Friday 30 December 2011

Real or Repro? That is, no... That was the Question.

I know I know, another blog entry, what ever is happening to me?  Well, last year I wrote a post Christmas blues entry, saying that I often find it a bit of a sad time between Christmas and New Year and it is so this year too.  But... I really enjoyed writing today and it gave me cheer.  There have been lots of things, topics and happenings over the past few months that I wanted to write about, but didn't, so I am going to strike whilst the iron is still hot and tell you about a few.

I would like to introduce you to Claudia...



Beautiful, don't you think? I bought her in an auction some years ago now, she had no marks and I assumed she was in the style of the Art Nouveau Jugendstil movement, the most famous of makers being WMF.
Now I love Art Nouvea pewter, but generally a mortgage is required to purchase it, so I was happy to make do with a reproduction.
In October I went to the 20th Century Antiques fair at Alexandra Palace, it's a great fair although I have to make myself treat it like a museum otherwise I would spend a fortune!  Straight away I was attracted to an Art Nouveau Pewter stall, full of lovely WMF items and I soon got chatting to the lovely stall owner, Melanie.  Suddenly I noticed that one of the ladies on one of the items was wearing the same dress and hairstyle as my Claudia!  I mentioned this to Melanie who got all excited for me, she got out her WMF book and found my exact lady.  So then she told me to go home and check for marks once more, explaining they are very hard to find.  If she was indeed WMF she could be worth up to £1000!  I have to say I wasn't hopeful as I could see she wasn't as well finished as the items on the stall.
Off home I went and would you believe it?  Yes yes there were marks and a little extra 'A' too, which when I investigated further meant that it was a reject, hence the poor quality finish!
BUT... The story does not quite end there, part of me was still not convinced, she seemed very heavy and my instinct still made me think otherwise.  So, in December I arranged to meet Melanie, back at the fair, she had kindly been emailing me information over this time and was happy to cast her expert eye over the beautiful if ungainly Claudia.  Sadly I was right, she is indeed a reproduction, if not a fake, with pretend marks on her, but you know I think I have grown to love her more, following the whole charade and fake or not, I still think she is beautiful in her own way and the closet I will come to owning real WMF pewter!






2 comments:

  1. love your story,, Claudia is beautifull, no matter that she is not the real thing, the important thing is that she is yours
    thanks for another post

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  2. Thanks Joan, I think is lovely too! She is named Claudia, because I felt she needed a more German type name and Claudia was also my Crocheting, knittiing Grandma's name whom I never met! I am told I am just like her in my interests and in the fact that I talk far too much!!!

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