Decorative Objects

A very handsome and rare pair of mid 18th century bell-metal candlesticks, showing flaring seamed columns with cylindrical nozzles and flattened drip pans rising from stepped circular bases that retain their original & functioning push-rods. Both exhibiting an exceptionally warm pinkish patina due to the higher ratio of copper used in...

Weight: 207.32 Gram Dimension: 8.2 x 6.7 x 3.2 Cm Origin: Afghanistan Aquamarine is a pale-blue to light-green variety of beryl. The color of aquamarine can be changed by heat. Aqu...

Ornately painted cash box with iron hardware and key, on the original stand. Interior of box measures 8"W x 4"H x 3.75"D Exceptional, small, late-renaissance, table-top, Nuremberg, iron, 'Wedding Box', strongbox or travelling safe with its original, naïve, painted decoration This is a rare and small example of these characterful, early models of transportable safes. The much larger traditional chest...

A Pair of 18th Century Italian painted and Gilt Wooden Candlesticks, Candle Holders CIRCA 1750'S, Set upon Lion Paw Tri Feet with ornate carvings and decorated stems these beautfully...

Good 18th century Swedish miniature Baroque jewellery box / commode in it's original finish with good patination. ca 1750 Sweden.

A regence boulle marquetry ormolu-mounted bracket clock Our violin-shaped cartel is decorated with a marquetry Boulle with engraved brass decorated with windings, florets, cartridge...

A Gogotte Formation Of natural form, dating from the Oligocene period (30 Million years ago). Beguiling natural mineral formation, they are the result of calcium carbonate binding w...

A Gogotte Formation Of natural form, dating from the Oligocene period (30 Million years ago). Beguiling natural mineral formation, they are the result of calcium carbonate binding w...

A Charming Late 18th Century Satinwood tea caddy, Having Attractive Conch Shell Inlaid Decoration To Front And Domed Top, Enclosing Double Lidded Interior. This attractive satin...

This complete cross-sectional slice from the Imilac meteorite has been prepared to reveal shimmering olivine and peridot gems embedded in an iron-nick...

An Early 16th Century Stone Carving with polychrome : 'The Death of a Prelate'. The enthroned figure of a Bishop surrounded by attendants and surmounted by celestial angels.

Rock crystal vessels were highly demanded and valuable in Medieval times. Inventories from European royal houses and the highest aristocratic families detail the important and sophisticated collections of ewers and bowls. Rock crystal has also been used extensively in religious art. Fine European reliquaries were also made of Rock Crystal including gems, enamel and other precious materials. The work of rock crystal is very ancient. The materials has been worked and valued for its solidity and its purity: it has been believed to be water ice permanently frozen. Our superb example is a gold-mounted rock crystal bowl with enamel. The items origin is not clear and various features and characteristics may lead us to think of different origins and periods of creation. A single piece of stone mounted with gold could be a Milanese work. Although the cut could be French as similar pieces belonged to the French royalty (especially the art lover Duc de Berry, (1340-1416)). French and Italian crystal cutters have been active at the same time and it is often difficult to differentiate their works. Islamic art also influenced European artists. The famous Fatimid treasury provided examples of their sophistication and quality. The seven ewers carved for the Fatimid Imans (known as "The Magnificent Seven") display impressive quality of both rock crystal and enamelled mounts. Even though not identical to works by French silversmith Jean-Valentin Morel who was appointed goldsmith to Queen Victoria in 1852 or Reinhold Vasters (1927-1909) another renown German goldsmith who embellished older rock crystal items, there are similarities between these works. Both reduce their use of colour to black and white on pure gold mounts. Moreover the black enamel design is quite similar. Also, no gems are included and no human figure is represented. Sotherby's described our bowl as a "German Rock crystal bowl with later gold mounts, 15th century." Other items from the period from Germany or Austria are usually silver mounted and the decorations are more colourful and include gems or human figures but they have in common enamel motifs. In our case, the gold foot, handles and rim could date from the 1900s. An expert has established the foot, handles and rim are pure gold. The goldsmith responsible for the improvement of the bowl is possibly the most famous Reinhold Vasters whose work has been displayed in the greatest museums such as the V&A in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The Rock Crystal bowl we have is gold mounted. The gold shows in enamelled details that are black and white. The gold handles are also enamelled with black acanthus-like leaves. The enamelling method could be "champleve" or "painting metal". The metal that is usually preferred is copper but these techniques are also applied to gold. The bowl itself could be from the 14th century. It's cut reminds of an estimated 14th century rock crystal ball bearing the Buoncompagni family arms...

Spanish Santa Margherita with Dragon hand carved wood sculpture. Beautiful original polychrome especially on the dog figure which is an example of a mythical Renaissance medieval dragon...

We are pleased to offer this pair of blue and white Dutch Delft dishes with lovely chinoiserie decoration, which features an image of a vase overflowing with flowers. Around the vas...

This is a charming Derby figure of a shepherdess with a garlanded lamb, made in or shortly after 1760. The figure is one half of a set called the "Garland...

An exquisite miniature of French philosopher Charles Montesquieu graces the lid of this tortoiseshell-lined snuff box. The handsome portrait was fash...

This elegant antique putti figure was carved in Italy, circa 1770. Standing on an oval base, the detailed statue features a young boy with wings his head turned to the side. The ador...

This beautiful sculpture realized in China in the 18th century depicts Guanyin, a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. The female form holds a pot in her hands. She appears draped...

Pair of large terracotta busts depicting Apollo, crowned with laurel, and Diana, with a forehead surrounded by a crescent moon, from the Louis XVI period. These busts are presented ...

Transport yourself to 18th century America with this primitive wrought iron two-arm candle sconce, a testament to both functionality and aesthetic simplicity. The heart-shaped backpl...

Very old and beautiful hand forged iron candleholder. France, circa 1650-1750. Weathered.

This is an antique knife box. An English, flame mahogany cutlery canteen with oak fitted interior, dating to the Georgian period, circa 1770. Su...

An English Georges III period walnut box from the early 18th century with slanted lid and brass hardware. This exquisite English George III period walnut box from the early 18th cent...

Swedish turned birch Bowl 18th century Beautiful patina with soft gray tones. Old repairs and owner's mark. Made out of birch wood. Height: 9.5 cm/3.7 inch Diameter: 35 cm/13.7 inch

South Arabian Alabaster Inscription Calcite Alabaster circa 1st century A.D. ‘’Consequently, neither white marble of Paros nor any other stone which men admire can be compared with the precious stones of Arabia, since their whiteness is most brilliant, their weight the heaviest, and their smoothness leaves no room for other stones to surpass them.’’ - Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Book II, 52.9 This inscription, finely worked on an alabaster tablet, is a remarkably well preserved example of Ancient South Arabian script, with its distinct bold, angular forms, written in the Qatabanic dialect - that is, the dialect spoken by the people of the kingdom of Qataban, which ruled much of modern day Yemen from the 7th Century B.C. to the 2nd Century A.D. The text, which reads: ‘[... ...]sa?d and Ma?add?i- / (of the lineage) of Hawfa- / She entrusted Anb- / against any malfeasance (which would remove it) from its place’ - indicates that it likely served to commemorate a temple offering. The quality of the script, incised so neatly into the surface of the alabaster, tells us that this piece was commissioned by somebody of considerable wealth and prestige, employing a scribe of equally considerable expertise. South Arabia was known throughout the ancient world for its incredible wealth - so much so that the Romans termed the region ‘Arabia Felix’ - literally, ‘Happy, or Fortunate, Arabia.’ That wealth was built largely on the trade of spices and incense, in which the Kingdom of Qataban played a major part. According to Pliny the Elder, this was the sole country through which frankincense could be exported, first being collected in the city of Shabwa, on the South Arabian coast, and from there travelling by camel up to Gaza, to be shipped all across the Mediterranean - not only that, but all growers of myrrh across Arabia were required to give a quarter of their yield to the king of the Qatabanians. As such, the kingdom became exceedingly rich and powerful, and Pliny goes on to tell us that ‘The nations of the Larendani and the Catabani, and the Gebanitæ [...] occupy a great number of towns, the largest of which are Nagia, and Thomna (the capital of Qataban) with sixty-five temples, a number which fully bespeaks its size.’ Because of the nature of its exports, frankincense in particular - the ‘sweat of of the gods’ according to the Egyptian Book of the Dead, and perhaps most famous as one of the three gifts brought to the newborn Christ - being closely associated with the divine, South Arabia’s reputation in antiquity was as a mysterious, almost sacred, and - crucially - extraordinarily wealthy region, at the very edge of the known world; in the words of Herodotus: ‘’Enough of marvels, and yet the land of Arabia gives off a scent as sweet as if divine.’’ This inscription invokes the protection of god Anbay, the judge-oracle of the chief god ‘Amm, who he served as an attendant. Much of what we know of the religious life of the ancient South Arabians comes to us from early Islamic texts, describing what is known in Islamic scholarship as ‘Jahiliyyah’ - the age before the advent of Islam in Arabia. What comes across in much of these texts is that these religious practices placed a great deal of emphasis on sacred stones, perhaps linked to the brilliance of the alabaster which is local to the region, and which a great many of the cult-objects produced in this time are made from. Hisham ibn-Al-Kalbi’s Book of Idols records: ‘’The Arabs were passionately fond of worshipping idols [...] Whenever a traveller stopped at a place or station in order to rest or spend the night, he would select for himself four stones, pick out the finest among them and adopt it as his god, and use the remaining three as supports for his cooking-pot.’’ This inscription was once in the collection of the intrepid British-Australian travel...

Superb offering dish in brass from the end of the 16th century/early 17th century circa 1600 from Nuremberg-Germany Very beautiful large offering dish with a rose sculpture in its ce...

At the center, it features five elegant cranes depicted against a pond setting, each portrayed in varying postures. The background harmoniously incorporates lotus flowers and other a...

An early Japanese lacquer Maki-e decorated kobako (small storage box) circa 18th century (Edo period). Based on its form and size, this kobako was possibly used as a Chabako to store...

Transport yourself to the opulent splendor of the 18th century with this exquisite find: the lid of a rare baroque hatbox dating back to around 1740. Crafted from sturdy wood, this l...

A very nicely decorated plate. Top Quality painting & rare scene. Additional information: Material: Porcelain & Pottery Region of Origin: China Period: 17th century Ming (1368 - 162...

An absolute top quality Kangxi plate. Superbly painted in Wucai style. Marked on the base with an incense burner. The first of this kind we have ever seen in our career. Additional ...

A very nicely decorated set of 6 dishes in Blue and white with a lovely and high quality landscape scene. Additional information: Material: Porcelain & Pottery Region of Origin: Chi...

A very nicely decorated set of 6 dishes in Blue and white with a lovely and high quality landscape scene. Additional information: Material: Porcelain & Pottery Color: Blue & White R...

Very nice edo period example in nice condition, 18th century. A Japanese pair of Kakiemon tea bowls / chocolate cups. Marked on all pieces. Additional information: Material: Porcela...

Paire of Claire de lune glazed vases with applied Lacquer decoration. Very unusual decoration and lovely pieces. Additional information: Material: Porcelain & Pottery Japanese Style...

High quality Chinese export porcelain, chine de commande. Qianlong, c. 1740-1750 Of octagonal form; decorated in famille verte and famille rose enamels, bianco-sopra-bianco, and go...

High quality Chinese export porcelain, chine de commande. Qianlong, c. 1740-1750 Of octagonal form; decorated in famille verte and famille rose enamels, bianco-sopra-bianco, and go...

This lovely unusual designed dish from the early 17th century. Pictured are shells or shellfish on blue (ocean) and white (beach) ground. Additional information: Material: Porcelai...

A very nicely made 18th century Qianlong Amsterdam Bont porcelain plate with a rare scene of stadholder Willem IV of Orange and his wife. Well documented in the literature these kind of European scenes. We take a look at Amsterdams Bont porcelain from China. A relatively unknown niche of Chinese porcelain from ca 1680-1740 that was partly decorated in Europe. Because mainstream Chinese collectors have yet to discover the historical significance of these wares they are relatively easy to find in Holland. While also being highly interesting and of often super quality and with an amazing array of decorations. Amsterdams Bont is a name given to porcelain partly decorated in the Netherlands (most likely in cities like Delft, Haarlem, Makkum). Because Amsterdam was at this moment in time the trade centre of the western world and also of the porcelain trade a lot of this over enamelling was probably commissioned by Amsterdam merchants, to reap higher profits on otherwise boring Chinese wares. The name Amsterdam Bont probably derives from the fact that these type of decorated ware was sold by Amsterdam Merchants. Amsterdam Bont consists of either blanc or under glaze blue decorated Chinese porcelain of basic quality, that was later enhanced with red and sometimes other colours in the Netherlands. It must not be mistaken for other type of Chinese & Japanese blanc wares decorated in Europe. Those we simply call European Decorated Chinese porcelain. Amsterdam Bont really is easily recognisable by its colour and style. An interesting side note is that a similar process of overdecorating with red was done in London in more or less the same colours. Method of manufacturing. This enhancemend was done on “petit feux” or small fire at a lower temperature. This technique of baking enamels on a lower temperature that was perfected in the Delft around 1670-1680 to compete with the colourfull Japanese porcelain of the time. At the turn of the 17th c Chinese porcelain...

We were lucky enough and also proud to be able to buy this Chinese porcelain Puce dish, very rare decoration in gilt and pink. Central scene of a fishermen/trading village. French w...

An extremely rare 18th century George III period miniature japanned collector’s cabinet depicting Oriental scenes, exotic birds, pagodas, butterflies etc. England, circa 1795. Origi...

An Italian 18th century painted wood candlestick from Tuscany with touches of gilt. Created in central Italy during the 18th century, this Tuscan candlestick features a painted struc...

Pair of Large Chinese Famille Rose Vases, circa 1770

RARE OFFICE ARK Indo-Portuguese, from the 17th century (early) in ebony. Rectangular box with drawer. Opens with a lid secured by 2 hinges. The decoration limited by ivo.. fillet...

Just in, this rare and exceptional collection of seven French 18Th C. Straw Marquetry Bottles. These were made by convicts in the 18Th century. This is a very rare collection, you ...

This 18th-century gilt bronze & Egitto Serpentino urn is modeled after the opulent design of one of the last gilders of the Versailles Court, Pierre Gouthière. An identical urn is he...

Large Virgin and Child Statue in Majesty, seated, holding Christ in her left hand. Sixteenth century Mosan(?) work. Oak wood, hollowed out at the back. No traces of original gilt no...

Very old and beautiful hand forged iron candleholder. Amazing period piece with a very pure and rustic design. Despite of its high age this candleholder is still very strong. France...

PAIRE DE TORCHERES « AUX LIONS », PERIODE DE GEORGE III 1790 - 1800, TRAVAIL ANGLAIS Paire de torchères tripodes, constituées d'un fût cannelé et décoré d'un frise de feuilles d'ea...

Our monumental ormolu bronze centerpiece in the Louis XVI style has a stand, an impressive 33 inches tall, depicts a pair of standing putti with neoclassical foliate designs, and a c...

Swedish Birch Bowl/Trough dated 1779 Owner marks and roman letters: MDCCLXXIX Beautiful patina. Made out of birch wood. Height: 7 cm/2.7 inch Depth: 17.5 cm/6.8 inch Widht: 33 cm/...

An Italian Brass cast bench Hanukkah lamp made in the Renaissance era of the 18th century. A pair of rampant lions leaning on a goblet-shaped burning incense alter is reminiscent of...

This huge megalodon tooth is five to ten million years old out of South Carolina, USA. The megalodon was the biggest predatory shark to ever live. Reaching lengths of 70 feet or more...

Very pretty 18th Century decorative shaped box, it used to be a tea caddy and is made in wood with burl wood veneer and hand painted decoration. Back from the days when tea was worth...

A lacquered wood sculpture of a sitting Cherub hand carved and painted in Italy in the early 18th century. The cherub has been mounted on late 19th century on a wood base. It's in or...

Very beautiful sculpture representing Saint Anne and the Virgin Mary in polychrome wood - France from the 18th century in oak Very beautiful sculpture representing Saint Anne on a c...

Two wooden sculptures depicting a bishop and a cardinal, attributed to the sculptor Francesco Bertoz. Active in Rome in 1693 and then in Padua and Venice from 1719 onwards. Above a l...

This huge megalodon tooth is five to ten million years old out of South Carolina, USA. The megalodon was the biggest predatory shark to ever live. Reaching lengths of 70 feet or more...