Clem Ainslie of the Harvey School: An important discovery for Australian Pottery fans.

A Slight Deviation.

While we've always been focussed on the earliest ceramics, there's a whole world out there called the 20th century.....

It recently caught up with us, and it was a remarkable experience. I have always admired the Martin Brothers pottery, and the associated Arts & Crafts movement potters, who went back to basics and created hand-sculpted pieces in the earlier manner, turning their backs on the mass-produced 'ceramics for the masses' of the later 19th century.

      In Australia, this idea takes root in Brisbane, in the classes of Mr L.J.Harvey who taught at the Brisbane Technical College during the 1920's and 30's. One of his main ideas was that each pot should be unique, and so he did not teach or allow the wheel to be used: the results of wheel-made pots were all too alike. It was from this hotbed of creativity that a young lady discovered her passion for sculpting pots, and it was our good fortune to discover her daughter living in Geelong with an amazing collection of 40 of her mothers creations.

But there is a mystery: she is not in any of the books on this interesting period of pottery in Australia.

She is an unknown potter, and we are delighted to have re-discovered her.

The Kookaburra Vase, by Clem Ainslie of the Harvey School, 1927

Introducing Clem Ainslie

Isabella Clementina Ainslie was born in Brisbane in 1888. She had an artistic temperament, and it was only natural that in 1923, she found the classes of Mr Harvey most agreeable, so much so that she continued to go along for the next 14 years. In this time, her daughter estimates she produced a few hundred pots, many as gifts, and as special orders from people who had seen others with her work in their drawing rooms and wanted their own.

The Crane Vase - by Clem Ainslie 1924

Her style was varied, and follows the Harvey School tradition with 'exercise' pieces showing her honing her skills at sculpting clay. She does a series of excellent pots in the Australiana taste, such as the Kookaburra Vase above. However, her most intriguing show her exploring her own creativity; the Crane Vase of 1924 and the Egyptian pieces illustrate her talents. The latter, from a time just after the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, are apparently unique in the field of Australian art pottery from the period.

The Egyptian Vase by Clem Ainslie, 1927

Each piece is marked quite clearly, and yet she doesn't appear in the publications on the subject of Australian Pottery. 

Moorabool has taken it on themselves to rectify this situation, and has published a beautifully illustrated book, titled 'Isabella Clementina Ainslie of the Harvey School'. For more info, many illustrations, and the ability to purchase your own copy, visit the website set up to promote this once forgotten lady potter:

Clem Ainslie's Website

Avarian Antics

Moorabool has recently become home to quite a number of exotic birds.

Berlin Birds.....

This remarkable pair of White Partridges are incredibly rare, being the product of a short lived factory in Berlin Known as the Wegely factory after its founder, it only lasted for 5 short years, 1752-57.
Any pieces from this period are rare, but a pair of charismatic birds are the ultimate.

Rare pair of White Partridges, by Wegely of Berlin 1752-7

From Meissen comes this delightful group, known as the 'Billing Doves' - modelled by Kaendler in the early 1740's, this group circa 1745.

Meissen 'Billing Doves' by Kaendler, circa 1745

Derby Bird Service plate by Dodson, circa 1820

Our cover art for our 2013 catalogue was this rather bright Derby dish circa 1820. From a bird service painted by the well respected Derby artist Dodson, it depicts a turkey, a parrot, and an odd flying bird about to crash into them. The turkey has had a colour make-over, and is either rather small in size - or the parrot next to it is HUGE!

Chelsea Gold Anchor rococo vases, c. 1765

This pair of Gold Anchor Chelsea vases circa 1765 is pure rococo in form, and bears its birds as gold silhouettes - the details being inscribed to a very fine standard.

 This detail and the one below comes from a Meissen knife handle of the 1760's, and has charming farmyard birds painted to the grip on either side. The image you are seeing is enlarged, the originals are miniature works of art.....

This knife handle is Chelsea circa 1760, and shows an unusual composition of two birds within rococo frames.

Bow candlestick bird groups, circa 1765

 This pair of candlesticks are remarkable, being made at the Bow factory in London in around 1765. They have two yellow birds each, who are guarding a nest of hatchlings hidden in the flowery branches - while at the foot of the tree a dog and a lamb sit patiently. The sconces are original, and are formed as tulips - exotic and expensive items at this period of history - and are supported on original tole (tin) leaf supports, rare survivors. An interesting discovery relating to these will be discussed in a future blog post - one bird is actually a 19th century English Bone China restoration!

Vienna sucrier, circa 1765

 This sucrier (sugar box) is Vienna porcelain, and dates to the 1760's. It has a rather pleased bird eyeing off a bounty of fruit spilling from a basket.

Meissen cup & saucer with bird studies, c. 1745

A Meissen cup & saucer with superb ornithological studies dates to the 1740's.

These two would have been copied from an ornithological work of the period, and appear to represent a European Kingfisher and possibly a American Woodpecker?  

Just for fun, these tiny miniature chickens and quail are Meissen porcelain - watched with interest by a Meissen cat! While these versions are 19th century, the originals were conceived in the 18th century.

These remarkable 'pith paintings' are Chinese, and date to the mid 19th century. 

What makes this example remarkable is that it is still bound within its original black lacquer covers - all 32 illustrations fold out as a continuous frieze. One side has colourful pairs of birds, the other has the story of tea - from planting the bush to packing it in the chests bound for Europe. 

Chinese pith paintings - the story of tea, mid 19th century.

Last but not least, this is an American decoy duck of great character. Hard to date, but has clearly been used, probably early 20th century.  

These items are all to be found within the covers of our 2013 catalogue -
also listed on our website, unless already sold.
Feel free to email us any questions.

Moorabool's 2013 Exhibition has started with a bang!

Busy times at Moorabool Antiques!
On Saturday 23rd February, 2013, the annual Moorabool Antique Galleries exhibition of recent acquisitions was opened. A good crowd attended, with many items being quickly 'red spotted' by keen collectors.

Taking place in our upstairs gallery, there were over 500 fresh pieces to chose from.

This was also the revealing of our new Picture Hallway- a new space that makes anything placed I it look smart!

My next post will detail some of the interesting pieces in the display, including this fabulous pair of Chelsea Gold Anchor vases.

All items in the exhibition are now listed on the Moorabool website.

Catalogue almost ready!

I am pleased to say the 2013 Moorabool catalogue is coming along nicely. Due to be released on Saturday 23rd February, it's filled with an amazing collection - over 60 pages this time!
 Here are a few items from the 500+ items in the 2013 Recent Acquisitions exhibition.

Wedgwood basalt hedgehog, or porcupine, early 19th century

Derby vase, circa 1758-60

Lowestoft coffee can, circa 1758-60

Creamware coffee pot, decorated in the workshop of David Rhodes, circa 1775

English enamel scent bottle, South Staffordshire, circa 1780

A selection of Staffordshire enamel card trays, 1780's

Blanc-de-Chine figure of Guanyin, circa 1680

Just plain silly!
A 'Grebe' jug by Brannam of Barum, circa 1900

Swansea cup & saucer, flowers by Billingsley

These are a few samples from the 2013 Catalogue. Once completed in the very near future, it will be a downloadable PDF and posted here.

Any questions, feel free to email us!

To Giles or not to Giles:

James Giles is a well-known, well-respected and well-priced name in the world of Antique Porcelain. Dealers like to add his name to a ticket, as it helps to sell.....
However, he's not always responsible for the piece attributed to him on the label.
A recent purchase of pirs was a pair of plates, Chelsea-Derby circa 1770. They are superbly decorated in a style traditionally associated with James Giles, and he is known to have sometimes used Chelsea-Derby porcelain- certainly he sold it as part of his stock.

The details are amazing: all fruits or vegetables, plus butterflies.

The cut fruit are distinctive, and often seen on Giles- although the ripening strawberries are something new- they have only reddened up one side!

Chelsea-Derby fruit specimens - note the red & yellow pear!

The butterflies are brilliant, and kept company with a cicada.

Chelsea-Derby butterflies

Chelsea-Derby insects

So are they Giles?
Yes, according to Coke who illustrates two examples in his 1983 'In Search of James Giles' book, p187- a Worcester example and a Chelsea-Derby example from a mixed service. These are curious in that they have exactly the same pattern- and repeating the pattern is not associated with Giles, where the elements of a design are usually mixed and refreshed for each piece.

Coke's book - in search of James Giles - illustrates a mixed Worcester & Chelsea-Derby service by the same hand.

He also illustrates a Liverpool bowl, now known to be Seth Pennington of Liverpool, which he claims is by the same hand, ie Giles. This has since been discredited, due to style and technique differences when compared against accepted Giles work.

These Seth Pennington pieces are addressed in Maurice Hillis's amazing 2011 book on Liverpool Porcelain- (one of the finest books on ceramics ever published, in my opinion).
Comparing the details with our Chelsea-Derby, it is clear they are another artist with a different painting style- but similar subject matter.

The Chelsea-Derby plates are a group on their own. They do not compare favourably with the accepted Giles repertoire, as defined by Hanscombe in his catalogue.

These plates are all by the same hand, on Chelsea-Derby porcelain but not factory decoration.

Stephen Hanscombe in his 2005 catalogue (for an exhibition on Giles held at Stockspring Antiques, London, and the definitive text on the subject at the moment) illustrates a related Chelsea-Derby dish from the same repeating service Coke showed, as seen above. This chapter is titled SOME POSSIBLE GILES PIECES, for while the flamboyant style, the use of cut fruit, and the odd vegetable all suggest the Giles studio was responsible for these interesting pieces, the details suggest otherwise. As Hanscombe points out, repeating patterns are rare (as in the mixed Worcester & Chelsea-Derby service linked to these plates) , the double line dentil rimis not seen on other Giles pieces, and the butterflies are quite different to established Giles versions.

James Giles features do not compare to the Chelsea-Derby cut fruit painter being discussed.

The conclusion we can make is that while not definitely Giles, they are of the same type, so one of the other decorating studios in London in the latter 18th century is the likely candidate, perhaps an unknown artist who had spent time in the Giles studio, where he picked up the unmistakeable flamboyance of the master- but with his own idiosyncrasies.

Unfortunately, Giles is the only name who has facts to flesh out his story: the other decorators are just brief mentions and guesses......

This plate will be a part of our upcoming 2013 Exhibition of Recent Acquisitions.