Gazette Issue 52

TWGAZE GAZETTE

APRIL 2016 ISSUE 52

Saturday Select Saturday 23 April, 2016 pages 4 & 5

Attention! - to all gun collectors EU laws are constantly being revised and next in the firing line are deactivated firearms.

Deactivation specifications were first set by the Home Office in 1989, and revised in 1995 and 2010. Guns deactivated to the older specifications prior to revisions, remained de-activated for legal purposes and were therefore legally traded on the market.

But as of the 8 April 2016, an EU Firearms Deactivation Regulation has been introduced, establishing common guidelines on deactivation standards and techniques to ensure that firearms are irreversibly inoperable.

According to the regulation, anyone who currently has an officially deactivated firearm (to 1989, 1995

and 2010 standards) will still be allowed to hold it without license but will not now be allowed to transfer to another member state or place on the market. And should you wish to sell a deactivated firearm, it may need further work to meet the requirements of the law. Work which should be undertaken by a gunsmith and certified by either the London or

Birmingham Proof Houses.

With the working practices of this law still in the very early stages it is imperative to source reliable information before sale. Please don’t hesitate to contact either Louis Smith or myself directly on this or any other firearm realted query.

Ed Taxil-Webber Militaria Sale Organiser

Featuring in the forthcoming Militaria sale 21 May 2016 A private collection of bayonets and edged weapons spanning from the 18th to 20th Centuries including: German SA Brownshirt’s dagger German dress bayonet 1796 pattern officer’s sword German Mauser bayonets including sawback Swiss M1914 Pioneer sawback K98 dress bayonet Russian Pioneer sword model 1827 Canadian Ross bayonet MkII Various socket bayonets

To enquire or if you would like to submit entries, please contact Ed Taxil-Webber, 01379 650 306

Clocks & Watches Tick all the Right Boxes

14 April 2016 post-sale report

As the hour chimed five on the afternoon of 14 April, our Spring Clocks & Watches sale began.

Over 200 lots were offered and ultimately few remained unsold.This auction is a firm favourite; it usually contains reliable time-keepers for anyone wishing to install a friendly face on the mantel piece, “spares” and boxes of bits for hobbyists and repairers, rarities for specialists and dedicated horologists, plus choice wrist watches that represent luxury accoutrement and fashionable investment.

Of particular note amongst the clocks were: Lot 5105: A late 19th mahogany bracket clock with three train 8 day movement by Gustav Becker, £950, and Lot 5106: A mahogany cased early 19th Century bracket clock signed Thwaites and Reed, Clerkenwell, London, £1200.

Pocket watches faired well, the highlights being: Lot 5135:A mid - late 18th Century tortoiseshell pair cased pocket watch with unusual Arabic and named dial (a/f), with verge and fusee movement signed John Buffett, Colchester, the dial named Daniel Pitikin, and the inside of the case inscribed John Pitikin, £950; matched by Lot 5136: An early 20th Century 18K full hunter pocket watch with chronograph and quarter repeat, hung on 9ct chain.

There was a good choice of quality wristwatches on this occasion. They were well received and the prices achieved proved TW Gaze watch specialist Oliver Allen knows his subject.

Notable amongst the selection were examples by Longines and Rolex.

Longines was represented by Lot 5130:A Longines Conquest chronograph steel cased automatic gent’s wristwatch, model no L1.641.4, case no. 31642286, £700 (Est £700 -800) and Lot 5181: A Longines 18ct gold automatic Ultra-Chron gents wristwatch with Hi-beat movement, centre seconds and date aperture, circa 1969, £750 (Est £700 – 800). There was also great delight when Lot 5177: A 1930’s oblong 18K wristwatch with black indistinctly signed dial, movement signed Longines, no. 5228204 sold for: £460.00 against an estimate of £150 – 225.

Meanwhile, Rolex faired well with Lot 5129: A Rolex Oyster Perpetual Air King automatic wristwatch, stainless case with Oyster bracelet, with documents, circa 1965 watch no.970536, £1300 (Est £500 – 700) and Lot 5131: A Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date gent’s stainless steel wristwatch with centre seconds, date aperture and Oyster bracelet, boxed with papers, model 15101, case no. 9550511, £1300 (Est £1,000 – 1,500).

However, ever y auction is entitled to an example of how the open market works at its best (and this took even Oliver by surprise!) Lot 5191: An Omega Speedmaster Professional chronograph stainless steel watch with associated steel link bracelet (illustrated) which carried a pre-auction estimate of £500 – 700 ultimately sold for £3,500.

If you wish to consign to the next Clocks & Watches auction, please contact Oliver Allen for valuation and marketing advice: 01379 650306

The Saturday Select Sale Saturday 23 April, 2016

The sight of a piece of Moorcroft pottery, either at auction or being featured on a television programme is, perhaps, something of a cliché these days.

The later products of the famous Burslem pottery are easily recognisable, even by the uninitiated and I have heard grumbles and groans from some who feel they have suffered a Moorcroft overload.

Undeterred by this, I believe a lot consigned for the Saturday Select Sale worthy of some comment. This is a piece of early Moorcroft and extremely distinctive in its own way. However, known as Florian Ware and designed and decorated by William Moorcroft, it was made by his then employer, James Macintyre & Company.

Mackintyre’s was a large, influential company and had been established in Burslem since the late 1830’s. It had made its name as the manufacturers of a wide range of commercial pottery and porcelain, including advertising ashtrays and similar commissioned specialities,

commemorative wares, door furniture and other architectural fittings, artists’ palettes, tiles and chemical and sanitary wares, as well as table wares. All a far cry from the art pottery object offered here!

Moorcroft worked at Mackintyre’s Washington Works in Burslem. He was first employed as a designer having completed study at the National Art Training School in South Kensington, followed by the Royal College of Art. He had been an avid student and had also embarked on an intensive study of ancient and modern pottery in the British Museum, the South Kensington Museum and in Paris. His breadth of knowledge and understanding of potting throughout history and throughout the world stood him in good stead for developing his own ground-breaking design and production in years to come.

After Moorcroft was promoted to become Manager of the Ornamental Ware early in 1898 he was provided with his own workrooms, a staff of decorators and the

services of a thrower and turner who would work exclusively for him. He was then asked to develop a new range of decorative ware using the technique of sliptrailing and underglaze colour that he had already begun to explore. The result was Florian Ware, a name which reflects the floral motifs that were the basis of most of the designs.

The first Florian designs were registered in September and October 1898 and other designs were regularly registered until 1905. Florian Ware exemplified good taste and high fashion; it quickly became a commercial success and within a year of its introduction was being retailed by Liberty’s of London, Tiffany of New York and Rouard of Paris.

Moorcroft was greatly The piece for sale at influenced by the TW Gaze on 23 April decorative traditions of was originally sold at William Morris and Liberty’s, as indicated also by English by the bold identifying interpretation of the Art Nouveau Movement.

marks stamped proudly on the base.

Looking all the world like a two-handled shallow bowl, the shape appears in an advertisement for Florian Ware in Liberty’s Yule-Tide Gifts catalogue, 1901 and is described as “No. 3 Vase, available in diameters 5 ½”, 6 ½”, 7 ½” and 8 ½”.” On the same page Florian Ware is described as “an exceedingly

decorative English pottery. The designs are delicately treated, and are in cream colour, relieved with olive green. The elegant forms in many specimens are reminiscent of Pompeian models; others are adapted from the later Italian and contemporary schools.” List prices for the bowl began at 8/6; in 2016 the auction estimate is £500 – 800.

For further information about the Saturday Select Sale please contact Edward Smith or Lisa West, 01379 650306.

by Rowena Youngson r.youngson@twgaze.co.uk

A

Relisting a property that we sold many years before is like catching up with an old friend. Have they lost or gained weight?

Changed their hair colour? Had any children? Indeed, has the passing of time been kind to them? Well this month three returning friends strolled through the office door, and I am pleased to report that time has been extremely kind.

B

We had a three bed semi detached in North Lopham called Fortunes Well (although don’t get your hopes of finding any gold at the bottom).

Another is a three bedroom semidetached Victorian villa in Mount Street, Diss (the owner is returning to live in Holland) and the third is a refurbished 2/3 bedroom cottage in Smallworth which we introduced to a new partner within two days of coming to market.

C

D

E

F

We are equally at home making new friends, and currently have an interesting selection of listings including a large converted barn in Oakley, a Grade II* Listed house with Tudor brick elevations in Bressingham, a beautiful 7 bedroom period town house in Hopton, a 1930s detached bungalow with belvedere and stunning Italianate garden in Diss and a delightful timber framed two bed mid terrace cottage in Hoxne. We are also offering for sale a prefab bungalow with river frontage set in 1.5 acres in Brockdish which is being sold with a free friend/ permanent resident! Worry not, the vendors are applying to have the grave belonging to a previous occupant moved to the corner of the plot so that surviving relatives can visit.

There’s never a dull day in the residential department!

Keep on Running If this Sunday you are tuning into the television coverage of the 2016 Virgin Money London Marathon why not see if you can spot the red shirt of my wife Katie Kinsella (pictured with our daughter Evie).

Like a massive game of Where’s Katie? It will be a tough ask amongst the 40,000 runners expected to start. I will play my version of the game from the streets of the capital as I try to keep pace, and she’s pretty quick, with her progress. The good news for me is when I hit the wall the tube is on standby to help me out but unfortunately Katie has no such luxury and all she will able to do is Keep on Running. In her favour she has prepared very well and has the motivation of working for a Charity close to our hearts, Allergy UK. Working for better understanding of allergies will potentially help 21 million people in this country alone, and as the sole runner representing Allergy UK we are all very grateful to those that have supported her already. And for any still waiting to make a contribution you can do so online at www.virginmoneygiving.com/katiekinsella or make a donation to the collecting boxes at the auction rooms office.

Good Luck Katie, Rob Kinsella As well as Katie’s marathon effort there are lots of other events lined up for this year’s Charity of the Year. More announcements soon

Lighting 13 May Blyth Barn contact Lawrence Baynes

Valuation Day St Mary’s Church Old Newton Saturday 7 May 10am – 2pm You are invited to join us to support the Church maintenance fund of St Mary’s in Old Newton Suffolk IP14 4PJ

Vintage Fashion & Furnishings 18 June, 2016 Appointments now being made for consignors to the next vintage fashion auction.

Please contact Debra Brown.

The Hoax Theft & Very Real Fakes

By Elizabeth Talbot At the end of February 2016 came reports that two artists had perpetrated an audacious and very modern crime. Having spent time in the Neues Museum in Berlin and, using a hidden portable 3D camera, they secretly captured the image of the famous bust of Queen Nefertiti, which was crafted in Ancient Egypt 3,361 years ago and stands 48cm tall. They then fed the scan results into a 3D printer to produce a model of the bust. In turn the model was used to make a mould in which they cast a replica using grey polymer resin, resembling the original exactly. They also intended anyone who wished to be able to download the 3D images. Their publicised intention was to “redress the act of plunder by German archaeologists who

GAZETTE Issue 52 april’16

discovered the statue in Egypt in 1912”, since when the two countries have disputed its ownership, and to enable open access to the artefact, free from the commercial monopoly currently operated by the museum.

The validity of this story has subsequently been called into question, on several technicalities. It would appear therefore, that museums world-wide may not need to rethink security policies as radically as was being called for last month; however, the story provides serious food for thought, not just for institutions.

The message board of my professional life has been dotted with alerts of fakes and

TW Gaze Diss Auction Rooms, Diss, Norfolk IP22 4LN 01379 650 306 auctions@twgaze.co.uk www.twgaze.co.uk

reproductions “hitting the market”, items my fellowvaluers and I have been warned to look out for, not be taken in by, and to educate the public about.

Over the many years (and in no particular order) a selection of these have included American mechanical money boxes, Staffordshire figures, samplers, carnival glass, Whitefriars glass, Clarice Cliff, Old Master paintings, cigarette cards, Dinky and Hornby toy boxes, precious stones, scrimshaw,

ivory, bronze figures and spuriously hallmarked silver. A trend usually develops on the back of a hike in the value of genuine originals and, even within the scope of the relatively primitive “good old days” the deception involved could be immense. Now, as with many aspects of 21st Century life, clever modern technology is proving to be a mixed blessing. The watchwords I continue to value are vigilance and circumspection.