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For quality antiques visit www.TeaAntiques.comAntique of the month - George III circular shaped Salver, gadrooned rim, three gadrooned feet, by Ebenezer Coker, London 1770
The salver is raised up on three cast bracket feet. These feet are well made and are very strong and stout. Each foot fans out to a curved rim, which like the rim of the salver tray, has beautiful gadrooned decoration. This style of foot is rather unusual, it being more common for such salvers to have 'hoof' or 'shell' shaped feet.
This is a fine salver for the collector of Georgian silver. More details of this item and other tea related antiques can be found by
visiting my web site at
www.TeaAntiques.com. Claydon House, Buckinghamshire
The visitor enters the house via the Pink Parlour, which is now also the entrance hall to the back left of the house. Turning right from this room you enter the first of the very grand room of three rooms along the West elevation. Each of these rooms is formed of a double cube, 50 feet long, 25 feet wide and 25 feet high, giving them their perfect classical proportions. This first grand room since 1862 has served as the North Hall, but in the original larger house layout, was the 2nd Earl's Great Eating Room. This would have led off the now demolished central Rotunda of the house. The first thing that hits you as you walk into this room, apart from the scale, is the astounding wood carved decoration applied liberally around the room, all painted white to make it look like fine plaster work. This magnificent carved wood decoration is the work of Luke Lightfoot, who was obviously an eminent Eighteenth century wood carver as well as a brilliant stonemason brought in to build Claydon House after working on the 2nd Earl's London home. Lightfoot's wood carved decoration in elegant rococo design is applied to the door cases, around niches in the walls as well as to the ceiling decoration. Many of the carvings including birds and dragons together with the usual rococo scrolls and foliage. The four wall niches contain white busts who represent the four continents of Europe, Asia, America and India. The ceiling is divided into three sections. the central section includes the central boss of foliage from which would have hung a massive chandelier. To either side of this central section are two sections containing military decoration and includes spears, muskets and cannons, also the Verney crest of a Phoenix. The walls of the room are in a pale yellow which is a perfect soft foil for the white carved wood decorations creating an extremely elegant room.
For me, an interesting feature in the room was the huge marble chimneypiece.
Executed in white marble, it tells the story of the development of the
Corinthian order, as described by Vitruvious. The chimneypiece has two
supporting figures one on either side. The one to the left side is a grieving
female figure. She is clutching a basket which she had left on a young girl's
grave.
Sadly, there is little furniture in this room, due to the massive selling off of the house furniture in the late eighteenth century. There is a set of gilt framed open arm-chairs, each with an embroidered seat of differing designs worked by the members of the Verney family in the 1850's. The third grand room of the North Front is the Library. The style of decoration is Neo-classical with the same sort of attention to exuberant applied decoration. The bookcases around the walls were moved to this room from another part of the house in 1861-2. On the floor is a superb Wilton carpet, this bought from the Great Exhibition in London in 1851 at a cost of £100. Leaving the Library through a door to the back of the room and turning left along a narrow lobby, you enter the staircase or Black and White Hall. The extravagance in creating this magnificent staircase hall is immediately evident. The profusion of rich decoration, which is detailed in all aspects of the hall are just breathtaking. The rectangular cantilever staircase effortlessly makes its way up to the second floor and in the ceiling in the centre a huge oval glass lantern allowing light to flood into the stair way.
On this the first floor there are a variety of rooms that include a Museum room, containing the family's curiosities from around the world. There is also some memorabilia relating to Florence Nightingale, the famous 'lady of the lamp' nurse from the Crimea war. Florence Nightingale was a relation by marriage to the Verney family. One room that you see is Miss Nightingale's bedroom. It was here that Florence would stay during her many visits to Claydon House between 1857-1890. Her horse drawn carriage can be seen housed in one of the garages of the service area behind the house.
From Miss Nightingale's room you make your way to the front of the house again to the three rooms which are above the three grand rooms, on the ground floor. The first of these rooms is the Gothic or Blue Room, so named because of the decorative taste of this room is Gothic in blue and white colours. Used from the 1860's as a boudoir for the ladies, this was probably originally a very grand bedroom. the decoration around the room is executed in carved wood pained white to resemble plaster. there is a repeated motif within the decoration of a triple arched pavilion. This pavilion is noticeable in the central ceiling recess, the door cases and chimneypiece. On the walls are a fine set of six very interesting Chinese 'export' paintings showing various scenes from supposed everyday life in China in the eighteenth century. 'Supposedly' everyday life in China because these were painted for the European market and so painted to show how the Europeans imagined life in China to be. Interestingly one of the paintings appears to depict a group taking or tasting tea.
The final room on the first floor of the North front is an exhibition room, which includes a model which shows how the house looked when it was built with the two wings built on the sides of a central grand rotunda. There are also some architectural drawings of the house as it was originally. This really was one of the most fascinating houses that I have had the pleasure to visit. The decoration of the grand interior with its carved wood is second to none. The Chinese room with its tea pavilion had to be the icing on the cake. I am sure that if you get a chance to see this beautiful English country house for yourself, you too will be astounded by its beauty. Caughley teaset, c1780-85 with the rare 'Fenced Garden' pattern and interesting history
The part tea set is not complete, but does have a fine selection of the pieces that would have gone to make up the service. There is a round smooth bodied teapot and cover, sugar bowl, 'Chelsea Ewer' shaped creamer and six tea bowls and saucers. Not all these pieces are in good condition, but there are four of the tea bowls and saucers that are in extremely good condition - these are now available for sale on the website. Click here for a lot more details about them.
The 'Fenced Garden' pattern is so named as the main blue and white scene depicts a large oriental Pagoda type of building with a fenced off garden in front of it. Within this fenced garden are two figures conversing. The land on which this building is situated has rocks and different varieties of trees. The secondary scene is an Island on which is a curious building raised up on stilts at the top of the Island. Other interesting features of this scene is the boat house with a boat emerging, another building with a figure at the door, rocks and trees. This Island is joined to the main scene by a bridge. Two boats can be seen sailing the sea between the two main scenes completing this charming picture. There is a blue border comprising a garland of flowers and foliage. The blue used for this service is an attractive dark and striking blue.
For me, one of the unusual things about this tea set is the 'Chelsea Ewer'
shaped creamer. This very pretty little creamer is quite small compared the
usual type of milk jug associated with most tea sets. I am sure that it was
bought en suite to the tea set when it was originally purchased. It has an
interesting moulded body shape, including moulded leaves up from its base. The
handle is constructed using two 'C' scrolls with a charming thumb piece at the
top to aid holding it.
It is wonderful to see such a beautiful service with so many interesting pieces. It is a bonus that this set is of the rare 'Fenced Garden' pattern and I hope that you have enjoyed seeing sharing this set with me. 'Teapots', the place for tea in Olney, Buckinghamshire
'Teapots' is on the High Street a short distance from the town's triangular
green. It is a friendly little tea shop with an interesting character. There is
an eclectic sense of decoration, including a display of old ladies' hats on the
stairs up to the top floor. In the first floor room, there is an old fireplace
on which sits an old mantle clock, which ticks away and chimes at regular
intervals. There are a few odd teapots dotted about, including novelty teapots.
In frames are some examples of the old local white lace.
On the ground floor at the rear of the shop, an old-fashion sideboard
carries a selection of home-made cakes, including lemon sponge, ginger
sponge, coffee sponge, carrot cake, etc. It is nice to see such a fine selection
of homemade cakes. In this instance, I plumped to have a slice of ginger sponge
cake, which was very good. The tea is served in china pots and the cups and
saucers are of of blue and white china adding to the traditional English teashop look.
Olney town, apart from some fine houses and buildings, also hosts a few antique shops of various quality. The 'Teapots' teashop is a good place to sit and contemplate any antique purchases.
Local Map: click here Map courtesy of www.streetmap.co.uk For quality antiques visit www.TeaAntiques.comTo review past newsletters, just follow this link:
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A delightful and very elegant George III Waiter tray or 'salver'. This beautiful and early piece of Silver was made in London
by Ebenezer Coker, 1770. It is of the very highest quality and of thick gauge silver and
has a contemporary armorial in the centre. There is no later decoration applied, which is very nice
to see as so often these are later embellished with chased decoration, thus making
this a very desirable salver.
There
is a beautifully shaped rim border cast with simple and elegant gadrooned
decoration. In the centre of the salver there is a contemporary armorial,
comprising a central shield within a cartouche, this surrounded by foliate
decoration.
There is a very clear and bold set of hallmarks stamped on the back of
the waiter tray. These marks comprise the maker's initials 'E.C' the mark of
Ebenezer Coker;
Lion Passant mark for Sterling Silver; date letter of a 'p' for 1770 and the Leopard's
head mark of London's Assay Office.
Sitting
in beautiful open Buckinghamshire countryside is the elegant Claydon house, with
its cut grey stone West front with perfect classical symmetry. The house
appears to be of perfect proportions having a central block surmounted with a
triangular pediment, flanked on either side with a two bay elevation. The
enchanting features of this elevation is the Venetian window in the centre which
is within an arched recess in the central block. Another unusual feature is the
oval windows in the two side wings placed above the ground floor sash windows.
The
house, as we see it in part now, dates from 1751-1771, built by Ralph, 2nd Earl
Verney, whose family had lived in this seat since 1620. However, it becomes
quite evident from looking round the house that there is something odd about it.
There are just three extremely grand rooms along the West front, such
large scale and grandeur one would not expect in a country house of what
appears rather modest proportions. The answer is found in its later history, as Lord Verney's reckless extravagances brought him to financial ruin in 1783 and in
1784 he had to sell off a lot of the house contents. Then, on the Earl's death in
1791, his disapproving niece had two thirds of the house demolished! So, what we
see today as a classically proportioned house, is in fact one of the side wings
of a much larger house. These two wings were joined by a large Rotunda in the
centre. This then makes sense of the house layout that we see now. How grand a
house it must have been before the demolition of a major part of it!
Moving
through to the central room of the three is the Saloon. Here there is still the
magnificence as found in the North Hall with more elaborate carved and applied
decoration, but this time not rococo, but pure Palladian splendour. This room is
decorated with a blue - grey flock paper that was put up in 1957 to a copy of a
Georgian flock paper. The ceiling is richly embellished with Neo-classical
stucco decoration painted in white. Even the doors in the room are decorated,
rather unusually, with panels that have raised shell type mouldings, with inlays
of boxwood and ebony. Each corner of the panels is set with ivory whose pure
white stands out against the rich dark mahogany.
This basket is covered with acanthus leaves that had grown up round it -
this the inspiration of the Corinthian column capital. The male figure
supporting the right hand side of the chimneypiece is of an inventor. He is
holding the base of a broken column in one hand and in the other a pair of
dividers, these symbolic of the girl's untimely death and his craft. The inner
frieze of the chimneypiece has carved putti in various attitudes. One
putti is carrying the mask tragedy, another a basket, while one in the
centre carries a portrait of the dead girl.
The
staircase of wood, has a Geometric inlay to each tread and riser. This
decoration is also applied to the handrail of the stair banister. But one of the
most unusual and charming feature of the staircase has to be the delicate
wrought iron balustrade. This is formed in three dimensions of a series of 'S'
scrolls with floral garlands entwined with fragile looking stems of wheat. This
balustrade is painted black but has gold flashings applied to the garlands and
ears of wheat that make them shine out. So delicate is the balustrade that in
walking up the stairs the vibrations make the staircase sing, the noise made by
the vibrating ears of wheat knocking parts of the balustrade. Sadly, visitors
are not afforded the opportunity to ascend this grand staircase, but have to
make their way to the first floor by a modern and very modest staircase off the
Pink Parlour.
At
the first floor level the first room, which is directly above the Pink Parlour
is the Great Red Room. Not as grand as the three principle rooms on the ground
floor, but still retaining a sense of richness. Having three domes within the
ceiling, this room may have originally have been a principle bed chamber in
which a four poster bed would have been positioned with a large dome that would
be below the dome in the ceiling. One door in the corner of the room affords a
good view of the staircase ceiling lantern.
Around this lantern is a blue and
white frieze depicting Neptune.
Continuing
a tea theme, the next room, the Chinese Room was of most interesting to me. This
glorious room is decorated to look like a Chinese room and looking rather out of
place in an English country house. The room is decorated in blue with white
carved decoration, rather reminiscent of the export blue and white Chinese
porcelain of the period. There are bright gold curtains and this used to cover
the seat furniture too. On the long wall of the room is what is described as a
day-bed within a carved white Chinese Tea pavilion. This astounding decorative
piece of furniture was decorated to show the tea ceremony, which echoes what it
was designed for - taking of tea.
The
carved wood above the seat shows two Chinese mandarins taking tea at a tea
table, assisted by two other Chinese characters, one holding a shade. It is
fascinating to see the tea equipage carved on the tea table. There is a globular
teapot of the period, two tea bowls and saucers, teaspoons and a footed sugar
bowl in which are a pair of sugar nips in the form of fire iron tongs. The tea
table is covered with a white tablecloth. This carving gives us another insight
into the social history of tea drinking and its importance in the social world
in the Eighteenth century.
I
have recently obtained a fascinating part teaset. This beautiful Caughley
teaset, which dates from c1780-85 is unusual in many respects. Firstly, Caughley
produced many tea sets decorated with blue and white patterns in the oriental
style, such as the 'Fence' pattern, 'Pagoda' pattern and 'Fisherman and
Cormorant' pattern to name a few. Such patterns were also used at the Worcester
factory in this period, these may have some slight differences, but they are
essentially the same. However, there is one rare pattern produced at the
Caughley factory in Shropshire, that was never used at the Worcester factory -
this is the 'Fenced Garden' pattern.
Another
intriguing piece of history to this delightful teaset is that it is believed to
have remained in one family since it was made back in the last quarter of the
eighteenth century. It is said to have belonged to the Cawley family who lived
in Cheshire, England. One of the family has now sold it on with the history of
the set as far as can be recalled. It is believed to have remained in this
family and can certainly be remembered back several generations.
Many
of the pieces in this set are marked in under glaze blue with the Caughley
Salopian 'S' or 'Sx' . these factory marked were used at Caughley between c1775
-90.
The quaint town of Olney in Buckinghamshire is well known in the area for its
annual pancake race and its lace making. There is also, as I discovered, a very
pleasant little tea shop in the town in which to enjoy an afternoon tea, with
home-made cakes.
