Tag: Welsh

Auction Alert: Rogers Jones Co Welsh Sale

3 Welsh love spoons

The Rogers Jones Co Welsh Sale takes place on Saturday 19th November 2022, from 9am at their Cardiff site.

Of the 608 lots on offer, our favourites by far are the antique Welsh lovespoons. There’s even one example (lot #592) that’s perfect for us; it’s carved with an ‘A’ and a ‘J’… for Adelle & Justin!

Rogers Jones Co’s buyer’s premium stands at 28.8%. There will be an added fee if you bid via The Saleroom. Before bidding on any original artworks please bear in mind:

There will also be a Droit de Suite / Artist’s Resale Right charge of 4% on original artwork by EEA based artists on hammer prices of 1000 euros or over (GBP equivalent)

KAREL LEK limited-edition print

Lot 19: KAREL LEK limited edition (13/13) print
Seated male with pint glass and cigarette, signed in pencil
Dimensions: 33 x 26cms
Provenance: private collection Gwynedd
Condition report: framed and glazed, no problems
Estimate: £100 – £200

PAUL PETER PIECH limited-edition, 3-colour lithograph

Lot 34: PAUL PETER PIECH limited edition (8/25) three-colour lithograph
Homage to R S Thomas, signed and dated 1993, signed
Dimensions: 53 x 44cms
Provenance: private collection Cardiff
Condition report: framed and glazed
Estimate: £150 – £250

VALERIE GANZ limited-edition print

Lot 36: VALERIE GANZ limited edition (4/50) print
Head and shoulders study of four miners entitled ‘Leaving the Coalface’, signed
Dimensions: 18 x 38cms
Provenance: private collection South East of England
Condition report: framed and glazed, ready to hang
Estimate: £150 – £200

MIKE JONES mixed media colourwash & ink

Lot 155: MIKE JONES mixed media, colourwash and ink
Seated gentleman with legs crossed, signed
Dimensions: 22 x 17cms
Provenance: private collection Cardiff
Condition report: framed and glazed, no problems
Estimate: £300 – £500

MURIEL DELAYAHE oil on board

Lot 468: MURIEL DELAYAHE oil on board
Two figures struggling with umbrellas, signed
Dimensions: 46 x 61cms
Provenance: private collection Ynys Mon
Condition report: framed, sl. attention required to frame, ready to hang
Estimate: £2,000 – £3,000

ARTS & CRAFTS SLIPWARE POTTERY JUG BY HORACE ELLIOTT

Lot 565: AN IMPORTANT ARTS & CRAFTS SLIPWARE POTTERY JUG BY HORACE ELLIOTT
Yellow glaze and brown slip, of baluster form tapering to a circular spreading foot, with angel wing-form handle and wide curved spout, sgraffito feathers to wing and to the body ‘Here is a mixture, of Earth and Heaven, An Angel’s wing to a pitcher given, Take hold of the wing, for a handle, pray! Or the vessel of earth may fly away’. signed at foot ‘Copyright Horace Elliott’ and at base ‘Elliott, London 1893’
Dimensions: 28cms high
Provenance: private collection Kansas City, USA
Condition report: minor losses to glaze, crazing / stress marks from use as a vase but excellent overall
Tip of feather chipped and other small chips to handle. Slip glaze faults beneath spout.
Estimate: £700 – £1,000

WILLIAM IV WELSH NEEDLEWORK SAMPLER

Lot 572: WILLIAM IV WELSH NEEDLEWORK SAMPLER
By Rachael John, aged 14, Narberth, December 3 1832, decorated with alphabet, numbers, four-line poem, birds, trees, house, Adam & Eve under the tree of life etc
Dimensions: 40 x 41cms
Provenance: deceased estate South Wales
Condition report: framed and glazed, faded and browned. There are some holes present, mainly around the edges. The sampler has faded and browned in colour.
Estimate: £200 – £300

3 Welsh love spoons

Lot 591: LATE 18TH CENTURY CARVED TREEN WELSH LOVE SPOON
Having a pointed bowl to an unusual openwork stem to the arched handle, profusely carved with opposing geometric shapes, panels and hearts and with the letters ‘N’ and ‘S’ to flank a centre spoked wheel
Dimensions: 25.5cms long
Provenance: private collection Denbighshire
Condition report: good overall, old repair and splits to decoration, small chips as one would expect
Estimate: £500 – £700

Lot 592: LARGE WELSH LOVESPOON
Early 19th Century, pointed bowl, long-handle with dome top having geometric pierce-work carving and inlay within sgraffito-line frame and painted sgraffito initials ‘A J’
Dimensions: 35.5cms
Provenance: private collection Denbighshire, by descent
Condition report: small nicks to bowl tip, split in terminal
Estimate: £1,000 – £1,500

Lot 593: RARE WELSH YEW DOUBLE BOWL LOVESPOON
Late 18th Century, having pointed bowls with pierce-work handle of centre triskele (trisgel), flanking hearts and flowers, repeated piercework at terminal
Dimensions: 23cms long
Provenance: private collection Denbighshire, by descent
Condition report: restored break
Estimate: £1,500 – £2,000

Designer Desire: Jean Powell

Montage of ceramic tile items by Jean Powell

Jean Powell (1926-2021) was a Wales-based ceramic designer. I only came across her work this week – I can’t remember exactly where now – but I was struck by its beauty and technical expertise.

After meeting at Wallasey Art School during the 1940s, Jean and her husband Rhys (Taffy) (d. 1994) moved to the heart of Denbigh, North Wales in the following decade. It was there that they founded their pottery studio at Craig Bragdy, (Welsh for ‘Rock Brewery’ – an indication of the property’s original 18th century purpose). Their company was named after this home and studio.

The couple started out creating small items such as salt and pepper shakers; however, they soon progressed on to hand-made ceramic murals and eventually to swimming pools – as they create today. Two of Jean’s sons, Shon and Nick now run the company.

In the early 1960s, the Powell family moved to the 400-year-old Brookhouse Mill which gave them more floor space, which was essential for them to be able to produce their large-scale murals.

Over the subsequent 50+ years, Jean and her family developed an extremely successful international business. Even into her 10th decade, she still visited the Craig Bragdy factory and swimming pool design room as part of her daily routine.

It was back around 1979-80 that she designed the tiled base of the pool at the Empire Hotel in Llandudno.  Though a modest project, it was the beginning of an important future activity for the company. Jean remembers:

We were asked for a mermaid design for a client, but I wasn’t sure how risqué it could be, so I drew hair and seaweed to cover [the breasts]. But I soon received a message which read, ‘More revealing, please’, so off came the seaweed! Nuvo Magazine

Jean Powell penned a book, Earth, Fire and Water – a collection of stories about her life, her art and the people she worked with around the world.

Find examples of her tile designs for sale at Blondes Fine Art.

Portrait of Jean Powellcredit

Additional image credits:
Live Auctioneers

 

Designer Desire: Mark Rickard

Large mural painting of tug-of-war by Mark Rickard

Each Sunday, local antique dealer, Alistair Dryburgh of West Wales Antiques runs a (nearly always) weekly fair over on his Instagram feed. A couple of weeks ago, he had up for sale a trio of HUGE paintings by Mark Rickard.

Large mural painting of sheep, cows and farmers by Mark Rickard

They’d originally been commissioned in 1976 for a local club in Aberystwyth and represent Welsh rural life.

Large mural painting of rural life by Mark Rickard

I instantly fell in love and proceeded to Google him to see if I could find any other artworks that he’d done. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a single artwork or any information about the artist himself… absolutely nothing at all!

Detail of large mural painting of tug-of-war by Mark Rickard

His style reminds me of Joseph Herman and Stanley Spencer, especially the latter’s Clyde shipbuilding series.

Detail of large mural painting of tug-of-war by Mark Rickard

I’ve messaged Alistair in the past few minutes and he’s said that the top two paintings – the tug-of-war and the sheep and cows – are still available, if you’re interested.

Detail of large mural painting of sheep, cows and farmers by Mark Rickard

Tragically, we don’t have a wall big enough in our old cottage to hang one – not to mention multiple – paintings of this size… otherwise I’d have to own them.

Detail of Mark Rickard signature on a painting

If anyone out there can shed any light on Mark Rickard we’d love to learn more about him. An artist this talented must have produced more masterpieces… and hopefully smaller examples that could fit on our walls!

Designer Desire: Lilwen Lewis

Montage of Lilwen Lewis paintings

A couple of weeks ago on a trip into Aberystwyth, Justin walked past Oriel y Bont – and an artwork in the window really stood out for him. He went over for a closer look and found that it was painted by Welsh artist, Lilwen Lewis.

When he returned home, he told me about it, and we looked online to see if we could find any information about her and discover any more of her works.

Lilwen is local to New Quay, a Mid-Wales harbour town 20 miles south of Aberystwyth. She studied art for 5 years; first to Carmarthen School of Art then on to Swansea School of Art to study Painting & Stained Glass and finally Cardiff College of Art, graduating from Cardiff University. She returned to live and work in New Quay after her studies and a five year stint teaching Art and Craft at St Clears Secondary School. She’s a member of Cardigan Art Society.

My inspiration comes from the landscape around my home walking through woods, farms and down to the seafront among the fishing boats. Observing the changing moods of the landscape and the people.

I like experimenting with different mediums and techniques. Going from realism through to semi abstraction. You never know how work will turn out or what it will lead to.

Portrait of Lilwen Lewiscredit

Additional image credits:

Oriel y Bont | The Gallery yr Oriel