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M. FORD CREECH ANTIQUES & FINE ARTS
Makes no difference who you are Anything your heart desires
Will come to you.
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If your heart is in your dream
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2400-2600 light years away is the dazzling constellation Monoceros (Greek for "Unicorn"). It is said to be "one of the most beautiful sights in the heavens", its first known appearance on a celestial globe in 1612, created by Dutch cartographer Petrus Plancius.
Within the Unicorn is a relatively young triangular cluster of about 40 (wishing) stars known as the "Christmas Tree Cluster" - pictured above. This celestial Christmas tree even has its own tree-topper - a giant star, simply known as HD 47887. Below the "topper" is the "Snow Flake Cluster", whose stars appear as pink and red lights radiating out in snowflake form. At the base of the tree is another intensely bright massive star named 15 Monocerotis - 8000 times as bright as our sun!
Oddly ... the "Christmas Tree Cluster" rises into the evening sky just as many begin to fill their homes with star-topped Christmas trees, and in much of the northern hemisphere, look outside to snow flakes falling from the skies ... ... and we generally pragmatic adults slip into our altered Christmas mentality : charge headlong into the illogical worlds of Walt Disney, Pinocchio and Star Trek, mount stuffed antlers on our cars, endanger life and limb to cover our homes with lights, and always entertain an "impossible dream" - or two - (probably travel plans) ...
... whilst we wish for luck on our favorite sparkly star ...
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Some Earthly "Things That Also Sparkle" : "Silver" (From our 2013 Collection / Click images for details)
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James I Provincial Silver Seal Top Spoon Bristol, c1610, the Seal pricked '1612' Marked with a fleur de lys and 4 pellets to the bowl & an incuse reversed R sided by two five-petaled roses to the shaft. Coincidentally, 1612 is the year the globe was created first depicting the constellation "Unicorn" . On December 28, 1612, Galileo Galilei was the first astronomer to observe the planet Neptune when in conjunction with Jupiter, mistakenly cataloging it as a "fixed star", as it moved so very slowly. |
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Early George III Silver Argyle, London, 1768 Script TJ in oval punch, Grimwade # 3841 (attributed to Thomas Jackson II, Thomas Jones, or Thomas Justice, as found on a kettle and stand, 1768) An argyle is an insulated gravy pot, reputedly invented by the Duke of Argyll of Scotland. These ingenious vessels not only keep the sauces warm by means of an outer jacket for hot water, but pour the sauces from the base, avoiding the fats which rise to the top. The earliest date to 1755. This is an early example. Engraved T beneath a Viscount's coronet.
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Rare Early 18th Century Silver Mustard Spoon, c1720, Hanoverian, with strong upper ridge, rattail attachment; terminal verso scratch engraved S+W Although this shape is similar to the tea caddy spoon, spoons for the measurement of tea were not introduced until the 1770s.
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George I Britannia Silver Marrow Spoon (upper two images) Partial Maker's Mark S?, London, 1723 Rattail attachment with initials to heel & scoop upturned; The bowl crested with a demi-buck springing gouged with a ducal coronet George II Silver Marrow Scoop (lower image) Maker's Mark Rubbed, London,1733 Crested for Brocas (Lord Mayor of London, 1730, and for Brocas of Beaurepayre, co. Hants.)
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Good Set of 4 George III Silver Snuff Spoons, Peter, Ann & William Bateman, London, 1801 Rare Set of 6 George III Silver Snuff Spoons, John Blake, London 1803 (Shown for comparative size with a George II Tablespoon, James Wilks, 1729) There is debate to the size and use of "snuff spoons", possibly all miniature spoons simply being classified as such. However, by repute, these tiny spoons were used for taking snuff, rather than the fingers.
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George II Silver & Carved Mother of Pearl Snuff Box England, c1735-45 Extremely well carved with two lovers between an apple tree and a dolphin-spewing fountain - the sun shining, birds flying - perfect for your true love! |
Victorian Silver Hunting-Horn Vinaigrette & Scent Flask Sampson Mordan & Co. The lid with a George III Gilt token, opening to a hinged floral & foliate pierced grill & vinaigrette compartment, a flask at the end |
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Dutch Silver Tobacco Box, Christoffel Woortman, Amsterdam, c1796 With panels of Biblical scenes to the hinged cover and verso : Solomon and his very dual nature to the cover, The Prodigal Son to the verso
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Large Edward VII Scottish Provincial Silver Arthur Medlock, Inverness, Scotland, c1900-1910 Boar's head within belted motto NE OBLIVISCARIS' (DO NOT FORGET) |
Two Edward VII Scottish Provincial Silver Clan Badges William Buchanan, Inverness, Scotland, c1910, for the families : Fraser - JE SUIS PREST(I AM READY) Malcolm - IN ARUA PETIT (HE AIMS AT DIFFICULT THINGS) |
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William Soame, London, 1735 In the Hanoverian pattern with upper ridge and double-drop heel Hash spoons were large serving spoons (over 12") used for serving
a mixture of meat and potatoes in the18th and early 19th
century George III Silver Large Basting Spoon Richard Crossley, London, 1806 Crested for the family of Ormsesby (Ormsby) : a dexter arm embowed in armour holding in the hand a man's leg also in armour couped at the thigh, all proper
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Pair of George III Irish Silver Patens Richard Williams, Dublin, 1760-70, raised on a ringed footrim Each centering an engraved Bishop's Mitre (Anglican), one surmounting a crowned eagle displayed
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Early George III Silver & Baleen Toddy Ladle, set with Queen Anne Silver Coin the rim with the edge of coin, ummarked (as usual in the case of coin inserts), 15" Long
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George III Silver Stand with Reticulated Border Robert Makepeace & Richard Carter, London, 1776, quite heavy gauge at 20.9 oz. Crested with an ostrich on a chapeau, in mouth a horseshoe, for the 1st Earl of Leicester, Thomas William Coke, (6 May 1754 – 30 June 1842) Coke became famous for his advanced methods of animal husbandry used in improving his estate at Holkham in Norfolk. As a result, Coke of Norfolk is seen as one of the instigators of the British Agricultural Revolution.
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Very Good George III Crested Silver Soup Ladle Thomas Evans, London, 1776, Feather-Edge, with stop-fluted shell-form bowl Crested with an eagle's head erased |
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Good George III Old Sheffield Plate Meat Dish Matthew Boulton, Birmingham, c1810-15, 21" Wide Simply the best of the Old Sheffield Plate makers of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
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South American Silver Tastevin Probably Brazil, Early19th Century, Crown over ? (likely a B), and another very rubbed mark with fanciful silver dependent sea serpent loops and chain
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Early 19th Century Engraved Dutch Silver Gesina Voorthuis (widow of J.H.) Stellingwerff & Abraham Bernardus van Grasstek, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1837 The hinged lid engraved with dancing villagers - In the manner of David Teniers "Flemish Kermess"
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Pair George IV Scottish Silver Toddy Ladles John Caw, Edinburgh, 1826-27 Crested with a dexter arm vambraced holding in the gauntlet a pheon erect below the mottos PER TELA PER HOSTES (By arrow by enemies) for the familes Bremner, Brymer
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Good Pair Regency Silver Candlesticks John Roberts & Co., Sheffield, 1813 Cast & embossed with palmettes, crested with a stag's head erased, attired |
Fine Pair of William IV Silver Candlesticks Kitchen, Walker & Curr, Sheffield 1832 Of particularly nice form Kitchen, Walker & Curr made particularly fine silver wares |
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George III Silver Nutmeg Grater Thomas Willmore, Birmingham, 1800 In three parts, the bottom section a nutmeg holder, Bright cut to the top & bottom, the top cover initialed MG |
George III Silver Tubular Nutmeg Grater Thomas Wilkes Barker, London, 1802-3 Of quite heavy gauge silver, with double hinged cover and removable grater |
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South Staffordshire Enamel on Gilt Metal Egg-Form Box England, c1765-70 Two side and one lid cartouche intricately painted with small figures and sheep in seashore landscapes, the heavy gilt arabesques characteristic of Julien Berthe An amazing piece of miniature artistry!
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On Sunday, January 6, 2002 - the Day of Epiphany in the Christian church - a red supergiant star V838 Monocerotis, 20,000 light years toward the constellation Monoceros (The Unicorn), began an outburst, which for a short time made it one of the brightest stars in the entire Milky Way. The star with its "light echo", spanning 6 light years in diameter, were imaged (above) by Hubble Telescope on December 17th, 2002 - almost a year after its brightening cycles had begun - and 4 days before Winter Solstice - the ancient day of celebration of light by cultures worldwide here on earth.
This ancient star was unknown prior to
January 6, 2002.
Coincidentally, in the
pre-1752 calendar, January 6th was Christmas Day ...
"...Like a bolt out of the blue Fate steps in and sees you through When you wish upon a star Your dreams come true"
May your Christmas Season be filled with at least one perfect star
and one wondrous new dream,
that is filled from afar ...
through "Fate"...
and a star's mighty beam.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
MILLICENT CREECH
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(The Silver Page : https://www.mfordcreech.com/silver.html 901-761-1163 (gallery) / 901-827-4668 (cell) mfcreech@bellsouth.net or mfordcreech@gmail.com
Please click below for our first two 2013 Christmas Catalogs :
581 S. PERKINS ROAD / LAURELWOOD COLLECTION / MEMPHIS, TN 38117 Hours : Wed.-Sat. 11-6, or by appointment
Complimentary Gift Wrapping
To receive our periodic email catalogs, please click here
American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Discover accepted
(Star Images : Christmas Tree by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope / V838 by NASA & Hubble Heritage Team ( "When You Wish Upon a Star", Leigh Harline & Ned Washington for Walt Disney's "Pinocchio", 1940)
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Home Accessories Ceramics Early Asian Ceramics Fine Art Furniture Glassware Silver
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© Some images are copyrighted by their authors and used by permission. They appear here for your enjoyment only. Please do not reproduce without specific written permission. When You Wish Upon a Star III / Things That Sparkle - Silver |
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