Western Morning News (Saturday)
Get a taste of history
ONE of the most wonderful aspects of buying at auctions is the opportunity it presents to learn something new. Particularly in an antiques saleroom like Lay’s Auctioneers in Penzance, where there is such a myriad of weird and wonderful things to see and buy, it would be pretty remarkable if the average person knew the whys and wherefores of everything on view.
Amongst the many fascinating lots in Lay’s next Antiques & Modern Design Sale on April 20 and 21, are three gallons of Royal Navy rum. Each gallon is contained within a wax sealed stoneware jar or flagon, protected by a wicker basket.
These flagons, lots 127, 128 and 129, were bought from a bonded warehouse in Gibraltar in the 1970s, so are over 50 years old and fantastic examples of distilling and naval history. For example, did you know that right up until 1970 sailors were afforded a daily ration, known as a ‘tot’ of rum?
This British naval tradition dates back to 1655, but on the 31st of July 1970 henceforth known as Black Tot Day the tradition was consigned to the history books and the ration suspended. Admiral Peter Hill-Norton abolished the rum ration as he felt it could have led to sailors failing a breathalyser test and being less able to manage machinery.
Unsurprisingly, sailors were unhappy about the loss of the rum ration and on the day, there were reports of sailors throwing tots into the sea and the staging of a mock funeral.
Although the rum ration was abolished, the order to ‘Splice the Mainbrace’ (awarding sailors an extra tot of rum) has remained. This is a command which can only be given by the Monarch and is used to recognise good service or is given on special occasions such as a royal wedding or investiture.
With the impending coronation of King Charles in May, there never was a better time to buy a slice of true Naval History in order to Splice the Mainbrace and celebrate!
The flagons of rum in Lay’s sale perfectly represent a tradition that stretches back across the centuries, but in the ‘Modern Design’ section of the sale can be found ceramics and furniture that although not 100 years old, or officially ‘antique,’ have become design classics that have huge appeal to collectors.
The most striking are the ceramics of Clarice Cliff, firstly because of her use of bold, bright colours and geometric shapes, but in Lay’s next sale, it is the quantities that will also bowl you over. “Without doubt, the finest, single-owner collection of Clarice Cliff I have seen in over 45 years of business,” was David Lay’s verdict when he first saw this remarkable collection hidden behind the unassuming doors of a small property in mid-Cornwall.
The collection, with its vast array of shapes and dazzling colours, is breathtaking when seen en masse.
Highlights of the collection include a Bizarre Inspiration Persian pattern, twin handled vase, circa 1930 and a tennis pattern bowl, the bowl modelled with angular forms so evocative of high art-deco, that Clarice Cliff collectors love.
The zenith of Clarice Cliff collecting may have been reached at the turn of the century, but this collection could fetch around £20,000 and will certainly cause a stir when it goes online before Lay’s Antiques & Modern Design Sale on April 20 and 21.
There are nearly 800 lots to browse through and they can be viewed via the beautifully illustrated online catalogue at www.davidlay.co.uk.