This curious oil painting (on a sheet of milk-glass) has been sitting in the Moorabool ‘archives’ for a generation, a puzzle. It’s apparently night-time with a full moon, depicting shipping of the late 19th century, and a distinctive massive rocky protrusion. What on earth does this depict?
A little brain-storming and searching the internet comes to an interesting conclusion: this is Krakatoa, the mighty volcano of south-east Asia, shown in its pre-1883 eruption appearance.
Why has someone depicted Krakatoa? It’s the infamous volcano in Indonesia that still grabs headlines, violently active and a very real threat.
The shipping depicted in this image is the clue: it was inconveniently placed right in the centre of the Sunda Strait, the most direct route from the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean.
A traveller has been passing by some time in the 1870’s or early 1880’s, and witnessed the awesome sight of the brooding volcano up-close. Was this at night, with dark shadows of ships on an indigo sea, a full moon peeping though the clouds? That’s the initial impression.
But another possibility is the dramatic result of the eruption: the sky was as dark as night for days. This would be a scene with the sun barely piercing the clouds of ash…. Of course the flaw with this idea is the bulk of the volcano is still there in the pre-eruption configuration. If this was the intention of the artist – to show the day turned to night by the eruption – then it could not have been an eyewitness impression, but rather the imagination of a Victorian amateur artist.
The air grew steadily darker and darker, and at 10:30 a.m. we were in total darkness, just the same as on a very dark night.
Captain Lindeman, Batavian steamship “Gouverneur-General Loudon“, August 28th 1883
The intense blackness above and around us, broken only by the incessant glare of varied kinds of lightning and the continued explosive roars of Krakatoa, made our situation a truly awful one.
Brass and Bronze are basically the same thing; alloys of other metals, including copper, tin, zinc, and lead – mixed at different ratios to produce metals for different purposes.
Our ‘Spring Special’ this year will involve a rolling exhibition of Marine Art & Artefacts.
Australia is a nation built on ships & shipping, and so it is not surprising to find a rich heritage of Ship Art. We’re currently preparing a whole feet of fascinating ship pictures – often with fascinating stories of what they achieved, and what their fate was…..
We’re pleased to offer a fine selection of fresh-to-the-market items today, including a stunning micro-carved ivory plaque, an 18th c. enamel egg, and some local watercolours by Arnold Jarvis.
Micro-Carving – a miniature masterpiece
This beautiful little piece is no bigger than the bottom of your tea-cup – and yet the detail is as good as a large sculpture. Set into a very early lacquer & gold mount, probably from new, it is a type sometimes seen mounted as a snuff box lid. Often catalogued as ‘French’, we have attributed it to the English carvers Stephany & Dresch, ‘Carvers in Miniature to his majesty George III’ .
A Salviati Aventurine Centerpiece
This flamboyant piece of glass is – believe it or not – Italian! Actually a stunning example of an interesting period in the development of the ‘Murano Glass’ we are familiar with, it dates to the later 19th century years when the revival of the Italian Art Glass was just beginning. It comes from the workshop of Antonio Salviati (1816-1890), who paired up with an English archaeologist, Sir Austen H. Layard, M.P. (1817-94).
Salviati’s products, the ‘Compagnia Venezia-Murano’, won the highest prize, a gold medal indicating the First Order of Merit. After the exhibition closed in 1881, 130 pieces were purchased for the Gallery, which still retains a good number of them. At the same time, the impressive wealth in Melbourne meant the top-end department stores were also offering these luxury products for sale. As this piece was sourced in Melbourne generations ago, it is most probably from one of those sources.
We have an article on this splendid centrepiece and the connection with the 1880 International Exhibition in Melbourne.
Arnold Jarvis was a prolific artist, specialising in classic Australian vistas with ancient River Redgums, and was once described as ‘The other Hans Heyson’. However, he doesn’t even come close to Hans Heyson’s value today, and his story is somewhat neglected.
He was born in South Australia, and literally ‘joined the circus’ in his teens, travelling as far as Perth to perform on stage. He had balance & tightrope acts – and a ‘speed painting’ show, where he would produce a painting from a blank canvas ready to hang on the wall in under 3 minutes! This was no doubt a brilliant way to refine his brushwork, as they say practice makes perfect, and he certainly perfected his impressions of ancient river redgums. By 1901, he was no longer a juggler, but a full-time artist.
We have a group of four Arnold Jarvis watercolours to show you today, including one remarkable example which includes an English thatched cottage, set on the Victorian coast! We have an interesting interpretation of this work, read more in the blog page dedicated to Arnold Jarvis.
There’s a lot of Drama in today’s ‘Fresh Stock’….. we have a Theatrical special for you!
There’s also a NEW ‘Curated Collection’ dedicated to items relating to Literature and The Stage. You’ll find all the usual suspects – Shakespeare, Burns, Dickens – plus some other fascinating aspects of what we now call ‘pop culture’.
You’ll also find a selection of lovely flower decorated pieces including a remarkable ‘inkwell’, shaped like a Roman oil lamp, covered in flowers & gold…. an oddity, if used as an inkwell the quills unbalance the whole thing. However, we have another explanation that makes perfect sense, especially when considering the decoration of this beautiful example – have a look at the lamp’s page to see what we have worked out –
It’s an eclectic mix today, with a fine selection of diverse items to browse.
There’s some fascinating ‘Local Music History’ items, in particular conductor’s batons. The first is a presentation piece, made in Melbourne and still in its original box, with a lengthy inscription explaining its significance: given to Professor Hardeman in 1897 by the Richmond Amateur Orchestra. This opens up some fascinating research, where we found an 1897 newspaper description of the event which describes the exact baton in great detail!
The second is a simpler form, presented to E. Sage by the St Johns Presbyterian Choir, Ballarat. This interesting piece has a moonstone set in the end, and would have been made by a local jeweller.
As well, there are some other batons of a similar period – very useful for anyone considering a career in amateur (or professional) orchestra!
This illustrated piece of music was printed in London in 1740. It’s from a ‘Burlesque Opera’ first performed in 1737, ‘The Dragon of Wantley‘.
It contains the line: “He’s a Man every inch I assure you, stout vig’rous active & Tall…” !
While on the surface it’s a comic tale for entertainment, the lyurics are open to interpretation – the Dragon perhaps representing the excesses of a corrupt government, and Moore the hero who defends the common people…. a theme still very active in today’s politics and pop-culture….
This extraordinary example of Tournai porcelain shows the quality they were able to produce.
Dating to circa 1770, the elegant form with robust yet stylish handle, and boat-shaped stand, is a premonition of the Neoclassical simplicity which comes to dominate French design in the last decades of the 18th century. While this aspect looks forward, the decoration is the opposite. It is taken from a print published mid 18th century, after a painting by Francois Boucher, and is the essence of the Rococo style.
The mark is always misunderstood: ‘crossed swords are Meissen’ is the usual assessment, however this piece is clearly soft-paste porcelain, not the hard-paste of Meissen. As a vast number of other makers ‘borrowed’ crossed swords, it is easily attributed to one of these fraudulent makers, like Samson of Paris. However…. this mark is well documented on Tournai porcelain. In the underglaze blue & white products, it is not uncommon. Gold on glaze is rare, but does appear on their better decorated pieces, suggesting it was a mark for their ‘premier products’.
There is a single example in public collections, not published in the literature. This is a sauceboat in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (id=#1968-172-1) , documented on their website. It lacks the stand, but has the same lavish decoration – with a few variations.
Any conductor needs a few batons – and Moorabool has a few of these rarities ‘fresh to stock’.
They include three with inscriptions – some fascinating records of social history, one just a baffling enigma.
Perhaps you’re needing a baton for your Amateur Orchestra – like ‘Professor’ Arthur Hardeman? He was the recipient of a magnificent ebony example with silver mounts including an inscription winding its way down the shaft on a long silver ribbon: “Presented to Professor Arthur J Hardeman by members of the Richmond Amateur Orchestra as a Token of Esteem, 1897” .
Hardeman was a Melbourne musician, son of a Pianoforte dealer, and seems to have made his living giving lessons and performing with his ‘orchestra’. They gave him this magnificent Melbourne-made baton in 1897… as outlined in the newspaper article of the time:
There’s a wealth of social history to be explored on this subject, including the untold story of the ‘City of Richmond Coffee Palace’, and ‘Professor’ Hardeman’s interesting background.
There are several other batons also, all fresh to stock – quite a collection. The other definite Australian example is also ebony, and has a presentation inscription also: “Pres’ted to E. Sage Esquire, by the members of St John’s Presbyterian Choir, as a mark of esteem, 26/07/01”.
E. Sage was a Ballarat identity, very active in the musical entertainment world from the 1890’s. He taught piano and voice in Ballarat, and helped form a musical group, called the ‘Curlew Orchestra’, for the ‘purpose of promoting the study of instrumental music and the entertainment of the inmates of the charitable institutions, and generally assisting by concerts in aid of worthy objects’.
In 1902, for example, there’s a report of an event he presided over: “The members of St John’s Presbyterian choir visited the Orphan Asylum last night, and gave the children an evening’s entertainment. Mr D. N. McLean presided, and in a few happy phrases introduced the performers, and told the children that the public of Ballarat were greatly interested in them, and would be especially glad to see the Asylum band making progress….”
Another rather puzzling baton has a cryptic message: RUN FOR YOU LIFE ….. is engraved onto the end. This example is American Silver, by Reed & Barton. It dates to the 1910-20 period – but nothing turns up valid to a musical origin when you look for the words inscribed. Maybe someone has an idea of what ‘RUN FOR YOUR LIFE’ might be relating to? Let us know, if you do!
The final one is just a nice baton, no inscriptions. It has a ribbed body, making it much easier to hold. All we need is an orchestra to try it out on……
An exciting selection of Fresh items have just been posted on moorabool.com. We have a wide variety of quality items this release, everything from an 18th century fan painted with Roman Ruins, to a Melbourne Silversmith’s presentation trowel for a Camberwell church, made by the President of the Carlton Football Club – who was also a rarely-identified colonial silversmith!
Fans
Are you a Fan fan? They were once a social necessity, not for keeping cool, but for hiding behind in social encounters…. at least in a European context. Those Europeans who headed to warmer climates must have been very glad of them though, as they were a handy way of keeping cooler in the hot colonial climates. We have a fine selection, some of which come from the collection of the late Lorraine Rosenberg. She was the driving force behind Moorabool Antiques from the beginning in the 1960’s, and an avid collector of textiles & fans.
The key piece in today’s release is a French ‘Grand Tour’ fan from the late 18th century: the detail on this is stunning, with hand-painted views of Roman ruins and very finely carved sticks. The lines that make up the background are almost as fine as a hair!
It is conveniently housed in a custom made ‘fan box’, designed to hang on the wall.
None of the others have this mounting – they are all foldable & unmounted – but we are able to provide a fan shadow-box on request, please ask for a quote.
The Chinese Export fan below features applied silk costumes to the inhabitants, and ivory faces beautifully detailed. In this gent’s hand is a fan – of course!
The Melbourne-made presentation trowel in today’s ‘Fresh Stock’ is a terrific piece of Australiana. It has a fiddleback Blackwood handle, and a silver-plate blade, beautifully inscribed:
It turns out this was a building built in 1903 on the site of the present building, a brick church constructed in 1940. We tried to find the stone that this trowel was used to ‘lay’ – but no luck, perhaps a Melbourne local may know…. email us if you’re familiar with the church, located right near the Camberwell Junction. The maker of this trowel is also not very well documented. Robert Robertson came to Melbourne in 1852, and operated as a jeweller throughout the goldfish years, using a rarely seen hallmark ‘RR’. When his son joined the firm, it was ‘Robert Robertson & Son’ – try saying that fast! This piece bears another rarely seen mark, not in the literature – ‘R&S ROBERTSON’.
Research into his career as a silversmith revealed very little documentation – he was a wholesale silversmith, meaning he made pieces for retail jewellers, and they often put their own hallmarks on the pieces they sold. However, he is well documented for a very ‘Melbourne’ reason: Australia Rules Football!
He took up the ‘new’ sport very early, possibly playing in an 1869 match for the Carlton Football Club. He twice captained the team in 1871, was the Carlton Vice President 1871-73, and then from 1874-84 was the Carlton Football Club President!
Beautiful Buckles
These exquisite items were used by the fashionable Victorian lady to clasp their thin belts they wore at their waist. The Art-Nouveau example in particular is a very fine example.
For all Coffee Can Collectors – here’s a gorgeous group of miniature masterpieces, including a selection of landscapes…. plus other early 19th century makers, including Pinxton, Machin, Spode, Derby, Coalport, Flight Worcester, Derby, Coalport, and two fine French examples.
Welcome to the latest offerings from Moorabool Antiques.
Fresh to stock is a wonderful selection of Furniture, Silver, Pewter, Ceramics & Pottery with one thing in common….. they belong to the fertile artistic period in the late 19th/early 20th century, where styles such as the Pre-Raphaelites, the Arts & Crafts, the Art Nouveau, and the more ‘Modernist’ designs all found their roots.
In Australia, the period saw a flourishing group of artists exploring the rest ideas from Europe, but giving them an Australian meaning. The elaborate Art-Nouveau style of the ‘throne chair’ in today’s Fresh Stock is a fine example: made from Australian hardwood, the remarkable design is a complete departure from the Victorian tradition of how a chair should look. The tall, skinny back is rather distinct, taking on the form of a lyre bird’s tail.
One of the highlights of this year is the watercolour recently identified amongst the many paintings in the collection of the late John Rosenberg. It’s an Ida Rentoul Outhwaite fairy, familiar from the many children’s books she illustrated in the 1920’s-30’s. While her style is borrowing from the overseas greats of book illustration of the time – Beardsley, Rackham and Greenaways – she invents an endless contrast to anything else produced prior by incorporating the Flora & Fauna of Australia. (This example is not the best to illustrate this theme, as it has nothing Australian in it – the Blackberry being an introduced pest, and therefore also its attendant fairy!)
While many of these are now broken up for their prints, this example isn’t a print: it’s an original pencil sketch, which has been coloured with watercolours & finished with her signature black ink outline and details. It is a prototype sketch for the illustration of ‘The Blackberry Fairy’, one of 6 colour prints included in her 1933 publication ‘A Bunch of Wildflowers’. It was badly framed in such a way that the signature – her initials ‘I.R.A.’ – were covered by the mount! Taking it off & discovering the printed version was quite a thrill: note the differences between our version and the printed version, indicating there must be another with the different details out there, from which the print for the book was made.
The greatest of the Art & Crafts ‘influencers’ was Dr Christopher Dresser. His design philosophy was radical in the Victorian world, which by the 1870’s was stagnating, repeating earlier designs in ever-more complex convulsions of rococo scrolls and classical columns. Instead, he looked to the East – being the first European to be granted a travel passport in Japan in the 1870’s, where he travelled from end to end, examining Japanese crafts and then bringing the simplicity and elegance of good design back to England. He spent a huge amount of effort influencing manufacturers to create elegant, useful wares. In today’s fresh stock are a number of pieces that look like they should be made well into the 20th century – but are in fact 19th century products. Dresser freely distributed his designs, and published a number of books on the subject; many potters and metal workers used these designs as they caught the attention of the ‘hip-crowd’ of the late 19th century. He was the ‘Social Media Influencer’ of his time!
On the Continent, the Arts & Crafts movement took its own direction. In Germany, the Jugendstil , literally translating as ‘Youth Style’, produced some remarkable objects that still appeal to the modern eye due to their ‘sophisticated simplicity’. The candlestick shown here is WMF, circa 1900, and retains the rare original patinated finish. It has a style that could date to anywhere in the 20th century, but was actually conceived in the last years of the 19th – remarkable.
On a different trajectory was the French designs we know as ‘Art Nouveau’. This style borrowed from the preceding Rococo style, with organic forms that appear to grow – but took it to new extremes.
Also by WMF is this remarkable claret jug. The very tall, skinny sea-green glass vessel is encased & protected by a flowing stream around the foot, from which emerge water-nymphs: the ‘waves’ are actually their long flowing hair. An organic handle that looks like it grew rises up to the pewter mouth, with a beautiful spray of flowers moulded in the round within the protected elbow.
It’s a splendid example of Art Nouveau at its best.
This large wall hanging is an example of anther closely related style of the period, the Pre-Raphaelites. Formed by mostly painters who sought to break away from the genre painting of the Victorian era, instead of looking for something new, they looked back – deciding that anything from Raphael onwards was not worth looking at, but the earlier artists were more valuable as as influence. This beauty depicted here in watercolour on a heavy fabric (probably upholstery fabric) is a fine example of the ideal; she is splendidly dressed in middle-ages clothing, and holds a book in one hand showing her intellect. Behind her is a landscape containing trees and a distant town amongst hills – the whole very reminiscent of the actual tapestry weavings of William Morris and his wife, May. While this example is ‘only painted’, it is very well done – the paints would have soaked into the fabric quickly, and great skill is shown in the control and tonal variation achieved. It is in fact a cross-over from the Textile Arts to the Fine Arts of painting – unfortunately not signed, but by a very competent artist. Presently unframed, it was once stretched on a wooden stretcher. It would be fine as a wall hanging as-is (if kept in a dark place) – or to fully respect it, we can have it framed in a UV-resisting glass frame to preserve it for the future.
Please enjoy all the other unmentioned pieces shown below!
Welcome to our latest ‘Fresh Stock’. We have an excellent selection for you , including a fine flock of bird-art, some stunning Victorian pieces,Ruby glass, and more silver.
First, a quick website tip: have you seen our new ‘PREVIEW’ section? This area will be kept up-to-date with items currently being prepared for Fresh Stock. Some pieces are more difficult to catalogue than others – in particular, the Art with the indistinct signature, and the Porcelain with no marks at all…. you’ll be able to see items that have just come in, and information added as they are researched. Finally, they will be released as a ‘Fresh Stock’ release.
Ornithological Delights
We have a group of Birds…. a flock, for sure. Some of these are prints, but others are original artworks. Several are the original painting from books on birds……. enjoy!
This impressive large & heavy clock is French, a fine example of the Egyptian Revival fashion of the late 19th century. The top is dominated by a superb partially gilt bronze bust of Cleopatra, by the prominent French sculptor Eutrope, and the works are by the top Paris maker, Lemaire.
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