STEEPED IN HISTORY
A tea tale, in Antiques
Q My wife received these vases from the British Isles several years back. They stand 24 centimetres high and seem to be a pair. There are two oval panels on each, featuring relief carvings of monkeys, birds, flowers and even a snake, highlighted with different shades of silver and brown. Some flowers have gold centres. There is a liner inside, and the outer bodies appear as if they wouldn’t hold water. These look to have some value.
Gord, Waterloo
A You are correct — these have great value. They are Japanese bronze, which is an area requiring an experienced eye to assess.
I consulted Colin Ritchie of Victoria, whose expertise includes this type of work. He says they are a good-quality pair of inlaid bronze vases of the Meiji Period (1868 to 1912), and deciphered the character signature and place of the artist as Miyabe Atsuyoshi in the city of Kyoto ju.
He also gave me some historical context: When the Samurai class was abolished and the wearing of swords in public was outlawed, artisans who had made their living creating swords and sword fittings turned their skills to decorative objects such as yours. These satisfied the western market’s increasing appetite for exotic objects from Japan.
You have an outstanding pair of vases, with the all-important intact patinas. They are worth about $7,000.
Q This oval box has been in our family for some time. I believe my great-grandfather might have brought it back from India, where he went to work on a tea plantation. It measures about 18 cm long. It has white applications on the outside and there are two compartments inside. We don’t have a key for the lock, but it’s in good condition otherwise. What was it used for and is it valuable and old?
Diana, Burlington
A You have a very unusual tea caddy, made of rosewood with graduated bone decoration. It appears to have its original finish and patina, nicely mellowed with age and use.
I’d say it dates to at least 1850, and was quite possibly made in India for English tastes. The lock is evidence of just how valuable tea was at the time, when only the wealthy could afford it. You should be able to find a key for it, since locks were more standardized back then than they are today.
The moulded base and concave band of the shaped lid are unusual in oval tea caddies, lending more value for rarity to this collector’s piece. It’s in terrific condition and will be appreciated by a keen collector for around $650.
Q This oil picture was in my mother’s house. I brought it home and had it reframed. I’m curious to know if there is a history on the artist, W.S. Lloyd, and the value of the painting. It’s 29 by 59 cm.
Mary, St. Jacobs, Ont.
A Lloyd was a British artist. There is some disagreement about whether his first name was Walter or William. Most sources believe it was Walter, with the letter “S” standing for Stuart.
He lived in London, Barnham Junction, Sussex and Brighton, and exhibited between 1875 and 1924 with both the Royal Society of British Artists and the New Watercolour Society. Landscapes and marine scenes formed the bulk of his work, often including rivers, cathedrals or other major buildings.
His output was more often watercolour, so your oil is on the rare side. This peaceful autumn scene with its shepherd, border collie and sheep framed by softly rolling hills will easily find a buyer for about $850.