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Alices In Style Collectables, Sydney (2026)

03/06/2026

New in store are some Wild Oats pattern side plates made by W R Midwinter, England, as part of the Stonehenge tableware range. The pattern was designed by Eve Midwinter and made between 1974 and 1982. https://bit.ly/4nuzVsh

The Stonehenge range was designed by Roy Midwinter and was decorated with designs created by Eve Midwinter and Jessie Tate. The range was launched in February 1972 with the release of four matt glazed patterns ‘Blue Dahlia’, ‘Bluebells’, ‘Flowersong’ and ‘Medallion’.

The thick-walled ‘chunky’ shapes, studio pottery finishes, and vivid decoration were as new and radical as any of Midwinter’s earlier triumphs, and again it proved to be a design success. The first three patterns were followed by a further seven patterns released in August 1972. ‘Sun’, ‘Moon’ and ‘Earth’, now regarded as perhaps the most iconic Stonehenge patterns were released in March 1973.

Although launched with a matt glaze, the majority of the Stonehenge range had a glossy ‘oatmeal’ glaze where reactive particles added to the glaze cause an irregular speckling over the surface of the ware. The wares were finished with hand-applied iron oxide banding to the edges that contributed to the ‘studio pottery’ look.

Stonehenge connected immediately with the public spirit of the 1970s with the interest in self-sufficiency and birth of popular concern for environmental issues. The more restrained ‘Wild Oats’ by Eve Midwinter released in 1974 was enormously popular with the public. The majority of Stonehenge patterns were released between 1972 and 1974. The earlier matt-glazed wares were withdrawn in the mid-1970s, however, most patterns remained in production until withdrawn by Wedgwood in 1982 or 1983.

01/06/2026

Check out the Willow pattern items in store, including this bread and butter plate made by Johnson Bros, England. The pottery first produced a version of the Willow pattern in the 1880s and the product line was not discontinued until the 1990s. This plate dates from the 1930s when mass production was first ramping up. https://bit.ly/4ns0aiS

The term ‘willow pattern’ is applied in a general way to the many versions of the blue and white porcelain design first created in Britain in the 18th Century. Even though the ‘willow’ pattern looks oriental, it was actually the design of engraver Thomas Minton who was commissioned in 1780 to create it by potter Thomas Turner.

Turner made a specialty of Chinese designs in blue under-glaze at the Caughley China Works in Shropshire. The Caughley ‘willow’ pattern was introduced by Spode into Staffordshire in 1784, and was soon taken up by Adams, Wedgewood, Royal Worcester and Coalport with differences, particularly in the fretted border and fence in the background.

Chinese designs were all the rage in Britain at the end of the 18th century and early 19th century thanks to the Prince Regent's lavishly oriental Brighton Pavilion - its Chinese interiors were encased in a flamboyant and romantic Indian Mughal-style exterior.

When ‘willow’ was first created, many of the expensive Chinese pottery imports were hand-painted - ‘willow’ is often cited as one of the first transferware prints. Transfer prints started with engravers who etched the pattern into a copper plate that was printed onto porcelain, china or earthenware. Later the pattern was transferred onto paper making it easier to cheaply mass produce.

Ultimately, many countries produced the ‘willow’ pattern, but, ironically, it wasn't made in China until the mid-1980s. Of the modern ‘willow’ the Burleigh Ware (Burgess and Leigh) reproduction of Enoch Wood's plate is unequalled. The Blue is attractive and pleasing and the engraving has been executed by the finest artists of the day and has been in continual production since 1922.

The Willow Pattern itself illustrates a bogus but believable Chinese legend: Long ago, in the days when China was ruled by emperors, a Chinese mandarin,Tso Ling, lived in the magnificent pagoda under the branches of the pine tree on the right of the bridge, over which droops the famous willow tree, and in front of which is seen the graceful lines of the fence. Tso Ling was the father of a beautiful girl, Kwang-se, who was the promised bride of an old but wealthy merchant. The girl, however, fell in love with Chang, her father's clerk. The lovers eloped across the sea to the cottage on the island. The mandarin pursued and caught the lovers and was about to have them killed when the gods transformed them into a pair of turtle doves. These are the doves seen gazing into each other's eyes at the top of the design on the plates. To be a true ‘willow’ pattern it must include:

willow trees
Chinese pine trees (commonly confused as apple or orange trees)
a bridge with three men on it
a fence
a boat
a teahouse (or pagoda) and
two birds in flight.

The pattern’s popularity was so enduring that by the Victorian period it had even become the subject of its own song:

‘Two pigeons flying high

Chinese vessel sailing by

Weeping willow hanging o’er

Bridge of three men maybe four

Chinese temples stand

Seem to take up all the land

Apple trees with apples on

A pretty fence to end my song’

27/05/2026

In store is this rare publication detailing the art and artists of New Zealand in the 1960s and 70s. It is a first edition authored by Peter Cape and published in 1979. Cape was a kind of "Renaissance man" with a humanitarian heart. Known for his diverse talents, his legacy includes a significant contribution to folk music and the preservation of NZ artistic works. https://bit.ly/4uhYECf

Peter Cape (1926–1979) was a New Zealand singer, songwriter, writer, and broadcaster, best remembered for his vernacular folk ballads and his books on New Zealand arts and crafts.

Born in Helensville, north-west of Auckland, Cape's parents were British emigrants who constantly moved around as travelling merchants after the First World War. This itinerant childhood, spent living out of caravans and observing rural life, fostered a love of the outdoors and a wanderer spirit, later supplying subjects for his songs and establishing a distinctive style of documentary observation.

Educated partly by Correspondence School, Cape went on to study for a Bachelor of Arts in English, philosophy, and psychology at The University of Auckland in the 1940s. After graduating, he worked for a time as a freelance journalist in Christchurch, where he developed an interest in theology and became involved with the Anglo-Catholic parish of St Michael's.

In 1951, he married and the couple moved to Dunedin, where Cape began theological training for the ministry at Selwyn College. At the end of 1953, they relocated to Western Australia, where he was ordained as an Anglican priest at St John's Cathedral, Kalgoorlie. His time in the ministry was difficult and short-lived, exacerbated by the harsh climate. After less than a year, they returned to New Zealand in 1954, settling in Wellington.

Back in Wellington, Cape secured work in religious broadcasting, which soon became a more permanent vocation. His career steadily grew within the New Zealand Broadcasting Service (NZBS). He was employed as a talks producer, compiling news and arranging shortwave broadcasts to the Pacific.

The reformation of the NZBS into the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation (NZBC) in 1962 - an independent body responsible for both radio and the fledgling television service - catapulted him into a new role. He was sent to Britain for television producer training and, from 1963 to 1966, was a senior producer making documentary and current affairs programmes.

It was during his time that his musical activities burgeoned. He began writing New Zealand vernacular ballads, finding a receptive audience in the emerging Wellington folk music scene. Unlike most popular music of the early 1960s that took cues from overseas, Cape was known for songs about his own country. His songs, covering subjects like dance halls, deer culling, ferry trips, cow cockies and café society, were distinctly New Zealand. His recordings became commercial hits and were regularly aired on public radio; he even performed on television in 1962.

However, his high-powered career at NZBC ended when a long-standing affair with a staff member was uncovered. Combined with a major drinking problem, this dealt a blow to his faltering marriage. From 1968 to 1970, he worked for Volunteer Services Abroad (VSA) while building a career as an independent broadcaster and writer for publications like the Listener and People.

His marriage and Anglican ministry both concluded in 1973. In 1974, he moved to Richmond to live with an acquaintance from his university days, and became fully immersed in the arts and crafts community. Cape increasingly turned to writing books as a creative outlet. He became deeply interested in pottery and the arts, aligning with the "relentless quest for New Zealand identity" among artists and intellectuals in the late 1960s and 70s.

He authored several books on New Zealand arts and crafts, including Artists and Craftsmen in New Zealand and Please Touch: A Survey of the Three Dimensional Arts in New Zealand. In the final decade of his life, he published four surveys of painting and crafts based on interviews with artists, such as Prints and Printmakers in New Zealand (1974).

Peter Cape died unexpectedly of a heart attack in 1979 at the age of 53.

24/05/2026

SOLD
Check out the vintage Coclough China company items in stock, including this hand finished art deco bone china cup and saucer set made in the 1930s. https://bit.ly/3OAefOB

The H.J. Colclough china company was founded in Staffordshire in 1890 by Herbert Joseph Colclough, who was an ex-Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent. Mr Colclough was a china lover, a hard worker and very driven, all of which ensured the success of his company. He was known on occasion to stay up all night next to the kilns, which he had helped pack, so that he could be the first to see the new designs when they emerged at the end of firing.

In 1907 the company expanded and moved to the Vale potteries in Longton and in 1913, following a visit from King George V and Queen Mary, received royal patronage for the Royal Vale trademark. Colclough went on to innovate the production of fine bone china for the mass market in the 1930’s which was marketed by the piece, ruling out the need to buy a whole teaset. This was a right idea at the right time and assured the continuation of the brand up to the end of the Century.

In 1937, H J Colclough acquired two more potteries and became Colclough China Ltd. In 1948, Colclough China Ltd merged with Booths Ltd and then in 1955 merged with Ridgway & Adderley. The enterprise was renamed Ridgway Potteries Ltd. This was one of the largest combining of potteries into one firm so far - eight factories made up the group, the oldest of which was Booths which was established in the eighteenth century.

The trademarks associated with Ridgways were Colclough, Royal Vale, Royal Stanley and Royal Adderley. Ridgway Potteries Ltd became part of the Royal Doulton Group in the early 1970's and in 1996, Colclough production was discontinued and the trademark ceased.

22/05/2026

In store is this Royal Doulton collectors plate decorated with a painting of 'The Cutty Sark'. It comes from a series depicting famous English ships from the Under Sail collection issued in 1996. With artwork by Leonard Pearce, they showcase British maritime heritage. https://bit.ly/4deiEQp

The Cutty Sark is the world's only surviving "extreme clipper," celebrated as one of the fastest sailing ships ever built. Launched in 1869, she was designed for exceptional speed by Hercules Linton to compete in the lucrative race to deliver the first tea of the season from China to London. Her innovative composite construction - iron frames with wood planking - allowed for a faster, more durable hull, which was unusually narrow and long.

Designed to reach speeds of over 17 knots (approx 20mph/32kph), she was significantly faster than typical steamships of the time. Despite being built to last only 30 years, the Cutty Sark served for 52 years as a working ship. She survived losing her rudder at sea, a severe storm in 1916 that dismasted her, and a massive fire during restoration in 2007. Amazingly more than 90% of the hull structure remains original.

Initially built for the China tea trade, she proved her versatility after steamships took over by dominating the Australian wool trade under Captain Richard Woodget, including a record-breaking 73-day voyage from Sydney to London in 1885.

From 1895, she was owned by a Portuguese company, renamed Ferreira, and commonly known as Pequena Camisola ("little shirt"). She was repurposed from a high-speed tea clipper into a sturdy, general freighter, serving this role for 27 years. She continued to ship cargo during World War I, surviving attempts to destroy her by German submarines. She was eventually retired after sustaining damage in a storm.

After her commercial career, the Cutty Sark served as a cadet training ship from 1922 to 1954, training hundreds of future Merchant and Royal Navy officers. Retired sea captain Wilfred Dowman bought her back from Portugal in 1922. He used her at Falmouth, Cornwall, to train young sailors.

Following Dowman's death, his widow donated the ship to the Incorporated Thames Nautical Training College at Greenhithe in 1938. She served as a floating classroom and training vessel where cadets learned to work with sails, rigging, and maritime skills. By the early 1950s, she was no longer useful as a cadet ship and was transferred to a permanent dry dock in 1954.

The ship is named after the short linen undergarment (a "cutty sark" in Scots) worn by a witch named Nannie (Scots form of Anna) in Robert Burns' poem "Tam o' Shanter," which inspired her carved figurehead.

In the poem the drunken Tam, riding home on his horse, comes upon a witches dance. Among them is the particularly beautiful young witch, Nannie, who is wearing a nightshirt which fitted her as a child but is now rather too short for her! Tam is so enthralled by the erotic spectacle that he yells out, "Weel done, Cutty-sark!". Alerted to his presence the witches pursue him and he heads towards the River Doon - according to folklore witches cannot cross running water. He makes it across the bridge, but not before Nannie has torn the tail from his horse.

The poem ends with a warning to all men of the devilish consequences of thinking about scantily-clad females. Perhaps wise words for sailors spending months at sea! The figurehead represents the ship's speed, as she is giving chase. She is reaching forward, clutching the tail which she snatched from Tam's horse.

Today, the Cutty Sark is a major visitor attraction and museum in Greenwich, London. The ship is uniquely suspended three meters above the ground in a special dry dock, allowing visitors to walk directly underneath her sharp hull and experience her history.

18/05/2026

In store is an antique Zylonite collar box along with a detachable collar for a men's shirt made by Phillips Shirts, Melbourne, Australia. https://bit.ly/4vFxMh4

Collar boxes were purpose made containers used from the 1860s to the 1930s to store, protect and travel with stiff, detachable collars and cuffs. They were designed for separate, starchable neckwear, keeping the collars clean and rigid while preventing damage to the starched fabric.

The invention of the removable collar in 1827 is attributed to Hannah Lord Montague in Troy, New York. Tired of washing her husband's entire shirts when only the collars were dirty, she cut them off to wash separately, launching a major garment industry. She cut the collars off, bound the edges, and used tapes to tie them on.

In the 1800s, shirts were expensive and handmade, and collars and cuffs were the first parts to wear out. Detachable, starched collars allowed the main shirt to be laundered less frequently, saving labor and cost while allowing for stiff starching. Montague’s invention was quickly commercialised, leading to a multi-million dollar industry that earned Troy the nickname "Collar City".

Early collars were made of linen or cotton, often heavily starched, but later celluloid and rubber collars were introduced in the late 19th century for easier cleaning. They attached to "tunic shirts" (shirts that only opened halfway down) using front and back studs.

Collar boxes were typically circular or horse-shoe shaped, made of materials like leather, inlaid wood or stiffened cardboard. Developed around the 1860s, they were used heavily through the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Their sturdy, attractive design means antique collar boxes are now frequently used as decorative storage.

Collar boxes were also made of Zylonite (or Xylonite), an early brand of celluloid - a pioneer thermoplastic developed in the 1860s by Alexander Parkes. It offered a practical substitute for ivory and tortoiseshell, materials that were more difficult to obtain and process. Xylonite collar boxes were hygienic, durable and more affordable than leather or ivory alternatives. Xylonite stud boxes, brushes and collar boxes were common items on dressing tables in the early 20th century.

The popularity of detachable collars and, consequently, collar boxes faded by the 1930s. The rise of comfort-oriented fashion with softer collars, more accessible laundry methods and the mass production of shirts with attached collars rendered separate collar storage unnecessary for daily wear. While detachable collars survived in formal, clerical, and legal attire, the daily use of collar boxes ended.

In a related note, the Melbourne-based Phillips Shirts, founded in 1951 by Czechoslovakian post-war migrants Philip Phillips and Alex Peterfreund, remains one of the last shirt manufacturers in Australia. The company started small, with the founders cutting shirts by night and selling them despite speaking little English. A large order from a Hobart department store in 1951 gave them their first major success. The factory, established in Little Lonsdale Street in 1958, is still in operation today, now headed by Alex’s son, Andrew Peterfreund. The factory is still considered one of the country's best shirt makers.

17/05/2026

This is a German Secessionist movement style cheese cover, made as a collaboration between the WMF (Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik) and Wächtersbach Steingutfabrik between 1909 and 1911.
https://bit.ly/4mBWNWe

Waechtersbach (Waechtersbacher Steingutfabrik), a German earthenware company, was established in 1832 by Count Adolf of Ysenburg and Büdingen. Production began the same year, utilising white clay discovered in the Ysenburg-Waechtersbach forest in 1829, which was highly suitable for earthenware.

The company's history is marked by several significant milestones, including the adoption of copper transfer printing in 1840, followed by colour transfer printing around the 1870s. A major high point occurred in 1897 under Max Roesler, introducing the world's first underglaze print in colour. Roesler was a German chemist, entrepreneur and influential director of Wächtersbacher from 1874 to 1889. He is credited with bringing the factory to a production peak at the end of the 19th century and improving worker welfare.

Additionally, the company's production in the Early 20th Century was greatly shaped by the artistic influence of ceramist Christian Neureuther and his art department. Neureuther was a German ceramic artist and designer known for leading the Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) shift at the Wächtersbach earthenware factory. He created stylised, organic and hand-painted designs with bold glazes, earning a gold medal at the 1904 St Louis World's Fair.

Wächtersbach had a good reputation for quality stoneware and a large output of domestic pottery. They are particularly well-known for high-quality collaborations with WMF (Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik). These sought-after German collaborative pieces, often dating from the Art Deco period, combine Waechtersbach's earthenware with WMF's plated metal mounts. Examples of these items include teapots, cookie jars, serving trays and condiment jars.

Aesthetically, they reflect Jugendstil/Secessionist movements or the geometric forms of Art Deco. These items are typically identified by bearing both the WMF hallmark and the Waechtersbach stamp. WMF is considered one of Europe's highest-quality producers of silver plate, particularly noted for their output during the Jugendstil period (1900-1910).

Waechtersbach endured difficult periods, including the Great Depression and World War II. Production was halted in late 1944 but resumed in February 1946, as the factory sustained minimal damage. In 2006, the company was acquired by the Könitz Group and the factory ultimately closed in 2011. However, the Waechterbach brand remains active and is sold by Könitz Porzellan GmbH, currently run by Rosenthal.

16/05/2026

ALL SOLD
New in store are five Wallace & Gromit mini figures made in 1995 to promote 'A Close Shave'. Including Wendolene - she owns a wool shop and is targeted by her pet Preston, who it turns out is a malfunctioning mechanical dog. She is the first flirtation Wallace has on film but it doesn't go well. https://bit.ly/4ugQbiX

Wallace is notoriously unlucky in his romantic life. His love interests tend to be fleeting and never mentioned again, similar to "Bond Girls," often leading to quick, doomed flings. Across the films, he has had three main romantic partners, each appearing in a separate film:

Wendolene Ramsbottom (A Close Shave, 1995): The relationship was ultimately doomed because she revealed a severe allergy to cheese, a dealbreaker for the cheese-loving Wallace. Wendolene, who owned a wool shop, initially charmed Wallace during a window-cleaning job. Despite their mutual affection, her cheese allergy (discovered while she was being manipulated into a sheep-rustling scheme by her dog, Preston) made a future impossible for him.

Lady Campanula "Totty" Tottington (The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, 2005): A wealthy, animal-loving aristocrat who hosts the annual Giant Vegetable Competition. She hired Wallace's "Anti-Pesto" service and was won over by his humane methods, preferring him over the arrogant hunter, Victor Quartermaine. While she was not allergic to cheese like Wendolene, she was vegan and therefore also declined his beloved Wensleydale. Although the relationship didn't last, it is considered one of his more promising and amicable connections. Totty eventually turned her estate into a rabbit sanctuary.

Piella Bakewell (A Matter of Loaf and Death, 2008): Wallace's most dangerous love interest was a former "Bake-O-Lite" girl who quickly became engaged to him after he "saved" her from a runaway bicycle. She was secretly the "Cereal Killer" targeting bakers to complete a "baker's dozen" of victims. Her murderous plan was foiled by Gromit and her own poodle, Fluffles, and she was eaten by crocodiles after attempting to blow up Wallace's home.

In contrast to Wallace's misfortune, Gromit had a successful romance with Fluffles, Piella's mistreated poodle. Fluffles played a crucial role in saving Wallace from Piella and ultimately chose to stay with Wallace and Gromit, joining them on their subsequent adventures.

14/05/2026

Check out the Dr Who collectables in store including this Dalek Rolykins in the original packaging from 1999. https://bit.ly/42cuODc

The Crystal Clear Incubating Dalek Rolykin is a specialised collectible figure produced by Product Enterprises Ltd. The figure features a clear plastic Dalek casing, allowing for a visible Dalek creature inside.

This is the initial, rarer version featuring the internal Dalek creature in yellow plastic. Only 500 of these were made. Following the initial run, the variant with a green plastic creature was issued, starting around November 2000.These were part of the "Dr. Who and the Dalek Rolykins" line by Product Enterprise.

Dalek Rolykins were small, plastic toy Daleks with a ball-bearing base, first released by Louis Marx & Co. in 1965 during the height of "Dalekmania". Designed to glide over flat surfaces, they were popular, budget-friendly collectibles. In May 2000, Product Enterprise Ltd revived these, releasing new versions and various colors.
The 2000s revival included six initial variants, with many more released throughout the decade, including special editions like the 2003 chromed Special Weapons Gunner Dalek Rolykin.

13/05/2026

Fas Emile has found out the hard way that possum fur and packing tape don't mix!

Alices In Style Collectables

03/06/2026

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27/05/2026

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22/05/2026

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13/05/2026

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