19th-Century Furniture English Christmas
With its rings of holly branches, this majolica platter carries the spirit of Christmas. And with its $7,735 sale price at Strawser Auction Group, it’s certainly something to celebrate! But a closer look shows its symbols are a little different from the decorations most of us may be used to. The birds around the rim are robins; not something you often see on American Christmas decorations, but very popular in the United Kingdom. Robins are often seen there in the winter because they migrate there from Scandinavia and Continental Europe. Then there are the portrait medallions of a white-bearded man who looks a little, but not entirely, like Santa Claus. Instead of a red suit with a matching fur-trimmed hat, he wears a brown robe, carries a staff and is crowned with a wreath of holly. This must be Father Christmas, the English personification of the holiday’s festivities. He dates to at least the 15th century and may be influenced by the folkloric figure of the Holly King of winter, whose perpetual battle with the Oak King of summer (who is sometimes represented by a robin) dramatizes the cycle of seasons. As you may have guessed, this platter is an English piece. It was made by George Jones, one of the most celebrated makers of Victorian majolica. ***
Q:I found a silver link bracelet in my aunt’s jewelry box after her death at age 93 in 2002, so I believe it’s old and would like some idea of its value. I took it to a jeweler who used a loupe to look at the mark on the underside of the clasp. She said it read “JB” over “830S.”
A:The first clue to the bracelet’s value is the “830S.” That is the silver content, meaning it is 83% silver and 17% alloy of other metals. The standard for sterling silver is 925, meaning 92.5% silver. While not sterling silver, 830 silver still has a relatively high silver content, and its higher percentage of alloy means it is more durable than 925 silver. The “JB”
Victorian English majolica maker George Jones decorated this platter with English Christmas symbols that may be unfamiliar to Americans, but still have the spirit of the holiday.
