Antique Collecting November 2022

Putting millennia of the very finest Chinese

in the spotlight

Inside:

PROMISE

IN THIS ISSUE

Welcome

Just as you and I contemplate which pieces of furniture we can consign to the re to keep warm this winter, we learn of an Asian collector who forked out an eye-watering £14.4m for a wooden folding chair. Of course it wasn’t any old folding chair, it was one of only six surviving folding chairs from China’s Ming dynasty and designed 300 years ago for the easy transport of dignitaries around imperial China.

In one fell swoop of the auctioneer’s gavel in Hong Kong the horseshoe-back armchair became the third most expensive piece of furniture ever sold on the secondary market (joining the €22m paid in 2009 for a chair by the Irish designer Eileen Gray and $33m spent two years later on a Han dynasty dressing table and stool). For more details see our news piece on page nine.

e Ming chair wasn’t the only Chinese treasure making headlines in the run up to this month’s celebration of Asian Art in London. At Hansons auctioneer’s October sale a rare double-gourd vase with a Qianlong seal mark (1735-1799) – bought inadvertently as part of a house’s contents – attracted a guide price of £40,000-£60,000.

Such is the topsy-turvy world of Asian ceramics – one day they are being used as the dog’s water bowl, the next they are selling for a ve- gure sum. In this month’s issue, we try to shed some light on exactly why this is.

On page 40, specialist Dr Matthew Wills considers the up-and-coming collecting eld of Chinese books. Imagine if you’d invested in Chinese ceramics back when they were selling for peanuts. You might have joined the owner of the Ming-dynasty manuscripts which sold for a staggering 1,000 times their pre-sale estimate two years ago.

Elsewhere in the magazine Paul Fraser considers the future of royal autographs on page 24; on page 16 David Harvey lifts the lid on some very unusual metamorphic stools and, if you are looking for some low-budget entertainment in the current cost of living crisis, why not tackle our quiz on page 44? Enjoy the issue.

Georgina Wroe, Editor

KEEP IN TOUCH

Write to us at Antique Collecting, Sandy Lane, Old Martlesham, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 4SD, or email magazine@accartbooks.com. Visit the website at www.antique-collecting.co.uk and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @AntiqueMag

Antique Collecting subscription

FELIX TURNER opens London’s newest auction house at the age of 22, page 7

EMMA RUTHERFORD puts the life of the 18th-century artist Sarah Biffin in the spotlight, page 18

THE TEAM

Editor: Georgina Wroe, georgina. wroe@accartbooks.com

Online Editor: Richard Ginger, richard.ginger@accartbooks.com Design: Philp Design, james@philpdesign.co.uk

Advertising and subscriptions: Charlotte Kettell 01394 389969, charlotte.kettell @accartbooks.com

PAUL FRASER reveals the royal autograph collectors are really after, page 24

DR MATTHEW WILLS opens a new chapter in the world of Chinese collecting, page 40

Contents

COVER

A rare pilgrim flask

‘baoyueping’ on oval foot-ring, Ming dynasty, first half of 17th century, 25cm high, on sale from Littleton & Hennessy

REGULARS

3 Editor’s Welcome: Georgina Wroe introduces the November issue with its annual focus on Asian Art

6 Antique News: Our industry focus on everything going on this month, including the opening of a new auctioneers in London and the launch of an online antiques quiz

10 Your Letters: is month’s mailbag o ers up a request for information on an unusual lectern and an answer to one reader’s query about a vase’s origins

12 Around the Houses: A German Enigma cipher machine cracks its estimate, while four ginger jars divvy up a spicy return

16 Waxing Lyrical: David Harvey lifts the lid on an unusual piano stool which houses a metamorphic secret in the shape of a set of steps

24 Cool and Collectable: e realignment of the House of Windsor has thrown up some collecting opportunities, writes expert Paul Fraser

26 An Auctioneer’s Lot: Charles Hanson considers the boom in Asian art as two exceptional pieces, a table and a vase, appear in his saleroom

44 Puzzle Pages: Give your little grey cells a run out with the latest posers from our resident quiz editor Peter Wade-Wright

46 Saleroom Spotlight: Guy Schooling shines a light on the contents sale of Finch & Co., one of London’s most eclectic dealers

52 Top of the Lots: Behind the scenes at a single-owner collection of Georgian children’s games, plus an album of photographs of Charles Darwin come to light in a Georgian bureau

54 Book O ers: Discover the latest titles from our sister publisher ACC Art

Books and save more than a third on the RRP

56 Fair News: Get the lowdown on antiques fairs for you to visit this month in London, Kent, Birmingham and Malvern

58 Fairs Calendar: Make the most of the events in your region by checking out the latest fairs taking place in our up-to-date listings

60 Auction Calendar : Complete details of this month’s sales from the country’s leading auction houses including several devoted to Asian Art

66 Marc My Words is month the Antiques Roadshow specialist reveals why his dining room is awash with Asian art treasures

FEATURES

18 Hands Down: Work by the Regency artist Sarah Bi n, who was born without arms or legs, is making waves in the saleroom as a new exhibition opening this month reveals

30 Eastern Promise: Antique Collecting considers the in uence Chinese designs have had on English furniture from the 16th century to Victorian times and later

34 In the Pink: Don’t know your falangcai from your famille rose? Ceramics specialist Sarah Wong puts Chinese glazes through their paces

38 Asian Showcase: A round up of some of the nest lots going under the hammer as part of Asian Art in London and beyond

40 China Sees: Dr Matthew Wills turns the page on a new collecting eld –Chinese books – with everything you need to know

48 Royal Seat: Furniture historian Christopher Coles delves into the history of a special chair, placing it at the coronation of George III

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FROM 9.30AM TO 1PM,

Capital punishment

700 years of public executions are the subject of a new exhibition at the Museum of London, the city which staged the most high-profile public executions in the UK.

From Smithfield to Southwark and Banqueting House to Newgate Prison, executions became embedded in London’s landscape and its inhabitants’ consciousness. The exhibition, which runs until next April, includes the vest said to have been worn by King Charles I when he was executed, a recreation of the Tyburn gallows and a wrought iron gibbet cage used to hang the bodies of the executed. For more details go to www.museumoflondon.org.uk

WHAT’S GOING ON IN NOVEMBER

A NTIQUE news

From the launch of a London auction house to a new y-on-thewall TV series, catch up on all the latest from the world of antiques and ne art

Terence’s stamp

A collection of items from Barton Court, the home of the late Sir Terence Conran (1931-2020), goes under the hammer next month.

Design guru Conran, known for his retail businesses Habitat and e Conran Shop, lived in the Berkshire house for more than 40 years. He opened his rst Habitat shop in Chelsea in 1964, which soon expanded into a chain ringing a ordable design to the masses. Lots on o er at the sale at Bonhams New Bond Street on December 14, include Conran’s large walnut desk, expected to make £3,000-£3,500 and maquettes by the furniture maker with estimates from £200 to £2,000.

Above A Bugatti type 52 replica motorised model car, painted in Conran blue, has an estimate of £6,000-£8,000

Top right Vest said to have been worn by Charles I at his execution, © Museum of London

Above right Axe from Newgate Prison, made for the execution of the five ringleaders of the Cato Street onspiracy who plotted to kill the prime minister in 1820, © Museum of London

Below right e works are expected to fetch a collective $50m this month

Below left A onet beech bentwood chaise longue odel number 9702, c. 1890, has an estimate of £600-£1,000 at next month’s sale

DUTCH COURAGE

Three paintings from the collection of the Dutch American abstract artist Willem de Kooning (1904-1997) are expected to fetch a collective $50m when they go under the hammer this month at Sotheby’s New York.

The three large-scale works, created by the abstract expressionist between 1960 and the 1980s, include Montauk II (1969), a blue, green and white-hued painting expected to make $10m- $15m. A 1979 untitled canvas is estimated at $30m-$40m, with the third work The Hat Upstairs (1987) expected to fetch $8m-$12m. They were painted at De Kooning’s East Hampton studio where he lived from the 1960s until his death in 1997. Nautical elements featured prominently in his work as he drew on his experiences as a stowaway aboard a ship from the Netherlands to America in 1926.

1County lines

With its rolling hills and rugged cli s, the county of Sussex has provided inspiration for artists from JMW Turner to Eric Ravilious – artists whose work is on show at a gallery in the county this month.

Sussex Landscape: Chalk, Wood and Water, running from November 12 to April 23 at Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, also includes works by Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, Ivon Hitchens and Edward Burra.

While some artists found solace in the county’s chalk-cli ed coastline, for others, such as Ivon Hitchens who moved to Sussex at the start of WWII, it provided a sanctuary to explore di erent ways of living.

Left Vanessa Bell (18791961) e Pond at Charleston, East Sussex, c. 1916, oil on canvas, Charleston Estate of Vanessa Bell. All rights reserved, DACS 2022

Above right Marten van Cleve (1527-1581), e Wedding Dance, c. 1570, © Museum Mayer van den Bergh

Far right Pieter Brueghel the Younger (1564-1638) Two Peasants Binding Firewood, c. 1604-1616, © e Henry Barber Trust, the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham

Left Eric Ravilious (19031942) Chalk Paths, 1935, watercolour on paper, private collection, © Bridgeman Images

3

to see in November

Above right Pieter Brueghel the Younger (1564-1638), Wedding Dance in the Open Air, c. 1607-1614, © e Holburne Museum

Left Ivon Hitchens (18931979) Sussex River, near Midhurst, 1965, oil on canvas, Pallant House Gallery, © e Estate of Ivon Hitchens. All rights reserved, DACS 2022

3Highland ing

While the names of the Glasgow Boys are well known, less familiar are those of their female counterparts, an anomaly addressed at a new exhibition at Hull University. e Glasgow Girls and Boys, on until December 4, shines a light on artists including Bessie MacNicol, Katherine Cameron and Flora Macdonald Reid who was just 23 when she painted Fieldworkers in 1883.

Right Flora Macdonald Reid (1860-1938), Fieldworkers, 1883, oil on canvas. e Fleming Collection

Above far right Katherine Cameron (1874-1965) Apple Blossom and Bees, pencil and watercolour on paper. e Fleming Collection © e Artist’s Estate.

Far right Edward Hornel (1864-1933) Children at Play, c. 1893, oil on canvas. e Fleming Collection

2Son shines

e spotlight falls on the Flemish painter Pieter Brueghel the Younger (1564-1638) this month in Birmingham –an artist whose work was overshadowed by that of his famous father, Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c.1526-1569).

Peasants and Proverbs, at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts until January 22, features paintings, drawings, etchings and engravings.

House style

This month the Regional Furniture Society visits 186 Gwydir Street, Cambridge, a terraced house with an arts and crafts interior described as “Cambridge’s best-kept secret”. The house was bought in 1886 by David Parr who worked for the Cambridge artist decorators F R Leach & Sons. Over the next 40 years, he decorated it with the arts and crafts styles of the day. In 2017 the house became a museum. For trip details go to www.regional furnituresociety.org

Show time

Celebrity antiques expert David Harper is joining forces with one of the north of England’s leading auction houses to launch an online antiques quiz.

Featuring co-host David Elstob, from Riponbased Elstob & Elstob, the weekly show will be broadcast on Harper’s YouTube channel.

Harper, who has appeared on TV in programmes ranging from Antiques Road Trip to Bargain Hunt, said: “I am keen to take the

familiar game show format online, for a faster, more informal and interactive feel that will reach even wider audiences.”

Any dealers or collectors interested in taking part should call 01765 699200, or email info@elstobandelstob.co.uk.

Above David Harper (left) and auctioneer David Elstob have teamed up for a new online antiques quiz

Wish you were here

The secret stories of 50 postcards are the subject of a talk in Northamptonshire this month by the woman who deciphered them. The seemingly unreadable scribbles were, in fact, Pitman shorthand and used by 19th-century travellers to discourage prying eyes and maximise the space available.

Kathryn Baird, the author of 150 Years of Postcards, will unlock their mysterious messages at a talk at Cotterstock Village Hall, Peterborough on November 18.

SINKING FEELING

A Lancashire training company’s o ce refurbishment has led to an exciting opportunity for collectors of Titanic memorabilia. Accrington-based North Lancashire Training Group (NLTG) is asking for £10,000 for the contents of its unusual boardroom which includes a replica mahogany captain’s table from the Titanic (one of only 50 ever made). Interested parties should call 01254 395355 or email info@nltg.co.uk

30 seconds with...

22-year-old Felix Turner who recently launched Wimbledon Auctions

What attracted you to antiques?

I grew up surrounded by antiques from a young age. My father regularly took me to antique fairs and auction houses. I also visited a lot of National Trust houses and was able to view a vast amount of fine furniture and paintings. I began dealing in antiques from about the age of 10, starting with Victorian postage stamps. I was intrigued by the complexity of factors that contribute to an item’s value.

Why did you decide to open an auction house?

Above One of the Pitman postcards with a ‘secret’ message

Opening an auction house gave me the chance to see a far greater variety of items and works of art. I love the idea that every day I will get to value something different. As a third generation Wimbledon resident, I also want to provide a valuable service to my local community.

Any unforeseen hurdles?

All aspects of setting up the business have been challenging and hard work, but it’s also been very rewarding. I’m looking forward to the sales ahead and the items I might discover.

How can the trade encourage young people into antiques?

A lot of young people don’t get the chance to learn about, or appreciate antiques. For the trade to make antiques and art more accessible, it might be an idea for auction houses to visit local schools and encourage

them to apply to internships during their holidays or as part of work experience.

Do you collect anything? If so, what?

Although I collected stamps and then natural history in my childhood, I would not describe myself as a collector. I’m usually keen on keeping things moving. Currently I’m into early garden benches, but last week it was Egyptian shabtis. I’m not sure what it will be next week.

What designers are you drawn to?

Through my many visits to National Trust houses, I am particularly drawn to the craftsmanship and design of Georgian furniture and earlier. Chippendale and Hepplewhite being my favourite makers.

Wimbledon Auctions next sale is on November 14, for more details go to www.wimbledonauctions.com

Below

Below Contents from the Titanic-themed boardroom are up for sale

All about AAL

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Asian Art in London (AAL) returns this month with 48 participants taking part, including eight auction houses and 33 dealers/galleries.

Founded in 1997, the month-long event celebrates the capital as a key player in the Asian art market. As well as auctions and selling exhibitions, this year sees the rst launch of a new online gallery selling works priced below £5,000.

AAL chair, Henry Howard-Sneyd, said: “ is year looks to be a truly vintage year as we look back on those dynamic 25 years, but also as we contemplate what the future brings and we look to the next 25 years with new participants and many younger members.” For more details go to www.asianartinlondon.com, or turn to page 29 for our coverage of the event.

Above An Imperial Chinese ‘dragon’ moon ask, made for the Qianlong Emperor, 22cm high, is part of Dore & Rees’ Fine Asian Art sale on November 7

Filming has been taking place at the firm’s Derbyshire headquarters in Etwall, near Derby and at Bishton Hall at Wolseley Bridge, the firm’s Staffordshire saleroom.

How’s splat

A late Ming dynasty (1368-1644) folding armchair set a record for a Chinese chair and became the third most expensive chair ever sold on the secondary market when it fetched $15.8m (£14.4m) in Hong Kong on October 11, some 10 times its estimate.

The Huanghuali folding horse-back armchair (jiaoyi) is considered one of the most elegant forms ever made by Chinese cabinetmakers. It came from the collection of the late Sir Joseph Hotung – the wellknown collector and philanthropist – and sold to a private Asian collector at Sotheby’s.

LOTS TO SEE

A camera crew has been filming at a Derbyshire auction house capturing a flyon-the-wall series due to air this autumn.

A crew from Curve Media, the makers of Salvage Hunters, has been busy recording life at Hansons for an eightpart series due to be aired this autumn.

Consoles prized

Once they seemed so cutting edge, now they are among the latest lots to hit an auction house’s saleroom as Surrey-based Ewbank’s launches its rst-ever sale of vintage video games and consoles this month.

Owner and Antique Collecting columnist Charles Hanson, has been known to many from his first appearance on Bargain Hunt 20 years ago. He said: “Regular TV work is part and parcel of life for me. As well as Antiques Road Trip this year I’ve also been a guest on Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch. However, this new show is something very different.”

A date for the broadcast of the first episode is still to be set. See Charles’ column on page 26.

Above left Charles Hanson and the team at the Etwall saleroom

FOOT THE BILL

A New York auction house has opened a new department devoted only to sneakers and streetwear. Called Department X, Christie’s new section will concentrate on popular culture including music, fashion, art, and sports history with its rst selling exhibition featuring two pairs of trainers. e rst pair is the Nike Air Yeezy 1 prototype featuring a glow-in-the-dark outsole and translucent-red, Y-shaped lace lock, which was worn by Kanye West at the 50th annual Grammy awards. e second is the Nike Donda West Air Jordan VI, which was created for West

One game set to be highly sought after is a Panasonic Q, a Japanese-only release collaboration between Panasonic and Nintendo which fused a GameCube with a DVD player. e boxed console which comes with its manual and other inserts and has been fully tested has an estimate of between £800 and £1,000, making it one of the most coveted gaming consoles of recent times.

At the same sale on November 18 a complete Sega 32X console, in its original box, has a guide price of between £250 and £300, while a sealed Pokémon Yellow game has been valued between £500 and £1,000.

Above right e Japanese-only released DVD and game player will be in demand

Above e travelling chair was used by Chinese dignataries

LETTERS Have your say

Your Let ters

Our star letter receives a copy of British Designer Silver by John Andrew and Derek Stiles worth £75. Write to us at Antique Collecting, Sandy Lane, Old Martlesham, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 4SD or email magazine@ accartbooks.com

Star letter

In response to Erwin Jirsak’s request for information about a Chinese vase from the Enid and Brodie Lodge collection (Your Letters, September issue), it would seem the vase has the remains of a Chinese government export seal on the base. Many items in the collection were not of outstanding rarity but this seal would indicate it was approved for export by the Chinese authorities, which may mean it is a copy of late date production with an apocryphal reign mark for the Qianlong period.

Gerald Davison, www. chinesemarks.com, by email

I was delighted to come across a story on your website (www.antique-collecting.co.uk) about the sale of an HMV 1 gramophone – one of only 20 produced in 1928 – and the rst electronic record player ever made. Aimed at the super rich, it was priced £125, which in 1928 was a small fortune.

My interest stems from the fact I am the new owner of this fabulous machine. Its history is all the more fascinating because it was commissioned by James de Rothschild (1878-1957) of the Rothschild banking dynasty, for Waddesdon Manor. It is a truly fascinating piece of music history and, if the gramophone could talk, I’m sure it would reveal some amazing tales. Gary Burns, Bolton, by email

Above far right Does anyone know the name of this piece of furniture?

Above right A similar piece appeared in a centenary publication about Ushaw College, Durham

Above left e vase came from the Enid and Brodie Lodge collection

Left e vase base includes the remains of a Chinese government export seal

Below left Gary is the new owner of the early gramophone

I was hoping your readers might be able to help me identify this piece of furniture. I have been trying for many years to nd out its correct name but no-one seems to know what it might be.

It was used to supervise students in the refectory of Ushaw College, Durham and I have a photo of it, in the far distance, in a book for the centenary of the college published in 1890.

Apparently, there is a special name for such a piece of furniture which is used for a person in authority to stand upon to better supervise pupils. I have tried and tried to get the name but without success. Many thanks for your help.

Vin Shanley, by email

Answers to the quiz on page 44

Q1 (a). Q2 (d). It was originally used by French women who knitted while attending a French execution. Q3 (c). Q4 (b). Q5 (a). Q6 (b) and (d). It was called the ‘Standard’. Made in 1913 its structure reflected the poor state of British roads. Q7 (b). Q8 (a). Very impressive county maps. Q9 (c) Strictly it refers to classical statues (with gold inlay and flesh of ivory). Q10 (d).

Finally, Tennis arm can be rearranged to form the word Mannerist; foreman riot can be rearranged to form the word Reformation; raw leaper can be rearranged to form the word pearlware; and venison ear can be rearranged to form the word Savonnerie

Help in identifying a curiouslooking lectern and an answer to one reader’s query are among this month’s mailbag

‘My interest stems from the fact I am the new owner of this fabulous machine. It is a truly fascinating piece of music history and if the gramophone could talk I’m sure it would reveal some amazing tales’

A ROUND the HOUSES

From a record-breaking vase by the potter Hans Coper, to spicy results for ginger jars, there was much to enjoy at recent sales

The gem and enamel pendant brooch sold for £8,500 in Kent

Catherine Southon, Chislehurst

Jewellery was the toast of the Kent auctioneer’s recent sale when two pieces soared past their pre-sale estimate.

A Carlo and Arthur Giuliano gem-set and enamel pendant brooch sold for £8,500 –more than four times its low estimate of £2,000.

Carlo Giuliano (1831-1895) was an Italian jeweller who settled in London in 1860 and went on to specialise in high-end ancient and Renaissance revivalist jewellery.

At the same sale an 18th-century enamel diamond and garnet masquerade ring, which had been expected to make £2,000-£3,000, sold for £4,000.

e masked lady was a frequent motif in Georgian and Victorian jewellery with many including romantic, intimate inscriptions.

Sworders, Stansted Mount tchet

An un nished and unsigned painting of Britain’s rst female prime minister’s inaugural speech to the House of Commons sold for £17,000, against an estimate of £3,000£5,000, at the Essex auction house’s sale on October 4. e name of the artist of the painting, titled First Time at e Box and dated May 1979, was unknown until its owner asked former members of Margaret atcher’s rst cabinet for help.

Lord Cormack, a member of the Commons Works of Art Committee in the 1980s made the link to Alfred Reginald omson (1894-1979) who had been given permission to sketch from the public gallery. e artist had apparently used a photograph of rst female PM to update a previous painting of Harold Macmillan at the despatch box in 1960.

Roseberys, London

ere were two record breakers at the auctioneer’s recent sale when an octagonal side table, c. 1900, by the Italian art nouveau furniture maker Carlo Bugatti (1856-1940) smashed its pre-sale gude price of £800-£1,200 to fetch £20,000. At the same sale a vase by Constance Spry achieved ve times its estimate, selling for £12,500 – another record for the maker.

In 1936, Spry collaborated with the stage designer and artist Oliver Messel to produce a crown and lion vase for Edward VIII’s coronation.

Rather than abandon the designs entirely at his abdication it was used for the coronation of his brother George VI. e same design was later reproduced for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

A masked reveller appears on the garnet and diamond ring

The octagonal table was by one of the greats of 20th-century design

The crown and lion vase was made by Fry for the Fulham Pottery

Margaret Thatcher’s first appearance at the despatch box is recorded in the picture

Kinghams, Moreton-in-Marsh

An 18ct gold multi-gem shamrock bracelet which once belonged to Lady Kathleen Sheila Grade (1922-2022) sold within estimate to fetch £3,600 at the Gloucestershire auction house. With gems including diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds, the bracelet was owned by Lady Grade, the widow of the Ukrainian-born UK lm and TV mogul Lew Grade (1906-1998).

e piece was one of some 30 items of jewellery belonging to the former rising starlet who married Lew Grade in 1942.

Bonhams, New

A bottle vase with disc, by the Austrianborn British ceramicist Hans Coper (1920-1981), set a new world auction record for the artist when it sold for £655,500 at Bonhams’ Design sale in London on October 4. Made circa 1968, the work had been estimated at £80,000-120,000.

Bonhams’ director of 20th-century design, Marcus McDonald, said: “Coper is one of the great names of 20th-century British ceramics. is very rare vase was a true masterpiece, and I am not surprised that there was such keen bidding in the room, on the phones and over the internet, with the exciting outcome of a new world auction record for a work by Coper.”

Ewbank’s, Woking

Two pictures by British artists sold for estimate-busting prices at the Surrey auctioneer’s recent sale.

Expected to make £3,000£5,000, a 1902 oil on canvas by the WWI artist George Clausen (1852-1944) of a still life of a vase and owers sold for £12,500. At the same sale an oil on board by Frederick Jackson (1859-1918) of a peasant couple with a ock of geese trounced its £500-£800 estimate to sell for a premium-inclusive bid of £10,625. Jackson was a Manchester School artist and member of the Staithes Group with Laura Knight.

Halls, Shrewsbury

Hansons, Etwall

A gold-painted throne owned by Peter Stringfellow (1940-2018) doubled its presale estimate when it sold for £3,600 at the Derbyshire auctioneers. e ornate chair, once part of the decor at Stringfellow’s venue in Covent Garden, was consigned by the late club owner’s son, Scott.

Peter Stringfellow opened his rst nightclub, called the Black Cat Club, in a rented church hall in She eld in 1962. He went on to launch venues across the UK and America.

Images of the remote Spiti valley were beautifully composed

e Canterbury Auction Galleries

A collection of sepia photographs by a former British o cer and orientalist Henry Lee Shuttleworth (1882-1960) hammered at £3,600, more than 10 times its estimate at the Kent auction house’s sale on October 4, selling to a Chinese buyer. Accompanied by his wife Inez, Shuttleworth photographed the western Himalayas in the 1900s lugging a huge camera that took two bearers to carry.

A large Victorian gilt metal hall lantern shone at the Shropshire auctioneer’s recent sale when it soared past its £600-£800 estimate to hammer for £8,200. Despite being unattributed and in need of restoration, its size – 4ft 5in high –quality and attractive design ensured it was in high demand for the right buyer.

Halls’ head of ne art, Gerry Berwyn-Jones, said: “Fine period lighting and architectural works are sought after, but the market is limited, especially for a 4ft plus lantern, excluding the suspension chain.”

George Clausen (18521944), oil on canvas, sold for £12,500

Frederick Jackson’s rustic scene soared past a low estimate of £500 to make £10,625

The bracelet belonged to Lady Grade who died earlier this year

The vase set a world record for the celebrated ceramicist Hans Coper

Shuttleworth documented daily life and Buddhist culture in Tibet

The hall lantern shone in the Shropshire auctioneer’s recent sale

The legendary club owner held court at the throne for years

AUCTION Sales round up

Noonans, Mayfair

A medal awarded to a four-legged hero of WWII – a black-and-white collie-retriever called Rob – sold for a world record, premium-inclusive £173,600, well above its low estimate of £20,000, on October 12.

Known as the ‘VC for animals’, the PDSA (People’s Department for Sick Animals) Dickin medal has been awarded 71 times since it was launched in 1943, 32 going to pigeons, 34 to dogs, four to horses and one to a cat. Rob, whose fame led him to appear on the front cover of the Radio Times in 1989, won the prestigious gong for his outstanding service, including 20 parachute descents while serving with the infantry in North Africa. Reports from Rob’s command detailed that he appeared to enjoy his parachute jumps and would jump from aircraft without hesitation.

Bonhams, Knightsbridge

A German Enigma machine, arguably the most famous cipher machine in the world, sold for £151,500 at the London auction house’s sale, doubling its low estimate of £75,000.

Tennants, Leyburn

Two pairs of Chinese ginger jars sold for multiple times their pre-sale estimates at the North Yorkshire auction house’s recent country house sale, while a pair of mirrors sold for the price of a small house. e rst pair of jars (below) was ovoid in shape with one decorated with a mythical beast in a panel anked by lotus sprigs. Expected to make £200-£300, the duo sold for £4,800.

At the same sale a pair of late 19th-century jars painted in underglaze blue with the cracked ice and prunus pattern, which had been expected to make £300-£500, sold for £3,500.

Meanwhile a pair of 18th-century parcel gilt cartoucheshaped mirrors, one with its original mercury glass plate, sold for £45,000 – not re ecting its pre-sale guide price of £1,500-£2,000. A similar mirror can be seen on page 70 of Graham Child’s 1990 book World Mirrors 1650-1900

typewriter, its rotor machines scrambled text into

e Heimsoeth und Rinke threerotor Enigma model, made in Berlin in 1938, was one of the machines whose deciphering at Bletchley changed the course of WWII. While it looks like a typewriter, its rotor machines scrambled text into unfathomable code. It was nally cracked by the legendary Bletchley Park unit led by Alan Turing, who developed the code-breaking proto-computer called the bombe, changing the course of the war.

Omega Auctions, Newton-Le-Willows

David Bowie’s original handwritten lyrics for the pop classic Starman sold for £203,500 at the Merseyside auction house – more than ve times its pre-sale estimate of £40,000.

Released as a single in 1972, the song appeared on the album Ziggy Stardust that catapulted Bowie to international stardom. Omega Auctions’ Paul Fairweather, said: “We had almost unprecedented interest from around the world for this historic piece of memorabilia.” e lyrics were previously on display as part of the V&A Museum’s David Bowie collection.

The handwritten lyrics include some amendments

Fellows, Birmingham

A fob commissioned by the family of a groom who died on his wedding day in 1831 sold for a premium-inclusive £624, above its top estimate of £350 at the Midlands auctioneer’s October 6 sale. e banded agate intaglio depicts a dog resting at the foot of a sundial with an inscription reading De tems passe d’amitié reste, which roughly translates as ‘time passes but friendship endures’.

It was made to remember Arthur Tyrwhitt Drake (1800-1831) who su ered a fatal t of apoplexy at the end of his own wedding service.

The jars were expected to make £200£300 but sold for £4,800

The 1938 German cipher machine sold for a cracking £151,500

The prestigious medal was the first one to be awarded to a dog

On landing in enemy territory Rob waited for his handler to give him his orders

The pair of 18th-century parcel gilt mirrors sold for £45,000

The jars were painted in underglaze blue with a cracked ice and prunus pattern

The 19th-century fob was made to remember a tragic wedding

Cross-channel encounter

I was intrigued and arranged to meet him, and his stool, in the Calais Carrefour supermarket car park. Imagine, if you will, James Bond meets Maigret as we mobilephoned our locations to each other to ensure we could transact the business in the huge multistorey.

We made the exchange – the stool for a cheque – and both went our ways. He to his bank and me (ecstatically) back to Witney via the Shuttle.

e stool was indeed a set of metamorphic library steps, the forerunner of my most recent acquisition.

Despite the similarites there could be up to 10 years di erence in date between them. e more recently acquired stool (left) has square-section, chamfered legs, often associated with the Chippendale period, while the longer 'French' stool (below) had square tapered legs dating it a few years later in style. Both have the same push-button brass release clips and leather cushioned stu over seat with brass nailing around the edges.

Open and shut case

Once opened de nitive evidence of both being the work of the same maker becomes apparent. e long stool (below) has seven treads, while the newly-acquired piece has only six. But when we look at the construction, hinges, shape etc. it appears they must be by the same

Waxing lyrical

David Harvey steps up to reveal how a meeting in a French car park led to a lifelong obsession

One of the advantages of having been in the antiques trade for so many years is that one develops an uncanny memory of pieces one has handled before. When looking at an item across a room I instinctively know who made it, generally by careful consideration of its form and construction.

Such was my reaction when I saw this recentlyacquired stool (above) – even from afar.

e story started some 20 years ago when a gentleman phoned me from the continent with something for sale he was aware might interest me. He thought the piece in question (below) was a long piano

Above e stool opens to reveal a set of magni cent library steps

Right e library steps bought in Calais were by the maker Meschain & Hervé

Below left e French owner thought the piece was a piano stool

‘Francois Hervé was a Frenchman living and working in London during the last quarter of the 18th century. He appears to have been in partnership with another Frenchman, a cabinet and chair maker by the name of John Meschain who supplied a set of chairs to Shelburne House in 1769’

team. When you see the same easel support for the upper treads, rounded corners to the steps and hinges, the match is con rmed.

Both are inlaid with a boxwood tablet inscribed with the name and address: Meschain & Hervé Fecit, No 32, John Street, Tottenham Court Road. Francois Hervé was a Frenchman living and working in London during the last quarter of the 18th century. He appears to have been in partnership with another Frenchman, a cabinet and chair maker by the name of John Meschain who supplied a set of chairs to Shelburne House in 1769.

His premises, at 32 John Street, were taken over by Hervé in 1781. ey appear to have worked together during the 1770s as several sets of folding library steps exist inscribed with their names either on wooden or brass plaques. Hervé worked for a number of fashionable patrons, including the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Bedford, Earl Spencer and the Duke of Devonshire for whom he supplied several suites of seating furniture for Chatsworth House.

Georgian ingenuity

A few decades ago I had a further more elaborate example of these steps almost identical to an example carrying a plaque with Meschain & Hervé’s name and address on it which was illustrated in Christopher Gilbert’s 1996 book Pictorial Dictionary of Marked London Furniture, 1700-1840

I am always amazed at the sheer ingenuity of the Georgian cabinetmakers and their ability to surmount almost any problem by making an appropriate piece of furniture. It has been a wonderful experience to have handled so many extraordinary pieces over the past 70 years here at Harvey & Co.

David Harvey is the owner of Witney-based W R Harvey & Co. (Antiques) Ltd. For more details go to the website www.wrharvey.com

Right e library steps appear in Sheraton’s 1793 Drawing-Book

Below right Robert Campbell claimed a monopoly on the intriguing design

Below left e stool now in David’s possession had fewer treads but appears to be by the same maker

Original design

The original design for these type of steps is attributed to Robert Campbell (1754–1793), a London maker who, in 1774, took out a patent on sets of library steps which could be: Contained in writing tables……or in any other tables, and in chairs or stools. The steps are contained in the frame of the table…. A Handrail and a desk may be attached to the upper flight. By a very similar method the patentee introduces steps into the frames of the seats and stools

The practical nature of this piece of furniture meant it was highly sought after in every shape. A number of examples are known of library steps enclosed in tables which bear Robert Campbell's trade label. One such, enclosed in a mahogany Pembroke table rather than a stool, is in the library at Saltram, Devon, and was supplied to John Parker in 1777 at a cost of £6 10s.

A label on the steps by Campbell bears the inscription: Library Steps, inclos’d in all kinds of Tables, Stools and Chairs…. MADE and SOLD only

By ROB’T CAMPBELL

Thomas Sheraton

His design was considered to have so much merit it was reproduced in Thomas Sheraton’s influential Drawing-Book in 1793, in which he writes: “Those masters however, who do not think it worth their while to be at the trouble of introducing any essential alteration in them may have these steps from Mr. Robert Campbell and Son, Mary-le-bone Street London, with a sufficient allowance for selling them again.”

Clearly any claim by Campbell for having the monopoly on such steps is wrong as demonstrated by the examples by Meschain & Hervé shown.

A new exhibition at the London gallery Philip Mould & Company – the rst to focus on Bi n in a centuryhopes to rectify this.

Philip Mould said: “Bi n’s life and achievements came as an increasing surprise to me the more we discovered. She not only transcended her challenges but held her own in a crowded marketplace – ranking, among others, Queen Victoria as her patron. She was proli c in her day, I’m con dent that more of her works will turn up – so inspirational was her life I also feel sure there will be books and lms to follow.”

Early days

Sarah Bi n was born in 1784 in East Quantoxhead, near Bridgwater in Somerset, the middle child of ve and her parents’ rst daughter. Described on her baptism record as ‘born without arms and legs’, life promised very little. She later wrote: ‘At the age of eight years I was very desirous of acquiring the use of my needle; but my parents discouraged the idea, thinking it wholly impractical. I was not, however, intimidated and whenever my father and mother were absent, I was continually practising every invention, till at length I could, with my mouth - thread a needle - tie a knot - do fancy work - cut out and make my own dresses.’ is determination soon extended to an interest in art. At the age of 13, Bi n was contracted to John ‘Emmanuel’ Dukes, a shadowy would-be patron, described in contemporary records as an ‘artist’, about whom little is known. Dukes may have persuaded Bi n to take part in the travelling sideshow he ran by o ering her lessons in painting. Soon she was on the road described by Dukes as the ‘Eighth Wonder’.

Hands Down

Born without arms or legs, Sarah Bi n rose from a travelling show to become a talented miniaturist, undertaking commissions for royalty. With prices for her work rising, a new exhibition pays tribute to her life and careeer

In 2019, a self-portrait by Sarah Bi n trounced its pre-sale estimate of £1,200-£1,800 to sell for £137,500, a sign the out-of-favour artist was poised for a comeback. Bi n’s story of disadvantage resonates today: su ering from phocomelia she was contracted to a travelling circus in her teens before overcoming prejudice and physical hardship to become one of the era’s most talented miniaturists.

But despite her proli c artistic output, inclusion in numerous memoirs and books (Charles Dickens mentions her four times), Bi n’s remarkable life has been largely overlooked by art historians. Until now.

Above Sarah Bi n (1784-1850) Self-portrait before her easel, c. 1821, sold at Sotheby’s in 2019 for £137,500 against an estimate of £1,200 -£1,800, image courtesy of Sotheby’s

Right Sarah Bi n (1784-1850) self-portrait, watercolour, © Philip Mould & Company

Life on the road

Bi n earned £5 a year touring the country as part of Dukes’ show where her skills as a seamstress was widely advertised as was her nascent ability as a portraitist with each visitor entitled to a “specimen of her writing”. Life as part of the show was tough and Bi n travelled extensively, in 1808 alone visiting Edinburgh, Newcastle, Coventry, Birmingham, Dover, Sandwich and London. In 1810, she was seen at Bartholomew Fair, St Ives, Sadler’s Wells Aquatic eatre, Mitcham, Parsons Green, Peckham, Edmonton, Rochester and Bury St Edmunds Fair.

But rather than passively accepting her fate, the young would-be artist was storing up invaluable skills that would last a lifetime.

Branching out

Her itinerant lifestyle, knowledge of towns and growing celebrity meant Bi n was well able to strike out on her own. As she moved into womanhood, Bi n took an increasing control over her own a airs taking on her own commissions under her own name. In a pattern which would continue

Left Sarah Bi n (1784-1850) Young girl, standing, wearing a white dress, c. 1820, watercolour on ivory, © South West Heritage Trust and Somerset County Council

Right Bartholomew Fair, 1807, hand-coloured etching by omas Rowlandson (1757–1827) after John Nixon (c. 1755–1818)

Below Frances Cooper ( . 1810) Sarah Bi n at Bury Fair, 1810, watercolour on paper, © South West Heritage Trust and Somerset County Council

Below right e handbill advertises Miss Bi n as a “Great genius and an admirer of the ne Arts”. e bill was part of a larger lot which sold at Sworders in 2020 for £9,000

Biffin spent large periods of her life as a spectable at the country’s town and country fairs, one of which was the capital’s notorious three-day Bartholomew Fair at Smithfield.

The poet William Wordsworth attended the fair in 1802 summing up its raucous nature which included “’the learned pig’ who could do addition and predict the future, stone eaters and fire swallowers and performers with unusual bodies.”

In 1807, an etching by Thomas Rowlandson shows a flyer advertising the real-life Biffin on the right behind a staircase.

Men and women were exhibited for their bodily differences and endured sensationalised displays as “monsters” or curiosities, with several of Biffin’s contemporaries gaining international renown for none of the right reasons.

Saartje Bartman (c. 1789-1816), known as “the Hottentot Venus”, worked in London between 1810 and 1814; while Chang and Eng Bunker, Siamese-American conjoined twin brothers, performed between 1829 and 1831.

Although it was uncommon for an artist like Biffin to begin a career at the fairs, it was not unique. Edmund Kean (1787-1833), the Shakespearean actor began his career at Bartholomew Fair in 1798.

Feminine allure

‘Biffin’s formal instruction in art began in 1808, after a chance fair encounter with George Douglas (1761–1827), 16th Earl of Morton. The earl, who was Chamberlain to the Queen’s Household, commissioned a miniature portrait and was so impressed with it he presented it to George III’

Biffin was advertised with the twin concepts of sexual attractiveness and unlikely physical ability. Her appearance at a Birmingham fair describes her as “of a very comely Appearance” – a description repeated throughout her career. In a bid to stand out from the crowd, Dukes’ advertisements for Biffin read: “The Reader may think it impossible she should be capable of doing.” ‘Disbelief’ dogged Biffin’s career and she signed many of her works “…painted by Miss Biffin without hands…”

Sarah Bi n (1784-1850)

Left Sarah Bi n (1784-1850) SelfPortrait before her painting slope, c. 1825, watercolour and pencil on card, © National Portrait Gallery

Below left Sarah Bi n (1784-1850) Study of Feathers, 1812, watercolour, © Philip Mould & Company

Below right Samples of Bi n’s handwriting, 1807-1809, ink on paper, as given to visitors to the various fairs at which she appeared. Roughly made, they typically consisted of Bi n’s signature, the date and sometimes the location. It is remarkable that so many of these ephemeral keepsakes have survived in such excellent condition, © Philip Mould & Company.

throughout her life Bi n supplemented her artistic career by appearing at fairs with her “Correct Miniature Likenesses taken on Ivory” costing between three and 10 guineas.

Her formal instruction in art began in 1808, after a chance fair encounter with George Douglas (1761–1827),

Fine feathers

Under Craig’s tutelage Biffin’s output concentrated on multiple watercolours of small objects, often depictions of feathers. Plumage was easily found in an era when exotic feathers were used to trim the bonnets that were an essential part of any woman’s wardrobe across the classes.

Feathers were also considered a suitable subject for women artists. Like flowers, another staple of the female artist of the day, feathers showed the wonder of the ‘safe’ subject of Mother Nature at her most creative and dazzling.

Feathers also allowed the artist to showcase her mastery of texture and irridescent colour, accurately recording their beauty and transience.

16th Earl of Morton. e earl, who was Chamberlain to the Queen’s Household, commissioned a miniature portrait and was so impressed with it he presented it to George III. His patronage didn’t stop there. It was Morton who sponsored her tuition at the Royal Academy of Arts, where Bi n studied under William Marshall Craig (c. 1764-1829) who went on to be an informal professional patron and ‘advisor’ to Bi n nding her clients and advising her on her public appearances.

Unlike other aspiring artists, Bi n had to continue working at fairs for her board and lodgings for Dukes while spending time in London where Craig was based. Craig, whose reputation was as a portraitist, turned out to be an empathetic, and relatable instructor for Bi n.

His ambition to give all artists, even amateurs, the most rigorous training possible seems to have imbued Bi n with a disciplined approach that would remain with her for her whole career. Craig advocated that inexperienced students should begin with sketches of small objects, refraining from over-ambitious schemes of large landscapes and multiple objects.

Independent life

In the same year Bi n moved to London and set up her own studio. Her star was nally in the ascendancy, culminating in the award of a silver medal by the Society of Arts in 1821. She also began teaching portrait painting. Her lessons were so successful that, in an advertisement, she stipulated “persons sitting for Miniatures will be punctual to the time appointed, as a great part of her time is occupied in Teaching.’”

Advertising her services from 1821, she aimed her training at the female amateur. In the 19th century teaching was an appropriate way for a woman artist to supplement her income.

But it was not all plain sailing, in 1824 she had a short-lived marriage to William Stephen Wright who, according to rumours, took her life savings and abandoned her. Although Bi n refuted this claim, it may have been an attempt to save her ‘respectability’ during an era in which unmarried women were judged. Despite living separate lives, Bi n continued to exhibit under her married name ‘Mrs Wright’ until 1841.

Sad decline

By 1839, her commissions were dwindling and like other portrait painters Bi n was struggling against the unstoppable tide of the arrival of photography.

e invention of the daguerreotype in 1839 was the start of a burgeoning industry, which would eventually destroy the careers of all but the most talented portraitists, particularly a ecting the miniaturists who produced works of a similar, portable size.

In 1842, a secondary market for her works appeared, with “20 ne watercolours” sold at auction in Liverpool. But, by the following year, Bi n’s eyesight had begun to fail, prompting the start of a fundraising campaign to support her as she faced growing nancial di culties.

Evidence of her straitened circumstances is found in a pitiable small watercolour of a wreath of owers, with the melancholy words ‘Forget me Not’ inscribed – it is a throwback to her early sideshow days of hastily painted scraps which she would sell for a few pence.

Without Hands: e Art of Sarah Bi n is on at the Pall Mall Gallery Philip Mould & Co. from November 1 to December 21. For more details go to www.philipmould.com

Right Sarah Bi n (1784-1850) Portrait of Miss Ames, music teacher, 1844, watercolour on card, © Philip Mould & Company

FAMOUS PATRONS

Biffin developed a close relationship with her childless patron the Earl of Morton who may have viewed her as a project of public moral improvement.

Morton suggested Biffin start referring to herself as a ‘professional miniature painter’ and tried to untether her from the contract with Dukes. To help her transition from sideshow performer to independent artist (albeit with some crossover) Morton introduced her work to eminent artists of the day, including the famous portraitist Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830), who was cited as saying, “he would rather have one of his pictures copied by Miss Biffin than by any artist he was acquainted with”.

For a charge of five shillings each patron could visit Biffin in her studio and watch her at work, an experience that Morton considered “a great moral lesson, cheaply learned at that sum”.

In 1821, Morton and Biffin travelled to Brussels where she was noticed by William II of the Netherlands to whom she later became his miniature painter.

Above left Two handbills for ‘Miss Be n’, 1807, printed in an assortment of metal types by Mitchell, Dean Street, Newcastle and “ e Celebrated Miss Be n,” 1811, printed in an assortment of types by T. Romney, Lambeth, both © Philip Mould & Company.

Above Broadside, c. 1812, advertising Bi n’s appearance at Bartholomew fair with the promise “Each visitor will be entitled to a Specimen of her Writing.” e fair was patronised by the royal family, as evidenced by the royal coat of arms above Bi n’s name, © Philip Mould & Company.

Right (Top) Sarah Bi n (1784-1850)

Portrait of Anna Eliza Rausch (1793-1844), 1835, watercolour on ivory. (Bottom) Portrait of omas Lamb (1789-1841), 1835, watercolour on ivory, © Philip Mould & Company

Left Sarah Bi n (1784-1850) A subaltern or captain of a British ‘royal’ regiment of line infantry, in undress uniform, c.1815-1820, watercolour on ivory, © Philip Mould & Company

QWhat effect will the exhibition have on perceptions of artists with disabilities?

AWe hope that it will start new conversations about the place of disabled artists within art history. Attention has rightly begun to turn toward the work of women artists, although disabled artists have not yet received the same consideration.

QAfter Biffin’s self-portrait sold for £137,500 in 2019, what effect might the exhibition have on prices?

A Certainly, the self-portrait (which will feature in the exhibition) set a record for any miniature by an artist of the early 19th century - and subsequent works by Biffin of her renowned ‘feather studies’ have seen a huge upswing in price. The exhibition should cement Biffin as a superb artist whose work now deserves serious attention from collectors and particularly from institutions.

Q Who is buying her work ?

A Institutions have certainly started to recognise that full representation in their collections should include disabled artists, as well as from previously overlooked artists throughout history. There were already a few dedicated collectors of Biffin’s work but I suspect the exhibition will open the eyes of many more who will now wish to include her work in their collections.

QAre you hoping for more works to come to light?

A There have been a few new discoveries since we began research for the exhibition two years ago - we would love to see more! Since we began our research, we have discovered over 180 works by her, scattered all over the world.

QWhich works are most sought after?

AThe feathers are particularly beautiful but she only painted this subject, rather obsessively, over the course of two years while she was training with an artist from the Royal Academy.

Q&AHer self-portraits are where we can get a glimpse of the real Sarah Biffinhow she saw herself and how she wanted others to see her. So these are always incredibly valuable and of the highest quality within her paintings.

Her miniatures are also astounding - it is technically difficult to paint on ivory and her observational skills in painting the different textures demonstrate her talent.

QWhat has astounded you most about Biffin while researching the exhibition?

A We have tried very hard for the exhibition and publication to be, as much as possible, written using Biffin’s own voice. So much of the secondary material reduced and belittled her artistic merit - we wanted to focus on her talent as an artist.

However, with the knowledge of how hard it was to travel around Regency Europe we were amazed by how much of the country she visited and also the impression she left on those who met her. Contrary to what we know of the

of ‘different’ bodies, those who met her focussed on her wit, her brilliant singing voice and of course, her talent as an artist.

It was also as though her disability allowed her to rise above the social conventions of the day - she was far more independent than most non-disabled women of the period.

QAre you hoping the exhibition will shine a light on other artists with disabilities past and present?

A This is such a new area to explore in art history and we are lucky to have Alison Lapper – who was born, like Sarah Biffin, with phocomelia, 150 years later - as our exhibition advisor.

Alison is a huge advocate for disabled artists who still fight to be recognised alongside non-disabled artists. We do highlight the works of disabled artists who were working at the same time as Biffin in the publication, but there are still many artists to be discovered and researched by historians. Biffin was relatively unique, however, in carving a career as a professional artist from her initial work as a

Left Sarah Bi n (1784-1850) Feathers, watercolour, sold for £9,000 (with an accompanying handbill) against an estimate of £3,000£5,000 at Sworders in 2020

Right e reverse of the watercolour features an 1830 newspaper article chronicling Bi n’s success

We asked the exhibition curator Emma Rutherford for her perceptions of Sarah Biffin and her work

Cool & Collectable

As the collecting world adjusts to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Paul Fraser considers the impact on that most intimate of items –the royal autograph

Queen Elizabeth II, along with Elizabeth I and Victoria, will be known as one of the great queens of English history with a reign celebrated for centuries.

So it was with no great surprise that the past two months have seen a dramatic rise in demand for the late Queen’s signature. Just as people queued to pay their last respects, with the same wish to be part of history, there is a clamour to own her autograph.

Usually growth in royal signatures is steady and gradual. But there are occasions where the market takes a sudden, signi cant leap up. We are witnessing one at the moment. When a monarch dies and another ascends the throne, it’s a truly historic event.

Above e death of Queen Elizabeth II has caused a new alignment in royal memorabilia, image courtesy of Shutterstock

Right King Charles III and Prince William represent the future of the monarchy and the value of their signatures will rise accordingly

Left Vintage royal cards such as this example, hand-signed by the Queen and Prince Philip in 1955, are increasingly hard to nd in today’s market

Over the past month, the value of a Christmas card hand-signed by the Queen and Prince Philip has grown from £3,500 to £5,000. at’s an increase of 48 per cent. ese cards were already considered rare, due to the fact that most royal signatures dating from 1959 were signed using an autopen machine. e use of the autopen is a crucial factor in the royal autograph.

God save the King

ere are two more members of the Windsor family whose signatures are set for another leap. King Charles III and Prince William represent the future of the monarchy - and the value of their signatures will rise accordingly. e next major event in British history will be Charles’ coronation at Westminster Abbey on May 6. e demand for his autograph has already risen sharply in the past month. And I suggest it will only get stronger in the run up to, and after, his coronation.

Rarity is, of course, a factor.

Because the simple fact is that Charles has inherited the throne at the age of 73. His reign will naturally be far shorter than that of his mother. And so the number of signatures he’ll produce as king will be far smaller.

He has already started using his new o cial signature: “Charles R” (with the ‘R’ meaning Rex, Latin for ‘King’). Authentic, hand-signed examples of the ‘Charles R’ signature will undoubtedly be highly valuable in the future. But it remains to be seen how many make their way onto the market.

Charles and Di

Unlike the Queen, who didn’t have the use of an autopen until six years into her reign, Charles has already been using one for decades. All but his closest correspondence is signed by machine. So I’d expect the vast majority of ‘Charles R’ signatures to be the same.

is likely scarcity of genuine King Charles items will see collectors turn to earlier examples.

Christmas cards signed by Charles and Princess Diana have long been popular with collectors. In 2021, these cards sold for £3,500, with most of their perceived value in Diana’s autograph.

But now these same cards are valued at £4,500 – an increase of 28 per cent. And that’s squarely down to the growing value of Charles’ autograph.

Also in the ascendancy will be cards signed by Charles and Camilla. As recently as 2019, a Christmas card hand-signed by the couple could be purchased for around £3,000. But Camilla is now the Queen Consort, and the value of her autograph is rising accordingly.

Today, I’d suggest those same Christmas cards would be valued at approximately £1,500, rising to more than £2,000 after the coronation.

Prince William Prince William’s autograph is perhaps the rarest royal signature you can own.

Very few examples of William’s signature are even available to view online – let alone purchase. Simply put: they are almost impossible to obtain.

In my entire career, I’ve only ever handled two examples. e rst was a rst-day postal cover, signed very much against protocol at a charity event in 2003. And the second is a playing card initialled by the Prince in 2005, during a magic trick at another charity event.

Having inherited his father’s position as the new Prince of Wales, William now o cially signs with a “P” at the end of his name. But handwriting experts suggest that William’s almost unreadable signature reveals him as a deeply private gure.

And certainly not a man who signs his name readily on anything.

Even images of recent Christmas cards from the couple showed they had been signed by Kate alone (as “Catherine”).

When you combine this with the royal ban on autographs, it all spells one thing for collectors... King William could become the rarest autograph of any British monarch in modern history.

Above Cards signed by Charles and Diana are increasing in value, due to Charles’ ascension to the throne

Right e prince initialled the card during a magic trick at Banqueting House in 2005

MAGIC SIGNATURE

The rare playing card comes with a letter from Ian Sav, the magician at the glitzy charity do at Banqueting Hall. He writes:

“On 1st October 2005 I was invited to perform at a black and white themed party at Banqueting House, London. Lots of notables in attendance including George Martin (Beatles producer) and other celebrities. On the top table sat Prince William and Lady Melissa Percy.

“I offered the prince to choose a card. The two of Spades was chosen… I then asked the prince to sign the card which he happily obliged. I then turned to Lady Melissa Percy who also signed it.

“During the classic magic effect lots of various card manipulations took place until the crescendo where the card vanished from the deck.

Above Next May’s coronation will be a major event, sure to inspire a surge of interest in both King Charles and Queen Camilla

Below Could this be one of the rarest royal signatures in history?

“I looked the Prince in the eye and explained it had appeared folded in quarters under his watch! Sure enough it was! In total shock the astounded Prince repeatedly pronounced ‘Extraordinary.’”

Paul Fraser is the founder of Paul Fraser Collectibles. For more details on current stock including the royal autographs in this article go to www.paulfrasercollectibles.com

‘There are two more members of the Windsor family whose signatures are set for another leap. King Charles III and Prince William represent the future of the monarchy - and the value of their signatures will rise accordingly’

Prince William and the Princess of Wales at a black tie event

An Auctioneer’s Lot

Chinese treasures continue to achieve life-changing amounts at auction as two recent sales prove, writes Charles Hanson

Chinese ceramics and Asian works of art can deliver eye-popping numbers at auction – such is the demand from wealthy Asian buyers who are keen to repatriate important objects to their homeland.

Like so many times before, the latest Chinese nd to spark excitement in the saleroom was discovered by one of our routine home visits, this time at a property in Surrey. When the owner moved into the property, he purchased the contents and the vase (above) came with it. He had no idea the vase in question could be valuable.

Undercover detective

Chinese ceramics bring out the detective in me. Pieces need to be thoroughly assessed, so after “spotting” them I routinely seek the opinions of fellow experts and much research is done. In the case of this vase, due to go under the hammer in October, the news was good.

It was a rare double-gourd vase with a Qianlong seal mark (1735-1799) and a beauty to behold, featuring a rare pale green ground with gilt lotus decoration. A hemispherical lower bulb rises to a rounded upper section which narrows at the rim, and all is painted with stylised lotus scrolls.

Above Charles studies the Qianlong seal mark, image courtesy of Hansons, credit Mark Laban

Above right e vase had been expected to sell for £40,000-£60,000, image courtesy of Hansons, credit Mark Laban

Below right e exquisitely-carved altar table was made of zitan, image courtesy of Hansons

Chinese emperors were great patrons of the arts. ey encouraged and supported the creation of ne ceramics to adorn their palaces. is was certainly true of the Qianlong Emperor (1711-1799), a capable and cultured ruler who reigned from 1735 to 1796. In 1796 he abdicated in favour of his son, the Jiaqing Emperor (1760-1820) but retained ultimate power until his death at 87 in 1799.

e double-gourd holds considerable appeal among the Chinese. In addition to its peculiar shape, it is associated with the fantasy world: immortals and legendary gures are believed to use double gourds to carry medicines with magic power. So it was no surprise when we o ered the vase for sale with a guide price of £40,000-£60,000.

Table tops

And it’s not just ceramics that can stun the saleroom. A month before the vase was valued an exquisitely-carved, 19th-century Chinese altar table smashed its pre-sale estimate of £3,000-£4,000 to sell for £71,500. e key reason for this was the wood it was made from – zitan. is rare member of the rosewood family has historically been valued in China, particularly during the Qing dynasty period. Sourced from the tropical forests of Indochina and Hainan Island in China, its blackish red-purple colour makes it hugely hugely desirable with collectors around the world. e carving detail on the altar table was particularly impressive with exotic foliage throughout the frieze and legs. Gilt mounts on its feet were moulded to match the carving, an aspect of its design which enhanced its rarity. e table was made during the Guangxu era in the 1880s. Furniture from this period is renowned for its heavy carving. e altar table was an exceptional example that delivered a phenomenal result.

To nd out more, or to arrange a consignment or valuation, email charles@hansonsauctioneers.co.uk

‘The vase is a beauty to behold, featuring a rare pale green ground with gilt lotus decoration and a narrow key-fret band in pink enamel’

A blue and white

Ming dynasty (1368-

15th

from the St

Asian ART

Behind the scenes at this month’s

in the

and reveal

THE EXPERT COLLECTOR Chinese in uences on Georgian furniture

Asian ART

Eastern Promise

Opposite page George II carved mahogany armchair in the manner of omas Chippendale (1718-1779) designed in the chinoiserie taste. e back splat is carved with a pagoda cresting and lattice-work back and sides, image courtesy of Mackinnon Fine Furniture

Right Matthew Darly (c. 1721-1780) A New Book of Chinese Designs, 1754

As soon as trade started to ow between Europe and East Asia in the early 16th century, eastern lands sparked an enduring fascination with Westerners fuelled by the exotic porcelain, silk and lacquerware that arrived on UK shores.

Such were the treasures that stimulated Rococo designers of the mid-18th century to imitate and adapt oriental motifs for a wide variety of objects that they didn’t distinguish between what was Chinese, Japanese or Indian, combining motifs in a whimsical, fantasy world.

Lacquered goods were de rigueur in fashionable homes, but while the craze started to fall o at the start of the 18th century (the value of imported lacquerware slumped from £1,436 in 1718 to just £32 in 1720), the impact of China on English domestic furnishings did not.

Long before omas Chippendale (1718-1779) set up shop with his famous Chinese designs, some of the most characteristic and typically ‘English’ 18th-century furniture owed its inspiration to Eastern prototypes.

Below right Standing shelf (one of a pair) William Linnell (1703-1763) and John Linnell (1729–1796), c. 1753–1754, supplied to the fourth Duke of Beaufort (1709-1756).

e set of japanned furniture for the Chinese Bedroom at Badminton House, Gloucestershire, included a bed, eight armchairs, two pairs of standing shelves and a dressing commode, image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Left A pair of George III carved mahogany armchairs, c. 1765, in the manner of Matthew Darly (c. 1721-1780).

e pair has an estimate of £20,000-£30,000 at Sotheby’s sale of the Private Collection of the Late Sir Joseph Hotung on December 7-8

Chinese-influenced makers

Initially apprenticed to the clockmaker Umfraville Sampson in 1735, Matthew Darly (c. 1721-1780) worked with Chippendale in the 1750s, and engraved most of the plates for the Director. His book A New Book of Chinese Designs, published in 1754, contains a variety of ornamental designs of Chinese inspiration.

Another influence was Sir William Chambers (1723-1796) who, as a young man, travelled widely in the East, visiting the Chinese port of Canton (Guangzhou). His 1757 book, Designs for Chinese Buildings, Furniture, Dresses, Machines and Utensils went a long way in bringing Chinese design into interiors. Chambers also designed a number of chinoiserie buildings for the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew including, in 1761, the first pagoda built in Europe.

India-back chairs

One example is evident in a new style from the Queen Anne period, namely the ‘India-back’ or ‘bended’ back chair to England in the early years of the 1700s.

‘The India back chair has since become known and loved worldwide as the Queen Anne chair despite the fact it was not actually introduced until the reign of George I (1714-1727). Its success is testament to the ingenuity of early Georgian furniture makers who saw a good design, took it, modified it and created one of the world’s most enduring chair styles’

Hitherto, all English chairs had been made with backs which were essentially open rectangular frames with a cross-rail above the seat. e ‘India-back’ was not only ergonomically curved to accommodate the sitter but dispensed with the cross-rail in favour of a vertical splat tenoned directly into the seat rail. e name ‘India back’ leaves us in no doubt that the design originated in the Far East, speci cally China where a similar back construction had been used for centuries.

Richard Robert, the carver and joiner to the Royal Household between 1714 and 1729, is believed to have supplied a set of 18 English vertical-splat chairs to Hampton Court Palace, and the terminology ‘India’ began to be used in invoices and inventories.

e in uence of China on English furniture has gone on for centuries. Antique Collecting considers its enduring appeal

THE EXPERT COLLECTOR Chinese in uences on Georgian furniture

roofs of Chinese pagodas, fabulous birds and gures in Chinese clothes. Sometimes these gures were copied directly from Chinese objects, but more frequently they originated in the designer’s imagination.

Mythical beasts such as dragons also became a common Chinoiserie motif, summoning up all that was strange and wonderful about the East. At its height in the years 1750 to 1765, designs proliferated in railed and pagoda-crested chairs in both the ‘picturesque’ Chinese tea pavilions of landscaped parks as well as in fashionable apartments hung with ‘India’ paper.

Queen Anne

Within a few years, such direct expressions of Chinese in uence were modi ed by combining the India back with European motifs and conventions, such as a baluster-shaped splat. It is an ironic testimony to the success of the India back chair that within a decade of being introduced into the UK, workshops in Canton were producing their own versions of it speci cally for the English market.

e India back chair has since become known and loved worldwide as the Queen Anne chair despite the fact it was not actually introduced until the reign of George I (1714-1727). Its success is testament to the ingenuity of early Georgian furniture makers who saw a good design, took it, modi ed it and created one of the world’s most enduring chair styles.

Chinoiserie obsession

India back chairs and tables were only the beginning of a phenomenon which developed into the unique blend of European Rococo and Oriental exoticism.

e fashion culminated in the mid 18th century, when art and design from China and other Asian countries, became known as chinoiserie (from Chinois, the French for Chinese). Chinoiserie drew on these exotic, mysterious preconceptions. Objects featured fantastic landscapes with fanciful pavilions, sweeping lines of the

Above left A Chinese 17th-century continuous yokeback chair, the most vertical of Chinese chairs which forces the body to assume a posture of upright rectitude, dignity and power, image courtesy of Christie’s

Above An early 18thcentury carved walnut side chair, the scrolled top rail over a heart shaped motif and a vaseshaped centre splat, image courtesy of W R Harvey & Co.

Above right China table, c. 1755–1760. With its pierced gallery and graceful curving stretchers, it is close to a Chinese design by omas Chippendale (1718-1779) in the 1754 edition of e Gentleman and CabinetMaker’s Director, image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

omas Chippendale (1718-1779)

e ever entrepreneurial omas Chippendale (17181779) was quick to develop the style, with chinoiserie being one of the staples of his famous Director. Indeed, the entire style movement soon became known as ‘Chinese Chippendale’.

His Chinese chair has a broad, low seat, lattice splat back, in distinct geometric patterns and a back rail, which can be at or arched in the middle. It was intended to be used as a dining chair or, when drinking tea (another Chinese fascination), designed to sit against the wall until needed. With its light and open design, moving the chair was extremely easy and its lattice back-splat made the room look airier.

e rst edition of the 1754 Director describes “nine Chairs in the present Chinese manner, which I hope will improve that taste, or manner of work; it having yet never arrived to any perfection; doubtless it might be lost without feeling its beauty: as it admits of the greatest variety, I think it the most useful of any other. e sizes are all speci ed on the designs. e three last (No. XXV.) I hope will be well received, as there has been none like them yet made.”

In 1759, Sir Gilbert Heathcote (d. 1785), commissioned Chippendale to furnish his Palladian mansion, Normanton Hall in Rutland and his London houses. Chippendale’s earliest records recount the acquisition in 1768 of ‘6 India Back and arm chairs Japand to imitate the Bamboe’, signifying how the family embraced the highly fashionable chinoiserie taste.

Far left Side chair, c. 1755-1760. e unknown maker of this chair has playfully combined the back of Chippendale’s ‘ribband’ chairs with the fretwork legs based on his “Chinese” designs

Left Drawings for three ‘ribband’ chairs (top) and three Chinese chairs (below), from omas Chippendale’s e Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director

Enduring legacy

e Chinese designs (and others) from Chippendale’s e Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director continued to in uence cabinetmakers across the country (and beyond) throughout the Victorian and Edwardian periods. Designs were wholesale copied by makers, usually to order from the pictures in the catalogue, for their own clients. ey were also tweaked to meet the fashions of the day.

Similar to Chippendale’s Director and no doubt in uenced by its pages, a pattern book was published by George Smith in 1808 that captured the fashions of the era. e book was called A Collection of Designs for Household Furniture and Interior Decoration. It is thought to be the rst work in English in which the term ‘interior decoration’ was used. e book popularised the Regency style, which suited the villas and terraces being built in the UK to accommodate the growing population. It also brought back the Chinese and gothic styles last seen in the Director Gillows of Lancaster, a successful cabinetmaker’s shop founded by Robert Gillow in 1703, also used the Director as an inspiration well into the late 19th century. Robert’s two sons, Richard and Robert joined the business and expanded its reach to London to capitalise on the capitals new breed of wealthy buyers. Soon the rm’s reputation grew until it became known as one the best cabinetmakers of the day.

Copy splats

Customers could choose furniture from Gillow’s design books, the Director, or even have furniture made up from their own sketches. Several chair styles were based directly on Chippendale’s desgins, including “Chinese”, “Gothic” and “French style” and were adapted by the Lancaster rm.

Unlike Chippendale’s work, due to the rm’s shortage of carvers, carving in all styles, including Chinese, was usually restricted to a few ornaments on the chair back, leg and arms.

Above right omas Clifton of Lytham Hall ordered two armchairs and 12 single chairs from Gillows in 1763 in the Chinese style. Taken from Gillows of Lancaster and London 1730-1840 by Susan E. Stewart published by the Antique Collectors’ Club

Below right A Chinese Chippendale fretwork display cabinet by Morant, c. 1895, is on sale from Wicks Antiques priced £22,500

Below Gillows was making Chinese chairs from 1758, but no drawing survives of this elaborate early type. Taken from Gillows of Lancaster and London 17301840 by Susan E. Stewart published by the Antique Collectors’ Club

In 1765, Richard Gillow wrote to a customer that he would be agreeable to reproducing furniture in the Chippendale style, as he owned the book of patterns and would be able to “execute and adapt them.”

Chippendale style continued into the Victorian period as can be seen in the Chinese Chippendale fretwork display cabinet by the London maker Morant available from Wicks Antiques. In 1876, Morant was referred to in e Furniture Gazette Directory as ‘Art furniture makers, cabinet makers & upholsterers and noted for their revival of the Chippendale style’. e taste for Chinese-inspired furniture lived on.

rose

Asian ART

In the Pink

Famille rose porcelain ourished under the Kangxi and Qianlong emperors as an exhibition of Chinese masterpieces this month reveals

The nal Qing dynasty of China, from 1644 to 1911, was marked by the reigns of three of the most powerful and distinguished emperors.

e Kangxi Emperor ruled the empire for an exceptionally long sixty years, from 1662 to 1722. is was matched by his grandson, the Qianlong Emperor, who reigned from 1736, also for sixty years, after which he retired from the throne, not wanting to exceed his forebear’s record. In between was the short but impactful reign of the Yongzheng Emperor (1723-1735).

Despite their very di erent personalities, all three emperors were great patrons of the arts. ey had at their command the most skilled and talented artisans and their personal input resulted in great achievements in arts and crafts, particularly in ceramics.

Under the Kangxi Emperor’s rule the Palace Workshops (Zaoban chu) were founded as part of the Imperial Household Department (Neiwu fu). ey were situated inside the Forbidden City, in the Inner Palace in the Hall of Mental Cultivation (Yangxindian), where the emperor had his own living quarters.

e workshops employed the best craftsmen and artisans, both Chinese and Western, who worked

Above Pink-ground falangcai porcelain bowl, Qing dynasty, Kangxi (1662-1722) four-character blueenamelled Yuzhi reign mark, reserved for a select group of objects made for imperial use, diameter 13.3cm on show at this month’s exhibition at the London Eskenazi gallery

collaboratively with court artists under close imperial supervision. e workshops were divided into di erent and varied materials including glass, jade, bamboo, lacquer and precious metals such as gold and silver.

In the case of porcelain, the vessels were made at Jingdezhen, after which smaller pieces (such as the bowls considered here) were sent to the Palace Workshops for decoration. Speci cally, they were sent to the enamelling (falang) workshops, once fully established, in which glass, copper, sometimes gold, and porcelain were decorated to speci ed designs, although some enamel decoration was also carried out at Jingdezhen.

Famille rose

e origins and composition of pink enamel on porcelain vessels during this period has been the subject of much study. e enamels employed in the Palace Workshops at this time likely included colours imported from Europe, some brought up from Guangzhou where there had been early exposure to Western enamels and some produced in Beijing, probably partly with input from the Jesuit missionaries (see right).

e drive to produce enamelled objects was matched by the desire to produce new European-style colours, often referred to as falangcai. ree key colours to emerge during this period were an opaque white, an opaque yellow and a translucent ruby enamel. While the opaque colours of arsenic-based white and lead-tin-based yellow may have already been used as colourants in Chinese cloisonné work, the origin of the ruby enamel is not as clear cut.

e colours were all introduced at Jingdezhen towards the end of the Kangxi era, around 1720, after some initial experimentation with colours in Beijing which saw the predominantly green palette evolve to one of rubyred and pink. Nigel Wood writes: ‘By using the colours separately and also by intermixing them with each other,

Above left Detail from the pink-ground falangcai porcelain bowl, Qing dynasty, Kangxi (1662-1722). e bowl is unusual not only for its rare pastel-pink ground but also for the owerheads composed of smaller orets rather than single blooms

Above right Anonymous portrait of the Jesuit priest Matteo Ripa (16821746)

Right Jingdezhen, the home of the imperial kilns, which today remains at the heart of the country’s ceramic production

Left e ‘Bernat’ bowl, a yellow-ground falangcai porcelain ‘landscape’ bowl, Qing dynasty, with a Qianlong (1736-1795) four-character, blueenamelled mark and of the period, diameter 5 cm. Formerly the property of American collectors Paul and Helen Bernat, it was o ered at auction in Hong Kong in 1997 from the collection of Takashi Endo where it was acquired by Eskenazi. On show at this month’s exhibition

‘The drive to produce enamelled objects was matched by the desire to produce new European-style colours, often referred to as falangcai. Three key colours to emerge during this period were an opaque white, an opaque yellow and a translucent ruby enamel’

Jesuit influence

The Kangxi Emperor (1662-1722) was particularly taken by European gifts of painted enamelled wares, which had started to arrive at court. Among the skilled craftsmen and artists he engaged were Jesuit fathers who brought both their technical expertise and their faith from Europe. These included Matteo Ripa (1682-1746) who reported in his diary in 1716: ‘His Majesty having become fascinated by our European enamel and by the new method of enamel painting, tried by every possible means to introduce the latter into his imperial workshops which he had set up for this purpose within the Palace, with the result that with the colours used there to paint porcelain and with several large pieces of enamel which he had had brought from Europe, it became possible to do something.’

Indeed, both Matteo Ripa and his fellow Jesuit, Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766) were ordered by the emperor to paint with enamels despite their protests that they were not experienced in this field.

The French Jesuit missionary and enameller, Jean-Baptiste Gravereau (1690-1762) was a key figure in the mastery of this art at the Palace Workshops and in the resultant successful production of enamelled wares, including on porcelain and on Yixing earthenware. Memorials from the governor of Guangdong, Yang Ling (?-1724), mention the purchase of ‘Western enamel pigments’ and the recruitment of local craftsmen to create enamel-painted objects and to develop ‘rouge pigments.’

and with the existing transparent Jingdezhen colours, an extensive range of opaque, transparent and translucent e ects became available to the porcelain enamellers.’

When pink enamel was applied over the white, an opaque pink was achieved; by mixing the two, a huge variety of shades and tones were also possible, heralding the age of famille rose

THE EXPERT COLLECTOR Famille rose porcelain

Left Rose-pink porcelain cup Qing dynasty, Kangxi six-character mark, (1662-1722), diameter: 8.3cm

Right Portrait of the Kangxi Emperor in court dress, Qing dynasty (1644–1911) anonymous court painter, late Kangxi period, hanging scroll, colour on silk

Kangxi period (1662-1722), which were the rst of this colour to appear in China, are uncommon. e monochrome pink, probably applied by blowing the glaze through a bamboo tube, the end covered with a ne gauze, varies from a speckled pinkish-red tone to an even bright ruby-pink. A small group of cups, bowls and dishes with slightly mottled ruby-pink glazes are in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, all from

Below left Rose-pink porcelain cup Kangxi period, you xinchou nian zhi mark, corresponding to 1721, diameter 11.2cm National Palace Museum, Taipei, (creative commons)

Below right Detail of the ‘Bernat’ bowl. One of four separate landscape scenes, executed in shades of rose pink

White ground

Sandwiched between the Kangxi (1662-1722) period and the Qianlong (1736-1795) era, the Yongzheng period (1723-1735) saw the further re nement of enamelling on Chinese porcelain.

Under the stewardship of Yinxiang, Prince Yi (16861730), a younger and favourite brother of the Yongzheng emperor, the workshops continued to re ne and develop the enamelling on porcelain that had seen such success during the Kangxi period. e innovations coincided with an ongoing successful search for local enamel colours to replace the imported materials.

By 1728, records show that Prince Yi gave Western enamels in nine shades to the enamel craftsman, Song Qige, along with nine new enamel colours. He was ordered to make ‘300 catties of each type at the palace glass factory’. e success in creating local enamel colours and the introduction of new shades ushered in a golden age of enamelled porcelain.

Technical developments at this time allowed the enamellers to paint designs directly onto the white-glazed surface of a vessel. us, unlike the Kangxi enamelled pieces, the majority of which had coloured enamelled grounds, the Yongzheng artisans were able to design against a white ground, as if against plain paper or silk. is led to the creation of a whole genre of porcelains from the Palace Workshops which took inspiration from classical paintings. Whether of the bird and ower genre or landscape, the artisans decorated dishes, bowls and other vessels as continuous scenes, painted with the utmost delicacy, and often completed with a calligraphic inscription in black enamel and seal marks, often in pink enamel. To achieve these ‘three perfections’ of painting, poetry and calligraphy, a number of court painters and calligraphers were employed, not just to produce the designs but sometimes also speci cally transferred to the enamelling department to paint and inscribe the enamels on porcelain.

Landscape scenes

Landscape scenes make a ‘solo’ appearance on porcelain in the Yongzheng era. While landscape elements had been used in ceramic decoration since the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368), the Yongzheng periodsaw an entirely new aesthetic, with dishesand bowls decorated only with landscape scenes. e designs mirrored the style of handscrolls or hanging scrolls evoking scholar and court paintings, with the blank white space used as e ectively as the painted areas.

Colourful designs on bowls include those ‘copying’ Tang-style blue-and-green landscapes, while others feature monochromatic Northern Song ‘monumental landscape style’ scenes in sepia. However, during the Yongzheng period, landscape scenes executed in pink enamel on porcelain were extremely rare.

‘Bernat’ bowl

By all accounts the Qianlong Emperor was enamoured of the decorative use of pinkish-red enamelled landscape scenes, with a record from 1738, the third year of his reign, praising a copper-bodied snu bottle painted with a landscape in pinkish-red enamels. These pink enamel landscape designs were quickly transferred to porcelain Fine enamelling on porcelain continued into the Qianlong period, although production at the Palace Workshops ceased in the latter part of thereign when a shortage of both painters and enamellers saw the production of enamelled porcelain move to Jingdezhen. e ‘Bernat’ bowl however (below left), was clearly produced in the Palace Workshops where exquisite quality co-existed with innovative techniques.

e bowl is decorated with four separate landscape scenes, executed in shades of rose pink, which are framed by a border of stylised, shaded olive-toned squared scrolls. e bright yellow ground forms a startling contrast with the pink enamel, while further embellishment is added by pendant blue enamel squared scrollsandroundels and by the feathery scrolls around the foot.

e bowl masterfully combines the elegance and delicacy of painting of the Yongzheng period with new innovations and western-inspired elements characteristic of the Qianlong reign.

is article is an extract from an original essay by Sarah Wong. Both bowls can be seen at Eskenazi Ltd., 10 Cli ord Street, Mayfair, W1S 2LJ as part of its exhibition 50 Years of Exhibitions: Five Masterpieces on Loan from a Private Family Collection from October 27 to February 3 as part of Asian Art in London. For more details go to www.eskenazi.co.uk

Right Blue and white porcelain moon ask Qing dynasty, Qianlong mark and of the period, (1736-1795), height 24cm, mage courtesy of Eskenazi Ltd

Below right Famille rose porcelain ‘peach’ bowl Qing dynasty, Yongzheng mark and period (17231735), diameter 14cm, image courtesy of Eskenazi Ltd

Below Portrait of Qianlong Emperor, attributed to Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766) hanging scroll, ink and colour on silk, height: 322.5cm, width 232cm, the Palace Museum, Beijing, Wikimedia commons

GLAZES IN A NUTSHELL

Confusing to many, Sarah Wong presents her guide to Chinese glazes

Underglaze blue porcelain Cobalt blue was applied directly to the ceramic body to create the desired decorative e ect, followed by the application of a transparent glaze and a high temperature ring.

Enamelled porcelain is refers to porcelain that has been glazed and high red and subsequently decorated over the glaze with coloured enamels in a second, lower temperature ring (c. 800°C). e colours were derived from metal oxides and usually uxed with lead oxide.

Famille verte

Refers to overglaze enamel-decorated porcelain made from the Kangxi period (1662-1722) in which a transparent green is the dominant enamel colour. e green enamel was often combined with yellow, red, purple, turquoise and black enamels, as well as underglaze blue. Porcelain decorated with this dominant palette of green was referred to by European collectors in the 19th century as famille verte (green family). e term used in China is yingcai (strong colours).

Famille rose

Pink enamel was introduced to the palette used by Chinese porcelain decorators around the 1720s. Also introduced around this time was an opaque white enamel and an opaque yellow; when mixed with other enamel colours this allowed the production of a range of pastel colours not seen before. Porcelain with a dominant pink colour was referred to as famille rose (pink family) by 19th-century European collectors. e Chinese name for this palette is fencai (power colours) or yangcai (foreign colours).

SALES GUIDE Asian Art in London

Eyes East

With the world’s eyes on the capital this month, we bring you some of the highlights of the best Asian Art sales in London and beyond

A rare blue and white ‘lotus’ ewer, Ming dynasty (13681644), Yongle period (1403-1424), 33.8cm high. It has an estimate of £200,000-£250,000 at Sotheby’s of the Dr Wou Kiuan collection on November 1.

A pair of Kangxi period (1661-1722) Chinese gilt-metal mounted parrot candelabra has an estimate of £4,000-£6,000 at the Berkshire auctioneer Dreweatts’ sale of Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on November 9 and 10. The pair was part of Anthony de Rothschilds’ (1887-1961) Chinese porcelain collection which was recently rediscovered at his daughter Renée Louise Marie de Rothschild’s (1927-2015) home.

An imperial famille rose porcelain plaque, Qianlong period (1736-1795) measuring 42 x 42cm. It has an estimate of £20,000-£30,000 at the London auction house Roseberys’ Chinese, Japanese and Southeast Asian Works of Art sale on November 8.

arge (12cm high) Chinese copper-red and underglazee snuff bottle, dated to the g dynasty (1644-1911) with six-character Yongzheng -1735) mark to base. Its ylindrical body is decorated with the Eight Daoist Immortals waves. It has an stimate of £200-£300 at the Essex auction house Sworders’ sale of Asian Art on November

sale of Fine Chinese Art on November 3.

A collection of Chinese blue and white porcelain from a collector near Bridport has an estimate of £15,000-£20,000 at the Dorset auctioneer Charterhouse’s Asian Art sale on November 2. The sale also includes a collection of 30 Chinese snuff bottles from a deceased estate in Beaminster.

Two Japanese inlaid iron cabinets modelled as a house by the Komai Company of Kyoto, Meiji period (1868-1912), from a private Scottish collection, 15.5cm and 20cm high. The pair has an estimate of £1,500-£2,500 at Lyon and Turnbull’s Fine Asian and Islamic Works of Art online sale on November 4.

A19th-century bamboo libation cup, 15cm high, nely carved with scholars and attendants on a mountain path with pine trees. It has an estimate of £15,000 - £20,000 at the Somerset auctioneers Dore & Rees’ Asian Art sale on November 7.

A large embroidered ‘dragon’ panel, dated to the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), measuring 171 x 298cm. The panel was part of a French private collection, acquired in the 1920s from the Duguet

Asian ART

China Sees

China holds a special place in global book history as the birthplace of printing. Woodblock printing became commonplace around the seventh century, while early papermakers excelled at making durable paper made from bamboo and other plant bres. Buddhist sutras were produced many hundreds of years before the Gutenberg Bible, while rare manuscripts from the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties still survive in much greater numbers than contemporary European equivalents.

Where once the rare book trade focused on a select group of famous antiquarian titles, dealers are now o ering collectors access to an extraordinary range of materials.

e market has taken o in the past two decades both in China and worldwide with some astonishing results. In 2020, two surviving manuscript volumes of the famous 15th-century Yongle Dadian – the encyclopaedia commissioned by the Yongle Emperor, the third ruler of the Ming dynasty –achieved 1,000 times their estimate at auction in France. Later the same year, the diaries of the renowned intellectual Hu Shih (1871-1962), written while he was studying abroad in America in the 1920s, fetched $20.9m at auction in Beijing, the most expensive hammer price for a set of journals ever recorded.

Ancient to modern e possibilities for collectors divide into two overlapping elds: books published about China and books published in Chinese.

The 21st century has been referred to as “the Chinese century”, a re ection of Beijing’s increasing political, economic and cultural in uence. e country’s rising prominence is making waves in the antiquarian book world, as more people become interested in collecting works which can speak to China’s fascinating and complex history.

Above Imperial Railways of North China by Chinese Imperial Railway (1911) Sold by Peter Harrington for £1,250

Below left Guide to Peking and its Environs by Emil Sigmund Fischer (1909). For sale from Peter Harrington for £1,250

Right Confucius Sinarum Philosophus, Sive Scientia Sinensis Latine Exposita (1687). For sale from Peter Harrington for £20,000

Traditional entry points into collecting Chinese rare books range from interest in long-established core works such as the 1687 Confucius Sinarum Philosophus (the book which rst introduced Europeans to Confucianism) to early encounter narratives and embassy accounts. But dealers sourcing and creating a market for previously uncatalogued niche books have opened up fascinating opportunities for collectors of more unusual and nuanced subject-matter.

Golden Age of travel

Of the many genres now being explored by collectors, China’s popularity today as a tourist destination is translating into increased interest in tourist guides from the golden age of travel.

Tourism and travel guidebooks provide a window onto a China that has faded from

It’s not just ceramics and Asian art making waves, Chinese books are a booming collecting eld – with early travel guides to the country enduringly popular, writes specialist Dr Matthew Wills

view amid the country’s rapid development – plates and folding maps greatly heighten desirability. Examples in English, French, German and Japanese are also all worth considering.

e opening up of the treaty ports, combined with improved long-distance transportation, eventually put cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Hong Kong within reach of the wealthy from the West. ese cities were mysterious and enticing, even to the most experienced global wanderer.

To cater to these adventurers, between 1870 and 1930 there appeared a plethora of guidebooks and other remarkable tourist literature. For foreign travellers, these were both indispensable sources of information, to be kept on one’s person at all times, and treasured souvenirs of their journeys. For today’s collectors interested in the history of travel and East Asia, they are highly prized for their detailed maps and plans, as well as photographs and distinctive period adverts.

Intrepid travellers

e origins of these tourist guidebooks can be found in the narratives written by early travellers to China, which enthralled curious European audiences and exoticised China in the Western imagination. e most famous example is González de Mendoza’s (1545-1618) La Historia de las Cosas más Notables, Ritos y Costumbres del Gran Reyno

Left An Authentic Account of an Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China by George Staunton (1798). For sale from Peter Harrington for £18,500

Right Qingdao youlan shouce (A Handbook to Qingdao) (1957). For sale from Peter Harrington for £900

Below far left e Historie of the great and mightie kingdome of China, and the situation thereof by Juan Gonzales de Mendoza (1588). For sale from Peter Harrington for £50,000

Below middle left and left Peking: North China, South Manchuria and Korea by omas Cook & Son (1920). Sold by Peter Harrington for £200

Guidebooks under Communism

Contrary to what we might expect, tourism remained alive and well after Mao’s communists came to power in 1949. Guidebooks to Beijing produced by the state-run China Travel Service for invited foreign visitors have familiar attributes, such as maps and appealing pictures, but present the city’s popular sites – including the Forbidden City and the nearby portion of the Great Wall – through a politically inflected lens. One example from 1956 describing how, “after the liberation of Peking in 1949”, the central government turned the Forbidden City into “an ideal touring resort for the masses”.

Chinese urbanites also holidayed at the country’s many coastal resorts and famous scenic spots, with new Chinese-language guides printed to serve this audience.

A guide to the coastal resort of Qingdao printed in 1957 shows happy beach-goers on its front cover and contains advertisements for Qingdao Beer (still popular today), department stores, and a confectioner. Despite political changes in the 1960s, leisure travel remained an option for those who could afford it, and publishers continued to produce many

‘The opening up of the treaty ports, combined with improved long-distance transportation, eventually put cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Hong Kong within reach of the wealthy from the West. These cities were mysterious and enticing, even to the most experienced global wanderer’

Above and right Qingdao youlan shouce (A Handbook to Qingdao) by Qingdao (1957). For sale from Peter Harrington for £900

COLLECTING GUIDES Chinese books

de China, published in 1585 and translated into English in 1588, which galvanized others to travel eastwards for centuries to come. It also contains the rst Chinese characters ever printed in a European book.

Later works such as George Staunton’s (1737-1801) account of the rst o cial British embassy to China, rst published at the close of the 18th century, were frequently embellished with views, plans, and maps to create compelling reading experiences for Western audiences.

Early guidebooks from the second half of the 19th century – now some of the rarest on the market – were straightforward a airs, catering to an audience imagined to be sophisticated and intellectually astute.

Intellectual nourishment

One such is the second edition of Frank Warrington Eastlake’s A Guide to Hongkong with a Short Account of Canton & Macao, published around 1890, which o ers a discussion of ora and fauna, geology, dialects and slang.

Discussing the wildlife of the colony, Eastlake thought it appropriate to o er information on migration patterns and an exhaustive list of observable butter y species. Absent are the maps and illustrations which became

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Much of the same criteria for collecting Western books is the same with their Eastern equivalent. Condition is paramount: the durability of Chinese paper means works even 1,000 years old can be found without signi cant foxing or browning. e clarity of the printing, subject to variations within a print-run as woodblocks wear down, is also a factor to consider. Finally, a specialist dealer will be able to identify seal stamps and other marks of ownership which provide an item’s provenance and any associations with any of China’s many famous past scholarly collectors.

Above far left A Guide to Hongkong with a Short Account of Canton & Macao by Frank Warrington Eastlake (1890). Sold by Peter Harrington for £1,750

Above left e Historie of the great and mightie kingdome of China, and the situation thereof by Juan Gonzales de Mendoza (1588). For sale from Peter Harrington for £50,000

Left An Authentic Account of an Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China by George Staunton (1798). For sale from Peter Harrington for £18,500

Above right Tourist spot: Shanghai in the early 20th century

a feature of travel guides – for Eastlake, the discerning visitor did not need such niceties because travel was a form of intellectual nourishment: “thus travel becomes a means of knowledge and an incontestably superior method of instruction and improvement.” Elite anxieties about ending up in a bad part of town abound, with visitors advised that “there are not many Chinese restaurants of any great respectability in Victoria, the ‘Hung Fa Low’ being the only one patronised by visitors of the better class.”

Hotel chic

Unlike the cheap pamphlets found in the typical lobby today, hotels of the day provided visitors with guidebooks to help them make the most of their time in bustling destinations such as Beijing and Shanghai.

One of the earliest known guidebooks to Shanghai is that provided by guests at the city’s famous Hotel Metropole, which demonstrates the emergence of the familiar guidebook form: period adverts for shops and services of interest to visitors, a large folding map of the location, and a warm, courteous tone.

e guide presents the Metropole as a safe haven for Europeans who might venture into the unknown in the day but yearn for an escape “from the bustle and din of the City, and more particularly from the weirdly unpleasant noises and antique odours.” It also advertises the services of a resident barber, a bar stocked with champagne, beer and cocktails, 75 bedrooms and livery stables.

Collectors prize travel guides for the light they shed on the concerns of visitors, and this guide suggests that, for early 20th-century visitors to Shanghai, obtaining clean water was a major preoccupation.

Besides advertisements for such businesses as the Shanghai Horse Bazaar, Robinson Pianos, and the Italian goods importer F. Venturi, it devotes signi cant space to promoting assorted brands of bottled water – “Tansan natural tonic table water – you all want it!” – to help visitors survive the notoriously hot Shanghai summer.

China’s “Bradshaw’s”

Above all other forms of transport, railways opened up the world to early travellers, and attractive pamphlets and small booklets were on hand at stations and major hotels. Imperial Railways of North China: Peking-Mukden Line, a guide to the rst Chinese railway enterprise, was used at the start of the Qing dynasty in 1911. Its array

of information on fares, baggage allowances, on board facilities, timetables and connections allows us to piece together the complex infrastructure needed for elite travel.

Around Peking

e now-rare rst edition of Emil Sigmund Fischer’s Guide to Peking and its Environs (1909) is an outstanding example of the visual appeal of golden age tourist guides. e city is represented to a granular level, with dozens of places of interest. e fold-out plan of the city’s famous Legation Quarter is equally impressive, and also demonstrates the complex network of businesses that sprung up in major Chinese cities in the late 19th century to provide foreign visitors with every conceivable comfort. Like other examples in the genre, the guide includes pointed observations which are charming reading today: it is hoped that when visiting tombs and places of interest in and about Peking, or in China generally, visitors will refrain from writing [on] or in any way defacing the buildings and other places of interest.”

New package tours

e “package” tourism model introduced to the Western market by omas Cook & Son revolutionised the nature of leisure travel and has made the company’s guidebooks and ephemera one of the cornerstones for collectors.

Cook’s opened its rst China o ce in Shanghai in 1910, and comparison of Fischer’s guide with editions of the company’s China guidebook draws out the di erences in its approach. e self-planned itinerary and sense of adventure into the unknown has been replaced by a greater focus on pre-arranged group itineraries facilitated by Cook’s agents on the ground.

e folding map at the back of this guidebook pares Beijing down to only the most important destinations; for most visitors, the map existed to help situate them within the city, rather than as a document to be studiously followed. e Cook “package” model heralded the beginning of the end for the golden age of travel.

Dr Matthew Wills is a specialist in the history of the book in China at the rare books dealer Peter Harrington, for more details visit www.peterharrington.co.uk

Above Imperial Railways of North China by Chinese Imperial Railway (1911). Sold by Peter Harrington for £1,250

Right Qi Baishi (18641957) Balsam and Butter ies, hanging scroll, sold for £48,800 at Chiswick Auctions in 2019

Left Guide to Peking and its Environs by Emil Sigmund Fischer (1909). For sale from Peter Harrington for £1,250

Below left Peking: North China, South Manchuria and Korea by omas Cook & Son (1920). Sold by Peter Harrington for £200

5 COLLECTOR CATEGORIES TO WATCH

Art albums: interest in Chinese art has never been greater, and limited edition and fine press books celebrating these artworks are now very collectable. In particular look out for albums of paintings by Qi Baishi and others printed by the Rongbaozhai studio in China in the 1950s and 1960s.

Modern literature: first editions in Chinese and English translation of the works of Lu Xun, Ding Ling, Lin Yutang and other giants of 20th-century Chinese literature are increasingly sought after amid growing awareness of nonEuropean literary history.

First Chinese editions of cornerstone works such as The Wealth of Nations, published in Shanghai in 1902 to make the case for modernisation, or the first Chinese rendering of Aesop’s fables, printed as a language primer in the trading city of Canton in 1840 during the First Opium War.

Ming dynasty books: Chinese publications from the 15th-17th centuries are highly sought after for their rarity inside and outside of China, even more so if they were subsequently owned by an important scholarly collector.

Propaganda and politics: first editions of Mao’s Little Red Book in near-fine condition or better are highly regarded by collectors worldwide, while bibliophiles within China are driving a surge in the collectable value of posters and political ephemera printed during the Mao period (1949-1976).

‘China holds a special place in global book history as the birthplace of printing. Woodblock printing became commonplace around the seventh century, while early papermakers excelled at making durable paper made from bamboo and other plant fibres’

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Puzzle TIME

Give your little grey cells a work-out with some taxing teasers from our puzzle editor Peter Wade-Wright

NOVEMBER QUIZ

Q1 What is a creepie? (a) a low stool used in a Scottish church, (b) an insect in a still-life painting, (c) an illegibly or unsigned, ghost-story manuscript, (d) auction house term for a collection of Victorian photographs.

Q2 Which of the following is a French tricoteuse? (a) a delicately inlaid board game, (b) jewellery made from hair, (c) a pot decorated with primary colours only, (d) a small worktable.

Q3 In 1718, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu sent a letter (later made public) from Constantinople to a friend in England. What did it reveal? (a) a particular art of silk printing, (b) the secrets of the harem, (c) the language of owers, (d) how to make the perfect Turkish co ee.

Q4 What was introduced to Britain from Germany in 1850? (a) dominoes, (b) garden gnomes, (c) the written rules of arm wrestling, (d) the Bavarian sport of shin-kicking and associated shoes, leather pads etc. Very collectable.

Q5 If you had an early 20th-century artefact in the colours violet, green and white, would it have been associated with (a) the su ragette movement, (b) military bravery, (c) royal horse-racing colours, (d) the rst gardening society?

Q6 An early automobile was available in a Colonial version. What was special about it? (two answers). (a) it had a rear/outside seat for a servant, (b) it had greater than normal ground clearance, (c) it featured early air conditioning in the shape of a fan, (d) it was a four-wheel drive.

Q7 What is a tric-trac? (a) a 1930s clockwork toy train, (b) original name for backgammon (French), (c) auction house term for magician’s stage-props, (d) Ken’s (ie Barbie’s friend) sportswear.

Q8 In Hanoverian England the names Bowen, Kitchin, Cary and Smith were associated with

Send your answers to Crossword, Antique Collecting magazine, Sandy Lane, Woodbridge, Su olk, IP12 4SD, UK.

Photocopies are also acceptable, or email your answer to: magazine@ accartbooks.com. e rst three opened by October 20 will win a copy of Jackson’s Hallmarks, Pocket Edition: English, Scottish, Irish Silver & Gold Marks From 1300 to the Present Day, worth £6.95

Q3 What was the subject of Lady Montagu’s

what? (a) maps, (b) sporting guns, (c) furniture, (d) portraiture.

Q9 e term chryselephantine describes (a) large gemstones, (b) religious icon paintings, (c) Greek and other statuary, (d) Asian elephant motifs.

Q5 For what are these colours most well known?

Q10 e Victorian dress known as a ‘Mother Hubbard’, was made popular by which illustrator of children’s books? (a) Walter Crane, (b) Randolph Caldecot, (c) Edmund Dulac, (d) Kate Greenaway.

Finally, here are four anagrams: tennis arm, foreman riot, raw leaper, venison ear. Rearrange them to form, in order:

A decorative style of the late 16th century, using twisted, bizarre and exaggerated forms.

ANAGRAM 3 An example of two Wedgwood

made in this style

A 16th-century European religious and political movement that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church.

Fine earthenware with a bluish glaze introduced by Wedgwood, c. 1779.

A 17th-century French rug or carpet with a dense pile.

SOLUTION TO LAST MONTH’S CROSSWORD:

The letters in the highlighted squares could be rearranged to form the word tourmaline.

The three winners who will each received a copy of the book are Humphrey Godding, Newport; Mrs H.F Henson, Lytham St Annes; and Peter Stroh by email.

Across

Intricate decoration of stylised leaves and scrolls. (9)

Organised activity such as an auction or antiques fair (5)

At ___ ___. Obtained at a bargain price. (1, 4)

Chinese dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) noted for funerary goods in lead-glazed earthenware (among other things). (3)

Grand ____ period (18th century onwards) of travel and European art collecting. (4)

Wooden peg used in joined construction of furniture. (5)

Balaam’s ____. 1626 painting by Rembrandt. (one of the two Biblical situations of a talking animal.) (3)

Belted gown, coat or jacket such as worn by police officers. (5)

T-shaped cross with a loop. Ancient Egyptian symbol of life. (4)

____-back. Modern name for some Greek Revival chairs. (3)

French sot-weed. Continental ceramic manufacturers made such labelled containers for it. (5)

A type of light rifle created for the 1979 film Moonraker sold at auction for £22,000 in 2019. (5)

Pottery with a transparent lead glaze developed by Josiah Wedgwood c. 1760. (9)

Down

Sir Henry _____ (1756-1823). The leading Scottish painter of his period. (7)

Type of wheeled chair. Help pushed it from behind while steered by the occupant. (4)

4 Generic term for pieces of furniture used as supports e.g. music____, tray____ etc. (pl.) (6)

5 Vase with a rounded body and smaller opening. (3)

6 Soft fabric of filaments pressed together. (4)

7 Milky-white gemstone with many fine plays of colour. (4)

ACROSS CLUE

CLUE

Generic name for stick-construction chairs of many styles. (7) Hard, strong and durable wood often used for 18th-century country-made furniture, but chiefly for inlay. (6)

15 National collection of British art…a welcome legacy of the sugar-cube... (4)

17 Natural plastic material (softened by heat) used as windowglass in Medieval times, and later into all sorts of artefacts. (4)

19 _____ table. Contemporary 18th-century term for a small tripod table with a central pillar support rising from ____ feet. (4) 21 ____ back. Contemporary term for a late 18th-century shieldshaped chair or settee back. (3)

Finally, rearrange the letters in the highlighted squares to form the name of long, frame-held and tiltable looking-glasses. (pl.) (6, 7)

A

courtesy

Metropolitan

Mrs

by

SAL EROOM SPOTLIGHT

A wunderkammer of ethnographic art,

European sculpture and antiquities is on o er in Essex this month when 400 lots from one of the most charismatic dealers of the modern era go under the hammer

She began her four-decade career with her mother at Portobello Market in the 1980s. What started as a traditional antiques dealership, with Craig, developed into a cabinet of curiosities of ethnographic art, European sculpture, antiquities and, latterly, Modern British art.

In his obituary for Jan, fellow dealer, Ted Few ,wrote: ‘Adventurous in their selection of objects, they were just as imaginative in their presentation, causing regular gasps from visitors who encountered them for the rst time as well as their regular devotees.’

Appearances at major fairs came to be supplemented by a twice-yearly exhibition in St James’s, with rigorously researched catalogues.

New o ce

e business, based in South Kensington, will continue to trade twice a year from Cromwell Place. But, as many clients for tribal art and antiquities are based in Europe, Craig will divide his time between London and a recentlyopened new o ce in the Sablon, Brussels.

Sworders’ sale on November 9 amounts to a celebration of many of Jan’s life passions. As well as carefully chosen items from Finch & Co., ranging from Oceanic war clubs to French Prisoner of War art and Roman sculpture, many pieces from Jan’s personal collection will also go under the hammer.

When at home near Banbury, Jan was a keen gardener and cook. A library of hundreds of cookery books and the contents of a keenly-chosen wine cellar will also be sold at auction, alongside garden furnishings, including a 4ft-high staddle stone and around 20 Victorian, and earlier, stone troughs.

Prizing

curiosity over commerce, Finch & Co., founded by the pioneering dealer Jan Finch (1952-2021), was an antiques shop like no other. is month close to 400 varied lots, from Aboriginal shields to Egyptian headrests, go under the hammer at Sworders in Stanstead Mount tchet.

With her husband and business partner Craig, Jan embraced both new ways of selling and a ‘look’ based on passion, instinct, scholarship and curiosity.

Above Ethiopian Christian devotional double-sided tablet pendant, probably 19th century, opening to reveal painted images of the Virgin and the Christ Child, from the private collection of William H. Stokes (1921-2015), it has an estimate of £1,000-£2,000 at the same sale

Right A 19th-century Tibetan gilt copper repose mask head of a snow lion, from the private collection of the late Richard Nathanson, it has an estimate of £1,500-£2,500 at this month’s auction

Left A French prisoner of war model of a ship, c.1820, from the collection of Edward Croft-Murray CBE (1907-1980), it has an estimate of £7,000£10,000

Sherbet spoons

A pair of early 19th-century Ottoman sherbet spoons, with a coconut shell bowl, bone stems and brass and enamel segments with amber and coral, has an estimate of £400-£600 at the sale.

Such spoons were thought to have been made by craftsmen of the workshops in the grounds of the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul for the use of the Grand Viziers, or dignitaries, at their quarterly meetings of the Divan, or imperial council.

AUCTION fact file

WHAT: Instinct, Scholarship and Curiosity: The Jan Finch Collection

When: November 9 Where: Sworders, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, CM24 8GE

Viewing: November 6-8 at the above office and online at www.sworder.co.uk

Top left (Left-right) An 18th-century Fijian war club, estimated to make £500-£800; a 19th-century Australian Aboriginal stone carved shield, estimated to make £800£1,200; a 19th-century Chokwe chief’s ebony sta , estimated at £500£800; an 18th-century Western Polynesian ironwood club, estimated at £3,000-5,000; an Australian Aboriginal 19th-century hardwood spear thrower or ‘meru’, estimated at £400-£600; a mid 19th-century Australian Aboriginal parrying shield, estimated to make £1,500-£3,000; a 19th-century Central Desert Australian Aboriginal shield, estimated at £500-£800; a 19th-century Fijian nokonoko club, estimated to make £1500-£2,500

But, as is evident from Orientalist paintings of the period, ladies of the harem also used the spoons for their afternoon refreshments, which included compotes of dried fruit known as ‘hosaf’ taken from a communal bowl. of

Above left e sherbert spoons are estimated at £300-£500

Far left A Roman marble head of young Satyr, has an estimate of £3,000£5,000 at this month’s sale

Left A Roman marble portrait head, possibly of a senator, it has an estimate of £2,000-£4,000 at the same sale

Right A French carved coconut cup inscribed Ambassade De Perse has an estimate of £400-£600

IN MY OPINION...

We asked Sworders’ chairman and head of sale Guy School for his sale highlights

How would you sum up Finch & Co.’s style, what made it so special ?

The Finch style is best summed up with two words: esoteric and unique.

I always remember Jan and Craig having a wonderful `eye’. For any visitor to their dealership in South Kensington it was an unforgettable, breathtaking experience. But while their stock was ecelctic there was nothing haphazard about their connoisseurship. The catalogue they produced twice a year was renowned for the quality of its presentation and research, and was eagerly awaited by collectors and connoisseurs the world over.

Do you have a sale highlight?

There are so many, including the wonderful Prisoner of War ships model; the 48-gun Royal Naval frigate is easily the best example I have ever see. Equally appealing is the Polynesian collection of clubs and staffs, again, great quality and so tactile even though the wood is so dense and heavy.

I also adore the carved coconut (below), which is beautifully carved in low relief with three ambassadors and a bizarre anthropomorphic face.

I would love any of the Cotswold stone staddle stones from Jan’s garden, which so evocatively remind me of my childhood and formative years growing up and working in the Cotswolds around Stow-onthe-Wold.

Where do you expect the interest to come?

The sale will doubtless appeal to discerning collectors the world over. In addition to which the unique scuptural aspect of many of the lots will be sought after as oneoff statement pieces for interior designers.

‘When at home near Banbury, Jan was a keen gardener and cook. A library of hundreds of cookery books and the contents of a keenly-chosen wine cellar will also be sold at auction’

e chair has a rich and regal history, image courtesy of David Love

Royal Seat

it was the duty of the Lord Chamberlain and Deputy Lord Chamberlain to order all of the furniture required for a coronation, and after the event was concluded, the furniture would reside in the Royal Collection until considered obsolete.

e coronation of George III was no exception, with much of the furniture used at the 1761 ceremony being removed from the royal palaces by the Chamberlain and his deputy in the 1820s. e coronation, which took place on September 22, saw the 22-year-old monarch and his 17-year-old bride Queen Charlotte travel by sedan chair from St James’s Palace to Westminster Hall for a ceremony which lasted more than four hours before a lavish coronation banquet in the hall.

Gwydir Castle

Research into the provenance of the chair and stool, which last emerged for sale in New York in 2012, suggests they were almost certainly present at the cornation some 250 years previously, likely to have been used by either the Lord Chamberlain or Deputy Lord Chamberlain, with the stools seating their respective wives. To back up this claim I am thankful for the help of Peter Welford, the present owner of Gwydir Castle, Dr Sabina Zonno and Dr Melinda McCurdy at the Huntington Library and Sarah Medlam.

Both chair and stool were recorded in the Gwydir Castle sale catalogue of 1921. is would make sense as the Deputy Lord Chamberlain at the time of the

As any of 29 million people who tuned in to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will know, the inner workings of royal ceremonial proceedings are a complicated matter.

As with funerals, so it is with coronations, with hundreds of sta assigned to the various o cers of state, supplying everything from the royal wardrobe to the furniture involved.

In 1761, as Sir Hugh Roberts makes clear in two articles in the journal of the Furniture History Society,

Right e chair and footstool as they appeared in the catalogue for the dispersal sale of Gwydir Castle in 1921. Rather than a footstool, at 20½in (52 cm.) high the stool is the same height as the chair

As we await the coronation of Charles III, Christopher Coles charts the history of a chair at the coronation of George III in 1761 and its possible maker Katherine Naish

Above An 1899 postcard shows the chair, upholstered in green, in the right-hand corner of the room, image courtesy of Curt DiCamillo

coronation, Lord Gwydir, was the owner of Gwydir Castle and it seems he took a number of pieces for his homes at Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire and, eventually, Gwydir Castle in Wales.

e chair had previously appeared in a coloured postcard (left) showing it in situ at Gwydir but, interestingly, whoever applied the arti cial colour to the image, which dates to around 1899, guessed its colour as green rather than its original red.

Fortunately there are several other images of the Gwydir chair in situ showing the chair from various angles. On June 15, 1901, Country Life published an article on the castle where the chair was referred to as one of the “curiosities” of the house being “a coronation chair of George II (sic).”

is allowed the identi cation of an unusual nailing pattern on the inside and outside of both arms, as well as large brass bosses on the insides of the arms and the corners of the back. e nail marks are present on the chair frame today o ering great assistance when making the initial identi cation of the piece.

Above Allan Ramsey (1713-1784) George III and Charlotte coronation portraits 1762, public domain

Below e catalogue from the 1921 sale by the Scarborough-based auction house Ward Price & Co.

Currently our knowledge of Katherine Naish’s style rests almost entirely on the pair of coronation thrones made for George III and Queen Charlotte, now at Chatsworth House, and given their extreme grandeur and theatricality, it is hard to glean much information about what a more ordinary piece of furniture produced by her workshop may have looked like. Although the chair and stool under discussion are also of a grand scale, they are much more restrained in their decoration.

The elegantly-drawn cabriole legs have distinctive treatments of the leaf carving above the scroll feet, and the feet themselves have pearling on them.

Additionally, the ending of the scrolls at the rails is worthy of notice, not to mention the profiling of the front of the legs.

The Kew archive records Naish’s invoice for the coronation chairs at £46 for ‘a Large State Chair richly Carv’d with Lions Paws & Lions faces on the knees, with 2 Boys at the Top supporting a Crown, & a Scepter in one of Their Hands.’

Two matching footstools cost £7 10s each.

Top e coronation chairs for George III and Queen Charlotte are now at Chatsworth House, public domain

Above right The elegantly-drawn cabriole leg may suggest it is the work of Naish

Dispersal sale

20 years later, as stated, the chair and stool appeared at the castle’s renowned dispersal sale in 1921.

‘It would seem perfectly plausible that the chairs and stools were made for the use of two specific peers, most likely the Lord Chamberlain and Deputy Lord Chamberlain and their wives who would have played a particular part in the proceedings and so needed to be near the royal couple throughout’

Listed as lot 111, the chair’s catalogue description makes claim to its regal history, reading: ‘An exceptionally ne mahogany Chippendale coronation chair with fully upholstered back and arms in the original crimson velvet, the whole being supported on cabriole legs with nely carved knees and carved scroll feet. is was used as a Peer’s Seat at the coronation of George III’.

Lot 112, the stool made en suite, is described as: ‘A very ne stool in similar design in original covering en

Naish’s George IIIcoronation chairs

EXPERT

III coronation chair

suite and was used as a Peeress’ stool at the same function.’ e catalogue’s contention, that the stool was designed for a peeress is di cult to prove.

It would seem perfectly plausible that the chairs and stools were for the use of two speci c peers - most likely the Lord Chamberlain and Deputy Lord Chamberlainand their wives who would have played a particular part in the proceedings and so needed to be close to the royal couple throughout. Sadly, this is not possible to prove and surviving images of the coronation do not seem to shed any light on this.

International acclaim

e Gwydir Castle sale attracted international attention, as well as local condemnation that local treasures should be sold o . Famously, the dealer William Permain acquired the panelling from various rooms there, acting on behalf of the US newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst who shipped the purchase to America.

While the sale was conducted by Ward Price & Co., auctioneers based in Scarborough, the sale was held on the premises in Wales. e Yorkshire connection is likely to have been important as far as the present chair and stool are concerned.

While the name of the buyer is not recorded, a newspaper account of the sale in the North Wales Weekly, dated May 26, 1921, mentions a ‘mahogany Chippendale coronation chair’ which made £250.

Documented evidence next occurs three years after the sale when the chair has inscriptions on the rails recording it had been reupholstered in Harrogate in 1924.

Shuttleworth sale 1926

In 1926, what is believed to be the same chair was sold again at Christie’s in London as part of the Alfred Shuttleworth collection. Shuttleworth lived at Eastgate House in Lincoln and the stool and chair were sold as part of the same lot described as: ‘A Chippendale mahogany arm-chair, with cabriole legs and scroll feet carved with foliage, the back and arms of scroll outline, covered with mauve velvet and bordered with brass bosses ; and a stool, en-suite-28 ins. wide’.

e description raises several points, rstly, the chair and stool had already lost their royal provenance and, secondly, the velvet on the chair must have been changed as it is no longer described as original (as the upholstery was at the Gwydir sale).

Close examination of the Gwydir sale catalogue image shows that the upholstery was torn across the chair’s front and presumably this is what led to its reupholstery in Harrogate in 1924. Whether this was carried out on behalf of Shuttleworth or by a Yorkshire dealer can only be the subject of speculation until the buyer from the sale is identi ed.

But, as mentioned, the fact a Yorkshire auctioneer, Ward Price & Co. held the sale may well have been signi cant. Presumably the auction house informed their regular Yorkshire clients of its exceptional sale in Wales.

Above Gwydir Castle in the Conwy valley, Wales, once home to the chair, image Shutterstock

‘Close examination of the Gwydir sale catalogue image shows that the upholstery was torn across the chair’s front and presumably this is what led to its reupholstery in 1924’

American sojourn

From 1926 to 2012 the provenance of the chair and stool is unbroken. e pair was passed to the great American dealer Edward I. Farmer in 1926 and then made their way through several American private collections before being donated to the Huntington Art Gallery in 1958 by Mr and Mrs Jack Cummings.

When the Huntington de-accessioned the pieces in 2012 they were sold by Christie’s New York, where the chair was described as a George III mahogany bergère, c. 1760, with a George III mahogany stool as a separate lot. e chair was purchased by David Love who suspected its history due to its unusually large size and both pieces are now reunited in a private collection.

Christopher Coles is a specialist researcher of the provenance of 18th-century British furniture. A fully referenced version of this article is available on request.

Left e chair was described as a George III mahogany bergère c. 1760 in a sale catalogue of 2012, image courtesy of Christie’s

Right An engraving for a ticket to the coronation in 1761, image courtesy of Christie’s

Bottom left e mahogany footstool appeared with its chair in the 2012 sale, image courtesy of Christie’s

Who made them?

While the chair’s provenance can be established with some probability, its precise function and maker are somewhat more mysterious.

Luckily, the archival records relating to furniture supplied for the coronation are held in the National Archives at Kew - speci cally the Lord Chamberlain’s accounts. e most likely maker is Katherine Naish ( .1759–1772) who was a noted supplier of furniture to the Royal family having taken over her father’s business in 1750, and assuming the position of ‘Royal Joyner and Chair maker’, formerly held by her father. e archive records chairs for the coronation’s presiding archbishops, which seem to be similar enough to the chair under discussion here, and also ‘two other chairs below on the east side opposite to the altar.’ is reference becomes a lot clearer with the bill for chair-making presented by the joiner Naish: ‘For their majesties in Westminster Abbey: For 6 walt. state chair frames with large scrole elbows, the backs and seats for stu ng’ and ‘For 6 footstool frames to ditto’. e bill is annotated indicating that only four chairs and stools were in fact ordered. e description of the chair, particularly the ‘large scrole elbows’ ts extremely well with the present chair.

Katherine Naish

Given the high-status nature of the commissions Naish and her workshop completed for the royal family, surprisingly little is known about her, or her work. Further examination of other Naish bills from the period 1760-1761, not related to the coronation, reveal more evidence of chairs supplied to the royal household in walnut throughout this period. e discrepancy of wood (mahogany rather than walnut) may be due to a mistake on the part of the person who drafted Naish’s bill.

Furhermore, the Gwydir stool is not a footstool (it is of the same height as the chair) so it is possible they were provided for the coronation in some other capacity. e number of bills presented by Naish to the Lord Chamberlain’s O ce make it clear her output was proli c and therefore the potential for further discoveries is high. Hopefully, further research will be carried out into this talented carver.

TOP of the LOTS

An unknown album of 19 cartede-visite photographs of Charles Darwin (1809-1882) discovered in a Georgian bureau during a routine probate valuation has an estimate of £50,000£100,000 at Reeman Dansie’s sale in Colchester on November 8-9. Some are by the leading Victorian photographer Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879) – one of the most important portraitists of the 19th century. The leather album belonged to Darwin’s daughter, Henrietta Litchfield and came from the estate of his great grandson, George Erasmus Darwin (1927-2017).

Three stuffed pike by Cooper & Sons, one of the best known and collected of all the British taxidermists, dated 1929, have an estimate of £1,000-£1,500 at Summers Place Auctions’ sale on November 22 in Billingshurst.

It is one of an 88-lot collection of taxidermy, mostly fish, from the well-known Flower Pot pub in Henley-on-Thames up for sale after the landlord retired and the hostelry closed. Most pieces are by well-known makers and date to the early 20th-century with some rare Victorian fish cases.

An emerald, ruby and foiled gemstone brooch in the shape of a bird has an estimate of £600-£800 at Woolley & Wallis’ jewellery sale on November 2 in Salisbury.

Indian, and dating from the 19th century, the 3.1cm creature bird is set with carved emeralds and foilbacked green gemstones, with its eye set with an oval ruby.

Bird motifs are common in Indian jewellery, especially the peacock and parrot, the latter associated with Kamadeva, the Hindu god of love, symbolising fertility and desire.

A gouache picture of arum lilies by South African painter Irma Stern (1894-1966) has an estimate of £20,000-£30,000 at Bellmans’ modern British and 20th-century art sale on November 15 in Wisborough Green, West Sussex.

Born in Transvaal of German-Jewish parents, Stern left for Germany in 1901, where she studied art at the Weimar Academy in 1913 and became associated with the German Expressionists.

The current work, from 1936, was bought by Sir William Clark (1876-1952), the British High Commissioner to South Africa from 1935 to 1929, who purchased this work from her at an exhibition in Cape Town in 1936.

A portrait of a dog in a classical setting, titled Lion or Poodle, the property of the Duke of York, by Henry Bernard Chalon (17701849) has an estimate of £350£450 at Bishop & Miller’s fine pictures sale in Stowmarket on November 3.

One of the more important painters of his time, Chalon was the son of Jan Chalon (1749-1795) a Dutch musician and engraver from Amsterdam.

After studying at the Royal Academy he enjoyed considerable success as a painter and in 1795 was appointed animal painter to the Duchess of York and later to the Prince Regent and William IV.

A gold charm, one of only 44 awarded to members of the USA women’s athletic team in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, has an estimate of £800£1,200 at Hansons’ sale of sporting memorabilia in Etwall, Derbyshire on November 3. The 1928 Olympics was the first to included women’s track and field. One of the stars was 16-year-old Elizabeth Robinson who took gold in the 100 metres having previously being discovered by her high school sports teacher running for a bus. The orb-shaped gong was brought in to a free valuation event at Kelmarsh Hall, Northampton.

is month’s treasures include a singleowner collection of Georgian children’s games and exceptional portraits of Charles Darwin

A Georgian dolls’house is expected to make £2,000£3,000 at a single owner sale of early children’s games at Catherine Southon’s sale at Fairleigh Court Golf Club in Surrey on November 16.

Filled with items of miniature furniture, including tiny washstands, chairs and even a tea service, the sixroomed, four-storey house even contains a kitchen maid and a parlour full of cats, dogs and a rabbit.

The rooms are decorated in the style of the day, with some even decorated with tiny period mirrors, while the kitchen is stacked with the latest labour-saving devices including a carpetbeater and mangle.

In the 18th century,when the house was made, dolls’ houses were built as replicas of family homes.

The miniature mansions date from the 1600s, when they were known as baby houses, becoming popular in the Netherlands and Germany where they provided a visual aid for young and often illiterate girls to learn household management.

But by the early 20thcentury, dolls’ houses had become a staple of the middle and upper-class nursery.

The largest, and arguably the most famous, dolls’ house was built for Queen Mary by the architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens, between 1921 and 1924 and presented to her as a ‘gift from the nation’. It was exhibited at the British Empire Exhibition in 1924 and is now displayed at Windsor Castle.

Easy as ABC

At the same sale, an early 19th-century child’s mosaic alphabet (c.1820) is expected to make£100- £200. The paper-covered wooden box, with a sliding cover, bears a hand-coloured label titled Mosaik Alphabete, Alphabets of European Letters in Mosaic. It is also titled in German and French and illustrated with children intent on learning.

Measuring 7½ x 7½in (19 x 19cm), the box contains a quantity of brightly-painted wooden alphabet tesserae as well as a part hand-coloured printed folding alphabet diagram to aid learning.

From the earliest years of the 18th century children’s games had started to become colourfuland fun.

Theperiod saw a huge boom in reading with the concurrent need to teach children their ABCs. Letter games were a popular Georgian pastime,not only for recreation but to reinforce the importance of literature.

At the same sale an early 19th-century (c. 1830) pictorial alphabet set , 8.7cm tall and housed in a turned wooden box, has an estimate of £80-£120.

The circular box contains 31 round discs printed with lithographed letters on one side and a hand-coloured illustration of the same letter on the other. The letter ‘A’ is backed with an illustration of an ass, with the ‘J’ a brigh depiction of a jester.

Catherine Southon said: “In the run up to Christmas these games are a charming reminder of simpler times.”

1 e dolls’ house, which has an estimate of £2,000-£3,000, came from a single-owner collection of Georgian games 2 A hinged front opens on six period rooms over four storeys linked by two staircases 3 A covered sofa, piano, two chairs and a light tting are among the rooms’tiny furniture 4 A 19th-century child’s mosaic alphabet, titled in German and French and illustrated with children learning, c.1820, is estimated at £100-£200 at the same sale 5 An early 19th-century picture alphabet set, 8.7cm tall, with theletters contained ina turned wooden box, has an estimate of £80-£120

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BY BILL SCHWARTZ

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FAIR NEWS

Worcestershire sauce

The Three Counties Showground in Malvern, Worcestershire, is the location for one of the country’s most stalwart antiques fairs this month.

The Antiques and Collectors Fair on November 6 sees up to 150 exhibitors offering the finest ceramics, glass, art, books and decorative items.

Prints charming Don’t know your intaglio from your mezzotints? The answers may be found at this month’s Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair (WCPF) at London’s historic Royal Arsenal from November 3-6.

Founded in 2016 by gallerists Jack Bullen and Lizzie Glendinning, WCPF is Europe’s largest art fair dedicated purely to highly-collectable print works.

Each year it showcases the best contemporary print, including a curated selection of independent artists alongside work by betterknown names. This year’s selection panel includes Carolin von Massenbach, director of prints at Bonhams and artist Gavin Turk. In 2022, the fair is also celebrating its new accessibility via the recently-opened Elizabeth Line, making it just 15 minutes away from central London.

Helen Yourston, director of fair organiser B2B, said: “Experience the ‘Malvern Magic’ that is the biggest flea market in the country. Hundreds of stalls across two halls and even more outside (number dependent on the weather) combine to provide an incredibly eclectic shopping experience.”

Meanwhile antique lovers in the southeast can feast their eyes and wallets at B2B’s Kent fair – the Detling Antiques, Vintage and Collectors Fair on November 26-27.

Above B2B dealers are among the best in the country

Capital affair

Loved by interior designers as well as collectors and creative home owners, the 31st Winter Art and Antiques Fair Olympia takes place in London from November 1-6.

Boasting an eclectic list of styles and with prices starting at less than £100 to six s, the fair showcases design classics from Windsor chair to art deco cocktail cabinets.

New exhibitors include the St James’s gallery Messum’s, which is presenting the work of contemporary artist Sean Jefferson whose work is influenced by1960s psychedelic Op-Art and fin-de-siècle art nouveau style.

Meanwhile, perfect for Christmas, London silver dealer Mary Cooke Antiques will be presenting a rare Georgian bucket-shaped wine cooler made by Robert and Samuel Hennell, London, 1807.

The fair’s rigorous vetting process sees a team of experts check every piece to ensure quality and authenticity.

Yummy Brummy

Located in the heart of the UK at the NEC in Birmingham the ever-popular, four-day Art and Antiques for Everyone takes place this month from November 24-27.

Fair director, Dan Leyland from Mad Events, said: “Specialist dealers will offer a variety of desirable, rare and quirky items at prices from £10 to £100,000.”

Visitors can expect everything from treen to Victorian kitchenalia and art deco lamps to vintage fashion. Catering options range from coffee shops to restaurants and a courtyard eaterie in Hall 12.

Above An 18th-century lignum vitae co ee grinder on sale from Bath-based Opus Antiques, priced £895

Below Sean Je erson (b. 1957) Full Moon, Pear Tree Fairies, oil on panel, on o er from Messum’s

With Christmas just around the corner now is the perfect time to start buying something special for the antiques lover in your life

Above Visitors to a previous event at the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair taking place this month in London

AUCTION OF ANTIQUES & COLLECTABLES Wednesday November 16th starting at 10am.

To be held at Farleigh Golf Club, Warlingham, CR6 9PE

Mary Fedden (1915-2012)

untitled, ‘Still life with fruit bowl’, 2002, watercolour, signed and dated lower left, ‘Fedden ‘01’

Estimate: £3000 - £5000

FAIRS Calendar

Because this list is compiled in advance, alterations or cancellations to the fairs listed can occur and it is not possible to notify readers of the changes. We strongly advise anyone wishing to attend a fair especially if they have to travel any distance, to telephone the organiser to confirm the details given.

LONDON: Inc. Greater London

Adams Antiques Fairs 020 7254 4054

www.adamsantiquesfairs.com

Adams Antiques Fair, The Royal Horticultural Halls, Elverton Street, SW1P 2QW, Nov 4

Clarion Events Ltd 0207 3848147 www.olympia-antiques.com

Winter Art and Antiques Fair, National Hall Olympia, Hammersmith Road, W14 8UX, Nov 2-6

Coin and Medal Fairs Ltd. 01694 731781. www.coinfairs.co.uk

London Coin Fair, Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, Coram Street, WC1N 1HT, Nov 5

Etc Fairs 01707 872 140 www.bloomsburybookfair.com

Bloomsbury Book and Ephemera Fair, Booker & Turner Suite at Holiday Inn, Coram Street, London, WC1N 1HT, Nov 27

Sunbury Antiques 01932 230946 www.sunburyantiques.com

Kempton Antiques Market, Kempton Park Race Course, Staines Road East, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex TW16 5AQ, Nov 8, 29

Woolwich Print Fair www.woolwichprintfair.com

Woolwich Works, The Fireworks Factory, No.1 Street, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, London, SE18 6HD, Nov 3-6

SOUTH EAST & EAST ANGLIA: including Beds, Cambs, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex.

B2B Events, 01636 676531 www.b2bevents.info

Detling International Antiques, Vintage and Collectors’ Fair, Kent County Showground, Detling, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 3JF, Nov 26-27

Black Dog Events 01986 948546 www.ablackdogevent.com

The Grand Brocante, Woolverston Hall, Suffolk, IP9 1AZ Nov 19-20

Continuity Fairs 01584 873634 www.continuityfairs.co.uk Epsom Racecourse Antiques and Collectibles Fair, Epsom Racecourse, Epsom Downs, Epsom, Surrey, KT18 5LQ, Nov 22

Dovehouse Fine Antiques Fair www.dovehousefine antiquesfairs.com. 07952689717 Dorking Halls, Reigate Road, Dorking, Surrey, Nov 27

IACF, 01636 702326. www.iacf.co.uk. South of England Showground, Ardingly, Nr Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 6TL, Nov 1-2

Love Fairs 01293 690777 www.lovefairs.com

Lingfield Antiques, Collectables and Vintage Market, Lingfield Park Racecourse, Racecourse Road, Lingfield, Surrey, RH7 6PQ, 21 Nov

Marcel Fairs 07887648255 www.marcelfairs.co.uk

Antique and Collectors Fair, Sarratt Village Hall, The Green, Rickmansworth, Herts WD3 6AS, Nov 13 Antique and Vintage Fair –Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8JH, Nov 20

Sunbury Antiques 01932 230946 www.sunburyantiques.com

Sandown Antiques Market, Sandown Park Racecourse, Portsmouth Road, Esher, Surrey KT20 9AJ, Nov 21

SOUTH WEST including Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Wiltshire.

AFC Fairs 07887 753956 www.antiquefairscornwall.co.uk Pensilva Antiques Fair, Millennium House, Princess Road, Liskeard, Cornwall, PL14 5NF, Nov 26

Continuity Fairs 01584 873634 www.continuityfairs.co.uk West point Exeter, Clyst St Mary, Exeter, EX5 1DJ, Nov 19-20

IACF 01636 702326 www.iacf.co.uk Shepton Mallet Antiques and Collectors’ Fair, Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 6QN, Nov 11-13

EAST MIDLANDS including Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland.

Arthur Swallow Fairs 01298 27493 www.asfairs.com

Vintage Flea Market, Lincolnshire Showground, Lincoln, LN2 2NA, Nov 13 Antiques and Home Show, Nov 30

IACF 01636 702326. www.iacf.co.uk Runway Monday at Newark Antiques and Collectors’ Fair, Runway Newark, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 2NY, Nov 21

Stags Head Events 07583 410862 www.stagsheadevents.co.uk Antiques and Vintage Fair Coalville Leisure Centre Stephenson Way Coalville, Leicester, LE67 3FE, Nov 19

WEST MIDLANDS

including Birmingham, Coventry, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire

B2B Events 07774 147197 or 07771 725302 www.b2bevents.info

Malvern Antiques and Collectors’ Fair, The Severn Hall, Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcs., WR13 6NW, Nov 6

Mad Events 0207 7480774

www.antiquesforeveryone.co.uk Art and Antiques for Everyone, Hall 12, The National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, B40 1NT, Nov 24-27

Midland Vintage and Antique Fair

0121 784 1581

Antique and Vintage Fair, Fentham Hall, Marsh Lane, Hampton-in-Arden, West Midlands, B92 0AH, Nov 5

NORTH including Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Yorkshire.

Galloway Antiques Fairs 01423 522122

www.gallowayfairs.co.uk Antiques and Fine Art Fair, Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 2HU, Nov 11-13

SCOTLAND

Ayr Antique, Vintage & Collectors Fair 07960 198409

www.aryantiquefair.co.uk Citadel Leisure Centre, South Harbour Street, Ayr, Ayrshire, KA7 1JB, Nov 26

Galloway Antiques Fairs

01423 522122

www.gallowayfairs.co.uk Antiques and Fine Art Fair, Scone Palace, Perth, PH2 6BD Nov 2-6

Glasgow, Antique, Vintage & Collectors Fair

07960 198409 31 Bellahouston Drive, Glasgow, G52 1HH, Nov 13

AUCTION Calendar

Because this list is compiled in advance, alterations or cancellations to the auctions listed can occur and it is not possible to notify readers of the changes. We strongly advise anyone wishing to attend an auction especially if they have to travel any distance, to telephone the organiser to confirm the details given.

LONDON: Inc. Greater London

Bonhams 101 New Bond St, London W1S 1SR, 020 7447 7447 www.bonhams.com

The Marsh Collection: Art for the Literati, Nov 3

Fine Chinese Art, Nov 3-10 Fine Japanese Art, Nov 3 Imperial Painted Lacquer Furniture and Scholar’s Objects from China’s Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, Nov 3

The Golden Age Of Motoring, Nov 4

Expressionism: Germany, Austria and Beyond, Nov 16

Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art, Nov 22

Modern British and Irish Art, Nov 22

Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art, Nov 23 Fine Decorative Art, Nov 29 London Jewels, Dec 1

The Old Rectory, Chilton Foliat, Dec 6

Old Master Pantings, Dec 7

500 Years of European Ceramics, Dec 7

Fine and Rare Wines, Dec 8 Antiquities, Dec 8

Bonhams Montpelier St, Knightsbridge, London, SW7 1HH, 020 7393 3900 www.bonhams.com

The Chris Wynn Collection Of Early Purdeys, Nov 9 Antique Arms and Armour, Nov 9

Fine Books and Manuscripts, Nov 9

Sporting Guns, Rifles and Vintage Firearms, Nov 10 Watches and Wristwatches, Nov 15

Knightsbridge Jewels, Nov 16 Rock, Pop and Film, Nov 16

British and European Art, Nov 22 British and Irish Art, Nov 23 20th Century Design, Dec 1

Knightsbridge Jewels, Dec 7 Prints and Multiples, Dec 7

Chiswick Auctions

1 Colville Rd, Chiswick, London, W3 8BL, 020 8992 4442 www.chiswickauctions.co.uk

Wine and Spirits, Nov 8 19th and 20th Century Paintings

and Works on Paper, Nov 8

Asian Art, Nov 16 Interiors, Homes and Antiques, Nov 23

19th and 20th Century Photographs, Nov 24 Watches, Nov 24

Modern & Contemporary Middle Eastern & African Art, Nov 28 Fine Oriental Rugs & Carpets, Nov 28

Designer Handbags and Fashion, Dec 6

Jewellery, Dec 6

Old Master Paintings and Works on Paper, Dec 6

Christie’s 8 King St, St. James’s, SW1Y 6QT, 020 7839 9060 www.christies.com

Modern Middle Eastern Art, Nov 2

Contemporary Middle Eastern Art, Ends Nov 3

Le Jeune, A Collecting LegacyNo Reserve, Ends Nov 10 Jewels (Online), Nov 15-25

Old Master Paintings and Sculpture (Online), Nov 25-Dec 9

The Collection of Marvin L. Colker (Online), Nov 28-Dec 12 Antiquities, Dec 7

Old Masters Evening Sale, Dec 8

Elmwood’s 101 Talbot Road London, W11 2AT, 0207 096 8933 www.elmwoods.co.uk

Important Jewellery, Nov 2 Jewellery, Nov 9, 23 Fine Jewellery, Nov 16

Forum Auctions

220 Queenstown Road, London SW8 4LP, 020 7871 2640 www.forumauctions.co.uk

Books and Works on Paper, Nov 10, 22, Dec 1, 8

Best of British, Dec 7

Hansons Auctioneers

The Normansfield Theatre, 2A Langdon Park, Teddington TW11 9PS, 0207 018 9300 www.hansonsauctioneers.com

None listed

Lyon & Turnbull

Mall Galleries, The Mall, St. James’s, London SW1Y 5AS, 0207 930 9115 www.lyonandturnbull.com

Fine Asian and Islamic Works of Art, Nov 4

Noonans (formerly Dix Noonan Webb) 16 Bolton St, Mayfair, W1J 8BQ, 020 7016 1700 www.noonans.co.uk Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, Nov 9, Dec 7 British Historical Medals, Nov 14 Coins, Historical Medals and Antiquities, Nov 15-16 Biritish Tokens, Tickets and Passes, Nov 23

Banknotes, Nov 24 Jewellery and Objects of Vertu, Nov 29 Watches, Nov 29

Phillips 30 Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6EX, 020 7318 4010 www.phillips.com Design, Nov 2 Photographs, Nov 22

Roseberys Knights Hill, Norwood, London, SE27 0JD 020 8761 2522 www.roseberys.co.uk Chinese, Japanese and South East Asian Art, Nov 8-9 Old Master and 19th-Centiry Pictures, Nov 16 Fine and Decorative, Nov 17, 18 Jewellery and Watches, Nov 29 Modern and Contemporary Prints and Multiples, Nov 30 Design Since 1860, Dec 7 Modern British and 20th-Century Art, Dec 8

Sotheby’s New Bond St., W1 020 7293 5000 www.sothebys.com

A Journey Through China’s History, Nov 1

A Collection of 20th-Century Japanese Prints, Nov 1 Important Chinese Art, Nov 2 Classic Design: Furniture, Silver, Ceramics and Clocks, Ends Nov 8 Design 17/20: Furniture, Silver, Nov 9

Finest and Rarest Wine (Online), Nov 2-16 Scottish Art (Online), Nov 16-22 Irish Art (Online), Nov 16-22 Modern British and Irish Art, Nov 23

Modern British Art (Online), Nov 17-23 The Library of Henry Rogers Broughton, Nov 29 Old Masters Evening Collection, Dec 7

The Personal Collection of the late Sir Joseph Hotung, Dec 7-8

TimeLine Auctions 23-24 Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6HE, 020 7129 1494 www.timelineauctions.co.uk Ancient Art, Antiquities and Coins, Nov 29-Dec 3

SOUTH EAST AND EAST

ANGLIA: Inc. Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex

Bishop and Miller 19 Charles

Industrial Estate, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 5AH, 01449 673088

bishopandmillerauctions.co.uk Modern Living , Nov 2 Rural Bygones, Nov 2

Remarkable Rooms, Nov 3 Pictures and Paintings, Nov 3 Selected Antiques, Nov 9, 23, Dec 7

Coins and Stamps (Online) Ends Nov 13

Jewellery and Silver, Nov 16, Dec 14 Music (Online) Ends Nov 27

Dr Atomica’s Journey Into Cool, Nov 30 Music and Musical Instrument, Nov 30 Christmas Auction, Dec 1 Fine Watches, Dec 1 100 Objects, Dec 2 Military and Medals, Dec 8 Music (Online) Ends Dec 11

Bishop and Miller Unit 12 Manor Farm, Glandford, Holt, Norfolk, NR25 7JP

bishopandmillerauctions.co.uk Marine and Exploration, Nov 10 Sartorial Elegance - Fashion and Accessories, Nov 24 Wine and Whisky, Dec 9

Bellmans Newpound, Wisborough Green, West Sussex, RH14 0AZ, 01403 700858

www.bellmans.co.uk

Modern British and 20th-Century Art, Nov 15

Jewellery Silver, Fine Clocks and Interiors, Nov 16-17

Modern Living, Nov 18 Wines and Spirits, Dec 5 European Ceramics From the

collection of the late Buck and Jean Harvey, Dec 7 Printed Books, Manuscripts & Maps, Dec 8

Burstow & Hewett The Auction Gallery, Lower Lake, Battle, East Sussex,TN33 0AT, 01424 772 374 www.burstowandhewett.co.uk Homes and Interiors, Nov 2-3, Nov 30-Dec1

Luxury Watches and Clocks, Fine Jewellery and Silver, Nov 16 Antiques, Ceramics, Oriental, Furniture, Etc., Nov 17 Fine Art and Sculpture, Nov 17

Catherine Southon Auctioneers Farleigh Court Golf Club, Old Farleigh Road, Selsdon Surrey CR6 9PE, 0208 468 1010 www.catherinesouthon.co.uk

Art and Antiques, Nov 16

Cheffins Clifton House, Clifton Road, Cambridge, CB1 7EA 01223 213343, www.cheffins.co.uk

The Interiors Sale, Nov 10 Carats & Clarets. The Jewellery, Silver, Watches and Wine Sale, Nov 24

The Fine Sale, Dec 7-8

Ewbank’s London Rd, Send, Woking, Surrey, GU23 7LN, 01483 223 101, www.ewbankauctions.co.uk

Vintage Posters, Nov 4, Dec 1 Antique and Collectors, Incl. Silver, Nov 9

Toys and Models, Nov 10 Entertainment and Memorabilia, Nov 11

Vintage Video Games and Consoles, Nov 18

TLC Deck of Cards, Charity Art Auction, Dec 2 Cars, Bikes and Automobiles, Dec 6

Jewellery, Watches and Coins, Dec 7

Silver and Fine Art, Dec 8 Antiques, Books, Clocks & Antique Furniture, Dec 9

Excalibur Auctions Limited Unit 16 Abbots Business Park Primrose Hill Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, WD4 8FR 020 3633 0913

wwwexcaliburauctions.com

TOGMAC Collection of Model Cars, Pt. 1, Nov 5

Movie, TV and Music Posters and Memorabilia, Nov 19

Toys and Model Railways Collectors, Nov 26

Marvel, DC and Independent Comic Books, Dec 10

Gorringes 15 North Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2PE, 01273 472503 www.gorringes.co.uk Weekly Fine Antiques Sale, Nov 7, 14, 21, 28, Dec 5, 12

John Nicholson’s Longfield, Midhurst Road, Fernhurst, Haslemere, Surrey, GU27 3HA, 01428 653727 www.johnnicholsons.com

Fine Paintings, Nov 2 General Auction, Nov 12 Islamic and Oriental Auction, Nov 23

Fine Antique Auction, Nov 24

Lacy Scott & Knight

10 Risbygate St, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3AA, 01284 748623 www.lskauctioncentre.co.uk Homes and Interiors, Nov 12, Dec 3

Coins, Banknotes and Tokens, Nov 15

Affordable Jewellery and Watches, Nov 15 Medals, Militaria and Country Pursuits, Dec 9

Lockdales Auctioneers

52 Barrack Square, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP5 3RF 01473 627110 www.lockdales.com

Coins, Militaria and Paper Collectables (Stamps and Cards), Nov 19-20

The Banknote Sale, Dec 3-4 Toys, Antiques, Books and Ephemera, Dec 6-7

Reeman Dansie 8 Wyncolls Severalls Business Park, Colchester, Essex, CO4 9HU, 01206 754754 www.reemandansie.com Fine Art, Nov 8-9

Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers

Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, CM24 8GE 01279 817778 www.sworder.co.uk Homes and Interiors (Online), Nov 1, 22

Asian Art, Nov 4 Fine Wine and Spirits (Timed), Ends Nov 6 Instinct, Scholarship and Curiosity: The Jan Finch Collection, Nov 9 Coins and Stamps (Timed), Nov 11-20

Fine Jewellery and Watches,

Nov 23

Modern and Contemporary Art (Timed), Nov 18-27 Jewellery, Nov 30 Fine Interiors, Dec 6-7

Toovey’s Antique & Fine Art Auctioneers Spring Gardens, Washington, West Sussex, RH20 3BS, 01903 891955 www.tooveys.com Firearms and Edged Weapons, Nov 1

Militaria, Medals and Awards, Nov 1 Prints, Maps and Posters, Nov 2 Decorative Pictures, Nov 2 Silver and Plate, Nov 2 Jewellery, Nov 2 Furniture, Wines and Spirits, Collectors’ Items, Works of Art and Light Fittings, Needleworks, Textiles and Clothing, Rugs and Carpets, Nov 3 Asian and Islamic Ceramics and Works of Art, Nov 10 Stamps, Postcards, Cigarette and Trade Cards, Photographs, Autographs and Ephemera, Nov 16

Fine Art, SIlver and Plate, Jewellery, Nov 3 Furniture, Objects of Vertu, Tribal Art, Antiquities, Natural History, Collectors’ Items, Works of Art and Light Fittings, Rugs and Carpets, Dec 1 Wristwatches and Pocket Watches, Clocks and Barometers, Cameras and Scientific Instruments, Dec 8

T.W. Gaze Diss Auction Rooms, Roydon Road, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 4LN, 01379 650306. www.twgaze.com Blyth Barn Furniture Auction, Nov 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, Dec 6 Antiques & Interiors, Nov 4, 11, 18, 25, Dec 2 Modern Design, Nov 17 Sound and Vision, Nov 22 Christmas Special sale, Dec 8 Christmas Gifts, Dec 9

SOUTH WEST: Inc. Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Wiltshire

Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood St. Edmund’s Court, Okehampton Street, Exeter EX4 1DU, O1392 41310 www.bhandl.co.uk

Sporting and Collectors, Nov 8 Books, Maps and Prints, Dec 6

British Bespoke Auctions

The Old Boys School, Gretton Rd, Winchcombe, Cheltenham, GL54 5EE 01242 603005

www.bespokeauctions.co.uk Antiques (Timed) , Nov 2-13

Silver, Jewellery and Collectables, Nov 24

Chippenham Auction Rooms

Unit H, The Old Laundry, Ivy Road, Chippenham, Wiltshire. SN15 1SB, 01249 444544

chippenhamauctionrooms.co.uk

Antiques, Silver, Jewellery and Objets d’art, Dec 10

Chorley’s Prinknash Abbey Park, Gloucestershire, GL4 8EU 01452 344499

www.chorleys.com

Fine Art and Antiques, Silver and Jewellery, Nov 22-23

David Lay Auctions

Penzance Auction House , Alverton, Penzance, Cornwall 01736 361414, TR18 4RE

www.davidlay.co.uk

Cornish Art amd Fine Art, Nov 3-4 Antiques and Interiors, Nov 17

Jewellery, Watches, Luxury Fashion and Accessories, Dec 1

Dawsons

Unit 8 Cordwallis Business Park, Clivemont Rd, Berkshire, SL6 7BU, 01628 944100

www.dawsonsauctions.co.uk

Jewellery, Silver and Watches, Nov 17

Fine Art, Antiques and Asian Art, Nov 24

Dominic Winter Mallard House, Broadway Lane, South Cerney, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 5UQ, 01285 860006 www.dominicwinter.co.uk

Printed Books, Maps and Documents, Nov 16

Military and Aviation History, Medals and Militaria, Nov 23

19th & 20th Century Photography, Autographs and Historical Documents, Royalty Memorabilia, Nov 24

Dore & Rees

Auction Salerooms, Vicarage Street, Frome, Somerset BA11 1PU, 01373 462 257 wwwdoreandrees.com

Fine Asian Art, Nov 7 Fine Jewellery, Dec 6

AUCTION Calendar

Because this list is compiled in advance, alterations or cancellations to the auctions listed can occur and it is not possible to notify readers of the changes. We strongly advise anyone wishing to attend an auction especially if they have to travel any distance, to telephone the organiser to confirm the details given.

Dreweatts Donnington Priory Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE 01635 553 553 www.dreweatts.com

The Transport Sale, Nov 1 Interiors Day 1: To Include Decorative Arts and Modern Design (Live Online), Nov 2 Interiors Day 2 (Live Online), Nov 3

Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art (Pt. 1), Nov 9

Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art (Pt. 2) and Japanese, Indian and Islamic Ceramics and Works of Art, Nov 10

Fine Jewellery, SIlver, Watches, and Luxury Accessories (Timed Online), Nov 23

Rare Wine and Spirits, Dec 8

Duke’s Brewery Square, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1GA, 01305 265080 www.dukes-auctions.com

Asian Art, Nov 10 Coins and Medals, Nov 18 Jewellery and Watches, Dec 8

East Bristol Auctions

Unit 1, Hanham Business Park, Memorial Road, Hanham, BS15 3JE, 0117 967 1000 www.eastbristol.co.uk

Fine Art, Antiques and Wine, Nov 17-18

Autographs and Memorabilia, Nov 28 Contemporary Art, Nov (tbc)

Gardiner Houlgate

9 Leafield Way, Corsham, Wiltshire, SN13 9SW, 01225 812912

www.gardinerhoulgate.co.uk

Jewellery and Watches for Christmas, Nov 23 Watches, Nov 23

Antiques, Silver and Works of Art, Nov 14

Paintings and Prints, Nov 24

The Guitar Sale, Dec 7

Entertainment Memorabilia; Guitar Amps and Effects, Dec 8 Musical Instruments, Dec 9

Greenslade Taylor Hunt

The Octagon Salerooms, 113a East Reach, Taunton, Somerset TA1 3HL 01823 332525

www.gth.net

Antiques Sale, Books and Maps, Jewellery, Silverware, Collectables, Furniture, Pictures, Books, Oriental, Ceramics, Sporting etc, Nov 3

Hansons Auctioneers

49 Parsons Street, Banbury, Oxford, OX16 5NB, 01295 817777

www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk

November Fine Art & Collectors Auction, Nov 5

September Curated Ceramics Auction, Sept 14

Kinghams 10-12 Cotswold

Business Village, London Road, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucester, GL56 0JQ, 01608 695695

www.kinghamsauctioneers.com

Cotswold Interiors and Collectables, Nov 11 Jewellery, Watches and Designer Goods, Nov 18

Rene Lalique and His Contemporaries, Dec 8 Fine and Decorative Arts, Dec 9

Lawrences Auctioneers Ltd. Crewkerne, Somerset, TA18 8AB, 01460 703041 www.lawrences.co.uk

Automobilia, Motoring Literature and Cycling, Nov 22 Militaria, Coins and Medals, Nov 24

Collectors, Sporting and Textiles, Nov 25

Mallams Oxford Bocardo House, St Michael’s St, Oxford, OX1 2EB 01865 241358 www.mallams.co.uk

Jewellery, Watches and Silver, Nov 16 Modern Art, Dec 7 Design, Dec 8

Mallams Cheltenham 26 Grosvenor St, Cheltenham. Gloucestershire, GL52 2SG 01242 235 712 www.mallams.co.uk

Chinese Works of Art, Nov 9 Asian Works of Art, Nov 10

Mallams Abingdon Dunmore Court, Wootten Road, Abingdon, OX13 6BH, 01235 462840

www.mallams.co.uk The Interiors Sale, Nov 28

Michael J Bowman

Chudleigh Town Hall, Chudleigh Newton Abbot, Devon TQ13 0HL, 01626 295107 www.michaeljbowman.co.uk Antiques, Nov 26

Moore Allen & Innocent Burford Road Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 5RH, 01285 646050 www.mooreallen.co.uk Vintage and Antique Furniture with Home Interiors (Online), Nov 2-3 Vintage and Antique Furniture with Home Interiors (Timed), Nov 4-9

Philip Serrell Barnards Green Rd, Malvern, Worcestershire. WR14 3LW, 01684 892314 www.serrell.com Fine Art and Antiques, Nov 17 Interiors, Dec 8

Stroud Auctions Bath Rd, Trading Est, Bath Rd, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 3QF 01453 873 800 www.stroudauctions.co.uk Guns, Weapons, Medals, Militaria, Sporting, Classic Cars and Motorbikes, Ceramics and Glass, Nov 9-10 Jewellery, Watches, Silver, Clocks, Coins and Fine Wines and Spirits, Dec 7-8

Special Auction Services Plenty Close, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 5RL 01635 580 595 wwwspecialauctionservices. Antiques and Collectables, Nov 1 Collectors, Nov 8-9 Dolls and Teddy Bears, Nov 15-16 Jewellery, Silver, Watches and Coins, Nov 17 Special Single Owner’s Collection, Nov 23-24 Music and Entertainment, Nov 29 Pre-Loved Christmas Antiques and Collectables Auction, Dec 6 The Susan Collard Collection, Dec 8

The Cotswold Auction Company Bankside saleroom Love Lane, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 1YG, 01285 642420 www.cotswoldauction.co.uk Toys, Dolls, Models, Antiques and Interiors, Nov 29-30

The Cotswold Auction Company Chapel Walk saleroom, Chapel Walk Cheltenham, Gloucesterhire, GL50 3DS, 01242 256363 www.cotswoldauction.co.uk

Vintage Fashion, Textiles & Decorative Arts, Nov 1

The Pedestal The Dairy, Stonor Park, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 6HF, 01491 522733

www.thepedestal.com Design For Living, Nov 8 Christmas Auction (Timed) Nov 22-Dec 6

Wessex Auction Rooms

Westbrook Far, Draycot Cerne Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 5LH, 01249 720888 www.wessexauctionrooms.co.uk Antiques, Collectables and Furniture, Nov 12 Toys, Nov 24-25

Antiques, Collectables and Furniture (With Bargain Hunt), Nov 26 Coins, Dec 1 Jewellery, Silver and Watches, Dec 2

Vinyl Records, CDs and Memorabilia, Dec 8-9

Woolley & Wallis, 51-61 Castle Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 3SU, 01722 424500 www.woolleyandwallis.co.uk Fine Jewellery, Nov 2-3

Asian Art, Chinese Paintings and Japanese Works of Art, Nov 15-16

Medals and Coins, Arms and Armour, Nov 23

British Art Pottery, Nov 30 Christmas Gifts, Dec 4

Wotton Auction Rooms

Tabernacle Road

Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire GL12 7EB 01453 708260

wottonauctionsrooms.co.uk

Antiques and General Auction Nov 1, 2

EAST MIDLANDS: Inc.

Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Sheffield

Bamfords The Derby Auction House, Chequers Road, Derby, DE21 6EN, 01332 210 000 www.bamfords-auctions.co.uk

Antiques, Interiors, Estates and Collectables, Nov 2, 16, 30 Medals and Militaria, Dec 12

The Christmas Toy, Juvenalia, Advertising and Collectors Auction including Comic Books, Dec 13

Batemans Ryhall Rd, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1XF, 01780 766 466 www.batemans.com

Monthly Antiques & Specialist Collectors including Vintage Champagne, Wine & Spirits, Dec 3

Gildings Auctioneers The Mill, Great Bowden Road, Market Harborough, LE16 7DE 01858 410414

Toys, Scale Model Railways, and Aeroengines, Nov 1 Antiques and Collectors, Nov 8, 22

Golding Young & Mawer

The Bourne Auction Rooms, Spalding Rd, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9LE. 01778 422686

www.goldingyoung.com

Bourne Collective, Nov 9-10 Bourne Toy, Transport and Automobilia Sale, Sept 28

Golding Young & Mawer

The Grantham Auction Rooms, Old Wharf Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 7AA, 01476 565118

www.goldingyoung.com

Grantham Collective Sale, Nov 2-3

Grantham Asian Art and Ceramics, Nov 23

Golding Young & Mawer

The Lincoln Auction Rooms, Thos Mawer House, Station Road North Hykeham, Lincoln LN6 3QY, 01522 524984

www.goldingyoung.com

Lincoln Collective Sale, Nov 16-17

Hansons

Heage Lane, Etwall, Derbyshire, DE65 6LS 01283 733988

www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk

November World Cup and Football Auction, Nov 3

November Antique and Collectors Auction, Nov 17-22 Historica and Coin Auction, Nov 23-24

Clock Auction, Nov 29

Christmas Fine Art Auction, Dec 1 General Toy and Cameras, Dec 5 Music and Film Auctionn, Dec 8

WEST MIDLANDS: Inc. Birmingham, Coventry, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire

Cuttlestones Ltd

Wolverhampton Auction Rooms, No 1 Clarence Street, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV1 4JL, 01902 421985 www.cuttlestones.co.uk

Specialist Collectors’, Nov 9, Dec 7

Cuttlestones Ltd Pinfold Lane, Penkridge Staffordshire ST19 5AP, 01785 714905 www.cuttlestones.co.uk

Antiques and Interiors, Nov 3, 17 Winter Auction, Dec 1

Fellows Augusta House, 19 Augusta Street, Hockley, Birmingham, B18 6JA 0121 212 2131 www.fellows.co.uk

Pawnbrokers, Jewellery and Watches, Nov 3, 17, Dec 1 Jewellery, Nov 8, 15-16, Dec 6 Fine Jewellery, Nov 24 The Luxury Watch Sale, Nov 28 The Designer Collection, Dec 5 Antiques, Silver and Collectables, Dec 12

Fieldings Mill Race Lane, Stourbridge, DY8 1JN, 01384 444140

www.fieldingsauctioneers.co.uk

November Collectors and Toy Sale, Nov 17-18

Halls Bowmen Way, Battlefield, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 3DR 01743 450700 www.hallsgb.com/fine-art.com

Modern Fine Art and Decorative Arts (Timed) , Ends Nov 8 Antiques, Interiors and Books, Nov 9-10

Asian Art (Timed) , Ends Nov 15 The Christmas Auction, Dec 7

Hansons Auctioneers

Bishton Hall, Wolseley Bridge, Stafford, ST18 0XN,

0208 9797954

www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk

November Fine Art and Antique Auction; Including Toys and Nostalgia, Nov 30, Dec 14

The Library Auction, Dec 7

Potteries Auctions Unit 4A, Aspect Court, Silverdale Enterprise Park, Newcastle, Staffordshire, ST5 6SS, 01782 638100 www.potteriesauctions.com

Two Day Fine Art Auction of 20th Century British Pottery, Jewellery, Watches, Works of Art, Collectors’ Items, Antique and Quality Furniture, Nov 11-12

Potteries Auctions

The Cobridge Saleroom, 271 Waterloo Road, Cobridge, Stokeon-Trent, Staffordshire, ST6 3HR, 01782 212489 www.potteriesauctions.com 20th Century British Pottery, Collectors Items, Household Items, Antique and Quality Furniture, Nov 27

Year End Auction. 20th Century British Pottery, Collectors Items, Household Items, Antique and Quality Furniture, Dec 9

Trevanion The Joyce Building, Station Rd, Whitchurch, Shropshire, SY13 1RD, 01928 800 202 www.trevanion.com Fine Art and Antiques, Nov 23

NORTH: Inc. Cheshire, Co. Durham, Cumbria, Humberside, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Sheffield, Yorkshire

Adam Partridge Withyfold Drive, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 2BD 01625 431 788 www.adampartridge.co.uk

The Jack Tempest Collection, Nov 10-11

Three Day Auction of Boutique, Silver, Jewellery & Watches, Toys, Wines & Spirits with Furniture & Interiors, Dec 6-8

Adam Partridge The Liverpool Saleroom, 18 Jordan Street, Liverpool, L1 OBP 01625 431 788 www.adampartridge.co.uk Militaria with Antiques and Collectors’ Items, Nov 2-3 Toys, Wines & Spirits with Antiques & Collectors’ Items, Dec 6-7

Anderson and Garland Crispin Court, Newbiggin Lane, Westerhope, Newcastle upon

Tyne, NE5 1BF, 0191 432 1911 www.andersonandgarland.com

The Collectors’ Auction, Nov 2-3 Homes and Interiors, Nov 8, Dec 13

The Books Auction, Nov 22 Fine Silver, Jewellery and Watches Auction, Nov 22

Autumn Country House and Fine Interiors Auction, Nov 22-23

Capes Dunn The Auction Galleries, 40 Station Road, Heaton Mersey, SK4 3QT. 0161 273 1911 www.capesdunn.com

Northern Artists and Modern Art, Nov 1

Interiors, Vintage, & Modern

Furniture, Nov 14, Dec 12

Collectable Books, Maps, Prints & Affordable Art, Nov 15

Jewellery, Slver, Watches and Gold Coins, Nov 29

The Winter Auction, Dec 13

David Duggleby Auctioneers

The Gallery Saleroom, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO11 1XN, 01723 507 111

www.davidduggleby.com

Jewellery and Watches, Nov 10, Dec 1

The Silver Sale, Nov 10

Football Programmes, Cigarette Cards and Ephemera, Nov 16 Military Medals, Nov 16

The Winter Art Sale, Nov 25 Garden and Commercial, Nov 30 Coins, Banknotes and Stamps, Dec 1

David Stephenson Auctioneers

The Saleroom, York Auction Centre, Murton, York YO19 5GF,01904 393 300

www.dugglebystephenson.com

Jewellery and Watches, Nov 3, Dec 8

Antiques and Collectors, Nov 3 Fine and Affordable Art, Nov 4 Furniture, Clocks and Interiors, Nov 4

The Country House Sale, Dec 12

Elstob & Elstob Ripon Business Park, Charter Road, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 1AJ, 01677 333003

www.elstobandelstob.co.uk

Jewellery, Watches and Silver, Nov 11

Omega Auctions Ltd

Sankey Valley Industrial Estate, Newton-Le-Willows, Merseyside WA12 8DN, 01925 873040 www.omegaauctions

AUCTION Calendar

Because this list is compiled in advance, alterations or cancellations to the auctions listed can occur and it is not possible to notify readers of the changes. We strongly advise anyone wishing to attend an auction especially if they have to travel any distance, to telephone the organiser to confirm the details given.

Showcase Sale of Rare Vinyl Records, Nov 8

Punk/Indie/Alternative Vinyl Showcase, Nov 8 Music Memorabilia Day 1, Nov 22

Rare and Collectable Vinyl Day 2, Nov 23

Guitars, Instruments & Audio Equipment, Nov 29

Showcase Sale of Music Memorabilia, Nov 29

Antiques and Collectables with Wines and Spirits, Dec 6 TV, Film and Sporting Memorabilia with Comics, Dec 6

Sheffield Auction Gallery

Windsor Road, Heeley, Sheffield, S8 8UB. 0114 281 6161

www.sheffieldauctiongallery.com

Specialist Collectable Toys Auction, Nov 10

Silver, Jewellery and Watches Auction, Nov 10

Collectable Walking Sticks and Canes Auction, Nov 10 Antiques and Collectables, Nov 11

Tennants Auctioneers

The Auction Centre, Harmby Road, Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 5SG. 01969 623780

www.tennants.co.uk

Autumn Fine Sale, Nov 11-12

The Fabulous Designer Fashion Sale, Nov 11

British, European and Sporting Pictures, Nov 12

Fine Jewellery, Watches and SIlver, Nov 12 Antiques and Interiors, Nov 18, Dec 16

Costume, Accessories and Textiles, Nov 18

Coins and Banknotes, Nov 23 Books, Maps and Manuscripts, Nov 23

Natural History and Taxidermy, Nov 30

Fine Wine and Whisky, Dec 2

Antiques and Interiors to Include Beswick and Border Fine Arts, Dec 3 Militaria and Ethnography, Dec 7 Toys & Models, Sporting and Fishing, Dec 9

Vectis Auctions Ltd Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton on Tees, TS17 9JZ. 01642 750616 www.vectis.co.uk

Diecast, Nov 2, 10

Model Train Sale, Nov 18

The Wolfi e Ginsburg Matchbox Collection Pt. 2 , Nov 23

General Toys, Nov 24 TV and Film-Related Sale, Nov 29 Matchbox Models of Yesteryear, Nov 30

Wilkinson’s Auctioneers

The Old Salesroom, 28 Netherhall Road, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN1 2PW, 01302 814 884 wilkinsons-auctioneers.co.uk

None listed

Wilson55 Victoria Gallery, Market St, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 5DG. 01270 623 878 www.wilson55.com

Firearms, Shotguns, Airguns and Militaria, Nov 10

Fine Wines and Spirits, Nov 17 Modern Interiors and Collectables, Nov 24

SCOTLAND

Bonhams 22 Queen St, Edinburgh, EH2 1JX. 0131 225 2266 www.bonhams.com

None listed for November

Lyon & Turnbull

33 Broughton Place, Edinburgh. EH1 3RR. 0131 557 8844 www.lyonandturnbull.com

Five Centuries (Live Online), Nov 16

Form Through Time: African & Oceanic Art and Antiquities, Nov 23

Jewellery (Live Online), Dec 7 Watches (Live Online), Dec 7 Scottish Paintings,Dec 8

McTears Auctioneers

31 Meiklewood Road, Glasgow, G51 4GB, 0141 810 2880 www.mctears.co.uk

Coins and Banknotes, Nov 3, Dec 8

Jewellery, Nov 3, 25, Dec 8 Watches, Nov 3 Dec 8

Antiques and Interiors, Nov 4, 18, Dec 2

Whisky, Nov 11, Dec 9

The Scottish Contemporary Art Auctions, Nov 13, Dec 11

Silver and Luxury Accessories, Nov 24

19th and 20th Century Design, Nov 24 Asian Art, Nov 25

Thomson Roddick The Auction Centre, 118 Carnethie Street, Edinburgh, EH24 9AL 0131 440 2448 www.thompsonroddick.com

The Edinburgh Collector’s Auction of Toys, Whisky, Postcards, Stamps, Coins and Militaria, Nov 24

WALES

Anthemion Auctions, 15 Norwich Road, Cardiff, CF23 9AB. 029 2047 2444 www.anthemionauction.com General Sale, Nov 2 Fine Art, Nov 23

Jones & Llewelyn Unit B, Beechwood Trading Estate, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire,

SA19 7HR. 01558 823 430 www.jonesandllewelyn.com General Sale, Nov 12, 26, Dec 10

Rogers Jones & Co 17 Llandough Trading Estate, Penarth, Cardiff, CF11 8RR. 02920 708125 www.rogersjones.co.uk

The Welsh Sale, Nov 19 Selections and Collections, Nov 19

Chinese and Asian Antique and Fine Art (TImed), Nov 7-27 Jewellery and Collectables, Dec 2

IRELAND

Adam’s 26, Stephens Green, Dublin 2, D02 X665, Ireland 00 353 1 6760261 www.adams.ie Mid-Century Modern, Nov 8 Fine Jewellery and Watches, Dec 6

Peter

VINTAGE

Omega Seamasters and pre-1980s Omegas in general.

IWC and Jaeger LeCoultres, all styles. Looking for Reversos. American market filled and 14k pieces possibly, at the right price. Breitling Top Times, Datoras and 806 Navitimers. Pre-1960s Rolex models, with a focus in pre-war tanks, tonneaus etc. Gold or silver/steel. Also World War I Rolex 13 lignes etc. Princes.

•WANTED• for epic East Yorkshire Georgian townhouse restoration.

Labelled/ stamped branded furniture from Georgian to Victorian, eg Thomas Butler, Morgan & Sanders, J Alderman, Ross of Dublin (pictured), Gregory Kane, Wilkinson of Ludgate Hill, Robert James of Bristol, James Winter, W Priest, Samuel Pratt and many others. Tables all types, chairs, bookcases, , Davenport. mirrors etc. Campaign shower.

Georgian chamber horse exercise chair (pictured)

Signed and unusual furniture. Georgian, Regency, William IV. Sofa / Pembroke / side tables, library furniture / bookcases. Also Victorian campaign chests, armchairs etc. Ross of Dublin,

Williams & Gibton,

& Millard

Longines, Tudors and Zeniths, pre-1970. Even basic steel models in nice condition. All the quirky oddities like Harwoods, Autorists, Wig Wag, Rolls etc, and World War I hunter and semi-hunter wristwatches.

pre-war ladies’ watches also wanted by Rolex, Jaeger LeCoultre etc. Prefer 1920s/30s deco styles, but early doughnuts also considered.

Yorkshire based, but often in London and can easily collect nationwide.

Early, pre-war ladies’ watches also wanted by Rolex, Jaeger LeCoultre etc. Prefer 1920s/30s deco styles, but early doughnuts also considered. Yorkshire based, but often in London and can easily collect nationwide.

many

George Minter reclining chairs. Shoolbred/ Hamptons / Cornelius

Unusual Georgian to William IV architectural features eg doors, door frames, over door pediments. 18th century staircase spindles and handrail needed. Anything Georgian or Regency with lots of character considered.

Victorian armchairs.

Marble fire surrounds. Georgian / Regency/ William IV. Bullseyes etc.

Georgian / Regency fire grates

Rectangular Georgian fanlight.

windows x 4 identical. Georgian reclaimed. Approx 58” high x 36” wide.

Wide reclaimed floorboards. Approx 100 m2.

Early decorative oil / gas / electric light fittings. Ceiling, wall

Four identical reclaimed Georgian wooden sash windows with boxes, approx 60 high x 37 wide.

Marble fire surrounds from 1750 to 1850ish. White or coloured. Bullseyes, William IV styles etc. Brass Regency reeded fire insert and Victorian griffin grate (pictured)

skull, stuffed crocodile/ alligator. Grand tour souvenirs.

Marc My Words

Mention ‘Asian Art in London’ and the immediate assumption is that it’s all about very expensive Chinese ceramics and works of art. is is generally fuelled, ofcourse, by th headline grabbing stories of pieces popping up at auction and sparking huge bidding battles and selling for on occasions – millions of pounds. But the picture is far bigger. Asia as a landmass covers some 30 per cent of the world’s non-oceanic surface and, as such, represents a staggering cross-cultural and historically wealthy treasure trove of human creativity and production.

So the idea of bringing together some of the world’s best dealers and auction houses in London to mount an annual extravaganza of man’s most artistic endeavours mean you’re just as likely to encounter contemporary works of art (such as the one on the right) as you are ancient works of art – and from all parts of Asia, too.

White gloves

is includes Indian artefacts and art drawn from the many rich historical communities of India’s diverse cultural history. It’s a facet of Asian art that I particularly enjoy. As a day-to-day auction all-rounder, my contact with high-quality Asian art mainly comes from friendships and associations within the business a ording me the opportunity to handle, and sometimes work with, museum-quality items. ( ere are also the times of course, when I’m doing valuation work that turns up the odd gem!)

is can be quite a strange experience as, on the one hand, I can nd myself being told to wear white gloves by a curator to handle something of very little value while, on theother, nd myself caressing an exquisite 12th century bronze (like the one above) on my dining room table.

Window of opportunity

Such was the casewhen I was called on to catalogue a well-provenanced collection of Indian bronzes and works of art for the Frome-based auctioneers, Dore & Rees, in Somerset, as part of its Asian art sale in early November.

Rather than work in the surroundings of the busy, never-ending hub-bub of an auction house, I was able

to take the time to live with the objects in my own home even if just for a short while. is was an interesting experience because, just like my own pieces which I live with and enjoy, they became part of my own space.

It gave me an unhurried window of opportunity to study and admire them and to start to appreciate them in a way that you don’t often get in the frenetic rough and tumble of preparing for an auction.

Soaking up

All their nuances and idiosyncrasies became more apparent; the chisel marks, the wear, the detail and the cultural associations had more time to develop in my head and in my hands as the history of the objects took root in my work.

e sad part – of course - was having to pack them up and return them. Perhaps the whole process sounds a little unorthodox and naturally there were very speci c issues around insurance and security. owever, the benefit to me was being able to soak the aura of the items and appreciate them in re depth, which I’m sure the next owners will also experience in equal measure.

Marc Allum is an author, lecturer and specialist on the Antiques Roadshow. For more details go to www.marcallum.co.uk. Dore & Rees’ Fine Asian Art sale is on November 7.

Right Studio, a contemporary work by the Chinese-American painter Chen Yanning, born in Guangzhou in 1945, is one of the more modern pieces of Asian art appearing at the same sale

‘On the one hand I can find myself being told to wear white gloves by a curator to handle something of very little value while, on the other, find myself caressing an exquisite 12th-century bronze on my dining room table’

Above A Chola period (9th-13th century) bronze gure depicting Parvati, wife of the Hindu god Shiva, part of Dore & Rees’ sale on November 7

Antiques Roadshow specialist Marc Allum forges a new relationship with Asian art after living with it for a while