Gold Presentation Paperweight with Australian Flora and Fauna Motifs
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An important gold presentation paperweight depicting Australian flora and fauna, Hammerton, Geelong, Victoria, 1922 the square base with inscriptions Presented to Dame Nellie Melba O.B.E by the Citizens of Geelong' 'Dame Nellie Melba's Grand Presentation Concert. In aid of Kitchener Memorial Hospital,' 'His Majesty's Theatre, August 15th 1922, Sale of Tickets pounds 7012.' The sculpture applied with a Geelong Coat of Arms bearing the inscription City of Geelong, By the Right Use of God's Gifts. Elaborately decorated with a boomerang and Australian native flora and fauna motifs including a gumtree, kookaburra, kangaroo and wallaby. The larger bird supporting a diamond set star pendant from its beak, the reverse applied with the intial M' for Melba, stamped 15ct gold, 556 grams, 128 mm, signed Hammerton Geelong, with wooden box by Hammerton & Sons, 173 Lt Ryrie St., Geelong. Other Notes: GIFT FOR MELBA TO BE PRESENTED AT CONCERT ON TUESDAY When Melba leaves Geelong after her concert on behalf of the Kitchener Memorial Hospital on Tuesday night, she will take with her one of the finest gifts which has ever been made to a visitor, not even excepting the Prince of Wales. The presentation, which will be handed over by the Mayor at the concert, takes the form of a paperweight, and is emblematical of Australia. On a sold gold square base, three inches by three inches, stands a massive solid gold Australian gum tree which was photographed from a scene on the Barwon River. On one of the branches sits a kookaburra, and on another bough is a bird in solid gold representing the Queen of Song carrying in its beak a diamond star set with gems of the first water. On the re verse side is a raised letter 'M' to indicate it is for Melba. Resting well back, and peeping through the branch in the tree is a shield in gold bearing the city coat of arms, around which is engraved, 'City of Geelong. By the right use of God's gifts.' On the bed of the base is a kangaroo ready to spring, and a scrub wallaby, so much beloved by Melba, also a boomerang. So that those who are fortunate enough to inspect the presentation, which is of most handsome and unique design, may see at a glance where it came from, is engraved on the side of the base, 'Dame Nellie Melba. Grand presentation concert in aid of Kitchener Memorial Hospital,' and on the front, 'Presented to Dame Nellie Melba, O.B.E., by the citizens of Geelong,' whilst on the reverse side appears 'His Majesty's Theatre August 15 1922.' Space is reserved for the number of tickets sold and the amount of money realised, to be engraved as soon as the details are procurable. The case to contain the weight is to be of polished blackwood lined with blue silk velvet. The whole of the weight is of Australian manufacture, and carried out by Mr. John Hammerton, of Hammerton and Sons, on whom it reflects the highest credit. The gift is to be placed on view on Monday, when the citizens will have an opportunity to inspect it. The Geelong Advertiser, Geelong, 12 August 1922, p. 6. Property from the Collection of Dame Nellie Melba GBE
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- Blackwood - One of the best known and most widely used Australian timbers, blackwood (acacia melanoxylon), is a member of the Acacia (wattle) family and grows in eastern Australia from about Adelaide in South Australia, as far north as Cairns in Queensland.
The largest, straightest and tallest trees come from the wet forest and swamps of north-west Tasmania where it is grown commercially.
Blackwood timber colours range across a wide spectrum, from a very pale honey colour through to a dark chocolate with streaks of red tinge.
The hardwood timber has been commonly used in the production of furniture, flooring, and musical instruments in Australia from the late 19th century. However, the straight grain timber is not the most prized or valuable, that honour falls to blackwood with a wavy, fiddleback pattern, which is used both in the solid and as a veneer. Fiddleback was only used on the finest examples of furniture. - Important - Important is a word used in the antique trade to indicate an object should be ranked above other similar objects, and is therefore more valuable.
The object could be considered important because it is by a famous designer or maker, has been shown at a major exhibition, is of exquisite workmanship, is rare or is a "one-off", was made for an important patron, and so on.
Even further up the pecking order are objects that are described in catalogue descriptions as highly important or extraordinarily important.
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