My Antique World

Collecting children's book illustrations

2016-01-21T14:19:00.001+01:00

Whether you display them on the wall or treasure them in a portfolio, original artworks from children's books will never lose their charm.

An ink and watercolour illustration by the Australian artist Ida Rentoul Outhwaite for Chimney Town (1934) by Tarella Quin Daskein. This is from a set of illustrations by Outhwaite that are estimated to fetch £5,000-£7,000 at Sotheby's

If your budget is limited or the original artwork of your favourite illustrator is scarce or unavailable, consider lesser-known illustrators, whose work can be picked up from the low hundreds of pounds. Names to look out for include John Hassall, Margaret Tarrant and Rene Cloke from the first half of the 20th century, and Barbara Brown, Anne Mortimer and Ronald Searle from the second half.

Margaret Tarrant illustrations

Collectors often collect around a theme (everything to do with Alice, for example), periods (say the restrained designs of the 1940s or the primary colours of the 1950s) or according to genre (such as nursery rhymes, animals or fairies).

Beatrix Potter illustration

If you can't find or afford the type of illustration you'd like, consider collecting colour plate books and sets of loose colour plates instead. This style of book was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when printing techniques did not allow easy or affordable printing in full colour. Colour plates were printed separately from the text of a book then attached by hand to the page ('mounted and tipped in') or inserted loose (`laid in'). Sometimes, limited-edition sets of colour plates were printed to celebrate an important anniversary in a book's history. While they are not the original artwork, they have visual impact.

John Hassall illustration

While EH Shepard illustrations regularly come up for sale, the same cannot be said of original artworks by that other titan of the children's book world, Beatrix Potter. Most of the original drawings and watercolours for her 'little books' are held in the Warne Archive and the Linder Archive, both part of the National Art Library at the V&A. A rare cache of original Potter watercolours, Christmas cards and letters from the 1890s, created for family and friends, did surface in 2008 at Sotheby's, selling for £748,200 in total.

Ronald Searle illustration

'The watercolours were as fresh as the day she'd drawn them, with exquisite detail, and they were quite breathtaking for the feelings they conveyed,' says Sotheby's specialist Dr Philip Errington. Members of the public can apply to view original Potter artwork at the National Art Library's Blythe House Reading Room, near Olympia, London (020 7602 0281 ext 212; vam.ac.uk/page/b/beatrix-potter).

One of Shepard's very first Winnie-the-Pooh colour drawings produced in 1928

Where to see

Set up by leading illustrators Quentin Blake and Emma Chichester Clark, House of Illustration at 2 Granary Square, King's Cross, London is dedicated to illustration past and present. 020 3696 2020; houseofillustration.org.uk

The National Art Library at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London holds nearly 100,000 children's books dating from the 16th century onwards. Accessible by appointment. 020 7942 2000; vam.ac.uk

The Museum of Childhood, Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green, London holds other children's book collections. 020 8983 5200; vam.ac.uk/moc

Collecting silhouettes

2015-12-04T18:49:00.000+01:00

Historically, silhouetteshave had a bad press. So 'cheap' was the art form considered in 18th century France that it was named after a famously stingy minister of finance, Etiennede Silhouette. Yet despite its reputation, the charming depictions won over not just the masses but noblemen and royalty, too.

George III was one such enthusiast, and his daughter Princess Elizabeth and granddaughter Queen Victoria both took up crafting silhouettes as a hobby. As well as its appealing price point, silhouettes offered a quick alternative to portrait paintings. After one swift sitting, you could have a depiction of yourself, which in the days before photography, was rather thrilling.

Today, the designs are still an affordable way to own antique artwork, with prices starting around £300. The silhouettes always look good as a collection displayed together.

Scandinavian 20th-century glass

2015-05-27T18:04:00.000+02:00

Over the past few decades, mid 20th-century Scandinavianglass has become increasingly collectable and valuable. Brightly coloured, mould-blown pieces are still fetching low sums because so many were produced, but the best handmade pieces by known designers can be worth thousands of pounds.

Nanny Still for Riihimäen Lasi Oy

During the 1930s, Scandinavian designers strove to produce glass that had a handcrafted quality despite being mass produced and affordable. The success of this initiative led to a boom in glass design, production and export, which, in turn, led to Scandinavian style becoming increasingly influental. Across the world the organically shaped, thick-walled, clear-cased pieces created in Scandinavia were imitated and adapted by a host of factories and designers.

Typical 1950sScandinavian designs feature curving forms, asymmetric styles and cool colours. Designers in the 1960s were influenced by Pop Art and turned to geometric and cylindrical mould-blown shapes in bright colours. This gradually gave way to the texturedforms of the 1970s.

Orrefors vase

The popularity of the Mid-century Modern style and the high status of Scandinavian glass meansthat most glassfrom this period is desirable. However, mass-produced pieces are common and are consequently unlikely to fetch high values, despite demand. Unique hand-blown pieces are almost always worth more than mould-blown examples, particularly if the techniques used are complex.

Kosta Boda Zoo Kennel art glass afghan dog figurine sculpture design Bertil Vallien late 1960s early 1970s

The key criteria for assessing value are designer and maker. Several factories were at the forefront of production during the 1950s to 1970s, including Orrefors, Kosta Boda, Holmegaard and Riihimäen Lasi Oy. They have dedicated groupps of collectors and good glass from these factories is desirable. Value will increase for the workof a designer who defined or influenced the movement, such as Tapio Wirkkala, Sven Palmqvist, Vicke Lindstrand, Tamara Aladin, Nanny Still and Simon Gate.

Tapio Wirkkala bottles

Examine the base, as engraved markscan help with identification and dating. Not all pieces are signed but those that are tend to be worth more. If the lettering or signature is hard to read, try placing a piece of black paper or fabric inside the item andexamining the signature again with a magnifying glass.

Mid-century glass ashtray

Values for example by lesser factories, designers or ranges, such as John Orwar Lake for Ekenas, Strömbergshyttan and Eric Höglund for Boda, are currently low but may rise. Consider holding on to them in case they do.

Papier-mâché and composition antique dolls

2015-05-19T15:15:00.001+02:00

Hand made papier-mâché was used in France for dolls'heads as early as the 16th century. From c. 1810 the German Toy Factories at Sonneberg began to mass-produce moulded dolls' heads in the material using a pressure process that eliminated hand kneading. Papier-mâché dolls were popular until the 1870sand are now much-collected. Those with moulded heads were described as "milliners' models", for reasons that have not been established.

Antique Papier Mache Doll Leather Body

In America the most important producer was Ludwig Greinerof Philadelphia, whose dolls have
papier-mâché heads lined with muslin or linen.

Composition dolls were sometimes called "indestructable" - although the medium can in fact be delicate. They were made from various amalgams, incorporating paper or wood pulp, and makers developed their own secret recipes. Some collectors sensibly use the term "composition" to cover toughened forms of papier-mâché.

A composition Bye-Lo Baby doll

Cast composition was used for shoulder-heads and socket heads (mainly from c. 1820) before it became the most popular body material from the 1880s. Composition dolls of the early 20th century are not especially popular with collectors.

A composition cloth vintage doll

Both papier-mâché and composition dolls are prone to cracking and crumbling. Where the paintwork has been protected with varnish, this tends to wear on the prominent parts of the head, such as the nose and chin. Damage can also occur to composition bodies where two halves join, and at the sockets. On sockets that have been reinforced with wood, the reinforcement often collapse, with the result that the limbs may slip into the body. Re-stringing with elastic should be carried out with care, as excess pressure will break the doll.

Particularly vulnerable to being crushed are the inferior "carton" composition bodies of the 1920s and 30s. Moreover, the components were fixed together by staples, which have often rusted and damaged the joins.Cleaning should be carried out with a soft brush, avoiding water as the varnish is water-soluble.

Antique posters

2015-05-19T14:14:00.000+02:00

The fascination with speed and technologyextended to poster design as to other media in the period. The most common subjects were ships, cars and trains: indeed , a thematic approach to collecting is a valid alternative to concentrating on the work of particular artists.

Alfred Leete poster for London Transport

The curvilinear extravagances evident in Art Nouveau poster design had vanished entirely by 1920. In their place came the use of cubistic and geometric symbols. The French artist Adolphe-Jean-Marie Mouron (better known as Cassandre) was the leading exponent. Another Frenchman, Charles Gesmar (1900-28), made posters for the Folies-Bergere and the music hall singer Mistinguett - the subject of many posters of the period.

Charles Gesmar poster for Moulen Rouge

The poster was often used to promote travel and tourism. A series for LondonTransport was produced by Edward McKnight-Kauffer, Rex Whistler and A.E. Marty, as well as the famous French painter and muralist Jean Dupas, whose distinctive females had accentuated high foreheads and soft, slightly elongated faces.

Rex Whistler poster for London Museum

Ernst Dryden was the leading Austrian posterist. Originally signing his work "Deutsch", he bagan to call himself Dryden shortly after the First World War.he designed posters for such diverse products as Blaupunkt cigarettes, Bugatti racing cars, Cinzano and I.G. Farben, a paint manufacturer. He later became art director for the magazine Die Dame and was responsible for most of their front covers.

Ernst Dryden poster

Posters of the period were not intended to last, and were therefore printed on very thin paper. While a certain degree of damage is almost unavoidable, the central image should be as unspoilt as possible, with the colours clear and strong. Small tears are acceptable around the edges, and some fading and folds (again, depending on position) may not be too detrimental to value. A poster more severely damaged, or very yellow with age, is probably not worth buying, unless it is a rarity.

Adolphe-Jean-Marie Mouron (Cassandre) poster

Object of the day: Memphis Group "Super" Table Lamp by Marine Bedin. (c. 1981 Italy)

2015-02-15T12:36:00.001+01:00

Medium
Fibreglass, enamel, steel and rubber.
Signed/Inscribed/Dated Metal Label to base.
Dimensions 42.00cm wide 30.00cm high 9.00cm deep (16.54 inches wide 11.81 inches high 3.54 inches deep)
Literature Lit- Barbara Radice “Memphis” London 1985. P.104
Description / Expertise Martine Bedin for Memphis.
“Super” Table Lamp.
Fibreglass, enamel, steel and rubber.
Metal Label to base.
Designed 1981
H 30 cms X W 42 cms x 9 cms

Lit- Barbara Radice “Memphis” London 1985. P.104
Price gbp 2400.00 (Pound Sterling)
The Memphis Group was an Italian design and architecture group founded in Milan by Ettore Sottsass in 1981 that designed Postmodern furniture, fabrics, ceramics, glass and metal objects from 1981 to 1987. The Memphis group's work often incorporated plastic laminate and was characterized by ephemeral design featuring colourful decoration and asymmetrical shapes, sometimes arbitrarily alluding to exotic or earlier styles.

Their solution was to continue the experiments with uncoventional materials, historic forms, kitsch motifs and gaudy colours begun by Studio Alchymia, the radical late 1970s Italian design group to which Sottsass and De Lucchi had belonged. When the young Jasper Morrison and a couple of thousand others crowded into Arc ’74 on 18 September 1981 they discovered furniture made from the flashily coloured plastic laminates emblazoned with kitsch geometric and leopard-skin patterns usually found in 1950s comic books or cheap cafés.

Sottsass’ 1981 Beverly cabinet sported green and yellow ‘snakeskin’ laminate doors with brown ‘tortoiseshell’ book shelves at a topsy turvy angle and a bright red bulb in the light. Martine Bedin’s 1981 Superlamp ressembled an illuminated dachsund with multi-coloured bulbs framing a richly-coloured fibreglass arc.

Perfectly in tune with an era when pop culture was dominated by the post-punk flamboyance of early 1980s new romanticism, Memphis was also a colourful, clearly defined manifestation of the often obscure post-modernist theories then so influential in art and architecture.

Architectural antiques

2015-02-15T11:53:00.001+01:00

Thirty years ago, the term architectural antique had yet to become part of the vernacular of the antiques world. Such items as Victorian fireplaces and chimney pieces, cast-iron jardinières, wrought-iron gates and garden seating were available in great quantity at low prices and generally came under the heading of salvage.

19th century bench with branch and snake pattern. Made by Scottish iron founders McDowell, Stevens & Co, Glasgow 1840.

But with the passion we now have for recreating the past, all these objects have acquired value. Architectural salvage has become very big business and collectors are prepared to pay large sums of money for the right piece.

One of the main reasons for buying these objects is to install them in houses and gardens which have suffered a series of "improvements" during the 1950s and 1960s, and are now being passionately restored to their original glory.

Early 19th Century Stone Figures, £1,600

Buyers are paying not only for the craftsmanship of the past, but for age and wear. The genuine patina of a section of oak panelling, the original paint on a garden seat, the moss and lichen on a stone urn and the original chains and drops of a chandelier are all desirable qualities in this market.

In fact, fine carved wood and marble fireplaces have become so expensive that they become the target of some particularly determined teams of burglars who hacked them right out of the wall.

Antique weather vane became a home decor

Early Flemish and German glass in small panels (say 25 x 23 cm) from the late 16th and 17th centuries can still be bought for less than £1,000, but the best value for money is the English 19th century ecclesiastical window glass which has never appealed to a wide range of collectors, especially that featuring martyred saints or the body of Christ. Angels have greater appeal. If you can attribute a piece to a maker such as Heaton, Butler and Bayne or Edward Kempe so much the better. Pieces by Morris & Co. May be prohibitively expensive, but you may find a piece by either of the other two makers for around £400. The original artwork for stained glass designs is a growing market.

A massive, late-17th century, Italian, walnut, painted fireplace surround (1650 to 1700 Italian)

Among other items that are now very popular are stone garden sculptures of figures, angels or animals. One of the famous makers is Mrs. Eleanor Coade, who invented the clay-based artificial stone at her factory in London in 1769. It looks like a limestone, but it is more durable and less prone to wear. The value of stone garden decorative items vary depending on size, quality, condition and other parameters, and can be in the range of less than £100 to few thousands.

Colourful yellow, blue and brown stained glass panel with bird , £185

Collectors' notes

The Coalbrookdale ironworks in England produced the cast-iron garden furniture and ornamental gates and hallstands which are most sought after today. Look for the foundry mark cast in relief on pieces, often with the registration number.

In the area of stained glass, look for painted figural decoration, not the simple coloured glass set into patterns and used within door frames. Avoid stained glass that is cracked but don't be put off by loose leading as it can be mended quite easily.

Regency brass and cast iron Fire Grate (c. 1830 England)

Wrought-iron gates incorporating elaborate designs can often be found at reasonable prices, lower than that of a modern replacement.

Antique settees and sofas

2015-01-21T15:47:00.004+01:00

The settle, an elongated form of the wainscot chair, was the earliest form of seat furniture to accommodate two or more people. In England settles were made principally in oak and date back to c. 1500. Most extant examples date from the 17th and 18th centuries and are of joined and pegged construction. Settles were popular from c. 1700 in America, were pine and walnut were used as alternatives to oak.

Edwardian inlaid mahogany double chair back settee

The more comfortable chair-back settee evolved from the settle in the first half of the 18th century.Found principally in walnut before c.1735 and in mahogany through the Chippendale period, these were generally made in double or triple chair-back form, and in most cases their design corresponds exactly with that of chairs. The other main 18th century development from the settle was the fully upholstered,long seat or settee with a carved frame, where the wood was exposed (show-wood).

18th century Georgian oak panelled box seated settle

Sofas are similar in construction and style to settees, but larger and more comfortable. However, in 18th- and 19th- century catalogues the term s are often interchangeable.

Antique Hepplewhite settee

The influence of contemporary chair design continued through the Hepplewhite and Sheraton periods, with the emphasis on lightness and elegance. American examples follow the English style but on a simpler, less adventurous scale.

Pair of George III Gilt-wood Settees in the Manner of Thomas Chippendale

The Regency period saw the introduction of the chaise longue, a fully upholstered chair with an elongated seat and inclined back and arms. Exotic decoration, such as crocodile feet on sofas,was incorporated within Classical forms.

Antique Chaise Lounge Chair

Sofas and settees of the Victorian period, in both England and America, were characterized by ornate carving and bold curvaceous designs with deep buttoned upholstery, often using rich velvets and patterned fabrics. This period also saw the development of the chesterfield, one of the first settees or sofas to be entirely upholstered.


Victorian settee

Antique Chelsea Porcelain

2015-01-11T15:30:00.002+01:00

The Chelsea factory was established c.1745 by Nicholas Sprimont, a Flemish silversmith. Coloured tablewares predominated. The fine soft-paste body was initially very glassy, becoming cloudier in the Raised Anchor period (1749-52). Chelsea porcelains highly esteemed and fetches high prices.

Chelsea porcelain asparagus tureen with a lid

The influence of contemporary silver was most strongly felt from 1745 to 1754. A number of moulded shapes were copied directly from silver originals in the Triangle period (c.1745-49), including the much-copied goat and bee jug. By the late 1750s the silver influence had become more generalized.

A collection of Chelsea Red Anchor Period porcelain, circa 1755

In the early 1750s, during the Raised Anchor period, the factory produced some superb teawares and plates decorated with harbour scenes in the Meissen manner. Japanese Kakiemon decoration was popular. Figures were produced at his period for the first time.

Imari style dish, Chelsea Porcelain factory

The impact of Meissen continued into the Red Anchor period when fine floral painting and Meissen-style figures were fashionable. Other products include leaf-shaped dishes and vegetable-shaped tureens. Red Anchor wares are generally of superb quality.

Chelsea porcelain bell shape cup with Red Anchor mark.

A particularly collectible Chelsea innovation is a form of decoration based on Aesop's fables, painted by J. H. O'Neale, c.1752 to 1758. The style was occasionally copied by Worcester.

A rare Chelsea teacup, circa 1752-54,
probably painted by Jefferyes Hamett O'Neale with the fable of 'The Fox and the Cockerel'. Sold at Bonhams for £3,125.

Sevres influences appeared from c. 1755 - for example,the use of blue ground colours with finely painted reserves. Rococo styles, with elaborate gilding, went on to dominate the Gold Anchor period. Figures and figurative candlesticks on scrolled Rococo bases are Derby-influenced but more ornate.

Chelsea (1-12) 1 An early mark. 1743 is earliest known.
2,3 1749-1753. Anchor colorless or in red on raised oval medallion.
4,5 1750-1758. Mark painted in red, brown or purple.
6,7 1758-1770. Mark in gold, occasionally in red.
8 1743-1748. In red. 9 1743-1748. Incised.
10 In gold on fine pieces. 11
12 1743-1751. In blue under-glaze.
Chelsea-Derby period (1-4)
1-4 1770-1782. Marks overglaze in blue, puce, or, in gold.
Church Gresley (1-3)
1 Impressed or scratched in the paste. 1794-1808.
2,3 T. G. Green & Co. Founded 1790.
These marks date in latter half 19th century.

The Chelsea factory was bought by William Duesbury of Derby in 1770. Thereafter, until its closure in 1784, Derby styles were followed.

Chelsea's wares are marked in a variety of ways corresponding to periods of production. Any anchor mark mesuring a quarter of an inch or more should be questioned.

The Triangle period, c. 1745-49: an incised triangle. Another rare, early mark is the trident piercing a crown, in underglaze blue.
The Raised Anchor period, 1749-52: an applied anchor on a small oval pad. This can be picked out in red.
The RedAnchor period, 1752-6: a small anchor painted in red, or occasionally brown, enamel. The finer the ware, the smaller the anchor.
The Gold Anchor period, 1757-69: a small anchor painted in gold. The red and gold anchor marks were copied in the 19th century (Sceaux 1763-1772, Venice 1764-1812, Koppelsdorf 1885-1910...).

Chelsea porcelain typical marks - three stilt marks and small painted red anchor

Chelsea plates, dishes and saucers of the Red Anchor periodwere fired on small spurs or stilts, leaving marks(usually three) on the base. This method is used by no other English porcelain factory. Tears or other faults are also usual. The underside of the bowl illustrated above shows these features.

Vintage Coca-Cola memorabilia: Original or fake?

2014-12-16T09:00:00.000+01:00

Bottles, trays, openers, tiny cars and trucks, calendars and signs are just a few of the pieces Coca-Cola has produced over the span of its 126-year history. While these marketing and advertising items were never intended to be collectors’ items, their presence in people’s lives has gained them sentimental as well as real dollar value the world over. And for some people, amassing Coca-Cola keepsakes has become a lifelong passion.

Valuable, early pieces of Coca-Cola memorabilia are often reproduced or faked. Fortunately knowledge of Coke's changing designs can often help to date and authenticate pieces, as many fakes are not accurate. Further confusion arises as some companies who produced Coke advertising in the early 20th century used outdated logos. Pieces by such companies may seem to be earlier than they are but they are not actually fakes.Compare your piece to authenticated originals in reference books and look for differences in the detail. If you can't find an authenticated example of your piece in a reference book, you may have what is known as a 'fantasy'. Such pieces were never released by Coke and have been subsequently invented by forgers.

Forgers sometimes produce Coca-Cola items such as gumball machines, cash registers, penny scale or cast iron banks and toys. But, one should know that these items are pure fake for the simple reason - Coca-Cola company never produced any of those items. So it is impossible to find them as the authenticated items.

Even high-quality colour copy machines easily can copy old Coca-Cola images and reproduce them. Such items you can find on eBay, and the best way to be suspicious about them is to check their size. Many of them are in A3 format that matches standard paper size for today's copiers. A bit of tea - and you have an old, stained Coca-Cola ad! Porcelain Coca-Cola signs (oval, round or rectangular) are mostly produced in India and other countries. They don't have trademarks or manufacture info, and all have aged look with chipped edges.

We can recommend "Petretti's Coca-Cola Collectibles Price Guide: The Encyclopedia of Coca-Cola Collectibles" by Allan Petretti as an excellent source of information and guide.

What makes antique fashion valuable?

2014-12-15T19:04:00.002+01:00

As more and more people buy into the vintage trend, distinctive and well-made fashion accessories have increased in value. The greatest prices are likely to be paid for pieces made by couture houses, but stylish items from other makers can be surprisingly valuable too.

If you are planning to sell, bear in mind that while some collectors buy shoes and accessories to record developments in fashion or because they like the work of the particular designer, most people buy to wear. For many, wearing a vintage accessory is an easy way to add an individual touch to a modern outfit and there is a young and enthusiastic market for pieces such as handbags, scarves, shoes and ties.

Because vintage accessories are usually bought to be worn, condition and appearance are extremely important when assessing value. A striking design will usually attract buyers, particularly if it is typical of a popular era of fashion, such as 1950s and 1960s. Good prices are paid for vintage spectacles in the 1950s 'cat's eye' style and pairs with the circular frames popularised by John Lennon in the 1960s. Accessories from the 1970s and 1980s are less valuable but are growing in popularity and can fetch relatively good prices, particularly if they evoke the disco period.

Even the name of lesser-known makers can add to value to an accessory if they have a desirable address, such as Fifth Avenue, New York, or Bond Street, London. These locations indicate that an item was originally expensive and is likely to be fairly rare and of exeptional quality. In general, the better and more typical of the era the design, the more valuable an item will be, so a quirky chrome lighter, or one associated with a celebrity, could be worth as much as a gold equivalent.

Fashion accessories by famous and desirable manufacturers or designers, such as Dior, Chanel, Hermès and Gucci, can attract much interest and may be worth selling with a specialist auction house, such as Kerry Taylor Auctions or Christie's South Kensington. The most visually appealing or typical pieces from these makers often fetch thousands of pounds. Pieces by lesser and unknown makers are worth anything from few pennies to £200. Some general auction houses have fashion and textile sales. Otherwise, search the internet for specialist dealers in the relevant field or sell online.

Antique copper, brass and pewter

2014-11-21T15:51:00.000+01:00

Today many copper, brass and pewter items are obsolete because people are no longer using these objects. However, because they add visual warmth and charm to a home, attractive pieces in good condition still appeal to collectors.

17th century Dutch brass candlesticks

Copper and brass objects became common in the home during the 17^th and 18^th centuries and these early pieces are the most desirable for buyers today. Items from the 19^th and the early 20^th centuries are typically not as valuable. Many people keep their brass and copper highly polished, which removes patina. Unlike silver, most brass and copper objects were unmarked until the Companies Act of 1862. This can make dating difficult, but not impossible, if you know what you are looking for.

Copper tea pot

For example, brass candlesticks were not cast as one piece until the 18^th century. Previously they had been cast as two parts and soldered together, so it is worth checking hollow examples for evidence of seams, which might indicate an early date. An early 18^th century brass candlestick might be valued at £200, while a similar-shaped Victorian example may be worth less than £50.

Arts and Crafts copper plate

Many pewter objects are likely to be older than copper and brass examples. The metal declined in popularity during the 18^th century and by the 19^th century only tavern mugs were being made in large numbers. Much early pewter was melted down and re-cast into more fashionable styles, making good condition pewter from before 17^th century rare. There are, however, relatively few collectors, so values tend to be modest.

American copper bed warmer

Fortunately, not all base metalware is selling for low sums. During the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, several craftsmen abandoned mass production and returned to handcrafting copper, brass and pewter objects. Some of the best pieces were produced by the Newlyn School, the Keswick School and Liberty & Co. – which produced its ‘Tudric’ range of pewter wares in 1903. As with most Arts and Crafts objects, the hand-worked metalware took time and skill to make. These pieces were costly at the time, so relatively few were sold, and they should continue to fetch good prices due to their rarity and quality.

Antique pewter metalware

Unfortunately, the market for standard pewter, copper and brass object is unlikely to improve. The best prices may be achieved on eBay or at a car-boot sale.

Dating antiques: Late 19th-century style

2014-11-06T19:54:00.002+01:00

As the century progressed, and countries such as Italy and Germany became unified, a sense of nationalism pervaded in Europe. This led to a revival of the dominant styles of the previous 500 years, including Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo. New methods of mass production made goods more affordable and available but it also provoked the Arts and Crafts movement as a reaction against it.

Motifs from architecture

The first of these revival styles was Neo-Gothic. Motifs taken from architecture, such as pointed arches, latticework and quatrefoils, and heraldy, were used on furniture, fabrics and tablewares. Stained glass was revived for domestic use.

In France and Italy, there was a return to the Renaissance style. Oak and walnut furniture was carved with spindles and fretwork. Meissen and Sèvres produced porcelain decorated with classical figures, grotesques and scarabs. In Britain, many factories began making a form of richly glazed ceramic known as ‘majolica’. Its name was based on that of maiolica, a type of tin-glazed earthenware produced in Italy from the Renaissance period.

Neo-Baroque furniture – based on 17^th-century Baroque pieces – was carved with foliage and elements from classical architecture, such as pediments. Decorative technique from that era were revived, including Boulle marquetry (inlaid bronze), marquetry (inlaid wood) and pietra dura (inlaid marble). The Rococo style also enjoyed a revival. The Industrial Revolution had brought advances in veneer cutting, carving and metal casting. This enabled Rococo furniture to be produced at a fraction of what it had cost in the 18^th century.

Meissen excelled at production porcelain encrusted with floral ornament and heavily decorated with gilding and enamel.

A mix of styles

Neoclassicism, which had been popular at the beginning of the century, was revived. The driving force behind this styles was the new Emperor of France, Napoleon III, who ruled from 1848 to 1870. Some pieces were direct copies of examples from the 17^th and 18^th centuries; others combined details from several styles, often at the expense of decorative cohesion.

New industrial techniques reduced the cost of furniture and decorative arts, enabling them to be sold far more cheaply to the growing middle classes. The Arts and Crafts movement, which emerged around 1880, rejected mass production and called for the balance between art and craftmanship. The English writer and art critic John Ruskin and designer William Morris led the movement, which encouraged a return to the skills of medieval craftsmen. Arts and Crafts pieces were simple and functional. Ornament was sparse but included Celtic motifs, enamelling and a wide variety of new ceramic glazes.

The sinuous Art Nouveau style was also a reaction to the glut of revival styles in the late 19^th century and a desire for a fresh approach. The style has spread from Paris to the major cities of Europe by 1895 and the rest of the world by 1900.

The object of the day: Flowers on a marble ledge by Elise Bruyere

2014-06-09T03:00:00.000+02:00

Flowers on a marble ledge (1776 to 1847 France)
by Elise Bruyere (1776-1847)

Medium
Oil on canvas

Dimensions
26.00cm wide 37.00cm high (10.24 inches wide 14.57 inches high)

Condition
Good

Description / Expertise
Élise Bruyère was the daughter of Jean-Jacques le Barbier, who was a noted writer, illustrator and painter of French historical scenes. Both Élise and her sister, who was also a painter studied with their father and subsequently with Jan Frans van Dael in his studio at the Sorbonne University. She exhibited at the Paris Salon from 1798 and was to become highly regarded in the male dominated art scene of the early Nineteenth Century, winning a second-class medal in 1827.
Bruyère was of the realist school of painting, depicting her beautiful still lives without idealization and often with remarkable detail. She bathed her compositions in a bright but tempered, even light that allowed her to focus the most intricate detail. Bruyerè’s paintings were highly refined and she was an expert at rendering the substance and texture of her flowers. This beautiful painting depicts flowers in a vase and has a moth flying above. It sits on a profiled ledge of brown marble similar to Bruyère’s still life with flowers which decorated the reception rooms at the Ministère de État at the Musée du Louvre in Paris. Other Notable paintings by Élise Bruyère hang in the Museums of Lyons, Valenciennes and Valencia

The care of antique works on paper

2014-06-07T16:59:00.001+02:00

Porcupine, 1951, woodcut by Leonard Baskin

All works on paper have special needs; some problems, such as the damage caused by sunlight, have been touched on above, but this needs emphasis, and other risks need to be mentioned. Whether used for drawings, watercolours, prints or books, the healthy survival of paper, or otherwise, depends upon its quality. Until the early nineteenth century paper was made from linen rags, and the cellulose content in linen meant that added chemicals were unnecessary: this type of paper is the most resilient.
Paper made from wood pulp, as much was from the 1840s onwards, included lignin, an acidic light-sensitive substance which eventually turns the paper brown and brittle, while certain methods of sizing paper, and bleaching it, have also caused susceptibility to damage.

Hanging and storage. Because of their delicate nature, works on paper need to be protected from bright light of any kind and from extremes of humidity and temperature: 50-60% relative humidity and 20-220C is ideal. Protection from ultraviolet light with special window film can be a worthwhile investment.Valuable works should never be photocopied. Pollution in the air, and condensation inside a picture frame (causing foxing) are further risks.

Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas (1834-1917), Paris Dancer, charcoal on paper

Always site these works on walls where direct sunlight does not fall. In addition, sun blinds or curtains drawn across windows are advisable, while individual curtains over particularly valuable works should be considered; in some cases ultraviolet-filtering picture glass or UVA Perspex may be used instead of conventional glass when framing. However, Perspex should not be used with friable materials such as pastels
or chalks, and it is important to bear in mind that it attracts dust and is easily scratched.

The Old Welsh Bridge. Watercolour by Paul Sandby 1715-1809. Shrewsbury Museums Service

Framing. Acid-free materials for mounting, whether for display or storage, are vital: lignin in paper, old backboards and mounts can leach through to works of art and damage them irretrievably, and should always be changed if found. Backboards of wood or non-acid-free cardboard should be replaced even if damage from them is not yet evident. Self-adhesive tape such as masking tape or Sellotape should never be allowed to touch the work itself, even the back, nor should the picture be in contact with the glass: use a mount or a
fillet to separate them. Sticking a picture down on a backing board, and dry-mounting are to be avoided. Instead, it should be attached to its support with an acid-free paper hinge using PVA adhesive or bookbinder’s starch paste.

When choosing a picture framer, always make sure that conservation or museum quality products and methods are used. BADA members will be able to recommend appropriate craftsmen.In addition to the general principles explained above, the attributes of drawings, watercolours and prints deserve special consideration, particularly with regard to conservation measures.

Totentanz (Dance of Death), illustration by Michael Wolgemut from Liber Chronicarum, also known as the Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493, by Hartmann Schedel

Drawings in crayon, pastel, chalk and charcoal should be stabilised to prevent accidental damage to the medium that might smudge or crumble if touched. This is emphatically a job for an expert picture conservator.

William Mulready, 19th century drawing, black an red chalk on paper

Fading of pigments is a particular problem with watercolours that are not displayed with adequate safeguards or stored correctly. The brown spots known as foxing, caused by damp conditions, can usually be ameliorated by a professional conservator, but there is no remedy for fading. The most vulnerable pigments are indigo, vandyke brown and carmine, but damage to any of the colours can change the whole nature of a picture.

Prints and maps should be treated in the same way as watercolours, and any signs of damp or damage should be referred to a paper conservator immediately. It is recommended that unframed maps and prints should be stored flat in acid-free boxes or archival wallets, such as those manufactured by Secol.

Antique Art Deco ceramics

2014-04-08T22:06:00.002+02:00

Bright colours and attractive white and cream glazes are the keynotes of Art Deco ceramics. Pottery and tableware took on bold geometric shapes with attractive hand-finished decoration. Brightly coloured glazes were popular in America. China figures were produced in great numbers: favourite subjects were modern women, naked or scantily dressed, sporting figures and animals.

In England the Doulton Lambeth potteries made small bone china figures that maintained a cautious balance between traditional crinolined lady and the modern woman. Figures by Phoebe Stabler, Richard Garbe and Gilbert Bayes are especially collectable. The Wedgewood range of vases, bowls, covered boxes and inkstands, many designed by the New Zealander Keith Murray, epitomize machine age geometry, enhanced by monochrome matt glazes of subdued green, grey-blue and ivory.

The greatest exponent of geometric wares was Clarice Cliff of the Newport pottery which belonged to Wilkinson & Co. of Staffordshire. She created a range of brightly enamelled straw-glazed pottery retailed under names such as "Bizarre" and "Fantastique". In Cliff's hands, coffee pots became tapering cylinders with pierced triangular bracket handles and sugar bowls were often upturned cone sections, supported by flange feet, that gave the appearance of a rocket base. Susie Cooper's designs, more subdued, are very popular. Her most collectable wares are those made in the 1930s.

The Shelley potteries produced elegant porcelain tea and coffee wares using geometric shapes and primary-coloured enamel decoration with silver lustre trim. Poole potteries introduced their highly distinctive painted wares in near pastel colours against ivory reserves. Their stylish portrait plstes are highly prized by collectors.

Artist potters came into their own in this period. Bernard Leach, Michael Cardew, Shoji Hamada and William Staite Murray offered a finely crafted alternative to the mass-produced wares from Staffordshire. Most of their work is signed.

In Germany Art Deco ceramic wares found expression through large and established factories such as Meissen (especially the figures of Paul Scheurich), Rosenthal and Nymphenburg.

In Belgium the Boch Freres factory produced a range of wares with crackled white grounds overlaid with floral or bird designs in vivid enamel colours with incised outlines.

The French centre for mass-produced porcelain was Limoges, which employed several top designers including Marcel Goupy, Jean Luce and Suzanne Lalique. French artist potters catered for the discerning few. The most eminent were Jean Mayadon, Emile Decoeur and Emile Lenoble. Decoeur and Lenoble made sandstone pots covered with thick glazes, Lenoble often incising geometric designs. Incised decoration also featured in the work of Rene Buthaud.

Toby jugs

2014-04-04T03:50:00.000+02:00

The jug was probably named and modelled after ‘Sir Toby Philpot’ a legendary 18th century drinker, who also made an appearance in Francis Fawkes song ‘The Brown Jug’. It has also been suggested that Sir Tony Belch, a character in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, may have influenced the choice of name.

The first Toby jugs were made in the 1760s in Staffordshire, an area already known for the manufacture of Earthenware figures. Today, one of the most desirable of the early Staffordshire Toby jugs is the so-called Ralph Wood-type. Credited with the invention and spread of the jug, Ralph Wood I produced well-modelled figures decorated with translucent coloured glazes. He was amongst the first English potters to mark his work and Wood signed Toby jugs are particularly sought-after. An unmarked Ralph Wood I jug is usually worth over £1,000, depending on condition, but his rare ‘Thin Man’ jugs can be worth double. Jugs marked with a Mould number are often more valuable and examples signed by Wood command a premium, sometimes over £2,500.

The jugs proved to be immensely popular and were extensively copied by potters throughout the country. Famous potters including Josiah Wedgwood, John Astbury, Thomas Whieldon and Ralph Wood II all produced early Toby jugs. New characters, such as the sturdy Martha Gunn, a famous Brighton bathing machine ‘Dipper’, the Hearty Good Fellow and the Gin Lady, soon began to appear as variants on the Toby theme.

Later Toby jugs, often decorated with Enamel rather than coloured Glaze, are also desirable, but tend to be less valuable than examples dating from before 1800. Many makers, including Beswick and Clarice Cliff, have produced their own versions, one of the most prolific being Royal Doulton during the 19th and 20th century.

Despite their lack of great age, rare Royal Doulton jugs can attract extremely high prices; one of only three ‘Toby Gillette’ schoolboy jugs, made in the 1980s for a feature on the children’s television programme “Jim’ll Fix It”, sold at Sotheby’s for an astonishing £15,400 in 1986. The wide range of styles make Toby jugs a relatively easy object to start collecting. Less valuable examples are widely available, but high quality early Toby jugs can take more time to track down.

Antique English slipware

2014-04-02T12:31:00.000+02:00

Slipware is a type of pottery that particularly flourished in England in the 17th century and the early years of the 18th century. Essentially, it is red or buff earthenware decorated with white or coloured slip (diluted clay) that contrasts with the body. A yellowish lead glaze is characteristic.

Decoration took the form of slip-trailing, applied mouldings or sgraffito. In some areas combed (zig-zag), feathered and marbled patterns were favoured from the early 18th century.

The finest slipwares include large dishes made in Staffordshire, with naive slip-trailed decoration, often showing royal or legendary figures. Tulips became a popular motif after William of Orange came to the throne in 1689. Thomas Toft was the most important Staffordshire slipware potter. Toft was the acknowledged master of slipware, to whom about 40 pieces are attributed. Some dishes by Toft (c. 1670 - 85) have his name in large slip-trailed letters on the rim. His brother Ralph and his sons Thomas Toft II and James Toft worked in a similar style.

In Wrotham, Kent, where slipware was made from c. 1610 to c. 1710, a reddish clay was used for elaborate mugs (known as 'tygs'), posset pots and other wares, now rare. Wrotham forms include loving cups, candlesticks, and puzzle jugs. The tyg form, which is shown opposite, has the typical Wrotham looped handles ornamented with contrasting colored, thickly slipped and embossed pads of clay. It is easy to imagine much quaffing of ale and rumbustous talk around the smoking hearth. There were also centres of production in Devon - notably Bideford and Barnstaple - where sgraffito decoration was favoured. Slipware was also made in Wales (Glamorgan), Wiltshire, the north of England and Sussex.

Harlow in Essex was another early pottery site making slip-decorated wares. Known as Metropolitan ware, since a large amount is found in the city of London, these vessels show slip trailing in white on an orange-red clay. Shallow dishes with narrow rims, and drinking vessels and jugs are two main Harlow forms.

Many of the smaller slipware centres were still operating late in the 19th century. Slipware of the later 18th century is poised to rise dramatically in value over the coming years.

What makes glass valuable?

2014-02-27T16:13:00.000+01:00

The discovery that a simple mixture of sand (silica) and sodium carbonate could make glass is attributed to the Mesopotamians 5,000 years ago. We still depend on this formula today, exploring its versatility and beauty in countless ways.

Age is not an accurate barometer of value when assessing glass. A colourful 1950s Murano vase might be worth more than a 2nd century AD Roman glass phial. The assumption that a roughly made piece must be old, or that glass full of bubbles is an antique, isn't necessarily true either.

The art of making fine glass was mastered many centuries ago and it is such a versatile medium that over many millennia it has been fashioned into a diverse selection of articles. Differentiating between valuable pieces of 1930s Murano glass, an 1880 Bohemian overlay vase or a 1790s English Beilby enamelled drinking glass could make the difference between selling an items for a few hundred pounds or tens of thousands.

Over the centuries, the basic recipe for making glass has been refined. The addition of lime transformed humble water-soluble soda glass into the more durable soda-lime glass that accounts for most of our everyday glass objects. The use of potash and lead oxide were pioneered by leading glass-makers such as Englishman George Ravenscroft in the late 1600s. The term 'lead crystal' dates from this period. It denoted a higher quality glass with an enigmatic sparkle, prevalent in old glassware made for the table. people still refer to their best glass as 'crystal'.

It is worth looking to see if you have any 18th or 19th-century glasses lurking in the back of a cupboard. Often surviving as single entities, they sit unused for lack of matching companions or perhaps they simply don't hold much liquid. Ale glasses from the 18th century are a case in point; usually conical with perhaps a spiral or 'wrythen' body, their small measure is an historical testament to the strength of 18th-century brews. typical examples sell from around GBP 30-80, more for a less common design or one with an engraved pattern.

The art of cutting, engraving and polishing glass is another important aspect. Machine-made glass must never be discounted. Depression glass is popular in the United Stated; 19th-century British pressed glass manufacturers, such as Sowerby and John Derbyshire, are collected, although they are unpopular at the moment. There are even collectors of Pyrex, who can pay up to GBP 15 for a 1950s lemonade jug with six glasses.

The best place to sell art glass from any era and rare drinking glasses is at auction. Pieces from the 20th century will do best in a dedicated 20th-century design sale. Or try specialist dealers or sell online.

Antique and vintage dance cards

2014-02-17T18:38:00.001+01:00

Dance cards became popular items at balls and assemblies during the early 19th century. They were created as a way for a lady to keep track of the gentleman to whom she had promised dances in the course of the evening, and afterwards served as a momento of the occasion.

Dance cards were generally made of paper or card, although sometimes had elaborate covers of bone, ivory, silver or wood, and were small enough to be readily portable. They were generally given only to ladies.Often a small pencil was attached by a cord to the card. The cord also allowed the card to be suspended from a lady's wrist or belt.

The front cover of the dance card would generally include such information as the occasion for the event, the location, the date, sometimes the price of the ticket, and often the name of the band that would be playing that evening. Covers became increasingly elaborate in their designs towards the
end of the 19th century, when the lithographic process became popular.

The interior of the dance card usually contained a list of the evening's dances, with spaces provided for the names of the gentlemen to whom the lady had promised them. Sometimes the dances were listed by the name of the dance itself, such as the waltz, whilst at other times the name of the musical selection was given.
These lists can therefore give us some insight into the style of dances and musical tastes that were particularly favoured at given periods.

Antique textiles: History of English carpets

2014-02-16T20:26:00.000+01:00

The history of English carpets is surely not as rich and old as the Asian, but you can still find some of the facts fascinating. English rugs were not produced until the late 16th century and early 17th century. Main centers for production were located in Axminster, Wilton, and Kidderminster. Distinctive patterns on these antique rugs include deep golden coloration and asymmetrical designs. This was the first place to specialize in new innovative forms of weaving, so people started to call it the carpet capital of Britain. The first steam powered carpet mill was called Stourvale Mill and was build in the early 1850s by Henry Woodward. He and Benjamin Grosvenor, who joined later, operated the mill for a first time. The firm called Grosvenor Wilton Company Ltd. is still a major weaver of Brussels and Wilton carpers with 200 years in business and over 10 000 patents.

But let's take a closer look on the various carpets, which made this historical company. They are marked as the "Stourvale Mill Collection".

Kidderminster carpets

Carpet weaving in England was now flourishing and around this time Kidderminster was also beginning to become a center for carpet making. The town had had a weaving industry since the 16th century and Kidderminster carpets are mentioned as early as 1635 in an inventory of a bedchamber of a Lady Lettice, though the precise meaning of the word cannot be clear.

These rugs were popular from the 18th to 20th century and are actually reversible flat weave carpets. They have no pile and the pattern shows opposing colors on both sides. In fact, you can turn the carpet over and still use it once the original side is soiled or worn. Nowadays you can't find these in the town of Kidderminster, but still in some parts of the US you can purchase them. In North America however they are called Ingrain carpets.

On August 13 1783 George the 3rd and the Queen had visited the Factory, which had resulted in a flood of orders. The Crown Prince, later George the 4th, order several carpets, including one for the Throne Room at Carlton House.

Brussels and Wilton carpets

In 1751 Richard Po Cocke, in his Travels through England, mentions that the town was famous for carpets and by 1800 the carpet industry had become the town's major employer, although the trade was threatened by the Earl of Pembroke's Wilton Carpet Manufactory. It is known that one manufacturer, John Broom, went to Brussels and Tournai to learn the new techniques, although only two of the many original firms were to survive the technical innovations of the Industrial Revolution later in the century. In 1760 the Royal Society held an exhibition in their Great Room for a fortnight, showing two carpets from each of their leading premium winners-Whitty, Moore and Passavant. Whitty wrote of his success "These repeated successes so advanced the reputation of my carpets, that I had a constant and almost uninterrupted demand for many years."

These rugs are still part of the production in the town of Kidderminster, but in very small quantities. However, in the early days on the company these carpets were a major product. Anyway, the Brussels are level loop rugs, where the wool not exposed as pile is carried in dense backing. In a single row 5 colors can be used and they are drawn to the surface. With a crafty technique of "planting the colors", many more accent colors can be added to the design. As for Wilton carpets, they have the same structure as Brussels with just one difference. The pile is cut open and sheared, which creates a velvet-like quality. In the 18th to 19th century the Wilton rugs cost nearly double the price of Brussels. However, the Brussels were considered the by wealthiest homeowners as the highest luxury of carpets. This trend continued to the mid 19th century, when many new models came on the market and Brussels became common type of rug.

If you are fan of retro carpets, then you probably have one of these beauties. Anyway, make sure to treat them right and preserve history. The best choice that you can take is professional service or advice and you look for reliable carpet cleaning agency. Any experienced cleaners specialized in old rug treatment will surely help you.

Antique Limoges porcelain

2014-01-21T13:37:00.000+01:00

Serious collectors know that Limoges specialise in trinket boxes and that those little boxes are worth more than almost anything that could fit inside them. Antique Limoges porcelain is considered the finest hard paste porcelain in the world because of three very specific characteristics.The first being the essential ingredients used in creating Limoges porcelain are all local natural ingredients, kaolin, feldspar and quartz. Then the intense firing process that forms the superb glaze that cannot be penetrated by the elements and gives Limoges porcelain that exquisite translucence. Finally, an abundance of skilled artists and the French flair for aristic design set a standard that other Europeans and American porcelain producers struggle to emulate.

Limoges Coronet hand painted porcelain wall plate

So, if your grandchild has just lost her first tooth or received his first haircut. How do you commemorate such a momentous event? Believe it or not, you’ll find an exquisite Limoges porcelain trinket box designed especially to memorialize those first strands of snipped hair, or that first lost tooth.

If Limoges went so far as to design a mini container for these, you can bet you’ll find one that will fit any need you have. It didn’t take me long to find something that could commemorate just about any holiday, major life event, and collectible category (mini hats, shoes and bags, for example). Even the women from the Moulin Rouge have been spun off into a Limoges collectible. They’re represented in the form of a tiny, hinged porcelain mini trinket box.

Limoges Antique Teapot Snuff Box 1898-72

You will hear the name come up time and time again at a typical antiques auction, so if you find you’re getting hooked on the beauty of the collectible Limoges boxes I am focusing on here, take a look at their other creations, all highly collectible and sought after.

The history behind it, and the current manufacturing process certainly play a role, adding to the mystique and individuality of the pieces. Limoges, a French city southwest of Paris, predates Roman times. Its physical placement, directly on the river Vienne, makes Limoges an easy, accessible stop; one that would even be called necessary in those early years when journeys were more arduous than enjoyable.

Unlike many American towns which found themselves dependent on one industry to fuel the economy, an industry that dried up for one reason or another, the artisans of Limoges didn’t simply curl up and die because the trends had changed. Luckily they caught a break.
Just as the call for Limoges enamel pieces dwindled, kaolin, an essential clay in the making of porcelain, was found just 18 miles southwest of Limoges at St. Yreix. With that, a new era began for the town.

Antique Limoges Porcelain Button Hand Touched Transfer Woman

Limoges built its first porcelain factory a mere six years after the initial find of the kaolin. The kaolin is combined with pulverized feldspar and quartz. Then a fine process of milling, pulverizing, heating, molding and firing begins. Europeans consider this product porcelain only if it retains a translucent quality. Every piece can not meet the rigorous standards. Many crack or break during the process and must be discarded. What sets antique limoges porcelain apart from other ceramic forms may be considered a technicality, but a necessary one to the creators of this art form. Pottery will absorb water. Conversely, even if porcelain has been chipped or cracked it will not retain water. Nonetheless, chipped or cracks items have to go. They won’t meet the Limoges quality standards.

The shape is there, but an artisan then has to decorate the individual object, add tiny hinges if needed, to any one of the figurines, pill boxes or other porcelain product you’ll find bearing the Limoges porcelain marks.
Once the artist completes his or her work using the special paints used on porcelain, the product goes through another firing process. This long production process is what makes Limoges porcelain collectible. By the end of the process, like snowflakes, no two products will turn out the same. So when a collector speaks of having a one-of-a-kind item, this will be the truth.

Ten Limoges hand painted porcelain fish plates

Shortly after the first Limoges factory was established, Louis XVI bought it. For a time, production was still limited due to restrictions on the production of porcelain products. The French Revolution brought an end to these restrictions and Limoges flourished in the wake.

Once again, its physical placement played a huge role: a mixture of its proximity to the essential ingredients, as well as its general accessibility by land or water. Moreover, the city was lucky enough to have a grand forest in Limousin, which could supply the extensive amounts of wood needed to fire the kilns used in the production of antique Limoges porcelain. On all counts, Limoges proved the ideal spot. Workers flocked to the town, and by 1819, four porcelain factories graced the land. By 1861, this would increase again to 27 factories, supporting some 3,166 workers.

1900 Antique Porcelain Serving Dish Dresser Tray

David Haviland who had come to Limoges from New York in 1842 in search of porcelain to import to the United States, got the ball rolling. He knew the beauty of the product and the marketability, as his own family had emigrated from Limoges. By 1855, the demand for porcelain from Limoges in the United States called for Haviland to construct his own factory in the town. By the late 1850’s, sales in the United States accounted for around half of the antique limoges porcelain being manufactured in the city. Given the extent to which Limoges now depended on the United States for its sales, it naturally suffered a major blow during the Civil War when exports to the United States were curtailed, then halted entirely.

Today, Limoges Porcelain marks carry a designation by the French government. So, when you see a piece of limoges porcelain, the mark you see is not from a particular studio. It may come from one of many studios in the region that choose to use the standardized Limoges porcelain marks. And that’s natural given that the elements (including the traces of soil) needed to produce these delicate creations can be found only in Limoges, France.

source Antique Marks

The object of the day: 19th century needlework instruction book

2014-01-17T18:24:00.000+01:00

One of two extremely rare needlework instruction books with samples from the female model school

Kildare Place, Dublin, Ireland

1833-37.

Sold: $3,304.00($2,800.00)

Comprising "A Concise Account of the Mode of Instructing in Needle-Work... " printed by Thomas I. White, Dublin, 1833, and "Specimens of Needle-Work Executed in the Female Model School..." printed by George Folds, the cover inscribed "Sarah Darby 1837" and including cloth samples of sewing, darning, embroidery, knitting, and miniature clothing. Each in marbleized covers, largest 9 ¼ x 6 inches. (One illustrated)
Provenance: Witney Antiques, Oxon, England.

The object of the day: Caddy spoon by Omar Ramsden

2014-01-16T14:37:00.003+01:00

Omar Ramsden caddy spoons were used to measure tea leaves from the caddy to the teapot. This spoon, by Omar Ramsden and Alwyn Charles Ellison Carr, has a planished finish and central red enamelled panel. The price is estimated GBP 1,200 - 1,800.

The work of Omar Ramsden has become highly desirable in recent years. He produced high-quality re-interpretations of Tudor and Celtic silver, metalwork and jewellery, often featuring hand-hammered finishes, enamels and applied decoration. Ramsden operated a small workshop from 1898 - 1919 in partnership with Alwyn Carr, and went on to register his own mark in 1919.

His workshops produced a large volume of ecclesiastical, civic and corporate work in the Art Nouveau and Art & Crafts styles. He produced numerous presentation pieces and private commissions. His works often have the engraved inscription 'Omar Ramsden Me Fecit' ('Omar Ramsden made me').

Shaker furniture

2014-01-10T15:23:00.000+01:00

The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, commonly known as the Shakers, conducted the largest and most successful communal experiment in American history. While today there is only one active Shaker community, with three members, at Sabbathday Lake in Maine, at its height during the mid-nineteenth century, this Protestant sect had more than six thousand members spread across eighteen communities, from Maine to Kentucky. The largest and most influential community was established at New Lebanon, New York, in 1787 and remained active until 1947.

Shakers first came to America from England in 1774. Led by the prophet Ann Lee, this small and radical group of English Quakers believed that the millennium—the thousand years of peace with Christ before the end of the world—was at hand. Known as the Shaking Quakers, or Shakers, because of their penchant for ecstatic movement and dancing during worship (a physical response to their sense of being infused with the spirit of God), these religious dissidents surrendered themselves to God and emulated Christ’s pure and humble life on earth.

Shaker communities were largely self-sufficient: in their attempt to separate themselves from the outside world and to create a heaven-on-earth, members grew their own food, constructed their own buildings, and manufactured their own tools and household furnishings. Believers abided by a strict set of rules governing their behavior, dress, and domestic environment. These rules were codified in the Millennial Laws of 1821, which was revised and greatly expanded in 1845. Although they lived under rigid statutes and ordinances, the Shakers were socially progressive and believed in racial and sexual equality, pacifism, and common property. Celibacy was also part of Shaker orthodoxy, and as a result Believers had to recruit people from the outside world to prevent their communities from dying out.

The guiding Shaker principles of honesty, utility, and simplicity found expression in various crafts: furniture, boxes, and textiles made by the Shakers are renowned for their minimalist design and unstinting quality. Rejecting excessive ornament because it ostensibly encouraged the sin of pride, Shaker furniture makers focused on overall form and proportions, developing creative solutions such as asymmetrical drawer arrangements and multipurpose forms to add visual interest without resorting to pure decoration. Most Shaker pieces were originally painted or stained, both to protect the wood and to make it more attractive. Colors were strictly regulated by the Millennial Laws, with blues, greens, reds, and yellows the most popular and monochromatic treatments preferred. Many pieces that now have clear finishes were repainted or refinished by subsequent owners.

The first generation of Shaker furniture makers were converts who had previously worked in the outside world before joining the Shakers. Already familiar with the prevailing Neoclassical fashion for rectilinear and attenuated forms and restrained ornamentation, they took these impulses even further, eliminating veneers, inlays, and carving. Shaker tenets held that manufactured goods should be honest in construction and appearance; therefore “deceitful” practices such as veneering and applied ornamentation were incompatible with Shaker beliefs. While other furniture makers used imported woods such as mahogany and rosewood, Shakers used local American woods such as pine, maple, and cherry. In place of imported brass drawer pulls, Shakers substituted simple turned-wood knob.

To support their communities, Shakers sold surplus food and goods to outsiders. By the 1860s, chairmaking had became a staple industry of the New Lebanon community in New York. With their turned posts, slat or “ladder” backs, and woven seats, Shaker chairs were simplified versions of a centuries-old design that remained popular in part because the component parts were comparatively quick and easy to produce. When marketing their furniture, Shakers trumpeted their attention to detail and quality in an era when mass-produced furniture was synonymous with shoddy construction.

Shakers were constantly experimenting with labor-saving devices and much of their furniture was made with the aid of circular saws, mortising machines, and steam-powered lathes. Using these power tools, Shaker furniture makers reinterpreted traditional forms with an emphasis on utility and simplicity. For instance, they modified the standard “trestle” table by moving the medial stretcher up from just above the floor to directly underneath the top. On a functional level, this created more leg room and avoided damage to the stretcher, while aesthetically, the open base made the table appear lighter and less cumbersome. Similarly, the Shakers developed distinctive chairs with a low, single-slat back, which could slide under the dining table or hang on wall pegs when not in use. To maximize space, Shaker case furniture was either “built in” to the room itself or, if freestanding, designed to fit specific areas.

Membership in Shaker communities declined steadily after the Civil War. The Believers’ ascetic lifestyle and fervent spirituality proved no match for the pull of modern life, and by the early twentieth century, many Shaker communities had closed for want of new members. In the 1930s, Faith and Edward Deming Andrews recognized that the Shaker movement was disappearing from the historical record and began to document remaining communities. Largely through their efforts, Shaker culture and design became the subject of scholarly inquiry and museum exhibitions. Shaker furniture made for the outside world or rescued from newly closed communities became highly coveted by collectors.

The Andrewses amassed a large collection of Shaker furniture and domestic items, much of which now resides in museums throughout the country, including the Metropolitan. By the 1960s, the Museum was actively collecting Shaker furniture and, in the 1970s, acquired a room from the Shaker community of New Lebanon, New York. Today, the objects displayed in the Shaker Retiring Room and in The Henry R. Luce Center for the Study of American Art, in tandem with the Shaker textiles in the Antonio Ratti Textile Center (which are light-sensitive and can be viewed by appointment), form one of the finest public collections of Shaker material in the world. The simple, timeless aesthetic of Shaker design is preserved here for future generations to study and admire.

Nicholas C. Vincent
Department of American Decorative Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art