• Tulips in a delft vases in front of an old master painting
    Antiques

    Delft Vases and Tulips

    It is almost a month until the official start of Spring but things are already waking up in the garden and we look forward to some warmer days. We have snowdrops, daffodils, camellias in bloom and the cherry blossom is starting to appear. These delft vases are perfect for displaying tulips and bring some joy to this corner of a bedroom.

  • Antiques

    Snowdrops

    Yesterday’s finer weather has brought out more of the snowdrops in the garden. They are cultivars and we pick one bunch every year, to enjoy indoors. They have a very delicate scent and we have a few different varieties, including a very pretty double. We could not resist the flower brick in the gift shop at Blenheim Palace last year. It’s the creation of renowned Oxfordshire based ceramist Deborah Sears. Her company ISIS Ceramics, makes beautiful pieces in…

  • Antiques

    Staffordshire Dogs

    Our Staffordshire Dog Display team appears to be very sociable and there is always room for one more on the yew table, in the foreground. The Greyhounds, however, insist that the mantelpiece is reserved for sight hounds only. They like to look down on us all. We keep the peace by giving them all a change of scenery and a good dusting now and again. 😂

  • Antiques

    ‘I had these eight English Countesses in the car once!’

    On this day, Mum was in her element having just picked up some lovely mezzotints from an auction house in the South of England. They feature eight English countesses by Pierre Lombart (1613-1681) after Sir Anthony Van Dyck. We think the original paintings are in Petworth House and hope to visit them soon. Buying at auction is great fun and there are lovely things just waiting to be found, often at very reasonable prices. If you can’t view…