News2024-10-28T19:12:24+00:00

Linking a rare tea caddy to Leicester

A new photo from the archives of Harry Peach, of Leicester School of Art and Dryad, provides further evidence linking a special tea caddy in the Collection (now sold) to the Leicester School of Art. More information can be found at this link.

February 20, 2021|

British post war silver

I have a fondness for 1940’s and 1950’s British silver. In many ways the history of silver in this period was a replay of the 1890-1900’s art s and crafts movement. that so attracts me. Small design led workshops battled to succeed and in so doing produced wonderful innovative pieces that inspired later generations. I have just listed a tea and coffee set that epitomises these themes. and is a gloriously heavy well designed well made complete set. More details at this link.

February 3, 2021|

Hokusai and the Bromsgrove Guild

Somewhat belatedly I have realised that the Bromsgrove Guild fish plaques that I acquired and sold last year were copies, or at least inspired by, Hokusai woodblock prints. Who would have thought, Japan influences the Bromsgrove Guild.

January 30, 2021|

Teapot now identified as a Pugin design

An interesting start to the day courtesy of an Instagram post by a leading Pugin expert. Staring at me from my ipad was a beautiful teapot design from Pugin’s Parliamemtary Archives, that was identical to the teapot in the Collection, previously attributed to John Hardman. The discovery of this design also means that a very similar teapot in the V&A’s collection can now be directly attributed to EW Pugin, Augustus Pugin’s son,, not Hardman. More details at this link.

January 27, 2021|

A E Jones

Albert Edward Jones started his own workshop in 1902 and was a key member of the Birmingham arts and crafts revival. Very early on he combined his silver with pieces from the local Ruskin Pottery factory. In combination these pieces represent some of Jones’ most exciting and innovative work. Over the coming weeks I will be listing additional major pieces of Jones /Ruskin silver sourced from a private collection.

January 26, 2021|

Albert Henry Jephcott

Continuing my occasional news updates on re-uniting pieces with families, I am delighted to say that my Jephcott milk and sugar have been re-united with their teapot. These are unique handmade pieces so pretty improbable. See this link to see the milk jug.

January 17, 2021|

Lots of spoons

I have been alleviating some of the frustrations of lockdown by buying spoons, and have now listed them for sale on the website. I hope you like them.

January 14, 2021|

Rare Birmingham Guild keys just listed

Having been moved to write an article on silver (foundation stone) cermonial trowels some years ago, I now find myself in the grip of a fascination with ceremonial (opening) keys. I have just listed three Birmingham Guild keys from 1937-9 that are beautifully made and represent the pre war optimism and ambition of St Pancras, now Camden, council. The commissioning architect of the keys was Albert John Thomas, senior architectural assistant to Edwin Lutyens . Full details at this link.

December 3, 2020|

Lecture now online

My Zoom lecture “Arts and crafts silver: Shaping modernity” for the Silver Society is now online at my new YouTube channel! An exciting new addition to The Peartree Collection. This channel will host video content I plan to create going forward. Meantime the lecture in four parts can be seen by clicking on the blue text/link above.

October 4, 2020|

New Giacinto Melillo vase acquired

I have added to the Collection a new Giacinto Melillo vase, itself a lovely piece. It also has a laurel design that is so close in workmanship and style to the Collection’s panther handled askos that it would seem to further strengthen the attribution of Melillo to that piece also. More details at A766 and A59

September 23, 2020|

Hazelware pieces found!

Further to my earlier post on Haselers follow-up range of pewter and metal pieces to the Tudric range, called Hazelware, two bowls have been found by the ebay dealer libertyvintage. Full details at this link .

September 18, 2020|

Save the date: Lecture on arts and crafts silver

I am delighted to invite you to a Zoom lecture that I will be giving on Tuesday 29th September at 7.00pm (UK time), hosted by the Silver Society. The title is “Arts and crafts silver: Shaping modernity”  Full details are attached by clicking on this invitation from the Silver Society. You can also obtain the lecture details by contacting me directly.

Topic: Silver Society Lecture
Time: Sep 29, 2020 07:00 PM London

September 15, 2020|

New Haseler/Tudric/Hazleware pewter research

I acquired a strange William Hair Haseler Catalogue that had images of Tudric pieces by Knox and Baker for sale but also introduced a new range of “Hazlewares”. I have finally researched this and the catalogue dates to c 1917/18. Hence it is after the Liberty/Tudric period but clearly Haseler continued to make and sell these pieces under their own name only. Additionally they tried to introduce their own more “modern” Hazlewares – a play on the Haseler name which is German for hazelnut (the Solkets mark often thought to be two acorns is in fact two hazelnuts and was designed by Oliver Baker and registered in 1899 by Haseler for their own artistic silver range).

These Hazlewares must have sold very badly as I have hardly seen any of the designs. some are rather boring but I have included below some of the more adventurous candlesticks, frames and clocks. Handwritten on the Hazleware interior divider of the catalogue it says “not yet able to deliver” so they may also have had post war production issues. Do contact me if you have any pieces marked “Hazleware”. I am now happy to sell this catalogue if you are interested. The catalogue is 64 pages, 3-48 is essentially “Tudric” pieces, 50-64 Hazleware.

August 21, 2020|

What are the chances!

Remarkably the large Artificers Guild silver and copper biscuit box I have for sale has just come to light in a BBC documentary on modern Britain. An identical box (conceivably this one) features in a c 1960 film clip of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan’s office in Downing Street. It can be seen on the table behind him in “other images” of my product write-up at this link.  This clip is from the BBC’s documentary “A history of modern Britain”, second episode. Thanks to Dave at www.hammerandhand.co.uk. for spotting this!

June 7, 2020|

I’ve done a Cummings!

I thought that might get your attention – nothing to do with going on a long drive. I have ex poste, updated my paper on Knox’s “cloisonne opal” designs to include a discussion whether it would have been more appropriate to call his technique “champleve opal”. I feel either, or both, are equally fair to use. Additionally I have since found a Rene Lalique brooch using the same technique and dating to c 1900 giving the tantalising possibility that Knox was influenced by Lalique, or better still, the other way round (see Fig 8a of the revised paper). See this link to get to the new paper.

May 31, 2020|
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