Miniature Marvel – An Orrefors Ravenna by Sven Palmqvist

Size matters! And I’d never seen one this small before. Orrefors’ legendary Ravenna range is immediately recognisable from the geometric, grid-like formation of small decorated squares on a blue (sometimes red) body. Typical of mid-century modern Scandinavian design, the forms are rounded and organic. It was designed in 1948 by the hugely talented designer Sven […]

Beautifully Battered Bears – A Steiff Worn By Time & Love

1920s antique Steiff Bear

Antiques expert Mark Hill looks at a battered antique 1920s Steiff teddy bear bought in Berlin. Worn by love but still full of character, think about the stories he holeds within him.

William Staite Murray – A Rediscovered Painting

William Staite Murray Painting

Mark Hill examines a newly rediscovered 1930s Modern British painting by studio potter and artist William Staite Murray.

A Glass Painter’s Goblet – A Rare 19th Century Discovery

Antiques expert Mark Hill examines a rare 19th century German or Bohemian enamelled glass painter’s advertising or promotional goblet.

Is This The Earliest Commercial Iridescent Glass?

In 2013, I wrote a blog post on the origins of iridescent glass. Despite credit usually going to the hugely successful Art Nouveau iridescent glass produced by Tiffany and Loetz from the 1890s onwards, the origins of iridescent glass actually date back to 1856 and a Hungarian chemist and technician called Leo Valentin Pantocek. You […]