On January 16th 2007 Mellors & Kirk auctioneers in Nottingham are selling the collection of paperweights from the Caithness Glass company’s Factory museum. Caithness Glass have made wonderful paperweights since the 1960s, the sale at Mellors & Kirk covers paperweights from that time right up to date.

Caithness glass have been recently purchased from the receivers by Dartington glass, I am sure that I am not the only dealer / collector who is delighted that the factory will continue production.

The are over 700 lots of Caithness glass Paperweights at the museum sale and this is certain to be a draw for all serious glass paperweight collectors worldwide.

AntiquesAvenue has plenty of Caithness paperweights for sale . Also the Caithness Paperweights catalogue and other Antique Glass reference books can be found in the AntiquesAvenue bookshop.

What Style is my Pot?
The following dates are a guide to when the styles were most prevelant, style existed before and after these dates but they are currently beyond the scope of this website:
Victorian 1830s – 1900: characterised by over ornamentation, heavy decoration borrowed from a previous era. An eclectic style where historical styles were intermingled together
Victorian Gothic circa 1860s:Think of the Houses of Parliament and Victorian church architecture
Victorian Aesthetic 1870 – 1890: Has a very oriental influence
Arts & Crafts circa 1870s – 1930s: Hand crafted, medieval influences, natural materials
Art Nouveau 1890s – 1910: naturalistic and asymetrical, whiplashes, insects and ladies with long flowing hair
Art Deco 1920 – 1940: Sharp and cubic, bright primary colours
Post War Modernist circa 1945 – 1960: bold organic with space age influenc

What is this? How old is it? Who made it & where? Whats it worth?
My guide aims to answer the first 3 of these questions, without the answers to these a valuation would not be possibleI am regularly asked to help identify items – I am hoping these pages will help.
What is Art Pottery?
The heyday of British Art Pottery was the period between circa 1870′s and 1920′salthough manufacture continues to the present day.
Art Pottery tends to have been produced by the larger manufacturers, that produced by smaller potteries of just a few craftsmen is generally termed STUDIO POTTERY
Characteristics of Art Pottery:
Art Pottery is influenced by the prevelant ARTS MOVEMENT or STYLE of its time :
Art Pottery is made from a pottery body: EARTHENWARE, TERACOTTA or STONEWARE. You do not normally find art pottery made from PORCELAIN.
Art Pottery has a degree of hand craftsmanship, the entire pot may be hand thrown or at least it will have been hand decorated
Manufacturers were proud of their Art Pottery and it frequently bears their manufacturers marks

AntiquesAvenue Books
AntiquesAvenue book shop is now open. Powered by Amazon, my book shop only contains books which I personally use & recommend. I will be adding more to the shelves over the comming weeks.

Thank you all for your enquiries about the November 26th “Pot of the Day” – Doulton Lambeth Art Pottery vase. This is now sold and on its way to its new home