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The Marilyn Derrin
Art Deco Noritake
Collection
It has been an honour and privilege to get to
know Marilyn through her friends and family
over these last few months. Her passion for
collecting was quite evident through her
abundance of pieces. Her primary collection
was kept on display in her party room, all
pristinely displayed on perfectly dusted
shelves. A lifetime of dedicated hunting went
into her world class collection.
Both avid antiquers, Andrew and I wondered
when the last time we saw pieces of Noritake
of this calibre come to the market in Toronto.
We now realize that Marilyn had swept the city
clean of its best. Ken Steadman, a long time
and dear friend of Marilyn’s went on regular
hunts with her. She was fierce in her antiquing,
never coming home empty handed. As we
walked through her collection, Ken would
tell us stories of where they discovered each
and every item over the years; a thirty year
friendship displayed on Marilyn’s shelves. She
engaged her beloved grandchildren Michael
and Mara and her daughter Kim, with stories
of her hunting adventures and they delighted
in hearing about her trips to find interesting
pieces. There was always time for a little
clothes shopping as well!
A true collector Marilyn was, hiding the rest
of her collection away from the public eye in
her cavern of treasures! A true collector is one
that will purchase half of an item hoping to
eventually discover its counterpart. Marilyn
had a room full of bottoms of boxes, single
shakers, lids and trays waiting to eventually
reunite them with their other half. We had
such fun opening up lost boxes and finally
finishing what she had started.
We have been told that Marilyn was drawn
to Art Deco figural Noritake because it suited
her personality. The bright colours, delicate
faces and fun themes were irresistible.
Marilyn helped to found the Noritake
Collector’s Society and lent her pieces to
several books and reference guides over the
years. We hope that our June 1st and 2nd
auction will honour Marilyn’s dedication
and passion for her collection.
We look forward to having you as a part
of the auction.
Andrea Zeifman & Andrew Wilkens
Vice President President
A.H. Wilkens Auctions & Appraisals
“My mother, Marilyn Derrin, was
passionate about the many interests she
had, among them her collection of Art
Deco Noritake Porcelain. She delighted
in discovering treasures in surprising
places and enjoyed sharing stories of
the many journeys which led her to find
them. When I look at the collection as
a whole, its extensive and varied nature
reflects my mother’s desire to excel at
all that she undertook. I completely
understand her interest in specific pieces.
Their beauty, whimsical nature and
ability to reflect a bygone era were of
great appeal to her, much in the way
that she adored watching old musicals.
She loved the excitement of acquiring
new additions for her collection and
the search for them allowed her to form
bonds with people around the world.
Without a doubt, it was the relationships
my mother developed by meeting others
who shared the same excitement which
she truly valued as they led to lifelong
and cherished friendships.”
Auction: Friday, June 1 & Saturday, June 2, 2012 3