Trafalgar, 1805:It was a tragedy of heroic proportions: the battle with the French was won, but the admiral responsible, Nelson, was dead. While the event happened in 1805, it still had the imagination of the public 40 years later, when the Staffordshire figure illustrated here was made to dramatically illustrate the event. In the words…
An Important piece of Tudor History has just been identified in Australia. A Royal piece of needlework with visual clues to authorship leads to a remarkable conclusion involving the founding of Spain, Christopher Columbus, and Henry VIII of England, with his wife Catherine of Aragon.
Moorabool’s exhibiting at the 60th Antique Dealer’s Fair in Melbourne – and that’s 60 out of 60 attended! Have a look around with these photos….
Regarded by the leading expert Neil Jeffares as one of the two ‘best pastel portraitists’ of the 18th century, Jean-Baptiste Perronneau (1716-1783) is rarely seen outside collections. We were very excited to find a previously unrecorded portrait in Melbourne recently. Close-up of Jeanne-Marie Mallès, aged 18. It had an inscription on the back which gave…
The wonders of the Middle-East have always appealed to the Western world. It has always been ‘exotic’ and associated with luxury due to the nature of the regular contact through trade. Persian rugs were the go-to for any Victorian household, and other textiles were in great demand – and expensive. We have recently found some…
A fascinating selection of ‘Greek’ inspired ceramics from the mid to late 19th century are the focus of this post – Fresh to Stock @ Moorabool. We discuss John Flaxman’s lasting legacy through ceramics.
Art Nouveau & Jugendstil styles were a ‘refresh’ of design, after the 19th century simply re-hashed Classical and Rococo style. The style is still very ‘fresh’ in its organic forms….
This handsome large piece of early Oak furniture is sometimes called a ‘Court Cupboard’, although this should really refer to a more open version intended to display the wealth of a household for all to see. With its enclosed doors, this example fits the definition of ‘cwpwrdd deuddarn’, meaning ‘cupboard two-piece’. This literally describes their…
In today’s world-wide situation, ‘Armchair Travel’ is a necessity. The difficulty in heading off on a grand tour is huge, and the likelihood of being marooned somewhere due to closed borders is high. Stick to google street view exploration for the moment! A recent discovery at Moorabool reveals the idea has been around a long…
