Antiques and Art in NSW by World of Antiques & Art

antiques&art SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2011

IN NEW SOUTH WALES

QUEEN STREET ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

TIM MCCORMICK COLONIAL PAINTINGS • RARE BOOKS PRINTS • PHOTOGRAPHS MANUSCRIPTS • AUSTRALIANA PURCHASED AND SOLD

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IN NEW SOUTH WALES

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Natural sapphire and diamond ring c. 1890, set in 18 ct gold and platinum

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ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

French oak Geronde

Sally inspects French timber for French Farmhouse Tables

EUROPEAN

forests and furniture making S

ince ordinary furniture had to be within the reach of people with very little purchasing power, it follows that its construction although sturdy, should be simple and its material readily available. As French Farmhouse is in the furniture and table making business, the growth of trees and how they have been converted into usable timber is my primary concern. How a tree grows determines the many features and uses of the eventual timber. Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s generally rich soil and its comparatively mild climate provided the land with an abundance of trees ideal for use as timber. Throughout history wood has been utilised for nearly every necessity â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from houses and ships to cups and plates, as well as from warmth to food preparation. Wood is an exceptionally practical material, easily fashioned with simple tools and accessible to even the poorest labourers.

UNDERSTANDING sapwood As a tree grows taller it also increases its girth by producing a new layer of wood tissue under the bark. This layer forms part of the outer zone known as sapwood, which conveys sap vertically through the tree, and in temperate climates it grows at different speeds according to the season. In spring when growth is most rapid, the new sapwood layer tends to become course in texture and pale, in summer it is fine and dark, and in autumn and winter there is little if any growth at all.

Timber details become a feature in furniture

These seasonal layers are concentric in cross section and are termed growth rings. Each year as a fresh layer grows over the previous one, the inner most sap wood gradually loses the ability to carry sap and becomes part of the heartwood or core of the tree. Sapwood is generally paler, softer and more vulnerable to woodworm or decay than heartwood and for that reason is usually avoided in furniture construction. Wood is largely composed of many interconnecting tube like fibres which run the length of the tree and it is partly these fibres and their disposition in the annual growth rings which constitute the grain seen on timber. The same species of tree grown in different locations with richer soil, more rainfall, and more sun will grow faster than a tree in poorer soil or less water or sunlight. Another discernable feature of some timbers is that caused by medullary rays, small bands of cells which conveyed and stored nutrients horizontally and which if a tree is seen in cross section appear to radiate from the centre intersecting the rings. Although these rays are present in all timbers and especially visible in oak as pale stripes reaching to the core of the wood, they are clearly visible in comparatively few timbers.

EXOTIC figuring The most exotic figuring on timber and therefore highly prized on furniture is that caused burrs and pollards. A burr (British) or

burl (American English) is a natural growth or disfigurement on the surface of a tree, usually the result of disease or injury. It is particularly attractive and therefore popular when it occurs in elm, oak, maple, walnut or yew. Burrs will also form at the base of a trunk when new shoots have appeared after damage to the top of the tree. Pollarding a tree is a technique of lopping off the top of the trunk in order to encourage a thick growth of young shoots that are subsequently trimmed annually, as is common practice in France with plane trees. This artificially produces a re-growth similar to a burr. A cross-section of a burr or Pollard reveals a convoluted pattern of tightly grained knots and whorls which when polished can be spectacular and beautiful. All timbers can be grouped into two basic categories. The hard woods are usually deciduous forest trees, while soft woods are usually evergreen. There are also fruitwoods, some being deciduous and others evergreen. I will share my passion for the individual species and the regions in which they grew and their uses in furniture making with readers in the next issue. Sally Beresford SALLY BERESFORD ANTIQUES 02 9362 1733 info@sallyberesford.com.au www.sallyberesford.com.au

Oak dresser base

Cross section of oak, showing bark exterior, sapwood, heartwood in concentric circles and medullary rays

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Editorial Content COVER Guy Grey-Smith, Perth from Kings Park, 1949, oil on canvas. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Gift of the artist’s son Mark Grey-Smith 1991

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European forests and furniture making – Sally Beresford Out & about Upstairs Downstairs: photographs of Britain 1874-1990 – Anne O’Hehir Illustrators and writers of children’s books at the Hughenden The beauty of turquoise Restoring silver skills, W.J. Sanders now 100 years old Caring for and maintaining rugs and carpets – Ahmet Solak The L-S of oriental rugs – Ross Langlands Fine furniture, art works and more in the heart of Bondi Junction Pack & Send art and antique specialists Great value fair at Moore Park, 21st Great Sydney Antiques Fair From a special place: Burmese Buddhist arts The new collector – John Albrecht Antique engagement rings – Tammy Palmer Ancient craft of gilding finds revival in 21st century – Brigitte Eggert Industrial furniture at Doug up on Bourke – Sophie Mason Living with collections – Beverley Brown Welcome to the Mitchell Road Antique and Design Centre experience Decorating with French antiques, how to mix antique and modern – Nadia Aber Griffith Pack & Send now open at Botany Philip Kent home at the Heritage Building Centre At the Noble Numismatics sale coins, medals and notes achieve nearly five million dollars Stamp collecting: Where do I begin? – Gary Watson Australian Antiquarian Book Fair 2011 Unlocking the mystery of Australia’s first coin House at Museum of Sydney, colonial life and expansion in 19th century New South Wales – Louise Tegart At the Australian National Maritime Museum - Scott’s last exhibition In the spotlight at the ANMM, Tampa and SIEV X ten years on – Kim Tao Around the world with Janet Stevenson – Kim Tao French finds pour le jardin et la maison Boopabelia, collecting Betty Boop – Kim Hughes Investing in rare currency Mix it up with Resurrection and find your unique style Kokeshi: the Japanese collectable doll – David Foster Sydney Art Show + Sydney Love Vintage Clothing Show & Sale Christmas, holiday & year-round gift shopping at the Sydney Antique Centre Japanese Satsuma pottery – Tom Kiernan 700 years of wardrobes, armoires and presses – Gary Auton French Art Deco lighting A gardener’s vision at Garden Curiosities – David Ell Custom joinery, floors and furniture – John Fredriksson Balmain Road is celebrating its first birthday Even more to see in Balmain’s ‘Windows to watch’ A working jeweller: In the workshop of Troy O’Brien Antique General Store for usable yet unusual pieces Norman Alfred William Lindsay ay Day Fine Art Aladdin incandescent mantle lamps – Jurgen Weissner Oriental cloisonné: Japan – Narelle Ward Islington Antiques in Newcastle since 1990 Gouda Pottery – Narelle Ward Rare model boats made in the Hunter Valley between 1890 and 1980 – Michael Lee From milliner’s essential to highly collectable: the hat block – Gaye Dawson The good life: Heartland - for sale with freehold Windsor and Hawkesbury antiques and collectables trail The scenic Hunter Valley perfect for antique hunters Art Deco in Australia - taken for granted – Roger Garner The world’s largest private teapot collection Bygone Beautys cottages UK buying orgy – Kathy Kasz Why do we love old stuff so much? – Jane Crowley Western Australian goldfields jewellery – Robert Bell AM Julie Blyfield and Sue Lorraine at the National Gallery of Australia – Meredith Hinchliffe The Forrest Hotel and Apartments The beginnings of time in horology – Michael Colman The AAADA offers a series of specialist lectures to inspire collectors Swifts Sydney, open house and garden weekend

NOTICE The publishers reserve the right to refuse and edit material. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. No responsibility will be taken for any decision made by the reader as a result of such opinions.

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ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

OUT & About

Kim O’Connor

Roman Wiesback

Dr Henry Lieberman & Gila Lieberman

Terry Ingram

Ali of Persian Rugs

A sparkling event in Randwick

he opening evening of the annual AAADA Spring Fair held at the Randwick Racecourse on Wednesday 7 September was a glittering event that attracted a large crowd. Trade was brisk as collectors quickly snapped up the special pieces that had been held in reserve for this highly prestigious event. As in years past, visitors were delighted with the high quality and diverse range of decorative and fine arts brought to the fair by dealers from across the country, a healthy indicator for the continued vibrancy of the industry.

Marilyn Wine

Charles & Deidre Aronson

Rod Cauchi, Kathy Kasz (Hunters & Collectors)

Albert & Ruth Wine

Jennifer Hershon, Robyn Fairfax-Ross

Doris Garrett, The Hon Peter Garrett AM MP

Sara Kurzer, Michelle Baerd

Penny Hanan, Forooz Normoyle

Greg Currie, David Wine

Peter Woof, Leo Schofield

Carolyn McDowall, Lucas Campbell

Anna Paule, Tony Philips (Philips Auctions Melbourne)

Author Sue Whiting, Margaret Hamilton OAM

Maurice Saxby OAM, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO

Tory Gervay

Children’s Book Council Australia at the Hughenden

er Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO Governor of NSW, the ViceRegal Patron to the Children’s Book Council Australia (CBCA) was guest of honour at a CBCA dinner held at The Hughenden. In attendance was Maurice Saxby OAM regarded as the father of Australian children’s literature, publisher and former CBCA President Margaret Hamilton OAM, author Susanne Gervay OAM and many award winning authors and illustrators.

Left to right: Local artists Gabriella Nagata, Lizzie Turnbull, Vivian Falk, Miriam GuttmanJones (Deputy Mayor of Waverley Council), Simon Chan (gallery owner), John Acton, Robyn Kosmin, Lisa Lemish and Bob Baird

Local artists showing in Bondi Junction

Authors Sue Whiting, Jill Bruce, Margaret Roc (seated), CBCA committee member Mary McNally

he Spectrum 8 art exhibition held at Simon Chan Art Atrium, Bondi Junction, in early July included works by well-established and fresh artists. Included were works by Vivian Falk whose portraits hang in Canberra’s Portrait Gallery and sculptures of Beth Galgut, the teacher and mentor to many of the artists showing at this exhibition.

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

End of an era at the Maritime Museum

30th Anniversary of Four Winds Gallery, Double Bay

ong time Maritime Museum staffer Bill Richards was given a farewell party to mark his retirement, stepping down as media manager. The event held late August in the Maritime Museum’s new sidewalk café was attended by the many friends and colleagues that had come to know Bill during the 20 years of service at the Museum.

Bill Richards, Harry Potter

Warwick Abadee (Volunteer ANMM), Dallas Bicknell (Education Officer ANMM)

Irina Tadevosyan (Marketing ANMM), Lisha Mulqueeny (Branch Head, Commercial Services ANMM), Suzy Merkur (Venues ANMM)

ate in June this year, Four Winds Gallery celebrated its 30 years of trading with a special exhibition of works by Bruce King, a member of the Oneida Nation heralding from Green Bay Wisconsin in the Great Lakes. Also on offer were old pawn jewellery, contemporary jewellery and sculptures, ceramics and everyday objects created by USA and Canadian Native Americans. Select items from Mexico have been added to the mix of works by the first people of North America.

Sherell Watson, an avid collector and Chaia Fein, a sculptor and jeweller Dallas Bicknell (Education Officer ANMM), Mary-Louise Williams (Director ANMM))

Shirani Aththas (A/G External Relations Manager ANMM), Stephan Gapps (Curator ANMM)

Bill Richards, Ian McNamara (‘Macca’ ABC Radio), Lee Kelly

Harriet Mackenzie, Bryce Waters

Daina Fletcher (Senior Curator ANMM), Bill Richards, Hugh Lander (Public Affairs Manager, Sydney Heritage Fleet)

Robin Richards, Dallas Bicknell

Mary-Louise Williams (Director ANMM), Neridah Wyatt-Sprall, Deborah Rogers

WHAT’S ON FROM LATE SEPTEMBER The Tampa Crisis & X for unknown – SIEV X Australian Maritime Museum Darling Harbour www.anmm.gov.au

26-30 OCTOBER The Great Sydney Antiques Fair. Royal Hall of Industries Moore Park Sydney 1300 135 516 info@antique-artfairs.com.au

2 OCTOBER Sydney Collectables & Antiques Fair, Greyhounds Function Centre Wentworth Park Glebe 0419 333 220

8 NOVEMBER Lecture: Rugs and kilims from the Caucasus at Nomadic Rug Traders, 123 Harris St, Pyrmont www.nomadicrugtraders.com

13 OCTOBER-1 DECEMBER AAADA Spring Seminar Series www.aaada.org.au SHOWING UNTIL 16 OCTOBER Scott’s Last Expedition Australian Maritime Museum Darling Harbour www.anmm.gov.au 14-16 OCTOBER Vintage Clothing Jewellery & Textiles Show. Canterbury Racecourse King St Canterbury 0409 150 692 www.lovevintage.com.au Art Sydney at Sydney Exhibition Centre Darling Harbour www.sydneyartshow.com.au SHOWING UNTIL 23 OCTOBER House - Robyn Stacey at the Museum of Sydney www.hht.net.au

Jackie Boaden, Helen Quarrell

10-12 NOVEMBER Antiquarian Book Fair at State Library NSW www.anzaab.com 18-20 NOVEMBER Swifts Sydney Open Day 68 Darling Point Road, Darling Point www.swiftssydney.com.au NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA, CANBERRA www.nga.gov.au • Fred Williams until 6 November • Upstairs Downstairs – Photographs of Britain 1874-1990 until 23 December • Handwritten – 10 centuries of manuscript treasures opening 26 November • Renaissance: 15th & 16th century Italian paintings opening 9 December • Out of the West, Art of Western Australia until 1 April 2012 Nigel O’Neil, Jennifer Guy of Four Winds Gallery, James Haldane

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Bill Brandt (1904-1983), Parlourmaid and underparlourmaid, ready to serve dinner, c. 1935, gelatin silver photograph, 23 x 11.8 cm. National Gallery of Australia

David Moore (1927-2003), Battersea Fun Fair, London, 1951, gelatin silver photograph, 49 x 39.6 cm. National Gallery of Australia. Gift of David Moore 1983

David Potts (b. 1926), Henley Regatta, 1954, gelatin silver photograph, 59.4 x 41.7 cm. National Gallery of Australia

Grace Robertson (b. 1930), First pull up was dancing time from Mother’s day off, 1954, gelatin silver photograph, 25.5 x 20.2 cm. National Gallery of Australia

Showing at the NGA until 23 December is

Upstairs Downstairs: photographs of Britain 1874–1990 A

Martin Parr (b. 1952), Ice cream shop from The last resort: photographs of New Brighton, 1983-86, Type C colour photograph, 43.8 x 53.4 cm. National Gallery of Australia

Nick Waplington (b. 1965), Girls vacuuming lawn, 1990 from the series Living room, 1991, direct positive colour photograph. National Gallery of Australia

quick flip through any history of photography will confirm the suspicion that the rich and the famous have been long and well served by photography. There will also be, however, just as many images of people whose names history has never known. The social documentary tradition, focusing on the lives of ordinary people, has been one of the driving forces in photography virtually since its invention. This is a particularly strong thread making its way through the history of British photography – hardly a surprise in a society traditionally marked by class divisions and prejudices. The faces that stare back out at us from the photographs in Upstairs downstairs are hard to forget. These include haunting images of the working classes of the 1870s in the pages of the ground-breaking and at times heartbreaking book Street life of London by Scot John Thomson. In the 1930s through to the sixties were photojournalists working in the concerned documentary tradition. On show are images by German émigrés Bill Brandt – gritty and arresting – and Felix H. Man, making nostalgic records that seem from another time. Juxtaposed are the joyful shots by Grace Robertson to moving images of the poor in

Chris Killip (b. 1946), Bo, on a horse, 1984 from the series In flagrante, 1975-87, gelatin silver photograph, 40.9 x 50.4 cm. National Gallery of Australia

the East End by Edith Tudor Hart. Humphrey Spender’s images for Mass Observation are reflective and quiet compared to Roger Mayne’s photos of children living out their rough-and-tumble lives on the streets. Their images were seen by millions in the picture magazines of the day, most notably in the pages of Picture Post, in publication from 1938 to 1957. This photographic news magazine played an important role in the creation of a sense of national identity throughout World War II and the austerity measures which long followed. These photographs encapsulated all that was quintessentially ‘British.’ We also see examples by photographers arriving in Britain from our shores. David Moore and David Potts, mates in Sydney and sharing digs in London in the fifties are young men making their way in the world. There is also the perceptive and sometimes playful work of Hong Kong-born Lewis Morley who was able to sound his own note within the clamour of an exciting and volatile era. The show finishes with more personal visions by photographers of more recent times – Chris Killip’s In flagrante, a darkly poetic and brooding meditation on the devastating effect of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s monetarist policies on the north, Martin Parr’s The last resort, a painful and darkly hilarious study of the

Chris Killip (b. 1946), Bever, Skinningrove, North Yorkshire, 1980 from the series In flagrante, 1975-87, gelatin silver photograph, 40.9 x 50.4 cm. National Gallery of Australia

English at New Brighton, and Nick Waplington’s Living room, a record of the chaotic and vital lives of his grandfather’s neighbours on the Broxtowe housing estate in Nottingham. At times there was a desire to bring awareness, to show how ‘the other half’ lives. Some photographers coupled this with a passionate yearning to affect change. Others have sought to amuse and entertain, from capturing the eccentricity and wonder of seemingly unfathomable traditions to the delights of children at play. The photographs are a reminder that similar hopes and dreams drove the people in the images as those that motivate us. They are also testament of a vibrant, shifting and often complex society. All photographs in Upstairs Downstairs: photographs of Britain 1874–1990 are from the collection of the National Gallery of Australia. There is a selection of books and magazines from the National Gallery of Australia Research Library on display complementing the exhibition on show until 23 December 2011. Anne O’Hehir Assistant Curator of Photography NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA 02 6240 6411 www.nga.gov.au

Lewis Morley (b. 1925), Black couple and carousel at Hampstead fun fair, c. 1959, gelatin silver photograph printed 2002, 29.4 x 45.2 cm. National Gallery of Australia

QUEEN STREET ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Graeme Base, From the Shadows for the Hope Card

Kris Aro McLeod, Northern California for the Hope Card

Frané Lessac, The Garden

May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust

Illustrators and writers of children’s books

at the Hughenden

Governor Marie Bashir AC, CVO with Maurice Saxby AM

riginal Australian children’s book illustrations by renowned Australian artists were exhibited in The Hughenden Reading Room. Academy Award short film winner for The Lost Thing, Shan Tan is represented with his stylised illustration of the monkey alienated in the modern world. Multi award winning illustrators Donna Rawlings, Nina Rycroft, Coral Tulloch, Frane Lessac, Cathy Wilcox and Steven Woolman are included. A rare etching by Pixie O’Harris (1903-1991) reminds viewers of this much loved artist and her illustrations of fairies and Australian bushland flora and fauna. The Governor of New South Wales, Professor Marie Bashir AC, CVO was welcomed by authors, illustrators and those involved in children’s literature as Patron of the Children’s Book Council NSW. Speaking at its dinner hosted at The Hughenden, she advocated for children’s literature. Among the literati acknowledged for their contribution to children’s literature were the writer and critic Maurice Saxby AM, Margaret Hamilton AM, former children’s publisher and President of the Children’s Book Council Australia (CBCA) and Susanne Gervay OAM.

THE Hughenden c. 1870s The 19th century Hughenden, is a natural home for children’s literature and illustration as it was the 19th century which saw the emergence of children’s novels and poetry. Major authors include E Nesbitt, Banjo Paterson, Ethel Turner, Rudyard Kipling, Robert Louis Stevenson, Lewis Carroll and Charles Dickens. In fact in Centennial Parklands, 1888, on Dickens Drive there is one of only two statues in the world of Charles Dickens, opposite The Hughenden.

Associated with Australia’s first philosopher, Barzillai Quaife, it was built by Dr Frederick Quaife who had six children. The home later became the Riviere College for girls, whose students included Dame Constance Elizabeth D’Arcy (1879-1950) obstetrician and gynaecologist who fought to reduce maternal deaths and Lillian Daphne de Lissa (1885-1967) an educator of young children who directed the first Adelaide free kindergarten, Franklin Street, in a cottage in the city’s slums. The motto of the Riviere College, ‘The Rewards of Work and Diligence’, is etched in the glass above the entrance of the Riviere wing of The Hughenden alongside memorabilia and original artwork by Australian children’s illustrators Patricia Oktober and Sarah Davis. Jean Chapman donated her collection of children’s books, such as special Hans Christian Anderson editions, to The Hughenden, on display in the heritage gallery. One of Australia’s best-loved writers for children, Jean lived in Sydney and studied at the National Art School, starting writing stories for pre-school children for the ABC Kindergarten of the Air. In addition to 25 years as a scriptwriter for ABC children’s radio and television programs, such as Play School, she is widely known for her retelling of traditional stories and collections of stories, poems and songs, including Velvet Paws and Whiskers, Pancakes and Painted Eggs.

EXHIBITIONS and events The Hughenden is home to the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (Australia and New Zealand). We host children’s literature and literary events, book launches, international and national literary dinners, publishing, literature and arts conferences, and storytellers’ afternoons. Another specialty is hosting indigenous Dreamtime days with traditional oral story, drawings and paintings. Dr Garry Darby, a specialist in indigenous art has regular exhibitions of paintings from leading Central and Western Australia Aboriginal artists. Committed to children’s literature, the Book Menu offers modern titles with all proceeds from sales donated to Room to Read, a charity introducing literacy children in the developing world (www.roomtoread.org), with over five million reached to date. Children’s authors and illustrators from northern California – Linda Boyden, Angela Dominguez, Kathie Strother-Scholl, Danna

Smith, Zu Vincent and Kris Aro McLeod – sent their words and illustrations in the beautiful Hope Card book to the children of Australia and the Victorian fires. This is sold in the Book Menu along with autographed children’s books. Books in homes for indigenous and disadvantaged children, The Cancer Council, Relay for Life, Children’s Book Council Australia, The Alannah & Madeline Foundation, MonkeyBaa Theatre for Young People, Starlight, networks of children’s writers and illustrators are part of the fabric of the life of children’s literature at The Hughenden.

Storyteller Anna Conomos

Visitors are welcome to wander through the Victorian lounge and find the portrait of the Victorian girl, discover the Reading Room illustrations, select a book from the Book Menu, purchase autographed children’s books and discover an authentic literary and arts life. Susanne Gervay OAM THE HUGHENDEN Free call 1800 642 432 02 9363 4863 reservations@thehughenden.com.au www.thehughenden.com.au

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The Hughenden c. 1870, associated with Australia’s first philosopher Barzillai Quaife, is home to literature & the arts. Discover the works of Archibald artist Wendy Sharpe; 1930s Laurent works; c. 1850 painting of the Victorian girl, artist unknown. Jazz & musical evenings, art exhibitions and books are part of Hughenden life. *Not valid Friday and Saturday nights. Valid until 30 November 2011

HUGHENDEN BOUTIQUE HOTEL 14 Queen Street, Woollahra, Sydney

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ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Horace Iule (c. 1901-1978), Buckle, 1928, silver, turquoise. Heard Museum NA

The beauty of turquoise The history of turquoise spans thousands of years and crosses the world, with deposits found in Africa, Burma, Iran, Tibet, Peru, China, and in the southwest of the United States

Navajo concha belt, bracelet and pendant, Santo Domingo nugget necklace, Eureka County, Nevada Arizona

he word ‘turquoise’ is derived from French and means ‘Turkish stone’. The turquoise stone, made from hydrated copper and aluminium phosphate under high temperatures, was first introduced to western Europe from Persia, via Turkey. The history of turquoise spans thousands of years and crosses the world, with deposits found in Africa, Burma, Iran, Tibet, Peru, China, and in the southwest of the United States. In ancient China, turquoise was second only to jade in status and value. In ancient Mexico, it was reserved purely for the gods, while in other cultures, it was, and still is, considered it to be a protector against the evil eye. Turquoise has been part of the Native American tradition for centuries. Scientific research has shown that ancient beads found in South America originally came from the Cerrillos turquoise mine near Santa Fe. Some of the world’s finest and most beautiful jewellery is still produced in Arizona and New Mexico. For thousands of years, the people of Santo Domingo Pueblo combined turquoise with seashells, jet, and other materials to form heishi—flat, disk-like beads. Turquoise was, and still is, a popular medium for mosaic jewellery. Zuni Indians are famous for mosaic jewellery. Turquoise animal carvings by the Zuni were used for protection, religious ceremonies, and body adornment. In Zuni tradition, the rich blue colour of the stone symbolises ‘the supreme life giving power’, and fragments of turquoise were used for the eyes of fetishes and mixed with sacred cornmeal and presented as an offering to masked deities. In the early 1900s, Zuni carvings were transformed into commercial jewellery. Zuni lapidarists would drill and string small carvings into fetish necklaces and earrings, or traders would arrange with Zuni silversmiths to set the carvings in silver for pins rings and bracelets. Leekya Deyuse (1889–1966), was originally a maker of large tab, nugget and disk bead necklaces. He later became very famous for his fetish jewellery and carvings. Considered to be a pioneer in the carving of turquoise and coral, Leekya Deyuse was one of the most well-known Zuni jewellers of his time. He tended to use more bluey-green turquoise, rather than the lighter blue turquoise, because of its softness and ability to be shaped into an animal. Leekya Deyuse’s work can be seen at the Four Winds Gallery.

Teddy Weahkee (1890–1965) was another very well known and highly collectable Zuni fetish carver, who also loved turquoise. His carvings in turquoise are more angular than those by Leekya Deyuse. Some Navajo claim that a man named Atsidi Sani was their first metalsmith, learning from the Mexican silversmiths (plateros) in New Mexico, around 1853. Atsidi Chon was one of the first to set turquoise on silver, sometime around 1878. This skill was shared with other Navajos and passed on to other tribes. Among the Native Americans of the southwest, turquoise was used for religious and ornamental purposes and for the Navajos, their turquoise jewellery used as currency. This jewellery is known as ‘old pawn’. Even before pawn became part of the Pueblo economic system, turquoise and silver were part of the barter system among the Zuni, Hopi, White Mountain and Jicarilla, Apaches, Navajo, Ute, Havasupai, and Walapai Indians as well as some of the Pueblos. The Apache believed turquoise helped warriors and hunters to aim accurately and liked to attach a small piece to their bows so arrows would fly true. The Zuni of western New Mexico placed the highest value on it with a string of turquoise beds worth several horses. In Zuni tradition the rich blue colour symbolises the ‘the supreme giving of power’. Fragments of turquoise are used for the eyes of fetishes and are commingled with sacred cornmeal and presented as an offering to masked deities. Most tribes believe that turquoise brings good fortune, energy, healing, protection and ensures a long a healthy life and happiness, hence its age-old popularity as a personal ornament. There are a number of reasons why turquoise is, and was, so popular. It occurs naturally near the surface of the earth, so it is possible to obtain with even the most primitive of tools. Secondly, it has soft, easily worked shapes, and the colour mimickes the two things Native Americans admired the most: sky and water. Pueblo Indian legend says that turquoise steals its blue colour from the sky. Turquoise is never faceted; since it is opaque there would be no point. A lot of the best contemporary turquoise is nugget style (baroque), and not ground to any conventional gem cut. There are two reasons: firstly, economy as there is less wastage in nugget cuts, the process is not as time-consuming, and turquoise crumbles easily in the grinding process. Secondly, nugget cuts complement

DOUBLE BAY ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Celebrate 30 years of trading Jennifer’s return from the Southwest USA buying trip 2011 collection: • Significant historic jewellery by Leekya Deyuse, Dan Simplicio, John Gordon Leake, Frank Vacit, Joe Quintana and several white Hogan silversmiths. • Recent jewellers McKee Platero, H.H.Begay, Dan Jackson, Pete and Vivien Haloo, Liz Wallace, Cody Sanderson, Cippy Crazyhorse, Mike Bird, Charlene Reano, Rosetta Heishi and others. • Museum quality historic late 1800 and early 1900 Navajo silver jewellery. • A collection of hand rolled and drilled graduated jocklas from high grade turquoise. • A rare group of turn of the century silver and turquoise drop earrings from a private collection. • Early Sioux beaded blanket strip. • Beautiful Squash Blossom necklaces set with Villa grove and sleeping beauty turquoise. • Early turquoise tab earrings in natural blue and green stones. • Extensive collection of Navajo silver button earrings. • New sculptures by Cliff Fragua in Italian marbles. • Historic pots. • Selection of transitional Navajo rugs from the 1900 to 1930’s period. • Large fetish collection from Zuni. • Hispanic candelabras, vintage wooden South American timber boxes. • Collection of coral necklaces, rings and earrings. • Wonderful vintage ring collection. • A group of early Navajo and Zuni conch belts in plain silver and turquoise and silver.

Please view our website for a more comprehensive selection SHOP 11 BAY VILLAGE, 28-34 CROSS ST, DOUBLE BAY 2028 02 9328 7951 • OPEN 7 DAYS Mon - Sat 10am - 5pm, Sun 11 - 5pm Email: fourwindsgallery@telstra.com Web: www.fourwindsgallery.com.au

the free-form silver work characteristic of contemporary jewellery. Many dealers claim they can identify a stone’s origins simply by looking at it and assessing the colour, hardness and matrix. This may be true of some dealers in relation to the highest grade stones but as the quality decreases the similarities increase and one lower grade stone looks very much like another. The quality of the turquoise can vary within a given mine, although some mines or areas produce better quality stones than others. In more recent years, some of these stones have come from Lone Mountain, Nevada, Kingman, Arizona (of variable quality), Bisbee and Morenci, Los Cerrillos, and New Mexico.

The mines in New Mexico have been in use since prehistoric times and the majority of the stones have a distinct greenish cast to them. This greener stone is the most typical of pieces produced in the 1880s unlike the robin’s egg blue variety preferred by buyers today. In its raw state, turquoise is purchased by the pound; when cut and polished it is sold by the carat. The price per carat varies considerably, even among stones produced from the same mine, and may also vary depending on the cut. Despite its cyclical history the demand for turquoise is unlikely to diminish, due in part to the finite supply, and its continuing popularity. When the New Mexico Legislature adopted turquoise as the state gem in 1967, it officially

acknowledged the importance of the ‘sky stone’ in the culture and the history of the Southwestern people. Perhaps in the popular mind nothing is more emblematic of the land of enchantment than turquoise jewellery. Natural turquoise captivates and attracts many collectors; it is unusual and provides the wearer with positive energy. Each form of turquoise has a story, an origin, and for some, a deep spiritual significance.

FOUR WINDS GALLERY 02 9328 7951 www.fourwindsgallery.com.au References Joe Dan Lowry and Joe P Lowry, Turquoise Unearthed: an illustrated guide (rocks, minerals and gemstones), Rio Nuevo, 2002. Deborah C. Slaney, Blue gem, white metal, exhibition catalogue for ‘Blue Gem, White Metal: Carvings and Jewelry from the C.G. Wallace Collection’, 1998, Heard Museum, Phoenix, Arizona. Arnold Vigil (ed), The Allure of Turquoise, New Mexico Magazine,1995. Carl Rosnek and Joseph Stacey, Skystone and silver: the collector’s book of Southwest Indian jewellery Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1976. Gregory Schaaf, ‘Turquoise: sacred stones’, Native Peoples: Arts and Lifeways, vol xvi, no 6, Sept/Oct 2003.

Far left: Map showing locations of historic Southwestern turquoise mines and varieties found at each site Left: Prehistoric Hohokam turquoise and hematite mosaic earrings, Snaketown, Arizona Below: Leekya Deyuse (1889-1966), Frog bracelet, c. 1930s, silver, Castle Dome turquoise. Heard Museum NA

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Two stages of engraving of the 2003 Liverpool Cup with the coat of arms and the race details. The sterling silver cup will then be 24 ct gold plated

The Liverpool Cup 2003

Design drawings for the City of Liverpool Gold Cup from 40 years ago are used to make the annual trophy

Restoring silver skills W.J. Sanders now 100 years old t is uncommon to find long-established Australian companies with a background of skills and traditions that would motivate an author to research and record its history comprehensively. Author, social and industrial historian and silver enthusiast Kenneth Cavill first wrote the history of W.J. Sanders in 1984; an updated version was published in Australiana magazine in May 1998.

HISTORY of W.J. Sanders The story that Professor Cavill uncovered starts: ‘William James Sanders was an accomplished silversmith. He was born in 1885 in the jewellery district of Birmingham, England and as an apprentice he learnt his craft at the noted Vittoria Street School of Jewellers and Silversmiths. Moreover the practical expertise he gained while in the

A typical restoration project, a sterling silver coffee pot before and after restoration by W.J. Sanders

employ of Levi and Salaman and later as factory manager for C. Lyster and Son, manufacturing silversmiths of Birmingham, was to serve him well in Australia. W.J. Sanders chose to emigrate and on arrival in Sydney in 1911, set about establishing his own business. Briefly he occupied premises in the old Victoria Arcade. By 1912, his small workshop was located in Sabiel’s Building at 80 Hunter Street. During these early years he was engaged largely in restoration and repair work for the trade. Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, regular shipments of British and continental silverwares were interrupted. Long established jewellery houses and wholesalers soon turned to local manufacturers for supplies. W.J. Sanders took up the challenge and began manufacturing much of the small silver work then in demand. By 1915, he had moved to larger premises at 212 Clarence Street, where his output included trinket boxes, cigarette cases, vesta match boxes and match box holders, photo frames and napkin rings. Popular ladies’ accessories followed, including compacts in several sizes, silver-mesh bags and purses. Individual sporting shields, cups and trophies were made to order. Sanders’ business continued to expand and in 1924, a further move was made to Bowen’s Building at 1 Lee Street, Railway Square. This was to be the location of W.J. Sanders, manufacturing silversmiths, goldsmiths and art metal workers for close on half a century. Sanders’ production of tableware, in sterling silver, was extensive. The wares

included tea and coffee services, sauce boats, condiment sets, tankards and beakers, jugs and of course, numerous christening and presentation mugs. Salvers were made in considerable numbers. By far the greater proportion of the smallwork and table silverware produced by W.J. Sanders was manufactured prior to World War II. Many of these items are now eagerly sought by collectors of Australian silver. The wide range of sterling silver goods produced should bear the standard mark ... The four stamps: W.J.S., 925 and the characteristic STG together with an elephant’s head have been used by W.J. Sanders, W.J. Sanders Pty Ltd and subsequently Amor-Sanders Pty Ltd from c. 1915 … The elephant’s head has its origin in the coat of arms of the Sanders family. Much of the silverware, designed and manufactured by William Sanders was made for the better known jewellery houses and department stores including David Jones, J.M. Dempster, Drummonds, Fairfax & Roberts, S. Hoffnung & Company, Hardy Bros, W. Kerr and Prouds. The marks of these companies were stamped on the silverware that Sanders made for them. The wares are documented in Sanders’ pattern books. With the outbreak of World War II this firm of skilled metal workers was soon involved in the production of aircraft component parts for the Ministry of Munitions. By mid 1946, W.J. Sanders was able to resume pre-war activities. The untimely death of William James Sanders occurred later in 1946, at the age of 61. His obituary records: “With the W.J. Sanders staff at the premises at Railway Square, crafting the Gothic Revival solid silver baptismal font for St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney, c.1928. This was fully restored by W J Sanders in 2009

Ken Cavill’s article on W.J. Sanders in Australiana magazine, 1998 showed some examples of smallwork and table silverware now eagerly sought by collectors.

passing on Saturday, November 30, of Mr W. (Bill) Sanders, one of Australia’s foremost goldsmiths and silversmiths, the trade has lost one of its most respected and popular craftsmen …” Control of the family business passed to his widow, Mrs Ellen Sanders who was actively involved in its operations until 1958. Their son, John William Sanders, joined the business in 1947 and was responsible for its management from 1948. … The 1950s and 1960s was a period of considerable church building and refurbishment; John Sanders greatly expanded the company’s production of church plate and ecclesiastical metalware at that time.’ W.J. Sanders’ production of church plate in silver and gold has been noteworthy. Many fine examples of their ecclesiastical work – chalices, ciboria, tabernacles and monstrances – are found in places of worship throughout Australia and New Zealand. ‘A major proportion of W.J. Sanders ecclesiastical silverware has been manufactured for the several church supply houses of Sydney. These establishments, past and present, include Church Stores, CMS Church Supplies, E.J. Dwyer, Louis Gille, R.C. Lacey, Pellegrini and Company and S.M. Wallace. Individual items of church plate should bear the mark of the supplier plus the sterling silver stamp of W.J. Sanders.’ Sanders produced a vast range of church furnishings – art metalwares in brass and bronze such as lecterns, candle stands, processional and altar crosses – for well over half a century. CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

PYRMONT ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Caring for and maintaining

rugs and carpets W

hether you buy a rug, kilim or carpet for decorative, practical or investment purposes, care needs to be taken in order to ensure its longevity, to protect its value and to ensure the aesthetic qualities last. As most of these textiles are used for decorative floor covers, they are especially vulnerable to damage from dust, spillage, debris carried on foot and especially petsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; accidents.

CLEANING AND WASHING Regular vacuuming is essential in the care of rugs. Floor textiles should be thoroughly vacuumed at least once a week, or more if located in a high traffic area. Always vacuum in the direction of the pile, in order to ensure a smooth appearance. For a deeper clean, it is important to move the carpet from its regular position and clean the surface underneath, as

well as shaking the carpet to remove deeply held dust. If parts of a rug are placed under furniture or in dark areas or stored, they should frequently be cleaned and checked, as they are vulnerable to moth damage, which in its early stages can go easily unnoticed. If you find signs of moths or their damage, quickly seek advice from a rug professional to protect and repair. Washing rugs is essential for their maintenance, however only entrust your rug to a recognised professional, every time. Most rugs need to be washed every two to five years, however in the case of stains or repeated spillage, more frequent and at times immediate washing is necessary. In particular, cat and dog waste (especially urine) needs to be dealt with immediately due to its acidity which leeches the dye from the rug, and if left can damage the carpet

permanently. In this case, it is necessary to have the carpet professionally washed and deodorised immediately. A carpet cleaning professional will be able to take into consideration the material, dyes and integrity of your rug, as well as use an appropriate technique and products to wash and care for your rug.

REPAIR AND RESTORATION Depending on their use and condition, most rugs will endure damage from everyday use but most damage can be repaired. All rugs will show signs of wearing over time. Immediately seek assistance with any damage to rugs such as the ends fraying, tears, moth damage, damage caused by pets and accidents, and rot. It is important to detect early signs of damage and to intervene, as delay could make repairs costly or may render your rug

irreparable. In most cases an experienced professional can repair the area in need in such a way that the rug should resemble its pre-damaged appearance

THE CORRECT WAY TO STORE RUGS Take special attention when storing rugs. Due to the potential damage from humidity, it is important to store a rug in a dry area. Rugs should not be folded as this may damage their structural integrity, or break them. Only store a rug by rolling and wrapping it in a cotton or linen cover; never use plastic based covers. Ahmet Solak PERSIAN CARPET REPAIR AND RESTORATION COMPANY 02 9571 4411 / 0414 598 692 www.persiancarpetrestoration.com

EXPERT REPAIRS, RESTORATION, CONSERVATION, CLEANING & HANDWASHING OF ANTIQUE & ORIENTAL CARPETS, KILIMS & TEXTILES

Ahmet Solak 123 HARRIS ST (REAR ENTRANCE) PYRMONT SYDNEY NSW 2009 Tel: 02 9571 4411 Mob: 0414 598 692 Fax: 02 8399 2078 www.persiancarpetrestoration.com email: info@persiancarpetrestoration.com 13

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

THE L – S OF ORIENTAL RUGS Lac

Mordant

An insect derived dyestuff chemically related to madder and once used for reds in rugs and other textiles. It is particularly found in Indian rugs of the 19th century and earlier and produces a pink red visually identical to cochineal. Long known in India, it was introduced to Europe in the 18th century.

A metal salt applied to fabric as part of the dyeing process to fix the colour to the fibre, that is, to ensure colourfastness. Varying the mordant produces different colour shades from the same dyestuff. The most common mordants for natural dyes were alum (potassium aluminium sulphate) and iron sulphate, whereas today’s synthetic dyes are usually mordanted with potassium dichromate.

Loom A device for weaving. Its basic components are rods at either end (front and back beams) to hold and tension the parallel warp threads, and a device to open a shed (a space between separated layers of warp threads) for the passage of interlacing wefts. Village and workshop looms usually stand vertically while the portable nomad’s loom was commonly used horizontally.

Nain An ancient village in central Persia which has been famous since the 1930s for its production of extremely finely knotted workshop carpets. Prior to this Nain was known only for its textile industry which produced the finest of cloths. Nain carpets are similar in character to the contemporary rugs of Isfahan.

Lurs (Luri or Lori)

Natural Dyes

Like their neighbours the Kurds, the Lurs have occupied their province of Luristan in western Persia for millennium. Their knotted rugs are indeed similar in character to those made by the Kurds. The Bakhtiyari are considered to be related to if not a subgroup of the Lurs and a small group of idiosyncratic storage bags of mixed pile and supplementary weft construction are customarily attributed to both groups.

Dyes derived from naturally occurring sources, either from minerals, plants or insects. Such dyes were used exclusively in oriental rug making until the introduction of synthetic dyes in the 1860s. The changeover from one to the other was gradual, particularly in more remote areas.

Madder A major red dye extracted from roots of the Rubia plant family and used throughout rug wearing areas for thousands of years. The dyestuff requires the use of a mordant to fix to the wool fibres. Metallic salts of either iron or aluminium were used for this purpose and a wide range of shades were so obtained from deep violet brown through to a bright orange red.

Marasali The name given to a particular design of repeated boteh motifs found in rugs from the Shirvan region of the Caucasus. These pieces are most often prayer rugs.

Medallion Motif found in the centre of the field or often repeated along a central vertical axis (pole medallions) of the field; familiar forms are floral, diamond or star shaped and octagonal. One form is often superimposed on another or on an all-over pattern in the field.

Mihrab Niche in the mosque used to show the direction of Mecca for Moslem prayer. Represented by an arch at the top of the field in a prayer rug which, at times of prayer, was then pointed towards Mecca, Islam’s holiest city.

Mille Fleurs A pattern comprising a myriad of small densely packed flowers first appearing in oriental rug weaving with the Mogul court production of the 17th century and later found in 19th century southern Persian tribal rugs of the Qashqa’i.

Mina Khane A design characteristic of many old Kurdish rugs which shows an interconnecting lattice of vines or branches bearing flowerheads. Variations appear throughout many tribal and village rug-weaving groups. It may well be a design indigenous to northern Persia. Some authorities believe the design has evolved from a group of 17th century carpets of court workshop manufacture known as vase carpets which are commonly attributed to Kirman in southern Persia.

Moghal (Mogul) The Persian dynasty which ruled in India between 1526 and 1858 and produced in their court workshops some of the most splendid carpets of the period.

Girl working at a vertical carpet loom, Central Asia

Nomads Tribes of people who wander from place to place in search of pasture The carpet weaving nomads are sheepherders whose migrations centred around the movement between summer highland pastures and winter lowland camps. The nomads of the Central Asian steppes, the Turkoman, are considered by many to be the descendants of the original weavers of knotted pile carpet.

Ottoman

Palmette motif in the border of a 19th century Heriz carpet

Qashqa’i (Kashqai) Traditionally the most powerful of all south Persian tribal groups, both politically and numerically The confederation of tribes was disbanded in the 1950s having been reduced to a shadow of their former wealth and status. Their seasonal migrations took them from their winter quarters on the coastal plains southwest of Shiraz to their summer pastures high in the Zagros Mountains further north. They are renowned as weavers of some of the most beautiful tribal rugs in all of Persia, employing a particularly rich palette and lustrous wool.

Baluch saddle bags from eastern Iran, 19th century

Qum (Ghom)

A centre of village workshop production which came to prominence during the second half of the 19th century. The earliest of Saruk carpets (sometimes referred to as Saruk Feraghans in the trade) bear the hallmarks of the village craft where the weaver’s own artistic input was discernible in the gentle angularity of scrolling branches and floral medallions. In the 20th century, a huge output of rugs produced to cover essentially American floors bore curvilinear patterns taken from cartoons.

The Turkish dynasty founded by Osman and administered from Istanbul and Bursa from 1290 until 1924. Through successive invasions the Ottoman expanded their empire to encompass, at its height in the 16th century, the Balkan states and large parts of the Arab world. It was during this period and the ensuing century that the court workshops, established at various times in Cairo, Istanbul and Bursa, produced their greatest carpet masterpieces.

A township southwest of Tehran in central Persia noted since the 1930s for their production of finely constructed silk and wool pile carpets and rugs.

Palmette

Saddlebags

An element of design appearing as a flower or blossom viewed in profile.

Woven or knotted storage and transportation bags used by nomadic tribes people. Constructed in one piece and comprising two bags and a connecting

Pictorial Carpets

Rosette An element of design appearing as a floral form viewed from above.

Rug A term used interchangeably with carpet, but most readily used when describing pieces smaller than two by three metres.

Refers generally to all rugs showing realistically drawn living form. A more specific reference is made to a group of late 19th century and early 20th century workshop rugs in the Qajar dynasty style, which drew inspiration from Persian miniature painting. Favourite scenes were from Persian historical epics, folklore and the poems of Saadi, Hafez and Omar Khayam.

Pile The tufted surface of a knotted rug, formed by wrapping strands of wool around the warps to form a knot and cutting them so that the ends project upwards. Rows of knots alternate with one or more rows of weft.

Prayer Rug Among the more devout groups of Moslem carpet weavers, the prayer rug was important particularly to the nomad or villager who was not near a mosque at prayer times. A carpet bearing a mihrab (or prayer arch) at the upper end of the field was laid on the ground pointing in the direction of Mecca and upon this the worshipper prostrated himself. The prayer rug evolved during Ottoman times in Turkey where, among the rather conservative village folk, it became not only a cherished but fashionable item made by the womenfolk of the family and handed down.

Central medallion forms in two 19th century rugs

The simplest mihrab is formed by the two sides of a triangle converging to a point However, there are many variations on the shape. Other groups who produced prayer rugs in quantity were the Caucasian villagers and the Baluch tribes.

Above: Mina Khane motif in two different rugs from the 19th century Right: Prayer rug from the eastern Caucasus, 19th century

bridge, saddlebags (khorjin) are made to hang across a pack animal’s neck or back so that the load is evenly balanced.

Salt Bag A woven or knotted, bottled shaped bag known as a namkdan and used by tribal nomads for the storage of salt for domestic use and for their stock.

Saruk (Sarouk)

Ross Langlands NOMADIC RUG TRADERS 02 9660 3753 www.nomadicrugtraders.com

PYRMONT ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

SPECIALISTS IN OLD ORIENTAL RUGS TEXTILES AND TRIBAL ART VALUER OF ORIENTAL RUGS & SOUTH EAST ASIAN TEXTILES FOR THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT’S CULTURAL GIFTS PROGRAM MEMBRE DE LA CONFÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DES NÉGOÇIANTS EN OEUVRES D’ART MEMBER OF THE AUSTRALIAN ANTIQUE AND ART DEALERS ASSOCIATION

Lecture & Presentation: Tuesday 7pm, 8 November 2011 (Rugs and Kilims from the Caucasus) Call for further information. Entry $25 with proceeds to The Westmead Children’s Hospital at Westmead

123 Harris Street Pyrmont NSW 2009 AUSTRALIA TEL 612 9660 3753 FAX 612 9552 4939 e-mail: nrt@pacific.net.au

RUGS OF THE CAUCASUS 15 OCT - 12 NOV

NOMADIC RUG TRADERS

website: www.nomadicrugtraders.com 15

BONDI JUNCTION ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Fine furniture, art works and more in the heart of Bondi Junction

Bellagio International BU Y ~ SE L L ~ H I RE

1A Hollywood Ave, Bondi Junction 50 metres from Westfield NEW SHOP LOCATED AT 243 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction

Ph: 02 9369 4934 â&#x20AC;˘ Mob: 0416 131 015 ask for Ray Open: Mon-Sat 11 am - 6 pm 16

ellagio International has been operating at 1A Hollywood Avenue, Bondi Junction for more than a decade. It has become the favourite place for interior designers, commercial producers and those who like fine and unique items. They sell and purchase their stock from around the world. Each piece of furniture and art is unique. Bellagio International carries a wide range of crystal chandeliers, beautiful oil paintings, gilded mirrors, fine porcelain, bronze statues, console tables, dining suites and bedroom suites. They also offer a vast selection of clocks, period and modern furniture and much, much more. Items from their catalogue can be viewed on their website and ordered through their store.

BELLAGIO INTERNATIONAL 02 9369 4934 0416 131 015 bellagiointernational@gmail.com www.bellagiointernational.net

BONDI JUNCTION ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Pack & Send art and antique specialists

pecialising in transporting art and antiques means that Pack & Send superstores stock an extensive range of packing supplies – including bubble wrap, air bags, tailor-made boxes and crates – for both shops and individuals who choose to do their own wrapping. Museums, art galleries and antique dealers Australia-wide are finding Pack & Send’s service truly valuable when they ask them to take care of the entire logistical process: from pick-up to packaging to insurance, paperwork, freighting and safe door-to-door delivery. No other company in Australia does this. In relieving them of what can often be a time-consuming and onerous task, curators and collectors are free to concentrate on their core business. Pack & Send will personally manage the entire job and even computertrack the item en route until it arrives safely and in pristine condition at its destination.

PROFESSIONAL Packing Service Pack & Send is the only packaging and freight company that has access to Instapak Foam-in-Place technology, a system using soft foam that expands when two chemicals are combined in contact with air. Foam-in-Place moulds itself to fit the precise shape of the item being packed and this product possesses a density that aids in

Excess baggage? Have your personal effects custom packed and sent home safely by the professionals at Pack & Send

the prevention of damage from impact, vibration or from being dropped. Instapak Foam-in-Place enables glassware, paintings and various antiques to be sent through the freight system without compromising the safety of the item. Not only that, but Foam-inPlace is highly cost efficient and readily disposed of without harming the environment. Pack & Send is the only freight company that will send as well as pack antiques and art for you. When you consider the price of packing the item yourself on top of another company’s freight charges, Pack & Send’s price – as well as its hassle-free, one-stop shopping convenience – makes it a very attractive option.

the Arctic and a sailing scene on Sydney Harbour in the 1880s. Pack & Send Bondi Junction is open six days a week, from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm, Monday to Friday, and from 9 am to 12 noon on Saturday. The team at Pack & Send look forward to the opportunity to offer their services in solving any packaging or freight problem you might have. PACK & SEND 02 9386 1644 bondijunction@packsend.com.au

“

Museums, art galleries and antique dealers Australia-wide are finding Pack & Send’s service truly valuable when they ask them to take care of the entire logistical process

”

SAVES Time and Money Art and antique dealers, galleries and museums are now realising that using Pack & Send for their logistics is a means of providing a superior level of service to their customers and actually saves them time and money. Martyn Cook of Martyn Cook Antiques in Queen Street, Woollahra NSW is a fan. He uses Pack & Send to send artworks worth many thousand dollars. ‘From long experience I know I can rely and depend on Pack & Send. They collect fine art, pack and deliver for us nationwide and around the globe. We’ve had no breakages so far,’ he says with a smile. That’s good news to people such as the Miami, Florida, customer who purchased some framed sailing prints, including an 1830s copy of a French sailing ship heading out for a perilous expedition to

Superstores... We Send Anything, Anywhere!

Your investment in professional care The time and care you take when selecting your precious pieces should not be compromised when you need to move them. PACK & SEND uphold the highest standards in customer service and packaging methods, and possess a wealth of experience in handling precious items. PACK & SEND deliver you: • Dependable and versatile transport options across town, interstate and around the world • Complete assurance – ‘no compromise’ packaging solutions and protection against loss and damage • Total convenience – we pick up from you and provide on-site quotes! • Professional, no obligation advice from a team with a wealth of experience

304 Oxford Street, BONDI JUNCTION NSW 2022 PH: 02 9386 1644 FAX: 02 9386 1760 bondijunction@packsend.com.au 17

MOORE PARK ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Fairyland Wedgwood vase and cover, c. 1925. Lee Bradshaw Antiques

Bow frill vase, c. 1765. Tim Menzel

Meissen lady and lapdog, c. 1880, originally modelled by Acier. Alan Landis Antiques

Baroque carved mirror, c. 1720. John D Dunn Antiques

Louis XV giltwood chair, c. 1850. Mark Koronowicz Antiques

Imperial Porcelain Factory St Petersburg, coffee can, c. 1881. Peter Foster Antiques

GREAT VALUE FAIR AT MOORE PARK

21st Great Sydney Antiques Fair 26-30 October 2011

ever has the time been better to acknowledge the solid value held by fine antiques and works of art. The 21st Great Sydney Antiques Fair is the place to find them, held annually at the Royal Hall of Industries. The 70 exhibitors from around Australia were selected on three criteria: long experience; established reputation; and the proven ability to provide a variety of exhibits patrons are looking for at the Great Sydney Antiques Fair.

These expert dealers bring together Australia’s largest selection of world-standard antique furnishings, fine objects and art. There is also a vast array of collectables and quirky objects to refresh any décor. You will see stunning antique and vintage jewellery, modern and traditional paintings, maps and prints, fine ceramics, rare coins, Georgian glass, sterling silver, 19th century bronzes and lamps, mirrors, clocks, tapestries, Art Deco, Asian arts, domestic textiles, and eclectic objects. All exhibits are for sale.

A decorating bias is a hallmark of The Great Sydney Antiques Fair. Its spaciousness enables exhibitors to create an appropriate ambience for the particular look and period of their exhibits. This allows visitors to immediately grasp how a particular piece of furniture or accessory would look in the home. Exhibitors are delighted to provide advice and knowledge on the antiques, art and vintage objects on show, their period and attributes, and any known provenance or history. The grid layout of the Fair and red-carpeted walkways make it easy to relocate a favourite exhibitor after the obligatory perambulation around the exhibitors and a stop for delicious coffee and cake at the Fair Cafe. Fresh stock is one of the Fair’s strengths. Select from display rooms in the Scandinavian art deco style; European interiors featuring oak and fruitwoods; the best quality British antiques epitomising comfortable living; as well as Australiana and rustic pieces.

FURNITURE

GALA PREVIEW Wednesday 26 October 6.30pm – 9.30pm Thursday, Friday, Saturday 11.00am – 7.00pm Sunday 10.00am – 5.00pm

ROYAL HALL OF INDUSTRIES DRIVER AVENUE MOORE PARK

John D Dunn Antiques (Victoria) always puts on a sumptuous display. This year he has a Louis XV bureau de dame, c. 1770 and also from France a patinated poplar mirror with carved figures and foliage in the baroque style, c. 1720. Mark Koronowicz Antiques (Victoria) presents fine European antiques, including a Renaissance walnut cabinet from the 16th century and a selection of elegant chairs. Two South Australian exhibitors, H J Quigley Antiques and Auraria Antiques are exhibiting desks, settees, Boulle tables and lamps of fine quality. Their stock is fresh for Sydney collectors.

CERAMICS and porcelain Collectors are sure to enjoy meeting most of Australia’s expert ceramics dealers. Peter Foster Antiques (Sydney) has a rare coffee can and saucer, 1881, from the Imperial Porcelain Factory, St Petersburg, bearing the imperial cipher of Alexander III, Emperor of Russia, 1881-1894. Alan Landis Antiques (Sydney) has a George Jones pâte-sur-pâte plaque, c. 1880. He is exhibiting a Meissen figure of a lady and her lap dog from the same period, a reworking of a 1776 model by Acier. Tim Menzel (Victoria) has a rare Bow frill vase, featuring raised flowers, c. 1765. Wedgwood expert, Lee Bradshaw (Victoria) features the work of Daisy Makeig-Jones, creator of Fairyland Lustre pottery at Wedgwood in 1915. Lee has a 30 cm

Fairyland Lustre vase and cover in the Candlemas pattern, the most art deco design of the Fairyland range, c. 1925. The fanciful figures in jewel colours resemble melting candles – a reference to the northern winter festival of Candlemas.

PAINTINGS and prints Painting and print galleries are showing fine works from their collections. Mackley Fine Art & Antiques (Victoria) exhibit paintings from diverse Australian artists such as Robert Dickerson, Sidney Nolan, Hugh Sawrey, David Boyd and Pro Hart, as well as works by resident artists Evan and Simon Mackley. Day Fine Art (Blue Mountains) exhibit oils and works on paper by artists such as Sir Hans Heysen, Lionel Lindsay and botanical printmaker, Hall Thorpe. A watercolour by Sir Hans Heysen, Ambleside landscape (1913) is typical of his exploration of the mists among the gums and the peacefulness of farming life around his home, The Cedars in Hahndorf, South Australia. By contrast, a rollicking maritime oil painting by John Charles Allcot depicts the Loch Vennacher, a three-masted clipper ship on the England-Australia route in the late colonial period.

FAIR Planner Gala Preview Wednesday 26 October, 6:30 pm-9:30 pm, including a welcoming drink and music by the Savoy Quintet Four Fair Days Thursday, Friday, Saturday, October 27-29, 11 am to 7 pm Sunday 30 October, 10 am-5 pm TICKETS Tickets may be purchased at the door, at www.ticketek.com or phone 132 849 (charges apply). Gala Preview: $25 Single Day admission: $15/$10 concession Accompanied children to 16 years free PARKING Entertainment Quarter parking, enter off Lang Road, Moore Park. The first 2 hours of parking are free. The evening flat rate after 6 pm is $6. 21st GREAT SYDNEY ANTIQUES FAIR Fair Hotline: 1300 135 516 info@antique-artfairs.com.au www.antique-artfairs.com.au

PADDINGTON ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

From a special place

Burmese Buddhist arts Lacquer ware proceeds go directly to Burmese families elebrating 20 years of trading in Paddington, Special Pieces has secured a number of unique Burmese artefacts from family sources in Burma. All products have been provided to retain Burmese art and culture, showing the remainder of the world how special these artisans are… and hopefully save these artefacts from being lost or destroyed. All images of Buddha within the collection contain a Burmese Government seal of approval to ensure a controlled program of artefact distribution.

and bamboo. The techniques of making lacquer ware have been handed down in the surrounding villages. There are instructors in the craft where a family member may work in an unpaid apprenticeship – to keep the art and culture alive. Artwork on the lacquer ware is either painted or etched in between the many layers of lacquer. The colours used in paintings are natural products, such as trees, lime, earth, sand, rock, bones, smoke, charcoal and egg. In Burma, lacquer work is a major art and still a pride of the country.

BURMESE Buddhist arts

TYPES of lacquer ware

Tales from the Life of Buddha, the Jataka stories of the 550 former lives of the Buddha and various teachings, have provided much of the subject matter and outlets for expression in the arts and crafts. Burmese practice Theravada Buddhism that emphasises the need for every person to seek his own way to salvation by following the precepts, meditating and performing acts of charity to improve karma in future existences. Burmese craftsmen were anonymous and were expected to follow various rules and formulae when creating a Buddhist icon – failure to observe established norms would render the object unsuitable for use in worship. Initially, artisans closely copied imported models, but over time the Burmese craftsmen assimilated foreign influences and blended them with a local style, so that works of art became unmistakably Burmese in spirit and method.

Lacquer wares were used not only by royalty but also by ordinary Burmese families to serve their daily meals. Usually, a threelegged low circular table made of bamboo strips and lacquer was used, such as still being used in remote villages and monasteries. The monks used lacquer thapeik (alms bowl) during their daily alms round of collecting their food from the villagers. Thapeik and its cover were made of bamboo, wood and resin. There are many types of lacquer ware vessels, the two primary types being the betel nut box and the hsun ok, the daily multilayered food container. The hsun ok is the most varied among all of the containers, ranging from a bamboo frame with plain red or black lacquer to the very ornate style – even decorated with gold, gilded and jewelled. All have a classic design and spiritual forms, unique to Burmese artisans.

LACQUER ware

MODERN challenges

We already are familiar with two words and one source of the lacquer used in Burma. Lac is the varnish made from certain insects’ shells, long known as shellac or cheik lac in Burmese. General usage now uses lac as the term for any of the various resinous wood varnishes, including that from the sap of the thit-si tree. This resin lac is used in making lacquer ware in Burma, China, Japan and Korea, but the Burmese thit-si tree (Malanhorrea usitata) that grows in Shan State is said to have better viscosity and last longer. Bagan is the centre of making ‘laureate’ or lacquer wares stretching back almost a millennium, prospering in the period from the 11th to 13th centuries CE when it was the seat of the Myanmar dynasty. Burmese kings would presents lacquer ware as gifts to other royals, along with silk and jewellery. It is still the hub of culture with many temples, pagodas and monasteries surviving, along with many arts and crafts. Bagan is located on the eastern bank of Ayeyarwady River, not far from Shan State where resin bearing trees grow. The other materials for making laureate are softwood

Due to increasing economic costs associated with resin retrieval and the desire of modern Burmese people for ‘western’ products, the lacquer ware art has less demand and is dying. Fortunately, some Burmese families, in an attempt to preserve the ancient art, have chosen to share it with the remainder of the world. Hopefully, through external interest, the unique talent of the Burmese people can be restored and flourish for all posterity.

Visit Special Pieces in Paddington to view the selection of unique Burmese artefacts. Proceeds of product sales have gone directly to individual families – this project pays no third party. For more information contact SPECIAL PIECES 02 9360 7104 specialpieces@yahoo.com www.specialpieces.net.au

Chinese and Japanese Quality antique and reproduction furniture and artefacts

ESTABLISHED 1989

336 South Dowling Street, Paddington

www.specialpieces.net.au • 02 9360 7104 Monday to Saturday 10 am to 5 pm - Sunday by appointment 19

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

THE NEW COLLECTOR W

hen the world’s most famous international art dealer Joseph Duveen made the connection between the plentiful supply of European art and antiquities and the voracious American appetite to acquire and collect, what began was the most profound shift in the art economy for centuries. Before the 20th century the acquisition and assembling of collections was the preserve of nation states, monarchies, public museums and nobility. American dollars changed all that by at least beginning the process of redefining what it meant to collect. No longer would the art and objects offered for sale be restrained by the prevailing tastes of the ‘art intelligentsia’ but the collecting habits and bents of individuals, with profound financial capacity, would broaden dramatically the scope of what it meant to collect and what one was ‘allowed’ to collect. The turn of the 19th century and the early 20th century was arguably the first and most profound change when collectors looked beyond the great traditional manners of painting and ventured – yes, it was considered bold at the time – into the galleries offering first impressionist and then abstract art. Then, in the first half of the 20th century American magnates and heirs, unrestrained by prevailing English and European tastes, began to widen the berth of the collecting field. Fast forward approximately a further 30 years and the extremity of this collecting (r)evolution culminated in the acceptance of comic, sexualised, contemporary, pop star subject matter as art worth collecting in the form of works by the now perhaps ‘not so out there’ American Jeff Koons. Fast forward

another two decades and Damien Hirst – the artist famous for presenting preserved sharks suspended in tanks of formaldehyde with pretentious titles – has come to epitomise the extent of collecting boundaries. Or, if you take the Robert Hughes approach, the end of art as it becomes simply another commodity. But these great shifts in art and taste over, say, the last 120 years were not simply about what art or antique periods should be collected or considered collectable but also about actually what could be collected. Put simply, if the 1900-1960s was still stuck in discussions about whether to collect Georgian or Victorian furniture or whether Edwardian design was not as historically important as the Art Nouveau movement, the 1960s onwards marked the period within which collecting mantras about age, medium, rarity, production techniques, artistic merit and utility were shattered. Now one could collect Coke bottles, petrol station signs or anything with a thematic logic and one was a collector. While these manifestations of collecting are often giggled at by the purists or the connoisseurs (whatever that now means) the effect of this democratisation of collecting meant that design and utility would no longer be excluded from collecting and art discourse. In this new era a simple chair, a working radio, a piece of luggage, a toy robot or a corporate photo began to be reinterpreted not just as functional but as beautiful. It is easy to forget that photographers were not really considered artists until the second half of the 20th century when trailblazers such as Max Dupain and Wolfgang Sievers proved that there was a difference between snapping a

Hermes Birkin handbag of Togo leather and silver coloured hardware. Sold in 2011 for $11,000

Airzone Symphony Leader, c. 1938, h: 42.5 cm. Sold in 2010 for $22,000

picture and creating a compelling photographic image. But photography, in the context of the rise of fashion, has arguably enjoyed one of the more easy progressions to collectable status. Other categories that have in some ways, seemed to just appear from nowhere are still developing their own followings and space within the international collecting community. What is now described as modern design (or post-war utilitarian objects and imagery) has enjoyed the greatest growth amongst collectors and an authentic acceptance by more traditional collectors that just because objects or imagery may have been birthed on a production line do not mean they cannot also claim to possess artistic merit. In my view, this new, more open and perhaps more playful approach to collecting and appreciation has not demeaned or lessened the periods and connoisseurship that went before it. Rather it has added new dimensions and paths for collectors to travel, less restrained by art history and traditional collecting thinking. I remember an extraordinary gentleman that frequented Leonard Joel and other auctions

houses in the early 1980s who quite literally bought up all the 1960s and 1970s Italian glass that he could get his hands on. He bought everything for a song during a period when Italian glass was largely viewed as ‘that strange looking vase that Mum and Dad brought back from their overseas trip that sits on the mantelpiece.’ Not only was this type of art glass largely scoffed at by dealers and collectors at the time but also it quite literally escaped them that artistic and historical merit lay within these quirky items. After a 15 year collecting period this same gentleman transacted his collection of art glass internationally for a handsome sum. At the time of sale it was considered one of the great international collections. The minds and the eyes of these collectors are ultimately the ones that extend our appreciation of the arts, of design, of beauty and of what it might mean to be a new collector.

Left: Wolfgang Sievers (1913-2007), Gears for Mining Industry, Vickers Ruwolt, Burnley, Victoria, 1967, silver gelatin photograph, 58 x 45.5cm. Sold in 2010 for $17,000 Right: Grant Featherston Expo Mark II Sound Chair manufactured 1967-1970, fibreglass back and body, polystyrene, upholstered in wool and polyurethane, h: 113.5 cm. Sold in 2010 for $13,000

John Albrecht Managing Director LEONARD JOEL 03 9826 4333 www.leaonardjoel.com.au

SURRY HILLS ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Antique engagement rings Celebrate your love with genuine antique jewellery

n antique engagement ring represents longevity and implies the continuity of love to the new beginning an engagement represents. Unlike much of the mass produced and marketed jewellery widely available, each vintage and antique engagement ring is truly one of a kind – just as is your loving partner. Similarly, an antique ring comes as you see it – you cannot customise the design of a genuine antique diamond ring or purchase it in a different colour. The ring may need to be re-sized or adjusted, as often an antique ring is thin from devoted wear. For more guidance and a more certain and credible choice, try one of the many jewellers who specialise in antique jewellery.

HISTORY of engagement rings With many versions of its origins, one is the most ancient that I’ve heard and it seems credible is that Pope Innocent III declared that a waiting period before marriage should be observed in 1215. Engagement rings were introduced to society as an indication that their change in marital status was about to occur. Over time, this became the acceptable norm. Today, most couples place their wedding rings on their second smallest finger, called the ring finger and believed to be the one that contained the vein of love. So the practice of placing rings on a ring finger, on either left or right hand, is both logical and romantic.

ANTIQUE or vintage? People usually consider an antique engagement ring as over 80 years old, a bit less than the purist rule of more than 100 years of age for furniture. Vintage refers to items over 50 years old. There are a number of eras to select from and the designs are varied and always interesting, beyond the simple solitaire diamond ring.

VICTORIAN engagement rings (1837-1901) Queen Victoria reigned for 64 years, so engagement rings from her long era have a range of designs, always very elegant and deceptively simple, generally in rose or yellow gold. They often feature diamonds and pearls, but coloured gemstones also appear and are very popular stone choice today. I suppose if it’s good enough for Princess Di and Duchess Kate...

EDWARDIAN engagement rings (1901-1910) Platinum became the vogue metal for engagement rings with the help of the new oxyacetylene torch (1900) with which jewellers crafted lacy and pierced shapes,

scrollwork and filigree detail on mountings. Rose-cut diamonds and brilliant sapphires were especially popular in Edwardians’ intricate and delicate rings.

ART Deco engagement rings (1918-1939) This spectacular design movement generated geometric lines, coloured gemstones and filigree details including Egyptian, Asian, Native American and French motifs. Art Deco engagement rings are often colourful, using sapphires, emeralds and rubies in combination with beautiful old European-cut diamonds. These, as well as many other cultural influences, resulted in a colourful, clean design era that has been revived and reflected in other distinctive style eras. The mad 60s era is most certainly influenced by deco designs. Art Deco rings are the most popular antique engagement ring in our shop although we still carry a strong representation of Victorian, Art Nouveau as well as mid 20th century rings. On your ring finger, an antique engagement ring featuring hand finished delicate details is simply beautiful.

These changes in do not mean these stones are less valuable, only that the technology, fashion and styles of previous eras netted a more organic end product. Budget is important too, so decide what you are willing to spend on a ring and then shop for the perfect antique ring within that budget as they are less than the brand new rings, plus give more individuality and quality. At Vintage Times we understand that the absolute most important thing is that you find

and love the perfect engagement ring for you personally, and for generations to come. So stop at our website www.vintagetimes.com.au or our shop, Vintage Times located at the Sydney Antique Centre in Surry Hills. We have an extensive jewellery, cufflinks and watch collection with 100 years of proven designs from which to choose. Tammy Palmer VINTAGE TIMES 02 9331 1664 info@vintagetimes.com.au www.vintagetimes.com.au

ANTIQUE before new Here are a few reasons to consider antique rings before you head to the mall to purchase a ring off the sushi train of mass produced jewellery. Stylish, elegant, intrinsically extraordinary and with timeless appeal, antique rings are wearable hand crafted works of art created as opposed to the poured and mass assembled clones offered in new jewellery. Recycled, antique engagement rings are a perfect option for environment-friendly individuals. Unlike modern rings, they have already been around for number of years and their eco footprint is miniscule Historically romantic, antique engagement rings represent the old and the new, a birth of a new romance layered over prior historical romances. Every single detail of an antique or vintage ring represents a period in history and a romance recycled. The 4 c’s (cut, clarity, colour, carat weight) are important, so study before buying. Remember that today’s standards of good cut, clarity and colour don’t necessarily apply to older diamonds. Methods of cutting were different, and the scientific ability to see internal flaws was not as advanced, therefore a flaw not seen without magnification was not a flaw at all.

SURRY HILLS ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Ancient craft of gilding finds revival in 21st century EXPERT restoration for significant heritage collection

t Joseph’s Boy’s College in Sydney owns a large collection of paintings, many over 100 years old and in their original frames. The restoration of the original frames and the school’s heritage must ensure that only trained professionals are engaged to restore the frames to their original condition. Hence, Art Gilding was selected to help restore the frames of this wonderful collection, and have been doing so over the past few years. Art Gilding restored a very large frame (3 x 2.4 m) this year during the winter school holidays. Because of the large size of the frame, a classroom was provided for our work place. We had to finish this job during the school holidays, giving only two weeks to complete this large restoration. Not meeting the deadline was never an option as we aim to always complete restoration work on time and

St Joseph's Boys College Hunters Hill

budget to the full satisfaction of the client. In a sign of that college’s high satisfaction, Art Gilding has already been booked to restore and regild an even larger frame in 2012.

STUDENT opportunities at the Art Gilding Academy Art Gilding runs a unique Gilding Master Class run by Karl Eggert, the Master Gilder who teaches its students all the skills and techniques required to become a master gilder. One of the unique aspects of the Art Gilding Master Class is that when the opportunity arises, some students are invited to assist Karl on major projects. One recent student was given the opportunity to assist Karl with the restoration at St Joseph’s College, and was overjoyed to be given this opportunity of hands on experience. Here is what she said: ‘Your Art Gilding Academy is a fantastic, unique place and I had a really great time! The teachers and course

Karl with Master Class student Ana Ristevski

structure are brilliant, the atmosphere so friendly and relaxing, I should certainly recommend you and your course to all of my friends! As you noted on your website, gilding is a highly specialised field and as such holds “trade secrets” that many are not willing to share, so your generosity in giving away your gilding knowledge is very much appreciated. Thank you both so very much Brigitte and Karl, for providing this incredible experience! Many thanks again’ Have you ever wished to have the skills to apply gold and silver leaf to your furniture, frames, and artwork? Or embellish your cornices, columns, walls and ceilings with metal leaf? Work for yourself from home at your own pace? Master gilder Karl Eggert can make your dream come true – and you need no prior knowledge of gilding. In the past, this ancient craft with all its secrets has been passed from father to son. But in 1999, Karl Eggert, together with his wife Brigitte, founded a unique teaching establishment to make the wonderful craft of gilding available to anybody who wants to learn in Australia. Learning in Germany from master gilders in framing, as well as in church restoration, Karl has a broad knowledge and more than 45 years experience in gilding. And this knowledge and experience is reflected in his teaching program at the Art Gilding Academy. Class sizes are kept to a maximum of six students to ensure the best learning experience.

Like to learn food gilding? • Are you hosting a party and want to be

the envy of all your friends? • Decorate sweets, cheese and fruit with

24 carat gold leaf and silver leaf. • Add gold leaf into wine and other liquids.

Art Gilding is running Australia’s only food gilding workshop. Our evening food gilding workshop runs for 3 hours and by the end of it you will be able to decorate your favorite food with gold and silver leaf. This food gilding class will especially suit caterers. Cost is $198 per person and includes food, wine and 24 carat gold leaf and silver leaf. If you are interested in attending the workshop being held in Surry Hills, Sydney please contact Brigitte on 02 9310 3007 or by email artgilding@artgilding.com.au

Brigitte with gilding workshop project

WEEKEND Classes Sydney: Sat/Sun 10 am – 4 pm

Art Gilding Studio Restoration and frame conservation Oil and water gilding services On-site architectural gilding We come to you FREE STUDIO QUOTES

Art Gilding Academy Hobby Workshops Weekend Classes Master Classes (fully certified) FREE INFORMATION EVENINGS For dates, free brochures and friendly advice Call Brigitte now 02 9310 3007

99-101 Buckingham St, Surry Hills NSW (Entrance in Cleveland Street) artgilding@artgilding.com.au www.artgilding.com.au

Would you like to add skills and more profits to your business? Because of Karl’s special knowledge and teaching ability, you will learn intensively, but never feel pressured

MASTER Class You can learn every aspect of gilding in a twoweek, fully certified Master Gilding class. In this professional course, Karl teaches skills similar to those taught in three-year apprenticeships. Gilding on plaster, timber, glass, metal and paper form part of the program. For framers and painters, the course can bring immediate benefits to your business, while many students come from the fields of art, craft and interior design. Students travel from all over the world to attend the Art Gilding Academy, making it a truly international academy. On completion of the Master Class, the Academy offers a Lifetime Membership in the Goldfinger Club, with 20% discount on all gilding tools and materials as well as unlimited advice and support. We are there for you until you do not need us anymore. You will find this truly priceless. Imagine how peaceful it feels to learn this exquisite craft, in this beautiful classroom with a small group of like-minded people. This two-week full time professional gilding course has been designed to save you time and create an income as well.

This class has been especially designed for people unable to attend week-day classes and is held once a month. We know how difficult it is for small business owners to find time during the week, so our intensive weekend class may suit you perfectly. The classes run from 10 am – 4 pm Saturday and Sunday and participants are taught, step-by-step, gilding techniques that are applied to furniture, picture frames and mirrors, cornices and even walls. Many students have found that gilding adds another dimension to their business, which they have been able to capitalise on by adding a new profit centre and, moreover, it’s fun! The weekend class is very reasonably priced at $795. This includes the project – an Egyptian plaque – all tuition and materials. In certain circumstances this fee could be claimed as a tax deduction. Those able to benefit by acquiring this skill include artists, painters, framers, restorers and French polishers; in fact, anyone who wants to add new skills and a new source of profit to their business.

For more information call Brigitte on 02 9310 3007 ART GILDING ACADEMY artgilding@artgilding.com.au www.artgilding.com.au

WATERLOO ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Industrial furniture

At Doug Up On Bourke

t’s big, it’s heavy and it’s bold. Industrial furniture has a sense of presence about it. Yet it is basic in design and beautifully hand crafted. It has a lifetime of character and history engraved into it. Worn timbers and hard thick metal and steel have a history that we will probably never see again. Shipyards, railway yards, iron foundries, shoe factories, bus depots and large warehouses were where manufacturing once happened. These sites had endless pieces of industrial furniture hidden away or used every day; they were just waiting to be re-born into a unique spectacular piece for a new home or work space. It’s amazing how the centre of any room can be set off by a large cast iron legged, kauri pine top, railways workbench, or using an ex-government pigeon hole filing unit for the home office. Bringing industrial furniture back to its raw state restores its sense of class. A highly polished metal two-door stationery cabinet

tends to stand out from the rest with its wow factor. While polished metal is great to look at, this is not always easy to achieve, especially if it was covered with layers of paint and lacquers – like most industrial furniture. If it has been neglected such as left outside to rust, or if it is covered in oil and grease, it will take a lot of work to bring back its glory. The long process of restoration starts with paint stripping, sand blasting, hours of elbow grease with a wire disk on an angle grinder. After polishing and buffing, a final finishing with a coat of wax, oil or lacquer will prevent further unwanted oxidization. This takes time and dedication for each industrial piece we salvage and restore. Here at Doug Up On Bourke we do the hard work for you.

x-ray viewing boxes, yards of bus and tram destination rolls, and zinc-topped counters. It is worth a visit to Doug Up On Bourke. Wander through our store and see what treasures you can find.

Sophie Mason DOUG UP ON BOURKE 02 9690 0962 info@douguponbourke.com.au www.douguponbourke.com.au

A TO Z OF industrial antiques You name it – we might have it – or will search for it to meet your objective. When it comes to industrial antiques, Doug Up On Bourke is the place to visit, look and shop. From A to Z we have: army furniture, bell jars, cast iron beds, drawer units, enamel lightshades, feed bins, filing cabinets, foot lockers, globes and lamps, hospital beds, iron and timber stools, jugs, kitchen pots and pans, ladders in all sizes, metal and timber shoe lasts, metal plan cabinets, navy equipment, office desks, platform signs, railway desks, Sebel Stak-a-bye chairs, stationery cabinets, steel hospital furniture, timber and metal packing crates, tool boxes, unused canteen equipment, valves of glass and metal, wooden bobbins, workbenches, workshop lockers,

901 Bourke Street Waterloo NSW 2017

02 9690 0962 web: www.douguponbourke.com.au email: info@douguponbourke.com.au TUESDAY TO FRIDAY 10 AM - 5 PM, SATURDAY 10 AM - 5 PM CLOSED SUNDAY, MONDAY & PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

ALEXANDRIA ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

LIVING WITH COLLECTIONS Synthesizing antique, vintage and modern for today’s lifestyle

o you feel at odds with trends (mainly dictated by magazine and lifestyle editors) advocating a pared down, clutterfree aesthetic? You’re not alone. Leading New York designer, Thomas O’Brien, has come to the realisation that most people who have opted for a big open-plan space for everyday use (with not much more than the perfect vase) long for a formal living room after all.

MODERN VINTAGE Renowned designer, Thomas O’Brien’s take on classics for today. Furniture by Hickory Chair Company and lighting by Visual Comfort, available in Australia only at LAURA KINCADE 80 O’Riordan Street, Alexandria (next door to Domayne) Open Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm & Sunday 10.30am to 4.30pm T: 02 9667 4415 • W: www.laurakincade.com

The idea of knocking down walls and opening up space was meant to pare down our lives. Trouble is, you need walls to furnish against and display art. Even with air conditioning, without walls a room can feel cold. By a certain stage of life, the average person has accumulated books, music, art and objects that need to be housed and displayed. Bang goes the idea of living in a spare uncluttered environment! Many have tried a clean open space only to find in a year or so that they are totally bored with it and ‘things’ start creeping back. O’Brien’s long list of clients are now embracing his ‘vintage modern’ approach, which blends period and modern furniture, collectables and art in a way that is satisfying, warm and inviting. Everything is used and enjoyed and guests feel relaxed and comfortable. Fine antiques and reproductions mix happily with contemporary pieces, and chaos is avoided by grouping collections and treating walls, floors and windows as a neutral canvas, allowing the furniture and art to shine. The result is elegance, not clutter. Lighting plays a major role, with lamps providing pools of light around the room, drawing attention to the groupings or hanging low over tables. With the advent of halogen downlights, for a long time the warm glow of table and floor lamps and suspended lighting has been missing from the modern home. Thankfully, they are back in vogue. Thomas O’Brien is blessed with boundless energy and creativity. His Soho store and design studio, Aero, has long been a favoured destination for New York’s style conscious. His collections include furniture, inspired by early to mid 20th century classics, produced by North Carolina’s Hickory Chair Company, lighting by Visual Comfort, bath fittings for Waterworks, textiles for Lee Jofa’s Groundworks and now rugs for Safavieh. He has also brought style to the masses with a collection for America’s Target. Thomas O’Brien’s furniture and lighting can be found in Australia at Laura Kincade in Sydney. Beverley Brown LAURA KINCADE 02 9667 4415 www.laurakincade.com

ALEXANDRIA ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

THE MITCHELL ROAD ANTIQUE & DESIGN CENTRE

Antiques, 20th century design, industrial and architectural heritage, toys and dolls, rustic farmhouse furniture, jewellery

A new industrial space in the inner west for lovers of design and curiosities Above Mitchell Road Auction Centre, 76 Mitchell Road, Alexandria NSW 2015 I Open 7 days 10 am - 5 pm I P: 02 9698 0907 I E: mitchellroadcentre@yahoo.com.au I www.mitchellroadauctions.com

Welcome to the Mitchell Road Antique and Design Centre experience

itchell Road Alexandria has long been one of Sydney’s best kept secrets. For five years the huge yellow warehouse, on the corner of Mitchell Road and Fountain Street, has been home to one of the most amazing shopping experiences Sydney has to offer. This fabulous two storey 1930s industrial building, with its wonderfully open and iconic industrial steel framed cavernous ceiling, the gorgeous polished timber floor which bears the lustre that only 80 years of constant use can deliver, has housed over 70 dealers of interior décor in its 1200 square metre open floor space on the first level. The Mitchell Road Antique and Design Centre has to be seen to be believed. The moment you walk in the door you understand why so many buy here. The large cabinet situated in the foyer houses an eclectic sampling of what is on offer up the stairs. Inside the cabinet this month is a pair of sublime examples of industrial chic and sleek chairs from Barcelona, a very cool retro

chrome mushroom table lamp and an excellent example of the very modern and original steam punk lamps designed by Filip Sawczuk. The audible gasp as the scope and grandeur assails the unaware is heard as they reach the top of the stairs. The shopper discovers cabinets overflowing with jewellery of all eras, 1950s, 60s and 70s design furniture and ornaments, chandeliers and retro lights dripping from the ceiling and clothing to suit all styles. The OMG moment is when new visitors realise that this was merely the tip of the iceberg as the vastness of what is on offer becomes apparent. Do experience this same excitement by visiting the Mitchell Road Antique and Design Centre. You may need a few days to examine all our stalls which offer such a diverse array of desirable items – we challenge you to not find something you love. ‘Awesome.’ ‘Amazing.’ ‘Best place to shop in Sydney.’ These are statements we have become very familiar with and we love it as much as everybody who visits.

We have recently expanded our floor space to fit even more avid and committed stallholders into our burgeoning village. Those who are familiar with the Mitchell Road shopping experience will be very pleasantly surprised to see that when you think you’ve seen it all – there is more!

STOCK in store We have many Parker sideboards, rustic refectory tables, antique washstands, industrial lamps, hip clothing, funky glass ware, gorgeous Asian cabinets, stylish retro desks, original Eames designed chairs, large theatre lights on industrial stands, steam punk lamps, art deco side tables, Lladro vases, Royal Doulton porcelain, 1950s Japanese tin robots, Stetson hats, architectural antiques, collectable comics, gramophones, records from all eras, industrial benches, butchers blocks, south-east Asian textiles, craftsman built hall tables, reclaimed timber bench seats, garden benches, Tretchikoff prints, cool retro sunglasses, designer Bakelite brooches, trestle tables, paintings from all eras, coins, stamps and books, rustic industrial bookshelf units, country kitchen dressers, multi door industrial lockers from the 50s, restored radiograms, clocks from all eras, iron and brass beds, a life

size Arnold Schwarzenegger figure, lace, ivory, boxes, trunks and crates... Well, the list is really endless so come and see for yourself. Make a day of it, bring a friend to help you find the exit at the end of the day and to help carry home the goodies you’ve bought. The friendly staff are also fun, so feel free to ask for assistance with anything and we’ll do our utmost to help you. We’ll climb ladders to get something down for a closer inspection, we’ll help you find a gift for special someone, we’ll assist you to your car with your goods at the end of the day or we’ll even arrange for your items to be delivered to you. The Mitchell Road Antique and Design Centre is at 76 Mitchell Road Alexandria on the corner of Mitchell Road and Fountain Street. We are open 7 days a week from 10 am to 5 pm to browse our vast and exciting collection of furnishings and artefacts from all ages and all corners of the world. We hope to see you soon!

THE MITCHELL ROAD ANTIQUE AND DESIGN CENTRE 02 9698 0907 mitchellroadcentre@yahoo.com.au

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Decorating with French antiques How to mix antique and modern

ver the past few months Unique France and L’Interior have formed a strong alliance. Together, they are focussed on achieving the highest possible standards in meeting clients’ briefs, both domestic and commercial.

INTRODUCING Nadia Aber Griffith Nadia is Design Principal of L’Interior. Since completing her studies in interior design and decorating, undertaken in Australia and Paris, she has been working in interior design and related industries. The extensive knowledge and experience built over the last ten years has seen her involved in local and international projects. In Paris she worked alongside highly regarded architects and building designers in a series of commissions ranging from high rise residential to commercial hotels. The added exposure of travelling throughout Europe, North Africa and Australia enhances her already impressive knowledge of architectural detail and design. Technically and creatively, producing unique and elegant interiors has earned Nadia high regard from every corner of the industry.

NADIA gives her views on how to use antique and modern pieces ‘I appreciate the high quality French antique furniture sourced by Unique France. The fine genuine antiques they carry always have the elegant touch of a critical piece to start or finish an interior design project. The diversity of work allows our companies to successfully combine classic antique, modern corporate and contemporary design, establishing a medium that produces a balanced feel and class within any assignment. Working with Denis Geoffray and Gregoire d’Harcourt is an interesting and wonderful experience. Denis’ knowledge of French

antiques is absolutely outstanding and he has the perfect eye for sourcing special pieces. Having observed their relationship with clients, I have found Denis and Gregoire’s personal touch, work ethic and attention to detail to be exceptional and I look forward to a successful working partnership. We offer clients in-house interior design and decorating services, providing advice and recommendation ranging from an individual piece to organising a collection. Creating a cohesive eclectic lifestyle by mixing antique with the modern is one of my favourite types of design briefs. Taking a room that is very modern and adding French antique elements extends the room, moving it to whole different level. This mix creates an exciting and unexpected element, which works in any room. I love seeing a great modern space with a wonderful large French antique piece that is a bit worn around the edges. Being able to mix the old/antique with new/modern elements is an art. There is something romantic about French interior design. It reminds you of an era of nostalgic extravagance and exquisite glamour. The elements embrace the unforgettable age of royalty when kings and queens, dukes and duchesses, and lords and ladies of the court, as they smoothly glided within grand ballrooms decorated with elaborately adorned ceilings, gold gilded wall panels and expensive wood in rooms that had tall engulfing arc windows. Infusing an adequate dose of French design elements in new residential houses can enliven the steely and impersonal atmosphere of their modern interiors. Decorating in a French antique style can enhance an older structure or establish an elegant and sophisticated tone for a more modern setting. Through repurposing and careful choice of classic colours and timeless fabrics, you can create one-of-a-kind decors. Adding a French antique influence in a home enriches a space and adds new

dimensions to your design. By grouping several antique and modern pieces together, you create striking unique spaces. Or mix ultra-modern pieces with heavily distressed pieces to create juxtaposition and drama. Remember, you should always design a space according to what you truly love. Listed are a few steps you can take to make things easier on yourself when trying to infuse old and new elements in your environment: • A modern light fixture hanging in a room full of French antiques is a powerful statement. Likewise, an ornate fixture in a modern room stands out and adds character. • An ornate Louis XIV gilt mirror (or any other decorative French mirror) looks great in an ultra modern room. • A rustic dining table paired with modern aluminium chairs creates terrific contrast. • Cover an old Regency or Louis bergère chair in an ultra modern fabric. • A piece of modern art in a room filled with antiques creates a pop. • Put an antique lamp on a modern sofa table, or vice versa. • Placing modern chairs around a beautiful French provincial table creates elegance. • A fireplace mantel in a modern room can become a focal point if there is a single, ornate antique piece placed on it. Although there are rules of scale, balance and proportion in decorating, you should never sacrifice items you love in order to follow the rules. Your home needs to look good to you, and if you truly love a French antique piece, then there is a place in your home for it. Adding antiques and collectables to an interior offers a stylish, interesting and often practical way to liven up a room. French antiques have a unique touch about them that nothing else can ever match. These beautiful pieces are an expression of taste and appreciation for the skills that went into their creation and which always add luminance wherever they are placed.

Nadia Aber Griffith UNIQUE FRANCE 07 3254 0404 www.uniquefrance.com.au

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

FARMHOUSE ANTIQUES

R E S T O R AT I O N S

IMPORTERS & RESTORERS OF ENGLISH, WELSH & CONTINENTAL ANTIQUE PINE & COUNTRY FURNITURE FOR 25 YEARS Wednesday to Sunday 11 am to 5.30 pm or anytime on a phone call

358 Botany Road Alexandria NSW 2015

02 9698 2785 www.farmhouseantiquepine.com.au

www.foxantiques.com.au

ANGELA & CHRIS LISTER Specialising in: Re-seating of chairs in cane, Danish cord and Restoration of Seagrass furniture

02 9516 2851

THE LEATHER TOP DESK COMPANY est. 1993

Traditional Gold Leaf Embossed • Leather Inlays for Desks • Leather Desk Mats • Complete Desk Restorations

Antique and Modern Finishes Quality Imported Leather Large Range of Patterns and Stamps Regular Pick-up and Delivery Sydney Metro Area Mail Order Australia-wide

Mob: 0429 994 664 mark_dempsey@bigpond.com

Eastern Suburbs Antique Restorations Pty Ltd Traditional French polishing and all furniture repairs Specialising in all upholstery and a wide range of discounted fabrics 1603 Botany Road, Botany NSW 2019

t: 02 9316 4445 m: 0416 048 222

EARLWOOD ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

The Rug Experts We also sell exotic rugs and kilims from around the world 28

BOTANY ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

When you consider the price of packing the item yourself on top of another company’s freight charges, Pack & Send’s price – as well as its hassle-free, one-stop shopping convenience and total service solutions – makes it a very attractive option.

Pack & Send now open at Botany

rt and antique dealers, galleries and museums are now realising that using Pack & Send for their logistics is a means of providing a superior level of service to their customers and actually saves them time and money. At Pack & Send we specialise in transporting art and antiques, which means that we stock an extensive range of packing supplies – including bubble wrap, acid-free films and tailor-made boxes made of cardboard, pine or plywood – for both shops and individuals who choose to do their own packing.

Museums, art galleries and antique dealers Australia-wide are finding our service truly valuable and asking us to take care of the entire logistical process – from pick-up to packaging to insurance, paperwork, freighting and safe door-to-door delivery. No other company in Australia does this. By letting us take care of all the details, curators and collectors are free to concentrate on their core business. At Pack & Send we will personally manage the entire job and even computer-track the item en route until it arrives safely and in pristine condition at its destination.

PEACE of mind With our specialist knowledge and our experience in the packing and freighting of fragile, large, awkward and valuable items, we are able to insure even the most fragile art or antique item. Insurance against loss and or damage is available through all Pack & Send Pack & Send Botany is open seven days a week, Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 5.30 pm, Saturday and Sunday by appointment. The team at Pack & Send looks forward to the opportunity to offer their services in solving any packaging or freight problems you might have.

stores, giving you peace of mind when sending valuable items and one-off pieces.

NO JOB too big or too small When you call Pack & Send, regardless of whether the job is large or small, we can professionally pack it and co-ordinate its delivery to anywhere in the world. Anything from an envelope, archaeological artefacts, to large oversize paintings and 100-year-old antique chandeliers, Pack & Send have the expertise to transport it safely. PACK & SEND 02 9661 1144 www.packsend.com.au/botany

PROFESSIONAL packing service Pack & Send is the only packaging and freight company that has access to Instapak Foam-in-Place technology, a system using soft foam that expands when two chemicals are combined in contact with air. Foam-in-Place moulds itself to fit the precise shape of the item being packed and this product possesses a density that aids in the prevention of damage from impact, vibration or from being dropped. Instapak Foam-in-Place enables glassware, paintings and various antiques to be sent through the freight system without compromising the safety of the item. Not only that, Foam-in-Place is highly costefficient and readily disposed of without harming the environment. We are the only freight company that will send as well as pack antiques and art for you.

“

At Pack & Send we will personally manage the entire job and even computer-track the item en route until it arrives safely and in pristine condition at its destination

”

PACKAGING....TO US IT’S AN ART FORM! PACK & SEND maintain the highest standards in customer service, packing materials and techniques that ensure your precious pieces are not compromised when being moved. Our trained staff can professionally pack any item no matter how fragile, awkward or valuable and then have it delivered anywhere!

PACK & SEND Botany offer: • Dependable and versatile transport across town, interstate and internationally • ‘No compromise’ packaging and loss/damage cover • Total convenience including pick-up and on-site quotes! • No obligation professional advice from our experienced team • Tailor-made crates, cases and cartons at our site

456 BUNNERONG RD, MATRAVILLE NSW 2063 PH: 02 9661 1144 FAX: 02 9661 1133 Email: botany@packsend.com.au www.packsend.com.au/botany 29

ROCKDALE ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

he Heritage Building Centre is pleased to announce that they have been appointed to represent and distribute Phillip Kent Home range of furniture, lighting and garden statuary. Phillip Kent has had a lifetime of experience in the industry, has a great eye for detail and the niche of his products is impeccable. His selection includes some of the best examples of French furniture – chairs, commodes and tables, as well as refectory tables. If you are looking for quality with sensible pricing it would certainly be a wise decision to first look at the Phillip Kent range. Without question, the Heritage Building Centre will now have the widest and largest range of quality product in Australia. This will make it truly a ‘one stop shop‘ for heritage restoration and/or the place to find something special, different or unique.

FURNITURE Bill Rendell, the proprietor of the Heritage Building Centre advises that as a part of this

expansion, they will be offering their own inhouse upholstery service. This will enable customers to choose their own fabrics and detail i.e. studs, gimp, trimmings etc., allowing a customer or designer to create a very special piece. Until now this high level of service simply hasn’t been available from large retailers. Aren’t you tired of seeing the same product line in three different retailers’ stores, all looking the same? The Phillip Kent product can be passed on to the next generation and not wasted, as is sadly the case with most modern furniture. Phillip Kent is opposed to MDF, so there is no MDF in our furniture. Instead, the range is stylish and its quality will stand the test of time. The equivalent original antiques, if you could find them, would cost 10 to 20 times more. All timber is solid kiln dried plantation timber, or plywood where applicable, which makes the furniture environmentally friendly, ticking the green box as well.

LIGHTING Phillip Kent lighting is a wonderful rich recreation of 18th century lanterns for porches, verandas, entranceway or rooms in a stylish home. Lighting is one of the most undervalued investments in a home in Australia. Correct selection increases property value and creates an ambiance and warmth of style.

EXPANDING range Later this year, the Heritage Building Centre will add the Phillip Kent range of garden statuary including fountains, lions and boars. These impressive pieces will enhance your garden, whether you have a terrace or a medium to large garden. The new French-style kitchens are in the creative process right now, to be on display by the end of October. The Heritage Building Centre will be launching the release of Phillip Kent Home with a cocktail party early in November. If you are interested in a preview of this exciting range, please register with Bill by emailing bill@heritagebuilding.com.au and we’ll

confirm the date and time. Should you be unable to attend we offer to arrange a private viewing. The team at the Heritage Building Centre is excited and privileged that we are going to represent Phillip Kent Home and their wonderful collection in Australia and invite you to view this outstanding stock.

WHAT is at the Heritage Building Centre? Specialising in architectural elements, you can find everything for the home, selecting from decorator delights, fireplaces, recycled timber and timber flooring, doors and windows, fine furniture, fountains and garden artistry, chimney pots and gargoyles, fencing and gates, hardware, pressed metal, lighting and leadlighting.

ROCKDALE ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

ph 02 9567 1322 fax 02 9597 1782

CITY ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

NOBLE NUMISMATICS Coins, medals and notes achieve nearly five million dollars in recent sale

he recent Noble Numismatics sale realised $4.9 million, including the buyer’s premium and GST on the premium (totalling 16.5 per cent on the hammer price). The offering of the Captain William Bligh medals and the Pte E (Ted) Kenna World War II Victoria Cross group attracted international media coverage.

BLIGH medals Vice Admiral William Bligh’s small naval gold medal, awarded as Captain of The Director on the defeat of the Dutch fleet on 11 October 1798, attracted competitive bidding up to $251,640. Captain Bligh’s ‘breadfruit’ medal was awarded in 1794 by the Royal

Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce for his success in conveying the breadfruit tree from Tahiti in the Pacific to the West Indies for food for slave labourers, subsequent to the infamous mutiny on his first expedition on The Bounty. After a heroic lengthy duel that Bligh would have approved of between two phone bidders, the breadfruit medal sold for $135,140 to the prior buyer who thereby acquired the Bligh medal pair for $386,780. The silver tableware forks of William and Elizabeth Bligh realised $5,808. All these prices were well above estimates, and include fees of 16.5 per cent on the hammer price.

Vice Admiral William Bligh (1754-1817)

Private Edward (Ted) Kenna AIF VC (1919-2009)

VICTORIA Cross group

Captain Bligh’s naval gold medal, Dutch fleet defeated, 11 October 1798

Captain Bligh’s Royal Society of Arts ‘breadfruit’ medal, awarded 1794 Left and below: Victoria Cross group, Pte Ted Kenna AIF (1919-2009)

The highlight lot was the Victoria Cross group of Private Edward (Ted) Kenna for brave action near Wewak, New Guinea. His family was present and his son Rob spoke before and after the sale on behalf of the family. Attracting many bids, the final price was $1,167,330, to an anonymous bidder setting a new record for a military medal lot in a Noble Numismatics sale.

CITY ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

FREDMAN SVW F O R M E R LY S Y D N E Y V I N TAG E WAT C H E S We also purchase: Patek Philippe Cartier Vacheron & Constantin Le Coultre Audermars Piguet Universal International (IWC) Movado Ulysse Nardin Omega Chronographs Military Watches

Reminiscent of the French jewellery salons of the 19th century and located in the historic Strand Arcade, Victoria & Albert Antiques is a treasure trove filled with interesting and unusual antique, vintage and quality reproduction pieces. With decades of experience, our knowledgeable staff will help you find the perfect gift, or special treat for yourself. Mention this advertisement for a 10% discount off your purchase.

Dealer in Vintage Timepieces CONSTANT INTEREST IN BUYING ALL KINDS OF ROLEX WATCHES Visit us at

Shop 28, Ground Floor, Strand Arcade 193 Pitt Street Mall, Sydney PHONE: 02 9221 3373 MOBILE: 0411 194 188 MONDAY to SATURDAY Australian 1915 H proof or specimen florin

We are strong buyers of all men’s and ladies’ wristwatches in any condition

Victoria & Albert Antiques Shop 17, The Strand Arcade, 412 - 414 George St, Sydney NSW 2000 Ph: 02 9221 7198 Fax: 02 9221 7214 Monday - Friday 9.30 am–5.30 pm Thursday 9.30 am–7 pm Saturday 9.30 am–5 pm Sunday 11 am–4 pm

highest price in the British section at $8,155. A George IV 1827 penny more than doubled its estimate, fetching $3,961. A Victorian postal note set a world record price of $5,243 – to a postal bidder.

Gold aureus of Uranius Antoninus (c. 218-235 and/or 253/4 CE), rival Roman Emperor

ANCIENT gold coins PRE-DECIMAL Australian Highlight sales of Australian currency sold included the 1915H proof or specimen florin with the price of $147,955, well over the $75,000 estimate. After drawn-out bidding between two floor bidders, the proof 1938 penny was sold to a phone bidder at $46,600, and the rest of the 1938 set sold to the floor bidder who was outbid on the penny. Pattern square pennies sold at close to their estimates. A new record price was set for a shield sovereign when the 1886 Melbourne realised $37,863. A 1933 florin more than doubled its estimate, realising $14,446. Graeme Bamford’s collection attracted interest, with the highest priced item a Western Australian Bank one pound note from 1877, which sold well over estimate, achieving $29,125.

BRITISH currency An Elizabeth I silver crown from the Vincent Read and Frank McCarthy collections sold for $3,262. The gothic crown achieved the

In ancient gold coins, an aureus of Uranius Antoninus, a rival third century CE Emperor of Rome, known as the usurper, set a record at $59,998. A Septimius Severus (Roman Emperor, r. 193-211 CE) aureus was sold for $29,708. Coincidentally he died at York while campaigning in Britain.

AUCTION 22-24 November 2011 The next Noble Numismatics auction will be held in Sydney on 22-24 November, with consignments closing Friday 16 September 2011. So far, it includes an important private collection of Indian banknotes, the David Allen collection of Australian agricultural medals, the Peter McQuiggin collection of Australian pre-decimal and decimal coins, an unlisted NSW holey dollar and an Army of India medal awarded to Captain Piper. For more information contact NOBLE NUMISMATICS 02 9223 4578 info@noble.com.au www.noble.com.au

WE BUY & SELL

Antique, vintage and selected new buttons Shop 25 Nurses Walk, The Rocks (enter through Surgeon’s Court off George St, opposite Museum of Contemporary Art)

Ph: 02 9252 0833 Email: dd@buttonsbuttons.net OPEN 7 DAYS 10am - 5.30pm 33

CITY ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

STAMP COLLECTING - where do I begin?

hile the philatelic (stamp) market tends to be less driven by the herd mentality than, say, art or fashion, most people concentrate on stamps of their own country. However, there is no reason why you should not collect anything that appeals. Perhaps you have affection for Asia or are fluent in a foreign language. This could provide an ideal starting point for a philatelic collection. An entomologist might collect stamps featuring insects, while a professional soldier could pursue wartime mail.

SEEK knowledge Philately is a knowledge-based discipline. A good way to get a ‘feel’ for the market is to attend stamp shows in the major centres. Ask questions of appropriately qualified people and there are a number of general reference works that can be accessed through public libraries. For Australian stamps there are a couple of useful general catalogues, and a fantastic multi-volume specialised work. The best guide to prices is results from public auctions, especially for non-traditional areas such as postal history and postal stationery. In these areas there are often no up-to-date reference works and auction catalogues may be the best, perhaps the only useful guides to these subjects. Most auction firms will send you catalogues free of charge for a year or so.

BE QUALITY conscious In all fields you will start to recognise the good from the bad, and the expensive from the run-of-the-mill. Care taken in this area from

the outset will be handsomely rewarded as you develop your collection. Pay particular attention to issues of quality, such as perforations, centring and cancelling. With envelopes, look for repairs, enhanced postmarks and stamps that don’t belong. Regardless of the field you decide to pursue, you will need some basic tools. Most of the better retail dealers can provide you with accessories such as albums, tweezers, perforation gauges, mounts, magnifiers, etc. You can buy a quality stock book, a reference catalogue and the basic gadgets for less than the cost of a good tennis racquet or your golf club membership. Ask the dealer for his advice, but be mindful that it is false economy to skimp in this area. To contact leading dealers and auctioneers consult the industry website www.apta.com.au.

At the outbreak of World War I, Australian troops invaded German New Guinea. The local stamps were overprinted ‘G’R’I’ and a value in pennies or shillings to enable them to continue to be used

COLLECTING suggestions New clients often ask what they might consider collecting. The number of possibilities is limited only by your imagination, so here are a few ideas that may appeal. Australia 1901-1912. Even after federation, the six states issued their own stamps until 1913. These are properly Commonwealth issues but most collectors have treated them as the tail-end of the colonial period. Very few have made a serious assault on this area and it remains significantly undervalued. Destination mail. It is easy to obtain covers from Australia to Great Britain, New Zealand and Germany. Try finding covers from Australia to Colombia, Tunisia or Mongolia. A

Advertising covers provide a great look into the past. This cover was underpaid in Australia and required US stamps to allow for delivery

collection of such material would provide a significant challenge without putting a great strain on the budget. Postage dues. This is one stamp area where anyone has the chance to own items nobody else has ever seen. One routinely hears of the discovery of previously unrecorded watermark and perforation varieties. Many of these have literally been found in bundle ware or junky collections. Scenic letter cards. From 1911 until 1924, Australia issued postal stationery with views from around the nation on the reverse. A basic collection can be put together without much effort. Many of the views are rare, others are common but rarely seen on particular issues, and of some scenes, two or more versions exist. Blocks of 4. Most collectors want only single stamps, resulting in sheets and blocks having been destroyed to supply this demand. Multiples of many stamps are now very elusive. Despite this, many dealers sell such items without adding the significant premium that they deserve. Apart from being scarce, blocks are obviously more visual than single stamps. Illustrated envelopes. You may collect printed or hand-painted envelopes, humorous

types, advertising or political subjects. This is an area where art and philately truly meet. Fine used stamps. Most used stamps are poorly cancelled or have faults, but fine used stamps are a different matter. Well-centred, neatly cancelled stamps are, to me, far more appealing than mint. Plus, they are usually available for a fraction of the prices of their unused counterparts. You will need to learn about non-contemporary cancels and other dodgy markings but that’s half the fun.

Once spurned for political reasons, Chinese stamps are now the most sought-after. The first Chinese stamps, the ‘Large Dragons’, were issued between 1878 and 1883 and are now considered timeless classics

Printing errors are often dramatic. This Tongan stamp was printed in two operations but the paper was accidentally turned around, resulting in the king’s head being printed upside down!

NO limits Finally, I recommend that new collectors avoid the limits imposed by catalogue listings, printed albums, and so on. Be bold in your collecting. Buy things because you like them, not because they may increase in value (though they very well may). Above all, enjoy the pursuit of new material and relish the challenges of developing something from scratch. Who knows? You may end up with a collection of great merit and value. Gary Watson PRESTIGE PHILATELY 03 9762 6009 www.prestigephilately.com

CITY ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Leading Australian and New Zealand antiquarian book sellers present the

Australian Antiquarian Book Fair 2011 10-12 November

ustralia’s finest antiquarian book fair returns to Sydney in November after a two-year break. Twenty leading dealers from overseas and Australia will present the best of the antiquarian book world, offering collectors the highest standard of stock, expertise and professionalism. Only members of Australia & New Zealand Association of Antiquarian Booksellers (ANZAAB) or of associations affiliated with the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) are eligible to exhibit at these official antiquarian book fairs; this is your guarantee of excellence. The book fair offers an unprecedented opportunity to view, handle and (most importantly) purchase top-quality books, manuscripts, photographs, maps and prints. Rarities are precisely that – RARE – and many dealers keep aside the choicest items from their purchases between book fairs to ensure that this annual ‘show and sell’ reflects well on their individual businesses and the antiquarian book trade as a whole. The book fair also enables collectors to meet the non-local dealers behind the catalogues and the websites. The fair is your chance to ask them to demystify this once-extraordinary, now commonplace phenomenon. The Book Fair is the premier rare book event in Australia and showcases the whole of ANZAAB and rare book collecting as a pursuit. Exhibitors are expected to adhere to the highest standard of professional conduct and presentation. All items presented for sale must be accurately described with defects noted as per the ANZAAB code of conduct, and priced. The antiquarian book trade has seen many changes in the last 10 years. Online selling, many shops closing down, the advent of digital books and the interest of collectors in a wide range of non-book material are just a few of these. On the occasion of the forthcoming book fair it is worth recalling the words of Barry Humphries in his opening remarks at the 2008 Melbourne Book Fair: ‘The Melbourne of my youth was filled with second-hand book shops. In the old days second-hand books were cheaper than new ones. Now, such Aladdin’s caves are harder to find. The terrible internet has replaced them robbing we bibliomaniacs of the thrill of the chase. The excitement of book hunting is fast disappearing as we now merely punch in our needs and add a long-sought volume to our trolley. Gone is the thumping heart, the dry throat, and the adrenalin rush of yesteryear. It is now so horribly hygienic and mechanical. Thank God for book fairs! The men and women who have been forced out of their shops by high rents and the insatiable demands of the rag trade which would have every shop a dress shop, can display their wares and meet their customers face to face, sometimes for the first time. It’s an emotional moment enhanced by the knowledge that we are mingling with fellow bookmen; that marvellous fellowship of addicts pursuing its harmless and comparatively inexpensive drug – the printed word. No computer could ever replace this venerable pleasure.’

James Cook, Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, 1785

J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter, 1997

F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, 1925

In 2009 Australia’s foremost writer, David Malouf’s opening remarks prophetically echo today’s debate: ‘There are good many people these days who believe that the book as we know it is on the way to oblivion. Quite soon, they assure us, the term ‘rare books’ will be a tautology. Any survivor of that already threatened species will of its very nature be rare. Well, that may happen and it may not. In the long history of reading, many changes have taken place. The papyrus scroll, after long centuries, was superseded by the double-sided vellum codex – not immediately replaced, since the two existed side by side for nearly four centuries; rather, in the way of these things, supplemented. Then the codex gave way to the printed book, and that too, in these last years has been supplemented – only sometimes replaced – by the paperback. Will readers five or ten years from now really accept the electronic screen, even a highly portable one, as their only form of reading – a novel, say, for pleasure only and in their private hours?’ It is also worth reprinting the preface of an American book collecting guide issued some years ago for it encapsulates the passion of the book collector: ‘The book collector differs from the casual reader by a desire to bring together the works of a particular author, period, topic, or subject. Collectors have an interest in the text, as well as in the intrinsic value of the book. A book collector is motivated by the desire to possess the complete works of an author, publisher, printer, illustrator, book designer, etc. There are other ways to look at a favourite book. Mark Twain said he likes a thin volume because it would steady a table, a leather volume because it would strop a razor and a heavy book because it could be thrown at a quarrelsome pet. A. Edward Newton, famed bookman, was just as strong in his feelings, but a bit less demonstrative in his words, when he said “Book collecting is the best and safest hobby there is. Best, in that it is a year-round sport and can be played at home and abroad; safest, in that when the game is called either by Father Time or the Sheriff, one can get, if not all, at least a substantial part of one’s money back.”’

Charles Darwin, Origin of Species, 1859

Niccolo Machiavelli, Prince, 1640

most agreeable of venues. Opening Thursday 10 November 6 – 9 pm. The fair continues on Friday 11 November 11 am – 6 pm and Saturday 12 November 10 am – 5pm.

LECTURE program In October, the Library is presenting a series of lectures on book collecting and book collectors including ‘The Mitchell Library and The Book Trade,’ ‘Booksellers Unusual Purchases’ and ‘Book Collecting, a Normal Life?’ For more details about the program at the State Library of NSW visit www.sl.nsw.gov.au.

Jonathan Swift, Gulliver’s Travels, 1726

AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION OF ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLERS admin@anzaab.com www.anzaab.com

VENUE The Book Fair is once again being staged in the Galleries of the State Library of New South Wales, Macquarie Street Sydney the

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Unlocking the mystery

of Australia’s first coin F

amiliarity with Australia’s holey dollar is set to soar with the 200th anniversary of its striking in 2013. The holey dollar is a coin with a hole in it, confounding reason and logic, glaringly showing a date other than the year it was created. To the informed, the holey dollar is the nation’s first domestic coin. Rarity further enhances its standing, as only approximately 300 are known to exist. Nearly 100 are in institutions, with the balance of about 200 pieces available to collectors.

THE MACQUARIE heritage – the holey dollar Governor Lachlan Macquarie governed the penal colony of New South Wales from 1810 to 1822. The arrival late in 1812 of a shipment of 40,000 Spanish silver dollars presaged one of the most famous icons of Macquarie’s era, the holey dollar. Designed to resolve the colony’s chronic currency shortage, Macquarie had a small circle cut from the middle of each silver dollar with a machine. The resulting holey dollar rim – shaped like a donut – was re-stamped around the inner circular edge with a value of five shillings, the year 1813 and the issuing authority of New South Wales, becoming Australia’s first currency, the 1813 holey dollar. The 1813 dump was the circular inner disc punched out of the centre, re-stamped with a crown, the year 1813, the issuing authority and the value of fifteen pence. This clever measure provided an immediate 25 per cent

profit on the purchase of the coins, doubled the number of new coins and drastically reduced the likelihood of their being taken out of the colony. Withdrawn from circulation in 1829, the majority of holey dollars and dumps were shipped to London, melted and resold as bullion silver. There are now only 300 known surviving holey dollars and about 800 dumps.

RARITY of holey dollars The 1813 holey dollar is a fascinating coin with an equally entrancing history. While most coins are struck from blank pieces of metal cut to the required shape, our holey dollar is the exception. It was created from another coin – a Spanish silver dollar – that had been struck and already released into circulation many years prior to 1813. The original Spanish silver dollar is the prime influence on the ultimate value of a holey dollar.

Right: Type 5 holey dollar, struck from a Spanish dollar dated 1807 Below: Type 3 holey dollar, struck from a Spanish dollar dated 1789

TYPES of holey dollars There are eight distinctly different types of holey dollars, defined by the date of the original Spanish dollar and the design details depicted – the legend and the portrait. Rarer types are highly prized. The following summarises the known surviving holey dollars as classified today.

Holey dollars with ties to rarer mints are highly prized, with the only piece tied to Guatemala now in a museum in Montreal, Canada. From Spain, four examples have ties to Madrid and two to Seville mints. Of the remaining mints, 12 per cent pertain to Lima and 9 per cent to Potosi Bolivia. None has been found minted in Chile or Colombia.

QUALITY of the original coin An important consideration in determining the value of any coin is its quality. Again, there is a twist with the holey dollar, as quality of the original Spanish dollar has to be considered in relation to the date it was

THE COUNTERMARKS struck. The earlier the date the greater chance of wide circulation and hence wear before it was holed in 1813. Therefore, a premium quality Type 3 holey dollar for example, dated 1789, will be a far more valuable piece than a Type 5 holey dollar dated 1807 in comparable quality. The reason is simple: the 1789 Spanish dollar had 24 years of potential circulation before it was holed in 1813, compared with the 1807 that had only six years of potential wear.

KNOW the mint The Spanish dollar was the world’s greatest trading coin in the late 18th and 19th centuries and was struck at the Spanish mints operating in Mexico, Lima Peru, Madrid and Seville in Spain, Potosi Bolivia, Guatemala, Santiago Chile and Santa Fe de Bogota in Colombia. The Mexico mint was a prolific producer of silver coinage, so holey dollars converted from Mexico mint silver dollars are reasonably readily available and are 76 per cent of known examples.

Examine the details in the countermarks on holey dollars: New South Wales, the year 1813 and the denomination five shillings stamped around the inner circular edge. The quality of the countermarks and how are they stamped are important components of value, along with the extent of its circulation after it was created in 1813. Examining the countermarks of the known surviving holey dollars shows the haphazard way in which they were stamped. A handful of holey dollars have been found in which the countermarks are vertically aligned. Perhaps they were especially struck, adding to their value. Enjoy learning about the mysteries surrounding the holey dollar, an innovative currency to sustain the early colonial economy and a treasured piece of Australiana. COINWORKS 03 9642 3133 info@coinworks.com.au www.coinworks.com.au

Type

Monarch

Portrait

Legend Dates Number Known

Ferdinand VI

no portrait

FERDND1757

Charles III

CAROLUS III

1773 to 1788

Charles IIII

Charles III

CAROLUS III

1789

Charles IIII

Charles III

CAROLUS IV

1789 to 1790

Charles IIII

CAROLUS IIII

1791 to 1808

202

Charles IIII

Continental

CAROLUS IIII

1793 to 1805

Charles IIII

Joseph Bonaparte Ferdinand VII

FERDIN VII

1808 to 1810

Joseph Bonaparte Imaginary

FERDIN VII

1810

CITY ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Robyn Stacey, Accomplishments, 2010, Type-C photograph © the artist

Robyn Stacey, Chatelaine, 2010, TypeC photograph © the artist

Robyn Stacey The Fall of the House of Rouse, 2011, Type-C photograph © the artist

HOUSE at MUSEUM OF SYDNEY Colonial life and expansion in 19th century New South Wales

hotographer Robyn Stacey is one of Australia’s most highly regarded and original artists in her medium. This Sydney-based artist is well-regarded for her early photographs based on the pulp fiction genre. Her large and striking images have been exhibited widely in Australia and internationally since the mid-1980s. Stacey has become best known for her historical collections series which reflect her ongoing fascination with the possibilities of history to inform the present. Herbarium, published in 2004 focused on the collections of the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney and Museum (2007) showcased the varied collections of the Macleay Museum at the University of Sydney. Both books of Stacey’s photographs focused on collections that are not generally accessible – the National Herbarium of New South Wales is not open to the general public and only two per cent of the Macleay Museum collection is on display. Her latest work features in a new book and an exhibition both entitled House, the results of her four-year collaboration with the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales (HHT).

HISTORIC Houses Trust of New South Wales The HHT manages places of cultural significance in New South Wales. One of its celebrated strengths is the number of outstanding 19th-century homes and gardens that are interpreted to reflect the lifestyles of their former occupants. The HHT’s Caroline Simpson Library and Research Collection supports the work of the organisation through its unique collection of objects, soft furnishings, floor and wall coverings, and an extensive collection of catalogues and sample books relating to all aspects of domestic life. Both the library and the properties provide a prism through which the changing passions and practices of early Australian society can be appreciated. Stacey was given unprecedented access to the collections and supported throughout her project by expert HHT staff. She created a significant new body of work that has pushed the boundaries of her practice. House features objects that are either on permanent display in a number of HHT house museums or available to examine in the Caroline Simpson Library and Research Collection in the NSW Mint Building on Macquarie Street Sydney.

HISTORY to inform the present The rich and evocative images in House expose the layers, both historical and cultural, of 19th century colonial life and expansion in New South Wales. The photographs illuminate some extraordinary and also everyday objects found at Elizabeth Bay House, Vaucluse House, Rouse Hill House and Farm, and in the Caroline Simpson Library and Research Collection. Each was chosen in consultation with curators to reflect its cultural significance. Destabilising the traditional museum display, Stacey presents the artefacts and household objects in a new way, revealing their aesthetic, social and historical value. Her sumptuous images allow us to delve into the lives of the people who owned and used the objects. Families’ histories include the well-respected Macleays’ increasing financial difficulties; the Wentworth family, outcasts despite immense wealth; and the Rouses’ occupation at Rouse Hill House and Farm spanning almost two centuries of changes in Australia. Tableaux were created to form a grand historical narrative that explores aspects of 19th century taste, culture and knowledge, for photographing. The completed works invite close inspection on a number of levels, just as the traditional still-life paintings that inspired them, to be appreciated aesthetically, metaphorically and historically. In Accomplishments, objects such as a nest and a stuffed bird allude to the brevity of life and the inevitability of death. Looking deeper, these objects can be read alongside the objects referencing the accomplishments of the Macleay daughters – one’s guitar, another’s unfinished work slippers – as symbolic of the realities women faced in the 19th century as mothers, often with a high mortality rate The exhibition features 15 works from Stacey’s complete series, as well as key objects from the photographs displayed in 19th century showcases. Enjoy the audiovisual presentation of how these technically-involved images were constructed. This exhibition considers the varied ways in which objects can be presented and interpreted, and enables new associations to be made between architectural place, family history and material culture. House is a unique artist’s interpretation of the HHT’s sites and collections that rewards careful study with enjoyment. The exhibition runs from the 23 October 2011 until

5 February 2012 and the book will be launched in early October. The Museum of Sydney is at the corner of Corner Phillip and Bridge Streets Sydney, and open daily from 9:30 am to 5 pm. Entry fees apply. Louise Tegart Head, Special Projects and Exhibitions HISTORIC HOUSES TRUST OF NEW SOUTH WALES 02 9251 5988 www.hht.net.au

Robyn Stacey, Saison 93-94, 2009, Type-C photograph © the artist

house Robyn Stacey

in collaboration with the Historic Houses Trust Evocative photographs capture extraordinary and everyday objects from the HHT collections. See 19th-century domestic life in a new way through this contemporary artistic interpretation.

Exhibition on now at Museum of Sydney on the site of ﬁrst Government House Cnr Bridge & Phillip streets, Sydney Open daily 9.30am–5pm T 02 9251 5988 www.hht.net.au image: Robyn Stacey, Mr Macleay’s fruit and ﬂora, 2008

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Photograph of former whaling ship, the Terra Nova taken by Herbert Ponting. Canterbury Museum NZ

Scott writing in his area of the expedition hut, Scott’s cubicle, photograph taken by Herbert Ponting. Pennell Collection, Canterbury Museum NZ

New exhibition at the Australian National Maritime Museum

SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION Now showing until 16 October

ne hundred years after its tragic end, the definitive story of British explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s Terra Nova expedition to Antarctica is being told in a major international exhibition now showing at the Australian National Maritime Museum. Scott’s Last Expedition reunites real artefacts used by Scott and his 65-man team together with rare scientific specimens collected during the 1910-1913 expedition for the first time since their use in Antarctica. When Scott set off on what was his second journey to explore the Antarctic on board the former whaling ship Terra Nova, he could not have predicted it would be his last. Tragically, he and four of his colleagues died on the return trek to the South Pole two years later, having lost the race to be first.

A FRESH perspective The exhibition however goes beyond the familiar tales of the journey to the Pole and the death of the Polar party to explore the Terra Nova expedition from every angle. Museum director Mary Louise Williams explains that ‘Over the years public perceptions of Scott have varied greatly, from hero to flawed

leader, and discussions of what really happened still captivate people. This exhibition gives visitors a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in this epic journey and the remarkable landscape of Antarctica.’ Visitors will uncover Scott the man, learn more about the people who made up the expedition and explore every fascinating detail of this historic journey.

EXPERIENCE Scott’s Cape Evans’ base camp At the centre of the exhibition is a representation of Scott’s Cape Evans’ base camp. Visitors can walk inside the life-size hut and get a sense of the everyday realities for the expedition’s members, from the cramped conditions and homeliness of the hut, to the wealth of specimens collected and experiments conducted. Original artefacts, equipment, clothes and personal effects are displayed for the first time in Australia and show the group’s attempts to make life in one of the most hostile environments on Earth as bearable as possible. Food tins including Fry’s Cocoa, Trufood Trumilk and Symington’s Pea Flour recovered from the hut are on display together

The Tenements, 9 October 1911, photograph by Herbert Ponting. Pennell Collection, Canterbury Museum NZ

with instruments, a microscope and even Scott’s gramophone.

STRUGGLING to survive Photographs of the environment and life in camp taken by expedition photographer Herbert Ponting, the poignant letters and diaries by various expedition members create a vivid picture of what life was like working in hostile conditions. These exhibits give visitors a sense of the struggles for survival and the strength of human endurance and courage.

GROUNDbreaking scientific research For many the Cape Evans’ hut is seen as the birthplace of Antarctic science. The expedition included a full scientific program with a large team of scientists making new discoveries which directly led to a greater understanding of Antarctica. The scientists had to endure harsh Antarctic conditions to carry out their work. It was cold, windy and completely dark in winter. A person’s face could freeze if it touched a telescope. Despite the conditions, the expedition left a rich legacy that continues to inspire and inform today.

Edward Atkinson in the laboratory, Herbert Ponting photograph. Canterbury Museum NZ

COLLABORATIONS The Natural History Museum, London, Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, New Zealand and the Antarctic Heritage Trust, New Zealand, have collaborated to create this exhibition to commemorate the centenary of the expedition and celebrate its achievements.

FREE exhibition Scott’s Last Expedition is on show until 16 October 2011. The Australian National Maritime Museum is the first venue to host the exhibition, which will then tour to the Natural History Museum, London and Canterbury Museum, Christchurch.

All inquiries to AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM 02 9298 3777 www.anmm.gov.au

Photograph taken by Herbert Ponting of members of the Terra Nova expedition with Scott in the centre. Canterbury Museum NZ

DARLING HARBOUR ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

In the spotlight at the ANMM Tampa and SIEV X ten years on

his year marks the 10th anniversary of the MV Tampa rescue and sinking of SIEV X in 2001. These incidents inflamed political and public debate about refugees, asylum seekers and border protection at the turn of the 21st century. Ten years on they remain defining moments in Australia’s recent maritime and immigration history. The theme of past and present government immigration policies is a key area identified in the Australian National Maritime Museum Collection Development Policy. The museum is acknowledging the anniversary with two displays of collection material acquired in the last decade: The Tampa crisis and X for unknown – SIEV X memorial designs. The display The Tampa crisis includes a life jacket and lifebuoy that were part of the Norwegian cargo ship’s safety equipment when its crew rescued 433 asylum seekers from their stricken fishing boat, KM Palapa 1, in the Indian Ocean on 26 August 2001. Although Tampa was not licensed to carry more than 50 people its captain, Arne Rinnan, changed course to help the asylum seekers, who were mainly from Afghanistan which was then under Taliban rule. Under pressure from some of the desperate passengers Captain Rinnan headed for the offshore Australian territory of Christmas Island, but was denied permission to enter Australian waters. When the health of some passengers deteriorated Captain Rinnan sent a mayday signal and sailed toward Christmas Island. Tampa was boarded by the Special Air Service (SAS) who ordered the ship turned around. Following an intense political stand-off the asylum seekers were transferred to HMAS Manoora. Most were taken to the Pacific island of Nauru as part of Australia’s so-called ‘Pacific Solution’ (2001-08). This aimed to prevent refugees from reaching Australian territory, where they could legally claim asylum, to detain and process them offshore in cooperating countries. A small number of asylum seekers from Tampa were eventually granted refugee status and resettled in Australia.

ILL-FATED SIEV X The Tampa crisis attracted extensive media coverage in Australia and overseas, dominating headlines and talkback radio. In contrast to this highly publicised incident, there is no confirmed visual documentation of the ill-fated vessel that came to be known as SIEV X (Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel Unknown). This was a decrepit, overcrowded fishing boat that embarked from Sumatra, Indonesia, on 18 October 2001, also headed for Christmas Island with over 400 asylum seekers who had fled Iraq and Afghanistan. The boat foundered the next day, 353 people – 146 children, 142 women and 65 men – drowned. According to survivors more than 100 people were alive in the water that night when two vessels arrived and shone searchlights, but failed to rescue anyone. The vessels have never been identified. Only 45 people were eventually rescued by passing fishermen. Controversy still surrounds the sinking, but despite a number of Australian Senate motions a full independent inquiry into the tragedy has yet to be held. Many of the SIEV X victims were women and children trying to reunite with husbands and fathers in mandatory detention or on

Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs) in Australia. Mandatory detention of unauthorised arrivals began in 1992 under the Labor government (1983-96). In 1999 the Coalition government (1996-2007) introduced TPVs for unauthorised arrivals who had been assessed as genuine refugees. This new type of visa removed their rights to be joined by family or to re-enter Australia if they needed to leave. These were among tougher policies implemented by successive governments since the era of Vietnamese boat people in the 1970s, whose arrivals were more readily accepted. Recent Labor governments (2007 to present) have modified some policies and introduced new ones in the attempt to neutralise one of the most polarising debates in contemporary Australian society – how to deal with asylum seekers arriving on unauthorised voyages. The museum has a rich collection linked to refugees from the war in Indochina, including the 1975 Vietnamese refugee boat Tu Do. We also hold a growing collection relating to asylum seekers and people smuggling which includes political cartoons; material associated with illegal Chinese immigrants on Kayuen in 1999; flags, banners and letters from the 2004 Flotillas of Hope protest expedition to Nauru; and student designs for the national memorial to SIEV X in Canberra.

MEMORIAL to the lost The concept for the memorial emerged through a nationwide art project coordinated by a group of friends from the Uniting Church. In 2003-04 students from more than 200 high schools learned about SIEV X and responded with designs for the memorial, now installed on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin. Their designs captured a range of feelings – empathy for the plight of young refugees, anger at the nation’s treatment of asylum seekers and disbelief at the scale of loss of life. A selection of these designs, including the winning concept by Brisbane student Mitchell Donaldson, is displayed in X for unknown – SIEV X memorial designs. In the process of selecting works for the exhibition I had to remind myself the designs were created by students in Years 9 and 10. They are provocative, thoughtful and highly symbolic, reflecting a powerful emotional and intellectual engagement with the story of SIEV X and a depth of compassion that appears to be sadly lacking in many adults. The designs are compelling because they represent children’s perspectives on issues of asylum seekers, refugee policy and human rights. As current political debate once again centres on offshore solutions for asylum seekers, it is clear these issues remain as contested, divisive and relevant as they were 10 years ago. X for unknown – SIEV X memorial designs will be on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum from 21 September to 20 November 2011.

Kim Tao Curator AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM 02 9298 3777 www.anmm.gov.au

SIEV X memorial concept by Alexandra Coxon, 2004. ANMM Collection Gift from SIEV X National Memorial Project

Life jacket and lifebuoy on display in The Tampa Crisis. ANMM. Gift from Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics. Photographer A Frolows/ANMM

The SIEV X memorial, based on Mitchell Donaldson’s design above comprises 353 decorated wooden poles stretching over 300 metres in Weston Park, Yarralumla. ANMM Collection. Gift from SIEV X National Memorial Project

SIEV X memorial concept by Peta Murray, 2004. ANMM. Gift from SIEV X National Memorial Project

AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM

Voted one of the world’s 12 coolest museums! The Sunday Times, London. Enter the world of underwater warfare aboard the submarine HMAS Onslow, explore the last of the big gun destroyers HMAS Vampire and experience life aboard the magnificent Duyfken, the Dutch ship that in 1606 made the first recorded European visit to the Australian continent. The museum hosts a changing annual program of major exhibitions, this year including Scott’s Last Expedition and Aqua – A Journey into the World of Water.

Open daily 9.30am-5pm (6pm in January) 2 Murray Street, Sydney T 02 9298 3777 www.anmm.gov.au

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

AROUND THE WORLD with Janet Stevenson What was it like being a young Australian travelling abroad more than 50 years ago?

A gift just to remind you That though you travel far We’ll meet again in England Till then, it’s au revoir

n 1957, 25 year old Janet Stevenson received this farewell message just before embarking on a working holiday to Britain, Europe and North America. During her threeyear sojourn, Janet collected an evocative array of shipping souvenirs, photographs, postcards and tickets, which she carefully pasted into a scrapbook upon her return to Australia. More than 50 years after that lifechanging voyage, Janet has donated this cherished memento to the Australian National Maritime Museum. Aptly titled Around the world with Janet Stevenson, the scrapbook provides a delightful record of her adventures abroad. It also presents a perspective on outward-bound voyages from Australia at a time when thousands of British and European migrants were arriving in Australia through post-war assisted passage schemes. In this age of transient emails, electronic tickets and digital photographs, many travellers would find it difficult to compile such a souvenir. This makes the scrapbook all the more valuable. It is a tangible document of memory and a rich historical resource. Within its pages we follow Janet’s transformation from fresh-faced Sydneysider to worldly young woman. In the 1950s and ’60s, the voyage to Britain by ocean liner was a traditional rite of passage for thousands of young Australians seeking

further study, career opportunities and adventure. After completing her high school Leaving Certificate, Janet spent a year at secretarial college before taking a job as a shorthand typist at book publisher Angus & Robertson. For the next six years she put away £5 per week to save for her trip. In May 1957 Janet departed Sydney on the P&O liner SS Strathnaver, sailing around the Cape of Good Hope as the Suez Crisis had only recently been resolved and the shorter route through the Red Sea and Suez Canal had not yet been resumed. Janet travelled alone, but quickly made friends on board with other young Australians and New Zealanders, with whom she would explore Britain and Europe. ‘That’s one good thing about going by ship,’ she recalls. ‘You’re sharing a six-berth cabin for five weeks. You had companionship. Nowadays you wouldn’t have time to make friends on a plane. Shipboard life was a bit boring in some ways – you would think of the next port and what you’d have for dinner. But I’d much rather ship travel – you can sleep in as long as you like!’ Janet acquired a range of ship menus, race cards, entertainment programs and ports-ofcall booklets, which she cherished as mementos of her long sea voyage. Bearing the distinctive P&O corporate identity, they constitute wonderful examples of post-war design. They also offer an insight into 20thcentury shipboard life and evoke an era when the journey was just as important as the destination. While today’s travellers can easily remain in contact through email, mobile phones and instant messages, Janet was completely

isolated from home and her loved ones on the other side of the world. The absence of communication in the scrapbook, apart from bon voyage telegrams and welcome-home cards, reinforces the physical and emotional distance that once separated travellers. Janet treasured any news about Australia, keeping clippings about Australian child actor Colin Petersen’s visit to Edinburgh in 1957 and the international rugby match between England and Australia at Twickenham in 1958. From her base in England she went on to explore the Continent, echoing the classical Grand Tour with trips to France, Spain, Italy, Austria and Germany. Her most memorable experiences were hitchhiking through Europe and climbing to the crater of Mount Vesuvius near Naples. Collected were postcards, maps and theatre and transport tickets from places that remain iconic sights and destinations for tourists today. They are displayed in her scrapbook alongside dried alpine flowers from Austria and still-vivid red and gold maple leaves from her later visit to Canada. Janet sailed from Britain to Montreal, Canada, on SS Ryndam in June 1960, having decided it was time to head home. She had initially planned to travel for 18 months but had already been away for three years. From Montreal she toured through eastern Canada and the United States with a Greyhound bus pass, visiting diverse cities such as Quebec, New York, Chicago, Detroit and San Francisco. Janet recalls that ‘it was great in America, you told them you were from Australia and they’d look at you like you’d come from Mars. They hardly knew where it was.’

Janet Stevenson shelters behind a dry stone sheep wall below Tryfan Mountain, Snowdonia, Wales, 1959 Open page spread of Janet Stevenson’s scrapbook: Strathnaver shipboard newspaper, race card, port of call booklet, South Africa, Canary Islands. ANMM Collection Janet Robinson (née Stevenson) views her scrapbook in a collections storage area at the museum, 2011. Photographer A Frolows/ANMM

In October 1960, the final leg of her journey, she embarked from San Francisco on SS Iberia, which made port calls in Japan, Hong Kong and the Philippines before docking in Sydney. Reflecting on her epic voyage around the world, Janet says ‘It made me more thoughtful of other people and other countries. But it also made me grateful for being Australian. It made me appreciate Australia more having left for awhile, especially the lack of class consciousness.’ After returning home Janet married Gordon Robinson and they raised three children in Sydney. They both volunteered at the museum for many years. During a recent visit to view her scrapbook, Janet remarked, ‘It does take me back. It’s quite nostalgic. Some things I had completely forgotten. I had slides but I’m glad I have the scrapbook because the slides have faded to nothing. It’s nice to think it’s got a home.’ Kim Tao Curator AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM 02 9298 3777 www.anmm.gov.au

LEICHHARDT ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

rom F s e te inu Centr M 5 ity C

www.Veiew our new bl lement og ~ silove.c om Visit Our Website To View Stock On Line.

Over 420 SqM of Antiques on display in our warehouse showroom.

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Come In & Discover Our Collection Of Antique & Industrial furniture, Architectural antiques, Decorative garden elements, Wrought iron gates & grilles, Lighting & mirrors from ~ France, Belgium, Sweden, Morocco, India, South America, China and Australia.

www.elements.net.au Showroom | Workshop Tues to Sat 10am - 5pm | 124 James Street, Leichhardt 2040 | 02 9560 3067

French finds

erhaps you are old enough to remember a visit to a haberdashery store and saw a draper’s table in use? This classic two tiered table with a lower open shelf for storing bolts of fabric on and the upper level for rolling out, displaying and working on a length of fabric comes from the 19th century. These tables were often made in oak and sometimes in Baltic pine. They were in use when the textile trade was scattered all over Europe and there was such a thing as a seamstresses’ guild in France. There were many guilds in France at this time, the artisans were grouped together to form jobspecific associations: journeymen, stonemasons, carpenters, bakers, cobblers, coppersmiths, knife-makers, chain-forgers and resineurs. (Read on to find out who they are.) Pieces such as this add much character to a modern interior and make a great addition to a café or boutique as they are both functional and decorative. When sourcing, we look for all manner of tables, old counters, shop fittings and signs that were in use in factories

pour le jardin et la maison and workshops across France including bakeries, florist’s shops, haberdashery stores and milliners.

A (RESIN) potted history Many of the enjoyable moments that arise when travelling and buying in brocantes in France is the odd collection of items we find for the garden that are vaguely junky, slightly functional but always decorative. In the exterior spaces of these yards and shops an early original zinc tub may well jostle for position alongside rotting wood and rusting iron. It is here that we found a couple of copper poissionnière (fish kettles) and a lovely box of old resin pots. Many people make the mistake of thinking old resin pots are small terracotta seedling pots, but in the early 1800s they were made to collect resin in the pine forests of France. Before Pierre Hughes invented these in 1836, resin was originally collected by making an artificial wound in the tree and letting the resin drop into a hole on the ground or onto a piece of sack cloth, which was both dirty and awkward.

His idea of using a small earthenware pot (like a flowerpot without the drain hole) that could be wedged into the tree would make the job simpler and easier. However, it was still a very labour intensive occupation as the resin had to be scraped out of the pots and transferred into a larger resin barrel. A resineur could work about 7,000 pines annually and one cut produced on average 1.5 litres of resin each year. The gruelling schedule required the cuts on 7,000 trees to be refreshed every four to eight days. This could not be achieved working alone so the resineur was helped by his wife, or if unmarried by his mother. They were known as couple de resineurs. It was an effective partnership. While the man worked on the cuts, the woman would empty the resin pots into the barrels. On many of the pots we have in the shop you can still see remnants of dried resin around the rims. With a new French shipment in store and a long summer ahead of us, now is a great time to visit Elements. Perhaps you could take home some pretty little French objéts pour le jardin et la maison?

ARCHITECTURAL & ANTIQUE ELEMENTS 02 9560 3067 www.elements.net.au

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

FROM PAGE 12

SPORTING trophies

Church plate made by W J Sanders for World Youth Day 2008

The Lakes Cup originally made in 1934, replicated by W J Sanders in 2010

The 2002 Kalgoorlie Cup and replicas

Horse racing has been viewed as one of Australia’s national sports for nearly 200 years. Since the gold rush era of the 1850s, a suitably inscribed gold cup has been presented to the winners of the most prestigious racing events. By the early 1920s, W.J. Sanders had established itself as the premier trophy maker and was at that time commissioned by Hardy Bros to make the Sydney Cup, the original being a traditional two-handled cup manufactured in 18 ct gold. Another example is The King’s Cup, an 18 ct gold trophy given by King George VI for the spring carnival race meeting, Sydney, 1939. Inevitably the elaborate, hand-crafted gold racing trophies of the Victorian age have given way in more recent times to simpler forms – traditional and modern. Following this golden age, W.J. Sanders continued designing and manufacturing many different racing trophies for carnivals Australia-wide, mainly in sterling silver and electroplated nickel silver (EPNS). These include such trophies as The Liverpool Cup (pictured), The Grafton Cup, The Kalgoorlie Cup (pictured) and many more that are still made annually. In making such trophies there are no short cuts. The traditional skills and various crafts are still used today, as shown here. The Liverpool Cup and the smaller replicas were originally designed and made by W.J. Sanders some 35 years ago. The Liverpool Cup is made in 925 sterling silver. Sheets of the highest quality Australian silver available are hand-cut down to a blank size. The body of the cup is spun up in .8 gauge sterling silver on a tapered mandril, then seamed and the top lip rolled. The lid is spun up on to a wooden chuck then reversed and necked in. The body is then soldered to a spun base, the handles are cut from 1.6 gauge sterling silver. A hand-turned finial of solid silver is soldered onto the lid. All sections are then hard soldered together, as the cup begins to take shape. Each solder is then skillfully hand-filed down smooth so that the cup appears as one piece. It is now ready to have the handles soldered on. To prepare the trophy for plating requires many hours of machine hand polishing using different grade brushes and mops, and eventually achieving a mirror-like surface.

From left to right: The Cross of Cong, as found showing the brown oxidation and after restoration A stylised cat’s head bites the base of the cross and links it to the conical knop ornamented with silver animal lace

From left to right: The Gaelic writing and the cat’s eyes, 56 of which were missing. The gilt bronze animal interlace patterns and decorative silver work on the front. Twenty large stones and 30 enamelled decals were missing. Decorative silver work around a centre glass, which in the original cross was a crystal designed to enshrine a relic said to be a fragment of the True Cross

The cup once polished to perfection is then skillfully hand-engraved with the very ornamental coat of arms along with the race details. After a final buff, it is 24 ct hard gold plated and set on a varnished rosewood plinth. Outside of horse racing, W.J. Sanders became widely known for their manufacture of many different sporting trophies, large and small. A fine example is the Colin Rodgers Cup made for Hardy Bros in 1921. From this time on many Sanders’ trophies were commissioned by the better-known jewellery houses and by the clubs themselves, covering a wide range of sports – air races, yachting, rifle shooting, boxing, athletics, and many more. William Sanders is remembered as a keen golfer and thanks to his efforts, and then later those of his son John, a large selection of handsome trophies can still be found in the golf clubs that surround Sydney. Many of the perpetual trophies of the Australian Golf Club were lost in a disastrous fire that destroyed the clubhouse in 1983. The company was given the task of reproducing the club’s important trophies, originally made half a century before. In 1971, when W.J. Sanders Pty Ltd merged with badge maker W.J. Amor Pty Ltd, the manufacturing facilities were combined with those of the latter company at Marshall Street, Surry Hills. From 1971, the manufacture of silverware and art metal wares was undertaken in parallel with the production of medals, medallions and badges under the name of Amor-Sanders Pty Ltd. John Sanders retired in 1984. In 1996 the Amor-Sanders company was dissolved, and W.J. Sanders commenced trading independently once again, its premises now located at Marrickville in Sydney’s inner west. The production of table silverware such as tea and coffee sets once crafted by W.J. Sanders and other Australian silversmiths has long passed. Today, most of the new work crafted by Sanders consists of commission work such as trophies, church plate, presentation salvers, as well as a range of hallmarked giftware and christening gifts made in sterling silver. There is also increasing demand to craft missing individual items of silverware sets or lost components from silverware pieces made in another era.

company prides itself on the professional restoration of a wide range of antiques – including marine antiques, old medical instruments, bronze and spelter sculptures, swords, antique oil and electric lamps, a wide range of church plate and furnishings and musical instruments. Add to that brass articles such as beds, firemen’s helmets, extinguishers, fire guards, fire dogs, brass and bronze plaques, copper coal scuttles and of course many different sporting shields and trophies. Before embarking on any important restoration, research is done to determine the origins and history of the item. Such was the case in 1999 when Father Lex Johnson had his curiosity aroused by the distinctive dark shape of a cross leaning against the far wall of the Earlwood parish garden shed. Fashioned in the ancient Celtic style, the cross was in an extremely sorry state, dilapidated and tarnished almost beyond recognition. On close examination after a rough clean he discovered Gaelic text around the patterned edges. It was soon recognised as a copy of the Cross of Cong, the exquisite gold processional cross made in the early 12th century. It had been hidden away in 1641 and was rediscovered by a priest, the Abbot of Cong, in an old chest. After he revealed the existence of the cross to Dr George Petrie in 1822, it eventually found its way into the National Museum of Ireland. Dublin jeweller Edmund Johnson re-created it for the Chicago World’s Exposition in 1893 and Tiffany & Co, New York then stocked copies. A spokesperson from the National Museum of Ireland described the replicas as beautiful examples of traditional metalsmiths’ craft and the replicas themselves should be considered as prize possessions. The other four replicas known to the Museum are housed in museums or in the possession of churches around the world. A missing cross had been found. The restoration process required an exceptional level of craftsmanship, skill, patience and care. W.J. Sanders’ silversmiths spent 60 hours engaged in the laborious task of taking apart and numbering the parts, and then using the methods of a century before to restore the cross completely.

ABOUT Restoration

■ Take completely apart, remove all stones

During the early days the company was largely engaged in ‘restoration and repair work for the trade.’ It seems the company has turned full circle. Today, restoration and repair is once again a very important part of the company business. The knowledge and craftsmanship skills of a manufacturing silversmith are essential for authentic and professional restoration. Restoration should replicate the original work. Nothing is done to devalue the heritage or where possible the aging effects on an antique. Everything is done to repair and halt any deterioration of the metals and where possible the patina will not be changed. Importantly, no short cuts are taken and pieces are researched to ensure that the correct and original procedures are adhered to. For example, valuable silverware was very seldom nickel plated, but unfortunately it is quite common to find previously restored silverware with a coating of nickel which, although it made that previous restoration easier and less expensive, quite often it has completely ruined a valuable piece. On the other hand, there are antiques that W.J. Sanders restores such as old telephones or gramophones that contain components that were originally nickel plated. In such cases they are prepared in-house and sent out for new nickel plating. The range of articles restored by the company today is extremely wide and although specialising in antique silver such as tableware, cutlery, candlesticks etc., the

The job sheet read as follows: and decals ■ Remove all pins, rivets and metal work (over 900

parts in total) ■ Fix split in wooden base structure, clamp, clean

and reset and replace over 20 of the larger missing stones ■ Find, replace, reset 56 missing small stones (cat’s eyes) ■ Make and replace 30 missing enamelled decals ■ Make and replace over 40 pins and rivets ■ Remake various parts of the sterling silver decoration ■ Remake various parts of the bronze decorative lacework ■ Re-structure and reshape damaged collar on handle ■ Chemically clean and machine hand-polish all metal parts ■ Silver plate parts where needed and reassemble all. Such restoration work undertaken over the last 90 years has always given the craftsmen of W.J. Sanders immense pride and satisfaction and will surely be some of the motivation to keep these essential crafts alive for the next 100 years. ■ Find

WJ SANDERS 02 9557 0134 www.wjsanders.com.au Reference Kenneth Cavill, ‘W.J. Sanders, Manufacturing Silversmiths, Goldsmiths & Art Metal Workers’ Australiana, May 1998, pp 33-40

MARRICKVILLE ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

BOOPABELIA

Collecting Betty Boop G

lamorous 1930s cartoon character Betty Boop has won millions of adoring fans with her pouting lips, adorable baby face, bubbly charm and chic flapper style. With her irresistible mix of wide-eyed innocence and alluring sexuality, Betty Boop is demure yet flirtatious, and this delightful combination of sweetness and sassiness has captivated audiences and collectors for over 70 years. In August 1930, animator Grim Natwick of Fleischer Studios in New York City created

Boop, first as a human-like canine character with a black button nose and floppy ears, and over the next three cartoons she went from French poodle to sex kitten. Her long ears morphed into her trademark hoop earrings and her curly topknot was tamed into a bob with spit curls as she evolved into human form. Natwick modelled her French doll figure after Mae West, and took inspiration for her split curls and high baby voice from singer Helen Kane known as the ‘Boop-boop-a-doop girl.’ Christened Betty Boop in the 1932 short film, Stopping the Show, this was first of the Betty Boop series and more than a hundred Betty Boop cartoons were produced. Watch many online today, for free. In 1934 Betty began appearing in comic strips drawn by Bud Counihan. The daily strip ran for a year, thereafter it was released only on Sundays until 1937.

EARLY Betty collectables The adult sensibilities of Betty’s cartoons made her a hit and a wave of merchandising soon swept the world. In 1934 her image decorated tea sets, cards, dolls and watches. With a head like a giant peanut, voluminous eyes, mascara-laden lashes, irresistibly kissable lips, flattened marcelled hair, gold hoop earrings and mere threads of a dress exposing miles of sexy skin, she became a darling celluloid pin-up doll. Today, anything from the 1930s is highly valuable, especially the composition dolls.

BOOPABELIA Betty Boop is as popular now as ever. She remains a potent symbol of the jazz age, a retro icon, and is considered a pioneer achievement in the development of female animated characters. She has withstood the test of time, outlasting the pet rock, mood rings, lava lamps and virtually all other fad collectables. The Definitive Guide to Betty Boop: Memorabilia with Values by Leonard Ellis (2003) is an excellent reference guide that details the origins, history and values of more than 3,000 Boop items ranging from money boxes to comic books, complemented by

KOGARAH ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Southern Antique Centre 30 SHOPS UNDER ONE ROOF

ANTIQUES • COLLECTABLES • BRIC-À-BRAC

CELEBRATING 15 YEARS OF SERVICE • OPEN 7 DAYS from 10 am • We Buy - Sell & Hire • CAFÉ quality photographs. Ellis’ personal collection exceeds 1,000 Betty Boop items, including lunchboxes, clocks, figurines, plates and advertising memorabilia, and two 12-inch composite dolls made in 1930s. According to Ellis, a doll with a composition head and a cloth body is very

hard to find and might sell for $1,000 in poor condition and $5,000 in great condition. The value of an early 1930s 12-inch composition Betty Boop doll with cloth dress, issued by Cameo Doll Company under licence to Fleischer Studios, with original box, was estimated in 2007 at US$2,000–

245 Princes Hwy, Kogarah (near St George Leagues)

20 minutes south of the City

southernantiques@bigpond.com www.southernantiques.net.au

Ph: 02 9553 7843 Mob: 0410 436 933 3,000. In 2005, a 10½-inch Boop celluloid whirligig, identified on its lithographed box as ‘Jolly Betty,’ in near mint condition, made in Japan in the early 1930s, sold for US$8,250. In 2007, a Betty Boop daily comic strip drawn by Bud Counihan, dated 11-16-34 sold for US$7,170. The Betty Boop image has been licensed to appear on hundreds of products, including clothing and shoes, jewellery, clocks and watches, figurines, bath and kitchen products, handbags and luggage, and even personalised Betty Boop number plates for your car. Betty Boop dolls were released by Precious Kids, including some talking dolls. Her cartoons have been re-mastered and re-released on DVD. Sherrie Krantz’ How to be a Betty: the ultimate guide to unleashing your inner Boop! is a fun guide containing everything you need to know about how to tap into your inner Boop. Krantz says there’s a Betty inside every woman: ‘She’s carefree, sexy, and just waiting to make her grand entrance into your life.’ If you would like to get to know Betty better, currently 22 Betty Boop cartoons are public domain on the Internet. Kim Hughes SOUTHERN ANTIQUE CENTRE 02 9553 7843 www.southernantiques.com.au Acknowledgment Cecilia Biemann, ‘Betty Boop – the first animated sex symbol’ in Collectable Trader #80, December 2007 – February 2008, pp. 8-11 Further reading Leonard Ellis, The Definitive Guide to Betty Boop: Memorabilia with Values, Hobby House Press, 2003 Sherrie Krantz, How to be a Betty: the ultimate guide to unleashing your inner Boop! Ballantine Books, 2005

KOGARAH ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Investing in

RARE CURRENCY T

he history of numismatics dates to around 650 BCE and the Greek civilisation of Lydia. Since then, people of wealth and power have collected coins, appreciating the rich history and beauty only this form of collectable holds. Coins and banknotes are an important historical reference and a reliable store of wealth. Historically, financial support for the numismatic market has come from collectors who have bought rare coins and banknotes for their beauty and heritage value. Yet it is the substantial profits realised by the owners of high profile collections which have attracted collectors in more recent times. Select Australian coin and banknote rarities boast an outstanding record of strong and dependable capital growth. They have ranked as one of the highest performing asset classes available to Australian investors over most periods. In many cases, during the past 40 years, their annual capital growth has exceeded 15 per cent compounded per annum. As an example, one selected portfolio featuring a combination of quality rare coins and banknotes has averaged 16.1 per cent per annum compounded, underpinning the strong and sustained market performance and demand for such rarities.

SUCCESSFUL collectors and investors When the late Dr Alan Nicholson sold his renowned collection of 436 Australian banknotes at auction in November 1995 for

$2.2 million, the capital growth on just one note was a staggering 34.12 per cent compounded per annum. This superscribed Queensland Government Treasury one pound note purchased in 1970 for just $55, realised $84,700. Prominent Australian collectors hail from varied backgrounds. Mick Vort-Ronald, who once owned Australia’s most comprehensive banknote collection, was a South Australian police officer. Richard Williams financed his superb collection in the late 1970s through his Victorian cotton farm. He bought only the rarest numismatic material preserved in the best possible condition. Following his death in 1990, the collection of 605 items was sold for $605,000 – 20 per cent above the auctioneer’s estimate. His 1930 penny, regarded as the second finest known, sold for a strong $26,000. A similar example sold in late 2000 at a Sydney auction for $85,000. This equates to an 18.44 per cent compounded per annum rate of growth. In 2009, the famed Quartermaster Collection of Australian gold coins sold at auction for a staggering $10.2 million dollars. Assembled in the late 1980s and 1990s, this collection, featuring the finest and rarest quality pieces, delivered the owner a significant return on his original investment. The goal of most investors is to employ their money to generate funds for use in retirement or for some other objective. Numismatics has a very low to negative

correlation to stocks and bonds. Investors can reduce their total portfolio risk by holding a portion of wealth in such items as they are tangible assets. In the recession of the early ’90s, a successful business person who owned several medium sized hotels and motels discovered the benefits of diversifying his investment portfolio. An airline pilots’ strike and the economic downturn severely reduced his business cash flow. Fortunately, he had chosen to build a portfolio of high quality coins and banknotes several years earlier. As the numismatic market had continued to perform, by selling his collection he was able to work through a trying financial period.

THE benefits An investment in rare coins and banknotes offers many advantages unavailable in other asset classes. They are one of the few remaining assets accumulated privately with no title deeds or certificates, allowing the complete confidentiality of your investment. Rare coins and banknotes can be easily and discreetly stored according to the owner’s wishes and readily moved anywhere, which means clients are not limited to where or when they can move and store their investment. No tax is payable on items while held. This results in a full compounding effect, thus maximising capital growth. Rare coins and banknotes rank amongst the most liquid collectables in the country. Select Australian material is also in big demand overseas. Careful selection of superior quality items in strong demand can make it easier to liquidate your investment in the long-term.

A PRIVILEGE to own Historically, rare coins and banknotes have been a safe store of wealth during such

Robert Jackman, co-founder and Managing Director of the Rare Coin Company

upheavals as world wars and the Great Depression of the 1930s. They also mirror the economic and cultural development of our nation. Many coin and banknote designs are considered works of art in their own right. The satisfaction and privilege of actually owning a piece of currency history is one only a select few investors will ever enjoy. We strongly recommend that prospective investors consult with a qualified and accredited numismatic specialist and financial advisor for professional advice in this lucrative and enjoyable field of investing. THE RARE COIN COMPANY 1800 181 239 www.rarecoin.com.au

CARLTON ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Mix it up with Resurrection and find your unique style

oday we are encouraged to mix it up when we decorate our homes. Put the old with the new, the worn with the polished and the traditional with the quirky. It looks fabulous in the decorating magazines but how can this look be achieved by anyone and with success? Really it is about staying true to yourself – your passions, your interests, and your history. Antique furniture is no longer viewed as exclusive to those who choose to furnish in period style. Furnishing with antiques has evolved into seeking unique, accessible pieces that will add interest, dimension and character to an existing space. How to get started? There are no rules, but as a general guideline buy what you love, incorporate what you already have, let each piece breathe and trust your instincts.

CONTRAST Yes you can put beautiful rustic timber chairs with a contemporary glass dining table or a Victorian pedestal table beside a modern suede lounge. Often it is the contrast in materials that provides the wow factor and brings a room to life. At Resurrection, we are fond of the term ‘polished rustic.’ This applies to many of our pieces which bridge the gap between elegant and provincial. Such pieces exude warmth and individuality and blend seamlessly with both contemporary and traditional surrounds.

HISTORY Whether an accent piece is a family heirloom, a travel memento or a treasured antique much of its appeal lies in the life it has lived and its relationship to you. There is a meeting of stories, two separate histories combining to form the whole. What is the history of the piece? Is it a trunk that has travelled the globe, or a beautifully carved desk that has witnessed many an emotional letter? What drew you to the piece and why did you acquire it? Often something quite magical will happen and it may seem that the piece has chosen the owner rather than the other way round.

place. Do not be afraid to mix timbers, it would be a mistake to overlook a piece that was perfect in appeal, shape and design simply because it is a different timber to other pieces around it.

ALL IN the detail Sometimes the beauty of a piece lies in a detail of its design – gorgeous handles, an unusual carved motif, beautiful leadlight, interesting wood grain. In any room, even the most contemporary, such details on a singular piece will create that feeling of magic and individuality which brings the space to life.

ADAPTABILITY Some antique furniture has aged untouched by changing times, its original function intact, for example desks, display cabinets, beds. Others now seek new employment and with a little imagination the options are plenty. An early dresser base or buffet makes a fabulous television stand, a wardrobe can be fitted with shelves to make an excellent linen press, an art deco kitchen dresser works well in the study as a filing / stationery cabinet. Use beautiful travelling chests as coffee tables or end of bed storage, a rustic workbench takes on a new purpose in the dining room. That obsolete washstand works well as a desk. Using a piece of furniture in a different context instantly adds interest and personality to a space. So next time you need that unique, original piece to lift your home start with Resurrection where you’ll find a myriad of antique, vintage and rustic selections. RESURRECTION PTY LTD 0404 327 909 aslan@unwired.com.au

Resurrection Antique

Rustic

Bringing character to your home Resurrection is an antique store with a contemporary slant. We source unique versatile pieces to enhance the character of your home. Decorate in style with original furniture & accessories across a broad range of styles – everything from rustic industrial, vintage cottage to classic traditional.

55 Andover Street Carlton NSW 2218 OPEN Thursday – Saturday 10 am – 4 pm. Other times by appointment Dave & Fiona 0404 327 909

Email: aslan@unwired.com.au Cabinets & Chairs Desks & Tables

Antique

Fine Art Tea Ware

Vintage

COLOUR & timber Sometimes a room that incorporates disparate pieces can easily be united by small but consistent touches of colour. A beautiful embroidered runner, a simple glazed vase or a painting positioned above will make an instant difference if a piece at first appears out of

Vintage

Lamps & Vases Rustic Boxes

Rustic

Chests & Trunks & much more…

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

KOKESHI:

The Japanese collectable doll W

ooden dolls have been made by Japanese wood carvers since the late 15th century, a folk art collectively known as Kokeshi. Japan’s severe northern winter snowstorms kept local wood workers indoors so they turned their talents to creating wooden dolls for their children, hand painted in the particular fashion of the times. Gradually the shape and style for painting a Kokeshi doll became almost standardised during the mid-Edo period (1603-1867). After WWII, some younger craftsmen decided to break with strict traditions, not surprising in that time of major change for

DFEE AX N-W

Japan, adding items to their dolls such as umbrellas, kimonos and hats. Kokeshi became known as either Dento for the traditional style and the creative dolls as Sosaku. There are many sub-classifications for the avid collector to pursue, such as by style, prefecture or town of a doll’s source. The creative Kokeshi Sosaku tradition, made by local craftsmen became very popular tourist mementos of family vacations after the war. This development of creative styles in Kokeshi peaked in the 1950s and 1960s. Families began displaying Kokeshi collections in their reconstructed modern homes.

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By the 1970s, the Kokeshi fad began to be replaced with plastic mementos and so fewer of those wooden treasure dolls were made, or kept. Now, they are very difficult to find. Kokeshi dolls are a quite valuable collectable. An avid collector of Kokeshi, Lauren Landsberry of Journey Japan has used Howard Products to gently restore the delicate handwork on faded wooden dolls. ‘To redefine the faded features of the older dolls I used Golden Oak Restor-A-Finish first and then, as the overall look of the piece had a mellow golden hue, I finished off with a coat of Howard Feed-N-Wax. For the little hand painted doll, which was basically water paint on raw wood, I used colourless Butcher Block Conditioning wax, which intensified the paint colour without blurring it and didn’t alter the overall paleness of the wood itself. Howard Burnishing Cream added shine to a couple of rather dull little dolls.’ Howard Products provide a number of unique ways to enhance and protect valuable smalls such as wooden and tin plate toys and Bakelite items. Send me an email anytime if you’d like some suggestions and to share your experiences with Howard Products with other collectors. David Foster advice@howardproducts.com.au 1800 672 646 www.howardproducts.com.au Further reading Michael Evans and Robert Wolf, Kokeshi: Wooden Treasures of Japan, Vermillion Publishing, 2005

DARLING HARBOUR / CANTERBURY ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

ONE OCTOBER WEEKEND, TWO GREAT SYDNEY SHOWS!

Sydney Art Show + Sydney Love Vintage Clothing Show & Sale 14-16 October 2011 A

ustralia’s leading family-owned event and exhibition company, Expertise Events, is pleased to present two Sydney shows from 14 to 16 October.

ART Lovers The Sydney Art Show is a brand-new, exciting event, offering visitors the exclusive opportunity to see artists’ work, meet the artists and buy their pieces directly. You can shop for art supplies and get creative in hands-on workshops. Held at the Sydney Exhibition Centre in Darling Harbour, this unique event is the ideal

Susan Schmidt, Northern Retreat, 2011, mixed media 130 x 105 cm

opportunity to seek out emerging artists while also viewing a showcase of artworks from established galleries. Browse the many hundreds of paintings, sculptures, ceramics, photographs, indigenous works, new media art and works on paper, including limited edition prints. Artists will be getting up close and personal with their favourite medium and explaining the thought processes and inspirations behind their artworks. While art fairs are predominantly aimed at initiated art buyers and artists, the Sydney Art Show will also cater to the less experienced with the aim of demystifying the world of art and creating a new wave of artists, collectors and art enthusiasts. Grab a coffee and relax in the Mambo smart ARTS Lounge. This iconic Australian street brand will be showcasing a number of their leading artists – watch their entertaining demonstrations and enjoy meeting them at the Artist’s Talk. A highlight will be the huge collaborative art work that will be created by the Mambo artists over the three days of the show. If you are keen to get involved in art, suppliers and retailers will demonstrate and sell supplies that are suitable for both established artists and beginners. You can also seek out art-associated concepts such as lighting, framing, art storage and shipping solutions, art restoration, art specific insurance and much more. Opening at 10 am until 4:30 pm each day, for more details phone 02 9452 7575 or view www.sydneyartshow.com.au.

VINTAGE Fashion Lovers

he popular Sydney Love Vintage Clothing Show & Sale is again at the Canterbury Racecourse Function Centre. New organisers, Expertise Events, are excited to add their fresh touch to this very special show on Sydney’s calendar of events. If you’re a fashionista searching for elegant and timeless ladies’ and men‘s fashions, a brideto-be wanting a special piece of jewellery for her wedding day, or a collector adding to your lace and linen collection, you’ll discover history, passion and amazing shopping Sydney‘s largest and best vintage event. Shop at over 65 of Australia’s best dealers where you find vintage, antique and retro fashion, textiles, jewellery and collectables, all under one roof. Discover gorgeous, stylish, funky, quirky and glamorous gear for girls and guys, plus designer fashions from New York, London and Paris – think brands such as Mary Quant, Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Versace and Prada. Buy fabulous shoes and handbags to complement your race-day outfit, a classic suit to wear in the office, or a to-die-for party dress, perfect for a Christmas or New Year celebration or your school formal. Specialist traders have wonderful antique tablecloths, hand-made aprons, groovy 70s boots, belts and buckles, vintage sewing patterns and magazines, antique prints,

Discover antique and vintage linen, collectables, fashion, jewellery and accessories at the Love Vintage Show & Sale

jewelled 50s compacts and lipstick cases, rare Bakelite brooches, the prettiest parasols, silk lingerie from the 20s and so much more. Dress up in vintage style on the night of Friday 14 October for your chance to win a prize. Enjoy entertainment all weekend, such as vintage-style hair and make-up demonstrations, fashion parades covering the 20s to the 80s, new ‘revamp your vintage’ workshops and exciting swing dancing. Check out www.lovevintage.com.au for all the details or call 0409 150 692.

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Shoes, hats, handbags and floral cushions of the 1950s and 60s

Art glass made by Orrefors, Kosta and Iittala in 1950s

Beatrix Potter figures by Beswick

Bakelite and early plastic costume jewellery, including Lea Stein designs

Early Christmas cards

Men’s shoes and ties

CHRISTMAS, HOLIDAY & YEAR-ROUND GIFT SHOPPING at The Sydney Antique Centre

ith over 50 antique dealers under one roof, come to the Sydney Antique Centre for all your Christmas and holiday shopping. The oldest antique centre in Sydney, opened in 1974, we are dedicated to quality stock and service.

GIFT ideas

Maisy Stapleton and Patricia McDonald, Christmas in the Colonies (1981)

See the many Christmas gift ideas at a range of prices to meet everyone’s purse strings. We can also provide a dining room table to eat your Christmas meal from, the silver with which to serve it, and the china and glass services for your guests. The jewellery range is wide, from engagement rings to Bakelite costume jewellery, other early plastic and designer Lea Stein pieces.

For children, there is a wonderful selection of figures, such as Beatrix Potter figurines made by Beswick based on her storybooks; the hedgerow mice from Brambly Hedge made by Royal Doulton; and Royal Doulton’s eternally lovable Bunnykins figures. Children will marvel at Australian Christmas rituals from the late 19th century in Christmas in the Colonies (1981), a rare book with numerous illustrations. Art glass from the 1950s is a generous gift suited to any interior style. Browse among Kraka vases by Palmqvist for Orrefors, various Nvicke Lindstrand vases made for Kosta in Sweden or snap up a rare blue i-glass bottle by Timo Sarpaneva for Iittala. For the Francophile in your circle consider a Garnier liqueur bottle shaped like the Eiffel Tower. Among artworks are many small paintings and prints. Explore the fine English bone china examples. Select something unique such as a superb teacup trio made by the Royal Crown Derby Porcelain Company.

FASHION If you’re looking for a stylish summer frock or an elegant men’s suit to wear to festive events, browse through our eleven vintage clothing boutiques where you will find an individual item that no one else will be wearing. We sell a variety of clothing to meet everyone’s budgets and styles – from the wartime slim silhouettes of the 1940s, floral 50s frocks, 60s mini dresses, 70s maxi dresses to 80s glitter – and everything in between. If you rummage through our packed rails of treasures you may even find the odd designer label gem. Vintage Allsorts is packed full of 1950s dresses and accessories to match, with handbags Fashion and more dating from the 1940s

Vintage dresses from the 1950s

and matching jewellery. You can step out in style, dressed head to toe in the full feminine silhouette of the 50s, very ‘Mad Men.’ Empire 47 will have you shining on the dance floor in an 80s sequin number. Vintage hats from Circa Vintage Hats are popular. It is difficult to choose from their large selection ranging from chic 1920s cloche hats to wonderful floral 1950s creations. Over the Top Vintage is packed with vintage finds, including a large collection of vintage hats from little 40s and 50s felts to wide brimmed floral fantasies. Men have a wide choice from our two shops specialising in vintage men’s attire. Keep it a Secret has a range of slick men’s suit fashion, with pre-loved shirts and suits, ties and accessories in lovely condition. Why pay full price for a suit again? What the Cat Dragged In has a large selection of tweed jackets and trilby hats, along with leather cowboy jackets and boots.

RELAXED shopping The Sydney Antique Centre’s GG Espresso cafe, serves sumptuous treats from sandwiches to salads, and an assortment of cakes and muffins. Just 2.5 km from Sydney’s CBD and open daily from 10 until 6 pm, step out of summer heat into our welcoming air conditioned premises and lose yourself in a cornucopia of antiques and wonderful retro gift ideas and themes. SYDNEY ANTIQUE CENTRE 02 9361 3244 info@sydantcent.com.au www.sydantcent.com.au

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a cafe, a gallery and over 60 dealers who trade in in fine arts and antiquities Open 7 days a week 10am-6pm

WOOLLAHRA / NEUTRAL BAY / QUEENSLAND ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

FELLIA MELAS

GALLERY

ROBERT DICKERSON From 20 October 2011

Major works from 1950s – 2010

2 MONCUR STREET, WOOLLAHRA PH 02 9363 5616 FAX 02 9363 2080 MOB 0418 362 451 Email: art@fmelasgallery.com.au

Visit us at : www.fmelasgallery.com.au

PADDINGTON ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Chinese and Japanese Quality antique and reproduction furniture and artefacts

ESTABLISHED 1989

336 South Dowling Street, Paddington

www.specialpieces.net.au | 02 9360 7104 Monday to Saturday 10 am to 5 pm - Sunday by appointment

NEW SHIPMENT OF BURMESE TREASURES JUST ARRIVED 53

CITY ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Kalmar Antiques has something for everyone

Kalmar Antiques Specialising in antiques, fine jewellery, watches and objets de vertu Shop 45, Level 1 Queen Victoria Building, Sydney 2000

Phone: 02 9264 3663 Email: kalmar@ozemail.com.au You can also visit our website at www.kalmarantiques.com.au

ALEXANDRIA ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Fine Furniture Designed and Hand Made in America by Hickory Chair Company IN AUSTRALIA ONLY AT LAURA KINCADE 80 O’RIORDAN STREET, ALEXANDRIA (NEXT DOOR TO DOMAYNE) Open Monday to Saturday 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday 10.30 am to 4.30 pm Telephone: 02 9667 4415 Website: www.laurakincade.com 55

setting a new

standard 1 2

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Porcelain, Glass, Lighting, Metalworks, Prints, Victorian, Edwardian & French Furniture, Ephemera, Watches, Statuary

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Sensational pair of highly decorative vintage oriental urns in excellent condition $ 1,750 Lance Solomon (1913-1989), Fair Weather, oil on board $6,500 Pair of early 19th century French gilt metal salts $495 Iron clad industrial style bookcase, oak timber frame $ 1,995 Australian red cedar chest, circa 1870 with 11 drawers $5,500 Top: Vintage timber bound trunk of circa 1860 $995 Iron clad chest of drawers, oak timber frame $1,295 Victorian walnut shaving stand, circa 1890, with swivel compartment set on a turned and fluted column $2,250 Fine late Victorian walnut writing desk with green leather inlay and gold tooling $4,650 Victorian Sutherland burr walnut table on walnut base in excellent condition $3,500 Rustic farmhouse table with Baltic pine top made by Miller (Australia) $1,800 Pair of artworks by A Reynders, Untitled (Dutch country houses), oil on canvas $9,000 pair Hibbert & Bougley (Burslem England) Chinoiserie trios, circa 1889 $150 each set Handmade metal flag coffee table $1,200 Hobnail crystal sterling silver tops hallmarked for Birmingham 1902 $575 each Pair of 18th century Italian chairs circa 1710 in original condition $1,900 French Louis style three-seater settee feather down filled $5,250

Silver, Ceramics, Adverttising, Clocks, Kitchenalia, Bakelite, Perfume Bottles, Oriental, Costume Jewellery, Cruet Sets

LIMITED FLOOR SPACE / CABINETS AVAILABLE. CONTACT DENISE 02 9550 5554

212â&#x20AC;&#x201C;220 Parramatta Rd, Camperdown NSW 2050 Phone 61 2 9550 5554 Fax 61 2 9550 4990 Email: camperdownmews@bigpond.com Open 7 days 10 amâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;6 pm Off-street parking

WE BUY, SELL, HIRE AND TRADE

GLEBE ANTIQUE STRIP ON PARRAMATTA ROAD ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

GLEBE ANTIQUE CENTRE 62 Parramatta Road, Glebe NSW, 2037 (Opposite Sydney University Veterinary Hospital) Two full levels of a wide variety of quality antique furniture, light fittings, jewellery, glass, porcelain and general collectables Open 7 days 10 am to 6 pm

Ph: 02 9692 9577 Fax: 02 9692 8611 Email: sales@glebeantiques.com.au Web: www.glebeantiques.com.au www.desksofdistinction.com.au The largest collection of genuine antique furniture in Sydney!

VICTORIA ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Valentine’s Antique Gallery IMPORTERS OF FINE QUALITY ANTIQUES ESTABLISHED 1947

Superb Italian bronze hunting scene 36cm wide c.1880s

Royal Worcester blush ivory jardinière 22cm high c.1902

Victorian mahogany 3 leaf dining table with turned legs h: 74, w: 353, d: 142 c.1870s plus superb set of 12 (5 & 7) late Victorian walnut dining chairs including 2 carvers c.1880s

Please refer to our website: www.valentinesantiques.com.au for a full listing of new stock

Valentine’s Antique Gallery 369 Hargreaves Street, Bendigo, Victoria 3550 Phone: 03 5443 7279 Mobile: 0418 511 626 Fax: 03 5442 9718 Email: peter@valentinesantiques.com.au www.valentinesantiques.com.au 60

Au s t ra l i an An t i q u e a n d Art Deal e rs A s s oc iat i on

NOW N OW W CONSIGNING CO ONSIG GNIN NG JEWELLERY

FINE ART

OBJECTS

An Art Deco opal, conch pearl and diamond brooch Sold October 2010 $31,200

Tony Tuckson (1921-1973) Margaret no. 1 1950-1956 Sold May 2011 for $28,800

A Japanese Namikawa Yasuyuki cloisonne covered vase Meiji period Sold June 2011 $38,400

333 3 Malvern Malvern Road, South Yarra, Yarra, a Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3141 31 141 Australia Teel: +61 (0) 3 9826 4333 43 333 Fax: +61 (0) 3 9826 9826 4544 Tel:

www.leonardjoel.com.au www .leon nardjoel.com.au j u

AR T | J E W E L L E RY RY | OBJECTS | DESIGN | LUX XU U RY RY

MATCHAM ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

GOWRIE GALLERIES AUSTRALIA’S FINEST COLLECTION OF RARE AND IMPORTANT ANTIQUE MAPS

The first printed map to show any of the Dutch discoveries in Australia, Jodocus HONDIUS c. 1624

OUR STOCK INCLUDES 15th – 18th century world maps Australian maps from the 17th century onwards Maps of Southeast Asia and the Pacific

❖ ❖ ❖

Expert advice on all aspects of map collecting Full research, evaluation, restoration and framing service Collections and individual items always considered for purchase Extensive range of decorative antique engravings Detail of Australian discoveries

Please note new contact details for Gowrie Galleries PO BOX 276 TERRIGAL NSW 2260 Matcham studio: Phone: 02 4365 6399 Mobile: 0417 040 902 Fax: 02 4365 6096 EMAIL: maps@sydney.net • WEBSITE: www.gowrie-galleries.com.au

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

THE BEST BOOK ON SATSUMA By Thomas S. Kiernan Over 300 Satsuma marks and signatures This book is truly the best book on Satsuma, with over 300 Satsuma marks and signatures translated to help both the collector and dealer. There are also more than 400 full colour illustrations, making this book a must have for anyone interested in Japanese Satsuma. The author Tom Kiernan is a recognised authority on Japanese antiques and has been dealing in antiques for the last forty-five years! He hopes that this book will help everyone to be able to understand and enjoy the wonderful world of Japanese Satsuma collecting. The book is offered for sale for only $180 which includes postage and packing. It will be signed by the author if requested.

TO ORDER THIS WONDERFUL BOOK Please contact Tom or Linda Kiernan by phone 03 5449 3070 or email: kiernangalleries@iinet.net.au We accept Mastercard and Visa, or send money order or cheque for $180 payable to: Tom Kiernan PO Box 521, Junortoun, Victoria 3551

Japanese Satsuma pottery

SATSUMA pottery origins The production of Satsuma pottery started around 1590 in Satsuma Province on the island of Kyushu in Japan, hence its name. Lord Shiraz Yoshihiro was a local warlord and Prince of Satsuma Province who returned from an attempted invasion of Korea. He brought back valued Korean paintings, lacquer

PRODUCTION centres Satsuma was produced in Kagoshima, Kyoto, Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, and Kanazawa by hundreds of known artists, in many styles and by literally thousands of unknown decorators. Workshops reportedly hired thousands of workers producing large quantities of Satsuma for export to England, Europe and the USA. As the quality dropped, so did the orders and most large Satsuma workshops closed. A handful of smaller studios continued to produce Satsuma into the 1930s.

ifty-seven years have passed since I purchased my first Japanese antique. I was just a lad of eleven and attending the East Sydney Art School. My teacher had introduced the class to woodblock printing, showing us several genuine antique Japanese prints to study. I was completely hooked, so I explored the antique shops of Sydney and I actually found a few good examples. I purchased my first two prints for the princely sum of two shillings (40 cents), later discovering at the Sydney museum that they were over 150 years old. The low prices back then were a full set of Samurai armour dating from the 18th century for just $60, a genuine samurai sword was under $10 and netsuke were priced from a couple of dollars up to about $4. Negative sentiments about Japan after WWII kept prices down in Australia. Although Satsuma was plentiful in England and Europe, the main importers of Satsuma around 1900, there was little in Australia. So in 1975 I started to travel to the UK twice a year and found good quality Satsuma to bring to Australia. My shop in Willoughby was the first to specialise in Japanese swords and antiques in Australia.

century the quality of much of the work signed Kinkozan was of inferior quality.

Hododa lidded koro with signature

Tomo Nobu shi shi vase, Gosu blue with signature

ware, carvings and prisoners of war, the latter seized for their skills such as carpenters, artists and potters. Yoshihiro had a personal interest in pottery and had become fascinated with the Korean style. He intended to set up kilns on his property in Satsuma and have the Korean potters teach his own craftsmen to produce fine pottery. The island of Kyushu had plenty of clay deposits so the kilns were built and the potter prisoners put to work. The local clay was a white/brown colour and combined with the skills of the Korean potters, resulted in a creamy coloured pottery with a fine crackle glaze when fired. This type of pottery had never been seen before and news soon spread. This pottery grew quickly in popularity among the high ranking families in Japan, seemingly all wishing to own a piece of Satsuma. It was too expensive to be used every day, so most early Satsuma pieces were acquired or given as gifts. This early style of Satsuma was collected for its

Unzan vase, The Deities with signature

Shozan miniature jug with signature

texture and simplicity, with minimal decoration such as a light gold decorated border or a simple flower design.

KINKOZAN style Today’s collectable Satsuma has gold detail and busy designs which usually covers most of the surface. Totally different to the original, this style started around the early 19th century by Kinkozan who came from a famous family of potters and opened his studio to produce many wonderful masterpieces. It is reported that he was the first artist to use the famous Gosu deep blue colour, which was applied heavily and then decorated with a delicate gold floral and scroll design over the blue. Various artists copied his style and it is generically referred to as Kinkozan. His name was well known throughout Japan and the western world but there were hundreds of fine Satsuma artists. Unfortunately after Kinkozan passed away his name was still used for this style and towards the latter part of the 19th

IDENTIFYING fine Satsuma The best Japanese Satsuma shows the fine attention to detail by artists as it was all hand painted – even the smallest pieces could take months to achieve high quality. My book, The Best Book on Satsuma passes on some of the knowledge I have acquired over the many years of study of Japanese antiques.

WARNING ON FAKE SATSUMA It is always a surprise to find that there are many people who think Satsuma is a product of China. I suppose one of the reasons could be that many pieces of Satsuma offered online are copies and fakes made in China and shipped by the thousand to every part of the world. These modern copies are usually sold as ‘Royal Satsuma’ and are totally unrelated to the genuine antique Japanese hand painted works of art. Tom Kiernan KIERNAN GALLERIES 03 5449 3070 kiernangalleries@iinet.net.au

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

700 years of wardrobes, armoires and presses

eoffrey Chaucer mentioned the clothes press, a general term for any tall doored cabinet storing napery, hangings or clothing, in The Millers Tale (c. 1390): ‘His clothes press was covered with a red wool cloth.’ Cupboards as we know them seem to have appeared around 1400 and were sometimes set into the panelling of a room. Wardrobe is an interchangeable English term, literally meaning ‘ward’ or guard, and ‘robe’ or clothing.

16TH century The precursor to the modern wardrobe was the armoire, a term in use by 1560 for a moveable closet. It came from the French armoire, a form of the Latin armârium, or chest from arma, tools, suggesting an original use for storing arms and armour. Fine examples from that period were crafted of expensive woods such as oak and mahogany with detailed carving in the Flemish style. From the former European nobility particularly in France, Holland, Germany and Austria beautiful large

armoires are wonderfully preserved, as well as their style and design continually copied over the centuries.

17TH century William Shakespeare wrote in Twelfth Night (1601) that ‘The Lady of Strachy married the Yeoman of the Wardrobe’ (a putdown, to marry a wardrobe manager). By then, a wardrobe grew to a room or two, far beyond a cupboard. Until the 18th century only the nobility, gentry and merchants had sufficient clothing and the means to warrant special storage.

MID 18TH century Increased prosperity and expansion of the wealthy merchant class required more commodious storage than a coffer or trunk. At first, drawers were added underneath and a cupboard on top. From this time wardrobes became fundamental bedroom furniture of the wealthy, with various styles. Several clothes presses were illustrated by Thomas Chippendale in his 1754 book of designs, The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker’s Director. These clothes presses were a press on chest or gentleman’s chest, a cupboard fitted with sliding shelves or trays and two doors mounted on a chest of four or six drawers, simple but beautifully made. Continuing their popularity through the 19th century, many survive of relatively high quality and remain very desirable and useful pieces of furniture. Another 18th century invention was the hanging wardrobe with full height doors, from the third quarter. Thomas Sheraton’s four-part Cabinet Maker and Upholsterer’s Drawing Book (1791-94) illustrated a unique British wardrobe with the centre section as a press on chest, wings arranged as hanging cupboards with long doors and the wings filled with rods and coat hangers. Such large three door wardrobes were made without much alteration over the next two centuries. From the mid 18th to mid 19th centuries, the cabinetmaking trade was a fashion driven business on a very large scale and cabinetmakers were considered the top of the artisan class. Parents wanting to provide a good livelihood for their sons might pay a cabinetmaker to take on their boy for a 7-8 years unpaid apprenticeship in his workshop – a bit like putting your child into one of the professions today.

MID 19TH century I am enthusiastic about the Victorian and Edwardian periods, from 1850 to 1911 when a congruence of factors increased the choice of wardrobes: more wealth increased the demand for quality furniture; cabinetmakers had high standards of skills; while marketing reached a wider market through retail specialisation and new department stores. For the cabinetmaker, quality timber was more plentiful and supplied milled and dried, helpful when a considerable amount of timber for a large wardrobe is required. Larger firms developed margins of scale and techniques such as carving and veneering have vastly improved. Metalwork, nails, screws, hinges and handles – all previously laboriously made by cabinetmakers – were now machine-made. Wardrobes were rather ingeniously designed and built so that they might separate for ease of movement, especially those large breakfront varieties with large central mirrors. Restrained but well crafted embellishment included veneering, carving and turning according to taste or fashion. Unfortunately many have been badly treated or broken up for timber, so the supply is becoming scarce.

LATE 20TH century During the last 50 years, built-in wardrobes have become the norm and the old pieces something of an anachronism. Recently I have noticed people more interested, complaining that built-ins are not only ugly, they reduce the size of the room.

21ST century In an old Victorian home, the charm of a ‘period’ wardrobe will far outweigh the practicality of modern inventions. If you can find the right antique wardrobe that meets your needs you will find it comparatively inexpensive and an absolute fraction of what it would cost to have a cabinetmaker reproduce it. Glebe Antiques is open from 10 to 6 every day. We have a large selection of quality antiques and we have new, exciting stock coming in all the time. Distance is no problem as we can arrange delivery either locally or interstate. Garry Auton GLEBE ANTIQUE CENTRE 02 9692 9577 sales@ glebeantiques.com.au www.glebeantiques.com.au

GLEBE ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

GLEBE ANTIQUE CENTRE

French Louis Philippe period armoire, c. 1850s constructed in solid walnut $6500

Victorian mahogany triple fronted wardrobe, c. 1860 with central mirror and fitted interior $3650

Australian Arts and Crafts wardrobe, c. 1915-1920 from Goldman’s of Melbourne with original gum leaf handles, bevelled mirror central door with ormolu gilt swags in original condition $2850

Rare Huon pine Edwardian wardrobe with three doors featuring fielded panels and bevelled mirror $4950

French burr walnut mirrored two door armoire with gilt metal mounts $2950

Victorian mahogany wardrobe with central mirrored door, bookend crown panels, well fitted drawers and good hanging space $4500

Arts and Crafts oak wardrobe, c. 1900 featuring three doors $2750

French 19th century Directoire period style mahogany and gilt mounted armoire $6850

Fine quality inlaid mahogany wardrobe, c. 1920 featuring two doors and two drawers $2650

French three door armoire with central mirror, ormolu applications, floral and mother-of-pearl inlay, figured walnut veneers $3850

Magnificent mahogany 19th century Gothic Revival press on chest, c. 1840 $7950

Victorian mahogany press on chest with seven drawers $4500

Incorporating Desks of Distinction 2 Levels at 62 Parramatta Road, Glebe (opposite Sydney University Vet Dept) www.glebeantiques.com.au • www.desksofdistinction.com.au • email: sales@glebeantiques.com.au • email: sales@desksofdistinction.com.au OPEN 7 DAYS 10 AM - 6 PM Parking and other entrance rear of building at 74 Arundel St, Glebe Ph 02 9692 9577

ANNANDALE ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

French Art Deco lighting T

he term art deco (1918-1939) was coined in the 1960s as a style label, a new word in design language. It emerged after the 1966 French exhibition, Les Anneés 25 that celebrated the 1925 L’ Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (The International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts) held in Paris. The terms ‘style moderne’ and ‘art deco’ both derive from the exposition’s title. The 1966 exhibition’s two-volume catalogue contains illustrations of art deco design as well as Bauhaus, the De Stijl movement and esprit nonveau, with items from the collections of the Musée des Arts décoratifs in

Paris. Yet art deco would be popularised in English by art historian Bevis Hillier’s book, Art Deco of the 20s and 30s (1968). After Hillier organised an exhibition called Art Deco at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (USA) in 1971, interest in art deco peaked and its catalogue, The World of Art Deco (1971) became the principle reference in English.

THE 1920s The interwar years in France saw improved industry and markets, and with optimistic views of the future, several French artists formed La Société des artistes décorateurs. Founders included Hector Guimard (known

Eliza Jane Antiques

T N E M P HI

NEWr nSow landed from France Containe

* SPECIALISTS IN GENUINE ANTIQUE LIGHTING * Large showroom with an extensive collection complemented by quality furniture, timepieces and decorative & collectable items.

Wed – Sat 10 am – 5 pm, Sun 11 am – 3 pm, closed Mon & Tues

Phone 02 9518 6168

34C TAYLOR ST ANNANDALE NSW 2038 BUYING & SELLING Full restoration service for lighting and metal polishing

www.elizajaneantiques.com.au 66

for his design of the Art Nouveau Métro entrances), Eugène Grasset (creator of decorative motifs and graphics including famous posters), Raoul Lachenal (renowned potter), Paul Bellot (architect), Maurice Dufrêne (designer) and Emile Decoeur (potter and designer). The artists of this collective were major contributors to the principles underlying art deco styles. The 1925 exposition focussed on the evolution of the French decorative arts, showcasing modern styles characterised by a streamlined classicism, geometric and symmetric composition and a sleek ‘machine age’ look embracing industrial techniques. This epitomised what was called decades later, Art Deco.

SCHNEIDER, French glassmaker During the formative years of art deco and the rise of art glass, prominent French glass markers included Jean Daum and Emile Gallé. Charles Schneider (1881-1953), was a student of the École des Beaux-Arts in Nancy and later at École des Beaux-Arts of Paris. While in Nancy, Charles worked as a freelance designer for Auguste Daum’s company from 1898 to 1911. His elder brother, Ernest Schneider was also employed by Daum as a travelling salesman in 1902 and quickly rose to become the marketing director. The Schneider brothers’ careers at Daum ended when a new generation of the Daum family took over. In 1913 the Schneider brothers opened their own glass works together with their friend Henri Wolf, but the commencement of WWI in 1914 held back their plans. Located in Epinay-sur-Seine near Paris, the brothers recommenced glass making in 1917, using innovative designs by Charles, benefitting from Ernest’s marketing and hiring skilled workers. Schneider had learnt the technique of marqueterie de verre, first used by Gallé, by carving a design out of the glass and refilling the space with coloured glass. He increased production of major pieces using many skilled techniques, such as wheel cut patterns and his medallion series, like ‘Camelias.’ In 1921 Schneider commenced a new trade mark for his cameo glass, as Le Verre Français or Charder Schneider to popularise art glass and make it more accessible. In 1924 the Schneider Glass Works built the biggest concrete hall ever with the most modern furnaces and were producing mainly art glass, fortuitously prepared to produce for the 1925 Exposition as the biggest glass making company in France. Charles Schneider

was asked to be a member of the judging panel for the Exposition and was nominated for the French Légion d’Honneur for his contribution to the arts. After 1925 the company was at its peak and business was very successful. Le Verre Français was mainly sold in department stores, whereas signed Schneider pieces were sold by specialised art shops such as Delvaux and Rouard. New designs, styles and shapes were added as well as the innovative technique that Schneider created, mixing pulverised glass with metal oxides to obtain different colours and then spread the powder onto a flat glass surface and worked it into the design. Worldwide demand was reduced after the Wall Street crash of 1929 and so the Schneider factory declined with 1930s production down to a few pieces a day, finally liquidating the company in 1937. Ernest died one month after that and Charles lived until 1953. Sadly, sales of reproductions and forgeries abound on the internet and at markets, so it is safest to look for Schneider works at specialist reputable dealers in art glass.

ELIZA JANE ANTIQUES 02 9518 6168 www.elizajaneantiques.com.au Further reading Bevis Hillier, Art Deco of the 20s & 30s, Studio Vista, London 1968 Helmut Picke, Schneider, Glas Des Art Deco, Kunst & Antiquitaten, Hanover 1981 Charles Schneider, Marie-Christine Joulin & Gerold Maier, Charles Schneider: Le Verre Français, Charder Schneider, Wissner-Verlag 2004

ANNANDALE ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

A GARDENER’S VISION at Garden Curiosities

ublisher David Ell and his friends Mr Y.ong and Mr Pots at Garden Curiosities predict that garden karaoke will be all the ‘rage’ this summer. To ensure you know the tunes and words of popular songs they have included links on their website www.gardencuriosities.com.au showcasing Australian curiosities for Australian gardens.

ENJOY A NOSTALGIC shopping experience While listening to the Victorian parlour song

Come into the garden Maud view their range of late 19th century garden benches and garden edging tiles. Be inspired by things as an 1870s feed trough made by E. Anders and Sons of South Australia, ideal for water plants.

EASY to be creative and unique While gazing at the collection of uniquely Australian garden features be entertained by the recording of the Andrew Sisters popular rendition of Don’t sit under the apple tree. There is a pair of splendid 1960s white fibreglass pool chaise longues thought to be made as a sideline by a surfboard manufacturer, also some very nice inlaid timber objects. In stock are several cement Aboriginal figurines and various vernacular tyre swans. These together with the concrete moulds and their accompanying research notes help explain much of our 20th century gardens ornament.

AN AUSTRALIAN style

www.gardencuriosities.com.au Information & Reading List for Gardeners Songs for a Garden Karaoke New Uses for Old Things Visitors are welcome in our garden showroom on the Central Coast or to our showroom at the Mitchell Road Antique & Design Centre 76 Mitchell Road Alexandria 2015 ragandbone18@gmail.com

0412 923 491

The range of vintage pots and planters, along with gnomes and frogs, will delight the shopper. The late 1940s Byram Mansell hanging mosaic pots and fountain are very stylish as are the mosaic plinths and pots of the 1980s. For those with balconies begging for horticultural verticality, Garden Curiosities offers those once ubiquitous metal multi-level pot stands. For the more pragmatic purchaser there is on offer garden settings, an antique seeder/driller and a wooden brickie’s barrow that awaits a lateral thinker. There are too many delights to list but three in particular called to me: a homemade wind vane with twirling model aeroplanes and a pair of turquoise courting frogs on a white loveseat shaded by a crimson sunshade. Each would be welcome in my garden though I

most lust after a selection of gaily painted metal buildings probably made by an outdoor model railway enthusiast. There is circus tent, a windmill, three houses and a band pavilion. Creating a garden retreat has never been so exciting. Visitors are welcome in our garden showroom on the Central Coast or to our showroom at the Mitchell Road Antique & Design Centre 76 Mitchell Road Alexandria. To find out more contact David Ell GARDEN CURIOSITIES 0412 923 491 ragandbone18@gmail.com www.gardencuriosities.com.au

BALMAIN ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Custom joinery,

Floors and Furniture I

n Europe, when you explore the grand homes and public buildings you are struck with both their age and history. As well, you see first hand a level of detail and craftsmanship that is not often seen in Australian buildings. It is this careful attention to detail and design that captures the passion of John Fredriksson, the designer of Antiques Floors. John was trained in Scandinavia under the tutorship of traditional craftspeople and can work the classics from Marie Antoinette to Estragon parquetry patterns. Reclaimed Australian hardwood and new timbers including French oak are some of the favourite timbers used by Antique Floors. They can also inlay timbers with granite, marble and leather for a truly luxurious finish. If you want a custom-designed home or office library, or wine cellars, dining tables and bench tops, then ask Antique Floors to assist. Like their bespoke floors, they cut to

size, sand by hand and restore with natural oils to create an authentic finish. Client Ari Steinwedel says, ‘My floor is an amazing work of art, but unlike most artworks this will grow in beauty the more it is walked on.’ For a personal sense of what it is like to walk on and see these beautiful floors, visit Antique Floors’ charming showroom in one of Balmain’s oldest warehouses. Here John has numerous flooring styles plus examples of his custom joinery, furniture and a selection of antiques. John Fredriksson ANTIQUE FLOORS 02 9810 8838 info@antiquefloors.com.au www.antiquefloors.com.au

Antique Floors are bespoke, made from reclaimed Australian Hardwoods and imported French Oak, cut to size, sanded by hand and restored with natural oils to create traditional European patterns.

We invite you to visit our large showroom designed to show the floors in many different settings, with an extensive range of parquetry and wide board European oak. We also offer a range of architectural elements including; antiques, custom made tables, libraries and wine cellars.

Showroom 73 Beattie Street Balmain NSW 2041 02 9810 8838 info@antiquefloors.com.au

www.antiquefloors.com.au

BALMAIN ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

BALMAIN ROAD is celebrating its first birthday

t has been one year on since Balmain Road opened. Formally known as Balmain Road Antique Centre, now freshly updated and rebranded, the centre dispels the myth that we only have antiques. Balmain Road has expanded to being a centre with a diverse and increased number of shops. ‘By refreshing the branding and the website our intention is to reflect on the diverse range of stock that we have. We wanted to showcase that we are

more a decorative arts emporium and can suit all types of tastes and styles,’ says Balmain Road’s manager Lara Timms. Set up like a market or emporium, in this huge 4000 square metre space, store holders bring an eclectic mix of furniture, decorative arts, selected designer apparel, industrial, arts, jewellery and collectable items along with contemporary and new merchandise. The stock is fresh and continually being updated. Not only does Balmain Road offer

unique items sourced in Australia and worldwide, we also offer a cafe called eats@ for our customers. It offers a perfect break to rest up and sample some reviving culinary delights before continuing to explore the many individual shops.

RECREATING an authentic era Over the last year we have had a busy time assisting the Australian film industry as they made period dramas now appearing on Australian television. Our passionate staff enjoyed working with set designers and relished the challenge of finding the appropriate props. We cater for photographic shoots and theatre productions not to mention the pubs and clubs that we have helped many interior designers refurbish all over the country. So if you are looking to source that special something don’t hesitate to contact our helpful staff who will go out of their way to accommodate you. We have beautiful high end pieces and affordable pieces for every taste and budget.

THE KINDEST CUT: a unisex hair salon An exciting new addition to Balmain Road is The Kindest Cut. At the helm is Tony Meredith who is no stranger to the area having previously run the salon in Balmain for many years. He is now back and doing it again. If experience counts for anything look no further. Trained at Intercoiffure the leading international hairdressing organisation, Tony has been personal hairdresser to many international stars including Raquel Welch, Omar Sharif, Nancy Kwan and Laura San Giacomo, to name but a few. Tony looks forward to offering you the same care and attention and a consultation costs nothing. To make an appointment call 02 9555 1952. The Kindest Cut @Balmain Road is open Tuesday to Saturday 10 am to 6 pm.

EASY TO find and park Located 500 meters from Victoria Road Rozelle, turn onto Darling Street that then becomes Balmain Road after five cross streets. Local landmarks include the Callan Park Health Centre and the Sydney Collage of the Arts, across the road. There is plenty of street parking and some customer parking from the Alberto Street entrance.

PUBLIC transport Balmain Road is serviced by bus and light rail. Bus routes L37, 440 and 4456 travel along Balmain Road directly to the centre. Victoria Road is a major bus corridor for buses travelling to and from the city. Lilyfield Light Rail Station is located approximately 600 metres south and smoothly conveys collectors and their treasures to Darling Harbour and Central Railway Station.

BALMAIN ROAD open everyday Balmain Road is open seven days a week. We open at 9 am and plan to close at 6 pm, although we often stay open later to accommodate customers and our passionate dealers. Note that during the festive season we are closed on Christmas day and New Year’s Day, but are open all public holidays. Take a stroll through our huge warehouse space and browse the ever-updated stock on our website. You will be surprised and delighted by what you discover at BALMAIN ROAD 02 9818 4990 info@balmainroad.com.au www.balmainroad.com.au

BALMAIN / PARRAMATTA ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

WE CAN SUPPLY THAT ELUSIVE ONE-OFF PIECE, OR A COMPLETE HOUSEFUL Please call in and peruse our diverse collection: • furniture 1800-1930 • porcelain & glassware • Australian pottery & bottles • architectural antiques • kitchenalia & advertising • paintings & prints • and a ‘never ending’ collage of collectables

open 7 days ~ 10 am to 5 pm 78 PITT STREET PARRAMATTA 2150 (next to freeway overpass) PHONE 02 9633 3426 or 02 9891 1727

An unusual collection of porcelain, furniture, glassware, paintings and collectables ~WE BUY & SELL~

450 Darling Street Balmain, NSW 2041 Ph: 02 9810 9333 AH: 02 9629 1302 Mob: 0409 037 651 Tues, Wed, Thur, Fri, Sat 12pm - 6.30pm, Sun 12pm - 5.30pm - Closed Monday

Even more to see in Balmain’s

‘windows to watch’ B

almain has always been an interesting place to visit and Malcolm Antiques has a lot to do with that. ‘This is my favourite destination,’ said one customer recently. ‘My mother measures all distances in Balmain from this shop,’ said another. Why do so many customers enjoy this stylishly decorated shop filled with collectables, decorative items and 19th and 20th century Australian and overseas furniture? It’s because owner Marion Malcolm sources both quality antiques and unusual items. ‘Marion has such a good eye,’ knowledgeable customers comment. ‘The unexpected, even the quirky is placed right next to the traditional.’ Marion has an interest in classic antiques, vintage pieces and occasionally the extraordinary. You’ll find an ever-changing choice in the shop, from distinctive French mirrors, wrought iron chandeliers, side lamps, cottage tables and industrial benches, as well as sets of chairs. ‘Even a modern minimalist room can come into its own by the addition of a special piece of stylish vintage or antique furniture,’ says Marion. ‘Buy quality. I tell parents to encourage their children to choose some classic pieces instead of cheap quickly made furniture. The classics last so much longer, they never go out of fashion and the workmanship whispers tales of another age and craftsmanship.’

To cater for everyone’s fancy, antique dealers have to be versatile and flexible, especially when fashions in furniture and furnishings have changed dramatically. ‘Lots of antique dealers don‘t live the antique and collectable life, they just work it. I live it, live with it and live the dream as well as work it. My home is a huge extension of my shop. If you ever see in a field a chandelier hanging from the bough of a peppercorn tree, don’t panic, it’s just me washing it.’ Visit the much admired Malcolm Antiques, it is easy to find situated exactly halfway between Balmain and Rozelle, at 450 Darling Street. Open afternoons (except Mondays). MALCOLM ANTIQUES 02 9810 9333 / 0409 037 651)

MOSMAN ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Web: www.orlandobrown.com.au

A working jeweller: In the workshop of Troy O’Brien

ith a flash of light Troy O’Brien repairs a tennis bracelet link without removing the stones or running the risk of solder flowing into the hinge and destroying its mobility. Proprietor of Troy O’Brien Fine Jewellery in Sydney’s Neutral Bay, he undertakes repairs to all manner of jewellery. An expert in fine restorative work, Troy can repair an antique enamelled pin without damaging the enamel or leaving visible signs of the restoration work. Repairs to gemstone claws are achieved without removing the stones as would be traditionally required.

STATE of the art techniques

A Cipriani (Italian) Alabaster figure, c. 1910, overall height 2150 mm

Upstairs at the rear of 537 Military Road, Mosman (off Harbour Street) Tel: 61 2 9960 7768 Mobile: 0411 323 319 or 0400 099 021 Email: enquiries@orlandobrown.com.au Web: www.orlandobrown.com.au BY APPOINTMENT 72

The one tool that allows Troy to do each of these jobs so expertly is a laser welder. This is state of the art technology not found in most jewellery workshops and manufacturing facilities. Troy’s investment in this machine allows him to apply a sharply focused beam of light that produces very high heat. Lasers provide jewellers with the ability to accurately direct heat to a small area. This allows them to routinely accomplish tasks that would once have been either impossible or too time consuming to be worthwhile. ‘It is like performing microscopic surgery on jewellery,’ says Troy. ‘We can work very close to heat sensitive stones without damaging them. Because you’re working under a microscope, and because you’re able to adjust the laser beam from two-tenths of a millimetre up to two millimetres in diameter, you can keep complete control of where you are firing the laser. We can work as close as half a millimetre away from heat sensitive stones.’ Repairs that once required multiple steps can now be completed in a single step. Before the introduction of the laser it was necessary to disassemble a piece. This involved unsetting stones, completing the repair, and then re-setting the stones. Today, for example, natural emerald cluster rings can be repaired safely and quickly, as opposed to the hours it can take to remove and re-set the stones, plus the associated risk of damage, explains Troy.

REPAIRING antique jewellery The laser’s concentrated heat also facilitates

delicate repairs without risking further damage to fragile antique jewellery. ‘You can repair missing bridgework in antique filigree pieces without solder,’ says Troy. ‘With a blowtorch, you just can’t do a nice job.’ The use of the laser welder can make a tremendous difference in the value of a piece of antique jewellery. ‘Once you remove the stones from a piece of jewellery, you ruin the integrity of that piece,’ comments Troy. ‘No matter how good you are, you’re never going to get it back together as it was before you started. With the laser welder, you keep the integrity of the piece by not removing heat sensitive stones, and the patina, the look that an old piece of jewellery has is not destroyed. That patina tells a story. When trying to repair or restore a piece using a conventional torch, the patina is lost. The piece of jewellery gets oxidised, the colours change, and you need to polish the piece. This means a piece that is 200 years old now looks like new.’

WORKING on contemporary designs Not only can lasers help maintain the look of antique jewellery in need of repair, but also that of newer designs. The laser is ideal for repairing mesh bracelets and fine chains. ‘A piece may have wire poking up and catching. With the laser you just push it back and zap it easily. You don’t lose the intricacy of the design, which you would if you had solder flowing through, freezing the links. Many other repairs are just so much cleaner and neater,’ Troy says. Troy has found that he can repair watch cases and bands. It is especially effective with stainless bands. As he points out, ‘In the past, when we had links that separated, we had to call the manufacturer and order a whole new bracelet. Now we are able to weld components like that back together.’

For advice on the repair and care of your valuable jewellery Troy can be contacted at:

TROY O’BRIEN FINE JEWELLERY 02 9908 3130 tojewellery@bigpond.com.au

NARRABEEN ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Antique General Store for usable yet unusual pieces

early one hundred years ago the Palmer family built tearooms on what is now busy Powderworks Road in North Narrabeen. Since then the rambling building has been a general store and post office in the 1920s, a bottle shop in the 1940s and a hardware store in the 1970s. In the 1980s the Antique General Store opened and is celebrating three decades of trading. Open daily, the turnover of items is high so new stock greets you on repeat visits. Also, our prices are very competitive so the trip pays for itself compared with higher-rent shops in Sydney.

INDIVIDUALITY among dealers The current eleven dealers curate each room individually. This ensures plenty of new stock and new ideas, especially as each dealer has an area of expertise. Some specialise in collectable china, glassware and sterling silver. Others prefer vintage and 20th century design. Just about every style is covered – classic to quirky, retro to rustic, vintage to vibrant, antique to urban chic. Every dealer has one common desire – to offer usable yet unusual pieces. In one day we may satisfy a bride-to-be who is adding to her collection of mismatched antique china for her wedding reception, a current fashion. Next a local customer finds a pair of rustic oars to decorate a wall. Finally, new home owners who know exactly what they want in a dining table, end up decorating an entire room when they find the perfect lamp and mirror. To enjoy the warmer weather there is usually a good selection of vintage deck chairs, split cane sun lounges and outdoor settings. Think about using trestle and

farmhouse tables or industrial work benches. We stock small items such as bedside cupboards, rustic dressers and small practical furniture and decorating items that are practical as well as stylish in today’s smaller apartments and always trendy terrace houses.

CUSTOMER services Our wide range of items is also a draw card for many interior stylists and film and TV production designers who hire and buy for still photography, TV commercials and feature films. Another important aspect of our customer service is a request service. If a customer is looking for a specific item, it’s noted and shared among the dealers so the chance of locating that elusive item is increased ten-fold. The Antique General Store has a large base of very loyal local customers. Many customers travel long distances to visit us, browsing the stock and making selections, followed by enjoying the beautiful beaches and cafes or restaurants. Many first-time customers comment on the deceptively large size of the store. The Tardis-like qualities of this rambling building and the centuries of collectables and antiques held within often mean return visits are essential to see everything. However the one thing customers are unlikely to see is Mr Palmer. Rumours abound among the dealers, past and present, of latenight sightings of the ghost of the original owner, still minding the store. Visit the Antique General Store in North Narrabeen, open 7 days, 10 am to 5 pm.

We buy and sell interesting items

ANTIQUE GENERAL STORE 02 9913 7636 www.antiquegeneralstore.com.au

10 rooms bursting with a quality mix of classic antiques, vintage, rustic, nautical and outdoor decorator items. Find the quirky and the funky that will add edge to your modern decor. Cnr Powderworks & Warraba Rds, North Narrabeen

02 9913 7636 www.antiquegeneralstore.com.au Open 7 Days 10am-5pm 73

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Norman Lindsay (1879-1969), Amber with background © H. C. & A Glad 2011

Norman Lindsay (1879-1969), Apex of Life © H. C. & A Glad 2011

Norman Lindsay (Australia 1879-1969), The Audience © H. C. & A Glad 2011

Norman Lindsay (1879-1969), Festival © H. C. & A Glad 2011

Norman Alfred William Lindsay at

DAY FINE ART N

orman Lindsay (1879-1969), one of Australia’s greatest artists, was born in Creswick, Victoria. The son of Anglo-Irish surgeon Robert Charles William Alexander Lindsay and Jane Elizabeth Lindsay, he was the fifth of ten children and sibling of Lionel, Percy, Lindsay and Daryl, all of whom became known for their creativity. Norman was incredibly prolific; he was an exceptional draftsman, sculptor, watercolourist and painter. He mastered the medium of copperplate printing using techniques such as

drypoint engraving, etching and aquatint. His output and work ethic were outstanding. His passion for articulating his creativity was life consuming. ‘Actually few men lived a more chaste and less riotous existence; drinking rarely more than a glass of wine at meals, and eating less than enough to keep a baby alive, he was a slave to his pen.’ (Philip Lindsay, I’d live the same life over, p. 74.) During Norman’s time, his contemporaries, such as Arthur Streeton were revolutionising

Day Fine Art is Vincent and Helen Day. We are young dealers with an interest in traditional & contemporary Australian works & Old Master drawings. Our stock includes a wide selection of Australian works by artists such as Arthur Streeton, Hans Heysen, Norman Lindsay, Lionel Lindsay, Thea Proctor, John Brack, Arthur Boyd and many more. We aim to present rare works that are aesthetically appealing and also offer an interesting historical significance. We provide an exceptional client service and cater for all budgets, styles and interests.

Australian landscape painting through the ability to capture the harsh Australian coastal light. Margret Preston’s art deco still life compositions of Australian wildflowers were essentially initiating the first steps in the Australian arts and craft movement, while simultaneously revealing to the viewer the incredible beauty of our native Australian flora. Yet Norman Lindsay’s unique creativity enabled him to conjure up compositions that broke the mould of social norms of his generation. Lindsay brought a renaissance of the classical composition detailing the beauty of the female form. His fantastic imagination mixed beautiful women with mythological creatures, and his mastery of the pen and brush allowed these ideas to be translated to paper and canvas with absolute conviction. He initially concentrated on works in pen and pencil, illustrating for many years two Australian magazines, The Lone Hand and The Bulletin. Initially frightened by colour, he used a bland, dark palate during experiments in the 1920s. His obsession with his work and disillusionment with life led him to experiment with colour. His concern with finding a sympathetic harmony between colours evolved with the advent of a change in social ideals. ‘Modernism started to splurge colour about with complete disregard for harmonics... I took counsel and began to use a fuller gamut.’ (Norman Lindsay, 1939)

BANNED in 1924

Norman Lindsay, Unmasked, c. 1945, watercolour. Image © H. C. & A. Glad, 2011

Ph: 0404 930 120 or 0424 842 294 Website: www.dayfineart.com Email: info@dayfineart.com 74

An innovator, Lindsay was never afraid to express his creativity, often standing up for his work when it was not accepted. A great example of his audacity was during the 1924 Adelaide Artists’ Week, organised by the Royal Australian Society of Arts to expose society to the genius of contemporary Australian art. Incredibly three of Norman’s printed works were banned on the grounds that they would ‘debase rather than uplift art.’ This lack of foresight by the board created a huge uproar! Sydney artists threatened to withdraw their works in support of Norman. Norman was furious. He withdrew all his works (17 etchings, 6 pen drawings, and 10 watercolours) and organised a solo exhibition in the Adelaide bookstore gallery of the publishing firm F. W. Preece & Sons Ltd during the same week. Norman’s solo show, spurred on by the media coverage, was extremely successful and he attracted more visitors than the official Artists’ Week exhibition. A surviving copy of his exhibition

catalogue, titled Norman Lindsay’s Exhibition of Water Colours, Pen Drawings and Etchings Artists’ Week, 1924 has brown paper wrappers, presumably for modesty.

QUINTESSENTIALLY Australian The work of Norman Lindsay is undisputedly quintessentially Australian. His style, attitude and creativity were ahead of his time; he paved a way for many contemporary Australian artists to explore confronting compositions. The importance of his work will always stand at the forefront in the history of Australian art.

DAY Fine Art Vince and Helen Day run Day Fine Art, based in the Blue Mountains in Norman Lindsay country. We specialise in the works of Norman Lindsay, actively buying, selling and trading his works. We have stock of traditional, modern and contemporary Australian art. Artists include Arthur Streeton, Hans Heysen, Marion Ellis Rowan, Fred Leist, Thea Proctor, George Lambert, Arthur Boyd, John Brack, Hall Thorpe, John Allcott, Justin Feuerring, Lynette Weir and many other Australian and international artists. We also carry Italian Old Master prints and drawings including works by Van Leyden, Diana Scultori and William Hogarth.

EXHIBITION 26-30 October Our next exhibition will be at the 21st Great Sydney Antique Fair (26-30 October) being held at the Royal Hall of Industries, Moore Park near the Sydney CBD. A free double pass to the Grand Opening Night on 26 October will be offered to the first 20 readers who join our mailing list for online newsletters, tailored to your interests. Please go to www.dayfineart.com, click the JOIN OUR MAILING LIST button on the right and complete the information to stay up to date with everything we have going on. For any information concerning the sale, purchase or consignment of artworks call DAY FINE ART 0404 930 120 / 0424 842 294 info@dayfineart.com www.dayfineart.com Reference Philip Lindsay, I’d live the same life over: being the progress, or rather the circumgyration, of Philip Lindsay, Hutchinson, 1941

NORTH SHORE TO HORNSBY ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

www.aada.org.au

Abbott’s Antiques

Member

Now celebrating 80 YEARS of quality antique dealing

Art Deco bronze and ivorine figurine of ‘Civa’ after Demêtre Chiparus c. 1926

Fine 19th century ormolu 8 day chiming automaton water clock with cherub mount c. 1820

Selection of three Jacobite engraved air twist stemmed wine glasses c. 1750

Fine Regency brass inlaid Goncalo Alves or Tigerwood fitted dressing case with silver mounts London 1813

Fine George III mahogany four door breakfront secretaire bookcase c. 1800

Rare pair of James II sterling silver lace back trefid spoons Newcastle c. 1686

Close matching pair George III sterling silver crested sauce tureens London 1780

George III mahogany fall front bureau bookcase with fitted interior c. 1770

Sterling silver three-light adjustable candelabra made by Gorham, New York c. 1950

Norman Lindsay gilt framed watercolour ‘Priestess to the Magi’ signed and dated 1934

Minton Parian figure group of Naomi and her daughter-in-law dated 1867

Victorian sterling silver floral engraved coffee pot London 1852

Pair George III mahogany Hepplewhite hoop back dining chairs c. 1790

Max Dupain ‘Standing nude with cloak’ 1935 silver gelatin photograph, signed lower right

Max Dupain ‘Central Railway with trams’ 1939 silver gelatin photograph

19th century walnut davenport with fitted interior and brass gallery c. 1870

Specialising in Fine English 18th & 19th century Furniture, Sterling Silver, Porcelain, Jewellery, Sheffield Plate, 18th century Drinking and Table Glass, Bronzes, Paintings, Art Nouveau and Art Deco

14 Eastern Road, Turramurra NSW 2074 • Tel 02 9449 8889 Visit www.abbottsantiques.com.au for a further selection of current stock 75

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

ALADDIN INCANDESCENT Mantle Lamps

odel B Aladdin lamps were manufactured between 1933 and 1955. These lamps were featured in glass and metal as well as brass and nickelplated brass. Most of the coloured glass lamps can he credited to Henry T. Hellmers and Eugene Schwarz who was the chief designer of the Mantle Lamp Company from 1928 to 1951. The ‘NuType’ Model B Aladdin burner had a few new improvements. This burner was fitted with a direct rack and pinion wick winder unlike the winding mechanism on Model 12 burners which were fitted with a wick winder with 3 to 1 reduction gears. Furthermore, on this burner air for combustion is drawn from the sides through baffled air passages and not through a central draught tube as on Model 12 burners. The wick raiser and the winding gear are of very strong brass making it more robust than previous models. The thread on Model B burners is coarse making it interchangeable only with Model A. The Model B burner used a Lox-on mantle and chimney as on the Model 12. However, the light output was rated at 125 candle power as opposed to 80 candle power for the Model 12. A large number of Model B floor lamps were manufactured in a large variety of finishes: bronze and gold, ivory and gold, ivory and rose gold, green and silver, bronze lacquer and gold, oxidised bronze, antique ivory lacquer, silver plate and many more. Some Model B hanging lamps were manufactured in different designs: tilt frame with parchment shade, tilt frame with glass shade, flat steel frame with the parchment shade inside the chain with parchment shade and outside chain with parchment shade. Model B table lamps were made in the following styles: Colonial in clear green and amber crystal glass Cathedral in clear green and amber crystal white green, green pastel and rose moonstone glass Corinthian in clear, amber, green crystal glass, clear font/black foot clear font/green foot clear font/amber foot, white, green, rose and white font/black foot, white font/green foot and white font/rose moonstone foot glass Majestic in white moonstone, rose moonstone and green moonstone glass Orientale in ivory, green, rose gold, silver and bronze Beehive in clear, green, light amber, dark amber and ruby crystal and white moonstone glass

Hanging lamp with Alpha Reflector shade

Quilt in white, green, white font/black foot white font/rose foot moonstone glass Queen in white moonstone with oxidised bronze base, white moonstone with silver base green and rose moonstone glass Treasure in chromium, bronze and nickel finish Vertique in rose, yellow, green and white moonstone glass Washington Drape round base in clear, green and amber crystal glass Solitaire in white moonstone glass only Short Lincoln Drape in alacite, transparent amber crystal, amber opalique, amber solitaire base, ruby crystal, ruby crystal solitaire base and clear crystal glass Tall Lincoln Drape in clear crystal, alacite old formula, alacite new formula, alacite/scallop design on top of foot, cobalt crystal/plain foot, cobalt/scallop design on top of foot, ruby crystal deep red colour and ruby crystal faded colour glass Short Washington Drape filigree stem in clear, green and amber crystal glass Washington Drape bell stem in clear, pink, green, and amber crystal glass Washington Drape plain stem in clear, pink, clear no oil fill, green, emerald green and amber crystal glass Victoria in decorated

Wall lamp with Morning Glory shade

china with oil fill and decorated china without oil fill Simplicity in alacite, decalmania, alacite gold lustre, alacite plain rose and white glass These are just a few models to show the vastness of the Model B table lamp range. In Australia fonts were manufactured from steel, brass, copper and bakelite and mounted on steel timber stems with a painted finish. A large selection of parchment shades were available to fit virtually any decor including the white Morning Glory shade, which is decorated with a band of green vines showing

red and blue flowers with yellow centres. This shade is now available again. Recommended reading on the history of Aladdin incandescent mantle lamps is the highly informative, well-illustrated Aladdin the Magic Name in Lamps.

Jurgen Weissner THE EVERBURNING LIGHT 02 9565 0104 oil-lamp@zip.com.au www.zipworld.com.au/~oil-lamp/

Antique, old and new Kerosene Lamps Spare parts including shades, shade holders, burners, mantles, lamp oil, specially treated wicks for better burning, custom made high quality chimneys. ● Aladdin Mantle Lamps that produce 60 watts of light with no smoke or smell, ideal for emergency lighting. ● Restoration and repairs, brass polishing, nickel plating, copper plating and antique copper finish for small items. ●

The Everburning Light 2265 Pacific Highway, Clybucca NSW 2440. Phone: 02 6565 0104 e-mail: oil-lamp@zip.com.au Website: www.zipworld.com.au/~oil-lamp/

Tall Lincoln Drape with 14 inch shade

Queen with fluted Whip-o-lite shade

DURAL ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Dural Antiques Well Worth the Drive…

We Buy & Sell

Licensed Dealers

The largest range of antiques in the Hills District A large 4000 sq foot showroom, plenty of parking, air-conditioned comfort

857 Old Northern Road, Dural NSW 2158 Phone: 02 9651 2113 • Mobile: 0411 116 084 Trading hours: Open 6 days (closed Tues), 10:00am – 5:00pm, Sunday 10:00am – 4:00pm www.duralantiques.com.au 77

CENTRAL COAST ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

A GUIDE TO

Antiques & Collectables Dealers ON THE CENTRAL COAST 1. JAMES R & SUZANNE G ISAAC-COLE 106 Manns Road, Narara 2250 Open Monday - Friday 9-5 Saturday and Sunday by appointment 02 4324 7287 james_workshop@ bigpond.com Antiques and collectables, repairs and restoration, French polishing. Specialising in brass beds.

Six different butterflies handpainted on the box, quality work of the Art Deco period, c. 1920, h: 11 x l: 23 x d: 20 cm, $350

1 Treen ware, oak and NSW rosewood, 6 cups locked by pegs on a revolving stand, c. 1930, h: 25 x d: 20 cm, $1200

2. AVOCA BEACH ANTIQUES Now incorporating the Beecroft Treasure House Specialising in antique jewellery with the largest range on the coast and an exceptional range of silver and extensive selection of fine porcelain and rare collectables. 173 Avoca Drive, Avoca Beach Open 7 days 02 4382 1149 or 02 4381 0288 avocabeach.antiques@bigpond.com Black opal doublet and diamond marquis ring, c. 1920 set in 18 ct yellow gold, $3800

COLLECTORSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; COTTAGE ANTIQUES

Victorian green glass parrot claret jug, c. 1880, $3400

Rosewood veneered Sheraton Revival parlour cabinet featuring bevelled mirrors, turned column supports and string inlay, c. 1890, $3750

No longer trading from the Central Coast. Please ring 02 4389 1922 for any enquiries or requests. Otherwise please visit our shop in Newcastle: Shop 7A & 7B, Centenary Antique Centre 29 Centenary Road Newcastle (100 metres north of Civic Station) also: www.antiquesplus.com.au search for Collectorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Cottage to see hundreds of items for sale. Three-piece sterling silver tea service, assay marks for Sheffield, 1933, weight: 1080 grams. Made and retailed through Harrods, London, $1,395

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Plique-a-jour tripod vessel, h: 11 cm, decorated with birds resting on flowering branches and in flight, in muted beige and brown colours on an emerald-green ground

Mirror-black finish cloisonné vase with butterflies by Namikawa Yasuyuki, c. 1910, naturalistic school

Detail of wireless cloisonné by Namikawa Sosuke

Namikawa Sosuke plaque in wireless enamels, c. 1906-07

Oriental cloisonné: Japan J

Gin bari cloisonné vase by Kumeno Teitaro, c. 1910, translucent style

Cloisonné vase by Ando Jubei, pictorial style

apan had been closed to the outside world since 1639. Over the next 150 years or so, they enjoyed relative peace with little outside interference and they were able to develop fully a style of art and culture unique to Japan. However in 1854, Commodore Perry of the USA forced its re-opening and not long afterwards, the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and its feudal system collapsed. During the years 1868-1871, the new Meiji government became obsessed with bringing Japan into line with the rest of the world. They abolished feudalism and adopted strategies of westernisation in political, economic, military and industrial fields. Their social system underwent a huge upheaval and artisans had to turn to commercial outlets in order to survive, now that their feudal system and patronage by their rulers had disappeared. However, soon after the beginning of trade with the West the Japanese economy foundered. In an attempt to strengthen their economy, the Japanese government began boosting exports of new industries such as cloisonné. They encouraged companies, craftsmen and artists to exhibit displays at the world exhibitions in an attempt to increase demand for Japanese goods to the world market. In order to improve production techniques they brought in Western experts, such as the chemist Gottfried von Wagener from Germany. Working alongside Japanese artisans, in particular Kaisuke Tsukamoto and Namikawa Yasuyuki, Wagener created a wider range of coloured enamels that could be smoothly polished. Wagener also helped develop new kiln-firing procedures and new colours of enamels for pottery and cloisonné production. These brighter colours and more subtle shades of enamels added richness to late middleperiod wares and enabled the golden age of cloisonné production to begin. The new styles introduced by Japan at these world exhibitions were instantly successful and once more the West clamoured for all things oriental. Golden age (1880-1914) The exhibiting of Japanese cloisonné in the exhibitions had an enormous impact on the production of cloisonné. Quite quickly, the new enamels developed by Wagener became standard and many more inventions ensued, including wireless cloisonné and transparent glazes. Until this time, realistic depiction of open space and perspective remained not fully achieved, largely due to the limited range and colour of the enamels available, even though crude attempts to mix colours had been made.

These new inventions meant Japanese artists could finally capture subtle effects of space, perspective and delicate detailing in cloisonné. These techniques, and the achievement of the desire to be free of the restraints of wires, meant that the Japanese went far beyond their predecessors in the manipulation of the craft and went on to achieve the effect of painting in solid enamel. According to Donald K Gerber in his article ‘Japanese cloisonné’ (Daruma #20), by the end of the 19th century three modern schools of Japanese cloisonné stood out above all others: the naturalistic, pictorial and translucent schools. Namikawa Yasuyuki (1845-1927) headed the naturalistic school (or Kyoto School). He produced traditional wares with an emphasis on landscapes, birds and floral motifs often depicted on a single, dark ground using wires of fine silver or gold. He is reputed to have influenced many cloisonné artists including Hayashi Kodenji, Shibata, Inaba Shichiho and the Ota and Gotoo families of artisans. Namikawa Sosuke headed the pictorial school (Tokyo) after taking over control of the Nagoya Cloisonné Company of Tokyo in 1887. His team of outstanding artisans developed a process to remove wires prior to firing, thus creating a wireless piece of cloisonné. This technique resulted in a technically perfect and harmoniously coloured range of cloisonné items that are amongst the greatest works ever produced in the ware. The designs included landscape, flowers and birds, often reproducing works by classic Japanese brush artists. Ando Jubei of Nagoya was a follower of the pictorial style. In 1880, two brothers formed this company and engaged fine craftsmen to produce the finest works possible. They are the only remaining manufacturers of cloisonné products in present-day Japan. The translucent school further developed and refined the craft by using translucent enamels in combination with opaque. Generally, the enamels were placed over a carved or chiselled silver body that was hammered into a thin base. These more delicate bases were used in order to reduce the danger of the enamel cracking through expansion and contraction of the silver underneath. KumenoTeitaro is credited with this discovery, but most cloisonné artisans soon practiced it. In the following years, other developments included the creation of a new blood-red

scarlet glaze and the wireless floating enamel style known as plique-a-jour (shotai-jippo). Another new technique used a variety of metal inclusions that were scattered through the glazes, creating the effect of sparkling fragments as the light reflected onto them through the translucent enamels. Throughout the golden age of cloisonné production in Japan, men of genius created masterpieces in the medium that remain unrivalled anywhere in the world. The artists responsible for such leaps in the art received recognition both at home and overseas for their work and helped establish the popularity of the craft worldwide. Unfortunately, the increased recognition and associated market demands led to the production not only of masterpieces but also cheap, tasteless wares made to take advantage of this demand. By 1894, there were 121 kilnoperating families in the Shippo-mura area alone, employing around 700 workers. Shops opened to sell cloisonné products directly to the tourists. With the large array of methods now available, many cloisonné artists began to seek innovation for innovation’s sake. The search was for novelty of technique rather than a conscious desire to create great art. Many artists began manufacturing sterile repetitions of stock patterns and by the 1920s decline set in, spelling the end for the golden age of Japanese cloisonné. Further Reading Donald K Gerber, ‘Japanese cloisonné, ’Daruma #20, Takegushi Momoko Publishers Lawrence A Cohen & Dorothy C Ferster, Japanese Cloisonné, Tuttle Arthur & Grace Chu, Oriental Enamels, Crown Publishers Sandra Andacht, Oriental Antiques & Art, Wallace Homestead Publishers

Narelle Ward COLLECTORS COTTAGE ANTIQUES 02 4389 1922

Lidded koro by Namikawa Yasuyuki, c. 1915-20

NEWCASTLE ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Islington Antiques W

elcome to over 2000 square feet of antiques and collectables and furniture from Victorian through to retro. At Islington Antiques we have a special emphasis on quality Art Deco furniture at affordable prices, most lovingly restored by our skilled craftsman. If you want a special piece restored, we will do it in our own workshop. Stripping, polishing, lock repairs and mirror resilvering are a few of the services we offer. We restore old brass beds, including converting

a double to a queen size bed. Royal Doulton is one of our specialties, in a showroom housing an enormous range of quality china and porcelain. We have 1500 Royal Doulton pieces in stock including dinner service pieces, Series Ware, Bunnykins and Flambé. We also sell and stock a selected range of new Royal Doulton. In our mirror showroom is a selection of modern, traditional and Art Deco mirrors displayed in all their different shapes and sizes. If you are renovating, redecorating or building we

in Newcastle since 1990 have a mirror for every room in your home – from lounge and dining to bedrooms and bathrooms. Decorator pieces are another enhancement to find in our store. Hand-selected from importers from all around Australia, you can decide on lamps, figurines, paintings, prints and new furniture, any and all of which will complement both traditional and modern decors. Our second store – Our Style Furniture and Decor opened six years ago and is dedicated to handcrafted solid timber furniture which we import directly. The stock includes

traditional English styles in mahogany and cedar, French provincial dining suites, Louisstyle chairs and sofas in fruitwoods and creampainted furniture are prominent features. Newcastle, the gateway to the Hunter Valley, is a leisurely two-hour drive from Sydney. Please visit on your next trip. We can arrange freight Australia-wide. ISLINGTON ANTIQUES 02 4961 0533

WE ARE OFFERING READERS AND SUBSCRIBERS A BONUS OPEN 4 DAYS 10 am - 5 pm

Come and browse through our 2000 sq ft showroom where you will find a dazzling range of furniture, china and collectables. We stock an extensive range from Victorian through to retro, including some stunning pieces from the art deco period. Recent additions to our collection include an inspiring range of decorator items, antique and art deco style wall mirrors that complement modern or traditional decors. When travelling to Newcastle and the Hunter Valley please pay us a visit, you will be glad you did.

• TRADING FOR 20 YEARS • FREIGHT CAN BE ARRANGED AUSTRALIA WIDE • • LARGE RANGE OF ROYAL DOULTON CHINA •

105-111 MAITLAND ROAD, ISLINGTON, NEWCASTLE Ph: 02 4961 0533 • Rod: 0414 610 533 • Tim: 0415 495 967 Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday 10 am - 5 pm • 3 km from the City centre

VALUE PLUS online and hard copy

Read all the magazines online and still receive them by post

Inquiries to info@worldaa.com

NEWCASTLE ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Gouda Pottery G

ouda Pottery is a generic term used for the brightly coloured and profusely decorated matte glazed early 20th century earthenware, art pottery that was originally produced in factories and workshops located in the area of South Holland known as Gouda. Because of the marked similarities in style, colour and design, whether produced in the town of Gouda, Arnhem, Schoonhoven or other pottery making towns in nearby Belgium, all ceramic wares of this type are referred to as ‘Gouda Pottery’. The matte glaze process named ‘Rhodian’ for which Gouda pottery is synonymous, was developed around 1910 by the PZH (Plateelbakkerij Zuid Holland) factory, and apart from improving firing stability and enabling more uniform designs, it produced a wider range of clearer and brighter coloured glazes than was previously available. Though well received from its inception, Gouda Pottery rose in popularity after the end of World War I, and the PZH factory once again led the way in catering to this demand. By introducing constantly changing shapes, patterns and designs it achieved a massive output in these innovative wares. In 1920 however, while demand for this matte, green-ground ware was still strong, PZH developed a new-look satin-finish, semimatte glaze that was used over brightly coloured designs, most commonly on a black ground. These revamped designs took the public by storm and dozens more artists were hired to satisfy the demand. Other Gouda pottery factories then adopted the new style and the industry began to boom. Gouda Pottery reached its peak towards the end of the 1920s when there were almost 50 factories, workshops and private studios scattered throughout the town of Gouda, employing thousands of workers. Unfortunately, a combination of social and economic forces was soon to have a devastating impact on the production of these luxury, hand painted wares. By 1929 oversupply; changing tastes, and the onslaught of the worldwide economic Depression, meant the demand for handmade, highly decorative earthenware items suffered. In an attempt to keep costs down, complex designs and well-executed hand painting were often replaced by less expensive methods. Sprayed finishes, and randomly applied spots, swirls and drips became a common form of cheaper decoration. Simpler shapes were made including two-colour Art Deco inspired sculptures, and more emphasis was placed on the production of plain glazed teaware. Despite these attempts at cost reduction, demand was limited and the sale of Delft blue

tourist souvenirs and accessories began to acquire a greater importance to the financial sustainability of the industry. World War II would eventually destroy the majority of the factories that managed to survive the Depression. After the Nazis invaded the Netherlands in 1940, production of ceramics was confined to functional pieces ordered for use by the Germans, and the following decade saw little improvement in the plight of the Gouda potteries. For several years after the War, the Dutch Government required them to fill a quota of dinnerware items to supply the domestic market as the population tried to rebuild their lives. Some companies managed to hold out and eventually introduced new lines based on the old style Gouda pottery, but few were successful. More and more they were forced to rely on the production of blue and white souvenirs and accessories, promotional items and cheaper gift wares. Even after a moderate degree of success in the 1950s, the once great PZH factory never fully managed to overcome the insurmountable challenges posed after the War by cheap imports, poor management and changes in consumer tastes. In 1964, PZH, the previously unchallenged leader in the world of Dutch ceramics, closed its doors. Then, in 1979, the once great Regina factory that had opened almost a century earlier, closed. The Regina name along with its designs, moulds and equipment were sold to Studio Woltra in Bleiswijk and by the late 1980s they, along with Goedewaagen and Schoonhoven factories, were the only Gouda potteries still trading. Between them today these companies produce a limited range of tableware, blue and white Delft souvenirs and small amounts of polychrome pottery in one of the original Gouda patterns ‘Rosario’ or very limited supplies of new patterns in the older Gouda style. Though fast growing in popularity, there are very few sources of information on Gouda pottery available. There is one book though, almost ‘the Bible’ of Gouda information: The World of Gouda by Phyllis T. Ritvo. It is highly recommended for its thoroughly researched information on all aspects of Gouda pottery, including a detailed explanation and key to identification of most marks and many of the decorators responsible for the many beautiful and varied designs. For specific dating and identification, refer to this book. However, I have listed basic identification and dating guidelines for the two most prolific factories, PZH & Regina. Though the Gouda pottery industry survived producing a variety of ceramics in various forms for about 75 years, the height of the hand painted, semi-matte pottery for

which it is synonymous was relatively shortlived. Today in Holland, few reminders of these creative, innovative and productive factories remain, but with a little luck, and a degree of searching, collectors may unearth examples of these richly decorated and distinctly designed wares, and so enjoy the legacy left by the oncegreat pottery factories of Gouda.

Narelle Ward COLLECTORS’ COTTAGE ANTIQUES 02 4389 1922 References Phyllis T. Ritvo, The World of Gouda Pottery, Font and Center Press, Weston MA 1998. www.arts-craftsstyle.com ‘Gouda Pottery Marks and Dates’ www.journalofantiques.com

Open 7 Days - 10 am to 5 pm Visit our Old Grocery Store Museum

29 CENTENARY ROAD, NEWCASTLE 2300 Phone: 02 4926 4547 centenaryantiques@hunterlink.net.au www.centenarycentre.com.au 81

HAMILTON ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Cutty Sark diorama, c. 1890, in Australian cedar case

Aquarius, two-masted ketch, match sticks and cedar stand

RARE model boats made in the Hunter Valley between 1890 and 1980

e highlight another lost art building on our expertise in colonial cedar furniture and knowledge of the skills of the early cabinet makers. We have put together a small collection of model boats which have in most cases been found and made in the Hunter Valley. The boats were made between 1890 up to approximately 1980. Most are made of Australian cedar and display amazing detail.

TALL ships Our Cutty Sark diorama was made circa 1890. It is in an Australian cedar case and in lovely original condition. This famous tea clipper,

launched in 1869, is the only one to survive into the 21st century. The vessel visited Newcastle five times for wool between 1883 and 1892, and is commemorated by a plaque on the foreshore. This model was possibly made after one of these visits to celebrate the event. Since 1957, the restored Cutty Sark is in permanent dry-dock in Greenwich London to commemorate the clipper ship era. An interesting model of a two-masted ketch sits on a cedar stand, discovered in Islington. The ship is made entirely of matches. The Victorian pond yacht is beautifully made of Australian cedar and is in original condition, while some restoration would bring back its artisan qualities.

Rare Find Country Antiques A selection of our quality and rare Australian chests of drawers

The Hunter’s largest selection of genuine Australian antique cedar furniture, most of our stock is pictured on the website: www.rarefindantiques.com.au Opening hours: Saturdays 10 am - 4 pm or by appointment. We are there most of the time as we live on-site.

A huge model of a J class yacht is a superb example of craftsmanship, made of Australian cedar. At over 1.5 metres in length and 1.83 metres in height (5 by 6 feet), with all of its original fittings, mast and sails, it is very impressive. The first J class was built in 1929 by Sir Thomas Lipton when he issued his fifth challenge to the Americans for the America’s Cup. With a waterline length of between 75 to 87 feet, and the new ‘Bermuda’ mast allowing a huge sail, this was the largest yacht built in its time. This model was made in Belmont and is in fine condition.

Victorian pond yacht, Australian cedar, original condition and fittings

Metal model of merchant ship MV Tulagi restored by Bruce Millen

WWII losses The metal model of the MV Tulagi, a merchant ship owned by the Burns Philp Company is one of the most interesting items in the collection. The Tulagi was built in 1939 and was sunk during WWII when torpedoed in 1944. This model was discovered at Belmont in a distressed state and was restored by Bruce Millen of Newcastle to an astonishing level of detail. The propellers, pulleys, portholes and rudder have been handmade from brass, and the thumbnail sized ship’s wheel turned with a cedar trim and brass hand grips. Now repainted in its original colours, it is a museum quality piece. Another impressively detailed piece is the 2.6 metre long model of the infamous Graf Spee, a German WWII battleship launched in 1934 but which its captain scuttled after the Battle of River Plate in Montevideo Uruguay in December 1939. This model belongs in a museum for its detail and historic relevance for the Australian and New Zealand navies. It was discovered in Queensland and is made of a variety of timbers.

Stockton ferry model made by Robert Campbell of Australian cedar, 0.5 x 1.3 m (length)

Scratch model of a working tug boat

NEWCASTLE heroes

It is unfortunate that like much of our colonial furniture, we do not know the detail of the makers nor the reasons for making these ship models. Each model is shown in detail on our website – more detailed photos will be sent on request to rarefind@bigpond.net.au. We guarantee to show a minimum of 75 pieces of colonial cedar on our website, from desks to presses.

The model of the Stockton ferry is quite impressive and made of Australian cedar by local model maker, Robert Campbell. It is 1.3 metres long and 0.5 metres high. The scratch model of a working tug boat once in Newcastle Harbour is beautifully made and serves as a reminder of our proud mercantile history.

Michael Lee RARE FIND COUNTRY ANTIQUES 02 4969 3801 / 0418 684 724 rarefind@bigpond.net.au www.rarefindantiques.com.au

Secretaire chest, c. 1869, labelled Lawson and Carter in three places

38 Denison St, Hamilton Ph 02 4969 3801 Mobile 0418 684 724 Model of WWII German battleship Graf Spee, variety of timbers

NEWCASTLE / HUNTER VALLEY ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

NEWCASTLE & HUNTER VALLEY ANTIQUES TRAIL featuring bed & breakfast accommodation and art galleries 1

The Centenary Antique Centre

82 Elder Street, Lambton (opposite Lambton Park) Ph: 02 4957 8233 OPEN Monday to Friday 10 am – 4.30 pm Saturday 9 am – 3.30 pm Closed Sunday Affordable antiques – interesting china, jewellery, lamps and clocks. A range of items to suit the discerning buyer. Boutique splendour.

UNIQUE ANTIQUE ECLECTIC 29 Centenary Road, Newcastle Ph: 02 4926 4547 OPEN 7 days, 10 am – 5 pm 25 shops under the one roof: Newcastle’s largest antique centre with a great coffee shop and the Old Grocery Store Museum.

Antiques & Collectables on Darby

Bowerbird Antiques & Collectables

94 Maitland Road Islington Ph: 02 4961 0075 OPEN Friday to Monday 10 am – 5 pm A small shop with a surprisingly varied selection of antiques, eclectic, French and continental collectables and furniture.

35 Brunker Road, Broadmeadow Mob: 0437 417 512 OPEN Friday – Sunday 10 am – 5 pm The place to come when you want something different.

13 Cambridge

Coliseum Antiques

105 Lang Street, Kurri Kurri Ph: 02 4936 1511 OPEN Monday – Friday 9 am – 5 pm Saturday 9 am – 3 pm Sunday 10.30 am – 3 pm The largest antique and second-hand furniture warehouse in the Hunter. Furniture is our forte.

7/54 Clyde St, Hamilton North Ph: 02 4927 6611 OPEN Monday – Saturday 10 am – 4 pm Sunday 10 am – 3 pm Selection of collectables, furniture, and antiques.

106 Maitland Road, Islington Ph: 0411 683 496 OPEN Friday, Saturday and Sunday 11 am – 5 pm Specialising in contemporary art, with jewellery, accessories, furniture and more.

Ambleside Antiques Cottage

Antique Toy Collectables

655 Hunter St Newcastle West 2302 Ph: John 0412 296 420 OPEN Mon – Fri by appointment (readily available) Sat 10 am – 4 pm Sun 11 am – 3 pm 100's of vintage toys, dolls, teddies, trains (Hornby O) plus pedal cars and doll prams. Largest range in Australia. *** JUST OPENED ***

Islington Antiques

105–111 Maitland Road, Islington, Newcastle Ph: 02 4961 0533 OPEN Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday 10 am – 5 pm Trading in Newcastle for 20 years. We stock a large and varied range of quality furniture, china and collectables in our 2000 sq ft showroom.

Rare Find Country Antiques

38 Denison St Hamilton Ph: 02 4969 3801, Mobile: 0418 684 724 Open by appointment only Specialists in Australian antiques, specialising in cedar.

108 Maitland Road, Islington Ph: 02 4962 1532 OPEN Thursday to Monday 10 am – 5 pm Attractive decorator pieces to enhance your home or that wanted item to add to your collection. Large affordable range: linen, tools, glass, china, furniture, jewellery, sewing items. Ample free street parking nearby. Air-conditioned.

Paul Vinecombe

Antiques & Decoratives 92 Wollombi Rd, West Cessnock Ph: 02 4990 9212, Mobile: 0418 635 658 OPEN Tuesday – Sunday 10 am – 5 pm Closed Monday After 29 years now trading in Hunter Valley at Cessnock.

The Tyler Gallery

Steptoes

Lampworks Antique Centre

Cottage

21 Paterson Road, Bolwarra Ph: 02 4930 1824 OPEN Fri – Mon 10 am – 5 pm Antiques, cottage garden nursery and water plants, recycled furniture, pottery and paintings by local artists.

118 Maitland Road, Mayfield Ph: 02 4967 2088 OPEN 7 days 10 am – 5 pm A large centre within a heritage building. Buying and selling: furniture and collectables, huge selection. Coffee shop and art sales Georgian – Victorian – Retro.

The Exchange Galleries

327 High Street, Maitland Ph: 02 4934 3934 OPEN Thursday – Sunday 10 am – 4 pm Antiques, art and fine handcrafted furniture. Visit this transformed Art Deco pub and find a treasure. Furniture, linens and laces, 20s – 50s jewellery, china and collectables. Art, paintings and prints, old and new. Fine furniture handcrafted from local timbers.

Brunker Road Antiques

Heartland Antiques & Arts

321 High Street, Maitland Ph: 02 4933 9923 OPEN Six days 10 am – 4 pm Closed Tuesday Most unusual mix of decorator pieces and traditional antique furniture along with old pine and period styles, china, chintz, pottery, paintings, posters and prints. All things suitable for furnishing a country house, a farmhouse, a weekender or the odd ranch with both flair and decorum.

1/158 Darby Street, Newcastle Ph: 02 4926 3003 OPEN 7 days, 10 am – 5 pm 15 dealers: collectables, china, glass, jewellery, furniture and smalls.

Memory Lane Antiques & Decor

18 Old TO ADVERTISE ON THIS PAGE PLEASE PHONE 02 9389 2919

* In the interests of better service for our customers, if you enjoy the convenience of this map, please tell the shops you visit. Thank you.

Cinema Antiques

80 Maitland Road, Islington Ph: 0450 103 633 or 0416 438 371 Open Friday-Monday 10am-5pm Dutch imports of antique furniture, paintings, clocks. Large collection of collectables, French polishing.

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

From milliner’s essential to highly collectable

the hat block M

akers of wooden hat blocks could never have imagined that the results of their craft were destined to be sought-after collectables. They were merely producing something precise, accurate and purely functional. Wooden hat blocks are becoming even more valuable as their finite nature guarantees their increasing worth. A centuries-old craft, literary references provide evidence of the hat block as early as the 16th century when George Gascoigne mentioned ‘a coptankt hat made on a Flemish block’ in Hearbes, printed posthumously in 1587. In Shakespeare’s 1599 comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice remarks of Benedick that ‘he wears his faith but as the fashion of a hat; it ever changes with the next block.’

A VARIETY of forms A hat attains its shape from a block, following the manufacturer’s choice of materials for the hat and its trimmings, and the weight of the hood. Blocks are made to produce the design supplied. The style of the hat dictated the form of the block. In the early 19th century women’s straw bonnets were made over a framework of straw or wire. A droop brim block is the most simple, with the crown block fitting onto a square tapered spindle on the brimmer from which it can be removed. A hat with the brim turned up is made on a block in which the crown fitted inside the ‘curler’ or brim part. For a hat which was larger at the top than the head fit, an ingenious five-part block was used with a solid centre and four side pieces sliding on dovetails. In the blocking process, the centre piece was removed first so that the bottom of the crown was not stretched out of shape, with the four side pieces collapsing for removal.

WOODEN hat blocks Expert craftsman followed the designer’s wire model to make wooden hat blocks by hand. The earliest hat blocks were a very simple basic shape and may have been turned. However, as blocks took on more of the form of the finished hat it was impossible to produce them by simple turning.

The style of each hat was marked out using a template and the shaping of the block done by using a spokeshave, a specialist wood maker’s tool. Gouges and chisels were used for cutting ridges and tucks. After sandpapering, the block was coated with wax or shellac to help the wood tolerate steam and heat. Finally the string marks were cut out, along with a chamfer around the bottom of the crown that secured the cord to prevent hats from moving during the steaming process. European hat blocks were made mostly from lime, alder and sycamore. In England lime wood was preferred for factory hat production, but being increasingly scarce and slow growing, and hence expensive, at times block makers would use alder instead. The hat block could be a relatively expensive item in hat production, depending on how many hats could be produced from it. If the best timber was used, a block would produce more hats, maybe hundreds of dozens before the block cracked or distorted from constant heat and steam. A cheaper block made of pine would produce only a few hats under factory conditions.

HATS on the block worn off with use. Some blocks have a set of numbers impressed on the underside that are the block makers’ pattern numbers. The hat maker’s model number can sometimes be found. All these details were recorded to facilitate ordering and the remaking of duplicate blocks. Because fashion revolves in cycles, some designs were revived at a later date by using the original pattern numbers.

A SKILLED craft Factory production blocks come in an infinite variety of shapes, many of them unique to a particular maker. Shapes such as toques, turbans and berets were eventually produced using recessed blocks, partially hollowed out on the underside, enabling the hat to be produced in one piece. Some of these shapes were very complex and the removal of the hood required great skill and judgement from the blockers so as not to damage or stretch the fabric or destroy the shape. Look under a block and if you find a large square or a round hole cut into the underside, it was a factory block that could be secured onto the blocking machine. Collectors should remember that factory blocks never had stands.

MAKERS’ marks An X mark chiselled into the underside of the block marked the centre front of the block, some characteristic of a particular block maker. The name of the maker may sometimes be found, either impressed into the timber, or in ink stamps or labels, but most of these have

20TH CENTURY blocks The most intricate and complex blocks were increasingly produced in the last century. This was brought about by large scale factory hat production for the expanded markets as well as the requisite machinery becoming available. Since the 1950s, modern factories used metal hat blocks made of aluminium alloy, invented by the French company Villiers in the early 1950s and quickly employed throughout Europe. They were originally known as ‘gas-pans’ because they were heated over gas. Metal blocks have many advantages: they do not wear out like wooden blocks; the hoods dry much faster on them; they are far more economical, even though the initial cost is much higher; and they can be recycled. More complex designs such as system blocks have been developed since. Thus it was that the wooden blocks were replaced with the metal. Since the 1960s hats have fallen out of fashion and the European hat industry has reduced in scale and significance.

With the revival of the hat from 1850 onwards, felt was back in fashion for winter hats and blocking was the prime technique. In the blocking process, the hoods are first warmed by steam and placed on the block, stretched tightly around and tied securely with cord on the block before the head of the blocking machine is lowered over the hood. Following blocking, the shaped hats are allowed to cool for up to 24 hours. For a second time the hat is placed over a block and stretched using steam to ensure it sits on the block evenly. It is rubbed and rounded, the excess felt is removed. Finally, the hat is finished and trimmed.

FIRST anniversary celebrations As part of our one year anniversary celebrations we are featuring a display of European hat blocks, vintage hats and accessories in our shop over this October long weekend. In the next edition of Antiques & Art in NSW we will look at the European hat block makers. Gaye Dawson ANTIQUE ON DARBY 02 4926 3003 / 0407526955 glo89014@bigpond.net.au Acknowledgement: Thanks to Paul Whitaker for his contribution to the article.

NEWCASTLE ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Antiques Collectables on DARBY

1/158 DARBY STREET NEWCASTLE Formerly of Beaumont Street, Hamilton OPEN 7 DAYS - PLENTY OF PARKING AT REAR

PHONE 02 4926 3003 ANTIQUES & COLLECTABLES ON DARBY WILL CELEBRATE ITS FIRST ANNIVERSARY ON 1ST OCTOBER WE WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND AN INVITATION TO ALL OUR LOYAL CUSTOMERS TO CALL IN AND SEE OUR WONDERFUL MILLINERY DISPLAY. THIS EXHIBITION WILL INCLUDE A COLLECTION OF EUROPEAN HAT BLOCKS, WONDERFUL VINTAGE AND HANDMADE HATS AND ACCESSORIES.

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR WONDERFUL CUSTOMERS FOR MAKING OUR FIRST YEAR OF TRADE IN OUR NEW SHOP A RESOUNDING SUCCESS

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

THE GOOD LIFE

Heartland â&#x20AC;&#x201C; For sale with freehold I f the lifestyle of a country squire appeals then Heartland, a freehold antique store in Maitland, may be the answer. Strategically located at the entrance to the Hunter Valley, this beautiful heritage building is an opportunity to incorporate a business with a more leisurely country lifestyle â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the best of both worlds. Maitland is now the fastest growing local government area in NSW and locals are benefitting from the injection of entrepreneurial investments in the region. The arts and culture renaissance has resulted in food festivals, commercial growth and the development of historical themed programs such as heritage walking tours before or after tourists visit the vineyards of the Hunter region. Maitland has been the hub of the Hunter for more than 150 years. It is steeped in history and fascinating heritage buildings. Located on the New England Highway, it is about 30 minutes drive from Newcastle and is accessed from Sydney via the F3 taking approximately two hours.

A FREEHOLD antique store in Maitland This architecturally incomparable building is unique. There are three floors including a large two level three bedroom apartment that

has been fully restored. The first floor is reached by a cedar staircase that features Victorian iron lace balustrades and the craftsmanship of cedar joinery. A conservatory style roofline means that the centre of the building is given lots of natural light. The apartment is reached by another cedar staircase that covers the two levels. Why sell such an asset? The owners have come to that time in their lives when age and necessity have forced them to reconsider their options. Now into retirement, they have serious health issues that can be no longer ignored. After a lifetime of being involved in the antiques trade, they are leaving a business that has been kind to them and which has given them a lot of pleasure. It is time to pass the reigns onto the next generation of collectors and dealers. Opportunity knocks for a younger person with vision and enthusiasm. Whoever acquires this asset also gets the business for free and a choice of stock at value. It is only by visiting Heartland that one can truly appreciate the value added and charm of this heritage site.

To inspect this unique property, phone Marion on 0414 012 608 or after hours on 02 4930 6984.

Original piano box buggy, c. 1910

MAITLAND ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

FOR SALE

This wonderful restored heritage building known as the Queen Victoria Building of Maitland in the heart of the Hunter Valley is FOR SALE with or without the Antique business. The large, ground floor houses mainly antique furniture and the first floor is an art gallery. The large two-storey, three bed apartment above has been fully restored and there is back access with a secure yard for parking and loading.

Please phone 0414 012 608 or A/H 02 4930 6984 for further information or inspections.

HEARTLAND ANTIQUES Art, Retro and Collectables Dealers in the usuable and unusual • Lots of old fishing tackle

SUMMER SALE COMMENCES 30 SEPTEMBER Country prices and big discounts All our stock sourced locally in the country Why pay big city prices – we need to clear space for stock held in storage

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Windsor Restoration Supplies

The Junkyard

Windsor & The Hawkesbury Antiques & Collectables Trail

indsor and the Hawkesbury is restablishing itself as a great destination for antiques, collectables and old wares. Windsor is a comfortable drive north west of Sydney in the picturesque Hawkesbury Valley. It is a popular short break, weekender and day trippers location. It is also a popular stopover point for city folk heading to the Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley, Central West as well as the North and South Coasts. Windsor boasts some magnificent historic buildings, its own paddle wheeler and horse drawn restaurant with the region being home to great national parks and the picturesque Hawkesbury River. Windsor and the Hawkesbury is also home to 19 unique antiques, collectables and old wares shops within a short drive of each other. On Sundays, you can enjoy the Windsor Craft Market in the mall from 9 am – 4 pm. An overnight stay at one of Windsor’s boutique B&Bs ensures you miss nothing and allows a leisurely pace for browsing. If visiting on a Saturday you must fit in a visit between 10 am and 2 pm to Empire Beds, which is about 3 km from Kent’s. Phil and Peter Jurd’s workshop is good fun for blokes and fascinating for iron and brass bed enthusiasts. Phil has been in beds for over 25 years and this is Sydney’s one-stop brass bed shop for made to order, restoration and extensions from double to queen. Walking down George Street to New Street you will see Maureen’s delightful dusky pink rendered store, Thompson’s Country

Peter and Phil Jurd, Empire Beds

Collectables. Maureen has an elegant range of antiques and collectables from 1750 to 1950, but specialises in Victorian furniture, silver, jewellery, china and glass. Around the corner from Maureen’s is Windsor Restoration Supplies. David has arguably the Hawkesbury’s most comprehensive range of supplies for the restorer including brass and period lighting, cabinet fittings and handles, traditional timber finishes and period home restoration supplies. They also have an elegant range of outdoor furniture. Jump in the car and head out to The

Junkyard at Londonderry. Sue and Gary have five acres of recycled farmyard and building materials, bric-à-brac from antiques to op shop stored in a variety of sheds, old bus and train carcases. The astute collector can find real bargains here – its nickname is ‘the five acre garage sale’ and you should allow some serious scrounging time here. One the boys will love for sure. John and Anne Koster, of Kostercraft, further on in North Richmond can help you out when you have found that special piece, but it needs some TLC. They specialise in preservation and

restoration of antique and modern furniture and art. They can also repair and restore distressed ceramics. Further along the trail, Kurrajong Antiques Centre has a very large range of antiques and collectables. Brian has several large rooms, an upstairs and a downstairs filled with English china, glassware, art, furniture, toys – there’s probably very little he hasn’t got. Brian’s is the kind of large rambling antiques emporium you remember from the old days and has a wonderful yesteryear feel. We all look forward to seeing you on our trail one day soon.

Kurrajong Antique Centre

Maureen Partridge, Thompson’s Country Collectables

John Koster, Kostercraft

WINDSOR & THE HAWKESBURY ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

WINDSOR & THE HAWKESBURY antiques & collectables trail 1

2 3

To advertise on this page please phone

02 9389 2919 Email: info@worldaa.com

3. Windsor Restoration Supplies, Windsor Proprietor: Dave Crawshaw Phone: 02 4577 4853 Opening Days & Times: Mon to Fri 9 am to 4.30 pm Sat 10 am to 2 pm Public Holidays: Closed Address: 268 George Street, Windsor

1. Empire Beds, Wilberforce Proprietors: Phil Jurd & Peter Jurd Phone: 02 4575 1223 Website: www.empirebeds.com.au Email: jurdp1@optusnet.com.au Opening Days & Times: Mon to Fri 9 am to 5 pm Sat 10 am to 2 pm Public Holidays: Closed Address: 2/11 Ti-Tree Place, Wilberforce

2. Thompsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Country Collectables, Windsor

4. The Junkyard, Londonderry Proprietors: Gary & Sue Evans Phone: 02 4572 5211 Opening Days & Times: 7 days 10 am to 4 pm (weather permitting) Public Holidays: Closed Address: 11 Bennett Road, Londonderry (Just a 10 minute drive from the centre of Windsor)

5. Kostercraft, North Richmond Proprietors: John and Anne Koster Phone: 02 4571 1320 Mobile: 0412 571132 Email: kostercraft@hotmail.com Website: www.kostercraft.com.au Opening Days & Times: Mon to Fri 9 am to 6 pm Sat, Sun: Available for enquiries and drop offs Public Holidays: Available for enquiries and drop offs Address: 27 Elizabeth Street, North Richmond

6. Kurrajong Antique Centre, Kurrajong Proprietor: Brian Briggs Phone: 02 4573 1683 Opening Days & Times: 7 days 10 am to 5 pm Public Holidays: 10 am to 5 pm Address: 101 Old Bells Line of Road, Kurrajong

Proprietor: Maureen Partridge Phone: 02 4577 2381 Opening Days & Times: 7 days 10 am to 5 pm Public Holidays: 10 am to 5 pm Address: 11 New Street, Windsor

KURRAJONG ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

KURRAJONG ANTIQUE CENTRE spanning 740 sq metres (8,000 sq ft)

Antiques and Collectables LOTS OF NEW STOCK Come up and visit our centre now with an increase to over 50 fully stocked display cabinets with china, glass, silver, silver plate, jewellery, crystal, porcelain and bric-à-brac. We have a large range of original art (oils, watercolours, etchings and lithographs), brass, as well as Victorian and Edwardian furniture (cedar, mahogany, pine and oak). All in a lovely old Art Deco Cinema/Theatre

UP TO 30% OFF ON VARIOUS CABINETS

101 OLD BELLS LINE OF ROAD, KURRAJONG • PHONE 02 4573 1683 OPEN 7 DAYS 10 am - 5 pm

The Scenic Hunter Valley perfect for antique hunters

rom small shops specialising in music collectables or toys to the larger centres, the Hunter Valley caters for all tastes. You will find everything from buttons and linen and stunning Art Deco pieces to exquisite Georgian furniture, tools and old farm rustics to delightfully kitsch 50s and 60s home wares and charming country pine furniture. Just a two-hour drive north of Sydney, you could be enjoying the many delights of the Hunter Valley this weekend.

NEWCASTLE Founded in 1804 as a penal colony, Newcastle is a city rich in history. Discover Newcastle’s convict past and the birthplace of Australian industry; visit Victorian mansions and villas;

marvel at the grand cathedral; or learn about the area’s colourful maritime history and how Fort Scratchley was built to protect the city from possible Russian invasion. Newcastle Tourism’s visitor information centre on Hunter Street will supply you with details on heritage walks through the city, art galleries and museums, just a few of the delights Newcastle has to offer. Of course, another delight is hunting through Newcastle’s many antique shops and centres. A fabulous city to explore, stay awhile and enjoy the comfort and history that Newcastle’s bed and breakfast homes can offer you. Australia’s sixth largest city and the capital

Lake Macquarie Art Gallery. Image courtesy City of Lake Macquarie

of the Hunter region, Newcastle has much to offer the visitor here on a short break or an extended stay. Newcastle is a beachside city boasting a spectacular coastline with some of Australia’s best surfing beaches. Newcastle has a large working harbour, its entrance guarded by Nobby’s breakwater and lighthouse, probably the most famous Newcastle icon.

THE MAITLAND Region Maitland is a lovely heritage city in the heart of the Hunter Valley, a short drive from the famous Hunter Valley vineyards and acclaimed wilderness areas. Just minutes from Maitland you will discover the most delightful villages and towns. East Maitland: The original city site, this is an architecturally heritage-rich town with many beautiful buildings to appreciate including churches, the old Maitland Gaol and great antique hunting opportunities. Rutherford: A few minutes on the other side of Maitland is Rutherford, home to the historic Annanbah House, where the Australian movie 15 Amore (2000) was filmed, with still more antique hunting to enjoy. Lorn: Located just over the bridge from Maitland is Lorn. Fine examples of Federation houses, together with wonderfully preserved late Victorian homes set in magnificent gardens, make this place a true delight. Enjoy the Heritage Walk or just indulge in more antique hunting. Bolwarra: Just a few minutes along the road is Bolwarra with even more charming historic homes

and gardens and even more antique hunting. This lovely town sits on the edge of some of the most beautiful, gentle farmland in the region.

DUNGOG With the first European settlement of the township occurring in the 1820s and 1830s, historic Dungog has much to offer visitors. There are quality antiques to discover in Dowling Street and a B&B set in magical rural surrounds in which to soak up the country atmosphere. The Visitor Information Centre on the corner of Brown and Dowling Streets (02 4992 2212) can supply you with maps and details on the many historic buildings in this beautiful township. Dungog is the perfect base for exploring the nearby Barrington Tops National Park. This unspoiled World Heritage listed area offers so much to experience, from cascading rivers and primeval wilderness to rare and endangered species of plants and animals. The many walking trails in the park cater to all, ranging from 20 minutes to the 22 km Link Trail Walk. NEWCASTLE AND HUNTER VALLEY ANTIQUES TRAIL 02 4974 2999 www.newcastletourism.com

BLUE MOUNTAINS ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

ART DECO IN AUSTRALIA - taken for granted The Victory Theatre in Blackheath NSW is a classic example of an art deco cinema built in the 1920s

he early 1920s was a time of optimism in Australia. The Great War, ‘the war to end all wars’ was over and there was a sense that a time of growth and change had arrived. Public architecture to date had been a mix of styles from 19th century Britain and Europe. Neoclassical buildings such as the Art Gallery of NSW and colonial Gothic buildings like Sydney’s Government House and its stables, now the Conservatorium of Music were respected but viewed as old fashioned. A new direction was needed.

1925 PARIS Expo The 1925 L’ Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes held in Paris focussed on the evolution of the French decorative arts, showcasing modern styles characterised by a streamlined classicism, geometric and symmetric composition. The terms style moderne and art deco both derive from the exposition’s title. The phrase ‘art deco’ was not coined until the 1960s, then as a style label. A 1966 French exhibition and its two-volume catalogue contained illustrations of art deco design of items from the collections of the Musée des Arts décoratifs in Paris. American art historian Bevis Hillier’s book, Art Deco of the 20s and 30s (1968) and the Art Deco exhibition he organised at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (USA) in 1971, increased interest in the art deco style.

ART Deco influences This spectacular design movement drew on Egyptian, Oriental, Native American, Mexican and French motifs. On 26 November 1922, Howard Carter made his ‘tiny breach in the top left corner’ of a doorway in the Valley of

the Kings in Egypt, candlelight revealing the glittering treasures of the pharaoh Tutankhamun. The beauty of ancient Egypt captured the imaginations of many European designers and artists who incorporated Egyptian shapes and motifs into much of their work. Thus the ziggurat, chevron and sunburst designs became integral to art deco design, notably in architecture. The Chrysler Building in New York is a great example of these motifs, designed in 1928 and opened in 1930. Nearer to home, after New Zealand’s cities of Napier and Hastings were destroyed by the 1931 earthquake, residents vowed to rebuild as a modern city in the earthquake-resistant building methods developing in California where art deco style was expressed in concrete form in the buildings of the 1920s and 1930s. Napier architecture included local Maori motifs as well as the international prairie and sleek geometric styles.

Roger Garner VICTORY THEATRE ANTIQUES 02 4787 6002 victorytheatre@bigpond.com

The Victory Theatre, Blackheath NSW, late 1920s-early 1930s

Chrysler Building, New York NY, 1930

ART DECO architecture in Australia In Australia’s post-war optimism, new buildings rose throughout urban and regional areas of the country. An increased demand for entertainment created a boom time for hotels and public houses that used the new art deco designs to differentiate them from older establishments. New strips of retail shops were built along major roads with art deco ziggurat design features demonstrating a modern approach of the shopkeepers within. The new moving pictures required purpose built structures to seat the crowds that flocked to see Europe’s and Hollywood’s latest creation. Every town and suburb wanted a cinema and what better modern design to use than art deco? Fritz Lang’s science fiction Metropolis (1927), a German silent film, portrayed an art deco future that was perhaps prophetic in its darkness, with the promise of a modern, streamlined world shattered on the rocks of economic reality. The Great Depression, the rise of fascism and the Nazi regime in Europe and WWII ended any art deco ideals of a modern, peaceful and artistic society.

HIDDEN Gems Two recent art deco exhibitions in Melbourne and Albury demonstrated ways that art deco designs permeated everyday life. Everything from architecture and buildings, furniture, cars and motorbikes to household items like radios and kitchen appliances, personal items such as clothing and jewellery were designed with art deco concepts. We see so many of these features transposed into current designs that we might them for granted. The next time you are passing through an old strip of shops, look past the faded and rusty awnings to the building frontage. I will guarantee that at least

Poster for Fritz Lang’s film, Metropolis, 1927

one of those old shops will have a beautiful art deco façade. The Victory Theatre in Blackheath NSW is a classic art deco cinema built in the 1920s and is one of many art deco gems in the Blue Mountains. What better use for a beautiful old art deco cinema, nearly 90 years old, than to house Victory Theatre Antiques with our collection of history from the past 200 years? We are open seven days, 10 am to 5 pm, so stop in to admire our art deco theatre and the host of antiques and collectables our dealers stock for your collecting pleasure.

Robin Hood Hotel, Charing Cross NSW, 1930s

Museum of Contemporary Art, designed by William Henry Withers in 1939 for The Maritime Services Board headquarters, opened 1952

BLACKHEATH, BLUE MOUNTAINS

VICTORY THEATRE ANTIQUES & CAFE 17 Govetts Leap Road, Blackheath www.victorytheatre.com.au www.victorytheatre.com.au

More than 50 dealers selling bric-à-brac, antiques & collectables Largest antique centre west of Sydney Open 7 days 10am–5pm Phone: 02 4787 6002 91

BLUE MOUNTAINS ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

The world’s largest private teapot collection

ON DISPLAY AT BYGONE BEAUTYS

“

ygone Beautys, often described as an Aladdin’s cave due to the sheer volume of collectable and colourful items on display, is a unique shopping experience. This emporium is overflowing with antiques, jewellery – both new and estate – collectables, gifts, furniture, lamps, an entertaining array of gift cards, soft furnishings and much more. Bygone Beautys Emporium is also home to the world’s largest private teapot collection and is one of the most popular attractions in the Blue Mountains. Located one block east

of the Leura shopping centre, the antique centre is home to the collection. Thirty-three years ago Ronald Hooper started collecting teapots and in 1992 joined with Maurice Cooper to establish Bygone Beautys. Cooper, affectionately referred to as the ‘teapot man,’ brought to the partnership his passion for teapots and so between them they have built a significant and important display. There are examples dating from 1680, 1700s, 1800s to contemporary miniature collectables. Among the special pieces is a

Bygone Beautys Antiques

‘Treasured Teapot Collection’’

s seen on Getaway, Sydney Weekender, and in ABC Collectors Show

20~22 Grose Street, Leura Phone 02 4784 3117 Fax 02 4784 3078 info@bygonebeautys.com.au

www.bygonebeautys.com.au Open 7 days ~ 10 am ~ 5:30 pm Bus groups are welcome by arrangement, and you can organise a ‘Teapot Talk’ by contacting Bygone Beautys direct Winner of Regional Tourism Business of the Year 2009 92

Much care and thought has gone into the displays and visitors can explore the history of the various styles and learn about the origins of tea taking

”

teapot commissioned by the Emperor of Japan in 1900. Another fine example is a piece from Josiah Wedgwood’s first creamware range made in 1792. A mint condition Britannia metal tea service on display is a rare find. Tea ware made from this metal proved not so practical as the plating did not respond well to the constantly changing temperature. On show is the first teapot that started the collection more than 30 years ago. Much care and thought has gone into the displays and visitors can explore the history of the various styles and learn about the origins of tea taking. For example, a predecessor of the teapot is the c. 4000 BCE wine jug from China and which can fetch in excess of $200,000 at auction. A more recent example is the 300-year-old cast iron Chinese teapot.

HIGH TEA experience Of course, you can buy a unique teapot or sample fresh, fine-tipped tea served in the tearoom, which offers silver service – a highly recommended experience. The waiter, wearing a top hat and tails, serves tea in a shimmering silver teapot with finely rolled sandwiches as done by the Ritz Hotel in London, freshly baked scones, home-made jam and whipped cream and a range of delicate pastries served on fine bone china. All this to the refrains of ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ combines to make an unforgettable experience – bring your camera. High Tea is served daily and bookings are recommended. The Tearoom provides a perfect backdrop to the teapot collection where light gourmet lunches, soup, sandwiches, cakes, hot and cold refreshments are served. For those memorable mountain spring, summer and autumn days, enjoy the ambience of outdoor dining, soaking up the Federation past among the magnificent rhododendrons and roses. BYGONE BEAUTYS ANTIQUES 02 4784 3117 info@bygonebeautys.com.au www.bygonebeautys.com.au

BLUE MOUNTAINS ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Bygone Beautys Cottages RETREATS in the Blue Mountains

BULLABURRA

ocated in the beautiful Blue Mountains west of Sydney, Bygone Beautys Cottages offer a range of self-contained cottages at Wentworth Falls and Bullaburra. Each is a perfect destination and base for a romantic weekend in the Blue Mountains or a family or group planning an active mountain holiday. Enjoy the moderate summer temperatures with a high of 22° C, 800 metres above the hot plains and sweltering suburbs. The novelty of winter temperatures that average highs of 9° C down to just above freezing makes burning log fires a welcome entertainment and comfort, as well as keeping children busy carrying in logs from the ample supply. Browse the largest private emporium of antiques and collectables in the Blue Mountains at Bygone Beautys in Leura, just a short walk from the train station. Appealing to collectors and those who appreciate history, here you will find jewellery, furniture, fine china and dinner services, dolls and toys and excellent service by knowledgeable staff.

Located between Lawson and Wentworth Falls, Bullaburra is nine kilometres east of Leura and 91 kilometres from Sydney. Located only 10-12 minutes drive from the bustle of the major tourist attractions, it is a sleepy village along the highway. Its attraction is that it is in the heart of the mountains and most areas are adjacent to bushland.

WENTWORTH Falls Both Wentworth Falls and Bullaburra are on the Blue Mountains rail line as well as reached by a local bus that runs between Springwood and Katoomba. These transport options make return trips easy for hikers and bicyclists who plan nonmotorised exploration from their cottage. For superb Blue Mountains scenery without going too far from civilisation, Wentworth Falls is ideal. Canyons contain microclimates supporting many ferns and soft leafed trees where you can hear lyrebirds. Cliff-top walks are less strenuous than valley walks and you may see canyoners abseiling down Valley of the Waters. There are many craft and antique dealers through the area.

COSY comforts On arrival at a Bygone Beautys cottage, your burning log fire is set and every bed freshly made up with an electric blanket for chilly mountain nights. Awaiting you are fresh fruit, flowers and chocolates. A country-style breakfast platter is stocked for guests to prepare when and how they choose in a well-equipped kitchen. An ample supply of fluffy towels and bath toiletries ensures luxury during your stay. Bygone Beautys Tearooms in stylish Leura will serve you a delicious complimentary Devonshire Tea as part of your cottage booking.

Enjoy the Bygone Beautys Treasured Teapot Museum with over 3,000 teapots on display, old and new from all over the world in an astounding range of styles, shapes and tastes.

PICK Your Winter Getaway Bronte Cottage is a modern French provincial style country house in Bullaburra, with beautiful established gardens and a full size tennis court. It accommodates eight people. Chalet Cottage is an elegant cedar chalet in Wentworth Falls, designed for two people and accommodating up to four. Pine Lodge retreat is an elegant cedar federation-inspired country house set in five acres of gardens in Wentworth Falls. It accommodates ten visitors, including ten comfortably seated at its traditional dining room table. Robin’s Nest is a very cute 100-year-old cottage in one of Bullaburra’s quiet streets with a lovely bush outlook. Come up and feed the possums or spot the wallabies in the early mornings and evenings, with accommodation for four people.

Worker’s Cottage is a 1920s cedar weatherboard cottage set in five acres of beautiful gardens and a gentle half hour stroll into the village of Wentworth Falls. It accommodates four visitors. Sharphens in the township of Wentworth Falls is a charming 1940s cottage situated on three acres of bushland. It accommodates seven visitors. Bring good friends and good cheer to your Bygone Beautys cottage and everything else will be ready for your best Blue Mountains getaway. BYGONE BEAUTYS COTTAGES Freecall 1800 663 619 info@bygonebeautys.com.au www.bygonebeautys.com.au

Top right: 1920s Worker’s Cottage in five acres of beautiful gardens Right: Bronte Cottage, a modern French provincial style country house in quaint Bullaburra Below: Pine Lodge’s elegant dining table seats ten diners, in Wentworth Falls

SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS / WINGEN ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

MOSS VALE

BERRIMA

MITTAGONG

VILLAGE ANTIQUES A TOUCH OF BRASS Jellore Street, Berrima 2577 02 4877 1366

ANTIQUES ON CONSIGNMENT

Open Wed, Thur, Fri, Sat 11am - 4pm Sun, Mon, Tues by appointment

Huge selection of antique beds in metal (fancy iron, and brass and iron) and various timbers, pine sleigh beds, mahogany halftester beds, French beds, etc. All sizes.

SALLY BERESFORD DESIGNS Mobile 0413 875 289 www.sallyberesford.com.au French provincial furniture, industrial, architectural & decorative Items.

MITTAGONG ANTIQUES CENTRE 85-87 Main Street (Hume Hwy) Mittagong 2575 02 4872 3198 Fax 02 4872 3216 Open 7 Days 10am - 5pm 650 sq metres (7,000 sq ft) with large variety of stock. Plenty of parking. Excellent loading docks. Eftpos & credit cards welcome.

Old Hume Highway, Nth Mittagong (Braemar) 02 4872 2844 Mob 0416 251 946 Kamilaroi c. 1906 has 6 rooms of French, English, Oriental and Scandinavian antique furniture, mirrors, clocks, chandeliers, porcelain, silver, jewellery, paintings, objets d’art and decorative items. Also the Parterre Garden and the Barn and Cottage with other exciting items.

Sutton Forest PEPPERS MT BROUGHTON A SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS GRAND COUNTRY ESTATE Kater Road, Sutton Forest 2577 02 4868 2355 Fax 02 4868 3257 The estate’s extensive facilities include an à la carte restaurant, cocktail bar, swimming, tennis, cycling, volley ball, gym and walks through the glorious old gardens. A round of golf at the adjoining Mount Broughton Golf and Country Club can be arranged.

VISIT THE HIGHLANDS

BestRegional Attraction*

over 45 Antique Dealers plus a coffee shop all under the one roof!

B URNING M OUNTAIN

ANTIQUES & P LOUGH I NN NEW ENGLAND HIGHWAY, WINGEN, NSW 2337 TELEPHONE: 02 6545 0235 Barry and Stephen Daniel FOR AUSTRALIANA AND COLLECTABLES

OPEN EVERY DAY 10.00AM TO 5.00PM 85-87 M AIN S TREET • M ITTAGONG T ELEPHONE 02 4872 3198 • FACSIMILE 02 4872 3216 porcelain • fine arts • furniture • silver • books • & more

* WINNER

BEST

OF THE 1999 SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS OUTSTANDING BUSINESS AWARD FOR

REGIONAL

ATTRACTION

Everything from antique furniture, jewellery, memorabilia & other paraphernalia. Housed in the Historic Old Post Office in Wingen, on the New England Highway about 20 minutes north of Scone

OPEN 7 DAYS • TELEPHONE: 02 6545 0235

BOWRAL ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

experience and am asking Rod when are we going again?

MITTAGONG shop

UK buying orgy ENGLISH countryside fairs First stop in our motor home was Sheepcote Valley Park (near Brighton) as a base. The first fair was Ardingly International Antiques and Collectors Fair with about 1600 dealers from all over the world and a parking area as large as the stalls’ area. Seasoned visitors come with trolleys, motorised bikes and scooters used to cover the distance quickly. We carried our purchases because it is often impossible to retrace steps back to the stalls. A typically wet English day we were knee deep in mud, but still had an amazing day and shopped until we dropped.

his was to be our first UK buying trip where we had planned to spend one month following the market and fair trail in England. With the luxury of a rented motor home, we could choose our preferred routes and venues. Our buying strategy was to concentrate on ‘smalls.’

NO time for jetlag We arrived at Heathrow at 5 am and with only three days in London, not a moment was wasted. Rather than go to our hotel room, we caught the underground to Bermondsey Square Antiques Market which starts every Friday at 4 am. We arrived at 6 am, buying voraciously and even meeting dealers from Sydney and Queensland. Next morning we were at Camden Passage by 7 am. Located in an 18th century laneway in Islington made into a pedestrian thoroughfare, we discovered that since last being there some 30 years ago, it had shrunk. We explored every mall, arcade, shop and market stall with a wide variety of specialist antiques. We bought some good items and enjoyed the top quality mixed with lots of funky vintage. Crowds swept us along to Portobello Road Markets. It is now intermixed with fashion shops and the markets are riddled with reproductions, some of which are pretty good so buying was a careful process. Expensive but great fun, there are still good things to buy if you are careful and knowledgeable. The dealers were pretty honest about their stock and ready to do deals when they realised we were serious. It is advisable to get there early and we found it advisable to leave before 10 am when the crowds became unbearable. We also bought great pieces at an antiques fair at the Rembrandt Hotel down the road from Harrods – one of four upmarket antique fairs at London hotels.

Amazingly, on any day of the week there are enough dealers and buyers to support fairs, varying from small upmarket, small ordinary, huge or mega fairs spread over a couple of days as well as car boot sales. We found English dealers a pleasure to do business with. Charity shops in every village and town have great and fun buys, for me and my daughters.

The next day was spent in Brighton which has only a couple of antique shops to explore, after which we headed to the weekly Potters Bar market in a farmer’s paddock. We found nothing to buy here. Next stop was Nottinghamshire (think Robin Hood and Maid Marion) near Lincoln and the Swinderby Antiques and Collectors Fair. It is held on the runways of the old RAF Swinderby airfield, with about 800 dealers. Here, people ride pushbikes with trailers attached to hold their purchases. Rod and I perused one side of each air strip then met at each end and did really well again, sticking (mostly) to our plan of not buying furniture, even though the temptation was overwhelming. Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds were absolutely beautiful, although little to buy. The small fair in Wendover’s Town Hall was great fun with lots to buy as well as great homemade scones, and a few good antique shops in town. Rod’s efficient packing allowed more shopping. Cheddar (yes, for its cheese) in Somerset was our base for Shepton Mallet Antiques and Collector’s Fair, the West Country’s premier antiques event, running over two and one half days. Housed in four halls and over 40 shopping arcades at a showground, there were 600 stands with everything, from paintings and antique furniture to vintage. We queued in gale force winds where a kind dealer from Witney gave us his free entry tickets. One day’s intensive buying was sufficient. We drove past Stonehenge, were stuck in an infamous London traffic jam to be ready for the Alexandra Palace Antiques, Art Deco &

20th Century Fair. True, it was in an amazing venue but stock was disappointing compared to our earlier experiences, yet I still managed to buy. After a couple of fair-free days, we headed to the Hungerford Antique & Collectors Fair, a local treat with lots to buy and plenty of antique shops to explore. Our next big fair was at a racecourse, braving outside stalls first and then retreated indoors and did some serious shopping. The next small fair, Grandma’s Attic was in an upmarket boutique hotel (one of ten Grandma’s Attics per year) where we barely left anything behind. Kempton Park Racecourse hosted the Sunbury Antiques Market, the largest and longest running bi-monthly market in the country, already packed at 5 am. Arriving in the dark, we checked the inside stalls first that were a treat, requiring numerous trips to unload great purchases into our vehicle. By the time this fair ended at 1 pm, we had both reached saturation point. A whole month of antiquing had worn us down and our vehicle was so crammed that our sink was even full of stock! It was time to pack our goods for Australia. Both our finale and encore were at the Covent Garden Antique Market, fortunately a weekly event that we visited twice while awaiting connecting flights from London. Looking back, all I can say is that it was a fantastic

We have opened at 8 Bowral Road Mittagong after trading in Mosman for 16 years. As members of the AAADA we take pride in the quality and variety of stock we carry, with no reproductions. We are open every day of the week, just 70 minutes south of Sydney on the M5. Check stock on our extensive and updated website – www.huntersandcollectorsantiques.com. Kathy Kasz HUNTERS & COLLECTORS ANTIQUES 02 4872 1661 / 0414 449 366 www.huntersandcollectorsantiques.com

HUNTERS & COLLECTORS ANTIQUES Trading in Antiques & Collectables from the 18th, 19th & early 20th century With special interest in Australiana, antique firearms, advertising paraphernalia, daggers, bronzes, boxes, ivory, whaling items, maritime, taxidermy, Whitby jet, vintage clothing & classic labels, leather gloves & vintage sunglasses.

Siebe Gorman diving helmet, in original untouched condition, c.1920s

Rare bronze kangaroo with cricket bat mounted on a chrome dish, marked ‘For the Ashes’ 1938, h: 17cm

All things interesting & unusual 8 Bowral Road, Mittagong NSW 2575 (80 minutes south of Sydney)

Lenehan cedar chest of drawers, c. 1860s

Tel: (02) 4872 1661 or 0414 449 366 www.huntersandcollectorsantiques.com Open 7 days 10 am to 5 pm

Rod Cauchi & Kathy Kasz Roebuck rocking horse, Lines rocking horse, Bartlett mechanical ride

BOWRAL ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Why do we love

old stuff so much? A

customer bought an 1890s European workbench the other day, imported from Germany as we fortuitously found a factory full of them. It had been lovingly waxed in the workshop four times until the timber gleamed. As I explained its origins, a smile spread across my face. ‘You really love that piece, don’t you?’ questioned the customer. ‘Well yes,’ I replied, ‘Who couldn’t?’ I know to readers of this magazine, this may seem soooo obvious – but why do we love old stuff so much? What is it about an old cupboard with peeling paint and a bit of a lean that can send us into raptures of excitement? I’ll try to help you explain it to a novice.

HISTORY First, is the history of the piece. History is imprinted in antique furniture such as the desk that Captain Cook used on the Endeavour – now in the National Library of Australia in Canberra. There are pieces that float through the years without owners really knowing who they were originally built for. In some cases items of furniture emerge at country auctions or garage sales – their provenance lost until that time when the next chapter begins with new owners. If they come with 14 layers of paint, we wonder who painted it, why, when and for what purpose? Should we strip or retain? One of the earliest films of Alfred Hitchcock, The White Shadow sat in a drawer

in New Zealand for 60 years until bequeathed to the NZ Film Archive, where it spent another 20 years before being viewed and recognised for its importance. Just as well the person who discovered it did not throw it away, or the world would have lost part of our UK film history. Remember the Marilyn Munroe dress that was put out in a dumpster years ago and then turned up at auction to sell for US$4.6 million? Closer to home, in 2005 one of the earliest pieces of Tasmanian made furniture sold for $310,000. It had sat in the back of a shed and was virtually unaltered in its 190 year history. It was sold to pay for a fence that needed mending. A friend in England owns an oak drop side table dating from the late 1700s. In one leg is a round lead bullet that was obviously fired at someone and thankfully missed, embedding itself in the leg of the table. Our workbench is also an exciting example. It has received some minor repairs but its intrinsic nature remains, with wear from cabinetmaker’s clamps, wedging a piece of timber to the top of the bench with inch thick iron pegs slotted into the square holes that run along the front of the bench. A trough runs the length of the back that was once filled with chisels and hammers. There are saw cuts, nicks and bumps all over the top, sprinkled with paint splotches that indicate the history of this working bench.

BUILT to last Unlike manufacturing for our throwaway society, another important element of antiques is their quality, built to last generations – no staple guns and MDF. If an antique over 100 years old has made it this far, chances are it was made with enough skill and precision to ensure it lasts the next hundred years as well. The nails of an early 18th century piece were hand forged by the local blacksmith on his anvil, not churned out in an offshore factory at thousands per minute. The skill of the cabinetmaker was built up over many years, with knowledge passed down from father to son.

It wasn’t about how quickly something could be made or how cheaply – it was all about doing the job properly. Certainly many furniture manufacturers are making the antiques of tomorrow, however, admit it – there is a lot of landfill waiting to arrive from modern furniture stores.

ADAPTABILITY The third reason I love old pieces is they are adaptable – proving they stand the test of time. I love finding an antique or vintage item and reinventing it for use today. That workbench can become a sofa table or a kitchen bench. A wonderful old fire station’s bucket with its history of dings and worn surface can be filled with spring branches on the hall table. Take old cotton spools and screw them to your wall for hat hooks. Old wooden fruit crates work as book shelves. Think outside the square.

FAMILY history Probably the most important reason for keeping a particular antique piece is any relationship to family history. I inherited a small folding butler’s table from my grandfather that was his mother’s. My greatgrandmother would take it to the garden on a warm day where visitors could sit and drink homemade lemonade as they chatted. I would love to have been there, to hear their tender gossip and laugh with them. If your parents or grandparents ask if you’d like to have something from your family home, don’t first think of your current living space. Look at it afresh, think outside the box and maybe you could save a piece of your family’s history for yourself and generations to come. How lucky some should be! That workbench now sits pride of place in the window of the customer’s café in Melbourne where his customers can sit at the bench, resting their coffee cups on the worktop while watching the world go by. Jane Crowley DIRTY JANES 02 4861 3231 janecrowley@crowleyandgrouch.com www.dirtyjanes.com

BRAIDWOOD ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Coolgardie brooch made by Aronson & Co., c. 1896, 15 carat gold, 3 x 4.8 cm, weight 4 g. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

Swan brooch made by Adolph Kopp, 1892-1904, 15 carat gold, ruby, 2.6 x 5.8 cm, weight 5.8 g. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

Horse stick pin made by unknown Western Australian jeweller, 1890-1920, gold (Donnybrook field), top 1.7 x 3 cm, weight 5.2 g. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

Western Australian goldfields jewellery Exceptional gold jewellery of the late 19th and early 20th centuries

he National Gallery of Australia recently acquired an exceptional collection of Australian gold jewellery by most of the leading Western Australian jewellers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Western Australian goldfields and gold mining subject matter pervade the collection, further contributing to its importance as a document of regional fervour, aspiration and achievement during the state’s prosperous pre- and post-Federation periods. The collection was assembled over many years by Robert and Mandy Haines, and we are grateful that we were able to acquire it in 2010. Most of the works eschew the prevailing commercial jewellery styles popular during this period. Instead, jewellers favoured literal and pictorial representations of shovels, picks, buckets and winches, arranged on bar brooches with arched lettering of the names of mining towns such as Kalgoorlie, Coolgardie, Marble Bar and Southern Cross. The goldsmiths, many having set up premises on the Western Australian goldfields during the gold rushes of the 1890s, were among the leading jewellers of the day and a number of them went on to establish permanent businesses in Perth, Fremantle and elsewhere. Jewellery firms in other states also produced works in the

goldfields style for the Western Australian market, and this collection includes examples by South Australia’s JM Wendt, Victoria’s Moore and Sons and Larard Brothers, and Queensland’s Goldsmiths’ Hall Co. This group of works represents the main jewellers working as goldsmiths and retailing in Western Australia from the 1890s. These works reveal the jewellers’ accomplished craft skills and business acumen in recognising the desire of Western Australians to celebrate their natural resources and the wealth that ensued. Among them are Aronson & Co, Adolph Otto Kopp, Donovan & Overland, Thomas Scanlon, JW Dunkerton, George Richard Addis, Louis Boxhorn and Levinson & Sons. This type of jewellery had potency beyond its small scale: it was desirable and intimate (several pieces have personal inscriptions) and a portable advertisement for Western Australia’s ascendancy in the Federation. Many such pieces were produced, but they eventually fell from fashion and were recycled for their gold content. The Gallery’s recently acquired group of Western Australian goldfields jewellery is therefore particularly important in having survived. The Western Australian focus of these works also brings national scope to the Gallery’s collection of Australian late colonial and early 20th century jewellery. Each work illustrates the aesthetic and technical achievements of some of the state’s earliest professional craft practitioners and also presents a compelling and intimate narrative of Australian social and commercial history at a period of national transformation.

Swan brooch made by Thomas Scanlan, 1894-1905, 15 carat gold, blue stone and pearl, 2.3 x 5.8 cm, weight 5.8 g. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

Brooch made by J.W. Dunkerton, c. 1907, 9 carat gold, 1.6 x 4.6 cm, weight 6.5 g. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

This article was first published in Artonview no. 66, winter 2011, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra Brooch made by unknown Western Australian jeweller, c. 1908, 18 carat gold, blister pearl, 1.9 x 5.3 cm, weight 9.4 g. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

Kalgoorlie brooch made by George Richard Addis, 1884-1899, 18 carat gold, 2.5 x 5.5 cm, weight 7.7 g. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

Robert Bell AM Senior Curator, Decorative Arts and Design NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA, CANBERRA 02 6240 6411 www.nga.gov.au

Above: Marble Bar brooch made by Donovan & Overland, c. 1898, 15 carat gold, 4.4 x 5.7 cm, weight 6.5 g. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra Left: Brooch made by Levinson and Sons, 1890-1920, 15 carat gold, gold-bearing quartz, 1.5 x 2 cm, weight 13.2 g. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

CANBERRA ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

OF THE Now Showing | Project Gallery and Orde Poynton Gallery Sponsored by

Canberra | nga.gov.au Guy Grey-Smith Perth from Kings Park 1949 oil on canvas National Gallery of Australia, Canberra Gift of the artist's son Mark Grey-Smith 1991

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Julie Blyfield, Vessel, 2003, copper, 9 x 6.5 x 6.5 cm. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

Julie Blyfield, Vessel, 2003, fine silver, 9 x 7 x 7 cm. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

Julie Blyfield Vessel, 2003, fine silver, 7 x 11 x 11 cm. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

Julie Blyfield and Sue Lorraine at the National Gallery of Australia

wo leading contemporary jewellers in Australia, Julie Blyfield and Sue Lorraine play an important role in the development of Australian studio craft.

GRAY STREET Workshop, Adelaide Julie Blyfield and Sue Lorraine both began at the Gray Street Workshop, established in 1985 in Adelaide. Gray Street Workshop is still operating, albeit in Sydney Street, Adelaide. Sue Lorraine was a foundation partner and still works there. Julie Blyfield became a partner in 1989, after having worked for about 18 months as an access member, and recently opened her own studio. Early on, Gray Street developed an access workshop, initially to provide workspace opportunities for newly graduated students from Adelaide’s two jewellery courses. By 2000, almost 50 jewellers from all backgrounds and at various stages in their careers had used the access facility. It has been a supportive environment for all who have worked there and has influenced their work, their professionalism and guided their rigorous approach to conceptual and technical developments. In 2000 Anne Brennan, another original partner now in Canberra described the relationship between the members, the structure and the organisation: ‘Perhaps Gray Street Workshop is best understood as a kind

of flexible envelope which provides a physical and emotional space for each member to pursue her own interests and careers.’ 1 In celebrating Gray Street Workshop’s 20th anniversary in 2005, Margot Osborne noted that these artists ‘… make intimate, poetic objects that at times resist neat classification within a genre such as jewellery or metalwork or miniature sculpture.’2 Gray Street has expanded its activities to encompass involvement both individually and collectively in public artworks, national and international residencies and lecturing, mentoring and teaching. Each artist retains her wonderful and undiminished intellectual curiosity that ensures the continuing vitality and validity of the Gray Street Workshop, despite the fact that the people have changed.

SUE LORRAINE An interest in the use of symbols and the role of jewellery in reflecting issues of power, security and sentiment was a starting point for Sue Lorraine, who works in heat coloured black steel. She has a fascination with historical research, collections and collecting and has examined the collections of museums of natural history and human anatomy around the world. She made a series of works that was a personal exploration into the three-dimensional imaging of the human body. Through her research and personal interpretation she

explored the anatomical interior. In an exhibition at Galerie Funaki in 2001 Sue said: ‘Our body is the yardstick by which we measure everything. Yet the language we use to describe it is always changing.’ Recently, Sue and the current Gray Street Workshop partners exhibited at the new Bilk Gallery in Manuka, Canberra. She threaded stylised moths onto fine linen to form delicate, long, necklaces. They were light, reminiscent of moths fluttering and settling like a breath.

JULIE BLYFIELD Julie Blyfield prefers to be known as a dedicated craftsperson and her pieces display Blyfield’s superb technical ability and versatility. Her work is a response to deep and thoughtful consideration about place and belonging, artefacts and archaeology, textures and surfaces. In her second solo exhibition, Traces (2002), Blyfield focused on the treasures of her maternal grandmother. She put everyday items such as embroidered doilies, tray cloths and a pyjama bag onto a photocopier and enlarged them. She imagined unpicking the threads and the holes that would be left by the embroidery that had been there for years and then transcribed them into metal. ‘Group of four’ vessels resulted from Blyfield’s research into plant specimens in botanical collections in the United Kingdom,

and in the Herbarium and the Museum of Economic Botany at the Adelaide Botanic Garden. These pod-like works are an exploration of non-specific organic forms found in nature and they further express the chased, striated surface patterns that Blyfield developed in her earlier work, based on the tradition of mourning jewellery and the hair locket.3 She once expressed a compulsion to ‘invest significant time and care in the making of an object,’ and her work in the Gallery’s collection substantiates her objective. Sue Lorraine and Julie Blyfield have a profound understanding and knowledge of their materials and their skills are exemplary. Their investigations into the body and the natural world help us understand them better, rather than being literal representations. Each has an amazing capacity to constantly invent, discover and learn new techniques to serve her imagination. Work by these artists is currently on display in the National Gallery of Australia. Meredith Hinchliffe Department of Decorative Arts & Design NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA 02 6240 6411 information@nga.gov.au www.nga.gov.au Notes I Gray Street Workshop: Celebrating 15 years, 1985-2000, Gray Street Workshop and Object, Australian Centre for Craft and Design, 2000 2 Signs taken for wonders - Gray Street Workshop: Celebrating 20 years, Gray Street Workshop, Adelaide, SA, 2005 3 Robert Bell, Julie Blyfield, www.artsearch.nga.gov.au. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, 2010

From left: Julie Blyfield, Vessel, 2003, fine silver, 15 x 7 x 7 cm. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra Sue Lorraine, Continuous model, 2001 mild steel sheet and tube, heat-coloured, 47 x 13 x 3 cm. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

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CANBERRA ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

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Selkirk

The Hall Attic CANBERRA’S NEWEST ANTIQUE SHOP

Looking for that elusive item or gift? You may well find it at The Hall Attic, an eclectic range of antiques, collectables, old wares and craft. Located in the delightful village of Hall, ACT, take a browse through The Attic and then enjoy a Devonshire Tea at the local coffee shop. We are always interested in buying antiques and old wares. We also sell on consignment Tim & Glenda Bloomfield 6 Victoria St Hall ACT 2618 Tel 02 6230 9377, Mob 0418 162 830 0pen weekends and public holidays 11am - 4pm

ANTIQUES & RESTORATIONS Offering personalised service and sales Specialising in Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian mahogany and walnut furniture Small silver items, both sterling and plate Selkirk Antiques have selected pieces of Doulton, (including Flambé), Shelley & Moorcroft Ceramics Furniture restoration service available 29 Summerland Circuit, Kambah ACT 2902

02 6231 5244 Fax 02 6231 3656 Mobile 0418 631 445

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CANBERRA ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

The Forrest Hotel and Apartments

he Forrest Hotel and Apartments recently won the annual award for the Best Standard Accommodation in the Canberra and Capital Region Tourism Awards. The Waldren family, owners and managers of The Forrest, give credit to the great team effort by their staff and its suppliers to achieve this award, illustrating that your stay in Canberra will be ‘the best.’ The Forrest Hotel is located in the heart of Canberra within the parliamentary triangle and is the closest hotel to Parliament House. The Forrest Hotel overlooks beautiful parkland with views right up to Parliament House. There is a rich political history in the Forrest Hotel and Apartments, with at least five different politicians as former owners! Forrest Hotel and Apartments is within a tranquil setting of old oaks and parkland, giving vistas that change with the season from the Sherwood Restaurant, our Conference Room and hotel suites. Cosmopolitan Manuka Village is minutes from Forrest Hotel, a social and shopping hub with many cafés, shopping boutiques, cinemas and fascinating mix of people. The ItaloAustralian Club, located behind the Forrest Hotel and Apartments, welcomes every Forrest guest to be a temporary member, providing a special cultural experience during your stay in the national capital. Perhaps your schedule can include a game of AFL or rugby at the Manuka Oval. The choice of accommodation styles at The Forrest is our way to help you customise your stay. With a mixture of 76 hotel rooms and 40 apartments, guests can choose a standard hotel room, a hotel suite or a family hotel suite with a kitchenette. You can select a one or two-bedroom apartment (fully serviced). Every room has broadband and free car parking. Conference facilities are flexible. The fully equipped Nottingham Conference room seats 35-40 people when set up boardroom-style, or seats 80 people in a theatre layout. We offer tailored packages for business, trade and private functions to meet your goals and needs.

Chef Craig Mclaren oversees delicious à la carte cuisine in our licensed Sherwood Restaurant. His very contemporary Australian cuisine is presented stunningly in the hotel’s restaurant and bar overlooking the parklands. If you are planning a trip to Canberra, stay at the Forrest Hotel and Apartments for convenience, quality and value, as a centrally located base for your visit to the wonders of the national capital. If planning to explore by foot, bike hire is available through our reception. Please contact the Forrest Hotel and Apartments to book your superb art lovers’ package. We include overnight accommodation, full hot buffet breakfast for two people, one bottle of wine per room. For guests’ convenience, tickets to the NGA Renaissance exhibition are available at the Forrest Hotel Reception. FORREST HOTEL 02 6203 4300 reservations@forresthotel.com www.forresthotel.com

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ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

THE BEGINNINGS OF TIME in Horology (1500-1700)

orologically speaking, not much changed during the 16th century. The escapement stayed the same, with the verge balance. A mechanical improvement was the arrival of the ‘stackfreed’ as a power equalisation system. During the 16th century, eventually smallersized timepieces were made, heralding the watch. Even though the clock mechanism was still not accurate, the smaller timepieces were mostly appreciated as novelties in the form of jewellery or as interesting decorative items. In 1572, Queen Elizabeth I had a complete section of her inventory devoted to watches. The inventory still categorised her timepieces as jewels, showing the value placed on these clocks in the 16th century and how they were kept and used. These were ‘form watches’ in the form of a pendant set with jewels, crystal crosses, flowers, memento mori and pomanders.

GERMAN influences During the reign of Henry VIII, the great German painter Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543) came to London around 1526. Holbein painted and designed jewellery and even clock cases. His highly decorative design, with the clock as only a small section on the top, was completed after his death in 1543 and presented to King Henry VIII. The stackfreed was the other known mainspring power equaliser, invented in southern Germany. The stackfreed was invented for the same reason as the fusée, to solve isochronism, to equalise the power delivered by the spring. Stop-work means that the top and bottom of the wind is not used, and together with stackfreed or fusée, it created an effective mechanism. It is assumed that stopwork was invented first, as it is the easiest to manufacture and was incorporated in designs with either the fusée or the stackfreed. The stackfreed required less skill in the manufacturing process than the fusée. Perhaps it also allowed a thinner movement, as it usually required only a small gearing system using its offset cam with an extra power (spring lever) source coming in at the end of wind, to help deliver an equalisation power effect. The stackfreed was restricted in use to

early German carried clocks or watches, particularly in southern Germany. It was a poor cousin to the fusée in every way and eventually it ceased being used. During this renaissance, south German clockmakers managed to reduce the size of the chamber clock to a size that could be carried. Peter Henlein of Nuremberg (c. 14801542) is acknowledged as the first maker of the smaller portable timepiece, which is often referred to incorrectly as the ‘Nuremberg egg’, reflecting its size and shape. Its correct name is a pomander watch; it opens for viewing from a hinge and is hung from the neck or clothing. In Augsburg, as in most of Europe, early clock making was associated with lock making, but was considered inferior as locksmiths and gunsmiths were allowed to make clocks, but clockmakers were not allowed to make locks or guns! A clockmaker’s guild formed in Nuremberg in 1565. The town council set a test to join that included making a clock within a year. It had to be 15 cm high and able to be worn about the neck. It had to have an alarm, strike the hours and the quarters, with a dial showing the 24 hours in sunshine or moonshine on one side and show the quarters. The other side had to show a calendar and the planets with the length of day. Remember that these clocks were completely handmade from hammering the steel, dividing the teeth, filing the gears, making the springs to engraving the dial. Guild entry tests were made even more severe and probably were designed to eliminate locksmiths and gunsmiths from the guild. However, a locksmith could still make clocks under law as late as 1629 outside the guild membership. The Casper Werner watch shown is the earliest known dated watch and is displayed in the Wuppertal Clock Museum in Germany. It was signed and dated 1548 by the maker Casper Werner who was a contemporary of Peter Henlein. The movement with stackfreed power equalisation goes for 30 hours, but probably only kept time within 20 minutes’ accuracy per day. It is made entirely of iron, standard for German watches at this time, with a gilt brass case. The cover allowed reading the single hand in the day and touching it at night, to know the time. The clock by Erhard Liechti dated 1572 is in another museum in Winterthur, Uhrensammlung Kellenberger. The clock is a fine iron weight-driven chamber clock with polychrome dial. The frame locates and interlocks with the minimum use of pins; the clock strikes the hours and the quarters with an alarm to wake the house, and a turning moon above the numeral 12. Erhard Liechti was a member of the well-known Swiss clock-making dynasty of nearly three centuries from the Winterthur area in Germany. This type of clock was the forerunner of the lantern clock.

Casper Werner watch, 1548

Jacques de la Garde, ‘Pomander’ watch of 1551

Hans Holbein the Younger’s design for a clock

Melchoir Zinng of Augsburg, 1580, personal portable watch in the form of a decorated cross

one probably set in the hilt of a sword. In 100 years between 1515 and 1615, the number of workshops grew from five to 63. An early French centre of horology was Paris, where a guild was first formed in 1544, 53 years before Blois and 21 years before Nuremberg, showing the stronger element of protectiveness offered and sought by the Parisian clockmakers. A 16th century engraving of a clockmaker’s workshop in Flanders is attributed to Stradanus, a Flemish painter and printmaker (1523-1605), in whose engraving all the detailed steps of production are replicated. You will notice to the left bench dividers and files with vices to hold wheels, other completed wheels hanging on the wall, the forge in the background, verge and foliot propped against the bench with work taking place on small chamber clocks and a large standing (possibly turret) clock.

specialising in making particular components such as external case embellishments. Examples of brass work by the same makers have been found on clocks from Augsburg to Italy. The movement was still controlled by the balance wheel and verge, but the accuracy of these timepieces did not improve markedly. In 1600, clocks were still inaccurate and, as such, were mostly ornamental, normally devised with small dials indicating the time. At the dawn of the 17th century, clocks were regarded as curiosities. They were often embellished with multiple functions and sometimes they incorporated astronomical features. There was no indication of the great heights that would be achieved in the second half of the century, the beginning of the golden age of horology that, surprisingly, was centred on London.

GROWING demand for clocks

In the previous century, Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was the first to study the pendulum, developing a gravity pendulum controlling a clockwork mechanism. He also designed a fusée cone for equalising the power of the mainspring, but he seems to have not extended his research.

In the second half of the 16th century, both nobility and a new middle class of artisans, doctors, lawyers and merchants increasingly purchased clocks. To satisfy this burgeoning market, more clocks were produced and the numbers of clockmakers expanded, some

SCIENTIFIC improvements in time keeping

FRENCH developments

Stackfreed to fusée diagram

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The main competitor to Nuremberg for watches was Blois in France, 185 km southwest of Paris. The earliest watchmaker listed was Julien Coudrey (d. 1530), maker to King Louis XII for whom he made two orloges,

16th century engraving of a clockmaker’s workshop

Erhard Liechti chamber clock, 1572

VICTORIA ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Huygens’ 1658 illustration of his pendulum clock

Design adopted by Huygens for the Coster pendulum clock

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) first investigated in detail all the properties of the pendulum, noting that the further a pendulum was set from a fixed point to the centre of the bob, the slower the rate of oscillation. He also observed that oscillation was equal, no matter the width of its swing. It is thought that he conceived the idea around 1641, but it appears that his investigations were principally theoretical. According to Vincenzo Viviani, Galileo’s son made a working model.

MOVING by pendulum Christian Huygens (1629-1695) a Dutch scientist, astronomer and physicist is attributed with inventing the first practical

“

By 1700, accurate, land-based time keeping was achieved.

”

pendulum clock, probably completing his design in 1656. He assigned production rights to Salomon Coster (1620-1659) in an historic contract that granted a 21-year patent for the design on 15 June 1657. Of course, it is not the pendulum but the escapement that delivers the power to the timepiece, while the pendulum acts as a controller. The clock these collaborators invented and patented was driven by clockwork from a weight. Huygen’s invention improved timekeeping to an enormous extent, as now the escapement used was still crown wheel and verge with a crutch and the pendulum hung between. It was a short bob pendulum of about 25 centimetres hung by a double silk cord from the verge pallet cock.

Saloman Coster pendulum clock

Joseph Knibb table clock, c. 1675

Cycloidal cheeks – brass sheets used like stabilisers – were controllers of the pendulum swing and kept the pendulum moving in the same arc, while regulation was effected by adjusting the length of the pendulum. In the original diagrams, the escapement had an extra gearing at the top. We do not know why this feature was removed from the patent, other than because of the collaboration between Huygens and Coster. Christian Huygens also envisioned the use of a spiral spring to help control the balance wheel. The illustration of the Huygens drawing was made by agreement with the Parisian portable clockmaker Isaac Thuret with a patent date of 22 January 1675. This invention improved the time keeping of the balance verge dramatically.

English lantern clocks, c. 1653

commerce adopted these new scientific improvements without any legislated commands, thus requiring even better timekeepers! In only 50 years, time keeping developed from the equivalent of steam power to a rocket ship. The population at large welcomed this scientific achievement, even if only its top two percent could afford to own such wonders of regulation. By 1700, accurate, land-based time keeping was achieved.

Michael Colman COLMAN’S ANTIQUE CLOCKS 03 9824 8244 www.colmanantiqueclocks.com References Eric Bruton, The History of Clocks & Watches, Little, Brown & Company Kristen Lippincott, The Story of Time, Merrell Holberton

Colman Antique Clocks WAT C H & C L O C K R E S T O R E R S

ENGLISH developments Ahaseurus Fromanteel, already a renowned London clockmaker, introduced the pendulum to London in 1658 from the Coster in the Netherlands. Pre-pendulum English clocks were mainly lantern clocks but English clocks from this time were better in time keeping, with their more prominent dials reflecting their improved accuracy and minute hands were added to demonstrate their improved time keeping. Thomas Tompion (1639-1713) was one of the most marvellous clockmakers of all time. Tompion’s significance lies not only in his application of earlier developments but also in his support of further inventions, notably those of Dr Robert Hooke (1635-1703), inventor, mathematician and philosopher and formulator of Hooke’s Law. Tompion supplied time measuring machines that were of international importance in the advancement of science and technology, for example making the regulators for the new Greenwich Royal Observatory in 1676. Above all, Tompion was a superb craftsman. His influence led England into the golden century of horology. Following the adoption of the pendulum into timepieces, the most amazing clocks were designed and made with good shapes, designs and classical styles. The last half of the 17th century saw a move away from temporal hours – a system based on 12 hours of variable length depending on the daylight hours between summer and winter – towards the use of clocks as dependable timekeepers, as accuracy of clocks started to improve. Both government and

French Louis Philippe carriage style mantel clock, c. 1840 in tortoise shell veneer with fine ivory Inlay by Barbot, 9” handle up.

French mantel clock c. 1880 in fire gilded ormolu on bronze finish with 3 hand painted Sèvres panels possibly depicting 16th century Prague with cartouche style dial

French Empire figured mantel clock, c. 1810. Bronze ormolu finish with simple automaton, signed to dial Le Cointe - Renard à Laon. Secretly signed Pons to the pendule de Paris silk thread movement striking on silvered bell Pons, Honoré Pons DePaul awarded 2 silver & 3 gold medals in French Industrial awards as ébauche maker

George II double fusee verge bracket clock, c.1760, England, signature maker’s case, mahogany, ormolu mounts by Ellicott (England: London), profusely engraved back plate with pull cord repeat, in fine original condition

French 18th century waisted Boulle bracket clock c. 1760, on original wall bracket. Original finish and fittings, brass inlay, tortoise shell veneered case. The dial made of cast and chased surround with 25 fired enamel cartouche numerals, superb hand chased blued steel hands. Thirty day movement and large proportions, 5 turned shaped pillars, shaped plates engraved with maker’s name to rear plate and fitted with recoil escapement, Sun King pendulum

English mahogany cased bracket clock, 19th century on original wall bracket made by Smith & Son’s, of Clerkenwell, London.

1421 Malvern Road Malvern, Victoria 3144 Australia Au s t ra l i an An t i q u e a n d Art Deal e rs A s s oc iat i on

Ph: 03 9824 8244 Fax: 03 9824 4230 Email: michaelcolman@optusnet.net.au Website: www.colmanantiqueclocks.biz Member of the Watch and Clock Makers of Australia (formerly HGA) and the BHI

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VICTORIA ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

6. 8.

3. 7.

10.

11.

1. Royal Worcester vase, c. 1911, decorated by A Schuck, h: 51 cm. The gilt and floral rimmed flared neck above an amphora shaped body set with two scrolling arms decorated with a rose pattern standing on a pedestal with circular foot. Sold $4543.50 2. WMF cutlery service, 20th century, 800 silver, 147 pieces, total wt: 7306 grams, scroll edge pattern. Sold $6291 3. Art Deco mantel clock, c. 1930, signed Geo(rge) Maxim, marble surround, figure surmounted to each side, 37 x 67 x 18 cm (depth). Sold $2796 4. Superbly modelled pair of bookends on black marble bases signed L. Fontinelle, c. 1920, silvered bronze, 18 x18 cm. Sold $2097 5. China: Qing dynasty (1644-1911), Bowl, reign mark Yung Cheng period (1723-1735), 7 x 14 cm (diam). Sold $2330 6. Jaeger le Coultre Atmos clock, c. 1950s, brass and glass case h: 26 cm, original box with papers. Sold $3145.50

7. Chinese blue and white plaque on stand, c. 1890s, 73 x 51 cm, decorated with a painted scene. Set with a pierced frame the stand depicting bats, tied knots and incense burner all surrounded by scrolling vines and standing on elongated Fo dogs. Sold $5825 8. Elsa Perretti designed heart pendant from Open Heart series for Tiffany & Co, polished 18 ct gold, suspended on a Tiffany & Co. 18 ct yellow gold trace link chain. Sold $1980 9. Diamond bracelet, 18 ct white gold, 19 clusters of multiple stones: claw set four princess-cut diamonds, 12 brilliant-cut, slide clasp, double safety catches. ATDW: 13.50 carats, l: 18 cm. Sold $16,310 10. Italian tourmaline, citrine and pearl set necklace/bracelet set on 18 ct yellow gold, optionally connecting to create one longer necklace with a gold ball clasp. Chain l: 40 cm; bracelet l: 18 cm. Sold $3029 11. Bracelet, 18 ct yellow gold, l: 19.5 cm, wt: 72 grams of tightly spaced beaten and ribbed gold links, complete with a large clasp and safety catch. Sold $3262

AUCTION SCHEDULE 2011 / 12

FINE & DECORATIVE ARTS, ANTIQUES & JEWELLERY HEAD OFFICE: 47 GLENFERRIE ROAD, MALVERN 3144 T: +61 3 9509 6788 F: +61 3 9509 3455 email: philips@philipsauctions.com.au www.philipsauctions.com.au

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Fine and Decorative Arts Modern and Antique Jewellery Viewing a week prior to sale

SEPTEMBER

Fine and Decorative Arts Modern and Antique Jewellery Viewing a week prior to sale

OCTOBER

Fine and Decorative Arts Modern and Antique Jewellery Viewing a week prior to sale

DECEMBER

Visit www.philipsauctions.com.au for details of all current lots

QUEENSLAND ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

OUR ANNUAL AUSTRALIANA & POTTERY AUCTION Sunday 6th November 2011 Featuring Part 1 of The Ray & Eileen Park Collection (Perth WA) Also â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Quality Ceramics, Electric Jugs, Lady Head Vases, Carnival Glass, Advertising Ware & Much More

Full Colour Catalogues Available @ $12.50 each (Cheques payable to G. Lancaster) View Catalogue & Photos From mid October

www.gdlauctions.com.au

Quality Entries Now Invited Single items or entire Collections

GRAHAM LANCASTER AUCTIONS

3 Railway Street TOOWOOMBA QLD 4350 Ph: 0418 730 904 Fax: 07 4613 1111 Email: info@gdlauctions.com

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ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

The AAADA

offers a series of specialist lectures to inspire collectors

pring, the season of rebirth, is one of our favourite times of the year and it is certainly easy to understand why. Flowers begin to bloom and the colour begins to return after its winter slumber. Spring is also a time for home improvement projects planned during the colder winter months. Whether it is a small undertaking like installing new light fittings, or a large project such as adding a new room, this is the season to commence work on improving the value and liveability of the home. What better way to welcome the change of seasons and the warmer weather than with an antiques and art fair that celebrates artistic and creative endeavours. The now traditional September AAADA fair, a highlight in all collectors’ calendars, was held this year at the Royal Randwick Racecourse. I am sure that those of you that came along enjoyed the ambience of this historic and prestigious race course. The combination of fine antiques, works of art and fabulous decorative objects were enjoyed by the appreciative guests who came to view and ultimately to purchase a wonderful piece to complete a collection or perhaps, inspired to decorate – to enhance a setting.

AT THE SPRING SYDNEY FAIR

1 John & Linda Furphy 2 Andrew Simpson & Margot Riley (Simpson’s Antiques Sydney) 3 Martyn Cook & Lucas Campbell. Martyn combined his birthday celebrations with the fair opening party 4 Craig Broadfield (Leven Antiques Tasmania) 5 Peter Valentine (Valentine Antiques Vic) 6 Mark Hodges, James Conley (Harrington Antiques Qld)

SPRING SEMINAR SERIES 2011 If you missed out on visiting the AAADA show, you might like to come along to the Spring Seminar Series titled HANDS UP FOR HANDS ON! If you have a hankering to know more about antiques, or you simply want to know what it’s like to hold a fortune in your fingers, book now for your place in a series of workshops that lets you get a grip on your subject of choice. Every Thursday from October through November, a member of the New South Wales Chapter of the Australian Antique and Art Dealers Association hosts a seminar on a specialist subject at their premises. It is an opportunity to learn the same way the experts do, by having and holding. Let the years recede and the past come alive in these practical sessions open to anyone interested in jewellery, silver and furniture. In just 90 minutes, insiders’ insights will help you become that little more discerning, and so able to make better decisions when deciding on that all important acquisition. Each session is limited to 10–20 people, so everyone has the opportunity to participate in the hands-on component of the workshop. To be sure of your place in this year’s program, return the booking form with your payment as soon as you can.

13 October MARTYN COOK Some treasures from private collections Martyn Cook Antiques 78 Renwick Street Redfern NSW 2016 T: 02 9699 3499

27 October JOLYON WARWICK JAMES Silver connoisseurs evening. Bring along two treasures for discussion Martyn Cook Antiques 78 Renwick Street Redfern NSW 2016 T: 02 9699 3499

11 November BEN STONER Conservation and restoration: A tour of the workshop Ben Stoner Antiques 24 Queen Street Chippendale NSW 2025 T: 02 9699 6166

24 November ANNE SCHOFIELD Treasures from my personal jewellery collection: A private viewing Anne Schofield Antiques 36 Queen Street Woollahra NSW 2025 T: 02 9363 1326

20 October HARTLEY COOK The English Chair: Understanding styles and constructions 1/15 Boundary Street Rushcutters Bay NSW 2025 T: 02 9361 3567

3 November MICHAEL GREENE Early 20th century style, including Art Nouveau and Art Deco ceramics and objets d’art

17 November NICOLA ISHERWOOD The Cabinet of Curiosities: From its historical origins to its influence on interiors today Isherwood Antiques 28 Queen Street Woollahra NSW 2025 T: 0438 299 316

1 December IAN PERRYMAN Village Rugs: A journey to western Persia I & B Perryman Oriental Carpets 100 Queen Street Woollahra NSW 2025 T: 02 9327 3910

Michael A Greene Antiques 108 Queen Street Woollahra NSW 2025 T: 02 9328 1712

SESSIONS COMMENCE at 6 pm and run until 7.30 pm. Each session costs $40 including GST. Better still, book four sessions and get the fifth for free.

Booking Form

Seminar

Qty

Total

1. Some treasures from private collections

@$40ea

I/we,

2. The English Chair: Understanding styles and constructions

@$40ea

3. Silver connoisseurs evening. Bring along two treasures for discussion

@$40ea

4. Early 20th century style: Including Art Nouveau and Art Deco ceramics and objets d’art

@$40ea

Telephone

5. Conservation and restoration: A tour of the workshop

@$40ea

6. The Cabinet of Curiosities: From its historical origins to its influence on interiors today

@$40ea

7. Treasures from my personal jewellery collection: A private viewing

@$40ea

8. Village Rugs: A journey to western Persia

@$40ea

TOTAL

Wish to attend the following seminars:

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MELBOURNE AAADA SHOW 2012 We are all looking forward to next year’s Melbourne show and already have an exciting and interesting list of exhibitors vying for space. Building on the success of 2011, many more members want to take part so you can be assured there will be a wonderful display and selection of fine quality items for sale. Date: 3 – 6 May 2012 at the Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton Gardens Melbourne. AUSTRALIAN ANTIQUES AND ART DEALERS ASSOCIATION 03 9576 2275 secaada@ozemail.com.au www.aaada.org.au

ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

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ANTIQUES & ART IN NEW SOUTH WALES

SWIFTS SYDNEY

Open House and Garden Weekend in support of Australia’s leading arts and civics charities

18–20 November 2011

wifts invites you to this longawaited event to step back in time to the high Victorian era when the honey gold hue of Sydney sandstone dominated the mansions around our emerald harbour. Swifts and its two hectares of magnificent gardens will be on show for a limited long weekend November 18-20 to launch the Swifts Arts and Civics Scholarships and Charity Annual Program. The key charities being supported include the Constitution Education Fund Australia (CEFA); Opera Foundation Australia and the Moran Arts Foundation. In addition, scholarships for young Australians striving for excellence in the arts and civics are being awarded to the Australian World Orchestra, National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA), The Australian Ballet, St Mary’s Cathedral Choir, Sydney Omega Ensemble, Schools Music Scholarships and the Red Room Poetry Company. Please join the co-owners of Swifts, Mrs Kerry Jones and her brother Dr Shane Moran in support of our civics and arts charities and our scholarships for outstanding young Australians. Ticket sales from the Open House and Garden Weekend will all be in support of the above listed charities.

HERITAGE of Swifts Built by the Tooth family in 1872 to designs by prominent Sydney architect G A Morell, Swifts is the largest, privately owned Victorian Gothic Revival house in Australia. The mansion of 56 rooms sits on its original five acres (two hectares) of superb Victorian pleasure gardens within Sydney’s Darling Point. Swifts was sold to the Reschs who bequeathed it to the Catholic Church in 1964 to be used as the Cardinal’s residence. The home was sold to developers in 1984 and Swifts fell into serious disrepair. In 1997, Doug and Greta Moran, founders of the Moran Health Care Group purchased the mansion. Under their guidance, Swifts has been beautifully restored. The conservation work to the interiors and surrounding landscape elements have been undertaken under the supervision of heritage architect Clive Lucas OBE. Australia’s leading heritage gardens advisors Dr James Broadbent and Mr Myles Baldwin are managing the garden restoration. In late 2010, Doug and Greta Moran gifted the family home to their daughter Kerry Jones and son Shane Moran. Guests visiting Swifts on 18-20 November will feel they have been transported back in time to the elegant 1870s, an era of Sydney

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long forgotten but worth remembering and experiencing. The vision for the future of Swifts is to create a wonderful philanthropic civics education and arts centre for the benefit of all Australians.

ANTIQUES and Fine Arts for sale The antiques and fine art sale showcases antiques, fine art and fine decorating, jewellery, important Australian and international silver, furniture and objets d’art for the home maker, investor, collector and gardener. Each item has been handpicked to stand alone and the genuineness of its type is guaranteed with items priced from $10 to over $500,000. Organised by John Hawkins of JB Hawkins Antiques (UK and Australia) and Warwick Oakman Antiques of Hobart, their dream is to inspire visitors to enhance their lives and home through the finest products of design. John was the founder of the Australian Antique and Art Dealers Association (AAADA) and Warwick is the Association’s immediate past president. Complementing the display is a collection from Penny Maskell of Monomeith Designs. Penny has spent the past 18 years in London and Japan designing unique wallpapers and fabrics. Visitor to Swifts will be amazed to find the magnificence of its internal decor that speaks of a grand bygone era. The event is also being promoted and endorsed by Vogue Living (Australia).

PROCEEDS to Swifts charities Entrance to the event will be through prepurchased tickets only and guest numbers will

be strictly limited. Day passes for entry to the Swifts grounds will cost $30 each for adults with accompanying children free (restricted to a family of two adults and three children). Entry tickets include access to the Grand Ballroom to view the antiques and fine arts sale and guided tours of the ground floor reception rooms and gardens. Refreshments, entertainment and music will be available throughout the three event days. All proceeds will be given to the Swifts charities as supported by owner Mrs Kerry Jones.

DETAILS Swifts is at the corner of Darling Point Road and Thornton Street, Darling Point. The address is 68 Darling Point Road, Darling Point. The open house and weekend runs Friday 18, Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 November between 10 am and 5 pm. Parking is restricted so we recommend all visitors use public transport. Alternatives include: Taxi Bus – Route 327 has a stop on Thornton Avenue which is adjacent to the Swifts boundary Train – Edgecliff railway station – 800 metres walking distance to Swifts Ferry (McKell’s Wharf – Friday 18th only) To book tickets call SWIFTS 02 9251 1511 friends@swiftssydney.com.au www.swiftssydney.com.au

SWIFTS, DARLING POINT

INVITES YOU TO OPEN HOUSE AND GARDEN WEEKEND A stately home weekend of antiques, fine arts, music, gardens and refreshments in support of Australia’s leading arts and civics charities ‘Swifts’ 68 Darling Point Road, Darling Point 2027

Friday 18, Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 November between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm Join us for this historic weekend as the newly established Friends of Swifts holds its first event. Entry ticket includes • Guided tours of the stately home • Antiques and fine arts on sale • Sydney’s finest garden open all day Refreshments and music provided by the volunteer Friends of Swifts

All proceeds will be given to the Friends of Swifts charities As ticketing is limited for booking details Call the Friends of Swifts on 02 9251 1511 | friends@swiftssydney.com.au | www.swiftssydney.com.au