TREEN

TREEN

TREEN

An astonishing range of wooden objects fall into the category called treen - small turned or carved items.

  the days before the mass-production

of ceramics, poorer homes were equipped

with handmade wooden utensils, which are now eagerly sought after by treen enthusi­asts. Most treen available today dates from the 19th century. Much older pieces, including wares from as early as the 16th century, are in Birmingham City Museum's treen collection of over 7000 items, the best in the world.

TREEN

In the past, treen was a poor relation to furniture and works of art in the view of many collectors. Although this is no longer true and prices have risen dramatically over the past 30 years, many English pieces can still he had for as little as £25-£5o. Continental treen can fetch higher prices as it was often made for the gentry and has more elaborate carving.

TREEN

Welsh love spoons are often intricately carved, hut the finest carving appears on items such as i7th-century ivory-inlaid wassail howls in turned lignum vitae, an exception­ally hard wood. Few of these remain in private hands, and if one comes up for sale at auction it is likely to fetch over£io,ooo.

Fruitwood tea caddies are also highly col­lectable, especially those carved in the shape of an apple, melon, pear or gourd, good examples of which can now fetch over £2000. Small items that are far more affordable include turned fruitwood holders for perfume bottles or oil, which go for just a few pounds.

TREEN

Among the most interesting treen artefacts are rrompe I'ueil dummyboard figures. Their exact purpose is uncertain, but they may have provided the illusion of companionship for the rich and lonely, or simply acted as screens to block draughts. The figures made their first appearance in early i7th-century Europe and continued to be produced in England until the 1920s, so prices vary from as much as £10,000 a pair to £2000, depending on age.