Here Be Dragons
The new Fantastique exhibit has a ‘thunder’ of dragons on display to use the collective term. There are Eastern and Western dragons plus many other hybrid serpentine monsters from the mythologies of the world, including Wyverns and the mystical Ouroborous. Chinese Dragons The five-clawed Chinese dragon was a spiritual and
Glazed Expressions
Among the most admired objects at WMODA are the two circular tables with tiled tops by the Moorcroft pottery. One is in the Arts & Crafts gallery and the other is the centerpiece of the Art of Tea exhibit. They are the perfect style for afternoon tea for two, Victorian
An Elephant in the Room
Our latest Ardmore acquisition is a monumental urn, 31 inches tall, featuring elephants and rhinos, which is now on display in our Ardmore room. It’s hard to believe that these giants of the animal kingdom are being slaughtered in huge numbers for their ivory. The World Wildlife fund urges us
Beauty Beyond Nature
Paul Stankard is recognized internationally for his reinvention of the traditional glass paperweight. A highly skilled scientific glassblower, Paul began to study his local flora in the 1960s and encased his detailed observations in glass with a flame worker’s torch. Nestling in clear glass globes and cubes are tiny glass
It was Fantastique
We had a Fantastique event at WMODA on Saturday, October 27! A Bacchanalian god, goddess and beautiful nymphs mingled with spooky witches and a big cat! Many of the visiting artists, volunteers and staff were in costume for the occasion which added a lot of fun to our fantasy theme.
A Spooky Story
For Halloween we are highlighting the spookiest pieces in the new Fantastique exhibition. The Spook figure was modeled by Harry Tittensor for Royal Doulton in 1916. Spook, derived from Dutch, is a synonym for a ghost or an apparition. The Wiener collection must be haunted as the Spook appears in
Salt of the Earth
Elaine Cooper, who passed away this year, made many firm friends around the world as a passionate collector of Royal Doulton, particularly salts. She shared her enthusiasm for collecting on several Collectors Cruises and published a reference book on Doulton Open Salts in 2009. Elaine’s book on the subject features
Daisy’s Dark Side
Most visions of Fairyland conjure up images of ethereal sprites with diaphanous dresses and gossamer wings dancing around toadstools in an enchanted wood. However, Wedgwood’s Fairyland Lustre by Daisy Makeig-Jones features imps, goblins, demon trees, and spiders that eat babies. Daisy’s denizens of Fairyland tend to be grotesque and freakish