Antiques in Oxford
Antiques in Oxford has over forty years of experience in the antiques trade and we've been online for five years. We offer a personal service to clients, both those who wish to buy something special and to those who are looking for a valuation or considering selling. We can easily visit you in the South East. We have three retail outlets. Our stock is changing all the time. You will find new items of silver and jewellery every month. Do contact us for gift ideas. And don't be afraid to ask us what something of yours is worth. You just never know...
Art Nouveau
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Art Nouveau is a style of decorative arts, most popular between 1890 and 1910. Art Nouveau embraces vibrant and swirling designs. The leading producer at the height of popularity of Art Nouveau was WMF of Germany. Art Nouveau is known as Jugendstil in Germany. Art Nouveau was also popular in France with silver from Schweitzer and Fort and some outstanding pieces of jewellery.
Jugendstil relief-moulded pewter dish by WMF, Germany. model 232 c.1906
£750
Engraved silver box by Schweitzer and Fort.
Paris c.1905
£425
Charles Horner was based in Halifax until his death in 1896. Charles Horner designs included enamelled brooches, pendants and hatpins. His two sons developed the business and even opened a new factory in 1905.
Charles Horner
silver amethyst brooch.
Chester 1900
sold for £125
Charles Horner set of six silver buttons. 1.9cm dia. Chester 1904
£150
Charles Horner
silver and enamel bat pendant. Chester 1909
£400
The London department store Liberty & Co built relationships with leading designers in the 1890s. It was a major retailer of Art Nouveau products. Arthur Liberty made sure he promoted the name of ‘Liberty’ and not the names of his designers. In 1899 Archibald Knox started designing for Liberty. He had previously worked for Christopher Dresser. ‘Cymric’ was the silver range and ‘Tudric’ was the pewter range.
Knox stopped working for Liberty in 1912.
Pair of Archibald Knox candlesticks . Liberty Tudric 0221 c.1903
£800
Archibald Knox Tudric pewter milk jug, Liberty 0303
c.1906
£350
Archibald Knox Liberty Cymric silver spoons 1904 & 1905
£220/£260
Designer David Veasey (who sometimes signed his pieces ‘Tramp’) was there at the start of the Tudric range, having won a design competition. Veasey designed beautiful clocks and pewter and glass items.In 1901, Liberty took a 60% share in the Birmingham metalworking firm of W H Haseler, run by William Hair Haseler. Many Liberty Cymric pieces bear the WHH hallmark. From 1903, W. H. Haseler took over the manufacture of Liberty’s Tudric range.
David Veasey pewter clock Liberty Tudric 0385, c.1905
20.5cm high
£3,950
Liberty & Co silver pendant necklace
by William Hair Haseler
£1750
Liberty silver belt buckle
attributed to Oliver Baker
1912
£425
Not all Tudric designs can be assigned to a well-known designer. Makers like Charles Peyton, who had helped develop Liberty’s Cymric range, continued to produce their own designs.
Liberty & Co Tudric pewter inkwell, design 0141
15.5cm square
£950
Of course, Liberty had no monopoly of Art Nouveau silver and pewter products. Provincial silversmiths, including William Neale, Joseph Gloster, T. H. Hazlewood and Oliver Baker were active and successful.
Art Nouveau silver box
by T.H.Hazlewood & Co.
10cm across. Birmingham 1901
£350
Charles Payton silver and enamel brooch of a stylised butterfly. 1908
£695
Matched pair of silver photograph frames by William Neale,
30.5cm high. Chester 1902
£2,250
Silver photo-frame
by Joseph Gloster.
29.5cm high. Birmingham 1908
£850