Cornish
Serpentine.
Margaret Powling
investigates the
history of this
precious stone.
'We will start
our quest for
‘old’ in
Cornwall, on the
Lizard
peninsula, the
most southerly
point on the
British
mainland. The
name comes from
the Cornish
“lis” meaning
‘place’ and
“ard” meaning
‘high.’ In
contrast to the
exposed cliffs
of the Lizard’s
west coast we
will vicariously
travel to the
more sheltered
east coast...'
Chinese Antiquities. Jane Vandell appreciates
the sophistication of ancient Cathay.
'Once the
province of
wealthy bankers
and merchant
princes, Chinese
antiquities
have, in recent
years, become a
feature of any
good antiques
centre and can
be bought from
specialist
dealers at many
fairs. The
opening up of
China after the
cultural
revolution and
the death of Mao
resulted in
crates of
ceramic figures,
horses and model
buildings
arriving
regularly in
Britain and,
while the
Chinese
government
attempted to
preserve the
finest pieces,
aesthetically
pleasing objects
were sold in
West Country
antiques centres
from as little
as £50 to £100...'
The Ultimate Antiques? Geoffrey Palin looks at
beautiful objects made from the most ancient of
materials.
'Who can deny
the natural
curiosity to
explore the
origins of
modern life?
This is one of
the underlying
reasons that
make collecting
fossils such a
rewarding
interest. In its
broadest sense
the term fossil
refers to a
cast,
impression,
petrifaction or
the actual
remains of a
plant or animal
preserved in the
rocks...'
Treasure seekers beware! The
best rewards for responsible metal detectorists
lie buried in the fascination of history itself.
'During my first
year of trading
in antiquities I
was delighted to
get an
invitation to a
one-off
historical fair
with a Roman
theme. I bought
in extra Roman
stock and
replica goods,
bought a
costume,
cancelled
clashing events,
sent my cheque
in, and was
ready to go...'
