Antique Collecting magazine May 2022 by ACC Art Books

QUEEN ELIZ ABE TH BANK NOTES A GEORGE III BOOKC A SE BES T PUZ ZLES

MAY 2022

Roman Holiday

Why the Grand Tour is back in fashion

UKRAINIAN SPOTLIGHT

We celebrate the country’s unsung artistic heritage

ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Inside:

Statues of Liberty

VOL 57 N0.1 MAY 2022

Two designers behind the iconic London store’s garden ware

WHEN TIME IS MONEY

THE BOOM IN COIN WATCHES SAY ‘BONJOUR’ UNDERVALUED FRENCH REGIONAL JEWELLERY

ART DECO SCULPTORS

Every collector really should know about

Hidden Asian treasures

Discover the Chinese vase found in a UK kitchen cooking up a worldwide storm ALSO INSIDE The weird world of error stamps

• Latest sale results • Book offers

NEXT AUCTION:

Arts and Antiques Antiquities, Asian and Russian Art 83 5, 85 2, 81 4

16 th May 2022

14 6

52 0

LIVE AUCTION

Lot 520 A German rhinoceros-shaped silver songbird music box, circa 1920

Lot 146 A vase with deer-head protomes, purple flambé glaze, probably 18th - 19th century Lot 219 A Tibetan or Nepalese bronze-mounted box made of cut rock crystal, 18th/19th century

41 1

Lot 411 A southern German ebony cabinet with intarsia, circa 1600

21 9

Lots 835,852, 814 From our collection of circa 200 Russian icons

w w w. h e r m a n n - h i s t o r i c a . c o m Hermann Historica GmbH ❘ Bretonischer Ring 3 ❘ 85630 Grasbrunn / Munich ❘ Germany ❘ contact@hermann-historica.com

FIRST WORD

Welcome I mentioned in last month’s column that this magazine would have a Ukrainian focus and I hope we’ve delivered. As unpalatable as it is, and for all the worst possible reasons, a light is currently being shone on Ukraine like never before. News of the atrocities broadcasts nightly into our homes and, along with learning the geography of the pummelled towns, you can’t help contemplate the country’s past and present, and what the future might hold. On page 44 we consider the life and career of Alexander Bogomazov who, though largely unheard of in the West, is known as the “Ukrainian Picasso”. He was part of the country’s influential avant-garde in the 1930s, which had centres in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa. Bogomazov lived through WWI, revolution, civil war and famine, before dying of tuberculosis and his work is as extraordinary as his life. Another unsung Ukrainian artist, the art deco sculptor Bruno Zach, is celebrated on page 20 and, on page 66, standing in for Marc Allum, Hanna Sherman, editor of the Ukrainian antiques magazine Antykvar reveals how her life has changed since the Russian invasion. On a brighter note, Spring is in the air, outdoor fairs are in full force and nature is bursting out all over. I have never been any great shakes in the gardening department – too much weeding, hoeing, digging and for so little (in my case) reward. If I only there was a way extending something pleasurable (such as my collecting obsession) into the garden…Hang on, there is. On page 36 we learn about the terracotta creations of one of the most collectable designers of the 20th century – Archibald Knox who, as well as his Cymric and Tudric range for Liberty & Co., came up with some stunning jardinières for the London store. Fans of Christina Trevanion and Lennox Cato will be disappointed to learn both are taking a well-earned summer break from the magazine. But the good news is next month we welcome the Bargain Hunt stalwart Kate Bliss to the team. Talking of which, as next month’s magazine is our bumper Summer issue (combining June and July) it will be with you slightly later than usual. Expect delivery from the second week in June and, in patriotic mood, it will be a special platinum jubilee issue. Enjoy the issue

IN THIS ISSUE

CHARLES HANSON

seeks out the Chinese treasures languishing in UK homes, page 18

ANDREW PATTISON

previews a collection of banknotes featuring the Queen, page 24

LISA GREAVES

reveals how the Grand Tour has inspired collectors for centuries, page 48

We love

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

This English School, early 18th-century view of Dunster Castle in Somerset. It is one of a pair with a total estimate of £3,000-£5,000 at Catherine Southon’s sale on May 26.

HANNA SHERMAN

editor-in-chief of the Ukrainian antiques magazine Antykvar on life in Kyiv, page 66

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: Charlotte Kettell 01394 389969, charlotte.kettell @accartbooks.com Subscriptions: Jo Lord jo.lord@accartbooks.com

£38 for 10 issues annually, no refund is available. ISSN: 0003-584X

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 3

Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers

Buy & Sell With Us We are now welcoming consignments for our spring and summer auctions. Contact clientservices@roseberys.co.uk with the details and images of your object to receive a complimentary valuation from one of our specialists. Find out more information on our website: www.roseberys.co.uk 70/76 Knights Hill, London SE27 0JD | +44 (0) 20 8761 2522

THIS MONTH

Contents VOL 57 NO 1 MAY 2022

REGULARS 3

Editor’s Welcome: Georgina Wroe introduces this month’s issue, which has a Ukrainian focus

Antique News: The world’s largest white diamond goes under the hammer and a Gainsborough portrait is saved for the nation

10 Your Letters: One subscriber solves a reader’s dilemma and there are memories of a cult film from the ‘80s 12 Around the Houses: The latest results from the UK salerooms include a Meissen chocolate cup and a rare ‘98’ Vespa QUEEN ELIZ ABE TH BANK NOTES A GEORGE III BOOKC A SE BES T PUZ ZLES

MAY 2022

UKRAINIAN SPOTLIGHT

Roman Holiday

Why the Grand Tour is back in fashion

We celebrate the country’s unsung artistic heritage

ANTIQUE COLLECTING VOL 57 N0.1 MAY 2022

16 Waxing Lyrical: David Harvey opens up with a stunning George III bookcase secretaire found languishing in a nearby garage

Inside:

Statues of Liberty

WHEN TIME REALLY IS MONEY

Two designers behind the iconic London store’s garden ware

THE BOOM IN COIN WATCHES SAY ‘BONJOUR’ UNDERVALUED FRENCH REGIONAL JEWELLERY

ART DECO 7SCULPTORS

18 An Auctioneer’s Lot: Charles Hanson reflects on some stellar sales of Asian art discovered in UK homes

Every collector really should know about

Hidden Asian treasures

Discover the Chinese vase found in a UK kitchen cooking up a worldwide storm ALSO INSIDE The weird world of error stamps

• Latest sale results • Book offers

COVER

24 Saleroom Spotlight: Behind the scenes at the upcoming sale of 500 banknotes all featuring a portrait of Queen Elizabeth

An 18th-century Chinese vase with the six-character mark of the Qianlong period (1736-1795) has an estimate of £100,000£150,000 at Dreweatts’ sale on May 18

30 Puzzle Pages: Test your antiques know-how with that of our resident quiz master Pete Wright-Wade

32 Cool and Collectable: Stamps with errors are a quirky and profitable area of collecting, writes Paul Fraser

@AntiqueMag

52 Book Offers: Save more than a third on the the latest titles from our sister publisher ACC Art Books

54 Top of the Lots: The football shirt worn by Diego Maradona in his “hand of God” goal goes under the hammer, along with a very special Chinese vase 57 Fair News We preview some of the best events taking place in the UK in the month of May 58 Fairs Calendar: Keep up to date with all the latest bargain-filled affairs

61 Auction calendar: Never miss another sale with our comprehensive saleroom guide 66 The Front Lines: Editor-in-chief of the Ukrainian magazine Antyvar, Hanna Sherman, writes from Kyiv

FEATURES 20 Cream of the Crop: Discover the work of Ukrainian art deco sculptor Bruno Zach and his erotic figures 26 Partners in Thyme: The designer Archibald Knox and Mary Seton Watts were both responsible for some of Liberty & Co.’s best garden planters 36 French Fancies: Under-researched and undervalued, Mike Fieggen puts French regional jewellery in the collecting spotlight 40 Time is Money: Popular in the blingfilled ‘80s, coin watches are making a welcome return to UK salerooms 44 Behind the Lines: The life and career of the “Ukrainian Picasso”, the avant-garde artist Alexander Bogomazov is put into focus 48 Tour de Force: Ahead of a sale this summer, specialist Lisa Greaves reveals how the “milordi” of the Grand Tour influenced UK architecture, art and collecting

TO SUBSCRIBE TODAY VISIT WWW.ANTIQUE-COLLECTING.CO.UK/SUBSCRIBE WEEKDAYS FROM 9.30AM TO 1PM ANTIQUE COLLECTING 5

NEWS All the latest WHAT’S GOING ON IN MAY

ANTIQUE

news

A round up of recent events, including dealers’ and auction houses’ support for Ukraine Show me the Monet A rare painting by French Impressionist Claude Monet painted on his only trip to Venice, and not seen in public in 25 years, is expected to fetch $50m (£38m). Le Grand Canal et Santa Maria della Salute, was one of 37 paintings Monet created during a three-month trip to the island in 1908, which are now some of the artist’s most sought-after works. The sale, at Sotheby’s New York on May 17, follows a worldwide tour of the painting which started in Taipei in March before going to Hong Kong, Venice and London in April.

Giving it the needle 18th-century chinoiserie tapestries, cut up as part of a 19th-century ‘makeover’, are back on show at a Hampshire country house following conservation. Believed to have been commissioned for The Vyne, near Basingstoke, the tapestries were made by the London workshop of John Vanderbank, one of the first makers to embrace chinoiserie in tapestries. They reflect Vanderbank’s romanticised view of Asian art and culture, depicting pagodas and groups of figures in flowing robes, as well as monkeys, wild cats, enormous insects and birds. In the 19th century, The Vyne’s then owner, Wiggett Chute, cut up the tapestries to line the walls of his new billiard room. The textiles were removed eight years ago for safekeeping by the National Trust and, in 2018, a £382,000 conservation project began.

6 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Right Cornel Frankel’s

recent exhibition was inspired by the war in Ukraine Below Le Grand Canal et Santa Maria della Salute goes under the hammer in May Below right The

armchair made £1,150 Bottom right The

Vyne Tapestry Room ©National Trust, image Rah Petherbridge Photography

STANDING WITH UKRAINE A Petersham armchair by the Pimlico-based designer Rose Uniacke was one of the star lots at a London auction raising money for the British Red Cross in Ukraine Crisis when it sold for £1,150. It was one of 58 lots put together by Pimlico Road retailers and residents, part of an online sale at Roseberys which raised £37,000 in total. Meanwhile, the flying cap and scarf once worn by WWII RAF hero Sir Douglas Bader was one of the pieces at the recent Connect Art Fair raising money for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC). While the owner wished to remain anonymous, he felt the flying ace’s courage (Bader lost both legs before the war) reflected the heroism and determination of the Ukrainian people. In Dublin, 20 percent of sales from Cork artist Cornel Frankel’s third solo exhibition War Paint, on at the Olivier Gallery until May 1, will be donated to the Irish Red Cross’ aid for the Ukraine relief effort.

Far right Glyn Philpot [1884-1937), Man in Profile with Hibiscus (Félix), 1932, Private Collection, photo © Piano Nobile

Girl power

Cultures from across the globe are represented in an exhibition this month at the British Museum in London. Feminine Power: the Divine to the Demonic, from May 19 to September 25, uses ancient sculpture, sacred artefacts and contemporary art to explore how femininity has been perceived from ancient times to the modern day. One example on show is Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction and salvation, both loved and feared for her formidable power and aggression. The bloodied heads she wears represent her power to destroy the ego.

Right Glyn Philpot (1884 -1937), Siegfried Sassoon, 1917, © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge Below Right Glyn

Philpot (1884-1937), Jamaican Man in Profile (Henry Thomas), 19341935, © Pallant House Gallery

3 to see in

May

Above left Dance mask of Taraka, workshop of Sri Kajal Datta, 1994, India, papier mache, © The Trustees of the British Museum Far left Kali Murti, Kaushik

Ghosh, India, 2022. Image © The Trustees of the British Museum Left Mami Wata headpiece,

Nigeria, early 1900s, painted wood and metal, © The Trustees of the British Museum

Back trouble

An exhibition of works by the ‘Godfather of African Modernism,’ 91-year-old Ibrahim El-Salahi continues at a Hastings gallery this month. Born in 1930 in Sudan, El-Salahi is one of Africa’s most important living artists. He left Africa in 1954 to study at London’s Slade School of Fine Art where he became acquainted with the ideas of Western Modernism. Between 2016-2018, suffering from acute back pain and sciatica which he refused to allow to curtail his work, El-Salahi made 200 pen-and-ink drawings on the inside of his cardboard medicine packets aptly titled Pain Relief.

Flesh Philpots

The first major exhibition in almost 40 years of the British artist Glyn Philpot (1884-1937) opens this month at a West Sussex gallery. Glyn Philpot: Flesh and Spirit at the Pallant House Gallery in Chichester from May 14 to October 23 highlights more than 80 paintings, drawings and sculptures, ranging in style from Edwardian swagger to the Modernist style of the 1930s. Philpot’s sitters included a Who’s Who of British society, from glamorous duchesses and the very well-heeled, to poets. In 1928 he was introduced to Henry Thomas, a Jamaican ship stoker, who became the model for a compelling series of paintings, drawings, and sculptures over the next eight years, including Philpot’s Jamaican Man in Profile (Henry Thomas) (1934-1935) and Head of a Man, Heroic Scale (1937), both of which are on display.

Far right Ibrahim

El-Salahi (b. 1930) Pain Relief; Adam and Eve, 2019 Below right Ibrahim

El-Salahi (b. 1930) Pain Relief, 2019, unique silkscreen Right Ibrahim

El-Salahi (b. 1930) Pain Relief, 2019, unique silkscreen, all images © Courtesy of Vigo Gallery and the artist

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 7

NEWS All the latest POT ON

Pop star

One of the most famous images of American pop art may become the most expensive 20th-century artwork ever auctioned when it goes under the hammer this month. Andy Warhol’s 1964 silkscreen Shot Sage Blue Marilyn is expected to fetch $200m (£151m), according to Christie’s New York. Each of the series was painted on a different background of red, orange, blue, turquoise and sage blue (the one being auctioned). Some were pierced by a bullet fired by the performance artist Dorothy Podber, who asked Warhol if she could “shoot” them. Above Warhol’s silkscreen

image known as Shot Sage Blue Marilyn has an estimate of $200m (£151m)

Work by 50 leading ceramicists goes under the online hammer this month raising money for disadvantaged youngsters to access pottery studios. Pots by Keith Brymer-Jones, Edmund De Waal and Kate Malone are all on offer at the second FiredUp4 auction which sees bidding open on May 9. Posthumous pots by Simon Carroll, (donated by his estate), a ceramic sculpture by Mo Jupp and a piece by Michael Cardew will also be on sale. Previous funds furnished two pottery studios in Lancashire and provided teaching staff. For more details go to www.firedup4.com Below FiredUp4 staff with work by (l-r) Fernando Casasempere, Chris Keenen, Kate Malone and Miray Mehmet Fontanelli, image © Sylvain Deleu

A staggeringly large diamond nicknamed ‘The Rock’ is expected to make $30m (£23m) when it is sold in Geneva this month. The 228.31-carat pear-shaped gem, which was mined and polished in South Africa more than 20 years ago, is the largest white diamond ever to come to auction, said auction house Christie’s. After touring Christie’s Dubai, the gemstone is set to travel to Taipei and New York before reaching the sale location in Switzerland. Earlier this year, Sotheby’s sold ‘The Enigma’ for £3.2m. At 555.55 carats, with 55 facets, it was the largest cut diamond ever to come to auction – outstripping ‘The Golden Jubilee’ at 545.67 carats. Above Christie’s Rahul Kadakia with ‘The Rock’

Danish tasty London auction house Bonhams has acquired the family-run Danish auctioneers Bruun Rasmussen for an undisclosed sum. It is the third competitor the London-based auction house has bought since the beginning of this year. It recently announced the acquisition of the Boston-based auction house Skinner, which was subsequently renamed Bonhams Skinner. In January, Bonhams also bought the Swedish

30 seconds with... Mark Wiltshire, a specialist in books and manuscripts at Christie’s What first attracted you to the auction world? I have loved books since my teenage years, but I wasn’t familiar with the rare book trade until after I graduated. Being a specialist at Christie’s means I am directly in touch with literature every day. I love writing catalogue descriptions detailing why a book is important, or why an author deserves to be read. What has been your most exciting sale to date? I’ve worked on some incredible projects at Christie’s over the years, from sales

8 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Rock star

auction house Bukowskis. Bruun Rasmussen is a family firm, founded in 1949 by Arne Bruun Rasmussen; his son Jesper is chairman emeritus and two grandchildren work there. It sells around 75,000 lots each year. Right Bonhams has acquired

the Copenhagen auctioneers Bruun Rasmussen

of Shakespeare folios to the very best in scientific and mathematical books. One of my most exciting finds was a presentation copy of Ada Lovelace’s paper on digital computing, which achieved a world auction record for any printed work by a female scientist. I’m currently working on an auction of modern first editions by today best writers, including the likes of Hillary Mantel, Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie, and Ian McEwan. They’ve been annotated by their authors with some incredible insights and will be sold to benefit the charity English PEN. What do you dream of finding? My real literary love is poetry – particularly the Romantic poets. My dream find would be a book owned or annotated by John Keats, or an unknown autograph, letter or poem. This is slightly more likely than that other major literary holy grail – a Shakespeare autograph, or a book from the Bard’s library.

What advice have you got for the would-be book collector? Collect what you’re passionate about and reach out to a specialist who can help inform your decisions. Whether it’s Ian Fleming first editions, or medieval manuscripts, you should go after the things that inspire you. As specialists, we’re always delighted to speak with collectors about growing their collections. Do you collect? If so, what? I’m still waiting to find a book from Keats’s library, so at the moment I try to collect uncommon Romantic-era poetry. I’m particularly interested to find copies that have been annotated by contemporary readers.

Mark is co-curator of the Art of Literature – a series of sales, exhibitions, views and events taking place throughout June and July at Christie’s in London.

Red card

BRUTE FORCE

A rare gold coin marking the 44 BC murder of Julius Caesar is expected to fetch more than £1.5m when it goes under the hammer this month in Zurich. Called the Eid Mar, the coin was minted by Caesar’s betrayer, Marcus Junius Brutus, to commemorate the assassination on March 15 (the Ides of March) carried out by a group of Roman senators, led by Brutus. The coin has been on display for the past decade at the British Museum in London, where it was on long-term loan from a private collector. One side of the coin shows an inscription EID MAR, short for Eidibus Martiis, the Ides of March, along with two daggers and a liberty cap symbolising the fight for freedom. Above The Eid Mar coin, © Numismatica Ars Classica

Toy story The world’s largest toy auctioneers, based in County Durham, has taken centre stage at a new fly-on-the-wall documentary. Vectis Toy Auctioneers is the star of Scouting for Toys, on Yesterday channel, which sees the team of experts value and catalogue a range of toys ahead of a weekly auction. In the first episode Vectis’ Star Wars specialist Nick Dykes, evaluates a collection, sharing his knowledge on the most sought-after items. All episodes of Scouting for Toys are available for catchup on UKTV Play. Below A Vectis expert puts a lot through its paces

Next month’s Russian sales by the major auction houses have been cancelled after UK government widened its ban on exports to Russia to include high-end luxury goods. Paintings, works of art, antiques, jewellery, watches and cars are among the 22 luxury goods categories included in the fourth round of sanctions agreed by the G7 countries and the EU. The ban on exports covers items with a value exceeding €300 (but €1,500 for musical instruments and €50,000 for cars). London’s Russian Art Week has become an annual event in the summer, with last year’s series raising around £27m. The pre-pandemic series in June 2019 totalled £35.8m. Sotheby’s confirmed it would

not be holding any Russian art auctions in London in June, with Christie’s and Bonhams following suit soon after. Russian-owned Phillips donated £5.8m from its recent Contemporary art sale to the Ukrainian Red Cross. A number of UK regional firms are no longer taking bids from buyers in Russia. Above Sotheby’s is one of the auction houses to

ban Russian sales, image @haydonperrior

PICTURE PERFECT An early work by William Hogarth (1697-1784) has been bought for the nation following a successful public appeal to raise £25,000. That was the sum required by Strawberry Hill Trust to acquire Hogarth’s portrait of Horace Walpole, later 4th Earl of Orford (1717-1797). The National Heritage Memorial Fund donated £115,00 with the Art Fund coming up with £90,000 which was added to money from the trust’s coffers. The trust said the picture was of “exceptional interest” as it is the earliest surviving oil portrait of Walpole; a rare and significant example of Hogarth’s early mature pictorial work; the earliestknown commissioned picture of an identifiable sitter by Hogarth and his first-known portrait of a child.

Above The portrait of Horace Walpole has been

saved for the nation

Best cellar Tours of a little-known Roman bathhouse hidden underneath a London office block have reopened after being closed to the public for two years due to Covid-19. Discovered in 1848, Billingsgate Roman House and Baths is home to one of London’s best-preserved Roman remains. A model of what the bathhouse looked like in Roman times is also on view. Located on Lower Thames Street, close to the Tower of London, the bathhouse was occupied until the end of Roman London in the early 5th century.

Above Tours of the Billingsgate Roman

House and Baths have resumed

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 9

LETTERS Have your say

Your Letters Memories of a cult film and the answer to a mystery piece of furniture are among this month’s letters

After my parents passed away, the family has had many antiques and collectables to share among us. One piece is the christening mug pictured above, which has my father’s initials JAH. It was, of course, not his actual christening mug, but a find he and I made in an antique shop in Marlborough near his home. It is not in perfect order, but it has a lovely look and style, it was very cheap and bearing those initials we couldn’t leave without it. Now in my own home in Carmarthenshire, not far from Nantgarw and Swansea, I was interested to see your article Welsh Rare Bits in the March edition of Antique Collecting. The mug has a similar style to the pieces illustrated and, although it has no maker’s mark, I am wondering if I have a piece of Welsh porcelain? Valerie Burke, by iPhone

Our star letter receives

a copy of Bulgari Treasures of Rome by Vincent Meylan worth £55. Write to us at Antique Collecting, Sandy Lane, Old Martlesham, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 4SD or email magazine@ accartbooks.com

Above right The famous telephone box has a visitors’ book Above left The christening mug has the initials JAH

Star letter

How I enjoyed reading about the sale of props (or rather, actual furniture) from my favourite film Withnail and I (Around the Houses, April issue) which I well remember seeing as a student in London when it first came out. How I would have loved to have put the winning bid in on Uncle Monty’s famous sofa. Readers might be interested to know the Cumbrian phonebox from which Withnail phones his agent wasn’t a prop either. It still stands in the village of Bampton in Cumbria. Its place in cinematic history is marked with a visitors’ book inside the booth. Josh Blackson, Herts

Right Uncle Monty’s sofa

sold for £15,000 Below The mystery item has been identified as a purdonium

Article author and Welsh porcelain specialist Ben Rogers Jones, writes: “Sadly no, it’s not Nantgarw I am afraid. Staffordshire I should think.” In response to the letter from S. J. Green in the April edition, the item pictured is a purdonium, an indoor coal cabinet that would usually have a removable metal scuttle. Many were ornately decorated with carved and inlaid panels. I myself owned one for several years and used it as a magazine rack and telephone table before moving it on. A very useful and decorative piece of furniture. Ian Troughton, by email

10 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Answers to the quiz on page 30 Q1 (a) – (3) Beswick; (b) – (2) Willow; (c) – (5) Moorcroft; (d) – (1) Falcon; (e) – (4) Goss. Q2 (b). Q3 (c). Q4 (b) It was seen as a novel way to reward front-line troops after the first campaign of the Civil War. It was of silver with the king’s head on one side and an image of the Prince of Wales (the future Charles II) on the other. Q5 (b) Scotland – the score was 0-0. Q6 (c). Q7 (a) There were many barrel styles although in the 19th century the ‘sham damn’ was considered only fit for export. Q8 (b). Q9 (a). Q10 (d). Teen’s couch = escutcheon; hippy sling = Philip Syng; trump’s wok = stumpwork; cease rinse = necessaire.

THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE LORD AND LADY SWAYTHLING AUCTION

•

27 May 2022 • London

VIEWING

•

19–26 May 2022 • 8 King Street • London SW1Y 6QT

CONTACT

•

Charlotte Young • cyoung@christies.com • +44 (0) 20 7389 2730

Auction | Private Sales | christies.com

21042_12 ANTIQUE COLLECTOR 286x216 (Swaythling)_03.indd 1

13/04/2022 10:12

AUCTION Sales round up The chocolate cup with cover more than tripled its low estimate

Kinghams, Moretonin-Marsh It might look like a work by the Scottish Colourist Samuel Peploe (1871-1935) but this still life, which sold for £1,600 at the Gloucestershire auction house’s recent sale, is by the lesser-known Scottish artist William Walker Telfer (1907-1993). Expected to make £150, Still Life, Tulips & Fruit was by the ‘fringe’ Colourist, Telfer who also exhibited at the Society of Eight whose members included F.C.B. Cadell and Peploe himself.

The still life has definite echoes of the Scottish Colourist Peploe

Denhams, Horsham

AROUND the HOUSES

This month’s round up from the UK’s leading salerooms includes an ingenious Victorian choker and a pair of armchairs by Howard & Sons Bellmans, Wisborough Green

A pair of Copeland ‘jewelled’ bone china dessert plates from the 1890s, featuring fashionable young women of the day and painted by Samuel Alcock doubled its estimate when it sold for £650 at the West Sussex auction house. The painter Samuel Alcock (not to be confused with the porcelain manufacturer of that name) was one of the Stoke-on-Trent manufactory’s finest artists, specialising in figures and, on occasions, using his wife and daughters as models. At the same sale a late 19th-century Meissen yellow-ground chocolate cup with cover and The plates ‘trembleuse’ saucer – with a raised holding area were painted allowing the cup to sit more securely – sold for by Copeland’s £1,400 against an estimate of £400-£600. leading artist Samuel Alcock

12 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Two 17th-century tavern jugs, estimated at £400-£600 each sold for a combined total of £34,000 (£19,000 and £15,000) at the Sussex auctioneer’s recent sale. Both were the same shape and size (20cm high) and featured wreathed medallions with the initials MRS. They were likely produced in the 1670s by the Fulham Pottery, which manufactured 100 similar types with the tavern or tavern keepers’ name. Many have the sign of The Cock tavern (a favourite haunt of Samuel Pepys) and the name of the landlord Henry Crosse or his deputy William Morrison. The bottles are similar to 17th-century One German Bellarmine of the two or Bartmann jugs tavern jugs which were supplied which sold for across Europe in their a total of £34,000 millions.

Fellows Auctioneers, Birmingham An early 20th-century Burmese ruby and oldcut diamond ring sold for £19,140 against a low guide price of £2,000 at the Midlands auction house’s recent sale. Interest in the ring sparked close to 100 bids, reflecting Burmese rubies’ status as one of the most precious gems in the world (most of them have already been mined making them incredibly sought-after at auctions around the world). The ruby was unheated and had a calculated ruby weight of 2.20 carats, with an estimated diamond weight of 0.65 carats. While the band had been resized, its diamonds appeared bright and well matched.

Burmese rubies are some of the rarest gemstones in the world

The Vespa was one of the earliest models by the Italian maker

Elmwood’s, Notting Hill An iconic ‘Tutti Frutti’ bracelet by Cartier sparkled at the London auction house when international bidding took it beyond its guide price of £60,000£80,000 to hammer at £158,000. According to auctioneer Ben Gosling it was the most expensive piece of Cartier Tutti Frutti jewellery sold in a UK auction in more than half a decade. The Tutti Frutti He said: “After heated bidding between bracelet international collectors and dealers, achieved the highest price in some of whom had flown in to view years the piece, we sold the bracelet to an international collector.”

Halls, Shrewsbury A circular William IV marble and mahogany specimen table more than doubled its low estimate of £2,000 at the Shropshire auction house when it sold for £4,800. Made up of various marbles, including verdo antico and rouge royale, and set in a white marble ground, the vendor had bought the table for £45 at a Worcestershire A William farm auction in the late 1960s. IV specimen Popular in Italy in the 18th century, marble and specimen tables are crowned with tops mahogany centre made from either an table did well in intact piece of stone, Shropshire or pieces of stones and minerals. At the same sale an Popular Edwardian sugar castor owl antiques in the ever-popular form continue of an owl sold for £5,500 to fly out of UK against a pre-sale guide salerooms of £4,000-£6,000.

Richard Winterton, Tamworth A soldier’s archive, including some of the last words ever written by the SS leader Heinrich Himmler, sold for a total of £6,710 at the Himmler’s Staffordshire auctioneers. washbag and ‘lines’ sold Oldham-born Sergeant Grenville for £4,200 at the Grayer, serving with the 45 Field Security recent sale Section, encountered the notorious Nazi leader after the liberation of Berlin. Part of a team charged with identifying the German, Sgt Grayer demanded a sample of his handwriting. Himmler wrote the phrase “Ich soll das Reinigungsgerät mitnehmen”, which roughly translates as “I must bring my rifle cleaning kit” multiple times. The writing sample, along with Himmler’s silk washbag, sold for £4,200.

Ewbanks, Woking A rare 1948 ‘98’ Vespa, one of the first models ever produced, sold for £29,120 at the Surrey auctioneer’s recent sale, speeding past its estimate of £15,000-£25,000. Enrico Piaggio registered the A patent for the wasp-shaped, two-wheeler Victorian in Florence on April 23, 1946. The design diamond was inspired by the small olive-coloured pinwheel brooch Cushman Airborne motorcycles that span past its were dropped into Milan and Turin in estimate WWII by parachute to fight the Germans. At the same sale a Victorian diamond pinwheel brooch realised a final price of £26,000, more than six times its low estimate. The price reflected the strength of the market for quality, unusual, antique jewellery. It had a total diamond weight of more than 13 carats, with the central stone weighing just over two carats.

Tennants, Leyburn An inlaid chaise longue The expected to make £700Aboriginal £1,000 sold for £26,000 at the North Yorkshire shield sparked auctioneer’s recent Spring fine art sale. The chaise, international which the vendor had inherited from his father, interest is thought to be by Owen Jones, one of the most influential designers of the 19th century, and made by famed London cabinetmakers Jackson & Graham. At its ethnographica sale, a 19th-century Aboriginal shield, which had been expected to make £6,000-£8,000 sold for The £32,000. The vendor’s grandfather had moved to chaise Australia in 1924 where he farmed near Perth longue is thought to be by before moving back to the UK in 1937. the renowned maker Owen Jones

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 13

AUCTION Sales round up Roseberys, West Norwood

The amethyst and diamond suite was by the leading London maker Asprey

The top seller at the London auctioneer’s recent sale was an amethyst and diamond suite by Asprey, which had a guide price of £8,000-£10,000 but sold for £17,500. Made up of graduated flowerhead panels, the set came in its original presentation Asprey case. In the same sale, a high-end Victorian collar necklace, which separates to form two bracelets, sold for £13,750, more than 10 times its high estimate. Rather than hallmarks, Victorian registration marks featured on the back of the panels which helped date it to January 1876. The ingenious collar necklace could be separated to make two bracelets

Gildings, Market Harborough A limited-edition watch with a stellar connection to Snoopy and NASA was the star attraction at the Leicestershire auction house. The Omega Speedmaster Professional ‘Eyes on the Stars’ Snoopy Award wristwatch sold for £14,260 more than doubling its upper estimate of £7,000 and a tenfold increase on the £1,400 originally paid for it in March 2006. The timepiece was created to commemorate the NASA Apollo 13 mission, in which the Omega Speedmaster played The a pivotal role in saving the crew’s lives when Omega astronaut Jack Swigert used it to time the fuel Speedmaster burn needed to land safely. Professional ‘Eyes Omega was given the Silver Snoopy Award on the Stars’ in 1970 following the Apollo 13 mission and was a star attraction created this ‘Eyes on the Stars’ watch in 2003.

14 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Mallams, Abingdon A pair of late 19th/early 20th century Howard & Sons style armchairs with carved walnut cabriole legs was the star performer at the Oxfordshire auctioneer’s recent sale – selling for £11,500 against an estimate of £1,500-£3,000. A 19thProving the selling power of the century Nantgarw London furniture maker, established in porcelain plate 1820, two further modern armchairs sold for was another £2,600, more than four times its top estimate popular seller of £600. At the same sale, a 19th-century Nantgarw porcelain plate, hand decorated with a central floral spray and insects, also piqued interest with a hammer price of £750, some 25 percent over its top estimate. A recent issue of Antique Collecting magazine attested to the current popularity of the Welsh porcelain manufacturer.

The Howard & Sons style armchairs sold for 10 times their low guide price

Summers Place Auctions, Billingshurst A marble torso of a woman signed Richard Garbe ARA (1876-1957), dated 1931, flew past its estimate of £3,000-£5,000 to hammer at £27,000 at the West Sussex auction house. Fierce bidding on the phones and internet saw the carving go to a new UK online bidder. Garbe was a prominent 20th-century sculptor. While many of his creations were Victorian in style, pieces in the ‘20s and ‘30s tended towards art deco. Garbe exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1898 and was elected ARA in 1929.

A white marble torso of a woman sold for £27,000

THE

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EXPERT COMMENT David Harvey The standard of workmanship and attention to detail it demonstrated were so high, it is difficult to know where to start. So let us begin at the top and work our way down. Everywhere one looks, there are details which make it stand out from run-of-the-mill pieces, making it a veritable ‘Rolls-Royce’ of bookcases.

Big frieze On the top of the bookcase we find a cornice featuring a carved Greek key pattern above a concave moulding. The frieze is crossbanded in satinwood with an inlaid central shell motif and chevron bandings in mahogany running around the sides on the returns. Both doors on the upper part have an unusual arrangement of glazing bars. There are eight panes: both the uppermost are arched with a central carved leaf motif, while the lower two panes are in a serpentine shape. By encompassing elements of both the rococo and the neo-classical we are given some hints as to date. In my opinion the bookcase was made in about 1785.

Top drawer

Waxing lyrical David discovers a ‘Rolls-Royce’ languishing in a client’s garage – although this one takes the shape of a superlative secretaire bookcase

very day something extraordinary happens in the world of antique dealing, although you never know the circumstances behind that “thing”. This particular journey began some months ago when I was approached by a person who had inherited a piece of furniture. With nowhere to put it, it was currently languishing in his garage. Being only a few miles from my Witney home, I decided to delve deeper and I am very glad I did. A deal was done, hands were shaken and I exchanged a smaller piece for a wonderful George III secretaire bookcase, pictured above.

16 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Above The George III

mahogany secretaire bookcase was found in a garage Top right Details of the

frieze and cornice Above right Detail

of leaf carving on the glazing bars Right Inlaid front of

secretaire drawer

Continuing down the bookcase, onto the base, we see how cleverly the maker tied the decorative elements together. There is satinwood crossbanding around the top drawer which, in effect, gives the impression of it being two panels. The corners have satinwood spandrels with an unusual inlaid dog’s tooth chequer pattern central vertical inlay. Such are the details and skills required, one begins to understand the lengths to which the cabinetmaker went to achieve this finish – he doubtless had a very special client of both wealth and good taste.

Left Detail of internal

door and columns Below right The

secretaire bookcase shown with its drawers open Below left Detail of internal door and columns

Inside job But it is only when one opens the drop-down front of the secretaire drawer, we see the full flourish of the bookcase. The maker must have used every tool at his disposal to produce such a veritable symphony of woods and craftsmanship. The central door, echoing the top of the bookcase, has a shell inlay in a Harewood oval set. It appears in a chequer-banded yew wood ”window” flanked by inlaid columns – again in harewood (maple wood that has been dyed greenish grey), yew wood and satinwood. Columns like these usually hide secret compartments and these are no exception. But how are they opened without breaking your fingernails? The central door opens to reveal a gap either side at the back of the compartment, from where the secret drawers can be pushed open. As you would expect, given the outstanding quality of the piece, the rest of the secretaire’s drawers reflect its conforming patterns just as well. Shaped pieces above the pigeonholes are in green harewood, while the drawers above and to the side feature yew wood panels crossbanded in satinwood with chequer bandings. All these exquisite details show no expense was spared by this exceptional maker.

Labour of love

But it is only when fully open that we see how this garage discard rises like a phoenix from the ashes to become a gentleman’s bookcase of the very finest quality. In the absence of a label, signature, or original receipt it is difficult to ascribe the piece to any maker. But there are strong influences from the George III period pattern books by Chippendale, Ince and Mayhew, Hepplewhite, Sheraton and others. It may well have been made in London, or by Gillows of Lancaster, but even more important than who made it, is the effect it has on the viewer standing in front of it. The excitement of cleaning and conserving an item to its original, much-cherished, condition is unparalleled. As I tell friends, I really am one of the luckiest people alive because this labour of love is at the heart of my day job. I still rush to work every day – and there aren’t many who can say that! David Harvey is the owner of Witney-based W R Harvey & Co. (Antiques) Ltd. For more details go to the website www.wrharvey.com

‘Such are the details and skills required, one begins to understand the lengths to which the cabinetmaker went to achieve this finish – he doubtless had a very special client of both wealth and good taste’

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 17

EXPERT COMMENT Charles Hanson extraordinary bids started to come in for the humble vase. I withdrew it from sale to give me time to consult Chinese ceramics experts and, importantly, ensure we achieved the best price possible for our client.

Transitional Period

An Auctioneer’s Lot

Charles turns detective to discover long-forgotten Chinese treasures languishing in Brits’ homes

orking in the antiques world can feel a little like being a detective as you question, probe and hunt for clues to discover treasure in unexpected places. Every week I’m invited into homes to assess whether items are worthy of auction, often ahead of a house clearance. And sometimes an object deemed worthless takes my eye. My detective instinct kicked in when I spotted a vase filled with dried flowers in a modest two-up, two-down property – and my instinct told me to take another look. It was blue and white and embellished in typical Chinese style. But it seemed incongruous. I probed further and discovered the vase had been given as a gift to a man who had worked as a chauffeur in the 1950s. But why would a valuable piece of Chinese ceramics be here? Could it be that a generous employer had gifted an exceptional item to a loyal driver more than 60 years ago? Could a vase used for dried flowers in a house in Mansfield, Notts, be highly valuable?

Above Don’t drop it –

Charles Hanson with a Chinese vase that sold for £15,000 Below Dated to the mid17th century, the vase had been used to display dried flowers Below right Hansons’

head of fine art Isabel Murtough with a Chinese vase that sold for £46,000

House clearance The property was due to be cleared and an offer of £1,000 had been made for the contents – but I arranged for the vase to be auctioned. However, despite my gut instinct, I made a mistake. After examination, I decided it was repro and consigned the vase into Hansons’ recent antiques and collectables sale with a guide price of around £50. But when the auction catalogue went live online

‘My detective instinct kicked in when I spotted a vase filled with dried flowers in a modest twoup, two-down property – and my instinct told me to take another look.It was blue and white and embellished in typical Chinese style’ 18 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

The item was identified as a Chinese blue and white bottle vase, c. 1640, and from the Transitional Period (1620-1683). This was the time when the Ming dynasty had lost control over the Imperial porcelain factory in Jingdezhen but the Qing dynasty had not yet taken over. The 50 years without Imperial patronage led to a dramatic diversity of production, as the kilns turned their attention to selling both into the non-Imperial domestic market, and into newly-emerging export markets, notably the Dutch and Japanese markets. Its bulbous body is vividly painted with a group of officials conversing while its neck boasts stylised tulips. The vase was re-consigned into Hansons’ April 1 Derbyshire Fine Art Auction with a guide price of £2,000£3,000. It sold for £15,000. The same was true of the top lot in April’s fine art auction – a damaged Chinese blue-and-white ‘nine’ dragon bottle vase, Jiaqing mark, period 1796-1820. It sold for £46,000 from an estimate of £3,000-£5,000. Like the Mansfield find, it was spotted during a standard home visit in Cheshire. Overlooked by the 89-year-old client, who had inherited it 25 years previously, I spotted its potential. Despite a repair, the style of decoration had its roots in the imperial designs of the Qianlong period (17361795). Similar examples exist in The Palace Museum, Beijing, China. I’m always delighted to deliver unexpected windfalls to people who have absolutely no idea they own anything of value. Chinese ceramics can sell for life-changing amounts and if I can facilitate that I am a happy man. Items are invited for Hansons’ Summer fine art auction. For a valuation email Isabel Murtough, imurtough@ hansonsauctioneers.co.uk or call 01283 733988.

Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers

NEXT AUCTION Tuesday 24 & Wednesday 25 May Fine Art, Antiques & Asian Art Including the Contents of Tidenham Manor

PRINKNASH ABBEY PARK GLOUCESTERSHIRE GL4 8EU

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01452 344499 | enquiries@chorleys.com

UKRAINIAN FOCUS Bruno Zach

CREAM of the CROP The unsung Ukrainian art deco sculptor Bruno Zach was responsible for some of the best – and sauciest – figures of the period

ay ‘art deco figure’ and the names that immediately spring to mind are the German maestro Ferdinand Preiss (1882-1943) and the Romanian sculptor Demétre Chiparus (1886-1947). In both cases, the subject matter most likely brought to bear would doubtless be the same: stylised women dancing on an onyx pedestal – a single image that almost singlehandedly evokes the essence of the era. But for the serious collector there are more subjects and more artists whose work may be less known but is equally redolent of the time. One such is the Ukrainian Bruno Zach (1891-1945) whose work continues to both enchant and increase in value.

Spirit of art deco In the early part of the 20th century European high fashion was characterised by the preoccupations of the era – clothing, dance, sport and human achievements were all changing rapidly, presenting sculptors with a vast array of influences. At the same time, the epitome of female beauty was changing. Gone were the flowing-tresses and chocolate box prettinesss of the Edwardian period. Post-WWI, women sought a lean physique, exuding health and short-cropped hair. But for Zach, another feminine dynamic was at play: barely concealed sexual desire. Zach was born in the Zhytomyr, 150km west of Kyiv, in 1891. For an aspiring artist, a turn-of-the-century administrative centre was not the best place to forge a career. Early on Zach was drawn to the Austrian capital of Vienna, which, in the run up to the start of WWI, was a remarkable melting pot of artists, architects, musicians and social scientists, from Gustav Klimt to Sigmund Freud. With a number of foundries, Vienna was also, along with Paris and Berlin, one of the main centres of production for bronze figures.

Creative hub Zach studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna at the same time as Egon Schiele who was born in the same year. While Schiele became known for his

20 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Cabaret scene After WWI cabarets became popular across Europe – nowhere more so than in Germany. The Weimar government’s lifting of censorship saw German cabarets transform and flourish. Entertainment was dominated by two themes: sex and politics. Stories, jokes, songs and dancing were laced with sexual innuendo. As the 1920s progressed this gave way to open displays of nudity. Prostitution was widely accepted and it became ‘de rigueur’ to use their services, whether one was male or female. While Zach clearly thrived in the smokefilled caverns, the Austrian writer Stefan Zweig (1881-1942) was more critical. He wrote: “Berlin transformed itself into a Babel. Germans brought to perversion all their vehemence and love of system. Made-up boys with artificial waistlines promenaded along the Kurfiirstendamm … Even [ancient] Rome had not known orgies like the Berlin transvestite balls, where hundreds of men in women’s clothes and women in men’s clothes danced under the benevolent eyes of the police.”

disturbing portraits of women’s raw, unflinching sexuality, Zach’s portrayal was more overtly erotic. In 1920, Zach moved from Austria to Berlin and soon immersed himself into the decadent night life with gusto. Like many artists before and since, Zach gravitated towards the city’s vibrant underbelly enjoying the company of prostitutes many of whom he used as models. Love affairs followed but, for the artist, appear largely unrequited. One woman refused his marriage proposals so consistently she became the inspiration for one of his works called Hearts.

Riding Crop One of Zach’s best-known works is the cold-painted bronze ‘Riding Crop’ figure, which is an icon of interwar erotic art. It depicts an athletic woman standing proudly, in gartered stockings tied with bows, and a tightly fitting dress, which has slipped down her arms to reveal her breasts. From the front the viewer glimpses the phallic riding crop, which is held behind her back and is only fully revealed when the bronze is rotated.

Opposite page Bruno

Zach (1891-1945) The Riding Crop, c. 1925, sold for £97,875 in 2013 (against an estimate of £40,000-£50,000), © Christie’s Images Limited 2022 Above Bruno Zach

(1891-1945) High Kick, signed B Zach, 47cm, 1925, bronze and marble, on sale from David Hickmet Fine Arts, priced £6,850 Above right In the 1920s

anything went in Berlin’s cabaret scene Right Bruno Zach

(1891-1945) Erotic Lady, signed Zach, 68cm, 1925, bronze and wood, image courtesy of David Hickmet Fine Arts

‘One of Zach’s best-known works is the coldpainted bronze ‘Riding Crop’ figure, which is an icon of interwar erotic art. It depicts an athletic woman standing proudly, wearing gartered stockings and a tightly fitting dress, which has slipped down her arms to reveal her breasts’ ANTIQUE COLLECTING 21

UKRAINIAN FOCUS Bruno Zach WHAT IS COLD-PAINTED BRONZE? The technique refers to sculptures produced in Vienna in the early 20th century. Such pieces were finished using layers of unfired “dust paint” otherwise known as polychrome paint. The layers were not fired to fix them to the bronzes, hence they became known as ‘cold painted’. Sadly, knowledge of the technique, particularly how to mix the paint, has since been lost.

Left Bruno Zach (1891-1945) Joueur à Polo, c. 1925, a rare bronze depicting a polo player about to strike the ball, on a signed marble sôcle and mounted on the original oval marble base. 38cm (15in) high © Pullman Gallery Ltd. 2022

In the figure, Zach succeeds in reflecting the carefree night-time sex scenes of 1920s Berlin while, at the same time, echoing the darkening political landscape before it was engulfed by the Nazi regime and WWII. In his book, Art Deco Sculpture , Victor Arwas described Zach as: “A creator of tall, athletic, independent women in bronze and bronze and ivory. He produced highly sophisticated women dressed in leather trouser suits, insolently smoking cigarettes, high kicking cancan dancers, proud amazons, bathers clearly capable of swimming the Channel both ways ... kinky images of women in slips or gartered stockings holding whip or riding crop, haughty women naked beneath a parted fur coat. He showed both the healthy, outdoor pursuits and the dream mistresses of sado-masochistic Berlin, Vienna and Paris between the wars.” Zach died at the age of 53 on February 20, 1945 in Vienna. Today his works are in the collection of the Art Deco Museum in Moscow.

Recognising a Zach In a category known for fakes, recognising a real figure takes skill. Zach’s work was often fired in mid-brown colours but were often polychromed and most often cold painted. He worked in bronze and ivory, the combination of the two being known as “chryselephantine”. His work was edited by several firms, including Argentor-Werke of Vienna the Broma Companie, S Altmann & Co, and Bergmann. As well as signing his work ‘Zach’ he also signed as ‘B. Zach’ or ‘Bruno Zach’. He also signed pieces with the pseudonyms ‘Prof. Tuch, ‘Professor Tuch’ or ‘K. Salat.’ David Hickmet Fine Arts is showing a selection of figures by Bruno Zach at this month’s Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair in Battersea Park from May 4-8 and at the Petworth Park Antiques & Fine Art Fair from May 13–15. For more details go to www.hickmet.com

22 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

DECO SCULPTORS EVERY COLLECTOR SHOULD KNOW 6 ART

Above right Ferdinand

Preiss (1882-1943) Tambourine Player Sitting , c. 1930, modelled, cast and carved as a female on an onyx base, has an estimate of £3,000£4,000 at Dreweatts’ sale in April Left Bruno Zach (1891-

1945) Fur Coat, signed Zach, 28cm, 1925, cold painted bronze, image courtesy of David Hickmet Fine Arts Below left Bruno Zach (1891-1945) Erotic Dancer, signed Zach, c. 1925, 35cm, cold painted bronze, image courtesy of David Hickmet Fine Arts

Making a bronze art deco sculpture Firstly, the sculptor would produce a clay, or terracotta original, which was then copied by a foundry using sand casting or the cire perdue (lost wax) process. The more complicated the composition – such as splayed legs, or arms lifted to strike a polo ball – the more parts had to be made separately and joined using nuts, bolts rods and screws. Much of carved ivory used in the figures was produced by machine and hand finished at the end. This allowed manufacturers and founders to produce more figures, and at a cheaper price, than if all the parts

had been fashioned by craftspeople. To ensure a design could be sold at a wide range of price points, the figures were usually available in various sizes and could be decorated and finished to order – hence the same design occurs in a number of sizes, materials and finishes. One of the reasons ivory was so popular at the time was because it was readily available and cheaper than bronze. This resulted from large quantities of ivory tusks being exported annually from the Belgian Congo to Antwerp and London. Cheaper figures were made using spelter (a zinc alloy) rather than bronze, and ivorine which simulates ivory.

Marcel-Andre Bouraine (1886-1948) Born in Pontoise, France, he was self-taught and also studied under Falguire in Paris. He was taken prisoner by the Germans during the 1914-1918 war and was interned in Switzerland. Much of his work, with a strong Cubist influence, was produced in the Etling foundry in Paris.

Claire-Jeanne-Robert Colinet (1880-1950) One of a very few successful female art deco sculptors, Colinet was a French sculptor of Belgian birth who worked during the early-to-mid 20th century. The subject matter of her best known work was primarily Arab female dancers. Josef Lorenzl (1892-1950) Along with Chiparus and Preiss, the Austrian artist Lorenzl is one of the most recognised sculptors and ceramicists of the art deco period known for his highly-stylised and elongated figures of dancing women. He signed himself ‘Lor’ and ‘Renzl’ as well as ‘Lorenzl’. Professor Otto Poertzel (1876-1963) Produced works of performers as well as more natural studies of women and dogs and was given many commissions by the German royal court. His work was produced by the Preiss-Kassler firm and was often mistaken as being by Preiss due to the similarity of styles perhaps due to the fact they shared a studio together in Berlin. Demétre Chiparus (1886-1947) Romanian by birth, Chiparus went to France in 1912 and exhibited at the Salon from 1914-1928. He is arguably the best art deco sculptor and most well known for his figures of exotic dancers. Unlike other sculptors, most notably Preiss, he worked independently from foundries and sold the rights to reproduce his works. Johann Philipp Ferdinand Preiss (1882-1943) Active in Berlin in the ‘20s, his partner was Arthur Kassler with whom he set up a foundry in 1906. Known for his quality and naturalism, Preiss is one of the most sought-after sculptors on the market. Usually his figures take their inspiration from real people and the fashions and activities of the time.

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 23

ANTIQUES UNDER THE HAMMER in May

SALEROOM SPOTLIGHT Celebrating this year’s platinum jubilee, a collection of 500 banknotes featuring portraits of Queen Elizabeth II goes under the hammer in London this month

rom Fiji to The Falklands, no monarch other than the Queen has featured on such a range of banknotes, in so many countries, for so long. This month, to celebrate her 70-year reign, the Mayfair auction house Dix Noonan Webb (DNW) is selling a collection of 500 banknotes from more than 20 countries, including countries no longer in existence such as Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Malaya and British Borneo. Since first appearing as a young princess on Canadian notes in 1935, to modern-day portrayals, the Queen has appeared on currency all around the world. Below British Caribbean Territories, $2, January 2, 1957, serial number H2-568701, has an estimate of £600-£800

Above 500 banknotes

bearing a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II go under the hammer Top right Bank of England, John B. Page, £5, 11 November 1971, serial number A01 000013, presented to Jasper Quintus Hollom, Deputy Governor at the Bank of England. It has an estimate of £3,000-£4,000 at this month’s sale Middle right Bank of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, ten shillings, 27 May 1957, serial number W/10 100936, has an estimate of £600-£800 at the sale Above right Jersey

£100 issued to mark the Queen’s diamond jubilee in 2012.The portrait of is based on the 2003 portrait Equanimity by the artist Chris Levine. It has an estimate of £200£260 at the same sale

24 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

DNW’s Thomasina Smith said: “Not only do the notes depict the Queen through 70 years of her reign, but stylistically they are a wonderful works of art showing the progression and history of the banknote.” Aside from the portrait of Princess Elizabeth on the Canadian $20 in 1935, the first note featuring the Queen was a five shilling note issued in Bermuda, dated October 20, 1952 – the year of her accession. An example of the same note appears in this month’s sale with an estimate of £500, while a ten shilling note from the Bank of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (now Zimbabwe and Botswana) dating from May 27, 1957 carries an estimate of £700. The sale is accompanied by a catalogue, set to become a collectors’ piece in its own right, including as it does, details of the jewellery worn by the Queen and the original photographs that inspired the notes’ engravers.

Famous portraits Banknotes have been produced by the Bank of England since the 17th century but, unlike British coins, until the mid 20th century they had never featured a likeness of the reigning monarch. In July 1956, the Queen gave permission for her image to be used on a new series of banknotes. The first portrayals were based on photographs taken by Dorothy Wilding, the first female photographer to receive a Royal Warrant in 1943. Other early banknotes took their inspiration from a 1955 portrait of the Queen by the Italian artist Pietro Annigoni (1910-1988). The first Bank of England note to feature the Queen’s

AUCTION fact file

WHAT: The Platinum Jubilee Collection When: May 31 Sale type: Live Where: Dix Noonan Webb, 16 Bolton St, Mayfair, London W1J 8BQ Viewing: Appointment only, the day before the sale and online at www.dnw.co.uk portrait was the £1 note issued in 1960, followed by a ten shilling note in 1961. Known as the ‘Portrait Series,’ it was designed by Robert Austin, Professor of Engraving at the Royal College of Art. In it, the Queen is wearing the diamond diadem, made in 1820 for George IV, notable for featuring on many other banknotes and stamps. But it was a formal, regal image, and criticised for being a severe and unrealistic likeness. In 1963, the £5 note appeared, followed by a £10 a year later. Both were designed by Reynolds Stone, in a similar style to the Austin notes. In 1990, a new £5 note was issued which featured a more mature portrait of the Queen, who was 64 at the time. A £100 Jersey note commemorating her diamond jubilee features an older monarch taken from a 2003 portrait called Equanimity , by the artist Chris Levine and holographer Rob Munday.

Above The first note with

a portrait of the Queen was a five shilling issued in Bermuda, dated October 20, 1952. It has an estimate of £500 in this month’s sale Right A ten shilling

banknote issued in Bermuda, dated May 1, 1957, is part of a lot including two five shilling notes with an estimate of £200-£300 at the same sale Below left Australian $5, 1988, serial number AA 00 000 000, specimen number 0578. The portrait is based on a photograph by John Lawrence. The note has an estimate of £700£900 at the same sale Bottom East African Currency Board, one hundred shillings, 1962, serial number X5 25668. It has an estimate of £600£800

IN MY OPINION...

We asked Andrew Pattison, head of banknotes at Dix Noonan Webb, for his sale highlights How important is the collection?

The sale will be a celebration of the Queen and her entire 70 years on the throne. The core collection is from one owner, and is largely complete in terms of countries, with many of the important types represented. We are supplementing this with other notes from additional sources, which should leave us with a truly spectacular catalogue.

Are banknotes of a specific monarch a collecting genre in its own right?

Absolutely, but while it is possible to collect other monarchs on banknotes, George V and VI are much more difficult as they didn’t appear on the notes for as many different countries, or for so many years. The Queen offers a vast range of collecting options because she has appeared on such a variety of notes. You can get a very nice collection for a relatively small sum of money, or you can spend tens of thousands on the real rarities.

Do you have a favourite banknote?

It would be the five and ten shilling notes of Bermuda, first issued in 1952. I think the profile portrait is beautiful and the engravings of Bermudan landmarks and colour choices are simply stunning.

Which note will be the sale highlight?

One highlight is a very low numbered £5 with the serial number no. A01 000013, dating from 1971. It was presented to Sir Jasper Quintus Hollom KBE (1917- 2014), the bank’s deputy governor from 1970-1980, and expected to fetch £5,000. Other highlights include a $100 note from Belize, dating from the 1980s (estimated at £1,800), and a 1959, $5 note from the British Caribbean Territories which should exceed its £1,000 estimate.

Where is interest likely to come from?

‘‘While a portrait of Princess Elizabeth appeared on the Canadian $20 in 1935, the first note featuring the Queen was a five shilling issued in Bermuda dated October 20, 1952, the year of her accession’’

Collectors of Commonwealth or specifically Elizabeth II notes come from all over the world. The Queen has admirers everywhere. As well as the UK, there are collectors in the United States, southeast Asia, Europe and the countries on whose banknotes she appears.

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 25

COLLECTING GUIDE Garden designs for Liberty & Co.

PARTNERS IN THYME

Archibald Knox’s designs for Liberty & Co. are among the most iconic examples of 20th-century design. Lesser known is his garden ware for the London store, along with that of Mary Seton Watts

Right Archibald Knox (1864-1933) at the age of 36, image courtesy of the Manx Society

is designs were prolific, but his name is not. Archibald Knox (1864-1933) was the quiet Manxman who helped put Liberty & Co. on the international map with his trademark Celtic designs. Now his garden designs, in the same style, are coming under the spotlight. James Rylands, director of the garden statuary specialist Summers Place Auctions, said: “It’s only in the last few decades that Archibald Knox has become recognised as one of the leading designers of the early 20th century. This is also reflected at auction. We have noticed that garden designs by him and the Compton artists have become more popular over the last few years, finally giving them the recognition they deserve.”

Fashionable shoppers At the turn of the 20th century, the place to shop for growing numbers of fashionable Londoners was Liberty & Co. Its owner, Arthur Lasenby Liberty, having already saturated the furnishings market with his trademark Celtic designs was keen to discover other marketing opportunities. A glance to the gardens of Edwardian Britain gave him the answer. For centuries, the British upper classes had adorned their gardens with marble statues and fountains. How could he find a range of affordable and fashionable garden pottery aimed at the middle classes? Enter Knox, who joined the store in 1899. The reason he may not have been a household name then – and now – was due to Lasenby’s insistence his designers worked anonymously. Without this secrecy, Knox’s name would rightly be seen equal to those of William Morris or Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Between 1903 and 1904, Liberty & Co. registered 14 Knox designs for its Book of Garden Ornaments, which declared: “Never before, in this country, has the Garden Pot been treated as an item, per se, of decorative skill.”

Persistent misconception While Knox’s name remained under wraps, Lasenby was more forthcoming about identity of another designer who also registered a number of designs on March 14, 1903. She was Mary Seton Watts (1849-1938), or, as she was described in the catalogue, “Mrs G.F. Watts, talented wife Below Archibald Knox (1864-1933) for Liberty & Co. Thrym pattern

garden pot, sold for £240 in 2017, image courtesy of Toovey’s

26 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Opposite page A jardinière with typical Celtic knot, designed by Archibald Knox for Liberty & Co. in the garden of Little Thakeham, the arts and crafts home designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1902, image courtesy of Toovey’s Right A Compton Pottery

Scroll pot designed by Mary Seton in the garden of Little Thakeham, the arts and crafts home designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1902, image courtesy of Toovey’s Left Knox was inspired by the Book of Kells which he saw on a trip to Dublin Below left Archibald Knox

(1864-1933), a silver vase with turquoise cabochons made for Liberty & Co., image courtesy of Roseberys Below right A sundial

of our greatest living artist”. However, Watts was an artistic talent in her own right having, prior to her marriage, studied at the Slade School of Fine Art. The association of Knox and Watts (both featured in Liberty & Co.’s 1903 Yule-Tide Gifts catalogue and in the company’s landmark exhibition Modern Celtic Art in London) has given rise to the long-held misconception that Knox’s pottery was produced at Compton, which was not the case. Knox’s work was produced at Carter & Co.’s East Quay works in Poole, Dorset, with clay mined from their beds.

Manx inspired Knox was the ideal candidate to help further Liberty’s Celtic programme. Born

‘Between 1903 and 1904, Liberty & Co. registered 14 of Knox’s designs for its Book of Garden Ornaments

in the garden of Little Thakeham. It can be attributed to Compton by comparing the decorative motif on its stem with a similar one used on a birdbath from the pottery. Image courtesy of Toovey’s Bottom right A Compton Pottery Snake pot and a Compton Pottery Eel pot, expected to make £800£1,200, sold for £2,600 in March, image courtesy of Summers Place Auctions Bottom far right A Compton Pottery Snake, c 1900, with the maker’s “wheel” mark. It is incised with the potter’s initials “RW” inside, image courtesy of Hill House Antiques

The planters Knox’s jardinières can be placed in stylistic groups that reveal his sources of inspiration. As well as Celtic designs, Knox looked to the Isle of Man’s Viking heritage, hence the names include Beowulf, Balder, Okf Sigurd and Regin. In her book, Veronica Franklin Gould writes: “Viewed from above they are shaped like the nimbus within a cross. In Brunhild, one of Knox’s first terracotta designs, restrained knotwork inspired by a pattern from the Braddan Cross at Kirk Braddan, is brought to a halt with a tiny Celtic coil transformed into an art nouveau tendril.” The lug handles resemble items found in grave tumuli in England and Ireland. Sinuous Celtic knots surround the pots, interweaving with lug handles. Rivalling his best silver or pewter hollowware, the jardinières represent Knox at his most lyrical and Modernist. Knox expert Dr Stephen A. Martin writes: “The Gnomme is Knox’s most adventurously designed pedestal, its swelling conical shape incised with complex, repeating interlaces that emerge from beneath a tapered horizontal shelf upon which the pots rest. When married to his most successful jardinières, the Brunhild and Thrym, Knox creates monumental ceramic art as good as any of his greatest Tudric or Cymric designs.”

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 27

COLLECTING GUIDE Garden designs for Liberty & Co. Mary Watts (1849-1938) Knox was not the only pot designer working for Liberty. Mary Seton Watts, symbolist craftswoman and wife of artist Sir George Frederic Watts, shared the responsibility. Watts produced her wares at Compton Pottery in Limnerslease in Compton, Surrey. She founded the Compton Potters’ Arts Guild in 1900, the culmination of a project begun in the East End six years prior, which saw her hold pottery classes for shoeblacks (children who earned a living polishing shoes) giving them “an interesting hour or two”. Back in Compton she started evening classes for up to 70 locals in her drawing room. Watts was a fervent socialist and a national campaigner for the amateur craft revival movement, the Home Arts and Industries Association, which hoped to train volunteers to teach woodcarving, mosaic, lace-making, bookbinding or weaving to rescue the working class from “idleness, drinking or gambling”.

Compton Pottery In 1898, the class achieved great success in the creation of the Watts Chapel in Compton – a terracotta building designed by Watts and modelled by the villagers under her tutelage. Armed with the chapel’s success, the growing enterprise took on the name the Compton Pottery or the Potters’ Arts Guild, which soon began to design and distribute terracotta garden pots.

on the Isle of Man, his designs had their roots in his fascination with the carved Norse and Celtic stone crosses of his childhood. He was also influenced by illustrative aspects of Celtic culture seen in illuminated manuscripts such as Ireland’s ninth century Book of Kells which he saw on a trip to Dublin. The entrelac was to become one of his most important design elements across many media. According to Knox specialist, Dr. Stephen A. Martin: “When creatively freed by the extreme malleability of gold, silver, or pewter Knox’s use of his design vocabulary was at its most delicate. Challenged by the limitations of coarse terracotta, his designs became bolder and more robust. Overall, Knox’s garden pottery relies on powerful line and silhouette, much like the familiar Celtic crosses of Man.” Standing well over a metre high, the stands are a sculptural homage to his beloved Celtic crosses.

28 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Above Archibald Knox

(1864-1933) for Liberty & Co. terracotta stand and planter, given the respective names Gnomme and Beowulf in Liberty catalogues of the period, image courtesy of the Peartree Collection Right Archibald

Knox (1864-1933) for Liberty & Co. terracotta planter, Grimhild, image courtesy of Hill House Antiques

A contract with Liberty & Co. followed and commissions from the influential architects Edwin Lutyens and Clough Williams-Ellis guaranteed its success. In 1904, Watts’ terracotta designs were exhibited in Ireland and the World’s Fair in St Louis. The pots were impressed on the outside with a small wheel mark. Around the outside run the words: Their work was it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel , with Limnerlease Compton in the centre. Unlike Knox’s designs, which rarely deviated from their Celtic inspiration, some of the guild’s decorations featured foliate friezes and swags, more Italianate in style. Others, such as the Snake and Eel pots, with their bold, swirling motifs, were fundamentally Celtic. The pair’s garden ornaments were marketed together by Liberty & Co. for only two years, culminating in 1905 in the winning of a gold medal from the Botanical Society and a Royal Horticultural Society silver award. Dr Martin, whose third book on Archibald Knox is out next year, continued: “Knox’s ceramics need to be rescued from the overgrowth of the back garden and placed squarely amid his other great achievements as quiet emissaries of his vast creativity.” Knox, the third edition of the definitive book on the desginer by Dr Stephen A. Martin, who contributed to this article, is out next year published by Art Media Press. Effectively Knox’s catalogue raisonné, anyone with examples of his garden ware is asked to contact Dr Martin at drsamartin@gmail.com. Veronica Franklin Gould’s book Archibald Knox and Mary Seton Watts Modern Celtic Art Garden Pottery is available to buy priced £5.99 at the Watts Gallery in Compton, which is open to the public and houses more than 200 examples of Compton Pottery. For more details go to www.wattsgallery.org.uk

Above George Frederic

Watts (1817–1904) portrait of Mary Seton Watts (1849-1938), 1887 Right The

Compton Pottery’s modeller Kathleen Titcomb. Unknown photographer. c.1930, image courtesy of Watts Gallery Trust Below Knox’s most successful design was the Brunhild made by Carter and Co., Dorset, and stamped underneath Carter & Co. for Liberty. The smaller version (9 ½” high) was priced at 12 shillings, while the larger one (14” high and having interior walls nearly 3” thick) at £1, 10 shillings, image courtesy of Nicholas Gifford Mead

‘Enter Archibald Knox (18641933), who having joined Liberty & Co. in 1899 was the creative force behind its famous Celtic Cymric and Tudric designs. The reason he is not a household name was due to Lasenby’s insistence his designers worked anonymously’

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 29

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Puzzle TIME

Take time out with these head-scratching conundrums from our guessing guru Pete Wade-Wright

Send your answers to Crossword, Antique Collecting magazine, Sandy Lane, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 4SD, UK. Photocopies are also acceptable, or email your answer to: magazine@ accartbooks.com. The first three opened by May 30 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

MAY QUIZ Q1 Ceramic manufacturers make a range of articles but which of the following names/marks would you most expect to find associated with (a) 1960s Beatrix Potter animals, (b) 1916 badged souvenir ware, (c) 1932 flambé Hazeldene vases, (d) 1952 Toby jugs, (e) 1926 heraldic china? (1) Falcon, (2) Willow, (3) Beswick, (4) Goss, (5) Moorcroft. Q2 The London firm of Barkentin & Krall (established in 1873) produced what? (a) swimwear, (b) gothic revival metalwork, (c) lacquered and inlaid furniture, (d) sporting guns. Q3 The Morgan Motor Company was set up in 1910 and its first cars were three-wheelers. Why? (a) there was a shortage of rubber, (b) the Morganfamily patriarch had raced tricycles, (c) they were not taxed as highly as four-wheelers, (d) three points of contact with the ground offered stability. Q4 Under which monarch was the first gallantry medal struck to be awarded to members of British forces? (a) James I (VI of Scotland), (b) Charles I, (c) Charles II, (d) James II (VII of Scotland). Q5 The oldest surviving England football shirt was worn by Arnold Kirke Smith in the first-ever international game in 1872. Against which nation? (a) Wales (b) Scotland (c) Ireland (d) France. Q6 Early slide-rules invented by William Oughtred (1575-1660) are rare. How did he (apparently) die? (a) murdered by a mathematical rival, (b) trampled by a runaway horse, (c) collapsed from joy at the vote for the restoration of the monarchy, (d) a stroke triggered by anger while teaching? Q7 The ‘stub twist’, ‘twopenny iron’ and ‘sham damn’ were styles of what? (a) pistol barrels, (b) pastry rollers, (c) laundry aids, (d) horse brasses. Q8 Chad Valley’s ‘Home Zoo’ toy (1914) contained what educational ‘device’? (a) geographical cards linking animals with countries, (b) 26 different

30 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

animals forming a complete alphabet, (c) an animal mobile, (d) cut-outs and colouring instructions. Q9 Dieppe, Antwerp and Leavers are all words associated with (a) lace, (b) Grand Tour travel documents, (c) cleaning products, (d) clock mechanisms. Q3 Why were early cars

three wheelers? Q5 Which

national team did the shirt’s owner Arnold Kirke Smith face in 1872? Anagram (b) The inkstand features in n Henry Hintermeister’s painting of the signing of the Declaration of Independence

Q10 A deuddarn is what? (a) A type of double-stitching, (b) a chamber-pot, (c) a Scottish fishing-rod, (d) a Welsh press cupboard? Finally, here are four anagrams: teen’s couch, hippy sling, trump’s wok, cease rinse. Rearrange them to form… (a) The metal plate, often highly ornamented, surrounding a key-hole on a piece of furniture. (b) The two-word name of the Irish-American goldsmith (1703-1789) who designed the inkstand used in the signing of the Declaration of Independence. (c) Needlework with ornamentation in relief having been done over padding or wood. (d) Portable dressing-case or box for toilet or household paraphernalia. For the answers turn to page 10 1

SOLUTION TO LAST MONTH’S CROSSWORD:

The letters in the highlighted squares could be rearranged to make 'four-poster bed'. The winners, who will each receive a copy of the book, are: Tracy Vartan, Bucks; Henry Brown-Wright, by email; James Baxter, by email.

T I

A K

N L

A R

V N

A R

A 20

N S

E R

E 15

O 18

A 27

U 9

22 24

N 17

B E

B 10

O R

DOWN CLUE

8 9

DOWN CLUE

21 23

ACROSS CLUE

Across

3 Dirt remover. William Hesketh Lever made his version (and fortune) in 1885. (4) 7 With 23-Across. British journalist (b. 1964) newsreader, antique and art broadcaster and national treasure (5, 5) 8 Greek mythological god of the dead and king of the underworld. (5) 9 Outer garment which for most of the 18th c. was close-fitting to the waist and then flared out. They can be dated by a gradual reduction in the size of the cuffs. (4) 10 Early 18th-century style of furniture foot. Commonly called the _____ trifid foot especially in America. (5) 11 Weekly comic first issued in 1938. ‘Lord Snooty’ was one of its enduring strips. (5) 12 Mass of unwrought metal, especially gold or silver. (5) 15 Corset stiffeners (pl.). (5) 18 4th letter of the Greek alphabet, and a common graphic image. (5) 20 Natural brownish earth pigment used extensively by Italian Renaissance artists to create a sense of depth. (5) 21 A breed of horse admired for its speed, toughness, beauty and grace. (4) 22 Type of hard wood with a rich colour but prone to insect attack so usually used for indoor furniture. (also Popeye’s girl-friend) (5) 23 See 7-Across. (5) 24 James Buchanan ______ (1820-87). Very famous American engineer and designer. His steel arch bridge across the Mississippi is one of the finest in America. (4)

Down

1 Important, prominent art museum in Florence. (6) 2 Discoloration of the paper of old books, manuscripts and prints with brown spots. (6) 3 Small bag or packet containing scented material. (6) 4 The 7th king of Israel, and a main character in Melville’s ‘MobyDick’. (4) 5 Intellectual property giving its owner legal rights. 24-Across had about 50 of them. (6) 6 Seamus _______ (1939-2013) 10-Across-born poet and playwright. Recipient of the 1995 Nobel prize for literature and a national treasure in his homeland during his lifetime. (6) 13 Compound of silver, lead, copper and sulphur applied to metal and fired to produce a black inlay. (6) 14 Musical interval between one pitch and another with twice its frequency…the ‘basic miracle of music’. (6) 15 George _____ (1724-1806). English painter best known for his skill in painting animals, especially horses. (6) 16 A shady garden alcove often formed by plants trained over a framework. (6) 17 Furniture used to shield from sight, draught, fire, heat etc. (6) 19 Any broad, open and level space. In ancient Rome each would be adorned with fountains or statues e.g. the _____ Apollinis. (4) Finally: Rearrange the letters in the highlighted squares to form the iron appliances, made in pairs, to support burning logs etc.

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 31

MEMORABILIA Error stamps

Cool & Collectable From failing to add the Queen’s head, to the mistaken identity of a cricketer, stamp errors are one of the quirkiest – and most profitable – collecting genres, writes specialist Paul Fraser

ince the dawn of postage stamps in 1840, one area has fascinated collectors more than any other: errors. Finding a mistake can turn a stamp you could buy for under £1 into a rarity worth thousands. Because these stamps aren’t supposed to exist. They are glorious mistakes, never to be repeated. At every stage of postage stamp production, there are dozens of quality control checks. It takes a unique set of circumstances for an error to slip through. But a single printing mistake can produce stunning results. And some of the most valuable and iconic stamps in philatelic history. You’ll discover a wide variety of errors, including missing colours, text and images, inverted overprints and imperforates. Because of this the collector market for stamp errors is huge. Not only that. In my experience, stamp errors are one of the most attractive areas to investors. That’s because error stamps are:

• Easy to understand • Visually appealing • Often rare and difficult to find

All images unless otherwise stated courtesy of Paul Fraser Collectibles

Barbados 1988 Cricket 50c error This stamp celebrating Barbadian cricket hero Herman Griffith (1893-1980) was accidentally printed with an image of his teammate Lawson Bartlett (1906-1976) instead. 101 examples were sold before the stamps were withdrawn, after Griffith's own son spotted the error. Guide price: £2,250.

Sudan 1902 1m brown and pink Official error The “O.S.G.C.” overprint has been mistakenly inverted on this attractive Sudanese stamp. This is a rare error as only six panes of 30 originally existed. “O.S.G.C.” represents “On Sudan Government Service”. Guide price: £300.

Great Britain 1968 4d Christmas error The error occurs at the base of the rocking horse, which appears orange instead of red. The reins, saddle and children’s faces are also affected. A scarce modern error. Only 120 unused examples exist. Guide price: £450.

Plus, their price appreciation has outpaced the rest of the stamp market over the past 25 years or so. Here are 10 of my favourites:

Great Britain 1966 Queen Elizabeth II 6d World Cup error The stamp on the left has the error. Can you spot it? The red team are appearing in grey by mistake, like Manchester United c. 1996. Only 12 mint examples of this stunning visual stamp error exist. Guide price: £12,500.

Great Britain 1972 7½p British Polar Explorers error Failing to place the Queen’s head on the stamp is tantamount to treason. This is a highly scarce QEII stamp error. Only 50 unused examples are known. Guide price: £300.

32 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Great Britain 1997 20p Royal Golden Wedding Name your price. Just six of these error stamps (which lack the correct 20p value) exist. Guide price: £25,000.

Great Britain 2002 The Teddy Bear error The error is the result of a perforation shift, which makes the Queen’s head and value appear on the wrong side. Because the background is the same, it gives the effect that the teddy bear has moved. Guide price: £350.

USA 1918 Inverted Jenny Just 100 Inverted Jenny stamps (featuring an upside-down bi-plane) exist. This striking 1918 stamp is America’s most celebrated piece of philately, featuring in the film Brewster’s Millions and The Simpsons. Guide price: £1m.

China 1968 “Whole Country is Red” The Chinese “Whole Country is Red” stamp was released in November 1968 and depicts happy workers holding copies of Chairman Mao’s Little Red Book below a map of China. It was famously withdrawn soon afterwards – while all of China is coloured red the contested island of Taiwan appears white. The unfortunate printer later said he had feared for his life after the mistake was revealed. Guide price: £500,000.

‘To this day, the 2½d Prussian blue remains one of the rarest and most famous stamps from Great Britain. Quite simply, it should not have been printed’

GREAT BRITAIN 1935 2½D PRUSSIAN BLUE King George V (known as the “Stamp King”) was a passionate stamp collector. So in 1934, when he was asked for his permission for a commemorative stamp issue to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his accession to the throne, he was delighted to say “yes”. The designers put forward 12 different ideas but the King was not impressed by any of them. A further 22 designs were submitted. Finally, the King accepted the design of Mr Barnett Freeman. Just one question remained… what colour did George want the stamp to be? Given the choice of “Prussian blue” or “blue”, he opted for the latter. But, all didn’t go to plan… The printers, Harrison & Son, printed some sheets in the “Prussian blue” colour in error. They realised their mistake and quickly destroyed the erroneous sheets, except for six sheets sent to the Post Office for inspection. The superintendent warehouseman was asked to destroy the six sheets apart from a block of four to be retained for reference purposes. However, he only destroyed two of the sheets with the remaining four accidentally placed with the correct sheets. Three of these sheets were sent to the Edmonton post office in north London. The other sheet was issued to an unknown post office. As a result, we know that only 480 of these stamps were ever issued. This is the maximum possible number in existence. The actual number of surviving examples is much lower.

Trip to the post office

On June 2, 1935, stamp collector Mr A J Stavridi sent his secretary to buy the new silver jubilee stamps from the post office in Upper Edmonton. He soon noticed that some of the stamps were different from the others. Some were blue… others were “Prussian blue”. Returning to the post office, he purchased the remaining 319 “Prussian blue” stamps (41 having been sold) and sent them to his friends as souvenirs. Of the 41 sold copies, 10 were used on magazines sent to Australia, of which one survived; two were sent to a collector in Tonbridge. One other was used on a letter sent to Holland and was discovered in 1937. To this day, the 2½d Prussian blue remains one of the rarest and most famous stamps from Great Britain. Quite simply, it should not have been printed. Guide price: £14,000. Paul Fraser is MD of Paul Fraser Collectibles, for more details go to www.paulfrasercollectibles.com

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 33

The Collector, to include: Period Oak, Sculpture, Two Private Collections of Pewter & Metalware and William and Mary period furniture Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 May 2022 at 10am

Viewing for this auction will take place on: Saturday 14 May 9am - 10.30am, Sunday 15 May 9am - 2pm, Saturday 21 May 9am - 10.30am, Sunday 22 May 9am - 2pm, Monday 23 May through to Wednesday 25 May 9.30am - 4.00pm and on the morning of the 26 May from 9am.

www.bishopandmillerauctions.co.uk 19 Charles Industrial Estate, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 5AH enquiries@bm-auctions.co.uk 01449 673088

JEWELLERY | WATCHES | MAKERS | DESIGNS | COLLECTING

IN THE

Loupe

Discover something new today – say ‘bonjour’ to French regional jewellery. Plus! When time really is money – the incredible world of the coin watch

A coral, diamond, emerald and gold bird brooch by the British jeweller Paul Kutchinsky sold for $11,340, (£8,700) double its low guide price of $5,000 (£3,850) at Christie’s New York online jewellery sale in April

‘Regional jewels are still worn today in some regions of France, notably the north, south and Auvergne. The local jewellers still produce them using the antique dies, moulds and techniques and the women proudly wear them every day’ ANTIQUE COLLECTING 35

IN THE

Loupe

French Fancies Looking for your next collecting obsession? It could just be French regional jewellery, writes Mike Fieggen

rench regional jewellery was previously a relatively unknown area of collecting. With most books and guides concentrating on the leading French maisons, until recently it has been a niche area for dedicated collectors. And no wonder, its pursuit required the would-be collector to hunt down obscure reference books on the subject, limited to certain regions, before they could even start a collection. This could change with the publication of the reference book Traditional French Jewellery, set to bring the hobby sharply into focus by documenting the breathtaking range of French regional jewellery produced. It also reveals the variation of jewels that makes them so tempting to collectors. And, for the most part, such jewels can still be worn today and don’t need to be hidden away in safes. Indeed, when they are worn by adventurous souls, they elicit great interest among those catching sight of them.

36 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Above left Stone-set cross from Le Puy-enVelay, Auvergne, in gold, enamel and garnets, 42 x 70mm, 11.5g, hallmark a horse’s head with assay office mark of Lyon Above The cross opens

with a hinge to serve as a reliquary cross Above right The reverse

of the cross Below right Creole

earrings from Savoy in gold, 26 x 32mm, 5.1g, hallmark an eagle’s head, maker’s mark illegible

Some collectors like to concentrate on a particular region, in most cases the region in which they live, while others like to collect just belt clips or crosses, preferring the more original or spectacular versions. Building up a complete collection of every type of jewel from every region is difficult and costly, and very few have succeeded.

Middle-class wealth As the wealth of France increased following the revolution in 1789, more and more French women were able to adorn themselves with jewellery. Transport being slow and complicated between towns, jewellery in each region evolved in different directions, as did the regional costumes. Some areas of France were wealthier than others in the 18th and 19th centuries, and this is clearly reflected in the range and size of regional jewels. Normandy spawned very large silver and gold crosses, and it’s interesting to see how the small “quadrille” cross became ever larger until it evolved into the spectacular Rouen cross on page 39. The openwork and rhinestones of the Rouen cross became so elaborate that the actual cross shape has become hard to distinguish.

French regional jewellery Popular crosses While crosses are by far the most common theme in French regional jewellery much else can be found including rings, necklaces, pins, pendants and earrings. Then there is a whole host of “utilitarian” jewellery such as shirt buttons, belt and hat buckles, coat clasps, fibulae, busquières and belt hooks (chatelaines). Far from being purely functional, these latter jewels, generally in silver, were uniquely crafted, highly decorative personal adornments. It’s interesting that in some of the poorer regions of France, where the jewels are rare and generally of silver rather than gold, the costumes worn by the women were surprisingly sumptuous. This is because even if a woman didn’t have the finances to buy jewels, she might well have had the time to spend her evenings embroidering her spectacular costume. This situation is particularly observed in Brittany and Savoy.

What to look for:

Regional types One can separate regional jewellery into three main types. The first is the true regional jewellery, made during the golden days, between 1750 and 1840. These were the jewels that were actually worn in the regions and were often very treasured possessions, bought as part of a marriage contract. The second type is the jewels that were re-edited for the collectors’ market, however, the line between the two types is blurred. French hallmarks do not give specific dates, and only in some cases can the style of these jewels truly prove their later date. French manufacturers also made large quantities of regional jewels for the export market, and one sometimes finds them in fitted cases made in England. A Parisian hallmark can be helpful to detect these jewels, however from a collector’s point of view, a Parisian jewel is in most cases no less interesting than one made in the provinces. Finally, we come to the third kind of regional jewellery: one that was created recently, adorned with non-traditional patterns, and whose wearing demonstrates one’s attachment to a region.

French symbols It is in Brittany that the regional jewellery market is probably the most active. Bought by young people or by tourists, most Breton jewellery is made of silver and often features popular Celtic symbols such as the triskelion. The other French regions are not to be outdone: Alsace has for its motif the stork, Lorraine the thistle, the Camargue a bull, Champagne has bunches of grapes, and the manufacturers are not lacking imagination to satisfy the demand or even arouse it. This category of regional jewels is of little interest to collectors.

Above right Brooch in

gold set with pentacrine fossils, c1910 (Halley’s comet), 40 x 17mm, 3.8g, no hallmark, typical jewel from Digne-lesBains Above Belt hook in

silver, decor of a basket of flowers, 29 x 91mm, 31g, hallmark Minerva with assay office mark of Nîmes (30), maker’s mark C above a bunch of grapes Right Grains cross from

Quality is the most important criterion to search for when collecting these fascinating jewels. Crosses set with rhinestones are often quite fragile and one frequently finds examples that have been repaired with tin solder, as the high temperature required for gold solder would have burned the rhinestones. Fortunately, a good jeweller working with a laser can today repair these jewels with gold solder and in many cases erase the traces of tin solder, however this intervention will cost money. The other criterion is the presence of hallmarks. For a dedicated collector, a good set of clearly visible hallmarks gives added value to the jewels. Not only will the hallmarks help to date the jewel, but if the tiny secret assay office mark inside the hallmark can be discerned, even the town in which the jewel was made can be determined. Clear sets of hallmarks are not always found on regional jewels and while they are desirable, a rare example should not be spurned if it lacks them, as one may not come across another example for a very long time.

Paris region, in gold, 46 x 65mm, 13.1g, hallmark cockerel’s head for Paris Below right Love-knot

ring, gold, 12 x 20mm, 5.8g, hallmark an eagle’s head, these rings are still popular in the north of France

‘Diamonds are rarely found on French regional jewels; only in the south of France and in Flanders do we see them. For the most part the jewels are in silver and gold, without stones or set with rhinestones’ ANTIQUE COLLECTING 37

IN THE

Loupe Folklore craze The most interesting regional jewels, for a collector, are those which bear hallmarks showing that they were made in the provinces of France. However, such jewels are often found with Parisian hallmarks. Until recently, it was assumed that Paris was a large producer of regional jewels for the provincial market. However, research has now revealed that many regional jewels were, in fact, made and sold in Paris to supply the craze for wearing regional jewels that gripped city-dwellers towards the end of the 19th century. The craze was probably stimulated by the folklore-costumed people working the stands at the various international exhibitions, as well as the opportunity of visiting far-flung regions afforded by the newly-built railways. The result was that Parisian manufacturers found a ready market for their “regional” jewellery, and some were sent to the regions, where they were quickly snapped up by souvenir hunters and brought back to Paris and other cities. Indeed, one can even find copies of Bulgarian, or Norman jewels made in Birmingham which were sold to English society ladies.

Above left Provençale

woman Above Holy Spirit of

Aurillac, modern, gold, enamel and citrines, 28 x 82mm, 10.2g, hallmark an eagle’s head, collected in Vic-sur-Cère Above right Pardon

cross in gold, 35 x 68mm, 7.2g, hallmark eagle’s head with assay office mark of Lille, collected in Dunkerque Below left Cross in silver

and Bressan enamels, 58 x 90mm, 17.3g, hallmark crab Below right Ring, à

Diamonds are rarely found on French regional jewels; only in the south of France and in Flanders do we see them. For the most part, the jewels are in silver and gold without stones or they are set with rhinestones. The larger and more spectacular jewels can be found quite easily in auctions; for a dedicated collector, it is the very small and obscure crosses or cloak clasps that are the most difficult to find today.

Worn today Regional jewels are still worn today in some regions of France, notably the north, south and Auvergne. The local jewellers still produce them using the antique dies, moulds and techniques, and the women proudly wear them every day. In other regions, the family jewels are brought out once a year during the village

38 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

la Française, gold and rhinestones, 12.7mm, 1.7g, hallmark a ram’s head, collected in Evreux

parade, generally in August, when men and women wear their traditional costumes for a day. These parades are a good opportunity to see the jewels at first hand and chat with their owners, who can often recount the family history of their jewels. 150 years ago, a set of jewels or at the very least a cross or a necklace was a costly but essential part of the marriage contract. One can only imagine the trepidation of a young man venturing into the intimidating jeweller’s shop with his savings to purchase the jewel he hoped would seal his marriage contract and enable him to marry his true love. Every French regional jewel has a story to tell and, while they cannot speak and will forever keep their secrets, they are nonetheless remarkable and precious witnesses to France’s cultural history. Traditional French Jewellery by Mike Fieggen is priced £75 (plus p&p). Anyone who wishes to purchase a copy should email bijouregional@gmail.com

French regional jewellery Expect to pay

Right Rouen

cross, gold and rhinestones, 71x 83mm, 44.6g, ensemble, maker’s mark an anchor between NG for Nicolas Genvrin, Rouen, slide 56 x 57mm, maker’s mark three points between HP for Jean Henri Poupardin, Rouen, collected in Evreux

The price of French regional jewels is very variable. In most cases, a 19th-century silver belt clip or cloak clasp can be bought for less than €100, though some rare examples can cost a bit more. Because the variation in the sizes of crosses is very large, it’s best to work on the basis of their weight, and one finds that most gold crosses can be bought for between €50 and €100 per gram, the larger ones being cheaper per gram. The spectacular Rouen crosses are quite easy to find and will set you back €50 to €60 per gram. There are many very avid collectors in Savoy, and prices can be quite high. The large and rare silver Villards crosses can sell for as much as €3,000. A gold and rhinestone “à la française” ring can be picked up for €200 to €300, if you can find one. Since the recent publication of Mike Fieggen’s book, more and more auctioneers are finally starting to correctly identify their jewels and the chance of picking up a rare cross for a song has been reduced, although it still happens. Two exceedingly rare crosses were sold recently for a fraction of their value, as the auctioneer had not done his homework to label them correctly.

Below Quadrille cross, gold and rhinestones, 45 x 54mm, 6.3g, hallmarks illegible

‘Every French regional jewel has a story to tell and, while they cannot speak and will forever keep their secrets, they are nonetheless remarkable and precious witnesses to France’s cultural history’ ANTIQUE COLLECTING 39

IN THE

Loupe

Time is MONEY

Loved in the ‘80s both sides of the Atlantic for their Wall Street bling, coin watches are making a comeback in UK salerooms

n the height of the ‘80s, when pinstriped traders ruled the roost and conspicuous consumption was the order of the day, it came as little surprise that the must-have timepiece of the well-heeled was the coin watch. In the infamously go-getting era, when time was money, the coin watch proved the point beyond all doubt. In 1980, the first year of Ronald Reagan’s presidency, with the Cold War at its height and American power in its ascendancy, what more fitting watch for the leader to wear on the cover of Time magazine than a coin watch? Reagan was one of several presidents, both Democrat and Republican, to show off American consumerism in its most distilled form. But the coin watch’s place in popular culture was only assured when Andy Warhol acquired one for his collection. For today’s collector, the timepiece presents a myriad of possibilities. With its endless denominations and currency, it is a fascinating subject to explore, and represents its own incredible chapter in the story of watchmaking.

40 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Coin watches Opposite page Coin

watches make a powerful statement on the wrist, image courtesy of Corum Left The Swiss maker

Corum produced a number of watches, many using the $20 gold coin Below right A rare 38mm

Rolex watch made from a ‘Centenario’ Mexican peso – one of the earliest large gold bullion coins Below far right The front of the coin features an image of the Angel of Independence, it is worth up to $20,000

The Mexican 50 peso gold coin watch In 1971, Rolex produced 10 limited-production coin watches made from Mexican gold 50 peso. The extremely small-scale production of the 38mm watch, which used a Cellini ref. 3612, ensured its rarity and resulting collecting appeal. The Mexican gold 50 peso was first issued in 1921 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Mexico’s independence from Spain and are among the earliest large gold bullion coins ever produced – even pre-dating the South African Krugerrand by 46 years. The front of the coin features the Angel of Independence standing in front of a background of Mexico’s most famous volcanoes.

Bottom right President

Ronald Reagan wore a coin watch on the cover of Time magazine in 1980

Early days The first coin watch is thought to date back to 1850, when the Swiss maker Vacheron & Constantin received a special order for the execution of a watch within a Russian coin. Prior to that, coins had been used in timepieces but more as a protective cover for a pocket watch. Instead, Vacheron & Constantin concealed the watch within the coin using, unsurprisingly, an extra slim movement. The Swiss maker went on to master the art of creating coin watches, in both pocket watch and wristwatch form, using a huge variety of coins from around the globe. Their popularity spread, although the painstaking skills required to create them ensured it was only the best makers which attempted them, including Cartier, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Rolex, and Audemars Piguet. Fellows Auctioneer’s watch manager, Laura Bishop, said: “We see two styles of coin watch, one where the dial of the watch is actually a coin and the other where the coin opens up and there is a watch hidden inside. Both styles are popular within a niche market.”

coin to spring open, revealing the dial of the watch. In the coming 20 years Patek Philippe went on to create up to 15 coin watches, including the reference 801, 802, 803, and 832 – the most common of them being the reference 802. Variously, the Patek Philippe watches used a US $5 (reference 800), $10 (reference 801), $20 (reference 802 and reference 803), CHF 100 (reference 804) and the Mexican 50 peso (reference 805). Despite their ingenuity and undoubted popularity, coin watches never became part of Patek Philippe’s regular offering, making them all the rarer and collectable.

Patek Philippe In 1925, the renowned collector Henry Graves Jr. commissioned Patek Philippe to conceal a watch within a $20 gold coin. Opened by a secret latch contained within the coin’s edge, a push of the finger triggered the top of the

‘In the coming 20 years Patek Philippe went on to create up to 15 coin watches including the reference 801, 802, 803, and 832 – the most common being the reference 802. Despite their popularity, they were never part of Patek Philippe’s regular offering, making them rare and collectable’ ANTIQUE COLLECTING 41

IN THE

Loupe But are they legal? When coin watches were introduced the US gold standard was still in effect, meaning any coin used was still legal tender – prompting a question over the watches’ legality. In American law anyone who “fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates or impairs” legal tender faces a fiveyear prison sentence. The fact most coin watches were manufactured in Switzerland helped side step the law, as did President Richard Nixon’s suspension of the gold standard in the 1970s. The overall popularity of coin watches dwindled in the second half of the 20th century, with what appears to be a miniscule production today.

Shah of Iran

The Big Daddy It was the Swiss watchmaker Corum, founded in 1955, which really ran with the idea of a coin watch. Enjoying success with its gold watches in the art nouveau style, before long the brand was looking for an exclusive and unusual style to capture buyers’ imagination. It looked to René Bannwart, designer of the Omega Constellation, for inspiration. He didn’t disappoint, showcasing the maker’s ability to master the ultra-flat mechanical movement by fitting it into a sliced-in-two American gold coin. The resulting timepiece was a unique dress watch with patriotic appeal. The first Corum gold coin used a $20 double eagle coin which became its signature model. Although the maker went on to produce watches using florins, Mexican pesos, sovereigns and Napoleons, the American double eagle, (launched in 1849 and remained in use until 1933) is the most sought after. A spokesperson said: “Corum chose the American $20 gold double eagle coin for its watch for two reasons: the value the coin represented at the time of its issue in the mid-19th century and the strong symbolism of the pioneer-spirit and free enterprise in early America that the coin represents.” The watches are still made today retailing for between $18,000 and $35,000.

42 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Top left The closed watch

shows a Liberty head gold $20 double eagle from 1898, image courtesy of Phillips Above left Rolex yellow gold $20 coin watch, 2000s, sold for £17,300 last November, image courtesy of Phillips Left A lady’s yellow metal

$10 coin wrist watch, sold for £1,276 last year, image courtesy of Halls Below The medallion watch was commissioned by the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad-Reza Pahlavi Below right The reverse

of the Vacheron & Constantin watch features the Shah ushering in the future

As mentioned, the production of coin and medallion watches has a long-standing tradition with the Swiss brand Vacheron & Constantin. Last month a medallion watch commissioned by the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad-Reza Pahlavi, sailed past its estimate of £5,000-£7,000, to achieve £14,300 at the London auction house Elmwood’s important jewels sale. The Shah was a keen collector of expensive cars and watches (favouring the cream of the Swiss makers) and was particularly fond of giving timepieces as gifts, both as gratitude and to reflect the country and its culture. The imperial palace regularly commissioned special editions, ranging from Corum coin watches to those made from ancient Iranian gold coins. The recently-sold timepiece was a gold pocket watch made by Vacheron & Constantin, on the reverse of which was a relief of the Shah saluting and seeming to usher his people into the future. It would have been presented to foreign dignitaries and Iranian officials to commemorate the Iranian White Revolution, a series of reforms undertaken by the Shah from 1963, that included the enfranchisement of women, land reform and the formation of a literacy corps. The success of the watch in the saleroom no doubt derived from its dual appeal to horologists and collectors interested in Iranian history.

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CARTIER, A RARE AND IMPORTANT GEM-SET AND DIAMOND TUTTI FRUTTI BRACELET, EARLY 20TH CENTURY sold for £158,000

A PERIDOT, DIAMOND AND PEARL PENDANT AND CHAIN, EARLY 20TH CENTURY sold for £4,250

CARTIER, A DIAMOND, SAPPHIRE, EMERALD, ONYX AND PEARL PANTHERE BROOCH / PENDANT sold for £45,500

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UKRAINIAN FOCUS Alexander Bogomazov

Behind the lines

Virtually unknown in the West, Alexander Bogomazov – the “Ukrainian Picasso” – is set to create a stir at next month’s Maastricht

sk any collector about the object or painting that changed their life and the chances are the memory will be a potent one. Such was the case for the Mayfair art dealer, James Butterwick, when he first set eyes on the work of the Ukrainian artist and art theoretician, Alexander Bogomazov (1880-1930).

44 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Top Alexander

Bogomazov (1880-1930) Rolling the Logs, 19281929, colour study for the left-hand panel of the triptych Sawyers, watercolour on paper, 25 x 30cm Above Alexender and

his lifelong love and muse, Wanda, on their wedding day in August 1913, image courtesy of Tanya Popova

He said: “I clearly recall seeing it for the first time in 1988 when four of his paintings were shown at the Barbican Gallery’s exhibition 100 Years of Russian Art from Private Collections.” At the time, Butterwick was already a collector and specialist in Russian and Ukrainian art but what he saw astounded him. He said: “Aside from being amazed at the power and dynamism of the paintings, I was astounded that this was an unknown artist, a figure in the shadow of Malevich, Chagall and Kandinsky. “In my opinion, he is greatly undervalued and deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as that of the masters of Russian avant garde.” More than 25 years later, at TEFAF in 2015, he sold four works by the Ukrainian artist to the Kröller-Müller Museum in The Netherlands. At next month’s Maastricht, the annual art fair that most accurately indicates the state of the markets, he will be showing more works (with 15 percent of the money raised being donated to humanitarian aid). He continued: “While the value of the works has soared exponentially, the artist is still a relative unknown,

Left Alexander

Bogomazov (1880-1930) Self-Portrait, 1914-15, oil on canvas, 33 x 32cm Right Alexander

Bogomazov (1880-1930) Wanda Monastyrska in Front of a New Year Tree, 1911, Indian ink & whitener on paper, 15 x 27cm, signed bottom centre-right Below left Alexander Bogomazov (1880-1930) The Caucasus, 1915, oil on canvas, 35 x 32cm, signed & dated 1915 bottom right

especially outside of the Ukraine where, to all intents and purposes, he is their greatest national artist.”

Artistic compatriots Differentiating between ‘Ukrainian’ and ‘Russian’ is not easy when it comes to artists. Birthplace is one criterion, time spent working in the country another. Kazimir Malevich who was born in Kyiv had Polish as his first language, but is invariably considered Russian. Malevich taught at the Kyiv Art Institute from 1928-1930 (at the same time Bogomazov was head of easel painting). In fact, in Bogomazov’s 1914 treatise Painting and Elements, he considers how a black square on a white background is the “most perfect form”, a year before Malevich’s most famous work. One of the reasons why Bogomazov has remained in the shadow of both his Russian and Ukrainian colleagues may be partly geographic; he never travelled to Western Europe. In fact, he only left

Lifelong Muse Bogomazov’s greatest inspiration and support was his wife, Wanda Monastyrska, a self-assured fellow student at the Art Institute in Kyiv, whom he met in 1908 and fell in love with on first sight. Initially she rejected him and it would be some time before he won his muse’s heart. But their eventual marriage in August 1913 detonated what the author and Ukrainian avant garde specialist Dmytro Horbachov called an “explosion of creativity” for Bogomazov, whose artistic career could have fizzled out into despair and emptiness without Wanda’s support. Calling her his “Dove, Dina”, he wrote: “I love everything about her. How fine and tender she is. I will always love her. She has filled my soul... It is extraordinary how Fate has tied the knot of my existence with this slender, refined, kind and sensitive girl. My art has retreated, a woman has come and closed it from my eyes... my art is in the woman – in this beautiful particle of the world.” In early 1917, Bogomazov returned from the Caucasus, where economic hardship forced him to take up a teaching job, for the birth of their daughter, Yaroslava. Subsequent images depict family summers at their dacha in Boyarka.

Relationship in art

In many ways Bogomazov’s numerous portraits of Wanda document both his progression as an artist and the nature of their relationship. Three larger, vertical portraits show the development from a more guarded Wanda in Front of a New Year Tree to a sensual Wanda Looking Over her Shoulder to the abstract Wanda in Profile. While the later Portrait of the Artist’s Wife (overleaf) is pure abstraction.

‘One of the reasons why Bogomazov has remained in the shadow of both his Russian and Ukrainian colleagues may be partly geographical; he never travelled to Western Europe. In fact he only left Kyiv on three occasions’

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 45

UKRAINIAN FOCUS Alexander Bogomazov Left Alexander

Bogomazov (18801930) Landscape, Caucasus (undulating composition), 1915, oil on canvas, 41.9 x 40.6cm Below right Alexander

Bogomazov (1880-1930) Tea kettle, 1914, oil on canvas 49.5 x 45.7cm Below left Alexander Bogomazov (1880-1930) Portrait of the Artist’s Wife, 1915, charcoal on paper, 21.8 x 22.2cm, signed & dated 1915 top right

Kyiv on three occasions: once to Moscow, once to Finland and once to take up a teaching job in the Caucasus (then part of the Russian Empire). He was an artist essentially rooted to his home spot. Bogomazov’s life spanned almost unendurable hardship. Abandoned by his mother and with a strained relationship with his father who disapproved of his career, he lived through WWI, revolution, civil war, famine and tuberculosis which killed him aged 50. Ukraine’s turbulent history inevitably took its toll on the artist. Between 1918 and 1921, as the government of Kyiv changed 11 times, his focus was less on art and more on surviving the civil war. Between 1917 and 1925 Bogomazov virtually abandoned easel-painting, producing just two oils in nine years. His reputational struggle continued even after his death when everything directly or indirectly related to Bogomazov was banned by Soviet officials. His art even came under physical threat. Bogomazov’s granddaughter,

46 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Tanya Popova, recalls how, during WWII, when Kyiv was occupied, her grandmother – who lived in the ‘forced eviction zone’ – single-handedly preserved the work of ‘her Sasha’ from both the Soviet authorities and Nazi invaders. She recalled: “My grandmother rescued a trunkful of priceless paintings and manuscripts by pushing them in a wheelbarrow, on foot, to Svyatoshyno, many miles away. When Kyiv was liberated she brought everything back the same way.”

Capital affair Between 1914 and 1915, Bogomazov made numerous drawings of Kyiv and its environs, with streets sloping and plunging dramatically across the picture plane. He was creatively stimulated by Kyiv’s rapid industrialisation while he was training to be an artist. The capital was the first city in the Russian Empire to acquire an electric tram network and the second in Europe. Bogomazov knew that an object was identified by its edges and its angles. In Kreshchatik he depicts the pulsing artery of Kyiv with its urban frenzy and movement of hats that merge into the perspective. James Butterwick said: “The greatest strength of Bogomazov is the kinetic energy of such drawings, and the scene that presents us of Kyiv’s main street is one of intersecting planes and people whose form has changed.” As Bogomazov wrote: ‘Look at the boxes of our brick buildings and you will sense a powerfully upward motion of the mass. See how powerfully and sharply the corner of an iron roof pierces the serene mass of green trees. The artist’s goal is to re-create this impression of vigorous life.’

UKRAINIAN AVANT GARDE

Unfinished triptych In the final years of his life, Bogomazov worked on a cycle of pictures with the same subject: sawyers. Having been diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1920, he knew he was dying but the rainbow colour scheme he adopted for his last major work seems infused with joy and hope. The triptych includes Sharpening the Saws , Sawyers at Work and the third and final picture: Rolling the Logs . While the latter remained unfinished, a number of pencil drawings and compositional sketches survive, revealing how the work evolved, including the only known colour sketch. It gives us a detailed idea of the work’s intended palette, and of what the painting – and the triptych as a whole – was meant to look like. Bogomazov worked on the pictures from roughly 1926 to 1929 – a period when political considerations were becoming the main criteria for judging art in Ukraine and throughout the USSR. Participating in exhibitions required loyalty to the Soviet authorities, with artists forced to show their support

Above left Alexander Bogomazov (1880-1930) Yaroslava playing diablo, 1928, pencil on paper, 21 x 16cm Above Alexander

Bogomazov (1880-1930) Dacha – Boyarka, 1914, sanguine on paper, 32 x 29cm, signed & dated 1914 bottom right Below left Alexander Bogomazov (1880-1930) Kreshchatik Passers-by, 1914, charcoal on paper, signed & dated bottom right

The Ukrainian avant garde movement spanned the first three decades of the 20th century, originating at a time when art across Europe was rejecting the realism and naturalism of previous generations. There were three centres of the avant garde in Ukraine: Kyiv, Odesa and Kharkiv where a dynamic, close-knit creative community developed in the 1920s, when the city was not just Ukraine’s political centre but also its artistic and cultural capital. It was home to forward-looking artists and experimental painters originating from the Kyiv School of Art, including Alexandra Exter, Alexander Arkhipenko and Aristarkh Lentulov. Each made a significant personal contribution to European Modernism in the ‘20s and ‘30s.Their credo was art has no limits. Seeking out a national artistic identity, the movement looked to Ukrainian folk art, imbuing its elements and archaic forms with a contemporary dynamism often expressed in abstract form.

FIRING LINE The first steps of the Odessa avant garde in 1917 were accompanied by revolutionary mayhem, with the Black Sea port in the firing-line. By the time its last exhibition took place in the city in 1919, many artists had already emigrated or been killed in the civil war. Their legacy was dispersed around the world – or lost. Little survived, apart from rare works locked away out of sight in museum storerooms or family attics. The great artistic discoveries of artists such as Bogomazov were laid waste by a totalitarian system hell-bent on destroying artistic freedom. Their rightful place in the cultural heritage of Ukraine would not be acknowledged for threequarters of a century. Even more disturbing, the same culural heritage is once more in the firing line. for the country’s new social and political set-up. This process was initiated and controlled by NARKOMPROS (People’s Commissariat for Enlightenment), which organised exhibitions to underpin Stalinist ideology. Bogomazov’s sympathies were left-wing. He was kicked out of art school for taking part in anti-Tsarist demonstrations. He welcomed the October Revolution and spent 1918-20 decorating streets, buildings, a train and a ship with artistic Communist propaganda. But his ardour waned and he had no truck with the authoritarian realities of Soviet society. Sawyers seems to cock a snook at them. He deliberately chose a universal theme that had no particular relevance to Soviet society but which, being built on the sweat of workers’ brows, was beyond ideological reproach.

‘The People’s Commisariat for Enlightenment organised exhibitions to underpin Stalinist ideology’

James Butterwick will be showing works by Bogomazov at TEFAF Maastricht from June 25-30, with the San Francisco gallery Modernism Inc. For more details on the event go to www.jamesbutterwick.com, or www.tefaf.com ANTIQUE COLLECTING 47

THE EXPERT COLLECTOR The Grand Tour

Tour de Force The Grand Tour is back! A new exhibition, book and upcoming sale celebrates the ‘milordi’ and the souvenirs they brought back to the UK

n 1776, the playwright Samuel Johnson wrote: “A man who has not been to Italy is always conscious of an inferiority.” Beginning as early as the late 16th century, it became fashionable for the nobility and landed gentry to visit Europe, and, above all, Rome, as the culmination of their classical education. Accompanied by a Cicerone (scholarly guide), hundreds of young men (and the occasional woman) embarked on this educational rite of passage. But cultural pursuits did not always top the list among what Horace Walpole (himself a dedicated tourist) called “schoolboys who just broke loose”. Drinking, gambling and sex, were among the activities on offer, with the Marquess of Kildare in 1766 reporting in a letter home that he had run into more than 40 Old Etonian pals in the space of nine months. A state of affairs ably parodied by the Scottish portrait painter Katharine Read (a Jacobite who fled to Rome in 1750) who captured a group of

48 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Above Katharine

Read, (1723–1778), British Gentlemen in Rome, c. 1750, oil on canvas Right Giovanni

Battista Piranesi (1720-1778) Veduta della Piazza del Popolo c. 1750

well-off tourists, seemingly unaware of their cultural surroundings. Perhaps to prove their sophistication and the extent of their travels, they returned home with souvenirs of their travels, as well as, in many cases, an understanding of art and architecture. Some took it more seriously than others, in 1728 Henry, 3rd Duke of Beaufort shipped 96 cases of works of art back home.

Roman holiday The influx of these travellers to destinations north and south – Venice, Rome, and Naples in particular – led to a flowering of topographical paintings, drawings, and prints by native Italians serving a foreign market. Paintings were a portable souvenir leading to the production of hundreds of Italian vedute (views). In

addition to vedute, there were fine examples of capricci – landscape or city views presenting real and imaginary classical architecture. Very popular among travellers were the engravings of Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778) whose prints of Roman views, including ancient structures like the Coliseum or more recent monuments such as the Piazza del Popolo, pandered to the growing market. Some Grand Tourists invited artists from home to accompany them throughout their travels. Paintings portraying the grandeur of Venice were also popular with many seeking the works of Giovanni Antonio Canal (16971768) better known as Canaletto. It was only in 1746, prompted by declining tourism, that Canaletto moved to England, where he painted views of London, Oxford and other cities as well as the country seats of his patrons.

Tourist trinkets In addition to paintings there was a market for fans, spoons, teapots and pocket watches to satisfy the tourists. One particular came in the shape of fans – a very portable (and useful) memento. Craftsmen produced them in their thousands designed as aide-mémoires. Many included depictions of well-known sites like the Coliseum or

Right Pompeo Batoni

(1708-1787) portrait of Charles John Crowle (1738-1811) of Crowle Park, 1761 Below left Florentine

artist, The Wild Boar (il Porcellino), after the antique, c. 1700, bronze, (Tomasso Brothers Fine Art, London) © Matt Chung Below right Dining

room from Lansdowne House in Berkeley Square, London, 1766– 1769. The house was completed from Robert Adam’s designs for Lord Shelburne in 1768 Below right A fan

painted with a depiction of an erupting Mount Vesuvius and the harbour at Naples, c. 1790, © The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota.

Historic selfie In Rome, wealthy aristocrats commissioned artists to paint their portraits. Keen to prove their cultural credentials, most were depicted surrounded by imagery of the Coliseum, Palatine Hill, Saint Peter’s Basilica or other emblems of Grand Tourist culture. Pompeo Batoni (1708-1787), who turned from church commissions to the “milordi” market, was a popular choice. From his studio on the Via Borgognona, he charged 20 guineas for a halflength portrait in the 1770s. For an additional payment he would include examples of antique statuary or background views of the Temple of Vesta at Tivoli or other well-known spots. He painted Charles John Crowle (1738-1811) in a blue suit embroidered with silver, surrounded by various allusions to his erudite interests.

‘As there were few museums anywhere in Europe before the close of the 18th century, Grand Tourists often saw paintings and sculptures by gaining admission to private collections, and many were eager to acquire examples for their own collections’

Visit to the ruins Discovery of the ruins at Pompeii dated back to the late 16th century but it wasn’t until 1748 – the height of the Grand Tour – that systematic excavation began. The most ambitious tourists made the trek to Campania, near Naples, to visit the ongoing digs at Pompeii, Herculaneum and Tivoli. Their

dedication was well rewarded. For the well-heeled tourist an Aladdin’s cave of antiquities awaited, all sourced to decorate their UK homes. At the lower end of the market, scenes such as the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, or the picturesque Bay of Sorrento, were particularly popular pictured on a range of souvenirs.

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 49

THE EXPERT COLLECTOR The Grand Tour any number of scenes of Italian architecture. Many pieces found their way into the tourists’ cabinet of curiosities – de rigueur for the well-travelled cultural connoisseur. The three ingredients for success in showcasing the owner’s treasures were naturalia (products of nature), arteficialia (or artefacta, the products of man), and scientifica (the testaments of man’s ability to dominate nature, such as astrolabes, clocks, automatons, and scientific instruments). But, from its heyday in the late 18th century, the Tour declined during the Napoleonic Wars, due to the dangers of travel abroad, although Italy continued to produce fine mementos of its splendid monuments right up until the 19th century.

SIR HORACE WALPOLE One Grand Tour collector of note was Sir Horace Walpole, younger son of Sir Robert Walpole, Britain’s first Prime Minister. In 1739, at the age of 22 he set off on a Grand Tour, returning in 1741. He was imbued with a love of collecting, and six years later bought a small villa in Twickenham to house his collection, adding turrets and battlements to create a joyful pseudo-Gothic fantasy which pre-dated the Gothic Revival style. Walpole filled the library with his treasures, specialising in miniatures and small artefacts. He also collected exquisite enamels, arms and armour, Greek pottery and Renaissance majolica.

New exhibition

Above right

18th-century portrait bust traditionally identified as Horace Mann, terracotta (private collection), © Matt Chung Left A Naples

topographical solitaire, c. 1790-1800, has an estimate of £20,000£30,000 at Bonhams’ Grand Tour sale on July 14

Perilous journey The first discomfort the Grand Tourist would have had to contend with was crossing the English Channel. The usual route was from Dover to either Calais or Boulogne, and the crossing could be a nightmare if the seas were rough, with up to 36 hours cooped up in considerable discomfort. On arrival, there were the roads, often in appalling condition, especially in Germany. The wealthy traveller might have his own carriage, with his own coach driver and servants to look after him; the poorer tourist had to contend with public transport. In an average day the driver might cover 15 to 20 miles, depending on conditions. Grand Tourists carrying all their luggage and acquisitions were obvious targets for thieves, especially in remote areas.

50 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

An exhibition this month at Strawberry Hill House celebrates the friendship of Walpole and the British Envoy to Florence, Horace Mann (1706-1786) who he met on the Grand Tour. As there were few museums anywhere in Europe in the 18th century, tourists often saw paintings and sculptures by gaining admission to private collections. Mann, who had arrived in Florence in 1737, was a leading figure at the Court of Florence and soon became a point of reference for all the British tourists. The exhibition includes portraits of Walpole as a young Grand Tourist by the Venetian painter Rosalba Carriera (1673-1757), along with the typical tourist paraphernalia including antique gems, ancient coins, drawings and engravings. The Grand Tour, the Two Horaces and the Court of Florence (1740-1786) continues at Strawberry Hill House and Garden, 268 Waldegrave Road, Twickenham, TW1 4ST, until July 24.

The traveller, untrusting of local doctors, would be self-sufficient in medical supplies, and travel with his own medicine box. He would need a pistol, to defend himself from armed robbers. He would need a travelling clock, a telescope and a travelling canteen. He would also need a travel guide such as the 1722 Gentleman’s Pocket Companion for Travelling into Foreign Parts or Thomas Nugent’s Grand Tour, first published in 1743. Armed with his guidebook the traveller would have been free to explore the delights of Paris. He would have been warned to avoid the local wine, on account of ‘the great looseness’ it might cause According to one book, “no Place in the elegant or delicate World is so ill-provided with Conveniences as Paris is.” Crossing the Alps into Italy usually

meant heading for the Mont Cenis Pass, near the Val d’Isère. Here the terrors of the journey really began. Tourists with their own carriages would have them dismantled and taken by mule train along mountain paths. The tourists would have a barely more dignified ride on an Alp-machine, which was a sort of sedan chair strapped to carrying poles, carried shoulder-high by porters. Having reached the summit, the party would then begin a hair-raising descent on what was basically a sledge, hurtling down towards the plains of Piedmont and the city of Turin. This was merely a stop on the way to the four cities which demanded attention Venice, Florence, Rome and Naples. Taken from The Grand Tour by Mike Rendell published by Shire Publications priced £8.99.

Q&A

We asked Lisa Greaves, director of Bonhams’ Old Masters department, what to look for in Grand Tour collectables

Q A

Which years were the golden age of the Grand Tour? Travellers started visiting Europe as part of their education in the 17th century, but the golden age of the Grand Tour was the 18th century from the 1720s until the early 19th century. However, the outbreak of the War of the Austrian Succession in 1740s meant that many young tourists could not make their way to Italy, and the Napoleonic wars similarly limited the scope of the Grand Tourists.

Q A

From high art to souvenirs, could you outline the scope of this collecting field? It was vast. Many of the wealthier tourists aimed to buy classical sculpture and paintings by well-known Italian artists from the 16th and 17th century. Buyers were guided by agents, who were often fellow countrymen who had settled in Italy, some of whom were artists who had travelled to the country as part of their education. One such person was Jacob More whose work, A View of Lake Nemi, anciently called Speculum Dianae is in our forthcoming sale. Ceramics also served as a record of a Grand Tour and engravings provided a more reasonable souvenir of a tourist’s time abroad. Many young milords returned with the print series Le Vedute di Roma by Giovanni Battista Piranesi.

Q A

Who were the most prolific tourists? Many members of European royal families are known to have made a Grand Tour. The heir to Catherine the Great of Russia, the Grand Duke Paul Petrovich (later Emperor Paul I) visited with his wife, Maria Feodorovna, in the 1780s, travelling as the ‘Conte and Contessa del Nord’ to remain incognito. One of the sons of King George III,

Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, spent almost 10 years travelling in Europe, primarily for his health as he was asthmatic. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Italienische Reise records his stay in Italy in the 1780s and it inspired a generation of young Germans to follow in his footsteps. There were some travellers who returned to Italy many times – Frederick Augustus Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol, made five visits and spent a total of 18 years in the country.

Q A

Which Italian cities became most known for what? The itinerary of the Grand Tour was not set in stone, but Paris was often the first stop. Here, the tourist, generally a young man of means, would take lessons in French and possibly spend time at the French court to polish his manners. Florence was the first major stop in Italy with a tourist staying to take in the monuments of the High Renaissance and the collections of Roman sculpture. The visitor would then make their way to Venice to enjoy the pleasures available to a young man there. After Rome, the next city to visit was Naples to view Pompeii and Herculaneum. Some tourists would venture further south into Greece.

Q A

What are the more quirky souvenirs you have come across? Bonhams sold a pair of Celtic hounds that were excavated in the 1790s. They were found in the ruins of the villa of Emperor Antoninus Pius (ruled AD 138-161) and later formed part of the outstanding collection of artist and novelist Thomas Hope (1769-1831) who was also one of the most renowned art collectors of his day. They were one of his earliest purchases, and had pride of his place in the statue gallery in his London town-house in Duchess Street Marylebone from 1804-1849.

What would be your ideal find? A set of Piranesi Vedute di Roma engravings would be my ideal, along with a view of Rome by Gaspar van Wittel, called Vanvitelli (16531736) of the Piazza del Popolo in Rome. Being the northern entrance to the city, the Piazza del Popolo would have been a Grand Tourist’s first glimpse of the city.

Q A

Which are the the British country houses for Grand Tour pieces? Holkham Hall in Norfolk has a group of fabulous views by Vanvitelli, purchased by Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester, in Italy in 1716. The 23 paintings commissioned by the 4th Duke of Bedford from Canaletto in the 1740s are well worth a visit at Woburn Abbey. I would also suggest going to the Sir John Soane’s Museum in London as it has a very typical and varied collection, including many items acquired during and after Soane’s study trip to Italy. Bonhams’ Grand Tour sale, at the auction house’s New Bond Street saleroom, is on July 14, for more details go to www. bonhams.com

Q A

Who are among the artists collectors should look out for? There were numerous painters who worked for Grand Tourists, some Italian, others who came to Italy and settled there. Pompeo Batoni, Louis Gabriel Blanchet, Angelica Kauffman and Rosalba Carriera were the leading portraitists in Italy and many tourists sat for them during their stay. Canaletto, Gaspard Van Wittel (known as Vanvitelli) and Jacob Philip Hackert were known for their view paintings, many of which still hang in English country houses.

‘Almost every tourist would come back with something whether it was prints, or sculpture, or paintings’

Top Jacob More (c. 1740-1793) A view of Lake Nemi, anciently called Speculum Dianae, has an estimate of £15,000-£20,000 at Bonhams’ Grand Tour sale on July 14 Above Two Roman marble figures of hounds sold

for £807,000 at Bonhams’ antiquities sale in 2019

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 51

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ANTIQUE COLLECTING 53

ANTIQUES UNDER THE HAMMER Lots in May

TOP of the LOTS

From Maradona’s famous football shirt, to the watch worn by a Nazi hunter, we present a selection of this month’s leading lots Sotheby’s has defended the authenticity of the number 10 football shirt as that worn by Diego Maradona in his historic “hand of God” goal against England, which has an estimate of £4m at this month’s online sale ending on May 4. The Argentinian’s daughter had claimed the shirt was worn in the first half of the 1986 quarter final World Cup match, not the second half when Maradona scored. However, the catalogue note confirms that experts conclusively photo-matched the shirt to the second half. After England’s 2-1 defeat at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, mid-fielder Steve Hodge swapped shirts with Maradona, going on to name his 2010 memoir The Man with Maradona’s Shirt. Above The shirt was worn by Maradona when he scored his “hand of God” goal

A large, rare 18th-century Chinese vase created for the court of the Qianlong Emperor, which was found in a UK kitchen, is expected to make up to £150,000 when it goes under the hammer at Dreweatts’ sale on May 18. Bought in the ‘80s for a few hundred pounds, the 2ft-tall vase bears the distinctive six-character mark of the Qianlong period (17361795) on its base. It is further significant for its unusual enamelling techniques, with a striking palette of gold and silver against a vivid blue ground. Flying cranes each hold an emblem of the eight immortals including a flower basket, flute, fan and castanets. Cranes and bats carry auspicious messages for longevity and prosperity. Left The imperial vase, with a guide

price of £100,000-£150,000, was discovered in a UK kitchen

54 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

A 1941 stainless steel wristwatch worn by the Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal (1908-2005) has an estimate of £200,000-£400,000 when it goes under the hammer at Phillips Geneva on May 6. A Patek Philippe ref. 1503, it is one of only two examples produced by the Swiss maker between 1941 and 1944. Wiesenthal was a JewishAustrian Holocaust survivor who dedicated his life to championing justice and human rights, bringing Nazi criminals to justice and making sure the Holocaust and its victims were never forgotten. According to Phillips, Wiesenthal’s Patek Philippe ref. 1503 first appeared on the market in 2007, consigned by his family. It has not been offered for sale since. Above right The rare Patek Philippe watch was worn by the Nazi hunter

Simon Wiesenthal

A collection of 90 paintings from the studio of the “forgotten Ruralist” Douglas Wilson (1936-2021) goes under the hammer at Mallams’ Oxford saleroom on May 26. The Cheshire-born artist is known for his almost mystical landscapes and his experimentation with abstraction in the 1960s and 1970s. Although he was never part of the Brotherhood of Ruralists (the British art group founded in Somerset in 1975) his work has remarkable similarities to the group. Above Douglas Wilson (1936-2021) Wirral Garden, has an estimate of

£1,000-£2,000 this month

A lifetime collection of silver, including rare castle top visiting card cases, goes under the hammer at Charterhouse’s specialist auction of silver, jewellery and watches in Sherborne on May 5. The collection, mostly 19th century, also includes vinaigrettes, hip flasks, cutlery, condiments, and vesta cases. With estimates from £30 to £500, the collection is expected to sell for £20,000. Below Rare 19th-century silver castle top visiting card cases and vinaigrettes

Some 450 artworks by the model-turnedartist Maggy Clarysse (1931-2011), hidden for more than a decade, go under the hammer at Ewbank’s in Surrey on May 26. In her modelling days Clarysse worked with Bailey and Donovan but, after she abandoned the catwalk, the easel became her first love, spending up to 12 hours a day with paintbrush in hand. Consigned by her family, the art displays an extraordinary range, from pointillist studies of ponds, via Cézanneinspired landscapes to Impressionist and post-Impressionist still lifes. Clarysse worked in oil, watercolour, pencil and charcoal and even mastered the art of screen printing. Born in Belgium, she studied at art college in Brussels with the aim of becoming a Paris fashion designer. To that end, she eventually approached a leading couture house to show them her designs.

Vogue model

To her delight, they agreed to take her on, but as a model rather than designer. It led to work in Paris, London and around Europe, with Clarysse basing herself first in Germany and then in Paris as a couture house model and then as a model who appeared in Vogue. It was while on holiday in the South of France in the late 1950s that she met her husband, an English businessman. The couple went on to divide their time between London and their home in Antibes, where Clarysse’s work attracted a dedicated audience with paintings selling for up to £8,000. Partner at Ewbank's, Andrew Ewbanks, said: “The works are all pitched no higher than the low hundreds in order to provide an opportunity for a large number of bidders to acquire her work.” Works from the studio of Maggy Clarysse, go under the hammer at Ewbank’s in Surrey on May 26, for more details go to www.ewbanks.co.uk

1 Maggy Clarysse (1931-2011) A Flowering Garden with Magnolia and Peonies, oil on canvas, signed lower right and verso. 80 x 100cm. It has an estimate of £100£150 at this month’s sale 2 Maggy Clarysse (1931-2011) Still Life with Fruit and Flowers, oil on canvas, signed lower right and verso. 66 x 87cm. It has an estimate of £100-£200 3 Maggy Clarysse (1931-2011) Still Life with Fruit and Flowers, oil on canvas, signed lower right and verso. 66 x 87cm. It has an estimate of £200-£300 4 Maggy Clarysse (1931-2011) Still Life with Citrus Fruits, oil on canvas, signed lower right and verso. 87 x 66cm. It has an estimate of £100-£150 5 Maggy Clarysse (1931-2011) Table on a Terrace with Plants, oil on canvas, signed lower left. 115 x 148cm. It has an estimate of £200-£300 6 Maggy Clarysse (1931-2011) Tea Table beneath a Magnolia Tree, oil on canvas, signed lower right and verso. 115 x 148cm. It has an estimate of £200-£300.

‘The couple divided their time between London and their home in the South of France, where Clarysse’s work attracted a dedicated audience with paintings selling for up to £8,000’

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 55

Decorative Arts: 28 April Contemporary Art & Editions: 28 April Antique & Collectors’: 11 May Trading Cards: 11 May Fine Wines & Spirits: 19 May The Maggie Clarysse Collection: 26 May James Bond 007: 27 May

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56 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

18th Century Chinese jadeite jade carved hardstone Vessels recently Sold £29,250 06/04/2022 15:29:08

OUT AND ABOUT In May

FAIR NEWS

With dealers keen to show their patriotic side in the run up to the platinum jubilee, there is much to delight royal watchers and others this month Go with the flow

The Henley Decor Fair, described as an antiques fair with a ‘festival feel’, returns to its Thameside location alongside the famous Royal Regatta course from May 26-29. The event, created by the architectural antiques dealer Gary Wallis, attracts more than 150 UK and international decorative traders, along with bands, cocktail bars, craft beers and gastro food stalls. A spokesperson said: “This is no ordinary antique or salvage fair; this lifestyle event, has everything to inspire the vintage lover or the interior designer in us all. It is a destination for the antiques trade, interior designers and movie prop companies alike.” Above The Thameside location is set to attract salvage hunters and movie prop buyers

House party With Covid-19 restrictions easing, visitors to this month’s Petworth Park Antiques & Fine Art Fair will once again have access to Petworth House and its magnificent collection of Britain’s art, including works by J.M.W. Turner, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Sir Anthony Van Dyck and Hieronymus Bosch. Taking place in the 700-acre grounds of the West Sussex stately home from May 13-15, the fair brings together up to 60 of the UK’s leading dealers, many keen to show off their patriotic credentials. A 1958 study for a large-scale mural of the coronation, commissioned by Prince Philip for Buckingham Palace, by the Polish-born artist Feliks Topolski (1907-1989) is on sale from Sarah Colegrave priced £4,600. Above Feliks Topolski (1907-1989) Lifeguard Escort – The Coronation, pen and ink, signed and inscribed ‘To Slim’ on sale from Sarah Colegrave priced £4,600

Royal approval

A platinum leaf portrait by Chris Levine (b. 1960) of the Queen Elizabeth II, called Lightness of Being, is one of the stars of this month’s 37th London Original Print Fair, which this year makes the move to Somerset House. Shown by Jealous Gallery, Levine’s earlier portrait of the Queen, Equanimity, appeared on Jersey’s £100 banknote (see page 24 for more). Other galleries at the event, from May 26-29, include Osborne Samuel Gallery showing prints by C.R.W. Nevinson and Cyril Power’s famous linocut The Tube Station . Cristea Roberts will dedicate its stand to the graphic works of Dame Paula Rego RA, which come directly from the artist’s archive. Top right Chris Levine (b. 1960) Lightness of Being, Jealous Gallery Above right Cyril Edward Power (1872-1951) The Tube Station, 1932, linocut Osbourne Samuel Gallery

Capital affair

Art deco figures take centre stage on Kent dealer Jeroen Markies’ stand at this month’s Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair at Battersea Park from May 4-8. Jeroen specialises in furniture, sculpture and decorative arts from the evocative pre-war period, selling pieces by Chiparus, Lorenzl and Preiss; furniture from the Epstein Brothers, Hille, Heal’s of London and glass by Murano and Réne Lalique. He will be one of 150 dealers at the fashionable fair whose customers include leading interior designers and collectors after that ‘certain’ find.

‘S

t S

Above Jeroen Markies specialises in art deco furniture and figures

ANTIQUE COLLECTING 57

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 0207 254 4054 www.adamsantiquesfairs.com Adams Antiques Fair, Lindley Hall, 80 Vincent Square, Westminster, SW1P 2PE, May 15 Etc Fairs 01707 872 140 www.etcfairs.com Bloomsbury Spring Book Fair, Booker & Turner Suite at Holiday Inn, Coram Street, WC1N 1HT, May 1 Bloomsbury Ephemera Fair, Royal National Hotel, 38-51 Bedford Way, WC1H 0DG, May 22 Haddon Events 07519 276507 www.haddonevents.co.uk Crook Log Leisure Centre Antiques, Collectors Fair Brampton Rd, Bexleyheath, Greater London, DA7 4HH, May 8 Harvey (Management Services) Ltd 020 7616 9327 www.decorativefair.com The Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair, Battersea Evolution, Battersea Park, SW11 4NJ, May 4-8 Sunbury Antiques 01932 230946 www.sunburyantiques.com Sunbury Antiques Market, Kempton Park Race Course, Staines Road East, Sunbury-onThames, Middlesex TW16 5AQ, May 10, 31 SW19 Antiques 01932 230946 www.sw19antiques.com Wimbledon Homes & Antiques Fair, Prince Georges Playing Fields, London, SW20 8TE, May 1 SOUTH EAST AND EAST ANGLIA: including Beds, Cambs, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex.

58 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

Arun Fairs 07563 589725 www.antiques-atlas.com Rustington Antiques & Collectables Fair, The Woodland Centre, Woodlands Avenue, Rustington, West Sussex, BN16 3HB, May 1 Aztec Antique & Collector Fairs 01702 549623 www.norfolkantiquefair.co.uk The Norfolk Antiques & Collector Fair, Norfolk Showground Showground, Dereham Road New Costessy,Norwich NR5 0TT, Jun 5-6 Black Dog Events 01986 948546 wwwablackdogevent.com Grand Brocante, Gemham Hall, Glemham Hall, Little Glemham Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP13 0BT, May 15 Grand Brocante, Riddlesworth Hall, Hall Lane, Diss, Norfolk IP22 2TA, Jun 12 Dovehouse Fine Antiques Fair www.dovehousefine 07952689717 Dorking Halls, Reigate Road, Dorking, Surrey, May 29 Love Fairs 01293 690777 www.lovefairs.com Brighton Antiques, Collectables & Vintage Fair, Brighton Racecourse, Freshfield Road, Brighton, West Sussex, BN2 9XZ, May 1 Marcel Fairs 07887648255 www.marcelfairs.co.uk Marcel Fairs. 07887648255 www.marcelfairs.co.uk Antique & Collectors Fair, Sarratt Village Hall, The Green, WD3 6AS, May 8 Antique & Vintage Fair, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8JH, May 15 Melford Antiques Fair 07837 497617 www.melfordantiquesfair.co.uk Long Melford Antiques & Vintage

Fair, The Old School, Hall Street, Long Melford, Suffolk, CO10 9DX, May 28-29 Suffolk’s Graham Turner Antique Fairs 01379 897266 Long Melford Village Hall, Chemists Lane (Opposite Bull Hotel), Long Melford, Suffolk, CO10 9LQ, May 4 Sunbury Antiques 01932 230946 www.sunburyantiques.com Antiques Market, Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher, Surrey KT20 9AJ, May 15 The Antique Dealers Fair Ltd, www.petworthparkfair.com The Petworth Park Antiques & Fine Art Fair, The Marquee, Petworth House, West Sussex, GU28 0QY, May 13-15 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 Antique & Collectors Fair, Millennium House, Princess Road, Pensilva, Liskeard, Cornwall, PL14 5NF, May 29 Antiques and Colectors fair, The Parkhouse Centre, Ergue-Gaberic Way, Bude, EX23 8LD, May 14 Arun Fairs 07563 589725 www.antiques-atlas.com Emsworth Antiques and Collectors Fair, Emsworth Community Centre, North Street, Emsworth, PO10 7DD, May 8 Benson Antiques & Collectors Fair, 01235 815633 Benson Parish Hall, Sunnyside, Benson, Nr Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 6LZ, May 15 Cameo Fairs 07790 126967 Corfe Castle Antiques & Vintage Fair, Village Hall, East Street, Corfe Castle, Dorset, BG20 5EE, May 1 Minstead Antique Fair, Village Hall, London Road, Minstead, Hampshire, SO43 7FX, May 15

Continuity Fairs 01584 873634 www.continuityfairs.co.uk West Point Arena, Clyst St Mary, Exeter, EX5 1DJ, May 21-22 Marlow Antique & Vintage Fair 07394 704272 Liston Hall, Chapel Street, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, SL7 1DD, May 7 Stockbridge Antiques Fair Stockbridge Town Hall, High Street, Stockbridge, Hampshire, SO20 6HE, May 7 Henley Decor Fair 07711 258566 www.henleydecorfair.com Greenlands Park, Marlow Road, Henley-on-Thames, Oxon, RG9 3AP, May 26-29 EAST MIDLANDS including Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland. Arthur Swallow Fairs 01298 27493 www.asfairs.com Antiques & Home Show Lincolnshire Showground, LN2 2NA, May 8 Cooper Antiques Fairs 01278 784912 www.cooperevents.com The Annual Buxton Antiques Fair, St Johns Road, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6BE, May 19-22 Field Dog Fairs 07772 349431 www.fielddogfairs.com Southwell Racecourse Antiques Fair, Station Road, Rolleston, Southwell, Notts, NG25 0TS, May 28-29 IACF 01636 702326 www.iacf.co.uk New Runway at Newark, Newark and Nottinghamshire Showground, Newark, Notts, NG24 2NY, May 23 Stags Head Events (formerly Guildhall Antiques Fairs) 07583 410862 www.stagsheadevents.co.uk Antiques, Vintage and Decorative Show, Oakham, LE15 7TW, May 7-8 Bank Holiday Antiques & Vintage Fair, Hood Park Leisure Centre, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leics, LE65 1HU, Jun 2

WEST MIDLANDS including Birmingham, Coventry, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire B2B Events 01636 676531 www.b2bevents.info Malvern Flea and Collector’s Fair, Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcs, WR13 6NW, May 29 Coin and Medal Fairs Ltd. 01694 731781 www.coinfairs.co.uk The Midland Coin Fair, National Motorcycle Museum, Bickenhill, Birmingham, B92 0EJ, May 8 NORTH including Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Yorkshire. Arthur Swallow Fairs 01298 27493 www.asfairs.com Decorative Home & Salvage Show, Ripley Castle, Ripley, Harrogate, HG3 3AX, May 13

Antique Collecting magazine May 2022

Articles inside

editor-in-chief of the Ukrainian antiques magazine Antykvar on life in Kyiv

seeks out the Chinese treasures languishing in UK homes