Discovering ANTIQUES

Arms Show Continued from page 22.pyrography in South Africa. He initially focused on thebig five game animals - the lion, the elephant, the waterbuffalo, the leopard and the rhinoceros. But in recentyears he has expanded into portraits, landscapes andanything else that he is commissioned to do. Amidst thebusy tables of the gun show he had plenty of interestedcustomers.Back at the booth of Dennis and Monica Wright, thecrowd of people has finally started to thin out leavingthem some space to breathe.“Let me show you something really neat,” Dennissaid; and pulls out a glimmering glass sphere no biggerthan a tennis ball. He told me it is the precursor to themodern day clay target and showed me a diagramof a catapult system from the eighteenth century.The bright blue ball was launched into the air as amoving target for sportsmen in 1760. Now, Denniswould only part with it for well over $200.00, andit will never be airborne or shatter. Like so manythings in the Roundup Centre, its history is worthtoo much to throw away lightly.24 • Discovering ANTIQUES