Moorabool Antiques have some terrific Ancient Artefacts to offer, currently being researched & prepared.
Egyptian limestone head of an official,
Middle Kingdom, circa 2,000 BC
Provenance: the collection of Alfons Kula (1907-2001) , Chargé d’Affaires for Poland in Egypt during the 1920’s-30’s, who emigrated to Australia after WWII, thence by descent.
We have a number of notable pieces from this collection, dispersed in Melbourne recently.
Moorabool has a vast amount of Art to present in the near future, from 17th-18th century drawings to 20th century Australiana.
The concept of ‘Genre’ – everyday scenes – became an artistic trend in the 17th century, and has remained ever since. Moorabool has a fascinating group of Oil & Watercolour artworks of landscapes – mostly Dutch – populated by people going about their everyday lives. They become fascinating windows into the past.
Taking the Grand Tour was the essential event in a Gentlemans – an Ladies – life. It ensured adventure and cultural credentials once back at home in England – and of course, a souvenir or two to show off with was essential! While ancient artefacts were brought back, many seem to have grought back replicas – probably oblivious that the Ancient Greek pot they had bought from the tomboralli was still warm from the kiln….
A large number of artists also went on a Grand Tour, to study and copy the Ancient Greek & Roman remains.
The Grand Tour selection at Moorabool covers all these origins – alongside a stock of original Ancient Art & Artefacts.
‘Romantic’ Landscape art is based on the exploration of the wilderness, the rugged far-flung parts of Britain & the Continent that were often hard to access, but rewarded with spectacular ‘Picturesque’ sights. This was a late 18th century movement, and was embraced by a large number of artists in Britain.
Is this an early depiction of the Bronte Sisters?
Welcome to our latest Stock Release.
You’ll find some special pieces, the most dramatic being a life-size bronze bust of a very exotic lady: this is a large cast bronze bust of an exotic beauty, from a pair by Louis Hottot (1834-1905) known as the ‘Ottoman Couple”. This is a dramatic 20th century version with excellent surface colouring, rather beautiful in real-life.
There’s some great Sterling Silver, a small but select collection of Doulton Lambeth Stoneware vases, and more Victorian Glass.
Lastly, there is a fine pair of 18th century circular engravings, or ‘Tondo’, with original colouring. These were published in London in 1787, engraved in London by Royal Academian Francesco Bartolozzi, after originals by his good friend & fellow Royal Academian, Giovanni Battisia Cipriani. Housed in turned wood & gesso period frames, they would make an elegant addition to someone’s wall……
Enjoy!
In this week’s Fresh Stock we have a great variety of Asian items, including Chinese, Japanese and Burmese – metalwares, pottery, ceramics, and several choice pieces of Cloisonné – quite hard to discern the origin sometimes, but we have both Chinese and Japanese for you to enjoy.
This week we have a lovely variety of Victorian Class & Ceramics.
The stunning Aesthetic ivory-toned vase is a fine example of the ‘Japanesque’ taste that was the height of fashion in the 1870’s, and although unmarked, the quality leads us to attribute it to Webb. A butterfly to the back supports this – it was a favourite detail by their artists.
The Moore Brothers is a dramatic example, bearing an interesting variation of the mark that dates it to the first decade of production.
Among the boxes is a work-box with a large pin cushion to the lid. We have catalogued it as ‘Colonial’, as it is a British – type box – but the woods are remarkable – and unidentified – suggesting it may be from India, Sri Lanka, or somewhere similar.
In other news…. the NEW WEBSITE is almost ready – still a few kinks to iron out, but at last, it’s coming together and we can’t wait to share it with you.
Enjoy!
It’s been awhile, but we’re still here working hard! Our new look and layout website is still under construction and coming soon.
But in the mean time we have a great selection on fresh items added to our website.
There’s an influx of interesting Fresh pieces to browse, released today.
We’ll have a lot more going on over the next few weeks, so keep an eye on our ’Latest’ gallery.
Welcome to our 2022 Special Gallery of Fresh Chinese items.
We’ve always stocked a good selection of Chinese items, and at present, we have a large number of items to share.
Of particular note below are the Ming Dynasty blue & white pieces. Part of a collection we are selling, the highlight is perhaps the Jiajing period dish, 500 years old and complete with a mark. This 4-character mark misses the important part – the name of the Emperor during the period it was made – but is also found on a very similar example in the British Museum. They have linked it to an example that has the complete mark, revealing it to be made in the time of Emperor Jiajing, who reigned 1522-66.
We have some quality Chinese Hardwood furniture to offer. A pair of cabinets make excellent display cases for any collector of Asian Antiques, and are available as a single or the pair. The long low table has handy compartments beneath, and is an excellent shallow size for small spaces, such as a hallway.
Below are some lovely examples of the Tang & Ming dynasty pottery models. These items were buried as offerings, to ensure the deceased had a life of luxury in the afterlife. They are accurate models of everyday items, and allow us to vividly imagine everyday life in their time: in this respect, they indeed meet their purpose by bringing the past to life!
Monotone Chinese ceramics are beautiful in their simplicity, relying on the colour and form rather than decoration.
Blue and White porcelains have been the most popular Chinese Ceramics in Europe since the Ming Dynasty, and the same aesthetic is still popular today. The following examples are all Ming, dating from 500-
Vast amounts of Chinese Porcelain was made purely as Export Wares in China, with England, Europe, and America as the main destination. The shapes reflect this, as they are usually European rather than traditional Chinese.
Works on paper – or ‘pith’, the thinly-shaved core of a fast-growing tropical plant – are beautiful, rare survivors. The larger pieces are on linen, and were intended as ‘scrolls’, to be brought out and displayed when needed. The large example with the multi-figures is a family tree, an ‘Ancestor Scroll’ set in the interior of their house.
Looking for more Chinese Art & Antiques? We have a large number of quality Chinese pieces entering stock – see them all together in this gallery.
More being catalogued to add, drop back for more!
For Australia & New Zealand, it’s Fathers Day on the 4th September.
Time to find something unique for the ‘Father Bear‘!
We have a huge number of potential presents – to make things a little easier, here’s a selection of pieces he may like, chosen by our expert present-giver….
Ancient Objects are always popular with fathers, and we have a large selection of interesting items – from Indian Arrowheads to Chinese pottery Sheep, thousands of years old!
Really, really old! How about a Dinosaur Tooth? These are our oldest items – and also some of the cheapest!
Travel the world…. perfect for an office or study wall.
A pint or two…. these tankards are definitely on-theme, and some would even be usable! We’d advise the ceramic examples only as ‘usable’, as the older pewter examples do contain a certain amount of lead…
Just after an extra little something? Here’s a selection ‘under $100’. We can also help with extra-low postage, send us a message before you pay, and let us be exact on the cost.
Welcome to our June 20th Fresh Stock.
Today, there’s a fine selection to browse, mostly pottery but with a few pieces of porcelain, and some Asian Antiques.
There’s a terrific group of printed English earthenware – at first, we thought it was a single service, the shapes and the patterns are so similar! One part is Ridgway’s ‘India Temple’ pattern, circa 1820. The other is Minton earthenware, and printed in blue with their ‘Chinese Marine’ pattern.
Earlier blue + white includes some interesting creamware plates, maker unknown, and some Liverpool ‘Pearlware’ plates. They make an interesting contrast: the Creamware lives up to its name, with the body having a distinct yellow tinge: the Pearlware, on the other hand, has had cobalt blue added to the lead glaze, which has the optical effect of making a pale colour look whiter. Where it pools along the footrim, there is a distinct blue tone, the required feature for classification as ‘Pearlware’.
We have some fresh Staffordshire to share with you, just before Paul gives his presentation on the subject at Valentine’s, Bendigo. Queen Victoria is very well represented – as a mother – and there’s a number of earlier 19th century figures as well.
What’s the story of the goats?
When Queen Victoria ascended the British throne in 1837, she received a fine pair of Tibetan goats as a present from the Shah of Persia. From these, a ‘Royal Goatherd’ was bred at Windsor. By the time the children were born, the goats were used to tow a miniature carriage just big enough for them to drive – and this caught the public’s imagination. These figures of children riding goats were obviously a talking point about the young royals and their childhood at Windsor.
This pair featuring in today’s Fresh Stock are fun – but different to the single example above in one important detail: they only have a single feather in their cap. The ‘Princess Royal’ above is identified by the three feathers in her hat, as in the ‘Prince of Wales’ symbol of three feathers.
Having single feathers may indicate thee are just what they appear to be – children riding goats! See this pair here >>
There are some splendid fresh pieces of Chinese porcelain, mostly the ‘Nonya’ or Straights Chinese type – plus some other Asian items. There’s a superb collection of Ming and Kanxi just being prepared, expect it in the next few ‘Fresh Stock’ posts.
There’s a Fresh-to-stock group of superbly detailed watercolours, botanical studies for an unknown book. They would look wonderful framed & up on a wall as a group – ask for a price for the lot!
