POUNDWISE Padrayla Holdsworth answers readers’ letters May/June 09 Dear P.H. Dear P.H. I bought a plate which I thought was Minton, Could you please advise of any schools or but have not been able to find out anything establishments (in the UK and Ireland) that about it. Maybe it’s a copy. It’s in good offer appraisal classes/courses for individuals condition and the colours are really nice. interested in obtaining training in antiques/arts Many thanks, H.W. Leeds appraising? Thank you very much! Sincerely, K.R. U.S.A Dear H.W. I do not believe the plate to be by Minton. If the Dear K.R. three dots were a Minton date code, one would There are a number of courses available expect this to be impressed. My feeling is that relating specifically to antique furniture: the plate is German, probably from the 1870s One is run by Chris Wilde at Hemswell Antique Wedgwood looks to be the inspiration for and inspired by Wedgwood majolica. Centre in Lincolnshire: Chris Wilde Antiques, this Continental majolica plate. Wedgwood produced a similar design featuring Tel 44(0)1423 506030 or 07831 543268. Thetis and with similar border pattern and the Email: [email protected] date code for 1871. German factories www.chriswildeantiques.co.uk. There is also a frequently imitated Wedgwood pottery at this ten week part time antique furniture evening at time. It is not possible to say which pottery was Barnet College, London: www.barnet.ac.uk. responsible but the low number 36 might University of Manchester, M13 9PL holds one suggest the plate was produced early in the life day weekend courses on Antique English of the firm. Furniture. English Antique Furniture 1560- Yours P.H. 1760 date yet to be confirmed. Tel: 44(0)161 275 3275. Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London These marks do not help identify it but led Dear P.H. (Tel: 020 7462 2490) runs short courses. the owner to think it was by Minton. I wonder if you could identify the artist’s Contact address: Emilie Faure, Sotheby’s initials on the bottom of this Doulton vase? It Institute Of Art, London, 30 Bedford Square looks a little like ‘GL’ or ‘GT’, but I can’t find Camden WC1B 3EE. General Enquiries: it in any reference site that I can use. 44(0)20 7293 5000. Gow Antiques & Kind regards and thank you in anticipation, Restoration Ltd, Pitscandly Farm, Forfar, B.H. Scarborough Angus DD8 3NZ, Scotland runs several courses including furniture. 2009 dates: July Doulton potter’s monogram on a vase but Dear B.H. 6th, 7th, 8th, October 6th, 7th, 8th. Telephone: whose initials? I am sorry but we have all drawn a blank on 44(0)1307 465 342. Fax: 44(0)1307 468 973. this one. Perhaps a reader can identify the Email: [email protected] potter responsible. www.knowyourantiques.com Yours P.H. Correspondence courses are run at The Regent Academy: www.regentacademy.com. Dear P.H. Understanding Antiques, Understanding Style Please be kind enough to let me know about in Antiques, How to Buy and Sell Antiques. this vase which has been with our family for a Call freephone: 0800 378 281. There are also period of above 100 years. And according to several correspondence courses (Furniture, my knowledge this has been brought to the Art, Porcelain) run by National Home Study. country by a British gentleman named George These include restoration techniques. Baker. Hoping that you will be able to help me www.nationalhomestudy.co.uk/art_and_design out. Thanking you. _courses.htm. Tel: 0870 242 7141. R.D. Sri Lanka [email protected] Degree courses relating to antiques are Dear R.D. available at the following universities: A metal vase which has spent over 100 Your vase appears to be made from spelter, an www.leeds.ac.uk www.tees.ac.uk/ years in Sri Lanka. alloy of zinc. The diamond registration mark www.solent.ac.uk (Arts Industry Management) indicates that the design was registered on the Yours P.H. 23rd of April 1881. It is possible to find out which firm registered the design at: The Dear P.H. National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, I write to ask for your help, as you have been TW9 4DU. Tel: +44 (0) 20 8876 3444. very kind in the past helping me to identify http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk objects I have sent. This object is a figurine of The diamond registration mark dates it Yours P.H. a pig, standing nine inches tall, and has some to 1881. damage. I have had this item for over 30 years and bought in a country sale. It looks like Delft A. Godden published by Barrie & Jenkins and has small glass eyes. Can you tell me the 1991. The following is a very useful book but age and where or whom was the maker? Thank does not cover pottery marks, just porcelain: you for your time and help. Title is ‘Directory of European Porcelain’ by Yours sincerely, W.D.London Ludwig Danckert published by Robert Hale Limited, 2004. It is worth looking on Dear W.D. www.amazon.co.uk if you cannot find these Your pig is an example of French faience so I books at fairs, and you will be unlikely to find discussed it with specialist Ivor Hughes. He Cushion & Honey at fairs. told me that it is typical of the animal pieces Yours P.H. made in Desvres, near Calais, around 1900 - cows, cats and pigs were popular, all with those Dear P.H. glass eyes. The signature seems to be a mixture I have recently bought a vase in a charity shop. from several factories. It looks most like that of It has a stamp on it with a circle round Brittania Gaetan Level (1888-1900) but has one or two and the words B.P. co ltd made in Great Britain elements of signatures from the others. Maybe around the circle. It also has the numbers A faience pig bought at a country sale has the decorator had just moved from Level to 1036/2420 A painted on it in black. The stamp puzzled its owner for 30 years. another, was too used to signing GL and is green. Also over the words B.P. co ltd the remembered half way through. words Scotch Ivory is printed. I can find very Yours P.H. little info about this company. Hope you can help. Many thanks, Dear P.H. Regards. L.S. Woodford Green Please tell me more about this Oriental porcelain tea set consisting of a teapot, sugar Dear L.S. bowl and jug plus twelve cups and saucers. Your vase was made by the Britannia Pottery There is a floral type mark underneath. It is Co. Ltd. of St. Rollox, Glasgow between 1920 French owned and bought by a family member and 1935, formerly known as Cochran & in approximately 1870, and has been in the Fleming (1896 to 1920) having originally been family ever since. founded in 1846 by R. Cochran & Co. Ivor Hughes identifies it as from Desvres near Calais. Yours sincerely, B.M. France. Yours P.H. Dear B.M. Dear P.H. Your tea set is Japanese and dates from the I have recently purchased a bracket clock by 1920s or 1930s. The mark underneath is known Barraud of Cornhill (late seventeeth/early as the ‘Cherry Blossom’ and was introduced in eighteenth century double fusee, verge 1924 by the Nippon Toki Kasha Company escapement). Do you have any information on (Noritake Company) for use by sub contractors the maker? It requires a service and minor predominantly producing wares for export to repair and later on restoration. I have checked the U.S.A. the service directory but it is difficult to appre- Yours P.H. ciate if any entry relates to service/repairs or According to family tradition, this was bought in France in about 1870. restoration - do you have any information on Dear P.H. bracket clock repairers? Could you recommend a reference book for Yours sincerely, S.G. china marks. R.C. Weymouth Dear S.G. The Barraud family were of Huguenot origin. Dear R.C. Between 1759 and 1794 Francis and Paul The mark shows it to be twentieth century, If I was going to buy just one book on Pottery Jonothan Barraud were based at Wine Office but the original owner may have dated it & Porcelain Marks, I would buy: ‘Handbook of Court in London, making watches. In about from 1870. Pottery and Porcelain Marks’ by J. P. Cushion 1795 chronometer maker Paul Philip Barraud and W. B. Honey, published by Faber & Faber established his firm at 85/86 Cornhill, London. Readers’ Letters 1986. This covers British, European, Chinese In 1838 Barraud went into partnership with Readers’ letters are welcomed on any subject and Japanese marks, both pottery and porce- John Richard Lund, after which the company associated with antiques and collecting. We are interested in any problems that readers’ might lain. If your interest is specifically British, then was known as Barraud & Lund. They became have or criticism of the industry as well as your buy the following, which can be found famous for their marine and pocket chrono- personal information requests. Send to: The reasonably priced at the large showground meters, supplied to the navy. The business Editor, Antiques Info, Wallsend House, PO Box 93, Broadstairs, Kent CT10 3YR. fairs such as Newark: ‘Encyclopaedia of ceased operating in 1929. I have sent you a list E-mail: [email protected] British Pottery and Porcelain Marks’, Geoffrey of clock repairers in your area.