Antique Collecting magazine March 2020 issue

RARE WHISKY UNDER THE HAMMER

BOOK OFFERS

D I S C O V E R I N G M I N I AT U R E S

ANTIQUE

COLLECTING

MARCH 2020

5

Plus:

TRAIL BLAZING WOMEN

ANIMAL MAGIC TAXIDERMY IS BACK

ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO IRISH FURNITURE

Every collector should know about ANTIQUE COLLECTING

THE JEWELLERY OF ARTHUR AND GEORGIE

GASKIN

VOL 54 N0. 9 MARCH 2020

Wheels of Fortune Is now the time to invest in a classic car?

SPOTLIGHT ON WILLIAM AND EVELYN DE MORGAN THE VICTORIAN POWER COUPLE

Best of British

BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART AS IT UNVEILS ITS NEW ‘BRIT’ GALLERIES

ALSO INSIDE Waxing lyrical with David Harvey

• Sales reports • Profiles

FINE INTERIORS British and European Furniture, Works of Art, Paintings and Books

Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 March, 10am fineinteriors@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778

www.sworder.co.uk Stansted Mountfitchet | Essex | CM24 8GE STANSTED | HERTFORD | LONDON | KENT

FIRST WORD

IN THIS ISSUE

Welcome

Do you ever feel you are sitting Canute-like by the shore opposing the tides of change? So many things to rail against: ‘unexpected item in bagging area’, remote controls (all) doctors’ receptionists (some), ‘missed package’ notes (when you’ve been at home and nobody’s bothered to knock), pedestrians who press the crossing button even when there is no traffic, news algorithms that limit your world view to Harry and Meghan. I could go on.

But you don’t expect to be nobbled by your own kind.

So when the organisers of the new Open Art Fair (the old BADA Fair to you and I) state in their promotional information they are “avoiding the ‘A’ word, ie ‘antiques’” you start to wonder.

Have antiques really had their day and, if so, what about our own dear title?

What of our latest columnist, the Cotswolds antiques dealer David Harvey... Is his goose really cooked? Should Fiona Bruce and pals be hanging up their hats?

We all know that these days every fair worth its vintage salt cellar has to have the word ‘decorative’ in its title, but does that mean antiques is a dirty word?

I think not. Rather than being embarrassed about antiques, we should be praising them to the rafters, celebrating their exquisite craftsmanship and glorying in their utter beauty.

On another topic, if working with your spouse sounds on a par with enduring one of Dante’s circles of Hell, you may be surprised to read about two husband and wife teams in this month’s issue. On page 14, Anthony Bernbaum shows us the wonderful work of the arts and crafts jewellers Arthur and Georgie Gaskin and, on page 48, we look at the late-Victorian ‘power’ couple Evelyn and William De Morgan who were respectively an artist and ceramicist.

Elsewhere in the magazine we are celebrating St Patrick’s day with a look at Irish vernacular furniture, which is stunning in its simplicity and, as International Women’s Day looms (don’t tell me you won’t be celebrating), Paul Fraser considers the collecting market for five trailblazing women and their memorabilia.

Enjoy the issue.

Georgina

ANTHONY BERNBAUM

on the jewellery of Arthur and Georgie Gaskin, page 14

POPSY KUNDI

celebrates collecting vintage handbags, page 26

DAVID HARVEY

the fine furniture dealer joins the team, page 34

WILLIAM MCNAB

Georgina Wroe, Editor

previews a single owner collection of whisky, page 52

The Team KEEP IN TOUCH

Write to us at Antique Collecting, Sandy Lane, Old Martlesham, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 4SD, or email magazine@accartbooks. com. Visit the website at www.antique-collecting.co.uk and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @AntiqueMag

We love This art deco diamond-set bow brooch which has an estimate of £1,000-£1,500 at Halls’ spring auction on March 18

Editor: Georgina Wroe, georgina. wroe@accartbooks.com Online Editor: Richard Ginger, richard.ginger@accartbooks.com Design: Philp Design, james@philpdesign.co.uk Advertising: Jo Lord 01394 389950, jo.lord@accartbooks.com Subscriptions: Sue Slee 01394 389957, sue.slee@accartbooks.com Antique Collecting subscription £38 for 10 issues annually, no refund is available.

ISSN: 0003-584X

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 3

THE SPRING AUCTION 18th March, 10am

VIEWING

15th March, 2pm - 4pm 16th & 17th March, 9.30am - 4.30pm

An 18ct gold emerald and diamond set brooch in the form of a frog Estimate: £1,000 - £1,500 (+bp)

CONTENTS

Contents VOL 54 NO 9 MARCH 2020

REGULARS 3

Editor’s Hello: Georgina Wroe introduces the March issue

55 Fair Play: Meet the men and women behind some of this month’s events, ranging from The Open Art Fair to TEFAF Maastricht

6

Antique News: A whistle-stop tour of everything that is making waves in the world of antiques and fine art

60 Fairs Calendar: Never miss another event with our guide to this month’s fairs

10 Around the Houses: A round up of 62 Auction Calendar: Keep up to the best-selling lots from recent sales date with our easy-to-read guide to all the notable sales taking 18 Your Letters: A reminder that place in March sustainability is at the heart of today’s antiques 66 Marc My Words: Forget antiques, ‘Roadshow’ specialist Marc Allum 26 Profile: Behind the scenes with reveals his yearning to be a blue handbags expert Popsy Kundi badge guide

6 RARE WHISKY UNDER THE HAMMER

BOOK OFFERS

34 Waxing Lyrical: Fine furniture specialist David Harvey joins the team with a new column, this month on Regency gout stools

D I S C O V E R I N G M I N I AT U R E S

ANTIQUE

COLLECTING

MARCH 2020

5

Plus:

TRAIL BLAZING WOMEN

ANIMAL MAGIC TAXIDERMY IS BACK

ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO IRISH FURNITURE

Every collector should know about

32 Cool and Collectable: With International Women’s Day coming up, Paul Fraser considers the collecting power of five females

ANTIQUE COLLECTING

THE JEWELLERY OF ARTHUR AND GEORGIE

GASKIN

VOL 54 N0. 3 AUGUST 2019

35 Subscription Offer: Save 33 per cent on the annual rate and get a free book worth £65

Wheels of Fortune Is now the time to invest in a classic car?

SPOTLIGHT ON WILLIAM AND EVELYN DE MORGAN THE VICTORIAN POWER COUPLE

Best of British

BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART AS IT UNVEILS ITS NEW ‘BRIT’ GALLERIES

ALSO INSIDE Waxing lyrical with David Harvey

41 An Auctioneer’s Lot: Charles Hanson is moved by a Somme diary penned by a 20-year-old solider in the trenches

• Sales reports • Profiles

COVER

Christopher Dresser (18341904) Wave bowl, c. 1880.

Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

FOLLOW US @AntiqueMag

46 Book Offers: Save up to 35 per cent on a range of titles from our sister publisher ACC Art Books

20

50 Top of the Lots: Discover the pieces making the headlines at this month’s sales, including a highly-anticipated single owner collection of portrait miniatures

42 48

52 Saleroom Spotlight: William McNab previews a sale of whisky, including a a near-complete year run of The Macallan 18-Year-Old from 1963 to 1997

FEATURES 14 Married to the Job: Anthony Bernbaum puts the jewellery of husband and wife designers Arthur and Georgie Gaskin in focus 20 Irish Vogue: On the eve of St Patrick’s Day, we put Irish vernacular furniture from chairs to settlebeds in the spotlight 28 Wheels of Fortune: Ever had your heart set on an old banger?

Everything you need to know about what’s driving the market 36 Animal Magic: Once shunned and now all the rage, Mark Littler reveals why taxidermy is collecting’s hottest property 42 Best of British: On the eve of the much anticipated opening of the British Galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, we take an exclusive backstage tour 48 Art Lovers: Long before Posh and Becks, William and Evelyn De Morgan was the power couple of Victorian design. A guide to both their work

TO SUBSCRIBE PLEASE CALL OUR SUBSCRIPTION HOTLINE ON 01394 389957 ANTIQUE COLLECTING 5

NEWS All the latest Canterbury Cathedral at night © Canterbury Cathedral

Above The piece made up part of a temple frieze from the archaeological site Surkh Kotal

KA-BULL

WHAT’S GOING ON IN MARCH

ANTIQUE news Our round-up of the pick of the events taking place this month

A year-long programme of events marking the 850th anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket continues this month at the Museum of London.

Becket2020 sees venues in London, Canterbury and beyond host a range of activities across the year to commemorate the murder, which changed the course of history. The schedule will culminate in October with the first major UK exhibition exploring Becket’s life, death and legacy at the British Museum.

Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was killed in Canterbury Cathedral on December 2, 1170 by four knights allied to his former friend Henry II.

BECKET BADGES For more than 300 years, Londoners who flocked to Becket’s shrine in Canterbury were rewarded with a pewter badge keepsake. Over the centuries, hundreds of pilgrim souvenirs have been recovered from London excavations and mudlarking along the Thames. The Museum of London, which holds the largest collection in the country, recently unveiled a display.

6 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Left A pilgrim badge, pewter, 14th century © Museum of London Below right A pendant

with an image of Thomas Becket as Archbishop of Canterbury, 15th century, England © The Trustees of the British Museum

Bottom right A reliquary, Limoges, c. 1200. The image on the front panel shows the murder of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral © The Trustees of the British Museum Right Alabaster

sculpture, c. 1450– 1550, England, showing Becket kneeling at an altar with the monk Edward Grim, whose arm was injured by one of the knight’s swords © The Trustees of the British Museum

A 2nd-century sculpture stolen from the National Museum of Afghanistan and offered for sale by an online UK auction house is to be returned to Kabul.

The Kushan piece, depicting a reclining bull, will go on display at the British Museum before its return.

The sculpture was withdrawn from sale by Timeline Auctions in 2019 after the Art Loss Register reported it to the Metropolitan Police’s art and antiques unit.

He was canonised by the Pope with his shrine at Canterbury becoming a major centre of European pilgrimage before being destroyed on the orders of Henry VIII in the early years of the English Reformation.

Naomi Speakman, co-curator of Thomas Becket at the British Museum, said: “Becket’s death had repercussions that have echoed through time, and we’re delighted to be telling this important story for the first time in a major exhibition.”

Far left Aubrey Beardsley

(1872-1898) The Slippers of Cinderella 1894. Mark Samuels Lasner Collection, University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press

Left Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898) illustrations for Oscar Wilde’s Salomé The Peacock Skirt 1893 © Tate Below left Frederick Evans (1853-1943) portrait of Aubrey Beardsley, 1893. Wilson Centre for Photography Above right William Hogarth (1697-1764) A Rake’s Progress 3 The Orgy, Sir John Soanes Museum

1Wilde thing

The brief life and astonishing body of work by Aubrey Beardsley (1872-98) is celebrated at an exhibition opening this month in London.

Although he died at the age of just 25, Beardsley’s subversive, sinuous black-and-white images have continued to shock and delight admirers for more than a century.

Beardsley was one of the enfants terribles of finde-siècle London, best remembered for his powerful illustrations of Oscar Wilde’s controversial play Salomé.

In just seven years he produced hundreds of illustrations for books, periodicals and posters. Bringing together 200 spectacular works, Aubrey Beardsley at Tate Britain from March 4 to May 25, will be the largest display of his drawings in more than 50 years and the first exhibition of his work at Tate since 1923.

3

3

to see in

March

Far right William Hogarth (1697-1764) A Rake’s Progress 2 The Rake’s Levee, 1734, Sir John Soane's Museum

All eight paintings from William Hogarth’s (1697-1764) A Rake’s Progress are reunited in one of their original homes this month.

286 years on from his morality tale of the city, the works go on show at Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery in Ealing – the former home of the British neoclassical architect, Sir John Soane.

Hogarth: London Voices, London Lives, from March 18 to July 19, will also pair Hogarth’s famous 18th-century series with works by contemporary artists capturing today’s capital.

A Rake’s Progress depicts the decline of Tom Rakewell, whose inherited fortune is squandered by profligacy. The paintings were purchased by Sir John Soane’s wife Eliza for Pitzhanger in 1802 to be shown alongside Soane’s growing collection of art and antiquities. When Soane sold Pitzhanger he took the paintings to his home in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, now Sir John Soane’s Museum.

Right William Hogarth

(1697-1764) A Rake’s Progress 4 The Arrest, Sir John Soane's Museum

supplied Cézanne, Gauguin and Monet.

Quentin Blake: The Sennelier Portraits, is on at the Coningsby Gallery, 30 Tottenham Street, London from March 8-28.

Blake’s heaven

100 new pastel portraits by Sir Quentin Blake (b. 1932) go on show this month in London.

While some of the works are no larger than A5, others are more than a metre square – all are created using a black oil pastel stick.

Sir Quentin said: “I’ve had the stub of a Sennelier oil stick in my studio in Hastings for a very long time. One day I picked it up and decided to see what it can do – I loved it and that is how all this started.”

Gustave Sennelier, who opened an art supply store in 1887 near Paris’s famous École des Beaux-Arts, soon

2

Rakish charm

Left The artist Quentin Blake has created more than 100 line drawings Right Quentin Blake (b.

1932), self-portrait, 2019 © The Artist

Far right Quentin Blake (b. 1932), self-portrait, 2019 © The Artist

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 7

NEWS All the latest

30 SECONDS with...

East of Edenbridge A popular Kent antiques centre, the first to include BADA only dealers, is to close. After 13 years, the Edenbridge Galleries will close so its owners Lennox and Susan Cato can concentrate on their own business.

Lennox Cato said: “Running an antiques centre has given us the opportunity to work with some great people, but we now feel the time is right to simplify our business.”

A consolidation sale, which started in February, continues online at www.lennoxcato.com

NICOLAS MARTINEAU CHEFFINS’ NEW BUSINESS MANAGER Where did you start?

30 year ago as a porter at Christie’s before moving on to a wide degree of categories from Old Masters to Japanese ceramics to teddy bears. I also had a spell in the wine department before following my passion for British prints and then topographical pictures.

Your best find?

A previously unrecorded 1864 work by the German artist Josef Selleny (1824-1875) which I found lodged between the sofa and radiator of a Wiltshire house. Selleny was the artist on the scientific voyage of the Austrian frigate Novara which circumnavigated the world between 1857 and 1859, it sold for £157,250 – a record price for the artist at auction.

A porcelain head bought at a French flea market has been revealed as the work of French sculptor Louis François Roubiliac, working for London’s Chelsea porcelain factory.

Described as “one of the most exciting discoveries in ceramics for many years”, the Head of a Laughing Child (c. 1746– 49) is set to join the V&A. Research proved it was almost certainly cast from an original clay model made by a friend of Nicholas Sprimont, founder of the Chelsea porcelain factory.

Above Louis-François Roubiliac (1705-1762), Head of a Laughing Child, c.1746–49 © V&A

LOCATION HUNTERS Salvage Hunters, the TV programme which sees the dealer Drew Pritchard scour the country for bargains, is on the look out for new hunting grounds for an upcoming series.

The producers are especially keen on finding locations in Staffordshire, Somerset, Gloucester and Scotland.

The show follows the Conwy decorative antiques dealer and his trusty sidekick Tee John as they travel around the UK and abroad to buy unusual objects with interesting histories. Previous locations have included museums, factories and even religious sites.

If you have a location that may fit the bill call 0203 179 0092, or email salvagehunters@ curvemedia.com Left Her home was a collector’s paradise Below A Steiff cinnamon

teddy bear c. 1908 is estimated at £3,000£4,000

8 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Heads up

Drew Pritchard (left) and Tee John

Toy story The contents of the home of Joan Dunk – a stalwart of Portobello Road antiques market – are to be sold by Berkshire’s Special Auction Services.

For decades, Joan had an outside pitch on the corner of Westbourne Grove and only recently moved to the indoor market. As well as selling antiques, she collected them with her husband who was a dedicated toy train collector.

Together they packed their small London terrace, with the living room filled with clockwork toys, while display cabinets showcased lead toy figures, including Felix the Cat and other comic book characters. Her first serious collection began in 1965 with old teddy bears (two decades before they became collectable). As well as collecting bears, Joan had an extensive toy collection.

In the sale, a Bing clockwork teddy bear with tinplate ball carries an estimate of £700-£1,000, while an 1860s Grodnerthal wooden doll is expected to fetch £1,000.

In the dark A £5m conservation project at an 18th-century country house in Suffolk is allowing its treasures to be seen in a whole new light – the dark.

When scaffolding shrouded the famous rotunda of Ickworth House near Bury St Edminds in darkness, it allowed curators to show their collections of porcelain, art and sculpture in a dramatic new fashion.

Lighting designers teamed up with owners the National Trust, to use spotlights and floodlights in the entrance hall, stairway, first floor landing and roof, allowing visitors to see the property and its art in a new way.

Ickworth was created in the 18th century by the 4th Earl of Bristol, known as the ‘Earl-Bishop’. It was later enhanced by his son and went on to showcase a collection of magnificent art and other treasures amassed during Grand Tours of Italy.

Above Doccia fountain illuminated for Ickworth Uncovered ©National Trust, Jim Woolf Left Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun’s self-portrait © National Trust, Jim Woolf

Top Evelyn McNicol checks the health of a

Sherpa

Above Jane Inglis Clark of Edinburgh (pictured holding ropes), a founding member of the Ladies’ Scottish Climbing Club, 1909.

Below Isobel Wylie Hutchison began her

journey in the 1920s.

SCOTS OF THE ANTARCTIC Plans for an exhibition celebrating pioneering Scottish women explorers have been unveiled.

The National Library of Scotland will celebrate early women mountaineers including the Ladies’ Scottish Climbing Club, founded in 1908 by Arctic traveller Isobel Wylie Hutchison who left her West Lothian home in the 1920s.

Wylie Hutchinson, who was the first Scotswoman to visit Greenland, also travelled across the ice-bound coast of Canada and northern Alaska using a dogsled.

The exhibition, due to open on October 2, will also pay tribute to Evelyn McNicol, who was part of the first all-female expedition to the Himalayas in 1955.

MILK MADE The £1m revamp of a derelict 18th-century model dairy into a holiday home has been captured by Channel 4.

Cobham Dairy in Kent was designed in the 1790s by James Wyatt one of the most influential and sought-after architects of the day.

In the 18th century, model dairies were created as feminine spaces for the supervision and making of cream, butter and cheese – a genteel pursuit for Georgian ladies to undertake.

Now owned by the Landmark Trust, its renovation can be seen in a new hour-long documentary due to air this year.

With a central double-height chamber Right Tilda Swinton

© David Levene

Below £3.5m is

needed by March 31 to buy the cottage

surrounded by arcaded ‘cloisters,’ the dairy masqueraded as a diminutive Italianate chapel, a gothic eye-catcher nestled in the grounds of Darnley’s Cobham Hall.

Above It is now a proud addition to the Trust’s stable of holiday homes

Cottage buy The actress Tilda Swinton is one of the campaigners hoping to raise £3.5m by the end of the month to buy the cottage and contents of the late filmmaker Derek Jarman.

Jarman spent the last years of his life in Prospect cottage on the edge of the beach at Dungeness.

More than 25 years after his death, the home continues to be a site of pilgrimage for people from all over the world who come to be inspired by its stark beauty and Jarman’s legacy.

The cottage and its contents are now being sold following the death in 2018 of Keith Collins, Jarman’s close companion in his final years, to whom he bequeathed the cottage.

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 9

AUCTION Round up

AROUND the HOUSES Our review of recent sales, from flat-packed ‘royal’ furniture to art deco ski posters

Walter Sickert was a member of the influential Camden Town Group

LAWRENCES, CREWKERNE An oil on paper by Frederick Cayley Robinson (1822-1927) was one of the top sellers at the Somerset auctioneer’s auction of paintings.

The chest was spotted by A Summer Evening, Lawrence’s Neil c. 1910, fetched £10,000, while a late-period Grenyer at a oil by Walter Sickert (1860-1942) entitled routine valuation Second Course, c. 1935 (copying a Victorian work by Adelaide Claxton), made £10,600.

Sickert was a member of the Camden Town Group of post-impressionist artists in early The 20th-century London and an important influence haunting A on British avant-garde Summer Evening art in the mid and late fetched £10,000 20th century.

At a previous sale a pine chest from the indigenous people of the north west coast of America, known as the Tlingit, was bought by a bidder in Canada for a saletopping £23,750.

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ANTIQUE COLLECTING

CHORLEY’S, PRINKNASH ABBEY A rare first edition of a forgotten story by Mary Shelley, the celebrated author of Frankenstein, unearthed from the attic of a Worcestershire stately home, was one of the stars of the The unusual Gloucestershire auctioneer’s drawstring purse recent sale. The threemade £17,000 at volume copy of The The the recent sale little-known book Last Man sold for depicts a world £6,500 – more than six transformed by a times its low estimate. deadly plague The 1826 book, found in the stores and attics of Spetchley Park in Worcestershire, predicts a future where the world has been ravaged by a deadly plague. Although poorly received by critics, Shelley later said it was one of her favourite works.

An early 17th-century drawstring purse, possibly by the Limoges artist Jacques II Laudin (1663-1729), with a portrait of a gentleman made £17,000 – against an estimate of £1,500-£2,000.

The 19th-century miniature in the English School TENNANTS sold for £5,200

AUCTIONEERS, LEYBURN

One of the surprise lots at the North Yorkshire auctioneer’s country house sale was a 19th-century English School miniature of a naval officer which sold for £5,200.

Offered with a modest estimate, the sitter was subsequently identified during the sale viewing as Admiral Sir Henry d’Esteterre Darby KCB, who was depicted wearing a Nile Medal.

The auctioneer’s jewellery sale also An art drew strong interest with the top deco-style lot being an art deco-style diamond diamond ring sold ring, which almost doubled the top for £2,200 estimate to sell for £2,200.

MOORE ALLEN & INNOCENT The brown kid leather boots sold for £4,000

HANSONS, ETWALL Queen Victoria’s clothes, ranging from bloomers to boots sold for more than £17,000 at the Derbyshire auction house.

While international buyers snapped up two pairs of the Queen’s leather boots, her black taffeta skirt and two bodices went to the charity Historic Royal Palaces for £14,000.

The charity’s collections curator, Claudia Williams, said: “These acquisitions are an exciting addition to our collection of more than 10,000 items of royal and court dress.”

The silk bloomers, modelled by Hansons’ Emma Carberry, made £650

Did you know?

Victoria was 4ft 11in and petite when she became Queen at 18, but her waist expanded to some 50in over the decades of her reign.

The oil by Jack Butler Yeats carried a pre-sale estimate of £50,000£80,000

A tiny painting

by John Constable (1776-1837), with an estimate of £800£1,200, sold for £300 at the Cotswolds’ auctioneers.

Smaller than a postcard at just over 10cm wide by 8cm, the diminutive oil sketch on paper of a landscape with a church at sunset was formerly of the LG Duke collection, before passing into private hands.

An oil study of a horse and rider by the The small oil renowned Irish artist Jack Butler Yeats on paper was by (1871-1957) sold for £50,000 at the same The Haywain artist John sale. The Return had been consigned by Constable a descendent of the Irish painter Edward McGuire, who was a friend of Yeats (brother of the poet WB Yeats) and fellow academician at the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin.

EWBANK’S, WOKING

CANTERBURY AUCTION GALLERIES

The identical teapots were both inscribed and sold for £120

A 27-lot single owner collection of Cumnock pottery made £3,720 at the Kent auctioneer’s sale in February.

The pottery, named after the town in East Ayrshire where it was founded, started life in 1792 with the purpose of making crucibles for a blast furnace proposed by the 6th Earl of Dumfries. It was managed The jar, inscribed Mrs by engineer Robt Baird Watston.

James Ochiltree. 1846, Taylor. made £500

Artwork that inspired Masquerade and the UK’s obsession with the riddle of the golden hare sold for 20 times its estimate when it fetched £17,000 at the Surrey auction house.

It was in 1979 that The Orrery artist Kit Williams

by Kit Wiliams published the picture inspired the artist to book that sparked a create the clues for nationwide treasure hunt Masquerade for a hidden jewelled 18-carat golden hare, whose whereabouts was concealed in a set of cryptic clues featured in pictures and text throughout the book.

The Gallé The nation became enthralled cameo blow-out by the story and it took two cherry vase Manchester teachers three years fetched £2,730 in the sale to solve the mystery, by which time the hare had been dug up from its hiding place in Ampthill Park, Bedfordshire, by someone who had inside knowledge of its whereabouts.

A signed Gallé cameo blow-out cherry vase made £2,730 at the sale, and a glass plafonnier, (ceiling light) made £1,820.

Both pieces were signed by the French maker and came from the same vendor

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 11

AUCTION Round up BELLMANS, WISBOROUGH GREEN

A Matchbox Superfast 68a Porsche 910 was part of the collection

Two chairs, used to watch the investiture of the Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle on July 1, 1969, sold for £1,050 at the West Sussex auction house.

Some 4,600 flat-packed chairs were designed by Lord Snowdon and offered for sale after the ceremony for £12 each. The chairs, which are increasingly collectable, came with their original cardboard shipping box and supporting paperwork. The frame is made from steamed beech and the seat and back of preformed plywood veneered with olive ash.

The Lord Snowdondesigned chairs were sold after the ceremony

The flat-pack chairs seated 4,600 guests at the castle

LYON & TURNBULL, EDINBURGH Two posters by the Swiss illustrator Martin Peikert (1901-1955) led the Peikert’s art deco style is field at the Scottish a favourite among auctioneer’s recent sale collectors of ski posters proving the category shows no signs of going downhill.

His 1955 lithograph of the resort Champery sold for £9,375 – against an estimate of £5,000-£7,000, while a 1946 poster of the alpine village of Gstaad sold for £9,375 – against an estimate of £3,000-£5,000.

Born in 1901 in the Swiss town of Zug, Peikert studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Geneva and worked as an advertising illustrator until he graduated in 1921. By the 1940s he had moved to Designs French-speaking reflecting the Switzerland, joy of skiing sell best where he created tourism posters for the Valais and Bernese Oberland.

12 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

VECTIS, STOCKTON-ON-TEES A lifetime’s collection of nearly 3,000 Matchbox cars sold for more than £300,000 at the North Yorkshire auctioneers. The Matchbox car collection, comprised of Matchbox 1-75 model cars and trucks, was started by the classic car auctioneer, Simon Hope, founder of H&H Classics, when he was a boy.

He said, “It was only when I got older that I realised there was actually a collecting scene out there providing information on rarer versions and colours.”

Highlights from the sale included the collection’s most expensive item – a lime green ERF dropside lorry that sold for more than £7,000; a green Ford kennel truck that fetched £3,200 and a white Ford Mustang, which made £2,100.

Vectis specialist, Julian Royse, said: “Models from the 1950s which had previously been very valuable are now less so, with later examples now extremely desirable.”

The toys were exported to Eastern Europe sparking a big market in the Czech Republic, he added.

GILDINGS, MARKET HARBOROUGH

Made for ceremonial use, the spear sold for £18,500

A 19th-century spear thought to have been made by the Luba in the Democratic Republic of Congo sparked an international bidding war when it flew past its low estimate of £200 at the Leicestershire auctions to make £18,500.

The 167cm spear, which had been consigned by a local seller on a general valuation day, featured a carved head and steel tip and was designed as a status symbol rather than a weapon to be used in warfare.

The spear may have been crafted by tribespeople in the Congo

www.thepeartreecollection.com Email:info@thepeartreecollection.com

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 00

Auction Dates 2020 Weekend Auction Revival All Auctions to be Held on Saturdays and Sundays All Commencing at 11am Each Day 4th & 5th April, 6th & 7th June, 1st & 2nd August 3rd & 4th October, 28th & 29th November Viewing Times Prior to Sales: Thursdays 10am - 7pm, Fridays 3pm - 7pm, Sale Days from 9am Visit Our Website for More Details thecanterburyauctiongalleries.com

Pair of George I “Irish” silver sauceboats, Dublin 1726 Sold to a Specialist Dealer for £57,000

THE EXPERT COLLECTOR Arts and crafts jewellery

MARRIED to the JOB The appeal of arts and crafts jewellery is timeless, none more so than the pioneering designs of Arthur and Georgie Gaskin, writes Anthony Bernbaum

I

have been a collector, and now dealer, in arts and crafts silver for more than 15 years but until recently had never fully embraced the magic of Arthur and Georgie Gaskin. It was only in 2018 that I made their introduction when I was lucky enough to receive an email from a major arts and crafts collector who had a passion for their work.

A few poor-quality snaps followed that piqued my interest in this famous married couple’s jewellery. I acquired the 1984 exhibition catalogue of the Gaskins produced by the Fine Art Society, which remains the seminal publication on their lives and work. With every paragraph my admiration for their contribution to the Birmingham School and arts and craft grew stronger. In particular Georgie Gaskin, the driving force behind the partnership. As early as 1903 The Magazine of Art acknowledged both her design and craftsmanship: “The demand is such that strenuous effort is needed for Mrs Gaskin, who has a gift for divining the individual wants of her clients, to maintain in every case that touch of personality which contributes no little to the attractiveness of her work.......Mrs Gaskin’s achievements ought to show what can be done by anyone possessed of the above qualifications.”

THE STUDIO

Above A silver gilt, pearl, amethyst and green chrysoberyl necklace by Arthur and Georgie Gaskin c. 1908.

As is typical of much of the Gaskin’s jewellery it is unmarked Right The piece in a 1908 article in The Studio reveals the pendant was designed and executed by Georgie Gaskin

In June of 2019 I met the collector who showed me a large part of his Gaskin jewellery collection. One piece alone was enough to ensure I was smitten for life. A silver gilt pendant set with tourmalines, pearls and peridot. Possibly a deliberate choice of suffragette colours, the pendant had full provenance from the family of the Manchester architect and designer James Henry Sellers who commissioned it as a gift for his wife in 1908. The necklace appeared in The Studio magazine when it was being exhibited at the New Gallery. The cherry on top was The Studio’s description that it was designed and made by Georgie.

Like so many women of the period she worked in the shadow of her husband and yet here was a piece exemplifying her unique contribution. The pendant had aesthetic brilliance and provenance required for a great piece of jewellery. A healthy avarice overtook me and I was lucky enough to leave my meeting with this piece and several others acquired. It seems, I too, was now a Gaskin collector and dealer.

‘Like so many women of the period Georgie worked in the shadow of her husband and yet here was a piece exemplifying her unique contribution’ 14 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

BIRMINGHAM AND THE GASKINS Arthur and Georgie Gaskin (née France) were a married couple who most famously designed and made jewellery in the arts and crafts Birmingham School tradition from c. 1900 to 1924.

Arthur (1862-1928) was born in Birmingham, while Georgie (1866-1934) hailed from Shrewsbury. Both came from middle-class backgrounds, though Georgie’s was much more affluent, initially causing objections to the relationship. The couple met at the Birmingham School of Art where Arthur was a teacher and Georgie a student. Despite her family’s reservations, they married in 1894 and for most of their lives they lived in or around Birmingham and, like many artists and designers from the area moved to the Cotswolds in later life. They moved to Chipping Campden in 1924 where they lived until Arthur’s death in 1928.

At the time they lived there, Birmingham was a city of contrasts. On the one hand it was highly industrialised; the jewellery industry alone employed up to 30,000 people working in some 700 workshops in the heart of the city. On the other hand it had the good fortune to have an enlightened and cultured public administration. In the 1870s, a group of local merchant families, mainly non-conformist Quakers and Unitarians began to take an active role in the political life of the city. Under the mayorship of Joseph Chamberlain, families such as the Cadburys became patrons of the arts to such an extent Birmingham in the 1880s has been compared to Florence in the time of the Medicis.

ILLUSTRATORS AND ARTISTS The Gaskins’ reputation was founded not simply on jewellery. At Birmingham’s Municipal School of Art, Arthur fell under the influence of visiting lecturers, including William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones and William Luthaby. His work took on the medieval

Right Georgie and Arthur Gaskin ‘bird’ brooch, silver, opal doublet, faux emerald and pink tourmaline Below The back of the

pendant is beautifully worked and includes the mark ‘G’

Recognising Gaskins’ work Gaskins’ work is most readily identifiable by their use of delicate interconnected leaves set with semiprecious stones. Subtle differences emerge over time, but the similarity of the pieces is more striking than their differences. As ever with jewellery a close examination of the backs and clasps also helps distinguish the maker. The Gaskins tended to make their own distinctive (but not unique) types of clasps. The construction of their jewellery also varied but normally involved a core structure of flattened wires on which to attach the decorative elements. Stones were not normally backed and were held in place with high silver mounts, not clasps. They almost never used emeralds or diamonds but green paste and rock crystal.

Bottom left A silver

amethyst choker by Arthur and Georgie Gaskin, c. 1915

Below right Arthur

Gaskin (1862-1928), Kilhwych, The King’s Son

Below far right Arthur

Gaskin (1862-1928) But One of Them, the Youngest, Remained Behind, 1892

Bottom right Georgie Gaskin (1866-1934), ABC An Alphabet, 1895, which she wrote and illustrated

undertones that became the trademark of many illustrators of the period. In 1900 their careers turned towards jewellery design, a move which was given a boost in 1903. The Vittoria Street School for Jewellers and Silversmiths had been set up as a trade school as part of the Municipal School of Art in the heart of city’s jewellery quarter. When the headmaster Robert Catterson-Smith took up the position of head at the Municipal School of Art, his position at the Vittoria Street School went to Arthur. Apart from financial security, the position gave the Gaskins ready access to a skilled pool of assistants among the staff and pupils.

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 15

THE EXPERT COLLECTOR Arts and crafts jewellery WHY ARE THEY REVERED? They were revered in their day, and subsequently for three main reasons. Firstly, they were early innovators. The nascent arts and crafts movement never quite reconciled its socialist and design ideals with such a luxurious item as jewellery, which was largely overlooked by William Morris and his acolytes.

Jewellery also required skill in manufacturing and the movement shunned these traditional guilds and trades. Hence, prior to 1900, there was very little arts and crafts jewellery. While Charles Ashbee and his Guild of Handicraft were undoubtedly the first innovators around 1893, the Gaskins, even as late as 1900, joined a small elite group of artisan jewellers who were innovators of the period.

Secondly, their work was highly distinctive and arguably much more delicate and feminine than the Guild of Handicraft’s jewellery. The Studio magazine (Vol XVIII) wrote of the Gaskins’ early jewellery, exhibited at the all-important 1899 Arts and Crafts Society Exhibition: “Perhaps the chief interest attaches to the jewellery, the joint work of Mr

A silver, moonstone and chrysoprase necklace

by Arthur and Georgie Gaskin, c. 1909. The design features in the Gaskins’ drawing book held at the V&A. As with many of their designs, the pair gave this piece a name which appears faintly on the drawing as ‘Estelle’

GASKINS’ STYLE After experimenting in fairly classic arts and crafts styles from c. 1899-1902, the couple found their unique and fairly consistent style that involved the delicate interlacing of leaves, flowers and birds with semi-precious stones. Their work was exhibited widely to great acclaim. Georgie showed some painted decorative work mounted by the Bromsgrove Guild in the Paris Exposition of 1900 and the couple’s jewellery was next exhibited at the Glasgow International Exhibition in 1900. A reviewer from The Studio 1908, referring to work shown in the New Gallery London, stated: “Mrs Gaskin was one of the first lady jewellers to realise the absolute necessity of good technique. Good design and colour may serve to attract the casual and ignorant observer but without good craftsmanship an art object can never be perfect.”

Their work became synonymous with the Birmingham School. It is now widely held that Georgie did all the designs for their jewellery (sold under the brand ‘Mr & Mrs Arthur Gaskin’), with each sharing the manufacturing together with any number of apprentices and employees, invariably students from the Vittoria School. It is said that Arthur did all the enamelling which was a feature of some of their work.

16 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

‘Their work became synonymous with the Birmingham School. It is now widely held that Georgie did all the designs for their jewellery, with each sharing the manufacturing’

Above right The Gaskins’

designs featured in many magazines

Right A large silver, tourmaline and green paste brooch (or pendant) made by Arthur and Georgie Gaskin for a Mrs Heaton in March 1911

and Mrs Gaskin. The motive for undertaking this branch of art was that, living as they do in Birmingham, a principal centre of the manufacture of jewellery, they have always the painful evidences of the need for reform of that industry...although they can only spare time in the evenings to devote to their common undertaking, the success attained is most encouraging.”

Finally, the Gaskin’s reputation was enhanced by their role as great teachers. Arthur was renowned as such while at the Vittoria School of Art and, as a couple, they employed and trained many of their students, most notably Kate Eadie and Effie Ward, who each became successful jewellers in their own right.

Anthony Bernbaum is the founder of The Peartree Collection which specialises in arts and crafts and art nouveau silver and jewellery, for more details visit www.thepeartreecollection.com. He is also one of the exhibitors at this month’s The Open Art Fair, from March 18-24. For our preview of the event turn to page 55.

Below left A silver, pearl

and moonstone pendant

by Arthur and Georgie Gaskin, c. 1905-1910, unmarked

Below right Arthur and

Georgie Gaskin, c. 1909, gem-set pendant sold for $58,425 in 2016, image courtesy of Skinner

EXPECT TO PAY Prices can range from under £1,000 for small brooches or attributed pieces, to more than £10,000 for major pieces. The record, I believe, was $58,425 paid at Skinner auctioneers, Boston, in 2016 for a major gold necklace (below).

Various factors affect price. Grand pieces in gold, set with opals and precious stones will increase the value. Whereas modifying brooches or pendants, generally detracts from value. Is a piece marked? As far as I know, the Gaskins did not assay their jewellery but did sometimes mark it with a small ‘G’. Anything with rarely seen birds is very desirable, as are the more wearable pendants and necklaces. The quality of their work can vary, probably reflecting the expense and nature of the commission and also who worked on it. Some pieces have relatively poor settings of stones under magnification.

Finally, provenance can add value. Some of the Gaskins’ drawings, sketches and workbooks have survived and are held within the V&A print rooms and Birmingham Museum. Pieces that can be tracked back to these sources often carry an additional premium.

Discover more

The Gaskins’ work can be seen in many museums including the Birmingham School of Art Gallery at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and The Wilson Art Gallery & Museum in Cheltenham, www.cheltenhammuseum.org.uk.

To acquire Gaskin jewellery outside auctions you would typically need to go to a specialist gallery such as The Peartree Collection, Van den Bosch (www.vandenbosch. com) or the Tadema Gallery (ww.tademagallery.com). See also Elyse Zorn Karlin’s book, Jewelry and Metalwork in the Arts and Crafts Tradition, and Arthur and Georgie Gaskin, a catalogue by Cheltenham Museum to accompany its exhibition in 1981.

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 17

LETTERS Have your say

Your Letters

April pp.53-63:Layout 1

17/3/17

14:08

Page 63

Staer r lett

Our star letter

receives a copy of 20th Century British Glass by Charles R. Hajdamach, worth £49.50. Write to us at Antique Collecting, Sandy Lane, Old Martlesham, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 4SD or email magazine@ accartbooks.com

With everything from lovespoons to recycling, we look into ANTIQUES CENTRES this month’s postbag After reading your article on marriage antiques ((Love Need February is All You Need, issue) I had to share this beautiful lovespoon that my husband and I were given as wedding present from his Welsh relatives.

Although it is a more modern version than the ones you mention we love it and both agree it has a beautiful traditional look to it.

Kelly Power, by email

Above right Restore,

repair, recycle and re-use must be the goal of the new decade

Left The lovespoon was a much-cherished wedding gift Below left The pocket

watch is an heirloom

If I didn’t know before, now it is beyond all doubt. I, like the games of my youth (Space invaders, Tetris et al) are now officially considered antiques. Thanks for your report into retro gaming (February issue) that drove home the point so succinctly!

M Hope, Brighton, by email

Your article on pocket watches, (Pocket Rockets, February issue) really piqued my interest. Not that I am a collector but it reeled me back to the childhood memories of my grandfather who always wore a pocket watch. I can still remember the feel (and smell of it) when I sat on his knee.

I doubt very much if it’s worth anything but it has inspired me to dig it out of my bedside drawer and take it to a repairers to see if I can get it to work again.

C Crispin, by email.

Congratulations for highlighting ‘sustainability’ in the editor’s Welcome (February issue).

Sustainability in practice must be THE goal for the 2020s. One way of dealing with our environmental problems is to adopt the four ‘Rs’.

That is: recycle, repair, restore, and reuse. These days the four ‘Rs’ are widely practised in many forms and are promoted as being the right thing to do. However, I am much amused by the fact that it’s not a new idea. Decades ago, the four ‘Rs’ were a way of life. Remember the pocket money that was made from recycling lemonade and beer bottles? The same with scrap metal. If something was broken then it was repaired. If it was old and worn it was restored.

Many cafes now use eclectic collections of mixed plates and cutlery. They should be applauded. Who cares if the cups and saucers don’t have matching patterns? The teaspoons that we use at home are old silver teaspoons. Not only is this conserving the silver and the artwork, but silver has antibacterial properties. I urge everyone to be green and collect antiques and collectables.

Ian Spellerberg, Christchurch, New Zealand, editor of the book What is Sustainability? published by Berkshire Publishing, by email

18 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Rutland The

ARMS

Be part of the conversation on Twitter and Instagram @antiquemag

ANTIQUES

Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers

AUCTION Tuesday 17 & Wednesday 18 March Fine Art & Antiques

including collections of Ceramics & Boxes

Prinknash Abbey Park, Gloucestershire GL4 8EU 01452 344499 | enquiries@chorleys.com

www.chorleys.com

COLLECTING GUIDE Irish vernacular furniture

IRISH VOGUE

Less well known than their Scottish, Welsh or English equivalents, Irish country furniture is every bit as attractive. To celebrate this month’s St Patrick’s day, Antique Collecting shines a light on the most notable designs

a demand for ship-building timber, mainly oak, as England built up its navy. Then came the Great Fire of London in 1666 which required the fullscale rebuilding of London, as well as the demand for barrel staves, many of which were exported to France and Spain as wine casks.

In all, between 1600 and 1800 it is estimated that around 90 per cent of Irish forests were cut down. It meant that, while Europe was enjoying imported Irish timber, there was a profound lack of the material in Ireland. Timber became a scarce commodity except for the rich, and local supplies were so poor that cheap timber began to be imported to Ireland. At times throughout Irish history even timber for coffins was unavailable or considered too expensive.

There were strict laws and harsh penalties regarding the theft of timber. If a person was found carrying a piece of timber they were immediately suspected of thieving and liable for questioning or arrest by the authorities.

This general lack of timber impacted furniture and interiors greatly in Ireland.

CABIN LIVING

Above Fairground scene, Willsons Printers, Leicester, 1930s © National Fairground and Circus Archive, University of Sheffield

T

here are a number of factors why Irish vernacular furniture is not as well known as other regional designs. First up is its relative rarity due, in part, to the Irish timber famine. While Irish oak was once greatly prized, being used for the roof of Salisbury Cathedral in the 13th century, as well as for Canterbury and Exeter cathedrals, its woodland was exploited over the centuries.

In the first years of settlement, Henry II attacked Ireland’s forests and bogs “as barriers to conquest and repositories of rebellion”. Elizabeth I went a step further – ordering the destruction of all woods in Ireland to deprive the Irish insurgents of shelter.

Alongside this, other factors were at work, including

20 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Above A selection of ‘creepies’. Image courtesy of The Store Yard, Portlaoise, Co.Laois Right A settle would have doubled as a bed.

Image courtesy of The Store Yard

The ‘timber famine’ meant furniture was not common in rural Irish homes until the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Only then did an increase in the wealth of the poorer classes (along with an increase in the number of skilled craftsmen) combine with a supply of cheap, imported pine, to make furniture more available to the rural population.

The British government’s 1841 Census of Ireland reported that nearly half the population lived in single-roomed cabins many of which would have had little or no furniture or, if there were pieces, they would be dual purpose.

As well as bogwood, cheap sheeted timber, usually imported pine, was used for most furniture.

Paint became important in disguising faults of such wood while it also acted as a preservative and furniture was frequently overpainted, which had the effect of preserving pieces for long periods of time.

Specialist dealer John Cornall said: “The thing about the Irish vernacular furniture as opposed to

the Welsh or English is that it is invariably pine and painted. Irish pieces were typically painted over as many as a dozen times so they often come with a literal skin.”

Paint effects, such as graining and ‘scumbling’, were used to make low-cost pine look like more expensive hardwoods. Green timber was also used in furniture construction, where readily available species such as salix or willow, in Ireland known as salleys, could be coppiced and used for furniture parts and weaving. Even straw was used to make armchairs (which could be disguised with fabric).

Tables did not become more common until late in the 19th century, even then they were generally kept to the side of the room against a wall, rather than in the centre, as was common in English farmhouses.

Such tables were simple affairs and comprised of only one or two boards.

As furniture for damp cottages had to withstand years of use little innovations were built in to help preserve pieces: dressers and some settles had ‘sledge’ feet which could be replaced when they succumbed to damp, preventing damp travelling up the whole piece.

ESSENTIAL PIECES Another common form of bed was the settlebed. The settle was a high backed seat which originally came from England. It was adapted in Ireland in the 18th century into a settlebed, where the seat part can be folded outwards to make a bed, providing extra space for family members or guests to sleep on.

Other types of beds found in Irish homes included the reidhleaba (a low flat bed without raised sides) and the canopy bed (also called a ‘car’ bed). The design included a wooden canopy with one open side and a curtain to lend warmth and privacy.

Its use was discouraged by medical authorities for sanitary reasons in the 19th century, and very few examples of the type survived into the 20th century.

The dresser was the most valued piece of

Top A selection of bowls. Image courtesy of The Store Yard Above An Irish country

wardrobe, image courtesy of The Store Yard

domestic furniture in the Irish home. Cornall continued: “Irish country furniture tends to focus quintessentially on the dresser, often English Georgian in style with vernacular ‘folk’ elements. It might echo the classical decoration found in Adams-designed Irish country houses, but add a Celtic ‘ropetwist’ ornamentation to columns with ionic capitals.”

Dressers were also made from pine and again heavily painted to give it a rich, attractive appearance.

A variation on this type is the coop dresser, which used the bottom compartments to keep hens. This warm, safe environment inside the house ensured that eggs were available for the family throughout the year.

THE TUAM CHAIR A distinctive three-legged straight back ‘Tuam’ chair with a triangular seat is a very ancient Irish chair type and continues to be made in the town of Tuam, Co. Galway on the west coast of Ireland.

Below left A postcard

showing a one-room Irish cabin or cottier

Below right A three-

legged Tuam chair.

Image courtesy of the National Museum of Ireland

‘The British government’s 1841 census of Ireland reported that nearly half the population lived in single-roomed cabins many of which would have had little or no furniture. If there were pieces, they would be dual purpose’ ANTIQUE COLLECTING 21

COLLECTING GUIDE Irish vernacular furniture The oldest documentary evidence of the chair comes from The Dublin Penny Journal of 1832 where it is described as “an ancient oak chair” from the village of “Drumcliffe” in County Sligo.

Some scholars suggest the chair type was brought to Ireland in the 17th century by Scottish settlers.

While others give it an earlier medieval date, with the coming of the Cistercian orders, while still more suggest it evolved locally from the three-legged stool.

The chair types remain popular, even as their origins have faded from the record. The example (previous page) was made by Tom O’Dowd, Co. Galway for the National Museum of Ireland in 1995.

Furniture in rural Ireland was often made by travelling carpenters, known as ‘hedge makers’ in exchange for food and accommodation.

The arrangement of the back spindles braces the back rigidly, resulting in an remarkably durable design. Gibsons are also characterised by interlocking, outsplayed arms with corner spindles and a generous, broad D-shaped seat. They are typically made of ash, elm and sycamore.

SÚGÁN CHAIRS Súgán is the Gaelic word for straw which was used for making seating. Súgán chairs used to be a popular kitchen chair in country districts, particularly in the west and southwest of Ireland.

Their weave could take many different forms, depending on local style and could be painted or left natural. This mid-19th century seat was made by coiling straw rope spiral-wise and stitching coils together with strips of bramble bark. Structurally, the chairs are a design classic. Because the seat is woven from rope, the weight of someone sitting on it actually pulls the frame of the piece of furniture slightly inwards, strengthening it.

In the back of the chair the ropes run horizontally except in the upper 20cm, where they follow an arched pattern. The chairs were popular in country districts, mainly in the west and south west of Ireland

‘GIBSON’ CHAIRS While the origin of the name is unknown (it could have derived from the first proponent of the style – a Mr Gibson in 1880) the chairs are known for their sturdy nature and distinctive ‘W’ (or ‘M’) arrangement of back spindles. In essence they are a more robust version of the ‘hedge’ chair and once common in county Cavan, although they were generally made in north east Leinster, especially counties Louth, Monaghan, Meath and Westmeath.

Hedge chair

Highly sought after by collectors for their simple, sculptural appeal are ‘hedge’ chairs – so called because they were made from found logs and branches rather than milled timber. They were also designed to be placed near a fireplace, which is why they sit low to the ground.

This example was probably made by a travelling carpenter about 200 years ago in Co. Westmeath.

The seat shape is a truncated triangle in plan, into which are mortised four round splayed legs. The rail is of a single piece of wood, with rounded edges and supported by eight spindle-shaped rods.

THE ‘CREEPIE’ One the oldest and earliest types of furniture and seating found in homes in rural Ireland was the ‘creepie’. A roughly made stool often consisting of a log raised off the floor, its name derives from its occupant using the chair to creep closer to the fire.

Above A 19th-century Irish painted beech and ash ‘Gibson chair’ sold

by Bonhams for £360 in 2011 Above right A súgán

chair from Co. Wexford.

Image courtesy of the National Museum of Ireland

Left A hedge chair from Co. Westmeath, Image courtesy of the National Museum of Ireland Right A large four-

legged ‘creepie’. Image courtesy of David Patterson Antiques

22 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Q& & &A David Patterson is a third generation antiques dealer from Lurgan in County Amargh

Q A

Does Ireland’s rural nature provide more farmhouse finds than the UK? Ireland has long suffered from poor road networks so some communities are more isolated, leaving many rural properties largely untouched for several generations. Last week I visited a farmhouse near Moneyslane, Co. Down, that had been modernised in the 1950s. However, true to the old mindset of: ‘it’ll come in handy someday’ much of the original furnishings had been moved and stored in one of the sheds for some 70 years. This included the old scrubtop table, a turned sycamore dairy bowl, a súgán chair and more.

Even the huge craze for Irish pine that swept the country in the latter part of the 20th century didn’t lay waste to our diverse stock of country furnishings. Many doors remained firmly shut to ‘knockers’ (individuals that went door to door trying to buy pieces at source) saving pieces from being dipped, stripped and exported.

Q A

What have been some of your best discoveries?

One of my favourite finds of 2019 was a large 19th-century pine chest still in its original painted finish. The naïve graining looked almost like a very stylised take on rosewood and was beautifully preserved. A chest of this size would have comfortably stored linens and clothes but also could have served as a table if needed.

One of my early finds was a large example of a ‘creepie’ (left) tucked away in a loft in my great grandfather’s house. A ‘creepie’ is a simply made stool of three or, in this case, four legs. They too are now rare, especially one of that size.

A few years back during a house clearance in Co. Armagh I discovered a highly original vernacular armchair of superb sculptural form and presence. The vendor couldn’t quite understand my liking for something so gnarled and rickety but I assured him that it was special. So special in fact that it now resides in the Armagh County Museum.

2020 has already seen some intriguing finds, including a highly unusual hanging box of thickly painted pine with applied decoration, not dissimilar to tramp art.

Q A

What elements of Irish vernacular furniture make it distinct from, say, Welsh or Scottish?

Irish country furniture no doubt draws on many native styles found throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

Although the country’s isolation and lack of certain materials meant the indigenous carpenter had to be resourceful.

Our hedge chairs are commonly smaller and not as refined as their generously sized Welsh cousins, our dressers took the form of being in one integral piece and our súgán chairs are rigid and of ash cut directly from the hedgerow.

While the forms diversified, the practice of overpainting was particularly rife. The types of paint used along with certain colours can chart the history of a piece as fashions changed. Some pieces were so faithfully painted each year that they proudly boast a coat of many different colours perhaps several millimetres thick.

Above A large 19th-century pine chest still in its original naively grained finish

Above A late 19th/early 20th-century pine hanging box thickly painted, muting much of the applied decoration

Q A

Where were the centres of production?

Carpenters and hedge carpenters alike worked across the country. The latter was more of a travelling journeyman – not having served a long apprenticeship.

His chairs exhibit through-wedged legs and spindles while the village carpenter produced parlour chairs with turned legs and concealed tenons. Some collectors strive to find pieces totally unaltered and original. Being in their first paint is most highly sought after, but very rare. Generally, good pieces will have seen overpainting and perhaps some working repairs during their life of servitude and daily use. Both of which are widely accepted by collectors.

QA

What are your customers most after?

I’m most frequently asked for hedge chairs, although genuine unadulterated examples are difficult to find. I may only handle four or five over the course of a year. They become a piece of functional artwork when placed in the home and stand as testament to the resourcefulness of their maker. Washstands and tables remain popular as they suit both modern and period dwellings. Most interestingly, I had a vernacular dropleaf table with hand carved legs roughly imitating turned decoration. The carpenter, who didn’t have access to a lathe, had valiantly endeavoured to replicate finer ornament with the inclusion of reeding.

Above An unusual dropleaf table with hand carved legs in imitation of reeding and turned ornament. Now in the collection of the Ulster Museum

Discover more

Irish vernacular furniture can be seen in the Irish Country Furniture Gallery, at the Collins Barracks, part of the National Museum of Ireland, Benburb Street, Dublin 7, www.museum.ie. An exhibition on the theme opens at Country Life, part of the National Museum of Ireland, Turlough, Co. Mayo in October. (Thanks also to the curator Rosa Meehan for her help in this article.) The Armagh Museum, The Mall East, Armagh, Ulster also has a fine display, www.visitarmagh.com.

Stockists include: www.thestoreyard.ie, www.dpattersonantiques.com, www.johncornallantiques.com

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 23

BEHIND THE SCENES Popsy Kundi

EXPERT PROFILE

Which bags are currently undervalued?

Exotic leathers, such as python, ostrich and lizard, are often undervalued, with brands like Prada, Gucci and Alexandra McQueen selling for a fraction of the price they fetch at retail. This may be because luxury fashion houses have taken the decision not to use exotic leathers, meaning bags purchased at full retail value do not hold their value.

Popsy Kundi is the new head of designer handbags and fashion at Chiswick Auctions

What has been your biggest discovery at Chiswick Auctions?

A Hermès crocodile Birkin which realised £28,000.

Mind boggling, even for those of us who are in the industry. The best thing was that the bag was purchased by a very low-key, non-celebrity client.

But this sale is a drop in the ocean compared to the most expensive bag ever sold at auction – the Hermès Himalaya Birkin encrusted with 10.23 carat diamonds which realised £293,000 at Christie’s in 2017.

The biggest surprise at Chiswick Auctions came last September when a Dior monogram saddle bag, estimated at £300-£500, sold for £3,000 to a wellknown museum.

When did the boom in vintage bags first take place?

While vintage bags have always been popular, designer vintage really took off when Victoria Beckham was seen with a Chanel jumbo flap bag in the early 2000s. This bag was made in the late ‘80s and is classic Chanel style – made in lambskin with the large 24kt gold-plated ‘CC’ logo which the company no longer produces.

The last 10 years have seen a huge demand for pre-loved designer vintage with online retailers such as Vestiaire, 1stdibs, Designer Exchange and auction houses which are replacing traditional departments with specialist handbag sections. An added influence has been the extensive development in social media, particularly Instagram, over the last 10 years.

Above Popsy’s favourite bag – the Chanel maxi flap

Do you collect anything?

Below The Hermès

I am an avid lover of Chanel handbags many of which were purchased at auction. My favourite is a Chanel maxi flap bag, which I bought for £1,200 and is now worth approximately £2,700 – not that I would ever part with it.

What should buyers look out for if they are buying handbags as an investment?

Condition, condition, condition. This is the number one priority when purchasing a bag for investment, or you may have to endure the cost of refurbishment which can be substantial. Always invest in classics such as the Chanel 2.55 flap bag, Hermès Kelly, Hermès Birkin or Louis Vuitton Speedy. Handbags which are having a revival include the Dior saddle bag, Fendi baguette bag or Balenciaga motorcycle bag. These can make lucrative investments as can limited editions, but trends can change. Hermès bags are most desired due to the company restricting the market. Production of the Kelly and Birkin is limited by a long, ‘invitation-only’ list which increases the demand on the secondary market.

Ensure you buy from a reputable source as there are many counterfeit bags on the market. And the old maxim applies: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

26 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Is there another fashion item that will follow handbags dramatic rise in popularity?

Birkin is named after the actress Jane Birkin

Below right Popsy’s tip:

look out for the popular Hermès Kelly

Given the popularity of the streetwear market, and increased celebrity indorsements, streetwear is almost certainly set to take centre stage as the new kid on the block. The rise in largely trainer-led auctions are beginning to creep into the mainstream. The sale of the 1972 Nike Waffle Racing Flat Moon Shoe at Sotheby’s in July 2019 realised a record £351,772.

The demand on the secondary market for the Adidas Yeezy trainer designed in collaboration with Kanye West is booming, due to restricted supply.

Chiswick Auctions’ next designer handbags and fashion sale is on February 26.

Jewellery & Watches: 18 March Silver & Fine Art: 19 March Antiques, Clocks & Antique Furniture: 20 March

COLLECTING GUIDE Classic cars business is worth around £5bn as the appeal of old cars continues to grow. But what is driving the market?

Quite simply, a classic car is more than a means of transport, it’s a state of mind.

WHAT MAKES A CLASSIC CAR?

Wheels of Fortune

With recent research by AXA Art showing the value of a decent MGA two-seater sportscar rose 47 per cent in a decade is now the time to invest in a classic car?

T

here’s no doubt about it, when it comes to cars they don’t make them like they used to. The driving experience might have been miles apart but, when it comes to looks, there is no comparison.

It was the 1970s that stuck the boot into the British car industry. After the vintage cars of preWWII gracefully transformed into sports cars of the ‘50s and ‘60s, the ‘70s brought gas prices, unions and a stagnant economy. This was the time that car enthusiasts started to look backwards, with the launch of the magazine Thoroughbred & Classic Cars in 1973 and the start of a number of ‘classic’ car shows around the world.

In Britain today it is estimated that the classic car

28 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Above A Bentley Mark

VI 4-door standard steel sports saloon was the first post-war luxury car from Bentley. Produced from 1946-1952, with 5208 made Below left A 1933 early

‘March type’ bodied Aero Minx has an estimate of £10,000£12,000 at H&H Classics’ sale on March 18 at Duxford Imperial War Museum

Admiral’s classic car expert, Adrian Dalton, said: “There are several categories to consider when talking about old cars: veteran (built before WWI), vintage (built before 1930) and post vintage (built between 1930 and the end of WWII).” The above categories are in no dispute, but where do classic cars come in? How old does a classic car have to be? Is age a determining factor? Does a motorsport heritage help? Do the vehicles in question rely on nostalgia to be considered?

Well the truth is all the above helps but they are not defining characteristics, he added.

Adrian continued: “I don’t think there would be many who would argue the instant classic status of the Lotus Esprit S1 as soon as it launched with its distinctive wedge shape, but would the same sort of affection be lavished upon the Austin Allegro of the same era?”

The answer is actually really simple: yes, the car has to resonate with people, it has to have an aesthetic appeal and a strong history with motorsport isn’t going to hurt at all.

However, if the car has stopped going down in value and starts appreciating, then this is the main indication that it has become a ‘classic’.

WHAT MAKES THEM SPECIAL? Firstly, there’s the design of the car itself. Classic cars were created very much in an analogue world where

HAND AT THE WHEEL H&H Classics’ sales manager Damian Jones gives his top tips for would-be collectors Buying: Obvious, really, but buy on condition. A low mileage car can be tempting but lack of use can also signal lack of maintenance. Check the paperwork very carefully and buy from a reliable source. Also, follow your passion: don’t waste your time on something that doesn’t fully grab your attention. Do your homework and talk to people who know their stuff. It’s all in the details.

Join the gang: All sorts of benefits can accrue from becoming a member of an owners’ club, not just the opportunity to swap tales of your exploits behind the wheel. Specialist knowledge, access to spare parts, events and more are all a bonus.

Insurance: Opt for an ‘agreed value’ insurance policy and you have a better chance of getting proper recompense if, heaven forbid, your treasure ends up on the scrapheap.

Under cover: Wind, rain, snow and hail are not your car’s friends. You need a garage, not just to help keep the bodywork in pristine condition but also to help care for what’s under the bonnet. In turn, that will help protect your vehicle’s value. If it warrants, go as far as getting a carcoon or dehumidifier.

ADRIAN DALTON’S GUIDE TO CLASSIC CARS PORSCHE 959 Status: Classic super car Interesting fact: Fastest street legal production car on its release in 1986.

Adrian’s review: Highly desirable and far more interesting than a 911, it was a technical tour de force back in 1986 and today it still seems to have an mystical air to it, maybe due to the tech for the time or partly due to its feud with the Ferrari F40 which took its fastest car title a year later. One of the quintessential 80’s bedroom wall classics!

designers used pencil and paper to create elegant shapes and flowing lines that would just not be possible on the computer-based design software used by modern car designers.

These designs belong to a previous age—an age that many people fondly look back on, where

Forget the personal touch: Don’t be tempted to adapt the car to your own individual tastes as this is likely to detract from its value and attraction when you want to sell it on.

Keep on running: Every week or so, it is a good idea to run the engine and drive a few miles to keep all the parts in working order. Try to choose a day where the weather is favourable, as the ‘under cover rule’ applies here too.

Maintenance is key: Keep the car’s fluids topped up, unless you are storing it for the whole winter, in which case you should drain them and top up in the spring. Fill the petrol tank, though, to help prevent the build-up of corrosive condensation. You should also keep the tyres inflated to the correct pressure to help prevent wear and tear. Finally, detach and store the battery over winter.

Personal Training: Top up your talents with a car maintenance course. This keeps costs down and you in control. But make sure you know what you are doing and be realistic about your level of competence.

Culture Shock: As a rough rule of thumb the older a car the more alien the driving experience. Old cars simply do not go, stop or grip as well as their modern counterparts.

Nor are they as reliable. Always carry a mobile phone if ‘spannering’ is not second nature to you.

Usage: Decide what sort of motoring you want to do before buying a car. Something that will trundle to the pub may be wholly unsuited to continental touring.

DELOREAN DMC -12 Status: Classic car Interesting fact: Starring role in the Back to the Future trilogy.

Adrian’s review: This is a perfect example of a car becoming a classic despite its reputation. Futuristic in looks with a stainless-steel clad body but shockingly slow, heavy, poorly built, unreliable and expensive, would I buy one? Oh yes, in a heartbeat, it’s the epitome of cool, so who cares if it’s slow and breaks down - at least you can stand by it on the side of the road and say it’s yours.

Top left The 1978

Ford Fiesta 950 made £14,950

Top A 1993 Toyota Corolla 1.8 GXi which fetched £5,750 Above (l-r) A Bentley Speed Six, Lagonda 16/80 S-Type, and a Studebaker Special Six

MGB Status: Classic car Interesting fact: In the ‘70s the U.S government stated that all cars’ headlights should be a certain distance off the ground, where many other manufacturers went away and redesigned the front of their cars, MG simply inserted lifting blocks in the front suspension thereby raising the front end, the result was even woollier handling.

Adrian’s review: If you ask any British person to name 10 bona fide classic cars this almost certainly will be on the list. Here is where I probably upset a lot of people when I say: I just don’t get this car’s popularity, it’s one of the very few classic cars that doesn’t turn my head when one drives by. It almost looks like its dying a slow, spluttery death while chugging up the road. I await the retaliation!

AUDI QUATTRO Status: Classic car Interesting fact: Took the rally world by storm and turned it on its head with its all-wheel drive configuration.

Adrian’s review: What can I say that hasn’t been said before? This is a legend of a car.

Not only did it start the AWD Quattro brand but it changed the world of rallying overnight. A true barnstormer that deserves all the credit it gets.

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 29

COLLECTING GUIDE Classic cars 5 CARS TO BUY TODAY PORSCHE 924 The Porsche 924 is the stuff of legend. It was originally designed to be a VW and used a van engine, but numbers are decreasing and interest is rising, so stock in the 924 is going up. Opt for the S with its 2.5 engine, which is basically a 944 in a 924 body. Today, the driving merits of this once unpopular Porsche are finally being recognised. While the ship’s already sailed for its 944 cousin, now looks like the time to pick up a 924.

Price guide: £5,000-10,000 PEUGEOT 205 GTI Good original examples are very hard to come by and prices are already on the up, making this an ideal candidate for investment. Sales suffered in the ’90s thanks to its joyriding reputation and the 1.6 went out of production in 1992. As with the Porsche, 205 values are already on the up and showing no signs of slowing, making a very strong case that this could arguably be the best car Peugeot ever made.

Price guide: Less than £10,000 will still get you a 1.6 or 1.9 that goes well, while low-mileage, good-condition machines can be found for less than £15,000 MAZDA RX-7 SERIES 1 With its groundbreaking rotary engine and clean, sleek lines the RX-7 was a unique alternative in the early ‘80s. Find a wellmaintained example with lots of history and the long-term returns will be good.

Price guide: £12,000-£18,000 FORD CAPRI 2.8I SPECIAL Ford’s evergreen coupe was “the car you always promised yourself” but not long after its 18-year production run came to an end, it gained an unfair reputation as a council house Corvette or a poor man’s Aston Martin. The car has now shaken its dubious reputation and values are increasing rapidly. The Mk1 RS3100 or Mk3 280 will set you back big bucks now but opt for a 2.8i and prices are still in the attainable bracket (for now, at least).

Price guide: £10,000-£15,000 LAND ROVER Cheap for years, Land Rover prices rose sharply with all the fuss made around the end of Defender production back in 2016. And they’re likely to get another boost with all last year’s publicity surrounding the arrival of the all-new Defender. The huge production run means there are thousands to choose from and umpteen body styles.

Price guide £7,000-plus

30 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Above A 1948 AC twolitre drophead coupe tourer manufactured

by AC Cars of Thames Ditton, Surrey has an estimate of £20,000£25,000 this month Below right The H&H

headline vehicle of 2019 was a ‘garage find’ 1936 Bentley 4½-litre Vanden Plas Tourer – one of six ever made. It stormed past its pre-sale estimate of £150,000 - £200,000 to make £454,250

designers were unencumbered by constraints such as crash tests, or aerodynamic drag coefficients, and instead created shapes that reflected the mood and trends of the time.

CURRENT MARKET Two of the biggest surprises of 2019 at the classic car auctioneers H&H’s live online sale was a 1978 Ford Fiesta 950 that had covered 141 miles from new which made £14,950, and a 1993 Toyota Corolla 1.8 GXi which fetched £5,750. Despite being a non runner the Toyota was a one-owner example and sparked a bidding war among younger enthusiasts, a sign of the evolving marketplace. Richard Bromell from Charterhouse Auctions in Sherborne, which specialises in classic cars, said: “Minis are a perennial favourite.

There are plenty of spares, a thriving club scene and they don’t take up too much space in the garage.”

Nostalgia is at the heart of the market, he added. “It’s either the car you had when you were young, or the car you wanted to have.”

H&H head of sales, Damian Jones, said: “If a vehicle is fresh to market and sufficiently appealing in terms of originality, condition or provenance (and preferably able to boast all three) then there are still plenty of buyers and record prices are still being achieved. However, overall I would classify the market as cautious and increasingly selective.”

He contined: “Prices for, and interest in, certain ‘Youngtimer’ performance machinery and iconic

HOW A 1939 LAGONDA WENT FROM BARN FIND TO JEWEL IN THE CROWN 14 years ago, the 1939 V12 Lagonda (left) was discovered in a barn where it had languished for 40 years. This month it is expected to make a staggering £400,000 when it goes under the hammer. While it seems a lot, even in its unrestored state the car showed all the promise of a future motoring star – boasting its original push-button radio, period lights, wire wheels and just 50,112 miles on the clock. Not only was it ripe for restoration, its lengthy lack of use (having been in the same family since the ‘60s), meant the engine still turned freely. And most important of all the pedigree was there – the Lagonda being the most technologically advanced car to come out of Britain pre-WWII. The car, which was registered on June 12, 1939 to Mr A.C.W. Norman of Montague St, London W1, was bought in 2006 by Alfred Hill MBE who soon set about restoring it to its former glory.

Complete overhaul

Japanese domestic market models is on the rise, whereas certain pre-WWII cars are in a steady decline, especially if they struggle to keep up with modern traffic.” A rallying scene is driving demand for Ford Escort 1.1litre cars from the ‘60s and ‘70s while the Peugeot 205 GTI continues to do well.

And despite environmental concerns – Bristol is set to become the first UK city to ban diesel cars – car collecting is showing no sign of slowing. Damian said: “Many predicted that the advent of the motorcar would signal the extinction of the horse but enthusiasts won through. If you think owning a collector car is expensive try looking after a racehorse!”

Top The Lagonda before restoration Above The car is expected to make £300,000-£400,000 this month

The car was thoroughly overhauled with a new crankshaft, forged pistons, as well as replacement timing chains and fresh bearings. The suspension, brakes, fuel system and wiring were all rejuvenated, while attention was paid to the ash frame, alloy bodywork, G10 four-speed manual gearbox and steering joints. It was retrimmed in dark blue leather a walnut dashboard and door cappings. The car now has an estimate of £300,000-£400,000 at H&H Classics’ sale on March 18.

Right Collectors at a previous event at the British Motor Museum

CARS: A TIMELINE 1896 - John Henry Knight of Farnham, Surrey builds a four-wheeled petrol engine car. George and Frederick Lanchester build a similar vehicle in Birmingham.

1919 - W.O. Bentley forms Bentley Motors limited in Cricklewood, London.

1922 - Jaguar Cars was founded as the Swallow Sidecar Company, who made motorcycle sidecars. The company changed names to Jaguar Cars in 1945.

1927 - William Morris takes control of Wolseley, one of the British motor industry’s oldest names.

It joins MG to become part of Morris Motors in 1935.

1946 - Triumph Motor Company introduces the 1800, the first British car with column gear change.

1948 - Jaguar introduces the XK 120, the fastest production car ever made with a top speed of 120mph.

Discover more

The British Motor Museum in Gaydon, Warwickshire is hosting a number of motoring related workshops this spring. On April 4 it hosts the day-long workshop ‘Is a Classic Car for you?’ (cost £95 per person) while on April 19 it holds ‘Living with a Classic’ part one, with part two on May 16 (each day costs £80 per person).The course covers maintenance, paintwork cosmetics and fault-finding.

For more details visit www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk

SUBSCRIPTION OFFER Subscribers can save 30 per cent on Simon de Burton’s book Classic Cars A Century of Masterpieces published by ACC Art Books, paying £28 rather than the rrp of £40 (plus £4 p&p). To order a copy call 01394 389977 or email georgina.street@accartbooks.com ANTIQUE COLLECTING 31

MEMORABILIA Trailblazing women ADA LOVELACE

The tech industry is male dominated and has been for a long time. But it wasn’t always thus. In fact, women were key to the development of computer programming.

The godmother of programming is Ada Lovelace – a fascinating character. The only known daughter of Lord Byron, she showed an aptitude for mathematics at a young age. In the 1800s, she began working with Charles Babbage on his Difference Engine – regarded as the first computer.

But while Babbage’s name is in all the history books, Lovelace was a visionary in her own right. She wrote the world’s first algorithm to calculate a complicated mathematical problem. Today, algorithms run everything from traffic lights to the financial markets. A first edition copy of Sketch of the Analytical Engine Invented by Charles Babbage, Esq containing Lovelace’s algorithm sold for £96,000 in 2018.

In May last year, Lovelace’s personal copy of an early work by Charles Babbage sold for £9,500 at Forum Auctions in London. An inscription in Ada’s hand reads: “How vain are the affectations of Man!” Quite.

Above right The rare copy sold for £96,000, image courtesy of Moore Allen & Innocence

THE SUFFRAGETTES

Cool & Collectable

T

To celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, Paul Fraser showcases the most collectable memorabilia from the world’s pioneering females

railblazing women all share one thing in common: they shaped our world as it is today. Let’s explore what makes them so special to collectors.

32 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Above Ada Lovelace was key to the development of computers

Auctions can be emotional events.

I’ve seen it all over the years – joy, despair, anger…

Still I’ve never seen an auctioneer cry at the podium.

But it happened in 2018, during the sale of a fascinating collection of Suffragette ephemera at Hansons Auctioneers.

The collection belonged to three sisters, Edith, Florence, and Grace Hodgson.

It included sashes, postcards, badges and letters – all phenomenally rare. This is a hidden history and very few pieces have survived.

Valuer Isabel Murtough set the estimate for the lot at £2,000. In the end it reached £16,000.

Above right Suffragette sisters (from left) Grace, May, Mrs Hodgson (their mother) Edith and Florence Hodgson, image courtesy of Hanson’s Below The sisters’ collection that moved the auctioneer to tears, image courtesy of Hanson’s, Mark Laban

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE

No one likes going to hospital.

But it was infinitely more unpleasant in the Victorian age.

You can thank Florence Nightingale for improving your chances of survival quite dramatically.

Her work revolutionised the field of nursing and made her an icon of the Victorian era.

Back in 2011, Skinner sold a fascinating presentation copy of her book Army Sanitary Administration and its Reform under the Late Lord Herbert. It bears an inscription to the Parsi reformer Manockjee Cursetjee in Nightingale’s hand – along with an ultrarare signature.

Here’s a good rule of thumb for collecting memorabilia. Demand is always highest for pieces connected with key moments in a notable person’s life. Nightingale’s work with the army established her as the go-to expert on nursing. The book sold for around £5,000.

Left Henry Hering (1814-1893) portrait of Florence Nightingale, image Wikicommons Right The garment sold for $4,225 in 2014, image courtesy of Augusta Auctions Below The book is signed by the author, image courtesy of Skinner

ROSA PARKS

Riding the bus could be a radical act in the ‘Jim Crow’ South.

On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, the driver told Rosa Parks to move from the white section of the bus to the “coloured” section at the back.

The driver, James F. Blake, had humiliated her on his bus before and at that moment she made a decision that would alter the course of American history. She refused.

From this one small act of defiance grew Little Rock, the Freedom Rides and the March on Washington.

Given her legendary place in American history, there’s plenty of demand for memorabilia associated with Parks. In the late 2010s, pieces from the collection of Parks’ lawyer Gregory Reed included a set of her notes from 1980.

Parks relates her experience of the KKK’s bombing campaign against the Reverend Robert S Graetz – a white supporter of the civil rights movement.

They offer a moving insight into the harshness of life in the South at that time.

Guernsey’s auctioned them for £5,750 in 2018.

AMELIA EARHART

Amelia Earhart is a real inspiration. In 1932, she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic.

At a time when women were expected to be demure and diffident, she was strapping on her flying goggles and taking to the skies.

A pair of those same flying goggles realised £11,500 at Clars Auction Gallery in 2011. Earhart was wearing them when she crashed for the first time during training at Goodyear Airfield. Crashes were a pretty common occurrence in the early years of flight. This would be the first of many.

Another intriguing item is a white leather jacket Earhart made in the early 1930s (she originally trained as a fashion designer). It realised $4,225 at Augusta Auctions in 2014.

Despite Earhart’s example, aviation is still very much a man’s world. Only five per cent of pilots globally are female.

Above Rosa Parks being fingerprinted by Deputy Sheriff D.H. Lackey after her arrest on February 22, 1956, image Wikicommons

Right The pioneering flier’s goggles sold for £11,500, image courtesy of Clars Auction Gallery Left Rosa Park’s 1980 notes made £5,750 in 2018, image courtesy of Guernsey’s

Paul Fraser is the founder of Paul Fraser Collectibles, for more details go to www. paulfrasercollectibles.com ANTIQUE COLLECTING 33

EXPERT COMMENT David Harvey

Waxing lyrical

In a new column on fine English furniture, dealer David Harvey puts gout stools in the spotlight

I

was delighted when the editor approached me for my monthly thoughts on the subject of fine English furniture. As a second generation dealer, based in Witney in the Cotswolds, antiques have been a lifelong passion which I am more than happy to share.

For the first of my month ramblings I have chosen the topic of gout which is not, happily enough, an affliction from which I have ever suffered. But I was thrilled this week when this very stylish pair of foot – or gout – stools bought some time ago resurfaced from my upholsterer. With their rosewood and brass they epitomise the Regency era and would have been just as at home in Carlton House as the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. They are written about in Ackermann’s Regency Furniture and Interiors which dates from 1813.

“The angle of inclination given to the surface, receives the foot in its natural and most easy position; while the smaller part of the scroll serves as a stay for the heel and prevents the whole from being propelled forward; and in reversing the situation of the stool, by having the smaller scroll from you, it answers the purpose of a jambier or what is more commonly called a ‘comfort and ease’.”

It seems the expression ‘comfort and ease’ was something of a euphemism for

gout, and a jambier was an ancient piece of armour to protect the lower leg and foot.

BIG TOE The term ‘gout’ – derived from the Latin word gutta, meaning a drop (of liquid) – was first documented in Egypt in 2,600 BC as a description of arthritis of the big toe. Greek physician Hippocrates around 400 BC commented on it, noting its absence in eunuchs and premenopausal women. In 1683, Thomas Sydenham, an English physician, described its occurrence in the early hours of the morning and its predilection for older males: “Gouty patients are, generally, either old men or

‘Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries gout was linked to a high lifestyle and who better to personify this than The Prince Regent? All the flamboyance of the Regency period is well displayed in this pair of footstools’

Above The gout stools are a piece of Regency craftsmanship

men who have so worn themselves out in youth as to have brought on a premature old age—of such dissolute habits none being more common than the premature and excessive indulgence in venery and the like exhausting passions.”

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries gout was linked to a high lifestyle and who better to personify this than The Prince Regent? All the flamboyance of the Regency period is well displayed in this pair of footstools. Historic records of the day reveal The Prince Regent’s first attack following a fall required 1,200 drops of laudanum a day for a fortnight.

It is always a pleasure to look at a piece upside down and see just how untouched the underneath of these stools are. Obviously the webbing and upholstery are new but all the feet and blockwork are entirely original. One of the joys of being a dealer is having the pleasure of placing one item alongside another to produce a sympathetic effect and that is absolutely what happened when I placed the stools in front of my pair of library chairs.

Over and gout!

W R Harvey & Co (Antiques) Ltd, is located at 86 Corn St, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX28 6BU. For more details go to www.wrharvey.com Below A page on foot stools from

Ackermann’s Regency Furniture and Interiors which dates from 1813

The stools at home in David’s library

34 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

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COLLECTING GUIDE Taxidermy painted backdrops also of a very high standard, as are his case frames and glass. Plain cases produced by the North East School are also in vogue for their simplicity which suit a modern interior. Collectors are also attracted to brightly-coloured birds which, again, are ideal for a minimalist setting. Butterflies and insects, while not strictly taxidermy, are also attractive to modern buyers.

There are many great names in taxidermy, however Rowland Ward is one of the most famous British names. Ward’s taxidermy is generally of the highest quality, easy to identify and carries contemporary standards of beauty, as such pieces are sought after by collectors.

ROWLAND WARD Rowland Ward set up his own taxidermy business in 1870 after training under his father, Henry Ward for several years. When Henry Ward died Rowland Ward

Animal Magic Once shunned by collectors, taxidermy is making its way back to the mainstream. Mark Littler reveals why it’s no longer a dying art

I

n Victorian times every town boasted a taxidermist, sparked by a society that was fascinated by death and memento mori – even Queen Victoria famously collected an array of stuffed birds.

While recent decades have seen it fall out of fashion – due to, among other things, perceptions of hunting and the natural environment – taxidermy is back on the agenda championed by a new raft of ethical taxidermists. From soap operas to Hoxton bars, the ancient art is back in fashion and commanding high prices at auction. Sworders’ annual Out of the Ordinary sale last month, and Chiswick Auctions’ new Curious to the Extraordinary in January is testimony to the growing market.

While the work of modern taxidermists, including London-based Harriet Horton, who combines animals and neon lights, are sought after; older pieces by wellknown masters of the art are equally collectable as the stigma surrounding taxidermy softens.

Tony Armitstead is one of the best ‘North East School’ of taxidermists operating from Darlington, Co Durham. His work encapsulates various anthropomorphic traits from renowned late Victorian artists such as Rowland Ward, Peter Spicer and Henry Murray, and prices for his work are likely to increase in value as his name becomes better known.

His depictions of gamekeeping, fishing and gardening mice enjoy a good following, with his

36 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

ANTLER FURNITURE Did you While antler furniture was popular in Germany in the and 19th centuries, when it was popular to have know? 18th an interior full of furniture made from antlers. The

The term taxidermy is based on the Latin taxis (to arrange) and derma (skin). Traditionally taxidermy is considered the process by which the skin of a subject is preserved and then arranged in a lifelike form.

Top The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities in Hackney is a new devotee of taxidermy Above right A piece by

Harriet Horton on sale at Chiswick Auctions’ recent sale

Right A pair of Austro-

German antler armchairs had an estimate of £1,000£1,500 at Tennants’ recent sale

demand didn’t last long and it fell from favour towards the end of the 19th century into the early part of the 20th century. Recently pieces have started to increase again driven by interior designers who appreciate their sculptural form.

absorbed his father’s business and many of his contacts, building upon the established Ward name as the go to London taxidermist.

In 1904 Rowland Ward Ltd. was granted a Royal Warrant officially naming it the foremost taxidermist in the land. Rowland Ward died in 1912 but the company persisted under a series of managers and the highest quality taxidermy bearing the ‘Rowland Ward’ name continued to be produced until well into the 1960s.

The success of Rowland Ward Ltd. was down to his dedication to refining his craft and his savvy business acumen in terms of diversification and advertisement. He strived to produce the highest quality work, for example by refining and establishing the regular use of clay to maintain lifelike features in animals with fine or no hair.

He also used the national press to cultivate interest in his business; harnessing the fame of many of his renowned ex-zoological projects to increase the status of Rowland Ward Ltd. and by displaying the most eye-catching art in the window of his store. As a result his workplace, ‘The Jungle Piccadilly’, became somewhat of a tourist attraction, all adding to his status.

BIG GAME At a time when it was socially acceptable, Rowland Ward Ltd. was the foremost taxidermist for big game.

His spacious workshop was one of the few large enough to handle big animals, whether a horse, hunting trophy or deceased zoo animal. Ward also produced field guides for hunters, showing how to best prepare skins and take measurements. This had the double benefit of making sure skins arrived in good condition and that there were good dimensions from which to create bespoke taxidermy of the highest quality.

Many of the specimens collected in this way would have been commissioned by, or sold to, museums or universities who studied and classified the natural world that was little understood at the time. An intricate taxidermy diorama of giraffes, wildebeests and birds created and donated by Rowland Ward Ltd. in memory of Ward’s death still stands in the Natural History Museum, London.

The Handbook Rowland Ward’s book The Sportsman’s Handbook to Practical Collecting and Preserving Trophies encouraged good practice.

Below The book also

contained tips on how to shoot elephants

Above A wall cased albino grey squirrel by A.J. Armitstead had an estimate of £450-£550

Above One page reveals how to stuff a bird

Below A late Victorian

brass mounted horse hoof inkwell and a horse hoof oil lamp, both by Rowland Ward, 166 Piccadilly, London, sold for £130

CRUFTS COLLECTION Not many taxidermists would undertake commissions on pets; people were rarely satisfied with the results and therefore refused to pay. Rowland Ward was the exception. Not only that, he took great pride in creating them as perfectly as any his other pieces. If fact he submitted a collection of varying breeds of dogs to Crufts for assessment by breed specialists. This collection of dogs now offers a fascinating insight into the changes in specific dog breeds over the last 100 years, providing an important piece of social history.

CASE HISTORY Rowland Ward Ltd. produced distinctive cases that were relatively minimalist by the standards of the time.

Ward’s cases were generally all glass with simple green or brown tape holding the sides together, or sometimes a distinctive bamboo frame. Frames produced by other

THE DODO

‘Uncased fox and badger masks by Peter Spicer are currently in vogue, and head mounts as well as other work

by Van Ingen command a premium’

Ward was also an expert in replicas of extinct birds such as moa, great auk and the dodo. Replica dodos created by Rowland Ward are based on 17th-century paintings and plaster cast models from surviving feet and head specimens.

The stuffed body is covered with chicken feathers with an ostrich feather tail. The models were very popular with museums, so probably what we consider a dodo is largely the creation of taxidermists.

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 37

COLLECTING GUIDE Taxidermy taxidermists often had a solid back that was painted to show the subject’s typical ecosystem. While the ecosystem depictions were useful scientifically and often beautifully hand painted, the minimalist, all-glass cases, and bamboo frames are particularly elegant. Also in their favour, they are in keeping with contemporary styles, meaning they are especially appealing to modern collectors.

Rowland Ward Ltd. did produce some box cases, often for larger scenes and dioramas that would be unstable if produced only in glass. While the all-glass and bamboo cases are easy to spot and were rarely copied by other artists, other Rowland Ward cases can still be distinguished as they are usually signed in some way; often a small ivorine disc within the display, a wax label on the glass and/or a paper label pasted to the bottom of the base.

Right A cased woodpecker diorama, by Rowland Ward, etched to front glass ‘Rowland Ward, 166 Piccadilly, London’, sold for £200 Left An antler and horn mounted jewellery stand, c. 1870-1900, sold for £100 Below The work

of modern-day taxidermists follows in the tradition of Walter Potter

TAXIDERMY TODAY The 21st century has seen a tentative rebound of taxidermy collectors fuelled by sustainable skins (such as farmed zebras) and an increased understanding of the difference between the historic big-game taxidermy and that which hasn’t or doesn’t endanger species.

The elegant, all-glass cases produced by Rowland Ward Ltd. are pleasingly modern despite being a century old and are appealing for collectors and interior decorators. Bamboo-framed fire screens displaying marvellously coloured birds are also popular. In general, well-presented fire screens in good condition are sought after but, unfortunately, are rare as they were not particularly hardy.

ANTHROPOMORPHIC TAXIDERMY

Another branch of taxidermy that is popular with modern collectors is anthropomorphic taxidermy. This where the subject or subjects are arranged such that they mimic humans, often doing everyday human activities and dressed in human clothes. These tableaux created by artists such as Hermann Ploucquet, Walter Potter and, today, Tony Armitstead feature animals such as foxes, mice, squirrels, cats and frogs found playing games, boxing, fencing, attending school, taking tea and much more. They are often amusing and light-hearted vignettes and come in sets of two to four, often presenting a larger story.

38 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

TO CONSIDER 6 THINGS WHEN BUYING TAXIDERMY

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The maker. Different makers command different prices. Well known taxidermy studios such as Rowland Ward, Van Ingen & Van Ingen, Peter Spicer, Hermann Ploucquet, Walter Potter, Edward Hart, as well as pieces from the North-East School and other renowned makers from the early 20th century – are the most sought after.

Condition. The condition of a piece will greatly impact its value. Pieces in perfect condition are more sought after, although taxidermy from a good maker may warrant some restoration by a buyer. Pieces in need of serious repair achieve considerably less.

Where moth damage is present the piece should be avoided as it may risk damaging an existing collection – moths are a serious threat to taxidermy.

Rarity. Unusual subjects, rare (but legal) species and brightly-coloured specimens command a premium. The nature of bird pigmentation means that if they are kept out of direct sunlight then they retain their bright colours – appealing to modern collectors.

Provenance. Items from well-known collections or museums carry with them a premium where provenance can be provided. Similarly, pieces with an interesting history, such as how they came to be preserved, can intrigue collectors and drive up prices.

Cases. Cased pieces are more valuable than uncased pieces. Largely this is simply because cased pieces are generally in better condition than their uncased equivalent. Cases with modern appeal such as those by Rowland Ward and the North-East School are particularly sought-after because of their compatibility with modern interior decorating. Uncased fox and badger masks by Peter Spicer are currently in vogue.

Age. There was a lowering of quality just after both world wars, presumably as studios had to retrain artists. Consequently pieces from both periods are less favoured than prior to each war. Older pieces from the 19th century up to WWI are sought-after and will often command a premium.

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KNOW THE LAW

Robbie Bright, Tennants’ head of natural history and taxidermy unravels the current legislation.

Various items of taxidermy offered for sale at an auction, antique fair or online marketplace are subject to different levels of protection under the 1975 Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora or CITES. The highest bracket of protection, CITES Annex A, covers the world’s most vulnerable and endangered species, ranging from tigers, pangolins and gorilla, to elephants, crocodiles and birds of prey.

When such specimens are offered for sale they must be accompanied with an Article 10 CITES commercial activities licence and will generally need to be pre1947. However, in order to secure such a licence, the seller must prove that certain parameters have been met. These include proof of age because most Annex A species need to be pre-1947 to be considered for a licence. Other necessary supporting evidence can include paperwork, purchase history, images, measurements and attached taxidermist’s trade labels.

Similarly, items for sale that have been ‘worked’ in some way must also meet certain legal criteria, including the pre-1947 date mark. For example, an African elephant tusk which has not been subject to carving on over 90 per cent of the total surface of the tusk cannot be sold, neither can a claw-mounted item of jewellery from a bear, tiger, lion or other protected animal.

The second tier level of protection is CITES Annex B, which includes protected animals such as polar bears, walrus, sloths and others. Species offered for sale that fall within Annex B will require evidence of legal import in the EU, it pre-dates 1975, and proof it was captive bred within the EU. If you have any concerns about a purchase you’re considering find more details at www.cites.org

Right The Grant Museum of Zoology in London Below An Indian

blackbuck horn table, c.

1900, sold for £140

Bottom A European hedgehog and hoglet by Tony Armitstead had an estimate of £500-£600 at Tennants’ recent sale Bottom right An Indian tiger skin, c. 1946, by Van Ingen, Mysore, India sold for £4,500, against a low estimate of £1,500, in the same sale

FIVE TO SEE

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The Natural History Museum at Tring, Hertfordshire, is home to the former private museum of Walter Rothschild, containing the largest zoological collection accumulated by one person. It was first opened to the public in 1892 and displays everything from extinct mammals, to birds and natural oddities, www.nhm.ac.uk The Grant Museum of Zoology in London is the capital’s only remaining zoological museum. It was established in the early 19th century by its namesake, Robert Grant, and is a classic Victorian collection of taxidermy specimens and items preserved in jars, such as the rather macabre moles displayed at the museum’s entrance, www.ucl.ac.uk The Oxford University Museum of Natural History boasts a huge collection of specimens – the largest of any non-national UK museum. Highlights include the mummified foot and head of an extinct dodo, www.oumnh.ox.ac.uk The Booth Museum in Hove, East Sussex is a small museum with a huge collection of historic bird dioramas, the result of the collecting habits of ornithology obsessive Edward Thomas Booth. Booth is recognised as a pioneer of the environmental diorama in taxidermy, www.brightonmuseums.org.uk Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum in Glasgow includes recently-renovated galleries exploring the lives of a menagerie of animals in their natural setting, including the Antarctic and Serengeti Desert.

The museum is also renowned for its collection of indigenous Scottish wildlife, including red deer and a golden eagle, www.glasgowlife.org.uk

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Mark Littler Ltd. has a pool of experts who can advise on the valuation and selling of collections and estates. For more details visit marklittler.com ANTIQUE COLLECTING 39

ac ad FEB 2020.indd 1

29/01/2020 10:16:00

EXPERT COMMENT Militaria But, remarkably, this humble serviceman’s diary from 1916 survived and includes entries written in pencil during the Battle of the Somme. However, it ends abruptly on October 11, 1916. As the battle lasted from July 1-November 18, 1916, our first fears were that the soldier had lost his life in the conflict.

FIELD OF RESEARCH

An Auctioneer’s Lot Discovered in a box in a Leicestershire barn, Charles Hanson is moved by a diary written during the Battle of the Somme

I

t hardly looks like anything. A small, battered notebook bearing scuffs and stains on its cover and a word now hardly legible, ‘Army’, found in a box of militaria in a barn in Leicestershire. We have no idea how. We’re just glad it’s been found at last.

Because when I opened it, I was so amazed I had to take it to my office to study it in depth. As finds go, it was enormously special.

Though it may look weary on the outside, so it should be. Aside from being 104 years old, it survived the Battle of the Somme, one of the most devastating events of WWI. The first day of the battle, July 1, 1916, was the bloodiest in British Army history. Out of 120,000 Allied troops in the initial attack, nearly 20,000 were killed, most in the first hour. One man was killed every 4.4 seconds. Somme casualties went on to top one million – including 300,000 deaths – in what became a fourmonth battle.

Below right A

photograph of British soldiers in July 1916 during the Battle of the Somme shows the appalling conditions endured (not in sale)

But when Hansons’ militaria expert Adrian Stevenson started to research its author, he discovered not only did he survive, he returned home and became a husband and father (even going on to serve with the Air Raid Precautions in WWII).

The soldier in question was Arthur Edward Diggens.

Born in London in 1895, aged 19 he signed up to serve with the Royal Engineers, signals section, serial number 1412. He had the rank of sapper (private).

The Somme wasn’t his first experience of conflict having served at Gallipoli from February 17, 1915 to January 9, 1916. Arthur also wrote a diary about this experience which has sadly been lost.

On the first day of the Somme his diary reads: Something awful. Never witnessed anything like it before. After a bombardment of a week the Germans mounted their own trenches and the infantry reckon that every German had a machine gun…

Arthur was demobbed in 1919 and awarded a 191415 Star, War Medal and Victory Medal. He went on to marry his wartime sweetheart and have a family who lives on in his name, along with his wartime journal.

The Somme diary has an estimate of £300-£400 at Hansons’ medals and militaria sale on March 20. If you have any medals or militaria items you would like valued, please email astevenson@ hansonsauctioneers.co.uk.

Bottom right The entry written on July 1, 1916, the first day of the infamous battle Below The first page of

the diary states that it was started on February 13, 1916

‘The first day of the battle, July 1, 1916, was the bloodiest in British Army history. Out of 120,000 Allied troops in the initial attack, nearly 20,000 were killed, most in the first hour’ ANTIQUE COLLECTING 41

THE EXPERT COLLECTOR Discovering antiques

C

ollectors planning a trip to New York this month are in for a treat. On March 2, as part of its 150th-anniversary celebrations, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is reopening its British galleries putting the role of global commerce at its heart, including newly acquired works by the polymath industrial designer Christopher Dresser (1834-1904).

Following a three-year revamp the new-look galleries continue to celebrate British sculpture, design and decorative arts from 1500 to 1900. But the emphasis has shifted from royal patronage to the men and women at the heart of the Industrial Revolution and their creation of a global empire. Hence the designs of Christopher Dresser are celebrated, alongside portraits of Elizabeth I and the Duke of Wellington.

The reimagined suite of 10 galleries (including three 18th-century interiors) focuses on the commercial drive of the artists, manufacturers, and retailers that shaped British design over the course of 400 years. Rather than kings and queens, the narrative is of global trade and the growth of an empire fuelled by innovation, industry, and exploitation. The role the newly-emerging middle class played in driving demand for luxury goods is also brought into focus.

The Met curator, Wolf Burchard, said: “It appears particularly timely to ask oneself the question of how best to convey Britain’s culture of creativity at a moment when the United Kingdom is reassessing its role on the European and global stage.

“For centuries, London’s flourishing economy encouraged the trading of foreign luxury goods and attracted countless artists and craftsmen from abroad, many of whom will be represented in The Met’s new British Galleries.”

ITALIAN INFLUENCE Before British creativity flourished it relied on learnt skills from abroad.

Foreign artisans started to arrive in England as the Protestant Crown sought to compete with papal Rome and the French courts. These foreigners had more formal training than their English peers, who still operated within the medieval guild system.

BEST of BRITISH Antique Collecting magazine goes behind the scenes at the British Galleries in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York which reopen this month showcasing 700 works housed in 10 suites

42 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Above Christopher Dresser (1834–1904).

Wave bowl, c. 1880. All images courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Right Pietro Torrigiano (Italian, 14721528) Bishop John Fisher, 1510-1515, polychromed terracotta

Left Bruce J. Talbert (1838–1881).

Sideboard known as The Pericles Dessoir, 1866, manufactured

by Holland & Sons.

Oak, inlaid with ebony, walnut, boxwood, amaranth, carved and gilded Right Amoy Chinqua Figure of a European merchant, 1719, Chinese, polychrome unfired clay and wood

Florentine Pietro Torrigiano (1472–1528) was one of the many European artists and craftsmen who made their way across the English Channel to establish themselves in Britain. His naturalistically painted terracotta bust, probably representing Cardinal John Fisher (executed for resisting Henry VIII’s Protestant Reformation), greets visitors to the first gallery.

As trade flourished in the 16th century, it produced a new class of professionals with luxury appetites and ready cash, exemplified the carved oak panelling on display, commissioned by William Crowe, a merchant from Great Yarmouth.

Tea time

A gallery devoted to tea, trade, and empire presents 100 English teapots in two semicircular cases.

Presiding over the display is the small figure of a merchant from 1719, modelled in China by the Cantonese artist Amoy Chinqua (active after 1716).

Jaunty, prosperous, and proud, the East India Company entrepreneur who posed for this portrait represents the commercial interests that drove the expansion of the Empire. The goods they brought from China, India, and the West Indies included tea, sugar, coffee, and chocolate, as well as porcelain, cotton, mahogany, and ivory. Produced at great material and human cost, and then transported thousands of miles, these commodities were now affordable for a new middle class.

Above Harry Powell (1853–1922) for Whitefriars Glassworks.

Vase with knopped stem, c.1880 Above right Staffordshire

teapot, c. 1745, saltglazed stoneware

Right Staffordshire teapot, c. 1755, saltglazed stoneware Below right Staffordshire

teapot, c.1760-1765, salt-glazed stoneware

Left Armchair, c.1755 British, mahogany, needlework

‘The goods the merchants brought from China, India, and the West Indies included tea, sugar, coffee, and chocolate, as well as porcelain, cotton, mahogany, and ivory’ ANTIQUE COLLECTING 43

THE EXPERT COLLECTOR Discovering antiques

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT With both the political and monetary power of British monarchs strictly curbed by Parliament, British artisans did not receive the same level of court patronage as their counterparts in Paris, Dresden, and St. Petersburg.

Instead, 18th-century design in Britain was shaped by entrepreneurs who had the cleverness, technical expertise, and business acumen necessary to succeed.

Nicolas Sprimont (1713–1771) founded the Chelsea Porcelain factory; James Cox (c. 1723–1800) sold precious table ornaments; Josiah Wedgwood (1730–1795) perfected the production of his pioneering pottery, achieving wide distribution within Continental markets; and Matthew Boulton (1728–1809) brought engineering skills to the manufacture of elaborate metalwork. All of these businessmen employed master sculptors, painters, architects, and draftsmen of immense skill and visual sophistication.

44 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Above Christopher Dresser (1834–1904).

Pair of vases, manufactured by Monton, Stoke-on-Trent, earthenware Right Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory (17451784, Red Anchor Period c. 1753-58) Botanic plate with a flowering eggplant, softpaste porcelain

Left Paul de Lamerie (1688-1751) sugar box, 1744-1745, silver Below left Robert Adam (1728–1792). Side table, c. 1765, carved with painted pine, marble sheets veneered on a cement core Right Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812–1852) Made by Holland & Sons (British 1843–1942). Dining chair, 1859

objects by the visionary designer Christopher Dresser (1834–1904) that showcase his limitless creativity and mastery of industrial manufacturing in practically every medium imaginable. Examples by the great gothic revival designer A.W.N. Pugin (1812–1852) also reveal his impassioned assertion of a national style. The achievements of James Powell (1774-1840) and the Whitefriars Glass Company which expanded the gothic revival style into stained glass is also highlighted. All in all an event not to be missed.

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION The final section of the galleries explores the massive shift in scale, pace, and taste brought about by the Industrial Revolution.

Once again, aesthetic and commercial priorities adapted to an immense new world of methods and customers. A highlight of this section is the works acquired specifically for the new galleries, including

The British Galleries reopen on March 2 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Ave, New York. For more details visit www.metmuseum.org

Left Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812–1852).

Manufactured by Minton, Stoke-on-Trent, tazza, c. 1850 Right Staffordshire, The Death of Munrow, c. 1820-1830. Leadglazed earthenware with enamel decoration

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 45

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THE EXPERT COLLECTOR The De Morgans

Art Lovers

The work of the original ‘power’ couple of late Victorian art – William and Evelyn De Morgan – is celebrated in a new exhibition – sure to increase their collecting cachet

L

ong before Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, Gilbert and George or Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner, the Victorian era’s art power couple was William (1839-1917) and Evelyn De Morgan (nee Pickering) (1855-1919).

As designer and painter, rather than just husband and wife, the De Morgans were as Sir Edward Poynter, President of the Royal Academy, notably described them ‘two of the rarest spirits of the age.’

The two artists bridged arts and crafts and postPre-Raphaelitism through their friendships and collaborations, making them central to the story of art of the late 19th to early 20th century.

This month, more than 120 works from the couple go on show at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle – including Evelyn De Morgan’s 1907 work Our Lady of Peace shown for the first time since undergoing major conservation work in 2018. The exhibition, including more than 30 of Evelyn’s drawings from the De Morgan Collection Archive, explores the juxtaposition of William’s aesthetically-driven designs with Evelyn’s narrative paintings, focusing on her spiritual and pacifist themes.

48 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Above Evelyn De Morgan (1855-1919) The Captives, c.1915, all images © De Morgan Collection, courtesy of the Foundation Above right Evelyn De

Morgan (1855-1919) Our Lady of Peace, 1907

Below William de

Morgan(1839-1917) Fantastical peacock plate, 1888-1907

EVELYN PICKERING Before their marriage in 1887, both William and Evelyn were already established artists in their own right. Evelyn had already defied the expectations of her aristocratic mother who reportedly wanted “a daughter, not a painter” and encouraged her drawing tutor to tell her she was no good, in the hope that she might give up on her dream. It didn’t work, as Evelyn went on to be one of the most impressive artists of a generation. Her richly-coloured canvases featuring beautifully draped figures, deliver messages of feminism and spirituality.

They also reject concepts of war and material wealth, making them relevant today. Her remarkable paintings bear the influence of early Italian Renaissance art, as well as the legacy of PreRaphaelitism, yet have a distinctive style all of their own. Her unique paintings also projected her political concerns – she was deeply affected by the outbreak of the WWI. Evelyn excelled in her portrayal of faces, and she studied hands and feet in particular to ensure realism.

MEETING OF MINDS Evelyn met William De Morgan in 1883, marrying in 1887. Although 16 years her senior, she had a career as a professional artist (no mean feat in Victorian Britain), while he had carved out a name for himself as an arts and crafts ceramicist. Together they shared a great interest in social reform, pacifism and spiritualism. The

De Morgans were also supporters of the Suffragette movement, with Evelyn signing the Declaration in Favour of Women’s Suffrage in 1889. William showed his support by serving as vice president of the Men’s League for Women’s Suffrage in 1913.

THE DE MORGANS: EXPECT TO PAY

CHEYNE WALK William De Morgan was the son of a mathematician and had classical art training at the Royal Academy School. His circle of friends in the early 1860s included Edward Burne-Jones, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Philip Webb and, perhaps most importantly, William Morris. Having abandoned traditional art, De Morgan turned to stained glass which, in turn, sparked his interest in pottery by introducing him to lustre glazes and their complex chemistry. With the increase in the middle classes and the the scope of the Victorian interior, tile production was an inevitable next step. De Morgan opened his first proper kiln at 30 Cheyne Walk in Chelsea which is where most of his tiles originated, as well as dishes bought in as blanks from Wedgwood.

Taking his inspiration from the excellent collection of Islamic pieces at the nearby South Kensington Museum (now the V&A), De Morgan embraced a blend of colours including green, blue, turquoise and sealing wax red. As the business expanded he took on Frederick and Charles Passenger (who signed their vases with the initials ‘FP’ or ‘CP’) who remained chief painters and eventually entered into partnership.

MOVE TO MERTON ABBEY In 1881, William became dissatisfied with decorating bought wares and decided to open a factory in Merton,

Above William De Morgan (1839-1917) Seahorse tile panel Right William De Morgan (1839-1917) Fish and Net vase, late 19th century Below right Evelyn De

Morgan (1855-1919) Night and Sleep, 1878

Below left William De

Morgan (1839-1917) Fan tile, late 19th century

While the highest prices for ceramics by De Morgan were achieved in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when larger pieces made (£5,000 plus), demand is once again picking up. This small ruby lustre bowl made by Frederick Passenger and signed ‘FP’ sold for £1,250 at the Dorset auctioneers Lawrences in January, against an estimate of £300-£500.

The work of his wife sells for altogether more.

Evelyn De Morgan’s 1884 Portraits of Alice Mildred and Winifred Julia Spencer Stanhope sold for £125,000 at Christie’s in 2018, against an estimate of £20,0000£30,000, the price reflecting not only the quality of the work but the growing interest in women artists.

South London (1882-1888). From this time, the range increased to include jugs, flower pots, vases, panels and bowls. De Morgan had, since the Chelsea period, been as interested in enamel colours as in lustre, which he now amplified into a range of colours, principally yellows derived from silver. The era also saw a trend towards art nouveau, encouraged by the Century Guild of which De Morgan was a member. It was during this period that other painters joined the firm including Jim Hersey ‘JH’; Joe Juster, ‘JJ’; and ‘HR’ for Halsey Ricardo, another of De Morgan’s business partners.

William and Evelyn De Morgan: Two of the Rarest Spirits of the Age is on at the Laing Gallery Newcastle from March 14 to June 20.

‘Taking his inspiration from the excellent collection of Islamic pieces at the nearby South Kensington Museum (now the V&A), De Morgan embraced a blend of green, blue, turquoise and sealing wax red’ ANTIQUE COLLECTING 49

ANTIQUES UNDER THE HAMMER Upcoming lots

TOP of the LOTS

A trip around the UK’s salerooms reveals this month’s best lots, as well as a collection of miniatures

A pre-war Dinky model of a van, bought for just £4 from a charity shop, is estimated to sell for £2,000 at Charterhouse’s auction on March 5.

The 85-year-old Pickford removal van is one of the earliest models made by Dinky Toys. Dating to between 1934 and 1936 it is the first type of van made in a two-piece lead construction featuring metal wheels.

The Sherborne auction house’s Richard Bromell said: “Pre-war Dinky models are rare and the market for Dinky and other model cars and trains continues to be strong and this will be a highly sought after van by collectors when it goes under the hammer.”

Above The pre-war removal van has an estimate of £1,500-£2,000

A church interior by the Flemish artist Pieter Neefs the Elder (c.15781656/61), which is signed and dated 1653, has an estimate of £25,000£35,000 at Woolley & Wallis’ Old Masters, British and European paintings auction on March 4.

The oil on canvas interior of Antwerp Cathedral, 72 x 88cm (28¼ x 34¾in), had been part of the Houstoun-Boswell Collection, from which it has been entered into the sale by descent.

A Rolex Submariner with box, outer box, spare link, guarantee dated 15/01/2007, original sales receipt, booklets and service pouch has an estimate of £4,500-£5,000 in Ewbank’s threeday 30th anniversary sale from March 18-20.

The auction will also feature a collection of 53 card cases including a William IV double castle top silver card case by Nathaniel Mills, Birmingham, 1839, which carries a pre-sale estimate of £800-£1,200.

Below Some 53 silver card

cases feature in the sale

Above The painting shows the interior of Antwerp Cathedral

A 16th-century silver gilt hawking whistle is one of the highlights of Dix Noonan Webb’s sale on March 17 where it has an estimate of £6,000-£8,000.

Hawking or falconry whistles from the medieval and Tudor period are rare with three appearing in the Museum of London collection.

They were often worn as jewellery and used not only for hunting, but also to summon servants and hounds.

The vendor is a private collector and the 4.5cm whistle was reputedly discovered in the manor of Smallbridge in Bures St Mary, Suffolk, the home of the Waldegrave family who once played host to Queen Elizabeth I in 1561.

Right Hawking whistles

were decorative as well as functional Above The Rolex was

made in 2007 and comes with its sales receipt

50 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

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Some 150 portrait miniatures spanning the 17th to 19th centuries, including works from the Comerford Collection, go under the hammer at Chiswick Auctions on March 25.

The 121-lot collection was amassed over 40 years by the late John Comerford who was a descendent of the renowned Irish miniaturist John Comerford (c.1770-1832).

His, and his wife Pauline’s, love of the art form began with the leading Irish miniaturists of the late 18th and early 19th centuries and went on to encompass artists from Britain and Europe including the German miniaturist Christian Friedrich Zincke (1683-1767), the Swiss enamellist Jean Andre Rouquet (17011758), and Irish-born portrait and miniature painter Nathaniel Hone (1718-1784). The English artists are led by arguably the country’s best proponent of the style – George Engleheart (1750-1829) and his contemporaries William Wood, John Smart and Richard Cosway.

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HIGHLIGHT LOTS

The sale also includes important works from other private collections, including a fine early example by Laurence Hilliard (1581-1647), the son of Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619). The younger Hilliard inherited his father’s appointment as limner to James I, as well as painting for Queen Anne of Denmark.

Another highlight is a rare portrait miniature

by Edward Robert Hughes (1851-1914) of William Holman Hunt commissioned by his wife, Edith after the artist’s death in 1910. The portrait’s frame, set with topaz, rubies and diamonds, may have been made by the arts and crafts jewellers Arthur and Georgie Gaskin.

6

1 Edward Robert Hughes (1851-1914), portrait

miniature of William Holman Hunt O.M. (18271910), has an estimate of £8,000-£12,000 at the sale 2 George Engleheart (1750-1829) portrait miniature of a gentleman, c. 1805, has an estimate of £1,500£2,500 3 Henry Bone R.A. (1755-1834) portrait miniature of Caroline Anne East (b.1772) with her brother Henry, has an estimate of £1,000-£1,500 4 Thomas Hazlehurst (c. 1740-c. 1821) portrait miniature of a gentleman wearing a brown coat, has an estimate of £400-£600 5 Laurence Hilliard (1581-1647) portrait miniature of a nobleman, c.

1605, wearing black doublet and white ruff, has an estimate of £4,000-£6,000 6 Andrew Plimer (17631837) portrait miniature of a young lady wearing a low cut white dress, has an estimate of £1,000£1,500 7 Abraham Daniel (1760–1806) portrait miniature of Eleanor Sutton, age five, c. 1785, has an estimate of £3,000-£5,000 8 Horace Hone A.R.A (1754/6-1825) portrait miniature of a lady, signed on the obverse with monogram HH and dated 1786, has an estimate of £800-£1,200 9 Christian Friedrich Zincke (German, 1683/4-1767) portrait miniature of a lady wearing décolleté pink dress with white underslip, has an estimate of £1,000-£1,500 10 John Comerford (Irish, 1770-1832) portrait miniature of Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke (1757-1834) in robes and insignia of the Order of the Garter, 1804, has an estimate of £1,000-£1,500

8 7

9 10

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 51

ANTIQUES UNDER THE HAMMER Whisky Part of The Macallan 18-YearOld, date run from 1963-1997

OVERSEAS INTEREST

The majority of the collection was bought in the UK, but with some bottles sourced from Spain, Italy, France and Holland. The collector even travelled as far as Barbados to collect a particularly prized bottle. Interesting lots sourced overseas include four bottles of The Macallan Cadenheads, Scotland’s oldest independent bottler (estimated at £800-£1,200 each), which he purchased from Cadenhead’s shop in Amsterdam where he also bought a rare bottle of The Macallan 12-Year-Old French Revolution 1789-1989 (estimated at £500-£700).

SALEROOM SPOTLIGHT

A single owner collection of whisky collected over half a century is expected to make close to £250,000 when it goes on sale this month in North Yorkshire

C

omprising more than 300 bottles the collection, which goes under the hammer at Tennants on March 20, was amassed by a businessman who was first introduced to whisky when his father-in-law gave him a bottle of The Macallan 10-Year-Old. The gift sparked a life-long interest in whisky and a deep love of Macallan, with The Macallan 10-Year-Old being his drink of choice ever since.

A day before the sale, Charles MacLean, one of Scotland’s leading whisky experts, will present a talk to would-be collectors on the development of Scottish whisky from WWII to today’s thriving industry.

The sale features examples from all six of Scotland’s whisky regions (Speyside, Highlands, Lowlands, Campbelltown, Islay and the Islands), as well as whiskies distilled in Japan and India – both of which produce collectable whisky, as well as bottles from Ireland, USA, Canada, England and Wales.

SALE HIGHLIGHTS Macallan is at the heart of the collection, with a bottle of The Macallan 52-Year-Old Select Reserve 1946 (estimated at £20,000-£30,000) as the sale’s most anticipated lot. Distilled just after the war when

52 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Right Glenmorangie

25-Years-Old Highland Single Malt Whisky “The Quarter Century” (estimated at £200£300)

Below Dallas Dhu

12-Year-Old (estimated at £80-£120)

production of whisky – a luxury good – had stopped, it was made with peated malt due to the scarcity of coal.

A rarity on Speyside, it is now recognised as one of the greatest Macallans ever released. The collector has also put together a near-complete year run of The Macallan 18-Year-Old from 1963 to 1997, missing only seven years, offering other enthusiasts the opportunity to add missing years to their own collections.

Further star lots of Macallan include The Macallan 1951, which is bottle number 1 of 632; a very rare bottle from just after the war, (which is estimated at £15,000-£20,000). There are also two rare bottles of The Macallan Red Ribbon, which was bottled for merchants around the world, one from 1938 (estimated at £10,000-£15,000) and the other from 1950 (estimated at £5,000-£7,000).

GLENFARCLAS AND GLENMORANGIE Along with Macallan, whiskies from the bigname distilleries such as Glenfarclas and Glenmorangie, that have proved their worth over time, are also a key part of the collection.

One of the most notable bottles is a Glenfarclas 40-Year-Old Single Highland Malt Whisky from the distillery’s ‘Scottish Classics’ range, which has a bottle adorned with an illustrated poem by Robert Burns (estimated at £2,000£3,000). Whiskies from ‘Silent Distilleries’ – those that

‘The sale features examples from all six of Scotland’s whisky regions (Speyside, Highlands, Lowlands, Campbelltown, Islay and the Islands), as well as whiskies distilled in Japan and India – both of which produce collectable whisky’

have now ceased operating – also offer collectors the chance to buy rare whiskies that are now in very limited supply, rarity leading to good retention and increases in value. Interesting examples include a bottle of 12-YearOld Highland Malt Whisky (estimated at £80-£120) made by Dallas Dhu, a Speyside distillery which closed in 1992.

LEVEL ENTRY Many distilleries are now focusing on branding, packaging and marketing to engage with the younger generation of whisky drinker and collector, to make their brands more current and relevant in today’s market. This has produced a second tier of collectable whiskies, that are both drinkable and affordable.

One such brand is Dalmore, who work in partnership with chefs, destination bars and luxury brands around the world to bring their whiskies to a new audience. One of their distinctive limited-edition whiskies is The Dalmore 1263 King Alexander III Single Highland Malt Whisky (estimated at £80-£100), which is a mixture of six different cask finishes presented with Dalmore’s contemporary-looking stag’s head branding.

Did you know?

The spelling ‘whisky’ is generally used for whiskies distilled in Scotland, Canada, Australia, Japan and Europe, while ‘whiskey’ is used for the spirits distilled in Ireland and America.

Left The Macallan 52-Year-Old Select Reserve 1946 Below left The Macallan Red Ribbon 1938 and 1950 Bottom left Highland

Park 1973 Vintage Scotch Whisky cask number 11151 (estimated at £400£600)

In 1973, Highland Park purchased two Spanish sherry casks, into which they put new-made spirit.

Aged side by side, 28 years later the two casks were bottled, the whisky in each turned out notably differently. There is a bottle from each cask in the sale.

We asked Tennants’ wine and whisky specialist William McNab why the sale is so special What is the sale highlight?

For me, it’s not one bottle, but the near-complete year run of The Macallan 18-Year-Old from 19631997, which is being sold as individual bottles. Year runs are the mark of a true collector, and many will be eager to get their hands on particular bottles to complete their own collection. The year run has a combined estimate of £28,600-£39,500.

Any hidden gems?

Two bottles from the noted distiller Springbank, from the 1960s and 1980s – a period which is particularly buoyant in whisky collecting at the moment. Another interesting bottle is that of Glen Mhor 1980 from independent bottlers The Vintage Malt Whisky Co. Ltd. (estimated at £80-£120).

What accounts for Macallan’s pre-eminence?

AUCTION fact file

Highland fling

IN MY OPINION...

WHAT: The Whisky Sale: A Private Collection WHERE: Tennants Auctioneers, Harmby Road, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 5SG WHEN: March 20 VIEWING: Sunday March 15, 11am-4pm; March 16-19 from 10am-5pm and on the morning of the sale from 8am and online from March 6 at www.tennants.co.uk Whisky: A Talk & Tasting by Charles MacLean takes place at the auction house at 7pm on March 19 followed by a guided tasting. Tickets cost £20, call 01969 621146 for more information

Macallan’s ability to produce top quality whisky has stood the test of time, through two world wars, the Spanish Civil War (Spain being the source of their barrels) and other world events. Sustained excellence has cemented Macallan’s place of distinction, not just in the minds of collectors and drinkers, but also in the wider world. Supremacy in the whisky world is not an easy feat, but whisky enthusiasts are always eager to see which distilleries might try to take on the challenge of toppling Macallan.

Do you have a personal favourite?

That would be the rare and now discontinued Balvenie 10-Year-Old Founder’s Reserve Cognac bottling, which is also represented in the sale.

Not only has it got a wonderful taste, which is like honey with a hint of spice at the end, but, for me, also evokes treasured memories. It is a whisky I drank with my father, who introduced me to the wonders of the spirit.

Are there any entry level bottles in the sale?

There are numerous entry level bottles in the sale, for example the later bottles of The Macallan 18-Year-Old from the year run, which have accessible estimates of £250-£350 each. Other rare and affordable bottles come from the silent distilleries, like the Dallas Dhu 12-Year-Old at £80-£120.

Where do you expect interest to come?

I expect the interest to be both national and international, but particularly from collecting hotspots such as London, Scotland, Singapore, Hong Kong, USA and Japan.

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 53

Michael Baggott Antiques Fine Antique Silver & Works of Art www.baggottsilver.com email: baggottsilver@btinternet.com tel: 07957 732938

MEET the DEALER Michael Baggott is a silver specialist based in Sutton Coldfield

What are you planning to take to this month’s event?

I’ve decided to take the choicest selection of largely unseen objects acquired over the last 20 years, which will feature unique examples of provincial silver including Worcester and Bristol, as well as some historic royal pieces.

How long have you been a dealer, what made you start?

FAIR PLAY

Unveiling this month’s new Open Art Fair, as well as a host of other events

1

The Open Art Fair, London

old BADA fair with a “revolutionary new concept avoiding the ‘A’ word, i.e. ‘antiques’.” Thomas Woodham-Smith said: “The great challenge for the market, not just the fair, is to make itself relevant for the 2020s. Taste changes all the time, dealers are leaving behind the traditional methods of shop-based dealing.”

For more details of the event at Duke of York Square, Kings Road, SW3 4LY, go to www.theopenartfair.com

The Open Art Fair opens its doors this month at the same location as its previous incarnation the BADA Fair – but with the pledge to avoid the word ‘antiques’.

The new event, from March 18-24, promises “an eclectic and inter-disciplinary mix of dealers, to surprise and delight visitors who relish intellectual and decorative shopping.”

Now under the ownership of the co-founders of Masterpiece (Thomas Woodham-Smith and Harry van der Hoorn) the pair hopes to replace the 27-year-

I’ve been involved in antiques since I was a boy and stumbled across my very first antique silver stand, getting impossibly addicted to everything old in a matter of minutes. 35 years later I can say the pull of good genuine antiques is as strong as ever.

How many of your buyers are collectors?

Because of the specialist nature of what I personally sell most of my buyers will be lifelong collectors. I get the delight of showing them something they may have been looking half a lifetime for.

What areas would you recommend to the would-be collector?

I would always recommend objects that were largely handmade and still only cost the merest fraction of what you could have them made for today.

A simple but beautiful Georgian hand raised tablespoon might cost under a hundred pounds, but it would cost five or 10 times that to be made by hand today and not have all the history.

Have you a favourite silver era?

There is little better than the golden age of British silver, around 1685-1750 when the Huguenot influence dramatically pushed our native technical abilities forward to produce heavy and elegant pieces of silver.

Top A pair of famille rose cockerels, Qing dynasty Qianlong period, on sale from Gibson Antiques priced £52,000 Above Queen Anne burr walnut bureau bookcase on sale from Millington Adam Left Elie Lambert (Brussels b. 1949) Deauville ‘Vers le Depart’ Clairefontaine on sale from Tom Rooth Fine Art

What most appeals about the new Open Art Fair?

The Open Art Fair is wonderful as it gives dealers across the country the opportunity to offer the very best antiques currently on the market irrespective of any formal trade associations.

It can be reassuring to have an association label but I earnestly believe you should judge a dealer solely by their reputation for knowledge of their subject.

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 55

LOOK OUT FOR Londo- based jewellers Hancocks will present a diamond tiara, c. 1890, owned by one of the British aristocracy’s most flamboyant and controversial characters, Henry Cyril Paget, the 5th Marquess of Anglesey (1875 -1905). Known as ‘Toppy’ and ‘the dancing marquess’, cross-dressing Paget was renowned for flamboyant parties and the money he spent on jewellery and furs.

2

TEFAF Maastricht

One of the highlights in the collecting calendar takes place this month in the Netherlands with 280 of the world’s finest exhibitors showcasing 7,000 years of art history.

The 33rd edition of TEFAF Maastricht, from March 7-15, will feature dealers from 12 countries including several from the UK. The event is spread across eight sections: ancient art, antiques, design, La haute joaillerie, modern, paintings, paper and tribal art. This year Warwickshire-based Runjeet Singh, which specialises in Asian arms and armour is one of two UK exhibitors selected to take part in TEFAF’s showcase of emerging dealers. The other is the Londonbased gallery Tafeta which specialises in 20th-century and contemporary African art.

This year’s visitors can take part in onehour themed tours around the event. Each tour is limited to 12 people and costs €7,50.

For more details go to www.tefaf.com

MEET the DEALER Stuart Lochhead from Stuart Lochhead Sculpture is exhibiting at this month’s fair alongside Hazlitt

What are you taking to the fair?

Caryatid with Urn by Auguste Rodin which comes from his monumental sculptural work The Gates of Hell and shows a young woman straining under the weight of an urn. Rodin considered it one of his best pieces. This work is particularly rare as it is a plaster model created by Rodin for his foundry to cast a bronze. However, he gave it to close friend and fellow artist, Feyen Perrin. Most plaster models

by Rodin are with the Musée Rodin today.

What was your most memorable sale of the last decade?

I managed to buy a rare and fabulous sculpture

by Auguste Rodin and Albert-Ernest CarrierBelleuse called The Vase of the Titans. Made in glazed ceramic it has four Michelangelesque figures of muscled Titans, modelled by Rodin, supporting a vase in glazes of turquoise, mauve and orange dripping down the vessel which was adorned with branches of ivy and two small frogs. Within a few weeks of delivery I’d sold it to The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.

Which exhibitors/ pieces are you looking forward to seeing at Maastricht?

After the rush of the first few days I find myself searching among the antiquities dealers like Charles Ede of London and David Ghezelbash of Paris. I will also marvel at works by contemporary Japanese artists that the Yufuku Gallery of Tokyo always brings.

56 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), Caryatid with Urn, plaster, 1886, signed and dedicated: A mon Ami/Feyen Perrin/ A. Rodin

What events are you most looking forward to in 2020?

I am excited to visit the once-in-ageneration exhibition of the work of Van Eyck at the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent (on until the end of April). It takes place at the same time as Maastricht so is a must if you are visiting TEFAF. I also always look forward to this month’s Salon du Dessin in Paris when the city comes alive with exhibitions and events on drawings. I am also excited to see the newly-refurbished British Galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York which will reopen in early March.

(Read our preview of the galleries at The Met on page 42.)

Above left TEFAF Maastricht 2019, image courtesy of Mark Niedermann Left A carved lapis lazuli, coral, jade, onyx and diamond brooch, by Boucheron, Paris, c. 1925 on sale from FD Gallery

,,

WHILE YOU ARE THERE

3 things to see in Bath The Museum of East Asian Art, 12 Bennett Street, Bath. www.meaa.org.uk

Hong Kong born lawyer Brian McElney started his collection of Chinese art in the ‘50s. Now housed in galleries over three floors of a Georgian townhouse, the museum includes more than 2,000 pieces of ceramics, jade and lacquerware.

Bartlett Street Antiques, 8 Bartlett Street, Bath. www.bartlettstreetantiquescentre.com Part of the ‘Bartlett Street Quarter’, Malcolm Taylor’s antiques store boasts a wide array from Victorian furniture to militaria.

At 6 Bartlett St discover Felix Lighting, a delightful shop offering a wide range of refurbished vintage lighting.

Bath 3 Decorative Antiques Fair

The American Museum, Claverton Manor, Bath, www.americanmuseum.org

With the theme ‘garden as gallery’, the threeday Bath Decorative Antiques Fair opens for business this month.

Described as “the regional event with an international audience”, 45 exhibitors will showcase their wares at one of the most anticipated decorative fairs outside the capital. Organiser Sue Hodder, said: “The fair has a unique atmosphere, almost clublike, among its exhibitors and clients. The queue on opening day is legendary – studded with

Built in 1830, since 1961 Claverton Manor has housed an ever-growing collection of American decorative arts. The transatlantic brainchild of US collector Dallas Pratt and British-born antiques dealer John Judkin, the collection is housed over three floors.

Galleries chart 300 years of the country’s history, from its founding fathers to midcentury American homes.

Above left Martin Johnson Antiques’ stand at a recent event Below Mid 20th-century glass tumblers and a carrying caddy, on sale from The Vintage Entertainer, priced £110

stars of the antiques trade many of whom start lining up hours before the doors open – in all weathers!”

The event takes place at The Pavilion from March 6-8 with a trade preview on the first day.

New exhibitors this year include Surreybased Joseph Berry Interiors, Sussex dealers Portico Antiques and Interiors and London’s S.Paege & Marina Adinolfi which deals in antique luggage, prints and natural history.

Returnees to the fair include Arundelbased La Place Antiques; No 1 Lewes; Wharton Antiques from Bath, Kent’s Appledore Antiques, French Collection Antiques from Thakeham and folk art specialists Cherrie and Michael Todd.

Above A pair of Anduze urns on sale from Wharton Antiques Right The Poultenay Bridge is one of the city’s many highlights

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 57

EVENTS Round Up

4

Chelsea Antiques Fair

Timed to coincide with the first three days of the nearby Open Art Fair, the Chelsea Antiques Fair is set to attract an audience looking for a diverse range of pieces at affordable prices. Located in Chelsea Old Town Hall, from March 18-20, the event this year celebrates its 70th birthday

5 MINUTES with...

Brad Dover from Jupiter Antiques will be one of the dealers at this month’s fair

What are you taking to the event?

A wide range of 18th and early 19th-century British porcelain, as well as pieces from the collections of the late Dr Michael Witherick and the late Dr Trevor Darling. Michael Witherick’s collection has superb examples of rare Plymouth and Bristol porcelain.

What fairs do you attend as a dealer, and as a would-be buyer?

The ‘Two C’s’ fair in Kensington, the Worcestershire fair at Chateau Impney in Droitwich, both Penman fairs at Petersfield

making it the longest running antiques event in the country.

The fair showcases 40 professional antique dealers and art galleries from across the UK selling pieces for collectors, dealers and interior decorators.

In order to encourage more provincial specialists, organiser Caroline Penman has reduced the duration of the fair and the costs.

She said: Chelsea has been the springboard for many major dealers who have moved on to Grosvenor House, Maastricht and more recently, Masterpiece and the BADA Fair.”

Above left The lavish interior of the old town hall Above Chelsea Gold Anchor period vase, c. 1758, on sale from Jupiter Antiques priced £1,695

and Chelsea, Antiques for Everyone at the NEC and Petworth Park Antiques & Fine Art Fair.

How has the collecting market changed since you have been trading?

The greatest change since we began 36 years ago has been the internet. It allows collectors to be all-seeing as they can compare and buy objects from all over the world. But most collectors want dealers they can trust, who will help them learn and give them a decent deal.

Do you have a favourite era?

The mid-18th century was the experimental stage of English porcelain. It was a time of learning how to turn a lump of clay, or other material, into a porcelain object, such as the pieces made in Europe for half a century and by the Chinese for almost a millennium.

Are there any areas of the porcelain market currently undervalued?

Just about everything is undervalued. It would be easier to compile a short list of what is overvalued. 1999 to 2010 saw collectors investing in English porcelain in a very competitive way. Prices went higher and higher. By 2010, the banking crisis of 2007/08 had taken its toll which continues to this day.

However prices are rising and collectors are returning with gaining confidence. It is a very good time to buy good English porcelain.

How do we attract the next generation?

Most collectors start when they have free time, spare money, a house, a car and no children.

Left Mary Fedden (1915-2012) Still Life with Lemons, on sale from Thomas Spencer Fine Art

58 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

5

Wilton House Antiques Fair, Wilton The 43rd event takes place this month in the grounds of Wilton House near Salisbury home to the 18th Earl and Countess Pembroke, and location for a number of films and TV series including The Crown.

From March 6-8, two areas – the cloisters in the house and the Old Riding School in the north forecourt – will house more than 40 exhibitors presenting antiques and decorative arts.

With prices ranging from £50£50,000, pieces will appeal to both the established collector and first-time buyer alike. Dealers taking part include the London-based Vangelli Gallery, antique box and accessories specialist Mark Goodger from Hampton Antiques, and Muse The Sculpture Company, which is based in Tetbury.

6

Little Chelsea Decorative Arts & Antiques Fair, London

Back with a new owner, new name, and new target audience, the newlydubbed Little Chelsea Decorative Arts & Antiques Fair (formerly the Little Chelsea Fair) returns this month, celebrating its 40th anniversary.

New organiser Dovehouse Fine Antiques Fairs is expanding the event to include decorative arts while maintaining a focus on traditional glass, ceramics, silver and jewellery.

Organiser Jane Alexander said: “Introducing decorative arts to the mix

Above The home has provided the backdrop to films including Tomb Raider Below A Chinese plate with underglaze blue decoration of flowers, dating from the Kangxi period, c. 1700-20, from the Wiltshire-based dealer Drove House Antiques

MEET the DEALER Paul Clark from Bingham Clark Antiques in West London

How would you describe the Bingham Clark style?

Eclectic and informal, but with a love of history and tradition at its heart. I am as likely to sell a piece of Georgian mahogany as I am an item of art deco, or a vintage knife in the shape of a daschund. I also love wood carvings and panels – their organic feel would suit a loft in Hoxton as much as a Georgian house in the country.

How many of your customers are collectors, as opposed to those interested in decorative pieces?

My customers range from dealers to traditional collectors. For example I stock a lot of provincial silver and flatware. I

Left An arts and crafts copper dish c. 1905, recently sold by Paul Clark Below Visitors to Dovehouse Fine Antiques Fairs’ sister event in Dorking

has proved popular with new exhibitors.

It broadens interest and attracts buyers looking for statement pieces.” The event, on March 2-3, will include up to 60 stallholders attracted, in part, by the fair’s enviable King’s Road location.

also have people who are after statement pieces. My biggest thrill is having a customer who comes back to tell me how much they like their purchase.

How important are fairs to your marketing mix?

I describe myself as a ‘born again Luddite’ and, as such, am a huge fan of Instagram which provides dealers with a free shop window. I also enjoy fairs, especially the more informal ones, like Chelsea. It’s important, especially for young people, to keep Bohemian areas of a city alive – like Portobello Road, or the King’s Road.

Where do you see the antiques industry in 2030?

I think the environmental aspect of antiques and their low carbon footprint will come to the fore and attract the next generation of buyers. Antiques is not a dirty word to young people – they are as interested in history and love the stories behind antiques as much as older customers.

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 59

FAIRS Calendar Because this list is compiled in advance, alterations or cancellations to the fairs listed can occur and it is not possible to notify readers of the changes.

We strongly advise anyone wishing to attend a fair especially if they have to travel any distance, to telephone the organiser to confirm the details given.

LONDON: Inc. Greater London Adams Antiques Fairs 0207 2544054 www.adamsantiquesfairs.com Adams Antiques Fair, Lindley Hall, 80 Vincent Square, Westminster, SW1P 2PE, 15 Mar The Open Art Fair 0207 5896667 www.theopenartfair.com The Open Art Fair, Duke of York Square, Kings Road, SW3 4LY, 18-24 Mar Dovehouse Fine Antiques Fair 07952 689717 www.dovehousefine antiquesfairs.com Antiques Fair, Chelsea Old Town Hall, King’s Road, Chelsea, SW3 5EE, 2-3 Mar Etc Fairs 01707 872140 www.bloomsburybookfair.com Bloomsbury Book Fair, Royal National Hotel, 38-51 Bedford Way, WC1H ODG, 8 Mar Bloomsbury Ephemera, Book & Postcard Fair, Royal National Hotel, 38-51 Bedford Way, WC1H ODG, 29 Mar Haddon Events 07519 276507 www.haddonevents.co.uk Crook Log Antique Fair, Crook Log Leisure Centre, Brampton Road, Bexleyheath, DA7 4HH, 1 Mar

Penman Antique Fairs 01886 833091 www.penman-fairs.co.uk The Chelsea Antiques Fair, Chelsea Old Town Hall, Kings Road, Chelsea, SW3 5EE, 18-20 Mar Sunbury Antiques 01932 230946 www.sunburyantiques.com Sunbury Antiques Market, Kempton Park Race Course, Staines Road East, Sunbury-onThames, Middlesex, TW16 5AQ, 10, 31 Mar SOUTH EAST AND EAST ANGLIA: including Beds, Cambs, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex.

Dovehouse Fine Antiques Fairs 07952 689717 www.dovehousefine antiquesfairs.com Dorking Halls, Reigate Road, Dorking, Surrey, 15 Mar Haddon Events 07519 276507 www.haddonevents.co.uk Runnymede Hall Antique and Collectors’ Fair, Kiln Road, Thundersley, Essex, SS7 1TF, 8 Mar IACF 01636 702326 www.iacf.co.uk South of England Showground, Ardingly, Nr Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 6TL, 3-4 Mar

SOUTH WEST: including Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Wiltshire.

Cooper Events 01278 784912 www.cooperevents.com Bath Decorative Antiques Fair, The Pavilion, Bath, BA2 4EU, 5-8 Mar

WEST MIDLANDS including Birmingham, Coventry, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire

IACF 01636 702326 www.iacf.co.uk Newbury Antiques and Collectors’ Fair, Newbury Racecourse, Priors Court Rd, Hermitage, Newbury, Berkshire, RG18 9QZ, 30 Mar

B2B Events, 07774 147197 or 07771 725302 www.b2bevents.info Malvern Antiques and Collectors’ Fair, The Severn Hall, Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcs., WR13 6NW, 1 Mar

Wilton House 01722 746700 www.wiltonhouse.co.uk Wilton House Antiques Fair, Wilton House, Wilton, Nr Salisbury, SP2 0BJ, 6-8 Mar

Coin and Medal Fairs Ltd. 01694 731781 www.coinfairs.co.uk The Midland Coin Fair, National Motorcycle Museum, Bickenhill, Birmingham, B92 0EJ, 8 Mar

EAST MIDLANDS including Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland.

Guildhall Antique Fairs 07583 410862 www.guildhallantiquefairs.co.uk Antiques Fair, Hodson Hall, Endowed Campus, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 2QA, 31 Mar

ADVERTISE TODAY PLEASE CALL JO LORD on 01394 389950 or email: jo.lord@accartbooks.com

60 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

IACF 01636 702326 www.iacf.co.uk Runway Monday at Newark Antiques and Collectors’ Fair, Runway Newark, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 2NY, 16 Mar

NORTH Galloway Antiques Fairs 01423 522122 www.gallowayfairs.co.uk Antiques and Fine Art Fair, Scone Palace, Perth, 13-15 Mar WALES Towy Events 01267 236569 www.towyevents.co.uk Carmarthen Antiques and Flea Market, United Counties Showground, Carmarthen, 1 Mar INTERNATIONAL Tefaf Maastricht +31 (0)411 64 50 90 www.tefaf.com Maastricht, The Netherlands, 7-15 Mar Salon Du Dessin + 33(0) 1 45 22 08 77 www.salondudessin.com Palais Brongniart, Place de la Bourse, 75002 Paris, 25-30 Mar

Plas Ceiriog 1/4:advert

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Malvern Antiques & Collectors Fair

The Severn Hall, Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcs, WR13 6NW

Sunday 1st March Antiques, Art Deco, collectables & much more

Cash only: Early: 8.30am - £4 Entrance: 10am - 4:00pm £3

Three Counties Showground, Worcestershire, WR13 6NW.

13th April

Cash only entrance: 7.30am-3.30pm - £5

Detling Antiques, Vintage & Collectors Fair The Kent County Showground, Detling, Maidstone, Kent. ME14 3JF.

Sat 18th - Sun 19th April

Chelsea Old Town Hall, Kings Rd, SW3 5EE Wednesday 3-8

Thursday 10.30-6

Friday 10.30-4.30

Complimentary E-Tickets via www.penman-fairs.co.uk Enq 01825 744074

NO OUTSIDE PITCHES

Malvern Flea & Collectors Fair Easter Monday

Discerning Collector

Cash only: Sat: Early Entry: 8.30am - £6 Sat: Entry: 10am-4.30pm - £5 Sun: 10.30am - 3.30pm - £4

PM Antiques & Collectables are a modern and innovative online retailer that offers a unique and bespoke way of buying and selling antiques. Specialising in a wide array of eclectic items and collectables, including decorative ceramics, glassware, vintage toys, entertainment and memorabilia, contemporary art and automobilia.

Browse our latest stock at pm-antiques.co.uk Contact us: phil@pm-antiques.co.uk 01932 640113

PM_Antiques

PMAntiques2015

Tel: 01636 676531 www.b2bevents.info ANTIQUE COLLECTING 61

AUCTION Calendar Because this list is compiled in advance, alterations or cancellations to the auctions listed can occur and it is not possible to notify readers of the changes.

We strongly advise anyone wishing to attend an auction especially if they have to travel any distance, to telephone the organiser to confirm the details given.

LONDON: Inc. Greater London Bonhams, New Bond St., W1 020 7447 7447 www.bonhams.com Post-War and Contemporary Art, Mar 12 Modern and Contemporary African Art, Mar 18 Impressionist and Modern Art, Mar 26 Bonhams, Knightsbridge, SW7 020 7393 3900 www.bonhams.com Knightsbridge Jewells, Mar 11 Fine Books, Manuscripts, Atlases and Historical Photographs, Mar 11 Home and Interiors, Mar 18 British and European Art, Mar 24 Modern British and Irish Art, Mar 25 Chiswick Auctions, 1 Colville Rd, Chiswick, W3 8BL 020 8992 4442 www.chiswickauctions.co.uk Jewellery, Mar 3 European Works of Art and Clocks, Mar 10 Old Master Paintings, Mar 17 British & European Fine Art, Mar 17 Interiors and Antiques, Mar 24 Portrait Miniatures inc. The Comerford Collection, Mar 25 Silver & Objects of Vertu, Mar 25 Wines and Spirits, Mar 26 Books and Works on Paper, Mar 30 Photographica, Mar 31 Christie’s, King St., SW1 020 7839 9060 www.christies.com Prints and Multiples, Mar 18 Hansons, The Langdon Down Centre, Normansfield, 2A Langdon Park, Teddington,TW11 9PS 0208 9797954 www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk None listed at time of going to press Roseberys, Knights Hill, SE27 020 8761 2522 www.roseberys.co.uk None listed at time of going to press

62 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Sotheby’s, New Bond St., W1 020 7293 5000 www.sothebys.com Made in Britain, Mar 17 44 Fitzwilliam Square: Works from the Estate of the Late Patrick Kelly, Mar 18 Prints and Multiples, Mar 19 20th Century Art/Middle East, Mar 24 Fine Jewels, Mar 24 Modern and Contemporary African Art, Mar 25 SOUTH EAST AND EAST ANGLIA: Inc. Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex Bishop & Miller, 19 Charles Industrial Estate, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 5AH 01449 673088 www. bishopandmillerauctions.co.uk Decorative Art and Design, Mar 7 Mr Bishop’s Auction, Mar 10 20th Century Collectable Ceramics, Mar 25 Canterbury Auction Galleries, 40 Station Road West, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 8AN 01227 763337 www. thecanterburyauctiongalleries.com None listed at time of going to press Cheffins, Clifton House, 1&2 Clifton Road, Cambridge, CB1 7EA 01223 213 213343 www.cheffins.co.uk The Fine Art Sale, Mar 11 The Interiors Sale, Mar 26 Ewbank’s, London Rd, Send, Woking, Surrey 01483 223 101 www. ewbankauctions.co.uk Jewellery and Watches, Mar 18 Silver and Fine Art, Mar 19 Antiques, Clocks and Antique Furniture, Mar 20 Keys, Aylsham, Norwich, Norfolk, NR11 6AJ www.keysauctions.co.uk Antiques, Collectables and Art,

Mar 14 Fine Sales, Mar 25-26 Wines, Ports and Spirits, Mar 27 Lacy Scott & Knight, 10 Risbygate St, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3AA 01284 748 623 www.lskauctioncentre.co.uk Home and Interiors, Mar 14 Twentieth Century Art and Design, Mar 20 Music and Film Memorabilia, Mar 20 Fine Art and Antiques, Mar 21 Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex 01279 817778 www.sworder.co.uk Homes and Interiors, Mar 3, 17 Fine Interiors, Mar 10-11 Fine Wine and Port, Mar 25 T.W. Gaze, Diss, Norfolk 01379 650306. www.twgaze.com Antiques and Interiors, Mar 6, 27 Toys, Antiques and Interiors, Mar 13 Modern Design, Mar 14 Antiques and Interiors, Beswick, Mar 20 Automobilia, Mar 26 SOUTH WEST: Inc. Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Wiltshire Amersham Auction Rooms, Station Rd, Amersham-on-theHill, Bucks.

01494 729292 www.amershamauctionrooms. co.uk General, Mar 5, 12, 19, 26 Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood, Okehampton St, Exeter, Devon 01392 413100 www.bearnes.co.uk Antiques and Interiors, Mar 10 Books, Maps and Prints, Mar 19 Charterhouse Auctioneers The Long Street Salesroom Sherborne, Dorset 01935 812277 www.charterhouse-auction.co.uk

Clocks, Coins, Stamps, Militaria and Collectors’ Items, Mar 5-6 Chorley’s, Prinknash Abbey Park, Gloucestershire, GL4 8EU 01452 344499 www.chorleys.com Fine Art, Antiques and Ceramics, Mar 17-18 David Lay Auctions, Penzance Auction House, Alverton, Penzance, Cornwall, 01736 361414 www.davidlay.co.uk Antiques and Selected Items, Mar 26-27 Dawson’s Auctioneers 9 Kings Grove, Maidenhead, SL6 4DP www.dawsonsauctions.co.uk Antiques and Fine Art, Mar 21 Dickins, The Claydon Saleroom, Calvert Road, Middle Claydon, Buckingham.

MK18 2EZ. 01296 714434 www.dickinsauctioneers.com Antiques and Collectables, Mar 1-2 Sporting and Country Pursuits, Mar 6 General Goods and Chattels, Mar 7 Dominic Winter Auctioneers, Mallard House, Broadway Lane, South Cerney, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 5UQ 01285 860006 www.dominicwinter.co.uk Printed Books, Maps and Documents, The Reference Library of the Late John Lawson, Mar 4 Fine Art, Old Master Prints and Drawings, Antiques and Textiles, Mar 5 Duke’s, Dorchester, Dorset 01305 265080 www.dukes-auctions.com Avenue Auction, Mar 10, 31 Lawrences Auctioneers Ltd. Crewkerne, Somerset, TA18 8AB 01460 703041 www.lawrences. co.uk General, Mar 4, 11, 18, 25 Books, Maps, Manuscripts and Photography, Mar 6

Mallams Oxford, Bocardo House, St Michael’s St, Oxford.

01865 241358 www.mallams.co.uk Jewellery, Watches and Silver, Mar 25 Mallams Cheltenham, 26 Grosvenor St, Cheltenham.

Gloucestershire.

01242 235 712 www.mallams.co.uk Modern Living, Mar 5 Mallams Abingdon, Dunmore Court, Wootten Road, Abingdon, OX13 6BH, 01235 462840 www.mallams.co.uk The House and Garden Sale, Mar 16 Phillip Serrell, Barnards Green Rd, Malvern, Worcs.

WR14 3LW 01684 892314 www.serrell.com Fine and Antiques, Mar 12 General, Mar 26 Plymouth Auction Rooms, Faraday Mill Trade Park, Cattledown, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 OSE 01752 254740 www.plymouthauctions.co.uk Westcountry Art Auction, Mar 4 Jewellery and Watches, Mar 25 Stroud Auctions, Bath Rd Trading Estate, Bath Rd, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 3QF 01453 873 800 www.stroudauctions.co.uk Antiques and Collectables, Mar 4-6 Woolley & Wallis, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 3SU, 01722 424500 www.woolleyandwallis.co.uk Old Masters, British and European Paintings, Mar 4 Clarice Cliff, Art Deco and Design, Mar 18 EAST MIDLANDS: Inc. Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Sheffield Bamfords, The Derby Auction House, Chequers Road, Off Pentagon Island, Derby, DE21 6EN 01332 210000 www.bamfordsauctions.co.uk Fine Art and Antiques, Mar 11-13 Antiques, Interiors, Ceramics and Jewellery, Mar 11, 25 Specialist Jewellery and Watches, Mar 25

The Bakewell Auction House, Peak Shopping Village, Chatsworth Rd, Rowsley, DE4 2JE, 01629 730920 Antique Furniture, Interiors and Collectors, Mar 4, 18 Batemans, Ryhall Rd, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1XF 01780 766 466 www.batemans.com Vintage and Attic, Fine Art, Antiques and Collectables, Mar 2 Fine Art, Antiques and Specialist Collectors, Mar 7 Gildings Auctioneers, The Mill, Great Bowden Road, Market Harborough, LE16 7DE 01858 410414 www.gildings.co.uk Toys, Model Railways and Live Steam, Mar 2 Antiques and Collectors, Mar 3, 17, 31 WEST MIDLANDS: Inc. Birmingham, Coventry, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Bigwood Auctioneers, Stratford-Upon-Avon Warwickshire, CV37 7AW 01789 269415 www.bigwoodauctioneers.com Furnishings, Interiors and Collectables, Mar 6, 13 Antiques and Collectables with Traditional Sports and Pastimes, Mar 27 Brightwells, Leominster, Herefordshire.

01568 611122 www.brightwells.com Spring Two Day Fine Art, Mar 18-19 Cuttlestones Ltd, Penkridge Auction Rooms, Pinfold Lane, Penkridge, Staffordshire, ST19 5AP 01785 714905 www.cuttlestones.co.uk Spring Antique, Mar 5 Antique and Interiors, Mar 11, 25 Cuttlestones Ltd, Wolverhampton Auction Rooms, No 1 Clarence Street, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV1 4JL 01902 421985 www.cuttlestones.co.uk Specialist Collectors, Mar 20 Fellows, Augusta House, 19 Augusta Street, Hockley, Birmingham, B18 6JA

0121 212 2131. www.fellows.co.uk Watches, Mar 2 Pawnbrokers Jewellery and Watches, Mar 5, 19 Antiques, Silver and Collectables, Mar 9 Fine Jewellery, Mar 12 Gemstones, Mar 20 Jewellery, Mar 26 Fieldings, Mill Race Lane, Stourbridge, DY8 1JN, 01384 444140 www.fieldingsauctioneers.co.uk Decades of Design, Mar 7 Halls, Bowmen Way, Battlefield, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 3DR 01743 450700. www.hallsgb.com Antiques and Interiors, Mar 4 The Spring Auction, Mar 18 Hansons, Bishton Hall, Wolseley Bridge, Stafford, ST18 0XN 0208 9797954 www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk None listed at time of going to press Potteries Auctions, Unit 4A, Aspect Court, Silverdale Enterprise Park, Newcastle, Staffordshire, ST5 6SS. 01782 638100 www.potteriesauctions.com Rare 20th Century British Pottery, Antiques, Fine Art, Military, Jewellery and Collectors’ Items, Mar 14 Richard Winterton Auctioneers, The Litchfield Auction Centre, Wood End Lane, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 8NF 01543 251081 www.richardwinterton.co.uk Home and Interiors, Mar 10-12 Fine Arts and Specialist, Mar 24-25 Trevanion & Dean, The Joyce Building, Station Rd, Whitchurch, Shropshire, SY13 1RD 01928 800 202 www.trevanionanddean.com Fine Art and Antiques Mar 14 NORTH: Inc. Cheshire, Co. Durham, Cumbria, Humberside, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Sheffield, Yorkshire Adam Partridge, Withyfold Drive, Macclesfield, Cheshire 01625 431 788 www.adampartridge.co.uk Studio Ceramics and Modern Design, Mar 13

Anderson and Garland Crispin Court, Newbiggin Lane, Westerhope, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE5 1BF. 0191 430 3000 www.andersonandgarland.com The Music Auction, Mar 3 Town and County, Mar 4, 18 Stamps and Coins, Mar 19 Capes Dunn, Charles St., Manchester, 0161 273 1911 www.capesdunn.com Interiors, Vintage and Modern Effects, Mar 9, 23 Antiquarian and Collectable Books, Maps and Affordable Art, Mar 10 Jewellery, Silver, Watches and Gold Coins, Mar 24 Elstob & Elstob, Bedale Hall, North End, Bedale, North Yorkshire DL8 1AA. 01677 333003 www.elstobandelstob.co.uk None listed at time of going to press Hansons, Heage Lane, Etwall, Derbyshire, DE65 6LS 01283 733988 www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk Antiques and Collectors, Mar 12-20 Historica: Coins, Banknotes and Antiquities, Mar 26-27 Silver, Fine Jewellery, Watches and “Made in Derbyshire” auction, Mar 31 Morphets, 6 Albert St, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 1JL 01423 530030 www.morphets.co.uk Fine Art and Antiques, Mar 5 Furniture and Design for Home and Garden, Mar 19 Peter Wilson Fine Art Victoria Gallery Market St, Nantwich, Cheshire. 01270 623 878 www.peterwilson.co.uk Interiors, Mar 5 Fine and Classic Interiors, Mar 12 Fine Jewellery and Watches, Mar 19 Coins and Banknotes, Mar 31 Sheffield Auction Gallery, Windsor Road, Heeley, Sheffield, S8 8UB. 0114 281 6161 www.sheffieldauctiongallery.com Antiques and Collectables, Mar 6 Vinyl Records and Music Ephemera, Mar 6 The Household Auction, Mar 7 Silver, Jewellery and Watches, Mar 19 Antiques and Fine Art, Mar 20 ANTIQUE COLLECTING 63

Tennants Auctioneers, Leyburn, North Yorkshire 01969 623780 www.tennants.co.uk Antiques and Interiors inc. selected Traditional and Modern Pictures, Mar 6 Militaria and Ethnographica, Mar 6 Antiques and Interiors, Mar 13, 27 Books, Maps and Ephemera, Mar 18 The Whisky Sale: A Private Collection, Mar 20 Spring Fine Art Sale, Mar 21 Jewellery, Watches and Silver, Mar 21 The Fan Collection, Mar 26 Thomson Roddick and Medcalf, Coleridge House, Shaddongate, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA2 5TU 01228 5289939 www.thomsonroddick.com Home Furnishings and Interiors, Mar 3, 17, 31 Toys, Coins, Medals and Militaria, Mar 4 Antiquarian and Collectable Books, Mar 18

SCOTLAND Bonhams, Queen St, Edinburgh.

0131 225 2266. www.bonhams.com Whisky, Mar 4 Asian Art, Mar 18 Lyon & Turnbull, Broughton Pl., Edinburgh. 0131 557 8844 www.lyonandturnbull.com Jewellery, Watches and Silver, Mar 10 Asian and Islamic Works of Art, Mar 11 WALES Anthemion Auctions, 15 Norwich Road, Cardiff, Wales, CF23 9AB 029 2047 2444 www.anthemionauction.com General, Mar 4 Peter Francis, Towyside Salerooms, Old Station Rd, Carmarthen, SA31 1JN 01267 233456 www.peterfrancis.co.uk Spring Fine Sale, Mar 4 Antiques and Collectables, Mar 18

LOWESTOFT PORCELAIN AUCTION ZOË SPRAKE





Wednesday 21st October 2020, 7pm Entries are invited for this sale

AD Hotel Victoria, Lowestoft, NR33 0BZ Guest auctioneer: Elizabeth Talbot of TW Gaze

website: email: telephone:

www.lowestoftchina.co.uk lowestoftchina@gmail.com 01986 892736

64 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

       

 

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ANTIQUES CENTRES

ANTIQUES CENTRES

LENNOX CATO EDENBRIDGE ANTIQUES & WORKS OF ART

THE

GE

RIES

GALLERIES

EST: 1978

Cheltenham Antiques Why not pay a visit to the finest quality

quality ngland…

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Complement home with a fine crystal glass or you won’t be disappointed! brass chandelier. Over 300 old chandeliers for sale, many unique. All fully restored and rewired.

1 The Square, Church Street,

Cheltenham Antique Market, 1 The Square, Church Street, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 5BD Edenbridge, Kent TN8 5BD 54 Suffolk Road GL50 2AQ T: 01732 864163 Tel: 01242 529812 01732 E: 865 988 cato@lennoxcato.com info@edenbridgegalleries.com www.antiquecrystalchandeliers.co.uk www.edenbridgegalleries.com

nt, TN8 5BD

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“The biggest collection of fine and antique jewellery in London” £500 - Cheltenham £50,000

Antiques

Complement your home with a fine crystal glass or brass chandelier. Over 300 old chandeliers for sale, many unique. All fully restored and rewired.

Cheltenham Antique Market, 54 Suffolk Road GL50 2AQ Tel: 01242 529812

www.antiquecrystalchandeliers.co.uk

Gloucester Antiques Centre 1/4_Layout 1 13/11/2019 12:30 Page 1

THE The NEW New GLOUCESTER GloucesTer ANTIQUES CENTRE ANTiques ceNTre

we have found a new home We home in the heart of the city of Gloucester In the heart of the city of Gloucester in aa beautiful beautiful 16th 16th century in century building building in historic westgate street in historic Westgate Street come visiT ANd see our woNderful COME VISIT AND SEE OUR WONDERFUL ArrAy collecTAbles ARRAYof OFANTiques ANTIQUES ANd AND COLLECTABLES We orientalcollectibles, collectibles, Wehave havesilver, silver, jewellery, jewellery, oriental ceramics, postcards,railwayana, railwayana, ceramics,art, art,glass, glass, toys, toys, postcards, stamps, much more. more. stamps, coins coins and much enjoy two floors floorsofofthe the Enjoybrowsing browsing on on two Guild hall, original mercers original Mercers Guild hall, (expanding floors of ofthe theadjacent adjacent (expandingsoon soon into into two floors Maverdine chambers) Chambers) maverdine Weare are open open 77 days we days aa week week Monday-Saturday 10-5, andsunday Sunday11-4.

11-5. monday-saturday 10-5,

THE New NEW GloucesTer GLOUCESTER ANTiques ANTIQUES CENTRE The ceNTre LTD, lTd, 26 WESTGATE STREET, GLOUCESTER, GL1 2NG 26 wesTGATe sTreeT, GloucesTer, Gl1 2NG

TEL 529716 Tel 01452 01452 529716

FOLLOW ON fAcebook FACEBOOK follow US us oN

THE NEW GLOUCESTER ANTIQUES CENTRE We have found a new home In the heart of the city of Gloucester in a beautiful 16th century building in historic Westgate Street COME VISIT AND SEE OUR WONDERFUL ARRAY OF ANTIQUES AND COLLECTABLES We have silver, jewellery, oriental collectibles, ceramics, art, glass, toys, postcards, railwayana, stamps, coins and much more.

58 Mayfair, EnjoyDavies browsing Street, on two floors of the original Mercers Guild hall, (Opposite Bond Street Tube) (expanding soon into two floors of the adjacent London W1K 5LP Maverdine Chambers) We are open 7 days a week

Monday-Saturday 10-5, and Sunday -11-5.

Monday - Friday 10am 6pm Saturday 11am - 5pm

THE NEW GLOUCESTER ANTIQUES CENTRE LTD, 26 WESTGATE020 STREET, GLOUCESTER, 7629 7034 GL1 2NG

TEL 01452 529716 graysantiques.com FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK

ANTIQUE COLLECTING ANTIQUE COLLECTING 6565

62

LAST WORD Marc Allum

Marc My Words Putting antiques aside, Marc Allum reveals his true yearning to be a blue badge guide did my fair share of WI talks and charity dinners. However, what I really enjoyed doing was being a guide.

SOAP BOX

N

o one can deny that the antiques trade attracts a fair smattering of eccentric, gregarious, energetic and flamboyant people. There are times, in fact, when I feel that in this media-driven world, some of these attributes have become more important than the basic requirement of knowing your stuff. As a young auctioneer with no yearning for any sort of fame, I tended to rely on my natural conviviality to ply my trade.

As well as dealing with clients and trying to crack the odd joke on the rostrum, I

What, you might ask, does the work of an auctioneer have to do with being a guide? Well, it’s quite simple. It’s an area that enables you to use your knowledge of objects and sense of history to bring places and situations to life. So, whether it’s an archaeological dig in my back garden, or a gallery in the Hermitage, once you’ve got the bug for standing on a soap box, guiding is just an extension of that brief to educate and entertain. And that’s often what it comes down to – the ability to entertain.

It’s a dinner party conversation I’ve had a hundred times over - when friends return from their holidays. What was the guide like? I’ve been on tours where the guide has totally made the holiday (if you could actually call them holidays) and some where they could have been better.

The schedules have often been gruelling. While I’m never one for sitting on beaches, I have frequently suffered from ‘temple overload’ syndrome. And, God forbid I am in the audience on a guided tour. My standards are exacting and I have to be really careful not to say too much. Nothing worse than being a smart alec and stealing the guide’s thunder.

BACK OF THE GROUP Added to this, I’m also usually miles behind the group, sticking my nose into roped off areas, photographing graffiti and looking for shards of ancient pottery. But whether explaining Schliemann’s Great Trench at Troy to a group of cruise ship

‘I’m also usually miles behind the group, sticking my nose into roped off areas, photographing graffiti and looking for shards of ancient pottery’ 66 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

passengers, or walking around an English country house, there’s something quite magical about getting information across.

It’s what – in essence – people in the antiques business do every day.

AUCTION TOURS One of my favourite forms of guiding is taking a group of people on a day out to an auction house view, or a trip around an antiques centre.

These intimate, tailor-made excursions are great fun. Always different, the variety of material at an auction view is generally fascinating to explore, especially with a willing audience. Naturally, it generates a plethora of tales about the business and how it works. The technicalities of how to spot damage and restoration, what’s fake, what’s not, what are the potentially good investments? All this balanced with a retail antiques experience followed by a hearty lunch.

Do I ever buy anything? Frankly, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t.

What’s more, many of my clients do, too.

So there you have it: my little secret.

I’ve always harboured a desire to be a blue badge guide. The only problem is, I’m not sure I’ll find the time to sit the exams. Maybe when I retire – if I ever do!

Marc Allum is a specialist on BBC Antiques Roadshow and the author of several books on collecting. For more details go to www.marcallum.co.uk Left Marc takes a break from being a guide Below Marc pauses for breath in Egypt

Specialists in the sale of single owner collections and estates

A FINE 60 BORE GERMAN (THURINGIAN) WHEEL-LOCK CARBINE, SUHL, LATE 16TH CENTURY

£22,000

INDEPENDENT ANTIQUES ADVISOR & VALUER • Antiques • Silver • Classic Cars • Watches • Jewellery • Wine & Whisky www.marklittler.com

01260 218 718

valuation@marklittler.com

1965 Rolex GMT-Master Pepsi Estimate: £15,000 William George & Co

George IV silver candlesticks Estimate: £350–520 Adam’s

Coffee table, Herman Miller Estimate: £760–1,150 Wright

Marble bust Late 19th/early 20th century Estimate: £11,500–15,500 Christie’s

Sear c 2000 h over a uct hous es fr ion om over the w all orld Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger Estimate: £30,000–50,000 Sotheby’s

Pumpkin, Yayoi Kusama (b.1929) Hammer price: £550 Forum Auctions

Hermès bag Kelly Starting price: £7,500 Stockholms Auktionsverk

Your search for art, design, antiques and collectables starts here

May Day V, Andreas Gursky Estimate: £450,000–650,000 Phillips

Mahogany dresser Estimate: £500–660 Uppsala Auktionskammare

Swivel chair by Hans J. Wegner Estimate: £2,460–3,300 Bruun Rasmussen

Style of Serge Mouille, ca. 1950s Estimate: £300–460 Rago Arts

Edwardian Art Noveau frame Estimate: £200–300 Tennants

Emerald cut diamond ring Fixed price: £27,400 Once Upon A Diamond

Without title, Alexander Calder Estimate: £430–600 Artcurial

Edwardian arm chair, ca. 1910 Fixed price: £3,850 Wick Antiques

Find the true value of your treasures - only £13. Visit barnebys.co.uk/valuation