Makers & Retailers

Aktien-Gesellschaft Gladenbeck was founded in 1851 in Berlin, Germany. The business operated under its founder Carl Gustav Hermann Gladenbeck.

Alexander James Strachan (1774-1850) was known for his high quality gold boxes in the Georgian era supplying Royal Goldsmiths Rundell, Bridge & Rundell, Wakelin & Garrard, Thomas Holland and Coward and Smith.

Alexander Macrae was the founder of the firm that went on to be C J Vander Ltd, recorded at 32 Bow Street, Covent Garden, London September 1856. Macrae supplied retailers such as Elkington, Harry Emanuel, Hunt & Roskell and Widdowson & Veale.

Alexandre Kéléty (1874–1940) active between c. 1918-1940. Originally born in Hungary and later becoming a French citizen. Kéléty was known for animal sculptures as well as the theme of childhood, along with busts and statuettes in chryselephantine (Ancient Greek) representing dancers and mythological figures in his renowned art deco style.

Alfonso Canciani (1863-1955) was a famous Italian-Austrian sculptor working throughout the Viennese Secession period.

Alfred Ivory was from a family of London silversmith taking on his families business in 1861 and registering the hallmark A.I

Alfred Lyndhurst Pocock (1882-1962) worked for the London branch of Fabergé along side Boris Frodman-Cluzel and Frank Lutiger on Fabergé items for King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.

The Ando Cloisonné Company (安藤七宝店) is a Japanese cloisonne making company located in Sakae, Nagoya, central Japan. Founded in the late 19th century by Ando Jubei (Jusaburo 1876-1953) and his brother in law Ando Juzaemon.

Antoine-Louis Barye (1795-1875) was a leading French sculptor in the 19th century winning a host of awards and made multiple commissions for the French government.

Antonio Giovanni Lanzirotti (1839-1921) was born on the island of Sicily, throughout his career he took commissions from Royalty and exhibited at several world expositions.

Asprey was established in 1781 by William Asprey in central London. Over the years Asprey have manufactured and retailed a consistent high quality shop of personal objects and furniture.

Cartier is a French luxury brand founded by Louis-François Cartier (1819–1904) in Paris 1847.

Royal Copenhagen, officially the Royal Porcelain Factory (Den Kongelige Porcelænsfabrik), is a Danish manufacturer of porcelain products founded in Copenhagen in 1775

Dresden Porcelain (The Sächsische Porzellan-Manufaktur Dresden GmbH – Saxon Porcelain Manufactory in Dresden Ltd) was founded in 1872 in Freital near Dresden, Germany.

Alfred Dunhill (1872–1959) founded Dunhill after he inherited the family saddlery business on Euston Road, London at the age of 21 developing a line of automobile accessories called “Dunhill’s Motorities”.

Édouard Drouot (1859-1945) was a famous sculptor born in France specialising in animalier and orientalist styles.

Edward Barnard and Sons (1680-1977) was a firm of British silversmiths with origins dating back to 1680.

Elkington and Co. was founded by George Richards Elkington and his cousin, Henry Elkington, in the 1830s as G. R. Elkington & Co. operating independently for over one hundred years as Elkington & Co. from 1861 until 1963.

Emile Pinedo was a French sculptor born in 1840, he was known for producing high quality bronzes of mainly figural subjects succeeding his father in 1865 and debuting at the Paris Salon in 1870.

Emmanuel Frémiet was a prominent French sculptor, most famous for his 1874 sculpture of Joan of Arc in Paris, along with similar statues located in Philadelphia and Portland, Oregon, USA. He also created the monument to Ferdinand de Lesseps in Suez. 

Erhard & Sohne was founded in 1844 by Gottlieb Erhard and his two sons in Germany. They made a variety of products including haberdashery, silver and gold plated brass, bronze as well as dolls house accessories and toys. They obtained a world patent for the manufacture of brass inlay in 1904 amassing over 3000 employees across 2 factories in 1900 and in 1945 they turned to specialise in Unimog range of 4-wheel drive utility vehicles and became an important factory for tracked vehicles after WWII.

Edmond Laurent Etling was a French art dealer, gallery owner, designer, and manufacturer of high-quality Art Deco decorative objects crafted from bronze, ceramics, and art glass.

Eugene Delaplanche (1836-1891)  was a French sculptor born in Belleville, Paris. He was a pupil of Francisque Joseph Duret.

Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892) was a celebrated French metalworker most known for his bronze foundry working in partnership with Achille Collas (1795-1859)

François Linke (1855–1946) was a one of the most important and influential Parisian cabinet makers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

François-Raoul Larche (1860-1912) was born in Saint-André-de-Cubzac (North East of Bordeaux) and was known as an Art Nouveau sculptor.

Franz Xavier Bergman (1861-1936) was a world famous sculpture from Venice, Austria known for his erotic and unconventional cold painted bronze sculptures.

Fujii Yoshitoyo was born in Kyoto, Japan in 1868 and a fourth generation metal worker of first rank employing over 200 people at the height of his career mainly exporting to Europe and America.

Genryusai Seiya is one of the most celebrated Japanese Bronze artists of the Meiji Period.

Giorgio Sommer (1834-1914) was born in Frankfurt, Germany and became one of Italy’s most prolific photography studios.

Gyokuzan known as Chin Juan was the founding father of the satsuma industry in Kagoshima. His factory produced blanks for decorators such as Yabu Meizan and Gyokushu.

H. Luppens & Cie were a famous foundry from Brussels, Belguim operating in the 19th century. The H.Luppens & Cie Foundry had its workshops in Saint-Gilles, 15 rue de Danemark.

Henry Dasson (c. 1825–1896) was a nineteenth century Parisian maker of gilt-bronze mounted furniture.

Hermann Otto Haase-Ilsenburg (German, 1879-1960) was a German sculptor known for his exceptional talent and contributions to the field of sculpture.

Hung Chong & Co were a Chinese silversmith and retailer based in Shanghai operating between circa 1830 to 1930.

The Amphora factory was located in Turn-Teplitz, Austria (now in the Czech Republic) was founded in 1892 by Riessner, Stellmacher and Kessel.

Jager-LeCoultre (known as JLC and Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre SA) is a Swiss luxury watch and clock manufacturer founded by Antoine LeCoultre in 1833 and is based in Le Sentier, Switzerland.

James Pittendrigh MacGillivray (1856-1938) referred to as Scotlands greatest sculptor worked and lived in Edinburgh for the majority of his life and career.

The Japy family are a world renowned French industrial dynasty from Beaucourt in the Territoire de Belfort.

Jenkins & Jenkins were founded in Baltimore, USA as A. Jacobi in 1879. Later succeeded by Jacobi and Jenkins and then Jenkins and Jenkins in 1908-1915.

Joseph Ash I was a London silversmith apprenticed to Roger Biggs of the Glovers Company from 1793. He had two sons, James and Joseph II.

Jules Moigniez (1835-1894) was a French bronze Animalia sculptor who trained under Paul Comoléra (1813-1890) known for his exceptional finishing using the lost wax process.

K. Uyeda was founded in 1884 by Uyeda Kichigoro, it is one of the oldest established Japanese silversmiths that is still continues business today.

Karl Griesbaum (1872-1941) was founded in 1905 originally producing clock parts. They became the dominant producer of singing bird boxes in the 20th century until they closed in 1988.

The Kinkozan family have been associated with pottery since 1645. They were the largest producer of Satsuma ware, from the end of the 19th century until 1927 under the leadership of Kinkozan Sobei VI (1824-1884) and Kinkozan Sobei VII (1867-1927)

The Komai family workshop was opened in 1841 by Komai Seibei who had three sons Komai Yoshitaka, Komai Yoshihiro, and Komai Otojiro.

KPM was founded in 1763 by Frederick the Great and known for their high quality porcelain wares which include full tea services to porcelain plaques signed with a sceptre and impressed KMP marks.

Lenzkirch (Aktiengesellschaft für Uhrenfabrikation Lenzkirch) was founded in 1851 in the village of Lenzkirch, Baden, South Germany by Eduard Hauser.

Louis Kuppenheim (1824-1889) was founded in 1854 together with Heinrich Witzemann, they were located in Pforzheim, southwestern Germany

Mappin & Webb world famous English silversmiths were founded in Sheffield in 1775 by Jonathan Mappin and are still operating today from their flagship London store.

Meissen porcelain was the first European hard-paste porcelain. It was founded in the early 18th century and started using its famous cross swords logo from 1731 by official decree.

Naruse Seishi (1845-1923) was born in Nakatsugawa City. He began his career as an apprentice potter in 1858 and in circa 1894 moved back to his home town opening a company and workshop named Tohauken.

Oskar Theodor Garvens (1874-1951) was a German born sculptor and caricaturist educated at the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich.

Peter & Ann Bateman were the Son and daughter in law of Hester Bateman regarded as the most well known female silversmith in 18th century England. Peter & Ann continued in the family business and passed it onto their kin upon their retirement.

Pierre-Jules Mêne (1810-1879) was a leading French sculptor in the 19th century and a pioneer in Animalia bronzes.

Prosper LeCourtier (1851-1924) was born in Gremilly, North-East France in 1855. He trained under the direction of the highly regarded Animalier sculptor Emmanuel Fremiet where he learned to hone his talents as a sculpture.

Reuge was founded by Charles Reuge in 1865 and are regarding to this day as the world leading producer of music automaton.

Robert Edgar Stone (1903-1990) was a 20th century silversmith renowned for exceptional hand made commissions throughout the middle of the 20th century.

Royal Worcester is an English porcelain company based in Worcester. Founded in 1751 it had several mergers with Flight and Barr, Chamberlain, Grainger and finally Spode.

Ryozan first name Okamoto was student to legendary 10th generation potter Nishimura Zengoro. He was the head artist at the Yasuda Company of Kyoto and one of the greatest Satsuma artists of the Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Saratani Tomizo (b.1949) was born in Kyoto, Japan. He is regarded as one of the last living master craftsmen of traditional lacquer work.

Seikozan was an exceptional artist located in Kobe Japan’s seventh-largest city working around the Meiji Period (1868-1912).

Manufacture nationale de Sèvres was founded in 1740 and has been owned by the French Crown (gorvernment) since 1756 producing high quality porcelain wares.

The shobido Jewelry Co. was founded in 1900 by Eikichiro Eto and still operate today offering a selection of high end jewellery and decorative wares.

Tamura (Tamura-Shippo) is a Japanese cloisonne company that is located in Shippo-cho, Ama City, Aichi Prefecture. The Tamura company have been producing cloisonne enamel since 1883.

Tiffany & Co is an American luxury jewellery and specialty design house headquartered on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Tiffany is known for its luxury goods including sterling silver and diamond jewellery.

A history of the Belgium porcelain factory Tournai which operated during the 18th-19th century producing porcelain wears similar to Meissen and Sevres.

Unzan was a talented Satsuma artist working in the first half of the 20th century through the Meiji Period (1868-1912) to the Tashio period (1912-1926).

Vienna Porcelain was founded in 1718 by Claude du Paquier and was in production until 1864. It was Europes second oldest porcelain factory after Meissen.

Wang Hing & Co (1854-1941) Wang Hing & Co, based at Zetland House, 10 Queen’s Road, Hong Kong, as well as 1 Sai Hing Street, Canton, and Shanghai, operated from […]

Widdowson & Veale was located at No. 73 Strand, London, England selling weaponry in the form of swords for the British Army and Navy orders and decorations for the British court and were goldsmiths and jewellers to the court of Spain.

William Comyns established his company circa 1858, eventually incorporating his sons Charles and Richard retailing at The Goldsmiths and Silversmiths Company, Henry Lewis and Howell & James in London as well as Tiffany & Co. 

WMF was founded in 1853 by Daniel Straub in Geislingen an der Steige a town in Southern Germany. Originally the firm was named Metallwarenfabrik Straub & Schweizer and was opened as a metal repairing workshop.

Yabu Meizan 藪 明山 (1853-1934) was born in Nagahori, Osaka the Japanese island of Honshu.

Yasuda Company was founded in 1896 by Gensei and Yoshizaburo Yasida two brothers from Kyoto. They were retailers and manufactures of Cloisonne and Ceramics, today they are best-known for their Satsuma pottery wares.