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Chessell Pottery
The Chessell Pottery was founded in 1978 by Sheila and John Francis in the pretty village of Chessell on the Isle of Wight.
Collecting Chinese Snuff Bottles
Collecting Chinese Snuff Bottles Collecting Chinese Snuff Bottles – Snuff bottles were used by the Chinese during the Qing Dynasty to contain powdered tobacco. Smoking tobacco was illegal during the Dynasty, but the use of snuff was allowed because the Chinese considered snuff to be a remedy for common illnesses such as colds, headaches and stomach disorders. Therefore, snuff was carried in a small bottle like other medicines. The snuff bottle is comparable to the snuff box used by Europeans. Pictured right: A FAMILLE ROSE ENAMELLED GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795) Of spade shape, the bottle is painted in bright enamels with a butterfly above mallow and reeds to one side, a small iron-red Guyuexuan seal to the side, and a grasshopper amongst begonia and arrowhead to the other, all below a stylised ruyi head band at the very slightly flaring neck. The base is enamelled with a Guyuexuan mark in iron-red. It has an amethyst stopper. 2 5/8 in. (6.6 cm.) overall height. Sold for HK$52,500 ($6,796) at Christies, Hong Kong, May 2012. Image Copyright Christies. Tobacco was introduced to the court at Beijing some time during the mid- to late-16th century. It was originally smoked in pipes before the establishment of the Qing Dynasty. The use of snuff and snuff bottles spread through the upper class, and by the end of the 17th century it had become a part of social ritual to use snuff. This lasted through most of the 18th century. Eventually, the trend spread into the rest of the country and into every social class. It was common to offer a pinch of snuff as a way to greet friends and relatives. Snuff bottles soon became an object of beauty and a way to represent status. The highest status went to whoever had the rarest and finest snuff bottle. The peak of snuff bottle manufacture was during the 18th century. Pictured left: A WHITE JADE ‘BASKET WEAVE’ SNUFF BOTTLE QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795) Of flattened spherical form, the bottle is carved overall with an intricate basket weave pattern with the cylindrical neck left plain. The jade is of an even white tone with russet streaks. It has a rounded coral stopper. 2 5/8 in. (6.6 cm.) overall height. Sold for HK$37,500 ($4,854) at Christies, Hong Kong, May 2012. Image Copyright Christies. The use of snuff increased and decreased with the rise and fall of the Qing Dynasty and died away soon after the establishment of the Republic of China. However, replica snuff bottles are still being made, and can be purchased in souvenir shops, flea markets and museum gift shops. Original snuff bottles from the Qing period are a desirable target for serious collectors and museums. A good bottle has an extra quality over and above its exquisite beauty and value: that is touch. Snuff bottles were made to be held and so, as a rule, they have a pleasant tactile quality. Collecting Chinese Snuff Bottles – Materials and size The size of a snuff bottle is small enough to fit inside the palm. Snuff bottles were made out of many different materials including porcelain, jade, ivory, wood, tortoiseshell, metal and ceramic, though probably the most commonly used material was glass. The stopper usually had a very small spoon attached for extracting the snuff. Though rare, such bottles were also used by women in Europe in Victorian times, with the bottles typically made of cut glass. Pictured right: A VERY RARE AND UNUSUAL JADE PEBBLE SNUFF BOTTLE SUZHOU, 1680-1780 Of compressed form with a slightly convex lip and flat oval foot, the well-hollowed bottle carved with a continuous rocky landscape with plantains and a wutong tree, the other side with a seated scholar holding a qin on his lap, the figure seated before a rocky outcrop acting as a table upon which rests a brazier with a tea-kettle and a smoking censer, amber stopper, jadeite finial and vinyl collar 2 in. (6.31 cm.) high. Sold for $110,500 at Christies, New York, Sep 2008. Image Copyright Christies. Chinese snuff bottles were typically decorated with paintings or carvings, which distinguished bottles of different quality and value. Decorative bottles were, and remain, time-consuming in their production and are thus desirable for today’s collectors. Collecting Chinese Snuff Bottles – Symbolism in snuff bottle decoration Many bottles are completely devoid of decoration, others are incredibly ornate. As in all Chinese arts and crafts, motifs and symbols play an important part in decorative detail. Symbols are derived from a multitude of sources such as legends, history, religion, philosophy and superstition. The ideas used are almost always directed toward bringing wealth, health, good luck, longevity, even immortality to the owner of an artefact, frequently as a wish expressed in a kind of coded form by the giver of a gift. Probably the most popular decoration is the Shou character, a symbol of happiness and longevity, illustrated at right. Shou or Sau was one of Three Star Gods. Pictured left: A fine and extremely rare carved honey agate snuff bottle 1800-1880 Exceptionally well hollowed, with slightly concave lip and recessed flat oval foot surrounded by a footrim, the semi-transparent grayish-lilac stone with deep orange red inclusions, deftly carved in low relief through a layer of mustard-orange on the principal side with a pair of chicks, both with their heads bent pecking at an incised butterfly, with a bat and lingzhi carved in low relief on one of the narrow sides, stopper. Sold for $91,500 at Bonhams, March 2011. Image Copyright Bonhams. Another popular device is a representation of the 18 Lohan, who were the personal disciples of Buddha, just one group of the many revered immortals in China. Apart from the 18 Lohan there is a constellation of other divines who are portrayed, even their innards. The eight precious organs of the Buddha are venerated – his heart, gall bladder, spleen, lungs, liver, stomach, kidneys and intestines. These are rarely depicted on snuff bottles. Animals, on the other hand appear with regularity, the most common being the dragon. […]
The Decorated Glass of William and Mary Beilby
English glass of the early eighteenth century was plain with the Queen Anne taste for simplicity clarity, and as such there was no for applied decoration. Several factors saw this change including a period of peace with the Treaty of Utrecht, which was signed in 1713, and led to an opportunity for the glasshouses of Silesia, Bavaria and Prussia to increase their exports to London. The passing of the Excise Act of 1745, whereby glass was taxed by weight, led to growth of drinking glasses of slender proportions, using smaller bowls of curved profile on air-twist stems (cotton twists, opaque twists), sometimes combined with white or coloured enamel twists. The reduction in the content of lead in the metal deprived it of the deep glow of the earlier body, and there was a move to applying decoration in the form of engraving, gilding and enamelling. Pictured: Bonhams Beilby Goblet Record Price at Auction. The Prince William V Goblet. A highly important Beilby enamelled and gilt Royal armorial Goblet, circa 1766 The deep round funnel bowl painted in colours and gilding with the arms of the Nassau Princes of Orange encircled by the Garter and surmounted by a crown and mantling, the lion supporters on a ribbon bearing the motto JE.MAIN.TIEN.DRAY, the reverse with a white butterfly and floral sprig beneath the signature in red, traces of gilding to the rim, set on a multi-knopped stem and conical foot, 30.2cm high Signed Beilby Newcastle pinxit in red enamel. Sold for £109,250 inc. premium at Bonhams, New Bond Street, November 2011.The art of enamelling had long been familiar in Germany. The process required a paste combining equal parts of lead and tin, together with colouring matter, mixed with a flux and an oil medium. This prepared enamel was then painted on the glass, fired at a low temperature and reannealed by allowing the enamelling furnace to cool gradually. German glass was harder than the English metal and more suitable for enamel decoration as the colours were less likely to flood in the firing, but the reduction of lead content in English glass following the Excise Act made it a readier vehicle. This enamelling method was used by William and Mary Beilby of Newcastle who adopted the technique, worked entirely in the tradition of German independent decorators or “hausmaler” by purchasing plain vessels from the glasshouses of their home town and decorating it in their home. The style of their work was entirely individual and belongs in spirit to the English interpretation of Rococo. William Beilby (1740–1819) was the fourth child of a Durham jeweller and goldsmith William Beilby Senior. One of a family of seven, William was placed as an apprentice with a Birmingham enameller in 1755 and while he was there the family moved to Newcastle. A younger brother, Thomas, went to Leeds where he found employment as a drawing master and is later recorded as having his own academy. When William returned, perhaps in 1761, his father was still in business, while a younger brother, Ralph, and his sister Mary (1749–97), were also at home. Ralph was an engraver and earned a reputation for his industriousness and his willingness to undertake any type of engraving. In particular he was an heraldic specialist and engraved coats-of-arms and crests on silver. Thomas Bewick, whose exquisite wood engravings were later to reveal a sensitive and poetic artist, was apprenticed to Ralph in 1767 and lived in the Beilby home. It is, in fact, to Bewick’s memoirs, written many years after his life with the Beilbys, that we owe so much information about the family. Bewick states that both William and Mary had “constant employment of enamel-painting on glass,” and while William also taught drawing in the town, he evidently instructed his young sister so that she could help him in his enamelling. As well as armorial decorations, there are examples of landscapes painted in colours to which Mary may well have contributed and also a series painted in white enamel with flowers, avian motifs or picturesque scenes of ruins and figures. The enamel of these monochrome decorated pieces has a faintly bluish tinge. Of the type of wine-glasses chosen for decoration, the bucket-shaped bowl provided the larger surface for painting, but small glasses with straight-sided or ogee bowls and straight stems containing white enamel twists, are also found. The series continued probably until 1778. Mary is known to have had a stroke in 1774, while the household was probably broken up by Ralph Beilby and Thomas Bewick going in to partner ship three years later. Mrs. Beilby died in 1778, when William and Mary evidently gave up their workshop and left Newcastle for Fifeshire. By this time English glass had abandoned the Rococo manner and the moment for such individual achievement was over.
Hannah Barlow and Doulton Lambeth
When considering the talented designers of the Doulton Lambeth factory, there is one woman whose impressive works cannot go unmentioned. Hannah Barlow was not only one of the most innovative and skilled designers of this famed factory but also a pioneer in her own right due to the fact that she was the ever first female artist to be employed by the South London based Doulton Lambeth Studio. Pictured right: A pair of Hannah Barlow stoneware deer and stag vases impressed marks — 38cm. high. Sold for £2,820 at Christies, London, August 2000. Born into a family of nine children in 1851, Hannah lived in Bishop’s Stortford with her Bank Manager father, Benjamin and his wife. At an early age Hannah already had a talent for drawing and would take walks in the surrounding countryside to sketch the plant and animal life that resided there. This interest in nature was something which would stay with Hannah throughout her life and became the subject matter that was so prolific in all of her future works. Realising her talent for art, in 1868 Hannah enrolled in the Lambeth School of Art to progress this skill. It was a few years later in 1871, that, along with other fellow students, Hannah began to work for the local Doulton Lambeth pottery which had recently diversified from producing industrial ceramics to more elaborate art pottery and decorative wares. Great artists such as George Tinworth, Frank Butler and Hannah Barlow would skilfully decorate the salt-glazed brown stoneware vessels that Doulton were now creating and were allowed to choose the type of decoration themselves and what shape of vessel to apply this design to. Although Hannah was to be the first female designer employed by Doulton she was not the only talented artist in her family to join the British factory. Both her brother Arthur and sister Florence also possessed an artistic flare and attended the Lambeth School of Art, before joining their sister, and furthering their careers by working alongside her for the Doulton pottery. The two sisters, Hannah and Florence, both shared a love of nature, so it was agreed early on in their working careers, that Hannah would concentrate on designs inspired by animals whilst her sister indulged her passion for flowers and produce floral designs. Pictured left: Hannah Barlow for Doulton Lambeth – A Pair of Salt-glazed Vases, circa 1895 each vase incised with three bulls and two horses grazing within a rugged country landscape 28.5cm high, with impressed Doulton Lambeth mark and incised artist’s monogram. Sold for £1,062 at Bonhams, London, April 2014. Both were extremely talented artists and their work was very realistic. Each would initially sketch a design then using the technique of Sgraffito (incising) they would apply the design into the wet clay of a vessel before it was fired. Every piece that was produced by the artists at the Doulton studio was hand-decorated, thus ensuring that each item was unique in design, technique and decoration. Hannah excelled at creating illustrations of animals with some of her favourite subjects being British farm animals such as sheep, horses and pigs. Many examples of her work have sold for respectable prices at salerooms all over the world; her works of art are highly sought after by collectors. Recently a shallow bowl dating to 1883 sold at Bonhams Saleroom for £2,300. Artistically incised with pigs and hens this piece is synonymous with Hannah Barlow and as such, commands a price that is expected for this female designer’s work. Another example, also sold at Bonhams. were an outstanding pair of early vases dating to 1873. These twin handled vessels were incised with six Trojan Style horses which showed them cantering and galloping across fields. An unusual example, this vase sold for a staggering hammer price of £4,800. Pictured right: Hannah Barlow for Doulton Lambeth – An Early Salt-Glaze Jug with Horse, 1874 incised with a horse portrait and stylised leaf decoration 25.5cm high, with impressed Doulton Lambeth mark and incised artist monogram Sold for £325 at Bonhams, London, April 2014. Aside from the more common domestic farm animals, Hannah was inspired by many different living creatures. Her work was often embellished with countryside inhabitants such as rabbits and foxes, but she also liked to draw and incise more exotic animal motifs such as lions and kangaroos. This Australian inhabitant first appeared in 1878 on a tea service and proved popular so Hannah continued to apply this motif to all sorts of other various shaped vessels. It is said that Hannah was possibly inspired to sketch and decorate pieces with kangaroos because of the preparations for the Sydney International Exhibition which took place in 1879. Wherever Hannah gained her inspiration, her skill became evident when she would expertly sketch a scene that almost came alive when applied to the various vases, dishes and jardinières that she worked on. Hannah’s talent for drawing, combined with her skilled eye for design ensured that each piece created was not only a stunning ceramic work of art but also a living window into the animal kingdom. Her work was worthy of a place on the wall in an art gallery. Pictured left: Hannah Barlow (Fl.1871-1913) & Florence Barlow (Fl.1873-1909) Pair Of Vases, Circa 1890 stoneware, hand decorated, incised with rabbits, and pâte-sur-pâte painted birds, impressed Doulton Lambeth, incised artist’s monograms, numbers 443 & 742, assistants marks 7¾ in. (19.7 cm.) high. Sold for £4,375 at Christies, London, September 2009. Hannah was prolific in her work during the forty years that she was employed by the British Doulton Studio, and was responsible for creating some of the most innovative and finest designs in stoneware. An accomplished artist, not only is she remembered as one of the most celebrated designers of the 19th Century but also as a pioneering female ceramicist whose work will hopefully continue to command the prices that are so deserving. Fact File Doulton & Co was founded in 1815. In 1871 Henry Doulton set up the Lambeth Studio in South London Hannah Barlow indulged her passion for animals by […]
Psychedelic, Platforms And Patriotism – Dolls in The 1970s
This was a fun era; nowadays, people look back and cruelly refer to it as the decade which taste forgot – but at the time, we didn’t realise we were living in a cultural wasteland! The seventies was a colourful decade which still incorporated the sixties swirling psychedelic patterns. Large flowers – especially daisies – were on everything from ceramics to soft furnishing, and even baby items weren’t immune from the floral embellishments. A particular favourite shade was orange, often teemed with brown or green, while lilac, turquoise, purple and hot pink also featured strongly. Towards the end of the seventies, though, earth colours of sage green and sludge became fashionable, as designers rebelled. We were getting back to nature. In Britain the decade was off to a flying start when the first ‘Jumbo Jet’, a Pan American 747, flew into Heathrow Airport in January 1970. Four years later, supersonic passenger service was inaugurated when Concorde took to the skies. The switch to decimal currency caused problems for a while until we all understood the new-fangled money, while 1973 saw the introduction of Value Added Tax. A lady politician with a penchant for blue suits, handbags and neatly permed hair became the first-ever British woman to head a political party when she was chosen by the Conservative Party as its new leader in 1975. Just a year earlier, the country was stunned after aristocratic Lord Lucan was named as the prime suspect after his children’s nanny was murdered, and his wife viciously attacked. He disappeared and has not been seen since, though reports of sightings still make the headlines. The classic rock opera movie, ‘Tommy’, was released in 1975. It featured Elton John as the Pinball Wizard, towering over the other performers in an amazing pair of 4ft. 6ins high platform shoes. Other notable movies from the decade included ‘Cabaret’, ‘Jaws’, ‘Superman’, ‘Saturday Night Fever’, ‘Grease’, ‘Star Trek The Motion Picture’ and all-time favourite, ‘Star Wars’, which spawned countless toys and dolls. Television ratings were dominated by the comedy duo Morecambe and Wise who attracted viewers in their millions. ‘Glam Rock’ was very much the in-thing, with T. Rex, David Bowie, Gary Glitter and Queen topping the charts, and pop fans were still reeling from the shock of the Beatles break-up. The sudden death of Elvis Presley was another tragic blow to the music industry. Amongst the soon-to-be-indispensable discoveries were floppy disks, laser printers, video-cassette recorders, post-it notes, liquid crystal displays, food processors, cellular phones and walkmans. Walt Disney World opened in Florida, changing the face and expectations of holiday entertainment, while in Britain the 1970s was the decade of the package tour. Flared trousers, platform soles, kaftans, maxi-dresses, cheesecloth tops, afghan coats edged with fleece, huge sunglasses, cowbells, braid, beads and fringing were all part of the fashion scene. Punks emerged in the mid-seventies, amazing Londoners with their spiky coloured hair, safety-pinned, ripped clothing and studded flesh, while, in complete contrast, delicate Laura Ashley dresses adorned fashionable young ladies. Innovation was the keyword in the world of dolls. Manufacturers experimented with all kinds of movements; dolls danced, sung, cart-wheeled, roller-skated, blew kisses, wrote their names, grew their hair, laughed, inflated balloons and generally had a jolly good time. The majority of the performing dolls were battery-operated, though clockwork occasionally appeared. Another popular device was the pull cord mechanism, though this wasn’t so robust and was prone to snapping or to a deterioration of the device, causing it to spin. Teen dolls were also big news, with Pippa, Action Girl, Daisy and Tressy all vying with Sindy, who was still going strong, while a beautiful baby doll called First Love was launched by Pedigree as a rival to Palitoy’s Tiny Tears. Larger size teens were in vogue too, especially those with ‘growing hair’ such as Sheena and the Crissy series. And, by complete contrast, simple rag dolls such as Holly Hobbie and Sarah Kay, or hard vinyl Sasha dolls with dreamy, barely-there features, were purchased by those who wanted to rebel against the high-tech playthings. Katie Kopycat, Penny Puppywalker, Baby Won’t Let Go, Miss Happy Heart, Tracy Tea Party and Baby Alive are amongst those which today’s collectors seek out; they are remembered with affection and are classics of their time. Many of the dolls, despite being made or marketed in the United Kingdom, used American moulds or technology and therefore have US counterparts, though often bearing different names. Katie Kopycat, by Palitoy, was a distinctive girl with a hard plastic body and limbs which were unusually jointed at the elbows. Her head was of softer vinyl with blonde hair and painted eyes. Katie came with her own desk and could write or draw with the aid of a pantograph. Bradgate’s Penny Puppywalker was operated by means of an air-filled pump, which allowed her to take her puppy for a stroll, while Miss Happy Heart’s chest contained a ‘beating heart’, a controversial mechanism which unnerved many people. This doll, resplendent in a red and silver lame mini dress, was made by Bluebell. Kenner’s Tracy Tea Party, a pretty girl with a beaming smile, made herself useful by pouring tea and handing round the biscuits. She was distinctive with her jointed wrists and twist waist, and could also bow and seductively flutter her eye-lashes. Palitoy’s Baby Won’t Let Go had ‘magic gripping hands’, while Baby Alive, by the same company, could be fed a special food, sold in powdered form and mixed with water to make it palatable. This was one of their most successful dolls. Other Palitoy successes included a series of talking dolls operated either by pull cord or battery. As a tie-in with the nostalgia trend, many of these were dressed in Victorian-type print dresses and white pinafores. Perhaps the two most distinctive dolls from the era were Pedigree’s Popsy Posy and Palitoy’s Blythe. Popsy, clad in a flower-power trouser suit, could assume all kinds of strange […]
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Movie Quad Posters From the 1960s
In the 1960s, movie posters were an art form. Studios would commission artists to create beautiful quad posters that would entice audiences into cinemas. While The Man from U.N.C.L.E. movies were not as successful as the television series, they did produce some amazing quad posters. These posters are a beautiful example of the artistry that went into movie marketing in the 60s. We take a look at the fantastic UK movie quad posters created for The Man from U.N.C.L.E. films from the 1960s. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. films were not originally made as films, but as the show rated so highly in America and the UK, the producers decided to film extra footage initially for two of the first season episodes and release them to cinemas after they had aired on TV. The original The Man from U.N.C.L.E. pilot The Vulcan Affair was renamed To Trap a Spy and the The Double Affair which was renamed as The Spy with My Face. The films were released as double feature and included colour pilot footage, additional footage and additional subplots. The films were first released in Hong Kong in late 1964 and later shown in the U.S. as a double feature in early 1966. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. IN COLOUR An added feature to the The Man From UNCLE films was that were being shown in color, at a time when most people had only black and white TVs. The words “in color” or “BIG screen in colour” featured prominently on the posters for the film releases. Eight films were released: To Trap a Spy (1964), The Spy with My Face (1965), One Spy Too Many (1966), One of Our Spies Is Missing (1966), The Spy in the Green Hat (1966), The Karate Killers (1967), The Helicopter Spies (1968) and How to Steal the World (1968). How to Steal the World – the last Man from U.N.C.L.E. film
Cluedo Detecting the Value of this Classic Game
In this highly digital age board games are taking more and more prevalence for spending interactive time with family and friends. From this we seem to be digging those family board games we still own from the seventies and eighties out of the cupboards, blowing off the dust and this gets us thinking….. Is this worth selling or playing? What is mine worth? How do I get a valuation? Is mine collectible? One example is the game consisting of the original usual suspects. Colonel Mustard, the Reverend Mr Green, Mrs Peacock, Miss Scarlett, Professor Plum and the (apparently) controversial Mrs White. She was removed from the game in 2016 after it was claimed that having a housekeeper was a ‘dated idea’ and was replaced with Dr Orchid. The artwork was also updated to a more cartoon style. An original 1949 edition of Cluedo, the popular crime deduction game can sell for around £150. But wait, it would have to be unplayed !! Unplayed?? Who, genuinely in 1949 was thinking that this brand new board game would be worth buying, taking home and NOT playing with it in the hope that in seventy years time it will be something of value? Surely these games are there to be played with? A pre loved copy of a board game has more character having stood the test of time. Write in the comments below if you are a board game collector and own the games to play or to simply to have bragging rights that you own a much sought after copy. As a board game collector myself, what interests me more than anything is owning an original copy of a game that has been played with since it was originally produced. The idea that I am now sitting with my family and friends playing a game which was handled and played when it was very first produced? What are your thoughts on this? When looking for an original copy of Cluedo don’t forget that the black and white cover thought to be the first edition is not actually the case. This could affect your expected valuation. Instead you would be looking for a bold, red thumb print under the magnifying glass as in the above picture. This changed to the simple black and white as the additional printing layer of the blood red was far too costly to keep up with the demand for the game. Over the years the art has changed significantly on the box and in the game. From the late 1950s into the 1960s it would look like this. I’m in my mid forties and I remember this art from the late 1960s through the 1970s. More recently Cluedo looks like this. In recent years the game has been franchised into versions from films, specific areas (similar to Monopoly), Disney, comics and more. These include Harry Potter, Nightmare Before Christmas, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Ricky and Morty, Sherlock and even a Newcastle and Gateshead edition. These editions are more niche and limited and have the potential to increase in the value. And remember that in the United States the game has simply been called Clue. There is even a spin off film starring Tim Curry which I am a huge fan of. Our research shows that certain online auction sites have varying prices. Why?Because there are two sides to the story. What someone wants for it and what someone is willing to pay. Board game related features How much is my Monopoly worth? Cluedo feature by Rob Edmonds.
Geoffrey Baxter A Glass Designer Whose Work Defines an Era
Glass designer Geoffrey Baxter is one of the most renowned and celebrated designers of his era. His elegant and timeless designs are still popular today, and his work has been exhibited in galleries all over the world. Born in 1922, Baxter started working at the Whitefriars Glassworks in 1954, where he designed for nearly 40 years, finally leaving Whitefriars in 1980. His work is iconic and has defined an era in glass design. Baxter’s timeless designs are characterized by their simplicity and functionality. His work is often credited with popularizing the use of glass in modern design. Thanks to his enduring popularity, Geoffrey Baxter is considered one of the most important glass designers of his era. Baxter went to school at Godalming in Surrey before gaining entry to Guildford School of Art at the age of 14. He spent a brief time at the Guildford Glassworks and later he won a place to study at the Royal College of Art in the early 1950s in the newly established Department of Industrial Glass. He finished with a First Class honours and a travelling scholarship to the British School in Rome in 1953, the first time such an award had been given to an industrial designer. Baxter’s work at Royal College of Art had attracted a lot of attention even before he graduated. Baxter was approached by William Wilson who was the managing director and chief designer at Whitefriars Glass, to work as his assistant. After only a few years he was designing the majority of domestic glass at Whitefriars. Baxter’s Glass Designs and Colours In the 1950s the modern Scandinavian glass was at the front of glass design. Whitefriars had long been at the forefront of British glass design embracing the Arts and Crafts movement, Modernism and the Industrial Art Movement. Baxter’s involvement from the late 1950s helped Whitefriars continue to be at the forefront of British glass design. Baxter’s designs are characterized by their simplicity and functionality and his use of colour and pattern. His designs ranged from contemporary style patterns for cut glass to creating thick-walled free-form organic bowls and vases. Arctic Blue and Ocean Green were two cool new colours he helped to develop in 1959, followed by the darker-toned Midnight Blue and Shadow Green in 1962. The latter were used for a stylish new range of simple mould-blown soda glass vases that were made using two part moulds, and then finished by hand and which were light in weight and had unusual angular profiles. The Whitefriars Blown Soda range was introduced at the Blackpool Show in 1962 (click to learn more about Whitefriars Blown Soda) Baxter’s most iconic designs are his textured range which was introduced in 1967. The Banjo vase (Model No 9681) and Bricklayer vase (Model No 9672) are two of the most popular designs created by Geoffrey Baxter for Whitefriars. The Banjo vase, which was first introduced in 1967, is characterised by its tall, slender neck and bulbous base, while the bricklayer vase takes a more playful approach, with a series of stacked blocks forming its body. The Nuts and Bolt vase (Model No 9668) featured a series of 12 hexagonal and other bolt shapes to the side. The textured pieces came in a range of colours including Meadown Green, Aubergine, Tangerine and Kingfisher Blue. Some colours are rarer than other. Baxter’s Influence on Modern Glass Design Geoffrey Baxter’s work at Whitefriars had a profound influence on modern culture. His unique approach to glassmaking helped to redefine the medium, and his bold use of color and form inspired a generation of artists. Baxter’s work is characterized by a sense of playfulness and experimentation, and his willingness to push the boundaries of traditional glassmaking techniques helped to create a new aesthetic for the 20th century. Today, Baxter’s legacy can be seen in the work of many contemporary artists, who continue to explore the potential of glass as a medium for expression. Related Whitefriars Glassworks Whitefriars Glassworks Price Guide Whitefriars Blown Soda Obituary of Geoffrey Baxter in The Independent
A Look at Lenox China
Walter Scott Lenox was born in 1859 in the “Staffordshire of America”: Trenton, N.J. which became the USA’s leading ceramics center and boasted some 200 potteries in the 19th century. Lenox worked as a decorator and designer for several Trenton potteries beginning in 1875 and six years later he advanced to design director for Ott & Brewer, then Willets Manufacturing. Both firms eventually failed and Lenox took his skills and expertise and established The Lenox Ceramic Art Company in 1889. From the outset it was organized as an art studio, rather than a factory, and offered one-of-a-kind artwares in lustrous ivory china, rather than a full line of ceramics. Pictured a Lenox China handpainted Belleek ware from Lenox. The exquisitely painted and modeled vases, pitchers, and tea sets, produced at first by just 18 employees, were met with an enthusiastic reception and carried in the most exclusive shops. By 1897 examples of Lenox’s work were included in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution. With the advent of modern dining Lenox began producing their own fine china dinnerware. The plates received much acclaim and proved so successful that Lenox turned his attention increasingly to complete sets of dinnerware and in 1906 changed his firm’s name to Lenox Incorporated to reflect the new direction from the Ceramic Art Company. The tradition of customized place settings continues today. Pictured Lenox China featuring the Eternal™ pattern which was designed in 1965 and still ranks among the most popular designs. From 910 the company began to produce standardized patterns in addition to the custom-made pieces for the thriving US market. These were initially hand decorated transfer prints and then full-color lithographic decals. The Lenox name had quickly become synonymous with elegant tableware, chosen for the “best” homes — including the White House. President and Mrs. Wilson commissioned an official state service of 1,700 pieces in 1918, making Lenox the first American china to grace a president’s table. Pictured Lenox China The Wilson Service – the pattern developed by Lenox’s chief designer, Frank Holmes, was as restrained and dignified as the Wilsons themselves. It remains the only American porcelain in continuous use at the White House for more than 80 years, with new services created for four subsequent presidents: Franklin D. Roosevelt (1934), Truman (1951), Reagan (1981), and Clinton (2000). Walter Scott Lenox died in 1920, having realized his dream and founded a company dedicated to the “perfection of American porcelain.” The company continued to grow and continued to offer custom-designed services as well as an arr ay of accessories, including lamps, figurines, vases, pitchers, even a honey jar shaped like a beehive. Lenox products were widely recognized for excellence in design, in large part due to Frank Graham Holmes, chief designer from 1905 to 1954. He garnered numerous awards, such as the Craftsmanship Medal of the American Institute of Architects (1927) and the silver medal of the American Designers Institute (1943). His work was among the 34 Lenox pieces chosen for display in 1928 by the elite National Museum of Ceramics in Sévres, France — the first and only American porcelain ever extended this honor. Pictured A Lenox China plate designed by artist Catherine McClung. Lenox continued to improvise and modernise bringing many popular ranges and designs and in 1989 it celebrated its centennial — a landmark reached by no other American porcelain company. In recent years Lenox has continued as a leader in such trends as transitional china and mix-and-match placesettings while continuing to employ centuries-old craft techniques, including piercing, jeweling, and etching. It has also used some of the world’s leading designers to create ranges and designs including Catherine McClung, Parvaneh Holloway and Sandra Kuck (one of the world’s most collected artists). Pictured A Lenox China Disney piece featuring Mickey and Minnie. Lenox brands have included Dansk, Gorham and Brooks Bentley and ranges have included tableware, home decor, jewelry, giftware, collectors plates and collectibles featuring Disney, and animated characters such as from Dr. Seuss, Peanuts, Warner Bros and the Wizard of Oz. For more details and a full history on Lenox China visit the Lenox Classics Web Site
Collecting Shoes
In the 21st Century they put the finishing touches to any outfit and are a sign of status and adornment but shoes were originally the simplest way to protect the feet. Early shoes were made of large leaves, bark and grass tied together with vines. The decades have seen progression in the design of footwear so it is the modern shoes that are sought after by collectors. Boots were the favoured footwear for the 19th century, worn by both men and women styles varied from the front laced Balmoral boot to the button boot. Delicate shoes were also worn and made of satin, silk, reptile and leather. The styles were not too different from modern day shoes with mules being popular with both sexes for indoor wear and the classic court shoe being worn from 1860s/1870s onwards. Towards the end of the 19th century shoes with extremely high heels became fashionable, almost impossible to walk in. Known as “Barrette” because they were fastened with bars and buttons. The Northampton Museum houses over 12,000 pairs of shoes dating from 1620 to the present day. One of the highlights of their collection are shoes worn by Queen Victoria on her wedding day. Made of white satin and trimmed with bands of ribbon they were made by Gundry & Son, shoemakers to the Queen and are the epiphany of Victorian style By the 1920s and the “Age of Jazz” shoe design became more prolific. Bar shoes were still popular and brightly coloured fabrics were the height of fashion which reflected in the fancy footwear. The 1930s saw more innovative styles with radical modern shapes being introduced. The middle of the 20th century saw the biggest turning point for shoe design; the 1950s introduced the stiletto heel or “little dagger” as it was also known. A complete turn around from the chunky designs of previous decades, highly collected the retro 1950s is where most collectors start buying. Good examples can still be found around car boot sales and jumble sales for a few pounds – also vintage clothes shops stock many 1950s and 1960s shoes for as little as £50 upwards. From the Rock ‘n’ Roll years into the swinging sixties shoes became a fashion statement. Beatlemania saw the reintroduction of the elastic-sided Chelsea boot, which had been fashionable over 125 years previous. Fashion designers such as Mary Quant, started to experiment with plastics using bright psychedelic colours producing hip and trendy footwear for the fashion conscious. The platform boot dominated the mid 1970s with inspiration taken from the “Glam Rock” pop groups of the decade. The film “Tommy” was released in 1975 and starred “Elton John” as the pinball wizard. The famous boots worn by the star were modelled on “cherry red” Dr Martens, moulded in fibre glass they stand 4ft 6.5″ high. These boots can be viewed at the Northampton museum as they are on loan from R Griggs makers of Dr Martens who purchased them at auction when Elton sold them through Sothebys in 1988. The museum also owns a pair of Vivienne Westwood green mock crocodile super elevated Gillies. M ade especially for the museum they are similar to the blue ones worn by supermodel Naomi Campbell when she toppled over on the catwalk in 1993. Westwood is one of the top names in the collecting world and her products can make large amounts of money on the secondary market. Expect to pay from between £400 to £600+ for a pair, especially those dating from the 1980s. This may seem a lot of money but when you take into consideration a brand new pair of Jimmy Choo’s can cost up to £1,000 from a retail outlet, the vintage ones are a bargain. Modern shoe designer Patrick Cox is constantly aware of the collectors market and produces limited edition shoes for this purpose. Last year an exclusive pair of his Swarovski crystal-encrusted red stilettos was auctioned for “Art of Fashion” and raised £7,000 for Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Other lots included white stilettos by Stuart Weitzman customised by celebrities such as Dido and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, these raised £200 – £220 a pair. Shoes design has progressed increasingly over the last century with new technology and material available allowing shoe designers to become more innovative and experimental.. Rebecca Shawcross of Northampton Museum’s advice is “shoes will not make you a fortune but buy what you like, wear them and love them”. FACTS Judy Garland’s “Ruby Slippers” from the film “Wizard of Oz” made $666,000 at Christies in 2000. The first Dr Marten rolled off the production line on 1st April 1960 Shoes have been found in buildings where they have been hidden to protect the house and the inhabitants from evil and misfortune St. Crispin is the patron Saint of shoemakers. The oldest shoe in the world was made 8,000 years ago and found in the USA in a cave. For further information on the Northampton Museum and its shoe collection visit www.northampton.gov.uk/museums