Well yesterday we were supposed to have docked at Djibouti, the country they call the 'one of the hottest place on earth." Unfortunately it was too hot in another sense as the political situation is not so good and we were forced to just sail by, looking at it from a distance. We are currently sailing for Salalah in the Oman. I'm told that Salalah has a decidedly tropical feel with its sandy beaches, coconut trees and banana plantations. It is often referred to as the perfume city of Arabia, thanks to its frankincense-producing trees, and the traditional markets sell plenty of the fragrant incense.
The tomb of the Prophet Emran, the father of Moses can be found in the city. Nearby, there is also the tomb of the prophet Job at Mount Eiteen, but this will prove a little tricky for my ankle unfortunately. The walls of the tomb are lined with verses from the Koran. This prophet has special appeal to Muslims, Christians and Jews, as the prophet’s life is mentioned in the scriptures of the three religions.
Being at sea it has allowed me to give my second lecture which is all about being an Antiques' detective. It's all about 'looking and learning', gathering the evidence that give you clues as to whether things are fakes or copies or the genuine article. Always remember, something that is an imitation or a reproduction is a c
opy, not a fake. A fake is where the maker has tried to copy something with the intent of passing it off as more valuable and deliberately profiting by their intent.
These Carlton Ware Guinness toucan advertising lamp bases, along with the toucan wall plaques have been much copied in recent years. The real thing typically have cream necks, and the graduation between the orange and red colour on the beak is gradual. Copies are too white on the neck and the head of the Guinness and the beak colouring is either marked too clearly or is smudged. Originals typically go for £300-400.
Before I left home I had a look on eBay and there were a number for sale. With starting prices ranging from £100 to close to £300; one had a buy it now price of a penny less than £700. It is difficult to tell from pictures but at least one looked like it was rather too white.
