Blog - GREENE & GREENE

Let The Games Begin!

8/28/2021

It's our ninth consecutive week in lock-down across Greater Sydney and we are continually thinking of indoor activities. We recently acquired this original wooden box by F.H. Ayres titled 'The Latest Combination of Parlour Games' from the late 19th Century about 1890, which would keep the family busy for hours.

This games box was developed by Frederick Henry Ayres, a notable maker of indoor games, sports equipment and rocking horses. He had a shop on Aldersgate Street in London from 1864 - 1940 and was later acquired in 1943 by Slazenger for his designs.

Opening the games box, you will notice an original wooden tray filled with all the different game pieces and below the pull out tray are seven unique boards for the following games. Some well-known and others that haven't stood the test of time:

Chess & Draughts
Cat & Mice
The Leader
Halma
Ludo
Nona
Horse Race / Steeple Chase

Here at Greene & Greene Antiques, we are avid collectors of all chess and board game sets and pieces. Please view our Chess & Board Games section under our shop banner to see a range of items we have in stock, or other wise give us a call as we always carry a selection of interesting objects for the mad collector.

Paying Our Respects

4/24/2021

Our store is at the heart of our business and provides us a space to connect with our customers, showcase our products and proudly show off our window displays.

If you walked past last week you may of noticed our window dedicated to the late Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh. We had an array of Royal and Military insignia, trophies, pictures and pieces of jewellery on show celebrating his long life full of accomplishments; with the biggest being his dedication to the Queen and Monarch as the longest-serving consort in British Royal history.

This week we have transformed our window to pay our respects to the Australian & New Zealand men and women who served not only in the First & Second World War but all ANZAC's who were killed in military operations. The 25th of April was officially named ANZAC Day in 1916, a year after Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula. These soldiers became known as ANZAC's and the pride they took in that name continues to this day.

We are always dressing up our store window either celebrating a particular occasion or showing off some fun new items. If you see something you're interested in, then please come in the shop and have a closer look.

Cracking the Secret Code

4/17/2021

This gorgeous pair of three coloured gold Aesthetic earrings just arrived with registration marks for 1867 and it got us thinking about the history of the diamond/registration mark and we wanted to share this with you.

The British Patent Office during the period 1842-1883 issued a diamond mark along with the registration number every time a design was registered. As well as showing that the design had been registered, diamond marks offered buyers reassurance of knowing an item was of British design and the designer a degree of protection from copies being produced.

If you refer to the image on the right showing the individual sections of a full diamond registration mark. The mark was created to identify the type of material used (known as the class), how many items were included (known as bundle or package) and the date of registration (numbers and letters used to work out the date). Note the registration number does not form part of the mark. The centre is occupied by the abbreviation Rd signifying that this is a Patent Office mark standing for Registered Design.

After 1884 the diamond mark was not produced instead it changed to a string of consecutive numbers to date the registered designs, e.g. the year 1885 would appear as '19756'. Although these marks can be complicated whether they were printed, engraved or otherwise marked on any object from jewellery, pottery, bronze etc, it gives us an interesting insight into the age and makers from this period.

We have a few pieces with varying registration marks and would love to show them to you. Come and visit us in store and check them out.

Pipe-Dreaming...

1/30/2021

A tobacco pipe, simply referred to as a pipe, is a device made to smoke tobacco. It comprises a chamber (the bowl) for the tobacco from which a thin hollow stem (shank) emerges, ending in a mouthpiece. Pipes can range from very simple briar models to highly prized hand-made artisanal implements made by renowned pipemakers, which are often highly sought after collector's items.

One of our latest acquisitions is this interesting Meerschaum pipe in the shape of an elephant head and trunk, set with ivory tusks and with a horn mouthpiece in it's original fitted box, c.1900 (images below).

Now you may be asking, what is a 'Meerschaum' pipe?

A Meerschaum pipe is a smoking pipe made from the mineral sepiolite, translated directly from German to meaning "sea foam" which is sometimes found floating on the Black Sea.

The first recorded use of meerschaum for making pipes was around 1723 and it quickly became prized as the perfect material for providing a cool, dry, flavourful smoke. Meerschaum is able to absorb the moisture and tobacco tar into the material due to its porous nature and became a premium substitute for clay pipes up to the mid-1800s before briar pipes become more common for smoking. You can see when a meerschaum pipe has been repeatedly smoked as it will gradually change colour. Old, well-smoked meerschaum pipes are valued by collectors for their distinctive colouring ranging from shades of yellow to orange, red and amber from the base on up. Note that Meerschaum pipes can either be carved from a block of meerschaum, or made from meerschaum dust collected after carving and mixed with a binder then pressed into a pipe shape similar to our elephant shaped pipe.

After 40 plus years in the trade we are always interested in viewing and sourcing fascinating items of any shape and size. If you have something you think we would be interested in, please don't hesitate to email with a picture or bring it in for us to view.

Will this ship deliver you good fortune?

6/20/2020

One of our most recent acquisitions to the shop is this large heavy quality Japanese antique treasure boat "Takarabune" cast completely in solid bronze with incredible detail, c.1890.

The large sail turns to and fro and the life-like rudder on the back also moves. The large sail is decorated with images of Japan's infamous Seven Lucky Gods or Seven Gods of Fortune. During the first three days of the New Year the Seven Lucky Gods are said to pilot through the heavens to human ports as the Takarabune or Treasure Ship. As it sails into town bringing good fortune, the takarabune is celebrated in a New Year's tradition in Japan, especially by hopeful businesses.

It is superbly modeled with realistic details such as the waves and clouds motifs on the exterior with the lion and dragon among other animals along the sides. The ship is loaded full of treasures!

This interesting sculpture is destined for the finest collection or display. Come and visit us in store and have a look at this bronze masterpiece.

When Worlds Collide - A Great Story

2/29/2020

As you all know we love finding pieces with a story and this is one, we just couldn't wait to share. The photo on my right is of an Indian sterling silver frame by Hamilton & Co., c.1945-50, however the interesting thing is, who the photograph is of. Introducing the Maharaja Harinder Singh Brar of Faridkot who ruled over the region between 1918-1947 across the time of both World Wars.

Now you may notice the two envelopes in the photo, these were signed cards sent to the original owner of this silver photo frame, Lieutenant General Sir Iven Gillard & Lady Mackay.

Lt Gen Mackay was a senior Australian army officer who served in both World Wars. He was originally a physics tutor teaching at the University of Sydney from 1910 until the First World War broke out and he joined the Australian Imperial Force shortly after. Due his tenure he served in the 4th Infantry Battalion at Gallipoli and then moved to the Western Front and later being promoted to Brigadier General in 1918 and led the 1st Infantry Brigade in numerous battles and in the attack on the Hindenburg Line. After the war Mackay continued his studies and became Headmaster at Cranbrook School, Sydney between 1933-1939 until the time of the Second World War broke out where he was now Major General and led the 6th Division in to the Western Desert Campaign, and later in the Battle of Greece where he was the only Australian general to face the Waffen-SS in battle. In 1942 he assumed command of the Second Army where he led the New Guinea fighting campaign. After his active duties had ended he was recognised and appointed as High Commissioner to India in November 1943 where he met the Raja of Faridkot. Mackay's papers and portraits are held in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

After doing some further research, the Raja of Faridkot passed in 1989 and as one of the remaining independent states of India his will has been highly contested in a 20 year legal battle which his two remaining daughters have just won their share of over 4 billion dollars!

Come in store and check the frame and signed letters to Lt Gen Mackay from the Raja of Faridkot. We look forward to seeing you soon and as we said we love a good story.

Indian sterling silver frame by Hamilton & Co, c.1945-50 - $2,200

Official 1919 portrait of Iven Mackay by John Longstaff

AAADA Antiques & Arts Fair Sydney 2019

8/3/2019

Greene & Greene Antiques are pleased to be taking part in the annual Sydney Antiques and Art Fair at the White Bay Cruise Terminal, 2041 James Craig Road, Rozelle NSW 2039.

Be witness to an extraordinary variety of art and antiques from Australia's best dealers.
We will be exhibiting a collection of our finest antique jewellery, silver and a range of decorative objects, including some pieces we have kept aside especially for the Fair.

We were lucky enough to be voted the favourite stand by the public at last years Sydney Fair!

Please feel free to come and visit us in the shop this week to pick up a complimentary entry ticket for you and a guest. We also have Gala Preview tickets for two people on Thursday 22 August.

TICKETS
22 August - Gala Preview $50
23 - 25 August - General Admission $20
Passouts are available to return on general admission days of the fair

Look forward to seeing you there!
Tickets available at the door or online
https://aaada.org.au/sydney/

May Birthstone is Emerald

5/1/2019

Emerald like aquamarine, is a variety of beryl, a mineral that grows with six sides and up to a foot long in length. Emerald colour can range from light green to a deep rich green. As the birthstone for May, the emerald, is a symbol or rebirth. It is believed to grant the owner foresight, good fortune and youth. Emerald, derived from the word "smaragdus", means quite literally "green" in Greek.

The deeper or more green an emerald, the more valuable it is. The rarest emeralds will appear to be an intense green-blue. Emeralds are found all over the world, including Colombia, Brazil, Afghanistan and Zambia. However the emerald was mined in Egypt as early as 330BC, but some estimate that the oldest emeralds are 2.97 billion years old.

Cleopatra is perhaps the most famous historical figure to cherish emeralds. She even claimed ownership of all emerald mines in Egypt during her reign. The Egyptians used emeralds both in jewellery and in elaborate burials, often burying emeralds with monarchs as symbols of protection. That be said, it is still widely prized by the rich and famous, with Elizabeth Taylor's famous emerald pendant sold for $6.5 million in 2011.

The pieces pictured below to celebrate the May birthstone of Emerald are a Continental gold, silver, rose cut diamond and emerald necklace c.1880; a pair of 1950s 18ct white gold and diamond set bow shaped earrings with polished natural emerald drops; and then rings from left to right are a 1930s platinum, emerald and diamond bombe shaped ring; a traditional 18ct yellow and white gold, emerald and diamond oval cluster ring; an 18ct white gold ring set with diamonds and a 1.86ct oval emerald; and a platinum and 18ct white gold ring set with diamonds and a square cut natural emerald c.1960.

Come and visit us in store here at Greene & Greene Antiques to celebrate the May birthstone Emerald and its fabulous colours.

Vitreous Enamel

4/10/2019

We love good quality hand painted vitreous enamel at Greene & Greene Antiques and we have just bought some interesting pieces over the weekend.

First I want to start with a quick explanation of what vitreous enamel exactly is. Vitreous enamel is a material made by fusing powdered glass by firing. The powder melts, flows and then hardens to a smooth durable vitreous coating. The word comes from Latin, meaning "glassy".

To continue, see the image on the left with a selection of our new silver and enamel pieces:
1. A pair of 1950s gilt metal and hand painted vitreous enamel cufflinks with the colour and insignia of the Royal Engineers (left);
2. A sterling silver and vitreous enamel Royal Australian Air Force sweetheart brooch, c.1940 (top left);
3. A hallmarked sterling silver napkin ring with vitreous enamel Birmingham 1930 (top mid);
4. A hallmarked sterling silver napkin ring with vitreous enamel Glasgow 1953 (top right);
5. A hallmarked sterling silver vesta case with a vitreous enamel shield of St John's College Oxford University by Blanckenesee & Sons Birmingham 1902 (bottom right).

After some further research into the sterling silver napkin ring in the middle of the image above, we found that it was in fact used as a presentation prize for sailing. The front enamelled with a red and black burgee with gold anchor, represents the Mudhook Yacht Club. Not pictured above but on the reverse it has a contemporary engraved inscription which reads 'MUDHOOK REGATTA 1930 STEERSMAN'S PRIZE WON BY 'HERMES'', by J W Benson, Birmingham 1930. Mudhook Yacht Club was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest clubs in sailing history. It is based in north shore of the River Clyde in Scotland and is a fairly unique club being limited to only forty members. According to the club website: "It was (the club) particularly noted for only giving two prize in any race but both prizes were of a very high quality".

It's one of the best parts of our job to locate and find these unique pieces with these unwritten stories. Explore our stock online (we try to keep it up to date) or come and visit us in store here at
Greene & Greene Antiques to view an intriguing collection of silver and vitreous enamel pieces.

The Origin of Chess

3/1/2019

The origins of Chess, according to scholarly research, is traced back as far as sixth century India, making it a later invention than other board games, such as Backgammon. The Indian ancestor of Chess was known as Chauranga, the Sanskrit word for the four members or components of an Indian Army: elephants, horses, chariots and foot soldiers. From India the game travelled to Persia, and once the Arabs conquered Persia, chess was taken up by the Muslim world and subsequently spread to Southern Europe. In Europe, chess evolved into roughly its current form in the 15th century.

"Romantic Chess" was the predominant chess playing style from late 15th century to the 1880s. Which emphasised more on quick, tactical manoeuvres rather than long-term strategic planning. In this period there were a number of notable players, especially Howard Staunton who dominated the game in the 1840s. Following on from this period was the Scientific, Hypermodern and New Dynamism eras.

Chess remains a highly popular pastime among the general population to this day. A 2012 World Chess Federation survey found that "chess players now make up one of the largest communities in the world: 605 million adults play chess regularly". Chess is played at least once a year by 12% of British people, 15% of Americans, 23% of Germans, 43% of Russians, and 70% of Indian people.

Here at Greene & Greene Antiques, we are avid collectors of all chess and board game sets and pieces. Image below is a 1930s Staunton chess set in boxwood, in mint condition. Please view our Chess & Board Games section under our shop banner to see a range of items we have in stock, or other wise come and visit us in store as we always carry a selection of interesting objects for the mad collector.