Welcome to the latest Fresh Stock release.
A remarkable piece in today’s release is an example of ‘pokerwork’. It was a simple process, where a tip of iron was heated in the flame of a kerosene lamp, and the red hot metal used to make charred impressions into raw wood. Woodstain colours could then be used to enhance the design. This late Victorian craze continued into the early 20th century in Australia, usually involving gum leaves and wattle with e occasional koala or kangaroo. This example is very different, with remarkable Celtic designs, a pair of dragons, and four heraldic shields entwined within the leaves of the two knot work ‘trees’ that rise up the centre. The leaves on the trees are shamrocks, and the shields represent the four realms of Ireland, Munster, Ulster, Leinster, and Connacht… this is clearly an Irish creation. A little internet sleuthing, and a fascinating little-known Arts & Crafts workshop that specialised in pokerwork, the Belfast School of Pokerwork. Examples are rarely seen, but the Irish nature of their products are unmistakable.
The Belfast School of Pokerwork was run by Mina Robinson, who along with Eta Lowry founded the Irish Decorative Arts Association of Belfast around 1894. The ‘School of Pokerwork’ was a part of this association, and at one stage there were 12 women working on the products they sold.
A mirror with this same Celtic knot work incorporating beasts was sold by Roseberys, London, in 2020 (3/11/20, lot 26) , bearing the label of William Rodman & Co. They were framers & mounters of pictures, their premises described as an ‘Artist’s Materials Warehouse’ and ‘Dealers in Works of Art’.
That work is very close to documented examples of Eva McKee’s work, as is this piece. However, it seems Mina Robinson and Eta Lowry were also poker-workers, and their styles may be indistinguishable.
Many larger examples of Celtic pokerwork frames were made at the Belfast School of Pokerwork, which featured female artisans. It is recorded that in 1904 almost all of (famous Irish artist) Percy French’s paintings were exhibited with pokerwork frames decorated by the Association, at its annual summer show in Portrush, Co. Antrim.
An exquisite ‘Zogan’ box is another superb item Fresh to Stock.
The main body is iron, the black a patinated layer made using tea amongst other things. The fine inlay work is 2-tones of gold and some silver.
It’s marked inside with a double-peaked ‘Mt Fuji’, standing for Fujii Yoshitoyo’s workshop in Kyoto – the double peaks relating to his name having double ‘i’s.
Here’s the rest of our ‘Fresh Stock’ for this week.
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Irish ‘Celtic’ pokerwork 7-part picture frame, Arms of Irish Provences, Belfast Pokerwork School, c. 1900Sold -
Quality Victorian Mahogany hanging cabinet, twin doors, c. 1875$395.00 AUD -
Staffordshire porcelain man playing an instrument and dog, c. 1830Sold -
Derby musician playing a flute , c.1800Sold -
Derby figure, Idyllic musician No.311 , C. 1780Sold -
French Mahogany open armchair with scroll arms, rosettes, c. 1870$540.00 AUD -
Dresden octagonal plate, watteauesque design C.1860Sold -
Vienna style musician dwarf figure, c. 1900$245.00 AUD -
Victorian writing slope with Burr walnut pentray, c.1860$495.00 AUD -
Large framed pastel of poppies, G. Snow, late 20th c.Sold -
English brown glazed stoneware apothecary jar, Royal Arms, c.1845$950.00 AUD -
English brown glazed stoneware apothecary jars, c.1845$950.00 AUD -
Large pair of Staffordshire figures ‘The Cobbler + His Wife’ C.1870$780.00 AUD -
Victorian bisque porcelain figure group, a harvest couple, C 1870$285.00 AUD -
Tournai style pottery plate, Oriental Garden, C. 1830$285.00 AUD -
George III Sterling Silver tea spoon, scarce Josiah & George Piercy maker, London 1811$195.00 AUD -
Stylish Sterling Silver sugar castor, earliest Victorian, 1837$295.00 AUD -
Georgian style Sterling Silver Sugar Sifter, Birmingham 1912$295.00 AUD -
Sterling Silver helmet-shape milk jug, Sheffield late 19th c. Fraud!$280.00 AUD -
Victorian Walnut chess table with unusual openwork fluted column, c. 1880Sold -
Victorian fine quality Mahogany Hall Chair, circa 1840$560.00 AUD -
Japanese ‘Zogan’ hexagonal multi faceted box, birds + flowers, Fujii workshop, c.1900$2,600.00 AUD -
Traditional Northern European spinning wheel, usable, 20th centurySold
ASIAN COLLECTION
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Chinese silver teaspoon, Mandarin figure, c.1900$95.00 AUD -
Pair of Chinese silver teaspoons, Mandarin figure handle, c.1900$180.00 AUD -
Pair of Chinese silver teaspoons, Mandarin finials, c.1900$180.00 AUD
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Pair of Chinese silver teaspoons, Mandarin ends, c.1900$180.00 AUD -
Chinese underglaze blue Ginger Jar with white Prunus blossoms, 20th c.$85.00 AUD -
Pair of Chinese Export ‘pith paintings’, Mandarin couple , 3rd rank c.1840$680.00 AUD -
Chinese Export ‘pith painting’, 2 ladies domestic scene, c.1840$645.00 AUD -
Chinese Export ‘pith painting’, lady green robes, c.1840$380.00 AUD -
Japanese silk painting of 2 pheasants amongst flowers, 19th/ earlier 20th century$345.00 AUD -
Chinese porcelain vase, blue ground with white prunus blossom 19th cSold -
Large Japanese Kutani vase, domestic scenes inc. gomoku game, c. 1890$560.00 AUD -
Chinese ‘Peking Glass’ vase, prunus branches in fog, 20th c.$580.00 AUD -
Japanese fine porcelain vase of globular form, C.1890$395.00 AUD -
Framed Chinese silk Embroidery, c. 1920$245.00 AUD -
Framed Chinese silk Embroidery, c. 1920$245.00 AUD -
Framed Chinese silk Embroidery, c. 1920$245.00 AUD -
Framed Chinese silk Embroidery, c. 1920$245.00 AUD -
Framed Chinese silk Embroidery, c. 1920$245.00 AUD -
Pair of Chinese silver teaspoons, Mandarin handle, c.1900$180.00 AUD -
4 Chinese silver teaspoons, bamboo moulded, c. 1920$245.00 AUD -
Unusual Chinese Silver ‘Bamboo’ namecard stands / chopstick rests, c. 1920$680.00 AUD -
Japanese small comport with Lilly, 20th c.$35.00 AUD -
Blanc de chine figure of guanyin$45.00 AUD
AUSTRALIANA
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Copperplate engraving ‘East Boyd NSW’, John Black Carmichael 1848$245.00 AUD -
The Quay, Hobart Town ‘from a photograph’, copperplate engraving hand coloured 1874$165.00 AUD -
William John Huggins ‘Hobart Town’, hand coloured copperplate engraving, c . 1835$235.00 AUD -
‘Hobart-Town, capitale de la Tasmanie’ woodblock after E. Breton, Paris, 1875$95.00 AUD -
Woodblock engraving ‘Government House from Macquarie Point’ c.1890$45.00 AUD -
Early Tasmanian print, ‘Guippe vo. Benohnen Einer Colonie’ Paris 1836$245.00 AUD -
H.B. Stoney, ‘Ben Lomond’ lithograph, Smith Elder & Co from ‘A residence in Tasmania’ 1856$195.00 AUD -
‘Fern Trees’, pastel-coloured print, after Chevalier, from ‘Australia Illustrated’ 1873Sold
…..plus lots more !
See the rest of our latest additions:
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Christmas is Coming…..
43 Days until Christmas!
The year is nearly over, and that means it’s time to think about Christmas.
At Moorabool, we have a vast selection of potential Christmas Presents for you to browse……
Why not get in early and let us post them to you?
Our cut-off dates for Australian Post items is:
WA -15th Dec
NT 14th Dec
VIC, NSW & QLD 18th Dec
International – last week of November – 1st week December.