The Sinking Canoe Antiques

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The Sinking Canoe Antiques A passion for the past, a nostalgia for vintage and a deep appreciation for the artistic soul.

Two pieces of a silver plated tea set that lost their shining , but keep the beautiful details of birds and flowers.... ...
10/17/2026

Two pieces of a silver plated tea set that lost their shining , but keep the beautiful details of birds and flowers.... and you can buy them separately :-). ( 1860/1880)

Yesterday, while going through a box of costume jewellery that had been forgotten in the basement, we came across this r...
10/16/2026

Yesterday, while going through a box of costume jewellery that had been forgotten in the basement, we came across this rather astonishing handmade bracelet. Marked STERLING, with little golden inserts (not marked) possibly brass.
But the interesting part of the story is not really the bracelet.

You know how tempting it is, when you find something in an antique shop or a thrift store, to take out your phone, open an AI app and ask whether you've discovered a treasure or something hopelessly overpriced?
Well, yesterday I did just that. I asked my three usual AI research companions — Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini — to investigate the bracelet.

Two were quite confident: a vintage piece by AMP Japan, apparently rather valuable. The third was more cautious.
Having a little time to waste (or perhaps not waste!), I continued investigating the construction, the position of the sterling mark, the clasp and all those small details that can make a difference. And the more I looked, the less convinced I was.
Then came dinner, and eventually bedtime.

This morning I started again, with exactly the same photograph. I had deleted yesterday's conversations, as I sometimes do to see whether the answers remain consistent.
And guess what?
Only the cautious AI gave me more or less the same answer. The other two came up with completely different identifications, dates and values!

When I complained, ChatGPT rather politely admitted:
"You're right to challenge me. Yesterday, you received an identification of this bracelet as amp japan. Today, looking at the same photograph, I gave you a generic dating and valuation. That's inconsistent, and it is particularly poor practice when identifying objects for resale."
Well, at least we agree on that! :-)

Why am I telling you this little story?
Because we do use AI in our research, and it can be a wonderful tool. But a convincing answer, even a very detailed one, is not necessarily a correct answer.

We try to be as careful as possible with what we tell you about the objects in our collections, whether it's an interesting piece , an antique painting or a cheap old print. Sometimes we can identify something with confidence, sometimes we can only make an educated guess, and sometimes we simply don't know.
And I would suggest you keep the same little dose of healthy scepticism when you take out your phone to check an object before picking it up from the shelf.

As for the bracelet? Just a silver very elegant piece of good craftsmanship :-)

Today a long post :-)What Are We Saving the Beautiful Things For?You know those old silver-plated pieces that nobody see...
10/15/2026

Today a long post :-)
What Are We Saving the Beautiful Things For?
You know those old silver-plated pieces that nobody seems to want anymore? Too old-fashioned, too much trouble to clean, and, let's face it, worth a lot less than we used to think.
But some of these forgotten objects have extraordinary designs. Beautiful proportions, elegant shapes, sometimes wonderfully imaginative details. And they can transform even the simplest everyday table into something rather magnificent.
Even if we are eating an hamburger alone, in front of the television, listening to the latest disasters on the evening news, why shouldn't we have something beautiful to look at?
The Russian writer Dostoevsky wrote : “Beauty will save the world.” Well, I wouldn't go quite that far. It's a lovely idea, but the evidence so far isn't particularly encouraging.
The world isn't going to become a better place because we eat from an ugly plate or put our dinner on a plastic tray. And a beautiful silver-plated dish certainly isn't going to solve any of the problems being reported on television.
But it can make our dinner a little more pleasant. And that, I think, is a perfectly good reason to use it. After all, we eat every day. We might as well enjoy what we're looking at.
So, starting next season, we will dedicate a small corner of The Sinking Canoe Antiques to these rather neglected treasures. Not all of them, of course.
In fact, very few will make the cut. Age alone will count for nothing. We will be looking for exceptional design, originality, quality of craftsmanship, beautiful proportions, and those unusual details that distinguish a remarkable object from a merely old one.
The selection will be ruthless. No compromises. No exceptions.
The prices, however, will remain modest. The idea is not to turn these objects into precious museum pieces, but to give them a chance to be used and appreciated again in everyday life.
I'm quite sure you will enjoy looking at them.
And perhaps, just perhaps, you might even take one home and help us save it from a rather less glamorous future in a damp landfill somewhere outside town.
After all, good design doesn't become bad design simply because it has gone out of fashion.
(Forbes Silver Co., Hamilton — Silver-Plated Cream & Sugar Stand, c.1890–1900)

An unusual Halloween /gothic decoration for your jacket , with a rather distinguished history.The Victorians certainly h...
10/14/2026

An unusual Halloween /gothic decoration for your jacket , with a rather distinguished history.
The Victorians certainly had some peculiar ideas about jewellery. They adored sentimental brooches, mourning ornaments, locks of hair, and here we have a particularly splendid unusual example: a Scottish grouse-foot brooch, complete with feathers, sharp little claws, a beautifully worked silver mount and a large, sparkling purple stone.
Rather Gothic, don't you think? But there is much more to it than meets the eye.
A Little Scottish History
When Queen Victoria and Prince Albert fell in love with the Scottish Highlands, eventually acquiring Balmoral in 1852, they helped inspire an extraordinary fashion for everything Scottish. Tartans, thistles, Celtic ornaments and Highland sporting traditions became tremendously fashionable throughout Britain.

Among the more unusual accessories were brooches made from the preserved feet of game birds, particularly grouse and ptarmigan.

Originally associated with Highland hunting and sporting dress, these curious trophies eventually became fashionable jewellery. Silversmiths transformed them into decorative ornaments with elaborate mounts, Scottish motifs and coloured stones, often worn on jackets, hats and shawls.

And the Hallmarks Tell Us More…
Turning the brooch over, we find a series of British silver hallmarks, including the initials WBs, associated with Ward Brothers, a Birmingham firm of manufacturing jewellers whose maker's mark was registered in 1888, which became particularly associated with Scottish-inspired silver jewellery.

The other hallmarks indicate sterling silver, containing 92.5% pure silver and Edinburg ( 7 cm) SOLD

Another Little History Around Your NeckWhen Britain decided to save money ...on money..This necklace is made from an ant...
10/14/2026

Another Little History Around Your Neck
When Britain decided to save money ...on money..

This necklace is made from an antique pocket watch chain, with its original fittings and details. At its centre hangs a British silver threepence from 1919, bearing the portrait of King George V. The coin is enclosed in a metal locket, with glass on both sides, allowing both faces of this little piece of history to be admired.

Now, if you're familiar with the old British threepence, you might notice that this one looks rather different. Instead of the later design with oak sprigs and acorns, it carries a large crowned number 3 surrounded by an oak wreath.

Interestingly, this design was already almost 85 years old when our little coin was struck in 1919. First introduced under William IV in 1834, it survived four reigns — William IV, Victoria, Edward VII and George V — a remarkable continuity in British coinage, before finally being replaced on ordinary circulating threepences in 1927.
But there's another little historical detail surely more intriguing: the coin is sterling silver, containing 92.5% silver. In 1920, Britain reduced the silver content of its coinage to just 50%, making this one of the last threepences struck in the traditional sterling standard.
SOLD

A Winter Project with Possibilities!Looking for something a little different to work on this winter?(not me! such antiqu...
10/13/2026

A Winter Project with Possibilities!
Looking for something a little different to work on this winter?
(not me! such antiques cannot be restored anymore :-) ...I am in the post just to show you the dimension!)
This wonderful old industrial platform, dating to the early 20th century, 1880/1915, was a railway mobile platform weighing scale .
With its beautifully weathered green timber, heavy cast-iron wheels and unusual red lattice backrest, it has plenty of character and the potential to become a truly original industrial-style coffee table.
We have the original weighing mechanism ..it needs to be put back, and the underside still contains some heavy mechanical components .Removing some of these would considerably reduce the weight and make the piece easier to move around. ( but you could also try to fix it, as the top part can be lifted.
The hard part—decades of authentic patina and character—is already there. The rest is up to your imagination!

Two rather unusual objects, each with its own story.The first is for collectors of British royal memorabilia: a metal co...
10/12/2026

Two rather unusual objects, each with its own story.
The first is for collectors of British royal memorabilia: a metal commemorative beaker produced in 1911 to celebrate the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary. Alongside the royal couple is a portrait of their eldest son, the future Edward VIII — who, as we know, would eventually give up the throne
The second object is more mysterious. An elaborate porcelain carriage, with a distinctly eighteenth-century appearance. It recalls the extravagant creations of Meissen or Dresden, although it is neither.

Underneath is a simple blue crown mark, which some online sellers rather enthusiastically attribute to Liechtenstein. Unfortunately, there is no evidence for that identification. My suspicion is that it is a good-quality European decorative curiosity from the beginning of the twentieth century

And it is not particularly small! Measuring approximately 30 cm long and 20 cm wide it is quite capable of accommodating a generous muffin, a special breakfast treat or even a celebratory drink.

After all, why should breakfast always be such a serious affair?
And if you have absolutely no use for a porcelain carriage on wheels, well... perhaps that is precisely why you need one.

Real red - coral necklaces- vintage
10/12/2026

Real red - coral necklaces- vintage

Yes, diamonds are a girl’s best friend… but let’s be fair, not every friendship needs to be so expensive! 😉I’ve already ...
10/11/2026

Yes, diamonds are a girl’s best friend… but let’s be fair, not every friendship needs to be so expensive! 😉

I’ve already shown you a few of these beauties, and some have already found new homes.

The first two rows feature stones, while the bottom row is glass. Some pieces are marked 925 , others are unmarked. Nothing terribly extravagant, but they’re all simple, charming, and certainly eye-catching!
And with Christmas just around the corner, perhaps one of these little treasures would make the perfect gift for that special girl in your life. After all, a little sparkle never hurt anyone!

Yes that is a vintage italian photo, with a vintage stroller and a vintage baby....nothing is for sale, but it is fun......
10/11/2026

Yes that is a vintage italian photo, with a vintage stroller and a vintage baby....nothing is for sale, but it is fun....
(btw the baby is Mario.....)

Address

710 Boyle Street
Indian Head, SK
S0G2K0

Opening Hours

Thursday 11am - 5pm
Friday 11am - 5pm
Saturday 11am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm

Telephone

+13066609033

Website

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