Architectural Heritage

Spring Catalogue of

PERIOD GARDEN STATUARY

ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS

& MODERN SCULPTURE

I am pleased to announce that our spring catalogue of Period Garden Statuary,

Architectural Elements and Modern Sculpture is now available.

Preening Bird

Street Sweeper

An early 18th Century

by David Wynne

by Peter Laszlo Peri

lead figure of a dancing

Cast in bronze with

(1899 – 1967)

girl with cymbals from the

an aluminium stem,

Modelled in coloured

workshops of

monogrammed and dated

cement (known as

John van Nost the Elder

1966, numbered 2 of 6

‘Pericrete’), circa 1955,

signed ‘Peri’

An early 19th century

The Pyke House Glass

The Crakemarsh Hall Staircase

carved marble dolphin

A series of mid-19th

A carved oak staircase

fountain, circa 1820,

century painted glass

in the manor of Edward

mounted on Tufa rock

panels, showing the family

Pearce, circa 1670

tree and history of Pyke

House since the Civil War

Period Garden Statuary

A recent discovery of an early 18th century lead figure of a dancing girl with cymbals

from the workshops of John van Nost the Elder (1686–1711–1713), previously thought to

be 1729. The disputed death date of John van Nost is an example of the grey areas that

surround early lead ornament. The question of authentication of early English lead

work is fraught with difficulty. This model of a dancing putto could relate to van Nost’s

Master, one Arnold Quellin (1653–1686), whose wife, on his passing, van Nost married,

and indeed this work notwithstanding the possible Low Countries connection to the

Larson family, could have indeed been modelled and cast by Andrew Carpenter (1677–

1737), he being principal assistant at van Nost’s workshops in London’s Haymarket.

It is then confusingly also possible that this work could be a later casting from an early

mould by ‘the man at Hyde Park Corner’ John Cheere (1709–1787) who took over van

Nost’s business and moulds upon van Nost’s death. All this said, it is most likely that

the stylistic similarities to the fighting putti at Melbourne House and the general

manner of the piece points firmly towards John van Nost the Elder.

The figure shows a naked, save the ‘classic’ later applied fig leaf, putti dancing with

cymbals, on tip-toe with the body in movement and her head to one side. The figure

sports a hairstyle not dissimilar to other known models by van Nost.

Also illustrated on this press release is an unusual early 19th century carved marble

dolphin spout, as an example of the stock in trade of fine examples of 18th, 19th and

early 20th century period garden ornament featured in the catalogue; this also includes

two 18th century Portland stone sundials, a life-size 19th century French terracotta

Bacchante along with urns, planters, tables, seats etc.

Architectural Elements

Following Architectural Heritage’s quest to find the most interesting and unusual

architectural elements, with provenance, we are pleased to show the recently conserved

late 17th century carved oak staircase, rescued from Crakemarsh Hall prior to its

demolition in the late 90s. Seen by Nikolaus Pevsner, Crakemarsh Hall was described

as ‘a compact two-storied stucco villa circa 1820. All very quiet and modest: and a

surprise to find that the house seems to have been built (or possibly rebuilt) around a

sumptuous 17th century staircase.’ The stair, now without runners and risers, comprises

of three extravagantly carved oak rising rails with a return gallery. The acanthus scroll,

floral motifs and intertwining snakes are carved in the manor of Edward Pearce (circa

1630–1698) and could relate to a series of stairs carved around 1670 of which Tredegar

House retains a fine example.

Shown again is the extraordinary early 17th century oak staircase, which was previously

thought to come from Wynnstay Hall. We are awaiting confirmation from dendro-

chronology, due in early next week, to finally confirm that the stair came from Llwyn

Ynn Hall, near Ruthin. Now demolished, this historic property was where the Welsh

Bible was translated - with a firm date and known provenance this staircase can now be

considered of national importance.

Other interesting elements to be shown are a series of stained glass panels removed

from Pyke House in Lancashire prior to its demolition in the 1960s. Describing the

history of the house and the families which lived there from the Civil War until the 19th

century, these stained glass panels have been untouched in storage for over 50 years.

Modern Sculpture

Shown here are two sculptures from the 1960s. Cast in bronze with an aluminium

stem, monogrammed and dated 1966, numbered 2 of 6, ‘Preening Bird’ relates to a

series of bird sculptures by David Wynne exhibited at Arthur Tooth & Sons, Bruton

Street, London W1, in March 1966. Preening Bird is listed and illustrated in the original

catalogue and was interestingly priced at £420.

‘Street Sweeper’ by Peter Laszlo Peri (1899–1967), modelled in coloured cement

(known as ‘Pericrete’), circa 1955, signed ‘Peri’. Peri himself described how, when

he as making sculpture of a social type, such as a street sweeper, he would "..show

him not as a pompous heroic figure, but as part of our surroundings. I choose one of

his characteristic resting poses, I have drawn my neighbour’s attention to another

neighbour whom he passed a thousand times on the street, but to whom he never gave

a second thought." Extracted from Sculpture in 20th Century Britain - A guide to

sculptors in the Leeds collection. Peri exhibited widely and his works are held in the

Tate, British Museum and Leeds City Art Galleries among other galleries.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require additional information or high

resolution images.

Thank you for your interest.

Kind regards

Alex

Architectural Heritage

email: puddy@architectural-heritage.co.uk

phone: +44 (0)1386 584414

web: http://www.architectural-heritage.co.uk