Carmarthen coracle under the spotlight at market
THE sight of coracle fishermen on the river Tywi in Carmarthenshire is a relatively common one, and while it is a tradition that goes back generations it is something that is still celebrated today.
An early 20th Century china ‘Carmarthen coracle’ being sold at the next Carmarthen Antiques and Flea Market tomorrow is therefore expected to attract quite some attention.
The model is a piece of ‘Goss china,’ the term used to refer to the products made in the Falcon Pottery, in Stoke on Trent, owned by William Henry Goss.
In the early 1880s William’s eldest son, Adolphus, joined his father’s firm. He had been raised in a home adorned with his father’s collection of antiques and as a child Adolphus took a great interest in heraldry. It was this interest that was behind his suggestion to his father that the company take advantage of the new market of seaside souvenir collecting. It began by producing miniature copies of Greek and Roman pots and vases decorated with the coat of arms of coastal towns.
This caught on in a big way and by the turn of the century had become a collecting craze. Virtually every town and city in Britain had its arms produced and sold through a Goss-appointed agent.
It is believed that, in 1910, some 95% of homes in Britain had some form of crested china on the mantelpiece. Pieces made by Goss were highly regarded and the most collected.
The Goss Carmarthen coracle being sold at the market was commissioned, or as it says on the piece ‘published,’ by Colby Evans of Guildhall Square in Carmarthen. What makes it particularly special is that it is a Carmarthen coracle with a Carmarthen crest. It wasn’t uncommon for a Carmarthen coracle to pop up elsewhere with, for example, a Cardiff crest.
Therefore, coracle enthusiasts and china collectors alike are expected to take an interest in the piece which will be sold for just £40.
The market runs between 10am and 4pm and admission is £4 for adults with accompanied children free of charge.
For more information, visit www.towyevents. co.uk or call 01267 236569.