Brass bat wall Candle, I love this | ||
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Posted 12 years ago
Phatbuddha
(220 items)
I found this lovely bat wall Candle at a carboot,i cant remeber how much but im guessing around £20. its got a great look to it and ever better when lit. It's Probably not Worth much but it's one of my Favourite items
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Dear Phatbuddha,
It is nicely modelled. Well spotted. I don't have anything useful to say about the marking on the reverse, sorry. Perhaps someone else will have an idea?
Sincerely,
Lisa
Agree it is very well modeled.
I would think it would attract considerable interest and a good price at auction.
scott
Thanks guys :)
i think it's amazing, and probably worth a lot more than you might expect - because the quality of the workmanship is so outstanding and the subject is so bizarre. there's a lot of bat fans out there [i'm one of them]. i have a friend who is a chiropterist [bat scientist] and he collects everything to do w/ bats. he has the skeleton of a bat tattooed over his entire back side.
I'd like it in my collection. Fascination with all things bats really got cooking in design circles around 1903 or so and continued until the early 1920s. I suspect this piece was produced sometime in that range. I can't make out the small mark on the back (opposite from the numerals), but I suspect this might be the best clue as to its origin.
i was wondering how old it was, the Registration numbers on the back made me think it was old but it looks so good and well made i wasn't sure. Thanks :)
That Tattoo sounds epic :)
Me too,I love Weird unusual antiques. It's a lovely piece
Fantastic!...:-)
Hi Phatbudda, I can enlighten you as to the maker of your bat sconce...
I have a pair, which I paid many many times that amount for. They are identical to yours; mine are stamped with the maker's mark WT&S for William Tonks & Sons of Birmingham, (you might be able to see this stamped to the reverse of the bit you would hang them from the wall from) plus a little sun symbole with 8 rays - it can be pretty indistinc. The Registered design number which is same as yours and dates the design to 1890-1891, and finally the retailer Liberty & Co. They are great looking sconces. They are definitely old and don't let anyone tell you otherwise - William Tonks stuff is simply not really known or reproduced. Wish I had paid 20 for mine !
That is great news thanks blackmetallic. I've just had a look for a stamp at the back of the hanging part but couldn't see it. But as it's got the same Registered they must be the same. It's good to hear that they was sold by Liberty & Co. thanks again :)
as you look at the back of the sconce, look at the kind of "triangle" at the top.
The stamp for WT&S should be feintly visible around the right hand corner of said triangle, in other words just above and to the right of the bat's foot, viewed from the back of the sconce. It could be that I am lucky in having recognisable marks on mine, because looking on the net I haven't found anyone with these with marks apart from the registered design number. Hey, get yourself down to the records office at Kew to get the definitive answer as to who put down the design ! All the best, Paul
Thanks Paul I've just had Another look and there is a sun with rays where you said and I can see the letter S but the rest is unreadable. That's great that I know who made it. It's such a great piece. Thanks again :)
Congratulations PhatB and thanks for the Liberty connection blackmetallic!
I'd love to purchase this for my wife for our anniversary if you still have it. She is crazy about bats and antiques.
Suggest you read the rules— site is show and tell, not show and sell!
scott