Frank Thrower’s Rare Dartington Glass Jar

Just because something is rare, it doesn’t have to be expensive. High values come from a mercurial combination of condition, age, rarity and the ever-present law of supply and demand. So I was delighted to stumble across this curvaceous Dartington storage jar for £22 at last week’s National Glass Fair in Birmingham. It was designed […]

Magical Mayan Ceramics in Mexico

Having spent an entire day the previous week at the vast and awesome National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, I was keen to find out more about Mayan ceramics. To be honest, I was actually more keen to own a bit as I always prefer that when looking into an area. Although my knowledge […]

The 2012 Portland Vase Project & Books

The Portland vase is one of the most famous pieces of glass in the world, and is also amongst the oldest, finest and most celebrated. Made in ancient Rome around AD5-25, it can now be seen in the British Museum, having previously been in many prestigious collections. Collectors who owned it before 1810 include (in […]

Mexican Folk Art & Design – A New Trend?

As well as being relaxing, the two weeks I spent in Mexico for our Summer holiday this year were most revealing. I had never really considered Mexican design before and, although I had seen Mexican folk art, I hadn’t considered it properly. These two weeks gave ample opportunities, from visiting museums to wandering the streets […]

Victorian Glass & Who Made The Autumnal Range?

As I was typing this post about this range, I realised what an appropriate time of year it was to be doing so considering the name of the range! Regular readers of my blog or Twitter account will know that I believe that much Victorian glass is both under-rated and under-valued for what it is. […]

More About The Flower Painter Mystery

Those of you who have bought Alla Moda, my new book on mid-century Italian ceramics, will have seen a double page spread of quirky ceramics by an as yet unknown company and designer who ‘signs’ each piece with a stylised four petalled flower. I’ve pretty much fallen in love with them! At the Midcentury Fair […]

Sumptuous Inspiration From Decorative Collective

At the recent Battersea Decorative & Antiques Fair, The Decorative Collective, a group of like-minded and talented dealers launched ‘Interiors Inspired By…’, an exciting new book. As you’d expect, the book is lavishly illustrated with eye-wateringly beautiful shots of interiors containing and inspired by antiques supplied by member of the collective. But it’s a little […]

My Blog Rated In Top Six Antiques Blogs

I was delighted to find that my blog was rated as one of the ’50 Best Blogs’ for 2012 by Homes & Antiques magazine. All 50 were profiled in the August issue of the magazine, which was also the ‘vintage special’. The 50 top picks were divided up into different categories, from ‘Eat, Drink, Travel […]

Book Review: Killer Stuff & Tons of Money

As the nights grow chilly and draw in on us, there’s nothing more enjoyable than the cliché of curling up on a comfortable antique chair with a good book. Books about antiques and collecting that don’t focus on a particular subject area are rare, probably due to the potentially limited readership. Those that do get […]

They’re still out there – A Gambone Bargain!

My friend and fellow mid-century pottery fan Emiel Monnink of Retrominded and I were chatting online last week. I had just met a friend of his at the excellent Ardingly antiques fair, and he had just found a piece of Italian pottery for me to look at. I found the story fascinating, and (almost) completely […]

Antiques & Flea Markets in Mexico City II

I’ve split my blog posts about antiquing in Mexico City into two, each focusing on different areas of the city, to make it easier to read. My first post, which covers the two nearby markets in the upcoming Roma Norte district, can be read by clicking here. If you’re looking for something more upscale than […]

Image Three Design – Michael Harris & Metalware

When you’re researching a book, you invariably come across fascinating information which isn’t strictly related to the subject of the book, but really ought to be recorded anyway. When I was researching for my book on Michael Harris and his work at Mdina Glass and Isle of Wight Studio Glass (now out of print), my […]