Inspirational Antique Design

With the London Design Festival week (17th - 25th September) fully underway, the abundance of exhibitions and events promoting the top end of contemporary design is an exciting reminder of where we are today.  This celebration has prompted us at Graham Smith Antiques to reflect on good design from the past.  


Before the age of the machine and mass production, household items were designed and made to serve their purpose, with expert ease and longevity built in.  The vast quantity of good British design is almost overwhelming when attempting to search through; one of many examples good British design is a Victorian Stationary Cabinet (shown below).  This piece equally combines aesthetics and function through exquisite design and craftsmanship.

Addressing the needs of the buyer, the designer has cleverly engineered a way of concealing the necessary compartments to keep the design elegant and functional: a writing surface, drawers, storage for ink wells, pens and paper are all kept behind neatly sealed, carved walnut walls.  A pleasure to use and to decorate the work or home environment is enough to delight the owner, this combined with the uniqueness of the look makes this cabinet an impressive piece from the late 19^th century. 

Design Festival Week is about encouraging new designers, apprentices and students to serve the nation’s desire for good design.  Whilst it is agreeable to use contemporary inspirations, we can also look to our past for everlasting, unwavering design.  Thank you for reading this blog, you can find more information, photographs and browse our current shop and showroom stock online.

Satsuma Pottery

The delights of Satsuma pottery are as never ending as the tightly knit patterns wrapped round the vessels themselves.  One can identify typical Satsuma pottery by its heavily decorated exterior; gold glowing throughout bordered repetitive patterns separate the figures that represent Japenese Gods, myths and battles.  Often Samurai warriors, women, children and dragons, legendary creatures, associated with wisdom, make an appearance on items designed for places of worship.  A good example of which is shown in the photograph below, a Satsuma Temple Jar, circa 1920,  which we have in our Jesmond shop.

At Graham Smith Antiques, we have several Satsuma items which can be found on the Antiques Atlas website.  Among them is a delicate bowl, (shown below) made during the Meiji period (1868 to 1912), representing the first half of the Empire of Japan. This bowl is another excellent example of the use of Samurai Warriors and gold emblems, which enhance the beautifully adorned surface.  You can find more information, photographs and contact details via our Facebook Store, Selling Antiques website and Antiques Atlas website.

Black Forest, Bavarian Wood Carvings

Bavaria, one of Germany’s largest states, is home to some of the most beautiful and striking woodlands. The Black Forest is a constant source of inspiration for artisans and our Bavarian book slide is no exception. The end panels to the book slide depict incredibly ornate carvings of the Chamois found in the Black Forest. This decorative piece has its origins intrinsically placed throughout the details.

Perhaps a more unusual piece is our Bavarian bear liqueur stand. This piece has a great sense of fun and doubles up as a talking point for you and your guests. Each glass has been hand cut and made to perfect proportions, sliding into place on each outstretched branch. Along with these items we also have a Bavarian Cuckoo clock which was rescued by its owner in 1915, during the First World War. Complete with a sweet birdsong, this clock is guaranteed to be a winner with the children and can be found in our warehouse or website.