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A look at past acquisitions that have found new homes
There's a wonderful graphic drama to this one: a black japanned coal helmet scuttle with gilt laurel swags, scrolling borders, and a central roundel of cherubs playing with a bird and a flower urn. It's the kind of Victorian fireside piece that was made to be looked at as much as used.
Flip it over and there's a diamond-shaped mark stamped right into the base reading Beldray, a real English tin and metalware manufacturer, alongside "Longcliffe."
Construction and design notes:
- Helmet-form black japanned tole body, scooped front, pointed sloped back
- Two riveted iron carrying handles
- Gilt laurel swags, scrollwork borders, and a central cherub roundel
- Diamond embossed maker's mark on the base
Label / mark transcription (exact):
Diamond-shaped embossed mark (base): "BELDRAY / LONGCLIFFE / BELDRAY"
Note: a matching black japanned tole coal bin with the same gilt cherub-roundel and laurel decoration, carrying a separate "Parnall & Sons Ltd" Bristol retailer's plaque, is listed as a companion piece — see the coal bin listing.
Flat measurements: height 24 in (61 cm); base approximately 10 in diameter, tapering (25.4 cm).
Sold as-is: there's extensive flaking and paint loss across several panels, scattered white speckling and some larger bare patches down to the metal. The gilt decoration still reads beautifully despite this, and the body and handles feel structurally sound throughout.
A great find for a collector of English tole ware or fireside antiques, or anyone wanting a bold black-and-gilt piece with real history and a legible maker's mark. A matching coal bin, decorated identically, is also available, see that listing if you'd like the pair. Origin: England. Era: Victorian, 19th century (a stylistic read; Beldray's documented history as an English metalware maker supports this general period, though the specific decade isn't independently confirmed). Materials: painted tin (tole) with gilt decoration, iron handles. Care: dust gently, keep away from moisture, and please don't touch up the paint losses yourself, a conservator's opinion is worth getting first if you want to address them at all.
This is an antique French bamboo tabouret (side table/plant stand), Napoleon III in style, with a square top upholstered in a patchwork of moss-green velvet and coral woven fabric set in a diagonal cross pattern, bordered in braided cord and finished with a deep silk tassel fringe. The base is faux-bamboo on four legs joined by a scrolled X-form stretcher with a turned central column. A paper shipping label glued to the underside is transcribed exactly below, along with a partially illegible sticker.
Construction and design notes:
- Faux-bamboo frame on four legs joined by a scrolled X-stretcher with a central turned column
- Square top upholstered in a patchwork diagonal-cross pattern of moss-green velvet and coral woven fabric, bordered in braided cord
- Deep silk tassel fringe trims all four sides of the top
- A paper freight/shipping label and a round sticker are affixed to the underside of the top
Label transcription (exact):
PLM
PETITE VITESSE
[illegible handwritten word] de BERCY à NICE
[illegible handwritten number]
Round paper sticker: "[illegible, possibly 7984] / m gl / UK" (handwritten, partially illegible)
Flat measurements: height 28 in (71.1 cm); top 14 in x 14 in (35.6 x 35.6 cm).
The velvet shows visible matting and wear to the nap, most noticeable along the diagonal bands, and the coral woven panels show soiling and age spotting. The silk tassel fringe is uneven in places, with some fraying and loss of shape consistent with age and handling.
This piece suits a collector of French Napoleon III or bamboo furniture, or a decorator wanting a petite accent table with real textile character and an interesting shipping history. Origin: France. Era: circa 1870-1910s, Napoleon III to Belle Époque (stylistic estimate); the PLM railway label supports that this piece was already in circulation and being shipped within France before PLM's 1938 nationalization into SNCF, which is consistent with, though not proof of, that dating. Materials: bamboo frame, velvet and woven textile top, silk tassel trim.
There's a wonderful graphic drama to this one: a black japanned coal helmet scuttle with gilt laurel swags, scrolling borders, and a central roundel of cherubs playing with a bird and a flower urn. It's the kind of Victorian fireside piece that was made to be looked at as much as used.
Flip it over and there's a diamond-shaped mark stamped right into the base reading Beldray, a real English tin and metalware manufacturer, alongside "Longcliffe."
Construction and design notes:
- Helmet-form black japanned tole body, scooped front, pointed sloped back
- Two riveted iron carrying handles
- Gilt laurel swags, scrollwork borders, and a central cherub roundel
- Diamond embossed maker's mark on the base
Label / mark transcription (exact):
Diamond-shaped embossed mark (base): "BELDRAY / LONGCLIFFE / BELDRAY"
Note: a matching black japanned tole coal bin with the same gilt cherub-roundel and laurel decoration, carrying a separate "Parnall & Sons Ltd" Bristol retailer's plaque, is listed as a companion piece — see the coal bin listing.
Flat measurements: height 24 in (61 cm); base approximately 10 in diameter, tapering (25.4 cm).
Sold as-is: there's extensive flaking and paint loss across several panels, scattered white speckling and some larger bare patches down to the metal. The gilt decoration still reads beautifully despite this, and the body and handles feel structurally sound throughout.
A great find for a collector of English tole ware or fireside antiques, or anyone wanting a bold black-and-gilt piece with real history and a legible maker's mark. A matching coal bin, decorated identically, is also available, see that listing if you'd like the pair. Origin: England. Era: Victorian, 19th century (a stylistic read; Beldray's documented history as an English metalware maker supports this general period, though the specific decade isn't independently confirmed). Materials: painted tin (tole) with gilt decoration, iron handles. Care: dust gently, keep away from moisture, and please don't touch up the paint losses yourself, a conservator's opinion is worth getting first if you want to address them at all.