Advance Warning – Ceramics, 25th June 2016

Jun18

Prestige Ceramic Fairs – London Fair, Kensington Town Hall, Conference Events Centre, Hornton Street, Kensington, London W8, 25th June 2016

Juno Antiques
Early London decorated small Chinese teapot and cover, enamelled with white flower heads on a green seeded ground, surrounded by red and gilt tramline cartouches, c.1740.

This twice yearly fair is a must do for those who collect ceramics whether 18^th and 19^th century British porcelain and pottery or their oriental equivalent. It is nice that such a fair with its twenty plus specialist dealers still exists in the capital.

http://www.prestigeceramicfairs.com

www.junoantiques.com

BOOK REVIEW: British Ceramics 1675-1825

Dec11

British Ceramics 1675-1825 The Mint Museum

Brian Gallagher, Barbara Stone Perry, Letitia Roberts, Diana Edwards, Pat Halfpenny, Maurice Hillis, Margaret Ferris Zimmerman.

Published by GILES in association with the Mint Museum

UK£49.95 / US$79.95

ISBN — 978-1-907804-36-6

9781907804366

We are fortunate that the accompanying exhibition at the Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina brings us this very fine and informative tome because it celebrates some two hundred objects from the more than two thousand British ceramic pieces in the Museum. It really is a fine collection encompassing the majority of the 18^th century British factories who produced ceramics in salt-glazed stoneware, lead-glazed earthenware, creamware, soft-paste and hard paste porcelains.

Longton Hall
Covered Potpourri Vase, circa 1754-1757

The selected pieces are notable for their craftsmanship, quality and, in some cases, their distinguished provenance. Every piece is illustrated in colour and fully catalogued, giving us a fascinating insight into the production and decorating techniques that created these examples as well as their history.

New Hall
Cup and Saucer, circa 1785-1790
Decorated by Fidelle Duvivier

So whether you are a collector, scholar or lover of social history I can certainly say this a book that you will find both enjoyable and useful – just like many of the objects it focuses on!

John and Richard Riley
Bust of Charlotte Augusta, Princess of Wales, 1819

Tea Wares, circa 1760-1770

www.gilesltd.com

http://www.mintmuseum.org

A Ceramic Feast

Nov16

Selling Exhibition: Private Collections and Noteworthy Acquisitions, Stockspring Antiques, 114 Kensington Church St, London W8, 16th – 21st November 2015

A Pair of Vauxhall Vases decorated by James Giles
c. 1764-68

One can understand why collectors eagerly await this annual selling exhibition of English, Continental and Oriental porcelain for there is always much to tempt them. This year delivers some great pieces of which I show a few.

A Mennecy Owl
c. 1750-55

The opening words of the catalogue’s foreword offer a useful reminder as to why some of us collect: Collecting ceramics gives us intriguing windows into the past with each piece resonating with the life, times, hopes and aspirations of its original owner.

A Lefebvre Paris Portrait Plaque of Princess Charlotte
c. 1818

A Chinese Ko-sometsuke Dish for the Japanese Market
Tianqui, c. 1621-7

A Liverpool Delftware Charger after a Chinese Kangxi design
c. 1760

A Derby Figure of Andromache Weeping over the Ashes of Hector
c. 1780-85

http://www.antique-porcelain.co.uk

The private Soane and an exhibition

Jul31

Sir John Soane’s Museum, 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2

Mrs Soane’s Morning Room
©Gareth Gardner

There can be little doubt that Sir John Soane’s Museum is one of London’s great treasures and a fascinating place to visit. Now it is even more so since for the first time in a hundred and sixty years the now fully restored private apartments on the second floor can be visited. They consist of Mrs Soane’s Morning Room, the Model Room (formerly Mrs Soane’s bedroom and converted by Soane in 1834), Soane’s bedroom and bathroom, the Oratory and Book Passage and they are a delight to behold and reveal even more about Soane and his life.

Abraham Thomas, the Museum’s Director says “It is wonderful to see Soane’s private apartments and Model Room reopen, so that they can be enjoyed by future visitors as he intended. Unseen in over 160 years, the restoration of the second floor offers an intriguing view into Regency life and will allow visitors to further explore the astonishing collection of the Museum. They also are a stunning demonstration of how a combination of in-depth research and skilled craftsmanship can return historic environments to their former glory.

View of the Model Room, recreating a watercolour
of the room by C J Richardson c.1834-35
©Gareth Gardner

Soane’s model collection was also at the heart of his endeavour to ensure his Museum was a space for learning and inspiration, and architectural models continue to have that function today. That is why we are delighted with the response we have had to our Adopt-a-Model initiative, where each of Soane’s models can be adopted for a ten-year period. The money we have raised so far towards our endowment target not only supports the future conservation of these rare artefacts, but also plays a critical role in allowing us to continue Soane’s vision of using his collection as a launch pad for creative practice and contemporary debate.”

The chimneypiece in Soane’s Bath Room
©Gareth Gardner

Access to the Private Rooms is only available through pre-booking. For more details about how to visit and to book, please see the Museum’s website: www.soane.org

Drawn from the Antique: Artists & the Classical Ideal, Sir John Soane’s Museum, until 26^th September 2015

Fialetti, Katrin Bellinger Collection

This is a wonderful loan show which traces how the sculptures of ancient Greece and Rome inspired the visual arts of the West from the Renaissance to the nineteenth century, influencing artists such as Rubens, Fuseli, Turner and Zuccaro as well connoisseurs, collectors and architects, including Soane himself.

Desflaches, Katrin Bellinger Collection

www.soane.org

Sublime Gardens

Jul18

Painting Paradise: The Art of the Garden, The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London SW1, until11th October 2015

Marco Ricci, A View of the Cascade, Bushy Park Water Gardens, c.1715.
Royal Collection Trust / copyright Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014

This is a great exhibition which celebrates the idea of the garden through paintings, drawings, books and the decorative arts from the 16^th to the early 20^th century.

Mir ‘Ali Sir Nava’l, Seven Couples in a Garden, c. 1510.
Royal Collection Trust / copyright Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014

We see a Persian garden depicted in an Islamic manuscript, the gardens of Versailles and Hampton Court, Kew, Windsor and Osborne House. Works by Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci, Jan Brueghel the Elder as well as late 19^thand early 20^th century watercolours and a Fantin-Latour painting.

Jan Brueghel the Elder, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, 1615.
Royal Collection Trust / copyright Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014

There is a wonderful selection of floral decoration on Bow, Chelsea, Meissen and Sèvres porcelains, textiles, furniture, silver, fans and jewellery, including pieces commissioned by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria and of course works by Carl Fabergé.

Workshop of Carl Faberge, Bleeding Heart, c.1900.
Royal Collection Trust / copyright Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014

This engaging exhibition appeals to most tastes as it reveals the garden as a place of beauty, a place for research and science, a place to relax and enjoy and a place to wonder at the glories of nature.

Thomas Tompion, one of a pair of sundials, 17th century.
Royal Collection Trust / copyright Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk

MASTERPIECE LONDON 2015 OPENS TOMORROW

Jun24

MASTERPIECE LONDON 2015, South Grounds, The Royal Hospital Chelsea, London SW3, 25^th June – 1^st July 2015

Outside On the Red Carpet Masterpiece 2014.
Photo credit Rory Lindsay

There is little doubt that Masterpiece London is a very special fair with objects spanning over 4, 000 years being shown by some 150 galleries. It is a magnet for both collectors and museums round the world and a place to see some outstanding treasures.

As its Chief Executive Nazy Vassegh explains, “The 8 days when Masterpiece takes place is the epicentre of the art season in London. After just five years Masterpiece is now firmly regarded as both a leading international art fair and a welcome addition to the summer season in London. We are particularly delighted by the exhibitors and partners that will join us for the 2015 edition.”

I do hope that many of you will be able to visit this exciting Fair and over the coming days I shall share some of the objects you may find there.

Interior shot of Masterpiece 2014

Open to the public:

Thursday 25 June & Friday 26 June, 11.00–21.00

Saturday 27 June & Sunday 28 June, 11.00–19.00

Monday 29 June 11.00–21.00

Tuesday 30 June 11.00–18.00 (Followed by The Art Gala at Masterpiece in aid of the NSPCC from 19.00)

Wednesday 1 July, 11.00–21.00

2015 Ticket Prices:

General Admission Full Access: £42 per person (unlimited entry into the Fair on all Public Days between 25 June and 1 July)

General Admission: £25 per person (single day access)

Student Concession Ticket: £18 per person (with valid student ID)

Under 18s: Free

Phillip King sculpture at Masterpiece 2014.
Photo credit Rory Lindsay photography

http://www.masterpiecefair.com.

Art Antiques London 2015

Jun11

Art Antiques London, Albert Memorial West Lawn, Kensington Gardens, London SW7, (Opposite the Royal Albert Hall), 12th June – 18th, June, 2015

The queue outside Art Antiques London, 2014

This is now the sixth edition of a deservedly popular fair which offers a wide range of art and antiques, including many of museum quality and which draws collectors from around the world.

‘Landscape with trees’
Alfred Wallis 1855 – 1942
Oil on board with nails
Anthony Hepworth

The Fair has a well-established academic programme which as well as important lectures includes this year Study Days for The Silver Society, The English Ceramics Circle and The Jewellery Historians.

James W. Buel and Verdi Giuseppe, 10 Vols. The Great Operas with numerous illustrations. Exquisitely bound in full morocco, folios, with original boxes, each volume comes with an extra suite of plates (3 hand-coloured). Limited to 50 sets. 1899
Imperial Fine Books

Many will agree with what Anna Somers Cocks said in The Art Newspaper (20 June 2013) “like the Old Master drawings fair in Paris, but unlike most other fairs today,… is an encounter between people who really want to talk art and handle objects knowledgeably.”

A good rummer, the bucket bowl engraved with a mail coach and four horses, the reverse with initials GB
Height 16.2 cms
c.1820-30, English
Glass
Delomosne & Son Ltd.

White porcelain animal figures from Vincennes, Saint-Cloud and Vienna, 18th century
Christophe Perles

Japanese silver kodansu decorated with ho-o birds among paulownia trees,
signed Ginsei Hattori, Meiji Period.
The mythical phoenix in Japan is a symbol of justice and fidelity.
Laura Bordignon

Set of six chairs,
Sri Lanka, Colombo, second half 18th century. Coromandel wood and later upholstery.
Height: 101 cm, width: 52.5 cm, depth: 46.5 cm.
Provenance: Dutch private collection.
Roell Fine Art

Famille rose figural group of a dancing couple, modelled after the Meissen original, the gentleman wearing a yellow hat, white-ruff collar, blue waist jacket incised with scrolls and red breeches, the lady with a red waist coat similarly incised and long flowing skirt with purple flowers, all on a shaped naturalistic form base, modelled and moulded with relief flowers.
5 ⅝ ins, 14.3 cm high
Qianlong, circa 1752.
Marchant

A batik sarung from the studio of Catherina Van Oosterom in Banyumas, Java. During the mid 19th century a new type of batik was invented by a small group of Indo-European women, working traditionally with natural dyes and molten wax applied to cotton by means of a pen (canting). This genre is known as the Indische school and combines both Asian and Western design elements.
Jonathan Hope

http://www.haughton.com

Chelsea Porcelain

Jun2

Sir Hans Sloane’s Plants On Chelsea Porcelain – A Loan Exhibition, Stockspring Antiques, 114 Kensington Church St, London W8, 2nd – 16th June 2015

Corallodendron:
A Chelsea plate with a wavy brown-edged rim, painted with a Corallodendron flower, leaves, floret, seed pod and seeds, and two butterflies.
c. 1753-56
Mark: red anchor over 34, Diam: 24.5 cm
Private Collection

This exhibition celebrates the physician and collector Sir Hans Sloane who was a great patron of the Chelsea Physic Garden. The garden was a great centre of botanical research at a time when ships returning to London from Asia, Africa and the New World were bringing many unknown plants back with them. Sloane, himself, collected plants and animals and studied botany.

Trew C. J., Plantae Selectae, dec. I, Tab. VIII;

The chief gardener at the Chelsea Physic Garden from 1722 was Philip Miller who in 1731 published the Gardener’s Dictionary and later Figures of Plants, which showed the new plants in illustrations by Georg Dionysius Ehret. Ehret was the botanical artist of the time and had also provided illustrations for other books, including Plantae Selectae by Trew and Phytanthoza Iconographia by Weinmann.

Dodecatheon meadia:
A plate with a wavy brown-edged rim, painted with a Dodecatheon Meadia, two seed heads, an immature seed head and three flying insects.
c. 1755-57
Mark: red anchor, Diam: 21.6 cm
Private Collection

These and other published works were the source for the wonderful botanical decoration found on Chelsea porcelain in the 1750s and which are known as Sir Hans Sloane plants. This special exhibition, thanks to the loans from museums and private collections, brings together over seventy pieces of Chelsea porcelain which are shown alongside images of their source engravings.

Trew C. J., Plantae Selectae, dec. I, Tab. XII;

The exhibition is accompanied by a highly detailed hardback catalogue (£30 + postage) by Sally Kevill-Davies and is the fruit of her research into identifying the plants found on Chelsea porcelain. Thanks are due to the Cadogan Estate for their sponsorship of it.

Opening Times:

Weekdays: 10 -5.30pm, Saturdays: 10 – 4pm. Sundays: Closed.