Caring for Antiques
Your !ea "nds valued, plus longcase clock care
This issue, our experts investigate a gure of the ‘Laughing Buddha’ plus a set of unusually decorated copper dishes. What will we discover about their stories, and how much are they currently worth? A Collector’s Happy Hotei
My husband has been collecting Hoteis since he was a lad. Over the years, he has picked them up from all over the place, usually at car boot sales and markets. I love them too, and they share our home, happily popping up all over the place. This one is his favourite – he loves the detail of the hands and feet. I am afraid we know li" le about him. I have Googled the signature ‘Diogene’ and not found anything. We would love to know more about him, if you could help. Sarah Larkin, via email Hotei ( Budai in Chinese) is a semi-mythological monk and deity who allegedly lived in the 10th century. He represents contentment and abundance, and is almost always depicted with a smiling expression, hence the nickname, the ‘Laughing Buddha’.
Your !gure appears to be carved from alabaster, or possibly even moulded in resin. The inscription, ‘ Diogene’, is perhaps indicative of where this was made, rather than a speci !c sculptor. Diogenes was an ancient Greek philosopher and Cynic, who famously told Alexander the Great to ‘stand out of my light’. This !gure was most likely produced in Greece, expressly for the tourist market, perhaps following an in "ux of Chinese tourists in the la#er part of the last century. Its value, therefore, is likely to be a few pounds only, or indeed, a half- drachma! BF
Copper Collection
I came across a small group of what was described as ‘ Victorian copper trays’ on an auction site. I put in a bid and was delighted to win for the sum of £18! On one of them I found a maker’s mark but I haven’t been able to ! nd out who the maker was. I would be grateful if one of your experts could help in any way. Brian Edgeworth, via email
The dishes date from 1900 and are in the Arts and Cra $s style. This movement championed the skill of a person rather than a machine. The raised decoration is called repoussé and will be hand ! nished. The daisy heads on the squared dish are similar to those on pieces by Richard Rathbone, but this isn’t his mark. They look to be very good quality and I would place an estimate of £30 to £50 each. AS