Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2019 i Homes & Antiques

I have a love-hate relationship with Christmas shopping. It always starts out joyfully enough, with a few fun, nostalgic trips around seasonal markets and a bit of browsing from the comfort of my sofa. But then, all of a sudden, that joy turns to panic, as I realise that all I did at the fair was drink mulled wine and, despite my planning, I’ve forgotten to factor in delivery times for any online shopping. This year, I’m going to break with tradition and follow Velimir Ilic’s lead. He’s scouted out the best antiques shops for Christmas shopping (p144), each of which offers utterly unique gifts and decorations, all in an inviting atmosphere. Also brimming with festive spirit this month are our four homes. Festooned with antiques and vintage pieces, each…

Homes & Antiques, Eagle House, Colston Avenue, Bristol, BS1 4ST homesandantiques@immediate.co.uk facebook.com/homesantiques twitter.com/homes_antiques instagram.com/homes_antiques pinterest.co.uk/homesantiques Join the club Hurrah! Someone else loathes Bernard Leach, Clarice Cliff and Jasperware. And those ghastly Martin Brothers ceramics. I agree, I agree! One daren’t admit it, as it’s like saying you don’t like Shakespeare – people just tut. I tried to like Troika when, incomprehensively to me, it was madly popular – then I decided, off my own bat, that it was hideous! Hilary Marshall, via email Totally over Tolix My pet hate is the ubiquitous Tolix chair. To me it is vile in appearance and extremely uncomfortable. Sadly, it is now to be found in many cafes and restaurants – none of which will get my custom! My preferred style is Country House, maybe with…

IN A LAND FAR, FAR AWAY From 9th Nov-5th Jan 2020, visit Chatsworth and explore festivities from around the globe. chatsworth.org CHRISTMAS AT POLESDEN See Polesden Lacey transformed into a sparkling Christmas haven between 15th Nov-6th Jan 2020, with workshops, classes and more. nationaltrust.org.uk VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS From 30th Nov-1st Dec, journey back in time at Osborne and discover how the Victorians celebrated the season. english-heritage.org.uk…

‘Christopher Dresser was a prolific designer of the 19th century, whose creations ranged from metalware and glass to furniture, wallpapers and carpets. Inspired by Japanese ceramic designs seen on his famous visit to the country in 1876, he co-founded Linthorpe Pottery in Middlesbrough in 1879, designing over 1,000 pots in the decade that followed. Scarcer examples of Linthorpe and other rare ceramics designed by Dresser are in demand now, with an 1880 earthenware Urchin vessel selling for £2,875 at L&T recently, and an even more sought-after twin-handled Peruvian vessel, also 1880, realising a remarkable £7,750.’…

Whether you’re hanging vintage mercury glass baubles on the tree or serving canapés on an antique platter, Christmas wouldn’t be nearly as festive without the sparkle and shimmer of silver. Our passion for this reflective element is nothing new. Silver – along with copper, gold, iron and lead – was one of the first five metals discovered and used by humans. Silver objects dating from before 4000 BC have been found in Greece. ‘Silver can be found in its pure form, but it’s rare – it was more commonly reduced from an ore of silver and lead in a process called cupellation,’ explains Alastair Dickenson, BBC Antiques Roadshow silver specialist. ‘The ancient Greeks, Anatolians and Mesopotamians who worked in metals would have used tools that are very similar to those…

Dr Sandra Wilson of the University of Dundee retrieves precious metals from electronic waste using a new, eco-friendly ‘hydrometallurgy’ process. With these e-waste solutions she has created new surface treatments for silver that haven’t been seen before. ‘Only around 11 per cent of the precious metals in e-waste is being recovered,’ she says. ‘Most is ending up in landfill sites along with its valuable precious metals. Hence why I’ve called my project Urban Gold Rush – as the next gold rush won’t be in the California hills, but rather in the landfill sites of urban cities.’ With skills in casting, hand-raising and engraving, Sandra creates innovative organic forms that are highly tactile and collectable. ‘I hope that assay offices in the future will develop a new chain of custody mark…

AC SILVER 35b St Georges Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE2 2SU. 0191 240 2645; acsilver.co.uk ALASTAIR DICKENSON 128-130 High Street, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1AB. 01483 425329; alastairdickenson.co.uk DANIEL BEXFIELD ANTIQUES 5 Cecil Court, Covent Garden, London, WC2N 4EZ. 020 7240 1766; bexfield.co.uk PIERS RANKIN ANTIQUE SILVER 14 Camden Passage, Islington, London, N1 8ED. 020 7354 3349; antiquesilverlondon.com WILLIAM WALTER ANTIQUES London Silver Vaults, Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1QS. 020 7242 3248; silver-antiques.co.uk…

When buying at auction, look for good makers, such as Meissen, Wedgwood and Herend. Some early pieces are unmarked, so be guided by what you like. Inspect the pieces if you can, or request a  condition report from the salesroom. Damage could affect the price if you sell the service in the future. Platters, tureens, tazze and serving dishes will be the most valuable items in any given service and are often the most  decorative pieces.…

In 1849, when Margarete Steiff was paralysed from the waist down aged 18 months, her parents feared that she may never live a normal life. But her brothers and sisters took her to school every day in a hay cart and, aged 17, she qualified as a seamstress. Her career was a success, stitching garments from her home studio in Giengen, Germany, for local clients. But in 1879, after she spotted a pattern for a fabric elephant in a magazine, the foundations for one of the world’s most famous soft-toy businesses were laid. Margarete’s Elefäntle was a trumpeting success. By 1880, she had sold over 5,000, and was designing other animals too. In 1902, her nephew Richard joined the company, bringing with him the design for a teddy bear.…

Taking the reins Do you know anyone who might be able to repair this toy horse? It was my mum’s when she was growing up and, three generations later, it’s a little worse for wear! Olwen Wilson, via email Your handsome piebald pony has clearly been much loved. But his days of being ridden are well behind him, and he deserves a rest, as well as surgical attention. I’ve consulted a senior (toy) surgeon at Alice’s Bear Shop in Lyme Regis (alicesbearshopuk. com) who suggested some gentle patching on the body, neck and forehead, as well as possibly remaking the ears. This would be done in mohair fabric, which would be aged and distressed to blend in and not spoil his vintage charm. He may also need a new wheel.…

BEST IN SHOW I saw these award-winning cabinets at the LAPADA Fair and they are certainly worthy of the accolade. TOUCH OF KITSCH Vintage baubles in retro colours like these are hard to come by, but they give a tree a real sense of history. SWEET AS HONEY This delicate honey skep is attributed to the master silversmith of the 18th century, Paul Storr. MAJOLICA MAGIC This 1868 Wedgwood dessert service would look wonderfully festive on your Christmas dinner table. A CUDDLY TOY! While a famous German bear is our ‘Design Icon’, it’s this 20th-century ted I’ve fallen for.…

I am nearly 84 and have a pair of Staffordshire dogs that I love. My uncle won them at a fair and they used to sit on the›sideboard, on either side of the clock, and I would perch on his knee looking at them as a very small child. He told me one day, ‘Every time they hear the clock strike, those dogs bark’, so every time the clock struck, I used to look hopefully at them. When I had the chance of a keepsake after my aunt and uncle died, the dogs came to live with me. But, does anyone know of a cure for stone deaf Staffordshire pot dogs? Barbara Whitaker, via email DO YOU HAVE AN ANTIQUE WITH A STORY? If you have correspondence from star-crossed lovers,…

A welcome touch of green World-leading paint and colour expert Annie Sloan’s bold Amsterdam Green Chalk Paint (£19.95 for a litre) is a strong, deep botanical hue that commands attention. Reminiscent of the shutters and doors adorning the streets of Amsterdam, the shade has the power to transform your home, from the walls down to the furniture, and makes the perfect partner for neutral creams and whites in particular. 01865 770061; anniesloan.com LIGHT MEETS DARK For your festive feasting, create a decadent seasonal tablescape with a difference using dark hues contrasted with elegant brass, gold detailing and rustic artisanal finishes. Working perfectly in tandem, Nkuku’s sophisticated range of table accessories, candlesticks, vases and glassware sparkle against the inky backdrop of the Abeto tablecloth (small, £69.95; large, £99.95). 01803 465365; nkuku.com…

‘Antique decanters are very usable, practical things and make lovely gifts,’ says dealer Robin Butler. Decanters became popular in the 18th century, improving the taste of the wine by allowing it to breathe, and removing sediment from wines that were perhaps not as well made as they are today. A wide variety of decanters have survived from the Georgian and Victorian eras. Some of the most popular are the ‘shaft and globe’ types, typically of the 19th century, and heavy-bottomed conical ‘ship’s decanters’ of the 18th and 19th centuries. If you prefer a Scandi feel, the ‘mells’ of the late 19th century have a distinctly mid-century look. Choose from half bottle to full bottle, to sought-after magnums and rare double magnums, often with original stoppers. Simple 18th-century tapers can be…

I’ve loved history since childhood. On holidays in France, we’d visit castles and historic buildings. My mother was a founding member of The Arts Society, too, and I would go along to lectures. After studying History at London University, my first job was at the Richard Green gallery. I learned an awful lot, specialising in English 18th and 19th-century decorative prints and sporting art. Centuries ago, most people lived a rural life and they wanted to hang pictures of hunting, shooting, fishing and racing on their walls – a portrait of a man’s horse could be more important than that of his wife! In 2005, I co-curated the largest ever exhibition of George Stubbs’ engravings at the National Horseracing Museum, with loans from the Royal Collection and the Mellon Collection.…

SILVER CUP Found in the roof of St Andrew’s Church, Middleton, Yorkshire, this 1493 cup is one of the earliest pieces of fully marked secular plate. RELIQUARY FIGURE This German reliquary, c1497, is a highlight of The Silver Galleries at the V&A. It’s attributed to Hans Holbein the Elder (c1460-1534). WINE CISTERN Charles Frederick Kandler made this cooler of 1735 for Henry Jernegan (Jerningham). It’s now in The State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg. DISH & EWER Made in 1741 by one of the most famous 18th-century English silversmiths, this Paul de Lamerie piece is a leading example of rococo exuberance.…

BEAR NECESSITIES As a student at the School of Arts and Crafts in Stuttgart, young designer Richard Steiff would often visit nearby Nill Zoologischer Garten to study and sketch the animals. He particularly loved to draw the bears, so, in 1902, when he joined his aunt’s fledgling soft toy company, he set to work designing his own cuddly version: the 55PB. ‘I think Steiff bears are wonderful, as they look like they need hugging,’ muses Antiques Roadshow expert Bunny Campione. ‘They look miserable – their mouths go down rather than up.’ With its jointed arms and legs, plus a button in the ear (added from 1904), Steiff’s wood shavings-stuffed bear was an instant hit. Snapped up by the most luxurious department stores, teddies have since appeared under Christmas trees the…

For the ultimate investment piece, a sweet, antique Steiff teddy bear fits the bill – but how do you check whether the bear you’re buying is legitimate? And how can you ensure the value will increase over time? A tell-tale sign that a bear has been made by Steiff is the button on the left ear – in yellow or white. ‘Lots of mothers used to remove these buttons in case children choked on them,’ explains Bunny Campione, ‘but this leaves a large hole behind – so it’s always worth feeling around in the fur to check.’ A missing button shouldn’t affect the overall value too much, but it’s an easy way to check if it’s genuine. CONDITION REPORT Condition is paramount to the worth of a Steiff teddy. ‘The…

FESTIVE FOLIAGE These chic white crackers with paper leaf decorations and gold trim will fit in with any scheme. £21.50 for six, Meri Meri. LONDON CALLING Guarantee a capital Christmas and give your guests smart crackers bearing iconic motifs. £34.95 for six, Annabel James. PERFECT PARCELS For a pretty and witty alternative to the traditional-style cracker, try these fun, festive parcels. £20 for six, Marks & Spencer. HOME SWEET HOME The treats in these gingerbread house crackers are a cut above, and are sure to delight. £35 for six, Nancy & Betty Studio.…

Weddings are a time for romance and sentimentality and nowhere was this more true than in 19th-century France. During that period, newlywed brides were presented with a wedding globe – a beautiful glass display dome containing a velvet (usually red) cushion and small mirrors, along with intricate leaves, flowers and birds. These would be made from materials such as gilded toleware, wax, china and fabric. Handblown glass domes were produced to protect clocks, religious statues and travel souvenirs. In the 1850s, people started to use them to preserve brides’ headdresses and bouquets after the wedding. Before long, it became customary to add touching handmade decorations symbolising the couple’s future life together. ‘They are beautiful things and were very symbolic,’ says Linda Simmonds of Simply France Antiques, who has been buying…

PICTURE PERFECT As photography became popular, so did photo frames, such as this pretty silver and enamel design, c1903, made by William Hutton & Sons. Estimate £500-£700 BEAUTIFULLY DRAWN The Royal Academician Frank Bramley (1857-1915) was part of the Newlyn School of artists and drew this signed pencil study of a young woman in 1896. Estimate £200-£300 EMBELLISHED STORAGE Chests abound at auction, but not many as exotic as this 19th-century Indo-Portuguese ‘Zanzibar’ example, made of teak with brass mountings. Estimate £1,000-£2,000…

FAIR OF THE MONTH Little Vintage Lover Fair For a full dose of nostalgia, take a trip to the Little Vintage Lover Fair’s winter event on 1st December. Zoe Keegan and her crew will be heading back to where they held their first fair over 10 years ago – Blakeney Village Hall. In the last decade, this fair – now held in locations around Norfolk – has maintained its reputation as one of the original and best fairs of its kind. Expect 30 stands selling fashion, homewares, accessories and more, as well as a tearoom and music. Blakeney Village Hall, Langham Rd, Blakeney, Norfolk, NR25 7PG. 10am-4pm. £1. littlevintageloverfair.co.uk 7th St Andrews Antiques and Art Fair, St Andrews Town Hall, Queens Gardens, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9TA. 10am-3.30pm. £1. 01334…

2-FOR-1 1st Adams Antiques Fair, Lindley Hall, The Royal Horticultural Halls, 80 Vincent Square, London, SW1P 2PE. 10am-4.30pm. £4. 020 7254 4054; adamsantiquesfairs.com 2-FOR-1 1st Little Vintage Lover Fair, Blakeney Village Hall, Langham Road, Blakeney, nr Holt, Norfolk, NR25 7PG. 10am-4pm. £1. littlevintageloverfair.co.uk 2-FOR-1 1st Pedlar’s Corner Flea Market, Abbeydale Picture House, 387 Abbeydale Road, Sheffield, S7 1FS. 10am-3pm. £1. sheffieldantiquesquarter.co.uk 2-FOR-1 7th Vintage & Handmade Christmas Fair, Chipping Sodbury Town Hall, Chipping Sodbury, South Glos, BS37 6AD. 10am-4pm. £1. 01225 743280; vintageandhandmade.co.uk * Present this page at the fair to redeem the offer. All dates are subject to change – please check with the event organiser before travelling. Jewellery & Antiques, The Cotswold Auction Company, Chapel Walk Saleroom, Chapel Walk, Cheltenham, GL50 3DS. 01242 256363; cotswoldauction.co.uk 17th-18th Trains Galore,…

Dan Duchars photographed ‘A Home for All Seasons’ Dan Duchars is a respected interiors and lifestyle photographer, and is a regular contributor to many homes titles. ‘Over the years, our family has collected countless Christmas decorations on various trips and travels. We mix traditional and quirkier finds, so this year our ornaments will include a handmade glass hamburger from LA, which will sit at the top of the tree.’ Velimir Ilic wrote ‘Festive Antiques Shops’ Velimir is a freelance writer and editor, specialising in interiors, food and music. He is currently working on his latest book, profiling the UK’s independent record shops. ‘The thing we always put on top of our Christmas tree is a beautiful handmade angel. Commissioned by my mother-in-law, it’s made with offcuts from my…

1 the COLOUR RICH & VIBRANT JEWEL SHADES Make your Christmas merry and bright with baubles in rich hues. The decorations in the Colour Pop collection from Sophie Robinson at Habitat will give your home a joyful makeover with minimum effort. A real tree is the perfect backdrop for vivid decs like these, and will ensure the shades dazzle. habitat.co.uk 2 the COUNTDOWN ADVENT CALENDAR FROM NEWBY TEAS Make time for tea every day in the run-up to Christmas. It’s easy to do with the collectable new advent calendar from British tea brand Newby. Featuring an elegantly illustrated Japanese tea ceremony, the calendar opens to reveal a watercolour design of snow-capped Mount Fuji and 24 drawers each filled with four sachets from Newby’s Classic Teabag Collection. Each day in December…

In The Coorie Home, Beth Pearson explores the Scottish art of creating a space that’s both elegant and comfortable. (£14.99, Black & White Publishing) With a flair for vintage finds with character, Pearl Lowe’s Faded Glamour takes you on a tour through her creative friends’ beautiful homes. (£19.99, CICO Books) Atlas of Mid-Century Modern Houses by Dominic Bradbury highlights the best architects and houses of this popular architectural style from around the world. (£100, Phaidon).…

‘One of the things I think we should all be doing is going to local craft fairs. I’m a great believer in supporting local.’ To get in the Christmas spirit, one thing I really love is playing music – the classics like Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. I don’t do much with regards to the food preparation, but I do like to decorate the house. The tree is my thing. Our theme is silver and white and we’ve had that for a number of years now. We like to have a set look for the wrapping paper too, so all the presents under the tree are coordinated. For the last couple of years I’ve been dedicating my Christmas Day, from about 11am to 2pm, to volunteering at a homeless…

First designed in Lauscha, Germany, in the late 1840s, glass baubles originally formed the shape of fruit and nuts and were hand-blown into moulds. By the 1870s, the German town was exporting Christmas ornaments to Britain. The decorations eventually turned into a more spherical shape with fun colours, like these old glass decorations (from £1.50, RE). Vintage decs earn their place today as they instantly add a quirky splash of vibrancy.…

‘It’s better to clean silver lightly and often rather than to let it get black and have to scrub it,’ advises Alastair Dickenson, BBC Antiques Roadshow silver specialist. Goddard’s Long Term Silver Polish (£3.99 per 125ml) is good – very gentle with a long-term anti-tarnish ingredient in it. Most of the trade use it for general cleaning. There’s also Hagerty Silver Foam (£8.50 for 185g) a rouge-based cleaning product. For severe black tarnish, you need SILVO Tarnish Guard Wadding (£2.50 for 75g) – but it should never be used on silver gilt as it could strip the gilding off. Impregnated silver polish cloths are good for light buffing. Silver dip is good for cleaning ornate silver that you can’t get at with a cloth. It’s a mild acid, which will…

Before the early 18th century, true porcelain was imported to Europe from China where it had been made for many centuries. Referred to as ‘white gold’, porcelain was a valuable commodity, its recipe a closely guarded secret. It was alchemist Johann Friedrich Böttger, who finally worked out the formula, and in 1710, Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland established the Meissen factory near Dresden. Other manufacturers, such as Sèvres, soon caught up, and gradually the recipe and associated techniques travelled across Europe as factories were amalgamated and workers moved on. Initially, decoration was hand-painted, a skilled and time-consuming process, meaning dinner services were the preserve of royalty or the very wealthy. The Swan dinner service, for example, produced by Meissen for Heinrich, Count von Brühl in…

1902 Inspired by a cartoon of Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt refusing to shoot a bear cub, Morris Michtom designs one of the first cuddly toy bears. 1902 The same year, Richard Steiff, Margarete’s nephew, designs the ‘Bear 55PB’: a mohair plush stuffed bear with moveable limbs. 1912 Previously an apprentice to his father, toy maker Bernhard Hermann sets up his business, Teddy-Hermann, in Sonneberg, Germany. 1930 Gordon Holmes founds Merrythought Toys after JK Farnell & Co Ltd creates the first British teddy bear in 1908 using mohair. 1971 Shirley Clarkson (mother of motoring journalist Jeremy Clarkson) founds Gabrielle Designs and creates the first cuddly Paddington Bear.…

The Owners Julia Brendel is a textile designer (juliabrendel.com) and her husband Gerry Lee is a retired financier. They have a son, Alex (14) and daughter, Mia (13) plus two dogs, Gucio and Bruno. The Property A Grade II-listed Tudor house in Kent, with Georgian and 1970s extensions. Upstairs, there are five bedrooms, two with en suites, as well as a family bathroom. Downstairs there is a kitchen, breakfast room, dining room, sitting room, music room and study, plus a cloakroom. There are also several outbuildings and an acre of land. This house feels as though it was built for Christmas celebrations,’ says Julia Brendel of her Grade II-listed home, a Tudor farmhouse with 18th and 20th-century additions. ‘It’s easy to dress and to make look special,’ she says, adding…

After the tree, the tablescape is the most important decorative element of the day. Don’t limit the design to the centre; use the whole table, including place settings and chairs. Look at the size and shape of your table to see how much space there is to decorate. If you’re serving food from platters placed on the table, a few smaller arrangements would be better than a huge, central design. Think about the height of your flowers: too low and they will be hidden by all the glasses, candles and crackers; too high and guests will struggle to talk to each other across the table! Tie nosegays filled with herbs and flowers to napkins, attach a signature bloom to place name cards and decorate the backs of chairs with floral…

Antique marriage globes are quite rare as they were made during a relatively short period and predominantly in France. The first globes appeared c1850 and by 1890 to 1920 the fashion had reached its peak. Marriage globes fell out of favour during the austerity years after the First World War, as people had much less money to spend. Depending on the contents, condition, materials used, size and type of globes (octagonal examples are rare), globes de mariées can range in price from £150 to £300 or more.…

Each month we’ll show you a room from a house of significance and ask you to work out either what it is, or who lived there. There’s a prize up for grabs, so read on to see if you can solve the mystery… (Answer printed in the February 2020 issue) A jewel in the crown Feel like a queen for the day in this gilded home – it royally sets the standard. It occupies a towering position on the English skyline and was built just after the Norman conquest, with key rooms lavishly restyled in the early 19th century in a later-Georgian style. Despite a devastating fire in the 1990s, the interior has been skilfully restored to glory with gold-encrusted ceilings and walls. Some of the finest works of art…