This blog will from time to time complement my Wales Antiques Web Site and its printed companion. The guide is a developing listing of general suppliers of antiques and collectables in Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Powys and beyond; it now including auctions and in the future specialist heritage related attractions. Over 23 years it has become an essential resource for anyone with an interest in buying and selling antiques and collectables in West Wales and Beyond. If you would like to know more visit the site here.
Every day, I confess, I visit a certain charity shop. It is a rather unreconstructed affair; no pricing policies, no Fair Trade, no over-priced secondhand books and no visiting window dresser. You’ll gather that this is my kind of charity shop. It’s old school and I like it because there’s most likely something worth buying. As often as not it’s a ‘nothing’, a ‘yes-thing’ that’s cool to have around, but not a thing that will make worry about getting too rich, too quick.
The WALES ANTIQUES GUIDE is published annually each spring and distributed across Mid and West Wales and beyond. We have been publishing the Guide since 1987 – twenty-three sucessful years! If you are interested in finding out more about the Wales Antiques Guide contact Paul Williams on 01239 615866 or 07790438157 or by email at paul_williams@btinternet.com. Prepared and designed by Paul Williams with the help of Norman Williams and John Higginbottom.
Today I bought an Afghan Rug; my expertise in this field is close to zero but I can tell a man made from machine made. It was hanging lazily and modestly in a dealers stall in Cardigan Market and was reasonably priced. Light and portable it was tucked under my arm and transported to its new home.
Quite excited about this rug I’ve spent a few hours researching as best I can. I’m excited not because it is rare or desperately valuable but because it’s an opportunity to pore over something skillfully and uniquely made.
I’m always drawn to rugs of this type and there are many about and I’d guess even (or especially) they’re arriving from Afghanistan by the truckload. However, usually, the antique examples I see are very worn and threadbare, damaged, restored or out of my price range.
This was definately in my price range (a computer game, or something like, would have to wait) and it was in excellent condition. Apart from its ‘one of a kind’ -ness this piece turned out to be wider at one end than the other by about a couple of inches. No matter, idiosyncratic is good.
This has a peculiarly deep indigo ground, some subtle colours in the border motifs and (once one’s eye becomes accustomed to the dizzying colour and design) it reveals itself as depicting two large vases. Four smaller vases float in attendance. The weaver has further elaborated this theme with a repeating floral and leaf border. Damn me if they don’t look like poppies though I expect to be disabused of this notion by someone less naive.
The colours in borders, reds, golds, greens, oranges and a kind of mustardy yellow, are stunning.
It’s a weird, though surprisingly successful, pairing and reading the track listing you know this is going to be a patchy album; even the good is going to be over-shadowed by the spooky psyche-pop masterpiece Some Velvet Morning.
Here is that track listing.
You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’
Elusive Dreams
Greenwich Village Folk Song Salesman
Summer Wine
Storybook Children
Sundown, Sundown
Jackson
Some Velvet Morning
Sand
Lady Bird
I’ve Been Down So Long (It Looks Like Up to Me)
See what I mean?
Some Velvet Morning has been much covered and recently most notably by Kate and Bobby…
Sometimes when collecting it isn’t neccessary, or even wise, to negotiate. You look, you establish the price, you pay, you flee. You hope you have acquired title.
These watercolours exemplify this approach. Car boot sale, loose change price, quick exit.
Examined at leisure this kind of purchase occassional disappoints; a hidden flaw the usual culprit. In this case they look better every time I look at them.
A pair of watercolours executed in a fine style, probably an English hand, of Dutch scenes; measuring 24cm x 16cm with no apparent signature.
The tower appears to be the Munttoren in Amsterdam, built in the early 17th century and the scenes look like they could be 18th or early 19th century.
This is the blog of Paul Williams, Ceredigion resident since 1970. I am an English and Philosophy graduate of what was once known as St David's University College, at Lampeter . I played bass in Dyfed's first punk band and, living in Llandewi Brefi, had a grandstand view of Operation Julie . Eventually, after 2 years playing bass in Brighton's 256th punk band , I returned to Wales to deal in books and then antiques. I've trained and worked as a counsellor, I am a photographer, blog and web designer and I publish the annual Wales Antiques Guide . I am married and a father of one.
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