Painting of Countess Henriette Danneskiold-Samsøe

In 1825, in the peat bog marsh area of Holmegaard, Danish Countess Henriette Danneskiold-Samsøe oversaw the creation of a glassworks that would become a proud Danish brand.

Recently widowed, the countess received the King of Denmark's permission to build the glassworks shortly after her late husband Christian Danneskiold-Samsøe died unexpectedly. It had been his dream to start the glassworks, but be died before the approval was granted.

In a move that was most unconventional at the time, the Countess chose to continue with the project despite being a single mother of 6 children.

The site was chosen in Holmegaard due to the adjacent peat bogs. The readily available peat would provide ample fuel to sustain the fire in the kiln required for glass blowing. 

The Glassworks manufactured green bottles to begin with but with expansion prioritised the production of clear glass. The Countess had a desire to create homewares such as wine glasses, and employed Bohemian glassmakers with fine skills to work within the factory.

A second glassworks was later established around 1850 in Copenhagen, called Kastrup, where it had closer access to shipping so imported coal could fire the furnaces instead of the dirty peat. All bottle production was eventually moved to Kastrup and Holmegaard concentrated on producing fine white glasswares.

By the 20th Century fine glass was being produced at both centres with the Artists spending their time between the two. Some glass series were produced solely at one glassworks and others were produced at both. Each glassworks retained its own name until 1965 when the two merged as one to become Kastrup and Holmegaard A/S.

Holmegaard came under the umbrella of the Royal Copenhagen group in 1985, until in 2008 it was taken over by Rosendahl Design Group. Rosendahl continues to manufacture Holmegaard glass today, though unfortunately

The old glassworks building in Holmegaard came under compulsory auction in March 2010 and is now a Danish museum of Crafts and Design housing an impressive collection of Danish glass, with over 42 000 pieces on display. 

This Quarter we have focused on a calming colour palette of blues, violets and greens with some pale timber and aged brass.

The heavy antique brass lamp features elegant 'French Empire' styling (see our following blog post for a clearer explanation of the style) and a beautiful hand made shade in excellent condition. As usual, it is re-wired and safety tagged for immediate and safe use here in Australia.

The beautiful watercolour painting served as the inspiration for the colour theme of this edition. It is a dreamy, serene scene of the city of Heidelberg, Germany. This particular painting dates to c.1950 and has its original art dealer's label attached to the back of the new frame.

Picking up on the theme of Spring is the Bing & Grondahl orchid vase, with the typical muted blues and greys of the Danish Porcelain company's pieces. The hand painted flower is extremely well executed.

The French oak bureau is one of a few we currently have available, each with its own subtle differences. This one is the most compact desk we have at the moment, and we love the quality of the solid oak piece and the details in its craftsmanship.

We thought we'd feature just one of the many beautiful vintage silver plate cutlery sets we currently have available. Be sure to check out our cutlery section on the site if you are interested in purchasing a quality antique or vintage setting. We have the best range available in Australia.

We also offer a wonderful range of vintage and antique jewellery, and as you can see in the bottom left of the page we have a very pretty matrix boulder opal pendant set in silver available now.

Lastly is the rare and unusual art glass 'Fidgi' oversize goblet by Kjell Engman for Kosta Boda. The three colours merge beautifully and change when viewed through the glass.

That's the lot folks!

Don't forget... this is just a snapshot of what is available right now. We are always adding more products weekly. Be sure to follow our socials (facebook and instagram)  to see what we are up to and to check out what is happening in our beautiful little town.

French Empire Aesthetics - What are they?

Japanese Damascene jewellery is hand made with origins reaching back many centuries.

The process of hand crafting the designs requires time and skill.

Flat steel plates are incised with ornate designs, which are inlayed with gold (often 24ct) and silver wire.

Japanese Damascene jewellery has a long tradition of high quality craftmanship and design. 

The steel is then burnished (oxidised) at high heat, which turns it black.

The silver and gold sections are then often etched or engraved with extra detail. 

The extra engraved detail on this Japanese Damascene brooch can be seen on the fine detailing on the flowers. 

Lastly, the steel panels are set, often within gold or gold plated settings.

Often the settings are in decorative shapes such as fans, flowers and butterflies.

The designs themselves also feature uniquely Japanese iconography such as Mt Fuji, Temples, Flowers, birds and animals. 

Designs often feature shaped ornate settings for the panels and uniquely Japanese iconography. 

Most commonly, Damascene is used for Jewellery, but it is also found on other small decorative items such as cigarette cases and trinket boxes.

The pieces shown were made in the 19050's and 1960's.

At emprades, we offer a range of authentic vintage Damascene items, be sure to see what we currently have in stock. 

For a great range of vintage Damascene jewellery, check out emprades vintage + design  

Lastly, it is work noting that not all Damascene jewellery is made in Japan. 

The Toledo region in Spain is famous for its decorative Damascene. With a discerning eye, it is easy to tell the difference. Spanish Damascene is set with prongs, and will not contain the distinctively Asian designs. The designs are more decorative than 'scenic' and often contain 'bright cut' engraving with geometric patterning. 

If you would like to know more about a piece you have, or are interested in buying a item of Damascene please feel free to get in touch.

We have a collection in the beautiful Autumnal colours of the season, and a truly international flavour with items from around the globe including Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Germany the Philippines and Japan!

These items are on our 'featured items' page of the website... so feel free to check them out. 

Many a time we wish that our pieces of furniture could talk, as we know the stories they could tell would be amazing.

By whom were they crafted and where? What have they lived through? Who has loved them and used them?

If only they could talk and we could ask them. Some of the stories would be incredible, we are sure.

Many years ago, before emprades was even a thought, Pru was standing at an auction. Before her stood a wardrobe. It was made from Kauri Pine, the timber itself rather plain and heavily stained... but it was the design of the piece that struck her.

A central lead-light panel was flanked by mirrored double doors, with an ornate carved panel above the lead light.  On close inspection she noted the handles, beautifully crafted with the head of a man (perhaps an Apostle or Knight she thought at the time). The whole piece was unusual and intriguing so Pru bid on it and it was soon hers.

Unfortunately, some time later after it had been stored in the shed it became apparent that the piece was full of wood borers. This was extremely unnerving, for at the time she had quite a collection of antiques awaiting restoration, as she and Des had been busy investing in pieces with the thought that one day Pru might open an Antique shop (!).  

This precipitated a large amount of urgent work quarantining and the subsequent fumigation of pieces. It seemed the source of the borers was indeed this wardrobe. Its base was severely damaged, and the piece was dismantled, with the salvageable elements put aside for use in other projects. Unfortunately, a dwindling market for antique wardrobes made the remaking and resurrection of the piece completely unviable. 

The handles were something Pru couldn't part with. The sent them off to be professionally restored, thinking that one day the right piece may come along to use them again.

Fast forward more than 20 years. Pru dug the beautiful old handles out, and thought after all of these years, the 'right' piece had still not shown up. She decided to list them online and sell them to someone who could at least put them to good use. 

Cue Dr. William Cottrell, an Auckland based academic and Author of "Furniture of the New Zealand Colonial Era (1830-1900)". William was searching the internet for other furniture components when he happened across these handles. He knew exactly what they were and purchased them for a project he was working on. 

He proceeded to email us afterwards and gave us some intriguing information...

"The handles are NZ-made in Auckland by Anton Teutenberg. He made a series of these with NZ themes. I have never been able to figure out the date but it would appear to be mid-1870s. The figure of a man is actually a Maori warrior."

Now he mentioned it... it was impossible not to see! The figure was indeed a Maori man, complete with fur cape and face tattoos. The various other motifs on the piece were specific to New Zealand too... the crossed spear and Taiaha (a Maori weapon & staff of authority), the fern, the new Zealand Flax spire. Also depicted are wheat heads... more of a Colonial influence. 

Below is a picture of one of the handles mentioned.

So... Who was this Anton Teutenberg?

Born in Germany, Ferdinand Anton Nicolaus Teutenberg (known as Anton) immigrated to New Zealand in 1866 as a man in his mid twenties. An engraver, he learned his trade from his Father before immigration. 

Anton's first commissions in New Zealand were stone carvings for public buildings and churches, and he soon gained a name for himself with his high quality workmanship. He was highly accomplished in wood carving, and created beautifully detailed pieces out of native New Zealand timbers... from items as small as pipes to large scale works like the ornamentation on Church Altars. 

He soon formed a friendship with another immigrant - Anton Seuffert, a cabinet maker from Bohemia (an area that would now be the Czech Republic). Seuffert was a highly skilled Cabinetmaker who specialised in ornate pieces featuring exceptionally detailed work in marquetry and parquetry (the inlay of different timber veneers to create patterns and decorative motifs). He created high end opulent pieces for 'People of Note' that symbolised wealth and success.

Both being German speaking immigrants in Auckland, Teutenberg and Seuffert soon became acquainted and worked together to create beautiful pieces of furniture. Both men utilised iconography of their new home in their work... featuring the People, Flora and Fauna native to their new homeland. 

Teutenberg's exquisite carvings were the 'icing on top' of Sueffert's highly elaborate designs with painstakingly detailed inlay.

The following piece is housed in the Museum of New Zealand (Te Papa Tongarewa) and it is a beautiful example of the creative collaboration of these incredible craftsman. The inlay scene features the 'Moa' (an extinct flightless bird native to New Zealand), standing next to a large tree fern with a mountainous scene to the background. There is a Maori woman to one side panel, and a man to the other. The carving by Teutenberg features a central Maori Man's head surrounded by a circular frame with traditional Maori decoration and flanked by Fern and Flax.

Writing Bureau, circa 1875, New Zealand, by Anton Seuffert, Anton Teutenberg. Bequest of Mrs E H Blair in memory of her late husband, Archibald Anderson Watt, 1918. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Te Papa (PF000079)

One of Sueffert's most well known pieces still sits within the rooms of Buckingham Palace. The writing cabinet was a gift from the people of Auckland to 'Her Majesty the Queen' Victoria and is still housed within the Royal Collection to this day. You can view the beautiful piece on the online Royal Trust Collection here.

Even though he was such an accomplished woodcarver and sculptor, Tuetenberg's most prolific output was as a medalist, and he struck many different tokens and medals for use through out the Country. He opened a shop front with his brother Karl and in 1870 they published the following advertisement...

 "A & K Tuetenberg, Engravers, Carvers and Gunmakers. Are prepared to execute Stamps for Goldmining Companies, Dies with Presses etc., at the shortest notice and with superior style." Auckland Star, Volume 1, Issue 147, 29th June 1870, Page 4. Source -https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS187...

So now it is easy to see how Teutenberg was the creator of these beautiful handles... with his unique skill set and an aesthetic preference towards all things 'New Zealand'. How wonderful to see an 'ordinary' utilitarian piece of hardware with such a unique and interesting provinence. It seems as though the handles were produced and sold as somewhat of a 'commercial' item by Teutenberg, as the furniture they appear on are not items made by himself or Seuffert. 

Teutenberg was certianly an extremely skilled craftsman and among the items left on this earth in private and public collections are fine jewellery (again featuring exquisite detail with the Flora and Fauna endemic to New Zealand), silver napkin rings, stone and wooden carvings and sculptures, medals, coins and tokens, brass seals and more!

He certainly seems to have been quite the 'Jack Of All Trades' and was a very skilled entrepreneur and business man.

To view more of his work you can visit the following links to his works in the Museum of Auckland and the Museum of New Zealand.

Anton Teutenberg in the Auckland Museum

Anton Teutenberg in the Museum of New Zealand

So... now we have a handle on that one, we wonder what our next piece of furniture will teach us?

Special thanks to Dr. William Cottrell for taking us down that delightfully enlightening rabbit hole!

This gorgeous piece was made by them and is marked Apex to the inside back of the setting.

During the depression years the Rodd brothers pioneered the manufacture of cutlery. They produced them in sterling and EPNS. Production was scaled down during the 2nd world war and the company went into helping the war effort by producing machine tools and gauges.

After the end of WW2 they reintroduced jewellery, table wares and cutlery. In 1948 they became a public company, Rodd Australia Ltd, and all their wares were then marked Rodd.

 From 1950 they produced mainly table ware and cutlery. They merged with Myttons, the manufacturer of Grosvenor Cutlery in 1961 but the two were offered as separate brands until the manufacture of them was combined in the one place in 1981. This is why certain Grosvenor patterns were then re branded as Rodd, for example one of those was the Balmoral cutlery pattern.

This era was the hey day of cutlery production for the company and their sets and pieces are now highly sought. Even today settings are being purchased as wedding gifts due to the high quality and timeless designs. If you visit our Rodd pattern page you will see the wide range of patterns produced.

The Rodd era ended when they were taken over in the late 1980's by River Holdings.