With Christmas fast approaching we have some great gift ideas for everyone.
Moorabool has been selling Antiques as Christmas Gifts for over 60 years…
Antiquities FRESH to stock today.
Looking for something ‘Unique’? We can provide that!
Antiques and fossils make great gift for the person who has everything. Today’s Fresh Stock has a terrific range to consider. All the ancient pieces & fossils come with a Certificate of Authenticity & Description explaining what they are.
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.
This stunning cabinet is known as a Shodana, and is seen here being used as intended – it’s a ‘curio cabinet’, to store your precious objects in. What makes this example so interesting is the architectural element – the central portion contains two three-shelf corner partitions, the lower one having four sliding screen doors – miniature versions of the Japanese house doors – and the entire segment hinges outward, to leave the interior space clear. Above is another larger shelf section with four similar sliding doors. The open fretwork on these is amazing for its fineness and accuracy, true miniatures of the full-sized house doors in Meiji Japan. Add to that the rich wood inlay, and this is a truely spectacular piece of Japanese Meiji period craftsmanship.
Our extraordinary Shodana cabinet
Shoji – sliding fretwork doors on the upper ‘apartments’
A fine quality Japanese piece fresh to stock is this Japanese Suzuribako writing box. The lid has an intricate panel of quail and a maize plant, modelled in high relief with various woods and bone, the rest of the box adorned with an intricately carved cell pattern, the interior lined in jet black lacquer with gilt foliage to the inside of lid, fitted with a full set of writing instruments, including silver butterfly Suiteki inset within a silver dish, a carved slate ink-stone with gilt rim, two brushes, a bodkin with lacquer sheath & a matching steel blade with inscribed maker’s inscription, and two gilt-decorated ink blocks.
Meiji period,
Circa 1870
23.5cm x 20.5cm, 6cm high blade 6.5cm, in sheaf 19cm
This is an ‘Inro’, a small box with cord to carry at your waist. Standing just 8cm tall, it was intended to contain ‘medicine’, via a series of segments that seal tightly together, a small usable compartment in the base of each.
Japanese Shibayama Inro
Japanese Shibayama Inro
The quality of this piece speaks for itself, with a very finely detailed continuous scene – probably from a popular play – depicting two gracious ladies seeing off a bare-foot bald-headed Samurai, clutching his sword. They were enjoying a quiet picnic in the woods a moment ago, as can be seen by the red rug with picnic box, wine bottle and cup….. and the intruder on the other side, a wizen old Samurai warrior with his sword, is receiving a good telling-off by the startled ladies. No doubt it’s illustrating something form a popular play of the period – if anyone knows, please send us a message!
Shibayama | Shokasai marks
There is a signature to the base of the lowest segment, which is interesting as it bears to parts; first, an inlaid mother-of-pearl plaque with ‘芝山’ , and second, three characters in gold lacquer “松花齋”. These signatures reveal the origins of this piece; the lacquer case and landscape is by Shokasai, a well known & respected Edo lacquer artist, while the fine inlaid figures is by the fabled Shibayama artists, made as a joint effort & hence signed by both.
Japanese Inro, signature of Shokasai in gold to the left, for the lacquer; Shibayama on the inlaid plaque for the inlay work.
Shibayama: this Japanese family workshop of artisans was founded by Shabayama Dosho, also known as Senzo. He was a farmer from Shibayama who became a famous artist in the 18th century after moving to Edo to practice his trade. He had many descendents, such as his grandson & successor, Shibayama Naoyuki, who continued the workshop’s tradition for fine inlaid work into the 19th century. Records are not distinct when it comes to the later Edo period Shibayama artists, as they all used the simple signature “‘芝山” , for ‘Shibayama’.
Shokasai:
ref. Bonhams NY 19 Sept. 2008, lot 5036 for a comparable example.
Japanese artists began to print in the 17th century, and technological advances meant that by the 18th century they were able to produce large & colourful images. For the multi-coloured images, a different wood block was carved for each, and carefully lined up consecutively to create the multi-colours image. They were initially commissions by the wealthy Edo period patrons to illustrate calendars, which they gave as New Year presents. Subjects were often beautiful courtesans, actors, or illustrations of popular opera scenes. Scenic splendour and historical events followed. They were hugely popular in Japan, and specialty shops existed just to sell ‘the latest’ from the famous artists. Collectors would be inclined to ’collect the series’ by a particular artist, storing them away in specialty wooden boxes. In many ways, it was just like the present day Comic Book scene! The simple lines, and the bright separate zones of flat colour were the result of the techniques used. They were very important factors in the development of Western Art, once collectors discovered them in the later 19th century. In fact, it’s well documented that the great ’fathers of Modern Art’ such as Gauguin and Van Gogh both collected and were inspired by Japanese Woodblocks, as they set about their quest for a break with the traditions of Western Art.
We have a selection of these vivid prints for sale, some shown below with more to come shortly.
This Satsuma vase was no doubt directly inspired by a woodblock print of the time. Vase: Kyoto Satsuma, featuring rare ’Gosu Blue’ enamel, circa 1880
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.
Ming barbed-rim dish, 1622-40Ming blue has a ‘wet’ characteristic, and burns black when thick An excellent example of the Ming Dynasty cobalt blue pooling into a ‘heap’ or ‘pile’, causing it to erupt through the glaze and burn black in the kiln.Jiajing period mark ‘Made during the Great Ming’
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.
Chinese Hardwood furniture, beautifully made pieces that are very useful for both collectors and decorators.
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!
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.
Fresh to stock are two pieces of Royal Worcester, beautifully hand-painted, one by James Stinton with pheasants, the other with doves & a cottage by Charles Baldwyn.
James Stinton – Vase dated 1904
James Stinton was son of well known Worcester artist John, and his brother John junior, all of who painted birds. James came to work at the Royal Worcester factory when Grainger Worcester was taken over in 1902, making this a very early example of his work at Royal Worcester. James also painted watercolours of this same subject. These ‘studies’ were probably a side-line for him, but would have also been a great way to keep his skills sharp.
Royal Worcester by Stinton & Baldwyn
The large Charles Baldwyn vase is an unusual example. It dates to 1903 – the last year he worked at the factory, before leaving to become a watercolour artist. He had spent his time at Worcester, and made a name for himself painting birds: as an avid bird watcher, he was able to turn this hobby into an art with great success. A search for his Worcester painting will reveal a large number of ‘flights of swans’ – his most popular design – and the occasional own or blue bird. Our example is doves, and while there are a few of these, their background is most unusual – a classic English Country Cottage. It’s a rare, large example of this talented artist, one of the last he would have done before leaving the Royal Worcester works.
Georgian & Victorian Glass in today’s Stock Release
An interesting selection of items, just freshly released. With Christmas coming up fast, there’s a lot of items that would make great small presents – check out the ‘Under $100‘ and ‘Under $50‘ galleries.
We’re used to Dutch Delft in the blue & white, but the mineral manganese was also used to produce these interesting variations to the usual ‘Delft’. The Biblical examples are scarce, and these are fine examples – note the ‘Moses in the Bullrushes’ scene complete with a Sphinx in the background!
Once essential items for anyone who wrote, a pen-knife was a small sharp blade that allowed you to trim a quill to write with. The rarities in this collection are the ‘mini’ examples- perfectly usable , but in miniature and designed to hang from the fob chain of a gent’s pocketwatch. The ‘fancy’ examples with silver blades are in fact for use with foods – ie. cutting soft fruits, where steel would both be damaged by the acids of the fruit, and cause discolouration to the fruit. Silver on the other hand didn’t have the same reaction, and they were a popular item in the Victorian era. There’s also a rather lethal looking medical tool: a lancet, perhaps the most ancient and simple of all medical instruments: it has a super sharp double-sided blade with slender point, and was used to open a vein and allow all the badness to drain from the body… alongside the inevitable blood. Thankfully, a practice long since abandoned thanks to modern medicine! This is a German example in Tortoiseshell, marked ‘THAMM’ for a Berlin maker of surgical instruments.
For all of those who are local, here’s a selection of interesting Artworks & Artifacts of local interest – all from Geelong, the Bellarine, and nearby country areas.
Our latest Fresh Stock on Moorabool.com includes a terrific variety of fine items – including some Sterling Silver rarities, usable Whiskey & Wine glasses, and a scattering of jewellery.
Lots more in the pipeline, as October draws to a close it will soon be November – and that’s almost Christmas! We will have a sensational selection of Christmas Present ideas for all of those who like to plan ahead.
Enjoy!
Best wishes from Paul & Glenys Rosenberg & all at Moorabool
We have a fine collection of Portrait Miniatures to offer over the next few weeks. From several collections, including John Rosenberg’s own personal pieces, we will be putting them into their own gallery – see them all here >>
Rare Dutch Silver from the Napoleonic Period
“French Occupation” Dutch Napoleonic Period Silver: A – Empire shape teapot B – Helmet-form jug
These two pieces of Napoleonic-era Silver have an interesting tale to tell. The hallmarks show that the teapot is French, and the jug is Dutch. Not illustrated is a matching tea canister, also Dutch. This canister has an engraved dedication – a wedding gift in the early 19th century. It was retained by the family, and opens up an interesting story: the family name was well represented in records available online, and at this period was involved with the famous Dutch East Indies company (VOC). This enterprise, controlling trade from the far East to Europe, created huge fortunes for those involved, and this was most certainly the case with this family; Meissen porcelain, and quantities of early Chinese porcelain, some dating to the VOC’s heyday in the Kanxi period, 1644-1722. (These will be the subject of another release & blog in the near future, stay tuned for more!).
French Occupation Dutch Napoleonic Silver Hallmarks A – Helmet-form jug mark, 1809 B – Empire shape teapot mark, introduced 1809
A- the hallmarks of the jug are Dutch, with the Crown being used for a short period, 1807-10, for large articles of .934 grade silver. The stork with eel in beak beneath it is the City Guild mark for The Hague, and the ‘M’ indicates a maker, while ‘g’ is for the year 1809.
B- the hallmarks for the teapot indicate a French origin – the helmeted head is the mark used for certified Silver items, of ’provincial’ origin (Paris makers used the head of Athena). The Rooster mark is the fineness indicator for France, introduced in an oval such as this to indicate ’Provincial’, .950 grade silver, in 1809. However, thanks to Napoleon, the French Kingdom spread far across Europe – and their particular assay system for precious metals was used in multiple places. Also widely used was the diamond-shaped stamp containing the maker’s mark, although a single letter – ‘S’- is not common, with the majority of makers having two. Dutch silversmiths had used the marks seen in ’A’, the helmet-shaped jug, but were forced to disband their guilds and conform to the French marking system. A search for the ’S’ maker has so far been unfruitful, in both Dutch & French makers.
The jug & teapot tell an interesting story, of the time when France held sway over even the silversmiths of Holland. Napoleon’s vision of Empire brought with it the elegant simplicity of these ‘Empire Style’ pieces, and they show the harmonious situation in Europe for the few brief years of the Kingdom of Holland. The jug, reading the date letter, was made in 1809; the teapot was made to the same pattern, with it’s hallmark type being first introduced in 1809, whether in either France or Holland, and it was then combined as a tea service.
The finial is this ‘worried’ Napoleonic solid Silver Lion, datable to 1809
We have a quantity of English Sterling Silver to offer, from local estates – including some collector’s rarities, and some very usable pieces.
These ordinary looking Georgian Sterling teaspoons are nothing remarkable from the front – but turn them over, and instead of the normal stub at the junction of handle & bowl, they have fancy moulding – these are ’Picture back’ spoons. For a while during the later 18th century, there were a number of spoon makers who decorated their spoon backs in this manner, but numbers were always less than ’normal’ production and they’re the rarities of today’s Sterling Collecting field. We have several ’scroll backs’, a ’single rose back’ and another that doesn’t seem to have a name – a simple scroll moulded to the back. All came from a local family via a family inheritance from the UK.
Georgian ’picture back’ Sterling Silver spoons, 1760’s-70’s
Pair of Sugar Castors
These interesting sugar-castors were used by the Georgian diner to spread sugar on desserts. While the shape is something from the earlier 18th century, these are hallmarked for 1775 & 1777 – the last years such pieces were used. They were being replaced by new sugar-spreading techniques – sugar bowls and baskets with sifter-spoons.
Pair of Georgian Sterling SIlver sugar castors, Thomas Daniell
They are marked for a second-generation London silversmith, Thomas Daniell (also spelt with one ‘l’). His father,
Sterling Silver hallmark for Thomas Daniell, London 1775Sterling Silver Hallmark for Thomas Daniell, London 1777Thomas Daniell’s hallmarks, 1775 being the second year registered.
A lovely large ‘Stuffing Spoon’, dated 1807. This was literally to help with the ‘stuffing’ of poultry – and would have had to be large for a Turkey, Goose, Swan or Peacock! It would have been very handy on the table – and why not again, it serves a decent spoonful…
Welcome to our first Fresh Stock for October 2022. Today, we have a great variety to offer, from Furniture to Children’s Plates, from the useful to the ‘whimsical’. Over the next few weeks, there will be a large number of fresh items uploaded, so keep an eye on our ‘Latest’ gallery.
There’s a number of fresh pieces of ‘Natural History’ – including dinosaur parts under $50 (terrific gifts!) , minerals, and the amazing ‘Zebra Stone’, unique to a small area in the Northern Territory.
We stock ‘Gilly’s’ furniture polish. This is an Australian made wax, produced in Western Australia, and offers a number of different products for different situations.
‘Cream’ is the product that gives a fine finish to Antique timber. It is a whitish paste, and our stock has a lemon scent, nice & fresh. After application with a rag, it can be buffed after a few minutes, resulting in a layer of wax with a remarkable lustre: it really brings a piece to life.
‘Restoring Polish’ is the most-used in our business, being the best for antique pieces that have a few scuffs & scratches. It fills any scratches and makes them disappear, giving a uniform appearance. The ‘Dark’ option is perfect for any dark finishes, the ‘Clear’ for everything else.
‘Cabinet Maker’s Wax’ is the product that gives a finish to raw wood. We use it on pieces that have been very neglected, and need a serious refresh to their surface. The ‘Dark’ option is terrific on early dark oak pieces, making any raw or faded patches merge with original patination. The ‘Clear’ will not alter the colour, but will provide a good ‘feed’ to any raw wood.
Did you know….. the finishing wax also works on lacquer & tolewares? We used it on the black toleware tray in today’s ‘Fresh Stock’, which started out quite dull & streaky – and came up beautifully.
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.
A selection of Ridgway’s ‘India Temple’ and Minton’s ‘Chinese Marine’, 1820’s & 30’s, mixed together & very similar in moulding & 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’.
Creamwares (top) and pearlwares (bottom) – favorite bodies for the Chinoiserie products in England in the latter 18th century.
Staffordshire Figures
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.
Victoria & Albert, with their firstborn child, the Princess Royal, born November 1840. See them here >>
Staffordshire Pottery Princess Royal on a Goat c. 1865Staffordshire Figure – Queen Victoria & Child c.1855
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!
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.
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Buy with confidence!
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Use the ‘Compare Products’ below to keep track of items of interest.
Tang model of a dog 8th century AD$365.00 AUD
Tang dynasty rooster, 8th C AD$295.00 AUD
Tang dynasty bird model 8th c AD$285.00 AUD
Fossil Trilobite Phacops africanus, Devonian period 400,000,000 years old$65.00 AUD
Eyptian shabti figure, red clay with blue pigment, New Kingdom, Ramesside, C.1279-1213BC$365.00 AUD
Eyptian shabti figure, red clay with blue pigment, New Kingdom, Ramesside, C.1279-1213BC$365.00 AUD
English porcelain plate, soft turquoise ground, flowers & butterflies, c. 1875$125.00 AUD
English porcelain plate, soft turquoise ground, flowers & butterflies, c. 1875$125.00 AUD
Staffordshire porcelain cake plate gilt decoration C.1860$45.00 AUD
Bohemian Jugendstil glass tankard with ruby ribs, c.1910$65.00 AUD
French cup & saucer, with yellow flower sprays C.1880$95.00 AUD
Meissen outside decorated plate, colourful fruit and flowers C.1880$165.00 AUD
Amethyst Hand blown glass tumbler with thick base, C. 1890$45.00 AUD
Mid Victorian brass candle snuffer tray, C.1860$45.00 AUD
Moore Bros. vase, cactus with flowers, c. 1880$260.00 AUD
Victorian pottery toothpaste box with hand painted fern pattern, c. 1870$85.00 AUD
Roman bronze fibula, 2nd – 3rd century AD$245.00 AUD
Rare Ancient Egyptian bronze arrowhead, Saite Period, 7th-6th Century BC$280.00 AUD
Bronze harpoon head, Egyptian, Late period , 8th-5th Century BC$365.00 AUD
Chinese Bronze ‘boy’ pendant, Han Dynasty$465.00 AUD
Ancient Persian bronze bird finial hairpin, 5th – 3rd C BCSold
Roman bronze pin, thistle end, London find 2nd-3rd century AD$365.00 AUD
Staffordshire porcelain group of shepherd & sheep, c.1825$580.00 AUD
Staffordshire figure of the young Princess Royal (Victoria) riding a goat, C.1865$195.00 AUD
Victorian Ruby Glass decanter with faceted stopper, c. 1890$125.00 AUD
Ridgeway Plate, finely painted with figure in landscape, Circa 1820$225.00 AUD
