Martin FennellyAntiques

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Look what Martin Fennelly Antiques has put up for sale on-line: <br/><br/> <a href='http://www.fennelly.net/Item.aspx?id=24720'>651 Pair of Rare Hand Painted Moon Vases - Circa 1870 - Burslem Stamp - Crystal Palace</a><br/><br/><img src='https://file.4pm.ie/944/58fdc55e.jpg.146x114.png' alt='651 Pair of Rare Hand Painted Moon Vases - Circa 1870 - Burslem Stamp - Crystal Palace'/><br/><p style="text-align: center;">These are a beautiful <strong>Pair of Very Rare 'Ceramic and Crystal Palace art Union' Moon Vases dating to Circa 1870</strong> and superbly painted with Bird and Butterfly detail. The Art Unions were popular in Victorian times in London but the C &amp; CP was unusual as it was private and had no charity aspect to it. Members paid a fee and&nbsp;would receive medals and books connected with the arts and also were given the opportunity to purchase pieces made by the big firms of the day so their was a benefit to the Union members and the big Porcelain makers. They had occasional lotteries where a one off item could be won by a member in a lottery.&nbsp;Thomas Battam, and his son Thomas Battam jnr formed the Union in 1858 and are listed as the founder and president. Thomas was also described as a "china-guilder" working at Copeland and Spode. He also seems to have had ceramic company that went on to the 1870's called Battam &amp; Son. One of these vases has the impressed Burslem stamp to the base and maybe blank vases were given to the Union and hand painted by Battam's for a lottery prize possibly. The fact that they are not signed (by artist) also points to this probability. These are rare, large, wonderfully painted and very interesting.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Height</strong> 9.5" (24cm) <strong>Width</strong> 8.75" (22cm) <strong>Depth</strong> 4" (10cm)</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>&euro;1950 Pair</strong></p>