Perfect Pieces Specialists in British Pottery

I’ve just been drawn to this article in the Daily Mail published on the 28th January 2010:

Elderly couple discover vase used as umbrella stands is a 270-year-old Chinese masterpiece worth £500,000

It would appear – according to the newspaper report – that this couple were given this large and imposing vase as a present around 50 years ago and it was currently being used as an umbrella stand in the spare bedroom.

Spotted during a routine valuation it is said to have a crack and a few spots of emulsion paint on it. However, considering its age – believed to be from around 1740 it hasn’t fared too badly!

After some research it is said to be called a Chinese lantern vase with mainly under-glaze blue decoration.

This vase has now been catalogued by the auction house, Duke’s Auctioneers, for sale on the 11th February 2010. It will be interesting to see what it realises.

Click here to visit Duke’s Auctioneers website

You’ve all probably heard of eBay, it seems to pop into most people’s conversations where antiques and collectables and buying and selling are talked about – in general it’s a huge market place where people can sell and other people can buy.

If you’re thinking of buying something from eBay here are a few tips:

• Check the sellers feedback, see how they score
• If postage costs aren’t listed ask the seller before your bid about the cost
• If the item is from overseas make sure you check with the seller about postage – postage from overseas can be considerably more than within the UK
• Don’t hesitate, if you have a question drop the seller an email
• Always clear up any queries before you bid

If you’re thinking of selling an item on eBay here are a few simple tips:

• Take clear photographs of the item so bidders can see everything properly
• Write a simple and straightforward description listing any faults/good points etc of the item
• Work out your postage costs and clearly detail these in the listing
• Answer any questions you get regarding your item promptly and consider listing it on the description if you think it will be of interest to other bidders

These are only a few pointers to help you get you started. If you have any other good tips then do get in touch and we’ll add them to this list!

Click here to have a browse around eBay…

Often, when out and about at antique fairs or auctions, you will hear people talking about Bargain Hunt, Flog it!, Cash In The Attic and other similar television programmes – hey you may even see them filming – and then you may start to wonder what it is all the about and whether what is shown in the programmes is really realistic.

TV programmes such as these where people take part in either finding antiques and collectables at car boots, antique fairs, antique centres to sell on or selling their own possessions having cleared out their house seem to have really taken off over the last 5 years.

With that, and auctions becoming a familiar territory for collectors and eBay continuing to grow it’s a never-ending and very accessible popular marketplace for everyone.

There are a few things to remember when you sit down with your cup of tea to watch these programs or switch on your computer to have a browse around eBay.

You do have to bear in mind that you may be watching a repeat that was recorded several years ago – and as with everything prices and the value of items change over time so they’re not necessarily a reflection of the value of the item on the day that you watch it! Also, auctions are like market places and don’t necessarily reflect the retail price – the price you might pay for something in a shop. Auction prices are usually a little lower than retail but on occasion they can go higher – if two bidders are determined to win an item.

So, whilst they can be interesting to watch and eBay can be a good place to gather a rough idea do bear in mind not everything is as it seems!

Today, Wednesday 3rd September, probably one of the rarest PenDelfin items came on sale, a PenDelfin Old Meg Plaque. Byrne’s Auctioneers & Valuers in Chester held a Collectors Sale which featured just 21 lots of PenDelfin. Within those 21 lots was an Old Meg Wall Plaque and a Daisy Duck!

The Old Meg plaque was designed by PenDelfin founder Jean Walmsley Heap and only produced for around a year, from 1953 to 1954. I’ve never seen one of these and unfortunately couldn’t make the sale today so didn’t even get to see it today! It’s not  a very attractive or typical piece of PenDelfin and not everybody would want one in their collection but given the choice I would!

Daisy Duck on the other hand is a must for any PenDelfin collector. Also designed by Jean Walmsley Heap she was only produced for 3 years from 1955 to 1958.  A cute yellow duck with bonnet, she stands perfectly next to her companion Desmond Duck!

As I said, unfortunately I couldn’t make the sale so missed seeing this classic pieces. If you went please do drop us a line and let us know what they were like and what kind of condition they were in. It’s always nice to hear about these things.

Anyone with an interest in Art Deco ceramics might want to consider making a beeline for Stourbridge at the end of May.

Well-known Stourbridge auctioneer Fieldings is putting on an exhibition of work by designers such as Clarice Cliff, Keith Murray, Poole’s Carter, Stabler & Adams and Lenci at its auction house on Mill Race Lane from Thursday 29th May to midday on Saturday 31st May.

The exhibition has been planned to coincide with Fieldings hosting the first official Clarice Cliff Collectors Club auction ever to take place outside London – something of a coup for the auctioneer. The sale at Fieldings has nearly 300 lots and will begin at midday on Saturday 31st May, allowing plenty of time for anyone needing to travel to the auction.

Fieldings’ auctioneer Will Farmer will be known to many as one of the experts on the Antiques Roadshow. He’s excited about the exhibition and says: “It’s going to be a really rare exhibition, we’ve been building this for five months. Collectors will be coming from all over the country and everybody in Stourbridge can come and see this.”

The Clarice Cliff auction promises to be exciting too and it will be interesting to see how prices are holding up in the current market.

Full details of the Clarice Cliff sale catalogue will be available on Fieldings’ website nearer the time.

I came across this article today. It is all about the restoration of a late Victorian house in the American city of St. Louis, Missouri.

It seems that the city authorities would like the house to become a tourist attraction, illustrating how one of the leading local families of the 1880s would have lived. Unfortunately, the antique dealers charged with fitting out the house have managed to spend $83,000 of tax payers’ money on antique fittings, only to have a local historical expert describe the interior as looking “like a 1930s brothel”.

The antiques are now all to be sold at auction – presumably to fund a second attempt…

Read the full article on the St. Louis Today website here.

It seems that Wareham auctioneer Cottee’s recent Poole Pottery auction was every bit the success that was hoped for – for pictures and an interesting write up see the Poole Room blog. This blog also has an interesting account of the recent Poole Pottery open day, organised at the factory shop by new owners Lifestyle and featuring well-known Poole artists from past and present such as Carol Cutler.

It seems that the factory is definitely closed for good, but that the shop will be retained and is to move to new premises as soon as a suitable location can be found.

The Poole Room sells a wide range of Poole Pottery and other work by former Poole artists from their website.

The 21st April saw the annual Stella Ashbrook (Pendelfin Collector’s Handbook author) PenDelfin auction, this year in Chester and featuring a fair mixture of old, new, rare and unique PenDelfin, as well as some of Jean Walmsley Heap’s own pre-PenDelfin artwork.

Jean (JWH) was there, as were a reasonable number of enthusiastic collectors and dealers, although perhaps not so many as in years gone by.

Although there were quite a few older pieces, for me, one of the surprises and highlights of the sale was this piece:

This is the original 1953 PenDelfin Fairy Plaque – the second piece of PenDelfin ever to be made. The plaque was the result of much hard work by Jeannie Todd and JWH in Jeannie’s kitchen – as described
and pictured on page 16 of The Pendelfin Story, by Jean Walmsley Heap. The hammer eventually came down at £1900, which didn’t seem excessive for a unique, early piece like this.

An added attraction was its provenance – JWH’s personal collection – and the fact it was signed by Jean as well.

We were able to get a few photos of some of the more unusual pieces, so here is a taster if you weren’t able to make it on the day:

This unusual Juliet plaque went for bottom estimate at £300 and had an unusual silver label (see the Pendelfin section of our pottery marks guide)

A rare Metallion Flying Witch Plaque, from the late Doreen Noel Robert’s personal collection (as were many of the more unusual pieces). The hammer came down at £160 on this one.

Another one from DNR’s collection – a bit worn, but one of the rarest characters around – Cyril Squirrel. £380 hammer price.

Doreen’s own rare Rheingold Lamp Base, in reasonable condition with just a few paint flakes, this fetched a handsome £700.

Some of Jean Walmsley Heap’s original paintings – these for the Tommy Tweet series of children’s stories.

All hammer prices were subject to a 20% premium.

All in all, it was an enjoyable day out, and it was encouraging to see the enthusiasim of the collectors who were present – while many of them were of slightly more mature years (hmm), there were some younger buyers too! Here’s looking forward to next year’s sale.

Poole Pottery’s current troubles have raised interest in the pottery, according to auctioneer John Condie of Cottees in Dorset. The well-known auction house holds two specialist Poole sales each year at its Wareham saleroom, and is currently preparing for its April 28 Poole sale, at which more than 600 lots will be on offer.

The lots on sale range from early Carter, Stabler & Adams (CSA) wares right through to pottery produced shortly before the factory’s closure. Amongst the most desirable pieces are a model of the distinctive “Harry Page” galleon – designed by Harold Stabler and instantly recognisable as a symbol of the Poole Pottery.

Full details in this Bournemouth Echo article.