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,…
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,…
Old Sheffield Plate teapot with gadrooned half body and gadroon & leaf border, wooden handle, circa 1835. Re-purposed in 1929 as a cattle Trophy Prize for the Royal Melbourne Show, inscribed as follows; THE FRANK REYNOLDS MEMORIAL TROPHY / presented by AUSTRALIAN HEREFORD SOCIETY / best pair of yearling Bulls, MELBOURNE…
A surprise attribution leads to a fascinating provenance. Pair of well-painted plates, unmarked, maker uncertain…. A flamboyant pair of plates with startling orange borders had been in our storeroom for some time before their significance was unearthed, purely by chance. Their shape is a common ‘lobed’ form, and made by many porcelain makers in the…
There are two pottery jugs in this week’s ‘Fresh’, sourced from the same amazing collection of early 19th Century pottery & porcelain as all the similar pieces we have released recently. Our research team had been working overtime (thanks John!) and poured through every book in the library to help identify the vast number of…
A fascinating and most probably unique creation is also the most modern item in stock at Moorabool – dating to the 1960’s, it is an Australian Pottery ‘Medieval’ chess set, by David & Hermia Boyd, members of the remarkably artistic Boyd family. Medieval Chess set by David & Hermia, 1960’s David & Hermia Boyd Chess…
An exciting find at Moorabool is this portrait silhouette of Sir John Franklin. His name is very familiar in Tasmania; as stated on the back of this newly discovered portrait, he was Governor there 1837-43, and his name appears across the state with a town on the Huon River, and a major river which narrowly…
Today is an important one in Australia; the 25th of April 1915 was a ‘coming of age’, the first military action as an independent dominion. While the troops of the young nation didn’t achieve what they set out to do, and 8,709 didn’t return, it resulted in a sense of pride in those who did return…
Ming Dynasty Roof Tile A fresh item to Moorabool is this quirky Ming Dynasty roof tile figure. As the name suggests, these were part of the roof decoration on Chinese buildings. Ming Dynasty Roof Tile Many different ‘characters’ appear as roof tile figures, each with a symbolic purpose. Our Dragon is actually a water…
