Monday 29 December 2008

Swirls and twirls





Pomfret House, the Northamtonshire residence of long time antiques dealer Christopher Jones, and its drawing room. In November its contents went on the block at Christies, The Country House Sale: Pomfret House and Tetworth Hall.

Among the 280 lots were a selection of marble glazed pottery and agate ware. Agate ware is a mix varicoloured clay worked into an overall marbled effect, probably introduced about 1730 by Dr. Thomas Wedgwood of Rowley’s Pottery, Burslem. It was sometimes called solid agate to distinguish it from ware with glazed marbling. Below, are examples of both.




A PAIR OF CONTINENTAL POTTERY 'AGATE' CAMPANA-SHAPED VASES
19TH CENTURY
In the Neo-Classical style, each marbled with cream, ochre, brown and black striations, the upright leaf-capped handles issuing from stylized bearded masks, gadrooned rims and a fluted spreading foot.




A PAIR OF FRENCH POTTERY MARBLED VASES AND COVERS
LATE 19TH CENTURY, IMPRESSED MARKS FOR PICHON
Each oviform with cylindrical neck, applied with upright frond-scroll handles terminating in lion masks, marbled in brown and green clays.



A PAIR OF FRENCH POTTERY TWO-HANDLED VASES AND COVERS
CIRCA 1800, IMPRESSED 'LAMBERT & CIE'
In the Neo-Classical taste, sponged in purple, blue, yellow and green, each with bell-shaped cover, the shoulder applied with rams masks joined by bands of laurel garlands above stiff-leaves, an oval medallion to the front and back, the lower part with a stiff-leaf band and laurel knop, circular foot and square base.



A CONTINENTAL AGATE WARE CYLINDRICAL JARDINIERE
LATE 19TH/EARLY 20TH CENTURY
With two mask handles and moulded borders.

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4 comments:

Pigtown-Design said...

love the house, not so wild about the pots.

xoxo

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Pity that beautiful drawing room exists now only in photographs.

Paul Pincus said...

i love the pair of continental pottery 'agate' campana-shaped vases 19th century. they're very beautiful, imho.

Garoa said...

Hi Guys,

I found this blog out of the blue... We are working to create a drawing room as beautiful as our last one ... We still have the mirror on the photo, it fell off before the auction ( and took a long time to restore it) so we took it as a sign and kept it... it makes the room! as for the pots they are the only smalls I would missed as they look great and are very difficult to find these days and cost a fortune for pairs, chic ones.
Love
xxx

Ps: it took about 20 years to create the collection!