Once again we are with the Royal Worcester factory and shwing two examples of the stunning work by its artists.The plates featured are beautifully painted and the first one shows the exceedingly high quality of the subject and the heavily embossed gold tooling giving substantail weight to the article.

The subject being Cathederals by Rushton and several scenes were produced and highly sought after.By far the gilding on this piece is superb and delights the eye where others have a gilded border these are particularly masterpieces.
A link to the painter and his times with the Royal Worcester factory can be found here....
Artist info
The next example is by the renowned artist Stinton depicting castle scenes and the border is once again gilded but not as heavily as the previous example.Here one can note that plates that have a full decoration are more sought after than those who may have a small central decoration.
The quality once again is of a high standard and here is the link to the painter and his life span with the factory.Artist info

I have 7 such plates and they are each a joy as they show just how fine and detailed the artist was in the execution of the subject.
The last entry for Royal Worcester will show the highland cattle by different artists and they in theirselves are quite astonishing that it seems to come to life.My passion with this company has spanned twenty odd years and at this stage am a little bit sad about selling some of the most celebrated pieces over the years.Well i have to eat i guess and also its a delight in passing some of these on to other collectors.
Next week i willl post the highland cattle and then a new subject to follow and i hope u will vist agin to find other treasures in the shop.Searching for something special...? ask and i hope that i can be of assistance and who knows what the back cupboard may bring forth.
If you happen to be in Zurich....why not visit the ...Golden Frog...201 Birmensdorferstrasse Kreis 3 and that is near Goldbrunnenplatz where we have a wide selection of goodies to delight the heart and here i must add....all at affordable prices.
Also visit the shop here.....shop

As promised here are two views of fruit painters from the Royal Worcester factory and i am sure that u will see the big difference yet both are super pieces.
The first image is that by Richard Seabright who was the best fruit painter of his time and is highly regarded by those who collect Royal Worcester painted wares.The vase is signed.."Seabright" and is in perfect condition.
Many years ago this piece was offered to me by a dealer who knew i had a keen interest in Royal Worcester painted wares and i was delighted as for many years i searched for a piece by him but could not afford the asking price.This one was not cheap but then i remember that i had a good sale and promptly bought this exquiste piece and its been in my cupboard for the last twenty years.

and also a link to the Worcester site....read all about him.Richard Seabright
The second piece i had bought 7 years later and had to have it as a comparison to the other and standing together the Seabright piece shines through.This one is by Harry Ayrton and here is the linkH.ayrton fruit painter

If interested in these celebrated artists there is a lot to be found but....but...at a price after all its only money and as a good friend of mine...Mrs.D.Ryan would say....shrouds donot have pockets so spend it Norman.Her words always come back to remind me of the goods i bought and the then high prices comapred todays prices....well it has proven to be having gold in the bank.
Where in the world can i get 7000% over the last 20 years...certainly not with Madoff...as i still have my investment...and its safe from those fat greedy and gruby old men.So then yeah i would not even at that time buy shares or trust bank affairs...i put all my money into top end goods and it has paid off huge dividends.I trust what i see and have and delight in its beauty and also its GREEN...nothing new....no trees cut no polllution...buying old enhances ones Karma.
Enough of what i think....and i will show a few Highland Cattle pieces next week by some of the top painters...all so exciting pulling these out of the back cupboard after so many years.Perhaps its also time that i offer them on the market....and see where my big mouth is.
Have fun and do visit "The Golden Frog" 201 Birmensdorferstrasse Kreis 3 Zurich for a large collection of porcealin ceramics and scandinavian collectibles...079 304 6892 i am only a call away.
Visit the shop in the mountains....Shop

Spring has arrived and one can see green shoots and blossoms covering the landscape with white and yellow being the predominant colors.Early morning one is woken by the fast river running under the bedroom window and to the happy chirping of the smaller birds which are flitting from branch to branch.Flooding back memories of a fine porcelain artist who captured these magnificant creatures in still life form on Royal Worcester porcelain some 60 years ago.The Stinton family was rather extensive and of the generations many worked for the Royal Worcester factory creating master pieces which are highly desirable today.
To be able to share with u a few images from the famous Stinton faimly who painted for the Royal Worcester factory dating 1846 through to 1968 is a pleasure as they were all masters of their craft.Stinton history in full
John Stinton senior was the first of the family painters who specialised in landscapes with figures.
Then the three sons....John Junior Walther and James who all worked at the Royal Worcester factory where they were known as the trinity as early morning they could be found all together in the painting room.
We start with James Stinton who worked at the factory from an early age and then retired in 1951 he painted game birds....and specialised in pheasants on the ground or flying.Also grouse was a popular subject he liked painting.As with all the brothers they also painted in watercolors.

Here we have a plate of a Cole-Tit all hand painted and signed by the artist.These plates are very desirable and fetch a tidy sum


Next week i will share a different image and details of the other brothers who had done stunning work.This plate is for sale and enquiries are welcome.

Jiri Brabec was a designer for the Rosice factory and rather prolific in designs and there are rare items to be found by him.According to „Art Before Industry“ his later works consisted of table wares....including „shells“ wood-grain and „strings“ which was produced from 1980-1990.
It should also be noted...according to the author that Brabec was the only one to use two colors regularly in the mouding of items.
His most recognizable pattern being that with L shapes and bars and these come in many various items.......Guide
I also find his crater design rather pleasing and strong and these pieces are hard to find.
In the guide one will find the „string“ plates as well as wood-grain and also a piece with the crater design.

Pictured here is a stunning „String“ plate in a striking blue....this one sent my heart racing as i found it in a small shop where i found my first two pieces of Sklo Union so it really topped my expectations and that it is like new.
Brabec died in 2005.
As time goes on i am sure a lot more will be found and i will present these rare items in this blog.
Now there is some time for me to sit back and relax in the mountains...do some gardining and chopping fire wood for the coming winter....am i crazy speaking about winter....well if not now i will have to do it later and before i really start sweating whilst its cool...and also will tone up those muscles and who knows should the weather hold out even a tan!
Wishing all a great holiday and a well deserved rest after these stressful times.
Visit the Guide......Jiri Brabec

Spring has arrived and with that all the hope for a new begining as winter made me feel slow and old this year.So things will change i had hoped but then i saw her for the first time always wondering what she had looked like.I had conjured up in my thoughts of this rather tall brutal woman with broad shoulders and a striking face,not really my fantasy you understand but thats how i imagined her.
There she stood at the corner chatting to another of her kind....seeing me approach she turned slightly to the right and thats when her face set my brain into reverse.Nothing what i had imagined...she was 5`2 (old metric) and wearing a two piece blue suit that was rather oldfashioned and enhanced by a semi broad brown belt through the waist.Stocky legs that held up this frame fitted into a pair of flat black shoes which were worn down at the heels but yet clean.
The hair was a sensible short cut which told me that she did not have much time in her day....a quick shower no nonsense woman.Eyes set close and thin hard mean looking lips -unpainted- enough to scare the day lights out of anyone.
I approached my vechile and noticed that i had a fine(buse) for Sfr40 and was surprised as i was 12 minutes late.....hey this broad is so good on this block and am sure when she sees my registration her heart leaps and automatically goes for her guns.
Learning from the last time i was set to move my vechile to another meter when i realised that i had forgotten my car key back in the shop so off i went to fetch it...mumbling all the way and annoyed that i had been fined.It took me all of 11-12 mins to fetch the key and on return.....to my absolute horror the fine had been changed!!!!!!! to Sfr60.00..!!!She had stood chatting and waiting to do just that and i find this sort of behaviour disgusting.I then went to the local station to ask if she could do this and was told that she could return time and time again and increase the fine to whatever.
So if u are new to the greedy ways of Zurich i hope that u will learn as i have done....at great expense.
Donot feed your meter even though there are empty bays available...move your vechile 2 meters and feed the new meter(be strictly on time) as without compunction....i will name her...Brumelda...will dish out a fine without using her compassion or intellect...thats the rules and being told that if i get away with it then others will do likewise.Dont be late as she has her beat and her quota to fill for the day...and that is preset by the local council...as the target has been set.I wonder what they make monthly on these fines....there were three fines lying crumpled on the ground...guess i was not the only unhappy grumpy old man.
Blue zones for the area are full and no other parking available to rent..as i work here daily i have a very uncomfortable time moving my vechile constantly....the local police said that they were aware of this and my solution will be to get a bicycle...NICE!!
A small break from my usual ...next week i will be loading a stunning plate in an electric blue from the Sklo Union stable...the new user guide is now up and running with loads of clear examples so do please have a look.Guide to Sklo Union

Pictured here is an amazing punch bowl and cover in the Praha pattern made for Rosice 1971 and designed by the master designer Adolf Matura.This pattern is highly regarded and according to Markus Newhall there were 15 pieces included in the Gottwaldov exhibition and it is suggest that the pattern was heavily influnced by the design "Barokki" by Erkkitapio Siiroinen for the Finnish company Riihimaen Lasi Oy.
Ref:-Art Before Industry.....Book
Over the last three years i have found this punch bowl with 6 matching goblets,a bowl and a large bowl on a pedastal....thats all...which means that there is not much around although this is a great design mostly as tableware.When light is cast on the items it seems to sparkle so i can imagine a entire table setting would be rather awesome.
Matura`s gesigns for pressed glass were seen as having a greater significence than the rest of his output for the period...book page 83.
His fist piece that was produced was an ashtray which took off like a rocket and was well received...an example can be found under reference guide(link on this site)...Adolf Matura.
These were made in several colors and as smoking is more or less a thing of the past they are still wonderful designed items.
Browsing through Art Before Industry we are shown other desirable articles by the man and these are also very difficult to find and call a good price for a designer pressed glass objects.
They are out there and as recently as 6 months ago i believe one of these pieces sold for in excess of Sfr500,00...my suggestion is that if interested in this designer is that you buy the linked book and have a look see.(P.S. i do not get a commission for punting the book)but then again it is the best publication on the subject.
In the next three weeks i will also feature other designers who made a big name for themselves and whos work is highly sought after.....look at the Reference Guide....
Guide
A picture of the footed bowl....