MAY - JUNE 2013
EDITION 109
trader A u s t r a l a s i a ’s l e a d i n g a n t i q u e s a n d c o l l e c t a b l e s m a g a z i n e DUNBAR RELICS Identifying tokens from one of the worst colonial disasters in Australia
FOLK ART Marvels of design created for a functional purpose are now highly collectable
STARS OF SILVERSMITHING Special feature on artists working with local materials to create distinctly Australian jewellery
TIPS FOR COLLECTORS ON HANDLING POTENTIAL HAZARDS Revealing the hidden risks
CONTENTS FEATURE ARTICLES 10
62
Maritime themed collecting:
Meissen’s Johann Friedrich Böttger
SPECIAL FEATURE
Discovering the secret to making hard
Tips for collectors on handling
paste porcelain
potential hazards: continuing the
Paul Rosenberg
series by Dr Geoff Crawford
Dunbar souvenirs
16
The significance
Decoding labels: from early children’s chemistry sets to
of Hanks and
medical collectables, old
Lloyd tokens
containers & substances
Peter Lane
20
Hidden risks in old rings, fire
24
extinguishers &
JFK memorabilia This president remains one of the
30
FOCUS
most collectable
PROFILING AUSTRALIAN ARTISTS
figures in
6
mineral specimens
36
COLLECTING PROFILE A collector reveals how his
Stars of silversmithing: The Levinsons
collection of affordable
American
The WA gold rush attracted this English
matchboxes and matchbooks
political history
artisan family to settle in Australia
John Harrison
are also a window to history
Dorothy Erickson
Rob Ditessa
KNOWLEDGE BASE Secular arts during the Qing dynasty
76
Imperial taste set the tone of
The unicorn: its meaning and origin
creative pursuits Melody Amsel-Arieli
68
Federation jewellery Gold discoveries in NSW & Victoria led to local production of gold jewellery
Anne Schofield
REGULAR FEATURES 42
Following the trail of finely crafted furniture Roy Williams
50
Kitty Armstrong: an Australian metalsmith & artist Until recently, a forgotten Western Australian
Dorothy Erickson
47 49 80 82 84 87 88 95 96
Conundrum Fairs and more Out & about Online Magazines Notice Board Collectables Subscription Trader Advertising Rates Advertisers’ Index
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56
Folk art: inspired creations Societies created from European transmigration into New Worlds gave rise to what is now known as peoples’ art
Conrad Blakeman
WIN conundrum enter our prize draw See page 47
CollectablesTrader
3
Collecting
JFK MEMORABILIA The assassination as well as the life of US President John F. Kennedy resulted in a wealth of collectables
John Harrison
U
ntil 9/11 slapped the world in its collective face, the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas
on 22 November 1963, initiated more conspiracy theories than any other event in modern history. It seemed as if the majority of Americans, as well as many foreigners, could not accept the possibility that one person – Lee Harvey Oswald – had taken it entirely upon his own volition to murder the most powerful man in the western world, only to be killed by shady nightclub owner Jack Ruby in the basement of a Texas police station 24 hours later. Of course, all this happened at a (supposedly) more innocuous time, when random killings by lone gunmen were not such a common occurrence. Were it to occur in 2013, a lone shooter with a personal vendetta would be the first and most likely scenario that most people
24
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inside this Collectables is published
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bi-monthly with each edition bringing fresh insights and fun collecting themes. Discover the latest collecting craze; explore the quirky and
More to read
traditional collectable; learn how best to start a collection. There are tips on
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preserving and caring for valued possessions. Read the diary
Collecting Insights
and plan a visit to a fair.
Memorabilia
arts orative tal dec n ie r o on series ing our continu
RING U D S T AR AR ING DYNAST1Y1) L U C E S 9 THE Q (1644-1
cting profil e D A V I D AND H F IGG IS colle
MATC HBOO K COV MATCHBOX ERS C A OLLEC ND TION
of e tone e set th rial tast by a, impe rtaken In Chin ts unde s pursui e an tiv tis crea and ar ts tis ar
Match boxes and m of ad atchbo vertis oks be ing an came d as w popula ell as r as a contin collect cheap uing to able up form offer to the an inex presen pensiv t day, e these Top: Ca items provid with a ptain Cook no ARTB match w e histor , issue ing pa series d late ck by ical in 1920s Sydney Federal Ma et label; the sights first in ). tch Co Australi The series a new mpan R
ieli sel-Ar dy Am Melo adic semi-nom
a nchus, ll, , the Ma Great Wa n 1644 yond the sty, the from be re) dyna people Qing (Pu eir ed the ina. Th Ch establish in sty rial dyna d into extende last impe ntually ted which eve Asia, las empire, Central d an . Tibet, to 1911 Siberia through 0 years, nearly 30
I
th Late 19 e Above: very larg century enrose, gre t’ famille Ou ‘In and de d un gro dish ma t. offering rke Asian ma for the h is painted on The dis ide and both ins the rside of the unde . Courtesy rim an l Backm Michae London Ltd, ing a counter Right: En d Beggar, Learne leaf, ink fan folding on paper, lour and co .1 x 52 cm, 24 ted and da inscribed (possibly gengzi the bearing ng 1840), Su Liupe w ure no signat e seal, with on zed. and gla framed val d ue: Estimate ,500. 0-1 US$1,20 nhams Bo Courtesy
30
Portrait of Johann Friedrich Böttger. VEB Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur, Meissen
y (Al was an explo rers an planned to exandria, Left: Ci d their cover garette ships booklet Below s : Fede ral Do the 20 zen lab th els. In wrappe century, a the firs large lab d pack t half of match el of ad on es orn e similar and usually dozen boxe ed a design s of bore the the bo same xes pa to the front or a panel cked ins or top ide label of
FIGURINES MADE BY
JOHANN FRIEDRICH BÖTTGER 36
Collect ablesTra der
inventor of european hard-paste porcelain Europe provided an enormous market for oriental porcelain and the
er blesTrad Collecta
huge profits that were made encouraged efforts across the continent to discover the secret of making it. But it was not until the 18th century that the mystery was solved
Paul Rosenberg n the first few years of the fledgling
I
Meissen factory, a crisis emerged; their amazing new discovery, porcelain, was a very valuable product both in the
marketplace for luxuries, and as a prestigious gift to buy political influence for the patron, Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland. However, what were they to make?
Meissen porcelain factory On 15 January 1708, Johann Friedrich Böttger (1682-1719) fired the first successful samples of true white porcelain and the Dresden porcelain factory was established in 1709 and was then moved to Albrechtsburg in Meissen. The earliest pieces were simple: small tea bowls very similar to the highly desirable Chinese Left to right: Meissen figure of a Gypsy, c. 1715-20 Meissen dwarf figure of an American Indian, c. 1725 Meissen commedia dell’arte figure, c. 1720
62
CollectablesTrader
ob D itessa
D
avid Fig g has accum sizable ulated and his a torically significa nt colle ction of matchb covers. ox and Accord matchb ing to ook all ind his be ividual st estim items, ate of and sp includ ares, it ing du totals plicates pieces. more His co than on re colle e milli tallies ction, on to over includ 30 ing se ,000 ite special ts, ms. Fig ises in g collecti New Ze ng fro aland, m Austr and Pa alia, becaus pu a e the New Gu Australi inea establis an firm hed th Bryant e matc & May Recolle h indus cting his try ther that on e. first fin e day d, Fig at the g expla walking age of ins to scho nine he ol and was some happen rubbish ed to in the someth kick gutter. ing ca Sudden ught his matchb ly eye: it ox with was a a label the co that wa mmon s differ one fea Instead ent to turing , the lab Miss Re el had the 19 dhead. a pictu 59 Qu re celeb eenslan rating d Cent enary.
TS N ARTIS IA L A R T S ING AU G PROFIL STRON lian
RM A Y T T I K
stra tern au en wes tt o g r a fo
was , Kitty alsmith d a met ous ker an the fam herwor e with at ag le st a ter, nton one A pain ner at W.R. Li James ss part ne si bu a icks thy Er Doro
on
stralian stern Au many We slipped here are o have artists wh e becaus women st mo r gaze – without from ou rry and, not ma ir they did mote the one to pro no ch d su One ants, ha works. descend ve their n or preser kier tha ry luc is mo o me strong wh among d Arm ty ute Kit trib was was dis her work ts. most as scendan thers’ de her bro s ar ye born at y ng was Earl Armstro 29 e ‘Kitty’ alia on Catharin uth Austr as ore in So r of Thom Semaph hte ug 1885, da Caroline d an January trong was ery Arms en she Montgom ond. Wh e Hamm ally so né gic th d tra Elizabe ther die nt to live o her mo thers we nearly tw bro ee thers. d her thr s and bro Kitty an r’s sister ir fathe with the
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c. 1914 ibited strong, wings exh Kitty Arm rcoal dra Kitty’s cha One of 08 on in 19 nd Lo in
50
Above: Displa y of the Left: Dis replicas of the and the h with an Unico rn Tape Beatrice arms of Maallegory of Ch stries proba of Aragon tthias Corvi astity hanging bly Pe , 1476 nus an in the (majolic sa -c. d Chapel a). Me ro, tin-glazed 1490, Royal tropolita in Stirlin n Museearthenware g Castl um of e, Scotl Art NY and
THE U Knowledge base ITS ME NICOR ANING N & ORIGIN
er blesTrad Collecta
T
he un icorn is a m animal ytholo gical widely recogn resem ised as bling a white single horse horn on accord with a ing to its foreh the M ea Diction d, erriam ary. -Webste depicted Although th r e unico in Mes rn opotam to in th was ian ar e ancie t and nt myth its earlie referre s of In st desc d dia an ription dates d China in Gree from c.4 , k litera 00 BC ture E. Med
iaeva l
76
repre The m ost ela senta borate tions can be and be found autiful in med depictio The Un iaeval ns icorn works. Tapestr finest expres ies are sion of seen as Middle th is the Ages th subject rough from th Compr the Re e ising se naissan ven ind they ar ce. ividual e amon hanging g the art fro s, most co m the mplex Late M works Given iddle Ag of by John es to survi for the D. Ro ve. ckefelle 1938 opening r, Jr in New Yo time of The rk mus Cloister eum de art an s, a voted d arch to med itecture Tapestr iae , th va e Unico l ies are rn its bestmaster known pieces. The tap seen bo estries th as m have be etaphor celebra en s for Ch tion of m ris atrimon emble t and a matic y. They of med are magic iaeval inheren notions t in th endure of the e natu d thro ral wo ugh th rld that e Rena issance Section .
Collect ablesTra der
s Museum of Unicorn Tapestr of Art ies. Me NY tropolita n
? online
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MAY - JUNE 2013
A u s t r a l a s i a ’s l e a d i n g a n t i q u e s a n d c o l l e c t a b l e s m a g a z i n e DUNBAR RELICS Identifying tokens from one of the worst colonial disasters in Australia
FOLK ART Marvels of design created for a functional purpose are now highly collectable
STARS OF SILVERSMITHING Special feature on artists working with local materials to create distinctly Australian jewellery
TIPS FOR COLLECTORS ON HANDLING POTENTIAL HAZARDS Revealing the hidden risks
trader A u s t r a l a s i a ’s l e a d i n g a n t i q u e s a n d c o l l e c t a b l e s m a g a z i n e SNEAKERS A fashion statement turned highly prized collectable
CHEMISTRY AND COLLECTING: BEING SAFE Identifying potentially hazardous substances in old objects and materials
THE ENGINE COLLECTOR’S GUIDE TO HISTORIC ENGINE & STEAM MACHINERY Rallies to visit, associations to join
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Collectables subscription trader A u s t r a l a s i a ’s l e a d i n g a n t i q u e s a n d c o l l e c t a b l e s m a g a z i n e
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