AA Auctions Ltd

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

Description:  A superb 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. Exquisite quality print (both dark and crisp, you can even read the word 'SANOLINE' on the packaging on the table). Retains original gold band. You'll struggle to find a better printed example

** One of several superb lids from various significant pot lid collections, all to be spread over successive auctions **

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

Diameter:    81mm

Condition (please see detailed photo's):    Good/Very good   Just has a medium (5mm x 19mm) chip on the inside of the back rim (so is 95% hidden from side view and not at all on display), a tiny pinhead fleabite on the very edge of the rim along with a very small hairline bruise about an inch away and also on the outer rim (both barely visible and hardly worth mentioning) and is otherwise mint with just the odd totally insignificant in-manufacture mark in the glaze which in no way detracts

Grade :  8.0      Estimate:   £200-300      Reserve:  N/R

Pot Lid:   'ANGELL'S, HAMMERSMITH, LONDON W.'

Description:   This striking lid features a fabulous pictorial of three pheasants intertwined in the centre and 'Angell's Dandriff Eradicator' boldly in white on black around the edge. Fancy border. Very well printed and a  great overall design

Era:  c1880-1900's

Diameter:  78mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Repaired   Just has a difficult to spot area of repair on the outside edge (and up to the border but not within). It's difficult to tell the the extent of the repair as it's been undertaken to a high standard. None of the back rim looks to have been touched so it's possible it was a large chip on the side of the rim and the rest of the lid is very good indeed 

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

Pot Lid:     'MATTHEWS & BLIGHT, LONDON'

Description:  A large, very early and truly superb 'GENUINE YARMOUTH BLOATER PASTE' pot lid from London featuring one of it's most iconic of buildings; St Paul's Cathedral. Fabulous quality print (you can even make out people walking about outside). Early belt buckle design surround. An extremely rare lid (the actual one pictured in the pot lid book) and certainly not one to be missed!

William Veale Matthews & Gilbert Blight (Italian Warehousemen) - Gun Alley, Bermondsey, London 

Era:    c1860-69 (before they were declared bankrupt in 1869)

Diameter:    90mm  

Condition (please see detailed photos):   Good/ Very good   Just has two smallish areas of wear/scuffs on the outside rim (7mm and 14mm across respectively, and one very small (3mm) further along) and a series of quite minor light and old small nibbles/tiny flakes on the very bottom edge of the rim (both inside and out) which do little if anything to detract on display and is otherwise very good indeed (the lid has not been cleaned which is why the rear nibbles are still brown) 

Grade:  8.0   Estimate:   £1200-1500+     Reserve:  N/R

Pot Lid:   'HENRY BURTON, SOHO, LONDON'

Description:  A very appealing bears grease pot lid from the West End of London which features a seated bear with her two cubs in their natural surroundings (together with what looks like a boat with two men inside in the background). Fancy border. Great quality print. Scarce.

Era:  c1860-1870's

Diameter:    78mm

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Repaired  Has had restoration to the back rim and edge (but the full extent is difficult to ascertain as it's been untertaken to such to a good standard). The vast majority of the face is original (with just some repairs up to and including the beaded border at around 5 o'clock) and is otherwise very good

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

Pot Lid:     'J. SHOOLBRED & COMPANY, LONDON'

Description:  An appealing lid featuring a mosque and palm trees and then below it a fabulous picture of Shoolbred's shopfront. Very similar in design to that of the far more familiar Lorimer's. Exceptional print quality and attractive overall design. Scarce

Era:  c1880-90's

Diameter:   82mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):    Good/ Very good  Just has some unusual in-manufacture very small bumps in the clay in one area on the underside of the outer rim edge (which look like excess clay under the glaze) and has caused a small (2mm x 7mm) length of glaze-rubbing/wear at the highpoints (which is pretty minor) and a small very small (2mm x 3mm) hairline bruise (also on the underside of the rim edge, at about 10 o'clock on the face and hardly seen) and is otherwise excellent (the tiny grey mark on the face edge at 12 o'clock is only in-manufacture print)

Grade :  8.0     Estimate:   £100-120+      Reserve:  N/R

Pot Lid:   'KNOWLES' ESAULINE'

Description:  Another appealing pictorial lid, this time a small (2.25") example featuring a very proud looking moustached man with a monocle and pill box hat exclaiming 'I USED IT'. Decent quality print. 

Era:  c1880-1900's

Diameter:   55mm 

Condition (please see detailed photos):  Good/ Very good   Just some overall light brown crazing/stain (mainly on the underside but some on the lower rim too) and a little (very subtle) greyness in areas, some very faint glaze lines on the side and a small area of tiny glaze-rubs on the rim edge, but nothing to really detract 

Grade:  8.2        Estimate:   £60-80      Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:   'PRICE & CO, LATE PRICE & GOSNELL'

Description:  A scarce lid depicting Princess Alexandra with full veil from this famous address in London. Gold band (although likely a later addition). Not often seen for sale

Era:  c1880-1890's

Diameter:    86mm

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Repaired  Has had a professional restoration job done to a very high standard indeed (it's nigh on impossible to work out the extent of previous damage) but the face/print look largely unaffected. 

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

Pot Lid:      'MESSRS MATLAND, LONDON'

Description:   Another superb pictorial lid this time a square 'Densante' from these Dental Surgeons in Holborn, London and featuring a superb upper set of teeth! Excellent quality print. Double line border. Fabulous overall design. One of only a handful recorded and very rarely for sale. Another one not to miss!

Era:   c1880-90's

Dimensions:    68mm square

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Good/Very good   Just has a series of pretty insignificant old chips/flakes on the back rim edge near one corner (the biggest being just 3/4mm and quite shallow) and some light stain (mainly on parts of the underside and sides) and a small area of light brown crazing on one side, but as can be seen in the photos nothing to detract at all when on display

Grade:   8.2      Estimate:   £1.2-1.5k      Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:      'Uma Belleza'

Description:   A very attractive pictorial skin cream lid from this retailer in Portugal which comes complete with original matching printed base and a fabulous pictorial of a lady in period dress with her hair up. Superb quality print. Dark border. Slightly raised area around central picture. Rarely seen for sale, especially with original base.

'Gilman & Cta, Portugal' makers name on bottom of base

Era:   c1880-90's

Dimensions:    86mm diameter

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   LID: Excellent   Superb condition with just two totally insignificant pinhead fleabites on the bottom edge (barely noticeable and hardly worth mentioning) and otherwise mint / BASE:  Has some glaze flakes on the side and some light stain on the inside and bottom (not at all visible on display with lid on top) and is otherwise very good

Grade:   9.6 (lid) Estimate:   £100-150+   Reserve:  N/R

Pot Lid:      'GENUINE RUSSIAN BEARS GREASE'

Description:  A scarce small-sized (2.25") version of this familiar 'two bruins' bears grease lid with usual standing bear with another behind (with its tongue out). Exceptional quality print for one of these. Rarely seen in this size

Era:  c1870-80's

Diameter:   56mm 

Condition (please see detailed photos):   Very good  Just has two minor flakes/chips on the back rim (one 3mm x 6mm and the other 3mm x 4mm) and a small arched hairline bruise on the side (mostly hidden by a deep brown rust stain) and some areas of insignificant fine grey crazing/light stain (mainly on parts of the back/sides) and is otherwise excellent (nb a tiny raised mark on the back rim is just an in-manufacture 'stilt-mark')

Grade:  8.7    Estimate:   £150-200+       Reserve:  N/R

Pot Lid:    'KRANOL'

Description:  A very eye-catching large lid featuring a girl with very long hair (presumably after using this product). Classic design and always popular with collectors. Great quality print. 

Most likely a Cheshire business, possibly even the city of Chester itself as many of the damaged ones found in the '80's came from around here. Design reg date is 1896

Era:    c1896-1900's

Diameter:    94mm  

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Good   Just has a 38mm stable hairline crack on the face (going from the outside edge at about 10 o'clock to the side of her hair and which is faint in places) and apart from a very small (2mm x 3mm) flake on the back rim edge is otherwise excellent

Grade:  7.0         Estimate:   £60-80       Reserve:    N/R

Pot Lid:      'GENUINE RUSSIAN BEARS GREASE'

Description:  A superb previously unrecorded variation of this small (2.5") 'two bruins' bears grease lid with a standing bear and another lying down behind (unusually without its tongue out) the bears being slightly larger than usual too. Excellent print quality. To be photographed for the pot lid book

Era:  c1870-80's

Diameter:   65mm 

Condition (please see detailed photos):   Poor/Fair  Has a largish (10mm x 19mm) V-chunk out of the side rim and a small section of the face (at 10 oclock) but only up to the print so could easily be restored if so desired, and apart from a small (3mm x 6mm) flake on the back rim (and a series of rusty nibbles nearby), a hairline bruise (only the inside of the back rim) and a couple of very minor fleabites on the underside of the outer rim is otherwise very good and well worth restoring  

Grade:  4.0    Estimate:   £100-150+       Reserve:  N/R

Pot Lid:      'J. BRIERLEY, BURTON-ON-TRENT'

Description:  A superb lid featuring a fabulous portrait of a young lady's head (with roses in her hair) and a roses border too. Excellent print quality. Superb design/layout. Quite possibly one of Britain's top lids and another not to be missed. You may never see another for sale!

From a top pot lid collection and the exact one that features in the pot lid book

Era:  c1870-80's

Diameter:   96mm 

Condition (please see detailed photos):   Repaired  Not that you'd know it but this has had a couple of repairs done by Simon Bennett at his very best about 25 years ago. The consignor saw the lid with a chip on the outer edge (at around 12 o'clock) which is nigh on impossible to spot now (even with a strong magnifying glass) and a couple of very small glaze flakes on the face (to the right of the portrait and possibly the very edge of her hair). Saying that though you can clearly see that 98% of the face is genuine and untouched and what repairs there are and to the absolute top quality. The outer edge also has a very small glaze flake but this has not been repaired and looks partly glazed over. This could easily be passed for a near mint lid if the repairs were not pointed out and even then you'd struggle to spot them.

Grade: Ungraded  Estimate:   £300-400+  Reserve:  N/R

Pot Lid:      'R. LOW & SON, LONDON'

Description:  A rare small 'two bruins' bears grease lid from this perfumer operating out of this famous part of London. Decent quality print. Fancy border. Raely seen for sale

Era:  c1860-70's

Diameter:   62mm 

Condition (please see detailed photos):   Repaired  Just has a couple of repairs on the very back rim, both to a very high standard indeed (so much so that it's difficult to determine the full extent, but the first looks like a previous large chunk out of the back rim and the second a chip out of the back rim edge). The face is totally unaffected and not touched in any way (as is about 75-80% of the back rim)

Grade:  Ungraded  Estimate:  £150-200+  Reserve:  N/R

Pot Lid:      'JACKMAN'S, BALHAM'

Description:   Another superbly impressive pictorial lid, this time from this district in south London. Great image of a horse's head with leather eye 'blinkers' (no doubt having used Jackman's own 'diaphanous brown leather polish' on them). Excellent highly detailed print. Beaded border. Rare. 

See copy advert for 'John Jackman' from the Army & Navy Gazette Feb 1889

Provenance:   Sticker on back reads: 'x BBR GDS Oct 95 Lot 53'

Era:   c1889-1900's

Diameter:    92mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Repaired   Has a very hard to spot repair on a roughly 4cm section of the back (and part of the edge of the face at 1 o'clock) which have been done to a very high standard indeed and are nigh on impossible to spot without a magnitying glass and is otherwise very good 

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