Check the Base: It Started with My Granny
My great-granny had china cabinets bursting with glass and ceramics from all over the world. She sourced some herself; others the family’s seafarers brought back. As a child, I was the officially designated “Dusting Officer” for them, and Granny would watch eagle-eyed as I handled her treasures. But instead of just telling me to be careful, she satisfied my curiosity by telling me their stories… I was hooked!
This passion for historical objects never left me. I went on to study Classics, focusing not on grand battles but on the household objects people used every day. Today, my focus has shifted forward to pieces from the Victorian period through to the mid-twentieth century, but my core fascination remains the same: homeware and jewellery and the people who made and used them.
Fortunately, my Granny had patiently taught me to read an object and its base. So, whether I’m adding to my collection or buying for business at Antique Fairs, I never forget her knowledgeable and canny instruction to-
“Pick it up, turn it ower and mind tae check the base, ’cause if ye dinnae, ye’ll nae find oot if they’re telling ye the same story.”
But times have moved on, and so much of the antique trade now happens online. A place where we can’t follow Granny’s advice to physically pick up a piece and turn it over ourselves. We now have to rely on sellers’ photographs and descriptions instead, and in the online antique world, photos can be scarce and descriptions overly abundant. Poetic fluff instead of hard facts
At absolute minimum, you should expect clear photos of the front, the back and the base of the object. Unfortunately, some sellers don’t include base photos at all, while others show the base of one piece but not another. And when they do, it’s often out of focus, exactly where you need it sharpest. A tenner? You might be happy to take a chance. Two hundred pounds? Not so much.
Checking the base is essential. Why? Because only when we can consider the whole piece can we begin to ask what the details tell us. Sometimes, it’s fairly straightforward, a well documented piece with the maker, date and design relatively easy to establish. Other times…well, not so much. Plenty of pieces were marked some never marked at all. Marks shouldn’t necessarily be taken at face value either – there’s the Apocryphal, decorative and downright misleading ones that can send us down the wrong rabbit hole. There’s also the shape of the foot, how it’s finished, the wear it’s picked up, and the glaze, including the way it pools or ripples. These important details can help us begin to identify and date the piece.
This can feel daunting, especially if you’re new to antiques and vintage, thinking about starting a collection or simply looking for something you’d love to have in your home. You want to know what you’re getting…and what you’re paying for. You don’t need to know everything, but knowing what to look for and which questions to ask can give you the confidence to make an informed purchase.
On this blog, I’ll be sharing pieces I own, things I come across, and objects friends bring to my attention. I’ll show what caught my eye, what I looked for and what I managed to find out, including anything that made me reconsider my first impression. There’ll be posts about marks, shapes and the descriptions we use: what we mean by a piece from the Art Deco era, for instance, and how that differs from something made later in the Art Deco style. But I’m really interested to hear what you’d like to find out about. If there’s a mark you’re curious about, an object you’re unsure of or something you’d like me to explore, please get in touch. Comments and suggestions very welcome.
Shari
Check the Base Antiques