Decorative Art

‘Drum’ form mustard pots – known at the time as mustard tankards or cans – first emerged in the second half of the 18th century as the fashion changed from dry to wet mustard.

The 1882 Royal Worcester porcelain Patience teapot has become a satirical emblem of the Aesthetic movement.

This pair of mid-18th century Dresden sauceboats were once part of the huge holdings of silver used at the court of Frederick Augustus II (1733-63).

Late 19th century French or Swiss singing bird boxes are regular auction visitors. Double bird boxes are a much rarer breed.

Charles Robert Ashbee’s pseudo medieval wirework silver and glass jugs and bottles rank among the Guild of Handicraft’s finest work.

For the third time in a year, a new auction record for Wedgwood Fairyland lustre has been set by Woody Auction in Douglass, Kansas.

Although Malta supported an estimated 600 makers from 1680-1820, relatively little silver from the period survived on the island.

The term pomander derives from the French pomme d’ambre, meaning ‘apple of amber’, a reference to the aromatic substances – ambergris, musk, civet, and spices – once formed into small balls and carried as protection against disease.

Richard Joyce, a member of one of the Tribes of Galway (the 14 merchant families who dominated the political, commercial and social life of the city), led an extraordinary life.

A green wineglass in the Prince of Wales service pattern is among the highlights in the Delomosne Christmas exhibition this year.

Although termed strawberry dishes, the classic early Georgian plain serving dish with raised fluted sides and a scalloped rim, were used for a variety of purposes.

Sustained scrap silver prices of more than £30 an ounce have sent large quantities of middle-of-the-road Georgian and Victorian domestic silver to the melting pot. Today, to sell well above the bullion price, it helps if silver comes with a strong narrative. ATG reports on a few great storytellers.

Scottish contemporary silver by Graham Leishman Stewart (1955-2020), squirreled away for decades in private collections, is now slowly beginning to reach the secondary market.

Irish silver pocket corkscrews from the Georgian period are not common.

On November 25, Gloucestershire auction house Chorley’s is selling the personal collection of Ray Leigh (1928-2025), one of the more significant figures in post-war British design.

The annual specialist Antique Tile Fair has now, sadly, been cancelled.

Younger members of well-known dealer family firms set the pace at the latest LAPADA Berkeley Square Fair

Rare stalking owl catches the eye in Lewes as local vendor sells Lalique car mascots and advertising signs