Art Deco paste collar necklace by Schreiber & Hiller c1930
Price: £125
This is a quintessential Art Deco piece by Schreiber and Hiller. It is marked DGRM 1138525. This is a German patent number held by Schreiber and Hiller and pertains to the type of fluid link that has been designed to hold channel set stones. This patent was issued in September 1930. The company ceased to trade during WW2.
Gilt decorated English porcelain powder box and cover, probably mid C20th
Price: £15
This is a large English porcelain powder box and cover, the circular body with a shallow domed cover, the surface glazed white with elaborate gilt decoration of embossed stylised floral bands with stylised floral gilt borders above and below. The base is unmarked but the paste of the foot suggests English manufacture and the rich gilt decoration reflects that of dinner services produced by some of the well known twentieth century porcelain producers, Minton in particular.
Art Deco style Glass Box and Cover decorated with a dancing Ballerina, mid C20th
Price: £35
An opaque cream coloured circular glass box and cover, the bulbous body with high domed lid which is decorated with a dark grisaille dancing ballerina poised on one leg with grass below and hanging willow above within a yellow scalloped border which is repeated on the base. The style of decoration clearly suggests the 1930s and this piece probably dates to that era although there is no certain proof of this. Presumably a powder box it retains great charm and could well find a home in a contemporary setting.
Metropolitan Museum of Art Egyptian Hieroglyphic wall plaque c2000
Price: £20
This is a very detailed plaque that depicts an Egyptian owl. It is a replica from Tutenkhamun's tomb that was issued by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Hula Pattern glass Vase by Bob Crooks, signed by the artist, modern
Price: £110
This is a striking vase by Bob Crooks, one of Britain’s most highly respected contemporary glassmakers (see image 8). Born in 1965, Crooks studied at the Humberside College of Higher Education and the West Surrey College of Art & Design where he took a BA (Hons) in 1989. After working with other studios, he set up his own in 1990, moving to Devon in 2002 where he has since been producing his distinctive pieces of art glass under the name ‘Bob Crooks: First Glass’. The vase here is from the range in the ‘hula pattern’ (the name deriving from the well known brand of crisps) and can be seen in a variety of forms and colours on his website. The version here is particularly pleasing, the irregular flattened ovoid shape enhanced by the bright blue of the body set with scattered yellow ‘hula hoops’. This is, in fact, a unique creation since each of Hobbs pieces are designed, handmade and finished by him without the use of moulds. His signature appears etched on the base in common with all his other works. The appeal is obvious and an excellent example of the skill and artistry of the maker.
Long Art Nouveau necklace with multiple drops c1930
Price: £75
This is a very elegant long necklace that has central pendant suspended from a web of glass beads with two corresponding plaques on the sides. It has brass and glass elements with no clasp as it is an over the head design.
Victorian silver gilt filigree bracelet, Morocco
Price: £95
This is a stunning bracelet comprising four stations set with real stones amethyst, calcendony, tigers eye and garnet. These are surrounded with faux pearls. There are also small stations set with turquoise. It is marked 950 Silver. Probably Moroccan or North African.
Victorian large 9ct gold brooch set with amber c1900
Price: £200
This is a very rare brooch comprising a very large oval piece of egg yolk amber with inclusions that show fossilised organisms. This is set in a typical Victorian 9ct gold setting. It is unmarked.
Massive natural coral beads
Price: £175
This is an unbelievable bit of set of graduated coral beads that are natural in both colour and shape. They are ready to be strung to your taste, either as a choker style like Iris Apfel or possibly to mix it with other beads. This size of bead does not come up often and they are only getting more rare.
Pink porcelain powder box, Radnor Bone China, English Staffordshire, 1950s
Price: £15
This is an attractive porcelain powder box and cover, the circular body in pink fitted with a matching cover mounted with a delicately modelled floral spray, yellow petals with green and blue below, both the box and cover with gilt rims, the base marked ‘HB’ within a crown, ‘Hand Made’, ‘RADNOR’, ‘Bone China’, ‘Staffordshire’, ‘England’, all within a floral border.
Radnor was the trade name used by Hall Bros (Longton) Ltd. Hall Brothers was a China manufacturer based at the Radnor Works, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, England which traded from 1947 until its liquidation in 1972. It produced figures, birds, toby jugs and floral ware, mainly small porcelain boxes which were distinguished by their decoration of finely modelled flowers (see image XX for an advert from the 1960s). This box is a typical example and survives in excellent condition with just a very small amount of near inevitable damage to the petals.
Art Deco style Glass Box and Cover decorated with a dancing Ballerina, mid C20th
Price: £35
An opaque cream coloured circular glass box and cover, the bulbous body with high domed lid which is decorated with a dark grisaille dancing ballerina poised on one leg with grass below and hanging willow above within a yellow scalloped border which is repeated on the base. The style of decoration clearly suggests the 1930s and this piece probably dates to that era although there is no certain proof of this. Presumably a powder box it retains great charm and could well find a home in a contemporary setting.
Chinese carved wood Box decorated Dragons, early C20th
Price: £150
A Chinese wood box with a hinged lid of rectangular form, deeply carved with dragon designs , a large sinuous example on the lid, his scales graphically depicted, within a border of bats and floral rosettes, the sides with smaller companions, two confronting at the front and rear between a shield, with a circular geometric motif at the corners, the interior with another large example slightly stylised and wrapped round a large circular panel, perhaps intended to be carved to display the name of the owner. The richly coloured wood is a form of the rosewood used so often by the makers of the furniture and decorative items intended for export and the style of the carving, accomplished but not with the finest detail, suggests early twentieth century work. But this in no way detracts from a rather striking creation intended for the foreign market.
LOT 1
Swirl design art glass Vase, probably Italian, second half C20th
Estimate: £40 – 60
4d 16h 37m
£26.00
Early Egyptian Revival necklace c1900
Price: £65
This is a lovely example of early Egyptian Revival that was popular in the 19th century. It comprises a lariat style pendant in the shape of a winged scarab ending with a tradtional Victorian style drop with vivid red stones.
Bay Ceramic Ewer No 268-30, West Germany, 1960s
Price: £55
A ceramic ewer stoutly potted with a bulbous body above a short straight foot, the slightly concave neck terminating in two slightly flaring bands and fitted with a simple loop handle, the light mustard coloured glaze with moulded decoration of palmette leaves separated by an abstract geometric design and with bands of a repeating ovoid bead work pattern resembling a wheatsheaf, the interior glazed brown and the base with modelled marks ‘Bay’, ‘W-Germany’ ‘268-30’.
Bay Ceramics was founded by Eduard Bay in the 1930s and based in Ransbach Baumbach, the heart of the main West German pottery producing region. Their productions included vases in a wide variety of shapes and designs which continued in production until the 1980s. Bodo Mans was amongst their most famous designers working in the 1950s and 1960s. He seems to have concentrated on organic semi abstract designs and ewers in this form, with the same pattern number but in a variety of different glazes, are attributed to him. This monochrome mustard glaze seems particularly attractive and complements the design very successfully producing a striking and decorative item which might enhance a wide variety of interior settings.
Art Deco Shagreen Picture Frame, 1930s
Price: £110
A rectangular picture frame, the broad border inset with strips of beige and dark grey shagreen skin laid on a wooden surround the edges with short narrow strips stained beige to match the border with graining in imitation of bone, the back stained dark brown with patterning effects designed to imitate animal skin, the central insert hinged and held with fastening clasps to reveal the glass underneath and also fitted with a hinged support.
Shagreen is a natural hide, typically from shark, stingray or dogfish, worked through special processes to produce a granular surface effect. Known in China and Japan from the earliest times and popular in Europe in the eighteenth century Shagreen enjoyed its greatest popularity in the Art Deco period where it was used as a covering for writing desks and well-dressed cabinetry and smaller items such as the picture frame we have here. The clean lines of this piece and the palette of colours employed fit exactly with the ethos of the Art Deco period and a dating to the 1930s is extremely likely. A luxury item at the time it could be used now to provide enhanced presentation of a favourite image adding to it a hint of true elegance.
Murano White Glass Vase of abstract organic form, 1960s
Price: £55
A white glass vase of abstract organic form with wavy edge sides and openwork panels, the edges finished in clear glass, the interior with a slightly blue finish at the bottom and the base clear glass and flat. While there is no direct comparison, very similar pieces were made by the well known Murano factory in Venice and some of them carry its name on an affixed paper label. Murano experimented with many abstract organic shapes and, as with other pieces, dating here seems to be to the mid twentieth century. This piece certainly has a feel of the 1960s and given the complexity of the design, it is remarkable that it has survived unscathed.
Pair of Chinese hand painted jade Eggs with modern stands
Price: £25
Each of these eggs is made from light green coloured jade formed into the shape of an egg. Both are attractively painted in bright colours with birds and flowers, the designs complementary rather than matching. They were made in China, doubtless as tourist souvenirs and are most likely quite recent in date but the combination of the stone shape and colour and the careful decoration make them attractive decorative items nevertheless.
Chinese Cloisonne Shallow Bowl, C19th
Price: £45
A Chinese cloisonne shallow bowl of typical form with a compressed globular body, a wide opening with a gilt metal rim, a short gilt metal foot, the interior and the base enamelled in blue and the exterior decorated in cloisonne enamels with multicoloured floral blooms on a green ground with repeating a repeating fish scale border at the base and a band of ‘ju’i’ lappets at the top. The cloisonné technique, where glass derived enamels are inlaid between gilt metal outline designs, the so called 'cloisons' or 'partitions', was developed in China from as early as the fourteenth century and employed continuously thereafter, even until the present day. The weight of this piece and the quality of the decoration suggests a dating to the nineteenth century, perhaps towards the middle. Certainly, it is a much above average example of a form which was to be produced in substantial quantities in the early years of the twentieth century for export to the West. Its smaller size enhances its attraction making it an attractive collector’s item.
Japanese Carved Wood Figure of a Young girl, Kokeshi doll style, C20th
Price: £45
This is a rather charming carved wood figure of a young girl standing dressed in an elaborate robe decorated with floral blooms and fan shape panels in blue with floral designs. She holds something in her hands (an offering?) and looks out expectantly. The naif style resembles closely the kokeshi dolls that have been made in Japan for more than 150 years as children's toys but the portrayal is much more lifelike than that of its abstract counterparts. Dating is probably to the mid twentieth century.
Taxco bracelet with Aztec mask motif, 1940s
Price: £65
This is very unusual bracelet comprising stations of heavy silver masks connected with five silver rods. It is marked 'Made in Mexico' and 'Silver' and would have been made for export to the USA.
Japanese Samurai China Biscuit Box and Cover, C20th
Price: £25
A Japanese ceramic Biscuit Box and Cover with a wicker handle of squared octagonal form, the body slightly flaring outwards and with a flush fitting cover, decorated in bright satsuma style enamels with panels of a samurai and a geisha and two with landscape designs alternating with orange ground panels with stylised foliage in enamel and gilt, the design repeating onto the lid, the base marked ‘Genuine Samurai China’, ‘Japan’, ‘Hand Painted’, and a ‘Reg No’ which cannot be read, the lettering surrounding a shield like device with Japanese characters. The firm ‘Samurai China’ seems to have made modest ceramic items, mainly tea services, for export to the West. Dating is most likely pre war, perhaps to the 1930s.
Japanese Kutani Dish decorated with the Thousand Faces pattern, first half C20th
Price: £45
A Japanese polychrome plate decorated with a central roundel of a gilt stylised dragon and phoenix amidst waves on an iron red ground, surrounded by nine concentric borders, the first two with geometric designs and the next six with small repeating faces, the ‘thousand faces pattern’, and the outermost with chrysanthemum heads edged with an iron red and gilt border. The reverse with an iron red mark ‘Made in Japan’.
The colourings and style of work here clearly indicate the workshops of Kutani (the word means 'nine valleys') in the former Kaga province of Japan. By the nineteenth century the majority of their pieces were decorated in iron red and gold but sometimes with other colours in addition, as here. The ‘thousand faces’ pattern (an apocryphal term and this cataloguer has not attempted to count the number of faces appearing here) seems to have been evolved around the end of the nineteenth century and then continued in production until the mid twentieth. Both plates in various sizes and even tea sets are found in the design. The mark ‘Made in Japan’ was usually employed after 1941 (in the previous twenty years ‘Japan’ was the norm) but there are exceptions and the paste of the foot rim here does suggest a slightly earlier date, perhaps around 1930. In perfect condition, with very little wear to the decoration, this piece is a fine example of a rather eccentric decorative patttern.
Cranberry Glass Vase circa 1900
Price: £30
A cranberry glass (the name obviously deriving from the colour) vase the globular almost spherical body with impressed dimple effect large roundels and rising to a slender round neck with a ‘squared’ top, the flat base densely dimpled. Cranberry or 'Gold Ruby' glass is a red glass made by adding gold salts or colloidal gold to molten glass. It was produced in relatively small quantities due to the cost of the raw materials. Known from Roman times the most famous period of production was in 19th century Britain during the Victorian Era. Many pieces from that era are known with similar ‘dimple’ effects and this is clearly what we have here. The workmanship is high quality, the richly coloured glass with many interesting glaze effects (see image 4) and skilfully modelled. Perhaps just an ornament or possibly a small table decanter but either way an attractive addition to any glass collection.
Framed Ceramic Plaque depicting St John’s Church, Old Coulsdon, late C20th
Price: £25
A small ceramic plaque of octagonal shape painted in tones of sepia and depicting St John’s Church, Old Coulsdon, signed by the artist, ‘B.West’, and dated 1991. It is set in an oak frame with a border of stylised foliage on a ‘fishscale’ ground, the reverse backed with hardboard. St John’s Church, Old Coulsdon dates back to the late thirteenth century although some form of church on this site seems to have existed from the seventh century onwards. The view is taken from the south west and shows the old church nave and chancel (C13th) with the new church nave to the right (C20th). The artist was presumably local, perhaps a member of the congregation, and produced a pleasing, slightly impressionistic view of a familiar building. The frame looks earlier than the 1991 date inscribed on the plaque and may have been made from older pieces of wood adapted to fit. The combination produces an attractive decorative item, even to those not familiar with the location themselves.
Art Nouveau Bronze Tray, stamped 172 Deposé, French c1900
Price: £95
Typical of the style of the Art Nouveau era with its emphasis on organic forms, this bronze tray, perhaps intended for serving salad, is of lobed rectangular form with two handles in the form of lotus branches. Deeply and intricately cast there is a lotus spray at the top which complements the handles at the side and both are set on a wavy line ground with milled detail, perhaps intended to represent water. The underside has four small feet and is decorated with minute punch work dots. There is also a stamped mark ‘172 Deposé’ which occurs on other examples of this design. For devotees of Art Nouveau this would be a classic acquisition of an object which is truly representative if not archetypal.
LOT 2
Art glass feather design Vase, probably German second half C20th
Estimate: £30 – 40
4d 16h 39m
£11.00
French Orientalist etching aquatint - Paris La Rue Saint Rustique
Price: £35
This is a beautile small etching aquatint that is signed. One reverse is the printers label of "Georges Hautecoer & Co. Gravures Encadements 172 Rue de Rivoli Paris". It is a scene of a very famous street in the Monmarte district of Paris. The signature is illegible but it is lovely quality.
Show stopping suite of necklace and earrings c1960
Price: £85
This is a dramatic necklace comprising five strands of aurora borealis glass beads with the matching clip earrings. The beads are graduating and are facetted with gold tone spacer beads. The clasp is original in a matching design. The earrings are clusters of the same beads and the clips are quite sturdy.
Sowerby Amber Glass Centrepiece circa 1930
Price: £75
This set comprises a standing figure of a young boy, nude and holding a kid or young goat, mounted on a round plinth with ten pierced holes, combined with a centrepiece bowl with rounded modelled walls and a crimped edge rim, the interior with a central starburst design suurounded by a stylised floral border. Both pieces are made from pressed amber glass with a matt finish and resemble very closely pieces made by the Sowerby factory in the 1930s.
The Sowerby family came from the North West of England near Carlisle and settled in Gateshead in the late eighteenth century. The firm Sowerby Glassworks is known from 1807 onwards and continued production until 1972, concentrating on pressed glass. Catalogues of their wares still exist and they produced pieces in a wide variety of styles and shapes which retain their popularity today.
The centrpiece figurine, which was intended as a flower holder or ‘frog’, is rather unusual; normally the figures are female but the style of the modelling is identical. Similar designs to the bowl can be found in a 1936 catalogue but versions of it even appear in another catalogue from 1882. Many centrepiece/bowl combinations are found and some of them are not always original. This may possibly be the case here but if so the ‘match’ is extremely pleasing to the eye and the two elements set one another off perfectly to produce a striking example of Art Deco decorative design.
Studio Pottery Vase with flambé glaze, C20th
Price: £75
A studio pottery vase, the body of broad ovoid form, ribbed and rising to a wide neck, covered in a multicoloured purple flambé gaze with splash glaze effects, the flat base unglazed and with a handwritten script mark. The look of this piece is Oriental with borrowings from both China and Japan but the shape does not resemble pieces from either and the paste suggests European and almost certainly English manufacture. Potters from the early twentieth century onwards studied the work of their Oriental counterparts intently, producing pieces ‘in the style of’ rather than direct copies. Bernard Leach (1887 to 1979) was the trailblazer here and had many successors at the Leach pottery which still produces pieces today. Bernard’s son, David (1911 to 2005), created many pieces similar to this vase but the foot is different and they are always signed. The maker of this piece must be anonymous, at least for now, but displays great skill in the potting and the handling of the complex glaze effects which look towards Chinese Jun ware and Japanese tenmoku glazes. The script signature, which is hard to decipher, seems to be contemporary to the manufacture and the handwriting style looks towards the early twentieth century, so possibly a dating here to the 1920s or 1930s, but this is very speculative. But the quality of workmanship is not in doubt and presents an interesting addition for the collector of studio pottery wares.
Set of three Wade Bramble Pattern teaware items, 1950s
Price: £25
A set of three teaware items in the ‘Bramble’ pattern made by Wade Ceramics, comprising a pot for honey or jam, a jug and cover and a sugar basin. All are similarly decorated with a colourful briar design of raised blackberry leaves and berries on a cream textured ground, the handles in the form of twigs. The bases are marked ‘Wade’, ‘Bramble’, ‘England’.
Wade Ceramics Ltd was a manufacturer of porcelain and earthenware, headquartered in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Founded in 1867, it was run by various members of the Wade family until the death of George Anthony Wade in 1987 after which there was a succession of management buyouts. Despite substantial investment in 2009, the firm eventually went into administration in 2022. Wade produced a wide variety of ceramics, including the well known Wade Whimsies animal figurines. A pair of Art Deco green glazed ‘salts’ are also included in this sale. The ‘Bramble’ design was created in the 1950s and a wide variety of tea service shapes were produced in the pattern. Collectors today can attempt to assemble examples from the whole of the range, towards which these three pieces might provide some assistance.
Chinese Blue and White Snuff Bottle circa 1900
Price: £45
A Chinese Blue and White snuff bottle of flattened rectangular form with a short round neck slightly flaring at the top, decorated on each side with boys, one writing on a tablet with a brush and two playing together, the sides with lotus petals and the base glazed inside an unglazed foot. The style of decoration, which is not without a naif charm, suggests late nineteenth century work and the paste of the foot rim does not conflict with this, indeed it could be a bit earlier. Similar pieces are found, usually more coarsely potted and painted, and were probably made for the local market rather than export to the West. Doubtless originally fitted with a stopper, perhaps with an attached spoon, this piece is still an amusing and decorative item for the collector.
Pair of Silver Plated Fish Servers with fitted box, probably Edwardian
Price: £45
A pair of silver plated fish servers of typical form, one in the shape of a large fork and the other a flat slice, both elaborately decorated with engraved scrolling acanthus, the slice with openwork detail, and bordered with a repeating rectangular geometric design, the modelled handles, which appear to be dyed bone, set in ropework sockets. There is certainly quality here but no maker’s mark so origin and dating have to be guessed. The rather florid style suggests Edwardian rather than Victorian work and relates to the ‘renaissance revival’ style which features elsewhere in this auction. English manufacture is therefore the most likely. Certainly a touch here of the grand elegance of a bygone era and the set retains its original box which is in excellent condition.
Art Deco Flower Vase, Frog and Stand, Bagley Glass, Spinette Range, 1930s
Price: £45
A flower vase and stand of angular form, the green glass diamond shape body with a spreading foot and fitted with a matching black glass stand below, the interior of the vase with a removable display stand or 'frog' with diamond shape apertures for the presentation of flowers and the body of the vase with pressed glass decoration of stylised fans. The form of this piece appears in the catalogues of the Bagley glass factory in the 'Spinette Range' and with the model number 3180 allowing a secure dating to the 1930s which is fully consistent with the Art Deco inspired design of the piece.
Bagley Glass was established in Knottingly, England (south east of Leeds) in 1871. Bottle makers at first they branched out in 1912 and opened a department 'The Crystal Glass company' which made crystal and pressed glass. But it was for the latter that Bagley were to become famous and they became the biggest manufacturer of pressed glass in England in the years before and after the war. Many of their designs were influenced by the Art Nouveau styles and this flower vase, unusually presented complete with its frog and stand, is a classic example of their range.
Chřibská Glass bowl designed by Josef Hospodka, Czech 1970s
Price: £75
An organically formed sculptural glass bowl or ashtray, of trefoil form with an undulating rim and three projecting ‘knobs’ above the flat base, the colourings merging from green to amber with clear glass at the base. This piece was made at the Chřibská glassworks in Czechoslovakia and can be seen in their 1970s catalogue with the pattern number 240/5/20. An entry in issue 12 of the 1964 Czech Glass Review confirms the designer as Josef Hospodka who was chief designer at Chřibská from 1958 to 1970 and again from 1985 to 1989. His organic, sculptural blown glass designs enjoyed great popularity and some remained in production until the factory closed in 2007. The colourings here are particularly pleasing and this is an excellent example of his work.
Persian Painting on Silk depicting Courtiers in a Palace Scene, C19th/C20th
Price: £75
A finely detailed painting on silk depicting court figures in a palace scene with fountains to the front and a mountainous forest to the rear, the border with scrolling foliage. The work is typical of that produced by Persian artists and the scene bears a close resemblance (lacking the patient lying on the floor) to a work entitled ‘The Physicians Duel’ which depicts a scene from the Khamsa by Nizami Ghanjavi and is included in the British Museum collection.
The ‘Khamsa’ (Quintet or Quinary) is the best known work of Nizami Ghanjavi (c1141 – 1209) considered the greatest romantic epic poet in Persian literature. It comprises five long narrative poems the first of which is ‘Makhzan-ol-Asrar’ (The Treasury or Storehouse of Mysteries) and contains an episode where two physicians agree to fight each other with poison: each would give the other a poison and the doctors would then attempt, by their skill, to provide an antidote. One doctor succeeds but the other has less luck and in the version of the scene mentioned above is depicted lying ill on the ground.
The Khamsa was a popular subject for lavish manuscripts illustrated with painted miniatures at the Persian and Mughal courts in later centuries. The British Museum picture mentioned above, for example, comes from a manuscript created for the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 1590s. Scenes from these works were then copied or adapted in turn by Persian artists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries which is what we have here. The quality of the execution remains high producing a highly decorative example of the best Persian work.
Japanese Arita Dish circa 1880
Price: £45
A Japanese Arita circular dish, stoutly potted and with a lightly scalloped rim, decorated in underglaze blue with the addition of green, blue and brick red enamels all highlighted in gold, the central roundel with a basket of flowers surrounded by three large panels with a duck, rocks and flowers, interspersed with arrow head panels with stylised flowers and separated by three smaller geometric shape panels again with stylised flowers, the reverse with three pairs of two of the eight ‘precious objects’ (cash, double lozenge) in underglaze blue.
The town of Arita in the former Hizen Province, northwestern Kyūshū island was a major cente for the production of porcelains in Japan. Best known for blue and white pieces it also produced polychrome wares as well, including the familiar imari colourings. While similar to Imari, the wider palette of colours used here is usually termed ‘Arita’ and the decorative appeal of the style is clear. This plate probably comes from an original set of five and its quality is much above average. Dating is to the Meiji era (1868 - 1912) probably around 1880.
Edwardian Scottish bloodstone bar brooch c1910
Price: £30
This is a very striking brooch that comprises a silver bar with two square domed Scottish bloodstone. This would have been used as part of a Scottish woman's traditional clothing to hold their cloak in place. Still lovely today! Marked Sterling.
Large round Scottish agate cloak pin c 1900
Price: £125
This brooch is a traditional Scottish cloak pin and would have been used on the should to hold the cloak in place. This one is a particularly nice example as it has a very intricate twisted design that includes all type of Scottish Agate such as jasper and blood stone. This brooch is unmarked which is not unusual for Scottish silver of this type.
Two jade carvings mounted as a necklace
Price: £125
This is a very striking necklace comprising two large jade carvings that have been joined together on a very thick herringbone chain. The carvings are 20th century but they have the look of a more archaic style. This is a very interesting piece that is totally unique. It is all silver.
Watercolour by Elisabeth Castle, Kent Landscape Scene, framed, late C20th
Price: £45
An original watercolour painting by the British artist Elizabeth Castle (1930 to 2011, according to the inscription on the reverse). Although a resident of outer London, Castle seems to have concentrated on Kentish landscape scenes and the composition of this picture, with oast houses and slightly abstract trees, is typical of her work. With a fairly muted palette of colours her paintings are always easy to the eye and a restful addition to an interior. Her work seems not to be signed but was always equipped with a printed label as here headed ‘Original paintings by Elizabeth Castle’ followed by her address and telephone number. (The format of the telephone number, used in London up until 1990 gives some idea of the date of the picture.) The gilt wood frame complements the painting well and both combine to produce a relaxing decorative accessory.
Islamic Silver Necklace with Niello work plaques, c1930
Price: £75
This is an interesting silver necklace, probably made in Turkey in the mid twentieth century. Four strands of wheat chain join seven circular plaques and terminate in a push pin clasp. The faces of the plaques are decorated with fleur-de-lis and scrolling foliage in a clover leaf format on a black ground and the square reverses are all stamped ‘925’. Similar decoration appears on the clasp.
The technique used is that of ‘niello’ work. (The word derives either from the classical Latin word ‘nigellum’ or the later mediaeval words ‘nigello’ or ‘neelo’.) Niello is a black mixture, usually of sulphur, copper, silver, and lead and used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal, especially silver. Added as a paste, it hardens to a black colour after firing and is then polished. Here it is the ground that formed from niello while the design shows though in silver, a less common version.
There is much skill in the craftsmanship here and the result is a piece of classic and timeless simplicity.
Wade green glazed Posy Vase, 1950s
Price: £20
A ceramic vase in the form of a narrow shallow urn with a lobed body and raised loop handles, green glazed and marked at the base ‘Wade’ ‘England’.
Wade Ceramics Ltd was a manufacturer of porcelain and earthenware, headquartered in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Founded in 1867, it was run by various members of the Wade family until the death of George Anthony Wade in 1987 after which there was a succession of management buyouts. Despite substantial investment in 2009, the firm eventually went into administration in 2022. Wade produced a wide variety of ceramics, including the well known Wade Whimsies animal figurines.
This vase was designed to hold a small bunch of flowers and was produced in a variety of sizes and colours, green being the most common. The form has an almost ‘neo classical’ feel but the piece dates to the 1950s when this particular format of the factory mark was used.
A very finely carved white pendent on traditional silk cord, Modern
Price: £25
This is a lovely piece of white jade that has been carved with a typical dragon motif and Chinese characters. It is strung onto a very well designed silk cord. This is quite a modest item and it is almost surely treated in some way.
Taxco collar necklace by Rubi Ramirez c1950
Price: £350
This is an outstanding example of Taxco jewellery in a heavy modern design of links creating a fluidity that can only be achieved by the best silversmiths. .Rubi Ramirez is one of the original Taxco silversmiths working with Pedro Castillo and William Spratling. This piece is very clearly marked with Rubi's RR hallmark.
Very fine Berber North African necklace c1950
Price: £45
This a very elegant necklace comprising a central pendant with a typical Berber design with turquoise and coral mosaic inlay. This pendand is connected with nine strands of coral and turquoise micro beads. This design is repeated all the way around with a further 4 connecting stations. It has a very faint mark on the large pendant or it might not be a mark but rather a flaw in the silver.
Amber buddha carving on egg yolk amber and lapis necklace
Price: £175
This is a recently constructed necklace comprising a charming amber buddha head carving set with Art Deco egg yolk amber and lapis beads. With Chinese silver filigree clasp. It is difficult to date the buddha head but it is 20th century. The egg yolk beads are Art Deco and the lapis beads are late 20th century. With brown silk tassel.
Suite of Art Deco banded carnelian necklace and earrings c1920
Price: £95
This is a very unusual suite comprising matched beautiful Scottish banded agate beads. The earrings are very Art Deco with a long chain drop. Both have brass findings.
Egyptian Revival Perfume Bottle and Cover, probably Czech second half C20th
Price: £55
A perfume bottle with a screw top cover, the flattened oval glass body encased in gilt filigree work, the front with a portrait head of Tutankhamun between two falcons representing the Goddess Ra and the reverse with an oval opening revealing the interior of the bottle and the glass wand attached to the cover which is in gilt metal with a screw fitting matching the top of the bottle. The style here is obviously that of the ‘Egyptian Revival’ which became ever more fashionable after the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb by the Earl of Carnarvon and Harold Carter in 1922. Glass bottles encased in gilt filigree work are a hallmark of the Czech glassworks and while most incorporate European elements into the decoration there are other examples which are Egyptian Revival in style and so this is most likely what we have here. Dating is probably to the 1970s.
Russian Enamel Brooch, probably Rostov Finift, mid C20th
Price: £20
This delicate brooch with its elaborate filigree work has a circular painted enamel plaque painted in greens, pinks, light brown and yellow with scrolling lotus flowers and surrounded by fine silver decoration, with scrolling rope twist strands and slender milled ribbons inset with beads. The style and composition, combining enamel and silver work, is typical of the Russian maker ‘Rostov Finift’ (‘finift’ comes from the Greek ‘fingitis’ which means ‘gleaming’) many of whose pieces can be found on the market today. The art of painting on enamel was first developed in Rostov Veliky (125 miles northwest of Moscow) in the 18th century and continued thereafter with pieces of jewellery, made by Rostov Finift and in which enamels are surrounded by elaborate filigree work, appearing in quantity after the second World War. The pieces are not signed and attribution is mainly speculative but this brooch has much in common with other pieces believed to have been made by the same factory.
Strand of Chinese ceramic beads c1950
Price: £25
This is a lovely necklace comprising 19 barrel shaped ceramic beads with vulcanite spacer beads. The ceramic beads are chinese porcelain with Famille Rose style decoration. This necklace has not clasp but will fit over the head.
Moroccan tooled leather bag c1960
Price: £65
This is a wonderful tooled leather bag that has Morrocan designs all over. It has outer pockets on both sides with a large inner compartment. It is lined in leather and has two grab handles.
Large graduated necklace of nut carving beads, 1930s
Price: £25
This is a very unusual necklace comprising 51 nut carvings with a floral motif.
Vintage Cobalt Blue Glass Perfume Bottle and Stopper, 1930s
Price: £25
A blue glass small bottle and stopper in deep cobalt blue of squared and rounded pyramid form with a stepped concave neck. The shape suggests a perfume bottle and similar examples do exist including one with a gilt Chloé mark which would mean a post 1952 date of manufacture. The technique here, though, resembles the ‘pressed glass’ pieces made in England during the 1930s, for example by the firm Davidson, suggesting a more likely dating to that period. The slightly Art Deco feel to the form fits in with this. While it has slight damage, it is, of course, more unusual to find this shape with its original stopper.
Pair of Japanese Shaped Saucer Dishes, Maruku China, 1940s
Price: £25
A pair of fine quality porcelain saucers in the form of a leaf with a pierced handle, decorated in bright enamels with gilt dragons and flames amidst puce impressionistically represented waves, the edges gilt and the reverses plain with a painted blue mark ‘Maruku China’ beneath a crown.
The Maruku factory seems to have operated in Japan after the second world war producing modest but good quality wares for export, rather in the style of Noritake pieces. Usually their pieces are marked in addition ‘Made in Japan’ but for some reason not here. The forms, colourings and designs here are quite unusual and while modest, these are good quality decorative items suitable for a contemporary interior.
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A Japanese Hichozan Shinpo Brushwasher circa 1880
Price: £25
A Japanese brushwasher of squat cylindrical form with a short neck and a flat unglazed base, decorated in brightly coloured enamels with Samurai and banners. The style of painting and palette of colours resembles pieces made by the Tashiro factory in Japan, founded by Tashiro Monzaeman (1816-1900) in the late Edo period during the mid-1850s, and which were marked ‘Hichozan Shinpo’. This piece carries very feint traces of a red mark underneath which may have originally indicated the artist’s name, but even without this, the resemblance is very close and an attribution almost certain. The form suggests a brush washer, part of the scholar’s desk set.
Papier Mâché Tray with Millefiori Decoration, Kashmir, C20th
Price: £55
A Papier Mâché Tray of octagonal form with rounded indented corners profusely decorated in rich and detailed colourings with small floral blooms, the ‘millefiori’ (thousand flower) pattern, a central roundel and four hemisphere panels at the corners all set on an orange ground, the border with bands of floral spray and repeating geometric design in gilt, the reverse plain showing the black lacquer ground. Trays and boxes in this distinctive style were made in Kashmir in India and some carry the label for Srinagar, a city famous for traditional Kashmiri handicrafts like the Kashmir shawl, papier mâché, wood carving, carpet weaving, and jewel making, which is most likely the place where this tray was made, probably in the 1920s. It is a superb example of the type with exquisite detail in the decoration and a strikingly attractive use of colour.
Victorian Rolled Gold Necklace with Pendants, late C19th
Price: £45
This is an interesting necklace made from rolled gold (in which a thin layer of gold is applied to a baser metal) and comprising a linked chain from which are suspended a facetted rose de france amethyst bead in the shape of a heart, a ‘lucky bean’, a framed portrait medallion and a miniature whistle (that works!). The choice of the pendant ‘charms’ is not wholly clear. While the heart has an obvious meaning and the bean shape denotes good fortune (during the Victorian and Edwardian eras, beans washed up on the seashore which then went on to germinate were regarded as infused with good luck), both of which might well been associated with the young lady whose portrait photo can be seen, the significance of the whistle is not certain and was perhaps only known to the wearer. A piece of evocative nostalgia then for collectors of Victorian decorative jewellery.
West German ceramic Vase, Scheurich, No 290-40, 1960s
Price: £55
A large ceramic vase with a broad ovoid body flaring out towards the rim, the lower half covered in a mottled mustard/orange glaze which merges into a band of rocky texture drip glaze in greys and brown, the interior glazed brown and the mustard/orange glaze of the base with the moulded marks ‘290-40’ ‘W GERMANY’.
Although not marked as such, this vase has all the hallmarks of the firm Scheurich Keramik which started production in 1954, rather later than most of its competitors, but soon became the largest producer of commercial art pottery in Germany. Their pieces rarely carried the factory name but usually the model number followed by the height in centimetres with ‘W.Germany’ below, as here. Scheurich were well known for producing a wide variety of pieces with variegated, almost experimental glazes and this vase is yet another successful example of their work, the simple lines of form combining with a more austere selection of glaze effects than found in some of their other pieces. Dating is to the 1960s.
Triple strand of amber Bakelite beads, British 1930s
Price: £750
This is an imposing three strand necklace comprised of assembled graduated marble effect butterscotch amber beads joined at the head with a silver clasp. The beads have recently been restrung with wire to make the whole more robust and safer to wear. The three strands interlock perfectly and the selection of beads has been carefully chosen in respect of colouring and size to produce a striking ensemble which is bound to impress.
Outstanding Suede Lanvin Clutch in original box 1950s
Price: £250
This is a stunning large clutch bag comprising brown kid suede with kid skin edging. it is a basic envelope design with no closure and one interior zip compartment. It is constructed to fold over securely to fit under the arm. A feature of this bag is the Art Nouveau enamel decoration on the front of the bag. The bag is lined in fabric that has a monogram logo. It is worth noting that Lanvin did not manufacture their handbags in the 1950s but rather designed them and outsourced the manufacture as most couture houses did during that time. This bag comes in its original box with the plastic dust jacket intact as well. The labelling 'Made in British Colony Hong Kong' was used principally in the 1950s/1960s which matches the dating here, although some clothing manufacturers continued to employ it into the 1980s. Complete, then, with its original packaging, this is a timeless and elegant bag that is worthy of Audrey Hepburn!
Glossy brown crocodile handbag 1960s
Price: £65
This is a stunning hard side bag that is covered in brown patent croc. It is lined with suede. It is most likely made in England although it is unmarked. The handle has been restored to it's original beauty and is ready for daily use.
Small suede handbag, England 1940s
Price: £25
This is a lovely small handbag in soft suede with a polished leather closure.
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Pair of Royal Doulton slender Ku form Vases, 1920s
Price: £75
A pair of pottery vases of cylindrical form with a bulbous central section and a slender convex neck, the bases flaring slightly towards the foot, ridged at the bottom, glazed in mottled shades of grey, green and brown, the foot unglazed and with an impressed mark ‘Royal Doulton England’, a model number ‘8878’ and a script artist’s mark. The form and decoration here are rather unusual for Doulton ware and have a distinctly Chinese feel, although there are no direct parallels. The bulbous central section above and below a flaring neck and base loosely recalls the well known ‘Ku’ form, and the mottled glaze effects look towards the celebrated ‘Jun Ware’ glazes. The mark for Doulton is one of the standard impressed 'Royal Doulton England' marks where the lettering forms part of a circle combined with three thick lines and the centre is filled with four interlocking 'D's. The addition of a lion but not with the usual accompanying crown allows a fairly precise dating to between 1923 and 1927. The numbers indicate the pattern number, but no other examples have been found, and the script mark seems to stand for Ella H Adams. There is a timeless simplicity here and this pair of vases could accompany the most contemporary of interiors.
Czech rhinestone jewelled glass metal filigree Perfume Bottle and Stopper, C20th
Price: £45
This is an elaborately decorated perfume bottle of a type produced by Czech workshops in a variety of similar but differing designs. The blue glass bottle is encased with elaborate gilt filigree work which does not cover the entirety of the reverse as is quite common. The intricate filigree design is enhanced by studded rhinestones, or imitation diamonds, in greens and blues, which adds to the opulence of the piece. There is a removable gilt cap fitted with a glass wand which remains intact. Definitely an addition to the handbag for a very special occasion!
Bakelite Ivorine Mourning Brooch, British c1930
Price: £25
This is a brooch formed from bakelite intended to mimic ivory with its off white colouring. It shows a hand holding a rose and the slightly antique style reflects the fact that this was originally a Victorian design, intended to be a mourning brooch, the material of which would have been ivory (see image 4 for examples in the British Museum). Developed in New York in 1907 and patented two years later bakelite was the first plastic made from synthetic components. By the 1920s it became a popular material for jewellery and pieces were produced for some years thereafter. Dating here is probably to the 1930s or 1940s.
Art Deco style Vase signed E.Radford, mid C20th
Price: £75
A ceramic vase with a bulbous body rising to a broad straight neck with a slightly flaring rim, the ground in a cream colour glaze with a light craquelure overpainted with a ‘streamer’ pattern with brown, yellow and green streaks, the interior glazed brown and the base with a printed script mark ‘E.Radford’ ‘England’ ‘Hand painted’ and the impressed numbers ‘1266’.
There were, in fact, two craftsmen working in the C20th British pottery industry with the name Edward Radford, father and son. Radford senior worked for Pilkington’s Royal Lancastrian Pottery in Manchester from 1903 until his retirement in 1936, acting as their main thrower. Radford junior joined his Father in 1905, but the First World War intervened, in which he won a Military Cross for his actions at Passchendaele in 1917 and afterwards he settled in Stoke on Trent, the heart of Britain’s pottery industry. An association developed with H.J.Wood’s Alexandra Pottery in Burslem who produced a range of wares bearing his name in the 1930s, although Radford himself may have acted as more a salesman than the designer. Production continued after the war and even after Radford’s retirement in 1948. The form of mark used here implies the later dating but may have been used earlier. The impressed figures indicate model number. Even if this vase is post war, the style is emphatically that of pre war Art Deco period with the simple lines of the form accompanied by semi abstract decoration vaguely reminiscent of Clarice Cliff combining to produce a piece of timeless attraction.
African Carved Wood Figure of a Lady, probably mid C20th
Price: £25
A carved wood figure of a lady in abstract expressionistic style represented kneeling with her legs presumably tucked up behind her, the body smooth and with detailing to the hair which flows down onto her back, the base in the form of a sketchily modelled rock. The colour and patina of the wood suggests ebony and the style seems African - Nigerian, in fact, if the label is to be believed, although the town indicated, Takarodi, seems to be located in Ghana. Dating, though, is probably as the label suggests and this was, no doubt, one of the many pieces made by local craftsmen as tourist souvenirs.
Sowerby Blue Glass Footed Bowl, 1930s/1940s
Price: £25
A pressed blue glass bowl with ribbed sides and four spreading feet, made by the firm Sowerby of Gateshead. Other examples exist with their label mark attached and the style of this piece points to a manufacture date in the 1930s or 1940s. It is a clear reflection of the Art Deco designs produced at that time.
The Sowerby family came from the North West of England near Carlisle and settled in Gateshead in the late eighteenth century. The firm Sowerby Glassworks is known from 1807 onwards and continued production until 1972, concentrating on pressed glass. Catalogues of their wares still exist and they produced pieces in a wide variety of styles and shapes which retain their popularity today.
Yellow ground Bursley Ware Dragon Bowl by Frederick Rhead, circa 1920
Price: £55
A shallow ceramic bowl of squat form with a turnover rim, resembling a Chinese brushwasher, the yellow lustre glaze with a feint craquelure and boldly decorated with an interior design of a dragon pursuing the flaming pearl amidst seaweed, the exterior with two similar dragons, all coloured in bright shades of red and green with the outline design in blue, the base glazed and with the mark ‘Dragon’ within a rococo style border and the manufacturer’s name ‘Bursley Ware England’.
From 1910 to 1982, the firm Wood and Sons Ltd operated potteries at the Trent, New Wharf and Stanley Potteries Burslem. Throughout its history the firm produced high quality earthenware pieces aimed at the middle market, using a variety of brand names including Bursley Ware. Frederick Alfred Rhead, the Father of Charlotte Rhead, was a ceramicist and designer who worked for Bursley Ware in the 1920s and 1930s. The ‘Dragon’ pattern is one of his best known designs and was made in a variety of forms and colours including white and orange. The yellow glaze here is particularly effective and the piece combines Chinese inspired designs with an Art Deco twist to produce an object with decorative appeal even today.
West German Keramik Jug with drip glaze, second half C20th
Price: £45
A ceramic jug the angular body narrowing sharply to the base and short neck with a large loop handle to the side, glazed in matt black with two bands of mottled grey splash glaze. Marked ‘W.Germany’ with what is probably the form mark ‘4709’ and the size ‘18’ [cm], this piece does not have any easy parallels and another piece with the central mark of a ‘V’ in an oval frame does not seem to appear. The general style is clearly ‘West German Keramik’ but the main producers, Bay and Scheurich do not seem to have made anything similar. There are some resemblances, though, to pieces made by the firm Jasba who seem to have worked with these matt glazes and grey colours. Their pieces are marked ‘W.Germany’ with the form mark which is at least consistent with this. The cool elegance of the shape and decoration certainly make an interesting contrast with the more colourful wares produced by the West German factories after the war.
Pair of Royal Doulton Spill Vases with gilt decoration, 1920s
Price: £180
A pair of pottery vases of upright spill form with wide flat bases, the body glazed in mottled blue with two bands of curved raised bead work with leaves and rosettes, the centre with an incised design of overlapping whorl pattern, gilt, the base glazed in mottled brown and the interior in mottled aubergine, the foot unglazed and with an impressed mark ‘Royal Doulton England’, a model number ‘8409’, artist’s marks ‘a’ and ‘hd’ and another script mark. The mark for Doulton is one of the standard impressed 'Royal Doulton England' marks where the lettering forms part of a circle combined with three thick lines and the centre is filled with four interlocking 'D's. The addition of a lion but not with the usual accompanying crown allows a fairly precise dating to between 1923 and 1927. This fits with the form and decoration which have an almost Art Deco feel. It seems that two different artists worked on these pieces, ‘a’ standing for Louisa Ayling and ‘hd’ for E Violet Hayward. The pattern number ‘8409’ occurs on other pieces of the same shape and but these usually have the central section left in plain biscuit. The addition of gilding here is rather striking.
Powder Compact, British Empire Exhibition (1924-1925), dated 1925
Price: £45
The success of the Franco-British Exhibition held at the White City, London, in 1908 stimulated plans for an exhibition to showcase the arts, scientific achievements and commerce of the British Empire itself, the largest in the world at the time. Arrangements began to be made in 1913 with the exhibition to be held at the same venue but were put on hold by the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. However, at the end of this in 1918, the project was revived culminating in the opening of the ‘British Empire Exhibition’ on the 23rd April 1924, this time at the Wembley stadium where the Cup Final had been held for the first time in 1923 when the building was completed. Planned to close on the 1st September, the exhibition enjoyed such popularity that it reopened in 1925 for a second season. Over the two years it received 27,102,498 visitors.
Souvenirs and medals were produced, amongst which were silver plated powder compacts as here. The round container for the powder has a hinged lid revealing the powder well below, originally fitted with a mauve ribbon tasseled powder puff, and a mirror above. On the surface of the lid, which has a tab for lifting, is a stylised brass lion, a symbol of the British Empire, vitreous enameled in black, red and blue with the wording ‘British Empire Exhibition 1925 ’ There is a short rounded handle and the back has an engraved mark ‘Rd [registered] 689177’ for the patent number. While many were doubtless made (and there is another version with a more slender handle, with a ring at the end, and the background colourings of the lettering reversed) few of these compacts seem to have survived making this a desirable addition to a collection of British memorabilia.
Pair of continental style openwork border Dishes, probably Chinese C20th
Price: £20
A pair of small oval dishes with openwork borders and loop handles, decorated to the centre with fruit, the reverses with impressed marks ‘4’ and iron red stamped numbers ‘12’ (rather indistinct on one). These dishes follow closely pieces made by the German ceramics manufacturer Schumann whose premises were located in Bavaria and which made fine quality hard paste porcelains, tastefully decorated with floral designs, from their beginnings in the 1870s to the mid 1990s when the business ceased trading but close inspection of the fruit surfaces here indicates that they were not hand painted but produced by the technique of laser printing which is evident from the ‘micro dot’ effets which here can be seen even by the naked eye. This suggests late twentieth century Chinese work and the paste of the foot (also the numbering at the back) confirms this.
Bird form ewer with cover, possibly Russian c1960
Price: £45
This is a very unusual large jug or ewer modelled in the stylised form of bird with a man riding on it. It appears to be Russian although there are no markings to confirm this.
Estruscan style necklace in the manner of Lalaounis c1990
Price: £150
This is a wonderful quality necklace comprising two tiers of Etruscan design elements and numerous acorn form drops. This is made to emulate the designs of Lalaounis a very popular jewellery designer and goldsmith who worked in Greece until his death in 2013. The origin of this necklace is unknown but it is amazing quality and is drenched in buttery gold plating.
Taxco bracelet set with carved obsidian stones c1950
Price: £55
This is a bracelet that is often seen in different forms and must have been quite popular in its time. It is silver with a gold colour wash and set with carved obsidian stones. Aztec face heads alternate with square stone stations and the surrounding silverwork borders depict the headdress of the Aztec face carvings with scrollwork to the square stations. Marked 'Heche en Mexico' with an eagle head which denotes 925 silver.
Fun vintage jade necklace with hook and ring closure c1980
Price: £25
This is a lovely necklace comprising celadon jade beads with a jade ring and dragon head hook that is a feature of the necklace. The jade is most likely treated or stabilized.
Druzy Quartz and Onyx panel Bracelet, c1940
Price: £125
This is a very unusual and large bracelet comprising stations of black onyx together with fine druzy quartz. The panels are graduated with an integrated clasp. It is unmarked but probably of Scottish origin.
Native American turquoise cuff bracelet, 1960s
Price: £225
This bracelet comes from the US although it is not certain which maker. It has the look of a Navajo design which would be from the South West in Arizona or New Mexico. It has two very large natural shaped turquoise stones with a greenish hue and a strong matrix. It is marked 925 inside and then 925A1 and L79 on the outside of the cuff.
Indian wooden toy model of a Horse with metal fitments, early C20th
Price: £25
This is an amusing wood model of a horse, its right leg raised and the head looking expectantly forwards, the finely grained wood with metal fitments in brass and copper representing the ears, muzzle, saddle, saddle bags and tail, all with fine detailing and small nail fastenings. Many examples exist of these wood and metal horse figures which are usually held to have been made in India at Jodphur, Rajastan, in the early C20th. Presumably more intended for the local colonial audience these pieces have an obvious and wider appeal. The smaller sizes were probably intended as toys and perhaps the original owner of this piece played with it a little too vigorously which might explain the damage to the right front leg!
Framed Oil Painting on Board of a Winter Landscape Scene, C20th
Price: £55
Clearly the work of an accomplished amateur artist, this dramatic landscape painting of a snowy winter scene shows a gabled house set by a river with reeds and trees in the foreground and craggy snow capped mountains in the background. The location is really a matter of guesswork but the building resembles some found in Holland which might indicate a Dutch setting. The grandeur of the scene is obvious with the mountainous outcrops graphically depicted. The board surface used and the style of the frame suggests a mid to late twentieth century dating but this picture would grace a room setting of any age.
Indian silver repousse cuff bracelet, c1920
Price: £85
This is a beautiful cuff bracelet which has very fine repousse work with floral designs and millegrain patterning. The large central panel has two bands of delicately rendered stylised scrolling foliage on a textured ground edged with a border of repeating stylised shells and detailed beading work and is flanked by two similar smaller panels at the sides. The piece is unmarked but is most likely '925' grade as was the tradition with Indian silver at this time.
Tigers Eye bracelet with a large central carved dragon bead, certificate for 2012
Price: £15
This is a very striking bracelet comprising very high quality tigers eye beads and a carved dragon. It comes with original certificate of authenticity dated 2012 from Thailand.
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Art Deco paste bracelet by Schreiber & Hiller c1930
Price: £75
This is a very rare bracelet marked DGRM 1138525. This is a German patent number held by Schreiber and Hiller and pertains to the type of fluid link that has been designed to hold channel set stones. This patent was issued in September 1930. The company ceased to trade during WW2.
Taxco silver bracelet, c1980
Price: £50
This is a very recognizable Taxco design with heavy ball and bar stations. It has a typical Taxco box clasp that is marked 'Mexico' 'TC-314' '925 with additional stamped smaller marks including '925'.
Florentine style lapis and silver brooch c1900
Price: £35
This is a intricate brooch designed with scroll work and column details. It is Scottish due to the thistle design on the east west corners. This was always included in Scottish designs as it is the national flower.
Two Scottish Tartan Plaques, C20th
Price: £35
Two round plaques mounted with tartan cloth of two different designs in reds and blues, both studded with metal bosses in imitation of a shield and both with circular gilt metal medallions at the centre depicting a thistle and a deer respectively, presumably the motifs associated with the two clan tartans. Identification here is for the true expert but these were presumably commissions from the firm whose name appears at the back, probably made in the 1970s/1980s. The ‘Targe’ was a shield used by Scottish Highlanders in the early modern period. From the late 16th century, until the Battle of Culloden in 1746, the Scottish Highlander's main means of defence in battle was his targe and the designs regularly included studding and a raised central boss. But these two plaques are items of peacetime and to be enjoyed as such!
Butler and Wilson Skull Necklace, boxed, modern
Price: £125
There is certainly a hint of the macabre in this ‘halloween’ necklace made by the well known British firm, Butler and Wilson. Founded by Nicky Butler and Simon Wilson in 1969 and initially trading from the once famous Antiquarius antiques market in Chelsea, the company is best-known for its crystal costume jewellery and their pieces have been worn by celebrities and even members of the Royal Family. The firm still trades today and their current range does include a number of skull design pieces but this necklace is around 15 years old. Silver metal and crystals are used to create five skull heads, the largest acting as a pendant with five skull drops. These are linked by a chain which terminates in a spring closure which has a circular medallion embossed with the firm’s name. The necklace comes with its original box which remains in excellent condition. Not perhaps to everyone’s taste but certainly a statement accessory!
Pair of Brentleigh Ware Wall Hanging Ballet Shoes, 1930s
Price: £35
A ceramic wall hanging model of a pair of ballet shoes glazed in red with black laces, one pierced at the back for display, the soles also glazed in red and with an impressed mark ‘Brentleigh Ware’ ‘Made in England’. Brentleigh was one of the trade names of the Howard Pottery Co Ltd in Shelton Staffordshire who seem to have made pieces from the 1920s to the 1950s. The art deco style of this group suggests a pre war dating to the 1930s. The model sometimes appears in black, making these a rather more decorative example and the glaze is often subject to substantial loss and flaking which is not the case here and therefore much more pleasing to the eye. Kitsch perhaps but an amusing piece of wall decoration for shoe lovers everywhere!
Floating Flower jade pendant on bead necklace
Price: £175
This is a beautiful constructed necklace comprising a large very detailed Floating Flower jade carving of a waterfall with mountains and trees. There is also a temple and a boat with two figures. The reverse also has a very detailed of a landscape. This is a wonderful example of Chinese carving. It is strung together with green and white jade beads ending in a silver gilt Chinese filigree clasp. The bale is 9K gold.
Egyptian Revival necklace depicting Tutankhamun c1980
Price: £45
This is a a dramatic necklace in the Egyptian Revival style. It has a large central pendant with three drops with stations all the way around depicting Tutankhamun in a rather humorous way. This necklace appears to be a museum edition from possibly the British Museum or the Met in New York. The reverse of the stations and pendant are also finished with Egyptian designs. A very well thought out and finished piece.
Brown Alabaster Egg painted with a bird and flowers, fitted wood stand, Chinese C20th
Price: £25
This is a charming decorative ornament comprising an alabaster egg shape stone in light brown carefully painted with a design of a bird sittting amidst a spray of flowers with peony and bamboo, fitted with a complementary wood stand. The work is typical of Chinese painters and the fitted stand suggests a late C20th dating.
Statement necklace in the manner of Lalaounis c1990
Price: £75
This is a wonderful quality necklace comprising two tiers of Etruscan design elements and numerous acorn form drops. This is made to emulate the designs of Lalaounis a very popular jewellery designer and goldsmith who worked in Greece until his death in 2013. It has three tiers of drops and the swirl design is the main design element. The origin of this necklace is unknown but it is amazing quality and is drenched in buttery gold plating.
Two brooches - Jerusalem Mother of Pearl and Egyptian Silver, 1950s
Price: £15
This is a lovely group of two very different brooches. One is a large very finely carved mother of pearl brooch that is known as Jerusalem Mother of Pearl. The other is an Egyptian filigree silver brooch depicting a camel.
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Harmony Kingdom Trinket Box with Puffins, dated 2001
Price: £20
A novelty trinket box, the wood interior covered in ivory coloured resin modelled to form a group of puffins closely packed together, their faces and feathers picked out in grisaille detail and their beaks in mustard yellow and red, the interior with a snake at the bottom and the base with a paper label reading ‘Harmony Kingdom’ ‘Made in England’ ‘In Fine feather’ ‘Copyright 1996’. Inside the top rim is scratched mark ‘1 May 2001’ ‘VAS’ which gives the exact date of manufacture and presumably the initials of the maker.
Harmony Kingdom is a business set up by Peter Calvesbert in 1992. Their studio is situated in the Malvern Hills and they have been producing whimsical figurine sculptures for over 25 years which have an enthusiastic following, particularly in the USA. ‘In Fine Feather’ is a discontinued item so now has a very modest rarity value in addition to its intrinsic charm.
Chinese agate carving with onyx beads, 20th century
Price: £35
This necklace is a lovely design with a large carved banded agate carving. It is paired with onyx beads and agate beads. It is elegant and undestated due to the monochrome palette but definitely makes a statement.
English silk handbag with embroidered Chinoiserie design c1950
Price: £95
This is a beautiful bag comprising a silk body that has an unusual embroidered design that depicts a Chinese lady in a field of floral designs. It is fitted with a gold tone frame and has a label 'Made In England' 'LKW', a manufacturer known for producing affordable and attractive evening wear handbags.