Steven Moore

Well, it had to happen sometime. £50,000,000 or £5,000, which is real?

by Steven on September 10, 2011 in Chinese Ceramics with 4 Comments

We all remember the saga of *that* vase that sold ( or didn’t sell) at Bainbridges Auction last year for £50 million, well another one has turned up, just 10 months later. Yes it’s a fake and it probably took 10 months to make. I guess it had to happen, and it has. It sold last week and made £5,000. I guess as a work of art, its worth that.

But is the ‘real’ one (many still doubt it was real) really worth £49 995 000 more and can you tell which is which?

UPDATE -if you were wondering – the ‘fake’ vase has the grey background!

Its spot the difference time!

by Steven on July 16, 2011 in Other with 1 Comment

Two tankards, both alike in dignity, in fair Staffordshire they were made, but which is worth more dosh?

Just what we need for a dull, wet Saturday. One tankard is a world record holder at £1600, the other a rare colour way and worth £1000, but which is which?

Answers on an (electronic) postcard!

Lovelly, lovelly, Clovelly

by Steven on July 12, 2011 in Antiques Roadshow, Clovelly, Other, travel with No comments

I have to admit I’m just a little in love with Clovelly Village. When we filmed at nearby Hartland Abbey for Antiques Roadshow, I met Johnnie Rous, whose family owns the village, yes that is not a typo, his family does own a village. This is, I think, key to its survival. One single village, preserved and not changed for 100 years, set in aspic, by its owner, a benign overlord, keeping an impossible place, possible.

The village is just charming, cobbled streets, white washed cottages. You can see why Rex Whistler fell in love with the place and commemorated it in his “Clovelly Chintz” and “Clovelly” design for Wedgwood.

I was one of the lucky ones who stayed in the village at The Red Lion. The hotel is the only place accessible by car and even then, for guests only. The rooms are charming, bathrooms immaculate, staff friendly (in a genuine way) and food wonderful. The fact it has just “Two stars” says a lot more about how we rate hotels in the UK, than it does about this little gem.

On the Thursday evening – in that post Roadshow fatigue, about 15 of us dined in the restaurant, eating lobster of such freshness, it was unsurpassed (even by my well trained palate!)

Climbing the stairs to bed, from my open window the sound of the sea (and some of Benjamin Britten’s “Peter Grimes”) lulled me to sleep. I’m not sure when i will be back, but i do know I *will* be back.

If you are looking for a hideaway where the world is somewhere else and peace and quiet in always on the menu – check in and order lobster.

(The view ain’t too bad either!)

www.clovelly.co.uk/

Herring Shoes

by Steven on July 5, 2011 in herring shoes, made in Britain, shoes, style with 2 Comments

I love shoes! There, I’ve said it. I don’t know how many I have but its lots. I recently astounded an Antiques Roadshow colleague how much the shoes I was wearing cost.

Good shoes cost more, but last for ages!

Herring Shoes are one of my favourite British Brands and unlike some “British” brands design and manufacture in Britain – if you haven’t heard of them check em out. They make the most wonderful shoes – of the highest quality and with great imagination and attention to detail.

Pictured is their “Christchurch” a fave of mine and, for me, the perfect summer shoe.

follow them on twitter @herringshoes or http://www.herringshoes.co.uk/

Genius Loci

by Steven on July 5, 2011 in Antiques Roadshow, Clovelly, travel with No comments

The Romans used the term ‘Genius Loci’ to describe the gods, or spirit of a place. Tomorrow, I’m off to Devon as the Antiques Roadshow rolls into Hartland Abbey. Nearby is the village of Clovelly, which i know from Rex Whistler’s designs for Wedgwood as well as his ‘Clovelly Chintz’.

The village is a rare thing today – privately owned and car free. I hope to be able to visit when I’m down and see if it does have the same ‘sense of place’ that Whisltler and many others have found.

The image of Rex Whistler seemed to suggest a ‘Genius Loci’ – i wonder if it was taken on the rocks near Clovelly?

http://www.clovelly.co.uk/

Should some things never be sold? (another lot?)

by Steven on June 23, 2011 in an auctioneers dilema, when antiques go wrong with No comments

Following on from the ifs and buts of Hitler’s stemware, another thing turned up. My ‘day job’ is working at an auction house, seeking out the trash from the treasure. Looking over items being unpacked in the warehouse a pile of folders were brought to my attention. I was warned, prior to the opening, that they were not for a ‘weak stomach.’ Turns out that they were a collection of crime scene photographs from 1960s Newcastle. Many pretty graphic, but some of great historic interest. Ignoring the pictures of ‘the deceased’ there were fascinating interior shots, of the sort so rarely seen. A house in Goldspink Lane, so stark and ordinary. A bank on Mosely Street (now a bar) full of pomp and mahogany. The other pictures, were too graphic to show.

Again what does one do with such things – to destroy them is wrong. I selling them any better?

Let me get back to you on this one!

Should some things never be sold?

by Steven on June 23, 2011 in when antiques go wrong with 1 Comment

A couple of things have been on my mind recently about whether all things have the right to be sold. This train of thought was started by a report of the sale of a set of wine glasses made for Adolf Hitler. There was no doubt about the owner, a Nazi eagle, Swastika and initials “AH” kind of gave the game away, but what disturbed me more was the (British) auctioneer’s apparent enthusiasm for them. He said he was ‘excited’ to be selling such a thing and venture that ‘ Hitler may well have drunk from them.’

I just find it distasteful. Whilst these ‘things’ have obvious historic value – they represent something (and someone) so abhorrent that they should not be sold. Who wants to own such ‘poisoned chalices’?

They sold for £3000, well under the expected £8000

The life of an auctioneers is never dull

by Steven on June 17, 2011 in Other with No comments

The next few weeks will be spent sorting out a HUGE collection of costumes. Some are original movie costumes from the 1930s, including films such as “The Scarlett Pimpernel” and Korda’s lost masterpiece “I Claudius.”

Some are just fun, like the 1920s Donkey head, playfully teamed here with one of Leslie Howard’s costumes from his movie, “The Scarlet Pimpernel”.

As a historian the waxing and waning of fame fascinates me. Amongst the fancy dress section are all the fallen stars. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Madonna’s cone shaped bra and who remembers when it was hip to go to a fancy dress party as “Ali G” – not me, i can assure you!

Equally a box of long forgotten wigs tells its own story – beaded corn rolls – Bo Derek, Afro – Michael Jackson and a long blonde wig, a sequined hat Agnetha Fältskog from ABBA – stars one day – forgotten wigs the next. One day, I guess, I will just be a pile of shoes and cashmere jackets?