Twins Seven-Seven & Nigerian Modern Art

Twins Seven Seven

I’ve collected etchings since I was at school and I added a real gem – with an unexpected background – to my collection last month. I was drawn to it in the auction catalogue due to the incredibly intricate and fantastical design and the size – it measures a large 50cm (19.75in) by 37.5cm (14.75in). […]

Le Clip! C’est Chic! Le Clip Swiss Quartz Watches

Le Clip Watch

I couldn’t resist this tiny, but oh-so evocative, 1980s relic when I chanced across it in Past Caring, one of my favourite London vintage shops. This small plastic Le Clip quartz watch was meant to be clipped onto the lapel of your jacket, your jacket pocket, or even your tie or shirt. The circular grey […]

Sam Herman – An Early Work – Vase No.73

Sam Herman Glass Vase

BBC antiques and design expert Mark Hill looks at the work of the internationally renowned pioneer studio glass artist Sam Herman in light of a recent discovery.

An Art Deco Glass Vase – But Who Made It?

Stevens Williams Art Deco Glass Vase English Made Fleur de lis

Sometimes we don’t know what it is. Well, actually, it’s obvious what it is – a glass vase. With an Art Deco pattern. The more astute of you will know that it was firstly mould blown, with hot-worked green swirls being then applied. It was then acid-etched with an Art Deco floral and foliate pattern […]

Ludwig Hohlwein Design Enamelled Glass

Ludwig Hohlwein Glass

Ludwig Hohlwein (1874-1949) is one of the most celebrated and successful poster artists of the early 20th century. Renowned for his use of flat, interlocking planes of bold, contrasting colours with sharply defined forms, he reached the height of his skills from c1912-25. He trained in Munich as an architect, but moved into poster design […]

Michael Harris’ ‘Fish’ – The Earliest Example Yet?

Michael Harris Fish Vase Mdina Glass

An examination of an early Fish vase designed and made by Michael Harris and made at the Royal College Of Art, London, therefore before those made at Mdina Glass.

Who Made My Victorian Epergne?

I can’t resist a bargain, so when I saw this small epergne on a market stand in Hampstead for £10, I reached for my wallet. The detail of the pewter base is wonderful, being made up of three swans with outstretched wings on a base of lily leaves and branches evoking a pond. A group […]

Totally Random ‘Folk Art’ Collage Picture

Folk Art Collage Picture

As regular readers of my blog will know, I buy a lot of pictures and prints. I began buying them at school, when I was 15, and they’re all still surrounding me, spread around our home. And I honestly like all of them as much today as I did when I bought them. Whether or […]