We are always fascinated by the origins of things…. when and where did it all begin? In the porcelain world, it was of course China, around 1,000 years ago. This was so foreign and magical to the Europeans that pieces which made the perilous journey across the globe were only affordable by the most wealthy,…
John Rosenberg with his first ‘Antique’ – a Staffordshire spill, purchased around 1950! With sadness we note the passing of John Rosenberg, founder of Moorabool Antiques, after a short illness on Friday 19th June. He went to his first auction aged 7, with his Grandmother. This was at ‘Kerleys Auctions’, Geelong; Aged 80, he was…
Moorabool is often a place of meeting, both for people who enjoy Antiques – and for the Antiques themselves! We have occasionally been guilty of ‘match-making’ in the Antique world, discovering pieces that were quite literally made to be together…. but somehow became separated. It’s a thrill to re-unite pieces. Ready for the harvest…..? In…
A fascinating fresh item at Moorabool is this tinglaze plaque – inscribed & dated ‘Della Vittoria / 1619’. It depicts a Madonna and Child, with her arm supporting a spear/staff from which flutters a banner with a cross. A depiction of a crowned Madonna & Child, set in a wall in the village of Sommana,…
They are both tinglaze- but did you know there is a difference between ‘Delft’ and ‘delft’…. ? ‘Tinglaze’ describes the pottery products with a thick lead glaze containing an opaque white made from the oxide of tin. The result is the body of coarse buff-coloured pottery is covered with a pleasing glossy white, similar to…
Solid silver miniature sculptures….. Rarely seen, these solid silver handles are sculptural works of art. They are Dutch, date to the mid-17th century, and have a fascinating lineage we can trace back to Renaissance Italy and the collections of the Dutch master Rembrandt himself. St George & the Dragon… see it here>> “Fingers were made…
Amongst the early English Oak in this week’s ‘Premium’ furniture release are some ‘Bible Boxes’. These are simple products, the side planks merely overlapping and secured with a peg or nail- no fancy dovetail joins. As their name suggests, they were the perfect place to keep your large leather-clad Bible safe from being destroyed by…
Formerly known as Swatow Wares…. A selection of Zangzhou pieces, either from the Binh Thuan wreck (1608) or of the exact type recovered from it in 2002. Zangzhou (Changchow) is a major production centre for this type of distinct porcelain body, and appears to have been focused on the export market to South-East Asia in…
