Stallholder George Dolling (Unit 66) is our resident Wedgwood expert, especially early Wedgwood.  He has highlighted 2 pieces from his current collection.

WEDGWOOD CAPRIWARE TEAPOT

This teapot was produced by Wedgwood between 1830 and 1891. It is made from their well known high quality black basalt stoneware (in production since 1768), intended to imitate natural basalt. Its versatility meant that it could be used for all sorts of different designs, from library busts to delicate jewellery.

The shape of the teapot is one of Wedgwood’s most famous, known as shape 146 and can be found in many patterns. The additional polychrome enamel decoration is known as ‘Chinese Flowers’ and when it is applied onto the black basalt the finished result is known as ‘Capriware’.

Drawing on both Western and Eastern traditions, it is a beautiful example of Wedgwood’s 19th Century design and craftmanship.

CAMBRIDGE ALE JUG

The Cambridge Ale Jug was produced by Wedgwood in 1850, they were originally made for the Cambridge University colleges, between 1850 and 1890’s.

Contrary to its appearance, it is not made from terracotta earthenware, but rather from Wedgwood’s ‘Rosso Antico’ stoneware. This stoneware is fired at a higher temperature than traditional earthenware which results in some of its constituent minerals turning to glass.

Like all Wedgwood’s dry bodies, it is non porous making any glaze purely decorative. The quality of Wedgwood’s rosso antico is demonstrated by its fineness of finish and tactile nature.

The Ale Jug is from George’s personal collection, but the teapot is currently for sale in his unit (unit 66)  at Hungerford Arcade.

This month we had a visit from our good friends at SAS Auctions! Thomas and his two teams came to us once again for another of their fabulous charity auction events!

The rules were straightforward, two teams both with a cash budget of £200 each. The aim was simple, to buy the best quality items at bargain prices then sell them at the auction for as much profit as possible. This would then be donated to the chosen charity, Action For Children.

After a fun filled morning of flying through all of our dealers stock and rooting out those special treasures, the team here at the arcade worked their magic calling the dealers getting the best prices we could to aid the charity.

After a couple of hours both teams had there chosen items, one having spent exactly £200 and the other a close £199! We wish both teams all the best in their sales and hope they raise a wonderful donation towards Action for Children!

SAS was established in 1991 as a specialist and traditional firm of auctioneers. Over the years they have been commended for the level of service  provided to their sellers and buyers. The salerooms are strategically located in the South of England, Newbury within easy reach of London and the rest of the UK. You can see more about SAS here.

ACTION FOR CHILDREN – Safe and happy childhoods

We protect and support children and young people, providing practical and emotional care and support. We ensure their voices are heard, and campaign to bring lasting improvements to their lives. You can see more of the fantastic work carried out by Action For Children by clicking here.

Hungerford Town and Manor will be hosting monthly Antiques and Collectors Fairs in Hungerford Town Hall, High Street, RG17 0NF starting on Sunday 10 March 2024 from 9.00 am – 3.30 pm. Sellers from 6.30 am and Trade from 8.00 am. Free entry.

For further  information contact:

Gerry White on 07747 106539 Email: gerrywhite60@gmail.com

Hungerford Arcade loves our international visitors so we were thrilled when we made a new friend today.

Colin Huffines from Dallas had time to while away, popped in to browse and, as so many of our visitors do, spent a couple of hours with us before continuing his journey to Ramsbury, one of our local villages.

He tried on several top hats in Unit 116 and found one that was a perfect fit.  He was delighted to meet Dennis Benneyworth, the dealer, and learn all about their history and how to keep them in perfect condition.

Eat your heart out, Fred Astaire, we think he looks very dapper in the one he chose!

This beautiful example of a Victorian Tantalus has just arrived at the Arcade and is available from our stall holder Vanessa (Unit 127). 

A Tantalus is a small wooden cabinet containing two or three decanters. Its defining feature is that it has a lock and key. The aim of that is to stop unauthorized people from drinking the contents (in particular, “servants and younger sons getting at the whisky”), while still allowing them to be on show.

The tantalus was so called after Tantalus, one of the sons of Zeus. The myth says that when invited to dine at the table of the Gods, Tantalus stole some ambrosia for his personal use. As punishment for this crime, Tantalus was forced to stand in a pool of water under a fruit tree. 

The ingenious device  was not introduced in England until the last half of the nineteenth century. The basic concept of the design is a framework into which can be locked one or more decanters of liquor. In most cases, the decanters are square, usually of cut or engraved glass.

The original patent in 1881 (UK Patent 58948) was by George Betjemann, a cabinet maker from Germany. Betjemann & Sons had workshops at 34–42 Pentonville Road, London from the 1830s.

Very few Betjemann examples survive in complete condition; those that do are generally sold at auction for sums in the thousands of US dollars. Original Betjemann articles should have brass or silver plate stamps signifying their authenticity. Later models, in completely different styles, were also called “The Betjemann Tantalus” even though no cabinetry was present and they were not made at the Pentonville works.

Adrian and Jane Jefferies of  Unit 46w have at the moment this beautiful antique bronze hand mirror from Japan in their unit here at Hungerford Arcade. It dates to the Edo period (1600-1868), this particular mirror is 18th Century.

Bronze mirrors were introduced into Japan from China and Korea around 300 BC – AD 300,  originally used as religious function and symbols of authority. The Japanese however soon learned how to make their own mirrors, richly decorated with Chinese or native Japanese designs.

By AD 710 – 794 (Nara Period) mirrors were in everyday use decorated with native plants and animals to bring good fortune. Mirrors from the Edo period were often given at weddings decorated with lucky symbols or Chinese characters.

Our mirror is decorated with a miniature landscape, Peacocks stand beneath a flowering Plum tree, beside a waterfall and a winding stream.

The mirror is inscribed Fujiwara Masashige saku (‘Made by Masashige of the Fujiwara family). The craftsperson who made mirrors often were of high status in Japan, because together with the sword and the jewel, mirrors formed part of Imperial regalia.

We recently had a visit from Nigel Williams, a UK-born & -based sculptor and photographer, who has also spent some time living and working near the Rocky Mountains in Western Canada. His workshop, home and library is now in Berkshire.

His sculpture work is mostly in sheet metal (copper, brass, steel, aluminum, etc), often re-cycled, and frequently with ‘found’ objects as a basis. His influences and inspiration come from a wide range of sources, including industrial archaeology, heritage transport, modern abstract sculpture, and ethnic mask-making.

Nigel’s current themes include the creation of beautiful botanical forms from spent armaments, and the “fantastic embellishment” of antique domestic & industrial artefacts. Whilst works in the former can invoke disturbing confrontations with the nature of human conflict, works in the latter often incorporate a good deal of humor and nostalgia.

These two themes highlight the truly mixed-up left-brain and right-brain nature of Nigel’s character, leading to constant internal turmoil, but ultimately to the creation of work which appeals to a wide range of people. Nigel sources materials from scrapyards, sales, metal traders and garage clear-outs, and is often in very poor condition.

He spends a lot of time visiting heritage transport events, auto-jumbles and reprieved industrial sites (usually now museums, tended by retired gentlemen who are still very passionate about the older machinery) to look at and learn about the technologies, and acquire source material for my work. He has exhibited across the U.K and his work is present in collections in Spain, the United States, Australia and New Zealand!

As a photographer, Nigel holds a fascination for detail and patina, and sometimes combines his imagery and sculpture to produce 2D/3D work. His photography has been published in two unusual books: one – “K-scopes” – of kaleidoscopic images painstakingly constructed from details of mostly man-made machinery and architecture; the other – “Pacific Northwest Iron” – of “surfaces” and other images made during travels along the Northwest coast of North America.

Nigel is a member of the Gloucestershire Guild of Craftsmen, past administrator for and now lifetime honorary member of the Oxford Sculptors Group, and a member of the Surrey Sculpture Society. He is also a member of the Rowland Emett Society, the British Vintage Wireless Society, the Telecommunications Heritage Group, the Association of Industrial Archaeology and the Fairground Association of Great Britain.

On this occasion whilst Nigel was visiting us, he found a classic solid brass kettle stand from our stall holders Adrian & Jane Jeffries (Unit 46W). The stand is now destined to join one of Nigel’s new sculptures which we look forward to seeing in the near future! You can see more of all the fantastic work Nigel creates at his website or Facebook pages below.

Website: Orlogik Studio

Facebook: Orlogik Studio

Some exciting news for one of our stall holders here, Amanda Hughes (unit 17). Amanda discovered a sculpture at a car boot sale in Ardleigh for £90. The 14.5 inch bronze statue had an inscription which Amanda had reason to believe could possibly be a piece by Dame Elisabeth Frink, a celebrated sculptor who died in 1993.

Amanda appeared on BBC’s “Fake or Fortune?” to find out if the sculpture was indeed one of Frink’s Small Warrior collection. Created in the 1950s, there are just ten of these figures in existence, one of which was previously owned by David Bowie.

If indeed part of this collection, the sculpture could be worth up to £60,000, according to Philip Mould. However, if proven fake, it was valued at just £10.

Samples of Amanda’s sculpture and a confirmed Small Warrior were sent for testing. Amazingly, the results showed a very high possibility the two came from the same ingot. Further consultation with experts, plus the evidence presented, persuaded an assembled panel that Amanda had indeed found a genuine Frink Small Warrior!

It is now being looked after by a gallery while Amanda weighs up her options. After the verdict, Amanda said: “It’s wonderful. I’m just pleased that it’s safe. The reveal was quite the build-up and I thought it was going to go completely the other way.” Co-presenter Fiona Bruce said: “I loved learning more about the life and work of Elisabeth Frink. What a woman. She took the art world by storm at one of the most exciting times in the British art scene. It was great to put her in the spotlight again.”

Fellow presenter and art dealer Philip Mould added: “Elisabeth Frink is greatly collected and the market is continually moving. This is quite an emotive looking object so proving it’s unquestionably a Frink makes it worth a small fortune. I love that from now on, the sculpture is going to be known as Small Warrior: Colchester car boot sale. I imagine everyone is seeking out their local car boot after this.”

The episode aired on BBC One and is available to watch here on IPlayer now.