Woodbridge Antiques

Antique of the Week

 

Antique of the week - Silver and Guilloche Enamel Manicure Tools £140

 

 

In fantastic condition these lovely blue manicure tools have clear hallmarks for  Birmingham 1933.

Guilloche Enameling is a decorative engraving technique of a fine repetitive pattern which is worked into the silver by engine turning.

 

 

Named guilloche in French after the French engineer ‘Guillot’ who it is believed invented the first machine.

Coloured ground glass is mixed with an oily medium, painted onto the surface and then heated to flow and then bond with the silver.

The finished guilloche enamel is smooth, hard, durable, and keeps its colour, unfortunately it does have a tendency to crack or shatter.

 

Very popular in the Art Deco era of the 1920s and 1930’s, guilloche enamelling could be found on dressing table sets, makeup accessories and cigarette cases, these items are now extremely collectable especially in good condition.

 

 

Antique of the Week  -

Uranium Glass Necklace  c1920     £48.00            

Vaseline or Uranium glass is made by adding 2% Uranium Dioxide to the ingredients during the glass making process; this turns the clear glass a yellow –green colour, if held under Ultra Violet light, the true test of uranium glass is if it turns florescent bright green.

Uranium glass was primarily made from 1840 reaching its heyday during the Victorian years of 1880 up until the 1920s when the nickname of Vaseline was introduced due to its resemblance to petroleum jelly at that time. During the following depression years it wasn’t as popular so iron oxide or rust was added to the glass mixture to produce greener glass (the uranium was still present so all green depression glass will still glow).Manufacturing of Vaseline glass was halted during the years of WWII as the government confiscated all supplies of uranium so it could be used in the war effort.

In Victorian times, glassblowers who used uranium died at a relatively young age and stories have persisted for years that this was down to radiation from their exposure to molten uranium glass (although there is some debate as to whether this is true).

Uranium glass can give a positive reading on a Geiger counter. The UK’s National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) did a study in 2003 and conducted extensive tests on a wide variety of uranium bearing glass from many manufacturers and time periods. They confirmed that the radiation levels detected were low and quite safe with normal use.However the grinding or abrasive polishing of Vaseline glass cannot be classed as 'Normal Use' as the dust and residue produced by these actions can be toxic if inhaled or ingested and therefore should be avoided.

 

Due to the tight regulations on Uranium Dioxide and the expense, only very limited quantities of Vaseline glass have been  produced since the war by companies such as Fenton glass, Mosser glass, Gibson Glass and Jack Loranger, making Vaseline glass very collectable.

 

Antique of the Week - Peggy Somerville (1918-1975)

 

 

This painting is attributed to Peggy Somerville who often interestingly didn't sign her paintings. Priced at £340 with a sticker on the reverse saying

'A Suffolk River Bank'      

 

Peggy Somerville was a child prodigy who learned to paint at the same time that she learned to talk. Her first show was held when she was nine at the Claridge Gallery in London and she was hailed as a child genius by newspapers throughout Britain. Yet despite her fame she was a very private person and after studying at the Royal Academy just a few months she gave up formal study and became a land girl.

In her adult life Peggy continued to paint and, during the early 1960s, she moved to Suffolk. From here she made frequent excursions to the coast nearby, particularly to her beloved Aldeburgh, and continued to paint the things she loved: sunlight, landscapes, flowers and her family.

While in many ways she can be seen as continuing the tradition from Gainsborough and Constable she was also deeply indebted and loved the work of Bonnard the French Impressionist. From 1964 until her tragically early death she lived and worked painting vigorous oils, watercolours and pastels, her beautiful Aldeburgh paintings showing a rare sensuality and sensitivity.

Peggy is now recognised as one of the most interesting of the later British impressionists.

Antique of the Week – Troika Vase

 An early Chimney Design with stylised decoration and makers mark, measuring 20cm high, Priced at £320

The word ‘Troika’ means 3 of a kind in Russian, the Troika Pottery Company was set up in 1963 by Benny Sirota, Leslie Illsley and Jan Thomson, with Jan Thomson leaving in1965.

Troika Pottery was originally set up in Wheal Dream, St Ives before moving to Fragden Place, Newlyn from 1970 until 1983 when it closed down.

Leslie concentrated on the design of moulded pieces and Benny experimented with surface textures and glazes and this unique combination led to the development of the smooth glossy finishes and textured surfaces that troika pottery is famous for.

Almost all Troika pottery was made in moulds,textured pieces had moulds with several different designs and decorators were given the freedom to modify  moulds providing principal colour combinations were used.

Apart from the base mark the potential collector or buyer should ensure the following criteria are met;

  • Is the piece made of moulded earthenware
  • Does it have a textured surface
  • Is it decorated with abstract designs
  • Is it decorated in earthy, muted colours
  • Does the shape fit and does it reflect cornish landscape influences
  • Does it have a hand painted makers mark

Antique of the Week – Lalique Bowl

 

Vases Design, 1921 -1945,

Measuring 23.5cm across and 8.5cm deep, the bowl is signed R.Lalique. priced £475.00

 

Lalique originally trained as a Jeweller and then became known as one of the greatest Art Deco Glass Designers.  His earliest pieces date back to 1910 but his glass really took off in 1921 after the French Government gave him a factory on land repossessed from Germany in Wingen Sur Moder, Alsace.

Lalique is best known for amazing vases, car mascots, scent bottles and his trademark coloured bowls and figures but in fact he made an amazing range of tableware, lighting, boxes etc.

The most collectable pieces are signed and dated pre1945 before Rene’s death. His son Marc then took over the family business but dropped his father’s initial R.

 

 Antique of the Week – Oil on Board

 

‘The Atlantic Packet,   Cedric the Saxon 1881’

 

 

                                                                                           

 Artist Andrew Kennedy

 

Framed size is 41 x 29 inches.

 

Price £225.00

This lovely painting has fantastic detail and comes with a supporting email from the artist stating the date of the painting to be mid 1970’s plus other details.

 

 

 

Andrew Kennedy was born in the North of England but lived most of his life in Kent and Sussex. On leaving school he became an Able Seaman with the Blue Star Line and during these years was greatly inspired by the works of J Spurling and W L Wyllie. Returning from sea in 1961 he became a fellow of the Royal Society of Marine Artists, Andrew loves to recreate great scenes from the past such as: Victory at Trafalgar, Temeraire and of course The Titanic and many more historic naval scenes.  His detailed knowledge of naval history combined with his artistry has magnificently captured many such scenes. 

 

 

 

 

Antique of the Week – The Language of Stamps

 

Many letters posted in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century had stamps positioned on envelopes and postcards at all sorts of angles.

The development of a ‘language of stamps,’ occurred during the Victorian era as a discreet method of courtship. A time when parents often censored mail or when couples had illicit affairs. This tradition soon spread around the world, the position of the stamp on the envelope relaying a message to the receiver.

Stamp Positions & Meaning

Crosswise on top left corner = My heart is another’s         Upside down, top left corner = I love you      

Centre of envelope, at top = Yes                                     Center of envelope, at bottom = No

Straight up and down, any position = Goodbye                 At right angle, top left corner = I hate you                   

Upright in line with surname = Accept my love                  Upside down in line with surname = I am engaged

At right angle, top right corner = Do you love me?            Centred on right edge = Write immediately

At right angle in line with the surname = I long to see you    Upside down, top right corner write no more!

Upright top right corner = I desire your friendship sweetheart     

 

The problem of postmarking the stamps placed on various parts of the envelope finally became so great, that postal administrations of the world introduced regulations requiring the sender of mail to place stamps upright in the top right hand corner of the envelope. However in recent years there has been a revival of the tradition in long distance separations.

Collectors of postal history and picture postcards should be on the look-out for envelopes and postcards with stamps in odd positions, as they could well form an interesting thematic/topical collection.

 

Antique of the Week – Matisse /Renoir Jewellery

The company was founded in the 1940’s by Jerry Fels and first known as Renoir of Hollywood (due to the location).

The idea was to create handmade visually exciting wearable art during the ‘Arts and Craft’ movement made from copper.

From 1948-1951 the Jewellery bears the signature ’Hand Made, Renoir of California                      

From1952 -1954 they were simply marked ‘Renoir’

As the company expanded Mexican metalsmiths were hired to manufacture the designs by hand.

Curtis Tann was hired in 1952 he was a classic enamellist which meant the company could experiment with colour by incorporating beautiful coloured enamels into the jewellery, these became known as the ‘Matisse Ltd’ lines.

Between 1954 -1960’s all the work was copyrighted so the signatures ‘Renoir’ and Matisse were preceded with a C enclosed in a circle.

This lovely example of enamelled work is priced £139.

 

 

Antique of the Week – Antique English Silver Snuff Box by Colen Hewer

 

 

 

This lovely antique silver snuff box has a gilded interior and blank cartouche.

Hallmarked Chester 1925, with the maker's mark of C.C.

It measures 60 mm long, 40mm wide and 14mm high.

 

 

A Brief history of Snuff.

Tobacco is ground or pulverised to make into snuff, of which the taking of originated in the Americas and was in common use in Europe by the 17th century.

 

Snuff boxes were produced in many different types of materials including silver, gold, wood, horn etc, and these are now highly sought after by collectors.

 

Priced at £185.00, this rare piece of work by Colen Hewer of Cheshire would make a fantastic Christmas present and investment for the future.

 

 

 

 

Antique of the Week - Millefiori Vase

 

This very colourful vase was made using a technique which can be traced right back to Ancient Rome and Phoenician Times.

The unique handmade glass beads used to make the pattern are known as ‘Millefiori’ or a ‘Thousand Flowers’.

 The crimped foot suggests that this vase was probably made in England c1900.

What is Millefiori?

Steel / iron pontils or rods 1.5 metres long have small molten globules of glass attached to the end; these are then dipped into different colours of glass creating a multicoloured sphere.

The sphere is then pressed into molds to form the final pattern, (often a star or flower) the glass is then embellished by re-dipping or remolded if required. These slender rods of multicoloured glass are known as Murrine or Murano after the island near Venice where the glassmakers lived and worked.

 

A second metal pontil is attached to the other end of the murrine once reheated and finally two glassmakers walk in opposite directions pulling the glass pencil thin into a long fine rod. Once cooled this rod is then sliced forming the Millefiori.

These beads are then laid into a mould and melted together forming the final product.

These skills were lost during the 18th century but by the end of the 1830s, millefiori were manufactured successfully in Silesia-Bohemia. Following a huge revival (especially in paperweights) within two or three years, factories in Venice, England, and France were also producing quantities of millefiori canes.

 

 

Antique of the Week – Pocket Watches

Pocket watches were first used in the 16th century and onwards until wrist watches became popular in the 1920’s.

 

The watches are normally attached to chains which are then attached to belt loops, lapels and waist coats so if they are dropped it avoids any damage. Sometimes practical items were used to embellish