Enigmas and Puzzles – October 2021

22nd October 2021
A ‘Black Forest’ eagle owl, Swiss, circa 1800.
The eagle-eyed amongst you will have spotted one or two pieces in our photos of The Chelsea Antiques Fair which look familiar from our previous newsletters; the Goanese contador, the Bidston Hill ceremonial spade, the Ottoman Empire tiles and the fabulous floral bouquet carved by James Peake.  Amongst the new items was this hypnotic eagle owl.  Why is this whole genre called ‘Black Forest’, after an area in Germany, when in fact they were carved in the Swiss Alps?  One theory is that the German carvers migrated to Switzerland to find work and stayed there – but their carvings have not shaken off their original name.
Previous Article

About Wick Antiques

Wick Antiques was established by Charles Wallrock in the early 1980s. Having grown up in the Antiques world Charles developed an extensive wealth of knowledge.

Read More

Join Our Mailing List

Shop Categories

Furniture
Globes
Lighting
Mirrors
Bronzes
Chinese & Japanese
Maritime
Collections
Miscellaneous
Bookcases

Latest Publications & Press

A Unique Late 18th Century English Collector's Cabinet of Satinwood and Painted with Maritime Scenes on Copper Panels, one of Neapolitan Interest c.1790
Provenance Peter Lipitch Ltd Literature Illustrated by Peter Lipitch in the 2009 Grosvenor House Antiques Fair handbook This exceptional cabinet, clearly a bespoke...
View all Publications
Berthon International - Wick Antiques & Ship Models
By Charlie Wallrock, Photography © Wick Antiques Ltd, wickantiques.co.uk Just like ships themselves, ship models come in a wide variety of differing forms. Simple half...
View all Press