Collectables
JOHN MCPHEE EVALUATES READERS’ PRIZED OBJECTS AND CURIOS.
THIS LITTLE CHINA
lady was part of my great-grandmother and grandmother’s collection and is a mystery to me. Could you identify her? Also, what type of glue should I use to reattach the counterweight to the head? Kylie Edwards, Rosebery, NSW
These amusing ceramic figures with nodding heads have their origin in Asia, especially China, with some made as early as the 18th century. They were copied by many European potteries, including the famous Meissen factory. Your elegant woman wearing a kimono and playing a traditional Japanese string instrument was probably made in Germany or Austria. Her white hair assures us she was not made in Japan. You asked about repairing the broken weight, I suggest you remove as much of the old glue as you can and then use PVA glue.
I WAS HOPING
you could tell me more about this tea set that has been handed down through my family. Brian Meleng, Campbelltown, NSW
The Staffordshire pottery James Sadler and Son was established in 1882 and specialised in teapots. By about 1900 the firm was well-known for its Brown Betty teapots, produced in thousands. The barrel-shaped teapot with accompanying sugar bowl and cream jug was introduced in the 1930s and the coloured transfer decoration embellished with some gilding proved very popular. The image on your tea set is known as the thatched cottage and was probably the most popular decoration. Like others with groups of people in 18th-century dress, the imagery was a form of escapism during the Great Depression and the years leading into World War II. The firm closed in 2000. A similar tea set is in the Hokonui Pioneer Village and Museum in New Zealand.
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.