Mint The Shop

Royal Lancastrian dish

Sometimes on my hunts I come across pieces that I just know are something special, and that’s how I felt when I first spotted this oblong dish a while back. The seller wanted a fair bit for it, so I had to walk away, but when I saw that it was still for sale last week I couldn’t turn it down a second time around. And it turns out that I was right to take it home with me! The bowl was designed in 1948 by Mitzi Soloman Cuncliffe who is most famous for designing the golden trophy in the shape of a theatrical mask that represents the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and is presented as the BAFTA award. In addition to being a sculptor Cuncliffe also worked in textiles, ceramics and jewelry – a multi-talented lass! Considering its age, I think that this bowl is in excellent condition. It does have some slight crazing and the white edge is slightly off-colour in places, but all in all it’s pretty pristine. I love the use of colour, and the asymmetry of the bowl. Pieces by Cuncliffe can fetch some crazy prices – this particular bowl is for sale on designaddict.com for 265 Euros!

Dimensions: 40cm long x 16cm wide x 5cm high

Price: R320

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Set of 6 shot glasses

These glasses have a bit of a sad tale to them! I bought them as part of a liqueur set at an auction towards the end of last year. They had the most beautiful matching decanter that was in perfect nick, so I sat for ages waiting for the lot to come up and was over the moon when my bid was successful. I was proud to show them off at the last Wonder Market, until a wild gust of wind toppled the decanter and it smashed into a thousand pieces. I have to admit that I was close to tears! But at least the glasses survived! To the best of my knoweldge these glasses are Venetian – this style of applied flowers is typical of Venetian glass. There’s a fair amount of wear and tear to the gold gilding, but there are no apparent chips in the glass. It would have been wonderful to have the complete set, but I think that these glasses can stand by themselves. Definitely way cooler than any set you can buy today!

Dimensions: each glass measures 6.5cm tall x 4cm in diameter (at their widest)

Price: R110

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Art deco make-up/shaving mirror

I must be honest, I wouldn’t have known that this was a deco piece just by looking at it – despite its wear it almost seems too clean, plus it doesn’t look that different to some of the mirrors you can buy today, but I think that’s probably because the new mirrors are based on old designs that have been around for eons. When I picked up the mirror though, I could tell the difference – this is a nice solid piece, which is quite different to the contemporary versions that generally feel a bit tinny. Plus I bought it from a collector who knows her stuff and she’s certain that it’s art deco in period and that’s good enough for me! There’re some signs of age on the metal, and the silver on the glass is a bit marked in places, but overall it’s in very good nick. This is the perfect mirror for a gentleman’s bathroom, or alternatively display it on a dressing table and use it as a make-up mirror.

Dimensions: 36cm tall x 20cm in diameter (across the mirror)

Price: R240

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Melba China Dolly Varden sugar bowl

Dolly Varden, the name of this Melba china pattern, was a character in Barnaby Rudge, a Charles Dickens novel published in 1839. The term ‘Dolly Varden’ is most often a reference to a style of dress (presumably worn by the Dickens character) that involves a brightly patterned dress with an overskirt gathered up and draped over a separate underskirt.  I think that the illustration works beautifully on this art deco sugar bowl that dates to somewhere around the early 1930s. There is a small amount of wear to the pattern, but there are no chips or cracks in the bowl itself . I love the way the lady’s scarf floats up and over the side of the bowl – very clever design, and the slightly scalloped edge of the bowl is also a great feature. A whimsical piece that would look great as part of an eclectic tea set.

Dimensions: 11cm in diameter x 7cm high

Price: R120

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Small Murano vase

You’re not going to get a bunch of flowers into this petite vase, but it would look sweet with a single-stem, or just as a display piece. I love the thick bottomed base and the slightly snobby angle of the lip of the glass, and of course it’s great that it still has its original Murano sticker. Often glass looks like Murano, but without expert knowledge on the subject it’s hard to say with certainty that it’s the real McCoy. With a manufacturer’s sticker there’s no doubting its authenticity. A classic piece of glass in original condition.

Note: There are no chips in the glass, but there is a small mark on the inside of the vase that can’t be reached to clean properly

Dimensions: 20cm tall x 5cm in diameter (at its widest)

Price: R130

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