Danish design in style
THIS OLD THING
Q.I inherited this table, along with some other Danish teak furniture, from a 92-year-old German lady friend of mine who worked in Ottawa in the 1960s. It is an original piece from Denmark, solidly built, measures 145 x 89 x 49 cm (57 x 35 x 19 inches), and is in excellent condition. The designer’s initials “LM” are on the original label, still attached to the table’s bottom. The beautiful ceramic inlay is one solid piece, and looks like copper may have been used to give it the blue and green hues. Can you tell me if it’s worth keeping? — Jacqueline, Ottawa
A.Danish design is very hot right now, and this is a stunner. These large coffee tables were very popular in the 1960s, and this is Mid-Century Modern at its finest. The base style is distinctly Scandinavian, similar to a trestle table, but lacking the stretcher between the two “T” pedestals. I could not identify a designer attached to “L.M.,” but the initials do turn up in Danish furniture circles. The mottled hues of the ceramic inlay are gorgeous, and do indeed recall similar works done on copper. Geography plays a major role in attaining values for antiques right now. This will be worth about $1,800 in most places, but could be tagged at as much as $4,000 if sold through a high-end retailer in New York.
Q.I’m looking after the estate of my parents and came across this silver mug. It’s quite heavy for its size of almost 11 cm high (4.25 inches) and it has a gold look inside. There are a series of marks around the side. I’m curious if you can shed some light on where it is from and how valuable it might be. — Kitt, Toronto
A.The marks you mention tell us quite a bit about this little family treasure. The lion hallmark tells us it is sterling silver, the crowned leopard head shows it was made in London, England, and the date codes indicate it was made between 1800 and 1801. The maker’s mark appears to be “JE,” likely John Emes, listed as a silver and goldsmith at that time. The gold wash, often gone with washing over the years, was meant to prevent tarnish on the interior surfaces. It’s a pleasant piece of simple, elegant design — a noted contrast to the coming busy designs of the Victorian era. These mugs are quite rare, and only turn up from collections these days. It’s worth a solid $500.
Q.We acquired this painting recently. I’ve consulted a number of people in order to get their opinion of what part of the world is represented here, and the consensus is “along the St. Lawrence River/the Charlevoix region,” but nobody was able to come up with an actual spot. I’ve pulled together lots of info about Wickenden (1861-1931). Measurements are 37 by 54 cm (14.5 x 21 inches). I think I found one painting by him in the National Gallery of Canada. — Ed, Val-des-Monts, Quebec
A.Robert John Wickenden (1860A.1931)
was born in Rochester, England, and trained largely at l’Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France, before setting up his first studio in Montreal in 1900. He worked in oil and watercolour as well as lithography, and covered parts of Connecticut as well as areas between Ottawa and Quebec City in his work. He exhibited with several art associations, including the Royal Academy of Arts, the Art Association of Montreal and L’Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts in France. Along with landscapes and floral studies he was known for doing portraits of prominent people. Researching unidentified locations in paintings is an alluring pastime, and I’d say your guess is a good one. Few of Wickenden’s works have shown up at auction over the last 20 years, but they always attract attention, as this one will. It’s worth about $1,200. John Sewell is an antiques and fine art appraiser. To submit an item to this column, go to the Contact John page at www.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 must also be included. (Only email submissions accepted.) Appraisal values are estimates only.