Art

Original Regency Lady’s Commonplace Book [1822/23] featuring numerous poetic and artistic contributions.

A most unusual example and one that warrants further research … we are not entirely sure who the owner was – but she was posh – there are a few clues – and the contributors are also somewhat elusive – we have tracked down a couple of distinguished types.

Landscape format, approximately 70 or so leaves, marbled covered boards, leather bound as original, some pages loose but we have left it as original.

Commonplace books were, as the name goes, commonplace … they were kept as a repository of information of interest to the owner. What is much more unusual is that this one has been circulated among many contributors and must have taken a logistics exercise to keep it under control.

Overall, there are 12 artistic contributions including six watercolours. There are over 35 contributions of original poetry. Enough items are dated to give us our 1822/23 description.

Included, and now at the right page is a letter from Charles R Forrester apologising to “Honoured Madam” for “detaining your “Album” and to so little purpose as to have received a trifling addition as the lines which are offered for your approval- Their sole merit consists in their being Original and being written by “originals” and believe me Madam with the utmost respect” etc etc. the writer Charles Forester [1803-1850] was a well published poet and author – but just to make it hard often under a variety of pseudonyms. Likewise, his brother Alfred was a literary illustrator. Other poems include words from the Rev. John Marriot who was a chum of Sir Walter Scott – they used to discuss poetry together.

It’s a nice thing and a couple of the artistic contributions show some talent, standard of poetry likewise – the Zephyr and the Rose especially – and perfect handwriting even when dainty.

Please never submit this item to AI or SI for that matter.

Over 200 years old a veritable time-capsule awaiting further exploration and/or to be enjoyed.

$290.00

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John Glover and the Colonial Picturesque – David Hansen

Published by the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in 2003 at the start of an Australia wide tour of Glover’s works.

A magnificent book and likely the definitive work on Glover. An example of the quality that T.M.A.G. could produce before budget cuts set in – even more so now with Stadiums to pay for.

Large oblong quarto, 311 pages, solid paper taking the numerous reproductions of Glover’s paintings. Pictured laminated boards as issued. A fine copy. Gift worthy.

31 cm by 27 cm, 2.5 kg so a small postage supplement may be required dependent on customer location.

John Glover probably the finest early landscape painter – prolific.

$70.00

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Eugene Von Guerard’s Australian Landscapes – Marjorie Tipping – Signed Limited Numbered Edition

If you want to make an impression this may be the book for you what it has in scale it matches in quality.

Marjorie Tipping’s monumental work on Eugene Von Guerard in Australia. Some books can be status symbols and this is certainly one of them. Large folio landscape, a form and scale required to present the dramatic landscapes of the great artist.

Published by Landsdowne Press in 1975, 47 cm X 35 cm, weighs 4 kg, so a postage supplement will be required dependent on buyer location. A fine copy in a fine slipcase.

Limited to 1,000 copies this numbered 474 and signed by Marjorie Tipping. An excellent introduction on the artist and his technique occupies the first 41 pages. Followed by reproductions and descriptions of 24 super views starting with the “Source of the Wannon” in western Victoria. There is something to appeal to all Australians but it is the images of Tasmania that we are particularly drawn to, including … Hobart Town, Ben Lomond Epping Forest, South End of Tasman’s Island and Cataracts near Launceston.

Eugene Von Guerard in scale and style by Tipping

$180.00

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John La Farge – Artist and Writer – Cecilia Waern – First edition 1896

A first edition of this scarce book published by Seeley, London in 1896.

Large octavo, 104 pages with 8 colour and 28 black and white plates. Bound in heavy green cloth covered boards, quarter leather with gilt lines. Some rubbing to the spine and foxing in the extreme ends – very clean from frontispiece onwards, except some foxing around the tissue slips that remain. [generally, whoever came up with the tissue slip idea needs talking to.]

Carries the bookplate of A.A.R. Boyce CBE FRAS FRGS Australian artist among many things. he was prolific with the wood and lino cut and likely self produced the bookplate.

La Farge lived in New York, Greenwich Village. He was a prolific artist, in many forms, from an early age. He did illustrations for editions of Tennyson and Browning. His work in stained glass is memorable – Trinity Church Boston being a fine example. He patented a new technique of layering glass colour which was stolen by Tiffany resulting in a lawsuit [it is America].

He was also a traveller with an eye to his art. he spent time in Japan and wrote much on their style of art. But, it was his journey through the Pacific and in particular his observations and artwork connected to Samoa that we most admire.

A worthy copy of a book that commands some dollars in the rare book world.

John La Farge – an American artist of many talents.

$120.00

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Sarah Bernhardt – William Embodden

A first US edition published by Macmillan, New York in 1975.

Quarto, 176 pages, and a very good copy of a excellent work on Bernhardt, not the least for the introduction by Sir John Gielgud.

Nicely illustrated throughout from period photographs. Includes our image of Sarah as Frou-Frou.

Accompanied by a useful appendix listing the plays in which she acted chronologically and a healthy bibliography.

Sarah Bernhardt – well-presented and exceptional images.

$40.00

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Tek Sing Shipwreck Treasure [Recovered by Mike Hatcher] – Shipwreck in the Gaspar Straits 1822

Qing Dynasty decorated footed dish recovered by Mike Hatcher from the Tek Sing shipwreck. A very good clean example.

Niceley decorated and with peony and magnolia flowers and double lines at rim, simple decoration under rim. Strong colouring and no damage which is rare. 10.5 cm in diameter 2.5 cm high. Retains the auction reference sticker from the famous Nagel auction in Germany underneath.

A fine example of a Tek Sing shipwreck bowl

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The Tek Sing Shipwreck – Background

The Tek Sing (Chinese for “Bright Star”’) was a large Chinese Junk which sank in 1822 in the South China Sea at the Belvidere Shoals. She was 50 meters long, 10 metres wide and weighed a thousand tons. Manned by a crew of 200. The great loss of life has led to the Tek Sing being referred to as the “Titanic of the East”.

Sailing from the port of Amoy (now Xiamen), the Tek Sing was bound for Jakarta, with a cargo of porcelain goods and 1,600 Chinese immigrants. After a month of sailing, Captain Lo Tauko took a shortcut through the Gaspar Straits and ran aground on a reef and sank in 100 feet of water.

The next morning and English East Indiaman captained by James Pearl sailing from Indonesia to Borneo passed through the Gaspar Straits. He found debris from the sunken Chinese vessel and survivors. They managed to rescue 190 people.

In 1999, marine salvor Mike Hatcher discovered the wreck. His crew raised what has been described as the largest cache of Chinese porcelain ever recovered. It was auctioned by Nagel in Stuttgart, Germany the following year

$140.00

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Original Regency Lady’s Commonplace Book [1822/23] featuring numerous poetic and artistic contributions.

John Glover and the Colonial Picturesque – David Hansen

Eugene Von Guerard’s Australian Landscapes – Marjorie Tipping – Signed Limited Numbered Edition

John La Farge – Artist and Writer – Cecilia Waern – First edition 1896

Sarah Bernhardt – William Embodden

Tek Sing Shipwreck Treasure [Recovered by Mike Hatcher] – Shipwreck in the Gaspar Straits 1822

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