20 17th April 2010
auction reports
Blooming in Devon – the Australian Moorcroft
THE vibrant pink/red flower of the waratah shrub native to New South Wales provided the Moorcroft factory with a perfect subject for export wares to Australia in the inter-War years. The pattern was made with number of ground colours and also in a flambé glaze. But evidently the production run was relatively small as all pieces in this pattern are considered rarities.
The 4in (10cm) high squat vase with four waratah blooms on blue- grey ground, below, provided Chudleigh, Devon, auctioneer
Michael Bowman (15% buyer's
premium) with the surprise of his March 20 sale.
The vendor was very pleased to
learn that, against a lowly £120- 180 estimate, her vase had sold to an Exeter specialist at £3100. As reported in last week's London Selection, Bonhams sold an 8in (20cm) vase c.1930 in the blue ground Waratahpattern on March 17 at £4000.
Lions and other kings of Lambeth era Doulton
A FINE collection of Doulton stoneware, assembled by a local lady over a period of 30 years, was among the offerings at
Colwyn Bay saleroom Rogers Jones & Co (12% buyer’s premium) on March 30.
Generally, this is not a terribly strong market and many of the pieces in the Welsh salerooms carried some restoration. However, the presence of sufficient artist-decorated wares ensured the interest of bidders from Canada and the United States and blanket commission bidding across 90 per cent of the 70 lots from one specialist dealer. The take of more than £35,000 was well above modest expectations of £25,000.
The most valuable pieces in the collection were all sgraffito-decorated wares monogrammed for Hannah Barlow. Perhaps most unusual was a pair of 10in (25cm) high vases with cartouches titled Le Fable. One panel depicted a recumbent lion next to an ass, the other a prowling lion close to grazing cattle. The pair took £1500 despite some
restoration. Lions are high up the list of the most desirable Barlow subjects – although not as desirable as kangaroos (see last week’s London Selectionfor a £13,000 vase). Here at Colwyn Bay, a single 161
/2
in
(42cm) baluster vase, was decorated in the round with the desirable king of the beasts and, furthermore, was one of the few pieces here in perfect condition). It sold at £1400 against an estimate of £200-400
Another pair of 111
/4
in (28cm) high
vases, each decorated with five lions within a scrub landscape sold to a local collector at £1700.
Above: Moorcroft Waratah pattern vase – £3100 at Michael Bowman.
Sold at £1550 was a fine pair of 15in (38cm) baluster green-glazed vases decorated with four panels of fallow deer
hinds that adorned the front cover of the catalogue. They, too, were in good condition. Serendipity had it that the sale
conducted by Moore Allen & Innocent (15% buyer’s premium) in Cirencester
on April 1 also included a collection of Doulton pottery from the Lambeth era. The Swindon vendor was a ‘contestant’ on the daytime television show
Dickinson’s Real Dealback in February:
she had turned down an offer of £3000 in favour of selling at auction. The collection included several pieces decorated by Florence E. Barlow for the so-called ‘Lambeth Faience’ range. The star lot was expected to be a pair of Crown Lambeth vases with underglaze
decoration of donkeys in a snowy landscape to a blue and gilt ground, which in the event made a respectable £1000. One vase carried a paper label
inscribed Richard Dennis Doulton Pottery Exhibition 1975 Part 2, No. 178– an
indication where and when the collection was formed.
But it was a pair of small plaques c.1905 by Florence Barlow, one depicting four cassowaries in an Outback landscape, the other with four cattle in a field that performed the best, making £2500 against a £400-600 estimate. The unusual Australian subject matter was doubtless a factor. The collection brought over £6000.
Roland Arkell
Left: Le Fable, a pair of Hannah Barlow vases – £1400 at Rogers Jones on March 30.
Below: Florence Barlow, one depicting four cassowaries, the other with cattle – £2500 at Moore Allen & Innocent on April 1.
Three significant lots to be offered in our sale on Wednesday 21st April at 10am J.M. Barrie
Emile Gallé
a collection of 12 manuscript letters to a Mrs Pogson, dated between 1904 and 1909
Viewing:
Saturday 17th April 9am-1pm Monday 19th April 9am-6pm Tuesday 20th April 9am-6pm
Catalogue online from Friday 16th April
www.martinpole.co.uk
The Auction House Milton Road Wokingham Berkshire RG40 1DB
0118 979 0460
a@martinpole.co.uk
Residential & Commercial Estate Agents Letting Agents, Auctioneers, Planners Management Surveyors & Valuers
a large slender vase overlay etched with irises in purple, blue and green (72cm)
Thomson’s
‘County Atlas of Scotland’
a single half calf bound volume containing 29 hand-coloured maps of each county
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