MARCH 2017

Antiques With Gary DonFeatures

Hi Gary,

I think that the vase below is called Belleek made in County Fermanagh Ireland.

On the underside it has the stamps as shown with the number 0857.

Do you think that it is worth trying to sell this vase. How much do you think that it is worth. Do you think that I should put it in an Auction or try and sell it on eBay?

Kind regards

Bob Smith

Dear Bob,

Thank you for your email. Your vase is indeed made by Belleek Pottery, who were a  porcelain company that began trading in 1863 in Belleek, Northern Ireland. The factory is still producing porcelain that is characterised by its thinness and slightly iridescent surface. Your vase is the shamrock design. There are 15 different marks which help you identify the age. The first mark was from 1863 and this early Belleek is very collectable and expensive to buy. Your mark appears to be the 5th mark, which dates it between 1955 – 1965. Porcelain from this era is in abundance and there are many examples of your vase around. If you look on Ebay and other sites, it is possible to buy a vase like yours for under £10, but as usual on these sites, there are sellers asking a lot more in the hope of finding a customer. You should always be careful and do your homework if you are buying from these types of sites.

Dear Gary,

I have this old Tetley beer mug for the silver jubilee of King George and Queen Mary 1910 – 1935 just wondered are they worth anything or are they 10 a penny.

Also I have this Chinese Warrior, I know nothing about it only that I got it from my grans when she died in the mid 80s, My granddad was in the navy and he sailed all around the world  so he might have brought it back. I have attached some photos of both items.

Hello and thank you for your email.

Your Tetley beer mug is a piece of Yorkshire history and was made in 1935 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary. There are still plenty of these around and are generally selling for about £20. However it is something to put away for the future as it can only go up in value as time passes.

It is difficult to tell from your photo whether your Chinese warrior is made of resin or ivory. The resin ones were mass produced and of low value, probably under £20. However if it is made of ivory then under current rules, the piece must have been carved before 1947 and you must have proof of that to be able to sell it. There is now talk of banning the sale of all items of ivory and destroying them including early, unique and historical pieces. This is a highly emotive subject that is still in the debating stage and we are all awaiting the outcome.

Hello Gary

This is a picture of an egg cup I had as a child – I am now 80!!    It is also a whistle- which still works.  The only marking is a crest shape with foreign writing on the base.

I look forward to your reply

Mr. Arthur Jowett

Dear Arthur,

Thank you for your email.

Eggcups have been around for a very long time, in fact a silver example of one was found when excavating Pompeii! Many people collect eggcups and I recently visited a lady who had a collection of over 1000 eggcups! An eggcup with a whistle in is more desirable and collectable. A lot of these eggcups were produced in Europe and exported to England. Yours probably dates from around the 1930’s – 40’s. The identical eggcup sold at auction recently in the USA for $55. I have also seen one on a website available to buy now for £45. It is amazing you have managed to keep this eggcup so long and the value to you is probably much more for sentimental reasons.

Dear Gary,

We acquired this lamp from my nana’s house and wondered if it had any value. There are no marks on it that we can see.

Thanks David

Dear David,

This is a beautiful example of an art nouveau lamp. Behind the glass at the back of the figure is a bulb designed to shine through the glass background causing an iridescent effect and lighting up the figure in a 3d manner.

It is very unusual to find a lamp like this where the delicate fingers are not damaged. Although it is not signed and could have been made by numerous companies, it is a desirable piece and I would  put a pre-sale estimate of £220 – 250, but I would not be surprised if it sold for nearer £300. Thank you for sharing this lovely object with us.

Dear Gary,

When clearing out my aunt’s house, I found this little glass fish at the back of a drawer. It is only about 5 cm high. Can you tell me anything at all about it?

Thank you, Peter

Dear Peter,

I certainly can tell you something about your little glass fish. It is made of opalescent glass and when you hold it up the light, wonderful colours will shine through it. Many people may think it is by Lalique but it is made by the Sabino Crystal Company. Marius Sabino was born in Sicily in 1878 and moved to France as a young boy. He became interested in how the advent of electricity affected the production of glass and after the First World War, he founded a factory that created opalescent and iridescent glass. He became well known for making chandeliers and fitted lighting on luxury cruise ships. He also created busts and statues of women and a variety of glass animals. In fact, in 1931 two large limited edition fish were purchased by Josephine Baker and Maurice Chevalier. There were three different sizes of fish on the market and yours is the smallest size. It is worth about £50 – 70.

Hi Gary,

I found this knife recently at a car boot sale. They were asking £20 for it and I managed to buy it for £12. I know nothing about it and wondered if I have wasted my money.

Thank you, Mrs. E. Thomas

Dear Mrs. Thomas,

Well done!  Although you may not have realised it, you have had a very good find.  This is not a knife, but is a letter opener from the 1920’s – 30’s. I have seen similar letter openers in the past and it is almost certainly made of bronze and is of good quality. It may be signed which could increase its value, but even without a signature it should sell between £300 – 500 at auction!

You have a really good eye and obvious talent for spotting a bargain.

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