:: Mark Hill :: Antiques & Collectables Expert ::

Exclusive Whitefriars Day in Cambridge

Mark Hill — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:06:05 +0000

I’m lucky enough to be part of the committee that runs the Glass Association, the nation’s largest and most active society of glass collectors and enthusiasts. As well as recently launching a new interactive website, which you can check out by clicking here, we have a busy schedule of events planned for 2012.
For me, one of the most important is the exclusive ‘Window on Whitefriars’ event, to be held at the University Centre in Cambridge on Saturday 7th July. This packed day offers many unique events. Esteemed international glass expert and author Charles Hajdamach kicks the day off with his lecture entitled ‘Imagination and Ingenuity in British Art Glass: The Harry Powell years 1880-1920′. Charles’ last lecture was at the Corning Museum of Glass in New York, so it’s worht coming for that alone.
That’s followed by my involvement in the day – an interview with Ray Annenberg and Johnny King. For those of you not familiar with these names, Ray worked his way up from ‘Spare Boy’ to ‘Gaffer’ at Whitefriars, and was responsible for blowing much of Geoffrey Baxter’s famous ‘Textured’ range introduced in 1967. One the most iconic forms from the range, the Banjo vase, is shown below. Johnny was Ray’s ‘Servitor’, and became a Gaffer in his own right before founding his own glass company. Interviews such as these are always fascinating, as they tease out the truth behind the legend, and offer an unparalleled insight behind the scenes at a time when Whitefriars was a world leader in modern glass design. Questions afterwards will allow you to find out the answers you’ve always wanted to know.
The afternoon includes lectures by Brian Slingsby, Whitefriars’ Technical manager from 1968-80, respected Whitefriars collector and author Chris Morley, and well-known and equally highly respected Whitefriars pundit and dealer Willie Clegg of The Country Seat. Plenty of coffee breaks and a lovely lunch will make for a sociable, warm, and welcoming atmosphere.
If you collect Whitefriars, this really is a day you can’t miss. As we all know, information and knowledge are the most valuable commodities with antiques and collectables, and you’d be crazy to miss this day. Thanks must go to fellow committee members Paul & Christina Bishop of Oxbridge Fairs for devising and organising what will be a brilliant event. For more information, and to book your place, see www.glassasociation.co.uk, or email Maurice Wimpory at pay@glassassociation.co.uk.
See you there!

A Weekend in Berlin

Mark Hill — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:03:38 +0000

Family duties abroad called, so we travelled to Berlin this weekend, spending Saturday looking after the banker’s 26 month old nephew. After a visit to Berlin zoo, plenty of trips on the U-bahn, and a long walk (guided solely by our little ward), we were more exhausted than he was!
I did manage to steal a little bit of time away on Sunday to do the usual round of flea markets. Mauer Platz disappointed as usual, although I’m sure if you’re looking for vintage (and not so vintage!) clothes and tit-tatty trinkets, you’d be more than happy. So down to Arkona Platz I went, and found a rather marvellous cobalt-blue cased and cut vase. In the form of a ball on a cone, with the ball cut with tightly packed rows of lenses, the optical effect is amazing. It was designed by Marita Voigt for Harz-Kristall in 1974, and I’ve been looking for one that I could afford for ages. At €20 cash, I was more than happy, as they usually sell on eBay for more than that – and then there’s the cost of shipping to consider.

Lunchtime! Wandering down through trendy Mitte, we stumbled across the Schwarzer Hase (The Black Hare) restaurant, below the street on the corner of Oranienburger Strasse and Krausnickstrasse. Now, I know this is going to sound odd, but it serves German tapas. Don’t judge it until you’ve tried it! The varied menu is filled with ‘small dishes’ using the very best quality ingredients, all sourced from German artisan suppliers. To say it was delicious is a complete understatement. The banker and I eat out as much as we can, but this place was SO very good, we went again, to try everything else we hadn’t tried. If you’re in Berlin, you really must go. When we went, it had only been open for three days, so signs hadn’t arrived later. Look out for the temporary sign below…

Then it was on to the famous Strasse 17 Juni market, which always holds treasures a plenty in my experience. Admittedly, I had left it a bit late, but I’ve been very early in the morning before and found that not all the stallholders have even arrived, let alone unpacked all their stock.
Tourists always flock here, so wandering down the aisles is always a bit of a squeeze. There seemed to be more stalls selling vintage clothes and fur coats this time, but there was still a truly great selection of objects to browse from in the 100+ stands selling antiques and vintage.
Much as I wanted to buy around half a dozen interesting things, my hard-sided roller bag is only a certain size. So I settled for a 1970s Bertoncello shape 83 vase for €10 – a real bargain – and two other things that have to remain *secret* for now…!
But my day wasn’t over yet, as I had got in contact with Berlin-based Toma Clark Haines of The Antiques Diva, to see if she’d like to meet up. The antiques industry is friendly, but Toma is one of the most friendly and charming – and one of the most professional – people I have met. Her unique company offers bespoke antiques tours around shops, markets, and fairs – and hidden gems only open to those ‘in the know’. Her Diva Guides are based in Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, Belgium, and now Stockholm and Copenhagen. And there’s more exciting expansion on the way. We met for coffee and a chat nearby and had a wonderful time swapping stories, experiences, and contacts.
A truly wonderful person!

From there, Toma and her husband kindly gave me a lift back to Mitte, where I meandered back to my hotel. En route I stopped off at the Tacheles art collective, housed in a semi-dilapidated building on Oranienburger Strasse (typical interior below). I’ve been here a few times before, but haven’t had enough time to wander around properly. This time I spent a few hours exploring the cavernous, grafitti-filled interior and its many artists’ studios.

Having already pretty much spent my limited budget, and filled my limited baggage space, there wasn’t room for anything large or serious. But I did buy a tiny acrylic painting by Japanese-born multimedia artist Chuuu, who studied manga in Japan, and now works from Berlin. Measuring around 3inches square, the painting looks like the view one might get looking through a microscope, with all manner of minute, robot-like small creatures crawling about in the sample in the slide. For an original and unique artwork by an up-and-coming artist, €10 seemed too good to miss, even though it’ll cost me much more than that to frame properly!

Then it was off to the airport back to London to write this, and push on with my next exciting project. About which, more later…

New BBC Two Series – Antiques Uncovered

Mark Hill — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:15:14 +0000

I’m delighted and excited to announce that I am co-presenting a new BBC TV series on antiques with Dr Lucy Worsley. Called ‘Antiques Uncovered’, it focuses on the social history, collecting, and creation of antiques, rather than viewing antiques purely as financial commodities. Many of you will know and love Lucy from her numerous history series including ‘If Walls Could Talk‘ for BBC4.
When we look at an antique, many of us don’t look much beyond its surface beauty and appearance, apart from perhaps questioning its value. Some started life as practical objects, whilst others were purely for decoration and an expression of wealth. But whether they’re from a stately home or a ‘two-up two-down’, they unlock a fascinating history of the way we lived – then and now.
Lucy is going to uncover the stories behind some of these remarkable objects and how they relate to our lives today. I’ll be looking at why some items have become priceless, while others will become the collectables of tomorrow.
Along the way we’ll meet the historians and curators who preserve these pieces, the highly skilled craftspeople who still make them, and the passionate people who collect them.
These objects tell a potent tale of a bygone era that still resonates today. Once the preserve of the privileged few, many have evolved over centuries into everyday items, shaping not only our environment, but how we behave and who we aspire to be.

‘Antiques Uncovered’ airs from 8pm-9pm on BBC2 on 2nd, 9th, and 16th May 2012.

For more information, and a ‘sneak peek’ behind the scenes, read the article in the current (May) edition of Homes & Antiques magazine.

The Phabulous Phartlehorn

Mark Hill — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:59:03 +0000

Wow!
An amazing discovery by the marvellous Mel Giedroyc and I…a unique Phartlehorn!
If you’re a child (even a big one!) who hasn’t read about Bruno Pockley’s adventures in The Fabulous Phartlehorn Affair by M L Peel and Hannah Shaw yet, you’re missing out. Click here to find out more and buy a copy.

Battersea Decorative & Antiques Fair

Mark Hill — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:13:05 +0000

It’s my first grand fair as an exhibitor!
I chose the consistently amazing Battersea Decorative & Antiques Fair to launch my new venture as a dealer in postwar Czech glass design, which I still believe is a hugely under-rated area. I’m standing with Lalique, Gallé and Daum specialist dealers M&D Moir, and I have to say that amidst all the decorative delights, our stand is ablaze with colour!
My stock includes designs by many of the great names in postwar Czech glass design, from Frantisek Vizner to Jiri Suhajek, Vladimir Zahour, Pavel Hlava, Frantisek Koudelka, Hana Machovska, and more. I’m particularly delighted with a selection of five flashed and cut vases designed by Ladislav Oliva in 1968, one of which is seen above. These pieces are extremely hard to find, and you won’t find a selection like this again in a hurry! My stock is priced from £35 to £1,800, so there’s something for every pocket. Nearly every piece also comes with an information card, which has an image of the piece, gives you the fascinating story behind the design, puts it in context, and gives important information about the designer. And if nothing tempts you, which I doubt, I’m also selling a range of my own books including Fat Lava, Hi Sklo Lo Sklo, Caithness Glass, and Cracking Antiques, the TV tie-in book from my BBC2 antiques and interiors series with Kathryn Rayward,
When you visit, you’ll find truly eye-watering and inspirational displays that showcase the zeitgeist of interiors, and the true spirit of antiques, vintage and mid-century modern.The fair runs from Tuesday 24th until Sunday 29th April, opening at 11am, and closing at either 7pm or 8pm (6pm on Sunday), so there’s plenty of opportunity to visit. For more information about your visit, click here.
Our stand is 26, and can be found on the outer wall on the right hand side of the pavilion. You can’t miss the colour!
I’ll look forward to seeing you there – it’ll be fun!

New BBC2 TV Show – Antiques Uncovered

Mark Hill — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:52:55 +0000

‘Antiques Uncovered’ airs from 8pm-9pm on BBC2 on 2nd, 9th, and 16th May 2012.

For more information, and a ‘sneak peek’ behind the scenes, read the article in the current (May) edition of Homes & Antiques magazine.

But it doesn’t even look like glass!

Mark Hill — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 08:53:31 +0000

You’ll no doubt know that I’m a more of 20th century boy in terms of my personal collecting habits. My tastes are broader, however, but even I was a little surprised when I bought the piece below from top French and Bohemian art glass dealers M&D Moir. Friends, family, and the other half were too, exclaiming “But it doesn’t even look like glass..!”
But, for me, that’s precisely the point. There are a number of things about this 6in (15.5cm) high mould-blown vase that fascinate me. Firstly, it’s made from a type of glass known as Lithyalin. Imitating precious hardstones such as agate, the marbled and striated Lithyalin was developed in Czechoslovakia by arch-glassmaker Frederick Egermann in the late 1820s. He patented it in 1828, and produced it until the 1840s. It proved popular at the time, and his competitors produced many imitations which continued to be produced on a diminishing scale into the late 19thC. Due to the way the molten glass was mixed, the striations or marbling on each piece are completely unique. Think about mixing up a marble cake in a bowl. I like the way the striations on this example spiral horizontally across the body, which contrasts with the elegant, tall form.
The second interesting thing this about this example is that it’s not Bohemian, but French. The nicely polished pontil mark on the base clearly displays a printed gold ‘SÈVRES * L & F *’ oval mark. So, it was made at the historic Cristallerie de Sèvres glassworks, whose origins date back to 1686. In 1870, the company was rejuvenated by Alfred Landier, who also bought out the Clichy glassworks, famous for their paperweights in the mid-19th century, in 1885.
It’s not at all typical of their production, and has a strong Chinese feel to it due to the form and the lotus-like leaves moulded into the body. As such, it reminds me of the small vases and bowls carved from hardstones such as jade in China for centuries. The exoticism of China and its decorative arts were still enormously popular and influential in the late 19th century, and this vase would have been marketed as part of that look. I’d like to think it would have been bought by a decadent, fin-de siècle boulevardier, and placed in his richly decorated apartment. Delicately flavoured with the scent of an opium pipe, perhaps. Think the Jean des Essientes in Huysman’s book À Rebours, for example.
Finally, I’ve always been fascinated by royal treasuries and cabinets des curiosités, and can happily spend hours poring over complex carvings, random reliquaries, exquisite enamels, and richly jewelled odornments. This curious vase has now been added to my highly watered down version of that. An ancient Chinese hardstone vase that isn’t, and was in fact made in France from a type of glass developed in Bohemia specifically not to look like glass…

Who designed this Minton tile..?

Mark Hill — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 20:29:09 +0000

Nobody knows everything, and you ought to run away from anyone who says they do. I know very little about tiles, it’s a very specialist market. But a specialist market that is growing in size and appeal as more choose to use antique tiles in fireplaces or hallways or, in fact, all over the house.
Our hallway is floored with some Victorian terracotta and sky blue tiles that look very much the bee’s knees, and came from Leominster Reclamation. Away from the architectural side of tiles, I’ve always admired single tiles displayed in plain, thick wooden frames and hung on a wall.
So the week before last, for more reasons than its visual appeal, I bid on the Victorian tile shown here at an auction I attended. And won it.
My question is, who designed it? And when?
The back of the tile has nine ridges and bears some recently applied paper labels reading ‘Minton Prosser’s Patent / This tile probably exhibited with Pugin’s Great Stove / Great Exhibition 1851 / Hence damage from feet‘. Interesting – but probably largely not to be trusted. Research has shown me that it was indeed not a part of A.W.N. Pugin‘s Great Stove, as it’s completely different, and my Antiques Roadshow colleague Paul Atterbury has kindly confirmed that Pugin didn’t design it. I can’t find any images of the Medieval Court, where the Great Stove stood, which show any other tiles. It would also follow that it wasn’t even in that room, as the Medieval Court was designed by Pugin.
Hawk-eyed Brian Greenfield very kindly emailed me to point out the fact that the back is moulded with wording for both Minton and Prosser, so that gives me a perfect start – if I can gain access to the Minton Archive (which I believe is part of the threatened Wedgwood Collection), I should be able to find the designer’s name.
It measures 12.5cm high, 12.9cm wide, and 2.2cm widest, including a ridge on the back and the moulded low relief pattern on the front. There’s a fair bit of wear to the low relief pattern, referred to by the labels, and the cobalt blue glaze.
It has stumped three other people who I thought might know but, if you know, please contact me by clicking here. I’d be delighted to learn more about what I have bought!
Thank you.

Britain’s Best Antique Shop Awards

Mark Hill — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:48:06 +0000

The Britain’s Best Antiques Shop awards came to an exciting climax last week at The Bath Decorative Antiques Fair. Organised by Homes & Antiques magazine and Antiques News & Fairs, voting began back in October as part of National Antiques Week. Many thousands of votes were received from across the country – and even from outside the country, showing just how vibrant and loved Britain’s antiques scene is.
The Pavilion that holds the fair was packed, and not just with buyers, as much of the crowd was also there to find out who the winners were. Or, in a few cases, to find out if they were the winners!
We were delighted to welcome homes, crafts and interiors guru – and major antiques lover – Kirstie Allsopp to present the awards after I had read the list of the final nominees. In effect the antiques and vintage version of the Oscars, the crowd waited with baited breath! The winners were:
1. Britain’s Best Antiques Shop – Blighty Antiques, Cheltenham (shown above)
2. Best Antiques Centre – Hungerford Arcade, Hungerford, Berkshire
3. Best Specialist Shop -Christopher Clarke Antiques, Stow-on-the-Wold, for campaign furniture
4. Best Vintage/Mid-20thC Shop – Nanndobbie, Brighton
5. Best Auction House – McTear’s, Glasgow
Congratulations to one and all! Angela Linforth, editor of Homes & Antiques, said: “Here at Homes & Antiques, we never cease to be excited by the intriguing, beautiful things we find at antiques shops and auctions up and down the country. The awards celebrate these high street heroes, and we hope they will encourage many more people to pop into their local antiques stores and see what they can find.” Each winner was presented with a certificate and trophy, and all the nominees received certificates commemorating their nomination.
After the awards had been handed out, and photographs taken, everyone was invited to attend a private drinks reception nearby. It’s not often that such busy people as dealers and auction house owners get to mix and chat, so conversation was in full flow, punctuated regularly with peels of laughter. I really enjoyed meeting friends old and new, and catching up on some of the news that’s been happening in the antiques world across the country. Everyone felt that the event was incredibly worthwhile, very well run, and well-worth repeating. So, let’s see who you nominate next year!

With thanks to Homes & Antiques for the photographs. To see more of the winners, please click here, and to see more of many of ‘the great and the good’ of the antiques world at the after-party, please click here.

Edinburgh Weavers’ Textiles Book

Mark Hill — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:07:30 +0000

Textiles, which are often ignored in favour of furniture, ceramics or glass, have been enjoying a real renaissance recently. I think this is partly down to the current vogue for vintage clothing, particularly from the 1950s & 60s, and partly as people are beginning to wake up from the cold, clean Minimalist look that’s been so popular for a few decades.
They’ve always fascinated me, from wonderful 18th century toiles de jouy, to abstract designs of the 1950s. My esteemed and eminent colleague, the design historian and curator Lesley Jackson, has just finished a book on one of the most innovative companies of the mid-20thC – Edinburgh Weavers. If you haven’t heard of them, you really ought to read this book and find out more – it’s very early days for an area that I feel is going to be huge!
Edinburgh Weavers was one of the most important textile companies of the twentieth century. Alastair Morton, visionary art director of the company, commissioned a remarkable series of textiles from leading British artists, including Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth and Elisabeth Frink, as well artist-designers, such as Marion Dorn, Ashley Havinden and Lucienne Day. Morton was also a gifted artist, textile designer and weaver in his own right. This long overdue study traces his wide-ranging career and records the history of Edinburgh Weavers and the glorious textiles it produced. Drawing on the Victoria & Albert Museum’s extensive archive this impressive book features over 300 images of artists’ textiles unparalleled in quality and scope and is an invaluable resource.
The 352 page hardback book is lavishly illustrated with over 400 colour photographs and 50 in black and white, and has been published by the Victoria & Albert Museum. At the time of writing, the V&A has a special introductory offer of £39. Click here to find out more.