Etruscan treasures
The "Grand Tour" inspired tea service I showed two weeks ago was popular - and it is already on its way to a lucky buyer. Today I have...
Arcadian Dreams
Spring, so far, hasn't gone as planned. I had expected the joy of longer days and the first flowers to be my main focus by now, but...
The Grand Tour: the 18thC gap year
With the increased interest in history and the visual arts in the 17th and 18th Century and as travel became easier, young gentlemen of...
The secret message of grass
It's been a difficult week for the world and in particular for the people of Ukraine 🇺🇦💔. So today I thought to find a piece of...
A pony called Bob
I was very lucky to come across some extremely rare Derby porcelain the other day: two tiny coffee cups made by Derby in about 1795. Both...
The Rise of the Potteries
Have you ever wondered why Staffordshire became the centre of the global porcelain industry in the late 18th and 19th Century? I dug...
Be my Valentine
It's going to be Valentine's Day! And did you need any last-minute gifts? I've made a special page for small gifts for him or for her,...
Nelson's lion
You may have heard of the famous "Nelson" pattern: a bold Imari design from the very early 19th Century, first designed by Chamberlains...
Neo-classical beauty
This week I have been into all things Neo-classical... perhaps my grandfather, who was a scholar in the Classics, was speaking through...
Dine like a Duke
As someone who grew up in a notoriously egalitarian country, the British ranks of nobility are to me as fascinating as they are puzzling....
