AA Auctions Ltd

Pot Lid:   'W. WOODS, WORCESTER'

Description:  A very appealing early 'Hunting Paste' lid from this Worcestershire city featuring a very detailed picture of a hunt on horseback. Great quality print (with just a light smudge on the word 'Hunting'). Scarce 

William Woods, 27 High Street, Worcester (c1850-75)

** Invaluable help and support has been provided to these pot lid listings by the authors of the fabulous book: 'Historical Guide to Advertising Pot Lids' by Houghton, Layden & Taylor - Thoroughly recommended at just £70 (softback) **

Era:  c1850-1875

Diameter:    84mm

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Fair/Good   Just has a very hard to spot and small (3mm x 5mm) chip on the outer rim (at 7 o'clock) which has been repaired to a very high standard indeed (and is barely visible on display as can be seen in photos) and apart from a totally insignificant microscopic pinhead glaze rub on the outer rim edge (at 9 o'clock) which is hardly worth mentioning is otherwise excellent.

Grade :   7.0       Estimate:   £100-150+     Reserve:     N/R

Pot Lid:   'DELCROIX & CO, LONDON'

Description:  Another early lid, this time a fabulous blue print example from this famous address in London and featuring the Royal coat of arms and advertising 'Lowcock's Castor Oil' within a banner below. This being the middle 1/6d size. Great quality print. Scarce 

Era:  c1860-70's

Diameter:    72mm

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Excellent   Superb condition with just the odd in-manufacture glaze imperfection (very subtle indentation on the back rim is covered by glaze and two tiny pinprick indentations in the glaze on the front are both in-manufacture) and is otherwise mint

Grade :   9.5       Estimate:   £150-200      Reserve:     N/R

6pm Sun 1st Sept - Updated description with earlier date of manufacture, date of finding and missed glaze crazing in condition report

Pot Lid:   'BEAR IN CAVE'

Description:  An extremely rare and very significant bear pot lid featuring as the title would suggest a black bear in a cave surrounded by floral decoration. Picked out in green and red and light blue outer edge within the double-line border. Exquisite quality print. One of only three examples recorded. This could easily be the best.  ** Don't miss it! ** 

Rarity stated as 'RRRR' and £1200-1800 value according to Mortimer's coloured pot lid book and possibly attributed to Ridgway as the factory of origin. It mentions 4 bear lids (inc this one) that were probably the very first to be produced (late 1840's) in the same factory being printed in just limited colours (blue, pink & green) and key plate. 

According to consignor was dug up on a sparse 1880's tip in Halifax, West Yorkshire in Jan 2015 (presumably a late throwaway)   

 Era:  Late 1840's

Diameter:    74mm

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Excellent/ Near Mint   Superb condition with just a very subtle and totally insignificant small (9mm) faint glazeline/hairline on the inside back rim (and a very faint glaze-line on the outer wall which is barely visible) Neither of which doing anything at all to detract and would otherwise have been 10/10. Plus some overall clear glaze crazing (with just a minor amount showing above the mountains)  

Grade :   9.6       Estimate:   £600-800+      Reserve:     N/R

Pot Lid:   'BUISSON FRERES, PARIS'

Description:  A very appealing 'Floretta' blue print pot lid from this famous Parisian perfumer made in the UK for the British market. Attractive overall design with clever use of blue shading and floral adornment. Scarce 

Era:  c1870-90's

Diameter:    72mm

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Excellent   Superb condition with just some light and subtle wear in places on the very edge of the bottom rim and outside rim edge (hardly worth mentioning), some light patches of rust stain on the underside and a couple of very insignificant light stains and pinhead rubs on the back rim too. Nothing at all to detract though

Grade :   9.2       Estimate:   £80-100      Reserve:     N/R

Pot Lid:   'LORIMER & CO, LONDON & NEW YORK'

Description:  A great example of this ever popular 'Sanoline' pot lid featuring three ladies admiring what looks like a selection of dental products laid out on a table in front of them. Clever use of shading for great effect. Superb quality print. Retains most of the original gold band. Comes with what looks like the original base. Scarce 

Era:  c1884-90's (after 1884 when three gold medals were awarded)

Diameter:    82mm

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   LID: Very good   Great condition with just an old small (12mm) dark thin hairline on the back rim/side (but not near the face), a tiny patch of light rust crazing on the face (over the table), two very insignificant tiny fleabites on the bottom rim edge (one barely visible), the odd superficial mark on the outside rim edge and some overall very subtle greyness. Nothing at all to detract when on display though / BASE: Very good/Excellent  Just some light rust crazing and similar subtle overall greyness as above

Grade :  LID: 8.3 / BASE: 9.2    Estimate: £500-700   Reserve:     £500

Pot Lid:    'SHARP BROTHERS, LONDON'

Description:   An attractive pink print Cold Cream lid featuring a harp tm. Decorative border. Scarce

 
Era:   c1880-90's

Diameter:   67mm

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Excellent   Superb condition with just a totally insignificant tiny pinhead glaze rub on the outer edge (at 3 o'clock) that is hardly worth mentioning and is otherwise mint

Grade :    9.5        Estimate:   £40-60      Reserve:    N/R

Pot Lid:      'J.B. WILLIAMS CO, GLASTONBURY, CONN'

Description:   A very appealing coloured lid, this time from a town in Hartford County, Connecticut and for 'Swiss Violet Shaving Cream'. Fabulous overall design incorporating violets around the border and pleasingly incorporated within the design itself. Excellent quality brown print lettering. Alignment dots on outer edge leading to the conclusion that this was produced by Kirkhams in Staffordshire. Particularly good print for one of these.

Era:   c1880-1890's

Diameter:    94mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Excellent    Superb condition with just some very subtle spots of light stain on the very rim edge and underside but nothing at all to detract 

Grade :   9.3        Estimate:   £100-150      Reserve:     N/R

Pot Lid:      'DENTAL SUPPLY CO, LONDON'

Description:   An attractive 'Rose Paste' lid featuring a rose pictorial in the centre and overall pink background. Beaded rim edge. Great quality print. Unusual to see pink so strong and without fading. 

Era:   c1880-1890's

Diameter:    86mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Fair/Good    Just a small (4mm x 6mm) old chip on the outer edge (at 7 o'clock), the odd spot of subtle wear and some rust crazing in places (mainly on the underside) and is otherwise excellent  

Grade :   6.0        Estimate:   £100-150      Reserve:     N/R

Pot Lid:      'R. HENDRIE, LONDON'

Description:   A quite significant early lid from this London perfumer. Red cherries, green leaves and brown branches adorn the pink background with red print wording in the central circle. Good quality print. Alignment dots at 3 and 9 o'clock indicating Staffordshire manufacture. Extremely rare (one of possibly only two recorded examples in existence)

Likely from the Ben Swanson collection (later sold through Harmer Rooke Galleries, despite them missing the repair) 

Era:   c1850-1860's

Diameter:    84mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Restoration    Has had a medium (1cm x 5cm) section (around 6 and 7 o'clock) on the face filled and repainted to a good standard with just some yellowing (possibly from overall lacquer) The outer edge may have the odd repaired spot too (although the face is 90% original). Could possibly benefit from being stripped down and restored but looks good on display.

Grade :   Ungraded        Estimate:   £100-150+      Reserve:     N/R

Pot Lid:      'THE SWALLOW'

Description:   Another rare early coloured lid, this time featuring a swallow flying towards what looks like a dragonfly and surrounded by green foliage and a single blue and red flower. Extremely rare (especially in this small size). Diamond registration number printed to underside.

Rated as 'RRR' with a value of £200-300 in Mortimer's coloured pot lid book (page 129) and attributed to Bates, Elliott & Co in Dec 1870

Era:   c1870

Diameter:    69mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Restoration    Looks at some time to have had two small areas of restoration on the outer edge (at around 2 and 7 o'clock) on the face and the odd bit of the side wall filled and repainted to a good standard with just some yellowing (possibly from overall lacquer). Could possibly benefit from being stripped down and restored to the original white but looks good on display as it is.

Grade :   Ungraded        Estimate:   £60-80+      Reserve:     N/R

Pot Lid:  'PIESSE & LUBIN, LONDON'

Description:  A larger (3.25") version of this attractive and popular pot lid manufactured by F & R Pratt in Staffordshire. Lovely striking colours with the various flowers (and their respective names in small banners) emblazoned around the outer edge. Thin back rim (see lot #30 for very small variant of this lid)

An example from the 'Beckford' Collection #2822 - (see rear sticker)

Era:  c1855-1905 (before they moved to 28 South Molton Street)

Diameter:    80mm  

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Fair/Good   Just has a smallish (3cm) hairline on the very edge (and part of face) at 6 o'clock, a deep but very small (3mm x 6mm) chip on the back rim edge (with other small nibbles) and some overall light fat staining (mainly on the back) and is otherwise very good.

Grade :  6.5            Estimate:   £30-50        Reserve:     N/R

Pot Lid:      'THE CIRCASSIAN'

Description:   An appealing early lid from this London perfumer. Various colours applied under the glaze over the underlying sepia print. Retains original gold band. Excellent print quality. Rare. (see lot #14 for similar variation) 

Rated 'RRR' and £250-350 in Mortimer's coloured pot lid book (page 71) 

Era:   c1860-18760's

Diameter:    75mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Good/Very good    Just has had a small (5mm) chip on the back rim (with a much smaller one alongside) and is otherwise excellent

Grade :   8.0        Estimate:   £150-200        Reserve:     N/R

Pot Lid:    'HOOPER & COMPY. MITCHAM'

Description:   A fabulous blue-glazed 'Rose Cold Cream' pot lid with matching blue base from this district in SW London. Rarely seen complete. Superb quality print too. Scarce and desirable.  

Era:   c1880-1900's

Diameter:   69mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  LID: Mint  Superb undamaged condition with just some very minor in-manufacture marks in the glaze. / BASE: Good  Just has a small (3mm x 5mm) chip on the very top rim which is completely hidden when lid on top and a stable very thin hairline crack on the base (and inside) that is also well hidden when on display.

Grade :   LID: 9.8 / BASE: 7.0    Estimate:   £60-80+    Reserve:     N/R

Pot Lid:      'THE ORNAMENTAL GARDEN'

Description:   Another appealing early lid, this time from Ross & Sons, perfumers, London. Various colours applied under the glaze over the underlying fine sepia and green print. Retains original gold band. Excellent print quality. Rare. (see lot #12 for similar lid) 

Rated 'RR' and £350-450 in Mortimer's coloured pot lid book (page 73) 

Era:   c1860-18760's

Diameter:    77mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Good/Very good    Just has three very small (1-2mm only) old brown flakes (and two tiny pinhead fleabites) on the back edge and is otherwise excellent with just some light crazing on the underside.

Grade :   8.0        Estimate:   £150-200        Reserve:     N/R

Pot Lid:    'GUSTAV LOHSE, BERLIN'

Description:   A rare Cherry Tooth Paste pot lid from Germany's capital. Same style lid as the more familiar UK Gosnell with the recess around the border and has the familiar two alignment dots so made at a Staffordshire factory. Appealing yellow glaze.

Era:   c1880-1900's

Diameter:   80mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Excellent  Superb condition with just some light overall glaze crazing and some patches of light stain (mainly on the underside and sides, that looks like it may come out with rust remover?) and a very insignificant pinhead fleabite on the very back of the rim which is barely visible and hardly worth mentioning

Grade :   9.3           Estimate:   £60-80          Reserve:     N/R