Glass perches, delft racks, whatnots and canterburies are just a few of the strangely named solutions to our ancestors’ storage and display needs.

Chaucer, in the Miller’s table, written in the 14th century, refers to ‘shelves couched at his beddes head’ — probably for books — but shelving for more general uses was rare before the 16th century. By the 19th century, however, a whole variety of other storage and display solutions had appeared. Read the rest of this entry »

In Britain

Very few earthenware figures were produced in Britain - or elsewhere in Europe - before about 1700, but early to mid- 18th-century white, salt-glazed stoneware pieces are now among the most sought-after items of ceramic art. Some are freestanding and single, while others are grouped on a pew. Pew-groups in good condition rarely fetch less than £60, 000. Read the rest of this entry »

On the Continent

It was probably Buddhist figures such as these that inspired the earliest European porcelain figures — `magots’ or models of humorous little Chinese Buddhas produced on the Continent — at Meissen, Saint-Cloud, Chantilly and Mennecy — from the 1720s to 40s, and in Britain from about 1780.

The Meissen Contribution

The European porcelain figure as we know it today, however, developed not from burial goods or religious models but as centrepieces for the banqueting tables of the aristocracy. Read the rest of this entry »

Modelled ceramic figures of all periods reflect something of their creator’s, and collector’s, view of the world — whether colourful, plain, romantic, statuesque, sentimental, serious or comic.

In most British home there is a fireplace. Above most fireplaces there is a mantel. piece. And on most mantelpieces there are ornaments, 0ften including a pair or several porcelain or earthenware figures.

Since man first discovered that clay could be formed with his hands, he has made figures and models of people, of animals, of situati0ns and of mythical or contemporary personalities in the world about him. Such figures continue to give glimpses of the human situation in which they were created. Read the rest of this entry »

Over the last century, individual potters and decorators have produced unique, sculptural ceramics that stand apart from mass-produced pieces.

The term ‘Art Pottery‘ has been used since the second half of the 19thC century, often interchangeably with the similar ‘studio pottery‘. Both refer to one-off, individually designed and decorated pieces produced in a workshop run by a craftsman or craft group. The term also encompasses the work of artists who finished individually signed pieces in studios set up by firms such as Doulton and Minton. Read the rest of this entry »

As early as the 14th century, Chinese potters were making sophisticated blue and white bowls and dishes. By the r6th century, wares were reasonably thinly potted and painted in inky underglaze blue with boldly drawn birds, animals, flowers, grapes and dragons, surrounded by radiating panels which formed the border. These early dishes did not filter through to Europe until the reign of the late Ming Emperor Wanli (1573-1619). They are still known as kraak porcelain after the Dutch word for the Portuguese carracks, or galleons, that brought them to Europe. Compared with other examples of Ming porcelain, they remain surprisingly inexpensive, fetching between £150 and £3000 apiece. Read the rest of this entry »

During the 18th century, a continuous stream of porcelain dinner services arrived from China while others were manufactured in Europe. They originally copied shapes that had been made in contemporary European pewter or silver.

Chinese Export Porcelain

At first, Chinese porcelain was unrivalled as it was both fashionable and cheap. Throughout the 18th century, services by the ton packed the holds of the East India companies’ ships. Many were meticulously painted to order with the armorials of aristocratic British families in `famille-rose’ enamels, but sometimes amusing mistakes occurred — as when a family motto ‘Unite’ appeared on hundreds of pieces as ‘Untie’. A service such as this, or with unusual associations, will fetch far more than ordinary services. Other designs included delicately painted Chinese flowers, birds and family scenes, and an exotic pattern of overlapping coloured leaves known as the `Tobacco Leaf’ design. Read the rest of this entry »

Lace remains one of the most underappreciated and underpriced of all antique textiles, remarkable for its delicacy and intricate workmanship.

Over the centuries, lace has been made in four main forms: embroidered lace, which was common in the 16th century; needlepoint lace, popular in the 17th; bobbin lace, at its peak in the 18th century; and machine-made lace, including embroidered net, chemical lace and imitations of the other forms, produced in the 19th and 20th centuries. Read the rest of this entry »

Embroidered pictures, samplers and everyday objects survive from as early as the 16th century, when Mary, Queen of Scots was a noted needlewoman.

Although Elizabethan needlework is rare today, a surprising number of early pieces dating from the 17th century onwards have survived. They include both so-called needle paintings, which present a picture in the form of embroidery, and also decorative household items such as bed- hangings, fire screens and cushions. Read the rest of this entry »

The trunk of a longcase clock is perfect for showing off cabinet-making skills, giving the owner not only a timepiece but an attractive piece of furniture.

Too many people, a longcase or ‘brand- father’ clock immediately conjures up nostalgic images of the past. But it is also an ideal combination of mechanics and furniture. A William and Mary marquetry longcase clock can be just as good an example of cabinet-making as, say, a chest of drawers of the same period, and its value will depend on the quality of both case and movement. Read the rest of this entry »