The TW Gaze Gazzette Issue 57

GAZETTE TWGAZE GAZETTE

Musical Instruments page 3

Diss Organ Festival page 4

JUNE 2017 ISSUE 57

Edo period (1615-1868) The Edo period in Japan was one of unprecedented political stability, economic growth, and urban expansion.The merchant and artisan classes benefited most from this peace and prosperity, but the rigid hierarchy of Japan meant that they could not use their wealth to improve their social status. Instead they had to find different outlets for their money, such as buying beautiful clothes.

Until this time, the primary consumers of sumptuous kimono were the samurai, the ruling military class. Now the kimono developed into a highly expressive means of personal display, a tangible indicator of rising affluence and aesthetic sensibility.

Meiji period (1868-1912) In 1853 an American naval squadron arrived off the coast of Japan demanding that the country open its ports to western powers.The new government which followed realized that the only way Japan would be able to compete with the military and industrial might of the West was to transform itself along western lines, including clothing.

It was at this point that the word ‘kimono’, the thing worn, was coined to define T-shaped garments as opposed to western-style ones.

Some members of the elite adopted western dress because of its association with the concepts of civilisation, modernisation and progress that the Meiji government sought to promote.

Dress also began to diverge along lines of place and gender as men started to wear business suits for work.While men usually changed into kimono when at home in private, women, who tended to inhabit only the domestic space, continued to wear kimono most of the time.

In return, the ‘opening’ of Japan aroused enormous interest in the West and the flood of information and goods that subsequently reached Europe and America led to a craze for all things Japanese. Kimono were exported to the West, and by the 1870s were available to buy in shops such as Liberty’s in London.

Without a doubt, one of the most famous guitars of all-time is the Fender Telecaster. Originally introduced as the “Broadcaster” in 1950, the Telecaster soon became the world’s first successful commercially available solidbody electric guitar.To this day, it is still manufactured in mass and owned by millions of guitarists around the world.

With its flat body and wide shoulders, it makes for an extremely sturdy guitar, while its simple pickup configuration can give you either a bright, cutting tone or a mellow, bluesy tone. Famous guitarists such as Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, George Harrison and Bruce Springsteen used Telecasters as their chosen instruments.

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Musical Instruments 9 June

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If you’d like to own a true classic electric guitar, come and have a look at this 1966-made Tele. With lots of character but needing a little TLC, this guitar is looking for a loving owner.

If that’s not to your taste, there will be many more on view.

Edw

The interwar years The Taishô period (1912-1926) was one of confidence and optimism in Japan. It was a period of great urban growth, particularly in the capital,Tokyo. People moved to the suburbs, commuting on expanding railway networks to new types of office and factory jobs.

Women entered the work force in large numbers, employed as typists, bank clerks, bus conductors and shop assistants.Although western-style clothes gained popularity among women, the kimono continued to be worn.

The traditional cut of the garment remained the same, but the motifs were dramatically enlarged and new designs appeared, inspired by western styles such as Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Poweroperated spinning machines and jacquard looms introduced from Europe had speeded up production and lowered costs, while chemical dyes allowed for the creation of dazzling colours. In the early 20th Century new types of silk and innovative patterning techniques were also developed, making relatively inexpensive, highly fashionable garments available to more people than ever before.These vibrant kimono styles remained popular until the 1950s.

Antique kimonos are highly collectable and vintage kimonos are very fashionable.

Examples are occasionally to be found in our Vintage Fashion and Furnishings auction, along with other examples of traditional dress from the Orient. For our sale on 17 June, we already have consigned a selection of handmade silk embroidered tunics, sashes, belts and a Chinaman’s hat with woven pigtail. For further details, please contact Textile Specialist Debra Brown on 01379 650306.

On Sunday 14 May 2017, the streets of Diss were alive to the sound of all things Bright and Musical during the first Diss Organ Festival.

Thousands enjoyed the spring sunshine in the town park, through the streets and up to the newly refurbished Cornhall, all accompanied by the unique sound of mechanical music.

Over 40 locations around the town hosted organs drawn from all over the UK with several from mainland Europe. Ranging from grand fairground and concert organs such as “de Grote Gaviolo” through the hand operated machines of the British Organ Grinders Association down to the more intimate display in the Cornhall by the Musical Box Society GB – the right note was certainly struck.

The event was conceived and organised by, a name familiar to many of you,Alan Smith, who amongst his professional titles, achieved whilst owning TW Gaze, of chartered surveyor,

auctioneer and agricultural valuer can surely now add the title of impresario.

Teaming up with the Diss Town Council, South Norfolk Council and MOOS (The Mechanical Organ Owners Society) Alan was able to create something unique to the Town, drawing many first time visitors to it.They must have been impressed. Diss performed splendidly. As did organist David Ivory during his recital in St. Marys Church.

The event was closed at 4.30pm in the Cornhall by a showing of a Buster Keaton Silent Movie with dramatic theatre organ accompaniment presented by the Theatre Organ Club.

TW Gaze - pleased to help with the programme design and production (note to selforder more for next year!)

With one nostalgic eye and one eye on the future (if anyone didn’t catch Oasis “Wonderwall” I recommend a visit to the MOOS Facebook page) Alan, ably supported by organ builder and restorer Jonny Ling, achieved what all musical directors hope for, he left Diss wanting more. Encore.

Organ-iser Alan Smith

Most artists tend not to stray too far from the medium they are best at but a few, like John Piper broadened their oeuvre by designing and producing other forms.You are likely to come across the work of John Piper through his prints which include many scenes of churches and ruins in East Anglia. But his designs were also used by Sanderson Fabrics like the famous ‘Stones of Bath’, stained glass such as the wonderful windows in the Metropolitan Cathedral in Liverpool and Coventry Cathedral, wallpaper including his foliate head series and even on Formica topped furniture.

Ceramics however are seldom seen but can be a more affordable way of owning an artwork from one of this country’s greatest 20th Century artists.An opportunity will be coming to TW Gaze in our Modern Design sale on Saturday 8th July when we will offer this terracotta dish.

Piper first looked into ceramics after meeting the potter Geoffery Eastop in the late 1960’s and by the end of the decade a pottery was built next to Piper’s home in Fawley Bottom, South Buckinghamshire.A working partnership developed which lasted until 1985 with the early pieces made by Eastop or assistants under Piper’s design who then decorated them. Chargers and plates were the main staple although much rarer vases and jugs were also made.

They were painted with abstract forms, something of a return in style from his earlier career but others were decorated with stylised trees and birds. His later collaboration at The Fulham Pottery included candlesticks & obelisks that were painted in a similar style to his paintings and prints.

The dish we have on offer is numbered 2 and dated ’77, painted in black with a yellow glazed ‘eye’ it is part of a series of similarly painted platters of the period. It’s estimate is £800-1200 and will be joined in the sale by another piece of Piper design in the form of a 1950’s Sanderson curtain panel in ‘Arundel’ pattern priced at £300-400.

Frederick W. Fitt Frederick William Fitt was an early Norfolk celebrity. Born in 1871, he served as a Norwich city councillor from 1901-1922 later becoming an alderman. He married Fannie Bostock in 1895 and had one son, Fred, and a daughter, Doris who also served on Norwich city council.

Frederick owned and ran a highly successful removal firm and later would run the Hippodrome Theatre Norwich. As a demonstration of their status and amongst the Fitt family achievements, Mrs Fitt was the first lady in East Anglia to drive a motor car. Frederick Fitt died in 1957 aged 85.

Frederick and Fannie Fitt’s daughter Doris was given this lovely monogrammed writing case at the age of around 16 by her grandfather. Doris was finishing her studies and was a keen writer specialising in housewifery. This charming lot will feature in our Quarterly Antiques Special Sale together with the usual collection of antiques and collectables.

Buyer’s keen on the Fitt family name should also look out for our Rural & Domestic Bygones auction on 3 June which is set to feature two enamel signs relating to the household removal firm.

Bygones catalogue on twgaze.co.uk from Wednesday 31 May.

Quarterly Antiques Special Sale Friday 23 June, 10.30am

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We had a fantastic turnout for TW Gaze’s Land and Property Auction on 11 May 2017. The auction room was packed and results show that interest is still very much there for the interesting and unusual properties.

Land sales are still strong, with Lot 5, a single block of land of 1.84ac with redundant buildings, achieving £102,000 against a guide of £40,000£60,000; but perhaps the most exciting Lot and one that the majority of the room were waiting for, was our final Lot, the 9.63ac

of Woodland at Green Street, Hoxne, with a guide of £40,000£60,000. There was much excitement in the auction room, where bids started at £45,000 and escalated quickly to the final bid of £142,000! An amazing 70 legal packs had been requested and sent out for the Lot, which is a new TWG record. We had thought the record, set in our December Auction where 52 legal packs were sent out for our Lot 2, 2.71ac of Land at Forncett St Mary, guided at £30,000-£40,000 and making a staggering £113,500, couldn’t be beaten.

Jenna Goodall Browne MRICS FAAV Rural Associate

Small parcels of land are proving extremely popular, with many people wishing to own their ‘piece of England’ and favouring a ‘staycation’, perhaps spending weekends and summer holidays camping on a parcel of land or woodland that they own in England, rather than travelling abroad.

Top Lot was Stanton Manor, a 1960’s house, which had never been permanently occupied and now required complete refurbishment. It was viewed by over 100 people and achieved £540,000 against a guide of £400,000+.

There were plenty of disappointed buyers who had travelled some distance to bid.

We are now taking entries for our summer auction, so if you have a property or land to sell, please contact us for more details.

Diss: 01379 641341 or Wymondham: 01953 423188.

by Andre Ling Auctioneer & Valuer

May 12 saw the first of our dedicated Garden Furniture Sales held along side the weekly meadow auction, and contained everything needed to transform the most basic garden setting into a stylish outdoor space.

The star lot from all 106 lots was Lot 3134, a cream painted metal English rose tunnel that achieved a hammer price of £300. Other highlights included Lot 3181, a large root bench £230 and Lot 3170, a teak garden bench made from reclaimed timbers from HMS Lion.

handy!

GAZETTE Issue 57 June’17

TW Gaze Diss Auction Rooms, Diss, Norfolk IP22 4LN www.twgaze.co.uk

Although this feature sale will be held once a year you will still find garden furniture covering all styles every week in the general meadow sale, plus planters and fresh nursery stock as well. #outdoorliving