Features

One of the most gifted and popular landscape artists of his era, Benjamin Williams Leader (1831-1923) made his reputation capturing a rural idyll rapidly disappearing amid the relentless onslaught of the industrial revolution.

Born in Worcester, Benjamin was the third of eleven children born to civil engineer Edward Leader Williams and his wife Sarah. A keen amateur artist and collector, Edward organised an exhibition of Modern British Art at the Worcester Atheneum in 1934, which would have a lasting impact on his young son. 

Tole or Toleware is a genre of painted or lacquered tin goods made popular throughout Europe and North America during the 18th century. The English term tole is taken directly from the French term tôle, which translates as sheet metal. The art of decorating toleware in French is known as tôle peinte, and is a term often used in the description of antique toleware items.

Derived from the Latin word finis, meaning end, a finial is the name given to an ornamental decoration that sits atop a building, monument, or item of furniture. In western culture its classical use in architecture can be traced back to the Ancient Greeks and Romans, although finials were also a common feature in East Asia adorning Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines.

Founded in 1730, Gillows of Lancaster & London quickly grew to become one of the most important and well-respected furniture makers of the Regency period. Nearly three centuries on, their name remains a standard for craftsmanship and quality in British cabinet making.

BADA (The British Antique Dealers’ Association) is delighted to announce that visual artist Mark Purllant is the winner of the BADA Art Prize 2023.

Launched in 2021, the BADA Art Prize seeks to promote the antiques of tomorrow by awarding a grant to an emerging contemporary artist whose work exemplifies the enduring ingenuity and quality illustrated by our members’ objects.

Andirons, or firedogs as they are also known, are a practical tool for stacking logs in an open hearth. Usually sold in pairs and designed with two front legs and one to the rear, logs could be placed securely across the connecting horizontal bar, allowing air to circulate below the fire. The air circulation allowed for a more efficient burn and reduced the amount of smoke generated.

BADA Week: Exceptional Chinese Export Chairs sold to Art Institute of Chicago

To celebrate BADA Week (13th – 17th November), Thomas Coulborn and Sons is delighted to announce the sale of an exceptional pair of 18th century Chinese Export Carved Padouk Side Chairs to The Art Institute of Chicago.

Made circa 1730 in padouk carved in low relief imitating English gesso work, they feature carved shell and foliate decoration and distinctive grotesque masks to the pad feet.

The term coffer dates to medieval times and is used to describe a lockable wooden chest constructed for the purpose of storing valuable items such as gold or silver. First used in the 13th century, the term is a derivation of the Latin word ‘cophinus’, meaning a large basket or storage hamper. In Middle English the word is written as ‘coffre’ or ‘cofre’ and is absorbed from the French language following the Norman Conquest.

Among the most gifted British landscape painters of the 20th century, Edward Seago (1910-1974) captured the British coastline and countryside with a sense of joy that earned him worldwide admiration.

Born in Norwich, Seago’s father was area manager for a Norfolk coal merchant, while his mother was employed as a governess at nearby Raveningham Hall. Young Edward was diagnosed with a heart condition at age eight and as a consequence found himself regularly housebound.

The term albarello is used to describe a specific style of tin glazed earthenware, or Maiolica, that originated in the Middle East. Examples first arrived in Europe as a result of the 8th century Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, (modern day Spain and Portugal).

The beautiful town of Meissen in Eastern Germany is not only the home of Meissen Porcelain but more importantly is the birthplace of the European porcelain trade itself.

The cartel clock is a magnificent wall-mounted timepiece originating from the early Rococo movement in 1730s France. Traditionally cartouche shaped in design, the elaborate cartel clock represented a rejection of the geometric symmetry of Louis Quatorze style, or French classicism as it is also known.