Antiques to Vintage Magazine

16/07/2024

An 81-year-old British metal detecting enthusiast struck gold – literally – when he dug up a gold Saxon sword pommel in a field while he was attending – you guessed it – a local detector meeting. The pommel, which dates to the early 7th century, was decorated with a filigree pattern, weighed 20.5g and was buried to a depth of 17cm. It sold at Noonans UK auction (having been disclaimed as a treasure) for $27,200, with the sale proceeds being shared between the detectorist and the landowner. “We think it would have belonged to an Anglo-Saxon chief who probably lost it in a battle with a Viking,” said Noonans artefact expert Nigel Mills. “It is of cocked hat form using beaded wire filigree ornamentation. On one side are two dragons or beasts facing each other with their heads and front paws touching. The other side has an interlaced snakelike pattern. The pommel would have been fixed to the end of the sword handle both as a counterbalance and to stop the hand slipping. The imagery displayed would have imbued a mystical power to the sword.” Similar pommels have been found in Germany and France.

14/07/2024

It’s the most censored record in British history: the S*x Pistols single God Save The Queen. Released in 1977 under A&M Records to coincide with Queen Elizabeth’s silver jubilee, 25,000 copies were withdrawn following controversy over the lyrics ‘God Save The Queen, The fascist regime’. The song was also banned by the BBC and most UK radio stations.
Following the backlash, A&M Records dropped their contract with the band and all but a small number of copies of the original single – thought to be somewhere between 13 and 20 copies – were destroyed. But then… one of the people who was working at A&M Records at the time of the controversy had an idea. The vendor told UK auction house Wessex Auction Rooms: "As I was clearing my desk, having seen the box of S*x Pistols singles in the bottom drawer (which had been sitting there since 1977), I thought it might be possible for me to take a few as they could in due course be worth something. I asked the managing director if I could take some and he said yes. The current single being sold at Wessex Auction Rooms is my last one. I have been holding onto it for sentimental reasons, but I feel now is the time to part company with it.” As it turns out, it was worth holding onto; the rare vinyl single sold for a whopping $40,120 including buyer’s premium.
Probably due solely to its controversy, God Save The Queen reached number two on the official UK singles charts in 1977, where it was listed as a blank to avoid causing offence – for the only time in history. S*x Pistols guitarist Steve Jones later said of the 1977 hit: “I’ve never had any connection to the monarchy, to be honest. It meant nothing to me, still doesn’t. So to me it was just a laugh, it was a giggle. I didn’t realise it would offend a lot of English people. They took it personally. It was a stab against the Queen.”

05/07/2024

01/07/2024

It’s a tale most of us would love the chance to tell… a cardboard box in the attic that turns out to be holding Chinese porcelain worth $275,000. And that’s exactly what happened to one fortunate UK vendor, who inherited the box – marked ‘broken crockery’ – from her grandfather and who had stored it in the attic since she moved house in 2002. “Every time I went up there to fetch the Christmas decorations, I thought, I must do something with that box,” she said, following the auction at John Taylors in Louth, UK which included two Qianlong cup stands and three famille rose dishes that sold for $59,500 against an estimate of $140, and a group of 16 pieces of porcelain that included four Kangxi ‘month cups’ that made $100,000 against an estimate of $150. The vendor’s grandfather had included detailed notes for some of the pieces, recording the reign marks and type of decoration as well as the person he held responsible for some of the damage (it seems he blamed his wife!).

28/06/2024

The marriage cupboard: a piece of folk art furniture once commissioned by the family of a betrothed couple as part of a dowry. Simple in form and usually made from pine, they were typically inscribed with the newlyweds’ names and the date of their union and were painted with regional designs that reflected the styles of the day. From the late 1700s to the mid-1800s there were hundreds of workshops in Scandinavia and across the Austro-Hungarian empire producing so-called marriage furniture. The gorgeous cupboard pictured here is northern European, inscribed and dated 1827. It’s for sale at Robert Young Antiques in London, which is also home to a current exhibition of over 100 pieces of naïve and folk art in an exhibition titled Simply. www.robertyoungantiques.com

28/06/2024

Today a vintage book is usually worth more if it has its original dust jacket, but back in the 17th century book bindings were a little more impressive. Embroidered bindings, which are usually found on Bibles, prayer books and other devotional texts, could be bought commercially – even in the 17th century – but they were also produced by wealthy ladies of the house, and they could be absolutely beautiful. The book pictured here – a 1628 copy snappily titled ‘Apocrypha; With The new Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and The Whole Booke of Psalmes: Collected into English Meeter’ – features metallic embroidery in raised silver threads on a cream ground. Just imagine how amazing it must have looked back in the 1630s! It recently sold at auction in the UK for $10,200. If you’re wondering where the inspiration was found for the designs, a number of pattern books were published in the 17th century due to popular demand; by 1640, ‘The Needle’s Excellency’ by John Tayler was already in its 12th edition.

19/06/2024

The last Miller’s Price Guide to be worked on by the late Judith Miller has just been released in the UK by Octopus Books. Co-founded back in 1979 by Judith and her first husband, Martin, the book became an international best-seller and is still considered to be the bible of the antiques world today. The 2024-25 edition, which was completed by Judith’s husband and writing partner John Wainwright and his team, features 8000 antiques and has a particular focus on the ‘green’ factor in antiques. The book is available in Australia through Hachette Australia and other outlets.

17/06/2024

It was bought ten years ago at an English car boot sale for $2 and next Monday it’s being auctioned by Adam Partridge (UK) with an estimate of $17,000-25,000. It’s a 1953 first edition, first impression copy of Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel, 'Casino Royale', in its original dust jacket. The vendor, a lady from Devon, bought it because she rather liked the pink hearts on the cover; she only discovered how much it was worth when she decided to do a clear out of some boxes earlier this year and typed the title into Google. Last year two similar editions sold for $17,000 and $28,900.

07/06/2024

A missile-firing 1979 Star Wars Boba Fett action figure has just become the most expensive vintage toy ever sold at auction after selling for US$525,000 at Heritage Auctions in the USA. The 10cm hand-painted figure, with an ‘L-slot’ at the back for missile firing, is one of only two known hand-painted prototypes in the world with a missile firing capability, and is the only one painted grey.
The model was made by toy manufacturer Kenner in 1979 in preparation for the character’s appearance in The Empire Strikes Back, which was due for release the following year, but the models were pulled from production after concerns the missiles were a choking hazard; the toy was then relaunched with the missiles glued to the back.
Around 100 prototypes were created in total, with some of them being discarded in a box for employees to take home. It’s from that box that the Boba Fett prototype has gone on to become one of the most expensive vintage toys in the world.
Report: Antiques Trade Gazette UK.

06/06/2024

Here’s an interesting story: The Royal Worcester ‘Blind Earl’ pattern is named after George William Coventry, who was the fifth Earl of Coventry and who lost his sight in a hunting accident. He requested the factory produce a design that could be appreciated by him in three dimensions, and today it’s one of the best-known of all the early Worcester patterns. Except… the 1769 Worcester sale catalogue included twenty-four rose leaf dessert plates with moulded leaves, and the Earl’s accident happened in the 1770s. But it’s still a good tale.

28/05/2024

Old Hollywood Glamour at The Sydney Fair
If you’ve ever thought you’d love to have your own Hollywood gown, you’re in luck. The Sydney Fair, which opens at Randwick Racecourse this Thursday, is showcasing a collection of stunning gowns from the estate of iconic actress and model Raquel Welch – and they’ll be available to buy. They’re part of an exhibition and fashion parade showcasing Old Hollywood Glamour, but that doesn’t mean our home-grown talents have been forgotten; fashion anthropologist Tom McEvoy will be giving a talk on the perfectly named Mavis Ripper, an Australian costume designer who was once hailed as the country’s highest-paid woman during the 1940s. Ms Ripper designed the costumes for one of Australia’s first films to be produced in partnership with a Hollywood studio, but today is largely forgotten, with not one of her designs or costumes known to exist. Perhaps you’ve got one stashed away in your closet… Other highlights of the fair include a presentation by Claudia Chan Shaw on the history of shoes and a surprise presentation by Antiques Roadshow glass expert Andy McConnell. You’ll also be treated to a gold box that used to belong to the King of Spain, an early collection of pieces from Tiffany & Co and a book cover that dates to the 14th century. To book your tickets or for more information go to www.thesydneyfair.au (tickets can also be purchased at the door).

27/05/2024

The Winter 2024 issue of Antiques to Vintage is packed with interesting, in-depth, quirky and informative features on anything and everything to do with antiques and collectables. We look at the golden glamour of ormolu, the charm of the novelty biscuit tin and the exotic journey of the Imari pattern. We reveal the tale of the beaded serpent, look at the world’s oldest printed text and share the dark art of the silhouette. There’s a feature on the amethyst (it’s a party gem), Meiji masterworks, shagreen and scandalous silver, as well as Art Deco radios, fashion prints, Oswald the forgotten rabbit and the Johnston Collection. We look at some amazing Aussie toy ingenuity, buying antiques online and introduce you to Mary Linwood, the needle painter.
Treat yourself and shop your way through 18 pages of Paraphernalia crammed full of more than 350 gorgeous items to buy, plus all the regular features!

Available from your local newsagent, via a digital version at Pocketmags (from June 3) or by subscription direct from us at www.antiquestovintage.com.au

23/05/2024

Coming up: The Dayboro Antique Fair is on Saturday May 25 at Dayboro Showgrounds… Wagga Antique Fair is at Wagga Showgrounds on May 25 and 26, and includes Sue Crowley from Simple Décor giving a talk on Images through the Ages: Miniatures, Silhouettes and Early Photography…The Big Show is also on the weekend of May 25 and 26 at Toowoomba Showgrounds, Toowoomba… The Sydney Fair is being held from May 30 to June 2 at Randwick Racecourse… Collectorama is on at Nambour Showgrounds, Qld on Saturday June 1… June 8 and 9 is the weekend of the Daylesford Antique Fair in Victoria… The Como Craft & Antique Market is at Como Public School, NSW on June 9… Orange Antique & Collectables Fair is at Eyles St, Orange the weekend of June 14 to 16… The Collectors Mark Antique & Collectors Fair is at Wentworth Park, Sydney, on June 16… WA Card Collector’s Open Day & Fair is on June 21 and 22 at Mt Lawley Church Hall, Mt Lawley… June 23 is the date for the Hurstville Collectables Fair in Sydney… The Coffs Antique & Collectors Fair is at the Coffs Harbour Showground, NSW on June 29 and 30… Ipswich Antique Fair is on June 29 at Ipswich Showgrounds, Ipswich… Paris: Impressions of Life 1880-1925 is on at the Bendigo Art Gallery until July 14… Fit for a King is on exhibition at The Johnston Collection in Melbourne until August 25… Australian Toys 1880-1965: The Luke Jones Collection is at the David Roche Gallery in Adelaide from June 1… Please check with organisers before making travel arrangements.

21/05/2024

This Dunhill lighter set the auction room alight when it recently sold for $28,687 (including buyer’s premium) at UK auction house Chiswick Auctions. All Dunhill ‘aquarium’ lighters are collectable, but the non-aquatics – those that feature subjects other than fish – tend to bring the highest prices. Or you could say: They’re smokin’…

20/05/2024

Keeping Aussie classics alive in the 21st century...
Ron Sherry is a visionary who looks back. He’s a devoted radio collector who has used the very latest technology to wind back the clock and produce exact replicas of fabulous Australian radios from the 1930s and ‘40s. “I celebrate early valve technology, Bakelite and classic Australian manufacture,” he says. “With this in mind, my radios are built to a standard that takes into account the way things were, the way we thought and the effort we went to, to make radios that had beautiful curves, style and function for our beautiful country. It’s my quest to keep Australian radios going in a new century.” The recently released New Yorker is the third in Ron’s range of classics (first there was the stylish Retro and then the delightful Lil Lottie). “This radio was made in Australia from around 1935,” says Ron, “and it’s now in the top 10 of collectable radios around the world.” The New Yorker has an AM/FM dial, a bluetooth switch at the rear and a 15cm oval speaker with two tweeters inside the cone. “It’s simple to operate, no fuss… simple elegance and a statement piece right there in your kitchen,” says Ron. “Sit back and turn on the wireless…” The radio is available in red, green, blue and black, all with chrome trim and black k***s. We think the price of $330 is a total bargain for the combination of modern technology and Art Deco. For more information please call Ron on 0423 857 599 or log on to www.australiandigitalradio.com.au

29/04/2024

We do love to hear about new shops opening up in the trade, so we simply had to share this with everyone! It’s the grand opening tomorrow morning (11.30am) of the brand new Gallery 201, located at 201 Latrobe Terrace in Paddington, Brisbane. The Gallery will initially be housing Brittle & Co Antiques and Thomas Alexander Interiors, with several more dealers soon to join.

Owner Andrew Butterfield says: “What a fabulous experience this has been so far, and thank you to everyone who has shown Brittle & Co Antiques lots of love and support over the last year and a half.

"A big thank you must go to Christopher Thomas and Mark Alexander from who are willing to work on with me. They have created a truly gorgeous location and it is now filled with some stunning items that we hope you will love. We aim to provide pieces that will bring a richness, beauty and joy to your homes and your lives. We can’t wait to open our doors tomorrow and look forward to your visit.”

26/04/2024

If you’ve ever thought it might be nice to have your very own castle, this is for you: it’s a tinplate landscape more than 4ft wide, that includes a castle, a station, a bridge and a mill amongst numerous other buildings, as well as two functioning fountains, a millwheel and a well, all of which work from the water supply held in a tank fitted in the hill. It was made by the German firm of Rock & Graner c.1870 and was sold at auction in Germany for $82,000. Rock & Graner was a successful toymaking business established in 1813, with a workforce of more than one hundred people by the late 1830s. Their display received rave reviews in the 1851 Great Exhibition, with the official bulletin stating: ‘The toys from Rock & Graner are not only offered in a wide variety, but they also display great taste, which cannot be praised highly enough because nothing is more saddening than children acquiring bad taste already from their toys.’ The company was awarded a medal for its display.

19/04/2024

If you’re in Melbourne this weekend you can’t afford to miss the AAADA Antiques & Art Fair. It’s at the Malvern Town Hall until 4pm Sunday and the schedule is packed with things to do (apart from browsing the stunning antiques and art, that is!). Tonight and tomorrow night from 4pm to 6pm there’s the Scotchmans Hill Evening Drinks, where you can enjoy a complimentary glass of wine while perusing the fair. If you have an item you’d like someone to appraise for you, you can take it to the front desk – or take a photo if you can’t take the item – and you’ll be matched to the right expert for your piece so you can learn all about its history (appraisals from 3pm to 4pm Saturday and 1pm to 2pm Sunday). But there’s more! You can also take a tour of the fair with one of the AAADA expert dealers. Mark Howard leads the tour from 11am Saturday and Sunday; John Hawkins take over from 1pm Saturday and Sunday; and Andrew Dixon is on the late afternoon shift on Saturday at 4.30pm. It’s a unique way to really enjoy everything the fair has to offer. Besides some of the best antiques and art in Australia, you’ll also find exhibitions for the Silver Society of Australia, The Johnston Collection and The Australiana Society. There’s also an excellent online catalogue so you can whet your appetite before you go as well enjoy some fascinating editorials from some of the exhibitors; you can log in from www.aaada.org.au (where you can also view some highlights from the Fair). Tickets are available online or at the door. Don’t miss out!

11/04/2024

Alfred Hitchcock often made a cameo appearance in the films he produced and directed, and occasionally he even starred himself in the promos. The 1960 poster pictured here is for Psycho and was used to market the film in theatre foyers. It shows Hitchcock standing pointing to his watch, with the heading ‘It Is Required That You See Psycho From The Very Beginning!’ and a panel where the theatre staff could insert the showing times. It sold for $19,380 including 20% buyer’s premium at Propstore’s London sale of collectable posters.

09/04/2024

An unexpected highlight of the final sale of items from the Ann and Gordon Getty Collection, held by Stair Auctions in New York on March 1, was a kitchen sink. Mind you, it was a Doulton & Co stoneware sink with matching shelf and soap dishes, so it wasn’t your average washroom accoutrement. The Gettys had bought the sink at The Great Antiques Fair in London in 1998 and it was entered into the sale with an estimate of US$600-800, but was watched by a total of 105 bidders on LiveAuctioneers as it was knocked down at US$26,000.

05/04/2024

If you’ve got a spare $500,000 you might want to think about bidding on the world’s most expensive napkin. Yes, a napkin – but it’s not just any old napkin. It’s the one that was signed on behalf of Messi when he was just 13 and recruited to Barcelona FC. It states (in Spanish): "In Barcelona, on 14 December 2000 and the presence of Messrs Minguella and Horacio, Carles Rexach, FC Barcelona's sporting director, hereby agrees, under his responsibility and regardless of any dissenting opinions, to sign the player Lionel Messi, provided that we keep to the amounts agreed upon." Ian Ehling, who is head of Books and Manuscripts at Bonhams New York (Bonhams is offering the napkin in a single lot online sale that runs from April 2 to 11, with a starting price of around $500,000) described the 16.5cm x 16.5cm sheet of tissue as: "One of the most thrilling items I have ever handled. Yes, it's a paper napkin, but it's the famous napkin that was at the inception of Lionel Messi's career. It changed the life of Messi, the future of FC Barcelona, and was instrumental in giving some of the most glorious moments of football to billions of fans around the globe."

02/04/2024

Easter might be over for another year, but you can still make a lovely chocolate bunny or two from this vintage mould. It measures a huge 96.5cm high and was made by Anton Reiche, a Dresden manufacturer of sheet metal and also Germany’s most important chocolate mould factory in the late 19th century, with around 1100 employees by 1895. The bunny was auctioned by Leonard Auction in Illinois in the USA on March 24, where he bounded home at US$11,000 against an estimate of just US$500-700. A massive Santa Claus mould of comparable size was knocked down at the same sale for US$15,000.

28/03/2024

In 1939, nine-year-old Sybil Cook was given a chocolate egg for Easter. War was looming and her uncle advised her to ration herself and eat it one morsel at a time. Instead, Sybil kept the egg, uneaten, for the next 85 years, still wrapped in its blue and white paper in the original box, complete with a decorative garden scene of a little girl with a watering can and the name Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary. Finally, last week Hansons Auctioneers in the UK sold Sybil’s egg, which made $340. "When we asked mum how she'd managed to keep the egg for so long, she told us that having kept it all through the war, it didn't seem right to eat it," said Sybil’s daughter Gill. "The egg was very precious to her. Having kept it safe through her childhood, she took it with her when she left home to get married in 1955 and for 60 years had it tucked away on a shelf in her bedroom.” Food rationing lasted in Britain from 1940 until 1954. “Sybil's egg is a reminder of those difficult days,” said auctioneer Charles Hanson. “She came from a generation who understood hardship. They learned to cherish and appreciate the smallest things. That's a very fine character trait to have."

27/03/2024

The beer can with a champagne price.
It’s a new world record for a beer can: US$62,830 for a vintage Perone Beer quart cone top can. Yes, you read that correctly. Bidding opened at the Massachusetts sale on February 25 at just US$25 and immediately jumped to US$37,000 before reaching the new auction record. It was, said auctioneer Dan Morean of Morean Auctions, “A Grail can for many a quart and Pennsylvania collector.” Perone was a brand of Otto Erlanger Brewing Co of Philadelphia, USA and the can dated from the 1940s, when the cone top format was dominant. Introduced in 1935 as direct competition to the flat top beer can, the cone top was affected by metal shortages during WWII and today examples are highly sought by beer can collectors. Other notable results at the sale included a 1930s era White Horse Pilsener Beer cone top can that sold for US$33,550 and a Tru Blue Ale cone top can that made US$18,910.
For more on Australian beer bottles, check out the current Autumn 2024 issue of Antiques to Vintage magazine.

26/03/2024

She’s back! Clarice Cliff, that is. On March 14 the UK auction house Fieldings achieved its second highest price for a Clarice Cliff piece when it sold a charger in the Applique Etna pattern for $37,740 (including buyer’s premium). The hand painted charger – featuring a stylised mountain landscape with a deep orange sky and trees to the foreground – had featured in a 1930s promotional photograph with Clarice holding it aloft as though she was painting it (see pic). It was last sold at auction in November 1994, when it made $20,570 (including premium). Fieldings has become the go-to auction house for Clarice Cliff; for the past 16 years the firm has held twice-yearly auctions dedicated to the designer, and company director Will Farmer has lectured on the subject around the world as well as writing books and acting as consultant.
The March 14 auction results – which offered around 300 pieces of Clarice Cliff - included a rare Limberlost Yo-Yo vase that sold for $6400; a large charger in the Sunray (Night & Day) design that sold for $12,160; a matched Stamford shape Tennis breakfast set that sold for $15,360; a Marigold Lotus jug that made $9800; and two Age of Jazz figurines that sold for $14,500 and $14,900. But there were also some bargains to be had, including a pastel Autumn sabot that was sold for $205 and a large Water Lily that went for $120. For full results go to: www.fieldingsauctioneers.co.uk

18/03/2024

There’s a new scam in town and it’s targeting the antique collector. According to a report in the recent issue of UK trade newspaper Antiques Trade Gazette, there has been a surge in websites selling ‘cold-cast bronzes’ that are in fact made from polyester resin (a form of plastic) with bronze dust added to the surface to make it look like real bronze. The pictures here, from the March 16 issue of ATG, show a dog by British sculptor Tanya Russell made in foundry metal bronze at the top, and a version that was copied from the original on the artist’s website using a combination of photos and sold as a cold-cast bronze. The resin copy, which was bought by an unsuspecting collector, lacked the strength to support the dynamic pose and it broke in the mail.
Objects have been created in polyester resin and metal powders since the early 1960s, but additional techniques to mimic the patina of antique bronze have now been developed, including adding acid to the surface and sealing it with wax to create realistic tones, as well as adding iron filings to the resin to create a more metallic feel and add weight.
We’ll have more on this in the upcoming Winter issue of Antiques to Vintage. You can also find out more at the Antiques Trade Gazette website: www.antiquestradegazette.com

14/03/2024

A collection of previously unknown items related to the infamous Jack the Ripper murders is up for auction on March 22. They were the property of Inspector Joseph Henry Helson (1845-1920), who was acting inspector in J Division at the time of the first Ripper murder of Mary Ann ‘Polly’ Nichols on August 31, 1888. Helson also assisted in the second murder and attended the inquests of some of the other victims. The collection, which includes a previously unknown mortuary photo of Mary Nichols as well as two photos of one of the main suspects and notes to the reverse, has been in the Inspector’s family since his retirement from the Metropolitan Police in 1895. It’s estimated to sell for more than $17,000. www.whittonandlaingauctioneers.co.uk

10/03/2024

It’s what’s under the dress that’s so fascinating… this English wooden doll c.1740 is dressed in her original yellow silk robe with blue and white damask stomacher, which is amazing enough, but underneath, her green striped silk petticoat also features a broadsheet paper dated 1740 that tells the tale of two murderesses, Elizabeth and daughter Mary Branch from Somerset, who were convicted of beating their servant girl to death. The doll was part of the collection of Austin Smith and Margaret Harkin and was sold at Special Auction Services in the UK for a double estimate $37,400 on February 22.

07/03/2024

Looking for something warm to wear during the chilly winter months? You could do what an English farmer did after the war, when he bought this WWII sheepskin and fleece lined leather flying jacket to keep him comfy while he was driving his tractor… The jacket had belonged to Queenslander Sydney Wilfred Cheetham (1921-1996), who enlisted into the RAAF in November 1941. He was transported to Canada where he was trained before going to the UK and joining the 58 Squadron, completing 38 sorties before being discharged on January 18, 1946. The jacket, which is in good condition with some signs of wear, is estimated to sell for $700-$1000 at Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers in the UK on March 12. www.sworder.co.uk