JULY - AUG 2013
EDITION 110
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
A COLLECTING CHALLENGE Bin wine labels & prison peepholes unusual & collectable
THE PRINTED WORD Why savvy collectors know it is irreplaceable
AMERICANA IN AUSTRALIA Easily sourced Politics to folk art to Hollywood
MORE ON TOXICS What are you sitting on? Buy antique & avoid the allergy effect
Graham Lancaster Auctions
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Friday 16th August 2013 (Panthers Sports Club, Penrith NSW)
Ph: 0418 730 904
Quality Bottles & Stoneware
Fax: 07 4613 1111 Email: info@gdlauctions.com
Saturday 5th October 2013
View Catalogue & Photos One Month Prior to Each Sale at www.gdlauctions.com.au
(Kelly Park, Werribee VIC) ‘The Towe Collection’ of Antique Bottles
WE AUCTION We are Australia’s leading auction house for: ◆ Australiana, pottery and carnival glass ◆ Advertising signs, tins and pub mirrors ◆ Antique bottles and stoneware Sold $6,650
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We conduct both ‘In House’ auctions and ‘On Site’ sales We will travel anywhere in Australia for major collections For professional and confidential service and the very best results
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WE BUY
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We are always interested in buying or consigning entire collections or quality individual items We are especially interested in
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◆ Antique Bottles ◆ Advertising Signs ◆ Australiana & Pottery We pay top cash prices for good collectables! For prompt service and the best price
Contact Graham: 0418 730 904 Sold $13,500 Sold $19,400
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MANAGING EDITOR Eva Jaku P: 02 9389 2919 editor@worldaa.com COPY EDITOR Paula Towers ARTWORK & DESIGN Brian Cass Kylie Kennedy Kathy O’Grady Brigitta Campbell production@worldaa.com SUBSCRIPTIONS PO Box 324 Bondi Junction, NSW 1355 P: 02 9389 2919 F: 02 9387 7487 subs@worldaa.com ADVERTISING NSW/QLD – André Jaku P: 02 9389 2919 M: 0412 229 117 VIC/SA/WA/TASMANIA – David Freeman P: 03 9857 8184 F: 03 9816 3759 M: 0419 578 184 QLD André Jaku E: andre@worldaa.com NEW ZEALAND Subscription and magazine enquiries info@worldaa.com PRINTING Webstar P: 02 8737 9383 DISTRIBUTION Fairfax Media PUBLISHER André Jaku M: 0412 229 117 E: andre@worldaa.com JQ Pty Ltd ACN 002 160 303 ABN 39 945 398 132 Suite 1B, 10 Spring St, BONDI JUNCTION 2022 PO Box 324, BONDI JUNCTION, NSW 1355 P: 02 9389 2919 E: info@worldaa.com www.worldaa.com The contents of Collectables Trader is copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher. Articles reflect the personal opinion of the authors and are not necessarily those of the publisher. JQ Pty Ltd uses due care and diligence in the preparation of this magazine, but it is not responsible or liable for any mistake, misprint, omission or typographical error. JQ Pty Ltd prints advertisements provided to the publisher but gives no warranty and makes no representation as to the truth, accuracy or sufficiency of any description, photograph or statement. JQ Pty Ltd accepts no liability for any loss which may be suffered by any person who relies either wholly or in part upon any description, photograph or statement contained herein. JQ Pty Ltd, reserves the right to refuse any advertisement for any reason. ISSN 1445-8160
t is very interesting where objects and artworks long thought to be lost turn up. Our colonial rediscovered finds are cases in point. Tim McCormick highlights the detective work involved in discovering how James Wallis’ album of watercolours with paintings by well-known convict artist Joseph Lycett was found hidden in an old wardrobe in Canada. It is believed to be the most significant pictorial artefact to have been made during the 1810s. Created around the same time and also featuring the artistry of Lycett, a special presentation piece, known as the Macquarie Collector’s Chest, is also well-preserved having spent a spell in an attic in a Scottish Highlands castle before being repatriated. The chest is an excellent example of a cabinet of curiosity, which housed fascinating displays of specimens and exotic items. A number of interesting European examples are described by Melody Amsel-Arieli. As well as the British influence, there is a growing appreciation on how Australian culture has often been impacted by America. So it is not surprising that there is a surging interest in Americana here, from movie-related memorabilia through to folk art such as scrimshaw carvings. Continuing on the theme of cross cultural impact is Eleanor Keene's article on how publications associated with the iconic MGM film The Wizard of Oz, based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 book, continue to attract collectors as well as readers. Changing direction to the functional are wine bin labels and prison peep holes. Selling bottled wine and labelling bottles was illegal in the 19th century so bin label signs were needed to identify the liquor in cellars. They were made by such significant potteries as Minton, Spode, Wedgwood and Coalport. Also from the 19th century are gaol peepholes. Peter Lane follows the trail of collectors of these unusual items from Port Arthur to Pentridge and Fremantle gaols. They are a window into social history and can command high prices, as can cricket memorabilia. After almost 50 years of collecting, cricket expert Ken Piesse continues to find undetected treasures such as an autographed Donald Bradman photograph in a local jumble sale. He offers sage advice on which titles and limited editions are of most value. Good advice is also given by Roy Williams who details how some lines of furniture made midcentury could harbour health hazards – another reason for collectors to invest in antique and vintage pieces. For some, the idea of collecting glass coloured with uranium may be of concern. This is addressed by John Frith who discusses how uranium glass – or Vaseline glass as it is often knownderives its colour from uranium oxide. From the domestic to the exotic, our travel feature on the islands of West Papua uncovers some amazing artefacts. Melissa Rimac's visit to this time-frozen sanctuary shows how such places can be a goldmine for collectors, finding a myriad of exciting objects including VOC (United East India Company) embossed coins, cutlery and locks. So no matter what your interest, Collectables promises fresh and fascinating feature articles from dedicated collectors, experts and journalists – something for everyone. Eva Jaku
I
CONTRIBUTORS Melody Amsel-Arieli is an Israeli-American freelance writer on art, collectables, genealogy, history and more. Her most recent book is Jewish Lives: Britain 1750-1950 (Pen & Sword). Dr John Frith is recently retired as a university lecturer in environmental health. He has been collecting Victorian coloured glass for 30 years and his collection includes British, European and American free-blown and pressed glass, as well as Victorian uranium and Vaseline glass. Christopher Hughes is originally from Canada and is the managing director of The Antique Guild, Brisbane. He is an avid collector of Art Deco sterling silver Damian Kalmar from Kalmar Antiques in the Queen Victoria Building Sydney, has been dealing in antique jewellery, wrist and pocket watches for over 20 years and is a gemmologist and registered jewellery valuer. Eleanor Keene originally trained as a period costume designer for film and television, earned a Masters Degree in History of Textiles and Dress, formerly headed the Costume and Textile Department for Bonhams UK and now freelances in the auction and textile industries from her Sydney base. Peter Lane is a respected numismatist and Secretary of the Numismatic Association of Australia He lives in South Australia where he undertakes research on coins, medals and other numismatic objects. Tim McCormick is an antiquarian book dealer and art dealer in Sydney, with expertise in Australian maps, prints, manuscripts, photographs, paintings and drawings before 1900; and Australian colonial art and ephemera to 1870.
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Joshua O'Donnell is head of operations at Brisbane's The Antique Guild. He has a special interest in 19th century European furniture. Ken Piesse is one of Australia’s foremost cricket writers and commentators. He is the author of 67 books, his most recent publication is Great Ashes Moments. A cricket collector for 50 years he has a specialist website www.cricketbooks.com.au Michael Preeston is a serious collector of antiques who came across wine bin labels during one of his regular visits back to his home country of England. He became intrigued with them and started to explore their origins and has been collecting them for the last 10 years. Melissa Rimac is a part Sydney, part mid-north coast based photojournalist who loves sharing her passion for travel, art, architecture and nature. She frequently bemoans the fact that there is simply never enough wall space to hang all the artefacts she collects. Roy Williams is a noted antique dealer, author and principal of Roy’s Antiques in historic Fitzroy, Melbourne’s oldest suburb. He specialises in 18th and 19th century English, French and other European furniture, hallmarked silver and Imperial Russian silver and icons.
CONTENTS KNOWLEDGE BASE
FEATURE ARTICLES 12
78
Return to Oz The original Wizard publication
The art of the Netsuke:
70
Collecting Americana in Australia
small Japanese
continues to inspire collectors
There's an increasing interest in art and
ornaments comprise
Eleanor Keene
objects made in America
a big tradition
Joshua O'Donnell & Christopher Hughes
SERIES FEATURE: COLLECTING SAFELY 6
SPECIAL INTEREST 18
British bin labels How Minton and Wedgwood
Is your furniture poisoning you?
pottery were amongst the
A good reason to buy
variety of materials used
antique and vintage
Michael Preeston
Roy Williams
30
Indian colonial furniture Local craftsmen
24
Major James Wallis' album The discovery of an Australian colonial treasure in Canada
combined European and
54
Indian characteristics into
Uranium glass
unique creations
From works of art to
Tim McCormick
Melody Amsel-Arieli
everyday domestic objects, uranium was often used as a colorant Dr John Frith
TRAVEL FEATURE 40
58
The original time app: pocket watch cases How fashion has always influenced their design
Exploring West Papua Where amazing artefacts can be found on these exotic islands Melissa Rimac
INVESTMENT AND COLLECTING 36
Australian prison cell peepholes An eye to the past Peter Lane
50 64
Cabinets of Curiosity These curio displays were the forerunners of museums Melody Amsel-Arieli
Cricket memorabilia Which books and cards are gaining most value Ken Piesse
REGULAR FEATURES 47 49 84 82 83 88 94 96
Conundrum Fairs and more Notice Board For the bookshelf Collectables Subscription Trader Advertising Rates Advertisers’ Index
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WIN conundrum enter our prize draw See page 47 CollectablesTrader
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Frank Lloyd Wright, Architect (1867-1959), ‘Falling Water’, 1935, interior
IS YOUR FURNITURE POISONING YOU? In this edition notable antiques dealer and expert Roy Williams looks at what you may not know about certain lines of furniture made after the mid 20th century
Ekco Model AD-65 radio designed by Wells Coates (1895-1958) manufactured by E.K. Cole & Co Ltd (Southend-on-Sea England), 1934 model, Bakelite case. Courtesy V&A
ell, probably if you are
W
non-toxic materials. Wood, brass, bronze,
reading these pages,
glass and stone provided the principal
your furniture was made
structural materials. Finishing involves
before about 1960, so
shellac (you can’t get more organic than
you may be safe. Your friends and family,
beetle secretions!), beeswax and linseed
however, may be risking their health with
oil. Upholstery comprises jute, coconut
their uninformed choices of furniture.
fibre, horsehair and feathers; covered in
They may be blissfully unaware of the
silk, wool, cotton, linen or leather.
clouds of toxic, and sometimes
arsenic green dyes in paint or upholstery
constantly inhaling.
certainly existed, but have generally not
I first started thinking about this years
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Toxic materials such as lead paint and
carcinogenic gasses, which they are
survived to the present. To a very large
ago, as a few customers would come to
degree the materials and techniques for
my shop to buy furniture, stimulated not
making furniture in wood, metal and
primarily by a love of antiques, but
stone changed very little over the 5000
forced into buying organic furniture
years up until the Industrial Revolution,
through allergies to plastics and other
from about the 1820s. Hence we have
synthetic materials.
long known how these materials react.
Organic furniture and finishes predate the 1840s
Impact of Industrial Revolution on construction methods
Furniture made before 1840 – my stock
With a vastly increased population, on a
in trade – and even up to World War II
planet that has inexplicably remained the
was predominantly made of organic and
same size, furniture manufacture change
has been essential. The
machinery for making plated tubular
developments of the Industrial
steel. Plastics were also developed,
Revolution initially changed the
including both the thermosetting,
methods of construction, rather than
inherently non-recyclable Bakelite,
the materials. Machines were
and the thermosetting plastics (that
expensive and large, so labour was
can be melted down and,
concentrated around the machine,
theoretically, re-used). Logically, but
where previously a craftsman could
to the shock of romantically-minded
carry his hand tools anywhere. Gas
sentimental persons, it was largely
lighting allowed factories to work 24
the need to utilise these wartime
hours a day.
factories in a time of peace that
Specialisation of skills in working
dictated the look of furniture design
machines meant that the worker only
in the 1920s. Hence the chromed
ever turned chair legs, or cut veneer,
tubular steel, plywood and glass
or guided the carving machines, but
furniture that characterised new
no longer engaged in every process
furniture in Europe from the 1920s
of the trade. While this did diminish
onwards.
the quality of design, and often
Manufacturing and design in Australia
production, the change in materials was principally one of proportion, rather than type.
Australia lagged behind terribly due to a poor economy. The collapse of
New materials impacted on design
the real estate boom in 1891 led to a
Iron became more prominent with
after World War II, when for the first
springs and even complete chair
time Australians could buy modern
frames, or entire pieces of furniture.
furnishings. By the middle of the 20th
The industrialisation of the weaving
century the vast majority of furniture
industry in the 1840s, with the
available in Australia was made of
dramatic drop in textile prices,
non-traditional materials.
changed the appearance of furniture and couches, sometimes diamond
Radical design changes and materials post 1920s
buttoned, appeared, with only textiles
While an ancient Egyptian of 5000
visible to the eye. These were often
years ago would recognise with ease
based on Turkish models and are still
furniture made up until at least the
named, exotically: sofa, ottoman,
1920s, after that furniture forms and
divan, etc.
types become radically different.
utterly. Now fully upholstered chairs
At the beginning of the 20th
Table clock, c.1825, made of wood, shellac, gold, bronze, brass, glass and stone
deep recession that did not lift till
Radiograms, cocktail cabinets,
century, however, the materials used
televisions, coffee tables, etc were all
in furniture began to change
new forms. The major new materials
dramatically, with some frightening
in the last century (in addition to
results. The old Egyptian invention of
steel, plywood, and glass), were the
plywood flourished with mechanical
wood substitutes, chipboard and its
veneer sawing and developments in
later refinement, MDF, plastics,
the chemistry of adhesives. The
including plastic laminates simulating
military aeroplane industry of World
wood, marble and other materials,
War I demanded plywood production.
and upholstery foams.
The other, often neglected war
Not all these new inventions would
machine of the Great War, the
prove successful. In the 1970s nearly
bicycle, ensured a boom in
every household would have had a
CollectablesTrader 7
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MODERN UPHOLSTERY Synthetics Modern and contemporary upholstered furniture is, however, more threatening and less easy to avoid. Almost universally furniture will be stuffed with a padding of synthetic latex, or polyurethane foam. Both constantly give off noxious gasses.
Natural latex Natural latex, or rubber, can be made into a resilient foam suitable for upholstery and was used extensively from the 1930s to the 1960s. Natural latex is anti-microbial, naturally Two of a set of 6 Sheraton George III mahogany dining chairs, c.1790, neoclassical design of timeless elegance, features square channelled back, enclosing three beautifully carved splats, the chair rail surmounted by a carved arcaded strip, the legs are square section, tapered and finish with a spade foot. Value: $8250 the set
Hidden toxins in MDF Now just about any table top or cupboard is made of chipboard or MDF. These large dimensionally stable panels are made of shredded or
mould and mildew. It is also biodegradable. This is what you will probably find in original mid-century modern furniture such as
powdered wood, set in a resin.
Featherston chairs.
cabinet made from painted masonite
Medium density fiberboard (MDF)
(compressed fibre board). The doors
constantly exudes formaldehyde as a
Beware of synthetic latex: SBR
were usually a pressed quilted
gas. This can aggravate asthma and
Unfortunately, synthetic latex, also
pattern, and the thin panels slid in
other lung conditions, irritate mucous
known as styrene-butadiene rubber
aluminium channels. Common as
membranes, and cause contact
mud in the 70s, they have almost
dermatitis. Studies on this chemical
completely vanished only a scant 30
also suggest that it is a likely
years later. A triumph of ephemera!
carcinogen, and it should be
Child’s chair by Charles & Ray Eames (USA), c. 1945, moulded colour stained plywood
generally avoided.
natural product. It is derived from petroleum and is, predictably, flammable. Foam can include SBR flame retardants that can themselves be harmful to human health.
On more functional surfaces
Polyurethane-based foam is 2/3
melamine laminate is used.
polyurethane and 1/3 isocyanate.
Fortunately, it appears the toxic
Isocyanates have a harmful impact
formaldehyde and urea in melamine
on health, including, irritation of skin
stays put. Regrettably, furniture that
and nose, difficulty breathing, and
looks vaguely like wood these days is
chest tightness. They include
usually depressing. It is usually
compounds that are classified as
manufactured board covered with a
potential human carcinogens, and are
plastic film printed with a photograph
known to cause cancer in animals.
of a wood such as Cherry. I fear the
Polyurethane foam is very durable
and that the best furniture now is metal, glass, plastic, and stone.
CollectablesTrader
(SBR), has largely replaced the
About melamine
great age of wooden furniture is over,
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hypoallergenic and resists dust mites,
and will last a very long time in a landfill, as it is not biodegradable.
when soy is present at higher levels it produces an undesirable, burnt smell. Probably, soy is best left on the plate.
Questions to ask Next time you buy furniture, make sure you don’t just test for comfort and elegance: ask what it is made of. Naturally, I will encourage you to buy antique furniture: I have a vested interest! However, it is not just aesthetes who abhor antique furniture mummified in polyurethane varnish, stuffed with synthetic foam, or upholstered in vinyl.
A good reason to buy vintage and antique! Soy foam - also a problem Soy foam! Fantastic! Or perhaps not. Soy foam is actually made the same way as the polyurethane based foam, with 20% of the mixture being replaced as soy product. So the foam is 20% soy, 33% isocyanates, and 47% polyurethane. Due to the polyurethane content, the foam still requires the toxic flame retardants and the foam contains the same level of isocyanates. Currently, soy foam also biodegrades at the same rate as polybased foam. The reason for the low percentage of soy content is that
Extra brownie points accrue for buyers of antiques as they are artisanal: handmade, start to finish, by craftsmen with hand tools, before soulless factory mass production. Extra-vintage furniture has now recycled itself through at least four generations. If it is sourced locally, carbon miles are saved. Antiques arrive in trucks under a blanket, belted safely in. There is no single use packaging such as styrofoam and plastic bags, as with new furniture. Being primarily concerned here with health and safety, it is of no consequence that antique and vintage furniture costs less than the price of making a new duplicate. Is it?
B3 (Wassily) chair designed by Marcel Breuer (1902-1981), 1925, chromium-plated steel, leather
CollectablesTrader 9
This rare and important ladies’ pocket watch, c.1910 formerly the property of a Russian aristocrat, is by the watch supplier to the Russian Imperial Court, Pavel (Paul) Buhre. Beautifully enamelled, the 18ct gold case is enriched with diamonds. The guilloche enamel is in mauve, the favourite colour of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, and no doubt intended as a compliment to her. The enamel is further enriched with painted flowers, and with a 1911 presentation date within the case, diameter: 3cm. $5,500
G e o rg i a n & C o n t i n e n t a l F u r n i t u r e • Po r c e l a i n
Silver • Ikons • Paintings • Imperial Russian
www.Roys-Antiques.com.au
410 Queens Parade Clifton Hill Vic 61 3 9489 8467
Fyans Cottage COLLECTABLES
LEGACY COLLECTION CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF MOORCROFT 1913 – 2013
170 Moorabool Street, Geelong, Victoria 3220 P: 03 5229 7006 F: 03 5222 3362 E: fyanscottage@bigpond.com.au www.fyanscottage.com.au Hours: weekdays 9.30 am to 5.00 pm Saturday 9.30 am to 1.00 pm. After hours by appointment
RETURN TO OZ a history of the journey The iconic 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz, one of the best-known stories in American popular culture was based on L. Frank Baum's charming 1900 publication, one of a canon of 14 Oz books which inspired younger generations and continues to do so through today's collectors
Eleanor Keene
grew up a child of the ’80s; I was about
I
seven years old when the Disney film Return to Oz was released and remember with great excitement going
to see the film, and later having my dad buy me the accompanying film book from the school book club. I think this was the start of my Oz obsession, and so my dad, being the wonderful father that he is, dutifully read to me every night before bed from the collection of Oz books; and when I say books – I mean the whole 14 that L. Frank Baum wrote! When many people think of Oz they recall the Wizard of Oz and nothing more but the magic that came alive in these fantasy fairytales of a faraway land where animals spoke, people didn’t age and little girls ran the land invoked my imagination. It was the female leads in the Oz books
that had the power, went on adventure and
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ruled. Growing up in the ’80s, an age of women’s power dressing and empowerment with a feminist upbring and education, I was brought up to believe, like Dorothy and Ozma, I could do anything.
From chickens to prose L. (Lyman) Frank Baum (18561919) led an interesting life giving various ventures ago, before finding his feet as a successful children’s book author. He was 44 years old when The Wizard of Oz first hit the shelves of the bookshops in 1900. Baum grew up in New York, the son of a wealthy oil merchant and for one of his birthday gifts in his teenage years his father bought him his own printing press, which he used to produce his own little magazines for fun. A little later, he developed an interest in chickens – of all things – which led to his breeding them at the age of 19, after which he took a fascination in the theatre. It would seem his father helped him finance his way into a theatre company, and off he went travelling. All these influences and
CollectablesTrader 13
experiences would later help with his Oz books. His interest in chickens, for instance, led to the character of Billinda the talking hen. On his travels he met his future wife, Maud Gage. Maud’s mother, Matilda, was a writer and leading suffragette, and it was with her encouragement that Baum wrote down some of his bedtime stories he made up for his sons and published his first children’s book
Mother Goose in Prose in 1897. Just prior to that, in 1891 the family moved to Chicago, following many failed business attempts by Baum and his badly managing the family business he had inherited. Baum was earning a living as a travelling salesman, selling china and glassware door to door when the success of his first book took off. He became a member of the Chicago Press Club and met designer, illustrator and cartoonist W.W. (William Wallace) Denslow (1856-1915). They soon became partners, and together financed a book in which Denslow created the eye-catching illustrations and Baum wrote the children’s poetry. Father Goose was published in 1899 and became a top seller on the children’s book lists.
Rare first editions Off the back of this triumph, Baum decided he would like to have a go at writing a full length fairytale, a story he had been creating in his head for some time. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz went on sale in 1900, but unfortunately didn’t make the sales expected. The publishers went bankrupt in 1902; making this original very first edition run of books of The
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Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published by George M Hill Company, highly collectable. Of the first binding from the first printed edition, it is believed that only ten copies or less have survived, making a copy in good condition worth in excess of $150,000. In 1903 the book was printed again by publishers Bobbs-Merrill, this time under another title, The New Wizard of Oz. So don’t be fooled if you’re looking at buying old editions, this is the same book as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the title MGM used when they produced the film in 1939 and, subsequently, the one under which the book has been published ever since.
who went onto illustrate the rest of
From book to stage show
the style of the long dress, headdress
Through Baum’s past experiments working in theatre, it seemed like a natural transition to translate the Oz book into a stage show and, between 1901 and 1902, Baum and Denslow worked on this as partners, as they had done with the books. However, this was shortlived as Baum and Denslow soon parted ways after financial disagreements. The stage show opened in Chicago in mid 1902, and from there it went on to open in Broadway at the beginning of 1903. The actors playing the Tinman and the Scarecrow stole the show and so when Baum finally gave into demands for another Oz book, he wrote of the adventure of these two characters, and not of Dorothy.
Fashion history in fairytale illustrations As Baum had fallen out with W.W. Denslow, his latest publishers Reilly & Britton (later called Reilly & Lee) found a new illustrator John R. Neil,
Baum’s Oz books. I personally prefer Neil’s illustrations which are far more in the romantic, softer and classical style of illustrations at the time than the harder, bolder images of Denslow. Neil depicts Dorothy in the fashions befitting a young girl at the turn of the century. When Neil first illustrates Dorothy, in Ozma of Oz, she wears a spotted, high neck, long sleeve dress. The dress is short in length, which was commonplace for children until they became of age, and belted around the hips creating a billowing effect over the belt and indicative of the ladies ‘wasp waist’ fashions of the time. By contrast, and hairstyle of Ozma, the magical child ruler of Oz, is informed by the Art Nouveau movement; an iconic style now recognised in Art Nouveau Parisian posters, made popular by Prague artist Alphonse Mucha. Ozma's large sweeping robes were fashionable with artists and intellectuals (and wives of) at the time, as a new form of freedom, of movement dress reform – in stark contrast to the corsets at the time. Later, the original Oz illustrator Denslow went back and re-illustrated all the Oz books, which I am not a fan of; although the illustrations have a charm
of their own, the odd colour plate he uses makes Dorothy look more like one of the Simpson cartoon characters than a charming little girl. However, when MGM looks for inspiration for their depiction of Dorothy, it is this original version by Denslow in her blue chequered dress and long brown hair in bunches that they use.
More than one film Baum toyed with film right from the early stages and in 1910 bought a house in Hollywood, the developing centre for the American film industry. Many Oz films of varying degrees of success were made before the MGM hit with Judy Garland. Bedridden with illness in the last years of his life, Baum concentrated on writing and wrote right up to his death in 1919. The last book he wrote and published was The Magic
of Oz, and the following year his 14th Oz book, Glinda of Oz, was published posthumously from his notes. Many books were written about Oz after Baum's death by different authors but I have never been drawn to read these. Baum was so much a part of his books; it is very touching to read his dedications and letters to the readers at the start of each of his novels, acknowledging the ideas of children who had written to him. It is a great shame that Baum was not around to witness the success of
I went to see as a child, The Return to
Oz (which was loosely based around the books The Land of Oz and Ozma
of Oz). The new film uses some of Baum’s characters and ideas but is mostly made by the Disney writers to appeal to today’s moviegoers. This film is pre Dorothy and based on the story of the Wizard and his trip to Oz. Visually it pays homage to the iconic MGM musical hit of The Wonderful
Wizard of Oz on many levels. Disney was clever in keeping enough of the iconic visual references from the first film to bring some correlation and relationship to their prequel. Jazzing it up for today’s audience there is certainly a lot more romance than was ever seen in any of Baum’s books; as can be also said for the Broadway hit musical Wicked. It would be nice to see some of Baum’s original books made into films, as there are so many to choose from, instead of others writing new stories around the idea.
MGM's film hit The Wonderful Wizard of
Notes for collectors
Oz. As film was a media which greatly
Collecting the books today, particularly
fascinated Baum and he enjoyed to
first editions, it is not always easy to
dabble in, it seems only fitting that The
determine what is what. There are many
Wonderful Wizard of Oz, along with
versions and reprints of the Oz books
Gone with the Wind, were the first full
out there. For an in-depth guide I would
length colour films which made film
look at the www.rareozbooks.com
history on their release in 1939.
website. With buying modern reprints, I
My hope is that this latest Oz film –
In my day, my father had to order each book through our local bookshop and have it shipped from America while these days you can order them all online. Alternately, if you fancy a copy with a bit of age but are not worried about the edition, try scouting through the children’s section of any good second-hand bookshop where you should find copies between $20-$50 each. Acknowledgements Photo credits: Fred Trust from rareozbooks.com; Mark Burgess from Marks Book Barn, Sydney Further reading Allen Eyles, The World of Oz, Viking, Harmondsworth Middlesex 1985
would suggest sticking with the original
Oz the Great and Powerful – will spur
illustrators for their versions: Denslow for
on a new generation of Oz devotees,
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and Neil
like me with the ’80s Disney adventure
for the rest.
Written in dedication to my father and his many hours of bedtime reading
CollectablesTrader 15
Kalmar Antiques where you can hold a piece of history in your hand 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
NOW OPEN 4014 Pacific Highway Loganholme QLD 4129 ◊ 2300+ sq m one level antique super centre ◊ Monthly antiques / collectors auctions ◊ French themed Café Eiffel as our entrance ◊ 140+ dedicated off-street car parking spaces ◊ 24 hour on-site security ◊ Great Motorway (M1) visibility and very easy access immediately off EXIT 30
admin@brisbaneantiquecentre.com.au
07 3806 0118
www.brisbaneantiquecentre.com.au
COLLECTING BIN LABELS the original key to cellaring Evoking images of old British wine cellars, the price of bin labels these days can be very sobering!
Michael Preeston ere in Australia bin labels are
H
not greatly appreciated nor understood. In England there are quite a number of
collectors, and competition to find rare and unusual ones is strong. At first glance they may appear rather plain objects – unsophisticated, functional and unadorned – yet they can evoke images from bygone days of the cavernous wine cellars beneath the great houses of Britain, the walls lined with bins stacked high with bottles of wine. Names such as Lafite, Margaux and d'Yquem from France, Hochs from Germany, Port and Sherry from the Iberian Peninsular and sweet wines from Málaga, Madeira and Marsala. Late 18th century label for Moselle, the style of the script and the shape of the label indicates the fairly early date An estate made label from the Kentwell Hall collection. Most are specific and some were recycled by turning them over and inscribed on the reverse
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CollectablesTrader
Selling bottled wine was illegal in the 19th century
Above: The top half of this label is unglazed, or ‘in the biscuit’, and has been inscribed, ‘Gordon’s Amontillado, Bottled 1863’
To start at the beginning, in Georgian
Right from top to bottom: An estate made label from the Kentwell Hall collection.
times, in fact right up to 1861, wine merchants in England imported wine in the barrel and bottled it privately, after sale, for the customer. It was illegal to sell wine by the bottle, and the labelling of bottles was also
This label was produced entirely ‘in the biscuit’. Obviously in this case they were continuing to use bin labels right up to 1949 An unusual spelling of the name ‘Marsala’. On this label the top half has been left ‘in the biscuit’ so that the particular vintage may be added
outlawed. The wine would then be delivered to the various large houses which were adorning the landscape of
Identifying early labels
Britain in increasing profusion, to be
While a vast majority of bin labels
stored in their purpose-built cellars.
were of a lead glazed pottery ware,
The cellar walls were lined with
the earliest ones, which appeared
bricked-in bays, or bins, where the
around 1730, when the practice of
unlabelled bottles would be stacked
binning was first introduced, appear
up. Of the household staff the butler
to have been made of lead with
alone would hold the key to the cellars,
white lettering on the bare metal
which may have led to him being in a
background. Few of these have
state of permanent semi-intoxication,
survived. In around the middle of the
but it did prevent the rest of the staff
18th century, tin glazed earthenware
from pilfering the wine! Above each bin
became the standard. These had
was a nail, or hook, on which was
magenta, or dark blue lettering, on a
hung a bin label that identified the
white, or very pale blue ground.
particular wine in the bin. These were
The standard shape became the
usually, but not always, of a generic
coat-hanger shape, or variations of it,
nature – such as Port, Sherry, Claret,
with the square shoulders giving way
Hock and Champagne.
to the round shouldered shape
CollectablesTrader 19
around the end of the century. They were typically about 12 to 15 cm wide, with a hole at the top to hang on the hook above the bin. By the beginning of the 19th century, many of the well-known factories, such as Minton, Spode, Wedgwood and Coalport, were turning them out in a lead glazed pottery. The lettering was nearly always in bold capitals, so that the elderly valet could read them down there in the cellar by the light of his spluttering candle.
Top: Early 19th century label for Hollands (now known as gin). Top half of the label is unglazed, and the imprint for Wedgwood is on the reverse Above: Early 19th century label. Bucellas is a small vineyard just outside Lisbon. The wine took the fancy of the Duke of Wellington while he was fighting the Peninsular Wars in 1810, and it quickly became popular in London
Practical design feature Another practice was to make the label
Values: what you can expect to pay
with the generic name on the lower half,
Would-be collectors should be
Popular vintages and their labels
while the upper half was left unglazed,
cautioned about paying a
or ‘in the biscuit’, so that the details
premium price for, say, a
The tipple of choice in those days
could be added in pencil, to be changed
standard early to mid 19th
appears to have been Port and Sherry,
later when the bin was emptied and
century label for port or sherry,
as those are by far the most common
replaced with a different vintage.
in creamware with black
labels found today. Spirits were also
What is highly collectable today
lettering – which was the norm
binned in cellars, and labels for Brandy, Whisky, Rum and Hollands (now known as gin) are not uncommon. The variety of names, however, is endless, some very specific, such as Chateau Lafite, Chateau Latour, Chateau Margaux,
The most sought after labels, and therefore naturally the most expensive to acquire, are the early delftware ones, in magenta or dark blue
imprint of Minton or Wedgwood on the reverse. While many labels are unmarked on the reverse, Wedgwood was by far the most common of the makers, and should not
etc, with the year of the vintage.
Also keenly collected are labels
These would have been especially
inscribed Cider, Brown Ale,
ordered, either direct from the factory,
Brown Sherry and Bucellas
or through agents such as Farrow &
Collectors also look for labels
$250 mark for one of these,
Jackson, whose name often appears
with unusual names, wines no
whereas an early delftware one,
imprinted on the reverse, along with
longer produced, specific
in magenta or dark blue, could
the factory name such as Wedgwood
chateaux and vintages, as well
easily command around three
or Minton, for example.
as ones with spelling variations
or four times that price.
and errors.
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by then – and bearing the
CollectablesTrader
command a higher price. In England one would expect to pay around the AUD$180 to
Interesting recent discovery Recently, a comprehensive collection of obviously estate made bin labels was recovered from Kentwell Hall in Suffolk. The labels were fashioned in wood, painted white, but now faded
bin numbers and the purpose-made hooks to hang them on. It appeared that in some cellars, old habits died hard! Further reading Robin Butler, Great British Wine Accessories 1550 − 1900, Brown & Brown, Sudbury UK 2009
to a nut brown, and inscribed in black ink with the varied and interesting wines and spirits cellared there in the mid 19th century. Typical were the Claret, vintage 1858, White & Co. Chateau Lafite, 1/4 Pipe Port, vintage 1854, Coates & Howes, 13 1/2 dozen, Gardiner’s Port, December 1853 and Hollands 1856. It must have been a fine cellar in its day!
Law consigned labelling to history bin
In 1799 The King of Naples bestowed upon Lord Nelson the honorific title, Duke of Bronte. Nelson was in the habit of buying large quantities of Marsala for the Royal Navy, and the winery changed the name of their product to Bronte in his honour and Spode produced Bronte in labels, of which very few have survived. This lasted until sometime in the 1840s, when the winery reverted back to the name Marsala.
In 1861, the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, William Gladstone, allowed the Single Bottle Act to be passed in parliament, permitting the sale of single bottles ‘off licence’. Printed paper labels were then introduced and bin labels, like corkscrews today, slowly started the progression to becoming obsolete. It is interesting to note however, that in an 1898 catalogue of Farrow & Jackson they were continuing to offer bin labels,
Top: The reverse of this label is unglazed and inscribed ‘PORT’. Apparently there was a need, or an order, for a gin label, so it was inscribed ‘GIN’ on the back and glazed. Probably late 19th century, when Hollands came to be called gin Middle: Although fairly crudely made with no maker's imprint on the reverse this is quite an unusual shape for a bin label Bottom: Late 18th century label for Sherry, the style of the script and the shape of the label indicates the fairly early date
BIN NUMBERING – HOW TO AVOID IMITATIONS In large cellars, sometimes a
Wine Accessories 1550 –
system of bin numbering
1900, cautions that on
was adopted, and a cellar
occasions, hotel room
book was kept in which the
numbers, or house numbers,
contents of each bin was
have been offered for sale,
entered against the
purporting to be bin
corresponding number.
numbers. The give-away is
These numbers were
that these will have a hole on
produced in a white glazed
each side, so that they may
pottery, round, about 7 cm
be screwed to a door, wall or
to 8 cm in diameter, with a
fence, whereas a bin label
hole at the top from which to
will have one large hole at
hang it. Robin Butler, in his
the top to hang on a hook.
excellent book, Great British
CollectablesTrader 21
www.aada.org.au
Abbott’s Antiques
Member
The Established Name for Quality Antiques since 1931
Pair of George III mahogany carvers with reeded crest rails and arms, c.1820
Two fine Royal Crown Derby floral painted, enamelled and gilt decorated vases by Desire Leroy, dated 1900 and 1904
Fine George IV mahogany sideboard with 3 beaded concave centre drawers, c.1830 – attributed to Gillows
George III sterling silver crested and embossed coffee pot, London 1761 by Fuller White
19th century mahogany 8 day hour striking bracket clock with twin fusee movement, c.1850
George IV Sheffield Plate crested and scrolled edge soup tureen, c.1825
Pair of Swansea specimen plates with painted floral sprays & moulded borders, c.1814 – 17
19th century patinated bronze Dutch weaver and companion figures signed Geo. Maxim, c.1890
Pair of Grainger Worcester reticulated mask head vases, c.1880 – 89
Max Dupain, Surf Race Start, 1940s, silver gelatin photograph
Fine George III mahogany longcase clock with rosewood cross banding and painted dial with moon phase & calendar by George Monks, Prescot, c. 1810
Max Dupain, Nina Raievska in Thamar, 1937, vintage silver gelatin photograph, signed & dated lower right
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
RECORD PRICES ACHIEVED Dump amber Rowland's codd bottle: $20,001 plus commission. 2 gallon Castlemaine Brewery demijohn: $36,265 plus commission.
COMING UP AT ABCR AUCTIONS: Australia's rarest beer bottle, the iconic King & Co beer from Sydney! Also an amazing range of original paper labels, including beer, wine and aerated water labels. Along with the usual assortment of the finest bottles and pot lids in Australia, we have something to cater for everyone's needs. We even have an original set of shop scales from W T Avery.
OUR NEXT ONLINE AUCTION WILL RUN FROM 21-31 AUGUST 2013
View our website at www.abcrauctions.com Registration is free For a free appraisal or to discuss consigning your item or collection, email info@abcrauctions.com or call Travis Dunn: 0417 830 939 or David Bruce: 0407 821 767
unravelling a mystery
MAJOR JAMES WALLIS' ALBUM an Australian colonial treasure discovered in Canada
Follow the clues with Tim McCormick who explains how a collection of watercolour drawings thought lost came to light
Left: Album of original drawings by Captain James Wallis and Joseph Lycett, c. 1817-1818, bound with An historical account of the Colony of New South Wales ‌, published London, Rudolph Ackermann, 1821. Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library NSW Below: Watercolour view of Port Jackson pasted to 7th endpaper attributed to Joseph Lycett
ur story begins in a small town
O
in the Canadian state of Ontario called London, which is two hours’ drive west of Toronto.
The local chattel auctioneer was called
in by a local solicitor to clear a house and sell anything found to be saleable. The deceased owner with no known family had bequeathed his home to a local charity. Working his way through the kitchen pots and pans and china vases he reached the bedroom wardrobe and on the bottom shelf, under the shoes, he discovered what was to become the greatest Australian treasure of the decade. Grant Gardner, third generation auctioneer, knew he had struck gold but had no idea as to its value. In June 2011 he placed an advertisement in an English paper announcing the rediscovery of what is now known as The Wallis Album, forgotten for over 150 years. Its reappearance immediately caused a wave of excitement in the world of colonial art.
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CollectablesTrader
Pasted down on 9th flyleaf 9 cut-out watercolours of 10 fish, the sheet inscribed ‘The Fish of New South Wales’
A visual historical record of settlement in Australia
A personal involvement
The album, a collection of previously
London via Toronto. Actually trembling
unknown watercolour drawings of
with excitement (albeit hidden) I was
colonial New South Wales, was
the first Australian to see this artefact
compiled between 1816 and 1818 by
since 1818. The auctioneer enquired
Major James Wallis, commander of
as to what I thought the value was.
the Newcastle penal settlement.
Feigning slight disinterest I expressed
Wallis, an amateur artist, included his
most probably $100,000. It ranked
own watercolours of landscape and
with the most impressive colonial
Aboriginal inhabitants as well as
artwork in my experience.
paintings by the convict artist Joseph
My affair with Major Wallis’ album began in July 2011 with a trip to
After photographing and documenting
Watercolour pasted to 2nd endpaper, each cut-out figure named and inscribed in black ink along bottom margin ‘These figures of Natives are all drawn by Major Wallis 46th Regt. These Natives all sat for their Pictures’
DETECTIVE WORK: FOLLOWING THE CLUES Sale of watercolours in London auction: catalogue entry 1987 How did this treasure end up in London? The first clue as to the album’s existence, unrecognised at the time, was the appearance in 1987 of five watercolours at a
Lycett (c. 1775-1828). The collection
the album, I returned to Australia and
consists of 39 separate works, never
advised the State Library of my findings.
previously seen in public, revealing
A successful fundraising, with help from
life and natural curiosities in the
the New South Wales Government,
three of England – all with a
infant colony.
enabled the Library to bid for the album
Canadian provenance.
The State Library of New South
Christie’s South Kensington sale of topographic pictures: one of New South Wales, one of Madeira and
at its October auction. The honour of
The catalogue noted these were
Wales’ Mitchell Librarian Richard
bidding on behalf of the Library was
the first original drawings by Wallis
Neville notes ‘this remarkable album
given to my English colleagues Maggs
to come to public notice. The New
is a prime document about settlement
Bros and myself.
South Wales view of the Hawkesbury
of Australia and is without doubt the
After a nail biting auction – which
most significant pictorial artefact to
started at $100,000 and quickly rose
views sold between £165 and
have been made during the 1810s.’
to $1.9 million – the album was ours.
£2,000 – a huge premium for his
The underbidder is thought to have
Australian work. The provenance was
been a private Australiana collector
Wallis’ widow to her nephew Lt
from the west.
Colonel Tayler.
River sold for £28,600. The other
CollectablesTrader 25
Detail of 7th flyleaf, watercolour portrait titled ‘Dick’ Watercolour pasted to 12th endpaper of Sydney Cove attributed to Joseph Lycett, written in black ink below ’Drawn by a Convict’
Sale of album of sketches in London auction: catalogue entry 1989
What happened to the album
Art historians did not follow up these
album, he gifted his works to his wife
tantalising clues. In 1989 Christie’s
in 1857. Mrs Wallis then passed the
offered – as the property of a
work to her nephew Lt Colonel Tayler
gentleman and from the artist’s family
in 1866 and also suitably inscribed the
at least $200,000. Wallis inscribed it
– an album of sketches done by Wallis
album. Captain Tayler is presumed to
‘drawn by a convict’.
in India and South America. This
have emigrated to Canada and so
album included a manuscript
According to an inscription in the
The unexpected appearance of
continued the long voyage of the
such a special item of Australiana
artworks, ultimately returning in 2012
gives all art historians hope for future
to their place of origin.
discoveries and hope that they will be the discoverers.
South Wales for £2,860. Once again,
Important record of early NSW
art historians did not follow the clues to
The collection comprises watercolours
the Canadian source. Then travel into
and drawings of Sydney, environs of
the future 22 years and the Canadian
Newcastle, portraits of Aborigines and
source now deceased was revealed.
natural history studies. The Aboriginal
The role of an art historian sometimes
portraits are most striking, naming the
merges with that of the genealogist.
local inhabitants of the Newcastle
Newcastle. Its Aboriginal
Tracing the life of Captain Wallis: collating the album
region. The most impressive
naming is Muloobinba
watercolour is by Joseph Lycett of
(place of edible sea fern).
Using the provenance, now
Sydney Cove which, if offered for sale,
Awaba is the Aboriginal
would command an individual price of
name for Lake Macquarie.
describing two Aborigines of the Newcastle tribe, obviously from the same Canadian source. This album was sold to the State Library of New
confirmed, we know Major Wallis took
The Awabakal and Worimi peoples are recognised as the traditional custodians of the area now known as
sketches whilst on his military postings throughout the colonial empire. He also collected drawings by
Captain James Wallis,
ship on which Lycett
talented convicts in his charge, the
was commandant of the
was transported. When
best known, the forger Joseph Lycett.
secondary penal
Lycett was transferred
Wallis retired from the army in 1826,
settlement at Newcastle
to Newcastle in 1815,
marrying Mary-Ann Beach in 1836, at
from 1816 to 1818. His
after being convicted
first living at Douglas, Isle of Man.
initial association with
for forging banknotes,
While here he collated his art and
convict artist, Joseph
he came under Wallis’
memorabilia and commissioned
Lycett traces to the
patronage and began
albums from the local bookbinder.
General Hewitt, which
work as a legitimate
Major and Mrs Wallis then resettled in
he commanded and the
artist and designer.
Prestbury in Gloucestershire where he died in 1858.
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CollectablesTrader
MITCHELL ROAD ANTIQUE & DESIGN CENTRE
Upper Level 76 Mitchell Road, Alexandria NSW 2015 Open 7 days 10 am - 5 pm P: 02 9698 0907 I E: mitchellroadcentre@yahoo.com.au www.mitchellroad.wordpress.com
Using Howard Products a Victorian lady gets a 60 minute makeover On one of our rare attempts at having a holiday just recently, we were invited by old friends to stay in their beautiful house perched on a hill in the Noosa hinterland with beautiful views from every angle, beaches nearby and a great swimming pool in the forecourt. What a dream! I’ve known these people a long time and they have always collected all kinds of antique bits and pieces. This most recent house of theirs was no different. A large containment area underneath the house was found to be chock full of old chairs, tables and cupboards waiting to be re-finished one day. That came later. The first thing I saw when we opened the door into the entrance foyer was an imposing Victorian sideboard of huge proportions featuring ornate carvings all coated in very dark and very battered shellac which was in
From this
to this
with this
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CollectablesTrader
desperate need of urgent attention. Here I was dreaming about the pool and the beach but I just knew that I would not be able to relax until that grand old sideboard was given a bit of attention. Just as well I always travel with my Howard Products demo box. The photos you see in this story were taken by Sally on her iPhone while I worked. They are not the greatest quality but they illustrate what I was faced with and how I went about quickly giving that dear old sideboard some nourishment and repair. Some of the surfaces were so worn that I really didn’t know whether my trusty Restor-A-Finish would be able to handle it but as you will see it did, well maybe not perfectly, however that’s the point really – Restor-A-Finish was designed to retain patination and deliver a ‘cared for over many years’ look to battered antiques.
This sideboard was just one of many items we restored while having what really was a great break at Noosa. The thing is you can work so quickly with Restor-A-Finish that the sideboard only took an hour or so. On that day we were so keen to get to the beach and see the sights that it wasn't until we got home from our holiday some time later and were checking the photos we'd taken, when we realised that although there were plenty of action shots, we hadn't taken a before and after photo of that lovely sideboard. It's a pity because the difference after the Restor-AFinish treatment was amazing. We'll leave you to imagine just how elegant that old Victorian lady looked when we waved her goodbye. David Foster Howard Products (Aus) advice@howardproducts.com.au
The Gold Coast Antique Centre is an exciting gallery in Miami with over 25 dealers displaying an ever changing range of rare antiques and collectables. It’s an Aladdin’s cave of treasures including the finest glassware, antique furniture, jewellery, clocks, toys, movie memorabilia and much more.
The Gold Coast Antique Centre is a must see venue located at
2076 Gold Coast Highway, Miami • Phone 07 5572 0522 • Mobile: 0414 338 363 More than a website – shop online @ www.goldcoastantiquecentre.com.au OPEN 7 DAYS 10 - 5 Sun 10 - 4
INDIAN COLONIAL FURNITURE The surviving pieces are a rich legacy of colonial society reflecting the cross influences in taste between the East and West
Melody Amsel-Arieli
Portuguese colonial India rosewood settee made Goa, triple back design, the balloon shaped chair backs have carved and pierced slats, the top of the backs decorated with a richly carved floral pattern. The front and side of the seating in serpentine form, the eight legs are interconnected with stretchers. The Past Perfect Collection, Singapore www.pastperfect.sg
Living under Portuguese rule
etween the 15th and 20th
When Portuguese traders, officials, and
centuries three distinct furniture
priests reached coastal India in the late
styles emerged on the Indian
15th century, they found that most people
subcontinent, each reflecting
socialised sitting on floors of mud and cow
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the tastes of the successive Portuguese,
dung or mats bolstered with cushions.
Dutch or British ruling powers. Despite the
They commissioned local craftsmen to
complex relationship between the rulers
build elevated breviary stands and ritual
and the ruled, local craftsmen combined
chairs for their chapels, churches,
European and Indian characteristics into
convents and monasteries
unique creations, melding East and West.
Although these pieces retained their western forms, they were fashioned from readily available rich-grained teak, ebony, rosewood, mahogany and satinwood, and often featured lavish Indian ivory, tortoiseshell, or horn inlay. Until 1661, when Portuguese rule ended, many cupboards, chests, settees, cabinets, console tables, and armoires featured richly-carved patterns of lotus flowers, heart-shaped banyan leaves, and palm leaves, as well as embellishments like brass accents, circles studded with ebony and ivory and ball-and-claw, birds’ head, or paw feet. The Portuguese also commissioned finewood sewing and document boxes. Because officials were required to regularly report on India’s political, industrial, and agricultural developments, writing desks and slopes –
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CollectablesTrader
Life under British rule After the Indian Rebellion of 1857, England’s East India Company (established 1774), passed its power to the Crown. During British Raj (rule), which lasted through 1947, Indian colonial furniture reflected the tastes and needs of British officials, traders and expatriates. Indian rulers too favoured late Georgian, Regency, and Victorian-style formal pieces. Although their settees, cabinets, and chests were often British in form, local craftsmen, known for their carpentry, carving, joining skills and creative imagination, embellished them, as they were wont, with Indian motifs and carvings. Cupboards, for example, often feature sunbursts, a typical motif of the state of Gujarat signifying prosperity, as well as gadrooned edging and foliage. To accommodate the Indian way of life, many Anglo-Indian settees, sofas and daybeds incorporated lightweight cabinets that feature sloping lids to facilitate arm support while writing – were also indispensible. Dutch East India Company (VOC) Because commissioning locally-made
Dutch colonial cupboard on stand, late 19th century, made Coromandel Coast, mahogany, inlaid ebony and ivory quatre foils. The legs are in a traditional Dutch style with a bulbous top, tapering, with a ring and ending in a peg foot, whereas on the front legs the bulbous tops are carved. The Past Perfect Collection, Singapore www.pastperfect.sg
pieces was far less expensive than importing ones from home, representatives of the Dutch East
cane, bamboo, rattan (a vine related to the palm tree), or wicker (a process using bamboo, rattan, or straw). Beds, to add to their airiness, were slatted, highly carved, or featured pierced motifs. Many were luxurious four-posters, possibly to accommodate mosquito netting.
also feature simple interiors. Although their storage trunks,
As British influence in India expanded, its trading company
India Company in India (1604-1825)
fashioned from solid satinwood or
officials or army officers, while ‘under
also commissioned western-style
mahogany planks, may also boast
canvas’ in military camps or on foreign
furniture from local craftsmen. In
brass escutcheons, pierced back
campaigns, sought the comforts of
contrast to the Portuguese, however,
plates, and hinges, their lids, side
home. So many travelled with steamer
they favoured clean, simple lines.
panels, and bases were often edged
trunks filled with especially designed
with restrained bands of ebony. Indo-
comfortable, lightweight, foldable or
characterised by contrasting use of
Dutch chests, on the other hand,
collapsible chests of drawers, liquor
light and dark coloured wood.
along with brass-handled drawers,
cabinets, writing tables, dining tables,
Satinwood and ebony storage boxes,
sometimes include deep inlaid or
and bed frames. Many of these
some featuring decorative bolts and
scalloped wooden decorative
transportables, collectively known as
studs, for example, are divided into
additions to their utilitarian
campaign furniture, are made of
lidded, utilitarian compartments that
rectangular forms, called ‘aprons’.
readily available rosewood, teak,
separate documents from writing
Most also feature traditional Dutch-
satinwood, or mahogany, hard woods
tools. Their cash boxes, with brass
style bulbous-topped, ringed legs that
that withstand the tropical humidity of
bandings, hinges, and escutcheons,
taper into peg feet.
the subcontinent.
The Indo-Dutch style is usually
CollectablesTrader 31
Anglo-Indian camphor secretaire chest, late 19th century made Bombay, the top drawer opens to reveal a secretaire interior fitted with several compartments and drawers, allowing records and office supplies to be neatly stored in one place, the lower section has two deep long drawers and rests on flat bun feet. The Past Perfect Collection, Singapore www.pastperfect.sg
Since games were a favourite evening entertainment, game tables were popular as well. Those designed for playing cards were lined in leather or
Western prototypes Furniture was also made in Asia for the European market. A
looking for a better quality of life than could be offered in England. Upon
harlequin games table given to
resigning from service with the
Christian IV of Denmark was
company some chose to settle in
exactly like the one advertised by
Sydney while others looked to Tasmania.
London cabinet maker Thomas
Among the most popular items imported
Potter in the late 1730s.
into the colonies was campaign or camp
Clive of India, for example,
furniture, but accurately assigning
brought back to England furniture
attribution is difficult. Knowing if the
Collecting furniture made for the West
made at Vizagapatam, a port on
pieces were made in England, India,
the east coast of India. The
China or of local provenance involves
Purchasing antique Indian colonial
furniture drew on European
close examination of the individual items.
furniture, which is valued for its
furniture designs such as Thomas
history, fine materials, and quality of
Chippendale’s The Gentleman and
initially thought to be a local colonial
its workmanship, has become popular
Cabinet Maker’s Director, a copy
made piece has now been reassessed
only within the last decade or so.
of which was remaindered from
and identified as Anglo-Indian.
Although sources may seem finite,
the Calcutta Library in 1785 as
many of India’s stately mansions and
the designs were regarded as out
reattribution of a reeded side table in
palaces remain filled with colonial
of fashion.
the NGV collection to be of Indian or
felt. Others feature polished wood chess or checker boards embellished with horn or ivory scrolled inlay. Some game tables, closed, also doubled as coffee tables.
colonists brought their favourite pieces home. Today, their descendants, less sentimental, are putting them on the market.
CollectablesTrader
In Tasmania, a folding campaign table
Further research has resulted in the
Chinese make, not colonial as
décor. Furthermore, many British
32
furlough from the East India Company
Anglo-Indian furniture and Australia
previously thought. Similarly, a teak
The colony of New South Wales
Tasmania collection is an imported
was an attractive option for officers on
table now in the National Trust of piece of furniture of Asian origin.
What helps to identify Anglo-Indian and AngloChinese furniture? Furniture historians look to the style and construction rather than the timber. Furniture brought to the colony from India was mainly made of cedar – a timber also readily found in rainforests north and south of Sydney – so this adds to the confusion of identifying furniture of local or
A range of 19th century colonial boxes. The Past Perfect Collection, Singapore www.pastperfect.sg Anglo-Indian sewing box, early 20th century, hardwood, shell, ivory, veneered interior fitted with two tiers of compartments, storage box fitted with seven small drawers. Estimate US$300500. Skinner Auctioneers and Appraisers USA www.skinnerinc.com Anglo-Indian writing box, c. 1850s, camphorwood, brass mounts, felt-lined interior. Estimate US$600-800. Skinner Auctioneers and Appraisers USA www.skinnerinc.com
Indian make. Very telling is the eccentric and unusual interpretation of European forms and decoration, such as stylised motifs of carved flowers banding found in furniture of south India, or an exaggerated bulbous swell on legs of a folding daybed. Items made in India would incorporate brass ferrules, inlaid ebony escutcheons of exotic design, brass inlays. Furniture made with cane was used for humid climates.
Anglo-Indian parquetry games table, central drawer to all four sides, raised on a baluster-form stem with inlaid shapes and applied ebonised medallions set on bracket feet. Estimate US$400-600. Skinner Auctioneers and Appraisers USA www.skinnerinc.com
Further reading James Broadbent, Suzanne Rickard & Margaret Steven, India, China, Australia: Trade and Society 1788-1850, Historic Houses Trust NSW 2003 Anna Jackson & Amin Jaffer (Eds), Encounters: the Meeting of Asia and Europe 1500-1800, V&A Publications 2004
CollectablesTrader 33
Discovery Corner Established in 1976 and proudly run by the Phillips Family Trading from Brisbane Antique Emporium Member of Queensland Antique Dealers Association
Pair plates made by Spode, c. 1830, hand-painted chinoiserie decoration, diam: 15 cm
French bronze and ormolu mantel clock by Vincent Et Cie, c. 1860, of rococo design, h: 44.5 cm
Meissen cup and saucer, 19th century, gilt decoration, hand-painted hunting scene on black ground
English rosewood library table c. 1850 fitted with two drawers
Pair English rosewood chairs, c. 1865, tapestry upholstery
We specialise in furniture, silver, porcelain, glassware, statuary and Rosentengel furniture Always wanting TO BUY Quality, rarity and presentation are of prime importance
Sèvres porcelain figurines, c. 1870, h: 33 cm
Discovery Corner @ Discovery Junction 794 Sandgate Road, Clayfield. Telephone: 3862 2155. Email: discoverycnr@bigpond.com
Contemporary buttoned back leather upholstered executive chair $1,450
Heavily carved Chinese camphorwood trunk, c. 1930
Late 19th century European walnut semi pedestal desk fitted with five drawers and tooled leather top $1,950
Winifred Jensen, Not far from the Maddening Crowd, watercolour $465
Manhattan range pendant and flush $410
Late 19th century French Henri II style fine carved gilt pillow mirror $2,500
Antique Victorian sewing stand or work table set on trumpet base, embroidery lined interior $3,000
Jon O'Hanlon, Balmain & the Working Harbour, 2002, acrylic on paper set in gilt frame $485
Antique walnut grandfather armchair set on casters and upholstered in diamond pattern studded fabric $750
Chinese camphorwood chest with decorative incised carving, c. 1930s $650
William IV mahogany dumb waiter c. 1840 $3,250
Pair of French walnut marble topped nightstands $1,950 pair
Art Nouveau kauri pine fire surround and grate in excellent condition $2,750
Glebe Antique Centre Phone: +61 2 9550 3199 Fax: +61 2 9550 3833
88-90 Parramatta Road, Camperdown NSW 2050 Two levels of quality furniture, lighting, jewellery, glass, porcelain and general collectables Art Deco French queen size bed head and foot featuring walnut parquetry with gilt bronze ormolu mounts, includes specially made new pillow top biddell spring quality mattress $3,950
Open 7 days 10am to 6pm Email: sales@glebeantiques.com.au Edwardian kauri pine dressing table fitted with bevelled swing mirrors, four drawers $2,250
American 19th century black timber striking mantle clock $600
Check out our up-to-date websites
www.glebeantiques.com.au www.desksofdistinction.com.au
Waterford external wall bracket $295
The largest collection of genuine antique furniture in Sydney
French Louis Philippe style walnut chest of drawers, c. 1860 $3,650 Edwardian kauri pine bookcase, c. 1900 $1,650
Edwardian cedar double pedestal desk with tooled leather top, fielded panels, cupboards to rear, brushing slides and eight drawers including two large filing drawers $3,950
William IV mahogany chest of drawers in good original condition $3,950
Edwardian kauri pine kitchen dresser featuring six sliding doors, three drawers $3,250
Fine quality 19th century French mahogany bookcases fitted with drawers to the base $6,850 each
Mahogany display cabinets fitted with bevelled glass and mirror backs $795 each Australian three door wardrobe with central mirror made in Richmond River cedar, c. 1860 $4,500
australian
PRISON CELL PEEPHOLES Arguably one of the most unusual collecting themes
Peter Lane
eepholes are exceptionally rare
P
on the market. Whilst they are humble, utilitarian and plain, they form an important part of
our convict and criminal past. Those that collect convict relics prize them. A cast iron peephole formed a part of a prison cell door. The idea was that a guard could peer into a cell in safety. All the guard needed to do was to move the latch sideways
From top: Photograph of Port Arthur guards, 1888. Courtesy Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies Port Arthur peephole found in Masterpiece Gallery, Tasmania Inside Port Arthur prison. Source: Wikipedia Port Arthur
36
CollectablesTrader
Pentridge Goal
and put his eye to the hole. A thick
convicts in 1853. Re-offenders
piece of glass in the peephole protected
continued to be sent there until the
his eye from an attack by a prisoner.
prison closed in 1877. The model
The three peepholes illustrated
prison buildings where peepholes
here were used in Pentonville style prisons, the model prison building at
were installed was completed in 1853. Port Arthur was dreaded by convicts
Port Arthur in Tasmania, Fremantle in
and due to its isolation was virtually
Western Australia, and Pentridge in
impossible to escape. One successful
Victoria. Two housed convicts and all
escapee was Martin Cash, a forebear
date from around the mid-19th
of Pat Cash the well-known Australian
century. They were acquired by a
tennis star. An unsuccessful attempt
private ‘convict relic’ collector over a
to escape was made by an inmate
25 year period.
who disguised himself by wrapping
Based on their online records the
himself in a hide to look like a
National Museum in Canberra and
kangaroo but the half-starved
Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum do
guards on duty tried to shoot him to
not record any in their collections
supplement their meagre rations.
and Museum Victoria has one
When he noticed them taking aim
peephole complete with door, but it
at him, he threw off his disguise
came out of a mental hospital. There
and surrendered.
are however numerous peepholes in
After the prison closed much of the
situ in closed down prisons around
property was put up for auction.
the country however, these are
However, most of the property was
unavailable to collectors.
not sold until 1889. Those who
Pentonville style prison
bought the Port Arthur property
The Pentonville model was based on
began tearing down the buildings and
Jeremy Bentham’s theories. Bentham
the destruction was furthered added
denounced corporal punishment
to by the fires of 1895 and 1897
such as whippings, as it only served
which destroyed the old prison house.
to harden criminals and did nothing
It is believed that it was during this
to turn them from their immoral ways.
era that the peephole first came on
He promoted psychological
the market.
punishment like the silent and
Second find: Pentridge Gaol
peephole dates to this period. In the
In 2001 one was discovered in the
began closing down and public tours
well-known Ian Armstrong antique
began in 1997. In 1999 the site
Port Arthur and its peephole
shop in suburban Melbourne (since
was sold off by the government and
closed). When the topic of peep holes
the area is now a typical suburb with
Port Arthur was named after George
was discussed with the proprietor he
houses, parks and commercial
Arthur the Lieutenant Governor of Van
went out the back and pulled out two,
properties. The dealer acquired this
Diemen’s Land. Convicts were sent
from the then recently demolished
peephole when remnants of the
there from 1833 until the cessation of
Pentridge Gaol.
prison were being auctioned off.
hooded system, however inmates developed mental illnesses. The peephole was part of this system.
Pentridge Gaol peephole initially acquired by Ian Armstrong, Melbourne
Pentridge was established as a stockade in 1850 to house the overflowing Melbourne Gaol prisoners. In the years 1857 to 1864 Pentridge was built into a Pentonville-style prison and the latter half of the 1990s the prison
CollectablesTrader 37
Helpful tips Visit antique shops where Western Australia was the last
finished looking around tell
colonists pleaded with the British
the owners or staff what
Government for them. The colonists
interests you most. Do not
were desperate for labourers. The first
be too precise in what you
felons arrived from England in 1850
are looking for, form a habit
and the last was in 1868.
of asking for anything
The prison was built in the 1850s, and transferred to the colonial government in 1886 for use as a jail for locally-sentenced prisoners. It
made or used in Australia. It is surprising what comes out from under the counter or in the back room.
closed as a prison in 1991 shortly
Fremantle Gaol peephole located in a Fremantle antique centre
after a riot. Fremantle Goal is the best preserved convict-built prison in Australia and is now a tourism hotspot, attracting well over 125,000
Third find: Fremantle Gaol
visitors annually.
that housed transported convicts. The Port Arthur and Fremantle gaols were constructed to hold convicts transported to Australia, whereas
Victoria Street, Fremantle, another
How much are Australian prison cell peepholes worth?
peephole was discovered in a back
Value is based on supply and
Australian prison cell peepholes, they
room. It had been only in the shop a
demand. Supply of peepholes is
would have to be valued at a
few days when spotted. The owner of
almost non-existent. But even rarer
minimum of a few hundred dollars to
the centre stated that the stallholder
are those who collect them. That said
a thousand. If they were put into a
claimed the peephole had come from
they are historically important,
specialist auction who knows what
Fremantle Gaol.
particularly ones used in institutions
they would fetch.
In 2012 at the antique centre in
Photograph of Fremantle Goal, c. 1900
38
ever you go and when
colony to accept convicts. In fact, the
CollectablesTrader
Fremantle Goal
Pentridge was built for home grown convicted criminals. If one had to put an estimate on
Valentine’s Antique Gallery IMPORTERS OF FINE QUALITY ANTIQUES ESTABLISHED 1947
Impressive French rosewood Louis XV style queen size bed, c.1880, with ornate rococo scrolls, professionally extended for new mattress
Rare 19th century satinwood double bed made by Alex Mackenzie (Glasgow UK), c.1880, with cartouche initials ‘R.D.’ to foot; fine ebonised inlays, newly upholstered head & foot
Fine quality French mahogany Louis XVI style queen size bed, c.1890, with parquetry inlaid panels and quality floral ormolu mounts
Rare Victorian burr walnut arched top queen size bed made by Wylie & Lochhead (Glasgow UK), c.1870, with turned columns to head, bow ends to bracket foot
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
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
travel feature
FORGOTTEN ISLANDS, FULSOME ART Eyes agog with wonder, Melissa Rimac visits the exotic islands of West Papua and emerges weighed down with irresistible artefacts
he call to prayer ricochets along
T
narrow lanes edged with the stout columns and candy coloured shutters of stately
colonial villas then melds with the sedating clunk of rickshaws and hand-pushed wooden carts. Doe eyed cows are tethered to Dutch East India Company cannons. As I make my way under a canopy of rain trees towards forts that have stood sentry since the early 1600s, the air is dense with the scent of clove cigarettes.
40
CollectablesTrader
Ambling about Banda Neira, the erstwhile spice trading hub where it
Inviting ports of call Our first port of call after embarking
feels as if the Dutch left last week, it
amid the surreal volcanic backdrop of
strikes me that not only is this tiny,
Rabaul was Wewak, a port city that,
car-free island laden with evocative
like so many in Papua New Guinea,
antiques – in fact, the whole place
has at its heart a bustling market
actually is an antique.
memorable for the bright smiles and
Within moments of stepping off the
technicolour outfits of the local
gangplank of the luxury expedition
women. A shameless bag lady, I
ship the Orion, a small ship that
couldn’t resist purchasing a few
specialises in visiting otherwise
woven bilums.
inaccessible time-frozen sanctuaries, I was ogling reminders of the days
Jayapura – a step back in time
National Geographic. Some men
when spices – such as nutmeg,
After a smooth day at sea – which
wore headdresses fashioned from
which only grew on these volcanic
passes quickly and pleasantly thanks
cassowary feathers, some had
islands and was believed capable of
to the fascinating lectures – we
skullcaps made from shells, one had
warding off the plague – were literally
docked at Jayapura in West Papua.
a hat shaped like those of 17th
worth more than their weight in gold.
Dancers attired in elaborate
century Dutch sailors. Women were adorned in lavishly painted bark.
VOC embossed coins, cutlery and
arrangements of bark, feathers and
locks, Chinese crockery, daggers and
shells greeted us. At a traditional
It would be easy to dismiss the
covetable chests, as well as fetching
Papuan village reached by way of
repeated vibrant displays of dancing
wicker-ware and ocean pearls,
brightly painted timber boats, I felt
and culture as tourist trappings.
competed for my wad of rupiah.
like I’d stumbled into an antiquated
However it soon becomes apparent
During WWII Wewak was a Japanese base destroyed by the 6th Division, Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in the Aitape-Wewak campaign (November 1944August 1945). This was the final Australian military campaign on mainland New Guinea, and now categorised as an ‘unnecessary campaign’ as the Japanese were isolated and strategically irrelevant.
CollectablesTrader 41
that for the locals – who themselves travel great distances to relish the
With their palette of earthy colours,
Irian Jaya Museum, we saw headdresses very similar to that of the
spectacle and the social occasion –
the large paintings on hibiscus bark
dancers’, along with bark paintings akin
these performances are a source of
cloth arranged for sale upon the grass
to those seen in the village. As our guide
huge pride and an opportunity to
reminded me of tapa cloth, albeit with
at this unusually well-curated exhibition
nourish a traditional culture that
striking abstract figures and geometric
space explained the background to the
might wither.
symbols. Though clearly traditional,
weapons, canoes and paintings, it
these works were quite funky, the sort
became clear that in these tribal
as a privilege, the opportunity to glimpse
of thing that could work with all
societies, warfare, ancestor veneration
into vivid, heartfelt expressions of ancient
manner of home décor.
and the need for protection figured
I’ve come to see these performances
lifestyles. It’s something you just don’t
42
see when you’re travelling independently.
CollectablesTrader
Later that afternoon in Jayapura’s
prominently in artistic expression.
As West Papua’s largest city, Jayapura acts as a clearing house for regional art A gloriously diverse range is available for sale near the market, in small, treasurebox styled stores – the sort of places that are all the more fun because you do, quite literally trip over fascinating pieces – are crammed with art from the Sepic, the Baliem Valley and the Asmat tribes, renown worldwide for their spiritually-inspired elaborate carvings. The easily-carried bark paintings, some neutral toned and almost cubist, others richly nuanced and depicting brilliantly colourful birds of paradise, were too hard to walk past; likewise the jewellery, fashioned from simple materials such as shells and wood into inventive designs. Between visits to several more unique and remote villages – each regaling with magnificent outfits, headdresses, dancing and impromptu markets selling local handicrafts – along with adrenaline charged shopping episodes, we played castaway on deliciously far flung islands. We snorkelled on reefs that, as part of the renowned Coral Triangle, are home to more species of coral than
CollectablesTrader 43
Birds of paradise are inextricably linked with Papua New Guinea cultures, chosen as the country’s national emblem. A yellow bird of paradise on a red background sits in the upper triangle of Papua New Guinea’s national flag.
anywhere else on the planet. In what seemed like the middle of the Pacific Ocean at Marpia Atoll, we driftsnorkelled, marvelling at gardens of jewel-lipped giant clams. The fairytale landscape of Rajah Ampat, featuring hundreds of tiny karst islands, brought on audible swoons and appreciation of the fact that such unpeopled, unspoiled places still exist. But there’s a downside to Paradise.
Coral Triangle Initiative on
On our sea-day en-route to Darwin,
Coral Reefs, Fisheries and
we cleaned the masks and shields
Food Security (CTI)
we’d bought and wondered how we’ll
Regional Plan of Action
carry them all home. As passengers
(RPOA), states that within
compared finds, the Orion’s top deck
the Coral Triangle region
started to resemble a tribal art gallery.
are 76 per cent of all
I couldn’t help but feel a little
known coral species, 37 per
envious. But that’s not entirely a bad
cent of all known coral reef
thing. I now have all the more reason
fish species, 53 per cent of
to return to eastern Indonesia, to
the world’s coral reefs, the
havens such as the Spice Islands,
greatest extent of mangrove
remarkable for their beautiful,
forests in the world, and
narrative-laden ikat textiles.
spawning and juvenile growth areas for tuna and other globally-significant commercial fish species.
44
CollectablesTrader
Open Monday to Sunday 10.30am to 4pm
SALLY BERESFORD 17th - 19th Century Provincial Furniture
BIG & SMALL TABLES
DINING TABLES
EXTENSION TABLES
Sally Beresford/French Farmhouse Tables is now trading in the country. We have a beautiful and historic showroom for our range of artisan made, bespoke tables in hand-selected French timbers. Uniquely crafted locally, using 17th-18th century methods of construction and finish, we can take orders on tables custom made from 1m to 5m. Visit us at Mount Ashby and sit around a French Farmhouse table in the original, restored dairy, and enjoy the view of the vineyard surrounded by grazing dairy cattle.
SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS SHOWROOM Mount Ashby Estate Cellar Door and ‘La Palette’ Cafe 128 Nowra Road, Moss Vale (100m from cnr of Nowra & Yarrawa Rds) p: 02 4869 4144 p: 02 9362 1733 e: info@sallyberesford.com.au Open Thursday to Monday 10am to 4.30pm & By Appointment
www.sallyberesford.com.au
www.sallyberesford.com.au
www.sallyberesford.com.au
Collectables Trader
Congratulations to the winner of Conundrum No. 47
conundrum no.48
Congratulations to the winner of Conundrum No. 47, S. Boulter of Palm Beach, QLD, who wins a one year subscription to the online version of CARTER'S Price Guide to Antiques at www.carters.com.au, valued at $110.
n this Conundrum, we focus on some of the lesser known gemstones and precious materials, used in jewellery manufacture. Paua is unique to New Zealand, and is a species of abalone (Haliotis Iris). It lives on the rocky shoreline all around the coast, but grows best in the waters of southern NZ. This marine mollusc’s shell is the most colourful of the abalone, ranging in colours from greens, pinks, purples and blues to examples found with crimson tonings. Greenstone, as it is known in English, is also from southern New Zealand. It is known to the Maori as pounamu and is generally found in rivers in certain parts of the South Island as commonplace boulders and stones, which makes them difficult to identify without cutting them open. Tiger’s eye or tiger eye is the common name for a variety of quartz that is a golden to red-brown colour, with a streaked appearance. When polished it has a fine golden lustre. The best stones come from South Africa. Tahitian pearls are produced in the black-lipped oyster Pinctada margaritifera and are commonly known as black pearls because of their dark colour, although they are not actually black. Black pearls contain various undertones and overtones of green, pink, blue, silver and yellow. Pearls that are truly black are extremely rare. Moonstone is a semi-precious stone mostly from India and Sri Lanka. This feldspar mineral has a silvery or bluish shimmer on an almost transparent background. Moonstones can be white, clear, gray, a very pale yellow, brownish or green. It was a favourite with Art Nouveau jewellers including René Lalique. Citrine, a member of the quartz mineral group, is an affordable semiprecious gem and the colour ranges from a pale yellow to brown. Those with a deep golden colour resemble the more costly topaz and are sometimes used as a substitute. Virtually all citrine comes from Brazil. After reading through the description of each item from 1 to 6 above, your task this month is to write the name of the gemstone under each item. To recap, the names of the six items are:
I
1
2
3
4
Paua Tiger’s eye Moonstone
5
6
Greenstone Tahitian pearls Citrine
Once you are satisfied with your answers, complete the coupon below and mail it to the address shown. The first correct entry opened after the closing date for entries will receive a free one-year subscription to Carter’s online price guide to antiques and collectables valued at $110. You must have an email address in order to be able to access the online price guide. Located on the internet at www.carters.com.au, it includes over 90,000 items. Carter’s online price guide is fully indexed, making it easier to locate items, and offers affordable access for infrequent or once-only users, as well as being moderately priced for an annual subscription.
Answers to Conundrum No. 47, which asked readers to identify the country of origin of the designer of six items: 1. Britain 2. France 3. Denmark 4. Australia 5. Italy 6. United States
CARTER’S PUBLICATIONS
PO BOX 8464, ARMADALE VIC 3143, AUSTRALIA FAX: 03 9819 4407 EMAIL: info@carters.com.au JOHN FURPHY PTY LTD ABN 37 005 508 789
To enter, write the answer underneath the appropriate picture, complete the coupon below and mail or fax this page or a photocopy to reach CARTER’S by 5 pm Tuesday 13 August 2013. Win a free one-year subscription to Carter’s online price guide to antiques and collectables at www.carters.com.au valued at $110. Name: ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ Address: .........................................................................................................................Suburb or Town: ............................................................... State: .................Postcode: .................Phone..........................................................Email.........................................................................................
CollectablesTrader
47
Now you can easily find the value of antiques and collectables in the online version of Carter’s Price Guide to Antiques and Collectables.
STEP 1 Enter one or two words applicable to o your general gen area of interest, intere estt, and click c on the Go button. bu utton.
STEP 2 Select the index ind dex item from the disp play that display your matches you ur criteria. criteria.
STEP 3 Click to displ display ay the matching ma items.
Our online price guide comprises over 95,000 items sold by auction in Australia and New Zealand over the last four years, and the price range shown is indicative of the actual auction price. Carter’s price guide is fully indexed, just like a book, making search-and-find easy. Each item is fully described and illustrated.
Subscription rates are: – One week AUD$12.50
– One month AUD$30.00
Go to: www.carters .com.au John Furphy Pty Ltd trading as CARTER’S Publications ABN: 37 005 508 789 info@carters.com.au
– One year AUD$110.00
COLLECTABLES
fairs
** Fairs listed prominently advertise complete details in Collectables Trader or Antiques & Art (NSW, VIC, QLD) Collectors should call and confirm the date, venue, address, hours and entry fees to ensure up to date information before travelling to the listed fairs, as changes may occur after printing
Fair organisers who advertise in Collectables Trader and Antiques and Art NSW, Queensland and Victoria have preference for this free listing, as space is limited. Please ring 02 9389 2919 to discuss ways to advertise your fair in these magazines or email copy or request for advertising rates to production@worldaa.com
AUSTRALIA JULY **6
Ballarat Collectables Fair, Wendouree Sports & Events Centre, Norman St, Wendouree VIC 03 9585 6567
6-7
Annual Blue Mountains Antiques and Collectables Fair, Blackheath Community Centre, Great Western Highway, Blackheath NSW www.bluemts.com.au
6-7 **12 -14
3rd Annual Charity Nerang PCYC Antique & Collectables Fair, Cayuga St Nerang QLD 0449 997 149 Rotaract Club of Dubbo Antiques & Collectables Fair, Dubbo Regional Theatre & Convention Centre, Darling Street, Dubbo NSW www.dubborotaract.org.au Gala opening Friday, 6pm – 9pm
**19-21
21st Annual Rotary Club of Hoppers Crossing Inc Antiques & Collectables Fair, Werribee Civic Centre, Princess Highway, Werribee NSW 03 9748 6437 / 0408 486 432
19 - 21
Rotary Club of Palm Beach 10th Mid Year Antiques and Collectables Fair, Albert Waterways Community Centre, cnr Hooker Blvd & Sunshine Parade, Mermaid Waters QLD 0411 649 242 www.rotaryantiquesfair.com
20
Pakenham’s 10th Annual Antique Fair, Pakenham Racecourse, Racecourse Rd, Pakenham VIC www.the4cs.org.au 03 5941 1327 $5 valuations by David Freeman
**27 - 28
32nd Annual Doll Fair, Liverpool Catholic Club, cnr Hoxton Park & Joadja Rds 02 4393 9973 www.dollclubnsw.com.au
AUGUST **2 - 4
27th Annual Camden Antique Fair, Camden Civic Centre, Oxley Street Camden NSW 02 4655 8681
www.camdenciviccentre.com.au Verbal appraisals 10am - 3pm Sat & Sun, 2 item limit for small fee; preview Friday, 6pm - 9pm 2-4
Annual Tamworth Antiques and Collectables Fair, Tamworth Town Hall, Fitzroy Street, Tamworth NSW www.tamafair.org.au
10 - 11
Annual Tweed Gold Coast Antiques and Collectables Fair, Tweed Heads Civic Centre, Corner of Wharf & Brett Sts, Tweed Heads 07 5524 8531 www.tweedgoldcoastfamilyhistoryheritageassociation.bravehost.com
**10 - 1 Sept
Gold Coast Quilters Guild Exhibition 2013, The Arts Centre Gold Coast, 135 Bundall Rd Surfers Paradise QLD 07 55816567 www.theartscentre.com.au
**16 - 18
ACT Springtime Antiques and Collectables Fair, presented by Rotary Club of Canberra City, Albert Hall, Commonwealth Ave, Canberra ACT 02 6231 5244 / 0418 631 445
23 - 25
Coffs Harbour Quota’s annual Antique Fair, Exhibition Hall, Coffs Harbour Showgrounds, Pacific Highway, Coffs Harbour NSW 02 6652 5704
**30, 31 - 1 Sept The Lions Club of Berowra’s 3rd Northern Sydney Antiques & Collectables Fair, Berowra Community Centre, Berowra NSW 0424 023 220 free Father’s Day Classic Car Show & free shuttle service to station 0424 023 220 www.nsacfair.com.au **30, 31 - 1 Sept 17th Annual Kyneton Antique Fair, Kyneton Town Hall, Mollison St, Kyneton VIC 0411 208 448 friendsofkynetonmuseum@gmail.com NEW ZEALAND JULY 6
Antiques, Collectables and Crafts Market, Bay View Hotel, 47 Petane Road, Bay View, Napier www.eventfinder.co.nz
13 - 14
The Christchurch Toy Fair, Pioneer Stadium, 75 Lyttelton Street, Christchurch www.thechristchurchtoyfair.org.nz
14
Blockhouse Bay Antique and Collectables Fair, Blockhouse Bay Community Centre, 524 Blockhouse Bay Rd, Auckland 09 445 1227
20
Hastings Great Car Boot Sale Hawke’s Bay A & P Showgrounds, Kenilworth Rd, Hastings www.eventfinder.co.nz
20
The Little Vintage Markets, The Mount Senior Citizens Club, 345 Maunganui Rd, Mt Maunganui, Tauranga www.thelittlebigmarkets.co.nz
20 - 21
Napier DIY Art Deco Weekend Antique Fair, Asher Hall, Presbyterian Hall, cnr Tennyson & Dalton Sts, Napier www.antiquefairs.co.nz
27
Waikato Mid-Winter Retro Fair, Chartwell Co-Operation Church Hall, Comries Road, Chartwell, Hamilton http://waikatoretro.co.nz/retrofair CollectablesTrader 49
CRICKET MEMORABILIA still batting above average After almost 50 years collecting, cricket expert Ken Piesse says the thrill of the hunt is just as irresistible – and rewarding aving just returned from
H
Clunes for Australasia’s biggest two-day book fair, my wife Susan expressed amazement
that I’d want to spend the very next
The Bradman Flicker booklets from 1930. Expect to pay $250 each, as these are rare Signed editions of The Terror and Tony Greig: A Tribute are both worth upwards of $50 because of their rarity although recently released
Saturday morning at the local Rotary Club jumble sale. I tried to explain the thrill of the hunt and that you never know, someone might be disposing of some rare wartime Wisden
Almanacks, the prized ‘bible’ for old cricketers worldwide.
Hidden treasures in sports books I was one of the first there, just after the 8 am opening, and was quickly directed to the sports books. I helped myself to six or eight cricket and AFL football books, including, in as-new condition, a biography of one of Australia’s greatest sportsmen Ron Barassi, which he readily signed for me at a meeting soon afterwards. His signature is truly unique as it finishes with a ‘17410’. Rather than a code of how many times Ron has signed his autograph, it tells of his remarkable playing and coaching record of 17 Grand Finals for 10 premierships – ‘and did you know Ken,’ he loves to say, ‘those numbers add up to 31, my number’.
Wisden Almanacks have been published continuously since 1864 and are believed to be the longest running sports annual.
50
CollectablesTrader
Ron Barassi’s unique signature ends in ‘17410’ The signed How to Play Cricket by Don Bradman. Value: $200
Having a book autographed by an
signature on my frontispiece – and
old champion has always been
that this new addition had been
special. Sir Donald Bradman had
hand-signed by the Don. A $5 buy
signed five of his books for me years
was suddenly worth almost $200.
earlier in Adelaide and they take pride of place on my bookshelves. This day, at the local scout hall,
Prize buys like this are ever so rare, but will ensure more crazy, interrupted weekends – especially if pre-loved books
SOME TITLES TO LOOK FOR Among those are limited editions from both sides of the cricketplaying world. Tony Greig: A
Tribute 1946-2012 (Sussex Cricket Museum, 2013, £20) has sold
one of the books I bought was The
are part of a local fair!
Don’s How to Play Cricket, the revised
What to consider if collecting cricket books
in a run of 200. Each copy is
So which cricket books are most
Greg’s old Sussex teammates
collectable? Which ones offer the very
including John Snow, the wonder
hardback edition, released in the Queen’s coronation year of 1953. The slim hardback and dust jacket were in excellent order, so like all serious
out just weeks after its release embellished by autographs of
best returns? What should an astute
bowler of the early 1970s. The
book collectors who regard a dust
collector look to be buying? Bradman?
book is based around specially-
jacket often as fondly as the insides,
Warne? Who?
commissioned essays and
added it to my small stack. Elizabeth, the lovely lady taking the
In a year of back-to-back Ashes
memories of the much-loved Greig
contests, the Test cricket matches
who lost his fight against cancer
money, said had she known that one
between England and its oldest rival
late in 2012.
was there, she would have purchased
Australia, new books abound from
The Terror: Charlie Turner,
it for her son who plays at a seriously
‘ghost’ written autobiographies by
Australia’s Greatest Bowler, was
high club level. I immediately offered
current English wicketkeeper Matt
published in Melbourne in a run of
it to her but she refused, saying I’d
Prior to recently retired Australian
500, the first 100 signed by the
found it and I should keep it.
greats Ricky Ponting and Mike
author Ric Sissons and another
Hussey. Their books were all widely
bowling great from country
the new acquisitions and casually
available, 10,000 and more having
Australia, Alan Davidson, in time
opened the Bradman book. Next to
been printed of each and, while all
for Christmas 2012. The standard
his picture at the front was his
are enjoyable, none are particularly
edition at $35 is good value for a
autograph. This isn’t unusual as often
collectable or likely to rapidly spiral in
hardback. The signed edition costs
the old stars would have their
price – even with a signature gained
$50 and only a few remain. Like the
autograph copied onto the picture
at a launch or a bookshop promotion.
smaller and even-rarer Greig booklet,
That afternoon I thumbed through
before the printing of the book. But
Biographical or autobiographical
this one was totally separate to the
editions printed in more limited numbers
picture. I quickly reached for my
are far more collectable and provide more
original copy of the book and to my
opportunities than the mass-produced
delight found that there was no
titles for pleasurable superannuation.
it’s a good read by one of Australia’s finest social historians Ric Sissons.
CollectablesTrader 51
Books on Shane Warne More recently, looking to the ‘Bradman of bowlers’ Shane Warne – almost all of his books, and those written about him, were also mass produced. Shane Warne: My
Illustrated Career (2006) came in two editions, a standard paperback with R M Davis, Don Bradman’s Pictorial Test Record, 1932-33. Value: $300 signed R H Campbell, Cricket Casualties. Value: $500
Don Bradman – a big name treasure For those keener on the bigger names, among the most collectable Don Bradman treasures are three English ‘flicker’ books from 1930, The Don’s magic year when he made an unprecedented 974 runs during the five Ashes Tests at an average of almost 140. The flicker books fit into the palm of one hand and are totally pictorial. As your thumb flicks the pages, The Don is depicted flowing into an array of his favourite shots learnt on the concrete wickets of Bowral, his celebrated home town. For me, even more treasured, is Don
‘flap’ covers plus the more valuable, sumptuously produced leather bound
Many avenues for collectors
limited edition of 1000. The writing
From signed photographs,
may irritate some – Warne wasn’t the
autograph sheets, mini-bats and
finest cricketer to have played the
card sets, cricket collectors have so
game – but the production, complete
many avenues to explore.
with Warne’s original signature
Few have the finances to collect
coupled with some facsimile signed
everything, so it is necessary
photographs beautifully housed in a
to specialise.
hardy slips case, is a classic
A recently-released favourite card
collectable. Released only in England
set of mine was the Heritage set of
at just under £100, copies can still be
Australian Cricketers from 1995-96
bought on the secondary market at
which featured 60 cards, 58 signed
prices upwards of AUD$250 to almost
by Australia’s oldest living Test
AUD$500 – plus post.
players. The only two who didn’t sign were Keith Miller and Leo
The bottom line for collectors is to
O’Brien, then 88, and too ill to
revel in the moment and buy books and
hold a pen.
collectables you genuinely love… and
The O’Brien card (No.1) was
look inside every old Bradman book
withdrawn and replaced by a
you come across!
generic ‘starting’ card. My set includes the original O’Brien. Other
Bradman’s Pictorial Test Record
fortunate collectors were able to
booklet, produced for the Bodyline
have their Miller card (No.12)
summer. It is in good to very
signed by the great all-rounder
good condition and has The Don’s
before he died, in 2004. Their sets
original signature inside.
are worth upwards of $1750.
Rare ABC cricket publication Another treasure from that era is the very first ABC cricket publication – a tiny 28page booklet, Cricket Casualties was produced by the Australian Broadcasting Commission from records compiled by noted statistician R H Campbell in 1933, 12 months before the release of the very first ABC Ashes booklet in 1934. It also is flimsy with paper covers and I have only ever seen one copy – mine.
52
This Leo O’Brien card was withdrawn from the 1996 Heritage set and is worth $75
CollectablesTrader
The limited edition Shane Warne leather-bound book and photo set is worth upwards of $250
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CollectablesTrader
53
COLOURED URANIUM GLASS used to make a multitude of items It is surprising to realise how many manufacturers used uranium as a colorant in objects from exotic one-off works of art to everyday domestic objects
John Frith
Definition ranium glass is traditionally a
U
translucent yellow or yellowgreen glass that derives its colour from uranium oxide and
fluoresces bright yellow-green under ultraviolet light.
Discovery of uranium and uranium dioxide In 1789 German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth, while experimenting with pitchblende, at the time considered to be a blend of iron and zinc, separated a black powder from the mineral. He thought it was Top: Vase made of free blown uranium glass, yellow base and ruby with opalescent pattern bowl, maker unknown Above: Candlestick made in United States c. 1840-1860, yellow-green non-lead (uranium) glass; pressed in two parts, hexagonal urn shaped socket with a flat top rim joined by a wafer to a base with a hexagonal pen-shaped stem and a flat circular foot, hollow underneath. Courtesy Corning Museum of Glass Left: Covered sugar bowl made in England c. 1840-1860, light yellow uranium pressed glass, ovoid shape with a pattern of elongated diamonds around body set on a circular foot. Courtesy Corning Museum of Glass
54
CollectablesTrader
a new element and named it uranium after the planet Uranus. The uranium elemental metal itself was isolated in 1841 by French chemist EugèneMelchior Péligot who also demonstrated that the yellow precipitate Klaproth produced was not uranium, but uranium dioxide. Pitchblende, a form of urananite, is the most common mineral in which uranium is found. Uranium oxides make up to 50 to 80 per cent of that mineral, the rest being comprised of lead and thorium oxides, radium, and other rare earth elements. Up to the 1850s the main source of pitchblende was Bohemia after which it became available from Cornwall, and later from America.
Colours Uranium oxide was used to make many types of yellow and green glass. Different colours were made by addition of other colorants, iron oxide made green, copper and chromium oxides made green, blue and turquoise, manganese oxides made pink, and cadmium and sulphur salts made amber and orange. It was used as a secondary colorant in varieties of multi-coloured shaded glass such as Peachblow, Queen’s Ivory and
Above: Vase made of green uranium pressed glass with an opalescent thumbprint pattern, maker unknown
Below left to right: decorative vases, yellow with opalescent bowl, ruby with uranium green frills, and green uranium with ruby and opalescent bowl
Burmese; in opaque coloured glass such as Custard and Jade glass, in combination with ruby and opalescent, and as applied glass decoration in the many styles of coloured fancy glass.
Colouring glass in the early 19th century It is recorded that in 1831, at the Prague Exhibition, a yellow-green fluorescent glass was shown on the stand of Count Harrach’s Bohemian Neuwelt factory. But Josef Riedel, in his family glassworks in Bohemia, is usually credited with being the first documented glassmaker to use uranium in glass in the 1830s. Riedel produced green and yellow glass beakers decorated with gilding and
CollectablesTrader 55
Uranium glass used to make coloured wine glasses
enamelling which he named
the 1840s, Canary glass was made by
hock glasses and decanters, and
Annagrün (green) and Annagelb
glassmakers such as Hobbs,
many ornamental articles of
(yellow) after his wife Anna. The
Brockunier & Co and the Boston &
glass; but its fascinating
process of extracting the yellow
Sandwich glass Co.
peculiarity is lost, indeed, its
uranium salt from pitchblende was
Apsley Pellatt’s description from his
expensive and much of Riedel’s
1849 book Curiosities of Glassmaking
uranium glass pieces were made for
of the use of uranium in glass stated:
colorization mostly fades, by candle-light.’ In the latter half of the 19th century a
royalty and political figures. The
‘The introduction of toilet and
wide diversity of styles of decorative and
Riedel factory continued to make
smelling-bottles has created a
table glass containing uranium were
uranium glass up until the late 1840s.
demand for light-tinted Glasses,
made throughout Britain, continental
particularly for the beautiful
Europe and America, and remained
and French glassmakers had also
semi-opalescent, yellowish-green
popular until the mid 20th century.
been experimenting with uranium as a
colour; produced chiefly by the
yellow colorant of glass. In 1836
expensive oxide of uranium,
Whitefriars Glassworks of London
mixed with a slight portion of
made a pair of yellow topaz girandoles
copper, and appearing yellow or
that were presented to Queen
light green, just as the rays of
Adelaide by Lord Howe, and in 1837
light happen to fall upon the
they made uranium finger bowls and
unequal substance or thickness
hock glasses that were used at a
of the Glass. This chameleon-like
banquet given by the Corporation of
effect is also produced by
London for the new but as yet
uranium alone, used as the
uncrowned Queen Victoria.
colouring oxide for gold topaz; it
In the early 19th century British
In 1838 the Choisy-le-Roi factory in
has been much in demand for
Further reading A Pellatt, Curiosities of Glassmaking, David Bogue, London, 1849. BiblioLife Reproduction Series D A Peterson, Vaseline Glass: Canary to Contemporary, Glass Press Inc., Marietta, Ohio 2002 B Skelcher, The Big Book of Vaseline Glass, Schiffer Publishing Ltd, Atglen, Pennsylvania 2002 B Skelcher, ‘Uranium Glass’, 1998: www.glassassociation.co.uk/sites/default /files/Uranium_Glass_sample_article.pdf
Paris, France, was producing uranium glass. The Compagnie de Cristalleries
The Vaseline Glass Collectors,
USA) to be Vaseline glass, in
Inc. (VGCI) www.vaselineglass.org
Australia, they call citron or
uses this definition: Vaseline
uranium glass. In the United
chrysoprase, an opaque apple-green
glass is a particular colour of
Kingdom they refer to glass
glass named for its similarity to the
yellow-green glass that is
that has a wispy opalescent
green form of chalcedony mineral.
made by adding two per cent
treatment to be Vaseline glass.
uranium dioxide to the
What they call Primrose
Stourbridge made Canary glass and in
ingredients when the glass
Pearline (a trade name from
1848 chrysoprase. In America, from
formula is made. The addition
Geo. Davidson & Son) is what
of the uranium dioxide makes
USA collectors call Vaseline
the glass colour yellow-green.
glass. In Germany, they did not
Vaseline glass is always
differentiate and call all of it
verifiable by using an
uranglas and it can be yellow
ultraviolet light (blacklight)
or green, as long as it has
on the glass item.
uranium in it and glows under
de Baccarat in Paris released its first uranium glass in 1843 under the name Cristal Dichroide, and later
In 1844 Thomas Webb & Sons of
What we consider (in the Pair of crystal knife rests pressed glass, maker unknown
56
CollectablesTrader
a blacklight.
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the evolution of the
POCKET WATCH CASE Long before wristwatches – and indeed iPhones – became the norm for time keeping, pocket watches were the only portable means for telling the time Damien Kalmar n this article some of the various styles
I
and designs of pocket watch cases and how they evolved over the centuries will be examined.
Design dictated by fashion The earliest watch forms were a transition from clocks that goes as far back as the 16th century. These ‘clock-watches’ were fastened to clothing or worn on a chain around the neck, pendant style from the neck. In the 17th century men began to wear watches in pockets instead, spurred along by the introduction of the waistcoat. To fit comfortably in the pockets it evolved into the typical pocket watch shape – rounded and flattened with no sharp edges. From top: Early pocket watch c. 1820 in tortoiseshell case with key wind and set Art Deco 18 ct and platinum Movado pocket watch, c. 1920 Elgin full hunter 9ct gold lever set pocket watch. Note the small lever outside the 4 o'clock to pull out to set the time
58
CollectablesTrader
Identifying early designs: the pair case One of the earliest styles of cases was the pair case pocket watch which was most common from the 1700s through to the early 1800s.
plain. These are easily identifiable by the pocket watch having a longer than normal stem when removed from the outer case. These pocket watches had a key wind and key set movement that were
These were mostly created in
wound from the back and the hands set
sterling silver with a lesser amount
from either the back or the front. It’s not
in gold and were made with an outer
uncommon to find the outer case
case to protect the inner pocket
missing from the pocket watch so, if you
watch, and both cases were usually
are after one of these early examples.
In 1759 Thomas Mudge
escapement in watches. He
(1715-1794) made a watch for
appears to have made some
George III with a lever
3,000 watches and 174
escapement that became the
clocks of all types.
universally adapted mechanism for watches.
In 1764 John Arnold
Above: Minute repeating clock watch by Thomas Mudge (1715-1794) London, c. 1755, movement and dial are housed in triple cases: the two inner cases of gold, pierced and engraved with foliate scrolls and masks; the outer case of leather-covered brass with pierced panels to allow the sound of the bell to escape © The Trustees of the British Museum Below: George Graham (1673-1751)
(1736-1799), a clock maker
George Graham (c. 1674-
working in Fleet Street
1751) invented the deadbeat
designed and made an
escapement in 1715, the
extremely small repeating
mercurial pendulum in 1726
watch that he set in a ring
and modified the cylinder
and presented to George III. Robert Davy, John Arnold and family, c. 1783-1787, oil on canvas © Science Museum Group. Group portrait depicting the watch and chronometer maker John Arnold (1736-1799) examining a chronometer, his son John Roger Arnold (1769-1843, active from 1783 as a watchmaker, and his wife Margaret Arnold (1743/4-1789)
Below: Half quarter repeat gold and enamelled cased cylinder pocket watch by John Arnold, London, 1775, no 254 © The Trustees of the British Museum
CollectablesTrader 59
Half hunter made in 18 ct gold showing both the front cover open and closed. Note the double spade hands for the hour to distinguish between the minute and hour hands when the case is closed
verge and fuse escapements to a relatively thinner lever escapement movement. In addition better ways of protecting the pocket watch from damage as well as dust and other Full hunter 9 ct gold crown wind and set pocket watch, c. 1910, made for Angus & Coote, Sydney
debris were introduced by adding a front hinged cover called the full hunter or the hunter case. During this time, the open face
Important features to note It is obviously best to get a pair case pocket watch that is complete but do ensure that the hallmarks on both the pocket watch and the case match up and are not a later ‘marry’ between the two. In addition the case maker’s initial is often found on plain gold and silver cases. Again, where a watch does not have the same initials on the inner and
60
pocket watch was also developed and, as the name implies, this does not have a front cover however it also was just one piece as opposed to the two piece pair case pocket watches. Both of these cases are commonly found in sterling silver and solid gold cases. Added to this, the late 1800s to the 1900s saw the production of rolled gold or gold filled cases as well
Full hunter The full hunter was produced mainly for when a gentleman was hunting on horseback, and the front cover is opened by depressing the crown, that will reveal the dial. With any of these two there are of course both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage of an open face pocket watch is the ease with which to tell the time, that is, no need to open the top case to view the time. The disadvantage is of course the fact that it is easier to damage the glass covering the pocket watch dial, and these features – that is, protection versus convenience – are reversed for the full hunter pocket watches.
as nickel silver and gun metal cases.
Demi hunter
This was because the higher the
Which leads us on to another form of
outer case, the outer is non-original.
precious metal content, the softer the
pocket watch case; the demi-hunter
Design and mechanical developments
material. Gold filled pocket watches
or half-hunter pocket watch. This style
are well-built to stand ageing but in
of pocket watch gives total protection
The mid 1800s saw a major leap
time, such filled cases may show
of the full hunter pocket watch by
forward in pocket watch movements
patches of brass which can lessen the
having an outer cover, yet still allows
from the larger and somewhat bulky
value of the pocket watch.
the time to be read while this is still
CollectablesTrader
closed by having a small inner circle cut out. Most demi-hunter cases have additional numbers on the front cover of the case which correspond to the
Pocket watch use peaked in the late 19th century as a wave of investment went into its design and manufacture. Railroads needed
numbers on the dial. Demi-hunter
highly accurate, precision timepieces so their
cases make for a very handsome and
locomotive engineers could maintain strict
elegant pocket watch case and are
schedules, thus avoiding collisions.
much harder to find than the more traditional styles.
Winding mechanisms
Pin set: A similar style is the pin set where, again at the same position
As mentioned earlier, the key wind
but this time just on the outer edge of
and key set is quite straight forward
the case, a small ‘pin’ is depressed
in winding and setting via the key,
and the same process applied as the
and the later pocket watches from
lever set.
Switzerland and America from around the 1880s used a new technology in winding and setting the pocket watches. Crown wind: This was the crown wind also called the stem wind where
Note: With either of these pocket watches do not ever attempt to pull the crown out to set the time as this will very quickly and easily damage the pocket watch!
the top crown is rotated to wind the pocket watch. The earlier forms of front cover – usually to the left or
Other styles of pocket watches to look for
right of the crown – a small lever is
These include a railway grade, side
pulled out then the crown turned to
wind, fancy cased as well as
set the time; after the lever is pressed
repeating and chronograph pocket
back in, the crown reverts back to
watches to name a few.
these were lever set where, under the
winding the movement.
Above: Gold one minute tourbillon pocket watch by George Daniels (1926-2011), London 1986. The Daniels co-axial escapement is mounted in a steel one-minute, edge-driven tourbillon carriage under a steel and brass balance clock with a free-sprung overcoil balance spring, silver engine-turned dial with polished gold chapter rings gold hands, gold case hallmarked ‘GD’ 1986.Courtesy http://ahci.watchprosite.com. Daniel’s coaxial escapement has been described as the most important horological development for 250 years, showing that a mechanical watch is equal in performance to an electronic one
Early pair case pocket watch, c. 1810, both in and outside its protective cover
CollectablesTrader 61
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OPEN 7 DAYS 9.30 am to 5 pm
CABINETS OF CURIOSITY the forerunners of museums During the Age of Discovery (1400s-1600s), European seafarers, while on exploring or trading expeditions, bore home not only tales of amazing adventures, but also wondrous man-made and natural artefacts that they discovered along the way
Melody Amsel-Arieli
ecause 17th century collectors
B
described, organised, and displayed their acquisitions subjectively, each cabinet of
curiosity differed from the next. These kaleidoscopes of knowledge – mixing art with artifice and science with superstition – reflected the rich diversity of the Renaissance. European royalty and many scholars
also acquired curios, displaying them in chambers aptly named ‘cabinets of Top: Anglo-Saxon era, Alfred Jewel. British Archaeology Collection © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford Right: Henry VIII’s hawking glove. Tradescant Collection © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
wonder’ or ‘cabinets of curiosity’. The Renaissance notion of a
wunderkammer (literally ‘room of wonders’)
The term ‘cabinet’ originally meant a chamber, rather than a piece of furniture.
Above: Powhatan’s ceremonial mantle. Tradescant Collection © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
or cabinet of curiosities, housed an often-idiosyncratic array of prized or
Right: Lantern that Guy Fawkes is believed to have been carrying upon his arrest in the ‘Gunpowder Plot’, 1605. British Archaeology Collection © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
exotic collectables. Actual
wunderkammers displayed such rarities
superstition and art with artifice,
compartments, richly decorated
as a horn of the legendary unicorn
delighted, astonished and amazed.
drawers, even miniature chapels.
(invariably the exhibit was a narwhal
Collectors and their cabinets
tusk), carved rock crystal, religious relics, fine porcelain from China and flamboyant glass from Venice. Sometimes an occasional shrunken head or other ethnographic or natural history specimens were on display.
Anatomical oddities
Ole Worm (1588-1655), a Danish philosopher, physician, and antiquarian, for example, filled his cabinet of
Some of these cabinets – rotating marvels fashioned from exotic woods or inlaid with imported jewels or shells – were collectables in themselves.
tusks, tortoiseshells, skeletons, spears,
England’s first major cabinet of curiosity
and a suspended kayak.
British naturalist and gardener John
curiosity with a hodgepodge of masks,
Neapolitan apothecary Ferrante
Tradescant the Elder (c. 1570s-
Despite their scope, however, they
Imperato (1550-1625) lined his with
1638), while gathering botanical
were not like today’s museums.
books, stuffed birds, gems, fossils,
specimens across Europe, the
Anatomical oddities such as ‘two ears
corals, marbles and minerals. Its
Caribbean, the East Indies, the
of a Thief that was hang’d’ nestled
vaulted ceiling, teeming with shells
Levant and Russia, amassed many
near mythical creatures like ‘two beast
and preserved sea creatures, also
natural and artificial worldly wonders.
call’d Taitons’, zoological marvels such
featured an enormous stuffed alligator.
John Tradescant the Younger (1608-
as the ‘bristly Skin of a Brazilian
Others, like King Gustavus
1662) later added North American
Beast’ and scientific wonders such as
Adolphus of Sweden, displayed
ethnological items such as the
clockworks and distortive mirrors.
smaller collections in elaborate pieces
deerskin ceremonial mantle of Chief
These displays, merging science with
of furniture featuring tiny pigeon-hole
Powhatan, ‘King of Virginia’.
CollectablesTrader 65
Ashmole’s legacy Elias Ashmole (1617-1692), a collector, lawyer, founding member of the Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Science, and a neighbour of the Tradescants, financed the publication of a catalogue of The Ark, the Musaeum
Tradescantianum, in 1656. Several years later, the contents were passed to Ashmole by deed of gift. In 1675, Ashmole donated the entire acquisition, along with his own library of historical, medical and astrological manuscripts, to the Ashmolean Museum © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
their collection in their Lambeth house dubbed ‘The Ark’. Tradescant’s Ark was not only the earliest major English cabinet of curiosity, but was also open to the public. Now common folk, like the aristocracy, could also behold outlandish curiosities, thus it is referred to as England’s first museum.
Curious displays
Excerpt from A Catalogue of All the Chiefest Rarities in the Publick AnatomieHall of the University of Leyden [Leiden], Francis Schuyl, 1727, England, which includes cabinet of curiosity curios
Though father and son held all
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University of Oxford. Like the British Museum in London, the Kunstkamera in Saint Petersburg – established by Peter the Great and the first museum in Russia – and the Museum Boerhaave in Leiden, the Netherlands, which were all seeded by cabinets of curiosity, the Tradescant Collection became the foundation of Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum, formally founded in 1683. Today the Ashmolean boasts
By 1638, their collection included two
extensive art and archaeological
ribs of a whale, a little bark boat, a
collections from around the world.
salamander, a flying squirrel, a girdle
Over the years, however, most of the
that Turks wear in Jerusalem, a bat as
Tradescant zoological curiosities,
large as a pigeon, a variety of shells
including the head and foot of the last
and stones, the hand of a mermaid,
stuffed dodo bird seen in Europe,
an ape’s head, a dragon's egg, a
deteriorated beyond recognition. Yet
piece of wood from the True Cross,
some of their more stable curiosities –
brightly coloured birds from India, a
including the earliest known pinewood
polished metal mirror, an elk’s hoof
bead calculating frame, an
items of equal importance, they
with three claws, a cup made from a
embroidered doeskin hawking glove
separated the natural from the
unicorn horn, foreign boots and
associated with Henry VIII, three
artificial, then further divided them
shoes, a toad-fish, Indian arrows,
German open-work ivory spheres
into sub-categories such as portraits
lathe-turned ivory, a piece of human
lathed within each other, and an
of royalty, religious relics, animals,
flesh on a bone, a large magnet stone,
ancient copper-alloy lantern set with
plants and minerals. They displayed
and a hatband made of snake bones.
crystals – still exist today.
CollectablesTrader
An Australian cabinet Closer to home and aligning with the more traditional interpretation of a ‘cabinet’ is one of the most significant acquisitions of the State Library of NSW – the Macquarie Collector’s Chest. Presenting an array of wellpreserved natural history specimens and rare painted views of the colony, this beautiful red cedar and rosewood chest was created by a skilled convict cabinetmaker for Governor Macquarie around 1818. Probably intended as a special presentation piece to celebrate the colony of NSW, the painted panels are one of the most striking features
Their excellent condition is partly
of the chest – some attributed to
due to the insect repellent qualities
famous convict artist Joseph Lycett
of the cedar, but also to the long
(1774?-1825).
period the chest spent in the cool,
The cabinet contains specimens
relatively dry climate of an attic in a
that include collections of NSW
Scottish Highlands castle before
butterflies, beetles, insects and
being repatriated.
spiders, seaweed and algae
Exotic items also form part of the
presented in glass-topped boxes in
collection and include shells,
decorative arrangements.
Solomon Islands artefacts, Toucan
Compartments hold 80 stuffed birds
bills from Central America and dried
of Australian species, including a
Pacific Ocean flying Gurnard (fish).
Tawny Frogmouth, Satin Bowerbird,
From the Hapsburg Kunstkammer, an early 17th century goblet from Goa, India made of Javan rhinoceros horn set on a gold filigree mount © Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna
No doubt, collections of such
Regent Bowerbird and a variety of
specimens and items originating from
kingfishers, parrots and herons as
cabinets of curiosities will continue to
well as smaller specimens. All these
excite and interest generations to come.
birds were found in the Sydney and Newcastle regions in the early 19th century. Some have subsequently become scarce or rare.
Further reading Exotica, The Macquarie Collector’s Chest, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney, 2005
Macquarie’s Chest. Mitchell Library. Courtesy State Library NSW
CollectablesTrader 67
collecting
AMERICANA IN AUSTRALIA From politics and war to movies, items commemorating American events have always attracted Australian interest Joshua O’Donnell & ChrisTOPHER Hughes
here is an increasing Australian
T
interest in art and objects made in America. This is hardly surprising as both nations evolved from early
European settlement which has been similarly expressed by their artists. As well as confronting grand and diverse landscapes and an indigenous people as depicted in paintings, the parallel histories of both nations are further exemplified through folk art and tributes to military and political events – and of course there is the cross fertilisation through the giant Hollywood movie studios with their representations of American culture and values.
Whale tooth scrimshaw Although the origins of the word are uncertain, the meaning of ‘scrimshaw’ is clear: it refers to any craftwork made on board a ship, usually incorporating the teeth
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CollectablesTrader
or jaw of the whale. Articles made from marine ivory include boxes, rolling
Privateering is the
pins, ladles, canes and umbrella
practice of commissioning
handles and boxes – in fact two of the
privately owned vessels to
earliest scrimshaw works discovered
attack or capture enemy
are tobacco boxes of wood inlaid with
ships during wartime, with
walrus ivory dated 1665 and 1712.
the owner and crew taking
Scrimshaw artistry was popular in
all or a share of the spoils.
the 17th to the 19th centuries among
The HMS St Lawrence –
the many seafaring nations including
outgunned and outmanned
the French, British and Spanish – as
– reportedly lasted 15
well as colonial Australia – which
minutes before
engaged in voyages and expeditions
surrendering to the
that often lasted for years. During the
American schooner, when
many hours of downtime, sailors
the Chasseur approached
engraved designs on bone, tusk or
for close quarters combat.
shell as well as whale teeth. For the engraving of a whale’s spontaneous design or an illustrated
Silver military presentation gifts
paper, and pricked out with pin-pricks
The United States of America has had
in the tooth itself. These pricks would
an impressive naval history, especially
then be joined up with tiny scratches
in the 20th and 21st centuries,
which would then be blackened and
successfully maintaining a strong
the whole polished with china clay
global presence. With its roots
sponsored by Mrs Cassin Young, the
and whale oil.
present in the Continental Navy of the
wife of Captain Cassin Young who
tooth, a tracing was made from a
Revolutionary War (established in
was awarded the Medal of Honor for
history of such artistry. The scene
1775), the United States Navy had
his valour as commanding officer of
depicted in the scrimshaw pictured is
grown into a formidable force by the
The Vestal (AR-4) during the
of the American privateer Chasseur
1940s. With the surprise attack on
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in
(also known as The Pride of
Pearl Harbor in 1942, the American
1941. Captain Young later died in
Baltimore) capturing HMS St
war machine reacted swiftly with the
November 1942 at the Naval Battle
Lawrence, another American privateer
production of hundreds of ships.
American whalers have a strong
ship that had been captured by the
The USS Trathen (DD-530) was a
of Guadalcanal. The USS Trathen was involved in over nine
British Royal Navy two years earlier in
World War II era Fletcher-class
engagements, including the battle
the War of 1812, between the United
Destroyer in service of the United
for Iwo Jima in 1945 and the
States and the British Empire.
States Navy. The Trathen was
Korean War in 1953.
CollectablesTrader 71
In March 1965, the USS Trathen made its final voyage to San Diego where it was deactivated and decommissioned in May of that year. In 1972 it was decided that modernisation costs would be wasted and so the Destroyer was then used for target practice, before being scrapped in November 1973. The cigar box pictured was
The origins of Gorham
the skills of Lieutenant General
date back to 1831. The
Somervell were an important factor in
company was founded in Providence, Rhode Island and its silver services were used in many White House administrations including those of Lincoln
produced by the American silver
and Grant. Among
manufacturing company Gorham and
Gorham's major trophy
gifted to the USS Trathen by its
commissions are the
sponsor Mrs Young. The box was
America's Cup for
likely made between 1933 and 1941
yachting and the Davis
when Gorham temporarily ceased
Cup for tennis.
dating their sterling pieces. This sterling silver presentation tray was given to Lieutenant General Brehon B. Somervell from the US Office of the Under Secretary of War
72
in 1943. It was widely recognised that
CollectablesTrader
the success of American military forces during World War II. As construction division chief of the Army Quartermaster Corps, he was a major influence in the planning and construction of the Pentagon. The Pentagon was finished and dedicated on 15 January 1943 and this tray bears the date 15 March 1943 so it may have been offered in recognition of his efforts towards its construction. This tray also is a fine example of another iconic American institution, Tiffany and Co.
Jane Wyman's silver bowl Jane Wyman (1917-2007) was an American singer, dancer, and academy award-winning actress. She won an Oscar for her performance in
Johnny Belinda in 1948 and received her Academy Award nomination in 1954 for her performance in Douglas
the only ex-wife of a United States
Sirk’s film adaptation of Lloyd
President, having married Ronald
Douglas’ Magnificent Obsession,
Reagan in 1940 before divorcing him
which also starred Rock Hudson. The
in 1948. Artefacts from famous
Motion Picture Council of Greater
figures such as Ronald Reagan have
Cleveland presented this sterling bowl
always been extremely desirable in a
to Miss Wyman in 1954, naming
collector's repertoire. Memorabilia
Magnificent Obsession their Woman’s
associated with presidents have
Picture of the Year.
always been highly sought after, often
Miss Wyman was also known as
fetching high prices at auctions.
A cabinet designed for the White House One of the Antique Guild's prized pieces is this stunning American walnut breakfront. Made in the United States in the late 19th century, this breakfront has an amazing provenance – having once called The White House its home. Our breakfront enjoyed its stay at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue during the presidency of William H. Taft, who took office for one term in 1909 between Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. President Taft remains the only man to serve both as President and Chief of Justice of the United States. As the First Family of the White House is permitted to redecorate, many pieces of presidential furniture were auctioned off to the general public. This was common practice right up until 1961, when a law was passed to conserve White House history.
CollectablesTrader 73
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SATURDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 10 AM - 5 PM
SUNDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2013 10 AM - 4 PM
Admission $8.00 Accompanying children FREE INQUIRIES 0428 446 534 Sydney, interstate and country dealers offering a wide selection of furniture, jewellery, silver, porcelain, lamps, linen, books and many other interesting collectables.
Longines Admiral 10k gold filled, c. 1965 $2295
ALL ITEMS FOR SALE
Gold diamond and jade stick pin $3750
Omega Seamaster 14 ct c. 1960s $1895
Of the three nine piece sterling silver tea sets made by Garrard & Co London in honour of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, this is the only known surviving example. Hallmarked Garrard & Co London 1953/54, weight approximately 11 kilos
&
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SATURDAY 30 NOVEMBER 9.30am - 5pm SUNDAY 1 DECEMBER 9.30am - 3pm Kernot Hall, Princes Drive Morwell Victoria For inquires call 03 5122 2590
CAMPERDOWN MEWS 212-220 PARRAMATTA ROAD CAMPERDOWN NSW P: 61 2 9550 5554 M: 0412 229 117
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75
Sale of Redmond Collection of Royal Doulton Part II of the Redmond Estate Doulton Collection is being auctioned on 16 July by Cordy’s Auctioneers of Auckland as part of its monthly antique and art auction. This amazing collection, amassed by Doug and Joy Redmond, grew out of Doug’s obsession for targeting quality pieces. Born in Canterbury, Doug was a door-todoor milkman for many years and did not indulge himself with too many luxuries: he did not have a modern TV, never owned a computer and his house was modest, but he did have a passion – for Doulton china. Doug’s interest led him to be a founding member of the Christchurch Collectors Club and eventually a life member and patron. A great orator, he was a popular speaker and gave many insightful talks to a wide range of community groups. Also a passionate researcher, Doug's goal was to obtain good examples of most of the Doulton range. Thus a number of
Left: An impressive Doulton Flambé ‘Sung’ jar, impressed mark for June 1923, signed A. Eaton (act.1889-1932), h: 270 cm, ovoid shouldered shape, painted with a scene of a peacock in flight, factory mark and Noke to base. Est: $5000 Right: Royal Doulton Lambeth jug by Hannah Barlow (act.1871-1913), hallmarked London 1874, h: 270 cm, sterling silver rim, tapering cylindrical shape, the handle and the body adjoining the handle decorated with incised and coloured glazed trefoil leaves, decorated sgraffito to the buff ground of a pastoral scene featuring a herd of 10 goats in an extensive rural landscape. Est: $3500
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CollectablesTrader
‘International Exhibition’ pieces produced by Doulton have found their way into what is arguably New Zealand’s best Doulton collection – notably the ‘Mount Cook and Huka Glacier’ vase, the flambé Omar Khayyam vase, and the Sung ‘Peacock in Flight’ vase. The Redmonds were also prime lenders to the 1993 NZ Post Royal Doulton Exhibition. Part II of this collection is being offered for auction by the estate for definite sale, and in many cases the estimates are considerably less than the prices paid. At the time of going to print, Cordy’s Andrew Grigg mentioned there had been good interest both nationally and internationally, reporting that ‘a couple of Australian collectors have already booked flights’.
Royal Doulton ‘Blue Children’ vase, signed ‘W. Brown’, 110 x 370 cm. The moon vase, set on four gilded floral over blue feet, the same decorated to the narrow side panels and rim, one side painted with a scene of a mother and daughter in garden, the other side featuring a painted scene of a young woman sitting on the quayside with cottages and boats in the background. Est: $2000
Proudly presented by Friends of the Kyneton Museum
Friday, 30 August 5 pm – 8 pm Saturday, 31 August 10 am – 5 pm Sunday, 1 September 10 am – 4 pm
Kyneton Town Hall Mollison Street, Kyneton 3444 Admission: Adults – $7.00; Children – Free
Paul Cholewinski
Floral Embossed China Featuring Carlton Ware - Royal Winton - Shorter and Son at
Camberwell Antique Centre 25-29 Cookson St, Camberwell VIC 3124 Ph: 03 9882 2028 also trading from
Ringwood Antique Market 182 Mt Dandenong Road, Ringwood, VIC 3134 Phone: 03 9879 1686 Mobile: 0412 333 368 paul.cholewinsk@optusnet.com.au
Enquiries: Phone 0411 208 448 Email: friendsofkynetonmuseum@gmail.com
Mid Year Rotary Antiques & Collectables Fair 19-21 July 2013 Fri 19 10am-6pm Sat 20 10am-5pm Sun 21 10am-3pm Albert Waterways Centre, Sunshine Bld Broadbeach Queensland ADMISSION: Adults $10, concession $7, under 17 free Enjoy an extensive array of antiques, decorative art, jewellery, books & collectables of all kinds and the opportunity to buy direct from dealers
Enquiries:
Special feature sales 2013 Aug 2
Vintage clothing, accessories & jewellery Sept 6 Blokey, sport, pubanalia, tools, military Oct 4 Australiana & decorative art Nov 1 Rock, pop & retro & vintage clothing Dec 6 Toys, books & ephemera
Phone Peter 0411 649 242 Email: AntiquesFairChairman@tpg.com.au www.rotaryantiquesfair.com.au
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77
knowledge base
THE ART OF THE NETSUKE a Japanese story in miniature Definition netsuke is an ornament once
Narwhal ivory: a popular medium
attached to, and made to be
The art of netsuke carving in ivory evolved
worn on, a man's costume
in the later 18th century. Until WWII, one
during the Tokugawa period
of the materials used extensively by
A
also called the Edo period (1603-1867),
Japanese ivory workers in their production
the final period of traditional Japan. It
was narwhal ivory, a rare species of whale
served as a kind of toggle at the top end
which had only two teeth, of which the left
of the cord passing under the sash that
developed into a cylindrical ivory tusk
bound kimono together and from which
which sometimes reportedly reached eight
hung the tobacco pouch, pipe and keys,
feet in length. Though an excellent colour
or an inro, the Japanese portable
with a fine surface for carving, the tusk
medicine chest. These small ornaments
had a deep cavity and spiral groove
were often made of expensive or rare
extending along its entire length which
materials and served to display wealth,
rendered the material difficult to work with.
taste and social status.
In the 19th century a vegetable ivory obtained from corozo nuts began to be
Made also in wood At first wooden netsukes were made in
used by Japanese ivory carvers and from which they created a variety of netsukes.
great number but gradually the majority were carved in ivory. Until 1868 – when
Beware of fakes
Japan emerged as a modern state and
In the later 19th century, when foreign visitors
men began adopting the western mode of
to Japan and western collectors discovered
dress – all netsukes were authentic
the charm and fascination of netsukes,
specimens, made for use with native
expanding systematic reproduction of old
costume; and therefore made in the
examples and outright forgery caused a flood
correct dimension and shape to fulfil their
of fakes to appear on the market. A type of
intended purpose.
vegetable ivory derived from a species of palm called binroji in Japan was stained yellow to simulate old ivory.
Recognising the signs Indications for collectors to be wary of generally include sharp edges and the absence of signs of wearing by the cord around the sides of the holes. Nor is a signature on the base a guarantee of authenticity.
Carvers to look for
Ikkuan for his mice, Tadatoshi for his
Celebrated carvers of netsukes were
snails and Masamati for his rabbits.
accorded great esteem in Japan. The
Others found inspiration in old prints
artist Shunzan, working at Nara from
by masters, such as Hokusai, while
the end of the 18th century, and
some became accomplished in the
Miwa I, belonging to an earlier
execution of a single design and
generation of Nara carvers, were
produced netsukes that were
artists in wood who endowed the
repetitive in form.
netsuke with the form from which the techniques and styles of later carvers of ivory netsuke evolved. Schools of
netsuke carvers in ivory were
Masters of the miniature
established at Kyoto and Yedo, where
The Japanese are known as masters
in the early stages of development,
of miniaturisation and, just like haiku,
artists derived inspiration from the
bonsai and Zen gardens, netsukes
works of Miwa II and Miwa III, both
allow us to 'see the world in a grain of
supremely talented ivory carvers, also
sand' according to William Blake. The
at Nara. The Miwas taught Ikko and
growing interest in these charming
Gamboun, who also became known
items are evidenced in the results of a
for their high quality work.
recent auction held in London which saw a fine wood netsuke of three
Style and themes
monkeys by Toyomasa achieving £63,650 while a rare, intricately
Carvers drew on a variety of themes
carved ivory netsuke of a hatching
such as nature, folklore, mythology,
turtle by Mitshuiro sold for £39,650.
history, novels, erotica and the grotesque – as well as daily life. The charm of the netsukes lay often in the artist's telling of a story, which was usually in a comic fashion. Some artists had preferred subjects or their own styles of netsuke carving:
Further reading Charles Platten Woodhouse Ivories – A History & Guide, Douglas David & Charles Limited, North Vancouver, Canada 1976 Adrienne Barbanson, Fables in Ivory: Japanese Netsuke and Their Legends, Charles E. Tuttle Company, UK 1961
Masanao became noted for his fowls,
CollectablesTrader 79
S
ING S O L C DOWN! SALE!
setting a new
standard
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Porcelain, Glass, Lighting, Metalworks, Prints, Victorian, Edwardian & French Furniture, Ephemera, Watches, Statuary
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11 12
LET’S TALK A DEAL! NO REASONABLE OFFER REFUSED
1 2 3 4 5
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Gilded standard lamp set on carved base fringed white shade $865 Stunning Tiffany style dragonfly lamp, h:70 cm $850 Captain’s chair made in oak with cast iron adjustment wheel, metal castors to feet, stamped ‘I756F’ $1,250 Sensational French art deco six branch chromed hanging light, c. 1920 $6,950 Boudoir chair made by Pacific Furniture Design & Upholstery, Qld, brocade upholstery with tuft back $595 Pair Louis XV style walnut parlour chairs, c. 1880, with velvet embossed upholstery $2,950 pair John R Hood, Untitled - Parisian scenes, oil on canvas, 53 x 66 cm each, signed $8,500 pair Three seater chesterfield: three available $3,125 each Two seater chesterfield: two available $2,200 each Three seater salon suite with two matching bergère chairs in walnut with lovely silk brocade upholstery $16,000 Chesterfield with matching ottoman $3,750 Noll style three-piece lounge suite, brocade upholstery, feather cushions, fully sprung seats. Large extra cushions for maximum comfort $12,000 John O’Hanlon, Into the Rocks, pastel, 102 x 85.5 cm $2,450 Japan Edo period, warrior fitted out in European suit of armour mounted on papier-mâché armoured horse, set on an oak pedestal base with a marble top, h:175 cm w:90 cm l:88 cm P.O.A.
Silver, Ceramics, Advertising, Clocks, Kitchenalia, Bakelite, Perfume Bottles, Oriental, Costume Jewellery, Cruet Sets
LIMITED FLOOR SPACE / CABINETS AVAILABLE. CONTACT DENISE 02 9550 5554 212–220 Parramatta Rd, Camperdown NSW 2050 Phone 61 2 9550 5554 Fax 61 2 9550 4990 www.camperdownmewsantiques.com Open 7 days 10 am–6 pm Off-street parking
WE BUY, SELL, HIRE AND TRADE
for your LIBRARY over 37 years. In that time he has
pipes and tiles, toilet bowls, hand basins,
become a prolific researcher and writer –
chimney and flower pots; animal utensils
having self published over 80 books.
such as dog bowls, pig and poultry
Ken is to be congratulated for this
Ken Arnold Bendigo Pottery – A Selection of Wares from 1858 – 1990 Crown Castelton Publishers, Bendigo VIC 2013 Hardcover 432 pp. ISBN 9781875342884
admirable effort in collating such a
feeders; lavatory disinfectant bottles,
comprehensive review of the wares
tobacco and snuff jars.
produced by one of Australia's most
In addition there is a thorough
notable pottery manufacturers which
listing of the pottery's marks, an
unwittingly – but delightfully – extends
essential referencing tool for all
past collecting history into social and
collectors of these wares. However, it
commercial history. Such history
should be noted that although the
encompasses domestic, commercial and
history is complete and detailed, the
consumer worlds, thereby also
pottery mark guide covers a 133 year
documenting the economics of business:
period – up to 1990.
how this enterprise not only survived but
from the main edition present an
business model that catered to the
intricate, detailed record. They benefit
changing demands of society as it
from extensive research resulting in it
traversed through accelerating
being very well-documented; its
industrialisation, world wars and the
illustration with hand-written letters,
Depression as well as different pottery
precise drawings and diagrams as well
styles and techniques.
as many colour and black and white
not just for collectors – beginning and seasoned – but for anyone interested in
82
photographs throughout makes it invaluable as a primary research tool. A limitation in the book is in the
the history of manufacturing, advertising,
captioning, such as measurements
and marketing strategies as well as
found only in the accurate drawings,
commerce during this period.
and where included are in the original,
The history of this pottery not only
his engaging history of Bendigo
This book and supplement drawn
thrived through evolution and tweaking a
Thus this book and supplement are
Supplement: Bendigo Pottery – Waverley Ware period Crown Castelton Publishers, Bendigo VIC 2013 Softcover 64 pp. ISBN 9781875342914
troughs, bird baths and fountains, parrot
i.e. Imperial system, with no concession
describes the changes in ownership but
to the metric system under which we
also various orders and lines produced
live today, necessitating the reader going
during different phases – from the
back and forth between the drawings
decorative to the bread-and-butter
and images. At times the placement of
utilitarian, such as vases, crockery, ginger
objects is also a little confusing.
beer bottles, teapots, pudding bowls,
If these works go to reprint, ideally
jugs, bottles, earthenware pipes, water
the supplement would be reproduced
coolers and drain pipes, which also
in a handier format – such as a
incidentally sheds light on other retailers
pocket size. As it is, this supplement
of the time – for example, consumer
also requires care in handling as it is
goods orders placed for Bushells,
not saddle stitched, but stapled.
Sanitarium and Myer. The chapters following that of the
As pointed out in the introduction, there is no funding or grants – and for
Pottery wares and its
T
history detail the development in
Ken to produce such a monumental
accompanying supplement on
various products including barrels,
work at his own expense is to be
the Waverley Ware period provide a
bottles, demijohns, filters, money boxes
applauded. Hopefully this continuing
detailed record of manufacture of this
as well as Majolica, Parian and
oversight will be addressed in the near
oldest operating pottery in Australia as
Waverley wares. The later chapter on
future, that there will be support for the
well as a charming insight into the social
miscellaneous items is an intriguing
dedicated collectors and researchers
history of the late 19th and early 20th
insight into the multitude of domestic
who take on the task of preserving the
centuries. The author, Ken Arnold, has
demands of the early 20th century.
history of our visual, decorative and
been a dealer and collector himself for
These cover sanitary ware including
applied arts for future generations.
CollectablesTrader
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noticeBOARD this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, Bonhams has for sale ‘NOJ 392’ the only special test car remaining in its original form. The car is estimated to realise between £500,000 and £600,000 at the auction. came up for sale at Coinworks (Vic) and was assessed to be worth in excess of
Collectors invited to Numismatic Conference
$500,000. The firm also had an 1813
The annual conference of the
valued at $250,000.
colonial dump type D/2 for sale which it
Numismatic Association of Australia (NAA) is being held in Brisbane this year. In all there will be 17 speakers, including Walter Bloom from the WA Museum and Gil Davis, editor of the NAA journal. The registration fee of $65 includes all conference materials, lunches, morning and afternoon teas for both days. For more details p: 0439 323 744 e: pnj.lane@bigpond.com
Australia remembers in a 20 cent uncirculated coin The Royal Australian Mint’s Australia Remembers series pays tribute to the Australian Army Chaplains’ century of ministry and pastoral support in their Australian Army Chaplains’
USA Vaseline glass convention
Department commenced in 1913 to
Vaseline Glass Collectors, Inc. (VGCI)
provide oversight of military
is holding their convention at
chaplains. It began with the
Providence, Warwick, Rhode Island
appointment of four Chaplains
from 10-12 October. The venues are
General at the Australian Army
Sandwich Glass Museum & Bedford
Headquarters in Melbourne. Known
Museum of Glass. More at
to members of the Australian Defence
www.vaselineglass.org
latest collectable coin. The Royal
Force as Padre, each chaplain is dedicated to the spiritual, religious, moral and ethical wellbeing of our armed forces. This series has
Restored in Australia – Austin-Healey Special Test Car ‘NOJ 393’, the ex-Works 1953-1955
previously honoured Australian Service Nurses, the Lost Soldiers of Fromelles, War Historians and the Australian Merchant Navy.
by marque specialists Steve Pike of
Bicentenary of the Australian dump
Marsh Classic Restorations to the
Australia’s first official currency,
UNESCO adds gold rush diaries to Australian memory of the world register
start line specification for the 1955 Le
original holey dollars and dumps, have
In May this year UNESCO added
Mans race. The car realised a world
become rare and valuable. An example
three 19th-century goldfields diaries
record £843,000 at a Bonhams
of a Hannibal head holey dollar sold in
from the State Library of Victoria
auction in December 2011. In July at
1988 for $40,500. In 2012 it again
collection to the Australian memory of
Austin-Healey Special Test Car/100S, has been comprehensively restored
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CollectablesTrader
the world register. Combined, the
Museum is running an exhibition that
diaries provide first-hand accounts of
uses objects to re-create what it was
some of the most significant moments
like to live in this time and the NGA is
of the Victorian gold rush, from the
running the prints of Jessie Traill and
discovery gold to the Eureka rebellion.
will be showing the Turner from the
The diaries now add to the other
Tate until September.
significant State Library collections on the Australian memory of the world register: the Port Phillip Association Records and the Minute Books of Pre-Federation
A 127-year-old piece of cake from President Grover Cleveland’s wedding to Frances Folsom, in a Tiffany & Company box. Buffalo History Museum. Courtesy New York Times
Australian Trade Unions. The works are The Life and Adventures
packaged as party favours are highly
of Edward Snell from 1849 to 1859;
sought after by collectors. A boxed
Diary of Charles Evans, 1853 September
remnant of Prince Charles and Lady
24 -1855 January 21 (formerly known
Diana Spencer’s 1981 wedding cake
as the Lazarus Diary); Diary of a miner
brought US$1,375 at auction in
working on the Ballarat goldfields, 1855
Beverly Hills. A memorabilia dealer in
July 8 - 1856 Jan. 1, author unknown.
Los Angeles sold a piece of Queen
Fantastical walking sticks
Victoria’s 1840 wedding fruitcake for
Mike Gleeson of Giltwood (Vic) has
US$50,000, although it had
turned a near disaster into a design
disintegrated into a powder. Some of
opportunity. A serious injury provided
these consumables have also been
the inspiration to his creating a series
gifted to museums such as the
of handmade walking sticks. One
Smithsonian which now has a
innovation is the incorporation of a
crumbling beige square of Franklin D.
memory stick into the stick, more
Roosevelt’s 1934 birthday cake. The
conventional designs use 100 year old
Grover Cleveland Birthplace in
metal brackets as handles. Mike has
Caldwell, N.J. owns desiccated
decided that proceeds from the sales
fruitcake made for the president’s
will go to the not-for-profit charity
1886 wedding to Frances Folsom.
Cara. For more information
Vintage Chanel for sale on the open market
e: giltwood@hotmail.com
The label Chanel is seen as a timeless representation of all things elegant and luxurious. For collectors of fashion accessories, acquiring a vintage piece from the storied label, with its connotation of old school glamour might be the ultimate investment piece. Occasionally collections come up for sale and recently on the web was a collection of totes and frame bags. Prices started at US$2199 to $2999 – and sold out!
Oddities to collect – baked goods an American obsession
Celebrating Canberra’s Centenary Inaugurated 12 March 1913 Canberra
Return of AAADA fair to Sydney
is in the midst of its centenary
This is the sole prestigious fair event
celebrations. The National Film and
for Sydney and returns to the easily
Sound Archive is hosting events
accessible Royal Randwick
throughout the year, from showing
Racecourse. The fair runs from 22 to
pioneering feature films from the
25 August and is the perfect
archives to new internationally
opportunity to experience
acclaimed releases. The National
the new state of the art
Jessie Traill, Building the Harbour Bridge VI: Nearly complete, June 1931
facilities of Royal Randwick and source a piece for your collection. Remember, the dealers carry items for all collecting interests and
The New York Times reports that
budgets. More
slices of wedding and birthday cakes
information at
made for celebrities decades ago and
www.aaada.org.au
CollectablesTrader 85
notable producers including Worcester, Coalport and Derby, smaller potteries and recent acquisitions. The exhibition runs until 8 September. More info at
www.geelong.org.au
centre to building artists’ working studios. Importantly, the pottery is continuing to manufacture decorative and functional ceramics. As well as the more than 40 stalls that make up the antique centre, there is
The Australian Men’s Open Trophy – a feat of silversmithing skill
the Interpretative Museum and for
W.J. Sanders (Sydney) was
potter’s wheel. More information at
commissioned by Tennis Australia to
www.bendigopottery.com.au
budding potters the opportunity to learn the craft of throwing clay on the
make a sterling silver equivalent of the
Celebrating Australia’s oldest public library
perpetual trophy for the Men’s Singles championship. Based on the Warwick vase the trophy took 800 man hours Australian Open. A triumph of many
For wine lovers in Hong Kong
skills this, the first of many planned
The firm of Acker Merrall & Condit
Norman Brookes Champion Cups, was
held a sale in Hong Kong where
presented to Novak Djokovic.
among the many fine wines on offer
and was completed in time for the 2013
were 12 bottles of 1988 Romanée
More on porcelain Geelong Gallery is showing fine porcelain that looks at the development of style and technique in the manufacture of British porcelain.
Conti with an estimate of US$110,000-140,000. Serious wine collectors acquire multiples of a good vintage. Also on offer were 10 cases of 1996 Margaux with an estimate of US$5,000-7,000 per lot.
Drawn from the permanent collection on show are decorated ceramics from
The world’s first public libraries appeared in England in 1850 and in Australia, the Melbourne Public Library (now the State Library of Victoria) was created just three years later, a time when Victoria had just separated from New South Wales and gold was discovered. The original architectural plans for the library drawn by Joseph Reed along with his company’s designs for the Melbourne Town Hall, Royal Exhibition Building and Trades Hall are now on display. Free, Secular and
Democratic, curated by Harriet Edquist,
Bendigo Pottery diversifies
Professor of Architectural History at
Australia’s oldest working pottery has
Archives, runs until 2 February 2014
diversified its operations, from
and forms part of the Dome Centenary
creating an antiques and collectables
celebrations. The free exhibition showing
RMIT and Director of RMIT Design
in the Keith Murdoch Gallery, State Library of Victoria, includes a multimedia reconstruction of Reed’s Intercolonial Exhibition Building and takes visitors Hoffman (Brunswick, Melbourne), jardinière, 1925, earthenware, majolica glaze, 14.5 x 15 cm
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CollectablesTrader
through the building as it would have appeared in 1866 prior to its demolition to make way for the domed reading room, which for a time was the largest building of its type in the world.
From fairytale to prized artwork The original statue Peter
Pan stands in Kensington Gardens, London, and was commissioned by J.M. Barrie himself. It was erected secretly overnight, appearing one May morning in 1912.
The Epsom in June
Only seven more casts were made of
The Derby originated as a new race in
the work and Peter Pan stands, pan-
Epsom in 1779 and was to be named
pipe in hand, in cities around the
after either the host of the event, the
world where his story is cherished. A
12th Earl of Derby, or his important
bronze study of Peter Pan was offered
guest, Sir Charles Bunbury. Local
for sale by Bonhams in June. Signed by
legend states that the decision was
the artist Sir George Frampton and
made by the toss of a coin. The Derby
inscribed ‘PP’, this study in the image of
has been run at Epsom in the first
the 1912 original has been estimated at
week of June ever since, except
£35,000-£45,000. It has been
during the world wars.
suggested that Peter Pan’s character
native plants, a herbarium of over 7,000 pressed plant specimens and seeds, comprehensive propagation records, and David Gordon’s important botanical library. Today Myall Park Botanic Garden covers more than 130 hectares with walking trails among arid and semi-arid Australian trees and shrubs. It is maintained by a committee of volunteers, with the aim of preserving Australian flora, promoting conservation, education, research and development, and fostering the arts. Situated near Dalby, west of Toowoomba, it is open from 20 January to 20 December. Spring Open Day on 25 August showcases Myall Park Botanic Garden in full bloom, with many other attractions. More at
www.myallparkbotanicgarden.org.au
was based on the author’s brother who died in an ice-skating accident two days before his 14th birthday.
Ipswich Art Gallery hosts valuation day Local residents interested to
Tennis memorabilia for astute collectors When Thomas Black began collecting tennis items they were lower priced and saw less competition in the market than golfing pieces. Even today there’s less tennis memorabilia in circulation to purchase, thereby increasing its value. He notes that in inflationary times it is hard to give value to various and ever changing pieces of paper, promises and onscreen numbers. Art and antiques are fast becoming the only route into securing a decent investment of money
Thrill of shipwreck exploration in New York
know what their antiques are
A voyage through more than 2,000
by an expert panel of valuers
years of seafaring history is explored
when the Ipswich Art Gallery
through a variety of authentic shipwreck
hosts Treasures from the Attic
treasures on show at Discovery Times
on Saturday, 21 September.
Square in New York City. The finds
Participating expert and
recovered by Odyssey Marine
manager of Lancaster’s
Exploration, Inc., a pioneer in the fields
Antiques Centre in Toowoomba,
of deep-ocean shipwreck and offshore
Sharon Christison, says the panel of
mineral exploration, include silver
valuers assembled for the September
recovered from the SS Gairsoppa
event will be able to answer a range of
shipwreck, 2,000 year old Roman
questions including the age, origin and
wrecks, WWII U-boats and ZEUS,
worth of objects. People should bring
Odyssey’s eight-ton Remotely Operated
along their family heirlooms passed
Vehicle (ROV) which acts as the
down through the generations; the old
archaeologist’s hands and eyes in the
vase on the cupboard that belonged
deep ocean and can descend to the
to a great aunt or the unusual piece of
ocean floor at depths of over 8,000 feet.
jewellery that always lived in the
worth can have them appraised
bottom of Granny’s jewel box. You
and integrity for the future. Today his
Spring day at Myall Park Botanic Garden
never know what you've got.
racquets. Tate, the ‘maker of champions’,
In 1984 Myall Park was recognised as a
coin donation basis and there is a limit of
was a unanimous choice with the top
Botanic Garden. It comprised 90
three items per person. Photographs will
players of his generation as a racquet
hectares planted with thousands of
suffice for larger objects. For more
collection has been valued at over £400,000 and includes two Thomas Tate
designer. The collection is now being offered for sale in London.
Appraisals will be conducted on a gold
information contact the Ipswich Art Gallery on 07 3810 7222.
Collectables Collectables Trader Trader 87 ?
TRADER toys
Peter Brough’s ‘Archie Andrews’ ventriloquist doll made by Palitoys UK, c. 1950, very good boxed condition $375 Antique Toy World Camberwell VIC 03 9882 9997
Renault Floride made by ATC Japan, c. 1960s, l: 25 cm, detachable hard top, almost mint, boxed $550 Antique Toy World Camberwell VIC 03 9882 9997
Meccano Constructor Car, c. 1930s, clockwork mechanism, good condition $475 Antique Toy World Camberwell VIC 03 9882 9997
Matchbox Major Pack M-3 Mighty Antar tank transporter & Centurian tank, c. 1959, almost mint, boxed $265 Antique Toy World Camberwell VIC 03 9882 9997
furniture
English provincial wooden stool, c. 1900, elm seat and turned legs with stretcher $245 Collectors' Cottage Newcastle NSW 02 4389 1922
French Art Deco mahogany queen size bed, c. 1920, rails and slats made in-house $1590 Brunswick Street Antiques Fitzroy VIC 03 9416 3093
English walnut bedside cabinet, c. 1890, mirrored door, Fretwork back and lockable from side, set on brass castors, h:98 x w:44 x 40 cm deep $695 Brunswick Street Antiques Fitzroy VIC 03 9416 3093
Pair of French oak marble-top bedside cabinets, c. 1915, panelled door fronts, on turned and fluted legs with a shelf below featuring a shaped and moulded edge,h:80 x w:40 x 40 cm deep $1200 Nostalgia Antiques Thornbury VIC 03 9480 3745
Restored French queen size bed, c. 1910, with original extended side rails $2950 Seanic Antiques Newport VIC 03 9391 6134
French walnut Louis XVI style bed, c. 1920, original condition, with rails and slats $1350 Brunswick Street Antiques Fitzroy VIC 03 9416 3093
To see more dealer items for sale, visit www.AntiquesPlus.com.au, managed by John Furphy Pty Ltd who also publishes Carter’s Price Guides to Antiques and Collectables, now online at www.carters.com.au
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CollectablesTrader
Venetian rococo style vitrine, c. 1920, decorated in reddish-brown lacquer and chased patterns on cabriole legs, the glazed top lifting with a gilt interior, h:80 x w:83 x 38 cm deep $1500 South Fitzroy Antiques VIC 03 9417 7993
French Napoleon III carved and giltwood serpentine console table, 1860, stretcher and sides with carved scallop shells and water gilding, corners each with a cartouche containing the crest of the Rothschild family, h:89 x w:101 x 54 cm deep $3650 South Fitzroy Antiques VIC 03 9417 7993
A pair of French Louis XVI style salon chairs, c. 1870, re-upholstered in silk celadon satin, h:93 x w:50 x 50 cm deep $2250 South Fitzroy Antiques VIC 03 9417 7993
Edwardian walnut frame settee, c. 1910, re-upholstered with castors, h:79 x w:138 x 65 cm deep $595 Heritage Shed Antiques Hurstbridge VIC 03 9718 2822
Australian cedar apprentice or traveller’s cedar washstand, c. 1890, in original condition, h:13 x w:20 x 10.5 cm deep $275 Neville Beechey Antiques & Fine Furniture Colac VIC 03 5231 5738
Australian cedar extension table, c. 1900, l:116 cm (extended) $550 Brian Andrewartha Antiques & Restorations Hawthorn VIC 03 9897 1807
Australian oak and mountain ash Arts and Crafts bookcase, c. 1910, leadlight doors and adjustable shelving throughout. h:160 x w:107 x 37 cm deep $1295 Brunswick Street Antiques Fitzroy VIC 03 9416 3093
George III mahogany bow front chest of drawers, c. 1800, 74 x 89 cm $1500 South Fitzroy Antiques VIC 03 9417 7993
Australian Edwardian ornately carved mirror back sideboard, c. 1900, fitted with three doors and two drawers h:220 x w:150 x 52 cm deep $2500 Brian Andrewartha Antiques & Restorations Hawthorn VIC 03 9897 1807
To see more dealer items for sale, visit www.AntiquesPlus.com.au, managed by John Furphy Pty Ltd who also publishes Carter’s Price Guides to Antiques and Collectables, now online at www.carters.com.au
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89
Australian cedar footstool, c. 1880, bun feet, hand worked cross stitch upholstery, original polish $275 Collectors' Cottage Newcastle NSW 02 4389 1922
Australian oak Federation hallstand, c. 1910, lift up lid storage seat and twin umbrella trays either side, original bevelled mirror, h:193 x w:118 x 35 cm deep $1195 Brunswick Street Antiques Fitzroy VIC 03 9416 3093 Australian coach wood pedestal or palm stand, c. 1910, reeded and carved turned column, h: 99 cm $440 Northumberland Antiques & Restorations Terrigal NSW 02 4384 6464
Australian Art Deco coffee/side table, c. 1935, removable plate glass top, in excellent original condition, diam:56.5 x h: 63.5 cm $295 New Norfolk Antiques TAS 03 6261 1636
French oak studio easel, c. 1910, adjustable canvas ledge and top clamp, on H-frame base, h:198 x w:63.5 x 65 cm deep $1250 Nostalgia Antiques Pty Ltd Thornbury VIC 03 9480 3745
English oak Arts & Crafts palm stand pedestal, c. 1920, h:84 cm $250 Northumberland Antiques & Restorations Terrigal NSW 02 4384 6464
Australian Arts & Crafts Blackwood hall seat, c. 1910, h:190 x w:113 x 43 cm deep $1495 Brunswick Street Antiques Fitzroy VIC 03 9416 3093
Art Deco burr walnut 4-door demi-lune display cabinet, c. 1930, glazed centre doors, adjustable glass shelves, h:111 x w:135 x 38 cm deep $1850 Nostalgia Antiques Pty Ltd Thornbury VIC 03 9480 3745 Blackwood Arts & Crafts style desk made by Dante (Australia), c. 1910, with two drawers and cupboard door above, keys and locks for the desk drawers and cupboards, h:122 x w:117 x 65 cm deep $1450 Brunswick Street Antiques Fitzroy VIC 03 9416 3093
Edwardian kauri pine wall cabinet, c. 1910, with Art Nouveau pressed metal panel set in door, h:66 x w:36 x 25 cm deep $195 Antique Effects Ballarat VIC 03 5331 3119
To see more dealer items for sale, visit www.AntiquesPlus.com.au, managed by John Furphy Pty Ltd who also publishes Carter’s Price Guides to Antiques and Collectables, now online at www.carters.com.au
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CollectablesTrader
Restored Baltic pine cabin trunk, steel bound, c. 1880, h:48 x w:109 x 58 cm deep $550 Antique Effects Ballarat VIC 03 5331 3119
Spanish domed top travelling trunk, c. 1700, decorated with bullion braid retaining original iron carrying handles and gilt brass locks and clasps set on later custom made stand. Formerly in the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria, h:64 cm x w:122 cm x 62 cm deep $4400 South Fitzroy Antiques VIC 03 9417 7993 Australian Art Deco Blackwood and silky oak occasional table, c. 1935, h:53 x w:74 x 43 cm deep $295 New Norfolk Antiques TAS 03 6261 1636
Restored Federation fiddle back Blackwood sideboard, c. 1910, h:160 x w:154 x 52 cm deep $1895 Seanic Antiques Newport VIC 03 9391 6134
Victorian rosewood fire screen, c. 1860, woolwork panel enclosed within a moulded frame, surmounted by a carved and pierced crest and raised on a baluster pedestal supported by three carved out swept legs, h:139.5 x 53.5 x 48 cm deep $1750 Nostalgia Antiques Pty Ltd Thornbury VIC 03 9480 3745
French oak seat and servery desserte, c. 1900, in original condition, table and eight chairs signed G. Roswag, Paris, h: 140 x w:120 x 45 cm deep $1950 Cote Provence North Carlton VIC 03 9347 6656
English Art Deco figured walnut display cabinet, c. 1930, curved sides, raised on a plinth base and fitted with a drawer and glass shelving, h:110 x w:114 x 32 cm deep $1750 Nostalgia Antiques Pty Ltd Thornbury VIC 03 9480 3745 French walnut Louis XVI style bookcase c. 1910, original bevelled glass panels, adjustable shelves, h:209 x w:116 x 45 cm deep $1975 Nostalgia Antiques Thornbury VIC 03 9480 3745
Australian Blackwood display cabinet, c. 1930, original leadlights, fitted with 3 shelves, relief carving on pediment and pie-crust edging, h:125 x w:93 x 37 cm deep $965 New Norfolk Antiques TAS 03 6261 1636
To see more dealer items for sale, visit www.AntiquesPlus.com.au, managed by John Furphy Pty Ltd who also publishes Carter’s Price Guides to Antiques and Collectables, now online at www.carters.com.au
CollectablesTrader
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English George IV walnut hall chair, c.1820, set on turned and swept legs, 88.5 x 43 cm $495 Nostalgia Antiques Pty Ltd Thornbury VIC 03 9480 3745
Sleigh end bay or window seat made in Piedmont, Italy, hand stitched edge upholstered armrests feather filled loose cushion seat, double sided painted frame, raised on short outwards swept sabre legs, h:82 x w:145 x 69 cm deep $4350 Beechworth Wine Centre VIC 03 5728 1855
Edwardian mahogany piano stool, c. 1910, arched panels to front and back, lift up lid opens to reveal a deep storage area $675 Nostalgia Antiques Pty Ltd Thornbury VIC 03 9480 3745
English rustic mahogany trunk, c. 1830 with metal drop handles h:43 x w:91 x 51 cm deep $795 Patrick Davey Antiques Malvern VIC 03 9822 1830 French King Henry style walnut hallstand, c. 1880, 233 x 120 cm $2450 Nostalgia Antiques Pty Ltd Thornbury VIC 03 9480 3745
Tasmanian oak Art Deco kitchen cabinet, c. 1935, with original leadlights, h:165 x w:133 x 40 cm deep $1145 New Norfolk Antiques TAS 03 6261 1636
Victorian mirror back buffet, c. 1850, carved apex, drawer, two panelled doors, flame mahogany fascia, full length carved corbels, plinth base and key, h:190 x w:87 x 43 cm deep $1975 Furniture Revival Hawthorn VIC
Australian cedar chest of drawers, c. 1870, in original condition, internal cedar construction and cedar knobs, h:142 x w:127 x 58 cm deep $2450 Brunswick Street Antiques Fitzroy VIC 03 9416 3093
English Tudor revival style bookcase, c. 1930, adjustable shelving, h:191 x w:80 x 35 cm deep $1295 Brunswick Street Antiques Fitzroy VIC 03 9416 3093
To see more dealer items for sale, visit www.AntiquesPlus.com.au, managed by John Furphy Pty Ltd who also publishes Carter’s Price Guides to Antiques and Collectables, now online at www.carters.com.au
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CollectablesTrader
English oak trunk, c. 1900, featuring arcaded base set on block legs decorated with carved floral panels, h:56 x w:158 x 56 cm deep $1975 Furniture Revival Hawthorn VIC English Art Deco display cabinet, c. 1940, restored h:127 x w:120 x 33 cm deep $1495 Seanic Antiques Newport VIC 03 9391 6134
English mahogany chest of drawers, c. 1870 $1950 Brunswick Street Antiques Fitzroy VIC 03 9416 3093
French Art Deco walnut occasional table, c. 1935, h:69 x w:81 x 47 cm deep $1195 Seanic Antiques Newport VIC 03 9391 6134
English oak monk's bench or hall seat, c. 1930, 96 x 107 cm $1495 Seanic Antiques Newport VIC 03 9391 6134 Australian oak Federation hallstand with seat, c. 1910, original tin umbrella tray, copper pole surround and hooks, h:200 x w:114 x 32 cm deep $1395 Brunswick Street Antiques Fitzroy VIC 03 9416 3093
Restored English oak Arts & Crafts sideboard, c. 1910, h:183 cm x w:107 x 47 cm deep $1250 Nostalgia Antiques Pty Ltd Thornbury VIC 03 9480 3745 English Edwardian walnut mirrored back sideboard, c. 1900, set on a plinth base, embellished with finials and a broken swan-neck pediment above a base fitted with two drawers above a pair of carved doors, restored $1350 Nostalgia Antiques Thornbury VIC 03 9480 3745
To see more dealer items for sale, visit www.AntiquesPlus.com.au, managed by John Furphy Pty Ltd who also publishes Carter’s Price Guides to Antiques and Collectables, now online at www.carters.com.au
CollectablesTrader
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Victorian flame mahogany side cabinet, c. 1880, featuring three doors and adjustable shelves, h:84 x w:150 x 42 cm deep $1850 Julian Phillips Antiques Tyabb VIC -03 9770 2323 Queensland maple Arts & Crafts Queensland hallstand, c. 1905, h:178 x w:147 x 44 cm deep $1900 Brunswick Street Antiques Fitzroy VIC 03 9416 3093
French Art Deco sideboard in palisander attributed to Jules Leleu (1883-1961), c. 1940, h:98 x w:230 x 55 cm deep $5000 Nostalgia Antiques Pty Ltd Thornbury VIC 03 9480 3745
Australian handmade child's kitchen dresser, c. 1920, pine and other timbers, 70 x 37 cm $245 Collectors' Cottage Newcastle NSW 02 4389 1922
French marble topped sideboard, c. 1890, plum pudding mahogany panels, fitted with four cupboards, four drawers and cast brass handles. h:101 x w:183 x 50 cm deep $3250 Page Antiques Canterbury VIC 03 9880 7433
ADVERTISING RATES 1/4 page colour $270 1/2 page colour $456.50
Art Deco Tasmanian oak leadlight kitchen cabinet, c. 1938, h:162 x w:106 x 38 cm deep $885 New Norfolk Antiques TAS 03 6261 1636
French oak hallstand with marble top, c. 1890, h:243 x w:110 x 32 cm deep $2400 Nostalgia Antiques Pty Ltd Thornbury VIC 03 9480 3745
Victorian mahogany pedestal desk, c. 1850, old gold tooled leather top, h:75 x w:139 x 75 cm deep $3600 Page Antiques Canterbury VIC 03 9880 7433
Full page colour $830
To see more dealer items for sale, visit www.AntiquesPlus.com.au, managed by John Furphy Pty Ltd who also publishes Carter’s Price Guides to Antiques and Collectables, now online at www.carters.com.au
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CollectablesTrader
TRADER photography
1
3 2
1 Sunbaker, 1937 2 Moonflower, 1982 3 Interior Elizabeth Bay House, 1978 4 At Toowoon Bay, 1985 5 Blue Gum Forest, c. 1940
5
4
Girard Perregaux 9 ct white gold stainless steel case back 17 jewel $2750 Brasac Enterprises 02 9389 2919
One of a set of five framed photographs making up a portfolio illustrating Max Dupain’s versatile approach to a broad range of subjects. They were selected by him for this set of limited edition prints published for the Royal Blind Society and were among his personal favourites. These were produced in the late 1980s. Set of five framed $2,500. Individual $600 each. Brasac Enterprises, 02 9389 2919
Cartier gold on sterling silver quartz c. 1990 $1500 Brasac Enterprises 02 9389 2919
Gerrard Perregaux gyromatic, original band, c. 1960 $1295 Brasac Enterprises 02 9389 2919
Longines Admiral 10 ct gold filled, c. 1965 $2295 Brasac Enterprises 02 9389 2919 Gold diamond and jade stick pin $3750 Brasac Enterprises 02 9389 2919 24 Jewel VGOC 31198614 case 168018, 18 ct gold Omega Constellation c. 1971 $3800 Brasac Enterprises 02 9389 2919
Omega Seamaster 14 ct c. 1960s $1895 Brasac Enterprises 02 9389 2919
CollectablesTrader
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Antique and Modern Clocks and Watches Repairs and Sales
Family business established 25 years Specialising in antiques & decorative arts CONDUCTING MONTHLY AUCTIONS Next auctions: 18 August 2013 15 September 2013 Dates may change, please refer to website for updates and future sales
Friendly professional service Free quotes Guarantee on major repairs Clocks bought and sold Leigh Fist 493 North Road Ormond VIC 3163
Contact Mark or Megan Stone on 03 5256 1674 or 0418 553 910 16 Grubb Road, Ocean Grove Victoria 3226
Tues – Fri 9 am – 5 pm Saturday 9 am – 1 pm
Catalogues available
03 9578 6960
www.woodlandsauctions.com.au
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Abbott’s Antiques
22
Discovery Corner
34
Moorabool Antique Galleries
ABCR Auctions
23
Fyans Cottage
11
Noble Numismatics
Advertising rates
94
Gilly Stephenson’s Waxes & Polishes
57
Paul Cholewinski
77
Amanda Addams
4
Gippsland Antique Bottles
75
Rotary Club Palm Beach
77
Antique Toy World
53
Glebe Antique Centre
35
Roy’s Antiques
10
Berry Fair
75
Gold Coast Antique Centre
29
Sally Beresford
46
Brasac Enterprises
75
Graham Lancaster Auctions
1
Subscriptions
83
Brisbane Antique Centre
17
Howard Products
28
Sydney Antique Centre
Camperdown Mews
80
Kalmar Antiques
16
The Clockworks
96
Carters Publications
48
Kiwi Auctions
IFC
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Antique Valuations Established 1985
John Rogers, Off Little Bourke Street, 1948, oil on canvas, 50 x 66 cm
How much is this painting worth? $6,000, $8,000, $10,000
David Freeman knows... David Freeman Antique Valuations is Melbourne’s largest independently owned valuation service. Founded in 1985, we have vast experience with art, antiques, china, collectables and general household contents. David Freeman Antique Valuations delivers expert valuations, on time, every time, all at extremely competitive rates. Whether you require valuations for insurance, market, family law, company divisions, or deceased estates, David Freeman can help you with experience, total confidentiality and personal service. David Freeman can also advise you on purchasing, disposal, placement and restoration services. David Freeman is approved to value Australian Paintings and Prints after 1850 for the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program. We can supply you with excellent references from some of our many satisfied clients, if required.
Call David for your next valuation. Phone: 03 9855 2255 Mobile: 0419 578 184 Fax: 03 9855 2244 344 High Street Kew Victoria 3101 PO Box 21, Balwyn North Victoria 3104 Visit our website: www.aaauctions.com.au
Government Approved Valuer Cultural Gifts Program Australian Paintings & Prints after 1850