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| Authenticity and the Poor Imitations |
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 The fine detail of David Winter
Cottages is virtually impossible to fake - but unfortunately due to the very
high prices of the rare retired pieces the temptation was there for some to try
and where there's a will there's a way. However, only the very valuable retired
pieces were worth fabricating and a small number appeared on the secondary
market during 1990 and 1991. These were mainly of the very early retired pieces
- Provencal Two, some of the Tiny Series and Chichester
Cross. Fortunately they were not very well done and soon came to the
attention of John Hine Studios, who were able to take prompt action. (A
Chichester Cross made of Crystacal was a very obvious forgery that came
to light as they were only ever cast by John Hine Studios in resin.)
'Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery',
wrote the English author Charles Colton - and the fact that fakes have been
discovered at all is an indication of the high standing of David Winter
Cottages in the marketplace.
There are a number of other things
which can give the game away and so raise suspicion. Bright colours on an old
piece may be suspicious, but not always as it has been known for John Hine
Studios, at the request of collectors, to repaint early pieces. Missing
backstamps are another clue as it is a nuisance having to fabricate printed
material as well as the piece. Unfortunately though some pieces were produced
with either hand written labels or non at all. A fresh looking baise on an old
piece is a strange combination. But there could be a plausible reason as again
very early pieces were sold without a baise. If one has been put on recently
then the only way to tell is to peel back the baise and see if the base
underneath is dirty and aged as crystacal dulls with age.
However, as counterfeiting is difficult and rare it is
extremely unlikely that there is any need to worry. However, if you are unsure
then it would be best to be cautious. The ultimate form of authenticity though
is David's signature on the base.
Like all work signed by the artist, a Cottage with
David Winter's signature on it increases its inherent value. Before 1990 they
were very rare indeed as David very rarely visited shops or functions but as
the popularity of his cottages increased David made more and more frequent
appearances at promotions throughout Europe and North America so making it
easier to obtain his autograph. However, unlike other producers of similar
items, every David Winter Cottage is sculptured by no one else other than David
himself and this demands long periods of time in his studio. Therefore the
number of promotional tours he can do is limited because of this, and so signed
pieces will always be rare and so worth tracking down. |
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