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A lucky find
My father found this vase on a bomb site in Birmingham during the Second World War. He took it home to his mother, who put it on the mantelpiece, and it was used to hold a little Christmas tree. It’s 6.5in high and in very good condition. Rose Allen
This is a classic example of 19th-century ceramic manufacture from one of the great firms of The Potteries – Charles Meigh. The company’s origins go back to 1805, when Job Meigh worked out of Old Hall Pottery in Hanley, producing high-quality stoneware and earthenware. His son Charles continued the business and became known for his stoneware jugs and vessels with relief decoration, often inspired by Gothic Revival motifs.
This example, titled Bacchanalian Dance, is one of his most famous creations. It was first introduced as a jug in 1844 and then later adapted as a single- and double-handled mug, as here. It shows adapted scenes from, on one side, a painting by Nicolas Poussin titled Bacchanalian Revel before a Term, and, on the other, after Peter Paul Rubens titled The Drunken Silenus. In 1847 this model famously won the silver medal from The Society of Arts. They have been a little out of fashion in recent years. However, this is a lovely example and rarer being the twin-handled cup rather than the more commonly seen jug. As such, I would suggest a value in the region of £100 to £150 at auction. WF
Curious centrepiece
This vase has been in my family for a long time, and once belonged to my grandmother. I remember admiring it as a child and calling it a flower vase, but my grandmother insisted it was in fact designed to hold celery. Kathy Miller
Granny was right! In the 19th century middle-class or well-to-do families would have served celery with cheese at the end of
