Antique Collecting magazine March 2022

MEE T T HE COLUMNIS TS: LENNOX C ATO M ARC ALLUM C H AR LE S H ANSON

MARCH 2022 GOING FOR A SONG

The world’s best porcelain

Christina Trevanion Celebrates the joy of the medieval misericord

Discover why now is the time to buy Nantgarw pottery

ANTIQUE COLLECTING VOL 56 N0.9 MARCH 2022

7

Victorian Women

Whose collections inspired generations

ARTS & CRAFTS

RECORD BREAKER

The Cotswold School furniture maker Ernest Barnsley hits a new auction high ALSO INSIDE Pearls are back in fashion • Watch special • Pembroke tables in focus

MARCH AUCTIONS Tuesday 1 | The Russell Barnes Collection (Early Jazz, Opera and Gramophones) Wednesday 2 | The Douglas Fairbanks Jr Collection Friday 11 | Sunday 20 - Fine Wine & Spirits Tuesday 15 | Homes & Interiors Tuesday 22 & Wednesday 23 | Fine Interiors Tuesday 29 | Homes & Interiors Wednesday 30 | Jewellery

For more information auctions@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778 www.sworder.co.uk Stansted Mountfitchet | Essex | CM24 8GE

FIRST WORD

Welcome Do you ever consider, slumped in front of the TV, wine in hand, watching Antiques Road Trip on catch-up, you could be achieving more? No offence to Timothy Wonnacott et al, but such was my thought on reading this month’s article, about pioneering Victorian (female) collectors.

Take Charlotte Schreiber, for instance. Married at 21 to a wealthy ironmaster; after bearing 10 children and widowed at 40, she took over the family ironworks. Along the way she taught herself Arabic, Hebrew and Persian. And this was before her career as a collector even took off, after which she donated 12,000 pieces of porcelain to the V&A. Mind you, in our defence, this was before the advent of BritBox. Read her astounding tale on page 50.

While that feature celebrates International Women’s Day on March 5, on page 44 we put out the bunting for St David’s Day on March 1 by taking a look at two Welsh porcelain manufactories: Swansea and Nantgarw, the latter being widely regarded as the finest porcelain ever made. It’s a fascinating article by Ben Rogers Jones and, with the price of a lot of Welsh porcelain currently in the doldrums, this could be the perfect time to buy.

Talking of the finest ever made, many collectors consider the treasures made in the Meiji period in Japan from 1868 to 1912 the pinnacle of human achievement in the decorative arts. Discover more on page 18.

Elsewhere in the magazine our resident columnists reveal their expertise on a variety of topics including misericords (Christina Trevanion, page 10); nests of tables (Lennox Cato, page 42); a rare Gibson guitar (Marc Allum, page 66) while, on page 29, Charles Hanson goes typically off piste with an absorbing tale of the history of George Formby’s kimono.

Enjoy the issue.

IN THIS ISSUE

BEHNAZ ATIGHI MOGHADDAM

Behind the scenes with an Islamic arts expert, page 28

JEFFREY LASSALINE Previews a single owner collection of Russian decorative arts, page 30

SARAH FERGUSSON Celebrates Audemars Piguet’s iconic watch the Royal Oak, page 34

Georgina Wroe, Editor

LENNOX CATO

Gives the essential low-down on the most collectable nests of tables, page 42

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

Antique Collecting subscription

We love

This silver pitcher by the Danish artist and designer, Henning Koppel (1918-1981) which has an estimate of £3,000-£5,000 at Dreweatts’ sale on March 8-9

THE TEAM

Editor: Georgina Wroe, georgina. wroe@accartbooks.com Online Editor: Richard Ginger, richard.ginger@accartbooks.com Design: Philp Design, james@philpdesign.co.uk Advertising: Charlotte Kettell 01394 389969, charlotte.kettell @accartbooks.com Subscriptions: Jo Lord jo.lord@accartbooks.com

£38 for 10 issues annually, no refund is available.

ISSN: 0003-584X

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 3

AUCTION | 22 & 23 MARCH FINE ART, ANTIQUES, STAMPS & BOOKS

PRINKNASH ABBEY PARK GLOUCESTERSHIRE GL4 8EU

www.chorleys.com

01452 344499 | enquiries@chorleys.com

Contents VOL 57 NO 9 MARCH 2022

THIS MONTH

REGULARS 3

Editor’s Welcome: Georgina Wroe introduces the March magazine with a focus on International Women’s Day and St David’s Day

6

Antique News: Five Monets go on sale, a metal detectorist unearths a record-breaking coin and there’s a spate of letterbox thefts

10 Lots of Love: Christina Trevanion praises the medieval misericord 12 Around the Houses: Jewellery is flying out of the UK’s salerooms, while the arts and crafts furniture maker Ernest Barnsley sets an auction record 16 Waxing Lyrical: David Harvey is in a flap over a stunning Pembroke table MEE T T HE COLUMNIS TS: LENNOX C ATO M ARC ALLUM C H AR LE S H ANSON

MARCH 2022 GOING FOR A SONG

The world’s best porcelain

Christina Trevanion Celebrates the joy of the medieval misericord

12

23 Your Letters: A nit comb gets one reader out of a scrape 28 Profile: Behind the scenes with Behnaz Atighi Moghaddam, head of Christie’s Islamic and Indian Art department

Discover why now is the time to buy Nantgarw pottery

ANTIQUE COLLECTING VOL 56 N0.9 MARCH 2022

7 Victorian Women

Whose collections inspired generations

ARTS & CRAFTS

RECORD BREAKER

The Cotswold School furniture maker Ernest Barnsley hits a new auction high

29 An Auctioneer’s Lot: Charles Hanson reveals how George Formby’s kimono appeared in his saleroom

ALSO INSIDE Pearls are back in fashion • Watch special • Pembroke tables in focus

COVER

The Minoprio Collection, which included Ernest Barnsley’s record-breaking piece, see the story on page 12. Image by Alex Robson, Lyon & Turnbull

30 Saleroom Spotlight: A preview of a single owner collection of Russian decorative arts going under the hammer this month 41 Gem of the Month: Cool blue aquamarine dazzles in March

FOLLOW US @AntiqueMag

6

30

18

42 Without Reserve: The nest of tables is as useful and elegant today as it ever was, writes Lennox Cato 48 Puzzle Pages: Fire up the little grey cells with this month’s quiz and head-scratching crossword 54 Book Offers: Discover the latest exclusive deals from our sister publisher ACC Art Books 56 Top of the Lots: Possessions once owned by the Hollywood actor and swashbuckler Douglas Fairbanks Snr go under the hammer in Essex 58 Fairs Calendar: Keep up to date with the latest listings 60 Auction calendar: Never miss another sale with our regional guide 66 Marc My Words: Antiques Roadshow’s Marc Allum turns rock god when he appraises a rare guitar

FEATURES 18 Meiji Day: Duncan Phillips considers why the Meiji period in Japan may have given rise to the best decorative arts man has ever produced 24 Poster Boy: The talents of the unsung graphic designer A. E. Hailliwell are put in the spotlight ahead of a sale of his work next month in Kent 34 Mighty Oak: On its 50th-anniversary Sarah Fergusson puts Audemars Piguet’s iconic watch the Royal Oak in the spotlight 38 Pearl Power: Once out-of-fashion pearls are making headlines in and out of the saleroom. We report on what the boom means for collectors 44 Welsh Rare Bits: Porcelain by the Welsh manufactory Nantgarw is among the best ever produced but currently undervalued, Ben Rogers Jones reports on how to start a collection

56

50 Against the Odds: Meet seven intrepid Victorian women whose collections kickstarted some of the best UK museums

TO SUBSCRIBE TODAY VISIT WWW.ANTIQUE-COLLECTING.CO.UK/SUBSCRIBE WEEKDAYS FROM 9.30AM TO 1PM ANTIQUE COLLECTING 5

NEWS All the latest

WHAT’S GOING ON IN MARCH

ANTIQUE

news

This month’s events include the launch of the world’s first NFT museum and a craft biennial at Harewood House

Above The works came

from the sale of an American collector Below Mac Collins in the Cinnamon Drawing Room at Harewood House, photo Dawn Kelly Below right The table

in the State Dining Room alongside 12 Chippendale chairs, photo Paul Barker and Harewood House Trust

Show me the Monet On show in London until March 2, five works by the French Impressionist Claude Monet (1840-1926) go under the hammer this month.

All from the same collection, they are expected to fetch a collective £35m in a sale at Sotheby’s on March 2.

Among the most valuable is Massif de chrysanthèmes, painted in 1897, the same year Monet began his water lily pond series. It is estimated to fetch £10-£15m. Les Demoiselles de Giverny, depicting a field of haystacks, has a £15-£20m estimate. Sotheby’s Helena Newman said the artist’s recent appeal has “taken on an even more renewed vigour – particularly in Asia where he is a beloved figure.”

The paintings will go on view to the public at Sotheby’s in New York, Hong Kong and Taipei before reaching their final destination in London.

CRAFT TIMES A London reclamation dealer is one of the exhibitors taking part in the second edition of the Harewood House Biennial, Radical Acts: Why Craft Matters.

The north London salvage firm Retrovius will use reclaimed wood to replace eight leaves from the dining table in the State Dining Room to mirror the original Robert Adam ceiling. The process of using furniture to mirror ceilings was common in the Georgian era. The original Harewood ceiling was removed by the Victorians and now exists in fragmented form in Sir John Soane’s Museum.

The biennial celebrates the house’s craftsmanship through the centuries, from the largest commission of furniture by Thomas Chippendale in the 18th century.

The Nottingham designer Mac Collins will also create a domino set, games table and stools, inspired by the Caribbean community’s domino-playing culture for the Cinnamon Drawing Room.

6 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Far left Inji Efflatoun,

Portrait of Inji Efflatoun, 1958. Courtesy Mathaf Arab Museum of Modern Art Left Wilhelmina Barns-

Graham, Studio Interior (Red Stool, Studio), 1945 © Wilhelmina BarnsGraham Trust Right Sir Anthony van

Dyck, Christ Healing the Paralytic, c. 1619. Royal Collection Trust /Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2022 Below left Pablo Picasso,

1

Rooms with a view

An exhibition showcasing a century of the artists’ studio continues in London this month.

The Whitechapel Gallery is presenting 100 years of painters’ spaces, ranging from a kitchen to an abandoned factory. The exhibition sets out to consider the importance of the creative space in which art was conceived and created.

The artists whose studios are put in the spotlight include Francis Bacon, the Egyptian artist Inji Efflatoun, Pablo Picasso, Egon Schiele and Andy Warhol, as well as contemporary artists such as the Los Angeles artist Walead Beshty and the South African painter Lisa Brice.

A Century of the Artist’s Studio continues until May 29.

3

All the Queen’s men

Featuring portraits of Sir Francis Drake and Thomas Seymour, the lives of Elizabeth I’s male courtiers are in the spotlight at an exhibition this month at the Queen’s House in Greenwich.

The Tudor monarch, who reigned from 1558 until her death in 1603, was a shrewd leader and skilled strategist who surrounded herself with powerful noblemen, statesmen and adventurers.

In return for their loyalty and support, Elizabeth rewarded them with status, wealth and political influence. The exhibition also showcases the Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I, which commemorates the failed invasion of England by the Spanish Armada in 1588 and is one of the treasures of Royal Museums Greenwich’s collection.

L’Atelier (The Studio) 1955 © Succession Picasso/ DACS, London 2021

2

Golden mile

Scottish art lovers have a chance to see the cream of paintings from the Royal Collection when more than 30 works go on show at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on March 25.

Masterpieces from Buckingham Palace marks the bicentenary of George IV’s visit to the Edinburgh palace in 1822. Two Italian landscapes go on show in Scotland for the first time: Claude Lorrain’s A View of the Campagna from Tivoli and a seascape by Gaspard Dughet.

The exhibition runs till September 25.

3 to see in

March Above right Gaspard

Dughet, Seascape with Jonah and the Whale, c.1654. Royal Collection Trust /Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2022 Right Claude Lorrain, A View of the Campagna from Tivoli, 1645. Royal Collection Trust /Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2022

Right The Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I, c. 1588 © National Maritime Museum, London Below Nicholas Denziot (1515–1559) Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, Royal Museums Greenwich, © National Maritime Museum

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 7

NEWS All the latest Threads bear

New rooms

A Suffolk auction house this month launches a series of sales aimed at combining traditional antiques and interiors.

Bishop & Miller in Stowmarket is calling the new thrice-yearly sale ‘remarkable rooms’, with the first on March 31.

Managing director, Oliver Miller, said: “It is a combination of the traditional market meets the modern-day interior taking you on a remarkable roomby-room journey.”

The second sale is on November 3.

Above A William IV specimen

centre table, inlaid with ebony, oak, ash, birch and fruitwood has an estimate of £800-£1,200 at this month’s sale

The Royal School of Needlework, founded in 1872, celebrates its 150th birthday this year with a series of textile exhibitions.

The London school was founded to preserve the art of hand embroidery and support women’s independence through work. Next month’s exhibition, 150 Years of the Royal School of Needlework, draws on its archive of 5,000 textiles to explore. It runs from April 1 to September 4, with a show devoted to the American designer Kaffe Fassett (b. 1937) planned for later in the year.

Above Goldwork sampler for the coronation robe of

state, 1953, Royal School of Needlework/ John Chase

The actor and art collector Russell Tovey has replaced the historian Mary Beard as patron of the educational charity Art UK. Co-host of the podcast Talk Art, Billericay-born Tovey started collecting contemporary art aged 21 after his parents bought him a Tracey Emin print.

Art UK director, Andrew Ellis, said: “Russell’s passion for art and desire to democratise access to the sometimes rarefied world of art chimes well with the work of Art UK.” Tovey is also co-author of the Sunday Times bestselling book Talk Art. With more than 80 percent of the nation’s art not on view, Art UK strives to make art less elitist and more accessible.

Above The Being Human star hopes to make art more accessible

Naked truths Women artists of the Belle Époque is the topic of one of a series of talks this month ahead of London Art Week later in the year.

Art History in Focus, from March 8-18, is a programme of online talks which was developed in lockdown to bring together academics and dealers. The talks are a precursor to London Art Week (LAW) set to take place from July 3-8. LAW showcases paintings, drawings, sculptures and objects from a number of galleries and dealers thoughout the capital, from Richmond to Holland Park, with many in St James’s and Mayfair. For details go to www.londonartweek.co.uk

30 seconds with...

Sophie Higgs, the new head of designer goods at the Moreton-in-Marsh auctioneers Kinghams How did you start in the business?

I began working in the jewellery trade in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham before I found my feet at a local auctioneers where my passion for vintage and pre-loved designer handbags and accessories developed.

What has been you best find?

I love finding authentic designer handbags among unlikely hoards in charity shops, or at fairs. I once came across an immaculate vintage Gucci bag when checking a binbag full of inexpensive handbags at a car boot sale.

8 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

LOVELY TOVEY

Above Women artists at Académie Julian in Paris

What would be the piece you would most like to come across?

A Hermès Kelly Doll handbag – a very rare, yet very fun, example of one of the most soughtafter, recognisable handbags in the world. Imagine your classic Kelly handbag but with a large smiley face on the front, with arms and legs. Hard to believe such a handbag exists.

I’d love to find one; the cross between light-hearted playfulness and sophisticated elegance appeals to me.

Do you collect, or own, anything special?

I own many handbags, as I’m sure you can imagine, but I once purchased a stunning vintage Chanel dress for an unbelievable price that I adore. I wear it only seldomly.

Are there any under-the-radar bags/ designer goods set to make it big?

Many brands revive and reinvent older designs which in turn drives up the demand and value of these bags. You never know which vintage or discontinued handbag will make a comeback.

How is the market for designer goods?

The second-hand market for designer goods is booming as people become more and more conscious about sustainability in fashion.

Buying pre-loved not only means the buyer is saving money, they are also making an ethical decision about how their fashion choices are contributing to, rather than taking away from, the environment.

Kinghams’ next sale is Decorative Arts from March 4-5.

AUSTEN POWER

A highly-prized collection of manuscripts including some written by Jane Austen has been saved following a UK-wide campaign to purchase it.

In May 2021, Friends of the National Library persuaded Sotheby’s to delay its scheduled auction of the Honresfield Library while it launched a national campaign to save it for the nation.

The largest donation came from the Ukrainian-born businessman Sir Leonard Blavatnik, who gave £7.5m. In recognition of this record donation the collection will now be known as the Blavatnik Honresfield Library.

Sharp practice Art lovers with an eye for detail can view Rembrandt van Rijn’s 1642 masterpiece The Night Watch online in mind-boggling resolution.

Specialists at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam used a 100 megapixel Hasselblad H6D 400 MS camera to take of 8,439 individual photographs of the work that measures 4 x 3m.

The result is a 717 gigapixel image 5.6 terabytes in size, which is four times sharper than the last scan that was put out by the museum, which was only 44.8 gigapixels big.

Rembrandt’s largest and most famous painting was made for the headquarters of Amsterdam’s civic guard which defended the city from attack.

The captain, dressed in black, gives the order to march while the guardsmen organise into formation.

Rembrandt used the light to focus on particular details, like the captain’s gesturing hand and the young girl in the foreground.

View the work at www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/ stories/operation-night-watch Above The Night Watch is one of the most famous

paintings of the Dutch Golden Age

RE JOYCE

Above right Jane Austen ©Jane Austen’s House Above Pride and Prejudice first edition © Jane

Austen’s House Museum

Digital world It was only a question of time before the world’s first museum dedicated to non fungible tokens (NFTs) opened and it is also fitting it should do so in the hipster capital of Seattle.

Founded by local entrepreneurs Jennifer Wong and Peter Hamilton, the museum will provide a physical outlet for artists, creators, IP owners and collectors to display their NFTs. Non fungible tokens have made an large impact on art and digital assets with more than $3.5bn sales last year headed by collectables, sports and art.

Below Visitors to the world’s first NFT museum in Seattle

A London book dealer is celebrating 100 years since the publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses by offering three first editions, including the coveted ‘100’ signed by the author, priced £300,000.

Ulysses was published at Sylvia Beach’s Paris bookshop Shakespeare & Co, on February 2, 1922. It was issued to imitate the traditional three-tiered French format with 100 signed copies on Dutch handmade paper, 150 copies printed on heavier vergé d’Arches to create a large paper format, and the remaining 750 copies on vergé à barbes forming

Above The trio of books are rarely presented together

the smaller trade issue. The trio of books is part of Peter Harrington’s latest catalogue including other modernist classics from the same year.

Seeing red Dealers in the UK and abroad have been put on red alert after a spate of post box thefts in the UK. Police in East Anglia say criminals used chain saws and angle grinders to remove boxes from metal posts, with heritage designs most sought after.

Suffolk police’s Sergeant Brian Calver said: “Historic post boxes are a favourite target of these thieves at this time. We know Georgian ones are more valuable because of their age but also Victorian ones are being stolen.They vary in value from a few hundred pounds up to thousands of pounds.”

In the Norfolk cases, two of the post boxes bore the Royal Cypher “GR”, meaning they were put up during the reign of George V. Above right UK post boxes are being targeted by thieves

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 9

EXPERT OPINION Christina Trevanion C H R I S T I N A T R E VA N I O N

Lots of Love

Christina Trevanion is upstanding in her praise of misericords, which for centuries helped flagging monks and choristers

Left Misericords on the

choir seats in the basilica of Saint-Denis, Paris Above right A late 15th-century carved oak misericord, designed as a dragon, c. 1480 Below left The late

W

hen you walk through the doors of a church, your first instinct is to cast your eyes upwards to the grandiose ceilings, magnificent marble arches and the jewelcoloured windows. With so much grandeur to behold, it is easy to get lost in the wonders on high. However, some of the more interesting sights may be a little closer to Earth than you might think.

Standing support A misericord, also known as a mercy seat, is a small ledge which can be found attached to the bottom of the folding seats of a church’s choir stalls. They originated in 11th-century Germany as an aid for devoted monks and choristers during long periods of prayer, for which they were required to stand with uplifted hands. Their name is derived from the Latin misericordia meaning ‘pity of the heart’, referring to the relief they provide for the elderly and infirm.

15th-century carved oak misericord modelled as a green man sold for £2,800

Though the purpose of misericords is more practical than decorative, medieval church leaders only commissioned them from the most skilled craftsman.

Many were carved from a single panel of wood, usually oak or chestnut, and many carvings are of an exceptional quality with fine details. Further, as they were often hidden or obscured from public view, carvers were allowed more creative freedom and misericords became something of a subversive art form.

Pagan scenes The vast majority of English misericords depict secular or pagan scenes, entirely unlike the Christian icons that surround them. While biblical scenes were not uncommon, many examples drew inspiration from folklore, with green man masks in foliate surrounds being common. Others depicted exotic creatures such as elephants and hyenas found in medieval bestiaries, and mythological beasts such as mermaids and wyverns.

By the 13th century, misericords were commonplace in cathedrals and chapels across Europe. However, only a fraction of those produced survive today – the tradition fell into abeyance after the Reformation in the 16th century. A great number were destroyed in later years by iconoclasts and reformers, or were broken up and repurposed, often used in ship building in the Napoleonic wars.

Dedicated collector Pre-16th century examples rarely come under the hammer, but when they do, they attract tremendous interest. We recently sold a late 15th-century carved oak misericord modelled as a green man for £2,800.

It had the most beautiful patina and it tickled me to think of all the thousands of bottoms that contributed to it over the years.

Christina Trevanion is managing director and founder of Shropshire’s Trevanion Auctioneers & Valuers as well as a regular face on a number of antiques programmes.

‘The misericord had a beautiful patina and it tickled me to think of the thousands of bottoms that contributed to it over the years’ 10 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

VIEW OVER ST. JAMES’S SQUARE: A PRIVATE COLLECTION

AUCTION Online, 3–17 March 2022 VIEWING 9–17 March 2022 8 King Street London SW1Y 6QT CONTACT Amelia Walker awalker@christies.com +44 (0) 20 7389 2085

Auction | Private Sales | christies.com Other fees apply in addition to the hammer price. See Section D of our Conditions of Sale at the back of the Auction Catalogue

AUCTION Sales round up

The secretaire made by Edward Barnsley, dated 1933, sold for £22,500

The boot cupboard set an auction record for a piece by the Cotswold Bishop & Miller, Stowmarket A Henry VIII joined oak aumbry, or livery cupboard, was the School top seller at the Suffolk auctioneer’s recent period oak sale when it achieved £49,200, more than double its low estimate of £20,00.

Dated c. 1520, the rarity and status of the cupboard is apparent by the presence of drawers which were rare in late 15th to early 16th-century English furniture. The cupboard is illustrated in Percy Macquoid’s 1925 seminal book, A History of English Furniture: The Age of Oak. A 19th-century pub sign reminding customers not to ask for credit, with a low estimate of £500, sold for £6,500 at the same sale. The sign, which came from Drawers The Wild Man in Sproughton, Suffolk, read: on a cupboard Customers Came and I Did Trust Them, So of this date I Lost my Liquor and Their Custom, To Lose proves the status of its owner Them Both it Grieves Me Sore, So I am Resolved to Trust no More.

AROUND the HOUSES

The pub sign reminds customers not to ask for credit

Jewellery fared well in recent sales, along with a museum-quality aumbry and a record-setting Lowry print

Lyon & Turnbull, Glasgow A boot and shoe cupboard set an auction record for the Cotswold School designer Edward Barnsley (1900-1987) when it kicked its estimate of £2,000-£3,000 into touch before selling for £30,000 at the Scottish auction house.

Made in walnut, inlaid with ebony and sycamore, it was commissioned by Anthony Minoprio who paid £161.10 for it in 1952.

From the same collection, a writing cabinet fashioned in Indian rosewood, inlaid with sycamore and ebony with a walnut interior, sold for £22,500, against a pre-sale estimate of £3,000-£5,000.

The same price was awarded an oak and walnut kitchen dresser of a similar date that had once belonged to Herbert Simon (18981974), the industrial archaeologist and rail enthusiast who turned the Kynoch Press into one of Britain’s leading fine printing houses.

A oak and walnut kitchen dresser by the same maker also sold for £22,500

12 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Heritage Auctions, Dallas The original artwork of SpiderMan donning his black costume for the first time sold for $3.36m at the Texan auction house, setting a new record for comic book art.

Artist Mike Zeck’s handdrawn black-and-white art for Page 25 of 1984’s Secret Wars No. 8 issue sold for 10 times its pre-auction estimate of $330,000, smashing the previous record ($657,000) for comic book art – held by the artwork from a 1974 issue of The Incredible Hulk that introduced Wolverine.

The page featured Zeck’s original drawing before it was coloured-in The original and mass-produced for the comic book itself. illustration Auctioneer Joe Mannarino, said: “The set a new record result proves what we’ve long been saying: for comic comic book art is as beloved and valuable as book art anything put on canvas.”

Sworders, Stansted Mountfitchet An important example The £5 of Vienna Secession junk shop chair sold for a furniture, bought earlier five-figure this year for just £5, sum made £16,250 at the Essex auctioneer’s recent sale.

The elm and wicker highback chair, designed by Koloman Moser (1868-1918) and found in a Brighton junk shop, sold to an Austrian dealer.

Moser, a teacher at the Vienna School of Applied Arts, reinterpreted the traditional 18th-century ladderback chair. In 1903, the magazine Das Interieur featured the design, sparking an article on modern Austrian wicker furniture a year later in the influential UK publication The Studio.

Spink, London A rare gold coin depicting King Henry III dating to the mid-13th century sold for a record £648,000, months after being found by a metal detectorist in a field in England.

Michael Leigh-Mallory from Devon, unearthed the coin, of which there were only 52,000 minted, featuring the bearded monarch on his throne.

The coins were financially unviable because their value was less than their weight in gold, so almost all were melted down. Leigh-Mallory’s is only the eighth known example.

The rare coin found by a metal detectorist was described as “of national importance”

Chiswick Auctions, London A first-edition of Casino Royale, signed by its author Ian Fleming and dedicated to The Snow Goose writer Paul Gallico, sold for £62,500 – against an estimate of £18,000£22,000. Fleming, who was a friend of the American author, dedicated A photo of The Snow the 1953 spy book, “To Paul from Goose author in Balzache 1953” with his study sold Balzache being a play on for £350 “balls/ache”, according to the auction house.

While Gallico’s papers are held at Columbia University, since his death The firstedition book, his library had remained dedicated by the in his home on Antibes author, was the before going under the sale’s top hammer in London. seller

Parker Fine Art Auctions, Farnham

The print set a new auction record at the Surrey auctioneers

A new auction record for a print by LS Lowry (1887-1976) was set by the Surrey auctioneers when The Fever Van, 1935, sold for £7,500.

The signed print, which had a Printers’ Guild stamp on the back and was expected to make £2,000-£4,000, shows an ambulance collecting a patient suffering from scarlet fever or diphtheria, both of which were rife in the 1930s.

It is unusual in theme – while most of the Salford artist’s urban landscapers are atmospheric, this one depicts a human drama with the action being observed from afar. It was bought by a private collector.

Tennants, Leyburn An Edward VII gold-mounted glass and tortoiseshell dressing table service was the top seller of the silver section at the North Yorkshire auction house’s recent sale when it sold for £6,000 – double its low estimate of £3,000.

With everything needed for the man-about-town, the wellappointed case includes a spirit flask and detachable cup, two scent bottles, a tortoiseshell clock, hand mirror, paper-knife, penknife and an Asprey propelling pencil.

The glass pieces in the 1904 service were by The Charles and George Asprey with the tortoiseshell Edwardian service was additions having the initial HA, possibly dressed for referring to the London maker success in North Henry Atkin.

Yorkshire

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 13

AUCTION Sales round up The Cyma watch was a present to Edward VIII from Wallis Simpson

Michael J Bowman, Chudleigh A gold watch believed to have been a birthday gift to Edward VIII from Wallis Simpson sold for £3,600 in Devon.

The 18ct timepiece is engraved on the back with the words David 23-6-52 Wallis, and had been expected to make £2,000-£3,000.

The case The Cyma wristwatch was a present for back is the Duke of Windsor’s 58th birthday from engraved his American wife for whom he abdicated David 23-6-52 the throne in order to Wallis marry in 1936.

After his death in 1972 the watch went into the possession of the controverisal French lawyer Suzanne Blum who sold off many of his belongings.

Hanson’s, Etwall An autograph book from the golden age of cricket which had belonged to Gladys Douglas, sister of renowned cricketer Johnny Douglas (1882-1930) sold for 10 times its estimate when it hammered at £11,600 at the Derbyshire auctioneer’s recent sale.

The autograph book was part of a rich archive of Douglas memorabilia found in a Bath garage by Gladys’s daughters, sisters Nicky Lane, 69, and Karen The autograph Douglas, 68. After losing their mother last year book was signed at the age of 92, the siblings were clearing by cricketeers the property when they came across an old from the game’s suitcase of memorabilia relating to the former golden age England and Essex cricketer.

14 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Dawsons, Maidenhead A French Egyptian revival pendant sold for more than The stylish 10 times its low estimate Egyptian revival when it achieved pendant flew past £39,000 at the auction its pre-sale house’s new Berkshire estimate saleroom.

The platinum multigem piece features a kneeling deity, thought to be Isis, made from calibre rubies and emeralds within a pavé-set diamond surround.

The stylish art deco piece, with a ruby, emerald and diamond fringe, has French platinum marks and was offered in a silk-lined leather box marked ‘Fattorini & Sons Ltd, Diamond Merchants, Bradford’.

It was expected to make £3,000-£5,000.

Lawrences, Crewkerne A 19th-century gold necklace, hung with micro-mosaic pendants minutely decorated with motifs from the early Christian church, smashed its low presale guide of £6,000 when it sold for £25,000 at the Somerset auction house’s recent sale.

Offered in its original case, it was made by the Italian goldsmith Antonio Civilotti (1798-1870) in Rome and included depictions of doves, Maltese crosses and the Christogram ‘XC’.

The final lot of the jewellery sale, a brooch mounted with three brilliant-cut diamonds, weighing just over seven carats in total, doubled its top estimate to make a sparkling £30,000.

The diamond brooch shone bright in the Somerset saleroom

The micro mosaic necklace sold for four times its low estimate

We welcome you to our Newest Specialist Auction Remarkable Rooms (A room by room journey through the traditional market meets modern day interior)

Thursday 31 March, starting at 10am Viewing: Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 March 2022 between

9.30am and 4.30pm and on the day of the auction from 9am.

Included in this new auction for 2022 is this William IV Specimen wood centre table.

The circular shaped top inlaid with ebony, oak, ash, birch and fruitwood to form a star to the centre.

Estimate: £800 – £1,200 We are welcoming Consignments to our next Remarkable Rooms auction.

01449 673088 enquiries@bm-auctions.co.uk www.bishopandmillerauctions.co.uk

BM ant coll ad rem rm 01.indd 1

07/02/2022 21:51

EXPERT COMMENT David Harvey commonly thought that he first designed the Pembroke table, although Thomas Sheraton (1751-1806) believed their name derived from “the lady who first gave orders for one of them” – possibly the later Countess of Pembroke (1737-1831).

The earliest examples are mid-18th century, and several of the best of these tables – made by Thomas Chippendale – for Dumfries House in Scotland and Burton Constable in East Yorkshire (among other places) – are still in existence. When I first saw this table, my heart leapt as it ticked so many boxes. As we cleaned and waxed, it came to life in the most extraordinary way.

Window position I always look for details which indicate true quality. Below we can see that the left leaf has faded slightly, which tells us the leaf was used mostly in the dropped position and looking towards a window. The serpentine shape is often referred to as a butterfly, with the top having an attractive rosewood crossband.

Waxing lyrical David Harvey puts a very special Pembroke table in the spotlight

W

e all know what a Pembroke table is: the drop leaves are on the long sides while the sofa table has the leaves on the shorter sides.

According to Thomas Chippendale (1718-1779): “The Pembroke table is a light, drop-leaf table designed for occasional use, probably deriving its name from Henry Herbert, a noted connoisseur and amateur architect. The table has two drawers and flaps on either side that can be raised by brackets on hinges (known as “elbows”) to increase its size. Usually provided with casters it was often used for bedside meals.”

So why “Pembroke”? Henry Herbert (1693-1751) was the 9th Earl of Pembroke. He studied at Oxford before going on the Grand Tour in 1712, where he spent time in Naples, Venice, and Rome – where he met the architect and furniture maker William Kent.

When Pembroke returned to England he was appointed Lord of the Bedchamber to George II and was made captain and colonel of the 1st Troop of the Horse Guards in 1721. Although not known for sure, it is

16 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Distinct drawers Above David Harvey

discovers the secrets of a Pembroke table Above right Fading on

the left leaf shows the position the table was placed in Right Rosewood ovals

inlaid on either side of the drawer

The rosewood inlay extends around both the drawers either side, which are both fitted with locks and brass knobs, with cockbeading designed to protect the veneers.

We can also see rosewood ovals inlaid on either side of the drawer and the gentle shaping of the frieze underneath it. Pembroke tables appeared in bedrooms,

Far left The legs are both fluted and stop-fluted Left Barrel casters are

formed of leather disks Right A design from

Sheraton’s The CabinetMaker and Upholsterer’s Drawing-Book Below right The elegant

Pemroke table with its leaves down

drawing rooms, libraries and, indeed, in just about any room in the more substantial homes, often being used as a supper, breakfast or tea table. Their small size and flexibility made them ideal as occasional tables for most uses.

Elegant legs

Harlequin table

This illustration comes from Sheraton’s The CabinetMaker and Upholsterer’s Drawing-Book published in a single volume in 1793. In it he states: “This piece serves not only as a breakfast, but also as a writing table, very suitable for a lady. It is termed a Harlequin Table for no other reason but because, in exhibitions of that sort, there is generally a great deal of machinery introduced in the scenery.” The next 12 pages are taken up with his description of how to make the complicated levers work.

When I saw this table I was particularly taken with its stylish legs, which are traditional, square tapered legs but with a few differences.

The entire length of the legs are both fluted and stopfluted, a technique which would have taken a good deal more time to make – making the table more expensive and hinting at a very well-off owner.

It is nice to see the way the taper finishes with a block foot, with brass cups continuing the shape of the foot.

The final feature is the barrel casters, which are made of leather disks with an axle running through the middle between the forks.

Literary connections It’s always nice to come across a furniture style in literature of the day. In 1800, Jane Austen let her sister know about the arrival of some new furniture at their family home in Hampshire.

She wrote: “The Pembroke got its destination by the sideboard and my mother has great delight in keeping her money and papers locked up.” Beautifully describing how attractive and functional a Pembroke both was and is.

David Harvey is the owner of Witney-based W R Harvey & Co. (Antiques) Ltd. For more details go to www.wrharvey.com

‘When I first saw this example I became excited as it ticked so many boxes. As we cleaned and waxed, it just came to life in the most extraordinary way’ ANTIQUE COLLECTING 17

COLLECTING GUIDE Meiji period decorative arts

Meiji Day On the eve of a new exhibition, Duncan Phillips reveals why the decorative arts produced in Japan’s Meiji period represent some of the finest treasures ever made 18 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

T

oyota, Nissan, Honda, Sony, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Suzuki, Hitachi, Yamaha…the West has been turning Japanese for the past 80 years. It started in the late 19th century with a change of culture and governance in Japan and was only interrupted by conflict in the 20th century. Our Victorian ancestors may not have used Japanese goods in their daily lives, but the influence of its Meiji culture was felt everywhere.

Looking westwards The second half of the 19th century was a time when Japan turned outwards. In 1868, the restoration of Imperial rule brought an end to the Edo shogunate, the hereditary military dictatorship that dominated the country since 1192. It was a period when emperors had no real power and the country was run as a backward, feudal system. Japan returned to being ruled by an emperor, known as the Emperor Meiji (‘meiji’ means ‘enlightened rule’).

With major social reforms he weakened the powerful samurai class, freed peasants from bondage to their lord, built railways, hospitals and universities, instigated trade with Europe and America and fostered industrial growth based on the principles of the market economy.

Art movement Japanese art students went to Europe to study and developed a new style of painting based on techniques known as yoga (or ‘Western style’). Yoga painting involved

Opposite page Meiji

Period (1868-1912) silver and mixed metal table screen by one of the leading artists of the late Edo early Meiji Period, Hagiya Katsuhira (18041886). All images unless otherwise stated courtesy of Steve Sly Japanese Works of Art, www. steveslyjapaneseart.com Below Meiji Period (1868-1912), silver and enamel koro (incense burner) with silver gilt, enamelled dragonfish handles. Though unsigned it resembles the work of the topquality enamel worker Hiratsuka Mohei (1836-?)

Right Meiji Period

(1868-1912), iron and mixed metal incense burner (koro) in the form of a 14th-century Nara school Samurai helmet (kabuto). It may date to the transitional period when sword makers turned their skills to supplying goods for the emerging export market

oil paints, canvas and watercolours; techniques developed in the West. Then, in reaction to yoga painting, a new, more traditionally Japanese style of painting emerged, known as nihonga (Japanese style) painting. This involved the application of natural pigments to silk and washi (Japanese paper), and emphasised block colours and shapes and more two-dimensional compositions.

The popular art of woodblock printing also underwent a transformation in the Meiji period, especially the traditional genre of ukiyo-e (literally, ‘pictures of the floating world’). Ukiyo-e is some of the most recognisably Japanese art, normally taking the form of stylised images of kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers, flora, fauna, and erotic images. Artists from Van Gogh, Whistler, Monet and Manet to Klimt and Schiele were influenced by the arts of Japan. Even Van Gogh stated that he owed his inspiration to Japanese art, but he was probably not aware of the full extent to which art in Europe had already been greatly influenced by that of Japan.

Cloisonné enamel The Meiji period was also known as the golden age of cloisonné enamel. The technique was introduced to Japan from China in the 1830s, initially used to decorate small items like jewellery and swords. Hayashi Kodenji was one of the first people to produce wares for export, sparking an explosion of interest in this new-found product, and the ANTIQUE COLLECTING 19

COLLECTING GUIDE Meiji period decorative arts Tiger economy

first cloisonné factory opened in Nagoya in 1870, followed by factories in Kyoto and Yokohama. With 125 kilns and an influx of artisans, the village of Toshima turned into a micro city overnight, so much so it became known in Japanese as shippo-cho’ or ‘cloisonné-town’.

Wireless cloisonné During this golden era the two most famous and long-standing factories were founded, firstly the Ando factory of Nagoya founded by Ando Jubei in around 1881 followed by the Inaba Company of Kyoto in 1887.

It coincided with a huge step forward in the ability to produce musen, or wireless cloisonné, first invented in 1889 by an artist working in Tokyo called Namikawa Sosuke who dreamed of painting tranquil scenes using enamel but without wires.

He eventually came up with a technique of removing the wires (cloisons) after decorating but before final firing, allowing him to produce exquisitely-shaped plaques or trays, usually decorated with native birds and flora or landscape scenes of lake Biwa or Mount Fuji. Once again these are very highly desirable to the world’s many cloisonné collectors.

20 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Above left Uchida Kuichi (1844–1875), one of the most renowned photographers in Japan at the time, was the only artist permitted to photograph the Meiji emperor. Until then no emperor had ever been photographed Below The base of the tiger is stamped with the artist’s seal reading Takahashi Ryoun, a Tokyo artist who was active from the late Meiji period to the early Showa era, from c. 1900 to 1920 Below right and bottom A large Meiji period (1868-1912) bronze tiger on its original bronze stand and its artists seal that translates as Takahashi Ryoun Left A Meiji period (1868-1912) cloisonné enamel lidded box made by the Ando company in the golden period of cloisonné making c. 1910. The pair of crabs in moriage (in relief ), a technique perfected by the Ando company while working with Kawade Shibataro

Prior to the Meiji era, fine metalwork was required by the Samurai to adornment their revered swords and lavish armour. It was also required by numerous temples and shrines for the production of religious sculpture, incense burners and similar.

With the start of the Meiji Restoration the majority of these skilled artisans suddenly found themselves without their main source of income – the ruling Samurai class. This resulted both from the edict banning the wearing of swords in 1876 and then the subsequent de-structuring of the feudal/class systems as Japan adopted a more “modern” system of government.

Instead of sword guards and other sword fittings they now turned their attention to lavish boxes, vases, koro, sculptures, spectacular chargers and similar.

The Meiji Emperor was a great patron of the arts and his government’s effort was directed towards encouraging metalwork masters to utilise their skills and knowledge in the production of new and more “fashionable” works of art.

New heights Artistry in bronze-work reached new heights as ‘metalworking’ schools developed, creating intricate vases, sculptures, teapots and incense burners. These would feature images of flora and fauna and mythical animals like dragons.

Bronzes were richly augmented with enamels, precious metals and even hardstones (a technique known as ‘mixed metal’), and the best pieces were always meticulously-cast pieces with astonishingly realistic detailing.

Among the major acknowledged artists were Kano Natsuo, Unno Shomin, Suzuki Chokichi, Unno Moritoshi, Yamada Motonobu, Shoami Katsuyoshi who together with their pupils were instrumental in driving quality and progress. These talented artists were frequently commissioned by the Imperial Household, the Government and exclusive, privately-owned outlets such as the Ozeki Company. Their work is both very rare and of commensurate value.

the first region to rebel against the shogunate and offer its support to the new emperor.

Its porcelain underwent a revival as ceramicists perfected new overglaze techniques for decoration, as well as Satsuma porcelain’s distinctive, ivory-coloured ground.

Japanese art, including ceramics, unsurprisingly received worldwide acclaim at the Paris Exposition in 1867 and subsequent exhibitions. This and several other factors quickly contributed to an explosion of interest in the “never-before-seen” art form that is Satsuma earthenware.

Lacquerware

Above Meiji Period

Satsuma ware From a purely technical point of view Japanese “Satsuma” can be described as a dense, cream-coloured earthenware body having a fine and even crackle glaze, usually decorated in over-glaze enamels. From an artistic point of view it could easily be described as the most intricate enamelled ceramic ever made by man. As the name suggests it was originally produced in the Province of Satsuma under the patronage of the Shimazu family who had been the Daimyo there since 1615. During the Meiji period it was created in the region of Satsuma; and now Satsuma porcelain is practically synonymous with Japanese Meiji period ceramics. The region was important, being

(1868-1912) Satsuma vase by the highlyregarded Kinkozan studios in Kyoto. The front, shaped cartouche is decorated with a cockerel and hens among bamboos.

There was only one artist capable of this high-quality, gilded decoration and it is signed within a very decorative four character signature seal to the underside that reads Kinkozan Zo

The Meiji period also saw an expansion in the production of furniture and lacquerware. These were especially popular in the West since their form and decoration was seen as distinctively Japanese. The rich, black lacquer was simply referred to as ‘japan’ (like ‘china’ for porcelain) in English. It was an ancient technique, involving the use of the resin from a tree native to East Asia, and remained a mystery to many in the West until the end of the 19th century. Furniture during the Meiji period grew taller and more impressive, as the makers adapted it for use in larger Western interiors.

Lacquerwork craftsmen dabbled in new techniques of applying coloured lacquers, inlaying metals, and polishing lacquered surfaces down to a glossy, almost-mirrored finish. And lacquer was not only applied to wooden furniture, but also to smaller decorative objects such as boxes, koro and even netsuke and okimono.

The West Country dealer and Japanese decorative arts specialist Steve Sly, who contributed to this article, will be showing a range of Meiji era wares, including lacquer, metalwork, ceramics, and enamels at the Chelsea Antiques and Fine Art Fair from March 23-27. For more details go to www.chelseantiquesfair.co.uk

Left Meiji period (1868-

1912) Satsuma vase by arguably the most coveted artist of the period, Yabu Meizan (1853-1934), decorated with a busy waterside Below left Meizan’s works are characterised by minute decoration applied using copper plate designs Right Meiji period

(1868-1912), Japanese bamboo gold lacquer kazaridana (display) cabinet, c. 1890. The decoration includes egrets, geese and other native birds in lotus plants and lakeside foliage

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 21

COLLECTING GUIDE Meiji period decorative arts

Meiji and the British Royal family

shore leave to meet the Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken.

They returned with presents for their family, including a teapot and cups for their father, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, and with diplomatic gifts from the Emperor.

According to the official diary of the tour, the princes had their arms tattooed during their visit to Japan – Albert Victor with ‘a couple of storks’ and George with a dragon and a tiger, a combination said to signify East and West.

The Royal Collection contains some of the finest Japanese works of art in the Western world. Next month, for the first time, its highlights are unveiled in a new exhibition. Antique Collecting goes behind the scenes

T

he earliest direct contact between England and Japan was made in 1613 with the exchange of letters and gifts from James I to Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, Japan’s military leader who governed Japan on behalf of the imperial family. But the contact was short lived and, for the next 220 years, from the 1630s to 1853, Japan closed to the West. During this time, the Dutch were the only Europeans permitted to trade directly with Japan. Demand for exotic East Asian wares soared among the Royal courts of Europe, where the secrets of porcelain and lacquer manufacture were yet to be discovered.

When Japan reopened to the West in the 1850s, goods began to flow freely, and diplomatic and political links were re-established. Queen Victoria’s son, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, was the first member of a European royal family to visit Japan when he travelled there in 1869. The Prince met the Emperor Meiji at the Imperial Palace and was presented with an impressive samurai armour, including a helmet dating from 1537. In a letter to his mother, Alfred wrote: ‘To give you any account of this country, I feel quite at a loss. Everything is so new & so quaint that I am quite bewildered.’

Royal visitors The next members of the British royal family to visit Japan were Queen Victoria’s grandsons, Prince George of Wales (the future King George V) and his brother, Prince Albert Victor. In 1881, the teenage princes were serving as midshipmen aboard HMS Bacchante and were granted

Reaching out

Above Myochin school

of armourers, armour, 1537–1850. Presented to Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh by the Emperor Meiji in 1869 Below left Iida & Co., Kyoto, Japan, embroidered folding screen, c.1880–1900.

Presented to Edward VII on the occasion of his coronation in 1902 by Prince Komatsu Akihito, on behalf of the Meiji Emperor Right Prince Alfred,

Duke of Edinburgh, letter to Queen Victoria, Edo, September 3, 1869.

Royal Archives/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

In the early 20th century, a defensive Anglo-Japanese Alliance was formed to secure both nations’ interests in the Pacific. This was also a period of growing artistic exchange. The most significant cultural event was the 1910 Japan-British Exhibition in London, which included demonstrations of Japanese crafts, music, sports and entertainments. More than eight million people visited the exhibition, including Queen Mary, consort of King George V, who was an enthusiastic collector of East Asian art in general.

The relationship between the Japanese and British imperial and royal families continued to flourish through reciprocal royal visits, attendance at coronations and the exchange of gifts. In 1902, Prince Komatsu Akihito attended the coronation of King Edward VII and presented the King with an embroidered folding screen of the four seasons. In 1911, Queen Mary received a coronation gift of a miniature cabinet bearing the imperial chrysanthemum crest, created by Akatsuka Jitoku, one of the most accomplished lacquerers of his generation.

Japan: Courts and Culture is at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace from April 8 to March 12, 2023.

Below right Shirayama

Shosai, cosmetic box and cover, c.1890–1905.

Sent to Queen Elizabeth II by the Emperor Showa on the occasion of her coronation, June 2, 1953.

All images, unless stated, Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

'According to the official diary of the tour, the princes had their arms tattooed during their visit to Japan – Albert Victor with ‘a couple of storks’ and George with a dragon and a tiger, a combination said to signify East and West’ 22 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

LETTERS Have your say

Your Letters This month we get one reader out of a romantic pickle while another subscriber shares her Chinese horoscope Thanks for your insight into the Year of the Tiger in last month’s magazine (Tiger Feat, February issue), which inspired me to discover which year I was born into and its corresponding personality traits.

It turns out, being born in 1966, I am a fire horse.

Traits include intelligence and an active, lively and outgoing personality. So far so good. When it comes to predictions for 2022 my “income from work rises” (unlikely) but because of a “careless personality”, I am “likely to lose any wealth on jewellery and fripperies”.

Which, given my collecting record, sounds spot on!

Joan Vasell, by email

Our star letter receives

a copy of Bulgari Treasures of Rome by Vincent Meylan worth £55. Write to us at Antique Collecting, Sandy Lane, Old Martlesham, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 4SD or email magazine@ accartbooks.com

Above right The comb almost got Tony out of the dog house Below 2022 is the Chinese Year of the Tiger

Star letter

I have given my wife some dodgy gifts over 40 years of marriage: a lap tray fitted with a cushion is one, a replacement Hoover nozzle another. Unlike my wife I prize practicality very highly. Her criticism is lack of romantic intent. So imagine my delight when I was able to point out that, for many years, a nit comb was viewed high on every woman’s gift list from her lover (Comb Lover, February issue). It very nearly lessened the blow of her Valentine’s gift (a new pair of Wellington boots). Thanks for almost getting me out of the dog house.

Tony Bakewell-Wood, by email While I learn a lot from Antique Collecting magazine, I also look to the many antiques programmes on the box to increase my knowledge. So applying the “Braxton weight test” has become one of my mantras. One skill I have singularly failed to pick up, though, is paying half price – or more – at antiques emporiums as the TV experts always seem to. I wonder if readers had any tips?

Sasha Raines, by email Above Sasha learns a lot from antiques programmes, including

Lennox Cato on Antiques Roadshow

Answers to the quiz on page 48 Q1 (a) (3); (b) (8); (c) (7); (d) (4); (e) (6); (f) (5); (g) (1); (h) (2). Q2 (b). Q3 (c). Q4 (c) It was an early radiogram. Q5 (a) The leaf is the flappable bit, and the monture is the skeleton. Q6 (c). Q7 (b) In medieval armour the salade is a form of helmet, the rondache, a shield and a vervelle a metal rivet or staple. Q8 (c) He created one-off pieces and used the firm of Giuliano to make them. Q9 (d) There were other photographers but Claudet was the first English licensee of the process, and Beard opened the first commercial portrait studio in Britain. Q10 (b) Goodyear invented vulcanised rubber by heating it with sulphur. Taken to extremes it produced the hard, black material called ebonite that looked like jet but had the whiff of sulphur about it. (a) Mount bath towel = Matthew Boulton, (b) Octet belt kit = bottle-ticket, (c) Hotel suite = silhouette, (d) Tiptoe squaw = opaque twist.

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 23

UNSUNG HEROES A.E. Halliwell typography and design, which variously embrace art deco, Modernism and the Bauhaus movement.

Stockport student Halliwell was born in Stockport in 1905, attending its art school from 1923 to 1926 before graduating to the Royal College of Art in London and subsequently practising as a professional designer from the 1930s.

While working on commecrcial commissions, Halliwell taught part-time at Bromley and Beckenham Schools of Art in the late 1930s. In 1938, he was appointed to a full-time post at Camberwell School of Art and Central School of Art and Design, where he established its first course teaching Industrial Design.

His educational ideas, like his artistic ones, had their roots in the Bauhaus movement, mirroring the academic zeitgeist of the day, seen in Herbert Read’s 1934 book Art and Industry, which informed design courses in the UK until the 1960s. His teaching career was completed at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in Camden, where he took up a post in 1948, remaining there until 1970.

Commercial success Running parallel with his teaching career he developed a successful commercial career with clients including London Underground, Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Club, Cable and Wireless, Kelloggs, Bryant & May, national railway companies, the British Industry Fair, Boots the Chemist, London Zoo and, remembering his roots, Southport Flower Show, Southport Water Carnival and the town’s art school where he studied.

Poster Boy

The distinctive graphic and industrial designs of one of the unsung heroes of inter-war poster design come firmly into focus at a sale next month, writes Christopher Proudlove

I

n the kaleidoscopic world of ‘20s and ‘30s commercial art and design, the name Albert Edward (A.E.) Halliwell is little more than a footnote. Despite working for blue chip businesses on some of the most prestigious campaigns of the day, as well as teaching hundreds of students in his lifetime, very little is known of the Southport-born artist. As with many designers whose work has remained often unattributed, he has never received the recognition he deserves.

But all that is set to change when more than 300 of his posters go under the hammer in Kent in April. The range of designs demonstrate his mastery of colour,

24 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Above A.E. Halliwell

(1905-1987) Dig for Victory Now, gouache, 1942. Signed and dated ‘42, (20 x 14¼in), has an estimate of £3,000-£5,000 Right A.E. Halliwell

(1905-1987) Come South and Revel in the Sun. Southern Railway, pencil, watercolour and gouache, 1930s. Unsigned (20 x 12½in), has an estimate of £800-£1,000

Artists and commerce

Above A. E. Halliwell

He also contributed to the material for the wartime Home Front and its Dig for Victory campaign.

From the ‘20s to the ‘40s, Halliwell’s style reflected the prevalent design of the period. With early incarnations made up of intricate paintings and lines of text, his posters became increasingly bold, simple and stylised.

Unlike today, in the 1930s many well-known artists were heavily involved in a wide range of commercial and highly prominent ventures.

The surrealist artist Paul Nash was also recognised for his textile designs, including moquettes for London Underground; Edward Bawden designed wallpapers and graphics for Twinings Tea and Fortnum and Mason, among others; Eric Ravillious worked for Wedgwood as well as designing furniture, and Barnett Freedman designed the 1935 George V Jubilee postage stamp.

(1905-1987) Mars 1930 calendar, pencil and gouache, 1930. Signed (11 x 18in). Printed label to verso, The Baynard Press, has an estimate of £400-£600 Right Barnett

Freedman’s designs

More than 300 of A.E. Halliwell’s designs go under the for the 1935 George V hammer at The Canterbury Auction Gallery’s sale on April Jubilee postage stamp, 9-11. For more details and viewing times from April 6-8 go to not in the sale www.thecanterburyauctiongalleries.com Left A. E. Halliwell

(1905-1987) Bryant and May Matches, pencil and gouache, 1930s. Signed (19¾ x 12¼in), has an estimate of £500-£700 Right A. E. Halliwell

(1905-1987) Design for the zoo, pencil and gouache, 1927. Signed and dated Nov 1927 (19¾ x 12¼in), has an estimate of £600-£800

‘Halliwell worked as a successful graphic designer in the 1930s but, as with many designers whose work has remained unattributed, he has never received the recognition he deserves’

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 25

UNSUNG HEROES A.E. Halliwell

Golden age of poster design

Above right A. E.

Halliwell (19051987) Lawn Tennis Championship, design for London Underground gouache and pencil, 1930s.

Signed (11½ x 18½in).

With pencil annotations space for date and stations, has an estimate of £600-£800 Above A. E. Halliwell

(1905-1987) Southport Art Exhibition, pencil and gouache, 1930s.

Unsigned (20 x 12½in) has an estimate of £600£800 Above left A. E. Halliwell (1905-1987) Oriental Line Cruises to Norway, gouache, 1930s.

Signed (19½ x 12in) has an estimate of £600-£800 Left A. E. Halliwell

(1905-1987) Underground to Escape the Fog, pencil and gouache, 1930s. Signed (20½ x 12in) has an estimate £1,000-£1,500 Right A. E. Halliwell

(1905-1987) Air display window bill, gouache, 1930s. Signed, titled in pencil to lower margin (11½ x 17¾in) has an estimate of £400-£600 Below right A. E.

Halliwell (1905-1987) Speeding aircraft, train and racing car poster, pencil and gouache, 1930s. Unsigned (11½ x 18½in) has an estimate of £400-£600

26 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

During the 1930s, contemporary artists were recruited for many commercial campaigns to produce original paintings with the most notable being by Shell. Designing a poster for the Underground and London Transport became an honour among both established and aspiring artists. In the inter-war years more artists and designers produced posters for them than for any other single company or organisation.

Picked for success

By 1933, when London Transport was formed as a unified entity, the company was regarded as a leading patron of the arts.

London Transport’s pioneering chief executive, Frank Pick, was instrumental in its success, commissionng both prolific poster designers such as Fred Taylor, Walter Spradbery and Austin Cooper, as well as internationally known artists, like CRW Nevinson, Laura Knight, Edward Wadsworth, Paul Nash and Man Ray. The styles most associated with the golden age of poster design are striking, bold, geometric and abstract, with many artists drawing inspiration from art movements such as Cubism, Futurism and Vorticism.

Upcoming Auctions in March We are now welcoming consignments for our Spring & Summer auctions.

Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers

Contact info@roseberys.co.uk with the details and images of your object to receive a complimentary valuation from one of our specialists.

Traditional & Modern Home Tuesday 1 March

Day 1: Modern & Contemporary Prints & Multiples Tuesday 8 March

Day 2: Modern & Contemporary Prints & Multiples

Jewellery & Watches Tuesday 15 March

Wednesday 9 March

Old Master & 19th Century Pictures

Fine & Decorative

Tuesday 22 March

Wednesday 23 March

70/76 Knights Hill, London SE27 0JD | www.roseberys.co.uk | info@roseberys.co.uk | +44 (0)20 8761 2522

INDUSTRY FOCUS Antiques specialists V&A. I learnt so much from him both in terms of art history and curating, researching and examining objects.

Luckily, the Islamic art world is very small and I am still in regular contact with him. I have also learnt so much from my colleague, William Robinson at Christie’s who is the international head of world art.

B E H N A Z AT I G H I M O G H A D DA M

Expert Profile

What piece would you still most like to find?

We go behind the scenes with Behnaz Atighi Moghaddam, Christie’s Islamic and Indian Art department’s head of sale Left A diamond-set and

enamelled Qajar Order of the Sun (NeshanE-Aftab), France, c.

1900, has an estimate of £5,000-£7,000 at this month’s sale

What was the first antique you ever acquired?

A sweet, little enamelled 19th-century Qajar brooch in the shape of a bow. I was on a family holiday in Vienna when I was 16 and I came across it in a flea market – it was an inexpensive purchase. The piece was such a random find, and a happy surprise to see such a historic object so far away from its place of production.

What do you like most about the business?

The discovery aspect, including the research of objects, which is the ‘Indiana Jones’ reality of our roles at Christie’s.

I also love meeting people from all backgrounds who share my passion for such pieces. At Christie’s there is no typical day which makes working there so tremendously interesting. Also, travelling is part of my day-to-day job, whether it be in the UK or abroad. My days are full of surprises; I never know what sort of objects someone might bring in for evaluation.

In broader terms, I love the fact technology has made it so much easier for people to both sell and buy antiques from the comfort of their own homes, and from the most remote places in the world, making the business truly accessible to everyone.

Do you attend fairs? If so which?

Below Behnaz’s best find would be a Safavid period textile. This one depicts the princely pastime of falconry

Why, and when, did you start in the business?

I come from a family of art collectors and conservators, so I grew up with antiques and have been surrounded by the arts for as long as I can remember.

My first job in the arts world was as a gallery assistant in a gallery specialising in African art. I went on to join the Victoria & Albert Museum in London as an assistant curator and exhibition researcher.

After five years, I joined Christie’s Islamic and Indian department. I was keen to develop further my understanding of the business of art, as well as the opportunity to engage in research

Who influenced you most when you started?

Tim Stanley was a huge inspiration for me. He was, and still is, the head of the Middle Eastern department at the

‘I love the fact technology has made it so much easier for people to buy and sell antiques from the comfort of their own homes, and from the most remote places in the world’ 28 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

That is such a hard question as I have a very long wish list of objects, manuscripts and works of art have read about in historical accounts but which are yet to be found.

My top three would be a Fatimid rock crystal jug, a Safavid figural velvet robe often depicted in royal paintings of the 17th century, or a gem-set Ottoman bookbinding.

I love art fairs, both those that relate to antiques and interiors. I try to attend Frieze and Frieze Masters, Masterpiece, The Affordable Art Fair, 1:54, LAPADA and the Chelsea Antiques and Fine Art Fair, on this month.

Do you have a favourite reference book?

The David Khalili series of publications on Islamic arts, which is a fantastic and informative reference series, and past auction catalogues.

What is your favourite non-antiques activity?

I love spending time in nature and going for long hikes and walks at the weekend when I have the opportunity.

I also love travelling and exploring different parts of the world and learning about different cultures.

What would improve the quality of your life?

Mindfulness and meditation. The auction world is such a fast-paced and demanding place. I have many deadlines to meet and it is important to try to pause and really enjoy what I am doing.

The pleasure of working and looking at such a range of beautiful art works helps me to be present and really take in how lucky I am to be handling such remarkable pieces of history on a daily basis.

Christie’s Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, including Rugs and Carpets sale takes place on March 31, for more details go to www.christies.com

EXPERT COMMENT Charles Hanson

An Auctioneer’s Lot Charles Hanson ponders why a magnificent kimono, movie magic and George Formby could prove to be a winning combination this month Left George Formby

wearing the kimono in the 1941 film South American George Below Derrick Pearce dons the George Formby kimono to play his ukulele. Credit Leicester Mercury Below right The kimono

is decorated with gold floral motifs

T

extiles may not leap to the forefront of your brain when contemplating antiques and collectables, but they consistently weave auction magic. For example, last year a fulllength Qing dynasty court robe, probably Qianlong period, sold for £10,000 to a Chinese buyer. I was reminded of that sale when another Oriental-inspired robe swept into our saleroom. But this time the highly-decorated garment is set to attract bidders for different reasons. It was worn in a film more than 80 years ago by legendary British entertainer George Formby (1904-1961).

Flocking fans The ukulele man from Lancashire, who wooed the nation with his comedy films and songs in the 1930s and ‘40s, wore the striking black and gold kimono in the 1941 black and white film South American George. How an item like this reaches the saleroom more than 60 years later is fascinating to ponder. In this case, we have two George Formby super fans to thank.

The kimono has been treasured for nearly 30 years by Leicester man Derrick Pearce, known as Banjo Dez in his home city. At the age of 80, he still performs Formby songs at care homes, accompanied by his trusty ukulele.

He inherited it from his father, a fellow Formby superfan aptly named George who bought it at the Beryldene

Auction in St Anne’s, near Blackpool, in 1961 – a sale which saw countless Formby items sold off to fans following the star’s death at the age of 56 that year.

Contested will Beryldene was the last home of George Formby and wife Beryl. The auction took place because George’s family opposed his final will. Beryl died three months before George but, just before his death, the entertainer became engaged to a teacher called Pat Howson to whom he left almost the entire Formby fortune. Nothing was spared from the auctioneer’s gavel in the three-day sale– even George’s underpants. And it just so happens Derrick owns a pair of those too, which also made their way to Leicester along with the kimono.

Derrick took the garments to Antiques Roadshow in 2002 where they were valued at £10,000. We are guiding them at £6,000-£8,000 at this month’s sale along with a one-piece swimming costume, possibly worn by Formby in the film Trouble Brewing in 1939, which has an estimate of £500-£800.

Formby fan base It’s difficult to predict how well the items will do. Formby still has a hardcore of devoted fans. The George Formby Society meets annually to share their love for the Wiganborn star. Formby-related items generally do well at Hansons. For example, a banjolele owned by him and once sought after by the Beatle George Harrison made £28,500. But music and film memorabilia passions move with the times. New generations emerge looking to buy items relating to stars from their teenage years. In his day Formby was the UK’s highest-paid entertainer but today few people under 40 have heard of him.

That’s sad to dwell on for fans like Derrick. Both he and his father have entertained countless people with their take on the Formby magic. During the WWII both George Formby and George Pearce were part of ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association) performing Formby songs for the troops.

It’s hard for Derrick to part with the kimono. It’s extra special because, as he points out, there are several Formby ukuleles in existence but only one kimono.

The Formby lots go under the hammer at Hansons’ music and film memorabilia auction on March 28, for more details go to www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk

‘The kimono has been treasured for nearly 30 years by Leicester man Derrick Pearce, known as Banjo Dez in his home city. At the age of 80, he still performs Formby songs at care homes, accompanied by his trusty ukulele’ ANTIQUE COLLECTING 29

ANTIQUES UNDER THE HAMMER Russian works of art

SALEROOM SPOTLIGHT Works of art by Fabergé and other leading Russian silversmiths of the 18th and 19th centuries go under the hammer in North Yorkshire this month

Above A Russian silver-gilt and niello charka (drinking cup),

Moscow, 1768 It has an estimate of £250-£350 at this month’s sale

Fabergé and fine Russian works of art. Of particular note is a bonbonnière engraved in Cyrillic and made

by Vassily Romanov of Veliki Ustyug in 1783. Other highlights include an unusually-shaped snuff box made

by Vasilii Zalesov of St Petersburg in 1839. Based on traditional Russian drinking cups, it has a looped handle and hinged cover and is decorated with a coat-of-arms.

Fantastic Fabergé

A Russian silver-mounted stoneware bowl by Doulton, Lambeth dated 1879 with silver mounts by Fabergé, has an estimate of £3,000-£5,000 at this month’s sale

R

ussian silver and works of art amassed over three decades go under the hammer this month. They come from a large family collection of art and antiques, once housed in a property in St Judes on the Isle of Man, now up for sale as part of Tennants’ series of Spring sales. A selection of 18th and 19th century silver niello snuff boxes and bonbonnieres will take centre stage.

Notable niello Niello is a type of monochrome enamelling, in which a black compound of sulphur with silver, lead or copper is applied to the surface of an engraved piece of metalwork, usually silver. Mastered during the Renaissance, it then became a popular technique in Russia from the 17th to 20th centuries.

All the niello pieces in the collection were inventoried by Wartski of London, leading dealers in

30 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Far right A Russian parcel-gilt silver twohandled cup and cover

by Alexei Ratikov, Moscow, 1793, assay master Andrei Titov.

It has an estimate of £2,000-£3,000 at this month’s sale Right A Russian parcel-

gilt silver and niello snuff box by Vasilii Zalesov, St Petersburg, 1839. It has an estimate of £1,500£2,500 at this month’s sale Below right A Russian

silver-gilt mounted birch paper knife by Fabergé, Moscow, c. 1890, later retailed by Wartski, 14 Grafton Street, London.

It has an estimate of £2,000-£3,000 at this month’s sale

Unexpectedly, Fabergé is well represented in the collection, with the Russian jeweller, silver and goldsmith supplying the mounts for a stoneware bowl made by Doulton of Lambeth. Purchased from Wartski in 1999, the gourd-shaped bowl is inscribed with the potter’s initials ‘AG’ and dated 1879.

Fabergé designed silver mounts for a wide range of fashionable pottery and glass in the second half of the 19th century, including Gallé.

Also in the sale is a silver-gilt mounted paper-knife

by Fabergé, c. 1890, with an impressive provenance.

In the 1970s, the birch knife was a gift from Wartski’s managing director, Kenneth Snowman, to an important American collector whose treasures included a Fabergé gnome, which went on to sell for almost $1.4m.

When the collection was dispersed at Christie’s New York, the paper-knife went to the New York dealer and Fabergé specialist, A La Vielle Russie, for $16,800. It later sold again at Christie’s London where it was purchased by Wartski for the present vendor’s family.

Imperial glass

In the early 20th century, traditional Russian glass-cutting skills were adapted to contemporary designs, as seen in this vase made by the Imperial Glassworks in 1915.

Known as the St Petersburg Glassworks until 1792, it supplied the Russian Imperial Court and was particularly famed for its fine cut glass. Each piece was marked with a Royal cypher, with this vase engraved to the base with the monogram for Nicholas II and the date.

‘Collectors, either in Russia, the wider Commonwealth of Independent States or around the world, are always keen to purchase examples of their cultural heritage. That said, there is a long tradition of buyers from elsewhere in the world collecting Russian works of art’ Bronze highlights Vasily Yakovlevich Grachev (18311905) and Eugeny Alexandrovich Lanceray (1846-1886) were two leading late 19th-century Russian sculptors, and fine bronzes by both can be found in the collection.

In direct competition, the two sculptors inspired each other to create ever-more detailed bronzes, full of movement and life.

Highlights include Lanceray’s Two Mothers, depicting a mother and child with a mare and her foal and Grachev’s bronze figure group of a Cossack embracing a woman on horseback.

AUCTION fact file

WHAT: The Selected Contents of a Private House in St Judes, Isle of Man When: Part of the Spring Fine Sale and the Jewellery, Watches and Silver Sale on March 18-19 Where: Tennants Auctioneers, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 5SG Viewing: March 13 (11am-4pm), March 14-18 (10am-4pm) and the mornings of the sales from 8am.

Also online at www.tennants.co.uk

Above left A Russian

imperial Glassworks green overlay blue vase, 1915, engraved with the monogram of Nicholas II. It has an estimate of £2,000-£3,000 at this month’s sale Right A Russian parcel-

gilt silver and niello bonbonnière by Vassily Romanov, Veliki Ustyug, 1783, Assay Master Alexei Torlov, has an estimate of £4,000-£6,000 Left After Vasily

Yakovlevich Grachev (1831-1905), a bronze figure group of a Cossack and woman on horseback. It has an estimate of £2,000-£3,000 Below left After Eugeny Alexandrovich Lanceray (1846-1886), Two Mothers has the same estimate at this month’s sale Below right A Russian

silver tumbler-cup by Grigory Serabrayanikov, Moscow, c. 1760, has an estimate of £200-£300

IN MY OPINION...

We asked Tennants’ silver specialist Jeffrey Lassaline for his sale highlights How important is the collection?

Niello is something Russian silversmiths excelled in from the 17th century and the collection has a rich offering of examples.

Important makers represented in the collection include Fabergé and Ivan Zhilin – one of the pre-eminent silversmiths producing niello boxes in Veliky Ustyug. One such was even chosen by Alexander von Solodkoff for his 1981 book Russian Gold and Silver.

Have you got a favourite lot?

It would have be the 1783 bonbonnière with a niello map of the Vologodskaya oblast (region) in northwest Russia on the cover and its population statistics. These cartographic boxes were a specialty of the box makers of Veliky Ustyug and there is also a view of the town on the side of the box. It is in lovely condition and intricately decorated.

Where do you expect interest to come?

Russian collectors, either in Russia, the wider Commonwealth of Independent States or around the world, are always keen to purchase examples of their cultural heritage.

There is also a long tradition of buyers from elsewhere in the world collecting Russian works of art, and the sale will appeal to collectors who love beautiful objects.

How is the current market?

The market for Fabergé continues to be strong. The last Fabergé silver piece we sold in 2021 was an early 20th-century silver vase possibly made to commemorate the anniversary of the birth of Empress Elizabeth in 1709. It attracted a great deal of interest before the sale and ended up selling for £3,200, almost five times its pre-sale estimate.

The broader market for small, decorative objects of vertu and silver boxes is also strong.

Is there anything to attract the new collector?

I intentionally included some smaller and more affordable objects to give new buyers a real chance of starting to build a collection.

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 31

Our next Fine Art & Antique auction will be held on

Wednesday 23rd March 2022 Inviting entries until 4 th March

Public Viewing: Monday 21 st March & Tuesday 22 nd March 9.30am - 5pm

www.trevanion.com

32 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

JEWELLERY | WATCHES | MAKERS | DESIGNS | COLLECTING

IN THE

Loupe

This month’s dazzling birthstone aquamarine is in the spotlight, on its 50th anniversary we celebrate Audemars Piguet’s iconic Royal Oak watch and reveal why collectors have their sights on pearls

A gold ring with aquamarine and diamonds, image Shutterstock

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 33

IN THE

Loupe

Mighty Oak The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak may be the most famous watch you have never heard of. On its 50th anniversary, specialist Sarah Fergusson reveals why it remains one of the most sought-after timepieces in the world

T

o most outside the watch community, Audemars Piguet (AP) could seem to be somewhat of a dark horse, in the background while also being responsible for one of today’s ‘hype’ watches, as we often call them. Along with the Rolex Daytona and the Patek Philippe Nautilus, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is one of the three most famous, and sought-after, watches of the moment. The history of the Royal Oak, and of the Audemars Piguet brand, are fascinating. A look at these is very timely given that 2022 is the 50th anniversary year of the release of the Royal Oak, their most successful watch to date.

‘In 1972, they released a larger-cased (39mm) steel sports watch with a super slim movement, one that was more expensive than their staple gold watches.

Gerald Genta (1931-2011) was the Swiss watch designer responsible’ 34 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak on sale this month is marked ‘A-1485’ to the caseback meaning it was the 1,485th watch of its type ever made, image courtesy of Lyon & Turnbull

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Revolutionary bracelet

The history of AP Audemars Piguet may not quite be a household name but they reported a turnover of more than €1bn in 2020, producing around 40,000 watches annually. The company is independent, which is relatively unusual in the watch world today. Unlike many larger brands including Omega, IWC, Jaeger-leCoultre and Longines, the company is also family-owned.

The brand was founded in Le Brassus, Switzerland, in 1875 by Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet. Already watchmakers by trade, they both worked solely on creating quality, often complicated, movements.

Significantly, they did so by hand, despite increasing mechanisation of the industry at home and, substantially, in the USA. By the 20th century, Jules and Edward had begun to co-ordinate the production of complete watches by bringing together the component parts from a number of local sources.

Like many of the most prestigious Swiss brands, AP boasts a number of technical innovations in its history.

They are credited with making the first jump hour wrist watch in the 1920s and the first skeletonised watch in the 1930s. In the 1940s, they produced the world’s slimmest watch, with a movement of only 2.45mm. They continued to create technically-superior slim movements through the late 20th century and the 1950s and 1960s saw them follow industry trends, creating many of what we now refer to as ‘dress’ watches.

Above Workers at the

watchmakers, image courtesy of Audemars Piguet Above right The

bracelet’s design also makes it stand out in a crowd, image courtesy of Audemars Piguet Left AP founders Jules

Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet, image courtesy of Audemars Piguet Below left An advert for the Swiss firm dates to c.

1895, image courtesy of Audemars Piguet Below right The

Royal Oak features the distinctive octagonal bezel, image courtesy of Lyon & Turnbull

The bracelet also marked a departure from the norm. Steel bracelets had been a stalwart of the sports watch since their invention; leather straps could not be used – water, sweat being an enemy of the material. However, unlike Rolex’s Oyster bracelet, seen on the Submariner among others, the Royal Oak bracelet is more complex, detailed and beautiful. It has two rows of rounded-rectangular links running perpendicular to the main tapered rectangular links running horizontally from the case.

Like the screws to the bezel, these play an aesthetic and practical role, they link the main bracelet sections together and allow it to sit snug to the wrist, and they add an element to the watch that plays a part in making it the unmistakable piece that it is, even at a glance. In unerring dedication to quality, AP turned to highly-skilled bracelet makers Gay Freres for production of this unique strap.

The Royal Oak Which brings us to the Royal Oak. If we know one thing about this undeniably iconic wrist watch, it is that it broke with all traditions, within AP and beyond. Taking a step back and looking at a simplified timeline, the Royal Oak was not a culmination of all that came before it in terms of its design, materials or price point. AP’s previous watches lent just a little to the appearance of the Royal Oak. The brand’s watches from the 1960s feature baton hour markers and a slim case profile (thanks to those impressive movements).

Those predecessors, including many ‘ultra thin’ models, fit nicely into the ‘fashionable’ watches available from all brands at the time; simple dials housed in gold (mostly round) cases, on dark leather straps. So where did the Royal Oak come from?

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 35

IN THE

Loupe Fighting back AP’s managing director of the time, Georges Golay’s response was to offer something that was truly revolutionary, the Royal Oak 5402, created by a designer whose influence on watch design in the 20th century is second to none. In 1972, they released a larger-cased (39mm) steel sports watch with a super slim movement, one that was more expensive than their staple gold watches. Gerald Genta (1931-2011) was the Swiss watch designer responsible. In his career he worked with brands including Omega, IWC and Patek Philippe. Not only is he responsible for the AP Royal Oak (inspired he said, by a traditional diver’s helmet) he also designed another of the top three most coveted watches of today, mentioned earlier – the Patek Philippe Nautilus.

Luxury brand AP, and Genta, did not invent a whole new genre of timepieces, and yet the Royal Oak is often referred to as the ‘first luxury sports watch.’ Among others, brands including Rolex had been making sports or tool watches since the 1950s – the GMT Master, Submariner and so on.

With design driven by purpose however, such watches were bound to elements including their coloured bezels (for timing or calculations) and very legible dials (to be seen in the dark.) The Royal Oak, when viewed in this wider context, really is something different. The word ‘luxury’ here is key; quite the juxtaposition with ‘sports’ or ‘tool.’

Octagonal design Firstly, the tapisserie dial, or watch face, has quite the unique appearance for a watch at the time (and even now.) Made by dial specialists Stern for AP, it is textured in form and is created by engraving a brass disc to form raised pyramidal squares. The disc is then painted to the desired colour. Going further than this is that iconic bezel.

The bezel (the section of metal acting as a border to the glass) is octagonal, a striking shape in what was a world of otherwise round sports watches. It is the single feature that makes the Royal Oak so recognisable across a room, and the industry.

The bezel features hexagonal screwheads, eight in total, and although these are not ‘screws’ in the strictest sense (a hexagonal shape cannot be screwed into a hexagonal hole; there’s no scope for movement) they are

Crisis point The answer lies in the wider situation within the watch world as a whole: the quartz crisis. In the late 1960s, new technology from Japan lead to the mass production of inexpensive, battery-powered, or quartz, wristwatches.

Robust in their simplicity, and affordable, the quartz crisis, when viewed through the eyes of the consumer at the time, is not really a crisis at all. We can call it a democratisation of watches, a revolution; they were now available to all, at a variety of prices, and many could now have multiple watches, should they choose to.

For countless traditional watchmaking firms, this revolution was of course catastrophic. Many folded but many firms ploughed on, knowing that their more expensive mechanical watches offered something completely different to the perhaps more traditional or discerning consumer. Many also began to offer quartz models alongside mechanical ones, even Rolex had their Oysterquartz (released in 1970.)

36 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Above One of the new

watches launched this year. A skeletonised Royal Oak 16204, image courtesy of Audemars Right Manufacturing

the iconic design, image courtesy of Audemars Piguet

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Left The new 39mm

Royal Oak “Jumbo” extra-thin 16202, image courtesy of Audemars Piguet Right The ‘A-series’ Royal

in fact structurally integral to the case itself – they are not just decorative. The movement in the first Royal Oak is, of course, a very slim, automatic one, and named the 2121 by AP. This superior movement was the result of a collaboration between Jaeger-leCoultre and AP, with the financial support from AP, Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe.

Oak from the original 1972 production run in Lyon & Turnbull’s sale on March 30 has an estimate of £25,000-£30,000, image courtesy of Lyon & Turnbull Below right The reverse

of the skeletonised Royal Oak 16204 features the words ’50 years’

Initial run It is not clear how successful the watch was initially, commentary differs across sources, but we know that after its first run of 2,000 watches in 1972, there were around 2,500 more made in the following five years. In 1977, the company released the Royal Oak in yellow gold, white gold and bi-colour options and during the late 1970s and early 1980s, the company increased their output and workforce, while other companies were going under (thanks to the quartz crisis…) The following decades saw the Royal Oak evolve, with new metals and case sizes, and, in the 1990s, a new model in variation on the original – the Royal Oak Offshore, was introduced.

The Royal Oak today Today, well what can we say? All the superlatives apply – as we have noted, the watch, whether new or vintage, is one of the most sought after in the world. In the last four years, prices for examples that come from the inaugural 2,000 pieces have soared dramatically. Phillips, who have sold several during this time, posted results that increased by tens of thousands of pounds with each passing year. We must note that condition, ‘completeness’ and provenance affect prices realised for these pieces, so comparing results from year to year is not an exact science, but nonetheless, the trend is there.

The 2022 releases In its 50th anniversary year, the Royal Oak shows no sign of slowing or retreat. In January, we saw the release of a number of new watches, each with an exhibition caseback marked “50 years.”

One, the Royal Oak Jumbo 16202ST, features a new movement (still extra-thin.) This is the first new movement to grace a Royal Oak since 1972, and a move away from that original 2121 calibre that was a collaborative triumph.

The movement, named the 7121, boasts a better power reserve and a quick set date function.

It is also a fully in-house production, something sure to delight collectors.

We have also seen a rose gold-cased skeletonised Royal Oak, with movement visible through the dial, the 16204, which is as striking as it sounds. It features updates and tweaks to the design that improve comfort, look and longevity of features – including the dial.

Sarah Fergusson is head of watches at the Glasgow auction house Lyon & Turnbull with a passion for mid-20th century chronograph wrist watches. An ‘A-series’ Royal Oak, one of the original production run from 1972 featuring the number ‘A-1485’ to the caseback, has an estimate of £25,000-£30,000 at Lyon & Turnbull’s Select Watches sale on March 30.

‘The bezel (the section of metal acting as a border to the glass) is octagonal, a striking shape in what was a world of otherwise round sports watches. It is the single feature that makes the Royal Oak so recognisable across a room, and the industry’ ANTIQUE COLLECTING 37

IN THE

Loupe

In the

LOUPE earrings, bracelets and brooches. So much so that, by the 19th century, demand for pearl jewellery became so high that oyster supplies began to dwindle.

Georgian designs

Pearl Power

For years dismissed as the staple of doughty matriarchs and debutantes, pearls are back and sparking bidding wars in UK salerooms

P

earls have created a global fascination over millennia, like no other gem. There is something magical about their other-worldly luminosity with their beauty lying in their perfection of form and shine. Since they were first discovered pearls have cast a spell: the ancients even believed pearls were formed as oysters opened to catch falling drops of dew.

In China, as early as 2300 BC, pearls were considered as gifts for royalty. In the 1st century BC, Julius Caesar decreed pearls could only be worn by the ruling classes.

The discovery of pearls in Central and South America in the 15th and 16th century led to the so-called ‘Pearl Age’ which sparked escalating demand in Western Europe, where ladies of nobility wore elaborate pearl necklaces,

38 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Above Pearls have

attracted jewellery makers throughout the ages Below left The brooch is part of the parure on sale at Wilson 55 this month which has a total estimate of £1,500£2,500 Below right Byzantine,

bracelet, 500-700AD, showing the ancients love of pearls, image courtesy of Metropolitan Museum of New York

Many of the pearls in Georgian jewellery are from the Pinctada radiata oyster found in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and waters around Sri Lanka.

Tiny seed pearls were increasingly popular throughout the era and into the Victorian period. Seed pearls, which vary in size from 1-2mm, originated in India, and were used to accent the frame of rings and earrings, as well as being hand sewn onto drilled mother of pearl to create necklaces. Seed pearl pavé – where lines of tiny pearls are set in single or multiple rows – also offered a stylish way for jewellers to incorporate pearls into brooches.

Pearls were also commonly found in mourning jewellery, set around painted portraits or landscapes, or offset by washes of enamel. Fake blown glass ‘pearls’, made from an inner coating of nacre created by making a paste from fish scales giving them an appearance of natural pearls, also became popular.

Edwardian times As their availability declined in the Edwardian era, their rarity guaranteed pearls were seen as a status symbol – even considered more valuable than diamonds. Another factor was the founding of the De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd in 1888, which meant diamonds were widely available and relatively affordable.

Pearls’ luminosity was also in keeping with the ‘white on white’ theme of Edwardian jewellery, pioneered by Cartier, with many pieces incorporating both diamonds and pearls. It was a trend that lasted until the beginning of WWI.

Pearls Left Byzantine, bracelet,

500-700, gold, silver, pearls, amethyst, sapphire, glass, image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Right A cultured pearl

straight out of the oyster shell in an open hand at Mooney Mooney, Australia, image shutterstock

Necklines, which became more revealing following the conservative Victorian era, gave rise to colliers de chien (or ‘dog collars’) made from a double string of pearls attached to a brooch or gemstone. Equally popular at the time were below-the-waist sautoirs, composed of long ropes of pearls, or beads, with a fringed tassle.

Coco Chanel The desire for pearls remained so insatiable that imitation versions took over in the 1920s, with their greatest advocate a decade later being Coco Chanel whose single pearl clip earrings were a significant a part of her iconic image. The French designer, who famously declared “a woman needs ropes and ropes of pearls”, wore them prodigiously (often both real and fake together).

Chanel was also the first designer to introduce fake pearls and gemstones into her collections, sparking a trend which is still popular today. Her simplistic garments (think little black dress) provided the perfect canvas to pile on layers of pearls.

Below left A suite of Chanel jewellery including a simulated pearl necklace with a twisted multi strand necklace, stamped Made in France, Chanel, 1983, expected to make £200, sold for £3,100 at Dawsons on January 27 Below right Known as

crotalia (from the Greek word for rattle) because they produced a jingling noise when worn, pearl earrings were extremely popular with Roman women, image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

How pearls are created A natural pearl forms when an irritant, such as a grain of sand, slips in between a mollusc’s shell and its mantle tissue. To protect itself from the irritant, the mollusc secretes layer upon layer of nacre, which is the iridescent material that eventually produces a pearl. For a natural pearl to develop to 18mm in size would take 10 years or longer.

The pearl is either attached to the interior of the shell (blister pearl) or formed within the body of the mollusc (mantle pearl). The sizes vary (from seed pearl, to paragon pearl).

Colours vary, usually depending on the water where the pearl was produced, ranging from pink to blackish, although some are artificially coloured.

The finest specimens have a satin lustre.

In addition to the oyster, pearls can be produced by other molluscs and are generally name after the host, for example abalone pearl, clam pearl, conch pearl or mussel.

Cultured pearls Cultured pearls were developed by the Japanese 20-year-old Kokichi Mikimoto in 1878 who seeding a nucleus into a living oyster. These cultured pearls, promoted as “Mikimoto pearls”, took the UK and European jewellery market by storm with their shape, colour and lustre.

In 1921, the London Star reported that Japanese pearls were so skilfully made that it was impossible to distinguish between them and natural pearls. Mikimoto is still commonly regarded as the founding father of the cultured pearl industry.

‘Evolving necklines became more revealing following the conservative Victorian era, giving rise to colliers de chien (or ‘dog collars’) often made from a double string of pearls attached to a brooch or gemstones’ ANTIQUE COLLECTING 39

IN THE

Loupe Left Georgie Gaskin and

Arthur Joseph Gaskin, silver necklace with a drop blister pearl.

Following the principles of the arts and crafts movement, the Gaskins rejected valuable stones, preferring paste, opals, and blister pearls, image courtesy of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Above right US vice-

president Harris is always seen in pearls Right The late former

British prime minister was a fan of pearls Below right An early

Pearl of wisdom In 2014, Salisbury’s Woolley & Wallis offered one of the largest round natural saltwater pearls ever seen at auction.

The gem measured 16.5mm by 17.4mm and weighed 33.15 cts (132.59 grains). Expected to make £80,000-£120,000, it sold for £680,000.

At the time of the sale the auctioneer’s head of jewellery, Jonathan Edwards, said: “It’s incorrect to say that it’s the biggest natural pearl in the world.

There are probably a couple of bigger pearls in existence. But it is one of, if not the largest, natural pearl to come up for auction.”

The pearl came from a private vendor whose wife wore it, along with a cultured pearl, as an earring. When Edwards suspected it was natural rather than cultured, he had its origin certified with the Swiss Gemmological Institute (SSEF).

A gem such as this would have been produced by a gold lip oyster (pinctada maxima) and would have taken the lifetime of the mollusc (or at least 10 years) to develop, probably in the warm waters of the Australian South Seas or even Venezuelan or Panamanian waters.

40 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Victorian seed pearl parure, comprising necklace, pair of drop earrings, diamond and seed pearl cross pendant and two brooches has an estimate of £1,500-£2,500 at Wilson 55’s jewellery sale on March 17 Below left The pearl was an impressive 132.59 grains

Who wears them From the “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher who rarely wore any other jewellery, to Harry Styles who worn a drop pearl earring at the opening of the Met gala in 2019, pearls have been a fashion statement.

Said to symbolise power and fidelity, for centuries, pearls have been adopted by queens, kings and first ladies throughout history, including Michelle Obama and Jacqueline Kennedy, who once famously dubbed them as being “always appropriate”. The current US vice-president Kamala Harris is famous for her pearls.

One reason may be that of etiquette, it was seen as in poor taste to wear diamonds before 6pm but pearls could be worn at any time of day. Men are also adopting them as acceptable pieces of jewellery. Aside from Harry Styles, pearls were spotted on men on the catwalk as far back as 2016 when Pharrell Williams modelled several strings at Chanel. Other famous male wearers are Sir Elton John, Billy Porter and the Jonas Brothers. Finally, the Gen Z’ers are embracing the trend, dressing down the regal favourite with jeans and trainers. It appears pearls will be sought after in salerooms for years to come.

Gem of the Month Aquamarine Below A pair of Cartier art deco aquamarine and diamond earrings sold for $43,750 at Christie’s on Feb 9, against an estimate of $25,000-$35,000

BLUE SWOON

March’s gemstone of aquamarine is a cool favourite among jewellers and the royal family

N

amed after the colour of sea water, aquamarine is the blue to blue-green member of the beryl family.

It occurs naturally in a range of shades from pale bluish-green to a strong mid blue and is sandwiched between the headline-stealing emerald and its lesser known siblings of pink morganite and yellow heliodor.

Director of the London jeweller Hancocks, Guy Burton, said: “Aquamarine evokes thoughts of cool blue waters, warm sunny days and blue skies, dreams of summer and carefree days.”

It has been discovered in countries including Mozambique, Madagascar and Brazil where an incredible crystal was discovered in the 1980s weighing about 225,000 carats, or 45kg. After cutting it was named the Dom Pedro and, at 10,363 carats, is today the largest cut aquamarine in the world.

Fashionable in the art deco period of the ‘30s, aquamarines gave jewellers the opportunity to

Royal favourite

Queen Elizabeth II has an aquamarine and diamond tiara and matching parure made from gems given to her from the people of Brazil to mark her coronation in 1953.

Its highlight is a tiara she later commissioned from Garrard. In 1971, the tiara was added to with fanlike scroll motifs, as seen today.

The Royal Collection said: “In the early ‘70s the tiara was adapted to take four scroll ornaments from an aquamarine and diamond jewel given to the Queen by the governor of São Paulo.”

The Queen’s daughter-in-law, the Countess of Wessex, is also a fan of the gemstone. She wore a modern version of the Queen’s aquamarine tiara at the wedding of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden in Stockholm in June 2015.

experiment and create bold and daring designs with an almost architectural look in accordance with the geometric look fashionable at the time.

Cartier and aquamarine

Above right The

Countess of Sophie wore an aquamarine tiara in 2015 Above The ring, with an

emerald-cut aquamarine weighing 14.17cts, is priced £16,500, image courtesy of Hancocks

‘During the economic depression of the ‘30s Cartier started using semi-precious stones such as aquamarine and topaz as a more affordable alternative for their clientele’

From 1932 onwards, much of the French maker Cartier’s aquamarine jewellery was produced by the company’s London branch. During the economic depression of the ‘30s, Cartier started using semi-precious stones such as aquamarine and topaz as a more affordable alternative for their clientele.

In fact, demand was so high for aquamarine at the time correspondence between the London and New York offices in 1936 refers to long delays in commissions owing to “the difficulty of obtaining a supply of good colour aquamarines.”

Dix Noonan Webb’s head of jewellery, Francis Noble, said: “Although economic difficulties also gave rise to a decline in the use of platinum during this period, Cartier continued to use it for their finer creations.

Aquamarines, with their flawless clarity, were often reserved for such pieces.” Of the 27 made by Cartier London in 1937 with the coronation of George VI in mind, most were set with aquamarines and diamonds or topaz and diamonds.

A 1940s aquamarine line bracelet mounted in platinum

by Cartier sold for £52,000 at London auctioneer Dix Noonan Webb’s auction last November, selling well beyond its estimate of £12,000-£15,000

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 41

EXPERT COMMENT Lennox Cato L E N N O X C AT O

Without RESERVE As we entertain more, now could be the perfect time to invest in a stylish nest of tables, which are as fashionable today as they ever were, writes Lennox Cato

I

f you are hoping to host family and friends for Easter next month you could well be looking for extra surfaces for drinks and snacks. Look no further than a faithful nest of tables. This useful piece of furniture has kept evolving down the centuries and remains a popular staple for contemporary furniture companies today. They were first designed in the late 18th century to be used in exactly the same way we use them today.

Staying seated

The Chinese hardwood hongmu, part of the rosewood family, was used for these tables

42 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

A nest of tables was described by Thomas Sheraton (1751-1806) in his The Cabinet Dictionary of 1803, as: “A kind of small worktable made to draw out of each other and may also be used separately and again enclosed within each other when not wanted.”

They typified many little tables designed for casual use towards the end of the 18th century. Made in

Left The nest has an

elegant satinwood veneer Below right The table

tops are veneered in honey-coloured amboyna

Huanghuali examples

This nest of tables was made in China around 1825 for the European export market. The tops are veneered in amboyna, which has a warm mellow yellow – almost honey – colour, with bandings of satinwood, with ebony and boxwood stringing throughout.

Each of the tables has a raised, ebony-lipped edge. The elegant, long-turned legs are supported by raised sledge feet and made of the dense Chinese wood huanghuali. Each table has a hoop-like stretcher to give it stability, again in huanghuali which is one of two woods highlyprized by the Chinese and broader Asian market.

The other is zitan but it is highly unlikely to find a nest of zitan tables made for the European market as it was the timber mainly used for the Imperial Palace. Both of these exotic woods come under the umbrella of the rosewood family.

graduating sizes, they were usually trestle in shape with a single long-ways stretcher to the back, instead of across the middle to allow close nesting.

The slender legs often had simple, turned ornament, and the rectangular tops were sometimes decoratively veneered. In 1808, George Smith (1786-1826) showed rectangular end standards with Gothic piercing.

In noting their use, Smith wrote: “They prevent the company rising from their seats, when taking refreshments.” In the Gillows of Lancaster records, 1811, four tables are called ‘quart tables’. Quartetto and trio tables have continued to be in demand ever since.

Quartetto tables When I first started dealing back in the late ‘70s quartetto tables were hard to find and much sought after, with owners understandably reluctant to sell them. Years later they remain in demand, as they continue to fit into a 21st-century lifestyle.

As a buyer I prefer quartettos to trios – if you can find them. But if a nest of three is outstanding then follow your instincts, remembering to buy the best you can.

Look out for early 19th-century versions, which can stand quite high serving the function of a smart side table. They can be found in various timbers such as mahogany, satinwood, rosewood and padouk wood.

‘When I first started dealing in the late ‘70s quartetto tables were hard to find. Owners of these useful pieces of furniture seemed reluctant to dispose of them. Today, as then, they remain in demand, as they continue to work in today’s 21st-century lifestyle’

Sheraton style The extremely elegant nest (above, left) is a pleasing design with a satinwood veneer on a hardwood such as cedar or mahogany. The latter is known as the secondary timber, with satinwood being the main timber.

Thomas Sheraton is renowned for this design, which dates from the late 18th to the early 19th century and is still as popular today.

The nest opposite shows the influence of Chinese design. These are later pieces, probably around 18801900, they are still of excellent quality and made of a Chinese hardwood such as hongmu, part of the rosewood family.

As with all antiques the condition and colour is paramount. So, if you are buying a nest of tables, make sure there are no splits, warped tops or broken and repaired legs. Any table must be fit for purpose to be enjoyed while entertaining your friends and family.

Lennox Cato is a specialist on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow and owns Lennox Cato Antiques, for more details go to www.lennoxcato.com ANTIQUE COLLECTING 43

THE EXPERT COLLECTOR Nantgarw & Swansea porcelain that I realised the importance and omnipresence of Welsh porcelain. It was then that my conversations with collectors and enthusiasts began in earnest, as did my regular visits to see fabulous Welsh porcelain in public collections, particularly at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff.

I now have first-hand experience of how the story of Welsh porcelain draws you in and does not let you go. It is a passion for many, especially in south Wales, partly because the story of Welsh porcelain was such a short adventure.

Is it Welsh?

Many collectors of Welsh porcelain will tell you that ‘collecting Welsh’ goes beyond the admiration of lovely antiques on display in one’s home. Most of the collectors I know, stay clear of English and continental porcelain; they are devoted to Welsh. Such collectors spend time and expense in hunting for rare Welsh objects and can be seen visiting fairs and auction houses, scrutinising porcelain objects and mumbling under the breath: ‘is it Welsh?’

Finest and Fanciest

WELSH Rare Bits

Considered by many to be the finest porcelain ever created, Ben Rogers Jones celebrates St David’s Day by praising Nantgarw and Swansea porcelain

D

espite its relatively small geographical size and population, Wales is a country of distinct regions. It is, after all, only a fourhour drive from the north Wales coast to the south Wales shore. There is, however, a wide difference in accent between north and south Wales and so, as well as audibly, it follows there are contrasting traditions, history, and even spoken language between the two regions. The antique collecting habits have different regional accents in Wales, too.

Welsh Story I am a north Walian who began his auctioneering in our inaugural saleroom in north Wales. It wasn’t until I opened our second auction house in south Wales,

44 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Above Nantgarw

porcelain plate, c. 18181820, 23.5cm in diameter, painted by Thomas Pardoe, impressed NANT GARW CW to base. It has an estimate of £700£1,000 at The Welsh Sale auction with Rogers Jones & Co on March 16 Right A rare Nantgarw

porcelain plate in the style of the 18th-century Meissen decorator Johann Gregor Höroldt, 25cm diameter, impressed NANT GARW CW, it sold for £3,000 at Rogers Jones & Co in 2020

Welsh porcelain was only manufactured between 1813 and 1826. But during those years, academics will say that the quality of colour and translucency in the product has never been surpassed in Britain. They say that at the time of production, only the quality of porcelain made by Sèvres in France was better.

Yet, Wales is not famed for fine antiques. Such is our rural history, the country is far better known for the vernacular - Welsh dressers in oak, and rustic pottery wares to display on top of such furniture. Wales is not famous for the fancy, high-end decorative arts displayed in fine glass credenzas or china-cabinets commonly associated with England. So how did it come about that Wales produced arguably Britain’s finest and fanciest porcelain?

Assessing value

Head billing The story of Welsh porcelain has a lead character – William Billingsley. Billingsley was born in 1758, he was initially the leading botanical decorator at the Derby porcelain factory. Then, in 1813, in the village of Nantgarw on the River Taff, six miles north of Cardiff, Billingsley established a porcelain works, which within a year was producing superb soft-paste porcelain.

But the production of such high-quality porcelain at Nantgarw was costly as much of the sensitive fine porcelain suffered kiln collapse, resulting in a considerable financial loss for the enterprise. Billinglsey, therefore, introduced new investors to the business in William Weston Young and Lewis Weston Dillwyn.

Above A selection of

Welsh porcelain on sale at Rogers Jones & Co this month

The two factories of Swansea and Nantgarw produced all manner of tableware and other objects. Nantgarw porcelain is generally more valuable than the market for Swansea porcelain.

But rarity of the shape or object, rarity of decoration and whether it is by a known painter is also a factor. Good provenance is also very pertinent to value.

Naturally condition is a factor. Welsh porcelain is 200 years old, so cracks and chips are common, as is excessive wear to the decoration.

Because of the high values associated with Welsh porcelain, items were often restored and repainted which will devalue it, too.

Above right A rare

Nantgarw christening mug with a personal inscription, c. 1820-1823, 6cm high, painted by Thomas Pardoe with the inscription ‘Mamma’s Darling’ and initials ‘S M’. It has an estimate of £1,000-£1,500 at the same sale

Swansea move Dillwyn moved the production to Swansea, 40 miles west of Nantgarw, with the aim of establishing a more commercially viable output of porcelain; he needed to stabilise the erratic, unreliable Nantgarw recipe. So, from 1814, porcelain was produced at the site of the Cambrian pottery works in Swansea.

‘Wales is not famous for the fancy highend decorative arts displayed in fine glass credenzas or china-cabinets commonly associated with England. So how did it come about that Wales produced arguably Britain’s finest and fanciest porcelain?’

In 1818, William Billingsley left the Swansea operation and returned to Nantgarw to reopen those works. Again, with the aim of producing the highest quality porcelain for the top-end of the London market. Billingsley wanted the porcelain to be the best and to be decorated by the esteemed London painters working at the best London workshops.

Vanity Project Billingsley’s vanity project worked to a degree as the porcelain that was produced was exquisite and it was in high demand from the upper classes of Britain. It was also decorated in London by the foremost decorators, including the J Bradley & Co workshop, Robbins & Randall, and the Sims Workshop.

Kilns close However, the formidable quality of Nantgarw porcelain still came at an unpractical cost with the disappointing rate of failure in the kiln continuing. So sadly, for Billingsley, the venture at Nantgarw was not commercial, and in 1823, the Nantgarw porcelain output ceased.

But in Swansea, the production of porcelain was a more promising commercial proposition as the factory was indeed able to produce a more reliable porcelain. However, the factory was taken over by the Bevington Partnership in 1817 and reverted to producing pottery for the growing masses in the increasingly industrial south Wales.

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 45

THE EXPERT COLLECTOR Nantgarw & Swansea porcelain Starting a collection Locally decorated floral tableware can be modestly priced - you can start off a collection with £100 in your pocket for a Swansea plate.

But the finer the decoration, or the more unusual the decoration, then the more exciting the prices. Important Nantgarw plates have sold for more than £20,000 at auction.

The two factories also produced out-of-the ordinary objects which can also command high prices at auction. Such items include dainty cabaret tea-services, pairs of vases, pot-pourri bowls, pen-trays, chambersticks, tureens and the most sought-after object of all - the ice-pail which is considered the holy grail for Welsh porcelain collectors, and can realise £40,000 or more at auction.

Rarer objects such as these will punctuate the collector’s display of Welsh porcelain, which can often be dominated by plates, dishes, and cups and saucers.

It is worth investing in a handful of books which serve as bibles. One of the most invaluable books is Swansea Porcelain: Shapes and Decoration by the great collector, Sir Leslie Joseph and A E Jones. Other authors to look out for are W D John, Ernest Morton Nance, and Jonathan Gray. Each of these books can be purchased relatively cheaply these days.

You may also find the Sotheby’s Sir Leslie Joseph auction catalogue online, but this might well be more expensive.

It is always recommended to view and examine Welsh porcelain properly. Welsh porcelain is usually translucent, and you should be able to see your hand through plates, cups, and saucers, when you hold them up to a strong light. This examination method is also useful in showing items that have been restored.

Above Rare Nantgarw

porcelain taper-stand, or chamberstick, c.

1820-1823, 6.7cm high, painted by William Billingsley. It has an estimate of £1,000-£2,000 at the same sale Below left A rare Nantgarw loop-handled taper-stick, c. 1820, 4.5cm high, with a tapered cylindrical nozzle, sold for £4,300 at Rogers Jones & Co in 2018

So, the story is that Welsh porcelain was made for only 13 short years, but the quality of wares that survived the kilns was absolutely world-class. The decoration, especially at London workshops, was of the finest quality too. When you put these two factors together the results are stunning works of art sought by collectors two centuries later.

Tea services The most common items found today from both Swansea and Nantgarw are plates, dishes, and teacups with saucers.

These items would have originally formed services, which over the years were dispersed, so it is more usual nowadays to encounter individual items, rather than the entire services themselves. Sometimes the porcelain in these services were relief moulded with raised flowers or fluting, but other services were produced in plain, even porcelain.

Famous collectors Often the acquisition of Welsh porcelain sparks exhaustive and obsessive research on the find.

One such obsessive was Sir Leslie Joseph (19031976) who was born in Swansea and had a long business career, which saw him becoming vice-chairman of the Trusthouse Forte group. Sir Leslie assembled the largest Welsh porcelain collection ever seen, largely concentrating his efforts on Swansea porcelain, which he purchased from all over the world.

In doing so he became an expert on shapes, the identity of decorators and their style. In 1992, Sir Leslie’s collection was auctioned in south Wales by Sotheby’s,

46 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

generating the highest hammer-price total for an auction in Wales, a record which still stands.

Spotting a fake There are many ceramic objects claiming to be Welsh with many having spurious Nantgarw or Swansea marks.

Many Nantgarw items will have an uncoloured impressed mark NANT GARW CW on the base, which can be very faint and needs a magnifying glass to see properly. But it is not unusual for Nantgarw to be unmarked. Swansea is often inscribed in lower case script but sometimes also in stencilled upper case. But again, it is not always marked! This is where the books mentioned will come in handy.

These are pitfalls which most Welsh collectors have fallen into at some point. It makes the collecting of Welsh porcelain a challenging task, but if you learn from mistakes, keep on reading and researching then the rewards are fabulous. A cabinet full to bursting with finely decorated Welsh porcelain really is a sight to behold and it can make your heart sing.

Ben Rogers Jones is a Welsh antiques and art specialist with auctioneers Rogers Jones & Co which holds one of its triennial Welsh sales over two days on March 12 and 16, including a selection of Nantgarw and Swansea porcelain.

For more details visit www.rogersjones.co.uk

Right Swansea porcelain

dessert dish, c. 18151817, 23cm in diameter, decorated with flower sprays and large insects, impressed with the Swansea mark. It has an estimate of £500-£700 at this month’s sale Below left top A rare

Swansea porcelain pen tray, 25.5cm long, sold for £1,300 at Rogers Jones & Co in 2018 Bottom left bottom

A Swansea porcelain cream tureen, cover and stand, c.1817-1826, 17cm high, decorated by David Evans, sold for £4,050 at Rogers & Co. in 2019 Below right A Swansea

porcelain cabinet cup and stand, cup 11.5cm high, London decorated, sold for £11,000 at Rogers Jones & Co in 2019

The current market Since 1992, while the top end of the market for rare Wesh pieces has risen, or at least remained the same, the overall Welsh porcelain market has dipped. This means the bulk end of the Welsh porcelain market, populated by plates and cups and saucers, is now more affordable.

Added to which there are fewer collectors than there used to be, as it would appear the obsession with Welsh porcelain has not been passed on as much as other sectors of Welsh fine art – such as Welsh paintings.

This makes it an excellent time to venture into collecting Welsh porcelain. However, be aware – the enigma of Welsh porcelain can easily pull collectors in but escaping its clutches has proven too difficult for many.

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 47

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Puzzle TIME

Put your antiques knowledge to the test with a crossword and quiz set by puzzle guru Pete Wade-Wright

MARCH QUIZ Q1 Match the following types of wood with traditional crafts/antiques/collectables. (a) alder, (b) box, (c) hazel, (d) hornbeam, (e) lime, (f) spruce, (g) sycamore, (h) holly.

(1) bread/cheese boards, (2) hand-weaving loom shuttles, (3) clogs, (4) pulley-blocks, (5) violins, (6) Grinling Gibbons, (7) Josiah Wedgewood, (8) measuring devices.

Send your answers to Crossword, Antique Collecting magazine, Sandy Lane, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 4SD, UK. Photocopies are also acceptable, or email your answer to: magazine@ accartbooks.com. The first three opened by March 10 will win a copy of Jackson’s Hallmarks, Pocket Edition: English Scottish Irish Silver & Gold Marks From 1300 to the Present Day, worth £6.95

This glass shows the anagram ‘Tiptoe squaw’

Q6 Does this dog feature

on an Australian coin?

Q2 The Rotherham, Kentish, Small’s, Ransom’s and Brand’s were (a) mid-Victorian gaslight fittings, (b) 18th-century ploughs, (c) 19th-century chap-book titles, (d) early 20th-century patented kitchen knives.

Q8 What else did the

Q3 A Mary Gregory is (a) a colander used in a bain-marie, (b) a Tudor rose decoration, (c) glass with a white enamelling, (d) a Medieval devotional statue?

flamboyant artist Charles de Sousy Ricketts design?

Portrait by Charles Hazlewood Shannon (1863-1937)

Q4 If you had once been the proud owner of a Lumière in the middle of the last century, what would you have done with it? (a) sat on it, (b) pushed it (with a baby), (c) listened to it, (d) found it indispensable in the culinary arts.

Q5 If you had an object with a leaf and monture would it be (a) a fan, (b) an inkstand, (c) a type of gate-leg table, (d) a desk-area extension with recessed grip?

Q6 In the year of the dog in 2006, Australia celebrated by issuing a silver bullion coin. What was depicted on it? (a) a corgi, (b) a dingo, (c) a golden retriever, (d) a Pekinese?

Q7 The salade, rondache and vervelle are all found in collections of (a) kitchenalia, (b) armour, (c) ceramics, (d) French 19th-c. furniture decoration.

Q8 Charles de Sousy Ricketts (1866-1931) was one of the most talented and flamboyant artists of his time and is best known for his illustrations and theatre design. He also, briefly, designed (a) cravats, (b) walking sticks, (c) jewellery, (d) cloaklining designs?

48 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Q9 In early 1840s London, Antoine François Claudet and Richard Beard were famously associated with (a) paintings of the city’s poor, (b) funerial trinkets, (c) printed music-hall advertising posters, (d) Daguerreotype photography?

Q10 In 1832, Charles Goodyear invented a process and a material that was used as a substitute for what? (a) guttapercha golf balls, (b) jet jewellery, (c) waterproof hats, (d) restraint straps.

Finally, here are four anagrams: Mount bath towel, Octet belt kit, Hotel suite, Tiptoe squaw. Rearrange them to form (a) One of the finest (British) manufacturers of decorative metalwork of the 18th c. who lived from 1728 to 1809. (two words) (b) Another name for a decanter label (sing.) (c) P rofile portrait dating from the end of the 17th century usually in black on a white background. (d) Description of 18th-century wine glass stems. decorated with white, or sometimes coloured, threads For the answers turn to page 23 1

E

SOLUTION TO LAST MONTH’S CROSSWORD:

The letters in the highlighted squares could be rearranged to form the word Fauvism.

The winners, who will each receive a copy of the book, are A Thody, Battle; Dr Russel McNeill, Dundee; Carol Spurling, London, SE13 5SU

P

B 9

O Y

E

R

T G

N 12

2

H

3

G N

4

E

7

L

11

A

13

L

S

20

T

O

U

U 24

F

F

R 22

R

R

21

E

S

I

O

N D

N

25

E

8

O O N

E

S

T

A

C

H

A

U

R T

S

S

18

K

I

L 23

B

U

E V

O

R

Y

N

H

G

14

M 17

R K

N

O W

A 16

15

E

A M

E E

D

10

6

5

E

E

I T

N A

C

K E

M R

19

E

D

1

2

4

3

8

7

10

13

12

11

16

14

19

23

1

ACROSS CLUE

9

15

17

18

22

6

5

24

20

25

21

1

DOWN CLUE

26

Across

1 Thomas _______ (1718-1779) Cabinet-maker and furniture designer. (11) 7 A kingdom or field of study/artistry. (5) 8 Grayson ______ (b. 1960) English artist known for ceramics, tapestries and an idiosyncratic sartorial exuberance. (5) 10 Toy train manufacturer that took over Hornby in 1964. (3-3) 14 An arrangement of tables made popular by the firm of Gillows, c. 1730. (4) 16 _____ . German optical systems and camera-makers (est.

1846). (5) 18 A member of the ancient European people and culture whose interlacing art has inspired much jewellery. (4) 19 Considered a weed but, according to the 17th-century herbalist Culpeper, “The herb of Mars” and “It consumes the phlegmatic superfluities in the body of man….” (6) 22 Lewis Carroll’s most enduring creation. (5) 25 Name commonly used by/given to the silver-smith E. Godfrey (she was active 1720-1766). Also Shaw’s Pygmalion character. (5) 26 Small, decorative desk object, often of glass. (anag.

Whippet rage) (11)

Down

1 Jean-Baptiste-Camille _______ (1796-1875) French painter said to have had “a noble and generous nature” and famed for his landscapes. (5) 2 Dating from the 17th-century, Japanese porcelain often with overlapping or leaf-shaped panels. (5) 3 Title of the first French opera (1671) by Robert Cambert (c.

1628-1677). (anag. No poem) (6)

4 Woolly surface on cloth. (3) 5 ____- twist stem…making 18th-century drinking glasses decorative and light. (3) 6 Ancient land of many gods…and where some of the earliest glass vessels were made. (5) 9 Max ______ (1891-1976) German-born artist. Prominent pioneer of Surrealism and of the Dada group in Cologne. (5) 11 Grass related to barley and wheat, and found in the title of J. D. Salinger’s 1951 novel. (3) 12 One of the people dominant in Mexico before the Spanish conquest, known for majestic stone sculpture, turquoise mosaics etc. (5) 13 ‘____ Lane’. Hogarth’s 1751 illustration of a social evil. (3) 15 Ancient Roman sun god. (3) 17 Greek moon goddess later identified with Artemis. (6) 18 Fastening for jewellery. (5) 20 Hertfordshire market town and home of a Natural History museum housing the Rothschild collection. (5) 21 David Shanks ______ (1901-1965) Glasgow-born painter who won the Guthrie Award in 1926 and the Lauder Award in 1927. (5) 23 Mischievous child or spirit, and the action of repairing a falcon’s damaged feathers. (3) 24 ____- trumpet. Collectable ‘medical’ instrument mass produced in Europe in the 19th c. Designs: hoof-shaped, horn-shaped, swanneck etc. (3) Finally: Rearrange the letters in the highlighted squares to give the name of a two-handled vessel also called a caudle cup.

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 49

THE EXPERT COLLECTOR Pioneering Victorian women world. For years, the pioneering spirit of these remarkable women, many of whom amassed incredible collections and founded museums to house them, has been overlooked.

Alice de Rothschild (1847-1922)

Against the Odds

With International Women’s Day on March 8, we discover the stories of seven women whose collections shaped late Victorian and early Edwardian museum collections

I

n Victorian culture women’s collecting was typically associated with the decorative and domestic arts, little more than an extension of homemaking, or a pride in pretty things. It was considerd to lack connoisseurship and viewed as amateur in nature.

Opportunities then for women were few: they were barred from studying medicine and law, couldn’t vote or own property and were governed by a strict moral code. For well-off women the choice was to become a socialite, while, for the less well off, it was a life of drudgery, perilous childbirth and domesticity.

For those who could afford it, collecting provided one way to break with convention. Another avenue to escape the tight restrictions of their lives was travel. With the right chaperones this was a respectable way for women of means to glimpse the wider

50 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

While much is known of the collecting prowess of Ferdinand de Rothschild (1839-1898), who built the well-known Buckinghamshire château Waddesdon Manor, less is known of his talented sister, Alice, whose collecting interests extended to armour and pipes.

This month, on the centenary of her death, the life, collections and legacy of Alice de Rothschild (1847-1922) are celebrated at a new exhibition.

Austrian-born Alice, who moved to England in 1866 aged 18, remained independent and in control of her personal fortune, in contrast to contemporary expectations. She reportedly even told Edward VII to keep his hands off the furniture. With good reason. Along with her brother, Alice was an expert on, and collector of, furniture by the German-born Jean-Henri Riesener (17341806) famous as the cabinetmaker of Louis XVI. Her collection ranged from rare works of art, to Sèvres porcelain as well as early English earthenware and Renaissance enamels and maiolica.

Alice’s Wonderlands runs from March 23-October 30 at Waddesdon Manor. For more details go to waddesdon.org. uk/your-visit/tickets

Above Alice de

Rothschild also assembled an important collection of arms and armour to decorate the Bachelors’ Wing at Waddesdon. Photo © Waddesdon Image Library Top right Burgonet, attributed to Caremolo Modrone, c. 1534, steel, gold, wood. Photo © Waddesdon Image Library Above right Joseph

Lowy (1834-1902) portrait of Alice de Rothschild aged 19, 1866.

Photo © Waddesdon Image Library Left Stereoscopic

autochrome plate of Alice’s Sitting Room at Waddesdon Manor, c. 1910. Photo © Waddesdon Image Library

Above The manor was built by Baron Ferdinand de

Rothschild between 1874 and 1885

Manor born Waddesdon Manor was built at the end of the 19th century by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in the style of a French early 16th-century château.

Baron Ferdinand was an inspired collector and the house was designed to showcase his exceptional collection of French 18th-century furniture, Sèvres porcelain, English portraits and other decorative arts.

Helen Sutherland (1881-1965) As well as collectors, there were a number of unsung female art patrons and collectors, including Helen Sutherland (1881-1965) who was one of the great supporters of modern British art in the early 1930s.

After her marriage was annulled in 1913, Sutherland began to collect art. Her taste was brave – she bought art that no-one else was buying. She was one of the Dutch abstractist Piet Mondrian’s (1872-1944) early English supporters, buying a picture by 1938.

She also bought work by the Russian avant-garde artist Naum Gabo (1890-1977) and was an early patron of Ben Nicholson (1894-1982) and Winifred Nicholson (18931981), having met them in 1925 when she bought two of their paintings. She bought Ben Nicholson’s earliest white reliefs. calling them “My little darlings”, as well as drawings and watercolours by the modernist poet and artist David Jones (1895-1974).

In 1928 she leased Rock Hall, near Alnwick in Northumberland, partly with the intention to provide a place for her circle of friends to stay. During her 11-year tenure of the 18th-century country house, the Nicholsons and David Jones were regular guests and it was during this period that much of her patronage occurred.

Above Joséphine

Bowes met the young Emile Gallé at the London International Exhibition of 1871 and commissioned a cabaret set from him.

This is his first known commission for glass, and predates his work in the art nouveau style by 20 years.

Right Antoine Dury

(1819-1877) portrait of Joséphine Bowes surrounded by play scripts on the desk Far left The Chapel in

the Park, 1932. David Jones. Purchased from the Redfern Gallery © The Trustees of the David Jones Estate / Bridgeman Images Left Composition B (No. II) with Red, 1935. Piet Mondrian. Photo: Tate Below left Ben Nicholson: 1928 (Walton Wood cottage, no. 1).

National Galleries of Scotland. Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh.

Presented by Miss Helen Sutherland 1965. © Angela Verren Taunt

‘Having heard of a mysterious Siberian plant cure for leprosy, Marsden set off for Russia in February 1891 with her Russian-speaking friend Ada Field and forty pounds of plum pudding’

Joséphine Bowes (1825–1874) Pioneering French-born Joséphine Bowes (1825–1874) was the co-creator of the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, which she established to house her collection for the public. A remarkable achievement when married women could not even hold property in their own name Born Joséphine Coffin-Chevallier, the daughter of a clockmaker, she assumed many roles in her short life (she died when she was 48), including patron of the arts and collector, artist socialite, actress, wife and mistress.

In 1847, she joined the Théâtre des Variétés in Paris where she she met John Bowes, a British landowner, racehorse owner and former Liberal MP for South Durham, whom she later married.

In Paris, the couple hosted dinners, parties and salons where writers, artists, and intellectuals could meet.

According to the Revue Critique, a celebrity magazine of the 1860s: “The salons of Madame Bowes are counted among the most brilliant in Paris.”

But from the early 1860s, starting a museum became the couple’s idée fixe with Joséphine embarking on a decade of sustained collecting assisted by three dealers in Paris. Sometimes she purchased items which, while not to her personal taste, she recognised as being worthy of display in her museum.

While Joséphine laid the foundation stone of the Bowes Museum on November 27, 1869, neither she nor John lived to see it open to the public.

Joséphine died in Paris in 1874. The couple’s coffins rest behind the apse of a church, which lies at the edge of the museum park.

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 51

THE EXPERT COLLECTOR Pioneering Victorian women Kate Marsden (1859-1931) Today, in the Siberian outpost of Vilyuysk, you’ll find Kate Marsden Street. Kate was an Englishwoman born in 1859, the daughter of London solicitor J. D. Marsden and his wife, Sophie. She was the youngest of eight and a bit of a tomboy. Having trained as a nurse she volunteered in the Russo-Turkish war in Bulgaria. It was here she witnessed leprosy first hand and became determined to find a cure.

Having heard of a mysterious Siberian plant cure, Marsden set off for Russia in February 1891 with her Russian-speaking friend, Ada Field, and forty pounds of plum pudding. She broke with tradition in many ways.

She dressed as a man and, following a concussion, “took many backward steps and turned away from Christ”. It is uncertain what the statement meant, but there was a suspicion of alcoholism and a scandal of her exploring her sexuality.

While not finding a cure for leprosy, Marsden did establish a hospital for lepers in Siberia and drew international attention to their plight. On her return she published the book On Sledge and Horseback to Outcast Siberian Lepers in 1892 and was nominated as a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, thereby becoming one of their first female fellows.

After a spell in the US – and a diagnosis of leprosy which seems to have proved false – she lived out her life on the Sussex coast at Bexhill-on-Sea where she was instrumental in setting up a museum to house collections amassed in her lifetime, including natural rarities.

She died of ‘senile decay’ in Springfield Asylum in Tooting in March 1931, at the age of 72.

Left Kate Marsden

dressed for her travels across Siberia Right Anna Brassey,

far left, on board the Sunbeam with members of her family, image courtesy of Huntington Library, San Marino Below right Photo

by Anna Brassey of a Delhi memorial, image courtesy of Huntington Library, San Marino Below left A pamphlet describes the shells Marsden donated to the museum she was instrumental in creating

Anna Brassey (1839-1887) Born in 1839, the daughter of a wealthy wine merchant, 21-year-old Anna married the very wealthy Thomas Brassey who had inherited £5m (the equivalent of £29bn today) from his railway magnate father.

The money allowed Thomas the opportunity to indulge in his passion for maritime adventures and, between 1869 and 1887, the Brasseys left their Sussex home, Normanhurst Court in Catsfield, to embark on cruises aboard a 157-ft-long steam schooner called ‘Sunbeam.’

Carrying the family of five Brasseys, a crew of 30 and numerous pets and livestock, the luxury yacht started its journey of circumnavigating the globe. Her resulting 1878 book The Voyage in the Sunbeam, our Home on the Ocean for Eleven Months became a global bestseller translated into five languages.

On her travels Brassey collected ethnographic and natural history objects. Her ‘Sunbeam treasures’ included a ceremonial cloak of exotic feathers from the kingdom of Hawaii which is now on display at Hastings Museum.

In addition to writing about their travels, Brassey raised money for charitable causes by holding exhibitions of the many artefacts she had brought back on the yacht.

In 1886, Brassey went abroad for her health, having contracted malaria in 1869 she experienced frequent bouts of fever. The convalescence sadly didn’t work and she died in 1887 at the age of 47, on a voyage to Mauritius.

She was buried at sea.

‘Brassey collected natural history and enthnographic objects. Her ‘Sunbeam treasures’ included a ceremonical cloak of exotic feathers, which is now on display at Hastings Museum’ 52 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Charlotte Schreiber (1812-1895) Even before she became an accomplished collector, Charlotte Schreiber had lived an astounding life. The daughter of the ninth Earl of Lindsey, as a child Lady Charlotte Elizabeth Guest showed great aptitude for literature and taught herself Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian.

In 1833, aged 21, she married the 49-year-old wealthy ironmaster John Josiah Guest and mothered 10 children.

Following her husband’s death in 1852 she took over the iron business and, in 1855, aged 43, married Charles Schreiber, a Cambridge academic and MP, who was 14 years her junior and also the tutor of her son, Ivor. She gave up running the iron works, and instead travelled and assembled an impressive ceramics collection.

In 1884, she gave nearly 12,000 pieces of English, continental and Chinese porcelain to the Victoria and Albert Museum. The collection was the creation of Lady Schreiber, rather than her husband. She also donated the collection of fans, board games and playing cards she had amassed to the British Museum.

Above left A miniature piquet pack of 32 playing-cards, late 19th century, French, donated by Charlotte Schreiber to the British Museum © The Trustees of the British Museum Above Charlotte

Schreiber at her London home © The Trustees of the British Museum Above right Fritware

with cuerda seca decoration, 1425–75 © Holburne Museum / Tony Gilbert photography Right Ellen Tanner

in 1903 in Mahun, photograph by Herbert Sykes, Sykes Family Collection.

Left A 16th-century

Jiajing bowl, donated

by Charlotte Schreiber to the British Museum © The Trustees of the British Museum

Ellen Georgiana Tanner (1847–1937) In 1894, after 47-year-old Ellen Georgiana Tanner (1847–1937) landed in Baghdad, she became one of the first women to travel solo in the Middle East beginning an intrepid journey on the caravan route through Persia on horseback. Tanner was the eldest daughter of an affluent Bristol lawyer whose death in 1887 left her with a fortune allowing her to travel extensively.

After journeying to Baghdad on a steamer, she continued overland on horseback into Persia, exploring the bazaars of Shiraz, Teheran and Isfahan, accompanied only by local guides.

Her passion for collecting saw her amass a rich diversity of Middle Eastern decorative art, including lacquerwork, textiles, and metalwork. Her experiences and observations were recorded in By Road and River: Journal of Journeys in Persia and Mesopotamia, in which she declared that “Never by any possibility could I experience greater or more delightful hospitality and kindness than I met with in Persia.”

Right Rosewater

sprinkler glass, Iran (probably Shiraz), 1700–1800 © Holburne Museum/Tony Gilbert photography Below left 18th-century backgammon set, German, donated to the British Museum

by Charlotte Schreiber © The Trustees of the British Museum

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 53

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

BOOK OFFERS

Check out the latest book offers from our sister publisher ACC Art Books and save more than 30 per cent into the bargain

UP TO

35% DISCOUNT ART OF INDIA AND BEYOND

BY ANDREW TOPSFIELD ISBN 9781910807507 RRP £20.00 OFFER PRICE £13.00

A CONTEMPLATION OF WINE

BY H WARNER ALLEN ISBN 9781913141257 RRP £16.99 OFFER PRICE £11.04

In this unique study of wine through the ages, Hubert Warner Allen casts an observant eye over the way wine appears in literature, from the words of the Roman connoisseurs to the excesses of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales heroes, taking in the debatable wisdom of the 18th-century epicurean Jean Anthelme BrillatSavarin and the sagacity of the legendary Edwardian winewriter, George Saintsbury – and many more.

The Ashmolean is fortunate in having the finest collection of Indian art in Britain outside London, one which includes many works of great beauty and expressive power. This book offers a short account of how the collection developed and a selection of some of its more outstanding or interesting works of art.

WHY BEES DO NOT SEE RED AND WE SOMETIMES FEEL BLUE 150 FACTS ABOUT COLOURS

BY JOANNA ZOELZER ISBN 9783961713653 RRP £24.95 OFFER PRICE £16.22

Has pink always been feminine and blue a man’s colour? Why are we green with envy? Looking for answers, author Joanna Zoelzer has come across remarkable and entertaining facts about colours.

In this beautiful coffee table book, we traverse the colour spectrum with 150 remarkable stories of our experience, understanding and theories of colour.

With insights from art, nature, psychology and science, this is an amusing, entertaining, and vibrant journey through the cultural history of colour.

ORDER NOW! Email lauren.kerr@accartbooks.com or call 01394 389988.

54 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

EMPEROR - THE PERFECT PENGUIN

BY SUE FLOOD, INTRO BY MICHAEL PALIN ISBN 9781851499021 RRP £25.00 OFFER PRICE £16.25

A celebration of one of the world’s most charismatic creatures. In temperatures that can reach -50°C with 150km/h winds, the emperor penguins’ ability to survive and thrive is nothing short of astounding. Over the past nine years, award-winning photographer Sue Flood has journeyed to remote Antarctic penguin colonies to capture the birds in their native home.

BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION FROM CHELSEA PHYSIC GARDEN

BY ANDREW BROWN ISBN 9781851497966 RRP £35.00 OFFER PRICE £22.75

A celebration of the outstanding work produced by the artists of the Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society. The seventy-eight illustrations reproduced include examples of a broad range of styles. The plates are accompanied by notes about the uses of the plants, as well as the botanical name of the plant and its family.

THE IMPRESSIONIST ERA - THE STORY OF SCOTLAND’S FRENCH MASTERPIECES

BY FRANCES FOWLE ISBN 9781911054467 RRP £22.00 OFFER PRICE £14.30

A vibrant, colourful and beautiful book that introduces readers to Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. It explains the difference between the two movements and the main artists associated with each. Illustrations are drawn from the renowned and outstanding collection of French art held by the National Galleries of Scotland and they include a number of rarely seen works.

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 55

ANTIQUES UNDER THE HAMMER Lots in March

TOP of the LOTS

This month’s best lots include pieces once owned by the swashbuckling actor Douglas Fairbanks Snr

Did you know?

An Iznik plate, c. 1590, has an estimate of £20,000-£30,000 at Christie’s biennial Iznik is the auction, Art of the name of a Islamic and Indian town previously Worlds sale on known as Nicaea March 31. which lies some 90 kilometres It comes from southeast of a strong section of Istanbul, and was Persian works of art, the site of the including illustrated potteries of the manuscripts of some of Ottoman Empire. the great Iranian epics, such as the 10th-century poem Shahnama by the Persian poet Ferdowsi. The London sale also sees pieces from the Middle East, southern Spain, China, India and southeast Asia going under the hammer.

Above The late Iznik plate shows artists’ skills at their peak

A rare watercolour by the former Poet Laureate John Betjeman (1906-1984) inscribed with a draft of his poem A Bay in Anglesey has an estimate of £4,000-£6,000 at Parker Fine Art’s auction on March 10.

The work, dated 1963, was produced for a family with whom Betjeman was staying on the Welsh island.

The “low peninsulas”, fields “for the sheep to graze” and Snowdon (all mentioned in the poem) are visible in the painting, along with a signpost that says “To the Meyricks.”

Below The watercolour of the Welsh coastline is by the former Poet Laureate

An 1826 oil on canvas painting of a chestnut hunter in a stable with a groom and terrier, by John Ferneley (17821860) has an estimate of £8,000-£12,000 at Bellmans’ auction from March 29 to April 1.

Ferneley, who was born in Leicestershire and settled in Melton Mowbray, is widely regarded as one of the great British equine artists – second only to George Stubbs.

Above John Ferneley (1782-1860) is one of the UK’s best equine artists

A 1930s doublesided enamel sign advertising Eley Kynoch cartridges has an estimate of £300£500 at Duke’s single owner collection of sporting memorabilia on March 17.

The collection, amassed over 60 years, includes vintage fishing tackle, a cartridge collection and taxidermy, as well as hunting and equestrian items. Kynoch was a manufacturer of ammunition, it incorporated into ICI but remained as a brand name for sporting cartridges.

Above The sign was made by the north London sign maker Bruton

Palmers Green

A 6ft-tall ape costume worn in the 1968 iconic movie, Planet of the Apes, has an estimate of £5,000 -£8,000 at Ewbank’s sale on March 4.

The costume was worn onscreen by actor James Daly, who played Dr Honorius, an orangutan elder. It was custom made by make-up professional Brian Penikas who also made costumes for Batman and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Right The costume was worn

by Dr Honorius, the tribunal’s prosecuting attorney

56 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

There’s a chance to own possessions once owned by the swashbuckling legend Douglas Fairbanks Snr (1883-1939) when his family collection goes under the hammer at Sworders auctioneers in Essex.

The 129-lot sale includes Fairbanks’ family photographs, cinema posters, personal jewellery, objects of vertu, furniture, paintings and clothing amassed by the star’s son Fairbanks Jr. It was consigned for sale by his grandson, Dominick Fairbanks, a film producer who once lived in East Anglia and inherited the collection from his mother Daphne (Fairbanks Jnr’s eldest daughter).

2

1

Confirmed Anglophile

Douglas Fairbanks starred in a myriad of Hollywood productions, notably The Mask of Zorro and The Three Musketeers, and was one of the founders of United Artists in 1919.

His only son, Fairbanks Jr. (1909-2000) was among the biggest names of his generation, first having box office success as a 16-year-old in the 1925 Samuel Goldwyn picture Stella Dallas. He went on to star in over 130 motion pictures opposite the likes of Greta Garbo, Cary Grant and Joan Crawford.

He was also a confirmed Anglophile. Fairbanks Jr. moved to Britain in the 1930s when Warner Bros asked its stars to take a 50 per cent Depressionera pay cut. He refused, was fired and took up an offer from the Elstree film studios to live and further his acting career in London.

During WWII Fairbanks Jr. was assigned to Lord Mountbatten’s Commando staff and became well known in the highest social circles.

3

4

5

Royal approval

He was knighted by George VI in 1949 for his post-war work in which he founded three hospitals for the war wounded (he was the first American star to receive the KBE at the time) and continued to spend much of his time in the UK from the 1950s.

Among the most personal items is an 18ct gold signet ring made for him by the London branch of Cartier, c.1960, and engraved with the Fairbanks' crest. The coat of arms symbolises the links between Britain and the US and was awarded to him by the College of Arms in London.

6

The sale place live at Stansted Mountfitchet on March 2. For more details go to www.sworder.co.uk 1 A pair of crossed sword three-light wall lights, believed to have been created to celebrate Douglas Fairbanks Sr’s film The Three Musketeers, 1921, has an estimate of £300-£500 2 The Fighting O’Flynn, a framed Universal International original movie poster chromolithograph has an estimate of £200-£300 in this month’s sale 3 A gold snuff box, c.1820, German with a later Russian standard mark 1908-1917, engraved ‘Fairbanks’ and given to Douglas Fairbanks Snr by his second wife Mary Pickford, it has an estimate of £7,000-£9,000 4 Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (1909-2000) Palm Beach Garden, oil on canvas of the actor’s Palm Beach home, The Vicarage, has an estimate of £500-£700 5 Johan Van de Linde Jr. (1887-1956) an oil on canvas portrait of Douglas Fairbanks Jr, 1947, has an estimate of £300-£500 6 Douglas Fairbank Jr’s gold signet ring by Cartier, c.1960, engraved with the Fairbanks’ crest, has an estimate of £2,000-£3,000 7 Douglas Fairbanks much-loved green felt trilby hat and well-used brown leather briefcase with DF initials has an estimate of £80-£120

7

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 57

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

Epsom, Surrey, KT18 5LQ, Mar 15

Adams Antiques Fairs 0207 254 4054 www.adamsantiquesfairs.com Adams Antiques Fair, Lindley Hall, 80 Vincent Square, Westminster, SW1P 2PE, Mar 20

Dovehouse Fine Antiques Fair www.dovehousefine antiquesfairs.com 07952689717 Dorking Halls, Reigate Road, Dorking, Surrey, Mar 20

The Chelsea Antiques and Fine Art Fair www.chelseaantiquesfair.co.uk Chelsea Old Town Hall, King’s Road, Kensington and Chelsea, London, SW3 5EE, March 23-27

Hayes Antique Vintage and Collectables Fair 07860 465771 Hayes Free Church, 111 Pickhurst Lane, Hayes, Kent BR2 7HU, Mar 12

Etc Fairs 01707 872 140 www.etcfairs.com Bloomsbury Book Fair, Booker & Turner Suite at Holiday Inn, Coram Street, London, WC1N 1HT, Mar 13 Bloomsbury Ephemera Fair, Royal National Hotel, 38-51 Bedford Way, WC1H 0DG, Mar 27

IACF 01636 702326 www.iacf.co.uk Ardingly International Antiques & Collectors Fair, South of England Showground, Ardingly, Near Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 6TL, Mar 1-2

Sunbury Antiques 01932 230946 www.sunburyantiques.com Sunbury Antiques Market, Kempton Park Race Course, Staines Road East, Sunbury-onThames, Middlesex TW16 5AQ, Mar 8, 29 SOUTH EAST AND EAST ANGLIA: including Beds, Cambs, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex.

Arun Fairs 07563 589725 www.antiques-atlas.com Emsworth Antiques and Collectors Fair, North Street, Emsworth, PO10 7DD, Mar 13 Rustington Antiques & Collectables Fair, The Woodland Centre, Woodlands Avenue, Rustington, West Sussex, BN16 3HB, Mar 6 Continuity Fairs 01584 873634 www.continuityfairs.co.uk Epsom Racecourse Antiques and Collectables Fair, Epsom Racecourse, Epsom Downs,

58 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Love Fairs 01293 690777 www.lovefairs.com Brighton Antiques, Collectables & Vintage Fair, Brighton Racecourse, Freshfield Road, Brighton, BN2 9XZ, Mar 6 Marcel Fairs 07887648255 www.marcelfairs.co.uk Marcel Fairs. 07887648255 www.marcelfairs.co.uk Antique & Collectors Fair, Sarratt Village Hall, The Green, WD3 6AS, Mar 13 Antique & Vintage Fair, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8JH, Mar 20 Melford Antiques Fair 07837 497617 www.melfordantiquesfair.co.uk Long Melford Antiques & Vintage Fair, The Old School, Hall Street, Long Melford, CO10 9DX, Mar 26-27 Suffolk’s Graham Turner Antique Fairs 01379 897266 Long Melford Village Hall, Chemists Lane (Opposite Bull Hotel), Long Melford, Suffolk, CO10 9LQ, Mar 2

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

AFC Fairs 07887 753956 www.antiquefairscornwall.co.uk Pensilva Antique & Collectors Fair, Millennium House, Princess Road, Pensilva, Liskeard, Cornwall, PL14 5NF, Mar 27 Cameo Fairs 07790 126967 Corfe Castle Antiques & Vintage Fair, Village Hall, East Street, Corfe Castle, Dorset, BG20 5EE, Mar 6 Minstead Antique Fair, Village Hall, London Road, Minstead, Hampshire, SO43 7FX, Mar 6 Continuity Fairs 01584 873634 www.continuityfairs.co.uk Exeter Antique & Flea Market at Matford, The Matford Centre, Marsh Barton, Exeter, EX2 8FD, Mar 5 Marlow Antique & Vintage Fair 07394 704272 Liston Hall, Chapel Street, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, SL7 1DD, Mar 5 Stockbridge Antiques Fair Stockbridge Town Hall, High Street, Stockbridge, Hampshire, SO20 6HE, Mar 5 EAST MIDLANDS including Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland.

Arthur Swallow Fairs 01298 27493 www.asfairs.com Antiques and Home Show, Lincolnshire Showground, Lincoln, LN2 2NA, Mar 30 Antiques and Salvage Market, Cheshire Showground, Tabley, WA16 0HJ, Mar 19 Halcyon Fairs 01584 873634 www.halcyonfairs.co.uk Buxton Antiques & Collectors Fair, The Pavilion Gardens, St John Road, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6BE, Mar 5-6 IACF 01636 702326 www.iacf.co.uk Runway at Newark, Newark and

Nottinghamshire Showground, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 2NY, Mar 14 WEST MIDLANDS including Birmingham, Coventry, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire B2B Events 01636 676531 www.b2bevents.info Malvern Flea and Collector’s Fair, Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcs, WR13 6NW, Mar 27 Coin and Medal Fairs Ltd. 01694 731781 www.coinfairs.co.uk The Midland Coin Fair, National Motorcycle Museum, Bickenhill, Birmingham, B92 0EJ, Mar 13 Continuity Fairs 01584 873634 www.continuityfairs.co.uk The Bingley Hall Antique Home & Vintage Fair, Blingley Hall, Stafford Showground, Stafford, ST18 0BD, Mar 19-20 Stags Head Events (formerly Guildhall Antiques Fairs) 07583 410862 www.stagsheadevents.co.uk Antiques & Vintage Fair, Shrewsbury Sports Village, Shrewsbury, SY1 4RQ, Mar 6 NORTH including Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Yorkshire.

Galloway Antiques Fairs 01423 522122 www.gallowayfairs.co.uk Antiques and Fine Art Fair, Arley Hall, Northwich Cheshire, CW9 6NA, Mar 18-20 V and A Fairs www.vandafairs.com 01244 659887 Civic Hall Nantwich, Beam Street, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 5DG, Mar 17 SCOTLAND Galloway Antiques Fairs 01423 522122 www.gallowayfairs.co.uk Antiques and Fine Art Fair Scone Palace, Perth, PH2 6BD, Mar 4-6

23RD - 27TH MARCH 2022 22ND

INVITATION ONLY PREVIEW ON THE

CHELSEA OLD TOWN HALL, KING’S ROAD, SW3 5EE

SIGN UP FOR YOUR COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS www.chelseaantiquesfair.co.uk OFFICIAL FAIR PARTNERS

FOR THE FULL LIST OF EXHIBITORS VISIT WWW.CHELSEAANTIQUESFAIR.CO.UK

Galloway Antiques & Fine Art Fairs

Scone Palace Perth, Scotland PH2 6BD

4th - 6th March

Arley Hall

Northwich, Cheshire CW9 6NA

18th - 20th March

Duncombe Park Helmsley, N. Yorks. YO62 5EB

1st - 3rd April

Malvern Antiques & Collectors Fair The Severn Hall, Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcs, WR13 6NW

Sunday 27th March Antiques, Art Deco, collectables & much more

Early entry: Entrance:

8.30am 10am - 4:00pm

- £4 - £3

NO OUTSIDE PITCHES

Malvern Flea & Collectors Fair

Admit 2 for the price of 1 with this advert

Three Counties Showground, Worcestershire, WR13 6NW.

Admission to fairs £6.00 Fairs open daily 10.30am - 5pm. 4.30pm finish Sunday

Easter Monday 18th April

Galloway Fairs: Tel/Fax: 01423 522122 Email: susan@gallowayfairs.co.uk

Entrance: 7.30am-3.30pm - £5

Signposted • Refreshments • Car Parking • Helping to raise money for CANCER RESEARCH UK

www.gallowayfairs.co.uk

Please check www.b2bevents.info in case these dates have changed or been cancelled

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

59

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 Sir Michael Caine, The Personal Collection, Mar 2 British Cool, Mar 3 The Mind’s Eye/ Surrealist Sale, Mar 8 Modern and Contemporary African Post-War and Contemporary Art, Mar 24 19th-Century and British Impressionist Art, Mar 30 Bonhams Knightsbridge, SW7 020 7393 3900 www.bonhams.com Travel & Exploration, Mar 2 Knightsbridge Jewels, Mar 9 British and European Art, Mar 9 Designer Handbags and Fashion, Mar 16 Homes and Interiors, Mar 30 Chiswick Auctions 1 Colville Rd, Chiswick, W3 8BL, 020 8992 4442 www.chiswickauctions.co.uk 19th and 20th-Century Paintings and Works of Art on Paper, Mar 23 Jewellery, Mar 24 Watches, Mar 24 Wines and Spirits, Mar 30 Modern & Contemporary Middle Eastern and African Art, Mar 31 Christie’s King St., London, SW1 020 7839 9060 www.christies.com Laugh now but one day we’ll be in charge: Banksy and 21st Century Editions (Online), Mar 1-15 20th/ 21st-Century Art Evening Sale, Mar 1 The Art of the Surreal, Mar 1 Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale, Mar 2 Impressionist Day and Works on Paper Sale, Mar 4 First Open: Post-War and Contemporary Art (Online), ends Mar 9 Dramas of Light and Land: The Martyn Gregory Collection of British Art (Online), Mar 10-24 Prints and Multiples, (Online), Mar 10-24

60 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Modern British Art Evening Sale, Mar 22 Modern British Art Day Sale, Mar 23 Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds including Oriental Rugs and Carpets, Mar 31 Dix Noonan Webb 16 Bolton St, Piccadilly, W1J 8BQ 020 7016 1700. www.dnw.co.uk Irish Coins Tokens and Historical Medals, Mar 3 Coins Tokens and Historical Medals, Mar 8-9 Jewellery, Watches and Objects of Vertu, Mar 15 Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, Mar 23 Forum Auctions 220 Queenstown Road, London SW8 4LP, 020 7871 2640 www.forumauctions.co.uk Books and Works on Paper (Online) Mar 10, 24 Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper, Mar 31 Hansons Auctioneers The Normansfield Theatre, 2A Langdon Park, Teddington TW11 9PS, 0207 018 9300 www.hansonsauctioneers.com Spring Fine Art & Antiques Auction: To Include Fine Jewellery & Watches, Mar 26 Lyon & Turnbull 22 Connaught Street, London, W2 2AF, 0207 930 9115 www.lyonandturnbull.com Select Jewellery, Mar 30 Olympia Auction 25 Blythe Road, London, W14 OPD, 020 7806 5541 www.olympiaauctions.com None listed in March Morton & Eden Nash House St. George Street, London W1S 2FQ , 020 7493 5344 www.mortonandeden.com None listed in March Phillips 30 Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6EX, 020 7318 4010 www.phillips.com 20th-Century & Contemporary Art Evening Sale, Mar 3

20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale, Mar 4 Roseberys Knights Hill, SE27 020 8761 2522 www.roseberys.co.uk Traditional and Modern Home, Mar 1 Modern and Contemporary Prints and Multiples, Mar 8-9 Jewellery and Watches, Mar 15 Old Master and 19th-Century Pictures, Mar 22 Fine and Decorative, Mar 23 Sotheby’s New Bond St., W1 020 7293 5000 www.sothebys.com The Now Evening Auction, Mar 2 Modern and Contemporary Evening Sale, Mar 2 Modern and Contemporary Day Sale, Mar 3 Made in Britain (Online), Mar 9-15 Prints and Multiples (Online), Mar 10-16 Modern and Contemporary African Art (Online). Mar 15-22 The Orientalist Sale, Mar 29 Arts of the Islamic World & India including Fine Rugs and Carpets, Mar 30 Old Masters (Online), Mar 31-Apr 6 SOUTH EAST AND EAST ANGLIA: Inc. Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex Bishop and Miller 19 Charles Industrial Estate, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 5AH, 01449 673088 www.bishopandmiller auctions.co.uk Modern Living, Mar 2 Rural Bygones, Mar 2 Selected Antiques, Mar 9, 23 Collectors, Toys and Posters (Online) Mar 20 Ephemera, Books and Maps (Online) ends Mar 27 Music (Online) ends Mar 27 Remarkable Rooms, Mar 31 Pictures and Prints, Mar 31 Bellmans Newpound, Wisborough Green, West Sussex, RH14 0AZ 01403 700858

www.bellmans.co.uk Old Master, British and European Paintings, Mar 29 Interiors, inc Silver, English and European Glass and Ceramics, Mar 30-31 Burstow & Hewett The Auction Gallery, Lower Lake, Battle, East Sussex,TN33 0AT, 01424 772 374 www.burstowandhewett.co.uk Home and Interiors, Collectables, Mar 9 Home and Interiors, Furniture, Mar 10 Watches & Clocks, Jewellery & Silver, Antiques & Fine Art, Mar 23-24 The Canterbury Auction Galleries 40 Station Road West, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 8AN, 01227 763337 canterburyauctiongalleries.com None listed in March Catherine Southon Auctioneers Farleigh Court Golf Club, Old Farleigh Road, Selsdon Surrey CR6 9PE, 0208 468 1010 www.catherinesouthon.co.uk None listed in March Cheffins Clifton House, Clifton Road, Cambridge, CB1 7EA 01223 213343, www.cheffins.co.uk The Interiors Sale, Mar 10 The Fine Sale, Mar 23-24 Durrants Auctions The Old School House, Peddars Lane, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 9UE, 01502 713490 www.durrantsauctions.com Antiques and Interiors Including Glass, Ceramics, Oriental, Books, Pictures, Mar 4 Silver and Jewellery with Watches and Coins, Mar 11 Furniture with Clocks, Scientific Instruments, Mechanical and Music, Mar 25 Ewbank’s London Rd, Send, Woking, Surrey, 01483 223 101 www.ewbankauctions.co.uk Antique and Collectors, incl Silver,

Mar 2 Toys and Models, Mar 3 Entertainment, Memorabilia & Vintage Posters, Mar 4 The Bill Drake Collection Vintage Vespa Scooters, Parts & Memorabilia, Mar 22 Cars, Motorbikes, Scooters & Automobilia, Mar 22 Jewellery, Watches, Coins, Mar 22 Silver & Fine Art, Mar 24 Antiques, Books, Clocks & Antique Furniture, Mar 25 Excalibur Auctions Limited Unit 16 Abbots Business Park Primrose Hill Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, WD4 8FR 020 3633 0913 wwwexcaliburauctions.com Marvel, DC & Independent Comic Books, Mar 5 Toys & Model Railways Collectors Sale, Mar 26 Gorringes, 15 North Street Lewes, East Sussex BN7 2PE 01273 472503 www.gorringes.co.uk Spring Fine Sale, Mar 8 John Nicholson’s Longfield, Midhurst Road, Fernhurst, Haslemere, Surrey, GU27 3HA, 01428 653727 www.johnnicholsons.com The Trethewey Collection, Mar 1 Islamic and Oriental Auction, Mar 2 Fine Antiques, Mar 3 Fine Paintings, Mar 9 General, Mar 19 Lacy Scott & Knight 10 Risbygate St, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3AA, 01284 748 623 www.lskauctioncentre.co.uk Homes and Interiors, Mar 12 20th-Century Art and Design, Mar 18 Music Film and Sport Memorabilia, Mar 18 Fine Art and Antiques, Mar 19 Lockdales Auctioneers 52 Barrack Square, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP5 3RF 01473 627110 www.locakdales.com Toys, Books and Ephemera, Mar 2 Coins, Militaria and Paper Collectables, Mar 19-20 Parker Fine Art Auctions Hawthorn House, East Street, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 7SX, 01252 203020 www.parkerfineartauctions.com Fine Art & Frames, Mar 10

Summers Place, The Walled Garden, Stane Street, Billingshurst West Sussex, RH14 9AB, 01403 331331 www.summersplaceauctions.com Home, Garden and Natural History (Online) Mar 8-29 Home, Garden and Natural History (Sealed Bids) Mar 8-30 Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, CM24 8GE 01279 817778 www.sworder.co.uk The Russell Barnes Early Jazz and Gramophone Collection, Mar 1 The Douglas Fairbanks Jr Collection Mar 2 Home and Interiors, Mar 15 Fine Wine and Spirits (Timed Online), Mar 20 Fine Interiors, Mar 22-23 Homes and Interiors (Online), Mar 29 Jewellery, Mar 30 Toovey’s Antique & Fine Art Auctioneers Spring Gardens Washington West Sussex RH20 3BS, 01903 891955 www.tooveys.com British and Continental Ceramics, Glassware, Mar 10 Die-cast Model Vehicles and Accessories, Model Trains and Railways, Tinplate and Mechanical Toys and Models, Dolls, Dolls’ Houses and Accessories, Silver and Plate, Jewellery, Mar 16 Furniture, Arts and Crafts Metalwork and Applied Art, Rugs and Carpets, Mar 17 Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books, Mar 29 T.W. Gaze Diss Auction Rooms, Roydon Road, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 4LN, Norfolk 01379 650306. www.twgaze.com Blyth Barn Furniture Auction, Mar 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Antiques & Interiors, Mar 4, 11, 18, 25 Vintage, Mar 10 Modern Design, Mar 17 Books and Ephemera, Mar 22 Militaria, Mar 31 SOUTH WEST: Inc. Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Wiltshire Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood St. Edmund’s Court, Okehampton Street, Exeter EX4 1DU

O1392 41310 www.bhandl.co.uk Sporting and Collectors, Mar 8 British Bespoke Auctions The Old Boys School, Gretton Rd, Winchcombe, Cheltenham, GL54 5EE 01242 603005 www.bespokeauctions.co.uk Automobilia, Studio Glass & Collectables, Mar 3 Chippenham Auction Rooms Unit H, The Old Laundry. Ivy Road, Chippenham, Wiltshire. SN15 1SB. 01249 444544 chippenhamauctionrooms.co.uk None listed in March Chorley’s Prinknash Abbey Park, Gloucestershire, GL4 8EU 01452 344499 www.chorleys.com Fine Art and Antiques, Mar 22 David Lay Auctions Penzance Auction House, Alverton, Penzance, Cornwall 01736 361414 www.davidlay.co.uk Silver & Objets d’art, Mar 3 Jewellery, Watches, Luxury Fashion & Accessories, Mar 4 The Antiques Sale, Mar 10 The Asian Sale, Mar 17 Collectors Sale, Mar 24 Dawsons Kings Grove Estate, Maidenhead, Berkshire | SL6 4DP 01628 944100 www.dawsonsauctions.co.uk Jewellery, Silver & Watches, Mar 24 Fine Art, Antiques & Asian Art, Mar 31 Dominic Winter Mallard House, Broadway Lane, South Cerney, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 5UQ 01285 860006 www.dominicwinter.co.uk Printed Books, Maps & Documents, Natural History & Geology, Wildlife & Sporting Pictures, Mar 2 British & European Paintings, English Watercolours, Old Master Prints & Drawings, Mar 9 Antiques & Historic Textiles, Mar 10 Dore & Rees Auction Salerooms, Vicarage Street, Frome, Somerset BA11 1PU, 01373 462 257 wwwdoreandrees.com The John Sieverdink Collection, Mar 2 Guitars That Made History, Mar 16

Dreweatts Donnington Priory Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE 01635 553 553 www.dreweatts.com The Transport Sale, Mar 1 Fine Clocks, Barometers and Scientific Instruments, Mar 2 Fine Silver, Jewellery, Watches and Pens, (Live Online) Mar 8-9 Modern and Contemporary Art, Mar 16 Fine Furniture, Sculpture, Carpets, Ceramics and Works of Art, Mar 30 Duke’s Brewery Square, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1GA 01305 265080 www.dukes-auctions.com Avenue Auctions, Mar 8 Sporting: A Single Owner Collection, Mar 17 East Bristol Auctions Unit 1, Hanham Business Park, Memorial Road, Hanham, BS15 3JE 0117 967 1000 www.eastbristol.co.uk Jewellery, Gold and Silver, Mar 9 Antiques and Collectables, Mar 10 Militaria, History and Transport, Mar 18 20th-Century Design and Interiors, Mar 25 Gardiner Houlgate 9 Leafield Way, Corsham, Wiltshire, SN13 9SW 01225 812912 www.gardinerhoulgate.co.uk The Guitar Sale, Mar 9 Entertainment Memorabilia; Guitar Amps & Effects, Mar 10 Musical Instruments, Mar 23 Jewellery and Watches, Mar 23 Antiques, Silver & Works of Art Mar 24 Paintings & Prints, Mar 24 Decorative Arts & 20th Century Design, Mar 24 Hansons Auctioneers 49 Parsons Street, Banbury, Oxford, OX16 5NB, 01295 817777 www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk Fine Art Antiques and Collectors Auction, Mar 5 Killens Mendip Auction Rooms, Rookery Farm, Roemead Road, Binegar, Somerset BA3 4UL, 01749 840770 wwwmendipauctionrooms.com Interiors and Collectables, Mar 8, 22 Fine Art, Antiques, Silver and Jewellery, Mar 12 Sporting, Fine Wines and Spirits, Mar 31 ANTIQUE COLLECTING 61

LOWESTOFT PORCELAIN AUCTION ZOË SPRAKE

COTSWOLD AUCTIONEERS & VALUERS SPECIALISTS IN SINGLE-OWNER COLLECTIONS NATIONWIDE VALUATIONS & ADVICE

Jewellery | Watches | Silver | Ceramics | Glass | Decorative Arts Paintings | Furniture | Clocks | Design | Books | Textiles

Wednesday 19th October 2022, 7pm Entries are invited for this sale

Sold October 2021 for £7637.50

Hotel Victoria, Lowestoft, NR33 0BZ Guest auctioneer: Elizabeth Talbot of TW Gaze website: email: telephone:

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

YOUR INVITATION TO CONSIGN

Louis Wain ‘Lucky Sphinx’ Amphora planter.

Sold for a Record £8,420

10-12 Cotswold Business Village, London Road, Moreton-in-Marsh, GL56 0JQ 01608 695695 adrian@kinghamsauctioneers.com www.kinghamsauctioneers.com

Forthcoming auction of

Jewellery, Watches and Objects of Vertu to be held at our Mayfair Salerooms

WHAT ARE YOUR VALUABLES WORTH? We are now accepting entries for our March & April auctions.

Get in touch for a complimentary auction estimate.

FORTHCOMING AUCTIONS JEWELLERY, SILVER & WATCHES Thursday 24th March 9.30am FINE ART & ANTIQUES Thursday 31st March 9.30am

on Tuesday 15 March at 12 noon Public Viewing

BY APPOINTMENT ONLY Wednesday 9 March 10am-4.30pm Thursday 10 March 10am-7pm Friday 11 March 10am-4.30pm Sunday 13 March 12 noon-4pm Monday 14 March 10am-4.30pm Morning of Sale 9.30am-11am

All enquiries please contact Frances Noble or Rachel Bailey 020 7016 1700 or email jewellery@dnw.co.uk

VIEWING BY APPOINTMENT Monday to Wednesay 10am-5pm before each sale.

A

AN ART DECO EGYPTIAN REVIVAL PENDANT SOLD FOR £39,500

Get in touch today: 0207 431 9445 info@dawsonsauctions.co.uk dawsonsauctions.co.uk

DIX NOONAN WEBB 16 Bolton Street Mayfair London W1J 8BQ

www.dnw.co.uk ANTIQUE COLLECTING 62

Kinghams 10-12 Cotswold Business Village, London Road, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucester, GL56 0JQ, 01608 695695 www.kinghamsauctioneers.com Fine and Decorative Arts, Mar 4-5 Cotswolds Interiors and Collectables, Mar 25 Lawrences Auctioneers Ltd. Crewkerne, Somerset, TA18 8AB, 01460 703041 www.lawrences.co.uk General Sale, Mar 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Books, Maps, Manuscripts & Photography, Mar 17 Mallams Oxford Bocardo House, St Michael’s St, Oxford.

01865 241358. www.mallams.co.uk Jewellery, Watches and Silver, Mar 23 Mallams Cheltenham, 26 Grosvenor St, Cheltenham.

Gloucestershire, 01242 235 712 www.mallams.co.uk None listed for March Mallams Abingdon Dunmore Court, Wootten Road, Abingdon, OX13 6BH 01235 462840 www.mallams.co.uk The House and Garden Sale, Mar 28-29 Michael J Bowman Chudleigh Town Hall, Chudleigh Newton Abbot, Devon TQ13 0HL, 01626 295107 www.michaeljbowman.co.uk Fine Art and Antiques, Mar 26 Moore Allen & Innocent Burford Road Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 5RH 01285 646050 www.mooreallen.co.uk Vintage and Antique Furniture with Home Interiors (Timed), Mar 9, 16 Philip Serrell Barnards Green Rd, Malvern, Worcs. WR14 3LW, 01684 892314 www.serrell.com Fine Art and Antiques, Mar 17 Stroud Auctions Bath Rd, Trading Est, Bath Rd, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 3QF 01453 873 800 www.stroudauctions.co.uk Private collection of Roman coins, Mar 9-11 The Pedestal The Dairy, Stonor Park, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 6HF, United Kingdom. 01491 522733

www.thepedestal.com Fine Interiors, Mar 8 Special Auction Services Plenty Close, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 5RL 01635 580 595 wwwspecialauctionservices.

Toys, Mar 8, 31 Jewellery, Silver, Watches and Coins, Mar 17 Music and Entertainment, Mar 22 Woolley & Wallis, 51-61 Castle Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 3SU, 01722 424500 www.woolleyandwallis.co.uk Old Masters, British & European Paintings, Mar 1-2 Clarice Cliff, Art Deco & Design, Mar 16 Furniture, Works of Art & Clocks, Mar 30 EAST MIDLANDS: Inc. Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Sheffield Bamfords The Derby Auction House, Chequers Road, Derby, DE21 6EN, 01332 210 000 www.bamfords-auctions.co.uk Toys, Juvenalia and Memories of Childhood Auction including Collectors, Mar 8 Militaria, Medals and Firearms, Mar 14 Batemans Ryhall Rd, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1XF 01780 766 466 www.batemans.com Antiques and Collectors, Mar 5 Pictures and Paitings, Mar 18 Golding Young & Mawer The Bourne Auction Rooms, Spalding Road, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9LE 01778 422686 www.goldingyoung.com Bourne Collective Sale, Mar 2 Bourne Collective Sale Part Two, Mar 3 Toy, Transport & Automobilia Sale, Mar 23 General Sale, Mar 24 Golding Young & Mawer The Grantham Auction Rooms, Old Wharf Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 7AA, 01476 565118 www.goldingyoung.com Grantham Collective Sale, Mar 9 Grantham Collective Sale Part Two, Mar 10 Golding Young & Mawer The Lincoln Auction Rooms, Thos

Mawer House, Station Road North Hykeham, Lincoln LN6 3QY, 01522 524984 www.goldingyoung.com Lincoln Collective Sale, Mar 16 Lincoln Collective Sale Part Two, Mar 17 Hansons, Heage Lane, Etwall, Derbyshire, DE65 6LS 01283 733988 www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk Connoisseur Staffordshire Figure & Pottery, Mar 11 Antique and Collectors, Mar 17-22 Football and Sporting, Mar 23 Historica and Coins, Mar 24-25 Music and Film, Mar 28 Fine Art Auction, to include Handbags & Luxury Goods, Mar 31 WEST MIDLANDS: Inc. Birmingham, Coventry, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire Bigwood Auctioneers Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 7AW, 01789 269415 www.bigwoodauctioneers.com Furnishings & Collectables, Mar 4, 11 Selected Antiques & Interiors, incl. Traditional Sports and Pastimes, Mar 25 Cuttlestones Ltd Wolverhampton Auction Rooms, No 1 Clarence Street, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV1 4JL, 01902 421985 www.cuttlestones.co.uk Antique and Interiors, Mar 16

Fieldings Mill Race Lane, Stourbridge, DY8 1JN 01384 444140 www.fieldingsauctioneers.co.uk Decades of Design, Mar 15-16 Halls Bowmen Way, Battlefield, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 3DR 01743 450700 www.hallsgb.com/fine-art.com Antiques and Interiors, Mar 11 The Spring Auction, Mar 23 Hansons Auctioneers Bishton Hall, Wolseley Bridge, Stafford, ST18 0XN, 0208 9797954 www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk The Library Auction, Mar 9 Fine Art & Antiques Auction: Including Toys & Nostalgia, Mar 12 Curated Ceramics and Glass, Mar 15 Potteries Auctions Unit 4A, Aspect Court, Silverdale Enterprise Park, Newcastle, Staffordshire, ST5 6SS, 01782 638100 www.potteriesauctions.com Two Day Fine Art Auction of 20th Century British Pottery, Jewellery, Watches, Works of Art, Collectors’ Items, & Antique Furniture, Mar 11-12.

Trevanion The Joyce Building, Station Rd, Whitchurch, Shropshire, SY13 1RD, 01928 800 202 www.trevanion.com Fine Art and Antiques, Mar 23 NORTH: Inc. Cheshire, Co. Durham, Cumbria, Humberside, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Sheffield, Yorkshire

Cuttlestones Ltd Pinfold Lane, Penkridge Staffordshire, ST19 5AP, 01785 714905 www.cuttlestones.co.uk Spring Antiques, Mar 10 Antiques & Interiors, Mar 23

Adam Partridge Withyfold Drive, Macclesfield, Cheshire, 01625 431788 www.adampartridge.co.uk Two Day Auction of Boutique, Silver, Jewellery & Watches with Furniture & Interiors, Mar 17-18

Fellows Augusta House, 19 Augusta Street, Hockley, Birmingham, B18 6JA 0121 2122131 www.fellows.co.uk Pawnbrokers Jewellery and Watches, Mar 3, 17 Antiques, Silver and Collectables, Mar 7 The Designer Collection, Mar 7 Jewellery, Mar 8, 22 The Luxury Watch Sale, Mar 21 Fine Jewellery, Mar 31

Adam Partridge The Liverpool Saleroom, 18 Jordan Street, Liverpool, L1 OBP 01625 431788 www.adampartridge.co.uk Photographic, Optical, Scientific Equipment and Rock & Pop with Antiques & Collectors’ Item, Mar 2-3 Anderson and Garland Crispin Court, Newbiggin Lane, Westerhope, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE5 1BF, 0191 4321911 ANTIQUE COLLECTING 63

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.

www.andersonandgarland.com The Collectors’ Auction, Mar 1 Homes and Interiors, Mar 8 Fine Silver, Jewellery and Watches, Mar 22 Country House and Fine Interiors, Mar 22-24 The Pictures Auction (TImed), Mar 27 to Apr 24 Capes Dunn The Auction Galleries, 40 Station Road, Heaton Mersey, SK4 3QT . 0161 273 1911 www.capesdunn.com Interiors, Vintage, & Modern Furniture & Effects, Mar 7, 21 Antique Furniture, Clocks, Eastern Carpets; Traditional Paintings, Mar 8 Jewellery, Silver, Watches & Gold Coins, Mar 22 David Duggleby Auctioneers The Gallery Saleroom, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO11 1XN, 01723 507 111 www.davidduggleby.com Garden, Asset and Commercial, Mar 9 Jewellery, Watches and Silver, Mar 10 Coins, Banknotes and Stamps, Mar 10 Decoratibe Antiques and Collectors, Mar 11 Collectors Clearance, Mar 11 Affordable Art, Mar 12 The Furnishings Sale, Mar 12 Spring Art Sale, Mar 25 The Hull, Local History and Memorabilia Sale, Mar 26 The Country House Sale, Mar 26

0161 439 5182 www.maxwells-auctioneers.com Monthly Collective Antiques, Mar 15-16 Mitchells Antiques and Fine Art 47 Station Road, Cockermouth, Cumbria, CA13 9PZ. 01900 827 800 www.mitchellsantiques.co.uk Home and Garden, Mar 3, 10 Antiques and Fine Art Sale, Mar 23-25 Sheffield Auction Gallery Windsor Road, Heeley, Sheffield, S8 8UB, 0114 281 6161 www.sheffieldauctiongallery.com Silver, Jewellery and Watches, Mar 3, 17 Vinyl Records and Music Ephemera, Mar 3 Antiques and Collectables, Mar 4, 18

CA2 7NA, 01228 535 288 www.thompsonroddick.com Silver, Jewellery, Oriental & Asian, Pottery & Porcelain, Miscellanea, Furniture and Decorative Arts, Fine Art, Textiles & Costume, Mar 22 Vectis Auctions Ltd Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton on Tees, TS17 9JZ, 01642 750616 www.vectis.co.uk Diecast, Mar 10-11 TV and Film-Related Sale, Mar 24 Model Trains, Mar 25 General Toys, Mar 29 Diecast and Tinplate, Mar 30 Wilkinson’s Auctioneers The Old Salesroom, 28 Netherhall Road, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN1 2PW, 01302 814 884 wilkinsons-auctioneers.co.uk None listed in March

Omega Auctions Ltd Sankey Valley Industrial Estate, Newton-Le-Willows, Merseyside WA12 8DN, 01925 873040 www. omegaauctions The Bob Solly Collection of Rare Records - Part One, Mar 1 Music Photography - Limited Edition and Signed Prints, Mar 1 Glam Rock - Bowie, Bolan and More, Mar 15 The Nick Warren Collection, Mar 15

Wilson55 Victoria Gallery, Market St, Nantwich, Cheshire.

01270 623 878 www.wilson55.com Fine Wines and Spirits (Live Online), Mar 3 Northern Art, Mar 10 Modern and Contemporary Art, Mar 11 Fine Jewellery and Watches, Mar 17

Bonhams 22 Queen St, Edinburgh. EH2 1JX 0131 225 2266 www.bonhams.com None listed in March

Elstob & Elstob Ripon Business Park, Charter Road, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 1AJ, 01677 333003 www.elstobandelstob.co.uk Jewellery, Watches and Silver, Mar 11

Tennants Auctioneers The Auction Centre, Harmby Road, Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 5SG . 01969 623780 www.tennants.co.uk Stamps, Postcards & Postal History Mar 4 Antiques and Interiors, Mar 11, 25 Spring Fine Sale, Mar 18-19 The Fabulous Designer Fashion Sale, Mar 18 British, European and Sporting Pictures Modern & Contemporary Art, Mar 19 Fine Jewellery, Watches & Silver, Mar 19 Militaria and Ethnographia, Mar 23

Maxwells The Auction Rooms, Levens Road, Hazel Grove, Stockport, Cheshire, SK7 5DL,

Thomson Roddick The Auction Centre, Marconi Road, Burgh Road Industrial Estate, Carlisle,

Duggleby Stephenson of York The Saleroom, Murton, York YO19 5GF, 01904 393 300 www.dugglebystephenson.com Collectors Clearance, Mar 2 Jewellery, Watches and Silver, Mar 31 Antiques and Collectors, Mar 31

64 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

SCOTLAND

Lyon & Turnbull 33 Broughton Place, Edinburgh.

EH1 3RR, 0131 557 8844 www.lyonandturnbull.com Silver & Objects of Vertu, Mar 9 Jewellery, Mar 9 Asian Works of Art, Mar 16 McTears Auctioneers 31 Meiklewood Road, Glasgow, G51 4GB, 0141 810 2880 www.mctears.co.uk Whisky, Mar 4 The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction, Mar 6 Antiques and Interiors, Mar 11, 25

Silver & Luxury Accessories, Mar 17 19th & 20th Century Design, Mar 17 Jewellery, Mar 18 Asian Art, Mar 18 Paintings, Drawings & Prints, Mar 27 Thomson Roddick The Auction Centre, 118 Carnethie Street, Rosewell, Edinburgh, EH24 9AL, 0131 440 2448 www.thompsonroddick.com None listed for March Thomson Roddick The Auction Centre, Irongray Road, Dumfries, DG2 0JE 01387 721635 www.thompsonroddick.com Home Furnishings & Interiors, Mar 1, 15 WALES Anthemion Auctions, 15 Norwich Road, Cardiff, CF23 9AB. 029 2047 2444 www.anthemionauction.com General Sale, Mar 2 Fine Art, Antique and Collectors’ Sale, Mar 23 Jones & Llewelyn Unit B, Beechwood Trading Estate, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, SA19 7HR, 01558 823 430 www.jonesandllewelyn.com Genral Sale, Mar 5, 19 Rogers Jones & Co 17 Llandough Trading Estate, Penarth, Cardiff, CF11 8RR, 02920 708125 www.rogersjones.co.uk The Welsh Sale, Mar 12 Selections and Collections, Mar 12 Fine Art and Interiors, Mar 25 IRELAND Adam’s 26 St Stephens Green Dublin, D02 X66, 00 353-1-6760261 www.adams.ie Important Irish Art, Mar 20 Whyte’s 38 Molesworth St. Dublin, D02 KF80, 00 353-1-676 2888, www.whytes.ie Irish and International Art, Mar 7

LENNOX CATO ANTIQUES & WORKS OF ART EST: 1978

•WANTED• ~ WANTED ~

for epic East Yorkshire Georgian townhouse restoration.

For East Yorkshire town house renovation.

Labelled/ stamped branded furniture from Georgian to Victorian, eg Thomas Butler, Morgan & Sanders, J Alderman, Ross of Dublin (pictured), Gregory Kane, Wilkinson of Ludgate Hill, Robert James of Bristol, James Winter, W Priest, Samuel Pratt and many others. Tables all types, chairs, bookcases, , Davenport. mirrors etc. Campaign shower.

Georgian chamber horseIVexercise chair (pictured) Signed and unusual furniture. Georgian, Regency, William . Sofa / Pembroke / side tables, library furniture / bookcases. Also Victorian campaign chests, armchairs etc.

Ross of Dublin, Morgan & Sanders, Williams & Gibton, James Winter, Hill & Millard Unusual to William IV architectural features andGeorgian many others. eg doors, door frames, over door pediments. 18th century

J Alderman. Daws and George Minterspindles recliningand chairs.

Shoolbred/ Hamptons staircase handrail needed.

Anything/ Cornelius Georgian Smith Victorian with armchairs. or Regency lots of character considered.

Marble fire surrounds. Georgian / Regency/ William IV. Bullseyes etc.

Exceptional Georgian / Regency fire grates

Rectangular Georgian fanlight.

Sash windows x 4 identical. Georgian reclaimed. Approx 58” high x 36” wide.

Four identical reclaimed Georgian wooden sash windows Wide reclaimed floorboards.

Approx 100 m2. with boxes, 60 highwall x 37orwide.

Early decorative oil / gas / electric light fiapprox ttings. Ceiling, table.

Early gasoliers. Colza lamps. Gimble lamp.

1 The Square, Church Street, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 5BD 01732 865 988 cato@lennoxcato.com

www.lennoxcato.com

•WANTED• •WANTED•

Roland Ward, VanMarble Ingen fire taxidermy.

Human skull. surrounds fromskull.

1750Hippopotamus to 1850ish. White or coloured.

Stuffed crocodile / alligator.

Bullseyes, William IV styles etc. Brass Regency reeded fire

insert and Victorian griffin grate (pictured)

Quirky architectural features. Regency columns, corbels, marble and stone pieces, over door pediments, folding/rolling multi part Georgian room dividing doors.

Human skull, stuffed crocodile/ alligator.

Victorian canopy shower bath. Decorated toilets etc Unitas, Simplicitas, Deluge etc.

Grand tour souvenirs.

Decorated basins x 3.

vintagejewellery@yahoo.co.uk ororteltel07958 vintagejewellery@yahoo.co.uk 07958333442 333442

The centres are open 7 days a week 10am - 5pm

VINTAGE VINTAGE WRISTWATCHES WRISTWATCHES Omega Seamasters and pre-1980s Omegas in general.

Omega Seamasters and pre-1980s Omegas in general.

IWC and Jaeger LeCoultres, all styles. Looking for Reversos. American market filled IWC and Jaeger LeCoultres, all styles. Looking for Reversos. American market filled and 14k pieces possibly, at the right price. and 14k pieces possibly, at the right price.

Breitling Breitling Top TopTimes, Times,Datoras Datorasand and806 806Navitimers.

Navitimers.

Pre-1960s Rolex models, with a focus in pre-war Pre-1960s Rolex models, with a focus in pre-wartanks, tanks,tonneaus tonneausetc. etc.

Gold Gold or or silver/steel. silver/steel.Also AlsoWorld WorldWar WarIIRolex Rolex13 13lignes lignesetc. etc.Princes.

Princes.

Over 6000 items to view!

Shop Online 24/7

Europe’s largest choice of antiques & collectables is just a few away...

Worldwide delivery available

www.hemswell-antiques.com Tel: +44 1427 668389 Email: enquiries@hemswell-antiques.com Hemswell Antique Centres, Caenby Corner Estate, Hemswell Cliff Gainsborough, Lincolnshire DN21 5TJ

Longines, Tudors Tudors and and Zeniths, Zeniths,pre-1970. pre-1970.Even Evenbasic basicsteel steelmodels modelsininnice nicecondition. condition.

Longines, All the the quirky quirky oddities oddities like like Harwoods, Harwoods,Autorists, Autorists,Wig WigWag, Wag,Rolls Rollsetc, etc,and andWorld WorldWar WarI I All hunterand andsemi-hunter semi-hunterwristwatches. wristwatches. hunter Early, pre-war pre-war ladies’ ladies’ watches watchesalso alsowanted wantedby byRolex, Rolex,Jaeger JaegerLeCoultre LeCoultreetc. etc.Prefer Prefer Early, 1920s/30s deco decostyles, styles,but butearly earlydoughnuts doughnutsalso alsoconsidered. considered.

1920s/30s

Yorkshire based, based, but but often oftenin inLondon Londonand andcan caneasily easilycollect collectnationwide. nationwide.

Yorkshire

vintagejewellery@yahoo.co.ukor ortel tel07958 07958333442 333442 vintagejewellery@yahoo.co.uk

PM Antiques & Collectables are a modern and innovative antiques retailer based in Surrey.

Specialising in a wide array of collector’s items, including contemporary art, entertainment and memorabilia, vintage toys, decorative ceramics, watches and automobilia.

We Buy & Sell pm-antiques.co.uk Contact us: phil@pm-antiques.co.uk 01932 640113

ADVERTISE TODAY PLEASE CALL CHARLOTTE KETTELL ON 01394 389969 or email: PMAntiques2015 PM_Antiques Charlotte.Kettell@accartbooks.com ANTIQUE ANTIQUECOLLECTING COLLECTING65 65

LAST WORD Marc Allum

with rock and roll played by Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, Bernie Marsden and Keith Richards, with the latter popularising the model when he toured with his 1959 “Burst” in the United States in the 1960s.

An estimated 1,400-odd of the mythical models were thought to have been made and can command well into six figures. Made by Gibson between 1958 and the end of 1960 they represent the very pinnacle of American electric guitar craft, ranking among most collectable vintage guitars on the market.

Serendipitous meeting

Marc My Words Marc Allum turns rock idol when called on to appraise one of the most iconic guitars in history

I

was recently sitting in a café with an internationally-renowned musician discussing the idiosyncrasies of different guitars. Musical instruments have their own characters. Combine this with the character of the people who play them and the possibilities are infinite.

They encapsulate the history of their technical and social development and a place in popular culture. Then there’s the resonance of the music produced on them – as well as the aura and history with which their past owners imbued them. But how did I come to be sitting there having that conversation?

Interest piqued Well, the world of antiques and collectables puts me in touch with many different facets of life and and it just so happens I have been dealing lately with a single owner collection of classic electric guitars and equipment.

I’m a guitarist, so it didn’t take much to pique my interest when I was offered the opportunity to manage the collection. When the words “1959 Gibson Les Paul ‘Burst’’’ were mentioned, I knew the joyous rabbit hole it presented, one which would allow me to fully immerse myself in a musical odyssey.

The Les Paul is both legendary and iconic and has attained a ‘Holy Grail’ status among musicians and collectors. It is synonymous

66 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Which is why I was sitting opposite a worldrenowned musician, whose name must remain unspoken. Serendipity and hard work had come together (as they often do in this business) to open up a new arena of contacts and relationships – many of which, over the decades, have turned into good friendships.

In fact, the personal investment in some projects can outstrip the financial rewards as you become absorbed in these different fields. Such was the case with the 1959 Gibson Les Paul.

And then there’s the sound. I can honestly say this guitar was like nothing I have ever played. It belonged to its sadly departed owner, James Morgan, in whose possession it was for some 50 years.

Given, too, that it was ‘set up’ by Graham Noden, famous luthier and guitar tech to the stars, there’s little doubt that this job will remain one of the most memorable.

Marc Allum is an author, lecturer and specialist on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. The Gibson Les Paul goes under the hammer at the Somerset auctioneers Dore & Rees on March 16. For more details go to www.doreandrees.com Above left Led Zeppelin lead guitarist Jimmy Page was a fan of the iconic instrument Left Marc with the 1959 Gibson Les Paul “Burst”,

which goes under the hammer in Somerset this month

‘I’m a guitarist, so it didn’t take much to pique my interest when I was offered the opportunity to manage the collection. When the words “1959 Gibson Les Paul ‘Burst’’’ were mentioned, I knew the joyous rabbit hole it presented, one which would allow me to fully immerse myself in a musical odyssey’

Trading Cards: Pokemon & Yu-Gi-Oh!: 2 March Toys & Models: 3 March Entertainment & Memorabilia: 4 March Bill Drake’s Vintage Vespa Scooters: 22 March Classic Cars, Motorbikes & Scooters: 22 March Jewellery, Watches & Coins: 23 March Silver & Fine Art: 24 March Antiques, Books, Clocks & Furniture: 25 March

Auction of the A.E. Halliwell Studio Collection of Original Artwork Monday 11th April 2022 thecanterburyauctiongalleries.com 40 Station Road West Canterbury, Kent CT2 8AN t 01227 763337 e general@tcag.co.uk