A fine selection of ‘Arts & Crafts’ has just been posted on Moorabool.com . It’s an interesting survey of the late 19th- early 20th century designs that were a reaction against the overly ornate – and predictable – designs of Victorian England. Often borrowing & intermingled, the French Art Nouveau aesthetic blended with the German/Austrian Jugendstil (youthful-style) and even had a major impact on Australian products – although it did take some time to reach us ‘down-under’ !
The rarest, and most dramatic is a pewter teaset & a tray, made to the patterns of Archibald Knox (1864-1933) while he worked at the London workshops of Liberty & Co in the first years of the 20th century. Branded ‘Tudric’, the designs are extraordinary, a mix of Art Nouveau and Celtic, with the simplicity of Christopher Dresser and the design principles of the Arts & Crafts (ie rivets attaching handles evident to show how it is made – although in this case, they are only decorative!). The set was in the possession of a Geelong family since around the time of WWI, and so probably since new; however, the tray is design no. 42, while the teaset is design no. 231, each of which had its own tray/teaset designed alongside. The matching of these two pieces is probably a case of a retailer putting the two together to sell them – they do look rather splendid! We have split them again for sale.
Dr Christopher Dresser (1834-1904) is represented with an interesting ‘modern’ design jug with dramatic angular handle that was years ahead of its time, made by Birmingham silversmith . There’s also some pottery that clearly was inspired by his designs, which were admired & copied across many manufacturers.
Dr Christopher Dresser was a visionary, and as a designer, was far ahead of his time. The pieces illustrated here look 1920’s, but were sketched by him and made in small quantities by numerous firms in the 1880’s; it just took the design world another 40 years to catch up!
A selection of German / Austrian pieces conform to the Jugendstil (‘youthful-style’) movement. Closely related to the English Arts & Crafts, and the Art Nouveau movement, it was centred in Germany/Austria/Belgium, and lasted roughly 1895-1910. The name comes from an art magazine promoting youth culture, and it was an important part of the emergence of the Secessionist movement – the rejection of ‘legacy art’, ie the classical world, and the invention of a fresh style. This definition applies to the ‘fine arts’ of sculpture and painting, but with the items we are displaying here, clearly defines useful household items as well.
The Australian Silky Oak sideboard is being used for its correct purpose – to display the wonders of the Arts & Crafts period!
A flamboyant pair of large French vases are pure ‘Art Nouveau’ – and have 5 spouts to the top. Marked with a battle axe, they are from the firm of Gustav Asch in Tours. Most of their products were looking back to the traditional Sevres products, or in the ‘belle époque’ style that was so popular with the Victorians – making these Art Nouveau examples quite rare. Circa 1895-1900.
Stylish Swedish ‘Arts & Crafts’ pewter spoon, by Frans Santersson, Stockholm circa 1905.
The heart-shape bowl is engraved ‘Stockholm’, and the handle junction with the bowl is extraordinary – with a looping intertwined designed that looks like a plant shoot.
This curious small vase is decorated in slip colours with a frieze of flowers and their stalks. Looking a little like the English Moorecroft, it is marked ”HUBER-ROETHE / VILLIGEN BAD” – for a small German Art Pottery firm Huber-Roethe, Bad Villingen, circa 1905
An English rarity, this large (34cm) simple vessel shows the aesthetic of the Arts & Crafts potters: simple functional design. It also show’s the potter’s inspiration in the Asian designs of Song Dynasty China. Inside is as beautiful as the outside, with the fingermarks of the potter making a graceful fluted pattern right down to the base.
The potter was George James Cox, of the Mortlake Pottery in South London, signed & dated 1912.
ARTS & CRAFTS
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Art Pottery globular vase with hand-painted daisies on pale green, c.1885$345.00 AUD -
Colourful French Majolica charger, moulded + painted with iris flowers on a pink patterned ground, by Grünstadt, c. 1890$295.00 AUD -
Small English Pottery ‘Roman Glass’ shape vase, Christopher Dresser design c.1890Sold -
Australian ‘Waratah’ pokerwork box, c.1920Sold -
Small Remued Australian pottery vase, C 1930$35.00 AUD -
Doulton ‘Sung’ flambe ginger jar by Fred Moore, c. 1920$280.00 AUD -
Australian Silky Oak Art Nouveau sideboard, shelf & mirror back, Arts & Crafts influence c. 1910$880.00 AUD -
Victorian brass hanging box, Mid 19th C$95.00 AUD -
Miniature copper & brass watering can, earlier 20th century$45.00 AUD -
Copper miniature garden roller, 20th century$18.00 AUD -
Arts and crafts brass trivet, sheild shape with incised ivy leaf, C . 1905$85.00 AUD -
English Pottery concave-form vase, lavender glaze, after a Dresser design c. 1900$95.00 AUD -
Pair of large French Art Nouveau vases, marked ‘Herbinieré’ by Gustav Asch, Tours, multi-spouted with green glaze, c. 1900$880.00 AUD -
Mortlake Pottery (UK) Arts & Crafts large vase, turquoise glaze, signed & dated George James Cox 1912Sold -
Large English Majolica ‘Japanesque’ vase, c. 1875$560.00 AUD -
Arts & Crafts Copper pentray & letter opener with embossed flowers, c. 1900$85.00 AUD -
Swedish Arts & Crafts pewter spoon, by Frans Santesson, inscribed ‘Stockholm’, c. 1905$280.00 AUD
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Arts & Crafts Stained Glass panel, Little Bo-peep, c. 1880$450.00 AUD -
Arts & Crafts stained glass panel, Farmer & his animals, c. 1880$450.00 AUD -
Australian chip-carved arts and crafts chair, C 1905$180.00 AUD -
Christopher Dresser influenced silverplate jug, ‘Martinoid’ by Martin Hall & Co, c. 1890Sold -
Quality Jugendstil brass vase with patinated handles, prob. Continental, c. 1910$295.00 AUD -
WMF copper kettle on ‘architectural’ stand, wicker handle & original toned patination, Arts & Crafts, c. 1905$565.00 AUD -
Swedish Arts & Crafts wooden tankard, signed Selma Giöbel, dated 1891$880.00 AUD -
Small Royal Doulton ‘flambe’ vase, 1920’s$495.00 AUD -
Scottish Cumnock mottoware sugar sifter with silverplate Scotch Thistle lid, c. 1890$245.00 AUD -
Austrian brass ‘Jungendstil ‘ Arts & Crafts chamberstick, registered design 1903$260.00 AUD -
Continental porcelain figural chamberstick, bearded face, Vienna Successionist? c. 1895$380.00 AUD -
Remued Australian Pottery low vase, green tones, c. 1930$35.00 AUD -
Small Remued Australian pottery vase, C 1930$35.00 AUD -
Art Nouveau pottery vase by Huber-Roethe, Bad Villingen, Germany c. 1905$235.00 AUD -
Remued Australian Pottery blue/brown vase, no. 184, c. 1930$75.00 AUD -
Tudric Arts & Crafts pewter tray, rare Archibald Knox design no. 42, c. 1902$2,200.00 AUD -
Tudric Arts & Crafts pewter teaset #231 by Archibald Knox, for Liberty & Co, London, 1902$2,600.00 AUD -
Australian Arts & Crafts Copper candle holder, 20th C$35.00 AUD -
Belgian Arts + Crafts pottery tri-spout vessel, green glaze c. 1905$380.00 AUD
AUCTION – later October
We’re currently preparing our next MOORABOOL AUCTIONS sale – date to be announced, latter October.
It features some fine Australian pieces, including a group of Australian Motorsport Grand Prix prizes.
From the FIRST Australian ‘TT’ Grand Prix, held on Phillip Island in 1928, we have the ‘Shell Cup’, a giant silver-plate affair, won by Alex Finlay on a B.S.A. bike ‘just taken out of the box’!
Shown here is the 1935 Time Trials prize, a rare original German bronze kangaroo ‘Mystery Clock’, won by Les Murphy for fastest time in his MG P-type. We also have the ‘Shell Cup’ he won the same year.
Rare Australian Artworks include a ‘View of Launceston’ watercolour by the extremely rare convict artist Frederick Strange, c. 1858, and our recently identified George Peacock oil (below), another of our convict artists, which we have titled ‘View of Sydney Harbour from Carrara House’, circa 1855.
More to come!
