This Old Thing,
Q This needlework picture was found in a small Leamington house purchased by my grandparents in the 1940s or ’50s. It measures 43.5 x 79.5 cm (31 x 17 inches), and is very fine work. Although the frame is quite old and the backing is a bit tattered, the fabric itself is still in good shape.
I’m hoping you can provide some advice and direction on what type of work this is, and a value if possible.
Thanks very much for providing this research. Scott, Windsor
A Tapestries have fascinated people for hundreds of years, and your peacock is a nice example. The crispness of the design leads me to suspect it was made commercially, or at least from an established pattern.
The peacock itself has always been a popular design motif, but rose to prominence during the Art Nouveau (18901910) and Art Deco (1925-1940) eras.
That, plus the fresh white background, leads me to date your tapestry to circa 1930.
Although your peacock is depicted with Asian foliage, it was the French who were leaders in tapestry production at this time, so I suspect the piece was created somewhere in France.
It will find an appreciative buyer for around $175.
Vase could bring top dollar
Q My mother, who came to Canada in 1945, inherited this cloisonne vase from her parents who lived in Scotland. It stands 76 cm in height (30 inches) and is in very good condition. I’ve photographed the interesting mark on the bottom.
Any information and value would be helpful. I’m thinking
of selling it. Thank you. Ann, Waterloo
A Cloisonné, a technique for decorating metalwork with brightly coloured enamel, is notoriously difficult to assess, so I consulted Anthony Wu, Asian Art Specialist at Toronto’s Waddingtons.ca auction house.
He dates your Chinese baluster-shaped vase to the late Qing Dynasty (circa 1875-1910), and groups it with work intended for both domestic and export markets. The special markings, also done in cloisonné, form a “reign mark,” paying homage to the earlier Jingtai reign of the Ming Dynasty (1450-1456), thought to have produced the very finest cloisonné enamel wares. Yours is a significant piece in an area where good work is hard to find, and Wu expects it will fetch about $4,000 at auction
Victorian buffet in grand style
Q My parents purchased this buffet at a Montreal auction after their marriage in November 1940. They knew nothing else about its origins, so I hope you may be able to offer some idea of its age and place of manufacture.
The marble top is 127 centimetres wide, 49 cm deep, and about 100 cm high (50 x 19 x 39 inches). The mirror frame is 60 cm (24 inches) high to the top of the decorative carving. I have not found any markings. Thank you. Bill, Moncton, N.B.
A Your beautiful buffet is best classified as “Victorian,” a term that includes anything made and used during the reign of the great Queen Victoria (1837-1901).
It dates specifically from the latter part of the rococo revival (somewhere between 1845 and 1865), as evidenced by the scrolls, curves and carved foliage seen in the mirror frame, as well as the curvaceous cabriole front corner pilasters.
Given its provenance, the piece was quite likely made by one of Quebec’s top furniture makers of the time, but such work was also created in the U.S., Ontario and New Brunswick.
The beautifully bookmatched mahogany veneer facing the doors and drawer is magnificent, and the marble top adds a note of refined grandeur. Sadly, today’s antique market is soft and unpredictable for most furniture, and your lovely buffet — although worth about $1,250 — may sell for as little as $1,000 or as much as $1,500.