Collectables
JOHN MCPHEE EVALUATES READERS’ PRECIOUS OBJECTS.
I HAVE THREE
Toby jugs that belonged to my father — one large one with the name Paddy on it and two miniature jugs. Each has a Royal Doulton crest on the base but the large jug has a different crest with a lion and the initials A.L. Jane Francis, CAMPBELLTOWN, NSW
Paddy was a very popular Royal Doulton character jug and hundreds of examples, probably thousands, were made. It was discontinued in 1960 after 23 years in production. The initials A.L. almost certainly refer to the painter, but I have been unable to identify that person. Unfortunately, Paddy’s popularity means that many were produced and the value does not compare with the rarer examples, such as Mephistopheles, an example of which sold at auction for $390 in 2017. I would value the large jug at $50 and the small jugs at $25 each.
I RECENTLY ACQUIRED
this oil painting on board. Information printed on the back states it was painted by Esteban Murillo in 1656/Spanish School, that it is an original and is titled The Sunny-boy. It also reads National Gallery of Fine Arts, London. Helen Hewens, PORT MACQUARIE, NSW
This is a copy of Bartolome Esteban Murillo’s A Peasant Boy Leaning on a Sill. Painted in 1670, the original is in London’s National Gallery. I regret to say this is a rather crude copy produced by a jobbing artist to be sold as a souvenir. Murillo (1617–1682), was a Spanish artist famous for his religious paintings. Some of his religious subjects are depicted as ordinary people, so a Holy Family might look like a well-off couple with a child — perhaps his neighbours. Murillo also delighted in painting portraits of people who were part of his daily life such as flower sellers, street urchins and beggars. The realism that he brought to religious imagery won him many admirers. Your painting’s value is sentimental.
John Mcphee is an art historian who has worked in art museums for 30 years and was curator of Australian Decorative Arts at the National Gallery of Australia. If you have a precious (or simply mysterious) object that puzzles you, send your inquiry, along with a colour print or high-resolution digital image, your suburb or town, and your daytime telephone number, to austcountrystyle@bauer-media.com.au. The photographs must be clear and show the whole object against a white background. Photographs will not be returned, even if they are not published.