APPLETON ANTIQUES

MOORCROFT, CARLTON WARE, LINTHORPE SPECIALIST

NEWSLETTER NUMBER 18 : SEPTEMBER 2004

MOORCROFT SHAPES: 7) COMPRESSED

3½” Wisteria compressed ovoid vase, 1920s, sold from stock.	Slightly compressed 7½” Anemone gobular vase with broad neck, circa 1960s, sold from stock. This is a common Moorcroft shape, and though the body is almost globular they are usually slightly compressed.
(Unusually) glazed and partially saltglazed 7” Leaves and Berries (very) compressed bottle (ovoid?) vase, 1930s, in stock.	Excellent 3” lightly flambéd William Moorcroft Anemone compressed (onion shaped) vase, 1930s, private collection.

MOORCROFT SHAPES

This final category (compressed) for Moorcroft shapes completes my analysis. I won`t claim that all Moorcroft vases will fit into these categories (the others are waisted, tapered, ovoid, baluster, shouldered and globular), but most will.
Perhaps readers would like to send me images of any they think are exceptions?

JOHN WALSH & CO, OSSETT

I set off very early on 6th November 2003 to attend this sale, principally in pursuit of Carlton Ware of which there was a very interesting selection in the catalogue which John Walsh had kindly sent me.

The estimates were invitingly realistic, indicating the items were there to be sold –something which is always encouraging and pleasing to see at any auction.

A twin handled boat shaped footed bowl in the Bird and WaterLily pattern 3530 was a good buy at £250, as also was the 10.85” diameter Summer Flowers plate 2925 on a matt green ground at £240. A highly interesting piece was a bowl on stand in the Rosetta pattern on dark blue ground 3601 which also had a flower holder in matching design in the bowl which I`m not convinced really belonged with the bowl but which was a nice item in itself to have included. (I`m informed on good authority that the flower holder did belong!) A problem was that the bowl had a very flat ring to it as if cracked, though I looked carefully in vain to confirm this suspicion. (I don`t advocate, by the way, banging and clanging pieces to find cracks! This need only be done very lightly! It`s mainly a task for eyes, like all defects, including restoration, and also perhaps a magnifying glass.) There were two ovoid jugs in the fairly uncommon Bluebell pattern, one 7.5” with a maroon ground 3862, and the other 6.75” on pale blue and pink ground 3872 (some gilding loss to inside of rim): £300 and £320 respectively. I was surprised a 7.5” Rouge Royale baluster lamp in the Crane and Willow design estimate £120-£180 did not sell, but the selection concluded with an impressively large 9.5” ovoid vase with wavy side handles in the excellent Heron and Magical Tree pattern 4160, particularly attractive in this blue and green background colourway, flying over its £400-£600 estimate to sell at £940. Buyers` premium for this sale 11.75% inclusive of VAT.

BOLDON AUCTION GALLERIES, 3rd DECEMBER 2003

There was a pair of small Carlton Ware cylindrical vases about 3” high, described as “decorated with Oriental scenes “ in the catalogue. Though the decoration on such small pieces was only sprig type motifs, and there was some wear to the gilt rims and interior, the vases were in fact in the highly desirable Chinaland pattern with their special coloured mark from the late 20s, and the quality of the rich lustre was very fine. They were a bargain at £255. BP 17.5% including VAT.

ANDERSON & GARLAND, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, 10th DECEMBER, 2003

There was some highly important Moorcroft in this sale, a pair of 9¼” Late Florian vases, and a 6½” single with glaze loss to the rim. Both lots were the lovely interpretation of this design exemplified by the compressed onion shaped vase on the page which illustrates examples in the Paul Atterbury Moorcroft book, having views of open tulips, including a side view. As can be imagined the design was stunning on two quite large and broad baluster vases, and they were in excellent condition. They sold at £2700. (E£800-£1200). The single, smaller and damaged piece was also estimated (even more) modestly at £150-£250 and sold at £700. BP 15% + VAT.