieth century. These decanters were produced in a variety of shapes and engraved mainly with sporting scenes, although there is one design which commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway and is dated to 1975. Here we see a horse rider and the fence he is attempting to jump, apparently termed ‘the double oxer’, the rails being of unequal height. Zaglo’s name appears on the base along with the model number and number of the edition ‘809’, presumably implying a total production of 1000. Originally the decanter was fitted with a round stopper, also engraved with a horse. Included with this lot is a modern oval replacement.
Orrefors was founded in Sweden in 1898 by Johnan August Samuelson. It then went through a variety of ownerships and also acquired many of its rival glass companies including Kosta Boda. Orrefors became Orrefors Kosta Boda in 1990 and joined The Royal Scandinavia Group in 1997.
Two brass bulldog paperweights, mid C20th
Price: £55
Two brass figures of bulldogs, one sitting erect and one crouching, each solid cast and expressively modelled. These small brass bulldogs are usually regarded as paperweights and appear to have been popular around the time of the second world war as an example of British stubbornness and tenacity. Some see reminiscences here of ‘John Bull’ and others the great ‘bulldog’ himself, Winston Churchill. Most likely, then, these two ‘mastiffs’ date to the 1940s and can carry out their function today just as well as they did all those years ago.
Vesta case in the form of a fly, C20th
Price: £25
This is a vesta case in the form of a fly with a striker plate to the underside of one of its wings. 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 giving a probable dating here to the last years of their production. It is marked to the underside of the wings 'P&C' but this manufacturer cannot be identified.
Magnifying Glass with Crown Handle, C20th
Price: £45
A large magnifying glass with silver plate trim, the handle with a ball shape terminal decorated with bead work and stylised floral designs and a crown shape finial again with beadwork, both separated by a ridged tube of ivorine. This elaborate desk item is sometimes found as part of a boxed set together with a matching paper knife. Highly useful for reading that small print it probably dates to the 1950s but retains its functionality today.
Danish silver plate Photograph Holder,with repoussé decoration, 1970s/1980s
Price: £45
This is a folding silver plate photograph holder each side with a similar repoussé work scene of a traditional rustic interior with metal workers busy plying their trade. 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. Very similar pieces carry a mark for Denmark, as here, (see image 4) but also the initials JThS, or a slight variant on this, which seem to stand for Jorgen Th Steffenson of Randers who is known to have worked in the late 1970s. While not necessarily by him, a similar dating is most likely here.
Morrocan safi ware Dish, silver metal bound, signed La Médina Paris, modern
Price: £45
An earthenware dish glazed blue to the front, with silver metal mounting, and orange to the reverse, with a narrow foot pierced for hanging and inscribed to the centre ‘La Médina Paris’. This is an example of Morrocan earthenware made at Safi, a city in western Morocco on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of Safi Province and known for the production of textiles and ceramics. Some plates in a similar style are marked with their city of origin (see image 10 for an example of this) and many are bound in metal as here. They seem to have been made from the late twentieth century onwards, perhaps as tourist souvenirs, but the inscription on the back indicates that this plate was made specially for the shop ‘Les Trésors De La Médina’ situated in the Boulevard du Montparnasse, Paris (see image 9). Their website states “Les Trésors De La Médina is a true specialist in Moroccan craftsmanship. For 15 years, our shop has been offering our customers various works of art produced by craftsmen.” which indicates that this piece offered to the market in fairly recent times. Nevertheless, it is an excellent example of the type and would make an interesting item of wall decoration.
Carved oak wood Box, possibly German, late C19th
Price: £55
A light brown oak wood box with a hinged lid, the interior lined in blue velvet and the lid with a mirror inset inside, the exterior deeply carved with panels of leaves on a textured ground, the lid in addition with a repeating geometric pattern border, the corners with dovetail joints clearly visible. The work on this attractive box is clearly European (there are other similar examples from India and China) and the naturalistic motifs suggest German work in the well known ‘Black Forest’ tradition which exploited woodland themes including animals. Dating is most likely to the late nineteenth century and this piece well retains its attraction today.
Novelty ceramic celery Vase, Price Kensington, 1960s
Price: £25
A novelty ceramic vase with two mask heads, the eyebrows and moustache formed as leaves, with the wording ‘CELERY’ above, the base with transfer marks ‘PRICE KENSINGTON’ within a wreath above ‘MADE IN ENGLAND’ and the pattern number ‘3644’ written at the side.
Price & Kensington was the trademark for Price & Kensington Potteries Ltd which was formed in 1962 by the amalgamation of Price Bros. (Burslem) Ltd and Kensington Pottery Ltd which were both subsidiaries of Arthur Wood & Son (Longport) Ltd. From 1962 to 2003 Price & Kensington produced large quantities of domestic wares alongside novelties and souvenirs, but in 2003 their parent company went into administration and their brand name was eventually sold to Rayware Limited which continued to use it, eventually moving the manufacture abroad, mainly to China.
This celery vase was one of the most popular and distinctive pieces which Price & Kensington produced and examples are enthusiastically collected today.
Novelty matchstick holder, Boot with Cat and Dog, probably Japan 1950s
Price: £25
A novelty ceramic matchstick holder in the form of a black boot, unlaced, with a dog climbing towards a cat seated on top, the sole glazed brown with an impressed mark '3'. Some other examples of these have a printed mark 'Japan’ in black and it may be that this has simply worn off here. Certainly the work and design is so similar that Japanese manufacture is almost certain; they produced many ‘novelty’ ceramic pieces for export after the war, marked at first ‘Made in Occupied Japan’ and then, after 1952, ‘Made in Japan’ or ‘Japan’. Usually the painted decoration flakes off, whereas here it remains in excellent condition.