ARTICLES

BY ROBERT (BOB) METSELAAR

Just like the Harbour Bridge, this is an iconic painting about the construction, prior to its accidental partial collapse in 1970 of Melbourne’s Westgate Bridge, used by millions of motorists every week, and currently being expanded.

Born in Berlin, Ernest Marcuse (1900–‘85) studied at the Berlin School of Interior Design & Cabinetmaking and at the Reimann School (1) before working as a freelance commercial artist, specialising in architectural, industrial and figurative drawing. When Ernest Marcuse fled…

ETRURIA ANTIQUES

Kakiemon decoration is a distinctive style of Japanese porcelain that emerged in the late 17th century. Named after its creator, Sakaida Kakiemon, this style of porcelain is characterized by its delicate, elegant, and colourful designs featuring motifs such as birds, flowers, and landscapes. The decorations are typically set against a milky-white, translucent background called “Nigoshide.” Kakiemon porcelain became highly sought after in Europe, particularly in the 18th century.

SILVER SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA

One of the nicest things about collecting silver is that you can find objects that you can actually use without fear of chipping or breaking them. Furthermore, you can find useful items in almost every price range.

If you come from a generation that eats avocado whole, you can enhance the pleasure of eating it with a Georgian teaspoon at a cost of well under $100. The shape of an early George III fiddle pattern teaspoon…

LAURAINE DIGGINS FINE ART
diggins.com.au

Scarvell was a student of William Lister Lister and exhibited regularly with the Art Society of New South Wales in the 1890s. She was an exponent of Australian Impressionism and painted en plein air and her work is represented in the S.H. Ervin collection and the Art Gallery of NSW. Scarvell was selected to be included in the Exhibition of Australian Art in London organised by the Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South…

CERAMIC COLLECTORS SOCIETY

English brothers Thomas Toft and Ralph Toft were early exponents of the English slipware-style, so much so that the practice is sometimes referred to as “Toft ware” regardless of who produced the piece.

Thomas and Ralph Toft created large slipware plates, dishes and platters, boldly decorated with trailed-slip decoration, and are now highly prized pieces held in several museums around the world.

Thomas, whose work is most prevalent to see in museum collections today, potted in Staffordshire, England, in the mid- to late-1600s. He…

BY JOHN HAWKINS

A gold and Scottish river pearl Celtic Cross marked Kildonan, probably made in the workshop of the Edinburgh goldsmith, Peter Westren, circa 1869, who advertised such crosses for sale. The brooch commemorates St. Donan who founded the kirk at Kildonan in the 7th century on a tributary to the Helmsdale River in Sutherland. Mined for only one year using the Australian system of a Digger’s Licence, in this case issued by the landowner, the Duke of Sutherland. The…

Like Editions of books many fine antiques are reproductions, and then they become collectable in their own right

Have you ever looked at a perfectly styled interior on social media and noticed the little details… the flowers in a vase, the throw positioned in only a way a stylist can get right, the heirloom furniture sitting just so with modern art… do you dream of living in these spaces? 

I know I do. Every day I get drawn into other peoples living rooms, and walk through them imagining myself sitting…

NOW WINTER IS HERE THE YEAR IS HALF OVER. THE TREES ARE BARE AND THE SOFT GREY CLOUDS ARE HERE TO STAY FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

So what’s been on your radar this year? Are you renovating? Building your collection? Starting a new passion or perhaps just enjoying what you have. However the year is unfolding we hope it is bringing you joy.

Now more than ever we are trying to retune our lives to be…

. Diamond, pearl and enamel set into a gold ring with the following inscription engraved on the inside of the band: ‘Rear-Adml Isaac Smith Ob 2 July 1831 Ob 78′. Housed in a crimson morocco box with brass clasp.

An extraordinary survival: a mourning ring for the memory of Rear-Admiral Isaac Smith (1752-1831). Smith is distinguished for being the first Englishman to set foot on the east coast of the Australian continent.

As a 17-year-old, on 29…