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".

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 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. 

Amethyst is the gemological term for purple quartz and is a beautiful blend of violet and red that can be found in every corner of the earth. In fact, quartz is the second most abundant material found in the Earth's crust. Amethyst derives its colour from natural irradiation, iron impurities and the presence of trace elements. Its hardness is the same as other quartz, which makes it a durable and lasting option for jewellery. 

A funny fact is that Amethyst, the name comes from the Ancient Greek, derived from the word "methustos", which means "intoxicated". The Ancient Greeks wore and carved drinking vessels out of the gemstone with the belief that it would protect them from drunkenness.

​The pieces pictured below to celebrate the February birthstone of Amethyst are a Georgian amethyst necklace, with foil backed stones pinch and rub set in silver and gold, c.1820; At the front left an Edwardian amethyst and diamond brooch, set in detailed 18ct white gold, c.1910; To the front right a Late Victorian 15ct yellow gold, amethyst and seed pearl brooch, c.1880; Now at the back, an amethyst cocktail ring set in 14ct yellow gold, c.1960; And a Late Victorian amethyst and diamond ring set in 18ct yellow gold, c.1890.

​Come and visit us in store here at Greene & Greene Antiques to celebrate the February birthstone Amethyst and its striking colours.

​Can you believe it's December already? Are you asking where did the time go, well don't waste it because we only have 23 days left before Christmas Day! Get in quick and find that perfect gift for that special person in your life to thank them for the year of 2017.

Whatever your style preference or budget, one of December's three birthstones will match your true blue desires. Come and visit us in store at Greene & Greene Antiques, Woollahra for a range of precious gifts this Christmas.

Here at Greene & Greene Antiques we are pleased to be taking part in the annual Sydney Antiques & Art Fair at the Kensington Room, Royal Randwick Racecourse, Alison Rd. Randwick NSW 2031.

​Allow yourself to fall under the spell of 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 ran of decorative objects.

​Please feel free to come and visit us in the shop this week to pick up a complementary entry ticket for you and a guest.

Wednesday 6 September (Gala Preview)           6pm – 9pm
Thursday 7 - Saturday 9 September                  10am – 7pm
Sunday 10 September                                            10am – 5pm

You only get one Father in life, so why not show him how much you care on Father's Day with a unique gift. We have all sorts of gift ideas; jewellery in the form of cufflinks, signet rings and chains; decorative objects such as flasks, pens or even a pocket watch. Go the extra mile and make this year special with a gift for Dad from Greene & Greene Antiques!

It is always interesting to see when art crosses mediums, from an 18th century painted portrait to a late Victorian re-interpretation. ​Sir Joshua Reynolds portrait lives on and can be seen at Greene & Greene Antiques.

Sir Joshua Reynolds (16 July 1723 - 23 February 1792) was an influential eighteenth-century English painter, specialising in portraits. He was one of the major British painters of the 18th Century. He promoted the "Grand Style" in painting which depended on the idealisation of the imperfect. He was a founder and first president of the Royal Academy of Arts, and was knighted by George III in 1769.

We don't only love art and history but a story to go along with it. This fine quality English hallmarked sterling silver tea service has a very interesting story to match.

The tea service in the original oak box with dedication on a brass plaque on the lid includes a heavy quality hand raised, chased and repoussee rococo revival tea pot with matching tea pot stand, sugar basin and a milk jug. With original gilt washed interiors and manufactured by Eames & Bernard of London 1828-29. The lid shows the original retailers details "Hamlet Goldsmiths & Jewellers to his Majesty". Each piece is engraved with the recipients initials. This piece was a gift from the parishioners of a small village in Norfolk as a token of appreciation. Extraordinarily the original parchment is included with details of the gift and its recipient. The parchment reads:
​
"To the Reverend Henry Jowett
Sir, the Parishioners of Little Dunham; of which you have been Rector nearly forty years being desirous of expressing  their sense of your seal for the cause of Religion - your care of, and benevolence to, the poor, your uprightness of Character, and your obliging & gentle demeanour towards all, are desirous of presenting to you the accompanying silver tea-service, which they hope will be long possessed by yourself, and afterwards preserved by such of your family as you may think proper to bequeath it to, as a proof of the estimation, in which they hold you, and of the affection with which they regard you, and at the same time as an expression of their humble opinion of what the duty of a Minister of the Christian Church is, and ought to be - "to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unsupported from the World."
February 2nd 1829."

This piece comes from a country estate and was probably bought in the 1920s as a wedding gift. It is interesting to wonder how and when it came to Australia. However it goes to show the tradition of giving a silver tea service to mark a special occasion and the taking of tea have never gone out of style.

Do you also love to hear a great story over a nice cup of tea? Come and visit us in store here at Greene & Greene Antiques, Woollahra for a wide range of tea services and tea drinking paraphernalia.