MAN OF DOON STILL INFLUENTIAL
Q We have this oil painting on canvas by Homer Watson. I don’t know that there is a title for it. It shows three fishermen and a log across a river. The size is 46 x 61 centimetres (18 x 24 inches), not counting the frame. We are interested in a current value, even though we’re not thinking of selling it, and anything else you can provide. Thank you.
Susan, Guelph
A This painting appeared in
1975 in an exhibit of the art and life of Homer Ransford Watson (1855-1936) put on by the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery titled Nature Seen Through a Temperament. Your painting was listed with the title of The Sunset and given a date of 1907. Born in the village of Doon, now part of the southern edge of Kitchener, Watson’s career was launched into orbit when the Marquis of Lorne purchased his painting The Pioneer Mill for Queen Victoria in 1880. The vivid sunset, figures fishing and the fallen tree over a stream with trees in the background represent what Watson captured particularly of the Ontario landscape while spending most of his life in Doon. He was a founder of the Canadian Art Club and president of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Watson’s paintings continue to sell well locally and much further abroad. You have a $10,000 painting.
Q My vase, signed “R. Lalique France,” was a wonderful find at a goodwill store for $4.99 while looking for a planter. The model name is Saint-Francois. It looks amazing when the light hits it and brings out the awesome opalescent colour and makes the birds really pop out blue. I measured it to be 18 cm tall (7 in.). While I don’t think I’ll be taking my retirement, I am hoping it is authentic. Kindest regards,
Antonietta, Montreal
A I think you should look for planters more often. Lalique glass is always outstanding quality and collectors pay more for earlier pieces, like yours, with the initial R in the stencilled signature. After René Lalique died in 1945, they dropped the initial. Your design was put into production about 1930. There is a subtle applied blue patination present that Lalique used on some pieces. The small feeding birds are a realistic depiction of nature, which Lalique was a great admirer of. There are some chips on the foot rim but chips on the top rim would be more problematic to value. I think a collector would enhance your pocket book by a $1,000 for your handsome find.
Q I don’t believe this mysterious item has a value as such, but I would love to know what you think it is derived from and how old it might be. My mother, in England, used it in her garden as a dibbler — a tool for making planting holes in the soil for bulbs or seedlings. Some of my 19th-century ancestors were coachmakers and blacksmiths who worked on trains. It looks as if it was filed or worn down from something else. It is very heavy, about a half kilogram (one pound) and 24 cm long (9.5 in.). Does the handle pattern give it a time period? Thanks for your interest.
Val Wright, Ottawa
A Many people in the trades are apt to pick up useful tools that may not directly relate to their specialty. You have a ring-sizing tool — the tapered end would have graduations on it where the ring slid down to the size indication. It has been corroded from the moist soil over time. The cast iron pattern is typical of items made in the late 1800s and early 1900s. This rare item was only made for a jeweller’s use. The condition is acceptable since the handle is in very good condition but it would be worth more if the graduations were present on the end. I could not find an example the same as this one. It’s worth about $65, but its interest far surpasses that.
John Sewell is an antiques and fine art appraiser. To submit an item to his column, go to the Contact John page at johnsewellantiques.ca. Please measure your piece, say when and how you got it, what you paid and list any identifying marks. A high-resolution jpeg photo must also be included. (Only email submissions accepted.)
*Appraisal values are estimates only.*