This week, we have some splendid Fresh Stock – and can offer FREE SHIPPING within Australia!
Overseas, we can offer a seriously reduced cost of shipping.
Some conditions apply – ie no furniture or large items.
It’s a variety ‘Fresh Stock’ today, with a variety of silverware, from a superb quality Dutch Silver box dated 1822 (illustrated above), to a Japanese Silver Spoon with a Shogi ‘King’ chesspiece end, to some very usable serving implements. There’s more Staffordshire figures, some blue printed earthenwares, and some fine Furniture fresh to stock.
A large quantity of fine Fresh items have just been released. It’s a ‘French Empire’ feel this time, with some magnificent examples of porcelain – and several bronzes – from the late 18th / early 19th century.
French Empire
Four Paris plates, attributed to Nast, c. 1805
This was the time when the classical world of the Greeks & Romans was re-imagined, and ceramics were the prime method of showing your sophistication and style…. a part-service with dramatic roundels of classical figures set against black are a prime example, with each plate having a different ‘classical’ gilt border pattern. These are hand-painted, but some clever studios developed a technique for quickly creating ‘masterpieces’ – they used a printing technique to put a stippled black impression of the intended subject onto the porcelain, and then anyone who could weld a paintbrush was set to ‘colour it in’. This saved money, as good artists were not common & could charge more than a mere ‘painter’. The effect was rather good – can you tell from the two below which is hand-painted, and which has a print beneath?
Paris Porcelain plates, c.1810-20. Left is fully hand-painted, while right is printed & painted over.
Dihl & Guérhard covered cup, c. 1795
This Dihl et Guérhard covered cup & stand is a remarkable rarity, with the luxurious glaze imitating tortoiseshell. At this time, furniture and items such as inkwells and boxes would be covered in real tortoiseshell, and inlaid with bright brass: this is a ceramic version. Very few examples of this glaze can be found in the literature, with a plain piece in the Sévres Museum, and an odd saucer in the British Museum. Despite this piece being cracked & the knop restored, it is a desirable rarity.
The diamond- shaped dish is simply stunning, with ‘bronze’ items painted around a simulated polished stone. This is attributed to Darte, and matches a piece Moorabool had a few years ago – probably the same lavish service, in the finest late 18th century Empire taste.
The bronzes are simply sensational; the figure of Mars has an unrecorded foundry mark which links it to a foundry otherwise known for making church bells; his companion Athena is not marked, but clearly from the same source. The inkwell – boat form, with serpent supports- is the essence of Neoclassicism, like something Caesar would have used to ink his pen in. Which is exactly why it was created – for someone like Napoleon, who saw himself as a new Ceasar over his European Empire….
French Empire boat-form inkwell with serpent supports, c.1800
Griffins on the rim of a French Porcelain plate, c. 1815.
Hei Tiki – New Zealand Greenstone, 19th century
Now for something completely different!
There’s also some terrific ‘Colonial’ pieces – in particular, New Zealand pieces from the 19th century. A stunning rarity is a New Zealand greenstone ‘Tiki’ – an original Maori-made piece from the 19th century.
Huge watercolour of the Otago Peninsula, with Port Chalmers & Sawyers Bay, by interesting Colonial artist E.A. Chapman, c. 1870
A giant watercolour of the Otago Peninsula by Ernest Arthur Chapman has a fascinating tale to tell. He is not well represented online, and we have researched his interesting story, outlined in another blog to be posted shortly. As a part of this research, we were able to find the exact viewpoint he painted this from – and the small house in the foreground is actually still partially in existence! In the background is the hills of Port Chalmers, the shipping port for Dunedin. Just before is the settlement of Sawyer’s Bay, and the details shown allow us to date it to a very precise date – 1865-75. It’s a massive, detailed visual document of New Zealand’s history.
A.E.Chapman- close-up detail of his work depicting the Otago Peninsula, with Port Chalmers on the hills in the distance, with Sawyers Bay in the foreground. The road has been built on a raised causeway to clear the promontory (present-day, this area is all reclaimed land & built on) – but the railroad that was put along the shallow waters next to the coast has yet to be built, allowing is to date the scene to 1865-1875.
Several large lithographs explore the European fascination with the Maori culture. The artist at work here was the respected New Zealand artist Charles Decimus Barraud. He was the teacher – and father-in-law – of the artist E.A.Chapman behind the giant watercolour shown above.
A number of original New Zealand watercolour landscapes come from an Australian sketchbook – the ‘Budd Sisters’ – recording the landscapes encountered by them during a trip to the South Island in the 1860’s. Although amateur, they do compare well to the locations described when we go onto ‘google earth’ and explore the location described in ink on the back of each.
The Arts & Crafts are represented by a scattering of interesting items, including some ‘Tudric’ pewter – made for Liberties of London, some pieces to the design of Archibald Knox. This teapot with applied enamel ‘gems’ is unmistakably a Knox design, and a magnificent example of the style he pioneered. There are several other examples of his work in this stock release, such as a rare clock, and a pin cushion.
Arts & Crafts….
A Bretby pottery piece has the appearance of a hand-beaten copper planter inset with Japanese lacquer plaques – but is in fact all just glazes and enamels! In fact, the panels with birds on flowering branches are imitating cloisonne, as there is a gilt line around each colour – making it even more ‘Aesthetic’ in nature!
There’s quite a number of other pieces to see also – take a look at the ‘Latest Additions’ – we are now adding items almost daily, and sending out our email to let you know: if you’re not on our email list, sign up here >>
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 metalwork & ceramics that followed this route, all the way to Australia. Mostly from one Western District (Victoria) estate, they have been in Australia for generations – quite possibly since new. Australians have always been great travellers, and collectors. The nature of the passage to Australia through the Suez Canal meant constant contact with the Middle-East, and with the number of troops who pivited through there in both Wars, it is no wonder we find Australia a great place for discovering quality Arabic wares.
Views in Egypt, by Salt, 1809
These large-scale hand-coloured aquatints were an attempt by Henry Salt to express the scale of wonder to be seen in Egypt. Ruled by the Ottoman Empire until the French and then the English invaded, Egypt was not often visited in the 18th and early 19th century. However, once the British had the upper hand on the French, they made certain their influence was felt in the region. Henry Salt was trained as an artist, a student of Farrington and also Hoppner, R.A. – but came to love Egypt during his travels from 1802-1806, as secretary and draughtsman with George Annesley, Viscount Valentia. They embarked on a major tour of ‘The East’, visiting India, Ceylon, Abysinnia and Egypt. Salt’s drawing skills were utilised, being used as the basis for illustrations in his employer’s publication, ‘Voyages and Travels’. They were part of a large folio, “Twenty-four views taken in St Helena, the Cape, India, Ceylon, the Red Sea, Abyssinia & Egypt”, published 1809. These were the only two to depict Egypt. Salt went on to become British Consul-General in Egypt in 1815, where excavated extensively, procuring a large number of antiquities for The British Museum and for his own collection. He sent a large collection of antiquities to The British Museum in 1818. Many other pieces were sold to private collectors, the most notable of these being the sarcophagus of Sety I purchased by Sir John Soane and still to be seen in his house museum in London today.
The engine-turning is particularly interesting and is evidence of European technology in the Egyptian workshops during the 19th century. The concentric lathe needed for engraving these lines was a European invention of the latter 18th century.
The shape is common in Europe from the 18th century, particularly in Eastern Europe, and the flower knop is copied directly from a European piece of the 19th century. The intended market would have been the Eastern Europeans, although luxury European wares were also valued by the Ottoman Court, so it could have been for use in a great Ottoman household somewhere in the eastern Mediterranean.
A remarkable Egyptian silver coffee pot, after an Eastern European original, Ottoman period of Sultan Abdulaziz (1861-76)
Sultan Abdulaziz 1830-76
Ottoman silver of this quality is rarely seen. It would have been a very expensive luxury good, available for the Ottoman wealthy, or imported as an exotic import into Europe. Sultan Abdulaziz was the 32nd Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and the first to travel through Europe. He was entertained by monarchs in the major European countries, with Queen Victoria entertaining him on her royal yacht in 1867 and making him a Knight of the Garter. He loved Europe’s technological progress, and was present at the ‘Exposition Universal’ in Paris in 1867. The Technology and Science from around the globe which he witnessed there led him to seek to bring the Ottoman Empire into the modern world. He was responsible for many rapid advances such as a postal service, the first railroads, and a navy that became the 3rd largest in the world after England & France. The European nature of this pot reflect this interest in the European world just next door.
Egyptian Silver Hallmark signature of Sultan Abdulaziz 1861-76
The marks are found on each component, ie. body, lid & flower knop. The ‘tourgha’ is the Islamic calligraphic signature of the Sultan, with each Sultan having his own. The form of this one places it in Egypt. Next to this is the sah mark, in this case stating ’90’ as the 90% assay of silver content. The mark of the maker is found engraved on the base, within two zig-zag lines. These lines were the result of the assayer taking a sample to test the silver content, and act as further proof of the .900 grade of the silver.
Ottoman Turkish Coffee Set, .800 Silver, Circa 1900
Sparkling Silver coffee set, including a long handled ‘cezve‘ coffeepot, covered in inscriptions. Turkish .800 silver, c.1900
A superb quality Turkish silver coffee set including the traditional ‘cezve‘ open-topped dingle-handled coffeepot with incredible Kufic script engraved around each piece.
Seljuk Islamic bronze basin, 13th century with a Moghul brass ewer, 18th century
This large basin was a symbol of status. Paired with a water-ewer, it was part of the ritual of hospitality to offer water to wash hands & feet – no doubt dusty from travel. What is remarkable is the size; it would have been brightly buffed originally, or plated in a shiny tin- and an impressive introduction to a visitor to a household. On the walls are panels of Kufic script, which when translated often wish the best blessings to the guests and household. Interestingly, there are a series of brass rings inlaid around the central flowerhead motif, an early instance of the complex inlaying of metals that developed in the following centuries.
Damascus Wares
These ‘mixed-metal’ items are collectively known as ‘Damascus Ware’ due to the Souq (markets) of Damascus being full of pieces for sale. However, it is a common form of craft from around the Ottoman Empire and beyond, going back to the Seljuk Empire of the 10th century.
The Seljuk were nomadic Turkic tribesmen, who overran the region in the 10th century, taking the great city of Baghdad in 1055, and under whose rule the ‘Golden Age’ of Islamic Art was achieved.
In the 19th century, interest in the earlier Seljuk period led to a renewal of the technique and elaborate designs. In Damascus and Cairo, the Souqs encountered by westerners were full of exquisite ‘Seljuk Revival’ pieces like the vase pictured to the right.
Early Islamic Inlay, Seljuk 13th century
This rare Islamic bronze dish is decorated with inscriptions, with 6 panels of script to the rim and 4 to the interior. Another 6 can be found along the outside wall, all in very stylized ‘kufic’ type script, which can still be translated by scholars today; usually it is a blessing for the food and the consumer, often sourced from the Koran. It is of a distinct angular form, and has been made by a combination of casting the body, then hammering & incising decoration. The body is very thick, and the result is surprisingly heavy.
It has some sections of copper inlaid as decoration, with the flower centers having rounded inserts and the structure of the central star with central copper strip. It also has silver, which has corroded; this was used for a series of crescent moons in the roundels, with a budding plant cupped by the crescent. It is tempting to see this as an early incidence of the Islamic Crescent symbol. However, while the Seljuk were Muslim, it wasn’t until the 15th century and the Ottoman Empire that a ‘crescent’ became the symbol for Islam.The other roundels have full flowers, and in combination with the new moon crescent, they are probably symbolic of ‘the cycle of life’. The quality of the bronze alloy is excellent, and this piece has survived in extremely fine condition.
Examples can be traced to Egypt, the Balkans, Turkey, Iran/Iraq, and of course Syria. With the rise of Islam, it became the perfect way to have both something incredibly precious & decorative, while showing correct piety; the calligraphic script is usually a quote from the Koran, often wishing health & prosperity. This script is an art form in itself, and when examining a piece, one can only admire the skill. Each metal – sometimes a bronze base with copper, silver and gold inlaid – is carefully hammered into a ‘trench’ prepared with a chisel, being careful to make the base of this incision broader than the surface cut. This results in the metal being hammered in being firmly fixed without any further work. It is then carefully smoothed & polished, sometimes engraved, leaving it proud of the surface. The entwined foliage knotwork designs are simply mesmerizing.
Most quality pieces we see are from the 19th-early 20th century, and they all look back to the earlier ‘Mamluk’ period – hence the term ‘Mamluk Revival’.
Turkish ‘Damascus Ware’ Coffeepot & 6 glasses with extensive inscriptions, c. 1900
Charger by Master Mahdi Alamdari (1957– ? ), 1970’s
The technique of ‘Qalamzani’ was skillfully developed in Qajar Persia (Iran), and continued into the subsequent Pahlavis period. It involves using a series of sharp chisels to gouge through a surface layer of metal, often revealing a prepared second metal beneath. We have a stunning example of Qalamzani work, a very large charger. This piece has is a masterpiece, and signed by Master Mahdi Alamdari. Born in 1957, he was in his early 20’s when this piece was created. We can date it through one simple fact: it has human images. There is a story being illustrated, probably from one of the multitude of legends Persia is so rich in. As outlined below, such an image would have been prohibited by the Sharia law of the post-1979 Islamic Republic, allowing us to date this piece to the late 1970’s.
A beautiful maiden plays the harp…. … to a party of men, one is almost asleep…… the moon with a mighty moustache looks on… … and is part of the signature of Master Mahdi Alamdari (1957– ? ). Superbly detailed designs reminiscent of the carpets of Iran.
If anyone knows their Persian stories, I’d love to know the tale this scene tells – drop us a message!
It is unfortunate that Iran has become severed from the Western World since then, and interesting to examine the path that led it there. Read more by clicking the ‘Road to Isolation’ below.
A brief history of Iran’s 20th century road to isolation.
During WWII, Britain used the ‘Persian Corridor’ to access their ally Russia, and to deny Germany access to the oil fields of the region. The Russian did not leave despite the Tehran Conference, where along with the USA, they agreed to leave Iran’s borders where they had been before the war. This led to one of the first confrontations between the USA and USSR which we remember as the ‘Cold War’: the USA then covertly performed their first ‘regime change’ by spearheading a coup to overthrow the only democratic government Iran has ever known, and installing an absolute monarch of their own choice. This Shah, Pahlavi, came to depend on the support of the USA to stay in power – which he managed to do for the next 26 years. The USA was of course thinking strategically; Iran had access to vast oil reserves, and was adjacent to the USSR, so a strategic ally in the ‘Cold War’ they were fighting. The 1960’s-70’s were a prosperous time for Iran, with plenty of USA & UK interaction, and a time when Iranian Arts & culture were readily available to the West. This was the date our large charger would have come out of Iran. This all changed in 1979; a festering unrest at the Western nation’s abuses over the past century – in particular, dissatisfaction at the Shah’s dependence on the USA – led to the ‘White Revolution’. The result was a Theocracy, the Islamic Republic of Iran – following the leadership of the Supreme Leader, Khomein. As a part of the strict Sharia (Islamic Law) ideology, images of humans & animals – ie. any living thing – were ‘strongly discouraged’. This stemmed from interpretations of the displeasure of Muhammad on seeing idols in his time. The traditional arts of the Persian world came to a screeching halt, with the vast majority of artists leaving Iran for Western exile in the following decade. The last 40 years have been isolating for Iran, as it has had the constant embargo on almost everything, and the heavy attention of the USA leaning on it. As a result, it is still a place of mystery, and the art & artifacts we come across have that same ancient sparkle of a far-away mysterious & exotic land, filled with wonderful treasures…
These colourful ceramics are from Iran, products of the pottery industry that flourished in the Qajar dynasty.
Otherwise known as the ‘Persian’ Empire, the Qajar dynasty controlled parts the area of present-day countries Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan, as well as the southern parts of Georgia.
The Qajars ruled from 1779 to 1924, coming from Astarabad, south-east of the Caspian Sea. Under the Qajars the capital of this Persia Empire was moved to Tehran.
Selection of Qajar ‘fritware’ vases & tiles: the body is not just fired clay, but rather a ‘glassy’ silica granular slurry of sand and a very minor amount of clay, which fuses when heated, the fused surface keeping the piece structurally sound. If broken, a crumbly sand-like interior is exposed. The example at far right is several centuries earlier, being a fine example of Iznik production of the late 15th/early 16th century. It was on this legacy that the Qajar ceramics built their trade, often imitating much earlier designs.
Tiles were a useful wall covering that was both decorative and durable. Depicted here is perhaps the illustration from a legend – the man on his green-spotted horse appears to feed the circling spectacular bird with the extra large tail. This bird we can identify as a ‘Simurgh’.
The Simurgh – also called Huma – was a mythical bird which flew invisibly above the earth. With no legs, it could not land, and it never cast a shadow – except onto a King. The feathers often seen on a King/Shah/Sultan’s turban represent this divine anointing. It is a mighty and auspicious bird, bringer of great fortune, and features central to the early Persian tales.
It also represents the unattainable – always being unreachable high, perhaps the origin of the saying ‘aiming for the sky’.
Persian ‘Kitab-i hasha’ish’ – the Materia Medica of Dioscurides, Botanical Medical manuscript
This Persian manuscript page is a fascinating example of how the Islamic World preserved ancient knowledge during Europe’s so-called ‘Dark Ages’. It is from a ‘Kitab-i hasha’ish‘ – the ‘Materia Medica’ of Dioscurides, a 1st century AD physician of Greek origin, who had compiled the botanical medicinal knowledge of the period into a series of books. Originally in Greek, they were preserved through constant copying complete with illustrations in the Islamic world. They drew on all knowledge of the time, and Dioscurides claimed to have travelled far & wide as a physician with the Roman Army. This example has an illustration of an unknown bulb with groups of red flowers, the text explaining the usage of various components for various ailments, in flowing Persian calligraphy with important words in red. It is set within a frame of gold / black / red / blue carefully ruled lines, a style that appears on items originating in Isfahan, Iran – although they were made right across the Islamic world for many centuries, from the earliest in Baghdad in the 10th century to Morocco and India right into the 19th century.
This page is attributed to one from the 17th – 18th century.
Fresh on Moorabool.com – a collection of Greek Revival ceramics from Victorian England. Our Western society was based on the Classical past, and this is very obvious when we examine the objects and designs favoured by the later Georgians & the Victorians. While the frivolity of the Rococo commanded attention in the mid-18th century, the ‘swing of the pendulum’ changed the fashion by the end of the century to the polar opposite. The complex organic form of rococo scrolls are swept away, and are replaced by direct copies of the ancient ‘ideal’ designs of the Greeks & Romans. Across all aspects of Art & Architecture, classicism dominated the designs produced from the 1790’s well into the early Victorian period of the mid 19th century and beyond. In this timespan, some fascinating ceramics were produced – with interesting examples in the collection we are offering today.
John Flaxman R.A. ‘Minerva repressing the fury of Achilles’, illustration from an 1805 edition of Homer’s ‘Iliad’, engraved by William Blake, poet and engraver of note.
Greek Black-Figure Lekythos, illustrating a scene from the Trojan War – Achilles slaying the Amazon Queen Penthesilea, and realizing a moment later she was the love-of-his-life…. a Greek Tragedy. Attic, 510-500 BC. Moorabool Antiques sold archives >>
John Flaxman (British, 1755–1826) is the most famous of the ‘Neoclassical’ designers of Britain in the latter 18th-early 19th century. This was the period of great change in the visual arts, with the re-discovery of the ‘perfection’ of ancient Greek & Roman design, stimulated by the emerging ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The British had secured the fabulous sculpture from the Acropolis in Athens, and installed it in the purpose-build chamber in the new British Museum. Flaxman created designs inspired by these sources, and they were endlessly published and used for countless architectural, decorative, and industrial designs. The classical literature such as ‘The Iliad’ and ‘The Odyssey’ were illustrated with engravings of their story, often directly copied from ancient Greek vases. Ceramics were a natural medium for re-creating the Classical Past, as hundreds of ancient Greek pots covered in painted scenes that were being extracted from tombs intact and admired by the intellectual Europeans.
In order to make these rare pieces accessible to everyone (and not just the wealthy & museums) copies were created, which we now label as ‘Grand Tour’ pieces – often brought back from Greece & Rome by the travellers of Georgian England. In England, the existing ceramic producers set out to create their own interpretations of this latest taste, with mixed results. Flaxman set out on his long career as a designer in 1775 working for Josiah Wedgwood, where he created very faithful versions of the ancient designs – and the many ‘classic’ Wedgwood blue jasper designs we associate with the name ‘Wedgwood’ today were by him. These Wedgwood designs were the pinnacle of taste for display on the mantelpiece in polite society drawing rooms, and reflected the perceived intellectual understanding of the classical past by their owners. The scenes had titles, and were illustrations of the Greek & Roman stories taught to any offspring of the wealthy.
However…. in time, the fashion permeated all levels of society, and rather than the intellectual pursuit of the elite, the classical designs came to be appreciated by ‘the masses’. The designs were curious links to the distant past – and the story-telling aspect of the scenes no longer became the focus, as the audience was not the intellectual scholar demanding accurate ‘Homeresqe’ details, but someone looking for a pleasing design for their teaset. This was the age of mass production, and the hundreds of small and large ceramic factories of Stoke-on-Trent and other manufacturing hubs produced endless variety of ‘Greek’ wares.
‘Greek Revival’ British Ceramics & glass at Moorabool Antiques, including Ridgway, Copeland & Garrett, Maws, and a rare Martin Brothers piece.
Copeland & Garrett designs
This fascinating pattern is titled ‘Herculaneum’ – refering of course to the Roman town covered in ash and hot mud by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. However, the designs are not Roman, but Greek. It illustrates the blurring of the Classical World that the Victorians perpetrated. Copeland & Garrett was a partnership in Staffordshire which began in 1833, and ended in 1847. (having taken over Spode in 1833, and using the mark ‘Late Spode’ – while post-1847 it is just ‘Copeland & Sons’ – with the Spode name only being revived again for production in 1970)
This pair of Copeland & Garrett covered pots below are large examples of the ‘Greek Revival’ style, bearing some quirky figures of vaguely Roman style, repeating patterns taken from Greek 5th century BC ‘Black Figure’ ceramics, and using a printed outline which was then filled in with enamels. They also imitated the Greek added decoration, where white would be added over the top to define details. The result is certainly eye-catching – although nothing like anything the Greeks would have made. The ‘winged dog’ featured at the top of the page is a Whippet, given wings!
Copeland+Garrett ‘Greek Revival’ earthenwares of the 1840’s
The marks on this pair of covered jars allow us to date them quite precisely – while the ‘Copeland’ mark appears on three pieces, there is also the mark of the earlier partnership on one lid, ‘Copeland & Garrett’. This partnership – and mark – changed in 1847, meaning the pieces must have been made after this name-change, but not too long as there was one piece still waiting to be decorated in the workshop storehouse – the lid. Circa 1848 is the most probable date.
The ‘New Blanche’ was the name they gave to their white earthenware body, although it is not often seen marked like this.
Another trend in ceramics was to imitate the ‘Red Figure’ wares of Greece dating to the 4th century BC. These involved a black ground with the figures reserved to show the body colour through. The majority of pieces we see are from the firm of F & R Pratt. This firm had been printing on ceramics since the early Victorian period (c. 1847), and became especially famous for embracing the newly developed method of printing several separate colours onto one piece to provide full-colour ‘painterly’ decoration. Most famous of these wares are the ‘pot-lids’ – basically colourful throw-away containers made for various products such as ‘fish paste’ and ‘bear grease’.
Pratt-Maws ‘Old Greek’ wares, early 20th century
In the 1880s, they started creating Classical printed designs faithful to the prints of John Flaxman from 50 years earlier, accurately naming it ‘Old Greek’. The body isn’t expensive, being a thick white earthenware, and the printing process meant unskilled workers could apply the finely detailed designs quickly as a transfer – and then background would simply be coloured in with black glaze. The result was a pleasing ‘classic’ design, faithful to the ancient Greek aesthetics – produced cheaply, sold for a bargain price, and very popular for a long time. If you check below you’ll see the prices are still very tempting!
Later on, they allowed the Shropshire firm Maw & Co to print the designs. Best known for tiles, this large firm had the ability to produce vast quantities of the design, which continued for many decades, well into the 20th century. As a result, we see a lot of these pieces that were imported into Australia 1900-1920 as useful, decorative wares. These later pieces are easily identified by the rather splendid large ‘Discus Thrower’ mark printed beneath most pieces.
These interesting but inexpensive earthenwares come in a large number of shapes & sizes, from teapots to ashtrays. The ‘Old Greek’ designs clearly illustrate the idea of ‘mass produced culture’, which seems to have been extremely popular in Australia at the time, being so far away from the European cultural centers with their classical past. Our ancestors enjoyed a bit of Classicism around the house – and so do we still today!
Moorabool’s 2022 Exhibition is currently being prepared, and will open on May 7th. While the actual goods will be on display in our Geelong premises, we realize that many of you are unable to come in person – so all items will be well documented and available for preview on moorabool.com .
Today we’re releasing a flood of lovely Fresh Stock. There’s a scattering of porcelain, including Meissen, and some other highly decorative porcelains including the scarce ‘wall pockets’ modelled as birds on nests, and a sweet little pair of ‘perfume ewers’, probably Coalbrookdale, all encrusted in flowers.
The selection of small little precious pieces is mainly of French origin; this is no coincidence, as the branch of the local family they came from traces its origins to a romance in France at the time of WWI: these were just the sort of thing to buy a French ‘sweetheart’, before they came back to Australia and settled down.
There’s a host of other fine pieces, with more to be added shortly. The large-scale ‘Mercury’, illustrated below, is a 19th century Bronze after the 1580 original by Giambologna. It was made for the Medici family of Florence – to put in the middle of a fountain! A very wise choice, considering he was the god of commercial success – and successful the Medici most certainly were.
In other news… we are very pleased to announce our 2022 Exhibition date. We have waited patiently for our Government to announce when they will call our looming election – but as they have yet declined to do so, and there is very little time left, we have taken a chance and settled on the ‘least likely for election’ Saturday in May – the 7th. It will run for the next few weeks, before we bring it up to Melbourne for our next event…. This Exhibition is an accumulation of wonderful items of quality from the past several years, sourced from all over the globe – but also very locally. Several high-profile collections of ceramics will be included, with many published pieces.
Dr Wall Worcester punchbowl, circa 1760
A superb large-scale example of early Worcester porcelain, with a rare combination of four prints by Hancock, printed in a rarely seen ‘Lilac’ tone. One of a number of fine Dr Wall Worcester pieces to be seen in our upcoming 2022 Exhibition.
Check out the extensive ‘Preview’ page here >> with much more yet to be added as it is process and published.
More 2022 Exhibition pieces….
Melbourne Antique Fair
Finally, we are also eagerly anticipating our Melbourne Antique Fair for 2022. This is taking place ‘back where it all began’- in the Malvern Town Hall, High Street Armidale, Melbourne, 10th-13 June. The AAADA is selling tickets already, book via their website here >>
Today’s ‘Fresh Stock’ additions are mostly classic pieces of ‘Old Sheffield Plate’ – with a few Sterling Silver and a few Plated pieces mixed in.
1777 Old Sheffield Plate ‘Claret Jug’ illustrated in Bradbury 1912
Old Sheffield Plate was of course the method developed in the 18th century to cut down on the amount of silver used in tablewares. It did, however, increase the amount of time & care needed to make the pieces, as they are all laboriously put together from a flat rolled sheet of silver & copper.
Of particular note is the Old Sheffield claret jug. This is an absolute rarity; the coffee pots we featured a while ago are not common, but a claret is magnitudes rarer.
In ‘The History of Old Sheffield Plate (published 1912), Bradbury’s definitive book on the subject, he illustrates the identical claret jug (p.308). This is captioned as a “1 1/2 pint Adam jug, by Mathew Fenton & Co. Date 1777”. He then describes these jugs as “By no means the least useful, and certainly the most graceful…” of the Old Sheffield products. He refers to them as ‘Claret jugs’, stating they are ‘very rarely to be met with to-day’ (in 1912). In 2022, it’s even more so – especially in the excellent condition we have found this one in. The attribution to Mathew Fenton & Co. via Bradbury’s illustration is firm, with only a couple of minor differences; the junction of the foot & body in ours has a seam, while the engraved illustration is smooth, and the handle – hand-carved from boxwood- has an extra protruding spur at the base.
Old Sheffield Plate ‘Cheese Toasters’, circa 1815
Other interesting pieces include two ‘Cheese Toasters’. The toasted bread was placed inside with the cheese ready on top; the enclosed shape, when heated, would to a good job of melting the cheese, something that has never gone out of fashion! These small single-handled dishes were popular in the late 18th – early 19th century, and one has the very smart hi-tech feature of a ‘warming compartment’. This is hidden beneath the interior, and accessed by unscrewing the wooden handle.
The mark of T&J Creswick, Sheffield, c. 1815
The thread then makes a water-tight seal, and his Lordship’s cheese is guaranteed to be nice & runny…. it bears the crest of an arm with an arrow, but as this was applied to dozens of families armourials, it is impossible to be specific about who had their cheese from this dish.
The smaller armorial piece does, however, have a rare makers mark, and this allows us to identify the workshop of T&J Creswick, Sheffield.
Derby Scallop Shell sweetmeat stand c. 1770, with two Old Sheffield Plate shell dishes c. 1800
An elegant couple of items are the Old Sheffield shell-form dishes. These are often seen in porcelain, where they are called ‘pickle dishes’, the idea being they were used on the table to serve pickled garnishes necessary to disguise the dubious preservation of any meat served, a necessity until the invention of reliable refrigeration.
However, silver finished items would not be very useful with an acid-like pickle vinegar placed in them – they would tarnish before your eyes. These dishes must have been used for something else on the tables of the gentry, perhaps for the sweetmeats of the desert setting. There are large ‘towers’ of shells in porcelain from Derby Worcester and Bow from the 18th century which are described as being dessert / sweetmeat stands, so it is logical these were used in the same manner.
Georgian Candle Snuffers
Some interesting pieces of history are the ‘candle snuffers’. Shaped like scissors, they have a rectangular box one arm, the lid on the other. Despite their name, they were not to ‘snuff’ the candle out; rather, they fulfilled a very important job in the world of illumination: when the wick of the candle burnt lower and left a charred remnant, it would cause problems with the flame, smoke a lot, and could melt the candle to one side and cause an unwanted loss of molten wax. It was important then to trim the wick; a householder would take pride in being able to use a pair of these scissors with the box incorporated to carefully slice the old burnt portion from the top of the wick, leaving it to still burn & illuminate below. The wick would be ‘snuffed’ in the metallic box, and cease to smoke; it could then be disposed of later, as once placed on the handy snuffer-tray it could be taken away by your servants to be disposed of once you were finished for the evening.
Pinchbeck’s 1776 Patent for candle snuffers in action
A particularly interesting pair can be traced to a 1776 patent by Christopher Pinchbeck, a London clock maker. His story is fascinating, a worthy subject of another blog post; his design both snuffed the offcut wick, and through the use of a levered ‘gate’, held the offensive black remnant securely. The snuffers above follow the design of his 1776 patent drawing closely, which he described as follows:
‘Some additions to those very useful domestic machines, called snuffers, by which those disagreeable circumstance of them dropping the wick after snuffing the candles, so generally complained of, is totally prevented’.
Pinchbeck’s 1776 Patent application.
Searching for examples online I was amused to find an ‘Ode to Pinchbeck’s Candle Snuffers’ – penned by “Malcolm McGreggor” – the pseudonym of political satirist William Mason – in 1776. This was of course the year of the American Revolution, and it is a direct attack on the sad state of affairs with the British smarting from the loss of their American colonies. So, the author calls on the latest high-tech invention to solve the problem:
‘Illustrious Pinchbeck I condescend,
Thou well beloved, and best King’s friend;
These Lyric lines to view.
Oh! may they prompt thee, e’re too late,
To snuff the candle of the State,
That burns a little Blue….
1776 ‘Malcom McGreggor’
It continues in this vein, bringing in the characters associated with the American Revolution, and suggesting that a very large snuffer could be the solution – to completely snuff out the pesky Rebels like Washington!
The deed is done, thy foes are dead,
No longer England shalt thou dread,
such Presbyterean Huffers;
Thy candle’s radiance ne’er shall fade,
with now & then a little aid,
from Pinchbeck’s Patent Snuffers!
1776 ‘Malcom McGreggor’
(If you’re curious, I have copied the original pamphlet onto a single page here – click to enlarge).
Old Sheffield Plate chamberstick, c. 1835
Finally, to find your way to bed through the darkened house, there was the chamberstick; these candlesticks are low and broad, giving the safest possible configuration to guard against the very real danger of accidental ignition of the furnishings. The handle and thumbpiece gives an excellent grip, and our example here has the original cone-shape snuffer, nice & handy to completely extinguish the flame when time came to sleep.
Enjoy!
Paul & Glenys Rosenberg
Mathew Bugg
In other news….
We’re preparing a stunning Exhibition featuring several well established collections of early British & Continental Ceramics.
Date to be defined once the Australian Government settles on a definite date for the upcoming election, as we do not wish to compete for attention on the same day!
Featuring: Bow, Chelsea, Derby, Worcester, Isleworth, James Giles (on Chinese Porcelain), Swansea, Nantgarw, Spode, Newhall, etc. etc….. over 100 choice pieces to tempt.
A ‘Preview’ gallery will be accessible on our website shortly, keep your eye out for an upcoming email announcement.
Welcome to our ‘Fresh Stock’ update – these items are fresh to our stock , and fresh to this website.
Today it’s some Wonderful Worcester.
Dr John Wall (1708-1776) Founder of Worcester Porcelain Worcester Porcelain Museum;
Dr Wall, or ‘First Period Worcester’, is the earliest period of this important English porcelain maker. Dr John Wall was a fascinating 18th century Gentleman, a practical doctor who helped found the charitable hospital at Worcester, becoming wealthy and well-known in the process. In 1751, along with William Davies and 13 other businessmen, he established the Worcester works on the banks of the River Severn, Worcester. Davies was an apothecary, not far removed from alchemy in the mid-18th century, and actively experimenting in the quest for a porcelain body. Together with Wall, and the help of the group of investors, the distinct Worcester porcelain body was developed. There were many other attempts at making porcelain in England at this time. Bristol had a porcelain factory, and Chelsea and Bow were active in London, while Derby also had a porcelain works. Liverpool, Lowestoft and Bristol followed soon after in their respective cities. 60 miles from Worcester, Caughley made almost identical wares (before the age of copyright…). The pottery makers of Staffordshire soon began their own porcelain production, and so there are quite a number of makers of porcelain in England in the last half of the 18th century.
Dr Wall Worcester dish, c.1770 – coming soon to Moorabool.com
Confusingly, some of these other makers used the same ‘C’ crescent mark as Worcester. So how do we tell Worcester from the rest? A simple answer may be ‘Quality’. They always had a high standard, at least once they worked out how to consistently produce the same results from their kilns. But many other makers also produced high quality wares, and the decoration is often very similar, following the demands of taste. Without copyright, it was easy to copy a popular design.
The answer to identifying early Worcester is the body. They had developed a soft-paste, or artificial porcelain. Unlike the Chinese – and the Continental porcelains, like Meissen – it lacked a vital ingredient found in ‘true’, or hard-paste porcelain. This ingredient was responsible for the stability, or hardness of the body, and this in turn meant it was more durable. Especially important considering the teawares that came to be a major part of their business; if a teapot cracked when hot liquid was poured in, it was not good for business – and this was what often happened to the likes of early Bow and Derby. Worcester prided itself in the ability to withstand hot water ‘shock’ – but was resistant, not crack proof. We do see an awful lot of Worcester teapots with classic spreading hot-water cracks.
One of the 15 initial partners in the Worcester concern was Richard Holdship. He was somehow aware of a struggling porcelain manufactory at Bristol, the works of Benjamin Lund. This had begin in 1749, with the granting of an exclusive licence to mine ‘soaprock’ at the Lizard, Cornwall. When this special ingredient was combined with their clay, Lund’s Bristol porcelain had a different quality to other English porcelains of the period. The soaprock unified the body, allowing it to distribute heat better, for example when boiling water was poured into it. Lund produced a limited line of products for a limited time, and by 1751, was in financial strife. Holdship was able to come in and buy-out the works, including the equipment, workmen, even Lund himself came to Worcester to the new works there. Most importantly, the Worcester firm now had the rights to the soap-rock of Cornwall, and added to their clay, produced the fine body we are used to with 18th century Dr Wall Worcester.
Translucency-Caughley, Chelsea, Worcester- circa 1760’s-70’s
So how do we identify this Worcester body? A very simple process: hold it up to the light! A porcelain body by definition is translucent. This means the light is able to penetrate into the structure of the fired clay, and some finds its way through. When it strikes the minerals inside – such as the soap-stone – part of the light spectrum will be absorbed, with the remainder of the spectrum escaping to the viewer’s eye, resulting in a certain colour tone. In the case of Worcester with the soap-stone, it’s a greenish tone we look for.
The green tone is apparent when light is shone through the porcelain.
Other English porcelain translucency – some mild green, but not as much as Worcester.
This of course isn’t definitive test – there are variations, decoration changes things, and other factories could also produce green-tinged bodies. But combined with visual cues like patterns and shapes, spotting Worcester becomes a much simpler task.
Dr Wall Worcester Translucency c. 1775
This week, our Fresh Stock release has a series of superb Worcester ‘Saucer Dishes’, painted in the various Rococo patterns of the later 18th century. Literally a dish-sized ‘saucer’ shape, there was one, or sometimes two included in a tea service, intended to hold the cake or nice little knibbles the ‘Lady of the House’ was to serve when offering tea in the fashionable sitting room to visitors.
The ‘Marriage’ pattern is beautiful, with hidden symbols of Cupid amongst the flower sprigs. Apparently George III liked this pattern, and had a service made for Kew House. The older tale was it was to celebrate his marriage, although there are no records as such; however, the name ‘Marriage’ for the pattern is totally appropriate considering the hidden symbols of a bow, a quiver, and a lover’s knot.
Dr Wall Worcester ‘Powder Blue’ plate, c. 1770
The ‘Powder Blue’ example is fascinating, in that the flowers are lavish and flamboyant – but the fan-shaped reserves are outlined in a simple straight line of gold, with no scrolls to be seen. This reflects an earlier period, when Chinese porcelains from the Kanxi reign were coming into Europe with similar decoration. The ‘powder-blue’ ground is literally created as it sounds – a powder of blue cobalt pigment is blown onto the piece, which is treated with an oil to make it sticky; where the white panels are to be, a paper stencil cutout is attached. Once fired, this leaves the white panels to be painted by the factory artists. in the case of this plate, the artist was very good – the same hand is at work on a jug in the Zorensky Collection, along with the very stylish flower sprays. This gilding is the thick & rich ‘honey gilding’ , once again created exactly as described – honey is used to suspend the gold and apply it to the porcelain, where it burns off & leaves the gold in place when fired.
Dr Wall Worcester Saucer Dish, French Shape, c.1770
The example with the urn in the centre is Dr Wall Worcester at its best. This fluted shape is known as the ‘French’ shape, and was very popular for tea wares. The combination of the central flower-clad urn and the colourful swags of flowers hanging from suspension amongst the rich gilding around the rim is enhanced by the startling splash of turquoise ‘caillouté‘ work, a French word meaning ‘pebbly’. It’s based on the luxurious Sevres imports of the time, and the whole look & feel of these flamboyant pieces deserve their ‘French’ title.
Enjoy!
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Art Nouveau is literally a ‘New Art’. This stylish fashion emerged from France in the latter 19th century. It was a reaction to the re-hashed Classical and Rococo style that dominated European fashion in the 19th century. It is well illustrated by this superb Art Nouveau ‘stamp box’ in French silver & wood, with sensual flowing tendrils, like hair ringlets or organic growing plants.
French Art Nouveau Silver Stamp Box c.1900
Art Pottery flourished in the late 19th/early 20th century, and embraced the ideals of the Art Nouveau movement. This vase, from Belgium, has spiraling arms that look like they grew….
There’s another offshoot from Art Nouveau, originating in Austria and Germany, called ‘Jugendstil’ – literally ‘Youth Style’. This introduced more geometric elements alongside the Nouveau’s organic elements. This wonderful piece of design comes from the Würtemburgische Metallwaren Fabrik, WMF for short – a German manufacturer of high esteem. The egg-shaped copper body holds 6 eggs inside, which can be warmed with the small spirit burner placed on the platform between the legs. The supports are cast brass with stylish leaf-motif ends, and the legs are basically leaf-stems. The lid has a cross-form support, very geometric and not at all Art Nouveau, making it a fine example of Jugendstil.
In the same theme is this remarkable vase. English pottery, it was made at Bretby, circa 1910. White having some Nouveau elements in its form (the handles have eyes!), it also has a geometry to it that shows the Jugendstil influence – as well as the definite ‘Arts & Crafts’ idea of showing the raw materials & craftsmanship. In this case, it is deceptive, as the ‘copper’ finish is a glaze – and the ‘gemstones’ are also glazed pottery, made separately and attached!
Another interesting off-shoot looks to the Celtic world for inspiration. The Celtic Knot patterns, found on carvings and metalworks from 1st millenium BC European artifacts were well known in Britain, where the style flourished particularly in Scotland, Ireland and Wales. As part of the Arts & Crafts movement, these ancient designs were sometimes referred to by craftsmen, and the beaker below is one such piece.
Brannam of Barnstaple, 1903
Made at the Art Pottery works of Brannam in Barnstaple, it is decorated with two bands of pale clay in raised slip trails skillfully arranged into ‘Celtic’ knotwork, framing an amusing verse neatly incised through the green glaze in a method we call ‘sgrafitto’:
” Be aisy
If ye cant be aisy
Be as aisy as ye can”
This information is Brannam delightfully easy to describe, as they clearly inscribed it all on the base – ‘Brannam / Barnstaple / 1903’. It is also initialed ‘FB’ for the potter, Frederick Braddon, who quite possibly used the traditional potter’s method of drawing with clay slip – a cow’s horn with the tip cut off, allowing the pale slip inside to be applied in a controlled line.
Frederick Braddon’s lip trail Celtic Knots on the Brannam beaker, dated 1903.
It’s a wonderfully organic result, like the tendrils of a vine growing across the surface.
It therefore fits the definition of ‘Art Nouveau’ – in an Arts & Crafts / Art Pottery manner!
Welcome to a ‘Fresh Stock’ update – these items are fresh to our stock , and fresh to this website.
Today it’s a selection of fine English furniture. The bookcase is the key piece, and yes, the contents below will be a ‘Fresh Stock’ in the very near future!
George III Mahogany Bookcase
This George III bookcase is particularly pleasing in its simplicity, featuring an understated curved pediment without the usual moulding – and the unusual addition of moulding in the form of ‘Maltese Crosses’ to the fold-down flap of the Secretaire drawer. The interior is in satinwood, and has an extra-wide central ‘pigeon hole’ suitable for a laptop or tablet.
The pair of chairs are also Georgian mahogany, and rare as they have their original green horse-hair seat covers.
There’s a useful small Sutherland Table, with an unusual gallery placed between the legs.
You’ll also find scattering of Georgian porcelain, and some hard to find ‘dumps’ – glassworks doorstops.
Remember, for the furniture, we have delivery options up the East Coast or to Adelaide, ask for a quote.
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Use the ‘Compare Products’ below to keep track of items of interest.
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