Antiques, collectibles and the recession (3)

"Incongruous" Mouse announces, in one of his one word declarations. "When you are at a fair or auction, maybe it is a craft fair, book fair, a specialist fair or auction, a good tip is to look for things that don't fit". What do you mean I ask. Leaning back in his rocking chair and brushing his paws through his whiskers he commences. "Look at this" he says. ( Above is a montage of images from the Calendrier Magique. The full calendar is available here). It is indeed a strange object. A calendar in French, entitled Calendrier Magique and dated 1896. It is clearly full of mystic imagery. It is just as clearly Art Nouveau in style. It's a calendar I say somewhat unimaginatively in response. "Yes but look at it, the title page, L'Art Nouveau, 22 Rue de Provence...". I stare back blankly mainly because I am not sure where Mouse is going, yes it's Art Nouveau I agree again. "Oh dearie me, it's not just Art Nouveau, it's the gallery L'Art Nouveau, the address is that of Siegfried Bing's establishment". 

La Maison Moderne (Left, Deutsche Kunst und Dekoration, 1900-1901) and L'ArtNouveau La Maison Bing  (Right, image origin unknown)

Now here is a name I know. "A number of these were printed but very few survive, a concoction of humour, Black Magical themes and of course directed by the Art Nouveau style". He goes on to explain these were published just after the gallery opened in 1895. It was written by Austin de Croze and illustrated by the Italian artist Manuel Orazi. The latter is famous for the poster for the La Maison Moderne.

Poster by Manuel Orazi.

Well thats fine, and all well and good but how does that help us beat the recession. "Well this turned up at a book fair amongst children's books, never been out before, and I was the only Mouse to show an interest in it let alone pick it up. Thats what I mean, it was not in the right place, incongruous. Here is a further example, does this look Art Deco to you?" I state clearly that it is not, Nouveau again. "Right" he said "and so no one gave it a second look at a Deco fair".

Actually, it is probably by the Austrian glass maker Graf Harrach. It was flat lit, so the colour transition in the glass went unnoticed, he goes on to recount. The dealer was happy to see it on its way and I was happy to help it. "Thats the idea, you won't always get a bargain but you might get first bite of the cherry and a decent price." I wonder how he spots such things, but before I can ask, Mouse has his nose buried in a book, 'Great chocolate bars of the world'. Count Austin de Croze would have approved.

Antiques, collectibles and the recession (2)

'One answer', Mouse declares, 'are car boot sales'. This seems a bit obvious to me and less than the usual Mouse insight. Treading carefully I suggest this is pretty obvious, and that of course they are going to become more popular when times are tighter. Smiling he nods ' but it's how you go about it, now is the time to be open minded and explore beyond your field'. I catch his drift, so what you are saying I venture, is that you need to be expansive, look for what there is, not just in your niche field and if you see something special go for it. 'Exactly' he adds with some satisfaction. 'You need to push the boundaries. Take Castle Coombe, a good booter by any measure. Here you can get a nice bacon sandwich, a new set of drill bits and a piece of early Spode all within a few feet. But you can also get the unique and the unusual. And it also gives you a chance to explore new fields and do a little research too.' I look quizical, so with a sigh he shows me a couple of finds. One thoroughly marked, one not. 'Take this' he says, ' a piece of sculpture?' Well it is very attractive I note, and well carved. What is it.


A sculpture found at Castle Coombe car boot fair (about 30cm high).

'This carving with the apparent title 'No man's Heath' is by Jeff Aldridge'. He explains it is a model for a statue placed at No man's Heath, Malpas south of Chester erected in 1998. Jeff Aldridge is an interesting sculptor and painter. He has worked in the third World as an educator and this influences his work. Known as the Celia Fiennes Waymark it celebrates the life and times of a journey undertaken 300 years earlier which passed through here.



Celia Fiennes is a fascinating individual. She was born in 1662 at Newton Toney, Salisbury, and died in 1741. She made two remarkable and annotated journeys, probably for health reasons, through Northern England and Scotland. She records the great innovations of the day, the local specialities in production and the great houses: remarkable for the time. She has been highlighted by Southey and her work, whilst less refined than Defoe, pre-dated it. An unsung figure of which the sculpture at No mans Heath and this design are the only public tributes.


The Sculpture at No man's Heath courtesy of Cheshire West and Chester Council

'You must keep your eyes open for the decorative' Mouse continues, 'there are some charming finds. This poster cost just a few pounds. But look at the opportunities to learn', he leads me further down the path. 'Here we have a clearly Victorian themed poster with a hymn, 'Nearer My God To Me' advertising a local store'. The hymn was written in the mid 1880's. It was sung at the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. The poster was printed in Scotland, supplying goods from Scotland to an agent in Wales.



Ystrad Mynach is a small town in Wales north of Caerphilly. A formerly rural place greatly affected by the industrial revolution and mining. This poster dates from when the change is taking hold. This period was to last until the Penallta Colliery closed in 1991 although mining was fading by the 1980's.


A Mining disaster memorial at Ystrad Mynach Courtesy of Public Monument and Sculpture Association National Recording Project

The cost of a suit is quoted as from 21s. This is pretty competitive pricing. According to "Life on a Guinea a Week" in The Nineteenth Century (1888) where the average price of a suit in 1888 was nearly double this although we have to bear in mind what 'average' means in this context. Lower middle classes could easily pay less than this. This also gives us another clue as to date. This advertises Campbell's Perth Dye Works which was one of two dye works in Perth, this one was destroyed by fire in 1919 and amalgamated with the other, Pullar's Dyeworks. (Hume, J R (1977a) The industrial archaeology of Scotland, 2, the Highlands and Islands London)

This is a chromolithograph produced by Maclure, Macdonald and Company, who were print makers to Queen Victoria. They pioneered the use of impressed graining to match the stones used in chromolithography. Chromolithography involved the use of a wax relief and multiple passes for different colours in order to produce the final image.

Now I understand; from the 17th to the 20th century via the boot of a car. 'So much to learn' Mouse mutters, 'I need energy'. He settles down for a well earned supper, lightly cooked asparagus, fresh eggs and a nice glass of red. 'There are times when even collecting and history should take a back seat', he says with a twitch of his whiskers. He could well be right...

Pots, Plays and Postcards; religion, clay and fame

Mouse always has his eye on odd things; things of interest. Never before had he seen a plaque by Anton Lang. He came across two in one day. Anton Lang was born in Germany in 1875 and died in 1938, and in his time he was a bit of a celebrity (a bit like Mouse). Anton was even on the front cover of Time Magazine (17th December 1923).


I think Mouse is secretly jealous of this. Lang was a controversial figure but a talented potter. Not only was Lang a studio potter but also an actor, "he became as well known for playing Christ in the Oberammergau passion plays as for his pottery" said Mouse knowledgeably. The New York Times dated 2nd April 1922, spoke about at least 100,000 American tourists going to Europe that year. "Remember", said Mouse, "this involved a trip to Germany just after the first World War." The local inhabitants, including Anton, would open their homes to the visitors, and in the New York Times, it mentions that there was some competition to stay at Anton’s. In all, Anton Lang played Christ three times, in 1900, 1910 and 1922.
Anton toured the US during 1923 and 1924. Although he probably never actually worked for Rookwood, Mouse says that when he passed through, he would throw pots at the factory. These bear both the Anton Lang and the Rookwood mark. All pieces by Anton have a special quality, as alive and as brilliant today as they were then.
Mouse admires the first piece. This is really a Christmas wreath, with such nice bright colours, "a little like Holdcroft Majolica" he remarks.



The second piece must be something to do with saints and dragons. "But not mice", he sniffs, "it reminds me of Compton Potters’ Arts Guild". There is a lady and two dragons, perhaps St Margaret, who overcame a dragon when the cross that she was wearing irritated the insides of the dragon, which had swallowed her.



It is difficult to be certain when a piece is potted by Anton Lang himself, but, says Mouse, any piece with an inscribed signature is definitely by him.


These are from the matt plaque. The inscribed signature is in Anton's hand, the one on the right is a stamp. However the absence of the inscribed signature does not mean it is not by Anton Lang. The majolica piece is probably by him too as we know the provenance of these pieces but only has a stamp.

Mouse also showed me a strange kneeling Bishop faience candlestick piece. Weird, I said. Do you know what it is? "Nope", said Mouse, "but I like it. Signed with an N inside, difficult to tell if it is Rouen, Nevers, Nimes, Sevres, Nidervilliers, Naples….."


This item will be on sale shortly at Style and Design.

Is there anyone out there who could tell Mouse what this is?
"In these days of changing values and the state either against religion or indistinguishable from it", said Mouse, "religious iconography is one to watch". "I’ve put my money on it" he said and then started on his cheese and biscuits.

Antiques and Swine Flu

It is not clear how serious this flu is going to be. His worry is that gatherings would be banned and his beloved antique fairs might suffer! A bit of a narrow view.

The Victorians had many medical inventions where quirkiness seemed to rule over commonsense. As Mouse points out they were deadly serious about some of them. Mouse likes these pages which give you a real insight of their variety and weirdness.

Madame Talbots website
Museum of Quackery
Museum of Medical and Quack Medical Therapy

Mouse hopes that nothing too serious comes of it all. In the meantime Mouse suggests you wash your paws and cover your mouth, nose and whiskers when you sneeze. A piece of cheese cake does no harm either.

Antiques, collectibles and the recession (1)

THE MOUSE IS BACK! LONG LIVE THE MOUSE
Where has he been for the last year? "Busy of course", he says scratching one of his ears. "I have had a couple of websites to sort out, making videos and various design projects. But now I am back, especially now times are hard". He is going to start with a series of thoughts about the recession. It goes without saying times are tough. This comes on top of a general malaise in the antique business. He is in a very outgoing mood, it is the cider and chocolate, I've told him they don't mix, but there you have it. Of course buy what you like, now more than ever.

1. He wants to get across a simple message. It is the same for both dealers and collectors, he thinks. He's said it before and he'll say it again. Quality sells. That does not mean expensive he says, but one of the best examples of the type.



This was a very competitively priced Parian Copeland bust by Hale. It is a neglected collecting area. You can pick up quality pieces at small fairs, something that has been difficult for sometime. But now these pieces are emerging

2. He does not think the collectible market is finished either. "Rarity matters.", so for example if your area is Beswick figures, then go for the special; he particularly fancies the the 'Banded Angus' for example. Or like a Beswick mouse, I say joking. He sniffs derisorily. "If you're a collector take this chance to grab the special pieces." That's easy to say, but with such uncertain times is it wise. "Well it is a matter of judgement and personal economics of course" he concedes. "But if you are brave, you have a unique opportunity to pick-up those items which will become unreachable, and all too soon".



This came from a classy car boot sale. Ayrshire Ch. Whitehill Mandate is a beautifully figured piece from a very knowledgeable dealer. Some real life livestock prices are healthy at the moment. This price strength is often reflected in the market strength of antiques with a rural link. Long live our farmers, the country's lifeblood.

3. Mouse is in full flow now, "and the beautiful and the ugly". He continues "Beautiful things will always perform regardless of fashion, I am with William Morris on this" he says with a wink. But what about the ugly I foolishly ask, "Some things are so beautifully ugly that there will always be a home for them".


The Cheshire Cat. Beautiful, ugly or beautifully ugly? Dated from 1911, she's a cat that is a friend to Mouse, a rarity indeed.

4. "We should all recognize the challenges, so collectors leave dealers some profit or they won't be there next week. And dealers lets get the stock flowing by competitive pricing." Not easy I say to Mouse.

His attention is wandering, "perhaps it's a good a time to buy shares in UK banks too" he mumbles. Is Mouse crazy? Not usually...

Antique blogs - one worth reading

Mouse has read a great antique blog. Although focussed at the higher end of the market there is much of interest here. So give Newel's Antique Blog a read. Mouse is very much of the same mind as the author.

Crystalline Glazes - Great buys for the future

Mouse has never concentrated purely on antiques. He has always been keen on modern artists and craft workers. One area he especially admires is ceramics and crystalline glazes. These are stunning he has often been heard to remark. Without doubt one of the past masters of recent times is Theodore Deck. Working for Sevres, directing their output, he produced some marvellous pieces. It is now almost impossible to find his work in this area, at least at any reasonable price.
There are a number of modern exponents of this glaze in the UK. There are an interesting collection of potters in Wales and the West. Firstly, Margaret Shotton based in Bristol. An interesting point about her pieces are the form. She is not inclined to stick to the more normal shapes and this makes some of her pieces especially decorative.
A vase by Margaret ShottonClose up of the glaze

A different approach is used by Mark and Patrizia Walford in Wales. This pottery has produced glazes with remarkably deep colour. They have also produced jewellery.

Mark Walford pottery with very rich colours. In this case only a few crystals. The beauty is in the colour.
A close up of the glaze

Another potter from this part of the world is Avril Farley also producing rich colours. Arguably one of the most interesting of the current potters is Simon Rich based in Narbeth in Pembrokeshire. He has real fun with these glazes and throws remarkably well. He plays games with the existing forms and styles, and this makes his pots rather special. The thing about Simon is the way some of his crystal glazes do not appear like crystal glazes. An intentional deviation.

A Simon Rich vase with an almost plastic look. The white comes from introducing titanium.
A close up of the glaze

Simon Rich was playing with multiple colours. It has a soft silky sheen.
A close up of the glaze

This remarkable Simon Rich pot was inspired by his mother and her love for ceramics of the 20's and 30's. His aim was to reproduce those soft colour glazes with crystalline glazes. This is just outstanding.
Simon Rich soft glaze vase
A close up of the glaze. Unbelievable!

This Simon Rich vase is part of a series where he was playing with the idea of having a waterfall of small crystals behind some large ones. 

The close up of this glaze is almost fractal.

This last pot is a stunner. Very difficult to photograph. A nickel glaze not made since Deck at Sevres or before that the Chinese potters of many centuries ago. Of course Mouse thinks you may know others in this style, he would love to hear about them.

The remarkable thing about all these potters is that none of their pots are expensive. There is more information here, where there are links to other potters working in the field (not all of these links are live). I cannot help but wonder whom will be remembered as greats. "Well, you have got to look at Simon's work, particularly when chasing down unusual metal salts for his glazes. They may not always be traditional but they are always special".

They all come from a long heritage of this type of glaze. This includes masters such as Arthur Wedgwood, Howson Taylor as well as more commercial endeavours such as Fulper in the USA, basins and commercial bowls by Portmeirion. Below is a pair of vases by Arthur Wedgwood, Mouse thinks these are great fun.

A close up of the crystals in the Arthur Wedgwood vase.

And finally a Fulper vase. It is hard to appreciate it but the lower portion of the bowl is a sea of tiny crystals.

A sea of crystals in the vase above

This is just an arbitrary snap shot of a few workers according to Mouse. Mouse has also said that Portmeirion Starfire bowls are his favorite as they are very convenient for holding chocolate ice cream, "Now that's what a good bowl should be used for" he remarks whistfully or is it wishfully! I see his point.