Gorgeous Edwardian Sterling Silver Vanity Mirror- On Sale Now at The Crowned Leopard Online Store

What an elegant, eye-catching piece this Edwardian velvet dressing table mirror is with its intricate sterling silver overlay and beveled glass mirror!

Made in Chester, England in 1905 by John and William Deakin, the piece measures 13 inches high by 13.5 inches wide and is constructed of wood covered in the original black velvet overlaid with ornate sterling silver work in a beautiful swirling floral design.  A blank, non- monogrammed central cartouche is featured at the top.  It is quite rare to find these blank and available for you to personalize!  A full, crisp set of hallmarks can be found near the bottom of the silver work.  Its easel back design is very sturdy and supported by a ribbon at the back.

This gorgeous piece is in very good condition considering it is over 100 years old!  It has full velvet coverage…there are not any spots that have worn through, rips or scuffs.  The color is just a bit faded which is certainly commiserate with age.  The beveled glass mirror reflects beautifully and is in excellent condition with no scratches or cracks.  There is only one small spot underneath the mirrored surface. The sterling silver is in overall good condition with a nice antique finish.  There is a small crease in the cartouche, 2 small breaks and 3 spots of possible repair all which are hardly noticeable due to the intricacy of the silver work.  I have done my best to show these spots in the photos at the link below.

This mirror would make such a wonderful showpiece in any powder room or dressing table and certainly takes you back to a time of such style and sophistication! Consider making it yours today.

USD $795

Click here to view this beautiful mirror and more photos at the Crowned Leopard online store

A Princess and her Bear: The Enchanting Story of Alfonzo

Just added to The Crowned Leopard inventory, Baby Alfonzo…a Limited Edition Steiff replica made in honor of the greatest tale of a girl and her bear there ever was!

In 1908, the Grand Duke of Russia commissioned a 13” bear from Steiff to be made for his 4 year old daughter Princess Xenia Georievna.  This was a very special order as the most popular colors of bear were brown and white but the Duke ordered an exceptionally rare red bear for his princess.  Xenia’s nanny made the bear an orange outfit in the style of one of the Tsar’s privileged Cossak horsemen and he was soon named Alfonzo.  Xenia and Alfonzo made very fast friends and were quite inseparable.

In the summer of 1914 the princess traveled to Buckingham Palace to for a visit with her English cousins, the family of King George V, and of course Alfonzo accompanied her. WWI broke out during her visit followed by the Russian Revolution in which her father was tragically assassinated in St Petersburg in 1919.  Neither Princess nor bear ever returned to Russia and Alfonzo remained by her side her entire life as her best friend and the only connection she still had to her father.

Princess Xenia grew up and eventually married an American who moved both Xenia and Alfonzo to New York where they lived until she died in 1965.  In 1989, he was sold at Christie’s to a Mr. Ian Pout of Teddy Bears of Whitney for a world record auction price of just over $18,000!  Alfonzo now happily resides in Oxfordshire, England within the esteemed collection of Mr. Pout.

Steiff created a Limited Edition replica of this incredibly special bear especially for Ian’s shop in 1995. Only 5000 were made, one of which is offered for sale here!  This “Baby Alfonzo” bear measures 9.5”, has an identical outfit made of cotton sateen and is stuffed with the traditional excelsior which the original Alfonzo was made with.  He retains his button, ear tag numbered 653773, box and certificate numbered 4786 of 5000. He retains 100% of his beautiful red mohair and of his very dignified look!  He does have a bit of wear to his foot pads as shown in the photos, which is not original to his design but certainly adds to his charm as the original Alfonzo has similar wear.  This bear is a must for any bear collector or lover!

Click here to view Baby Alfonzo at the Crowned Leopard online store!

The Adventures of Norman No-Eyes: a 1930’s Knickerbocker Teddy Bear

We are very pleased to present Norman the Knickerbocker…the newest addition to the Crowned Leopard teddy bear family!  The Knickerbocker Toy Company, based in Albany NY, began producing teddy bears for the American market in the 1920's. While he has lost his official Knickerbocker ID tag sometime in the past which would have been sewn to his stomach, he is very characteristic of their bears from the 1930’s.  He’s got very wide, round head with a short muzzle and a narrow, vertically stitched nose.   His large cupped ears at the side of the head are almost an unmistakable sign you’ve got a Knickerbocker!  His body is fully jointed, covered in thick cinnamon mohair and is very slender which is typical of the bears made in the 1930’s…later bears became slightly chubbier.  His paws are small, oval which velveteen pads and have no claw stitching.

Most Knickerbocker bears from this time period have amber glass eyes…but as you can see from the photos, poor Norman has lost his somewhere along the way in his past adventures.  He is soon off to the bear hospital for a procedure in which he will regain his eyesight and he is very excited to see the world once again! Even without his eyes he is an absolute cutie of an American bear and has already been spoken for by a very excited buyer.

Stay tuned for more of Norman’s adventures in Seattle once he has his new eyes!

Markdowns on Sterling Silver and Crystal Dressing Table Items- At Crowned Leopard Antiques

We’ve just marked-down three beautiful items currently for sale at the Crowned Leopard Antiques online store…you’ll surely want to have a look!

   1)  English Cut Crystal and Sterling Silver Perfume Bottle

This lovely piece is absolutely exquisite! The pattern cut into the crystal features a stunning fan and diamond type pattern that reflects the light beautifully.  The sterling silver, threaded lid is decorated with a swirling repousse design and has a very nice antique finish. This uniquely shaped bottle with its globular base and thin, elegant neck measures 5.25 inches high and is the perfect place to store a perfume or display on your dresser!

SOLD!!

   2) Gorham Sterling Silver Three Piece Vanity Set

This elegant three piece matching sterling silver set consists of a handheld mirror, a handled bristle hairbrush and a faux tortoiseshell toothed comb.  Each piece is clearly marked “Gorham Sterling B5-19”, monogrammed “MB” in beautiful cursive letters and features clean and classic lines symbolic of American silver. The set is in very good condition.  This sterling silver vanity collection is a wonderful addition to any bedroom, powder room or a perfect gift!

SOLD!!

   3) Cut Crystal Power or Dresser Jar with Sterling Silver Lid

This Foster and Bailey cut crystal vanity jar is absolutely sparkling! The pattern cut into the crystal features a fan and diamond type pattern that reflects the light beautifully.  The lid is sterling silver and is clearly hallmarked with the Foster and Bailey flag mark and also reads “Sterling 3006”.  There are beautiful, swirling botanical details around the top edge of the lid as well as an ornate script monogram in the center which appears to read JCS.  The jar has quite large, globular shape and measures 3.5 inches x 4.5 inches.  This is a very beautiful, solid piece which would be a stunning addition to any home or collection!

Was $225 NOW $199!! SOLD!!

Click here to view this item at the Crowned Leopard online store

Just in from South Africa!

I’ve just received three gorgeous antique Victorian dressing table pieces and am excited to give our readers a sneak peek!  Each piece is constructed of black velvet with beautiful British Sterling silver overlay work and range in age from 1901- 1905.  The collection consists of a dressing table mirror which stands about 13” high, a rectangular dresser box and a delightful heart-shaped trinket box.  For being over 100 years old these pieces are in very good condition and the silver work on each piece is simply stunning! I am working feverishly to clean the mirror and one of the boxes and they will soon be available for sale at the Crowned Leopard online store.

The heart-shaped box is available for purchase now! It’s a very eye-catching piece and its listing can be found Here.

What to do with a dirty teddy bear

Most antique and vintage teddy bears carry a very special past and are filled with years of love and plenty of stories for sure.  Along with all the tea parties and adventures outside comes years of dust and dirt as well.  With a bit of a clean-up an old teddy bear can absolutely shine but special care must be taken in the process.  The materials used to construct bears in the early 1900’s don’t withstand much exposure to water.  When Ludlow the Steiff from the earlier post arrived at my door he was just as adorable as his photos but could certainly use a bit of a clean. I consulted several teddy bear books written by experts on the matter.  I have compiled what I learned below in hopes it will help others who are beginning to collect these special old bears. After receiving his clean-up treatment, Ludlow is certainly ready to charm!

1)      Place in freezer

There are small critters that are attracted to teddy’s mohair coat and excelsior stuffing.  It is advised that your new antique teddy be set in a plastic bag and placed in a freezer for 24-48 hours to rid him of any pests. Alternatively, you may also fumigate your bear by placing him in a plastic bag over night with moth balls or flea powder.

2)      Oat bath

A very effective way of drawing out years of grease and grime is to give him a bath in raw oats.  At first I thought this sounded crazy but gave it a try and it works! Fill a plastic bag with raw oats and rub the oats liberally but gently into teddy’s fur.  I also covered Ludlow with the oats and let him sit for a while. He really thought it was some sort of spa treatment and came out with a much brighter and cleaner coat.

3)      Good brushing

Especially after a nice oat bath, teddy could use a good, gentle brushing. I ran a fine toothed metal comb through Ludlow’s fur to remove any oat remnants and dust.

4)      Vacuum

Vacuuming your teddy using the hose attachment is another very effective way to remove years of dirt and dust.  Be sure to set the vacuum on a low setting and it is advisable to cover the end with gauze or a nylon stocking to prevent pulling too tightly or accidentally pulling out an eye…ouch!

5)      Suds only bath

It is never advisable to immerse an antique teddy in water or place in a washing machine since many old bears have metal or cardboard disc joints and excelsior straw stuffing!  A safe alternative is a suds only surface wash. Mix a gentle detergent (I used Woolite) in a bowl of warm water and work into a good lather.  Dab the lather only into teddy’s fur over entire surface.

6)      Rinse

Using a separate bowl of clean warm water lightly rinse teddy’s fur with a damp cloth. Be sure to remove the suds the best you can as left over detergent can show residue in the fur.

7)      Air dry

Teddy should be naturally air dried while avoiding any sunlight.

8)      Good combing and brush up

After teddy is dry, run a comb and brush through his fur again to fluff him up! You should see a real difference in the color and texture of the mohair fur.

Meet Ludlow! An old Steiff bear with a bit of a hearing problem….

Meet Ludlow…the newest addition of the Crowned Leopard teddy bear family!  Ludlow is a very old Steiff bear dating from between 1915 and 1930 with a golden mohair coat, clear glass eyes and sadly…only one ear.  While the ear missing would have typically carried his identification button,  there is a very good chance he is indeed a Steiff bear based on the shape of his head and elongated nose, the positioning of his ear and the length and curvature of his arms.  With a bit more research I am positive we will be able to more closely pin point his age and without a doubt determine he is from the elite family of handmade German Steiff bears.

Before he arrived I tracked down the name of a reputable bear repair person in the Seattle area to whom I plan to send him to repair his left ear.  She will likely take his good ear, split it into 2 pieces and use one old piece each with a new plush to create 2 new ears to reattach.  Apparently, this is a very common repair on these old bears as their loving, young owners would tote them around by the ear with the ear eventually giving way and becoming lost!

Ludlow arrived this past week and was just as charming and handsome as he had appeared in his photos! He has a fairly full coat of mohair considering his age and when you push his tummy he squeaks!  Squeakers were common on older bears but most of the time you will find they no longer work due to years of squeezing.  I did notice however that Ludlow was a bit dirty due to years of love and traveling around so I consulted bear books written by experts to determine best way to clean him without damaging him.  In the next post I will detail the steps I took along with photos. You will see just how nicely he cleaned up.  He is quite dapper looking and can’t wait to visit the bear hospital to have his ear replaced. More details on this special bear coming soon! “WHAT??” I said more details on you are coming soon, Ludlow! (see…he’s just a bit hard of hearing for now…)

Welcome to The Crowned Leopard!

For me the word “antiques” always held a certain connotation.  It brought back memories of wandering around musty smelling antique malls with my mom rooting through piles of dusty ceramic plates or glass candy dishes…which I didn’t take much interest in. Being from the West Coast of the United States, nothing here is particularly old simply due to our history. Most of the “antiques” we came across were probably no older than 1940 and I was sure I had seen them in my grandmother’s house. Not very exciting or inspiring!

I held this view for years until a recent trip to South Africa to visit my in-laws.  One afternoon I picked up a catalog from an antique and fine arts auction house in Johannesburg which was part of the Sotheby’s network. The items I found in this catalog were certainly not the antiques I remembered from growing up!  In it were solid mahogany dressing tables from the late 1700’s in immaculate condition and hand painted porcelain trinket boxes from the 1800’s with not so much as a crack. Everything was absolutely gorgeous! My husband explained that South Africa had quite a selection of fine pieces which had been brought by English, Dutch and French families who immigrated to Africa hundreds of years ago.  I was struck by the absolute beauty, elegance and diversity of items up for auction and the vast history each item certainly carried.

My preconceptions ended and my passion for collecting and selling these quality, eye-catching pieces from the past began! I created the Crowned Leopard Antiques Ebay store in hopes of bringing fine pieces from around the world to market and sharing their history with prospective buyers looking to integrate old world style into their modern home.

Here on the blog I hope to share my experiences in sourcing, identifying, and marketing the treasures I find and sell through Crowned Leopard Antiques. I hope you’ll visit often to read about new pieces that have just come in, updates on when they go on sale, fun stories about my adventures in buying and selling (such as what I call the Steiff monkey trampling incident!) and how these stories bring a new and progressive life to the word “antiques”.