Australia has a vast range of items unique to this ‘Great Southern Land’…. from the First Nation’s fascinating art & artifacts, to the inevitable Exploration and Colonisation by Europe, with depictions of the startling unique animals and landscapes so very foreign to European eyes. The items from our earliest colonial days show attempts to understand and illustrate Australia’s uniqueness. Materials used were expensive if imported the daunting distance from Europe – so local resources were soon exploited, the prime being the ‘Australian Red Cedar’, a fine furniture timber that has a unique quality much loved by Australiana collectors. The mid-19th century brought about the biggest change, when Gold was found throughout the country, attracting huge numbers of migrants. While mostly British, they came from all over the world, bringing with them endless new ideas and crafting techniques – for example, Chinese craftsmen, attracted by the gold initially, soon settled and became furniture makers – using their traditional techniques and tools to create English-style furniture. The gold resources were vast, and Australia rapidly became wealthy. During the last quarter of the 19th century, this wealth was often shown in luxury houses, full of luxury goods, with Melbourne being the ‘wealthiest place on earth’ for some time in the 1880’s. Gradually in the 19th century, an understanding and maturity emerges, with landscape and wildlife artists producing realistic depictions, with artists developing their own distinct styles unique to Australia. Home-grown industries like Australian Pottery created yet another unique – and collectable – aspect of ‘Australiana’.
We hope you enjoy our offerings, and please feel free to contact us with any questions.
As the British enriched on Burma, they assimilated the artworks of Burma (Myanmar) into the category ‘Indian’. While the styles are vaguely similar, it is not a happy combination – the Burmese craftsmen had a long history before the British came, and it differs from the neighbouring ‘Indian’ styles. For the sake of this Collection, we have maintained the ‘Indian’ umbrella term to cover what the British generally still call ‘Asia’ in a vague way, covering India and the neighbouring countries.
An exotic collection of ‘Tribal’ has just been launched on Moorabool.com – from Australian Aboriginal, to our closest neighbour, Papua New Guinea, and far beyond to the Pacific nations and African cultures, there’s quite a number of interesting ‘tribal’ items to browse.
New Caledonia Carved Tribal Figures
Tribal art is important, as while the West became more sophisticated, it remained the same – simple forms, compelling story-telling through highly stylised illustrations in carving and paint. For this reason, the ‘Modernists’, those artists who dragged the Western World into the modern aesthetic, sought out primitive art for its honest truth and pure, basic forms.
Matisse, Gauguin, and Picasso all collected, and were influenced by art & objects from Africa, South America, and the Pacific. In the 19th century, it had been collected as ‘curios’: in the early 20th century, it was seen as an important aspect of the human art-scape, where tribal people had created pure forms unencumbered by the baggage of the Classical (Greek & Roman) world.
Today, this theme is still very much alive – but it has transformed to something new, with modern artists from the First Nations of a multitude of countries now exploring their own heritage, and merging it with the 21st century.
It certainly makes the world a much more graphically interesting – and colourful – place!
Moorabool’s Tribal
Australia is a terrific source for tribal art. When Europeans first came, they were eager to explore the culture that was already here. Collections were formed – many pieces were shipped overseas – even as the catastrophical encroachment of Western culture destroyed the peoples who had created them. The misfortune of colonisation cannot be overstated- but looking back, it was the Europeans who were fascinated by the Aboriginal People who preserved not only the languages in some areas, but also no end of artefacts which they gathered for their collections. Today, these items are often the only surviving link to long-lost Koori culture that goes back tens of thousands of years.
Elsewhere, the travelling Westerners collected also, and often settled in Australia. As the main British presence in the region, Sydney and Melbourne were the access point for the governing of areas such as Fiji and Papua New Guinea. During WWII, this became particularly important as troops moved into the islands north and east of Australia to deflect the planned Japanese take-over. The soldiers on these expeditions often became very involved in the local situations, and numerous examples of soldiers stationed in New Guinea staying on after the war for decades occur: one of the sources for our present collection was a photographer in WWII for the RAAF, and stayed on in a government role, marrying a PNG local and living there for the next 30 years.
Captain Cook
These prints are dramatic records of the British exploration of the Pacific in the 18th century – ‘CNN reporting live from the South Pacific’. They were published by numerous firms in London, and later in France, for many decades, in various sizes.
Australian Aboriginal culture, or as it is now popularly called ‘First Nation’, is the oldest continual culture on the planet. Early European contact was dismissive of their achievements, but we now see just how impressive it is for a culture to survive that period of time in an environment Europeans could not survive in for long. We do see a large amount of Australian Aboriginal artifacts at Moorabool – the largest being the ‘woomera’ shown below. This is a prime example of their superior survival skills and technical innovation: a woomera is a spear-thrower, basically a long leaver-extension for a hunting spear. When used to launch a spear, it resulted in an incredible 60% extra force and massive increase in distance. This particular example, at 2.66 meters, is the longest we have seen, and is an original usable piece made without European tools or materials.
The Trobiand Islands are part of the Solomon Island group, to the north-east of Papua New Guinea. They were the origin of a remarkable style of tribal art, with very stylised, elegant scrolling forms, often in shallow carved format filled with lime pigment to make them stand out.
A Trobian Islands Canoe Board
Impressive carved & painted canoe board, with symmetric-carved columns & scrolls, pierced & layered for dramatic effect, incorporating a small seated figure at the very top, the whole picked out in traditional white & red colours.
Solomon Islands/ Trobiand Islands – Milne Bay
earlier 20th century
Provenance: from a Melbourne, Australia, collection
The same iconography can be seen on an example in the British Museum –
These canoe boards were used by the communities of the Solomon Islands, in particular those of the Trobiand Islands, where the vast Milne Bay region supported a flourishing trade network connected by large trading canoes. When voyages of trade were made, they were festival occasions, and both the crew and the canoe was ‘dressed to impress’. These extremely elaborate boards (also known as ‘splashboards’) were placed at the front & back of the dugout canoes, closing off the ends & helping keep water out. They are called ‘migila waga’, roughly translating as ‘the face of the canoe’.
An excellent eyewitness image can be found in the work of the Royal Geographical Society fellow Ellis Silas. He travelled through the region in the 1920’s and sketched numerous examples of the elaborate canoe decorations, now in the British Museum collection.
Early 1920’s sketch by Ellis Silas showing a Trobiand canoe with splashboard in place. British Museum.
The carvings are all meaningful: the seated figure in the centre of this board in particular appears consistently. This is the most important aspect of the piece: known as the bwalai, it must be ‘spelled’ with the right magic by the canoe owner prior to a journey. If the canoe capsizes, the bwalai comes to the rescue by summoning a giant fish that will take the sailors safely ashore. If the magic used is not correct or if the canoe owner forgets to utter the spell, the bwalai will turn into sharks and sea monsters and devour the crew!
The trade ritual was known as the ‘Kula‘, and was different from the commercial trade for goods. The items exchanged were ‘non-use’ decorations, solely to enhance one’s social status. The act of giving was a display of greatness, but given with a show of exaggerated modesty; the goods also had to be passed on within a short period of time, and as they passed through the circle of participants, it is known as the ‘Kula Ring’. It incorporated a large number of wide-spread island communities to the north and east of, including the Massim of the Trobiand Islands. Goods traded were pearlshell plaques, armbands, necklaces, and other distinct items.
Massim Wealth Axe Head
The large polished adze heads are another aspect of Kula trade. These are extremely robust, and the dense mottled green stone must have taken a huge effort to polish and shape. They were highly treasured items of wealth & status, and while we have dated ours to ’19th century’, it is quite plausible that they are many centuries older, passed from generation to generation. The example with the chips shows an amount of wear to the chip-sites, which can only happen through lots of handling – suggesting a very great age.
This large model of a War Canoe from the Solomon Islands is quite dramatic. When the Royals Kate & William visited in 2014, they were treated to a ride in one, as shown below.
Solomon Islands Tomako War Canoe model (mocked-up photo of it afloat!)
Some interesting items in stock at Moorabool are all about the Stage: this is the pop-culture of the 18th & 19th centuries, featuring the influencers, the stars, and the characters of the popular writers of the day.
Shakespeare & Sir Walter Scott having a chat.
Robbie Burns
The ‘Top 2’ celebrities we come across in the Antique world are William Shakespeare and Robbie Burns. Their popularity rose & fell over time, just like any celebrity. Shakespeare had the advantage of a head-start, but the popularity of Burns coincided with the explosion in production that came with the Georgian world of the Industrial Revolution. New inventions, techniques and materials were used to make a never ending variety of interesting mementos of both the man and his characters, and in the first half of the 19th century, he eclipsed Shakespeare in popularity. Over the course of the latter 19th & 20th century, Shakespeare regained the lead, until in the present day, Shakespeare is well know and still very popular, while Robbie Burns has faded from the pop-culture scene.
Actors were always popular. Chief amongst these was ‘Falstaff’ – a Shakespeare character who was made in a wide variety of materials over a long period.
And then there’s the more minor celebs. Some of these were ‘child stars’ – famous for a few seasons on the stage. Others are totally inappropriate in the modern world, such as the ‘black-face’ depictions of Africans.
Please enjoy our presentation below…. let the show begin!
A ‘Child Star’ – This fascinating image on a small English Enamel patch box is taken from a print by G. Thompson, Southfield, 1805. It is titled ‘Mafter Betty ftuding his part – this aftonijing youth was only Thirteen Years of Age last September / 1804’, and depicts the child prodigy, William Henry West Betty (1791-1874).
He debuted on stage in Ireland in 1803, aged 11; over the next few years he was incredibly popular and well-recieved as a child star. For a while, he was the highest ever paid actor, earing 75 Guineas per night while at Drury Lane.
His fame led to Royal introductions, and George III even presented him to the Queen.
After a whirl-wind few years of multiple roles in many venues, he retired the stage in 1808 to study at Christ’s College, Cambridge. After graduating, he did retry theatre, but his lustre was worn – the critics were savage, and he failed to impress. The usual path of famous ‘child-star descent’ followed, ending with a failed suicide; he gave up acting altogether in 1824, although he was always active in some form with theatrical charities.
Antique Shakespearian Commemorative items at Moorabool Antiques
In Memoriam – Shakespeare needlework, early 19th century
William Shakespeare, often regarded as one of the greatest playwrights in history, wrote his stage plays during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His literary works have left an indelible mark on the world of literature and theatre, and therefore also the material culture associated. Renowned for his ability to capture the complexities of human nature and emotions, Shakespeare’s plays such as “Romeo and Juliet,” “Hamlet,” and “Macbeth” continue to resonate with audiences worldwide, exploring themes of love, ambition, power, and tragedy. His mastery of language, rich characters, and enduring narratives have solidified his legacy, ensuring that his works remain relevant and influential across generations.
A most unusual piece that illustrates his lasting impression is seen here – a Georgian embroidery, featuring a lady by “Shakespere’s”grave, strewing it with roses. There’s a wonderful range of Shakespeare products, including no end of busts, some better looking than others. But most peculiar is the vase seen below -it has an identical Shakespeare face on either side, for some unknown reason!
Robbie Burns was a Scottish poet and lyricist born in the 18th century. Celebrated as the national poet of Scotland, he is best remembered for his contribution to Scottish literature and culture through his heartfelt poems and songs. Burns’ works, including the iconic “Auld Lang Syne,” often showcased his keen observation of everyday life, social issues, and the beauty of nature. His ability to capture the essence of the human experience in both Scots dialect and English endeared him to generations.
Charles Dickens caught the imagination of the Victorian era by depicting the grim reality of the working classes and their struggle. His characters made excellent material for the Victorian consumers, appearing on ceramics, metalwares, and endless printed material.
Many other playwrights and authors achieved popularity in Georgian & Victorian England, and had their own ‘products’ – or rather, all the entertainers in the Staffordshire Potteries and the Printing Press owners ignored the concept of ‘copyright’ and made their own souvenir to sell to the public. Some of the printed images are very fragile, intended for a short life-span and therefore rare survivors. Others like the Staffordshire pottery figures have lasted very well…. indeed, long after their original celebrity has been forgotten, and now it’s a challenge to work out who the image represents. Going through the definitive books on Victorian Staffordshire Figures by Harding, there are pages of unknown actors & performers…..
In the late 18th century, printing of cheap prints depicting the latest celebrity in their stage roles became popular. The theatre was the basis of entertainment for the period, as one didn’t have to be able to read to enjoy it – and the printed visual depictions revealed much about the story of the play. In the early 19th century, this idea merged with the children’s toy world, and the idea of the ‘toy theatre’ was born. Printers produced the stage itself, suitable to cut out & mount on wood or cardboard. Some came in a pre-build form, as seen below. The characters of the popular plays were then printed, ready to be cut out – and the script of the play could then be used to re-enact the play at home – think of it as a do-it-yourself Netflix production!
Toy Theatre – 19th century – coming soon to Moorabool Antiques
The printers made small figures suitable for cut-outs, but also larger prints depicting the characters, with small sections of backdrops behind them. They were the equivalent of a filmstar or pop-star poster for the wall today. These are generally called ‘Tinsel Pictures’ for the following reason: they were sold plain for a penny, tuppence for coloured, and intended to have an industrious child glue ‘tinsel’ (sparkly pieces of foil, beads, and pieces of bright cloth) onto the figures to beautify them. You could imagine them being a terrific present from a parent to a child at Christmas – a ‘pop-star’ of the day along with a bag of glittery tinsel to make them look pretty. The same idea is still current, with the ‘bead pictures’ being a modern day descendent. The following pictures are ‘Tinsel’ type, although just the coloured versions without additions.
Sir Rowland Trenchard, from Jack Sheppard, published by J. Redington, c.1850
This dramatic Theatrical print depicts Sir Rowland Trenchard, a character from William Harrison Ainsworth’s novel ‘Jack Sheppard’, 1839. This was a historical romance about the 18th century celebrity-criminal, Jack Shepherd (1702-24). It’s a ‘True Crime Series‘ in today’s pop-culture lingo.
In the story, split into three periods, Trenchard comes from the central portion, where he is raising his nephew, Thames Darrell. However, he is described as ‘immoral’, and has his charge removed into the care of a Mr Wood – who also fosters the young Sheppard, thus entwining their lives in preparation for the third part, where Sheppherd hangs out with the wrong crowd and turns to a life of crime. This comes to a head when his foster-mother is murdered by one of his thief companions in a staged break-in. After multiple captures and escapes, Sheppard is finally captured and hung before a large crowd of Londoners….. roll end credits.
Polly Maggott, from Jack Sheppard, printed London 1839
This character is Poll Maggott, also a part of the Jack Sheppard story. She’s based on the real-life Poll, who along with another girl, Bess Lyon, were responsible for edging Jack into his brief but glorious life of crime. This print has her played by Mrs W. Daly, and as it was published December 17th, 1839, it is from the original play of the story.
Jack Sheppard was published in parts in Bentley’s Miscellany from January 1839 until February 1840. Charles Dickens was Ainsworth’s friend at this stage – and the editor of Bentley’s, where he also ran his stories. However, this friendship soured rapidly after the runaway success of Jack Shepherd: while it eclipsed Dickens’ most popular novel, ‘Oliver Twist’, it wasn’t envy that drove them apart, but controversy about the values being depicted in the works. While Dickens is a great ‘moralist’, eager to balance the dark deeds of his villains with redemption, often as a tear-jerking end scene, Ainsworth was more realistic: critics condemned the ‘unredeemed crimes’ in this “evil work of popularity”, which has “now gone to its cradle in the cross-roads of literature, and should be henceforth hushed up by all who have—as so many have—a personal regard for its author”. What would these critics make of the average Netflix drama these days!
Shortly after, Dickens and Ainsworth were no longer friends – the price Ainsworth paid for his popularity. The stage play of the novel was presented right away in 1839, while the novel was still popular. It opened at London’s Adelphi Theatre – the same popular West End venue still hosting the latest shows to this day. This was the first of many shows mounted over the next few decades – but due to the controversy, and the fear of polluting the minds of vulnerable audiences and turning them to a life of crime – the Lord Chamberlain slapped a 40-year ban on the play being held in London under the well-known title! No doubt this controversy contributed to the work’s popularity, much as bans do today to a modern audience – they make greater demand to see what the controversy is about.
This print is typical of the mass-market souvenir produced for this once popular piece of pop-culture.
John Liston as Paul Pry, Staffordshire Pottery figure by Enoch Wood, c. 1825
A popular Georgian stage character was ‘Paul Pry’. As his name implies, he was a busy-body, always prying into other people’s business. A favourite technique to snoop was to leave a coat or hat behind when leaving from a visit, then calling back to collect it without the supervision of the host. John Liston was a stage celebrity of the early 19th century, and he played the part of Paul Pry to great reviews.
Staffordshire figure of Lubin Log, in Love, Law and Physic by James Kenney 1819
Another early 19th century Staffordshire figure of a character/actor is often also labeled ‘Paul Pry’ – but Myrna Schkolne (of www.mystaffordshirefigures.com) argues that this is not correct: the busy-body character of ‘Paul Pry’ is well depicted in the first figure, but in this character there is a different personality. He’s almost sneering, definitely arrogant, and seems to carry a hatbox, parasol, and elaborate ladies coat…. Rather, it’s the upstart cockney ‘Lubin Log’, recently ‘come into money’ and out shopping so he can impress a lady – who naturally doesn’t want to have anything to do with him. This is the plot of ‘Love, Law and Physic‘ written by James Kenney in 1812.
John Liston as Paul Pry (left) & Lubin Log (right), early 19th century
The one thing binding these two interesting figures together is that the actor John Liston played both parts in their different plays. If you look at the face of both, there’s a similarity.
John Wesley (1703-91)
John Wesley commemoratives, circa 1839
Another ‘pop-culture’ theme involves the religious characters, chief of who was the English evangelist, Wesley. His independent Methodist theology was wildly popular both during his lifetime, and after he died – indeed, he’s still well regarded today.
His first sermon was a date to be commemorated: the 1739 – 1839 Centenary was a moment recorded in a wide range of pieces.
We’re pleased to announce a new way of browsing our vast stock on moorabool.com:
Curated Collections.
These small groups of complimentary items will illustrate an idea, such as a maker, period or technique. Or even just a group of pieces that go well together – as we say, they ‘speak the same language’….
Scottish Memorabilia – Badges & Medals
These will appear on our home page, moorabool.com ( on the far right column, next to ‘news’) – and will only remain for a limited time, to be replaced by different collections. With over 10,000 items to choose from, the possibilities are endless!
In a way, these are ‘mini-exhibitions’. Pre-covid, we were putting together regular displays at Antique Fairs, either in Melbourne, Sydney or Canberra – with the occasional trip to Adelaide – and also in our Geelong premises. However, this excluded all of our keen overseas customers – so by utilising the website for these Curated Collections, we can offer many more pieces to many more people, at a fraction the cost!
See the latest ‘Curated Collections’ here – ‘3 Bowls’, with three lovely 18th century Continental small punchbowls, fresh to our stock this week, from Meissen, Neiderviller, and Furstenberg >>
Curated : adjective(of online content, merchandise, information, etc.) selected, organized, and presented using professional or expert knowledge……
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Colonial Gold bar brooch with amethyst cabochon, 19th century$325.00 AUD
Elegant 9ct Gold bar brooch with deep blue Sapphire & 2 Diamonds$445.00 AUD
Small bone china lidded box, flower group, c.1820$125.00 AUD
Continental Bisque Cupid figure, after the Sevres original, c. 1900$295.00 AUD
Sterling Silver locket 20th CSold
Sterling Silver Necklace with golden pearl drop, 20th c.$245.00 AUD
Pair of blue and white decanters painted with flowers$345.00 AUD
Pair of Old Sheffield Plate telescopic candlesticks, circa 1820$380.00 AUD
Victorian bisque porcelain figure group, a harvest couple, C 1870$285.00 AUD
Spode porcelain blue jug, lizard handle, c.1820$340.00 AUD
French silk lined tapestry purse with jewelled clasp and interior mirror, c.1900$245.00 AUD
Pair of early Victorian porcelain candlesticks with claret ground, c.1845$495.00 AUD
Sterling ‘Sherry’ decanter label with shell & scroll border, London 1967$95.00 AUD
English porcelain perfume bottle, winter/simmer landscape, c. 1835$640.00 AUD
Derby Imari ‘Witches Pattern’ cup & saucer, c.1820$280.00 AUD
Victorian gilt bar brooch with horseshoe and leaves, c. 1880$125.00 AUD
Old Sheffield Plate coffee pot with engraved shield and lobed upper rim, c.1800$595.00 AUD
Victorian Pearlshell brooch, flower bouquet, c.1880$135.00 AUD
French cut glass perfume, leaf form, early 19th century$495.00 AUD
Davenport Etruscan shape cup & saucer, rose pattern, c.1815$290.00 AUD
Rockingham cup & saucer with central village scene, surrounded by wide grey and gilt rococo border, c. 1830$325.00 AUD
Samual Alcock vase, castle scene, claret ground, c. 1830-5$245.00 AUD
Royal Worcester porcelain plate, painted bird by Hopewell,marked 1886$240.00 AUD
Graingers Worcester cup & saucer c.1840$295.00 AUD
Elegant English porcelain milk jug, sprigged & painted, ‘Chameleon’ factory 1830$295.00 AUD
Ridgway Imari cup & saucer, pat. 128 , c.1820$180.00 AUD
Spode porcelain sucrier, rich pattern #312, c. 1825$465.00 AUD
Paris Porcelain cosmetics box, flowers in claret ribbon, c. 1860$95.00 AUD
Coalport porcelain mug, superb flowers, circa 1835$265.00 AUD
Wedgwood Queensware plate with insects & flowers print, 1885Original price was: $145.00 AUD.$130.50 AUDCurrent price is: $130.50 AUD.
Flight Barr & Barr coffee can, saucer & a plate, c.1835$280.00 AUD
Wedgwood style jasper plaque, classical figure, early 19th century$125.00 AUD
English enamel box, Gingham & flowers, circa 1760$660.00 AUD
