Posts Tagged ‘demand’

First created by Cartier in 1952, the design was immediately copied and reinterpreted in many variations by most of the jewellers of the time.
Contemporary daywear fashions were dominated by the classic two-piece suit reintroduced by Chanel at the reopening of her atelier in 1954, and these yellow gold earrings suited them perfectly, as well as the stylish afternoon dresses then in vogue.
Earrings simply mounted with a single pearl, natural or cultured, often of large size without any form of decorative surmount, gained in popularity throughout the decade thanks to their adaptability to both day and evening dresses and to their discreet sheen which always flattered the features of the face without being as overpowering as diamonds. Cultured pearls came back into favour after a decade of neglect; and natural pearls, whose price had dropped dramatically in the 1920S when cultured pearls became widely available, were admired again and rose in value. As cheaper alternatives, large mabe pearls were favoured within gold and diamond borders.
Left and opposite: three pencil designs for gold and gem-set earrings,
by Mellerio, i 95os.
A pair of i 8ct molten gold, diamond and baroque pearl earclips bv Andrew Grima, 1968. The stylized flowerhead surmounts support detachable pendants.
The 1960s
In the 196os the marked distinction between very precious earrings set with diamonds for the evening and less expensive gold earrings for the day disappears. All types could be worn at all times provided that they were large and decorative. Their effect was achieved not necessarily by using materials of high intrinsic value, but by exploiting contrasts of texture and colour. A good example of this style is a pair of opal, emerald, sapphire and diamond pendent earrings mounted in yellow gold in 1966 by Andrew Grima, a particularly successful jeweller and designer who can be regarded as the trendsetter of the sixties style in Britain. His earrings are typical of the time in their abstract design and in their interplay of different textures, the rough gold mounts contrasting with the smooth and polished surface of the opals. Their vivid use of colour is also typical; the bright green emeralds, the intense blue sapphires and the bright multicoloured flashes of opals highlighted with diamonds and gold are particularly striking. It is not surprising that these eyecatching earrings won the 1966 Duke of Edinburgh Prize for Elegant Design, the first and only time that a piece of hand-made jewellery rather than an industrial product gained this prestigious award. The judges’ report stated that British jewellery designers ‘are now starting to win an international reputation for their imaginative work … There is a much less inhibited attitude to new techniques, such as melting under controlled temperatures and new ways of giving different textures to gold. These have given much greater scope to the designer and have released him from the rigid conventions of setting — and much credit for this liberation, and for the gaiety that has resulted, must go to Andrew Grima, the recipient of the 1966 prize.’
Similar qualities are to be found in Italian clips set with emeralds, sapphires and gold. The amoeba-like abstraction of their design once again combines contrasting elements: the large cabochon emerald with its smooth and polished surface in contrast with the textured gold mount, and the striking use of colour: green, blue and yellow. The emeralds and sapphires, although not of gem quality, have been exploited for their attractive colour, once again indicating how contemporary jewellers were often more interested in the decorative quality of the gemstones than in their intrinsic value.
The use of uncut gemstones and natural objects unworked by man was widespread at the time, and jewellers in most countries were eager to exploit such materials. Emphasis was placed on the contrast between faceted and uncut stones, such as agate geodes, aggregates of amethyst or dioptase crystals left in their natural form. In one
P 1771, pair of long pendent earrings, sapphires, diamonds and fragments of crystal dioptase
178 are combined with rough-textured gold-work reminiscent of entwined branches. Interest in unusual textures, striking colour combinations and relatively cheap materials prompted jewellers such as David Webb and Verdura in New York and Darde et Fils in Paris to make use of exotic and colourful sea shells for their earrings. The bold contours of the polymita pieta (Cuban tree snails) with brown, orange, yellow and white stripes applied with gold lozenges by David Webb (1964-65) or with gold saw-teeth by Darde et Fils show how such materials can be successfully used. All the examples reproduced here belonged to the Duchess of Windsor, who like other fashionable women of the mid-sixties did not disdain comparatively inexpensive ear-clips provided that they were unusual and decorative. All sorts of shells of differing shapes were adopted to both short and long earrings, as is illustrated by the extraordinary late sixties example by Grima, where an elongated tusk-shaped shell from the South Pacific is enclosed in a gold wire case and its natural curve exploited to echo the contour of the face.
Nature, transmuted in abstract and stylized forms, was the source of inspiration
for many ear ornaments: for example, the intricate form of sprawling roots is the
basis for gold mounts in the earclips designed by the American jeweller Arthur King,
where the central cultured pearl or smooth coral bead is held in a surround of textured
and entwined gold wire-work. In a similar way small gold batons soldered together,
framing the large sapphires in Grima’s 1968 earclips, are reminiscent of the twigs in
birds’ nests, while in a pair of decorative and exuberant earrings by Meister of Zur-
ich (designed in 19′71 but very much in the style of the i 96os) clusters of mimosa
blossom are juxtaposed with polished gold spheres and brilliant-cut diamonds. Ab-
stract forms and different textures, consistent features of 196os jewels and earrings,
were achieved by means of new techniques such as melting under controlled tempera-
tures. The results can be seen in the gold and coral earclips by Sterl6 where the gold
mount appears as ‘frozen’ molten metal, or in the jagged textured gold edges of Marit
Aschan’s earclips of 1966, reminiscent of butterflies dipped into turquoise enamel
encrusted with diamonds. One of those who has continued since the i 96os to achieve
P. 189 infinite variations of texture in gold is Gerda Flockinger. In a stunning combination
of interchangeable earrings of 1980, the inherent beauty of the molten gold is empha-
sized by minute grains and swirled encrustations where tiny diamonds sparkle at ran-
dom. Most of these innovative examples are one-off productions and reflect the
greater importance attached to creative design rather than intrinsic value; in fact, the
jewels in their settings are worth considerably more than their break-up value, which
indicates both that people are buying more for beauty of design than for investment A pair of gold, enamel and diamond star-shaped earclips with matching brooch, and a pair of gold, ruby and diamond earclips designed as flowerhead clusters, both by Boucheron, Paris, circa 1970.
and that the designer is achieving a personal status very different from the anonymity of his immediate predecessors. Examples produced in larger quantities and not as one-offs were manufactured for a more conventional clientele, and although not as daring as the designs by Grima, Sterl6 or Marit Aschan they display characteristic sixties elements. This is noticeable in the pair of stylized flowerhead earclips by Kutchinsky, where the theme, naturalistic this time and not abstract, is made vivid by bright and smooth green and blue enamel juxtaposed with the rough textured gold border.
Other fashionable earrings, especially for day wear, were inspired by objects, plants and animals that had not been associated with jewellery in previous decades. Some of them are distinctly light-hearted, such as the frog earclips in gold and bright green enamel with cabochon ruby eyes which David Webb presented to the Duchess of Windsor in 1964; or the pineapple earclips set with stripes of calibre-cut onyx and rubies designed in 1968 by Jean Schlumberger. Surrealist themes in jewellery had already been pioneered in the mid-fifties by artists such as Salvador Dall; the ‘Honeycomb Heart’ earclips of 1954 studded with circular-cut rubies and diamonds, and paired gold wing earclips signed ‘Dall’ in black enamel are good examples. But it is only in the sixties that one witnesses in jewellery a proliferation of such witty and amusing motifs. They represented a break with tradition and went hand-in-hand with the vogue for all that was fun, innovative and daring and they suited the fashion that replaced Dior’s sophisticated New Look and opulent but measured elegance with (alternative’ clothes — trousers and miniskirts — and required ‘alternative’ jewels to match. This new social and moral climate of the sixties found expression in such outward signs as the geometric and sculpted dress of Courreges or Paco Rabanne, the miniskirt of Mary Quant, the severe and short bob devised by Vidal Sassoon — and amusing unconventional earrings.
At the same time traditional examples of high intrinsic value continued to be produced. These were designed as diamond-set stylized flowerhead clusters supporting opulent cascades, but their jagged contours, achieved by alternating brilliant-cut and marquise-shaped diamonds held in minute white precious metal claws, differentiate them from the flowing and continuous lines set mainly with baguette diamonds of the previous decade.
The 1970s
After 197o earring design, like fashions in dress and hairstyle, seems to break free from all constraint and to become almost infinitely varied. The only common feature is largeness.
One of the most characteristic types of earring for day wear was a pendant designed as a large circular, oval or drop-shaped hoop held by a smaller surmount of similar design. These were mainly carved in hardstones including rock crystal, lapis lazuli, onyx, coral, tortoiseshell and ivory or rare woods like bois d’armourette, or they could be made of gold, often decorated with bright contrasting enamels such as blue with
P f84, yellow and red. The popularity of this hoop pattern was such that one finds it is
185 repeated both in designs and extant examples from all the major jewellery firms. Van Cleef & Arpels and Mauboussin were famous for their pear-shaped onyx hoops embellished with gold and diamond motifs suspended on variously shaped surmounts, such as the example illustrated on p. 184, where the elongated onyx hoop decorated with pave-set diamond motifs hangs from a leaf-shaped surmount of brilliant-cut diamonds. Often these earrings came with a long chain necklace — the most typical jewel of the seventies — formed of similarly designed links suspending a large pendant which repeated, in an enlarged form, the motif of the earring. Boucheron favoured an upside-down drop-shaped surmount with a similarly designed but larger drop in gold, lapis lazuli, tiger’s eye, or pink coral (e.g., model nos: 37640, 37632, 3763 1 and 37750 of 197o and 1971). The great popularity of the pendent hoop earring was also exploited by Mellerio, who did not limit himself to two hoops but designed examples with three, made of textured or corded gold linked together. Besides the repetition of the pendent hoop motif, another noticeable feature of most jewellers and above all of Boucheron’s production is the use of vivid and striking colour combinations, such as pink-green-gold, brown-pink, brown-green, turquoise-purple, light blue-black-gold and red-black-white. Hoop earrings were all made of gold or carved in hardstone; they were frequently decorated with pave-set diamond motifs but never with faceted coloured gemstones.
Hoop earrings were also widespread in the USA; David Webb in New York became celebrated for his large rock crystal and diamond drop earrings with pear-shaped hoops carved in rock crystal and embellished with diamonds. The design was devised one day when he happened to see a crystal chandelier being dismantled. His heart sank at the sight of such wonderful drops being wasted and he thought immediately of earrings. His design was so successful that these earrings continued to be produced well into the 1980s.
During the 1970s the most important jewellery houses such as Boucheron, Cartier, and Van Cleef & Arpels were differentiating between unique creations set with exceptional gemstones made on commission and more readily available products at more affordable prices intended for a wider but still discriminating clientele. Many of the examples mentioned above were included in the ’boutique’ line of these jewellers and were meant for the fashion-conscious woman who was free to chose her own jewels according to taste and the colours of her clothes. The idea was to own several pairs of earrings of different colours which would be changed to suit various occasions.
The great popularity of the hoop-in-hoop motif meant that it was also adopted for evening wear. When that happened, a more precious version was produced, either
set entirely with diamonds (as the earrings by Gerard 1978-79, where the three P. s, hoops suspended from a cluster surmount are claw-set throughout with brilliant-cut diamonds) or with the hoops enlivened by coloured precious stones such as rubies, emeralds and sapphires alternately set with diamonds (as can be seen in some designs by Boucheron, nos: 37731 and 120971). Other precious examples for the evening P. Y8 repeated a similar outline of the hoop pendants but the hollow centre was filled with encrustations of exotic decorative motifs set with differently coloured gemstones. The inspiration of many of these earrings was Indian-, the red and green colours, as in the Boucheron example of 1978, suggest the combination of colours in Jaipur enamels; and the use of cabochon stones in flowerhead arrangements of gemstones is typical of Indian 18th- and 19th-century traditional jewellery. This source of inspiration is confirmed by some of the names given to designs of this period such as: Arabesque, Sultan, Nepal. It is not surprising that the Middle East and India inspired earring design, for many aspects of artistic, cultural and intellectual life in the 1970s were influenced by the East.
The short earring was often designed as a half-hoop or a hoop simply clamped to the earlobe with a clip fitting. Like pendants, they were made either of yellow gold, variously textured and worked, or set with coloured semiprecious hardstones embellished with diamonds. It is interesting to note that throughout the seventies the metal used for setting all gemstones including diamonds was yellow gold and not platinum or white gold; since the 18th century diamonds had almost invariably been set in white metal to increase the whiteness of the stones, and only in the I 97os did the jewellers switch to yellow gold. This probably has several explanations: firstly the influence of traditional Indian jewels where diamonds were set in gold; secondly a desire to break with tradition; and thirdly an attempt to make diamond, the gemstone par excellence, more wearable at any time of the day and give a more casual look to the most glamorous and evening-orientated gem; the warmth of the metal and its association with daytime jewellery made such adornments more wearable. Obviously there were disadvantages in using gold with diamonds, for example high colour, very white stones appearing of lower quality when reflecting the yellow gold mount. On the other hand diamonds known as Cape stones which possess a yellow tint look better in a yellow gold than in a white gold or platinum setting. The seventies fashion for large earrings, cabochon coloured gemstones and above all the use of gold as the sole metal for setting all gemstones, and especially diamonds, are features which continued to be popular in the following decade.
The 1980s
In the 19 8os earrings became so fashionable that they might be considered the jewel of the decade. Leading jewellers in Europe and the United States agree that by far the best selling jewels of the period were earrings. They were the favourite of the fashion-conscious woman, often being worn as the sole form of jewelled ornament. They were considered an indispensable fashion accessory to match and complement the style of an outfit, whether that of the executive woman in a tailored Armam suit by day or the extravagant and feminine woman in a Lacroix gown by night. This explains why women of the eighties owned numerous pairs of earrings and never felt that they had enough. Furthermore, earrings, unlike rings, have no sentimental implications, and can be bought, given as a gift or changed without a second thought. Demand stimulated supply — from mass-produced types marketed in large numbers to the most exclusive and one-off creations. But they all, short or long, followed a certain
P. 180, pattern: they had to be bold, flashy, large and colourful. Designs in this period are
181 extremely eclectic, but all short earrings are characterized by large, bold yet compact shapes, while pendant earrings may be distinguished by their large sculptural and three-dimensional drops which differ from the elongated linear hoops of the previous decade.
Among day earrings there was another archaeological revival, largely promoted
by Bulgari who since the mid-seventies had been mounting earrings with ancient
p. 186 coins. Greek, Roman and even I 7th- and i 8th-century coins, known as ‘gemme num-
marie’, numismatic gems, were set in sleek mounts of matt or shiny metals of differ-
ing colours. Striking effects were obtained by juxtaposing ancient, worn materials
with smooth and sleek modern mounts and by combining metals of contrasting
colours. An example is the combination of gold and silver in the 1982 gold earclips
set with a silver drachm of Demetrios I Soter, Syria (162-150 BC); platinum, gold
and electrum are placed next to one another in the 1984 clips set with two electrum
hecte struck in the island of Lesbos at Mytilene between 44o and 3 50 BC, held within concentric platinum and gold circles; and bronze or steel in combination with more precious materials became a distinctive feature of Bulgari and was employed in bold and innovative creations. Modernity is opposed to antiquity in the hoop earclips of 1980 designed as a graduated white gold band of flattened tubular linking set at the centre with two fanam yellow gold coins of the Dutch Indies 0 719-40). Although coins might seem rather uninteresting and repetitive to the layman, the variety of these earclips is astonishing: coins appear singly or in pairs, and the mounts display an unlimited variety of decorative patterns: reeded or corded wires, concentric sections, fluted elements and flattened tubular chains sometimes embellished with a few diamonds or cabochon coloured gemstones and small pearls. A compact circular form is common, since it is demanded by the shape of the coin, and a genuine archaeological concern has led to the mounts always being inscribed with the provenance and denomination of the coins.
Archaeologically inspired earrings were not limited to Italy: the Greek jeweller Ilias Lalaounis had been designing such jewels since the late 19 5os but his earrings gained popularity in the eighties, with their large size and decorative bold shapes. His designs have since been copied and reinterpreted by many other jewellers in Greece and throughout Europe.
Lalaounis’ earrings are inspired by the work of ancient Greek and Byzantine goldsmiths. Sometimes they are outstanding for their closeness to original ancient examples, while at others they are pastiches of Classical and Hellenistic themes, such as lions’ or rams’ heads, reminiscent of Greek late Classical earrings. All are in matt 22-carat gold, attempting to match the colour and texture of ancient examples. Reminiscent of Byzantine jewels are domed discs with granulation motifs encrusted with deep green emeralds and red rubies combined with pearls.
The fact that women want to own many pairs of earrings to suit different occasions has prompted the creation of large numbers made of relatively cheap materials which are nevertheless very attractive and eyecatching. Marina B in the 198os had mastered this art by setting her highly innovative and decorative earrings with semiprecious stones of various colours combined with small diamonds, yellow gold, black burnished gold and black metal. In all this variety of materials and shapes (hearts, tassels, drops, hoops) the unifying element is the striking way in which colours are combined with the sculptural, three-dimensional form of both the surmounts and the drops. For example the Cimin model of 1987 inspired by a Chinese lantern is in burnished black gold set with six blue topazes, yellow citrines, and amethysts, two pink tourmalines and diamonds. Among the most successful creations of Marina B is the Pneus earring, first designed in 1980, characterized by a squat circular pendant inspired by the pneumatic tyre of an aeroplane — hence the name. In this type the circular drop, carved in semiprecious gemstones, can be changed for similar drops of differently coloured stones such as pink tourmaline, rock crystal or blue topaz in Pendent earrings with wide and voluminous drops and compact clips in the form of large discs or fat crescents in many variations remained in favour throughout the decade both in Europe and in the United States. Bulgari’s output is still dominated by
P. 183 large earclips such as those set with a pink sapphire flowerhead with emerald leaves at the centre of a cushion-shaped panel decorated with baguette and brilliant-cut diamonds; other motifs include open hearts set with sugar-loaf cabochons of precious stones of various cuts such as emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds. A common characteristic of these colourful earrings is the imaginative and varied cuts of the gemstones which are shaped in order to fit the design: e.g. , the tassel or baton-shaped
P. 181 quartzes of the 1984 Najwa earring by Marina B.
The typical fitting of these earrings is a combination of clip and stud. From the late seventies ear-piercing regained popularity, losing its negative connotations, mainly because earrings fixed through the lobe are much more secure. Safety and comfort are priorities when earrings are heavy. Some eighties earrings weigh up to 4o grams, and the weight, especially in large pendent earrings, is alleviated both by the spread of the surmount and by the additional clip fitting which enables it to be distributed over a larger surface. The combined clip-stud fitting also had the great advantage of being easily adaptable to the unpierced ear by sawing off the prong of the stud.
p. 182 As ‘flash’ is the essence of earrings of the eighties, in examples where coloured gemstones were not used, large surfaces of polished or hammered gold with diamonds were favoured, such as the large disc-shaped earclips retailed by Harry Winston, the bold crescents of the Ecumes by Marina B and the double twisted hoops by Repossi, all mounted in yellow gold pave- or collet-set with diamonds. The glamour
P. 180, of gold, its richness of colour and its reflective quality were exploited also by Paloma
189 Picasso and Elsa Peretti. Both designing for Tiffany, they created earrings of very simple but bold shapes cast in gold. The glamorous effect of their stylized leaf, bean, cross, dome and hoop earrings is achieved by curving the polished gold surface and allowing it to reflect light in different ways. These earrings suited the taste of the emancipated woman of the eighties by combining feminine allure with the masculine look, gold and diamonds with cotton T-shirts and jeans.
The past decade has also witnessed an increase in the production of most lavish and expensive earrings set with exceptionally rare stones. In these cases the shapes tend to be fairly traditional, with the emphasis on the size and shape of the gemstone rather than the design.
The name of Harry Winston in New York has been traditionally associated with
this lavish production. Among his most successful works are informal diamond clus-
ter earclips, set with marquise and pear-shaped stones. The design was first created in
the sixties but it has continued to be favoured until the present day, becoming a trade
P. 191 mark of the firm. A pair of the most recent cluster earclips by Harry Winston, made
in 1989, is set with a total of 26 stones weighing 5 1.22 carats, remarkable not only
for the weight but the quality of the stones which are all D (I.e., pure white) flawless.
A pair of pearl and diamond pendent earrings by Cartier, London, 1928. This example is typical of the late 1920S for the slightly flared drop, differing from
slim and elongated drops and the earlier
for the use of white gemstones only. Their exceptional length, 9 cms, is another typical feature of earrings of the time, me, which often grazed the shoulders.
This example may be distinguished from earlier clusters by its richer and more compact contour.
Cluster earclips are also used as surmounts to suspend detachable drops set with large gemstones such as emeralds, sapphires or diamonds. An exceptional example is the Harry Winston cluster tops with D flawless pear-shaped drops weighing 34.80 and 37.12 carats respectively. Large pear-shaped ruby earrings are never found because gem quality rubies are extremely rare and can hardly be matched. Lavish ruby earrings are always set with clusters of smaller stones, such as those set in hoop earrings by David Webb.
The increasing quest for the perfect stone has meant that most high-quality gemstones set in important earrings are now accompanied by certificates from internationally recognized gemmological laboratories. The origin of coloured gemstones is stated, Columbia is prized for emeralds and Kashmir for sapphires; diamond certificates state the colour of the stone, with pure white (D) being the most sought after, and clarity is defined as the absence of internal impurities visible under ten-fold magnification. In recent years there has been growing interest in naturally coloured diamonds, blue, pink and yellow, and once again Harry Winston has been in the forefront. An example of ‘fancy’ coloured diamonds are those set with a yellow emerald-cut diamond in a border of six pear-shaped stones.
As the object of these earrings is to show off the stones, the mounts have a purely functional role with minimal impact of their own. This explains why the stones are held by minute claws which, in the case of high colour diamonds, are always in white metal. The result differs from the style of contemporary decorative earrings, where larger stones are nearly always collet-set in gold.
The rarity and value of these earrings derives both from the quality of the gemstones and the difficulty of matching them in perfect pairs, especially when one considers how many tons of diamond ore have to be sifted to find just i carat of gem quality diamond.
In the i 99os earrings show no sign of falling in popularity. Indeed their variety, splendour and ingenuity of design seem likely to rival any decade of the past. Costume jewellery, the demi-monde of the fashion world, has attained respectability and examples of it are often almost as expensive as the precious items they imitate or parody. The outrageous has become the commonplace, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish high from high-street fashion. An art form that has been flourishing for at least four thousand years is as alive as it ever was, as exciting, as beautiful.

ceramics - pottery and porcelain
COLLECTING POTTERY and porcelain has been fashionable in England since the end of the seventeenth century, when Queen Man- brought her Japanese porcelain from Holland to decorate Hampton Court. The fashion was wildly popular throughout the eighteenth century, when the great porcelain factories were founded and East Indiamen sailed home from China with a hundred thousand pieces and more aboard.
In the nineteenth century Lady Charlotte Schreiber, whose collection is now in the Victoria & Albert Museum, combed western Europe for old pieces, paying C4 for a Chelsea rabbit tureen and complaining that it was too dear. Today, every antique shop has a- least a few pieces, and often dozens from which to choose.
Eighteenth century porcelain is still the goal of most collectors, although that of the nineteenth century is being increasingly collected, studied, and put into cabinets. The bargains go to those who know, but even the novice can, buy well today, at a time when inflation and the increasing popularity of the pastime sees to it that the value of good pieces rises constantly.
Porcelain made in the eighteenth century is now expensive, although even at current prices it is still an excellent investment. Perhaps Worcester porcelain is the safest of all. No one has ever really lost money by buying old Worcester because it has steadily appreciated over the years, and its popularity has never been the subject of fashion in the same way as the wares of other factories. Coloured Worcester is now beyond the reach of most pockets, except for nineteenth century wares, but transfer-printed and blueand-white Worcester are still reasonably priced.
The odd Chelsea or Bow plate is perhaps as much as one can hope for in the provinces, and the collector must turn to specialist dealers for most of it, but good plainly decorated specimens occur, and there is always the possibility of a chance discovery of something more important.
The minor eighteenth century factories, such as Lowestoft and New Hall, are frequently represented among the stock of country dealers, especially cups and saucers and similar items. Buying the wares of the nineteenth century manufacturers – Minton, Spode, Davenport, Worcester and so forth – is an exercise in discrimination, with prizes in the form of enhanced value for those who are able to identify the work of some of the better known artists who worked for these factories.
Wedgwood, wildly popular in the USA, where it is almost a way of life, is becoming scarce in England, but all of it is plainly marked, and the addition of ‘Made in England’ to the mark first used in 1898 forms a watershed between old and new wares. Most sought are the eighteenth century pieces, but these are hard to find. It should be remembered, however, that Wedgwood is by no means confined to the familiar jasper stoneware. Increasing interest is being taken in creamware and the black basalts stonewares, and the search for such rarer varieties as rosso antico with white jasper ornament is worth making.
English pottery generally has always been a popular subject with the collector less able to afford the expensive porcelains. English delft is perhaps the most popular in these days with many collectors, and the cost of the rarer specimens rivals that of good porcelain. But there are many humbler, but no less interesting, examples to be had at a few pounds apiece, particularly blue-painted Bristol delft.
Staffordshire red ware is still reasonably inexpensive although specimens are uncommon, but Whieldon wares, especially those with the tortoiseshell glazes, are met with relative frequency, and the price is not high for plates, although the scarcer varieties, such as figures and teapots, sell for a good deal more.
Good salt-glazed stoneware is always in demand, especially the enamel painted varieties which are apt to be expensive. Cheapest of all are the undecorated plates moulded with a variety of intricate border patterns.
less than they cost when first imported. The collector who likes them, and is prepared to take a chance on their return to fashion, could hardly do better than buy them at present. They will probably be much more expensive in a few years’ time.

The earlier Staffordshire figures, and such related things as Toby jugs, are in a higher price-range, and are correspondingly scarce. Rarest of all are figures decorated with the coloured glazes of Ralph Wood, but the enamelled figures of Enoch Wood are not uncommon, and the finer quality specimens deserve more attention than they get. Staffordshire chimney ornaments of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries are popular, despite crudities of modelling and finish, and there has lately been a noticeable increase in the popularity of mid-nineteenth century Tatbacks’, especially portraits of celebrities and notorious criminals of the day.
Railway mugs which were made at the time of the great railway
boom, especially when they depict such well tried favourites of the
enthusiast as the locomotives Rocket and Fury, are becoming ex-
28 tremely popular, and prices have risen considerably within the last year or so. Especially to be sought are such unusual variations as the double-heading – two locomotives coupled in tandem – and locomotives depicted against a background of identifiable scenes. Continental pottery and porcelain are less well-known in England. Here the knowledgeable collector may still find opportunities of picking up notable bargains. Dutch delft is perhaps the commonest variety of Continental pottery to be found, and later copies and reproductions are legion. Much less common are the products of such famous factories as Frankfurt, of which I have bought a number of specimens in country towns at very reasonable prices.
The z.,eilleuse – a tea or food-warmer to be found both in pottery and porcelain – is an extremely popular collector’s item on the Continent, and specimens are sought here. They are usually in the form of a separate base, a cylindrical centre portion and a surmounting basin and cover, or a teapot and cover. A small lamp –the godet – in the base provides heat for the vessel. English versions in delft and creamware from Leeds and Wedgwood exist, but these are food-warmers. The tea-warmer is much more likely to be continental, although a Swansea version exists in the Victoria & Albert Museum. In demand are the nineteenth century figures adapted for this purpose and known in France as personnages, the best of which were made by the Paris firm of Jacob Petit in the i 830’s. Good continental porcelain of the eighteenth century is scarce, but worth looking for. I found recently a group of figures of 1760 from the Italian Doccia factory in the shop of a provincial dealer who had no idea what it was. Few dealers outside the London specialists know anything about the minor German porcelain factories, and both figures and service-ware can be found occasionally, usually at fairly low prices. Mock ‘Sevres’ abounds, especially that decorated in turquoise blue with gilding of a quality which will not stand comparison with the much finer eighteenth century gilding. It must be remembered that these eighteenth century wares were repeated by the factory in the 187o’s, and although they are decorative, they have no enduring value to the collector.
Attention should be drawn to the many reproductions of Italian maiolica, especially drug-jars, seen in many shops. These are hardly ever offered as old, and they have no value to the collector who, however, should be alert to the possibility of a genuine specimen.
Today, when the country is continually being combed for antiques of all kinds, the antique shops of the provinces are probably richer in good things than they have ever been. The proportion of damaged objects, however, is high, and it is now unusual to find figures which do not need repair of some kind. One would not reject a finely painted eighteenth century dish because it was cracked; although the crack reduces the value, it still makes an effective display in the cabinet. Damaged dishes with perhaps a few sprigs of flowers, however, are of little value except to the impecunious enthusiast.
There is still a vast amount of Chinese porcelain to be found, most of it brought to England during the eighteenth century by the East India Company. Much of it was specially made for this large and thriving export trade, and the patterns are those demanded by European shippers. Collecting Chinese porcelain, therefore, is likely to fall into two distinct categories. The first will include the enormous quantity shipped to European order — armorial
pieces decorated with subjects based on contemporary engravings, and even direct copies of European porcelain. The second, inclined to be more exclusive, contains porcelain in the Chinese taste, and such stonewares as the celadons, as v.,ell as T’ang pottery. The latter wares were all imported towards the end of the nineteenth century and later for collectors who demanded purely Chinese things, and the variety met outside the specialist dealers in London are usually painted in blue underglaze. These, once fashionable,
30 are no longer in great demand, and often can be bought for much.
books to read
There have been more books written about ceramics than any other branch of antique art, so our list is highly selective. Incidentally, don’t overlook the second-hand book trade and antiquarian booksellers. Some of the finest works were published in the nineteenth century and have not been reprinted. Examples can often be found and usually they are remarkable for their fine colour plates of interest-mg pieces.
General works
Pocket book of English ceramic marks, j P Cushion, Faber, 12s 6d
Handbook of pottery and porcelain marks, j P Cushion & 11″Honey, Faber, & 12s 6d Encyclopaedia of British pottery and porcelain marks, G Godden, Jenkins, C6 6s Porcelain through the ages, G Savage, Penguin, ros 6d Talking about teapots, Y Bedford, Parrish, C1 5s Pottery and porcelain, F Litchfield, Black, £3 ros Concise encyclopaedia of English pottery and porcelain, W Markowitz & L Haggar, Deutsch, £6 6s
Country Life book of china, G Wills, Country Life, Ci 5s English pottery and porcelain figures, B Hughes, Lutterworth,
,C2 5s
Pottery through the ages, G’Savage, Cn ~sell, C i 5s
English pottery and bone china, B & T Hughes, Lutterworth, C1 5s British pottery and porcelain 1780-185o, G Godden, Barker, L2 15s
Antique English pottery, porcelain and glass, L E C Ramsay, Connoisseur, Cz 5s English blue and white,
B Naine,,, Faber, £3 ros
English pottery and porcelain, JVB Honey, Faber, Cr ros
British pottery and porcelain, S 1v .fisher, Arco Art, r2s 6d
Lutterworth, C2 2S
China-Trade porcelain, Phillips, Country Life, £5 5s
Old English porcelain, W B Honey, Faber, ki zos Porcelain through the ages, G Savage, Cgsell, ,Er ros
English cream coloured earthenware, D C Towner, Faber, £2 Ss
English porcelain of x8th century,, L Dixon, Faber, C2 2S Connoisseur dictionary of marks, M Taylor, Connoisseur, ,Cr 5s
English ceramic figures, B Hughes, Lutterworth, C2 2S Medieval English pottery, B Rackham, Faber, L2 5s
Chelsea
Chelsea porcelain - Red Anchor wares Vol I, F S Mackenna, Lewis, £7 7s
Chelsea porcelain - Gold Anchor wares Vol 11, Lewis, £7 7s
Chinese and oriental
Oriental blue and white, Sir Harry Garner, Faber, £3 3s Ceramic art of China, TV B Honey, Faber, £3 3s
Corean pottery, W B Honey, Faber, Er r5s
Later Chinese porcelain -Ching dynasty, R S,-)-, Faber, £2 10S
Coalport
Caughley and Coalport porcelain, F A Barrett, Lewis, £7 7s
Continental
Dresden china, W B Honey, Faber C. rs
Weidenfeld & Nicolson,& 7s 6d European ceramic art, W B Honey, Faber, Cro ros
French faience, A Lane, Faber, ,Cr ros
French porcelain of the x8th century, W B Honey, Faber, ‘Cr ros
Concise encyclopaedia of continental pottery and porcelain, W Markowitz L Haggar, Deutsch, C6 6s
z7th and x8th century French porcelain, G Savage, Barrie & Rockcliffe, £3 3s
x8th century German porcelain, G Savage, Barrie & Rockdiffe, £3 3s
Pocket book of German ceramic marks,, Cushion, Faber, r5s
German porcelain, W B Honey, Faber, Cr r5s
Italian majolica, B Rackham, Faber, & 15s
Italian Porcelain, A Lane, Faber, & i5s
Roman pottery, R Charleston, Faber, £2 2S
Pocket book of French and Italian ceramic marks, Y P Cushion, Faber, i8s
4D George Savage verifies the genuineness of a new acquisition
Leeds
The Leeds pottery, D Touln Cory Adam, k4 4s
Liverpool
Liverpool porcelain of 18th century and its makers,
K Bonet’, Batsford, £6 6s
Longton Hall
Longton Hall porcelain, B Watney, Faber, C2 5s
Pinxton
The Pinxton china factory,
L C Exley, Coke-Steel, £r 2s 6d
Staffordshire
Good Sir Toby, D EvIes, Lewis, ‘I IOS
Early Staffordshire pottery, B Rackham, Faber, £r i os Collecting Staffordshire pottery, L Stanley, Allen, k3 3s Staffordshire portrait figures of Victorian age, T Balston, Faber, £3 3s
The pictorial pot lid book,
H G Clarke, Tantivy Press, (3 3s
Wedgwood
Wedgwood wares, W B Hone}’, Faber, Ci 15S
Wedgwood, 14′Mankou,itz, Batsford, £7 7s
Wedgwood ABC, HButen, Antique Finder, Ci 5s
Wedgwood artists, H Buten, Antique Finder, Ci 12S 611
Worcester
Worcester porcelain, F S Mackenna, Lewis, £7 7s Worcester porcelain, F A Barrett, Faber, C2 5s
Coloured Worcester porcelain of the first period, R Marshall, ,C12 I2S
Life and work of Robert Hancock, C Cook, Chapman & Hall, £2 2s
Victorian ware
x9th century English pottery and porcelain, G Bemrose, Faber, ,C2 5s
Victorian pottery and porcelain, B Hughes, Country Life, & 12s 6d
Victorian porcelain, A G Godden, Jenkins, C2 2s
Victorian pottery, H 111′a’-Pfield, Jenkins, & 2s
Art Gallery and Museum. Cheltenham, Glos (Englisiporcelain)
Athenaeum annexe, Manchester, Lancs (ceramics; BantockHouse,Wolverhampton, Staffs (Worcesterporcelain)
Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Durham (European porcelain) British Museum, London (all subjects)
Cecil Higgins Art Gallery, Bedford, Beds (general porcelain,, Charterhouse School, Godahning, Sy (Peruvian pottery, City Art Gallery, Leeds, Yorks (Leeds and Staffordshire pottery)
City Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham, Works (Wedgwood; County Hall and Museum, Abingdon, Berks (Saxon pottery; The Curtis Museum, Alton Hants (general)
The Dyson Perrins Museum, Worcester, Worcs (It,orceste, porcelain)
Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea (Swansea and Nantgarw) Gulbenkian Museum of Oriental Art, Durham (Malcolm MacDonald collection of Chinese pottery and porcelain)
Holborn of Menstrie Museum, Bath, Som (general) Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port
34 Sunlight, Cheshire (Wedgwood)
Municipal Museum, Warrington, Lancs (Edelsten collection ofeeramics)
Museum and Art Gallery, Bootle, Lancs (Lancaster collection of English figure pottery and Bishop collection of Liverpool pottery) Museum and Art Gallery, Paisley (Renfrew) (ceramics) Museum and Art Gallery, Reading, Berks (Blotch collection of Delft)
Museum and Art Gallery, Rotherham, Yorks (Rockingham) Museum of Art, Hove, Sx (Pocock ceramic collection)
National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, Gloms (Swansea and Nantgarw)
Parc, Howard Museum, Llanelly, Corms (Llanelly pottery, Pharmaceutical Society’s Museum, London (Lambeth drug
jars)
Public Library, Southall, Middx (Martinware pottery collection)
The Sharp Collection, Wonersh, Surrey (China teapots) Spode-Copeland Museum, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs (Spode and
Copeland)
Townley Hall Art Gallery, Burnley, Lanes (Chinese pottery) Victoria and Albert, London (all subjects)
Wallace Collection, London (English and European porcelain) The Wedgwood Museum, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs (Wedgwood)
London
Take a trip down New Cavendish Street (the Baker Street end) and visit Cavendish Antiques, E A Baker, Artinterias and Dixon Mudd. All offer wide stock at all price ranges. Dixon Mudd is a regular exhibitor at the Chelsea Antique Fairs, where his stand is one of the most colourful and usually surrounded by admirers.
Mr Alexander Raghinsky is always ready with useful advice for the modest collector. He started his business by selling his own magnificent collection of ‘blue and white’ and his current stock includes specimens of most factories at prices ranging from 30s to real collector’s pieces. Mr Rahinsky can be found in Collectors Corner, Portobello Road, on Saturdays.
When you visit the Portobello Market, make a point of stopping at Mercury Antiques i Ladbroke Rd, close to Notting Hill Gate tube. Miss Liane Richards has a good stock for the amateur collector and
always offers continental pieces. She has just extended her premises to include the shop next door and often has a table full of slightly damaged pieces on the pavement outside. Commander Coxon is a familiar name to all collectors who visit antique fairs. He doesn’t have a shop nowadays, but is always available on Saturday in Collectors Corner at the Portobello Market, W1 I.
John Hall and David MacWilliams have a most unusual shop at 17 Harrington Rd, SW7.Theyspecialise in theatrical items and their stock includes a wide selection of Staffordshire portrait figures. The Victorians had the rather gruesome habit of making pottery models commemorating some of the more colourful crimes of the century. Models would be made depicting the murderer, the victim and often the scene of the crime. Examples of these and other portrait figures can be obtained at the above address, also at W W 35
Warner 226 Brompton Rd, SW3 and R Bonnets 582 King’s Rd, SW6.
Beauchamp Place, SW3 close to Harrods, is another centre for the collector’s notebook. David Newbon, Beauchamp Galleries and Gay Antiques have a good range of both English and continental items and at number 16 P & K Embden specialise in eighteenth century pieces, including a fine stock of Chinese ceramics of early date.
Chinese works of art are largely the prerogative of Mayfair dealers. Sydney Moss 51 Brook St, Wi has a fine stock, also John Sparks Ltd at 128. Bluest & Sons, 48 Davies St and Barling of Mount St Ltd together with Spink of King St, SW i are some of the names famous all over the world for their important stock of oriental ceramics.
At 66A Kensington Church St, W8, Hoff Antiques specialise in eighteenth century porcelain and M Impey 172 Walton St, SW3 offer early English pottery as well as eighteenth century Chinese and English porcelain.
36 Miss Fowler has an attractive
little shop at IA Duke St, Manchester Square, Wi. One comes across this shop rather unexpectedly and she has a fine stock of early ceramics.
George Savage of George Savage & Associates Ltd 9 Porchester Place, Connaught St, London W2 is the author of books ranging from the ever - popular Pelican Porcelain through the Ages to the American Birds of Dorothy Doughty which, priced at $6o, is one of the few books ever to enjoy the distinction of being at a premium on publication day. Another director, Diana Imber, is known for her scholarly translations of important books on continental wares and far eastern art. The company specialise in pottery and porcelain for collectors at all price-levels, and everything carries a warranty.
Some other London dealers in ceramics
(full addresses can be found in back of book)
SW: Albert Amor (r8th century English and continental porcelain), Canterburys (Antiques), Ltd, H R Hancock & Sons
(Chinese porcelain)
SW3 H E Backer (Continental porcelain), David Newton, Newman and Newman
Wx Antique Porcelain Co, Peter Boswell (specialists in tea and dinner services),
J J Drukker, Filkins, Lories, Manheim, Peerage Antiques
W8 Delomosne, Finearts, Jean Sewell
NWx F L Caira, T E Gascoigne
George Savage and his partner Diana /mbar discuss the merits of a piece of oriental sculpture
Home counties and southern England
Some of the best porcelain and pottery dealers are ladies. Take Vera Sutcliffe for instance. She has her shop in Croydon, Surrey. Here, many beautiful items will delight the connoisseur and she also undertakes expert restorative work. Swansea and Nantgarw, increasingly difficult to find, are amongst her specialities. Vera Sutcliffe can also be found at the Kensington Antique Fair.
Another specialist is Mrs Vicki Minoprio of 40 West St, Alresford. Although her shop is comparatively new, her experience goes back much further. Her shop is the result of many years collecting by Mrs Minoprio and her husband. Stock is of the finest quality and
does credit to the lovely old town of Alresford, Hants. (Main A31 Farnham to Winchester).
Amongst the south coast dealers we must mention Malcolm Anderson Bexhill, Sussex, for his stock of English, Continental and Chinese porcelain; also Trevor Antiques Brighton and Howard Lington of Bournemouth.
Pot lids have always been popular collectors’ items and are rapidly rising in price. Alexander Antiques Bletchingley, Surrey can be guaranteed to have some always in stock. The Old Forge Hollingbourne, Kent also try to keep a selection of these elusive items.
Hungerford, Barks boasts six antique shops. Riverside Antiques is a branch of the London firm Fine-arts Ltd and always has a good selection of porcelain, English, continental and Chinese.
Drug jars, whether they be maiolica originals or reproduction, have always been popular. Durston Antiques Petersfield, Hants and Quinney’s Sawbridgeworth, Herts, usually have some in stock.
Mr and Mrs Behrens have just moved into new premises in Winchester, and have many smaller pieces of porcelain to choose from.
Some other dealers in the home counties and south
Stewart Acton, Brighton, Sussex Adam House, Henley, Oxon J J Allen, Bournemouth, Hants Bennett & Stow, Alresford, Hants Bishop, Marlow, Bucks Margaret Cadman, Brighton, Sussex
Fortunate Finds, Eastbourne, Sussex (by appointment only)
Major & Mrs Grogan, Horsham, Sussex
Leon’s Antique Shop,
38 Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Winifred Williams, Eastbourne, Sussex
The west country and Wales
We don’t suppose there are many people who would drive miles to buy matching basin and ewer sets; getting rid of the things is usually the bigger problem. If you are thinking of throwing some out, send them down to Mr and Mrs Scammell in Morchard Bishop. In the heart of Devon their Glebe House has several showrooms of small general antiques – including a basin and ewer department!
A porcelain dealer out of the ‘top drawer’ is Andrew Dando of Bath. He has a large stock of all types of ceramics, English, continental and Chinese. Again, the usual warning when recommending Bath – Mr Dando is closed on Saturday afternoon.
Four specialists in Worcester porcelain in the west country are Arthur Philpott in Worcester itself;
Peter Jackson Falmouth and Studio Antiques Bourton - on - the - Water, Glos, who specialises in the Dr Wall period. Incidentally, the small coffee cups, typical of the early Worcester factory make an excellent collection. Many of these pieces are marked with the sign of the artist even if not that of the factory itself, whereas coffee cups from many other factories more often than not do not bear a mark on the cup – only on the saucer.
Stanley Fisher Bewdley, Worcs, is the author of British Pottery and Porcelain, and a leading specialist in Worcester pieces.
Nantgarw (pronounced nangaroo) and Swansea porcelain is the speciality of J Kyrie Fletcher Ltd of Newport. Due to the limited operating period of these factories, good examples are rather rare and collectors who wouldn’t have looked at a cracked dish a few years ago are now keen to snap up any piece that comes their way, especially if it is a marked piece. Mrs S L
0 Part of George Savage’s collection of Chinese porcelain
Chislett of Bradstone House, Lydney, Glos often has some pieces amongst her other porcelain stock, as has D S Hutchings of Newport, Mon.
At Dawlish in Devonshire is Arthur West, right opposite Dawlish Water. Mr West has some excellent pieces, and don’t be put off by the sight of modern Devon pottery on sale in the same premises. He had a most delightful collection of early English blue and white pieces on display in the window at our last visit.
Although primarily a trade supplier, Reginald Andrade gives a warm welcome to the private buyer. Having been in the antique business since 1907 he has a great wealth of experience and knowledge which he willingly passes on to the enthusiastic collector. Mr Andrade can be found in Plympton, Devon, in a large Victorian house, bursting with stock. He has at least ten showrooms devoted to ceramics and you have to pick your way around carefully for fear of trampling a Derby plate underfoot. It is best to know what you’re looking for before calling on Mr Andrade, otherwise the amount of pieces offered tend to confuse to the point of being overwhelming. Mr Andrade himself has a liking for jugs – of which he has a roomful, but he always finds space for one more, even if he has to hang it from the ceiling!
Ruskin pottery is a little known art to most people and we know only of one specialist. Robert Ferneyhough always has examples
as well as English and Chinese porcelain at Brook House, Henleyin-Arden, Warks.
Patrick Walker Burford, Oxon offers delftware with other pottery and porcelain items in this lovely old Costwold town.
In Wimborne Minster, Dorset Metcalfe,7ackson has premises with the strange-sounding name Trumpeters 25 West St. He stocks only top quality pieces and is extremely knowledgeable on Chinese art. Mr Jackson always has some oriental porcelain and pottery for sale.
`Antiques’ Bridport, Dorset, keeps a stock of coronation mugs. These are in a little display right at the back of the shop, easy to miss unless you know what you’re looking for.
Miss Valentine Ackland has a thriving business which she runs from her home in Maiden Newton, near Dorchester. She stocks mainly small items, with quite a lot of ceramic pieces which she sends by mail all over the world. Her house is called Frome Vauchurch and it is. rather difficult to find — so be prepared to ask a local the way. Miss, Ackland collects stock over a period of months and then publishes a mailing list. If you’d like to receive a copy, she’ll be pleased to hear from you.
Highly recommended, and especially for the pretty and peaceful environment in which she works, is, Mrs Gavin Young Longburton, near Sherborae, Dorset. Spring House is one of the prettiest
thatched houses in Dorset. Mrs Young, wife of the show-jumping judge Colonel Gavin Young, restores porcelain, pottery and enamels. She undertakes work by mail and will restore anything within reason. She also has pieces for sale both perfect and restored.
Dormy House Antiques at Marlborough in Wilts, always try to keep a good stock of commemorative jugs. ‘But they go out as fast as I can get them in’, complains Denys Bellerby, the owner.
Some other dealers in Wales and the west
G Deacon, Bath, Som.
Mrs H G James, Bodmin, Cornwall (Staffordshire portrait
figures)
C & D O’Donoghue, Torquay, Devon (by appointment only)
Old Timbers Antiques, Tewkesbury, Glos (lustre pottery)
East Anglia
Some especially fine stock can be seen in Cambridge at the premises of Collins & Clark, also at The Grange, Wroxham, Norfolk.
Edward Levine of Cromer, specialises in English and Chinese porcelain, also S H Partner of Colchester.
There is no sign to the premises of Peter A Crofts who has a lovely stock of English porcelain. To get to ‘Briar Patch’ you must take the
JOSEPH & EARLE D VANDEKAR
Members of the British Antique Dealers Association Porcelain • Glass • Pottery • Paperweights
Ormolu • Furniture

Tables, Dressers and Sideboards
Medieval boards and trestles—survival of the term “board”—the Tudor refectory table—pull-out or draw-leaf tables—the cre• dence and origin of the gate-leg table—long period of the gate-leg—occasional joined tables-18th-century patterns with club legs—the composite “D” end table—tripod tea tables with dished and pie-crust tops—dating by shape of feet—early games tables-18thcentury card tables–Sheraton quartette or nest tables—variations of the Pembroke style—sofa tables and early 19th-century folding tables—early dressers—dressers developed from side tables—Welsh dressers—appearance of the sideboard—Victorian chiffoniers mason’s patent ironstone china .
In the communal life of medieval times the servant ate with his master and his place at the table was a kind of status symbol regency revival furniture . The master would sit at the head with his guests and family; next would come the retainers of importance such as the steward and the priest and finally the servants expensive antique plates . Accordingly the table was a very long one and as the great hall was also used for recreation and even for sleeping the table had to be constructed so that, in spite of its size, it could be easily dismantled and put to one side when not required furniture+scallop+wheat .
Tables of the Gothic period were referred to as boards and trestles and were made in a variety of styles edwardian c19th construction buildings . Sometimes the supports were as those illustrated in the Luttrell Psalter and later they took the form of pedestals french words for dinner stand . Until the middle of the 16th century the table top consisted of a massive board of oak or elm boards nailed together 1600 century scroll back chair . When laid over the trestles or pedestals the very weight preserved its stability table consoul antiques caried or gold “rococo” . Even to this day, landladies advertise “board and lodging” and we still speak of a board of directors, a board room and a board of governors flemish trestle table . It is interesting to note how this term, used to describe a council of men and women meeting around a table, is a survival in our language from a very distant past catherine the great of russia plates .
By 1550 the communal life of the hall had begun to disappear john bell, porcelain, value . Houses were being built with a greater number of rooms and master and man took their meals apart kent silversmiths bread basket . There was no longer a need for the long trestle table and so a smaller table with a permanent underframe and legs was taken into general use writing cabinet officers antique . It was probably a smaller adaptation of the joined tables used in the abbey refectories and nowadays the term, refectory table, is used to describe it, although it was a purely domestic piece of furniture types of bureaux .
The refectory table, which was in everyday use from about 1550 to 1660, was usually 8 to 12 feet in length art deco brass stool . It was stoutly constructed with four, six or eight legs with bottom rails between them, and the top permanently fixed 19th century chairs’ . The underframing was made of oak but the top was often of elmwood, because of the wide boards which could be obtained from that tree antique neoclassical .
During the reign of Elizabeth I a variant of the refectory table, known as a draw-leaf table, appeared on the scene earthenware mixing bowls antique with handles . It enabled a comparatively short table to be extended to nearly twice its length by pulling out under-leaves from both ends dinnerware silver tureen . It was a design introduced from Flanders and France and it enjoyed an equal popularity with the refectory table botanical whimsies are considered some of the finest examples of art nouveau glass . Both of these types were displaced by the gate-leg table after the Restoration but the draw-leaf table has been revived during the 20th century and many modern homes possess similar, but lighter versions of the Elizabethan prototype steel dining table germany .
During the second half of the 16th and the early years
of the 17th centuries, table legs were massively made and often took the form of heavy bulbous turnings english creamware marks . On Flemish tables these swollen shapes are often spherical, like a melon, but the English versions were considerably more elongated with rounded tops and bottoms dresden german antiques . It has been said that these bulbous legs were functional in that they were designed to prevent rats climbing on to the table tops ant cherry antique dictionary tables . I have it on good authority from a biologist friend that any self-respecting rat could easily leap on to a table without any climbing aids 19th century gothic bedside tables .
Between 1600 and 1630, a small but sturdily constructed kind of side table was developed antique chippendale “solid mahogany” dining table lions paw . It must be considered a somewhat rare example of early Stuart furniture as examples these days are seldom encountered ernst archibald furniture . The tabletop was of the folding type, that is, it consisted of two halves hinged together and normally kept closed cherry ladies writing desk by pennsylvania house . When required for use, the upper leaf would be opened outwards and this would be supported by a fifth leg, which could be swung out as in a gate-leg table serpentine pembroke table . Actually, this small table was the forerunner of the gate-leg pattern turkish style sideboards uk . It is sometimes referred to as a credence table, which was placed at the side of the altar in the churches and on which the wine vessels and plate were arranged for use in the Communion service antique “trestle table” kent .
The gate-leg table, as already mentioned in Chapter 1, became generally fashionable after the Restoration and, in one form or another it is the one type of table which has been in continuous service ever since art deco polished matte lost-wax castings o nude women in bronze by viennese artisans . Usually made with a gate on each side, some larger tables are to be found with quadruple gates “art deco dresser” and “marble top” . These were of the period when spiral twist legs were in vogue and were made of walnut or, occasionally, of oak louis xv antique french commode .
A small type of side table, with a drawer and bobbin turned or baluster legs, must have been made in large numbers towards the end of the 17th century as they are frequently to be found in sale-rooms and antique shops antique music cabinete with mirror at the top . The finer versions are sometimes veneered and have curved stretchers as illustrated in Chapter 2 federal style table with brass paws . A more common and probably country-made variety is the so-called tavern table with its top overhanging the ends to a more than usual degree trent potteries designs by george jones . The drawers of these tables are sometimes found with joiner’s slides on the sides porcelain wincanton .
After being generally adopted as a dining table during the Restoration period, the gate-leg table was given a variety of leg shapes over the next hundred years rene lalique nude woman art deco lamp . Baluster and spiral twists gave place to scrolled legs and eventually to a type of cabriole shape known as the club leg italian,furniture,maker,address . Except for use on extending card tables, the cabriole leg was not ideally suited to larger table design, but the club leg variation remained in vogue until the introduction of the Chippendale square leg and the tapered legs of the Adam and Hepplewhite eras deco style dressing table .
It was customary during the late Stuart and William and Mary periods for a host to seat his guests at several gate-leg dining tables if the company was a large one sheffield rote iron . By the mid-18th century, however, long mahogany dining tables at which all the company could be seated, began to appear in the more important households antique wood cutlery urns . For over fifty years, these long dining tables consisted of one or several gate-leg tables, with rectangular side-leaves, which were joined together and semi-circular “D” end tables were placed at each end to make up the piece ruhimann table . The wide mahogany boards, introduced during the previous decades, rendered the construction of the broad table-tops a relatively simple matter antiques antique oak sideboards dutch style .
When only a few people were at dinner, the “D” ends would be placed against the wall to serve as side tables and only the gate-leg would be in use new york antiques light art deco . These “D” end tables are quite often to be seen in antique shops, either singly or in pairs, and it is not always realised that they have originally been part of a long Georgian dining table antique mahogany handkerchief table . When placed together, a pair of these tables make a very attractive circular dining table, which would be admirably suited to a present-day flat or smaller modern house http://antcollectors.com . The long “D” end tables continued in use well into the 19th century but the tapered legs were in time replaced by centre pedestals, each supported on four long curved feet antique furniture spanish art nouveaux . These were usually reeded and had brass-capped ends with castors or brass leopard-paw ends wheat antique dresser .
Designed during the closing years of the 17th century, but not becoming generally popular until fifty years later, the small, snap-top, tripod table with a circular top is probably one of the commonest pieces of antique furniture to be found today walnut escutcheons . The hinged top of the simpler country-made examples is usually flat but a tea table with a dished or slightly hollow top is not uncommon reproduced oval shaped dinnig table with lion’s paw . The dished top was designed to prevent spilt tea or milk running over on to the carpet campaign furniture pottery furniture . A more elaborate type of the dished top was known as a pie crust early 19th century mahogany desks with lion feet . Here the edge was carved into a series of scallop shapes, but genuine pie-crust tops are rare and there are many reproductions about value of george iii english mahogany gateleg card table? . Some tripod tea tables have an open, box-like structure fitted underneath, known as a birdcage and into which the single, central pillar is made to fit dutch silver 17th century . With this device, the table top not only folds upwards but can also be rotated so that any dish upon the table may be brought within reach of the guests period antique mahonany dining table with lions paw pedestal legs .
It is possible to date a tripod table, to within twenty years, by the shape of the feet tilt-top birdcage tea table . As illustrated on p small antique pembroke table fold-over . 63, the feet of around 1750 to 1770 have a flatter curve with a wider spread, while those of 1770 to 1790 have a more pronounced hump at the knee antique imari porcelain . From 1790 to 1810 approximately, the curve of the feet was reversed and by the time of the Regency, slender, concave shaped feet had been introduced toilet habits during 1800th century . The early Victorian period saw the revival of the “S” shape, but this was usually rather thick in proportion and decorated with elaborate carving bassano maiolica .
Tables which were specially designed for playing games were rare during the 17th century but an interesting piece, known as a shuffleboard table, is sometimes to be found in the long galleries of our greater country houses 18th century antique american gateleg . The long galleries were built for leisure and relaxation so that during the winter months, while the gentlemen went hunting, the ladies could take more gentle exercise indoors dressing table with small tables . The shuffleboard table can best be compared with a shove-ha’penny board, save that large brass discs were used instead of coins and the table top was often very long rh vase austria . There is one at Astley Hall in Lancashire which has twenty stout legs and is 2712 feet long jennens and bettridge . It must have been prefabricated and then assembled in the long gallery as it is far too large ever to have been brought up the staircase in one piece botanical antique ceramics collectors .
During the reign of Queen Anne and the Georgian period, card games were extremely popular and folding top tables with cabriole legs were in general use during that time finmar alvar aalto stool . These tables were, mostly made of walnut and had small recesses near the edges of the top to hold the guineas or counters while small circular platforms were provided at each corner to hold candlesticks for the night’s play fashion in the 16th century netherlands .
Card tables and tea tables, particularly the folding, semi-circular variety with tapered legs, were made to an almost identical pattern, the only difference being that the games tables had inset baize tops while the tea tables were of polished wood how a goldsmith made a candlestick . The early 19th century saw the production of many small games tables with tops inlaid for chess and backgammon and with drawers beneath to hold the apparatus for the games end tables lions head table with brass eagle claws on legs .
To Sheraton must be given the credit of designing the nest of tables, the idea for which appeared in his Cabinet Directory in 1803 antique kidney shaped dressing table . The nest comprises four small, separate tables which all fit one under another splay leg sofa table . They were originally referred to as quartette tables and being very lightly con-structed and somewhat fragile, it is uncommon to find an original, complete set of four istoriato china . Luckily, I have such a set in my possession which I believe was made by Gillow of Lancaster old gateleg wooden drop leaf tables . It was salvaged from a second-hand furniture shop, the tables being scattered around among the jumble and the shopkeeper having no idea, apparently, that they formed a unique set kakiemon bow price .
Small Pembroke tables with side flaps supported by hinged brackets and said to have been designed originally at the request of the Duchess of Pembroke for occasional use, appeared about 1775 mahogany french dining chairs . They were common in late Georgian homes and in the early part of the 19th century a larger version was made to serve as a supper or breakfast table rectangular drop leaf table antique .
Sofa tables were designed to stand behind a sofa and to carry such things as reading and writing matter, trays of refreshments and candelabras rococo display cabinet . A few years ago, they were fairly common but are now in such great demand as bedroom dressing tables, that they have become a somewhat rare and expensive item pop up cigarette deco dispenser .
The Regency and early Victorian periods saw a vast number of tables with folding tops, made to stand on a central pedestal with three or four feet value of clawfoot cabriole legged dressing table? . In this type, the double top, when opened out, could be rotated so that it was supported by a rectangular underframing odiot tureen . These tables were used for games, writing, serving tea and a whole host of leisure activites french scrolling art nouveau style chairs .
A necessary adjunct to every dining room is a sideboard and to every kitchen or living room, a dresser trestle draw leaf table . The sideboard, as its name implies, was a small side table in those far off days when a dining table was referred to as a board gateleg drop leaf table 19th century . As the piece of furniture we know, it did not appear until the second half of the 18th century 18th century french fashion . The dresser, on the other hand, is of far more ancient lineage and in the painting of the More family by Holbein, referred to in Chapter there is shown in the background a high-backed, canopied Gothic dresser, or, as it was called in that period, a dressoir dutch rococo walnut cupboard . These dressers were really related to the cupboard or buffet and further reference will be made to them in the chapter on Cupboards vintage porcelain plate with brass pedestal .
Dressers with a high back were out of fashion during the early Stuart and Commonwealth times but there were two simpler types in general use aaron burr antique furniture . One was made in the form of a long, narrow side table with three or four deep drawers refectory tables trestle . It stood on four or six legs and had an under shelf, as wide as the dresser top, near the floor level antique epergne glass . This was, no doubt, used for the display of brass and copper ware what were wood tables with porcelain tops used for . The other type was a development of the chest and presented a more solid appearance, the entire front being filled with drawers and small cupboards demilune chiffonier . This second kind of dresser was not generally adopted until after the Restoration but both types were used then until the end of the 17th century drop leaf table with lion claw feet .
By the beginning of the Georgian period most dressers were fitted with a set of plate shelves which stood at the rear of the dresser top poole pottery est. 1873 . This version was usually referred to as a Welsh dresser and while it may have been popular in the Welsh farmhouse kitchen, it was undoubtedly made throughout Britain during the 18th and 19th centuries drop leaf table with spiral turned legs . Occasionally dressers are found made in walnut but more frequently in oak with the edges of the drawer fronts and the cupboard doors cross-banded in walnut or mahogany antique cabinets coat of arms .
Long sidetables were normally used as sideboards in early Georgian dining rooms and on these would be placed the knife and fork boxes with the cellaret for wines underneath antique french ormulu furniture . It was about 1775 that the first sideboards were designed with drawers for the silver and cutlery and deep cupboards on either side to hold the wines boulle table . Sheraton is supposed to have added the low brass rail with a small silk curtain at the back to the designs for bow-fronted sideboards, which had originated during the Hepplewhite period goldscheider staffordshire myott .
In Victorian times, some monstrous sideboards were created with the addition of the most elaborate carving chamber pot cabinet . In the great dining room at Charlecote Park, near Stratford upon Avon, there is installed such a piece of furniture with carved effigies of every variety of edible fish, animal and fowl hanging in great swags from every point and corner chestnut tables antique . This monument to the questionable good taste of the Victorians is all meticulously worked in varnished oak, a spectacle which must have made the shade of Grinling Gibbons sadly shake its head turn a silver tray into a table .
On the other hand, it was during the mid-Victorian period that a very attractive little sideboard, known as a chiffonier, made its appearance antique claw foot table . It was equally useful as a sideboard for a small dining room or as a cabinet for a drawing room fish tail knife 16th century fruit knife 15th . Made in mahogany or veneered with burr walnut, it was certainly one of the more commendable inspirations of the designers during the Victorian era american antique slant front desk .

Settles and sofas after 1840
The revival of interest in historical styles from the mid-19th century resulted in a multiplicity of designs for all types of furniture, including sofas, which were often made as part of the new salon or parlour suites. A major technical development during this period was use of the coil spring, patented in 1828, which resulted in sturdier, bulkier, and squatter designs that sacrificed form to comfort. These deeply upholstered seats, with their button backs, culminated in the Chesterfield, which was the first fully upholstered sofa.

Seat furniture
The period c. 1860 to (.1880 was in many ways the golden age of upholstery. Stuffing had been growing steadily thicker from the 1840s, and buttons were introduced to prevent the thread holding the stuffing
in place from pulling the covering material. Extra fabric was necessary to create the familiar diamond pattern of buttons or threads characteristic of the deep, luxurious upholstery, with its air of prosperity and comfort, so admired by the Victorian middle classes. The development of the coil spring made increased demands on buttoning. Whereas sofas had previously been stuffed with layers of wadding and horsehair, coiled metal springs were now used. The springs were supported by a layer of hessian webbing, covered with more webbing, which in turn was covered with horsehair stuffing and padding. As a result, Victorian sofas were much more comfortable than early 19th-century examples, but they were also much bulkier; many sofas had button backs to emphasize the new upholstered look. The luxurious effect was emphasized by the use of velvet and other elaborate fabrics. Sofas with their original worn upholstery arc more collectable today than those with high-quality restoration using an inappropriate fabric.
French sofas were generally lighter in design than British examples, since French craftsmen and manufacturers employed such revival styles as Rococo and Louis XVI, making use of giltwood and lighter upholstery fabrics. In the USA, parlour suites on a grand scale were produced by such leading makers as John Henry Belter (1804-63) of New York, who in the 1850s created laminated and moulded rosewood sofas with deep pierced carving. Renaissance Revival suites, with square-backed sofas, were also popular, while the fashion in Europe and the USA for “Turkish” corners gave rise to over-stuffed upholstered sofas with elaborate fringing.
Edwardian sofas of the first two decades of the 20th century borrowed heavily from Neo-classical styles –especially the designs of Thomas Sheraton (1751-1806) – and from Regency styles, but managed to avoid the excesses of Victorian interpretations. Suites of chairs with matching sofas were produced; these were generally made from mahogany, or occasionally from walnut or satinwood. Sofas and chairs often had caned backs and sides, with silk or damask upholstery.

•    CHALSES-LONGUES these are not particularly commercial as they can be large and not very comfortable to sit on; examples with good shapes are more popular, as are those that are more heavily carved
•    GILDING good-quality regilding is quite acceptable if well executed– the highlights should be burnished, and the quality of the carving evident; beware of spray gilding – this will have a flat, matt appearance, with a very even coverage
•    RE-UPHOLSTERY the condition of the upholstery should be carefully examined, as seating can be very expensive to re-upholster; furniture with taut webbing is
preferable to that with springing, which tends to give an overstuffed look
•    COLLECTING many sofas and settees were originally part of parlour or salon suites, which are now rarely found complete; three-seater examples are generally more commercial than two-seater

Dress Accessories
Style and fashion were an important part of the Deco era. Styles changed drastically for women, reflecting a more practical and carefree or casual attitude toward life. The clothing from the Deco years chronicles that transition. The long, corseted gowns of the late Victorian period changed to the knee length skirt and flat chested “boyish” look of the 1920’s. Padded shoulders, tight skirts and baggy trousers followed in the late 1930’s and 1940’s. Although there were changes in men’s clothing, styles remained conservative compared to the trends which came about with women’s apparel.
Although time has been unkind to old garments, vintage Deco clothing is collectible, and there are dealers who specialize in fine examples salvaged from the period. Markets for this type of clothing are usually commercial or public, sold for store displays, museum exhibits or theatrical production rather than for individual use. But dresses, suits and coats made from the 1920’s through the 1940’s currently attract some of the teen and college age generations who enjoy actually wearing the outfits. Estate sales and thrift shops may yield some amusing examples at nominal prices.
While it may be difficult to find a piece of Deco clothing which one would care to wear, a number of items used to accessorize such clothing can be worn with enjoyment. Purses, compacts, belt buckles, dress clips and all types of jewelry are quite compatible with today’s fashion. Dress accessories offer the collector an intriguing and almost unending source of Deco designs. It is apparent from the items shown, as is true for most surveys of the era, that dress accessories were primarily confined to women’s articles. But cuff links, stickpins and watches, for example, were made in Deco styles for men.
Compacts are a product of the Deco age. These neat items made for checking or repairing one’s make up, slipped easily into a purse or evening bag. While most contained a bit of mirror and a cake of powder, some were made with lipstick cases, change holders and money clips as well. The most expensive are made of gold and silver, but lower priced varieties made of plated or enamelled metals and celluloid or plastic are also available. Although small in size, compacts exhibit striking Deco traits. Notice the Egyptian influence on two examples, one with hierglyphics and one with Egyptian figures.
Mesh evening bags made from enamelled metals by American manufacturers such as Whiting and Davis were in demand during the 1920’s. Small beaded and fringed bags were also popular accessories for the jazz age costume. Evening bags have become a special topic of collector interest and there are few bargains to be found. It is difficult to find one for less than $50. Large beaded
purses, like the one illustrated, made during the latter part of the era do not cost nearly as much.
Collections of compacts and evening bags can be framed or housed in glass cases to add attractive touches to a room. The same can also be done for much less money with buttons or belt and shoe buckles. These little adornments are sometimes overlooked, but they often created the Deco accent for a garment. Such pieces usually outlived the clothing and many have been saved. Rummage through a box of old buttons and buckles, a Deco souvenir may be found—even a pair of fancy garters!
Jewelry is undoubtedly the most fascinating of all dress accessories. Although gold, silver and precious stones were fashioned into Deco designs, costume jewelry was born and thrived during those years. Many pieces were made from glass, enamelled metals, bakelite, celluloid and plastic. Rhinestones, like other good pieces of Deco costume jewelry, are attracting wide interest today. It is obvious that Deco designs have had a great influence on contemporary costume pieces. Reproductions also are surfacing on antique and collectible markets. Buyers should inspectjewelry carefully to determine if an item is new. Prices for authentic “period” period” pieces are often comparable with those of good quality modern costume jewelry.

Lamps & Light Fixtures
Electricity was available to many American homes during the years between the First and Second World Wars. Electric lamps became an important part of the home furnishings market. Businesses such as department stores, offices, restaurants and theaters were another large sector of the economy in need of modern forms of light fixtures. Lighting manufacturers catered to both markets, parlaying topical Deco themes into various forms of light.
Floor lamps and table top lamps are both quite collectible. Selections may be elegant and high style or simply low camp and amusing. Lamps are not only ingenious relics of Deco design but they are also functional. Collectors should check the electrical wiring, however. Many still have the original cords which may be frayed or split, but rewiring is not too expensive. It is well worth the effort to have lamps repaired so that they can be displayed to full advantage. Rewiring does not detract but rather adds to the lamp’s value.
Floor lamps supported widely flared shades or globes. These reflected the light upward and torchere has become the name associated with that particular style. The shades were made of frosted or opaque glass or out of metal such as brass or chrome. This same type of lamp is now frequently reproduced to complement new Deco style furniture. Other Deco floor lamps had conventional parchment or silk shades with the “modern” look showing up in the stems and bases.
Figural table lamps are very much in demand. Both French and American companies made numerous vanities aimed at the middle class market. Women, nude or semi-nude, were fashioned in various stylized poses such as dancing, kneeling or with arms stretched high in the air. The light globe was positioned to the side or behind the figure or even rested in the figure’s hands. These lamps were decorative objects, designed to cleverly disguise the source of light.
Although this type of figural lamp was made in bronze, most of the ones found today were made of metal alloys. The finish may be bronze colored or painted red, black, green and so forth. Because the paint wears and chips over time, it is not uncommon for the lamps to be repainted, especially for resale. But lower prices should be reflected if that is the case, Globes on these lamps, because of their fragile nature, often have been replaced as well. It goes without saying that the most desirable lamps are those with all original parts and finish.
Regarding prices, the French figural lamps are the most expensive, and it is not uncommon for these to cost $1,000 or more, outsided the range for the moderate collector. While American specimens are considerably
less costly, it is still rare to find an all original one for less than $100. Those not in working order and needing repairs are about the only ones which might be bargains The Frankart Company, located in New York City, was probably the most prolific manufacturer of metal figural Deco items. Frankart lamps, like their other products. have become increasingly popular. Consequently, prices continue to rise, ranging from $200 to $600.
Ceramic and glass Deco lamps were also made figural designs. One ceramic lamp shown here, made by  Van Briggle, is a finely executed piece of American a– pottery. The boudoir lamp with the nude glass globe is a mass produced piece imitating the Lalique style. Other- ceramic lamps portray a Deco influence by their hand painted body decor in geometric or stylized configurations. Glass lamps may feature similar Dec: characteristics in either the body or the shade as lustrated in some of the photographs.
Deco light fixtures designed for commercial ente– prises can be turned into attractive lighting for homes. Torchere or conical shaped wall sconces adapt to baths. halls and bedrooms while cascading chandeliers an– other large fixtures can be used to light entrance foyers or porches. Shops specializing in architectural antiques may offer some interesting examples. Most commercial fixtures were made of bronze, brass or even cast iron. and these have survived the years quite well. Shapes are unquestionably Deco!