When John Howard posted a pair of marked WALTON spill vases on his site some months ago, my antennae sensed the vibe. Others too picked up on this earthshaking event. A friend emailed "What do you think of John Howard's Flight & Return?" I answered "FABULOUS'. He replied "Just surfing not buying. When it is price group E, it is of academic interest only."
Clearly, few of us can afford to buy at the top end of a dealers' stock consistently or if at all. But price group E (John's top group) should not be considered like the number 13--off limits. Admittedly, E is for Extravagant, Exorbitant, and Excessive. But it is also the letter for that mirage all collectors pursue: Excellence. And Excellence is Elusive!
As far as examples of Flight and Return go, John's pair took my breath away. The light danced around the glaze on the interior of the spills, the enamels were rich, and I knew these figures had an impressive footprint. I have seen but one other pair of WALTON Flight and Return spills. They reside in the Reserve Collection of The Potteries Museum in Stoke-on-Trent and are definitely Not For Sale!
The figures have since sold. I didn't buy them because I was recovering from sending John a chunk of money. Yes, I love finding great figures inexpensively but I do put my money where my mouth is and buy the best when I can. I might just buy from Osama Bin Laden if he had what I wanted. The difference is that with John it is always a pleasure.
Clearly, few of us can afford to buy at the top end of a dealers' stock consistently or if at all. But price group E (John's top group) should not be considered like the number 13--off limits. Admittedly, E is for Extravagant, Exorbitant, and Excessive. But it is also the letter for that mirage all collectors pursue: Excellence. And Excellence is Elusive!
As far as examples of Flight and Return go, John's pair took my breath away. The light danced around the glaze on the interior of the spills, the enamels were rich, and I knew these figures had an impressive footprint. I have seen but one other pair of WALTON Flight and Return spills. They reside in the Reserve Collection of The Potteries Museum in Stoke-on-Trent and are definitely Not For Sale!
The figures have since sold. I didn't buy them because I was recovering from sending John a chunk of money. Yes, I love finding great figures inexpensively but I do put my money where my mouth is and buy the best when I can. I might just buy from Osama Bin Laden if he had what I wanted. The difference is that with John it is always a pleasure.
Rare pair of marked WALTON spill vases titled RETURN FROM EGYPT and FLIGHT TO EGYPT. Stock of John Howard.
Although almost two centuries old, these figures are a very true pair. Clearly, they have lived together always. Look at the identical match of the decorative detailing
The Flight and Return have been depicted as mirror images in art for centuries. The Return appears on the 8thC Ruthwell Cross and both appear in the 12thC St. Alban's Psalter. By the 19thC, they were common in art and even occurred in cheap wood cuts, such as the one below.
The Flight and Return have been depicted as mirror images in art for centuries. The Return appears on the 8thC Ruthwell Cross and both appear in the 12thC St. Alban's Psalter. By the 19thC, they were common in art and even occurred in cheap wood cuts, such as the one below.
When I was in London a while ago, I found the pair colorfully depicted in a pair of early 19thC cottage prints published by P&P Gully. Happily, they now reside with a collector who has a pair of similar figures. Were these prints the actual design source for his figures? It is nice to think so.
