The Home Beautiful: The Thomas Risley Doll's House, 1889

Doll's House
Assembled in 1889 by one Thomas Risley
Possibly from a kit by an unknown model co.
Click to enlarge the image
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made by Thomas Risley in 1889 possibly from a kit, this villa puts me in mind of Queen Victoria’s Osborne House, though it is a doll’s house. This beauty is rendered in the style of a brick house which would have been quite the fashion about 1860—with a glass conservatory and coach house on each side.

When we hear the words “doll’s house,” we automatically imagine that this was made to be a child’s plaything. But, not. This was not for a child. It’s far too fragile. This was meant as a collectible pursuit and a hobby for an adult, and quite probably for a male with an interest in architecture and design.

Made of wood, it is painted a deep cream, with a striped yellow and white awning over the front entrance. The coach house has been made to look as if it is a brick structure, and the conservatory is constructed of real glass. A set of railings with two gates run around the front of the house. 

Unusual Artifacts: Harry Randall's Dressing Case, 1840-60

Dressing Case of Harry Randall
1840-60
This and all related images from the
Victoria & Albert Museum

This dressing case was used by the leading music hall comic and “pantomime dame” Harry Randall (1860-1932) as a make-up box. The fine quality of the box and its handsome fittings mark of the status that Randall reached as a performer. Curiously, this was the only personal possession of Harry Randall's that was preserved by his family.

Randall's first professional appearance was in 1884 at Deacon's Music Hall in Islington. He was very close friends with champion dancer Dan Leno and, like Leno, Randall became known for his comedy character songs and his pantomime dames, several of which he performed in pantomimes with Leno. He became so well known that his name was used in the rhyming slang for 'candles' which became known as “Harry Randalls,” or simply “Harrys.”

The wooden dressing case boats inlaid brass edging to the lid and sides. The lid of the box is lined with ruched and padded blue velvet, around which there is a dark blue leather border stamped with a gilt foliate pattern.


The box contains a removable wooden tray divided into six compartments, three of the compartments are lined with blue leather; two with pads of blue velvet and one without lining but with a wooden lid with a silver knob.



The tray contains a wooden lidded compartment, two small round glass jars with silver lids, a long glass tray with a pierced and chased silver lid and a compartment with indentations for tweezers, a corkscrew, a button hook, an awl, manicure scissors and a nail file with a mother-of-pearl handle. The main body of the dressing case has four deep compartments, three containing silver-lidded jars, and one empty with a wooden lid with a silver knob, similar to the wooden lid in the tray but not the same size.


The case was made in London between 1840-1860 by J.J. Mechi. It is marked:

'No.4 LEADENHALL ST. LONDON. J.J.MECHI. To prevent fraudulent imitations signs all his articles thus without which NONE ARE GENIUNE.'
'J.J.Mechi'

When the case was donated to the V&A, the donor, a relative by marriage to Harry Randall, wrote: "I am the current custodian of his travelling box in which he kept his make-up. It has been passed down through the family originating from his sister in law Mrs Annie (Nancy) Randall who was married to Alf Randall, Harry's brother. She had everything belonging to Harry Randall, his make-up box, his scrap book, his chair and his sheet music. After my Great Aunt Nancy died everything of Harry's was thrown out, except his make-up box which my father's sister kept. At this time it still had his original make in on the jars but when my father's sister died and I became the new owner of the box, all the make-up had been washed out by my aunt, unfortunately."

Unusual Artifacts: A Model of a Grocery Store, Circa 1870

Model Grocery Store
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
via The Royal Collection Trust
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen ELizabeth II

Click image to enlarge.

I hate going to the grocery store.  I loathe it.  Frankly, I dislike going most fundamental places.  I enjoy going places wherein there are pretty things, sparkly things, and only then when there aren't many people about.  Still, a fella's gotta eat.  

But, here's a grocery store to which I wouldn't mind going.  Were it full-sized...or, if I were a little, tiny person.  Hmmm...that would be interesting, momentarily.

We see here a model of a grocery store from unspecified origin and date.  Housed in The Royal Collection, the model is called, "Grocerie SPRATT Her Majesty."

It features a glazed door and windows through which are displaying miniature baskets, jars and bottles of food. Inside the model, a wooden counter precedes wooden drawers and metal jars which contain spices and groceries. 

The entire model is housed in a glass case.

The Art of Play: A Pelham Puppet March Hare, 1950-1955

The March Hare
Pelham Puppets
1950-1955
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Pelhams, the wildly popular British toymaker, began in 1947 when Bob Pelham opened his business in Malborough, Wiltshire. The company survived until 1993 and, in that time, made thousands of different puppet characters of both glove and marionette varieties. The Pelham puppets were simple to operate for children and evolved in appearance as fashions changed from decade to decade. It’s easy to identify when a Pelham puppet was made just by looking at it because the designs seem to represent the visual ideals of each era. 

For example, this marionette March Hare could not possibly look more like a creation of the 1950s. And, that’s when he was made—between 1950 and 1955. He features a solid, molded wooden head and hands, all painted. Meanwhile his body and arms are made of wooden blocks which are hidden under his costume of striped trousers, a green jacket and waistcoat and an orange bow tie.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Harrods Shoe Snuffbox, c. 1870

Snuffbox, 1870-1880
The Talbot Collection at
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In the Nineteenth Century, boots and shoes were symbols of good luck. So, it was only natural that trinkets and personal objects should take the form of footwear. This snuffbox, dating between 1870 and 1880, is an excellent example of that phenomenon. The box is made in the shape of a fashionable Victorian lady’s button-boot of the 1860s. It is even adorned with metal studs just like the real thing would have been. The top of the boot forms the container for the snuff.

It’s a sure thing that this box was made in England, but other similar examples were imported from France at the time. The lid of the box is missing, but it’s still quite attractive. While most collectible snuffboxes were made of golf, hardstone or precious metals, some—like these novelty boxes—were made of wood. The mahogany box has been carefully hand painted, partly ebonized, and adorned with brass stringing, brass nails in the sole and heel, and brass and mother-of-pearl buttons.

Now part of the V&A’s Talbot Hughes Collection, the box was originally donated to the V&A by Messrs. Harrods of London in 1913. 

Unusual Artifacts: Schichtl Marionettes Flower Seller, c. 1900

Trick Puppet
Wizard from Kasperle
The Schichtl Marionette Company, Germany, c. 1910
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in Germany around 1910, this marionette is part of a group from the Schichtl Marionette Company. He’s part of the “Kasperle” tradition and is, at first glance, the character of “The Wizard.” But, there’s more than meets the eye. He’s a “trick puppet.” He can transform from the wizard into a dwarfish flower seller.

The puppet features a carved and painted wooden face with glass eyes, wooden hands, leather-clad feeties, a horsehair moustache, beard and wig.

While the wizard, he carries a wand, wears a long cream silk crepe robe with a silk collar. Appliqué black felt and velvet magical symbols adorn the silk robe while skull and crossbone motifs decorate his conical silk hat.

Concealed under the silk robe, is the flower-seller. This dwarf puppet wears a white cotton shirt, green and yellow belt and braces, red cotton knee-length breeches and tan stockings. The flower seller holds a metal lamp in his right hand and a wooden bucket of silk flowers on his head—as one does. 

Sculpture of the Day: The Dacre Ram, 1507-1525

Click Image to Enlarge

The Dacre Beasties
1507-1525
England
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The Dacre Beasts are a group of figures which were made as heraldic ornaments to represent one of the most powerful families of Sixteenth Century Northern England. The group consists of a griffin, a bull, a dolphin (which looks rather like an angry trout) and a ram.

The wealth and power of the Dacre family (of Naworth Castle, Brampton, Cumbria) was expanded in 1317 when a member of the influential and land-rich de Multon family married a Dacre family. The marriage resulted in a union of two enormous plots of land and strengthened the Dacre’s hold on Northern England. The figure of the ram, seen holding a banner, represents the de Multon family ( originally spelled 'Mouton,' the name is French for “sheep,” and, hence the ram). The banner is emblazoned with the family coat of arms.

The Dacre Beasts, commissioned by Lord Thomas Dacre (1467-1525) were crafted by unnamed local craftsmen from, as the story goes, a single, large oak grown on the family estate. The figures were painted and gilded and adorned with mounts of tinned copper. The group was restored in 1844 after being rescued from a major fire at Naworth Castle. Testing of the pigment shows that they’ve been repainted several times over the centuries. It’s likely that these are the only recorded surviving original heraldic beasts of an English Renaissance noble family. 

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: The Boxwood Bust, 1380-1400

Bust
The Victoria & Albert Museum

From the Victoria & Albert Museum, we see a boxwood bust of a female figure with elaborate coiffure. She wears a gilt copper crown set with three red garnets (two of them faceted and one cabochon, the faceted stones are not original) and topped with five naturalistic leaf crests. The bust is displayed on a base which is also of gilt copper, supported by three seated lions . The base is set with two amethysts (originally three), which are also faceted, and therefore, are also replacements. The base contains a small cavity for a relic which would have been associated with the martyred virgin saint—whoever she was—who is depicted here. 

Boxwood figures like this one were popular from the 1350s onwards and have a sculptor to showcase his talents in a rare material which would have appealed to his wealthy patrons.

Mastery of Design: A Burmese Double Comb, Late Eighteenth Century

Burmese Double-Sided Comb
Late Nineteenth Century
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in Burma around 1875, this double-sided, wooden comb is mounted with gold and inlaid with a trellis-work of un-faceted rubies and emeralds the traditional Burmese style. Such a comb would have been the stuff of a Burmese court lady's cosmetic box. These handy boxes were known as a “bi-it.” Aside from combs, they usually held, perfumes, a few tresses of hair (to augment a lady’s hair like a wig-let) and thanahka (powder).


This particular comb is believed to be of royal provenance. The very stringent laws of the Burmese court of Mandalay during the time of the Konbaung Dynasty (1752-1885) restricted the use of precious gemstones to only royalty and courtiers.

Unusual Artifacts: An Early Nineteenth-Century Wooden Puppet Head

Wooden Head of Mr. Punch
Victoria & Albert Museum
History of Puppetry in Britain

Of course, we know that Mr. Punch has been entertaining people in his various forms for centuries. Since his arrival in England, his appearance has remained fairly consistent despite minor nuances between puppets.






This wooden head, long detached from its cloth body, shows us an early Nineteenth-Century incarnation of our beloved Mr. Punch. With his hooked nose and chin, he looks very much like his many puppet brothers. The head was created for the Codman Family who were Punch & Judy Men for four generations. A cherished family heirloom, the head was presented to another great Punch Professor—Percy Press I—in 1946 as a gift from Richard Codman, Senior. With his bright eyes and knowing smile, this gleeful figure represents a proud puppet ancestry and serves as a model for his descendants.

Unusual Artifacts: A Mahogany Washstand, 1740-1770

Washstand
English, 1740-70
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In the Eighteenth Century, basin stands such as this one were used in bedchambers. The circular rim was used to support a basin for washing while the round box and cover underneath was intended to hold the soap (which was, at the time, typically round). Two convenient drawers were included to contain toilet accessories and a water jug stood on the lower triangular shelf.

This example of openwork mahogany stands on three cabriole legs, with three turned supports rising through a set of two small triangular drawers to support a circular ring on which the basin would rest.  It was made in Britain between 1740 and 1770.  

The Home Beautiful: The Tristan and Isolde Casket, 1350-1370

Click images to enlarge.
Jewel Casket
1350-1370
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in the Fourteenth Century, the carved figures on the lid of this jewel casket depict a scene from the fabled medieval romance of Tristan and Isolde. In the story, the adulterous lovers arrange a clandestine rendezvous at a fountain where they are spied upon by Isolde's husband, King Marke, and a dwarf who are hiding in a tree—as one does.

The sides of the casket are adorned with hunting scenes as well as depictions of a lady and a “wild man,” and a couple playing chess.

When this casket was purchased by the Museum in 1855, it had been over-painted in a dark color which obscured the original bright colors with which the figures were painted. It took twenty years to strip away the layers of dark paint to reveal the original polychrome color scheme which was, remarkably, well-preserved beneath.

Such a jewel casket, in the Fourteenth Century, would have been presented to a bride as a wedding gift. They often were emblazoned with scenes of courting and affection. This one, with its cautionary tale of adultery, is quite unusual.

The Art of Play: German Toy Birds, 1850-1910

German Toy Birds
1850-1910
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in Germany, this pair of toy birds could date anywhere between 1850 and 1910. This is one of a group of German traditional toys which is housed in the V&A’s Museum of Childhood. Some of the group were made in the mid Nineteenth Century while others were made in the 1900s based on earlier designs.

At each end of the crosspiece, a hummingbird figure is mounted with a leather bellows. When the upright piece is moved from side to side, the bellows are engaged and produce a whistling sound.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: An English Dummy Board, 1690

The Victoria & Albert Museum

We've looked at dummy boards here before.  I find them peculiar and fascinating.

What is a dummy board? Well, its exactly what you might think. Dummy boards are life-size, flat, wooden figures which are painted and shaped in outline to resemble figures--usually of servants, soldiers, children, and animals.

These come from the taste for using illusionistic painted figures as a form of decoration which first originated in the trompe l’oeil, or life-like interior murals and scenes which were initially painted by Dutch artists in the early Seventeenth century. Dummy Boards were placed in corners and on stairways to surprise visitors. Sometimes, they were set in front of empty fireplaces in the summer. Most of these odd ornaments were made by professional sign-painters.

Young women peeling apples were a popular theme. Here, we see an example from the Victoria & Albert Museum of such a dummy board of a seated young woman peeling apples into her apron on her lap. She is wears a brown dress with a low bodice laced in front in the style of the late Seventeenth Century.

Unusual Artifacts: A Model of a Grocery Store, Circa 1870

Model Grocery Store
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
via The Royal Collection Trust
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen ELizabeth II

Click image to enlarge.

I hate going to the grocery store.  I loathe it.  Frankly, I dislike going most fundamental places.  I enjoy going places wherein there are pretty things, sparkly things, and only then when there aren't many people about.  Still, a fella's gotta eat.  

But, here's a grocery store to which I wouldn't mind going.  Were it full-sized...or, if I were a little, tiny person.  Hmmm...that would be interesting, momentarily.

We see here a model of a grocery store from unspecified origin and date.  Housed in The Royal Collection, the model is called, "Grocerie SPRATT Her Majesty."

It features a glazed door and windows through which are displaying miniature baskets, jars and bottles of food. Inside the model, a wooden counter precedes wooden drawers and metal jars which contain spices and groceries. 

The entire model is housed in a glass case.

Unusual Artifacts: The Feeding Pig Dummy Board, 1750

The Victoria & Albert Museum

We’ve looked at Dummy Boards before, but never one shaped like an oinker. Just to refresh your memory, dummy boards are life-size, flat, wooden figures which are painted to resemble figures (usually servants, soldiers, and children, but sometimes animals).

These novelties were fashionable as a form of decoration (which originated in the trompe l’oeil) in the early Seventeenth Century, but they were made well into the Nineteenth Century. These items were placed in corners and on stairways to surprise visitors. I think a pig on the stairs would certainly surprise me. Sometimes they were placed in front of empty fireplaces in the summer. Usually, these were the work of professional sign-painters.

This one is quite a triumph of perspective. The figure of a piglet feeding from a bowl has been angled to slope away from the spectator so that the bowl appears horizontal.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Pearwood Mirror Back, 1901

Carved Mirror Back of Pearwood
Francis George Wood, 1901
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Mmmm...pearwood.  Speaking of delicious things, we'll be talking a look at this week's "Treat of the Week" tomorrow.  Until then, we'll be looking at lovely Art Nouveau objects like this Pearwood Mirror.

Usually, hand-held mirrors such as this were made as part of a lady’s dressing table set. This one, however, stands alone. It was made as a competition entry for National Competition of Art & Design, held by the Government School of Design in London in 1901. The maker of this decorative back for a mirror won the top honors at the competition. His name was Francis George Wood.

Wood attended the Salford School of Art--one of a network of local art schools that had been established in Britain from the 1850s onwards. Such schools provided training for artists and designers with the intention of finding them employment in manufacturing. The hope was to improve the overall quality and artistry of Britain’s manufactured goods. The idea became quite popular following the Great Exhibition of 1851 when all of Britain’s wares were on display for the world to see. That triumph, spurred by Prince Albert, set the standard for the quality of British manufacture, and it was a standard which trained artists such as Wood hoped to surpass. 

Wood’s work is exquisite. He relies on fashionable themes of the early Twentieth Century, but approaches them with a new energy. Daffodils were a popular decorative motif at this time and Wood plays with the shape of the flowers, creating an ornament of intertwining stems and leaves which shows the influence of the Arts and Crafts designer Walter Crane (1845-1915), as well as continental Art Nouveau. Wood’s triumph with this design brought him to national attention.

Unfolding Pictures: The Assam Peacock Fan, 19th C.

Hand Fan
Assam, India
Nineteenth Century
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This feathered fan was made in Assam, India, and is constructed of peacock feathers. The work of an unknown Nineteenth Century fan maker, the piece was made for export to Europe where, at the time, feather fans were quite fashionable.

Mounted on a wooden handle, the fan takes a circular form. Edged in natural peacock feathers, the center of the fan has been cleverly patterned with peacock feathers which have been dyed and bleached. These red, white and black feathers were cut and shaped in order to create this intricate, and wholly Indian pattern. Bits of shell, metallic thread and ribbon add dimension and shine which would have been quite enchanting reflected in candlelight.

The Home Beautiful: The Tristan and Isolde Casket, 1350-1370

Click images to enlarge.
Jewel Casket
1350-1370
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in the Fourteenth Century, the carved figures on the lid of this jewel casket depict a scene from the fabled medieval romance of Tristan and Isolde. In the story, the adulterous lovers arrange a clandestine rendezvous at a fountain where they are spied upon by Isolde's husband, King Marke, and a dwarf who are hiding in a tree—as one does.

The sides of the casket are adorned with hunting scenes as well as depictions of a lady and a “wild man,” and a couple playing chess.

When this casket was purchased by the Museum in 1855, it had been over-painted in a dark color which obscured the original bright colors with which the figures were painted. It took twenty years to strip away the layers of dark paint to reveal the original polychrome color scheme which was, remarkably, well-preserved beneath.

Such a jewel casket, in the Fourteenth Century, would have been presented to a bride as a wedding gift. They often were emblazoned with scenes of courting and affection. This one, with its cautionary tale of adultery, is quite unusual.