A Collection Completed!

After seven years of collecting the Queen Anne range of Tri-ang Period furniture, I finally completed the full set a few weeks ago!

It's not, generally speaking, a difficult range to collect and most pieces come up for sale fairly regularly, but there were two pieces which had eluded me for several years:

And here they are:

Queen Anne Upright Piano and Music Stool

Photo © Zoe Handy

I have missed out on the little Music Stool several times in the past, so I was delighted to eventually get my hands on one a couple of months ago.

I thought that was pretty good, but then, lo and behold, the rare as hens' teeth 'upright piano' came up for auction. I wasn't going to miss out on it, so I bid on it for my life and won - dancing around the house was involved, despite the eye-watering price!

Everything I know about this range of furniture comes from Marion Osbourne's excellent research, published in The Book of Tri-ang Furniture for the Dolls' House, 2013.

The range was made by Tri-ang from 1935 to 1940 and, given that it's made from 1mm birch plywood, it's amazing how much of it has survived the test of time, though several of my pieces do bear the scars.

There were twenty-three pieces in the range, identified as QA1-23 in price lists, with the Drawing Room and Dining Room pieces numbered QA1-14, the Bedroom pieces numbered QA15-19 and "Extras" numbered QA20-23.

And here are those twenty-three pieces:

 

Queen Anne Dining Cabinet (QA1)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Dining Cabinet (QA1) - Interior

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Writing Bureau (QA2)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Writing Bureau (QA2) - Interior

Photo © Zoe Handy

Pull-out Supports for Drop-down Front

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Writing Armchair (QA3)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Bedroom Chair with Ladder Back (QA4)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Chair with Splat Back (QA5)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Fire Screen (QA6)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Bedroom China Cabinet (QA7)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Easy Chair (QA8)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Settee (QA9)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Side Table with Imitation Marble Top (QA10)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Console Table (QA11)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Occasional Table (QA12)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Hanging Mirror (QA13)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Dining Table (QA14)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Footstool (QA15)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Wardrobe (QA16)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Wardrobe (QA16) - Inside

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Wardrobe (QA16) - Close-up of Hanger

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Bedstead (QA17) - Original Mattress and Bolster

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Dressing Mirror (QA18)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Chest of Drawers (QA19)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Grand Piano (QA20)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Grand Piano (QA20) - Open

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Grand Piano (QA20) - Close-up of Music Rest and Graphics Inside

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Upright Piano (QA21)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Upright Piano (QA21) - Keyboard Lid Up

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Upright Piano (QA21) - Top Open

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Music Stool (QA22)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Queen Anne Dresser with Plates (QA23) -  (Missing one Back Leg)

The five metal plates are original and are attached to the dresser.

Photo © Zoe Handy

Purist collectors might consider my collection to be incomplete because in addition to the items shown above, the following might also be collected:

• The Grand Piano, the Upright Piano and the Music Stool (QA20-22) were also available in an "Ebony" finish as well as the "Walnut" one which all of my pieces have.

• The range could be bought in boxed sets for the bedroom, dining room and drawing room. Even if these weren't extremely rare, I'm not a boxed set kind of girl and prefer my furniture in dolls' houses!

• For more adventurous children (or parents, more likely), there was a "Constructional Drawing Room Set" and a "Constuctional Bedroom Set" available. These contained pre-cut furniture parts and the necessary tools and instructions to construct the furniture, upholster it and apply the walnut effect finish. Again, this isn't my sort of thing (I would have to construct them!) but they are interesting to see and, though they did include the same "petit point design" upholstery fabric, they do explain why some pieces of the range are to be found with different upholstery fabrics on them (the chair shown above with the QA10 Side Table for example), where perhaps the constructor decided to use a different one to suit the colour scheme in their dolls' house better. It also explains why they the Queen Anne Period furniture is to be found with much variation in the finish, and the instructions reveal that the finish was achieved by applying a white undercoat to the wood and then, when that was dry, applying the varnish on top and dabbing it with a rag.

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So, it took me seven years to collect the Queen Anne range and I wonder how long will it take to complete the even more elusive Jacobean range. To date, I've acquired twelve out of the nineteen different pieces which have been identified so far, so I'm getting there, but the quest continues!

Until next time,

Zoe

A Spot of Gardening

I've got that happy feeling that ticking something off your 'To Do' list gives you!

A New Garden for the 1950s Dora Kuhn Chalet

Photo © Zoe Handy

I've had a small collection of garden items gathering in front of this house for some time and each time I wanted to open the front, I had to move them. So I decided a while ago that it would be nice to have a proper garden for the items to sit in and then it would be easily removable whenever I needed access to the house.

But it was only a few months back that I eventually found four sections of the German wooden fencing which I had in mind for the perimeter. 

Once I had that, I simply cut a piece of plywood to fit around the steps (which are attached to the base of the house) and covered it in the grass sheeting produced for model railway landscapes. I then used the smallest possible amount of glue to attach the fence to the grass, hopefully leaving it all perfectly detachable should someone want to dismantle it in the future.

Home-made Log Pile

Photo © Zoe Handy

I finally finished the project this week by making the little log pile to go with the fab little two-man cross-cut saw which was a recent lucky find.

Double Dog Kennel - Twin Dogs Needed Before the Rabbits Move In!

Photo © Zoe Handy

The garden is quite a hotchpotch of items and probably the only thing linking them is the fact that I really like them all!

Bird House and Water Pump

Photo © Zoe Handy

It's a happy little garden for a happy little house. 🙂

Until next time,

Zoe

Some Schneegass Dolls' House Furniture

I was recently very pleased to identify some of my dolls' house furniture as being from the German maker Gebr. Schneegass.

Gebr. Schneegass was based in the town of Waltershausen in Thuringia (central Germany) and was founded in 1845 as D. Schneegass & Söhne. [For those who don't speak German, 'Gebr.' is an abbreviation of the German 'Gebrüder' or 'Brothers', and 'Söhne' is German for 'Sons'.] 

For one year, from 1909 to 1910, Gebr. Schneegass joined forces with Carl Schmidt and traded as Vereinigte Spielwarenfabriken GmbH (United Toymakers Ltd) but from 1911, the two companies parted ways and Schneegass continued under its own name again.

I don't think it's known exactly when the company finally stopped trading, but it was certainly after 1938.

[Information from Lexicon der Puppenstuben und Puppenhäuser by Marianne Cieslik/Swantje Köhler, 2003, unfortunately now out of print*].

1920s Gebr. Schneegass Sideboard

(Catalogue No. 5C 6)

Photo © Zoe Handy

It was as I was browsing the Lexicon mentioned above, that I happened to see a catalogue photograph of this sideboard which I’ve had for some time.

The sideboard, with its typically Art Nouveau motifs embossed in the doors, was shown in a Gebr. Schneegass catalogue from the 1920s.

This was a surprise to me as I have, until now, associated the name 'Schneegass' very much with the much lighter furniture often referred to as 'golden oak' or 'yellow cherry', and the distinctive imitation rosewood and ebony pieces in the Biedermeier style (sometimes with gilt transfer embellishments often referred to as 'Boulle').

A closer examination of the catalogue pages in the book then followed and I was even more surprised to find that I own quite a few of the pieces shown there.

And here they are:

1920s Gebr. Schneegass China Cabinet

(Catalogue No. 5N 1½)

Photo © Zoe Handy

1920s Gebr. Schneegass Drop-leaf Table

(Catalogue No. 5CC 1½)

Photo © Zoe Handy

1920s Gebr. Schneegass Mirror-back China Cabinet

(Catalogue No. 5N 6 or 5NN 1¾)

Photo © Zoe Handy

The cabinet in the photo above is shown in the catalogue in two sizes (No. 5N 6 being the larger) and I'm not sure which one mine is, though it isn't particularly big at 11.3 cm H x 10 cm W and 3.1 cm D (4.5" x 4" x 1¼"). Mine is marked 2/- (two shillings) on the back in pencil.

1920s Gebr. Schneegass Carver Chair

(Catalogue No. 5M 2½)

Photo © Zoe Handy

1920s Gebr. Schneegass Armchair

(Catalogue No. 5M 2½)

Photo © Zoe Handy

The armchair in the photo above is the same as in the catalogue but the upholstery fabric is different - the catalogue is in sepia so I can't say what the colour of the fabric is, though it does appear to be lighter and is definitely not Rexine.

I also have this same chair (though slightly larger) with green felt upholstery and will add a photo of it as soon as I find it!

1920s Gebr. Schneegass Sofa

(Catalogue No. 5D 1½)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Added 30.08.2025: I have now found the sofa (above) to match my armchair.

1920s Gebr. Schneegass Gramophone

(Catalogue No. 27/5)

Photo © Zoe Handy

Although the catalogue photo is rather dark, I believe that this is the gramophone shown.

1920s Gebr. Schneegass Gramophone - Inside

(Catalogue No. 27/5)

Photo © Zoe Handy

The staining on the pieces shown above generally has a red tinge to it, which has led to it being termed 'German Red Stained', particularly in the US.

The red stain isn't obvious on all of the pieces, for instance the sideboard shown in my first photo above.  I don't know if this is down to age, wear, a previous owner using a darker polish on it, or if it started out this way.

1920s Gebr. Schneegass Corner Cupboard

Photo © Zoe Handy

The small-scale (11cm or 4¼" H) corner cupboard in the photo above has a very red hue and the red staining even coats the cupboard handles, giving them a coppery look.

This cupboard isn't in the Cieslik/Köhler Lexicon catalogue photos, however, it is shown in The Goodman House Museum by Libby Goodman (published in 2008 by Swantje Köhler) and named as circa 1920 Schneegass (source not given).

None of the pieces I own are signed by the manufacturer in any way.

I posted photos of my pieces in an online collectors' group I'm a member of and Swantje Köhler, who luckily is also a member, kindly gave us a couple of hints for identifying these later Schneegass pieces:

This foot shape is a good indication that a piece is early 20th C Schneegass

Photo © Zoe Handy

The feet seen on the sideboard in the photo above and on several of the other pieces shown earlier (the two sideboards and the carver chair), are very typical of Schneegass from this period.

Embossed Art Nouveau Motifs on Schneegass Furniture

Photo © Zoe Handy

In 1904, Schneegass apparently obtained a patent for a particular method of embossing polished wood and this feature is seen on much of the company's furniture from that point on. 

This decorative embossing, was advertised as a speciality of Vereinigte Spielwarenfabriken GmbH (the 1909-10 Schneegass/Carl Schmidt collaboration mentioned earlier) and the dressing table and the chest of drawers shown below are thought to be from that collaboration. Certainly, a very similar dressing table is shown in a Vereinigte Spielwarenfabriken advert from that time - the dressing table in the ad has the same pattern embossed along the top of the mirror and on the drawer-fronts, but is a slightly more elaborate piece than mine because it has a small jewellery drawer at the base of each of the mirror uprights.

Embossed Dressing Table, c1910 

Vereinigte Spielwarenfabriken GmbH (Schneegass/Carl Schmidt Collaboration)

Photo © Zoe Handy

There is also an example of this same dressing table (a whole bedroom set, in fact) in Antique & Collectible Dollhouses and Their Furnishings by Diane Zilner and Patty Cooper, 1998, which is stained/lacquered entirely in the red stain which we see on the front edges of the drawer sides in the photo above.

 

Embossed Chest of Drawers, c1910

Vereinigte Spielwarenfabriken GmbH (Schneegass/Carl Schmidt Collaboration)

Photo © Zoe Handy

The chest of drawers shown above has the same embossed pattern on it as the dressing table, though it's probably from a different year or set as it doesn't have the same red stain on the front edges of the drawer sides.

Embossed Cheval Mirror, c1910

Vereinigte Spielwarenfabriken/Gebr. Schneegass

Photo © Zoe Handy

And the cheval mirror shown above has the same embossed pattern along the top as the the dressing table. This piece, is more like the  'golden oak' or 'yellow cherry' furniture I've previously associated with the name Schneegass.

Embossed Chest of Drawers and Dressing Table, c1910

Vereinigte Spielwarenfabriken GmbH (Schneegass/Carl Schmidt Collaboration)

Photo © Zoe Handy

And this is the same chest of drawers and dressing table as shown above, but it seems the company also sold them in this white painted finish with the embossed details (or a simplified version of them) highlighted in gold.

So, that's all of the pieces in my collection that I can identify as early 20th century Schneegass, though this has now got me looking at other pieces in my collection and wondering if they might be Schneegass too and hopefully, one day, I'll find out!

Until next time,

Zoe

*Swantje Köhler has recently announced that she's planning to rewrite Lexicon der Puppenstuben und Puppenhäuser, to include new material that she's acquired since its original publication - great news!

A Small Collection of Roberson Miniatures

Though I don't generally collect modern miniatures, what dolls' house enthusiast could fail to appreciate the amazing talent of modern dolls' house miniature artisans altogether?

I guess that explains why I seem to have accumulated a small collection of the lovely items made by Colin and Yvonne Roberson of Roberson Miniatures.

Roberson sewing box and plant stand with Triang Knole Sofa

The Roberson faux-bamboo pieces in particular seem to blend in well amongst my vintage furnishings, as seen here in the bay window of a 1930s Triang Stockbroker. 

According to their website, Colin and Yvonne have been producing their handcrafted 1:12 scale miniatures since 1977. I understand that in more recent years, their son Tim has become involved in the business too. 

Roberson Miniatures Maker's Mark - CYR

Roberson pieces are easy to identify because they have a distinctive style, are made from metal rather than wood and also because they are signed with the initials 'CYR'.

I thought it might be nice to gather together the Roberson pieces I've bought over the years (all second-hand) and show them all together in a post, so here they are:

Faux-bamboo plant stands and pot plants by Roberson Miniatures

Roberson Miniature pot plants without their stands.

Faux-bamboo plant stand by Roberson Miniatures

Faux-bamboo plant trough by Roberson Miniatures

Faux-bamboo plant stand by Roberson Miniatures

Faux-bamboo umbrella stand and umbrellas by Roberson Miniatures

Faux-bamboo sewing box by Roberson Miniatures

Padded silk lining inside Roberson sewing box

This little sewing box is my favourite piece - I love the surprise of the rich golden silk lining when it's opened.

Period baby carriage by Roberson Miniatures

Three-wheel period pushchair/baby carriage by Roberson Miniatures

Padded leather upholstery.

The two baby vehicles (I'm not sure what the correct term for each of them is!) are my latest acquisitions and the black three-wheeler is a particular favourite.

Until next time,

Zoe

[All photos copyright Zoe Handy.]

“Teapot Mark” Vases

After finishing my last post about the two little Gabriel Fourmaintraux vases, I suddenly remembered two more tiny vases I acquired sometime last year.

I suspected that they were French, possibly from Limoges and, since they were gorgeous and fairly inexpensive, I bought them.

At the time I couldn’t identify the maker’s marks on the bases but I’ve just been re-reading the section on miniature ceramics in Liza Antrim’s ‘Family Dolls’ Houses of the 18th and 19th Centuries’* and I had another lightbulb moment when she mentioned a factory which used a “teapot mark”.

It’s suddenly clear that the marks on my vases are tiny teapots!

This is what Liza’s book says about them:

Many china articles were made in France and Germany for the dolls’ house in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and they are much more suitably sized for the twelfth scale of the more modern house. A factory which used a teapot mark produced the nicest pieces, ranging from cabaret and custard sets, to little boxes, ink wells and vases. They are certainly French (many still bear French retailers’ labels) and they are beautifully decorated, some imitating 18th century pieces in the Sevres style, some with ‘fancy’ birds or flowers, others more contemporary or Oriental.”

Hoorah! Nothing makes me happier than discovering these little snippets about pieces in my collection! 

Here are the vases where they live, in the rather bling and blousey dining room of Southsea Villa. 

Until next time,
Zoe

* If you don’t already own a copy of this Liza’s wonderful book, you really are missing a treat! It, and her equally delicious second volume, ‘Family & Friends’ Dolls’ Houses of the 17th, 18th & 19th Centuries’, can be bought via Liza’s Cider House Books website.