Blog

The Story of Wedgwood by Charlie Elphinstone Founded by Josiah Wedgwood I in 1759, this iconic British brand has been setting ceramic trends for over 260 years. While famous for making "Queen’s Ware" for Queen Charlotte, their matte-finish Jasperwareremains a timeless classic. 🏺 Here are 3 fascinating facts about the brand: ✊ Art with a Purpose: In the late 1700s, Wedgwood made powerful anti-slavery cameos featuring the slogan "Am I not a man and a brother?", donating all pr

Factual Friday – WW1 Medals
 By Charlie Elphinstone Do you recognise these medals? You may have seen similar ones in military museums or tucked away in an old family tin. Although they may look common, every medal has its own story. The British War Medal was established in 1919 and awarded to personnel who served in frontline actions between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918, with some exceptions for those unable to complete 28 days due to wounds, illness or death. It was al

This week we have got some rather interesting pieces of wall decor in the shop. They can be found all over the world, some are small while others are large these are called, Grotesques. The word grotesque comes from the Italian word “grottesca” which was first used in the 15th century. It was when Italian construction workers accidentally dug into a set of chambers and caves deep underground that featured twisted and horrifying faces all over the walls. This area was later id

New Pitsligo or “Cyaak” Factual Friday By Charlie Elphinstone Seeing as this week is the annual New Pitsligo Gala I thought I would write about the village itself rather than a specific product we have for sale. New Pitsligo or “Cyaak” as it is also known was first owned by the 4th lord Pitsligo whom lost all his property in 1745 due to his involvement in the Jacobite uprising of that year. Lord Pitsligo had to flee from the Kings army and hid in a cave at Rosehearty for 3 ye

Factual Friday By Charlie Elphinstone Usually I write about categories or brands in the shop, but today it’s a single item—one too interesting not to share: the fez. Its origins are debated, with links to Greece, Tunisia, Morocco, and Turkey. By the late 1700s, it became a key part of Ottoman culture after Sultan Mahmud II made it official headwear, replacing the turban with what he saw as a more practical option. Fezzes were traditionally dyed red using cornelian cherry extr

Factual Friday By Charlie Elphinstone. This week I got a chance to visit the Aberdeen Zoology Museum which was absolutely incredible and I cannot recommend it enough. While I was there I thought about the history of taxidermy and how the art has evolved over the years. Taxidermy, an art that has existed for centuries but in more recent times has been under scrutiny. Taxidermy involves the preservation of an animal or part of an animal usually for display purposes. It origina

Factual Friday By Charlie Elphinstone We have recently got in a huge selection of Whisky jugs to add to our already massive collection that we have for sale. As I was sorting through them I began to wonder when promotional gifts were first made…. View Online https://www.strichenantiques.co.uk/search?q=Whisky+water+jug+whiskey The origins of promotional material is actually older than you may think. With the earliest known instances of it happening all the way back in the 18th

Factual Friday The Story of Moorcroft Pottery By Charlie Elphinstone While looking around the great variety of porcelain and ceramics we have in the shop, I spotted a very unique pattern: the Moorcroft. View Online - https://www.strichenantiques.co.uk/search?q=Moorcroft&type=products The story begins with a young 24-year-old named William Moorcroft, who was employed as a designer at the James Macintyre & Co. Ltd. factory in 1897. In 1904, William entered the World’s Fair in L

Sleigh your Christmas list at our late night shopping extravaganza! Thurs 4th December 4-9pm 🎄 See link for more info https://www.facebook.com/share/1BAzDreZUd/ #christmas #latenightshopping #Christmaslist #christmasshop #christmasshopping #christmasgifts #wreaths #christmasfoliage #aberdeenshire #strichen

Come along to our Spooky Soirée late night shopping and family fun event! This Halloween, join us for a hauntingly good time! Our antique...

We were delighted to be featured in the Press & Journal this week with reporter Lindsay Bruce and photographer Kenny Elrick. We think...

Greetings antique lovers! Welcome to our blog! This is our very first blog post and we couldn't be more excited to share our love for...