An export reverse-painted glass mirror,
18th century, Chinese, depicting a pair of figures in a pagoda,
30cm wide
34.5cm high
Provenance: Maurice 'Dick' Turpin, Barons Keep, London W14.
Take advantage of our Sworders Delivery Service. Please see 'Shipping estimate' below.
In the eighteenth century, Chinese export porcelain was made with the same great skill and expertise that domestic wares were known for, but designed to Western tastes. The popularity and spread of these pieces, and their continued desirability, is a testament to the interaction between Chinese artisans and Western collectors and importers who, without a common language or culture, promoted this interchange of stylistic ideas.
Most of the porcelain pieces transported for this purpose were blue and white wares decorated with generic landscapes, but the other, smaller, category of items was made up of colourfully decorated ceramics in the 'famille rose' or 'famille verte' palettes. It was these pieces that were considered the top of the market, a position they have maintained until today, and for wealthy collectors looking for the highest-quality decoration for their interiors, these enamelled porcelains still hold great appeal.
Sold for £1,000
Condition Report
Mottling to mirror plate. Minor wear to the painted decoration. Frame crudely re-gilded with some cracks, small losses and wear.
IN PERSON
To bid in person at auction for the first time please register for a bidding paddle in advance by filling out and submitting a registration form at our front desk. When registering in person we require photo ID, such as a passport or driving licence.
ABSENTEE BIDDING
If you cannot attend the auction in person we can bid on your behalf. You can leave an absentee bid on our website.
The amount you bid should be your maximum bid. We will bid up to that limit for you, and remember you may end up paying less than your limit, depending on other bidding on the day.
You can leave an absentee bid up to half an hour before the start of any sale. Please note when we receive two or more absentee bids for the same amount, the first bid received will be the one taken.
LEAVE COMMISSION BIDS ONLINE
If you would like to leave a commission bid on our website you can do so up until 30 minutes before the sale starts. Leaving a commission bid through sworder.co.uk is free for all registered clients. Thereafter you may register bank card details under your account in order to bid live. Click here to register an account.
BID LIVE ON sworder.co.uk
You can bid live at our auctions from the comfort of your home or office using bidding platform Sworders Live. It is easy to register and you can watch the auction live as it happens. A 'Bid Live' button will appear on the auction on our website homepage when a sale is live; simply click the button to sign in or register with your card details. There is no additional charge for this service.
For further instructions on registering to bid live, please click here.
TELEPHONE BIDDING
If you would like to bid by telephone please contact our team prior to the auction with your details of the lots you are interested in and your full name, address, telephone number(s) and email address. Once our team have entered your bid request you will receive an email confirmation. We will contact you during the sale and one of our team will bid live with you over the phone.
Please note that we normally offer this service for lots with an estimate of £500 or higher and all telephone bid requests must be received by close of business the day before the auction.
Auction: Dick Turpin | The Legend Lives On, 25th Jan, 2024
We are extremely excited to present the catalogue for Dick Turpin | The Legend Lives On, available online to browse and bid.
Maurice, known to all as ‘Dick’, was one of the foremost antique dealers of the second half of the 20th century, who in his fifty-year career achieved truly iconic status. The enduring memories of the quality and calibre of the pieces that he dealt in only surpassed by those of his persona; a giant of a man with a large walrus moustache, scarcely seen without his trademark thick glasses, Harris tweed trilby and pipe, all of which accentuated by the curiously high-pitched voice that those who knew him cannot fail to affectionately imitate.
'He was larger than life, captivating his clients and fellow dealers for more than half a century. He had extraordinary knowledge and extraordinary energy.' - Chris Jussel
The contents of his Barons Keep residence comprises hundreds of spectacular, rare and meticulously chosen pieces of furniture, works of art and paintings from Europe and Asia, many of which have now found their way to the Sworders saleroom.
Viewing
London Viewing | Highlights
A selection of lots will be on view Saturday 6 - Saturday 13 January at our London Gallery, 15 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ, as follows:
Monday-Friday, 11.30am - 5.30pm
Saturday, 1pm - 5pm
Sunday - Closed
Stansted Viewing | Auction
Viewing will be held at our Stansted Auction Rooms, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8GE, as follows:
Saturday 20 January, 10am - 1pm
Sunday 21 January, 10am - 1pm
Monday 22 January, 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 23 January, 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 24 January, 10am - 5pm
Thursday 25 January, 9am - 10am
All lots are, however, extensively illustrated and carry detailed condition reports - see 'Condition report' at the foot of each lot description.
The auction will take place at our Stansted Auction Rooms, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8GE.
Please select the shipping destination;
Buying a pre-loved, antique, or vintage item not only provides you with unique style and value for money but it also helps to reduce landfill, and the annual emissions of an antique or vintage piece can be as little as one sixteenth of those of its new equivalent!
Sworders is proud to be supporting the work of Antiques are Green - the movement that was founded in 2009 to promote “a greener future created from the past”. Read their fascinating carbon footprint study of a Georgian chest of drawers versus a modern equivalent here
Here at Sworders, we are happy to offer a free online valuation service. Please fill out the form and press the 'Submit' button below.
To help us with your valuation please attach clear photographs of the item where possible. You can submit up to 5.
Approximate dimensions are also useful. Expect to hear from the appropriate valuer as soon as possible.