Homes & Antiques April 2022

Spring is in the air and our April issue is filled with signs of new life. Our ‘Style Now’ section contains a wonderful selection of pretty wallpapers and fabrics in vibrant shades of green; on page 38, Willa Latham charts the history of porcelain shepherds and shepherdesses and explains their popularity amongst fashionable hosts in the 18th century; and in our travel section, you will find a round-up of public gardens with glorious spring displays. Meanwhile, Karen Harvey suggests an alternative tour of the Netherlands, taking in towns and cities such as Delft and Edam, which are often left in Amsterdam’s shadow (p108). The theme of growth and green shoots continues in our features. Rhiannon Batten meets the brushmakers keeping their craft and traditions alive (p100), and Caroline Wheater shares…

THE ANTIQUE Pushalong horses With the Grand National taking place on 9th April, and gymkhanas everywhere cantering into life, the time is right to celebrate the pushalong horse. Much more affordable than their showier counterpart, the rocking horse, pushalongs are available in the low hundreds of pounds but are equally adorable. Made by big-name toy makers including G & J Lines and Collinson, this nursery toy pre-dates the rocking horse and became popular in the early 19th century, at a time when real horses and carts were the main mode of transport in both city and country. Most were simply mounted on a wooden board with wheels, but more expensive versions pulled carts and even carriages. To find out more about pushalong horses, search the V&A’s collections online or make a diary…

The highlight of a sale at Brussels auction house Arenberg Auctions in December 2021 was the ‘world’s smallest book’ – a leather-bound German prayer book measuring just 5x5mm (image not to scale). The tiny tome contains the Lord’s Prayer in seven languages – Dutch, English, American English, French, German, Spanish and Swedish – but is so small that it can only be deciphered with a strong magnifying glass. The previous owner had kept this extraordinary copy in a specially designed jewel box ‘like a gem’ for years, says Henri Godts, Arenberg Auctions expert. But, in December, an anonymous bidder paid €4,200 (£3,500) for the collector’s item – more than double its estimate. The book was made by the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz, Germany, one of the world’s oldest printing museums. In…

I work as a curator for Calderdale Museums and have been in this role for the past five years. I work across three museums – Shibden Hall and Bankfield Museum in Halifax, and Smith Art Gallery in Brighouse. Being a small museum service means that my role is very varied, and every day is different. The job includes caring for Calderdale Museums’ collection – which consists of 70,000 objects including social history, costume, art, toys, military history, jewellery, and textiles from around the world – programming and curating exhibitions across all three sites, giving talks and tours and researching the collection. I have worked in many different types of museum across Yorkshire, and prior to my current role I worked as Assistant Curator of Art at the Ferens Art Gallery…

Colour classic Whether it’s china, Delft tiles or beautiful gingham, blue and white is a classic colour pairing. And Linwood’s chintzy new Albertine in Classic Blue, with bouquets of roses and cottage garden blooms is no exception. The design works particularly well when ruffled and pleated. £64.90 per m. linwoodfabric.com TABLE FOWL These placemats and coasters from Cluck Cluck! are by artist Victoria Hall. They’re based on her own hens in Suffolk and will add a bit of fun to an Easter table. Each mat in the set of six has a different design of a cockerel or hen with colourful feathers. £60. cluckcluck.biz What to Sell Now DECORATIVE SNUFF BOXES Henrietta Grant, Olympia Auctions The snuff-taking habit of the 18th to the mid 19th centuries led to the creation of ornate and beautifully made snuff boxes…

Fabric Wallpaper Green and Pleasant Green Scene Bring soothing tones into your home with our round-up of green pieces Talking Shop FRANKLIN & HARE Rich and Hannah have recently moved their antiques and upholstery business from a shop in Ashburton to a warehouse in Buckfastleigh. Hannah tells us more… Rich has been in the upholstery industry since he was a teenager when he started working for the Devon workshop of Kingcome Sofas, where he learned the ins and outs of the trade. He has loved antiques from a young age after being influenced by his dad, and his passion for interiors and antiques grew as he started buying and selling and attending antiques fairs. In 2014 he took the plunge and decided to run Franklin and Hare as a full-time business. I have mainly worked in admin, but…