On our radar: Santa’s Greatest Secret

Santa's Greatest Secret, Lyndon Jeremiah

A friend of mine sent me this video today, it’s so wonderful! Santa’s Greatest Secret was written (and narrated here) by Lyndon Jeremiah with illustrations created by Jennie Harmer.

We may be floating around in Crimbo Limbo right now, but please keep the book in mind as a present for the younger kids next Christmas.

Auction alert: Jewellery, Porcelain, Pottery & Collectables

THREE GLASS ONION WINE BOTTLES

Rogers Jones & Co will soon be holding a Jewellery, Porcelain, Pottery & Collectables sale at their Cardiff site. It takes place on Friday 3rd February 2023 from 10am.

As usual, they have quite a few Welsh interest lots available. My favourite is probably the large 19th Century love spoon. It’s the perfect present for St Dwynwen’s Day or Dydd Santes Dwynwen (the Welsh version of Valentine’s Day)… which happens to be today!

Please note, there’s no room bidding, it’s an online sale only.

To register to bid on the Rogers Jones & Co website, you can only pay via debit card. If you’re a winning bidder, payment for goods is strictly by bank transfer only and your invoice must be settled within 3 working days. They don’t accept payment in person at the saleroom. The buyer’s premium is 24% inclusive of VAT.

Alternatively, you may bid via The Saleroom website; however, there’ll be addition fees to pay.

The auction house does not offer in-house P&P – except for small items that can easily fit in a Jiffy bag. This service is at the buyer’s cost and risk. They do, however, recommend couriers that you can contact. If you’re able to collect, it will be by appointment only and not on sale days.

JOHN MALTBY stoneware sculpture entitled 'Ascending Angel'

Lot 114: JOHN MALTBY (British, 1936-2020) stoneware sculpture

Entitled to base ‘Ascending Angel’, signed, with impressed seal mark to bottom right side, 41cms high
Estimate: £300 – £500

LIBERTY & CO 'TUDRIC' ENGLISH PEWTER BISCUIT BOX, DESIGNED BY ARCHIBALD KNOX

Lot 121: LIBERTY & CO ‘TUDRIC’ ENGLISH PEWTER BISCUIT BOX, DESIGNED BY ARCHIBALD KNOX

Of shaped square form, each side worked in relief with stylised plant form motif stamped ‘0194’ to base, 12cms high x 11cms wide (at the base)
Estimate: £300 – £500

LARGE WELSH LOVESPOON

Lot 175: 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’, 35.5cms
Comments: small nicks to bowl tip, split in terminal
Estimate: £700 – £900

CARVED TREEN KNITTING SHEATH

Lot 176: CARVED TREEN KNITTING SHEATH

Believed Welsh, early 19th Century, chip carved all round and with two ball and cages, looped terminal connected to interlocking chain and hook, 57cms long
Estimate: £100 – £150

ASSORTED EWENNY POTTERY

Lot 179: ASSORTED EWENNY POTTERY

Including loving cup incised ‘Glyn-Nedd’, two jugs incised ‘Llaeth’ (one dated 1839-1939), spotted egg cups and similar items, etc. (12)
Estimate: £60 – £80

SWANSEA / NANTGARW PORCELAIN CABINET CUP

Lot 211: SWANSEA / NANTGARW PORCELAIN CABINET CUP

Circa 1815-1817, raised over three claw feet and with gryphon handle with spread-out wings to join the body of the cup, the body applied with two circles of beading, non-decorated academic example, 9.75cms high
Comments: minor hairline to rim
Estimate: £100 – £150

THREE GLASS ONION WINE BOTTLES

Lot 228: THREE GLASS ONION WINE BOTTLES

1 deep olive and 2 iridescent, 2 of compressed form, the other mallet shaped, 18th Century, tallest 18cm H (3)
Comments: 1 with chipped ringed collar
Estimate: £200 – £300

KEITH MURRAY FOR WEDGWOOD: TWO GREEN VASES

Lot 275: KEITH MURRAY FOR WEDGWOOD: TWO GREEN VASES

Conical and spherical form with lateral bands, 28.5cm and 19cm h respectively (2)
Estimate: £200 – £300

Designer Desire: Karel Lek

Montage of Karel Lek artworks

Karel Lek discovered his love for art as a four year old when his father would take him to museums in Antwerp where he found inspiration in Belgian artists such as Constant Permeke and James Ensor.

Lek (1929-2020) and his family fled Antwerp during WWII, arriving as Jewish refugees to North Wales in 1940 when he was still a young boy. He lived there for 17 years before he moved to Beaumaris on Anglesey.

All I ever wanted to be was a painter and coming to Wales really helped me achieve my dream.

He was educated at Friars Grammar School in Bangor and, between 1946 & 52, attended Liverpool College of Art. In 1955, Karel Lek became a member of the Royal Cambrian Academy and was awarded an MBE in 2005.

Because I am an artist, north Wales, Anglesey and Gwynedd, are my main source of inspiration.

Karel Lek exhibited across Wales and in London, Amsterdam and Chicago. His work is contained within the collections of Contemporary Art Society for Wales, National Library of Wales, University of Bangor, Oriel Ynys Môn and Kansas City Art Gallery.

When you are dead, you’re work becomes your heart and your name becomes a brand. I hope I will have left behind a legacy.

Portrait of Karel Lekcredit

Additional image credits:
Art UK | Ask Art | Invaluable

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