U N D E R VA L U E D A R T I S T S T O P C O L U M N I S T S C O I N C O L L E C T I N G F O R B E G I N N E R S
ANTIQUE
COLLECTING Ceramic Masterclass CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF THE LEACH POTTERY
MAY 2020
The LOCK DOWN Special
ANTIQUE COLLECTING VOL 55 N0.1 MAY 2020
From online sales to home learning, how to make the best of collecting from home TURN OVER A NEW LEAF
CHINESE BOOKS ANCIENT & MODERN Everything you need to know
A TIME TO BUY: A GUIDE TO 007 MEMORABILIA SEE PAGE 24
Red Hot
Investment Discover why Vladimir Lenin is creating a buzz among collectors
ON LI N E
ART
A PPR EC IATION CO U R S E Pre sen ted by Hila ry K ay Study online Become art savvy Study when it suits 24/7 student support Supported online learning Flexible payment options Written by leading experts Guided by experienced tutors
info@theartinstitute.co.uk www.theartinstitute.co.uk
FIRST WORD
IN THIS ISSUE
Welcome
First of all, everyone at the magazine and our sister publisher ACC Art Books, extends our love and best wishes to you and your families and hope you are staying safe in these extraordinary times. It’s remarkable – while the majority of us (so far) are doing nothing more than fighting over the remote control and watching cat videos, others are risking their lives on the frontline fighting the virus. We wish them well. We are working remotely, so a quick word of housekeeping. Sue is still answering any subscription enquiries (sue.slee@accartbooks.com) and, if you are reading this, it means our printing press is still up and running. You will notice we still have book offers in the magazine – it is, after all, a great time to catch up on your reading. You can order via ACC Art Books’ website (www.accartbooks.com) or, if you are responding to specific offers in the magazine, please email your interest to Gina (georgina.street@accartbooks.com), who will arrange payment and delivery when we return to work. For obvious reasons (namely, there aren’t any) there is no fairs calendar this month. Nor are there any auction listings. While some auctioneers have closed completely, several have taken their sales online. To have provided you with details would have been folly because the situation is changing every day. We have covered the UK auctioneers response to the crisis on page 34 and, on page 38, come up with some ideas on how to keep ourselves, if not amused, at least occupied during the lockdown. I have so far successfully failed to heed the monkey on my shoulder urging me to learn Mandarin, take up the sitar or do something of long-term benefit. Instead I am sticking with PG Wodehouse as my audiobook of choice, while the theme tune to Lovejoy (thanks to my husband) is heard more regularly in our household than the government’s 5pm virus update. Finally, because the next issue is a joint one it will be with you slightly later, please expect delivery in the first week of June (fingers crossed) by which time things may or may not be getting back to normal. In the meantime, let’s consider a few of the upsides to these lockdown days – at least the bees are back. Enjoy the issue and stay safe.
Georgina
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
We love This old-cut diamond and ruby bow brooch which has an estimate of £500-£700 in Fellows’ timed online sale ending on May 14.
DAVID HARVEY
on a Regency classic, page 22
JANE OAKLEY
considers lesser-known artists, page 30
CHARLES HANSON
unveils a fleet of Humber cars, page 47
LAZARUS HALSTEAD
on the joy of collecting Chinese books, page 60
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: Jo Lord 01394 389950, jo.lord@accartbooks.com Subscriptions: Sue Slee 01394 389957, sue.slee@accartbooks.com
£38 for 10 issues annually, no refund is available. ISSN: 0003-584X
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 3
With time on your hands, are you having a sort out? If you would like to know more about your items, or their auction value you can still contact us auctions@sworder.co.uk or you can access our online valuation form www.sworder.co.uk/online-valuation-2020
Follow us on social media or visit our website for up to date information www.sworder.co.uk STANSTED | HERTFORD | LONDON | KENT
CONTENTS
Contents VOL 55 NO 1 MAY 2020
6
38
57 Top of the Lots: A round up of some of the online sales taking place in the month of May 58 Book Offers: Brush up on your antiques savvy with our latest offers 64 Subscriptions Offer: Save 50 per cent on an annual subscription and receive a free book worth £65. 66 Marc My Words: Antiques Roadshow’s Marc Allum is missing the rough and tumble of a visit to the saleroom
10
U N D E R VA L U E D A R T I S T S T O P C O L U M N I S T S C O I N C O L L E C T I N G F O R B E G I N N E R S
ANTIQUE
COLLECTING
MAY 2020
The LOCK DOWN Special
Ceramic Masterclass CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF THE LEACH POTTERY
ANTIQUE COLLECTING
From online sales to home learning, how to make the best of collecting from home
REGULARS
FEATURES
3
Editor’s Hello: Georgina Wroe introduces the coronavirus special issue
14 Within Leach: On the centenary of the Leach Pottery, studio ceramics have never been more popular among collectors
6
Antique News: With many events shelved, now is the time to gallery hop online
10 Around the Houses: Our auction round up of sales both before and after the lockdown
VOL 55 N0.1 MAY 2020
22 Waxing Lyrical: Fine furniture expert David Harvey falls in love with a Regency chiffonier
TURN OVER A NEW LEAF
CHINESE BOOKS ANCIENT & MODERN Everything you need to know
A TIME TO BUY: A GUIDE TO 007 MEMORABILIA SEE PAGE 24
Red Hot
Investment Discover why Vladimir Lenin is creating a buzz among collectors
29 Your Letters: One reader reveals her love of Ladybird books
COVER
Flowers in vase with blue and white decorative plate and wallpaper © Polly Wreford, Narratives Lifestyle Images
19 Mad About the Girl: The unsung artist Madeline Green is put in the spotlight by her great niece 24 Premium Bond: It might be on hold, but the latest 007 film has put Bond memorabilia back in the collecting spotlight 30 In the Manor Of: Jane Oakley shines a light on the artists’ communes of Connemara, Great Bardfield and Benton End
37 Market Report: Pontus Silfverstolpe 34 Virtual Reality: How is the considers the virus’s long-term antiques business coping under effects on the industry the UK lockdown?
FOLLOW US @AntiqueMag
42 Saleroom Spotlight: One of the best pipe collections in the world goes under the hammer later in the year
14
44 Profile: Behind the scenes with dealer Phil Mires
38 The Armchair Collector: From podcasts to books, our guide to thriving in isolation 48 Wax Works: Ruth Ord-Hume reveals the fascinating world of the 18th-century wax portrait modeller
47 An Auctioneer’s Lot: Charles 54 Coining It In: Can you make a Hanson is charged with selling a fleet mint from numismatics? Nigel Mills of vintage Humbers thinks so
54
52 Cool and Collectable: Expert Paul Fraser celebrates the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Russian leader Lenin
60 Pressing Matters: Collecting Chinese books might just be your next collecting obsession, writes Lazarus Halstead ANTIQUE COLLECTING 5
NEWS All the latest A doll from Nostell dolls’ house © National Trust, Paul Harris
TV pick
The maker of Salvage Hunters has launched a new show starring what its creators are calling ‘the junk rockers of Irish antiques’. Called Irish Pickers, Dublin dealer Ian Dowling and his team will travel Ireland hunting down collectables that tell stories of the country’s past.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN MAY
ANTIQUE news
Discover three exhibitions to see online. Stay up to date with all the latest virus and non-virus related news at www.antique-collecting.co.uk
TINY TEARS A rare dolls’ house dating to the 1730s has been brought back to life. The tiny mansion is a mini replica of Nostell mansion in West Yorkshire and one of only 12 surviving 18th-century dolls’ houses. The miniature home was painstakingly conserved down to the last piece of intricate furniture, lavish wallpaper and hallmarked silverware by National Trust specialists. The team worked on the house’s tiny furnishings made by specialist carvers, silversmiths, upholsterers and painters. Experts even uncovered a working servants’ bell and tiny kitchen spit. Nostell’s curator, Simon McCormack, said: “Later hands added new details, but this miniature world remains almost frozen in the 1730s when it was used by lady of the house Susannah Winn and her sister Katherine.”
6 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Did you know? Dolls’ houses were not playthings for 18th-century children. Known as ‘baby houses’, they were part of female lives from early teens to adulthood as a key tool in education and selfexpression; providing a space to explore design tastes, fashion, social rituals and household management.
Accompanying Ian are his best mate and trusty side-kick Mark Butterly, aka ‘Butzy,’ while the pair is joined by office manager Ali Foy tasked with researching provenance, and ‘Vintage Vinny’, so called because of his experience and contacts in the antiques game. Above The Irish Pickers team, including Vinny the dog
Left Miniature teapot and cups from the house, © National Trust, Robert Thrift Below The house dates
from the 1730s, © National Trust, Paul Harris
Left George IV: Art & Spectacle can now be viewed online, Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020 Right Joseph Moxon’s miniature pocket globe is one of 30 globes online Far left The Throne
Room at Buckingham Palace is part of the virtual offering, Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020
Left Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) Lady at the Virginals with a Gentleman, early 1660s, Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020
1
Royal show
The Royal Collection, which boasts one of the largest art collections in the world, has put its treasures online. More than 250,000 works of art from 15 royal residences can be accessed virtually, including a virtual tour of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace, a film about the tiny treasures of Queen Mary’s dolls’ house and curators’ picks of the most extraordinary clocks in the Royal Collection. Recent exhibitions now viewable online include George IV: Art & Spectacle as seen at The Queen’s Gallery in Buckingham Palace, while Vermeer’s enigmatic portrait The Music Lesson, Woman Seated at a Virginal is one of the paintings that can be explored in detail with expert commentary from one of the collection’s curators. Go to www.rct.uk
3
2Global view
30 historical globes, dating from 1600 to 1950, are available to view online this month, the result of a two-year project by the British Library. The virtual globes on show include one of the earliest miniature ‘pocket’ globes made in 1679 by Joseph Moxon; two globes from 1606 by Willem Janszoon Blaeu and the surviving star globe by Thomas Tuttell, 1700. Library curator, Tom Harper, said: “Globes can be remarkably elusive objects which are difficult to properly look at, study and understand. For the first time, this innovative project makes a number of our most important globes available beyond the British Library’s reading rooms and exhibition galleries.” Go to www.bl.uk
to see in
ONLINE Right State of the art
technology provides the highest quality imaging
Below left Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553), Portrait of Electress and her Son, oil on panel, Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2019 Below Lucas Cranach
the Elder (1472-1553), Hercules and Antaeus © Compton Verney.
3
Elder flowers
Compton Verney’s cancelled exhibition Cranach: Artist and Innovator has gone online, along with a virtual tour of the show by its specialist curator Dr Amy Orrock. The Warwickshire art gallery and park had been showing an exhibition of one of the leading German painters and printmakers of the early 16th century when the lockdown was announced. The virtual show includes a digitised manuscript by Lucan Cranach the Younger (1515-1586) c. 1565, containing more than 1,800 coats-of-arms of princes and noblemen, discovered in the archives of Manchester’s John Rylands Library. In an era when heraldry was an important way for a family to demonstrate its lineage and status, the manuscript would have been indispensable to a painter’s workshop. Go to www.comptonverney.org.uk
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 7
NEWS All the latest An auctioneering lesson from auctioneer and TV star Charlie Ross also raised £1,700. A day with Nev Morris, the blacksmith on Salvage Hunters, made £480, while a day learning from the show’s upholsterer Craig Hughes made £520. A day with Derby metal detectorist Adam Staples, who helped to uncover a coin hoard worth £5m in Somerset, soared to £2,100. Charles threw in three lots which included his gavel, tea for four in his garden shed and a VIP day out at Hansons Auctioneers. Together, they brought in £1,770. Another top lot was a tour around Derbyshire’s Chatsworth House for up to six people accompanied by the Duke of Devonshire which made £1,550.
ON A LIMB The Science Museum in London has bought a 28-work collection by the WWII artist Paul Drury (1903-1987), created while he was working in an artificial limb ward. The works were meant to go on display in a Mayfair exhibition but the show was cancelled due to coronavirus. However, the London institution had already snapped up the series before the show. Drury trained as an etcher at Goldsmiths. Having lost an eye in a childhood accident he was deemed unfit for action but volunteered to work in the ‘plaster department’ of the artificial limb unit at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Roehampton where he produced work inspired by life on the ward. The works in the collection were offered for sale at prices ranging from £750-£4,000. Above Paul Drury (1903-
1987) Self-portrait, etching Below Paul Drury (1903-1987)
Coming to Life, etching
Shedloads of cash A day out with Salvage Hunter Drew Pritchard was the top-selling lot at a charity auction hosted by Charles Hanson in his garden shed, which raised close to £30,000 for NHS doctors and nurses. The excursion with the Conwy star netted £3,700 in a fierce bidding battle, while his iconic cap brought in another £480 at the sale which was broadcast on Hansonslive, Facebook and Twitter. Hanson, who regularly appears on BBC Bargain Hunt, Antiques Road Trip and is a columnist for this magazine, raised the money for Derby and Burton Hospitals’ charity Covid-19 appeal. He said: “As soon as I revealed my charity shed auction idea I was overwhelmed by the response. Friends from the TV world, members of the public and colleagues from my firm, Hansons Auctioneers, were swift to help. We had so many offers of lot donations we simply couldn’t accommodate them all.”
Quick fire questions with... JEWELLERY SPECIALIST INEZ TOBIN, ONE OF THREE NEW EXPERTS TO JOIN NORTH YORKSHIRE AUCTIONEERS ELSTOB & ELSTOB
Have you got a favourite era of jewellery making? My first love is probably French jewellery of the early 20th century. I am simultaneously enchanted by the ethereal jewels of the great art nouveau masters (such as René Lalique and Georges Fouquet) and the bold, geometric designs of the 1920s and ‘30s.
Who would be your favourite designer?
The great avant-garde designer Suzanne Belperron springs to mind. I adore the sculptural, yet sensuous quality of her designs and her use of less conventional materials, such as chalcedony and rock crystal. At a time when the jewellery industry, like many others, was a male-dominated sphere, she succeeded in building a hugely exclusive brand.
Most memorable find or sale to date?
A wonderful pink sapphire and diamond bracelet which was brought in by a lady who had recently inherited
8 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Above left A day with Salvage Hunter Drew Pritchard was the top-selling lot Below Big-hearted Charles Hanson even donated his
gavel to the cause
it from her mother. It came with a handwritten note, stating that the gems were collected by her grandfather, who had been a prominent businessman in Kenya during the early 20th century. He had them mounted into a bracelet which he presented to his bride on their wedding day. I was immediately struck by the attractive orange-peach tint to some of the stones which is a characteristic of padparadscha sapphires. I was delighted when the gemmological laboratory confirmed it and the bracelet subsequently sold for £18,750.
Is there any type of jewellery, designer or style that deserves more credit?
Post-war jewellery is often overlooked in favour of its art deco fore-runner. The exuberant cocktail rings and the heavy gold ‘Tank’ bracelets reflect the joy of a society emerging from a devastating war.
What would be your dream North Yorkshire consignment?
Jet jewellery from the seaside town of Whitby which was popularised during the Victorian period. Intact suites and parures are increasingly rare. Failing that, anything by Cartier would do nicely!
Elstob & Elstob’s next jewellery sales are scheduled for May 28 and November 26 with fine art, antiques and jewellery in December - www.elstobandelstob.co.uk
Sun worshippers
CLOCKING ON A specialist clockmaker has recreated John Harrison’s ‘Precision Pendulum No 2’, a longcase clock made in 1727 and dubbed the ‘clock that changed time’. Harrison, a joiner and clockmaker living in Barrow-on-Humber in north Lincolnshire, made the timepiece to solve the problem of calculating longitude while at sea. He made history with both his land-based wooden clocks and his maritime timekeepers, with only three originals of each of his two wooden clocks around today. Self-taught clockmaker Matthew King, who runs the restoration business Time Traveller Clocks, is the first person to make a replica of the early Harrison wooden clock. With no instructions, the replica took more than a year to make, taking much of his direction from the original Harrison clocks and his own research. Above Matthew King created the first replica of John Harrison’s famous clock Below The self-taught clockmaker at work
A Bronze Age solid gold sun pendant (or bulla) – a once-in-a-century discovery by a Shropshire metal detectorist – has been bought by the British Museum for £¼m. The 3,000-year-old masterpiece is testimony, say experts, to the importance the sun played in British people’s beliefs and cosmology during ancient times. The museum’s Bronze Age curator, Neil Wilkin, said: “This is one of the most significant discoveries from this period to be made in Britain for more than a century. It tells us how important the sun was to people’s beliefs during the Bronze Age.” The pendant, measuring 3.6cm high and 4.7cm wide ,is decorated with semi-circles and geometric motifs.
The Bronze Age pendant demonstrated the skill of its maker 3,000 years ago
One side shows a stylized sun – a rare and hugely significant addition to the art and iconography of Bronze Age Britain. The pendant was reported to the local Finds Liaison Officer for Shropshire and Herefordshire, who notified the Coroner and brought it to the British Museum under the Treasure process. The Coroner deemed the bulla to be ‘treasure’ and the independent Treasure Valuation Committee recommended a value of a quarter of a million pounds to the Secretary of State.
LEFT LUGGAGE
Above The missing painting disappeared on the way back from a valuation
Try for Sizergh
Police have appealed to the public to help locate a painting worth thousands of pounds, lost by its owner on the way home from a valuation. The owner of the painting by Mod Brit artist Terry Frost (1915-2003) accidentally left the work titled Blue Harbour on a train from London to Milton Keynes after he alighted. Frost painted the abstract oil in the harbour town of St Ives in 1954. Anyone with information is asked to contact British Transport Police by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40 and quoting crime reference 2000009076. A curator takes a closer look at the painting
The Cumbrian stately home of Sizergh Castle and Garden has acquired a family portrait by the Georgian society painter George Romney. The Strickland family has lived at Sizergh for more than 750 years, so it was fitting that the National Trust-run property should take ownership of the painting Charles Strickland with a Fishing Rod painted by Romney in the 1760s. The artist built up his reputation by painting the local gentry, which included the Stricklands. Romney later went on to become a successful Georgian society artist and is best known for his portraits of Lord Nelson’s mistress, Emma Hamilton. The Strickland painting depicts Charles as a country gentleman and landowner, fishing on his estate in front of Force Falls on the River Kent near Sedgwick. The painting will go on show to the public when National Trust properties, currently closed due to the virus, reopen. ANTIQUE COLLECTING 9
D k
The is s wh as a mo sho for him
AUCTION Round up
AROUND the HOUSES The latest results from pre-lockdown and online sales from around the UK and further afield. Discover more auction news at www.antique-collecting.co.uk LYON & TURNBULL, EDINBURGH The top lot of the Scottish auctioneer’s first live online sale, which registered 1,400 bidders, was a 48cm cast of Sir George Frampton’s (18601928) most famous work, the sculpture of Peter Pan. The portrayal of the magical boy made £35,000 against an estimate of £15,000-£20,000. The original bronze, commissioned by JM Barrie in 1911, was followed by six other full-size casts and a series of smaller reductions made by the Singer foundry. The example sold, dated 1911, was previously owned by Sir Alexander Walker II (1869-1950), the grandson of whisky distiller Johnnie Walker. A ruby lustre charger decorated with thistles, roses and shamrocks by Maw & Co of Jackfield in Shropshire, c.1890, fetched £4,500. The charger fetched £4,500 in the 12-hour online sale
10
ANTIQUE COLLECTING
EWBANK’S, WOKING
A signed painting by the Australian artist Haughton Forrest (1826-1925) of an early coastal scene of Tasmania sold for more than five times its top estimate at the Surrey auctioneer’s online sale, going to a bidder from New South Wales. Cowes, Schooner and other ships in a Bay against a mountainous landscape took £7,800 against hopes of £1,000-£1,500. Forrest was a significant figure in the history of Australia. When the six colonies of pre-Federation Australia chose the images for its first ever set of pictorial stamps, the Tasmanian authorities turned to Forrest to capture the majesty of the country’s landscape on canvas.
SWORDERS, STANSTED MOUNTFITCHET
The sculpture was owned by the whisky magnate Johnnie Walker’s grandson
The painting shows a schooner anchored off the early Tasmanian coastline
The Items from the stuffed golden age of Polar penguin came exploration were from the ill-fated among the top Terra Nova sellers of the Essex expedition auctioneer’s pre-lockdown sale. A stuffed and mounted Adélie penguin collected by scientists during the ill-fated Terra Nova expedition of 1910-1913, took £10,500, against a low estimate of £2,000. The bird, which was bought by a New Zealand museum, had been given to the vendor’s great-grandmother in 1913 by expedition doctor Edward Leicester Atkinson. The museum also bought four watercolours by Apsley George Benet Cherry-Garrard (1886-1959), the youngest member of the Terra Nova crew, for £1600. The watercolour was one of four works by the youngest crew member
MCTEAR’S, GLASGOW A work by one of the most famous French Impressionist artists sold for £28,000 at the Scottish auction house’s March 11 sale. Étude de Têtes (Study of Heads), by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), which had a pre-sale estimate of £20,000, was the first oil painting by the artist to be sold in Scotland for decades. Along with Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro and Paul Cezanne, Renoir is considered one of the leading painters in the development of the Impressionist style.
DIX NOONAN WEBB, MAYFAIR
The coin was A silver penny of Ludica, a discovered in virtually unknown Saxon king of three inches of mud Mercia discovered by a Wiltshire on a Wiltshire farm in 2016 metal detectorist, sold for £41,216 – far exceeding its pre-sale estimate of £10,000-£15,000. Found by Andy Hall in farmland in Wiltshire in 2016, the detectorist spent three years having the coin examined by experts, including specialist metallurgical analysis before it was declared genuine.
The 1898 Renoir work was the first by the artist to be sold in Scotland in years
WOOLLEY & WALLIS, SALISBURY A pair of Italian paintings by a late Baroque artist was the unexpected star lot of the Wiltshire saleroom’s Old Masters auction, held before the lockdown was imposed. The works by Jacopo Amigoni (c.1685–1752) sold for £325,000, breaking the paintings department’s previous record of £244,000, set in 2014 for a painting by Alfred Munnings. Head of paintings, Victor Fauvelle, said: “Although works by Amigoni have fetched six figures in the past, they are the exception rather than the rule.” The pair of paintings was the Recent auction records show massive swings in the top seller at market for early 18th-century Italian artists, he added. the pre-lockdown Both paintings, which depicted the religious scenes of sale in Wiltshire Laban searching for his idols and the finding of Moses, were consigned from a private collection in Oxfordshire.
MALLAMS, CHELTENHAM An ebonised chair with a raffia inset back, attributed to William Watt after EW Godwin, made more than ten times its low estimate when it sold for £1,200 at the Gloucestershire auctioneer’s modern living sale in March. EW Godwin (1833-1886) was renowned for his innovative designs based on principles of simplicity and functionality, with many items in the Anglo-Japanese style. Similar pieces were later produced by the firms of William Watt, and Collinson & Lock, also emphasising the stripped-down Anglo-Japanese taste. The chair, estimated at just £100– £200, was highly contested online and in the room, before going to a UK bidder. The chair was made by William Watt in the pareddown style of EW Godwin
TENNANTS, LEYBURN An asymmetric Cartier watch made double its low estimate to become the top seller of the North Yorkshire auctioneer’s pre-lockdown sale. The limited-edition ladies’ watch, which epitomised late ‘60s design, sold for £50,000. In a previous sale, Tennants set an auction record for a signed, limited-edition LS Lowry print, when Going The LS Lowry To The Match sold for £25,000, Fine Art Guildbeating the previous record of signed print set an £22,000 set by the auction auction house in 2015. record The Fine Art Trade GuildThe unusual signed print came from asymmetic watch an edition of 300 and was came from Cartier’s published in 1972. limited edition of 400 ANTIQUE COLLECTING 11
AUCTION Round up
HALLS, BATTLEFIELD A large Victorian mahogany and walnut extending dining table, exceeded expectations when it sold for more than four times its low estimate selling for £900 at the Shropshire auctioneers. A 200-piece discontinued Spode ‘York’ tableware service made £950, against an estimate of £300-£500.
Clynnog by the Welsh artist Sir Kyffin Williams (1918-2006), sold for £13,000
The 200-piece Spode set was discontinued in 1995
The mahogany dining table exceeded all pre-sale expectations
DUKE’S, DORCHESTER A dog collar wore by a fox terrier (called ‘Dash the Great’) owned by the Victorian explorer and archaeologist Sir Marc Aurel Stein (1862-1943) sold for £2,000 at the Dorset auction house, before the lockdown. Dash accompanied Stein on many of his journeys, including his second expedition into central Asia from 1906-08 when the explorer bought back more than 40,000 scrolls and manuscripts, including The Diamond Sutra. The AD 868 work is the world’s oldest printed text and was found inside caves near Dunhuang in 1907. The collar is decorated with nine small brass plaques engraved with locations they visited together, including The Great Wall and the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas.
Plaques around the collar charted Dash the fox terrier’s global travels
12 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
RR AUCTION, BOSTON A working Apple1 computer sold for $460,000 (£370,000) at the US auctioneer’s recent sale. The early device was conceived by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak as a bare circuit board sold as a kit to be completed by electronics hobbyists. The pair produced 200 models selling 175. An internal memo signed by Jobs congratulating an Apple employee on a bonus in 1983 sold for $15,000 (£12,000). RR Auction’s Bobby Livingston, said: “Steve Jobssigned memorabilia and early products like the Apple 1, continue to attract interest from Anything a worldwide signed by Apple’s audience of loyal Steve Jobs is highly followers of the sought after Apple brand.”
The computer was restored to an operational state by Apple-1 expert Corey Cohen
HERITAGE AUCTIONS, DALLAS A rare pair of sneakers produced by Apple for its employees in the early 1990s sold for nearly $10,000 (£8,000) at the US auction house’s urban art sale. The brand’s iconic, brightly-coloured, vintage rainbow Apple logo is embroidered onto the side of the shoes and the tongue, along with the word ‘Apple’. The trainers are an American size 9½ (UK size 9). Bidding became fierce as soon as the coveted piece of Apple memorabilia appeared on the rostrum, attracting 20 bidders who pushed the footwear to its final price. Heritage Auction’s, Leon Benrimon, said: “No one really knows how many pairs of these corporate gifts survived over the last 30 or so years.” The coloured trainers were made exclusively for Apple employees
POTTER & POTTER AUCTION’S, CHICAGO
THE COTSWOLD AUCTION COMPANY, CIRENCESTER A pair of oak arts and crafts bedroom chairs by Charles Francis Annesley Voysey (1857-1941), with an estimate in the low hundreds, sold for £16,500 at the Gloucestershire auctioneers. The rush-seated chairs, dated c. 1900, had the trademark heart-shaped cut-out in the backsplat, a giveaway they came from the well-known architect and arts and crafts designer. The chairs may have been produced by the London cabinetmaker FC Nielsen, who worked for CFA Voysey. The chairs also boast the tell-tale dovetails in the backsplat and tapering uprights to the back, protruding well above the functionally necessary, but adding a simple elegance. The chairs came to the auction house from a local house clearance
FELLOWS, BIRMINGHAM Fellows Auctioneers’ timed, online-only jewellery sale, operated from the MD’s sitting room, saw a ‘bean’ pendant by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. make £590, against a low estimate of £150. Georgian A late-Georgian mourning rings mourning ring continue to estimated at £250fascinate £350 realised £765; while an early 20th-century ruby and old-cut diamond cluster ring The ruby and (estimated at diamond cluster ring made £730 at £280-£380) made the online sale £730. The auction saw 618 registrants on Fellows’ website with 343 more bidders signed up on other sites.
A gambler’s kit including an antique gun sold for $4,000 (£2,500) against a low estimate of $2,500 (£2,000) at the American auction house. The silk-lined hardwood box, dated 1884, also included a pack of Steamboat 999 poker-size playing cards; three MOP poker chips and two bone dice, as well as the Remington .41 calibre Derringer. In case of gaming disputes, the gambler’s kit came with a small pistol
The ‘bean’ pendant was designed by the Italian jeweller Elsa Peretti
PM Antiques & Collectables are a modern and innovative online retailer that offers a unique and bespoke way of buying and selling antiques. Specialising in a wide array of eclectic items and collectables, including decorative ceramics, glassware, vintage toys, entertainment and memorabilia, contemporary art and automobilia. PMAntiques2015
Browse our latest stock at pm-antiques.co.uk Contact us: phil@pm-antiques.co.uk 01932 640113
PM_Antiques
ANTIQUE COLLECTING
13
COLLECTING GUIDES Bernard Leach their subsequent influence on studio pottery and the philosophy of ceramics became internationally renowned. Leach’s influence and ideals were to resonate strongly within the community of modern artists living in post-war St Ives.
EARLY DAYS Bernard Howell Leach was born in Hong Kong in 1887, the son of English parents. His mother died in childbirth and he was taken to Kyoto in Japan by his maternal grandparents. Four years later his father remarried and he brought Leach back to Hong Kong and then on to Singapore when he was appointed a judge. He returned to England aged 10, leaving school at 16 having excelled only in drawing, elocution and cricket. Leach then enrolled at The Slade School of Art but left when his father became ill in 1904 to seek out a job in the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank (HSBC). When his father died, with a small inheritance, the 21-year-old enrolled at the London School of Art in Kensington where he was taught etching by Frank Brangwyn who was an inspiration to Leach. Bernard Leach (18871979) for Leach Pottery, a bottle vase, sold for £1,275 in January, image courtesy of Bonhams
Within Leach
On the centenary of the influential Leach Pottery formed in St Ives in 1920, Antique Collecting highlights the ceramics of its founders Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada
R
egarded as the ‘father of British studio pottery’, Bernard Leach’s contribution as both a ceramicist and teacher is difficult to overemphasize. The Leach Pottery, established in 1920 with his friend, colleague and fellow artist Shoji Hamada, went on to become one of the most influential studios of the 20th century. Funded by the Guild of Handicraft, Leach and Hamada wanted to challenge the homogeneity of British mass production and position ceramic practice as an equal to the fine arts. Not only did the potters construct the first Japanese-style climbing kiln in the West,
14 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Did you know? Tenmoku is the Japanese name for a traditional iron-oxide glaze, originating from China. It has a distinctive dark, mottled colour that lightens to a reddish brown, depending on application and firing. Its simple earthy tones were highly popular with Leach and Hamada. Above right Shoji
Hamada sitting in front of Old Pottery fireplace. Image kindly provided by the Crafts Study Centre, University for the Creative Arts
Right Bernard Leach, Shoji Hamada and the Leach Pottery staff, St Ives, c.1960. Image kindly provided by the Crafts Study Centre, University for the Creative Arts
The market for Leach
RETURN TO JAPAN It was on his return to Japan in 1909 that he first discovered ‘raku’ (a low-fired earthenware that was an integral part of the culture of the Japanese tea ceremony). At a party in Tokyo, he was invited to decorate such a piece which had been recently fired and glazed. He was enthralled by the firing process and wrote, “By this to me a miracle, I was carried away to a new world. Enthralled, I was on the spot seized with the desire to take up the craft”. This was a pivotal time in Leach’s life and he decided to follow the path of ceramics. He was recommended and then studied with Urano Shigekichi, known by his title of Kenzan VI, two days a week for two years. It was a remarkable pupillage, with Leach becoming the first Western potter to be trained in the Oriental tradition. This cultural cross-pollination of East and West was important in the development of Leach’s art, both in the type of kiln he set up and the pottery he founded in Cornwall with Shoji Hamada. Potter and author Edmund De Waal described him as ‘a kind of link or courier between English and Japanese potters in the interchange between our pre-industrial tradition and theirs.’ Like William Morris before him, Leach was concerned with the dying folk arts of Japan and England that were gradually being eroded by the modernising forces of the 20th century. He and Hamada felt that is was their duty to revive these crafts before they were lost to the course of history. His exposure in Japan to ceramics produced there, and in Korea and China, was a great source of inspiration, as was the English slipware tradition that was still being practised in small pockets of Devon.
Above Bernard Leach (1887-1979) for Leach Pottery, a sgraffito, celadon footed porcelain bowl, c. 1940, sold for £1,657 in 2019, image courtesy of Bonhams Right Bernard Leach working at the wheel and applying decoration to a stoneware pot with a hakeme (twig) brush at St Ives, 1963. Image kindly provided by the Crafts Study Centre, University for the Creative Arts Below right Bernard
Leach (1887-1979) for Leach Pottery, globular glazed vase, 1960s, sold for £2,550 in 2019, image courtesy of Bonhams
The market for studio ceramics is currently polarised with a few potters attracting a premium at auction. The market for Leach’s work is strong, with interest on an international level but particularly in Britain, America and Japan (where they consider him one of their own). Early slipware pieces and academic pieces are highly sought after, with prices further increased by examples decorated with ‘classical’ Leach images, such as the leaping hare, the deer, the salmon and the pagoda. One of his most famous examples, his ‘pilgrim’ plate produced in the mid-1960s, featured a stencilled motif of a hooded pilgrim with a staff walking towards a mountain range and is in glazed tenmoku. As collectors become priced out of the top end of the market other collecting trends emerge. Tiles provide an alternative affordable area, particularly those featuring Leach’s best-known symbols. They were a perfect medium for the potter – easy to manufacture, quick to decorate and the flat surfaces ideally suited to Leach’s style of brushwork.
ST IVES Leach returned to England in 1920 with Shoji Hamada. Hamada was a young, enthusiastic student at the Kyoto Institute of Ceramics, who had followed and admired both Leach’s and his fellow artist Kenkichi Tomimoto’s works in various exhibitions in Tokyo. It was through these exhibitions that he eventually got to know Leach and became so excited by his ideology and lifestyle that he volunteered to
By living in Cornwall Leach gradually absorbed aspects of Celtic mythology and recreated them by featuring mythological creatures and heraldic images in many of his works ANTIQUE COLLECTING 15
COLLECTING GUIDES Bernard Leach Left Bernard Leach (1887-1979) for Leach Pottery, Leaping Salmon vase, sold for £ 4,562 in 2019, image courtesy of Bonhams Below right Janet Leach
(1918-1997), square dish with brown linear markings, from the Dayabandhu Collection, has an estimate of £300-£400 in the May Maak sale
Below left Bernard
Leach’s work bench, showing some of his pots, working sketches and seals. Image kindly provided by the Crafts Study Centre, University for the Creative Arts
in many of his works. Similarly, the shapes he used were inspired by the English rural tradition with an emphasis on medieval jugs, mead jars, grain jars and flagons. He began to study and reinterpret the signed pieces of 17th-century slipware by Thomas and Ralph Toft. This allowed him to play with the idea of his identity as a potter, believing all pots were a projection of the minds of their creators. This is evident in many of his pieces where he incorporated his monogram and the St Ives pottery seal with the context of his designs. In expressing himself in such a way he found satisfaction through what he perceived as the balance between pot and maker and beauty and function. This sense of harmony, which he learnt in the East and which he felt was lacking in the West, is obvious in his art forms. The influence of the East is also evident in other ways, from the use of the simple shapes inspired by the Japanese tea ceremony, the yunomis (Oriental teabowls), saki bottles, teapots and flasks to his interpretation of the glazes from the Sung dynasty (oatmeal, tenmoku, celadon). His repeated use of ‘graphic’ images such as the willow, the pagoda and the mountain range, created through simple brush strokes, is also straight from Japanese culture.
David Leach (British, 1911-2005)
accompany the artist to the UK as his assistant. Hamada’s detailed study of glazes was considered to be of great value to Leach, who had not been educated in these techniques. They settled in St Ives in Cornwall, a small artistic community, where they set up a business. Leach purchased a small strip of land and, using local workmen, built a kiln, house and studio. He continued to experiment with many forms and techniques even holding raku parties at which his first wife Muriel served Cornish teas for 1 shilling. By living in Cornwall Leach gradually absorbed aspects of Celtic mythology and recreated them by featuring mythological creatures and heraldic images
David joined his father’s pottery at St Ives in 1930 as an apprentice. From 1934-1936 he attended the Pottery Managers course at North Staffordshire Technical College, Stoke-on-Trent to acquire more technical knowledge on pottery. On his return to the Leach Pottery in 1946 David and Bernard formed a partnership and his industrial training allowed him to modernise the workshop, introducing machinery and developing a new stoneware body. His developments allowed for successful production of the standard ware range, which he designed together with Bernard. In 1956 he established his own studio at Lowerdown Pottery, South Devon where he developed his individual style, moving away from repetitive domestic ware to make more individual pieces. He was chairman of the Craft Potters’ Association of Great Britain in 1967 and exhibited widely in the UK, Europe and America.
Janet Leach (American, 19181997)
Janet Leach, nee Darnell, was born in Texas, USA. Before meeting Bernard Leach she was an established artist in her own right specialising in stoneware and porcelain pots with minimal decoration. In 1938 she enrolled in sculpture classes in New York and worked as a sculptor’s assistant on the Federal Art Project and for Robert Cronback
16 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Left Bernard
Leach (18871979), tall vase, c. 1960, to be offered at auction at £5,000-£7,000 by Maak later in the year (see overleaf for details)
Above Bernard Leach (1887-1979), large bowl with Leaping Deer design, c. 1960, has an estimate of £800-£1,200 in this month’s sale (see overleaf)
Below David Leach (1911-2005), dish
with Foxglove design, c. 1991, from the Dayabandhu Collection, has an estimate of £600-£800
Above Bernard Leach’s stamp of BL
Did you know? In the early 1980s inmates of Featherstone Prison near Wolverhampton used their pottery classes to produce copies of Leach’s work using the prison’s kilns. While many experts were fooled by the fakes, Janet Leach revealed their flaws. Right Michael Cardew (1901-1983), slipware jug, c. 1930, sold by Maak for £1,320 in 2018
Above David Leach’s
stamp
on architectural commissions. During the war she worked as a welder on ships on Staten Island (1939-1945). Her interest in pottery began in 1947 and she trained at Inwood Pottery and Alfred University, USA. She met Bernard Leach, Soetsu Yanagi and Shoji Hamada at Black Mountain College, when they were touring in America in 1952. She soon became interested in Japanese techniques and the philosophy of pottery. She went to Japan in 1954 where she spent two years studying under Hamada, who she always considered her principal mentor. She was the first foreign woman to study pottery in Japan and only the second westerner. In 1956, she settled in Britain after her marriage to Bernard Leach and together they ran the Leach Pottery in St. Ives. After her husband died in 1979, Janet continued potting, throwing individual pieces in a variety of clays using a number of different firing techniques. She exhibited widely and held regular one-person shows in England and Japan. Her work can be found in many public collections.
Far right Norah Braden (1901-2001), large globular jar, sold by Maak for £1,680 in 2018 Left Janet Leach (19181997), brown stoneware vase with splayed rim, has an estimate of £300-£400 in this month’s sale Below Katharine
Pleydell-Bouverie (1985-1985), globular pot, sold by Maak for £2,880 in 2018
LEACH’S LEGACY Leach’s training of aspiring students was formidable in guiding and inspiring a generation of artists. Michael Cardew (19011983) became the first student at the Leach Pottery in St Ives in 1923, where he worked for three years. He established his pottery, Winchcombe Pottery in Gloucestershire in 1926, where he concentrated on making slip-decorated earthenware, creating traditional and affordable domestic pieces with increasing success. Richard Batterham (b. 1936) trained at the Leach Pottery in 1957 and 1958, returning to his native Dorset in 1959 to set up his own pottery. Norah Braden (1901-2001) studied at the Royal College of Art until 1925 when she joined the workshop. Leach described her as one of his most gifted pupils and her work was equally appreciated by Michael Cardew. In 1928 she joined Katharine PleydellBouverie (1895-1985) at her pottery in Coleshill, where she spent the next eight years producing individual pieces and undertaking extensive glaze experiments using ash glazes made from the plants and wood on the estate. Although distinct potters in their own right, Leach’s influence on his own family – among others Janet, David (his son) and John (his grandson) – is also of note. On Leach’s death in 1979 production at the pottery continued where it does to this day, with ceramicists remaining true to the Leach ideals and some even producing wares using the original tools dating back to the 1930s.
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 17
COLLECTING GUIDES Bernard Leach The Dayabandhu collection crammed the owner’s London flat
The Dayabandhu Collection
This month a single owner collection of nearly 200 pieces of studio pottery, including work by Bernard, Janet and David Leach goes under the hammer in an online sale. Known as the Dayabandhu Collection, it was collected over 30 years and is largely made up of works from the early years of the careers of the ceramicists. The sale also includes work by Michael Casson, Jim Malone, Ewen Henderson, Gillian Lowndes, Gordon Baldwin, John Maltby, Edmund de Waal and Akiko Hirai. Michael Evans, known by his Buddhist name Dayabandhu, had a lifelong passion for ceramics, following the careers of many artists from the start, forging important relationships and investing in the life’s work of ceramicists. Marijke Varrall-Jones, founder of Maak, which is selling the collection, said: “A visit to Dayabandhu’s home for anyone with an interest in studio ceramics is an almost overwhelming experience when you first walk in. Everywhere your eye rests there is a moment of recognition, another treasure to behold, a discovery to be made.”
Highlight Pieces Walter Keeler (b.1942) Gun barrel teapot, part of the Dayabandhu Collection, has an estimate of £400-£500 in the May sale
Sarah Flynn (b.1971) Double spine vessel, c. 2012, part of the Dayabandhu Collection, has an estimate of £1,000£1,500 in the May sale
Gillian Lowndes (1936-2010) Scrollscape with Nail, part of the Dayabandhu Collection, has an estimate of £800£1,200 in the May sale
The collection includes a group by the British studio potter Walter Keeler (b. 1942) made up of blue salt-glaze wares including a jug, teapot and platter. Trained at Harrow School of Art from 1958-1963, Keeler established his first studio in 1965 and in 1976 moved to Monmouthshire in Wales. Keeler is regarded as a foremost exponent of salt-glaze work. He had two distinct styles: salt-glazed stoneware and whieldonglazed earthenware. His designs draw on 18th-century Staffordshire moulded pottery, Roman blown glass and the old-fashioned metal milk churns and oil cans. The work of the influential and radical ceramicist Gillian Lowndes (1936-2010), which is rarely found on the secondary market, will also be on sale. A retrospective of her work which was recently on show at York Art Gallery highlighted her skill. Dayabandhu’s collection includes pieces by the Irish-born ceramic sculptor Sarah Flynn whose work he started amassing from early in her career. Flynn’s profile increased when she became a finalist in the 2019 Loewe Craft Prize, leading to a significant increase in appreciation of her work in the secondary market. A double hipped vase made by Flynn from the Dayabandhu Collection sold by Maak for £10,800 in 2019.
Discover more
•
Many celebrations to mark Leach 100 have been postponed. Although Leach Studio Potters: 100 Years On includes pots available to buy at www.leachpottery.com as well as work by Tomoo Hamada (Shoji’s grandson) and John Leach (Bernard’s grandson). Highlights, objects and educational activities can still be seen at the same website.
•
The sale is by the ceramics specialist auction house Maak
18 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Work by all the artists mentioned in this piece in the V&A’s collection can be viewed online at www.vam.ac.uk. For more details of the online sale Unifying Eye: The Dayabandhu Collection from May 11-14 go to www.maaklondon.com.
COLLECTING GUIDES Madeline Green Now, as women artists finally rise to ascendancy, she is getting the credit she deserves, championed by a number of today’s leading art critics. A solo exhibition of her work on in London this month has been shelved due to Covid-19.
GREAT AUNT As soon as my husband was given the picture, entitled Parsonage Place we hung it on the wall of our married home. Very soon after it sparked a lifelong interest and passion for collecting the work of great aunt Madeline. We acquired two delightful watercolours at auction, at a very reasonable price, further fuelling our enthusiasm. Sometime later we acquired a few etchings at auction in the West Country. It transpired that these etchings came from a portfolio of Madeline Green’s work sold at auction by a distant cousin and bought by a dealer some 10 years earlier. Over time the dealer sold us the rest of the portfolio. It was a wonderful feeling to bring the portfolio back to the family again.
Madeline Green (18841947) The Holland Smock, oil on canvas, an early work exhibited RA 1914
FAMILY BACKGROUND
MAD ABOUT the GIRL Collecting often starts with a family member. Carole Walker reveals how she is putting her husband’s great aunt, the once well-known figurative artist Madeline Green, back on the map
A
s a young boy, my husband Peter showed a particular interest in a watercolour of a back garden hanging in his grandmother’s home. It had been painted by his grandmother’s sister whose name was Madeline Green, who – little heard of today – we were later to learn had been a modernist artist. During her lifetime she had been a well-known and award-winning artist – quite an achievement for a female painter of the day – with her work sought after by many well-known collectors. Madeline worked and exhibited prodigiously in national and international collectives including the Royal Academy, the Royal Glasgow Institute, the Venice Biennale and the Paris Salons. Her pictures were acquired by some of the most influential collectors of the period, including Sir Joseph Duveen, the renowned British art dealer.
As our collection grew we were keen to know more about Madeline. Regrettably there are no diaries, and only two known letters that Madeline wrote to Manchester Art Gallery and Royal Glasgow Institute, both of which hold one of her works. Madeline was born in Paddington in 1884 one of four sisters, Hilda, Gladys and Mabel and a brother Thomas. Following the death of her paternal grandfather, the family moved to his home, 40 The Mall, Ealing, where they lived comfortably and where Madeline was to spend most of her life. Following her studies at college, Madeline trained at Heatherley School of Fine Art, one of the oldest independent arts schools in London and it was here that the principal John Crompton recommended Madeline to the Royal Academy. Madeline was 22 when she joined the RA, completing a five-year course and winning two medals. While at the RA she attended classes in animal painting and, at a time when the academy allowed women-only classes, painting the naked human figure – a new experience for many of them.
STUDIES
Above Madeline Green (1884-1947) c. 1923 when she won a medal at the Paris Salon Right Madeline Green (1884-1947) Babbie, oil on canvas
At the RA Madeline trained under the artists Sir George Clausen (18521944) and Charles Sims (18731928). Some of her paintings are very similar in style to George Clausen, particularly the use of light coming in from ANTIQUE COLLECTING 19
COLLECTING GUIDES Madeline Green
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY Rupert Maas, picture dealer, and broadcaster is passionate about Madeline Green’s work. At the RA Madeline Green quickly found her unique style. She was a loner, not belonging to any group or school. From her isolated world in Ealing, where she lived unmarried for most of her working life, she projected herself through her pictures, role-playing variously as a mother and a wife, as a costermonger, as a dancer, as sinner and saint - or simply in a variety of different costumes and hats, open-mouthed and staring directly out of her pictures. When the art dealer Joseph Duveen bought one of her works The Future in 1927, which he gave to the Manchester Art Gallery, it gave her some publicity. Green wrote it was: “Done in body colour underneath, and glazed with pure colour and oil ... I always paint in this way - and although it takes a time, I don’t think the same effect can be obtained otherwise.”
Above Madeline Green (1884-1947) Children Fishing, watercolour Below left Madeline
Green (1884-1947) Check Tousers, watercolour
Below right Madeline
Green (1884-1947) Jockey on Racehorse, watercolour
WOMEN ARTISTS There were also some other very talented women training alongside Madeline few of whom are remembered today. The list includes Estella Canziani (1887-1964) whose most famous work Piper of Dreams was reproduced and sold in vast numbers. Madeline also struck up a close and lifelong friendship with Dorothy (Dolly) Maltby who studied at the RA from 1906-1909. Dolly married the artist Richard Wells in 1907 and moved to The Grange in Felmersham, Bedfordshire, which would play a part in Madeline’s later life. Another important friendship formed at the RA was between Madeline and Margaret Dovaston. Both lived in Ealing and became founder members of Ealing Art Guild. In June 1912 Margaret Dovaston, Madeline and her sister Mabel (a talented enamellist) held a selling exhibition at Northcote Studio in Ealing – exceptional considering the lack of opportunities for women.
WAR FOOTING Possibly because of the war, or financial reasons, Madeline moved her studio back to the family home in 1918. Following the death of Madeline’s father, Frederick, in 1922 and his wife’s death in 1937, life became financially difficult for Madeline and her sister Gladys. In 1940, to escape the Blitz, the pair went to live with their sister Mabel and her family in Lincolnshire. When their London home was requisitioned by the War Department the homeless
a window to highlight attention to the foreground. Charles Sims’ technique of painting in tempera with an oil finish, is very similar to that used by Madeline. Her oils paintings are very subtly done. Madeline typically used herself as model using a mirror, and sometimes dressed in both male and female costume, but when dressed as a male there is no doubting that it is a female model. Madeline’s other expertise was depicting horses and animals.
20 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
sisters moved to Melton Constable Park, in Norfolk, where they worked as gardeners to pay for their keep. Life in East Anglia was tough and Madeline painted very little during this period. Her hands, and health generally suffered. In 1942 Madeline’s old friend Dolly invited the sisters to stay with her at her home in Felmersham. It was here that Madeline took up painting again, much to her sister’s delight, with Dolly converting a room above the stables into a studio. In 1943 Madeline and Gladys scraped enough money together to purchase a shop in their village of Sloley, near Norwich which remained her home until she died in 1947 aged 63. Dolly wrote of her deep sadness, saying Madeline “died of a form of blood poisoning in the end” (the death certificate states cause of death as pneumonia and multiple carbuncles (a cluster of several painful boils). Descendants of both Mabel and Dolly believe Madeline’s death was caused by malnutrition.
TODAY’S MARKET Prices for Madeline’s work are increasing as the world wakes up to her exceptional talent with more works coming on to the market. The larger and better oil paintings sell for sums just over £20,000 with smaller oils varying between £5,000 and £10,000. Watercolours, depending on size and quality, vary between £250 and £2,000. Etchings and aquatints sell for considerably less, from £200 to £500 depending on the clarity of the work and, if you are lucky, I have seen some etchings sold for as little as £25. Madeline did not always sign her works, particularly the etchings, but she had a very distinctive and unique style. Carole Walker’s book, Reflections of an Artist, Madeline Green, is available from Wolds Publishing. A solo exhibition of her work at the Gunnersbury Park and Museum in Ealing on until May 25 has been temporarily halted because of Covid-19. For the latest update go to www.visitgunnersbury.org
Right Madeline Green (1884-1947) Coster with Dogs, c. 1925, oil on canvas Below Madeline
Green (1884-1947) Parsonage Place, watercolour, given to Carole’s husband by his grandmother, the artist’s sister
Critical analysis Senior curator at the Museum of London, Beatrice Behlen, looks at Madeline Green’s 1925 work Coster with Dogs Green’s work serves to remind us that there remain many unsung women artists of the 20th century; it is only by drawing attention to their work through exhibitions and scholarship that a more balanced picture of history will emerge. Green often presented herself as the central protagonist in her pictures in a variety of guises. The clothes worn by the figure leaning awkwardly against a wall are not those of an office clerk but of a member of the working classes. The garments look crumpled and worn and somewhat too large for their wearer’s thin frame. The sturdy lace-up shoes seem too long. Yellow flashes of waistcoat poke out from underneath a brown jacket, but there is no cravat, perhaps not even a shirt, the neck being protected by a scarf instead. The pony and cart visible in the distance suggest that it is indeed a coster lad before us. Or is it? The impossibly thin leashes attached to the collars of the two whippets – further indicators of working class membership – lead to an incongruously delicate, long-fingered hand. The flat cap is bulging, probably from the attempt to hide inappropriately long hair. For it is the artist herself, Madeline Green who is looking at us. Green used variations of this disguise in several of her paintings and prints, sometimes exchanging the striped scarf for one made of black and white check. The fabric features in many of her works fashioned into accessories, forming part of curtains, laying discarded on pieces of furniture or on the floor, not unlike the mysterious object (a blanket?) lying in the foreground.
Taken from 50/50 Fifty Works by Fifty British Women Artists 1900-1950, edited by Sacha Llewellyn.
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 21
EXPERT COMMENT David Harvey
Waxing lyrical David Harvey has more than cupboard love for a striking Regency chiffonier
O
ne of the advantages of a long life dealing in antique furniture is that it gives me a certain perspective. Over five decades in the business I’ve seen the coalminers’ strike and ensuing three-day week in 1973-1974 (during which I showed clients around our London showroom with a torch), the stock market crash of October 1987, to say nothing of Black Wednesday when the UK left the ERM causing an almost instant recession and high interest rate levels in 1992. 2001 saw foot-and-mouth disease grip the countryside, followed by 9/11, the SARS outbreak in 2003, not forgetting the financial crash of 2007. All of
22 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Above The chiffonier is in the manner of the Regency cabinetmaker John McLean
Above right The illustration comes from Pictorial Dictionary of Marked London Furniture 1700-1840 by Christopher Gilbert, credited to Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum
these events had one thing in common. The widespread prediction of the demise of the antiques trade. But it never happened. In fact the opposite proved to be true. The antiques trade has an almost unique resilience based on two important facts: antiques are not produced any more – limiting their supply – and they have an inherent quality and beauty that will always attract buyers. While my shop may be shut, thanks to the internet we saw a couple of good sales even after the lockdown was announced. They were no doubt due to the fact many isolated collectors spent their enforced leisure time looking at antiques online. Now back to a wonderful piece of furniture. There are times when an item of furniture simply shouts “Look at me!” and that is what happened when I saw this cabinet. I simply couldn’t ignore its lush Regency style: a classic combination of dark brown coromandel wood and brass. It is in the manner of John McLean (1770-1825) and dates from about 1815. Coromandel has several alternative names including calamander and macassar ebony. A variety of ebony from India and Southeast Asia, it is one of the most decorative hardwoods used in cabinetmaking. It has the most dramatic colouring – hazel brown, interspersed with black or charcoal grey stripes.
‘The combination of brass mouldings with the stripes of the coromandel put this firmly in the vanguard of high Regency fashion when makers such as John McLean were producing furniture with all the eye-appeal of their French counterparts’
Being a dense wood which is extremely difficult to work, it was used more as a veneer than in the solid. It was valued not only for its beauty, but also for its beautiful smooth surface, and its resistance to shrinkage and warping. First imported to the Low Countries in the 17th century, at the end of the 18th century, with the advent of Sheraton and his elegant, decorative designs, it became popular as an inlay, giving a dramatic contrast to mahogany or satinwood in the form of cross bandings. It was a favourite of the Regency period, with veneers only used on a quality piece of furniture.
Right The leather lined
writing insert suggests the piece was designed for a salon or drawing room
Below left The applied mouldings and galleries are of such calibre they would have been specially ordered Bottom left Coromandel
is one of the most decorative hardwoods used in cabinetmaking
JOHN MCLEAN Everywhere one looks on this cabinet, or chiffonier, there are little flourishes of style and quality. The combination of brass mouldings and the stripes of the coromandel put it firmly in the vanguard of high Regency fashion when makers such as John McLean were producing furniture with all the eye-appeal of their French counterparts. McLean’s labelled furniture displays such a distinctive artistic personality that many similar unlabelled items can be confidently attributed to his London workshops. Operating in Upper Marylebone High Street from 1783-1825, McLean seems to have had a broad customer base, supplying patrons such as the Earl of Jersey at Middleton Park, Oxfordshire, and Edward Lascelles for Harewood House. His furniture was so renowned in its day, even Sheraton praised it for its finish “in the neatest manner”
in the Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer’s Drawing Book, 1793. His pieces owed much to French influence, not only in their design but in their lavish use of delicate gilt brass mounts. When we look at his work, the tendency is to think of desks and cabinets with brass galleries and columns. But the similarities between the chiffonier and the McLean piece from this black and white image from from Christopher Gilbert’s book Pictorial Dictionary of Marked London Furniture 1700-1840 (where it is credited to Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum) are striking. The outline is similar, with a couple of shelves above for books or a small collection of porcelain or glass. Drawers to the frieze with two cupboard doors below are flanked by columns and raised on turned feet. Both pieces have the applied metal mouldings around the drawers, as well as the door panels. All the applied mouldings and galleries are of such calibre, they would have been specially ordered by the cabinetmaker rather than a stock item.
INTERIOR VIEW The centre drawer extends with a leather lined writing insert which rises to rest on the flat surface above the frieze, suggesting a piece of furniture for a salon or drawing room, rather than a dining room cabinet. It also has two compartments for ink bottles and a tray for quill pens essential when dashing off a letter to a relative or a merchant was a daily occurrence. I wish I knew the home for which it was made, not least because such knowledge could provide a greater picture of the room in which it stood alongside other treasures. So often over time, collections were dispersed and split up often given as part of a dowry. If you know where this magnificent piece stood in the early years of the 19th century do let me know. W R Harvey & Co (Antiques) Ltd, is located at 86 Corn St, Witney, Oxfordshire. For more details go to www.wrharvey.com ANTIQUE COLLECTING 23
COLLECTING GUIDE 007 memorabilia sought-after and valuable items linked with the James Bond franchise can be, and why dedicated 007 sales are now a regular part of the calendar of some auction houses. The franchise’s regularity, with a new film produced ever one to two years, means it appeals to the nostalgia market, who first crowded cinemas in the 1960s, to today’s film goers. Surrey auction house Ewbank’s head of entertainment and sports memorabilia, Alastair McCrea, said: “We have sold countless film props, costumes and movie posters over the years and it has been noticeable how popular the spy franchises are, so we thought why not create our own franchise in offering these types of collectables.” “It’s been amazing to see what consignors have brought in, including a wide range of really rare toys and posters inspired by Bond and others that go back half a century, including, for instance, Oddjob action puppets from Goldfinger, still in their original packaging and dating to 1965.” As a Bond aficionado, McCrea is in regular contact with a network of influential collectors seeking rare film posters, props and costumes associated with Bond films that stretches back almost 60 years. In that time there have been 24 films, with the release of number 25, No Time To Die, delayed until later in the year because of the pandemic.
ery, r£ age
COLLECTING BASE
PREMIUM
BOND Bond is back. The latest film may be on hold but 007 collectors are gearing up for a summer memorabilia bonanza, writes Ivan Macquisten
O
n March 23, thieves broke into the back of a north London property and stole five deactivated guns worth more than £100,000 used in several James Bond films. A Walther PPK handgun used by Roger Moore in A View to a Kill, a handgun from Die Another Day and a revolver that featured in Live and Let Die were among the haul. The guns were part of a larger collection which included posters, items of clothing and about 60 other guns that the collector acquired over a 50-year period. This begins to give you some idea of just how
24 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Above The heroes and villains of Live and Let Die (left to right) Julius Harris as Tee Hee, Jane Seymour as Solitaire, Geoffrey Holder as Baron Samedi, Roger Moore as James Bond, Yaphet Kotto as Dr Kananga, and Earl Jolly Brown as Whisper, taken from Bond Photographed by Terry O’ Neill published by ACC Art Books Above right A replica
gun from The Man With The Golden Gun sold for £6,500, image courtesy of Ewbank’s
Far right The Moonraker
laser rifle sold for £22,000 in 2019, image courtesy of Ashtons Right A script for
Octopussy, 1983, signed by Roger Moore, sold for £1,350, image courtesy of Bonhams
As with other memorabilia of this type, certain rules apply to determine value. Anything that has actually appeared on screen, especially from the Connery era (excluding the 1983, non-Eon Never Say Never Again) tops the bill. The more iconic it is, whether car or gun, the better. The same can be said for the most memorable
props from the Moore, Brosnan or Craig eras, such as Scaramanga’s golden gun, if that were ever to come up for sale. A replica golden gun took £6,500 at Ewbank’s in February 2019; the real golden gun would have cost considerably more. To give an idea of the difference, the Moonraker laser rifle created especially for the 1979 film trounced a £4,000-£6,000 estimate in January 2019 at Aston’s entertainment memorabilia auction to sell for £22,000. Surprisingly, weapons don’t have to have featured in the movies to reap high valuations. For example, the Walther pistol cradled seductively by Sean Connery on the poster for 1963’s From Russia With Love sold for £277,250 in 2010, despite the fact it never actually appeared in the film. Not all sought-after props need to be weapons. A poker table glimpsed at The One & Only Ocean Club in Casino Royale, sold for £85,250 in 2012, against an estimate of £5,000 – although it did include a collection of prop poker chips, money and playing cards.
POSTERS AND PROPS But it is the posters that advertised the film franchise that have seen some of the biggest increases in value over the years. A one-sheet advertising the first Bond outing, Dr No, could be bought for as little as £200 just 15 years ago – now they go for between £3,000 to £8,000, depending on condition. The longevity of the six-decade Bond franchise means that poster art reflects not just the machismo nature of the character, but also changing trends in fashion and culture, adding retro and kitsch appeal to many of the designs. Derek East, a retired maths teacher from Basingstoke who died in 2011, amassed a huge movie poster collection in which the Bond series was well represented. When Ewbank’s sold 16 of his Bond posters in 2018, the top seller was a rather dull looking example, but its rarity gave it extra appeal. Simply declaring “Sean Connery is James Bond 007”, it took £1,900, against upper hopes of just £400. Posters in a foreign language also sell well. A group of seven Japanese posters from the franchise sold for £1,020 last year. Condition counts too, which is why a rather worn and taped copy of a Thunderball poster with an estimate of £1,500-2,500 climbed as far as £1,800 but no further.
Right The Casino Royale scene paid homage to Ursula Andress Below right Daniel
Craig’s La Perla trunks sold for £44,450, image courtesy of Christie’s
THE CLOTHES
Below One of seven
Japanese posters which sold last year for £1,020, image courtesy of Bonhams
Bottom right Robert McGinnis’ original painting for the poster of You Only Live Twice sold for £70,00 in 2019, image courtesy of Bonhams Los Angeles
When it comes to clothes, the collectability of Bond is paramount. Fourth tier 007s include Lazenby, Dalton or Brosnan. Then comes Roger Moore with Sean Connery on top. Less easy to gauge is Daniel Craig whose popularity has surprised many. A navy suit worn by Craig in 2012’s Skyfall sold for £46,850, while the powder blue trunks the actor wore in Casino Royale six years earlier, in homage to Ursula Andress’ beach scene from Dr No, sold for £44,450 in 2010, against a low estimate of £3,000. Only one other item of cinematic swimwear has made more: Princess Leia’s slave bikini, as worn by Carrie Fisher in Return Of The Jedi, which sold for £63,220. Meanwhile, a pair of Brosnan’s brogues from GoldenEye fetched just £1,000 at Christie’s in 2009, while a battledress jacket worn by Moore in 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me hammered at £11,700.
A navy jacket worn by Moore in The Spy Who Loved Me sold for £11,700, image courtesy of Bonhams
‘The more iconic it is, whether a car or gun, the better. The same can be said for the most memorable props from the Moore, Brosnan or Craig eras, such as Scaramanga’s golden gun, if that were ever to come up for sale’ ANTIQUE COLLECTING 25
COLLECTING GUIDE 007 memorabilia Left Connery on the set of Diamonds Are Forever, taken from Bond Photographed by Terry O’ Neill published by ACC Art Books in March 2020
A clapperboard used on the set of Tomorrow Never Dies took £2,100 at Ewbank’s Bond and Beyond auction in February 2019. Toys also fare well. The top-selling of Ewbank’s sale was a Lone Star Thunderball harpoon gun, which came in at £650, while a Bond spy watch made £280, the same price was achieved by a rare, limitededition Goldfinger car set, complete with miniature figures of Goldfinger and Oddjob, which came with its verification certificate. Another figure of Oddjob, this time in karate kit but wearing a bowler hat, made £190. Of note to diehard Bond fans: the character wears a bowler hat in the book, but a Sandringham hat in the film. Crucially, all of these toys came with their original boxes, with some including extra paperwork. When it comes to collecting Bond memorabilia there are many boxes to tick providing a healthy hunting ground. Goldfinger may have expected 007 to die, but his collectability looks set to live and not die. Bond Photographed by Terry O’ Neill, is published by ACC Art Books, priced £50. Subscribers can save 20 per cent on the RRP, paying just £40, plus £4 p&p. Due to the current crisis delivery may be delayed. For more details, or to order a copy, go to www.accartbooks.com, or email georgina.street@accartbooks.com
007
MOVIE TIMELINE
Right Connery relaxes on set by pretending to snap the photographer, taken from Bond Photographed by Terry O’ Neill published by ACC Art Books
Sean Connery Dr No (1962) From Russia with Love (1963) Goldfinger (1964) Thunderball (1965) You Only Live Twice (1967) Diamonds Are Forever (1971) Never Say Never Again (1983)*
Below left A poster for
David Niven Casino Royale (1967)*
the same film declaring ‘Sean Connery IS James Bond’, made £1,900, against an estimate of £400, image courtesy of Ewbank’s
George Lazenby On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) Roger Moore Live and Let Die (1973) The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) Moonraker (1979) For Your Eyes Only (1981) Octopussy (1983) A View to A Kill (1985) Timothy Dalton The Living Daylights (1987) Licence To Kill (1989) Pierce Brosnan Goldeneye (1995) Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) The World is Not Enough (1999) Die Another Day (2002) Daniel Craig Casino Royale (2006) Quantum of Solace (2008) Skyfall (2012) Spectre (2015) No Time To Die (2020 – to be released) *Not part of the official Eon Productions franchise set up by Albert R Broccoli and Harry Saltzman in 1961
Alistair McCrea’s top 7 tips on collecting Bond
1 The most valuable Bond memorabilia tends to be from the Sean Connery era. 2 Provenance is key, if you can prove something has starred in one of the movies it will make a big difference. 3 Research the item you are buying, look for other realised prices to get an idea of what it is worth. 4 Speak to experts, whether a fan forum or specialist they are often happy to give you extra information. 5 Even if you can’t afford to spend big there are many lower value items that increase in value, a good place to start is the 007 website. 6 Decide what area you want to collect whether it be posters, toys, autographs or props. There is so much breadth to James Bond collectables. 7 Try and collect authentic pieces, rather than replicas.
26 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
The 1965 Aston Martin DB5 sold for $6.5m
ULTIMATE BOND COLLECTABLES (AND, YES, CARS TOP THE BILL) 1. 1965 Aston Martin DB5, as used in Goldfinger (two were made) DB5/2008/R. Arguably the most famous car in the world, it sold at RM Sotheby’s 2019 auction in Monterey for $6.4m. 2. Lotus Esprit submarine car driven by Roger Moore in The Spy Who Loved Me. Was sold by RM Auctions in 2013 for £550,000. It was bought by the billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk. 3. Aston Martin DBS driven by Daniel Craig in Quantum Of Solace (2008). The car fetched £241,250 at Christie’s in 2012.
Below The artwork fetched
£79,250
The gun was stolen in March, image courtesy of Christie’s
9. Walther LP53 held by Sean Connery in the iconic poster image for From Russia With Love. Sold for £277,500 at Christie’s in 2010.
10. The original artwork for the the poster advertising Diamonds Are Forever. It fetched £79,250 at Christie’s in 2011.
The car driven in Quantum of Solace sold for £241,250, at Christie’s
4. Aston Martin V12 Vanquish Coupe driven by Pierce Brosnan in Die Another Day. Bonhams took £190,000 for it in 2003. 5. 1937 4¼ litre Bentley Drophead Coupe that helped Sean Connery steer his way to his final Bond exit in Never Say Never Again. The car fetched £188,500 at Bonhams in 2004. 6. Omega ‘Seamaster Professional – Planet Ocean wristwatch worn by Daniel Craig in Skyfall. Christie’s sold the timepiece in 2012 for £157,250 – before the film was even released. 7. The poker table which Daniel Craig played cards on in Casino Royale. It made £85,250 at Christie’s in 2012. 8. Replica BMW Z8 Roadster from The World Is Not Enough, starring Pierce Brosnan. £85,250 at Christie’s in 2012.
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 27
COLLECTING GUIDE 007 memorabilia For collectors who have obtained the basic set of first editions there are two additional books that can be added to their collection. When The Man with the Golden Gun was first published a very small number of copies were decorated with a golden gun. For some reason, either the expense or practicality of applying the design, this was quickly abandoned and copies in this state are now rare. There is also a signed, limited-edition of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the only signed limited-edition of a Bond novel produced during Fleming’s lifetime:
Affordable options
Bond first editions
Specialist Pom Harrington, from Peter Harrington Rare Books, reveals the most collectable 007 books Ian Fleming’s James Bond titles are some of the most popular spy thrillers ever written. They’re also beautifully designed books that look great as a set, and they’re a fun and accessible starting point for those interested in collecting modern literature. Unlike some authors with complex publishing histories, Ian Fleming is straight-forward and his first editions are easy to identify. He wrote 14 James Bond books, all of which were published by Jonathan Cape in London between 1953 and 1966. There are only two simple rules to identify a Fleming first edition: The novel should say ‘Jonathan Cape’ on the title page and the back of the title page should state ‘First published…’ with the correct year (and no others). To be truly collectable, a first edition Bond novel needs to be in its original dust jacket. For 13 of the 14 books it is easy to tell a first edition jacket: it must not bear any self-referential quotations from critics. For instance, dust jackets for Casino Royale that include a quote from the Sunday Times’ review of the novel are all second or later impressions. Only one Bond novel has a specific point related to the jacket: second impression jackets for Live and Let Die have a line on the front flap that credits the jacket designer. First impressions do not have this line, which is referred to as the ‘jacket design slug’.
Above Connery on set taken from Bond Photographed by Terry O’ Neill published by ACC Art Books 1 Cover of Casino Royale, 1953 2 Live and Let Die, 1954 3 Moonraker, 1955 4 Diamonds Are Forever, 1956 5 From Russia With Love, 1957
Peter Harrington Rare Books stocks a number of collectable Bond books ranging in price from £750 to £16,500 for a first edition, first impression copy of Live and Let Die in its original dust jacket. For more details go to www.peterharrington.com
1
‘There are only two simple rules to identfy a Fleming first edition: The novel should say ‘Jonathan Cape’ on the title page and the back of the title page should state ‘First published...’ with the correct year (and no others). To be truly collectable, a first edition Bond novel needs to be in its original dust jacket’ 28 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
In addition to their simplicity, James Bond novels are also popular because of their affordability, as the disparity between prices of varying condition is greater than in other modern books. Perfect copies can run into the tens of thousands of pounds, but it is possible to find nice ones ranging from only a few hundred to a few thousand pounds, depending on the book. Even price-clipped dust jacket can noticeably affect the price, which is good for collectors. Scarcity also plays a role. Fleming’s last book, Octopussy, is so common that fine copies are valued at around £175. Until 2006, Casino Royale was the only one of Fleming’s novels left unfilmed, and its popularity was considerably revived upon the release of the movie. (The film’s title sequence was directly inspired by the dust jacket of the first edition.)
2
4
3
5
LETTERS Have your say
Your Letters
April pp.53-63:Layout 1
17/3/17
14:08
Page 63
Staer r lett
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
Correspondence this month includes a trip down memory ANTIQUES CENTRES lane with a collection of Ladybird books
Above right The iconic
sideboard was a hit in the 1960s
Left Can any reader identify the chair’s maker? Right Riva’s collection of Ladybird books
May I first say how pleased I am David Harvey has joined the team, I look forward to reading his observations on antiques, particularly furniture. One or two antique dealers I work with are carefully buying and storing what they believe will come back into fashion in due course, with an anticipated enhanced price. Your editorial (Welcome, April issue) highlights the use of the word ‘decorative’. The National Association of Decorative and Arts Societies (NADFAS) has dropped the word and is now known as The Arts Society. Its publications no longer feature the decorative arts and the society I belong to in Chester now has no lectures on decorative arts and is mainly focussed on paintings and painters. This is another wedge in the demise of antiques. I have been re-caning furniture for 60 years and teach the craft in various locations, including Finland. In the New Year’s Honours I was appointed an MBE ‘For services to the craft of chair caning’, which is the first time the craft has been honoured. This is a photograph of a chair I recently re-caned which has defied my attempts to identify it. Any thoughts on the designer, maker or where it was made would be gratefully received. Brian Crossley MBE, by email
I never thought I’d see G Plan, which my wife and I proudly introduced to our first marital home in the 1960s, featured in an antiques magazine (G Force, April issue). The sideboard is still going strong, but the article made me feel ancient. Thanks for a great magazine. Frank Marshall, by email What happy memories your feature on Ladybird books brought back to me (Flyaway Success, April issue). I straightaway got the loft ladder out and tracked down my box of books. How vividly the illustrations reminded me of my childhood. I was also interested to read of the artists who created the iconic characters. Thanks for a trip down memory lane – even though none of my library turned out to be collectable. Riva Courson (Mrs) by email
Rutland The
ARMS
Be part of the conversation on Twitter and Instagram @antiquemag
ANTIQUES
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 29
COLLECTING GUIDES Unsung artists We discover why they were attracted to the location, whether for the quality of light, surroundings or resources, and we also learn about those who shared their journey – their comrades and lovers.
STAR ACTS Over the past 140 years, a number of small communities of artists have flourished – Kirkcudbright, Staithes, Great Bardfield, St Ives, Newlyn, Walberswick, Connemara to name a few. A handful of artistic stars will emerge from these collectives and prices will soar. Alfred Wallis, Ben Nicholson, Cedric Morris, Stanhope Forbes, Paul Henry, the Glasgow Boys are all associated with the environment in which they painted and collectors buy into that story. Once their works become unattainable to most of us, we start to look for others who worked alongside them whose work has been overlooked. As time goes by and our knowledge increases, lesser-known names are reappraised and their worth increases. Much has been written about St Ives and Newlyn in particular, but there are many other communities and artists of note that fall a little below the radar to all but the local enthusiast.
KIRKCUDBRIGHT, SCOTLAND
IN THE MANOR OF
If work by your favourite artist is beyond your budget, look to painters from the same area, community or even house, writes Jane Oakley
T
he artistic rivalries, collaborations and romantic intrigues that thrive in an insular artistic community are irresistible to the collector and art historian. Often centred around a few key members, such settings provided a sympathetic milieu to inspire fellow artists and spark innovation. Today, through a wealth of biographies, online information and exhibitions, our knowledge extends beyond the main players to discover the lesser-known work of other artists in their sphere. In doing so we get a fascinating, and sometimes lurid, insight into their lives, which were often filled with domestic deprivations and were almost certainly very bohemian.
30 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Above William Stewart MacGeorge (18611931) Sloe Blossom Right Edward Atkinson Hornel (1864-1933), Idyll in Spring
In Scotland at the mouth of the River Dee, close to Castle Douglas, is the pretty port town of Kirkcudbright (pronounced Kur-KOO-bree). In 1880 it became the focus of an artistic community mainly of Glaswegians escaping the grey polluted city some 100 miles north. They would often decamp in the summer months, just as artists were settling in Newlyn, down in Cornwall. The town was home to Edward Atkinson Hornel (1864-1933), one of the leading members of the Glasgow Boys, who encouraged his friends to come down to the town and a thriving artistic centre emerged in the 1880s. Glasgow girl Jessie M King (1875-1949) also settled there, attracting designers and artists from the decorative arts. Some of the highlights of George Henry (1858-1943) and Hornel’s early output was inspired by the local landscape (see A Galloway Landscape, by George Henry, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum). Today, one of Henry’s
landscapes would be many thousands of pounds, while a landscape by one of my favourite Glasgow Boys, William Stewart MacGeorge (1861-1931), will be much more affordable. They are still touched by that special significance of being of that place and of that time, and his expressive brushwork is every bit as ‘Glasgow Boy’ as a Hornel would be. That significance also makes his work more valuable in comparison with one of the many other Scottish artists of the period. Today, Kirkcudbright still attracts numeous artists all year round and a thriving artistic community exists in the area. Hornel’s studio and gardens is well worth a visit.
JESSIE MARION KING (1875–1949)
CONNEMARA, IRELAND The West of Ireland, especially around Connemara, is perhaps best known artistically through the landscapes of Paul Henry (1876-1958), who lived and worked there much of his life. His characterful depictions of endless skies, the rolling hills and lakes, the bog and turf, punctuated by isolated thatched cottages suggests a secluded romantic wilderness. Yet Henry was far from alone in this rural idyll. In fact, at times, many of the leading Irish artists of the day, such as J.B. Yeats, Gerard Dillon and Nano Reid, were gathered in this region, many around the small town of Roundstone. At the beginning of the last century, Irish artists, influenced by the Impressionists, post-Impressionists
Below Paul Henry
(1877-1958) Achill Sound, sold for £78,740 at Ewbank’s sale in 2019
Below right William Percy
French (Irish, 18541920), Marshland, Early Morning, 1904, sold for £1,050 at Sworders in 2017
‘We get a fascinating, and sometimes lurid, insight into their lives, which were often filled with domestic deprivations and almost certainly very bohemian’
Jessie M. King began attending the Glasgow Schools of Art as a full-time student in 1893. From the beginning her distinctive style and talent for drawing were apparent. Her early illustrative work adopted a fairy tale look and use of dotted lines, often in black and white. She taught design for bookbinding and for ceramic decoration. A versatile artist, she designed costumes, gesso panels, wallpaper, fabrics, as well as enamel jewellery for Liberty & Co. She had a long career in book illustration, associated with more than 80 titles. In 1908 she moved to Paris with her husband, the designer, E.A. Taylor, opening an art school. On the outbreak of the war they returned, settling in Kirkcudbright where she dedicated her time to decorating pottery blanks. King enjoyed a long and successful career, due to her talent and her ability to adjust to the mood of the times. Her work appears at auction fairly regularly all over the UK and abroad. In the past year over 40 pieces have turned up, mostly ceramics, paintings or illustrative works. Jewellery appears less often. and Naturalists, were searching for a new artistic language with which to define their national consciousness. During a period of great trouble politically in Ireland, many turned to the west and the idealised simple life of the locals who worked on this extraordinary and wild landscape. Henry’s images have had such enduring appeal that they have come to define a rural Irish identity. His works sell for tens of thousands of pounds at auction, but there are other more affordable artists who have benefitted from this
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 31
COLLECTING GUIDES Unsung artists
of Ravilious in particular is well documented and his auction record for his watercolour Aldeburgh Bathing Machines, stands at £220,000. But for a local collector who has been to the Fry Art Gallery in Saffron Walden, which has a large collection devoted to the group, they will have in more recent years learnt more about Ravilious’ wife, Tirzah Garwood (1908-1951), for example. A fellow artist, she led a fascinating life in her own right. Not published until 2012, she wrote an illuminating memoir about their lives (Long Live Great Bardfield, Persephone Books) which exposes much of the colour that helps bring these artists truly to life. A visitor to The Fry will be introduced to John Aldridge (1905-1983), a fellow artist into whose arms Tirzah fell when Ravilious’ extra-marital dalliances became too much. Suddenly Garwood and Aldridge’s work becomes more interesting to the collector, we understand them better, we know their story and perhaps they fascinate us more because we feel they have been overlooked. Garwood’s work can still be picked up very cheaply. John Aldridge’s landscapes have become much more sought after in the last few years. In 2010, the average price at auction was £790, so far this year it was £1,630 and we routinely see pictures making into the £2,000-5,000 bracket. The world record stands at £9,500.
pictorial identification of a rural ‘Irishness’ – Charles Lamb (1893-1964), Maurice MacGonigal (1900-1979), Percy French (1854-1920) for example.
GREAT BARDFIELD Moving closer to my home in Essex are the Great Bardfield artists. The group has for a long time been neglected, beyond their most famous sons Edward Bawden (1903-1989) and Eric Ravilious (19031942) who settled here in the 1930s. They were to be followed by other artists and there was soon established a thriving artistic community. What emerged was a close-knit group of artists and designers, who lived and worked together, whose romances intermingled, much like the Bloomsbury group did at Charleston. The rise
BENTON END Above left Eric Ravilious (1903-1942) The James and the Foremost Prince, 1934, sold for £85,000 at Sworders’ sale in 2016 Above right John Aldridge (1905-1983) Condemned Cottages by the River Pant, 1939, has an estimate of £2,000-£3,000 in Sworders’ June sale Left Tirzah Garwood, (1908-1951) Barcombe Mill Interior,1927
32 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Moving eastwards towards the coast, we hit the Suffolk border and Benton End, the home of Cedric Morris (1889-1982) and Lett Haines (1894-1978) and their school of art. Cedric’s rise in prices over the last 10 years have been discussed in this magazine, but what of his lesser-known pupils? In recent sales we have seen a dramatic rise in prices for both Lucy Harwood (1893-1972) and Joan Warburton’s (1920-1996) works. In 2019 Sworders achieved a world record price for the work of David Carr, a fascinating pupil and contemporary of Lucian Freud who also studied there. Unlike the Irish landscapists, all these artists have very distinctive styles of their own, however they have that locality and history in common which, to a local collector or to a Morris enthusiast, makes their work perhaps that bit more collectable.
As a final thought – the art market is fraught with caprice. It goes up and down, and while some speculations may seem to be a sure thing, it is very easy to get it wrong. My days are peppered with letters to disappointed collectors of Victorian paintings who believed their 1980s purchases were a safe investment, only to discover tastes moved away from saccharine depictions of girls in bowers of flowers and their nest egg is worth a fraction of what they paid for it. The important thing is to buy what you love – to put that on your wall is priceless.
Right Nick Walker (b.1969) The Morning After (Empire State), 2009, sold for £520 at Sworders’ sale in 2017 Left Joan Warburton (1920-1996) Cottage near Farncomb, Surrey, 1949, 1949, sold for £2,300 at Sworders’ sale in 2019 1 Cedric Morris (18891982), Ena Douglas, 1926, oil on canvas 2 David Carr (19151968) Portrait of a Woman with Lily, oil on board, sold for £3,300 at Sworders’ sale in 2019 3 Lucy Harwood (1893-
1972) Vase of Flowers, Gloves, Fruit and Book, inscribed My Father Marconi, sold for £2,400 at Sworders’ sale in 2019 4 The former artists’
colony of Benton End in Suffolk today
2
1
3
4
BUYER BEWARE So should we all be looking at the associates of today’s big names to identify the next big thing? The world of contemporary art is constantly on this quest. What will in time be considered ‘great’? A perfect example today is to look at urban art, and in particular the Bristol graffiti artists who came up alongside Banksy in the 1990s – an artists’ community for today. Banksy has transcended his street art origins to now be considered a ‘blue chip’ investment and ranks as the 36th most expensive artist to sell at auction in 2020 – up from 371 in 2015. Logic would dictate that his contemporaries would benefit from this meteoric rise in fortune and to some extent that is true in galleries. But it is hard to see a vanguard emerging in the secondary market. Much money was invested in this sector around 2008, since when the prices have generally declined with the notable exception of Banksy himself. Nick Walker was a Bristol contemporary of Banksy from the early years. In 2015, the average value of his work at auction was £2,790; in 2019 it was £1,249. For Banksy in 2015, it was £14,935; today it is £26,883. Jane Oakley is Sworders’ pictures specialist. She was previously a director in the British Art Post-1850 department and head of Scottish Art at Sotheby’s and head of the Victorian, pre-Raphaelite and British Impressionist, maritime and sporting art departments at Christie’s. Sworders’ British and European fine art sale is due to take place on June 23. Check for updates at www.sworder.co.uk ANTIQUE COLLECTING 33
COVID-19 Coping with the crisis
Virtual Reality With online sales staged everywhere from living rooms to outdoors, and with the summer fairs’ calendar in tatters, Antique Collecting considers how the business is adapting to Covid-19
W
ith dozens of sales cancelled or postponed for the immediate future, some auction houses are putting their sales online, either broadcasting them live on their own platforms or in timed versions. Charles Hanson hosted a charity sale from his garden shed, Edward Whitton set his rostrum up in the garden, and Fellows broadcast its successful jewellery auction from a living room, with director Stephen Whittaker holding the gavel while his twin daughters, Alexandra and Nicola, ran the bidding
Above Many sales and exhibitions are going online Below Edward Whitton
set up his rostrum ‘en plein air’
platforms. Up to 400 people signed up for Fellows’ own bidding platform (Fellows Live) alone. Stephen Whittaker, said: “We have found the best medium at the moment is a timed sale. Our May and June auctions will be run as timed, onlineonly auctions, excluding the pawnbroker auctions. We hope that the July auctions will be run as live events given the time they are away.” Most salerooms are offering free storage for sold items while some were also giving allotted individual collection times for items to be picked up to ensure no personal contact. Lyon & Turnbull also reported a successful sale of Decorative Arts on April 1 – the firm’s first using the ‘live online’ format. Alone in the saleroom, managing director Gavin Strang stood for 12 hours on the rostrum, fielding bids via video-conferencing software from three online platforms and phones operated by staff remotely from home. The international coins, medals, banknotes and jewellery specialist Dix Noonan Webb is also taking sales online while adding to its calendar. Chairman Pierce Noonan, said: “We anticipate during this period many collectors will have more time to spend on their hobbies. It is our intention, with the aid of our tried-and-tested online technology to step things up a gear and host more auctions than ever before. “DNW’s auctions will continue to be run in the conventional manner with an auctioneer controlling the sale. We hope they will prove a source of interest and pleasure to our clients throughout this very difficult period.” While its printed catalogues will cease, DNW is offering free insured secure storage, while a plan to coordinate regional drop-off points is currently under review. At the time of writing its May online sales were: coins on May 6; tokens and historical medals on May 20; and orders, decorations and militaria on May 21.
TEMPORARY CLOSURE While some auction houses moved their sales online, others shut up shop completely. In the case of one Suffolk auctioneers it was the first time trading had been halted in more than 150 years. Elizabeth Talbot, from TW Gaze, said: “Not since its founding in 1857 have we been unable to hold auctions. We provided unceasing, valuable services to the community throughout both world wars and even the Great Depression did not stop us. “For those for whom our regular auctions set life’s rhythm, feed a passion, or provide a social hub, our absence will take some getting used to. Our auctions will be up and running just as soon as possible and
34 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
MOVING ONLINE
How are the dealers coping in the lockdown?
we look forward to welcoming you back then.” Despite closures auctioneers are still able to value items remotely. Richard Bromell from the temporarily closed Dorset-based Charterhouse Auctioneers, said: “While some business have adopted a non-contact way of carrying on their business we think the best way is simply no contact. With many people staying at home, Charterhouse is inviting people in lockdown to email images of items they might like to include in one of our future specialists auctions.” Ewbank’s senior partner Chris Ewbank, said: “With people staying at home, this is the ideal time to sort through attics, cellars and sheds for any unwanted – but potentially valuable – items for sale at auction. We cannot be open for sale valuations in person but we can do them by email.” But above all there was a determination to keep calm and carry on. Edward Whitton of Whittons in Honiton conducted an online auction on April 2 ‘en plein air’. Internet buyers could hear birdsong as they placed bids at the Devon auction house’s silver and jewellery sale. Maria Whitton said: “Edward was determined that the auction would go ahead if only to cheer people up. We also took the view vendors would need the proceeds of their items even more in such difficult times and so we took the gamble and went ahead where most other auctioneers chose to cancel.” The sale was so successful its next sale on May 7 will be held in the same way.
Above Fellows’ jewellery auction took place in a sitting room 45 miles north-west of the company’s main office in Birmingham Above right Robert
Miller, the managing director of Hemswell Antiques Centres
Right Stewart Abbott from S&J Abbott Ceramics Plus Below Gavin Strang
spent a gruelling 12 hours on the rostrum
Below right Antiques
that were housed across four Hemswell buildings have gone online
With all but essential shops closed, thousands of bricksand-mortar dealers are moving sales online. Hemswell Antique Centres, near Gainsborough in Lincolnshire, which boast Europe’s largest choice of antiques and collectables, closed its doors as soon as the lockdown was announced. Managing director Robert Miller, who pledged to freeze traders’ rents for two months, said: “Unfortunately, as a business, we have no option but to close our site to visitors as it is our responsibility to be part of the national effort to stop the spread of this horrendous virus.” The website now has more than 4,500 pieces online from the 350 dealers who trade from four buildings on a former WWII airfield. Stewart Abbott of S&J Abbott Ceramics Plus, based in Oxford, said: “We are reviewing how to re-jig sales strategies and are making a new website as well as developing our Facebook page into a shop. Website work takes time, of which we have plenty. “The easiest thing for us would be to pack up but I do not like to be defeated by anything, our business, small scale that it is, gives us focus in these difficult times. We see this shock to the normal as an opportunity to re-think and rebuild – not only the way we interact with customers, but the entire focus of our business.” Future plans include adding a video gallery to the website to display curated groups of objects with notes to engage readers’ interest. Anthony Gray, from the London-based Chinese porcelain specialist Guest and Gray, predicted a healthy future. He said: “Initially prices may increase due to the rush to buy anything physical such as art, antiques, gold etc. as an alternative to investing in a precarious stock market, sparking a temporary increase in auction prices followed by a not very dramatic decrease, with a strong recovery in about a year to 18 months’ time.”
‘While some auction houses moved their sales online, others shut up shop completely. In the case of one Suffolk auctioneers it was the first time trading had been halted in more than 150 years’ ANTIQUE COLLECTING 35
COVID-19 Coping with the crisis Gallery View How galleries and dealers are embracing technology to get around the closure
Above left Hastings Contemporary is using robotic technology to show ‘visitors’ around Above Customers can request at video call at MY Furniture Left Kettle’s Yard has installed a webcam
An East Sussex gallery is using state-of-the-art robotics to provide its audiences with remote access to its exhibitions while its doors remain closed. In a UK first, Hastings Contemporary, an independent charitable arts organisation, has teamed up with Bristol Robotics Lab to show would-be visitors round using a two-wheeled videoconferencing robot. Known as the ‘Double’ the robot can guide an operator and up to five people through real time tours of the gallery. Meanwhile in Cambridge, Kettle’s Yard has installed a webcam providing a live stream, via the gallery website, to see into the house. The wideangled shot takes in a number of artworks and objects, including Gregorio Vardanega’s suspended Perspex Disc and a tall pot by William Staite Murray, called The Heron. Elsewhere, a Nottingham furniture retailer has gone a step further offering a video call allowing customers to take a close look at the products they are interested in. Would-be MY Furniture customers go to the website, click on the piece they would most like to see more of and then hit ‘request video call’. They can even choose between FaceTime, Skype and WhatsApp to ensure the contact is made via their favourite app.
COLLECTORS’ FAIRS While some fairs are going online, both Masterpiece London and The Art & Antiques Fair Olympia have cancelled outright, with the Kensington Church Street Art & Antique Dealers Association’s Summer Showcase also binned for the year. A message on the Masterpiece London website said: “We are committed to supporting our exhibitors and visitors, and over the coming weeks will share details of a range of initiatives we will be launching in lieu of this year’s edition.” Having to close early, the inaugural Open Art Fair went online where it can now be viewed for a year. Director Thomas Woodham-Smith, said: “The Open Art Fair was always planning to provide a virtual tour as a service to our exhibitors and to allow the world, not
Above Masterpiece London is already advertising its 2021 event Left The London Original Print Fair is going online for the entire month of May
36 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
just local people, to visit the fair. Each stand is shown in high resolution in 360-degree format. “If a dealer chooses he can contact a client, and they can remotely walk round the fair together, achieving intimacy across continents.” The 35th London Original Print Fair, which had been due to take place this month, can now be viewed online for the entire month of May at www. londonoriginalprintfair.com. The virtual fair will include curated selections chosen from the 51 dealers taking part, along with tips and advice. Outside London many fairs scheduled a later date. The Petworth Park Antiques and Fine Art Fair has been rescheduled from this month to September 11-13, and the first listed fair on the IACF website, at the time of writing, was Newark on June 4-5, with the Festival of Antiques in Peterborough (due to have taken place over Easter) rescheduled to July 3-4.
EXPERT COMMENT Covid-19
The 1938 Lagonda sold for £209,000 at H&H Classics’ sudden online sale
MARKET Report Pontus Silfverstolpe, co-founder of Barnebys, the world’s largest online search engine for art and collectables, believes the current crisis may have a silver lining
I
f this virus had hit us 20 years ago it would have been game over for the industry, which relied absolutely on traditional face-to-face auctions with a small amount of telephone bidding. But thanks to the arrival of the internet and online technology and many agile auction houses who saw early on the opportunities provided in the online sphere, the industry will both survive and thrive. While the first wave of Coronavirus had a negative impact on the market with activity reported on Barnebys dropping by around 30 per cent, almost immediately the market bounced back as people with time on their hands, locked down at home turned to their passions, be that wine collecting or art collecting or buying household objects.
CONTEMPORARY ART One noticeable trend is the hit that the top end of the contemporary art market has taken. This market has been subject to a great deal of speculation with people buying to invest in a area which has markedly slowed. It is interesting that some smaller more flexible auction houses have got their acts together better than some of the giants who are also hugely dependent on the big ticket items worth millions, namely the hard-hit
contemporary art market. And also hurting are those many dealers and galleries and small auction houses which have not yet got an online presence. Or maybe they have a website but nothing more pro-active than that and are still very dependent on face-to-face, traditional auctioneering and sales. Keeping businesses going in the pandemic crisis is important not just to their own viability and to protect their staff’s jobs, but also to the millions of consignors who rely on these sales for income or cash flow. It is part of our job to help them succeed wherever possible, especially as every job and company saved is important for the economy and reduces the burden on welfare.
RECORD SALES H&H Classics, which specialises in classic cars and motorcycles, showed how fast it could move. Its March 18 sale at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford in Cambridgeshire cleared £2m, even though the venue was shut down to the public by its owners, the Ministry of Defence, just 24 hours before the sale was due to take place. The move to a purely online sale, streamed live with an auctioneer facing a huge, echoing, empty aircraft hangar with hundreds of empty seats, provided a new
‘Keeping businesses going in the pandemic crisis is important not just to their own viability and to protect their staff’s jobs, but also to the millions of consignors who rely on these sales for income or cash flow’ record for the company in the shape of a 1938 Lagonda, which was once owned by Prince Bernard of the Netherlands which sold for £209,000. This sort of price orchestrated online was something the industry would have scorned 20 years ago as simply not credible when buyers maintained they said wanted to see, feel and touch the product before buying. Sotheby’s is another winner in this online auction revolution, recently achieving its highest ever online price for a Rolex watch which sold for £140,000.
CHALLENGES AHEAD There are undoubted challenges, the first of which is the problem of finding lots to sell, as supply of stock is critical. There is no point in having hungry buyers if you have nothing to sell. The second big issue is that of shipping. Shippers have closed down and sent staff home, so there is a bottleneck in the system. Until new methods are in place, buyers will not able to get their purchases. It might sound cynical now but, as we all know, death, divorce, disaster and debt have always been the main drivers bringing objects for sale to the auction industry. Because of the impact of Coronavirus on incomes, people will need to get funds urgently and will once again turn to the tried and trusted auction sector to deliver that to them. And what they will find is a much more sophisticated online offering with many millions of new buyers and sellers using the systems which have proved to be so hugely valuable in this dreadful time. Barnebys lists 800,000 items from more than 2,000 auction houses worldwide. Go to www.barnebys.co.uk for more details. ANTIQUE COLLECTING 37
LOCKDOWN SPECIAL Becoming an armchair expert
The Armchair Collector With millions of us in lockdown there’s never been a better time to brush up on your antiques know-how. Settle back with Antique Collecting magazine’s guide to making the best of the crisis
traffic treble since the lockdown. Tutors on the course include Antique Collecting columnist Marc Allum who presents antiques for interior design and collecting antiques. Other courses include buying and selling at auction, and assessing fine art. Learning with Experts’ Elspeth Briscoe, said: “We also work with Joanna Hardy, the jewellery specialist on Antiques Roadshow, who presents a incredible jewellery course, which has seen an uptake in students since the lockdown. For people serious about a career change or a new skill - the jewellery foundation is one of our finest courses.” Marc Allum’s courses were equally well received, she added. She said: “On our courses you really do get feedback from your expert – they are also the perfect online courses to do in isolation, as you don’t study alone. There are vibrant little communities studying alongside you. You can chat away and most importantly learn a new skill from an expert – all from the comfort of your own home. “
BOOK WORMS With time on their hands, we asked the experts which reference books are topping their ‘must-read’ lists
Antique Road Trip’s Isabel Balmer and Trevanion and Dean’s Helena Waudby both chose Georgian Jewellery published by our sister publisher ACC Art Books. Shane Xu, Rosebery’s head of prints and multiples, opts for Boom by Michael Shnayerson about the unregulated rise of the contemporary art market.
I
f you’ve always dreamed of finding the time to really bone up on your art and antique knowledge, for the majority of us, this is it. From going all out to study for an MA, to dipping into a podcast, there is a wealth of knowledge available to all online. The Art Institute, which offers an online diploma course tutored by 12 experts, has witnessed an upturn in interest. Global operations manager Jospehine van Damme, said: “March was much busier than usual with people enrolling due to the lockdown and selfisolation as they feel this is a good opportunity to enjoy something new. “The course is perfect for those wanting some extra knowledge on art and to develop an appreciation. It’s fun, flexible and very affordable. It is also a short course and can easily be completed within six months, however some students like to read more widely around the subjects discussed.”
ANTIQUE COURSES Learning with Experts, which has students from 78 countries taking part in its online courses, has seen
38 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Above Make the most of enforced isolation by learning a new skill at home, image Shutterstock
Bargain Hunt’s Roo Irvine is hunkering down with 20th Century British Glass by Charles R. Hajdamach, published by our sister publisher ACC Art Books. Sworders’ valuer Bee Harford is reading John Bly’s Is it Genuine? and 20th Century Ceramic Designers by Andrew Casey, published by ACC Art Books. Jeremy Lamond, a consultant with Woolley & Wallis is getting stuck into Early Himalayan Art by Amy Heller and Bamber Gascoigne’s How to Identify Prints, as well as revisiting the complete catalogue of the Shibata Collection published by the Kyushu Ceramic Museum. Richard Bromell, from Dorset-based auction house Charterhouse is reading Treen & other Wooden Bygones by Edward Pinto. He said: “It’s a big book I started 33 years ago but holds up well.”
Sotheby’s Institute also offers a wide course catalogue of four, six and eight-week online courses throughout the year. Sotheby’s Institute’s assistant director of global enrolment, Hayley Black, said: “We are currently seeing increased interest in our online courses. We have recently added a six-week art history course in May, as we have had a number of inquiries for art history and general art appreciation topics. We will likely continue to provide additional online options throughout the summer.”
‘There are vibrant little communities studying alongside you. You can chat away, and most importantly learn a new skill from an expert – all from the comfort of your own home’
Antiques buyer Elizabeth Fell, said: “I’m having a really proper look at Thomas Chippendale’s The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director Directory and John Caspall’s Fire and Light about hearth metalware. I am also going through my saleroom catalogues from the 1990s to muse on all the things I didn’t buy.” TV presenter and broadcaster Paul Martin said: “In between helping out with KS3 maths I will be looking at the definitive period oak ‘Bible’, Oak Furniture the British Tradition by Victor Chinnery, who’s sadly not with us anymore. Also anything by Adam Bowett, including English Furniture from Charles II to Queen Anne and Early Georgian Furniture 1715 -1740, as well as Bernard Cotton’s The English Regional Chair. Plus, any books I can grab on British artists from the early 20th century.” Alexander Clement, Shrewsburybased Halls’ Asian art expert presented his list: “British Design since 1880 by Fiona MacCarthy; Splendors of Imperial China by Maxwell K. Hearn; Street Art by Cedar Lewisohn and The Story of Art by EH Gombrich.” London auction house Rosebery’s Peigi MacKillop is reading Why Your Five Year Old Could Not Have Done That: Modern Art Explained, by Susie Hodge.
TAKE SOME TIME OUT WITH AN ANTIQUES QUIZ
set by Roseberys’ associate director Bill Forrest 1 What is this Victorian invention? A. A cow feeder B. A hay bale roller C. A hog oiler D. A trailer dock 2 I was born in Yorkshire in 1903 and died in Cornwall in 1975, as the result of an accidental fire in my studio. Who am I? A. Francis Bacon B. Eileen Agar C. Henry Moore D. Barbara Hepworth 3 Where is the world’s oldest auction house? A. London B. New York C. Athens D. Stockholm 4. In 2011, the earliest surviving Monopoly board, made in 1933, sold at auction for how much? A. £1,500 B. £80,000 C. £12,000 D. £850 5 This plaque is made of bois durci an early form of plastic made by mixing sawdust with which substance? A. Tree sap B. Pig’s blood C. Coal D. Ground horse hair
9 Why would you have been arrested for drinking wine out of this ‘Amen’ glass in the mid18th century? A. Drinking alcohol was illegal for much of the 1750s B. In the 18th century it was illegal to drink from a vessel bearing the crown, unless you were royalty. C. You were committing treason by drinking to the health of the deposed house of Stuart. D. It was illegal to use anything French in Great Britain during the Seven Years’ War 10 Identify the chair from the images, Orkney chair, wainscot chair, correction chair, ‘cockfight’ chair A
B
C D
6 The pigment for this colour originated in India during the 15th century. It was made from the urine of cows that were fed only on mango leaves and water. A. Indian yellow B. Alice blue C. Madder red D. Aquamarine 7 Kutani, Satsuma, Kakiemon, and Arita are all familiar terms when describing Japanese ceramics. But which is the odd one out? A. Kutani B. Satsuma C. Kakiemon D. Arita 8 Which important British figure from the 19th/20th century designed this arts and crafts chair? A. Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin B. Charles Rennie Mackintosh C. Charles Francis Annesley Voysey D. Christopher Dresser
11 In 2018 Roseberys sold this unsigned oil painting for £375,000. Who is the artist? A. JMW Turner B. John Constable C. Thomas Gainsborough D. William Blake 12 The most expensive artwork by a living artist was executed by whom? A. Damien Hirst B. Jeff Koons C. David Hockney D. Pablo Picasso Answers overleaf. ANTIQUE COLLECTING 39
LOCKDOWN SPECIAL Becoming an armchair expert
TOP 7 ARTS AND ANTIQUES PODCASTS
ANSWERS
1 C. A hog oiler. Pigs rubbed against the wheel releasing oil from the reservoir to protect their skin and give them relief from insects.
Make the most of a wealth of free online podcasts
Sculpting Lives
Jo Baring (director of The Ingram Collection of modern British and contemporary art) and Sarah Turner (from the Paul Mellon Centre) discuss the creative lives of six women sculptors: Dame Barbara Hepworth, Dame Elisabeth Frink, Kim Lim, Phyllida Barlow, Cathie Pilkington and Rana.
2 D. Barbara Hepworth. 3 D. Stockholm. Founded in 1674, Stockholm’s Auktionsverk is the world’s oldest auction house. Sotheby’s followed, opening in 1744. 4 B. £80,000 This version was designed by Charles Darrow after losing his job in the stock market crash of 1929.
In Other Words
Above Dame Barbara Hepworth, one of the women featured in the podcast Sculpting Lives
Produced by a division of Sotheby’s called Art Agency Partners, In Other Words is advertised as, “Everything you ever wanted to know about the art market but didn’t know who to ask.” It includes discussions about art and culture with today’s makers, curators, collectors and advisors.
5 B. Pig’s blood. The materials were ground down and mixed together, then compressed under high pressure in a steel mould while being heated with steam, giving the finished product a polished feel.
Michael Backman
6 A. Indian yellow. It was predominantly utilised in Rajput-Mughal miniature paintings from the 16th to the 19th century.
Talk Art
7 C. Kakiemon. It was named after a person Sakaida Kakiemon (1596-1666), the first Japanese potter to decorate works in a combination of vivid enamels. Arita is a town in which porcelain was produced, Satsuma is a type of pottery produced in Satsuma province, and Kutani (meaning nine valleys) was a village in the former Kaga province where the first kiln was set up. 8 C. CFA Voysey who frequently used the heart as a motif in his designs. 9 C. It was a treasonable offence to drink to the health of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the House of Stuart after the Jacobite uprising of 1745, so Jacobites commissioned glasses like this and engraved them with secret symbols of their loyalty. 10 A. ‘Cockfight’ chair, B. Orkney chair, C. ‘Correction’ chair, D. Wainscot chair. 11 B. John Constable. This small painting on millboard is a preparatory oil sketch of the back of a terrace of houses in Hampstead, executed in 1821-1822. 12 B. Jeff Koons. In May 2019 Koons dislodged David Hockney’s $90m Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) when his 1986 stainless steel sculpture Rabbit sold at auction for $91m.
40 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
London-based Asian and tribal specialist Michael Backman hosts a podcast on a variety of topics ranging from Chinese export silver to a conversation with the actor Julian Sands who reveals how he started collecting bottle tops as a child. The actor/collector Russell Tovey and musician-turnedgallerist Robert Diament host wide-ranging talks with artists including Tracey Emin and Grayson Perry, as well as collectors Lena Dunham and Michael Stipe.
Dr Janina Ramirez — Art Detective Oxford professor Dr Ramirez’s academic speciality is medieval culture and here she invites scholars to discuss a host of subjects, from the Byzantine mosaic of Empress Theodora from the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna to the reconstruction of the Staffordshire hoard helmet.
The Art Newspaper podcast
Hosted by Ben Luke, this weekly show from the Londonbased publication is more than a digest of recent articles, it also showcases experts talking in depth about new developments or trends.
Antique Auction Forum Broadcast from America, the podcast includes interviews with Stephen Fletcher of Skinner Auctioneers in Boston; Wes Cowan of Cowan’s Auctions, Ohio; Rick Unruh of Clars Auction Gallery, Oakland and Greg Willett, the latest of which discusses the new reality of online-only auctions.
MUSEUMS to see ONLINE
An unexpected bonus of the current crisis is the fact that numerous museums and galleries are putting their treasures online
13th to the mid-20th century. There are seven exhibition spaces of Renaissance art and the Central Hall to explore in its 360-degree view virtual touring pages, from portraits to large, dramatic altarpieces. www.nationalgallery.org.uk
Birmingham Museums Trust
J Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Take part in a virtual tour, visiting the permanent galleries of the museum from the comfort of your own home. Be greeted by Sir Jacob Epstein’s Lucifer statue in the Round Room, take a closer look at the Staffordshire Hoard and explore the modern and contemporary art collection. www.birminghammuseums.org.uk
•
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam This grand museum has a vast collection of art and historical objects across 80 galleries. A 10-year renovation project was completed in 2013, transforming the space and combining elements of 19th-century grandeur with modern lighting and a new glass-roofed atrium. The interactive tour helps viewers get up close to every brush stroke by Vermeer, Rembrandt and other Dutch masters while exploring the Great Hall and beyond. www.rijksmuseum.nl
•
Natural History Museum, London
Above View Birmingham
Museum Trust’s galleries without leaving the sofa Below Videos of the
galleries can be viewed online
•
With more than 6,000 years worth of creative treasures, including neolithic clay figures to Van Gogh’s Irises and Renoir’s La Promenade – just two of many artworks that feature in the virtual tour. Google Arts and Culture offers a ‘museum view’ tool to look inside gallery spaces, with clickable artworks presenting further information. www.getty.edu
•
British Museum, London There are 3,212 panes of glass in the domed ceiling of the British Museum’s Great Court, and no two are the same – and the 360-degree view in this virtual tour lets viewers examine each one. Viewers can also find the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies and other ancient wonders. The museum’s interactive infographic platform, History Connected, goes into further depth about various objects with curators, all along a timeline. www.britishmuseum.org
•
From the diplodocus to the dodo, botany to butterflies, giant crystals to specimens in jars… The Natural History Museum’s vast collection has long been a favourite of both Londoners and tourists. Get lost in the corridors and gallery spaces – one treat is Dippy the dino, who despite recently going on tour still makes an appearance in the entrance hall in this interactive online guide. www.nhm.ac.uk
•
National Gallery, London The National is home to 2,300 publicly-owned paintings, watercolours, drawings and other European art from the ANTIQUE COLLECTING 41
ANTIQUES UNDER THE HAMMER Pipes Right A Persian white
metal and turned wood water pipe with floral panels and scrollwork with chain attachments, a beadwork hose and ivory mount, 40cm, has an estimate of £400£600
An Austrian carved wood end pipe, modelled as a turbaned queen, with opal eyes and topaz earrings, 52cm, has an estimate of £1,000-£1,500
SALEROOM SPOTLIGHT
One of the world’s finest single owner collections of pipes, ranging from eastern Siberian Inuit to Japanese examples, is set to be sold by an Essex auction house in autumn
T
o the antiques business Trevor Barton (19202008) was known simply as ‘The Pipe Man’. Over 50 years the Hertfordshire collector amassed one of the world’s finest collections of pipes and smoking accoutrements that is set to be sold in a number of online sales from the Stansted Mountfitchet auctioneer Sworders in coming months starting in autumn. Mr Barton bought his first pipe (a Tyrolean piece with a porcelain bowl) in 1947 after serving as a lance bombardier in the British Army during WWII. In the years that followed, his work as an export sales manager for British appliance giant Creda allowed him to seek out rare pipes from abroad. However, he
PIPE DREAM Trevor Barton’s hero was William Bragge (1823-1884), a 19th-century civil engineer and master cutler from Sheffield, who amassed a collection of over 7,000 pipes and accessories that were dispersed in the 1880s (many went to the British Museum). Bragge was also notable in his day for collecting a comprehensive library of the literature of tobacco which, in almost every language, filled 17 large volumes. After a chance meeting with Bragge’s granddaughter, Mr Barton bought some of his notebooks and drawings and, in 1991, published the hardback catalogue A Portfolio of William Bragge and his Pipes of all Peoples. It is itself a collector’s item today, and copies are included in the sale.
THE COLLECTION Above Trevor Barton
(1920-2008) amassed his collection over 50 years Left Two Naga pipes from northwest India, the bowls carved in the shape of human heads with the stems representing bodies, 26cm and 23cm, have an estimate of £400-£600
42 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
acquired much of his diverse collection in the antiques markets throughout London, unfailingly rising before dawn every Friday to attend Bermondsey market and then Portobello on Saturdays. His son (also called Trevor) recalls life in a small Tudor cottage in Hertfordshire surrounded by hundreds of pipes and regular visits from other enthusiasts, including fellow members of the Academie Internationale de la Pipe (the collecting association formed in 1984). Trevor said: “Dad was a true collector. One day he bought an antique pipe on a London street market. Within a few weeks he had 10, then 20. The collection then just kept growing for the next 50 years.”
Mr Barton’s particular interest was tribal and ethnographic items from all corners of the world, including North America, Africa and the Far East. He travelled widely during a sales and marketing career which helped him to grow his collection. The collection also includes many English pipes and tobacco-related items from the Georgian and Victorian centuries made in a wide variety of materials: metal, wood and pottery and the hydrous silicate of magnesium (better known as meerschaum) that took European pipe-making to its zenith in the 19th century. Meerschaum, from the German for “foam of the sea”,
is mined from deposits of the skeletal remains of microscopic sea creatures that settled to the bottom of ancient sea beds and was compressed over millions of years. Meerschaum pipes could be easily carved into elaborate designs, some of them serious, some of them downright racy. Trevor Barton jnr said: “The modern-day meerschaums tend not to have such fine carving as the ones made 150 years ago. It was a bit like buying a Ferrari today: a rich man sitting in an Austrian café smoking would have the best meerschaum he could afford.” Some 120 pieces from the Barton collection, including Barton’s prized catlinite (red stone) Native American peace pipe that was once believed to have belonged to Chief Sitting Bull, were sold at Christie’s in 2010, but the remainder was kept by the family.
IN MY OPINION...
Above Eight German porcelain pipes, each painted or printed with hunting subjects, one has a carved horn shaft modelled as a snake, a hand holding a fish and a dog biting a boar’s snout, 33cm, the pipes have an estimate of £300-£500
‘Dad was a true collector. One day he bought an antique pipe on a London market. The collection then just kept growing for the next 50 years’
How important is the sale?
The collection is important as Trevor Barton was an eminent collector. The breadth of his tastes are exhausting: tribal, Chinese, Japanese – there is even a Siberian pipe carved from mammoth ivory, which was used in Alfred Dunhill’s (another great collector) book The Pipe Book. A large part of the collection was sold at Christie’s in 2010.
Do you have a personal favourite?
HIGHLIGHTS Highlights include an early 18th-century Japanese lacquer double clay pipe case, similar to an example in the Rijksmuseum Collection, Amsterdam (estimated at £2,000-3,000) and a mammoth ivory pipe made by the Samoyed people of East Siberia, that was chosen as the illustration on the spine of Alfred Dunhill’s The Pipe Book (estimated at £2000-£3000). A Prattware coiled pipe, elaborately coiled and painted in ochre and blue dashes, c. 1820, is expected to make £400-£600.
We asked John Black, Sworders’ director and the sale’s co-ordinator, for his auction highlights
AUCTION fact file WHAT: The Trevor Barton pipe collection WHERE: To be confirmed. Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, and online WHEN: Autumn 2020. VIEWING: tbc Left Two Japanese kiseruzutsu Meiji period (1868-1912). The top one is lacquered and inlaid with Ritekkai resting on a staff, 21.5cm. The bottom pipe is silver and measures 20cm. The pair has an estimate of £200-£300
An eastern Siberian pipe carved from mammoth ivory, with a detachable mouthpiece and leather suspension strap, 31.5cm, has an estimate of £2,000-£3,000
The Japanese pipe case (below) estimated at £2000-£3000 is my favourite. Just think of the cost of producing it at the time. There is only one other I have found, which was in a museum. The longer the pipe the more expensive and more unwieldy it was, meaning it was not something kept in a pocket. The longer types were used in inns or at home. The elaborate case points to its owner being a well-to-do merchant or a member of the ruling elite. The longer the pipe the more tobacco it could hold. It also allowed the smoke to cool before it was inhaled producing a better taste.
Where are you expecting the interest to come from?
From collectors, museums and people who appreciate the variety of quirky objects on offer. Smoking accumulated a fascinating history as it spread across the globe. From the workmanship that went into the exquisite Japanese pipes and cases, to the apparent simplicity of the African carved wooden versions, the collection also provides an insight into different worldwide cultures, demographics and social hierarchies.
Above A rare Japanese lacquer double clay pipe case, early 18th century, 72.5cm
The pipe case is inlaid with designs made from abalone shell. A hinged cover opens to reveal an interior lined with green velvet
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 43
BEHIND THE SCENES Phil Mires That said, although the brown furniture market is struggling on the whole, particular pieces such as campaign chests, leather chesterfield sofas, Globe Wernicke sectional bookcases and haberdashery cabinets have all retained their appeal and are always in high demand.
EXPERT PROFILE 21-year-old dealer Phil Mires, the founder of Surrey-based PM Antiques & Collectables, left his job as an auction porter to set up a £350,000 business
Above Lucie Rie(19021995) is one of the studio potters who continue to sell well, this stoneware bowl with speckled white glaze sold for £3,600 Left Enicar Sherpa Graph ‘Jim Clark’ 300 Chronograph wristwatch, c. 1967 on sale for £6,000
Which are the ones to watch? I think you need to observe our current lifestyles and trends. We’re in the age of social media and interactive technology. Now more people are engaged in photography it wouldn’t surprise me to see the prices of vintage cameras, lenses and equipment reach new heights – the prospect of shooting with film cameras is now deemed quirky, too. Retro arcade machines and games consoles from the 80s (such as the Sinclair ZX Spectrum and Sega Mega Drive) are now extremely collectable. It’ll only be a matter of time before video games, consoles and related media from the ‘90s, or later, follow suit.
What do you think will be the antiques of the future? Mid-century design furniture. Not only is it currently very popular among interior designers but it’s a household necessity – homes will always need furniture. Younger audiences love it and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
What are some of the biggest mistakes that buyers make? Getting carried away at an auction is a common mistake. It’s so easy to get immersed in a bidding war, a costly oversight that could jeopardise your potential profits. Stick to your guns – but if you’re easily led, leave a commission bid instead.
What is the unique appeal of antiques? They can be great investments for those who want to put money aside for the long term. Though they might not be the most conventional way of making money, if you know what you’re looking for, antiques can provide potentially impressive returns – better than the current bank interest rates that’s for sure. Not only can antiques provide excellent value for money, they also preserve our heritage and environment for future generations by reducing landfill, carbon emissions and the intake of new goods from abroad. For so many reasons, there has never been a better time to buy.
How is the industry changing and are you optimistic for its future? The internet. Gone are the days of owning a high-street antique shop or getting up at 2am to ‘stall-out’ at a fair. With the right resources and knowledge, you can start your own antiques business from home. The industry is becoming more and more internet dependent, and this gives both auctioneers and dealers a platform to reach out to buyers and sellers around the world. These are prosperous times for the antiques industry. See Phil’s current stock at www.pm-antiques.co.uk
What areas are currently selling well? Contemporary art, vintage film posters, 20th-century design and studio pottery, to name but a few. The customer base for these types of item has broadened and is continuously intensifying. Decorators looking for pieces which complement modern interior trends are key buyers and, frequently, it is a younger audience, who would not look twice at a piece of 18th or 19th-century furniture, that is leading the way.
44 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
‘Campaign chests, leather chesterfield sofas, Globe Wernicke sectional bookcases and haberdashery cabinets have retained their appeal and are always in high demand’
THE PETWORTH PARK
ANTIQUES & FINE ART FAIR THE MARQUEE, PETWORTH PARK PETWORTH, WEST SUSSEX GU28 0QY Come and buy the very finest art and antiques at our annual event of distinction
DNW are pleased to confirm that we are accepting entries for our forthcoming auctions of
Jewellery and Watches 9th June to include a Private Collection of Military Watches - Part 1 15th September to include Fine Jewels from the 1960s and 1970s
15 - 17 MAY 2020 Friday 11.00 - 20.00 Saturday 10.30 - 18.00 Sunday 10.30 - 17.00
Part of a suite by George Weil, London 1976, to be included in the 15th September sale
To request your complimentary invitation for three please email AC@adfl.co.uk
0 1797 252030 www.petworthparkfair.com
For all enquiries, please ring 020 7016 1700 or email jewellery@dnw.co.uk THE
ANTIQUES DEALERS FAIR
LIMITED
www.dnw.co.uk Dix Noonan Webb 16 Bolton Street Mayfair London W1J 8BQ
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 45
ac ad dec.indd 1
06/04/2020 04:50:29 PM
EXPERT COMMENT Collecting Humbers
An Auctioneer’s Lot
I
Charles Hanson is driven wild by the ‘world’s best collection’ of Humbers set to be sold this year
t’s the hardest thing he’s ever had to do, but a classic car devotee is parting with the ‘world’s best collection’ of 16 vintage Humber vehicles – including two with royal pedigree and one linked to pop star Madonna. Regardless of the £¼m they stand to make, I’ve fallen in love with them all. Allan Marshall, 64, from Hull, is auctioning off his remarkable motors, gathered over 60 years, first by his father Reg and then by him, because of spiralling maintenance and storage costs. His unrivalled fleet of legendary vehicles is stored in Cleveland Street, east Hull. It’s not a museum but people think it is. It’s got a 5-star rating as a museum on Tripadvisor and is listed as one of the top 20 things to do in the city. Visiting celebrities have included Jools Holland, Stirling Moss and Michael Aspel.
right now. They’re something you can rely on and enjoy. Celebrity Humber owners include Richard Branson and Chris Evans. Humber Limited was listed as a manufacturer of cars, bicycles and motorcycles in 1887 after initially starting out as a cycle business in 1868 owned by Thomas Humber. Produced in Beeston, near Nottingham, Stoke and Coventry, they gained admiration for their robust quality and reliability. The first Humber car was produced in 1898 in Beeston, Notts. Less than one per cent of the vehicles still exist, the lowest survival rate of any British car manufacturer.
WINSTON CHURCHILL
Above Allan Marshalls’ fleet of Humbers are used for weddings Above right Allan Marshall polishing the wheels in previous days Below left The Humber used by the Queen Mother is stored with the others in Hull Below right The car
Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson to travel in secret around London
HUMBER ABRIDGED Classic cars are soaring in value and are a great investment, particularly with global markets in turmoil
George VI took delivery of his first Humber in 1935 and was so impressed he ordered 47 to be sent to British embassies around the world. Every prime minister of the day arrived at Downing Street in a Humber, including Sir Winston Churchill who had five. One vehicle being sold belonged to the Queen Mother. The 1952 Super-Snipe MKIII delivered her to church during the reign of her husband, King George VI, and bears a lasting memento. Her finger nails are believed to have made marks on the grab handles inside the car. One of Allan’s favourite Humbers is a 1930s 80bhp Snipe, found in a Northamptonshire scrapyard. With its small back window, it was used by Edward VIII and Wallace Simpson to get around London in secret. Allan’s cars have appeared on the big screen in Operation Crossbow, starring John Mills and Sophia Loren and The Big Sleep starring Robert Mitchum.
STAR CAR But the most precious vehicle of all, as far as Allan is concerned, is the one that started it all. A 1954 Pullman his father bought in 1960 for £90 which used to deliver potatoes to fish and chip shops in Hull. But with soaring maintenance costs, the time has come to sell ‘his girls’. With the proceeds he and his wife Barbara, who haven’t had a holiday for more than 40 years, can plan their own getaway. Because of the coronavirus epidemic, the date of the sale of the Allan Marshall Humber car collection is subject to change, visit www.hansonsauctioneers. co.uk for updates. Potential purchasers are invited to email ralexander@hansonsauctioneers.co.uk
‘King George VI took delivery of his first Humber in 1935 and was so impressed he ordered 47 to be sent to British embassies around the world’ ANTIQUE COLLECTING 47
COLLECTING GUIDES Wax portrait miniatures that few examples of his work came up for sale. Fortunately several museums have collections of his work as well as that of other modellers which can be inspected by appointment. Despite the difficulty, it was not enough to deter me from years of research on a project, with Samuel Percy (born c. 1753–1819) at its heart.
WAX TRADITION
Wax Works
Queen Elizabeth I (1535-1603). A little larger than his usual portraits, modelled by Samuel Percy c. 1801
How the enchanting world of 18th-century wax modellers and one in particular melted Ruth Ord-Hume’s heart
I
started to research wax portraits after coming across a few examples of the work of Samuel Percy (born c. 1753–1819) at a collectors’ fair. I had always been interested in miniature portraits but these were something different. I found that the V&A had a small room showing the work of wax modellers and wondered how one artist could successfully create a sombre dead Christ on the one hand and three musicians having a riotous time on the other. I decided to find out more about this Mr Percy. Very soon I realised two things – that Samuel Percy was by far the most interesting modeller to study, but
48 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Above right The portrait is
inscribed on verso Hold the Top of the Head to the Light/that all the Features may catch a Shade(?)/without it; the Beauty of the Human Face/would be Lost, or but Imperfectly seen./ Percy Fecit/No 893, image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Wax had been used on the Continent for centuries both in sculpture (votive and secular) and for the repair of damage to marble statues before it became a medium for portraits. In 18th-century Britain the emphasis was less on religious effigies and more about entertainment or personal or family mementos. While lifesize wax models played a prominent role in British life in various shows they were not commissioned by the people they portrayed and, while a certain realism was aimed at, they conveyed more of a general impression. Miniature portraits on the other hand were a different matter and more akin to painted portraits. They were three dimensional, rarely larger than waist height and verisimilitude was vital because there was no space for background details to help viewers establish the sitter’s social context (other than military uniforms). Below Portrait of a lady,
Samuel Percy (born. c. 1753–1819), late 18th century, coloured wax on glass over tinted paper, image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
This was the late 18th century and the ‘golden age’ of portraiture. Portraits were everywhere. Those who could afford grand paintings to decorate their houses commissioned them but it is interesting to note that often, before these works of art were delivered to their owners, they were lent to engravers who would produce copies which the public could buy. And buy them they did. The heyday also spanned the lifetime of Samuel Percy, a thwarted sculptor from Dublin, who went on to become the best wax modeller of his day.
SAMUEL PERCY Little is known of Percy’s early life – even his birth date has been calculated working back from his age on death, which is recorded in Chelsea in 1819. We know he had one younger brother Edward who followed him to the Dublin Society drawing schools, after which it was Percy’s intention to follow in his father’s footsteps as a sculptor. But at some point before the age of 20 he made the decision – no doubt financial as statuary was a precarious business – to pursue a career modelling in coloured wax, while keeping the door open to statuary work. His first advert appeared in an Irish newspaper dated October 13, 1773, stating: ‘Likenesses in wax taken by Samuel Percy, who returns most grateful Thanks to the Nobility and Gentry, that they have been pleased to honour him with their Commands, and informs them that he takes Likenesses as usual at Mrs Murphy’s Little Longford-street. Likenesses for Bracelets with real Hair.’
Right Napoleon Bonaparte by Samuel Percy Below & below right An unidentified man and woman by Samuel Percy, signed and numbered on frame but not dated Below left Prince
Leopold of SaxeCoburg, husband of Princess Charlotte of Wales, modelled by Samuel Percy between 1816 and 1819
Left Unknown woman by Samuel Percy, c. 1800
WHAT IS A WAX PORTRAIT?
‘His work consisted of portraits of public figures – royalty, national heroes, famous rogues, successful admirals, politicians – and commissioned portraits. The former category made up an exhibition for which he charged one shilling entrance, although copies could be purchased’
A small threedimensional portrait in relief and modelled in wax, contained in a glazed frame and generally intended to be hung on the wall. It will be a miniature portrait, usually between say three and seven inches in height excluding frame (7.5cm and 18cm). Most wax portraits are profile portraits, similar to those on a cameo brooch and the depth of the relief varied from one modeller to another. Many modellers used single colour wax white being favourite but ivory and pink were also used. Percy rarely used wax of a single colour, preferring polychrome. ANTIQUE COLLECTING 49
COLLECTING GUIDES Wax portrait miniatures IN THE DETAIL
He left Dublin for England in 1782 and was to spend a good proportion of his time travelling round the country. Occasional references to his presence crop up in literature but it was his long series of newspaper advertisements which made it possible to chart his travels before he finally settled in London. His work consisted of portraits of public figures – royalty, national heroes, famous rogues, successful admirals, politicians – and commissioned portraits. The former category made up an exhibition for which he charged one shilling entrance, although copies could be purchased. Percy also created a wonderful set of rustic scenes or ‘groupes’ as he called them. His skill meant he was regarded as being one of the best modellers of his day and conveniently for him, his working life coincided almost exactly with the heyday of portraiture.
Above left Portrait of a man late 18th century British, coloured wax and glass; frame: gilded wood, image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Above Catherine Andras
(1775, working 1855), George III. The artist was appointed ‘Modeller in Wax” to Queen Charlotte in 1801, image Metropolitan Museum of Art Below Portrait of a HRH
Princess Charlotte of Wales, by Samuel Percy, 1814, image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
The polychrome portraits of the late 18th and very early 19th centuries are useful records of costume of the period in both England and America. They detail not only the dresses of the wealthy but what the wives of merchants and gentry were wearing for they were, by and large, the group from which modellers such as Samuel Percy gained their commissions. There are some notable exceptions. While Princess Charlotte of Wales, daughter of the Prince Regent (later George IV) summoned Percy to model her portrait in person, most of his other likenesses of the royal family were based on painted portraits. His portrait of Queen Elizabeth I was most certainly done after studying Hilliard’s many pictures of her. Percy’s likenesses of public figures were seldom commissioned but there were plenty of painted and engraved examples in the public domain for him to use for inspiration.
THE POWER OF ADVERTISING Then, as now, a portrait artist could not work unless he or she was sufficiently well known to attract clients. The well-known portrait painters relied on one or two star patrons to help them become established. Percy, coming from Ireland, did not have any influential patrons as far as one can tell but instead he was a pioneer in the use of newspaper advertising to herald his arrival. Over time he developed an idiosyncratic style of advertising which evolved to read more like pages of a journal than a series of plain statements of what he did, where he would be and what it cost. He published more than 100 advertisements in his career and no two were exactly alike. Some even made reference to his life and worries. We know the weather in Bristol stopped him moving on to his next destination (‘On account of the extreme bad weather, Mr. PERCY’s MODELS
EXPECT TO PAY Prices at auction vary considerably depending on location of sale and condition of the item but Percy’s portraits can fetch anything from several hundred pounds (profile) to more than one thousand pounds for a full-face example. Examples almost always need some restoration. Prices in the US tend to be higher than in the UK. A word on identifying his work. Percy’s commissions create problems for collectors today. The public figures conform to a style allowing us to identify them as his, even when the sitter is not known. The private portraits are more of a challenge, as only Percy’s early portraits tend to be signed and they seldom have the name of the sitter added. A particular feature unique to him was the creation of curtains or drapes to frame the models (in wax, of course). It helps to identify the modeller as Percy, although they are often missing.
50 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Left Believed to be Arrabell Percy, wife of Samuel Percy, modelled by her husband c. 1784 Below left Unidentified
young woman by Thomas Royal, dated 1778
Below right Believed to
be Sir Francis Burdett, 5th Baronet (17701844), by Samuel Percy
will, by Desire, continue upon view one week longer’) and in Maidstone he was in a thankful mood: ‘PERCY is happy to acknowledge the many Obligations he has been under to Mr. Day, Surgeon of Maidstone, and for his very able assistance in the Description of those Person’s Features who PERCY has taken since Death. This public Manifestation of his Gratitude is unknown to Mr. Day, yet it is a Tribute due to Friendship, the smallest Appearance of which, PERCY is never ashamed to acknowledge.’ Something he had to
Wax modellers’ craft In spite of the claim by many people that wax modelling is not sculpture, in truth it requires the same skills to produce the primary model as to create a maquette for a large statue. While the way wax models were made was not recorded at the time of their popularity it is thought the modeller would begin by making a preliminary portrait in a soft wax. From this a cast would be made and then the actual portrait would be cast in a hard wax. Some work would be needed to finish the casting, giving it texture and details such as hair, or adding delicate wax for men’s shirt ruffles which could not be cast. Percy produced coloured, or polychrome, portraits and for these he would have made the final casts in parts, producing a head in a suitable pink and the body in another colour. Thin sheets of wax would be added to make the coat or dress; tiny pieces of wax would create eyebrows and even very fine eyelashes. repeat a number of times as he travelled round the country was that his likenesses were modelled in stained wax, not painted wax, so would not fade. His marketing campaign clearly worked because he built up a business which supported him and his wife until he died at the age of 66. Ruth Ord-Hume is the author of Mr Percy Portrait Modeller in Coloured Wax published by ACC Art Books, priced £45. Subscribers can order a copy for £30, including £4 p&p. Because of the current difficulty sending books out, anyone wishing to buy a copy should email georgina.street@accartbooks. com who will arrange for the book to be sent out when possible.
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 51
MEMORABILIA Collecting Lenin Lenin at his desk, image Shutterstock
This year marks the 150th anniversary of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin’s birth, image Shutterstock
Below Lenin’s letter to the French philosopher sold for £121,875 in 2018, image courtesy of Christie’s
THE PEN IS MIGHTIER...
Cool & Collectable Memorabilia expert Paul Fraser celebrates the 150th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Lenin with some red hot collecting advice 150 years ago, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was born. He’s one of a handful of people who can accurately claim to have altered history. Lenin was the architect of the 1917 October Revolution, which ended centuries of tsarist rule overnight. The USSR became the world’s second superpower, a colossus whose borders spanned the chilly coasts of the northern Pacific to the warm Adriatic. There are more statues of Lenin than of any other historical figure.
52 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Below One of four photographs, sold for £2,500 in 2016, image courtesy of Sotheby’s
Lenin was a phenomenal writer. It was this skill that propelled him to the leadership of Russia’s Social Democratic Labour Party. As one of the most studied writers in history, only a handful of letters has sold over the past decade. The best was a 1918 letter to members of the Russian Communist Party. It serves as an introduction for the French philosopher Henri Guilbeaux. A longtime friend and comrade of Lenin, Guilbeaux fled to Russia after being sentenced to death in Paris. One piece I particularly like combines signatures from Lenin and his former friend (and arch-rival) Leon Trotsky. Playwright Robert-de-Flers collected them shortly after the revolution in 1918. De-Flers has sketched a guillotine framed against the rising sun in the top righthand corner of the page. These are signatures with serious historical heft. Trotsky was later exiled and assassinated by Lenin’s successor, Stalin. Incidentally, I’m selling a letter from Trotsky around the time of the Stalinist purges that relates a desperate attempt to get his archives out of Paris following his son’s death. Above The rare letter has the signatures of Lenin and Trotsky, image courtesy of Sotheby’s
THE GREAT LEADER
A WORD ON PORCELAIN
Porcelain is not, on the face of it, a revolutionary material. But it is quintessentially Russian. The tsars founded the Imperial Porcelain Factory of St Petersburg. The Soviets were determined to mould this national artform to their own image. In 1919, the supremely accomplished Natalia Danko took over command of the workshop. Danko’s creations are highly sought after. Her realist sculptures of footballers, bureaucrats and factory workers change hands for hundreds of thousands of pounds. You can, however, still own some mass-produced pieces for attainable sums. In 2017, Sotheby’s sold a Danko inkwell featuring a bust of Lenin and the text “Better do less, but better” for £1,900. For the centenary of Lenin’s birth, the factory released a handpainted vase displaying his face against a bold colour palette. It’s a classic example of Soviet porcelain – one foot in the past and one in the future. An example achieved £900 at Sotheby’s in 2014.
ARTFUL PROPAGANDA
Along with new ways of organising society came new ways of seeing and Lenin was in the driving seat for a propaganda push. Many of the era’s celebrated posters were created in the early 1920s to the late 1930s, when the revolutionary zeal was at its most fervent. A rare print of Sergey Senkin’s extraordinary Under the Banner of Lenin for the Second Five Year Plan! (1931) sold for around £12,600 at Shapiro Auctions in New York in 2015. I also particularly like the work of an anonymous artist - which bears the title Lenin is Always with Us (1924). Its depiction of a distant statue of Lenin surrounded by banners is ironic when you consider the fate of many of those statues. An example sold for about £3,800 at Mercer & Middlesex Auctions in New Jersey in 2014. These results reflect how rare and sought after these specimens are. Authentic prints from the 60s onwards can be had for less than £200. If you have something specific in mind,
Top Natalia Danko’s inkwell featuring Lenin sold for £1,900, image courtesy of Sotheby’s Above The inkwell is signed Vechno zhivoi (Eternal life) Left The vase sold for £900 in 2014, image courtesy of Sotheby’s Below left Sergey Senkin’s poster sold for £12,600, image courtesy of Shapiro Auctions Bottom left While the artist is unknown, the poster sold for £3,800, image courtesy of Mercer & Middlesex Auctions
Lenin’s statue is controversial. Go east and you’ll find entire graveyards of the things, dismantled and shifted out of city centres by a populace who have long grown tired of looking at them. You can even pick up one of the iconic miniature brass or plaster versions for less than £100 on eBay. You can also go big. In 2017, one Ukranian town sold the Lenin statue that had stood in its boundary for decades for around £8,500. Not bad considering it stands four metres in height and very few made it through the 1990s intact. For those with a little more cash in the bank, Andy Warhol’s series of Lenin portraits are arguably the definitive western portrayal. They’re quite different from his neon renderings of Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor. One fine example realised £2.6m at Christie’s in 2015. Here, Lenin fixes the viewer with an unyielding gaze, looming out from a black background, the lines of his face and body traced with gold. It’s a projection of supreme, and sinister, imperial power. Paul Fraser is the founder of Paul Fraser Collectibles, for more details go to www.paulfrasercollectibles.com
A Ukrainian village sold its Lenin statue, image Shutterstock
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 53
COLLECTING GUIDES Coins compared to other forms of collecting, such as art, watches or whisky; globally, it is a serious industry, worth more than £1 billion a year.
SOCIAL TURMOIL
Coining it in
Nothing links a collector with the past quite like a coin, and with some Roman coins costing as little as £1, Nigel Mills reveals how starting a collection needn’t cost a mint
C
oin collecting is on the way up. Last October, Time Team’s Sir Tony Robinson teamed up with the London Mint Office to give away 120,000 1911 George V silver thruppences to inspire a new generation of collectors. Launching the scheme, the Baldrick actor said: “I love the thought that owning an original George V silver threepence might inspire people, of all ages, to start a coin collection or dig deeper into Britain’s rich history.” George III kept a coin collection. He promoted the hobby and encouraged much of the landed gentry to start collections of their own. Within decades, swaths of extensive coin collections stood shoulder to shoulder with silverware and paintings in the stately homes of Georgian England. Today as coins fall out of favour due to newer payment methods they are becoming more appealing to would-be collectors. And while coin collecting is relatively low profile in Britain, particularly when
Did you know? Queen Victoria’s 1839 Five Pound Piece, featuring the Una and the Lion design which would have sold for £17,000 in 2004 now sells for upwards of £300,000. Above right The coin
features the head of Athena goddess of wisdom and war
Right A silver tetradrachm dated c. 450-405, Athens, sold for £500 in 2019 Below right A Greek
tarsus, c.333-327, from the reign of Alexander the Great (336-323), sold for £149 in 2019
Left The Lydian Lion, known as the world’s first coin. Made of electrum, an alloy of gold and silver
54 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Coins throughout history have recorded political upheaval, military achievements, religious beliefs and promoted propaganda of the regime or country that struck it. Financially they have provided economic stability for over two and a half thousand years and it is only now with the technological revolution that their status is under threat. Possibly more than any other collecting field, coins allow their owner to interact with history in a unique way. Coins that have been in the pockets of men and women of ancient eras are now yours to hold. The good news is that starting a collection is remarkably affordable. For example, the number of mints striking a variety of denomination coins in large numbers all over the Roman Empire, means they can sell for as little as a £1-£2 (if they are smaller denominations, worn and of common emperors typically from the 3rd-4th century AD). It is also important to realise that some ancient coins for sale today online are modern forgeries, so caveat emptor! A Greek tarsus, c.333-327, from the reign of Alexander the Great (336-323), sold for £149 in 2019. Numismatics, the study and collecting of coins,
has been around almost as long as coins were first introduced in 600BC in Lydia, a kingdom in close geographic and cultural proximity to the Greek colonies in Asia Minor. They were called staters and made of electrum, a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver and featured the head of a roaring lion on one side with three punches on the reverse. The second half of the 6th century saw coinage expanding westwards across Greece, with the introduction, in the 5th century, of the silver tetradrachm of Athens with the head of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war, while on the reverse is an owl (left). These iconic coins became the first recognised global currency because of their reliable weight and purity of silver. The example illustrated in a high grade of extremely fine condition sold for £500 in December 2019. In the 4th century BC the Macedonian King Alexander the Great produced silver tetradrachms with the head of Herakles wearing a lion skin on the obverse and a seated figure of Zeus on the reverse. After Alexander died in 323 BC his vast kingdom was divided between his generals, with the emergence of the Kingdom of Egypt and the Seleukid Empire. Alexander’s silver tetradrachms and drachms continued in production for the next two centuries, such was their popularity. As a result of this, examples are not hard to find even in high grade. This highlights one common misconception that the older a coin is, the more valuable it will be. Condition is just as important as rarity and this applies equally to ancient as well as modern issues.
BRITISH COINS
Above A Roman sestertius showing a bust of Agrippina senior with her hair in a long plait, struck by her son the Emperor Caligula in Rome 37-41 AD. Estimated at £1,000£1,500, it sold for £10,540 in 2019 Right A gold stater featuring the head of Apollo on one side and a horse and charioteer on the other
and brass sestertius (above), which features a detailed bust of Agrippina senior with her hair in a long plait. It was struck by her son the Emperor Caligula in Rome 37-41AD after her death in 33AD. On the reverse is a carpentum or stately carriage drawn by two mules. This superb example fetched £10,540 in December last year at Dix Noonan Webb. Roman emperors often featured their wives and other members of the imperial family on coins after their death as a form of deification.
In Britain, coinage arrived from Gaul around 200 BC. These were principally gold staters which were copies of the Macedonian coins of Philip II from the 4th century BC. These Gallo-Belgic issues are abstract designs based on the Greek portrait of Apollo on one side with a horse and charioteer on the reverse. These first coins used in Britain are rare and almost impossible to find in high grade as they circulated so widely and for a long time. Iron Age coinage has become more available because of the steady supply of new material found with metal detectors each year, which includes many unrecorded examples never seen before. The Roman invasion by Claudius in 43AD introduced to Britain the gold aureus, silver denarius
‘One common misconception is the older a coin is, the more valuable it will be. Condition is just as important as rarity and this applies equally to ancient as well as modern issues’ ANTIQUE COLLECTING 55
COLLECTING GUIDES Coins Oliver Cromwell became the Lord Protector of the British Isles in 1653 and issued coins with his portrait (below). Here is a gold broad of 20 shillings with Cromwell portrayed as a laureate Roman emperor, on the reverse is a crowned shield and the date 1656. It sold for £6,500 in September 2019.
COLLECTING MARKET During the 1960s coin collecting became very popular as the wider public searched their loose change for a number of anomalies, including the renowned 1933 penny (a patterned prototype that never went into production – one of which recently sold for £72,000) and the rare Edward VIII brass 12-sided threepence dated 1937 (which was made before he abdicated the throne – one of which recently sold for £30,000). In 1982 the Royal mint decided that the two pence piece was not really that new anymore and replaced the word ‘New’ with the word ‘Two’. They also did this with the other denominations that were introduced in 1971, the ‘New Penny’ became ‘One Penny’. Two pence pieces with the word ‘New’ are now worth around £800. More recently the Royal Mint released limited quantities of certain 50 pence coins and the 10 pence alphabet series, which again sent the public eagerly looking through their change. These packs, sold in WH Smiths, included the Aquatics 50p, with the swimmer seemingly underwater, due to lines obscuring her face. Although the exact mintage of this initial release is unknown, the so-called “drowning swimmer” coins are currently worth £750.
Below A 1648 Pontefract shilling,
sold for £12,000
Below left A gold broad
depicts Cromwell portrayed as a laureate Roman emperor. It sold for £6,500 in September 2019
Right The 1933 ‘patterned’ penny never went into production Below The coin was
dedicated to Edward VIII and made before the abdication
CIVIL WAR During the upheaval of the Civil war during the reign of Charles I in the 17th century, coins were issued by cities under siege. A silver plate siege shilling struck in Pontefract Castle (above) shows a gateway with the date 1648 below. It was in November that year that Oliver Cromwell led the final siege before Charles was executed in January 1649. It is worth pointing out that because of their unusual shape and significance they were often pierced and worn as jewellery. This exceptional example sold for £10,000 in June 2018.
56 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Below right The
‘drowning swimmer’ 50p can fetch £750
Nigel Mills is the consultant on artefacts and antiquities at the international coins, medals, banknotes and jewellery auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb. Free online bidding is available at www.dnw.co.uk and for more information call 0207 016 1700.
ANTIQUES UNDER THE HAMMER Upcoming lots
TOP of the LOTS
With a number of sales going online in May, Antique Collecting selects the best on offer
An Celtic bronze shield has an estimate of £3,000-£5,000 at Lyon & Turnbull’s online African and Oceanic art, antiquities and natural history sale on May 5. The shield would have been the work of a master metalsmith working in the 5th century BC, producing armour for the elite classes. The design has a series of concentric bands rising to a central domed boss, decorated with a repoussé border of small dots. Its design suggests an origin in Ireland or the British Isles. A similar example can be found in the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin. Above The bronze was created for an elite owner
Right The sale can
only be viewed online
A pink ground, famille rose medallion bowl, 14.5cm in diameter, has an estimate of £1,000-£2,000 in Ewbank’s online Asian art sale on April 30. The underglaze blue, decorated interior depicts a rabbit in a garden beside floral sprays, while the exterior has four circular medallions with trees in them. The base features the underglaze blue six-character mark of the Daoguang Emperor. Register to bid at www.ewbankauctions.co.uk Below George Lazenby used
the bike to commute to the James Bond set
Above The BSA 750cc was
one of the very first Rocket IIIs ever sold
A 1969 BSA Rocket III, bought new by the James Bond actor George Lazenby to commute to Pinewood Studios when filming On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, has an estimate of £25,000-£35,000 at Charterhouse Auctioneers online sale on May 6. Living in Bayswater, Lazenby bought the bike to commute to Pinewood Studios for filming the Bond film. When the keen motorcyclist bought the BSA 750cc it was one of the first models to have rolled off the production line. Register to bid at the Dorset auction house’s online sale at www.charterhouse-bikes.com Read our guide to collecting Bond memorabilia on page 24.
A 17th-century silk and stumpwork panel found in an attic has an estimate of £1,500-£2,000 at Suffolk auctioneers Bishop & Miller’s upcoming sale. Stumpwork, also known as raised embroidery, uses an array of different materials and embroidery techniques often on a padded canvas. It was popular from the 17th century and often depicts a narrative scene or history. The date of the sale is to be confirmed. Above The stumpwork depicts exotic animals in a floral scene
An art nouveau silver and green vase by the London maker Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co. Ltd has an estimate of £400£600 at Whittons’ online silver, jewellery and watches sale on May 7. The Regent Street-based firm was established in 1880 by William Gibson (d. 1913) and John Lawrence Langman (1846-1928). The firm took part in a number of international exhibitions in the late 19th century, including the Indian and Colonial Exhibition in London in 1886. Right The vase is assayed in
London and dated 1902
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 57
SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
BOOK OFFERS
Save more than a third on some of the best-selling titles from our sister publisher ACC Art Books
UP TO
35% DISCOUNT
OLIVER’S BIRDS
By Oliver Hellowell Photography by Oliver Hellowell, Forewords by Iolo Williams and Ken Jenkins ISBN 9781788840101 RRP: £17.99 Special offer price £11.69
With breath-taking shots of birds from Oliver Hellowell, a young photographer with Down’s Syndrome, Oliver’s Birds dedicates chapters to birds of prey, seabirds and residents of the British garden. The pictures are annotated with Oliver’s own notes.
BARBARA RAE Arctic Sketchbooks Barbara Rae
ISBN 9781912520114 RRP: £12.95 Special offer price £8.42
Barbara Rae’s sketchbooks bring the frozen plains of the Arctic to life. Rae (b. 1963) is a Scottish painter and printmaker. She is a member of the Royal Scottish Academy and the Royal Academy of Arts.
THE QUEEN’S WINDOW By David Hockney Westminster Abbey Susan Jenkins
ISBN 9781785512377 RRP: £6.95 Special offer price £4.52
The official publication on David Hockney’s stained-glass window at Westminster Abbey, commissioned to celebrate the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
A SHETLAND NOTEBOOK Norman Ackroyd
ISBN 9781907533891 RRP: £16.95 Special offer price ££11.02
This book contains 39 beautiful watercolours of Shetland by Norman Ackroyd, hugely popular for his atmospheric images of the British Isle.
Due to the current crisis there may be some delay in sending out books. For more details, or to order a copy, email georgina.street@accartbooks.com 58 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
CY TWOMBLY Jonas Storsve
ISBN 9783944874616 RRP: £40 Special offer price £26
Cy Twombly’s oeuvre (1928-2011) covers a time period of around six decades, during which his work never lost any of its expressive power. Twombly was one of the most productive artists in the history of more recent art. The book focuses on his major cycles, to a degree never before seen.
VAN GOGH’S INNER CIRCLE
Family, Friends, Models Sjraar van Heugten, Helewise Berger, Laura Prins ISBN 9781788840439 RRP: £35.00 Special offer price £22.75
A richly illustrated catalogue that features works never previously exhibited, as well as popular masterpieces. Van Gogh’s Inner Circle challenges the accepted image of Van Gogh as a tormented, solitary artist.
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 59
COLLECTING GUIDES Chinese Books
Pressing Matters Looking for a new collecting obsession? Chinese books, ancient and modern, are flying off the shelves, writes Lazarus Halstead
A
s the Chinese art market continues to mature there is increasing appetite for bringing new collecting categories into the mainstream. One of these which is a particularly hot tip for aspiring (and established) collectors is Chinese books. Last year six ‘lost’ pages from an Imperially-commissioned work sold for £250,000 – more than 10 times its low estimate. But what do would-be collectors need to know?
PRINTING KNOW-HOW Written records existed in ancient China from as early as 400BC. They were in the form of tablets, known as chien, cut from bamboo or other kinds of seasoned
60 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Above Jiang Tingxi (1669-1732), six cockerels, taken from the album Compendium of Birds, ink and colour on silk, which sold for £250,000 at Chiswick Auctions’ sale in November 2019
wood. A number of chien fastened together with a leather or silk cord, more or less in the form of a book as known in modern times, is called tze, which in its original usage was one of the names for book. The Chinese invention of paper in the Han dynasty (25BC-220AD) ushered in a new epoch of Chinese culture. Originally paper writing appeared in much the same form as on the old silk rolls. But the inconvenience of paper rolls and scrolls, some metres long, sparked the innovation of a folded counting book called yeh tzu (leaves) in the Tang dynasty (618-907) and tze tzu or hsuan jeng yeh (swirl leaves) in the Sung dynasty (960-1279). Next came hu tieh chuang (butterfly binding) which included a book ridge and gave the volume quite a modern look. From the succeeding Five Dynasties (907-960) the government played a bigger role in the printing industry. But it is the Sung dynasty (960-1279), which followed, that is considered the golden age of book printing in China. Crowned with the invention of movable type somewhere between 1041 and 1048, its quality reached a level unmatched before or since. This consummate achievement in the art of presswork means, for the connoisseur, the greatest prize of all is a genuine Sung book. After the middle part of the Ming dynasty (13681644), Chinese book binding underwent another change. Volumes included pierced binding with thread throughout both covers, called hsien chuang (thread binding), a binding which lasted longer than any other in Chinese history.
The Chinese term for rare books is shanben, or fine volumes, and generally refers to books printed in the Ming dynasty. The term expresses an appreciation of the book as object reaching deeply into Chinese culture and history. During the late Ming (1368–1644) and early Qing (1644–1912) dynasties, an increase in wealth led to higher levels of literacy and education. Consumer demand for printed words and images increased as merchants and scholars looked for ways to display their taste in drama, poetry, literature, and art. The last 50 years of the Ming dynasty, was a time when official projects, private and institutional printing, and printing for profit all flourished, with illustrated editions and the eventual use of multiple woodblocks for colour illustrations.
Right A 1588 edition of the Xuanhe Catalogue of Antiquities (Xuanhe bogu tulu), Wanli period (1573-1620), woodblock printed on paper sold for £22,500
BLOCK PRINTING Simplicity is the key to the success of the Chinese block-printed book. The text, written on paper within a ruled or pre-printed frame and columns, was pasted face down on the block for the engraver, who left the characters and lines in relief. Each block could accommodate two double-pages, each with a banxin or central column giving the title, and yuwei or ‘fish-tail’ marks to serve as guides when folding the printed sheets. The ink used for printing was the same as that for writing. Each sheet was thin and printed on one side only and then folded. The folded pages were held in place by stabbing two holes in the back: into these paper twists are inserted, remaining there when the blue paper covers are put on.
RECORDS During the Song dynasty (960–1279), the Imperial court compiled the illustrated Xuanhe Catalogue of Antiquities (Xuanhe bogu tulu) – one of the most important books on the subject of bronze vessels in the history of Chinese art. Originally compiled by Wang Fu in the Xuanhe period (1119-1126), it recorded 839 bronze objects from the Xuanhe Palace collection. New definitions of bronzes continue to define the way that bronzes are described today. The work was later reproduced in the Yuan Dynasty and three times in the Ming Dynasty. Last year an edition produced during the Wanli period (1573-1620) written by Liu Jiran sold for £22,500. It is also considered to be the most important work of the woodblock carver Huang Deshi.
Did you know? Numerous printed items, both texts and images, were discovered at the beginning of the 20th century in the cave-temples of Dunhuang in China’s western regions; the majority of which are now in the British Library and the Bibliothèque Nationale. The cache included the the world’s earliest dated printed book, with the text, dated 867, and frontispiece of the Diamond Sutra, which can be seen in the King’s Library of The British Library.
‘During the late Ming (1368–1644) and early Qing (1644–1912) dynasties, an increase in wealth led to higher levels of literacy and education. Consumer demand for printed words and images increased ’
Stitching added a decorative touch and consolidates the back, which, unlike Western books, was the same thickness as the rest of the book, since there were no sections or gatherings and no paste or glue to add thickness to the spine and attract insects. The title and numbering were visible and legible as half-characters on either side of the central fold.
IMPERIAL WORKS As elsewhere in Chinese art, Imperial works are the Holy Grail. The legendary encyclopaedia Compendium of Birds was commissioned by the Kangxi Emperor (1654-1722), the fourth emperor of the Qing dynasty and the second Qing emperor to rule over China. His reign spanned 61 years, making him the longest-reigning emperor in Chinese history and one of the longest-reigning rulers in the world. The emperor’s interest spanned mathematics, sciences, astronomy, music, geometry, physics, botany and zoology which led him to commission the court ANTIQUE COLLECTING 61
COLLECTING GUIDES Chinese Books artist Jiang Tingxi (1669-1732) to catalogue some 360 species of birds. The resulting compendium was perhaps the most important publication of the Qing dynasty. Six cockerels sold for an eye-watering £250,000 at Chiswick Auctions’ sale last year. The project was considered so important that Kangxi’s grandson, the Qianlong Emperor, commissioned a detailed copy of the album to be made by the Imperial Court artists Zhang Weibang (1725-1775) and Yu Sheng (1692-1767). The later version is considered one of the great treasures of the Palace Museum in Beijing. The resulting compendium was perhaps the most important publication of the Qing dynasty. The complete album was reproduced in a 2014 hardback book, Classics of the Forbidden City: Catalog of Birds Collected in the Qing Palace.
Right R.L. Hobson, The George Eumorfopoulos Collection (London: Ernest Benn, 192532), sold for £6,250 in November 2019
COURT LIFE Printed texts were also produced exclusively for use in the palace. One such was the text Teaching of Kangxi which provides a unique insight into the personality of the Kangxi Emperor offering a rare view on Imperial court life, ranging across natural history, material culture, science and morality. Aside from a volume that sold in London last year for £162,000 (below), there are only two other known copies, one in Beijing and one in Paris having been acquired by the Bibliothèque Nationale in 1810. The presence of burn marks on the back of the book are consistent with it having been burnt during the sacking of the Summer Palace by English and French soldiers in 1860. The covers of each volume have numerous subsequent pencil annotations, indicating it was treasured and well-studied upon its arrival in the West.
REFERENCE BOOKS Art reference books, particularly those documenting important collections, are the gold standard for collectors. An 11-volume work on the collection of George Eumorfopoulos (1921-1939), the first president of the Oriental Ceramic Society, sold for £6,250 at auction last year. Eumorfopoulos started collecting in 1891, initially amassing European and Japanese art, but soon focussing on Qing porcelain and then Han, Tang and Song ceramics. When his collection became too large, he added a two-storey museum to the back of his home at Chelsea Embankment which he opened on Sundays. R.L.Hobson catalogued the collection in volumes simply entitled The George Eumorfopoulos Collection.
Left Burn marks are
consistent with it having been burnt during the sacking of the Summer Palace in 1860
BOOKS AS ART The beauty, craft and artistry of Chinese books makes them artworks in their own right. One category in particular is the 20th-century woodblock-printed books of the Beijing-based publishing house Rong Bao Zhai (Studio of Glorious Treasures), a company which dates back to 1672 and the reign of the Kangxi emperor. The publisher is widely considered to have made major technological artistic developments in the field Shizhuzhai Jianpu Ten Bamboo Studio Catalogue of Letter Paper. Beijing: Rong Bao Zhai, 1952, ink and colour on paper
Above Teaching of Kangxi , Qing Dynasty, Yongzheng period, 1730, two volumes, 126 and 121 folded pages, traditional Chinese stitch binding, sold for £162,000 in 2019
62 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Right Qi Baishi (18641957) Bottle and Plum Blossom, ink and colour on paper, hanging scroll Chinese painting, sold for £75,000 last year Below right The work
was referenced in Sotheby’s, fine Japanese prints, illustrated books and Japanese and Chinese paintings, July 3, 1981, lot 276
of Chinese woodblock prints. One of five Rong Bao Zhai woodblock-printed books sold in London for £2,125 last year. In 1970 one of the books, Ten Bamboo Studio Catalogue of Letter Paper, was hailed by the book designer and calligrapher, Jan Tschichold, as: “An incomparably perfect facsimile; the best book of modern times anywhere.” An edition also appears in the British Library’s permanent highlights exhibition and also featured in in PJM Marks’ 2011 book, Beautiful Book Bindings: A Thousand Years of the Bookbinder’s Art.
Left The four volumes, bound in silk brocade slipcase, sold for £2,125 last November Far right The book belonged to Reverend Vincent John Stanton (1817-1891) one of the first settlers in Hong Kong Right The earliest book on Western medicine is on sale online this month
Authentication
The written word can also give an indication of provenance and in some cases provide evidence of the history of an artwork previously lost. A Sotheby’s catalogue of Japanese prints and works of art from 1976 helped authenticate a work by the Chinese artist Qi Baishi (1864 – 1957), who is known for his playful watercolours. The difference between a genuine work by Qi Baishi and an unauthenticated work can be tens of thousands of pounds, so trawling the archives can add value as well as assist a catalogue raisonné.
1891), one of the first westerners to settle in Hong Kong in 1843, is one of the highlights of Chiswick Auctions’ Asian art sale in November 2020. Lazarus Halstead is the head of Asian Art at Chiswick Auctions, which is due to hold its next sale, Asian Art including Chinese Paintings, online on May 10
HISTORIC DOCUMENTS Books are also important documents detailing historical moments and cultural interactions. One intriguing example being Quanti xinlun, the earliest book in Chinese on the subject of Western medicine, published in 1851. It was written by English medical missionary Benjamin Hobson (1816-1873) and Chen Xiutang and was the first systematic effort to compile books on Western medicine for the training of Chinese medical personnel. Hobson’s works were also an important reference for later missionary medical publications. A copy owned by Reverend Vincent John Stanton (1817ANTIQUE COLLECTING 63
% 33 Y! V E DA SA TO
• SUBSCRIBE TODAY • SUBSCRIBE TODAY • SUBSCRIBE TODAY • SUBSCRIBE TODAY • SUBSCRIBE TODAY ❄
SUBSCRIBE TODAY
Subscribe Now! U N D E R VA L U E D A R T I S T S T O P C O L U M N I S T S C O I N C O L L E C T I N G F O R B E G I N N E R S
ANTIQUE
COLLECTING
MAY 2020
The LOCK DOWN Special
Ceramic Masterclass CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF THE LEACH POTTERY
ANTIQUE COLLECTING
From online sales to home learning, how to make the best of collecting from home
VOL 55 N0.1 MAY 2020
TURN OVER A NEW LEAF
CHINESE BOOKS ANCIENT & MODERN Everything you need to know
A TIME TO BUY: A GUIDE TO 007 MEMORABILIA SEE PAGE 24
Red Hot
Investment
❄
ANTIQUE COLLECTING MAGAZINE
SAVE 33 PER CENT AND GET 10 ISSUES A YEAR FOR JUST £25* PLUS a FREE BOOK when you subscribe to Antique Collecting
• • • •
SAVE 33% on an annual subscription to Antique Collecting Free copy of Chiparus Master of Art Deco worth £65 Antique Collecting delivered direct to your door Subscriber-only savings on antiques, art and design books
Discover why Vladimir Lenin is creating a buzz among collectors
Subscribe today and pay JUST £25 for your first 10 issues rather than £38. Plus receive a FREE copy of our fully-illustrated hardback book Chiparus Master of Art Deco worth £65.* Each copy is packed with collecting guides and specialist advice. Don’t delay, this offer ends on May 31. The offer applies to new subscribers and new gift subscriptions only.
Only £2.50 per issue! Offer applies to new UK subscribers only
*
Subscribe at www.antique-collecting.co.uk/ subscribe and enter code: ACMAY20 or email sue.slee@accartbooks.com
SUBSCRIBE TODAY
• SUBSCRIBE TODAY • SUBSCRIBE TODAY • SUBSCRIBE TODAY • SUBSCRIBE TODAY • SUBSCRIBE TODAY
64 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
ANTIQUES CENTRES
ANTIQUES CENTRES
LENNOX CATO EDENBRIDGE ANTIQUES & WORKS OF ART
THE
GE
RIES
GALLERIES
EST: 1978
Cheltenham Antiques Why not pay a visit to the finest quality
quality ngland…
antique centre in the South East ofyour England… Complement home with a fine crystal glass or you won’t be disappointed! brass chandelier. Over 300 old chandeliers for sale, many unique. All fully restored and rewired.
1 The Square, Church Street,
Cheltenham Antique Market, 1 The Square, Church Street, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 5BD Edenbridge, Kent TN8 5BD 54 Suffolk Road GL50 2AQ T: 01732 864163 Tel: 01242 529812 01732 E: 865 988 cato@lennoxcato.com info@edenbridgegalleries.com www.antiquecrystalchandeliers.co.uk www.edenbridgegalleries.com
nt, TN8 5BD
www.lennoxcato.com
“The biggest collection of fine and antique jewellery in London” £500 - Cheltenham £50,000
Antiques
Complement your home with a fine crystal glass or brass chandelier. Over 300 old chandeliers for sale, many unique. All fully restored and rewired. Cheltenham Antique Market, 54 Suffolk Road GL50 2AQ Tel: 01242 529812
www.antiquecrystalchandeliers.co.uk
Gloucester Antiques Centre 1/4_Layout 1 13/11/2019 12:30 Page 1
THE The NEW New GLOUCESTER GloucesTer ANTIQUES CENTRE ANTiques ceNTre
we have found a new home We home in the heart of the city of Gloucester In the heart of the city of Gloucester in aa beautiful beautiful 16th 16th century in century building building in historic westgate street in historic Westgate Street come visiT ANd see our woNderful COME VISIT AND SEE OUR WONDERFUL ArrAy collecTAbles ARRAYof OFANTiques ANTIQUES ANd AND COLLECTABLES We orientalcollectibles, collectibles, Wehave havesilver, silver, jewellery, jewellery, oriental ceramics, postcards,railwayana, railwayana, ceramics,art, art,glass, glass, toys, toys, postcards, stamps, much more. more. stamps, coins coins and much enjoy two floors floorsofofthe the Enjoybrowsing browsing on on two Guild hall, original mercers original Mercers Guild hall, (expanding floors of ofthe theadjacent adjacent (expandingsoon soon into into two floors Maverdine chambers) Chambers) maverdine Weare are open open 77 days we days aa week week Monday-Saturday 10-5, andsunday Sunday11-4. 11-5. monday-saturday 10-5,
THE New NEW GloucesTer GLOUCESTER ANTiques ANTIQUES CENTRE The ceNTre LTD, lTd, 26 WESTGATE STREET, GLOUCESTER, GL1 2NG 26 wesTGATe sTreeT, GloucesTer, Gl1 2NG
TEL 529716 Tel 01452 01452 529716
FOLLOW ON fAcebook FACEBOOK follow US us oN
THE NEW GLOUCESTER ANTIQUES CENTRE We have found a new home In the heart of the city of Gloucester in a beautiful 16th century building in historic Westgate Street COME VISIT AND SEE OUR WONDERFUL ARRAY OF ANTIQUES AND COLLECTABLES We have silver, jewellery, oriental collectibles, ceramics, art, glass, toys, postcards, railwayana, stamps, coins and much more.
58 Mayfair, EnjoyDavies browsing Street, on two floors of the original Mercers Guild hall, (Opposite Bond Street Tube) (expanding soon into two floors of the adjacent London W1K 5LP Maverdine Chambers) We are open 7 days a week
Monday-Saturday 10-5, and Sunday -11-5. Monday - Friday 10am 6pm Saturday 11am - 5pm
THE NEW GLOUCESTER ANTIQUES CENTRE LTD, 26 WESTGATE020 STREET, GLOUCESTER, 7629 7034 GL1 2NG
TEL 01452 529716 graysantiques.com FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK
ANTIQUE COLLECTING ANTIQUE COLLECTING 6565
62
LAST WORD Marc Allum
Marc My Words Well into the lockdown and Marc misses the rough and tumble accompanying the live auction
One other downside I’ve also discovered about the lockdown, is that the large collection of part-lots that were due to go to the charity shop can no longer be delivered. There is a spider’s web of interaction when you contemplate the layers that accompany the auction house’s business chain. The carriers, the restorers and let’s also spare a thought for the auction house café franchises.
BIDDING ONLINE One thing that won’t change in lockdown is the bidding – I generally bid online. Despite the extra cost, I just don’t have time to sit in a sale all day. But this strategy has its problems as I’ve occasionally missed lots due to misjudged timings, or not noticing a raft of 50 spare lots in the catalogue. On the plus side there will be those last minute items that got caught up in the crossover between freedom and lockdown. At least they are something to look forward to. But what am I trying to say? Simply this. Words cannot explain the terrible suffering and hardship that has accompanied this epidemic but it will certainly make me understand how much I cherish the interaction and rough and tumble of our incredible business. It will come back and we will move on. Good luck everybody.
F
or all the advantages of the internet, and the global expansion of our trade, the coronavirus has proved the obvious benefits of being able to operate remotely. But it has also emphasised – to me – the enormous importance of being able to seek out and interact up-close with potential purchases, exercising that innate, intangible ability to divine objects and unravel their idiosyncratic nature. As all of my local salerooms have sensibly suspended their calendars and furloughed their staff, a great deal of the thrill of working in antiques has immediately evaporated. Yes, I can amuse myself trawling through eBay and chasing the odd bits and pieces, but the hunt is more visceral than that. Let me reminisce. My routine is always the same when I set off for an auction view. I take a look online first and notionally mark up a few potential items in my cerebral wishlist from a selection which may have been miscatalogued, or is a third of the size it looked in the photograph, is fake or damaged – which is all part of the fun of the rummage!
66 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
NERVOUS EXCITEMENT En route to the viewing, I harbour a nervous excitement – especially when I feel something with potential is lurking. But I never show it. Apart from the obvious ‘star’ lots, which I would rarely entertain bidding on, there are the sleepers. It’s an expression we are all familiar with, although these days, given the skill of the marketplace, they are better described as lightly dozing, before the battle ensues. Once home, there’s the catalogue autopsy – the weeding out. This can be a real-time juggling job as you weigh up your spending power in the light of your growing acquisitions – or lack of them. Generally, I hone the objectives, working out how to keep the best pieces, by selling others. I also rationalise the value of a mixed lot in order to keep that one superlative item.
Marc Allum is a specialist on BBC Antiques Roadshow and the author of books on collecting. For more details go to www.marcallum.co.uk Above left Marc’s Grand Tour collection amassed from auctions over the years Below Former times: Sotheby’s Oliver Barker is part
of the auction theatre that Marc is missing
‘Sleepers is an expression we are all familiar with, although these days, given the skill of the marketplace, they are better described as lightly dozing’
Specialists in the sale of single owner collections and estates
Casks of single malt scotch whisky including Springbank, Macallan and Bruichladdich
£5,000 TO £147,000
INDEPENDENT ANTIQUES ADVISOR & VALUER • Antiques • Silver • Classic Cars • Watches • Jewellery • Wine & Whisky www.marklittler.com
01260 218 718
valuation@marklittler.com
1965 Rolex GMT-Master Pepsi Estimate: £15,000 William George & Co
George IV silver candlesticks Estimate: £350–520 Adam’s
Coffee table, Herman Miller Estimate: £760–1,150 Wright
Marble bust Late 19th/early 20th century Estimate: £11,500–15,500 Christie’s
Sear c 2000 h over a uct hous es fr ion om over the w all orld Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger Estimate: £30,000–50,000 Sotheby’s
Pumpkin, Yayoi Kusama (b.1929) Hammer price: £550 Forum Auctions
Hermès bag Kelly Starting price: £7,500 Stockholms Auktionsverk
Your search for art, design, antiques and collectables starts here
May Day V, Andreas Gursky Estimate: £450,000–650,000 Phillips
Mahogany dresser Estimate: £500–660 Uppsala Auktionskammare
Swivel chair by Hans J. Wegner Estimate: £2,460–3,300 Bruun Rasmussen
Style of Serge Mouille, ca. 1950s Estimate: £300–460 Rago Arts
Edwardian Art Noveau frame Estimate: £200–300 Tennants
Emerald cut diamond ring Fixed price: £27,400 Once Upon A Diamond
Without title, Alexander Calder Estimate: £430–600 Artcurial
Edwardian arm chair, ca. 1910 Fixed price: £3,850 Wick Antiques
Find the true value of your treasures - only £13. Visit barnebys.co.uk/valuation