Discover the headwear of the Indian Naga SALEROOM SPOTLIGHT
Inside:
THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE
A GUIDE TO ACROSTIC JEWELLERY
DECKED OUT THE HISTORY OF TAROT CARDS
We look at the oddest lovers' gifts through the ages, from apple corers to knitting sheaths
Mutiny on the Bounty Hull fragments from the famous ship appear at auction
Why dinosaurs are returning record prices
Chances are, if you have children, or grandchildren, you will have observed their eeting, if all-absorbing, fascination with dinosaurs. (According to scientists about a third of all three to four-year-olds develop an ‘intense interest’ in something. Vehicles top the list narrowly followed by dinosaurs.)
My mother’s response to this phenomenon was to knit a hand puppet in (almost) the shape of a T-rex. But for some parents, the response is rather more extreme.
In 2008, the actor Russell Crowe paid $35,000 for a dinosaur skull, telling a CNN interviewer: “My kids were really into dinosaurs, so I said, ‘Here you go, here’s one for the playroom.’” It was the start of a trend. Now fossilised dinosaurs are more likely to be owned by Hollywood actors, art collectors, or tech billionaires than your local natural history museum. Last year, the fossilised bones of a stegosaurus called Apex sold for a record $44.6m to Kenneth C. Gri n, the billionaire CEO founder of Citadel. e implications of this fashion, for both collectors and palaeontologists, are considered in a feature on page 18.
Away from fearsome, lumbering creatures who once ruled the Earth, this month’s calendar is rmly marked by Valentine’s Day and all its associated romantic nery. While these days chocolates, owers and jewellery might top a lover’s gift list, 400 years ago the most longedfor trinket was very di erent. On page 54 we consider the presents most likely to make the heart utter in days gone by, including apple corers and knitting sheaves – even a washboard could provoke a twitch of a ection. Most were produced by the lovelorn, often sailors, on long voyages, and as examples of folk art make wonderful collectors’ pieces.
And, talking of love, on page 27 Catherine Southon deciphers acrostic jewellery (where romantic messages are spelled out using gemstones), which was popular in Georgian and Victorian times, and is highly sought after today.
Elsewhere, we go behind the scenes of the Barry Humphries’ collection which comes to market this month. It seems the two culturally-lacking alter egos for which he was best known (Dame Edna and Sir Les Patterson) were at dramatic odds with the sensitive and expert collecting eye of the Australian comedian. Have a look on page 22. On page 16, David Harvey discovers an exceptional Gillows’ Davenport desk which ticked all of his client’s wish list while, on page 34, the remarkable craftsmanship of the Naga tribespeople of India is explored in a collection coming to market this month. Enjoy the issue.
STEVEN SWANN
Behind the scenes with the antique restorer, page 8
CATHERINE SOUTHON deciphers the love language of acrostic jewellery, page 27
Georgina Wroe, Editor
Write to us at Antique Collecting, Riverside House, Dock Lane, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 1PE, or email magazine@accartbooks.com. Visit the website at www.antique-collecting. co.uk and follow us on X and Instagram @AntiqueMag
GUY SCHOOLING previews a remarkable attic sale taking place in Norfolk, page 28
WILL HOBBS
celebrates the remarkable craftsmanship of the Naga, page 34 is rare ‘village idiot’ Toby jug, c.1790, which has an estimate of £1,000£2,000 at & Wallis February 5. We love!
THE TEAM
Georgina Wroe, georgina. wroe@accartbooks.com
Online Editor: Richard Ginger, richard.ginger@accartbooks.com
Advertising and subscriptions: Charlotte Kettell at Woolley ’ sale on
Design: Philp Design, philpdesign.co.uk
Advertising and subscriptions: Charlotte Kettell 01394 389969, charlotte.kettell @accartbooks.com
Preview of Roseberys’ forthcoming auction calendar
Asian, Antiquities, Islamic and Indian Art: Live Online
Thursday 30 January
Prints & Multiples
Wednesday 19 February
Wednesday 5 February
Fine & Decorative
Tuesday 11 March
Design
Tuesday 18 February
Old Master, British & European Pictures
Wednesday 12 March
3 Editor’s Welcome: Georgina Wroe introduces the February issue with a focus on Valentine’s Day
6 Antiques News: All the action to excite collectors this month, as well as a round up of three unmissable exhibitions
10 Your Letters: Questions over ‘Mouseman’ pews in a Hertfordshire church continue, while Punk badges cause consternation
46 Top of the Lots: is month’s treasures include a lifetime collection of museumquality European porcelain and a very rare Stradivarius violin
59 Fairs Calendar: Our guide to all the latest events near you and around the country
60 Fair News: All the latest from the UK’s fair organisers, including one event in the National Botanical Museum of Wales and another in the spa town of Harrogate
11 In the Knowles: Eric Knowles is all at sea with excitement when a fragment from the hull of the legendary ship the HMS Bounty appears for sale
A Naga cane hat decorated with boars’ tusks, It has an estimate of £200-£300 at Woolley & Wallis’ sale on February 19
12 Around the Houses: A Sèvres cup and saucer sells for more than 80 times its estimate in Derbyshire, while Margaret atcher’s desk defeats its low guide price in London
61 Auction Calendar: Up-to-date listings of the UK’s best sales from the country’s leading auction houses, in one easy-to read guide
16 Waxing Lyrical: English antique furniture David Harvey discovers a stunning Davenport desk which exceeds all expectations
66 Marc My Words: Antiques Roadshow expert Marc Alum shares his o -camera life, this month revealing the secrets of his chaotic workshop
22 Saleroom Spotlight: e collection of the legendary Australian comedian Barry Humphries goes under the hammer at the London auctioneers Christie’s
26 Subscription O er: Make the most of our latest o er by saving a third on the RRP and receiving not one, but two, free gifts
27 Lots to Talk About: Catherine Southon deciphers the love language of acrostic jewellery, which was all the rage in Georgian and Victorian times
34 Saleroom Spotlight: A 180-lot sale of artefacts from the Naga people of north India appears for sale in Salisbury
42 Puzzle Pages: Sharpen your antiques and ne art know-how with two pages of posers from our resident quiz editor Peter Wade-Wright
44 Book O ers: Save more than a third on the latest titles from our sister publisher ACC Art Books, with this month’s subjects ranging from Marilyn Monroe to baroque Rome palaces
18 Bared Bones: With the recordbreaking sale of a fossilised stegosaurus in 2024, Antique Collecting digs deep into the exciting and controversial world of dinosaur bone collecting
28 Attic Finds: For the rst time in its 300-year history the 18th-century Palladian mansion of Holkham Hall in Norfolk o ers up its treasures at a very special on-site sale
38 All Hands on Deck: Antique Collecting charts the amazing history of the tarot card, from its origins as a trick-taking parlour game, to their use for mystical divination in the 19th century
48 Eastern Magic: In the start of a new series, London ne art dealer Adrian Mibus celebrates signi cant art movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, starting with Orientalism
54 Love Me Sender: Romantic gifts haven’t always been chocolates and owers, Antique Collecting reveals how apple corers and knitting sheafs once sent women swooning
e 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen and JMW Turner are both celebrated this year, while a Norman hoard goes on show at the British Museum
Following a record-breaking year in 2024, expanded tours of Buckingham Palace will take place from July 10 to September 28, with even greater access to the palace’s famous front facade.
Visitors will have the chance to go behind the scenes of the opulent State Rooms, used for the grandest royal occasions, while tours of the famous East Wing, home of the building’s iconic balcony will continue in 2025.
There will also be an expanded programme of tours led by expert guides, exploring rooms on the Principal Floor, which contains examples of fine Chinese and Japanese porcelain and 19th-century furniture, as well as paintings by Thomas Gainsborough, Sir Thomas Lawrence and the German artist Franz Xaver Winterhalter.
Above e Centre Room in the East Wing, © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2024/ Royal Collection Trust. Photographer, Peter Smith
Above right e statue has been replaced after conservation work
Right JMW Turner (1775-1851) Harewood House from the North East, credit Harewood House Trust
Work has been completed on a centrepiece statue in the rose garden of Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. The statue, of a girl sitting on the shoulders of a centaur, dates back to the 1920s, and was returned after a year’s conservation work which saw her arm reattached and nose repaired. The work was part of a larger restoration of the garden which included painting perimeter rose arches and the installation of four new benches.
A Yorkshire country house is celebrating 250 years since the birth of two British cultural icons: the writer Jane Austen (1775-1817) and artist JMW Turner (1775-1851). Harewood House near Otley, will bring to life both artists using manuscripts, period costumes and paintings. Harewood featured in one of Turner’s most important sketching trips, and Austen named a character after the house’s owner, Edwin Lascelles, in her 1814 book Mansfield Park
Paintings by some of the greatest Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, including Toulouse-Lautrec and Van Gogh go on show this month at a London gallery. e works, displayed at the Courtauld Gallery, were all once owned by the Swiss arts patron and collector, Oskar Reinhart (1885-1965).
Masterpieces include Van Gogh’s A Ward in the Hospital at Arles (1889), where the Dutch artist was admitted following a mental breakdown and the mutilation of his ear.
Goya to Impressionism. Masterpieces from the Oskar Reinhart Collection is on at the Courtauld Gallery from February 14 to May 26.
On the 50th anniversary of her death, a London gallery is exploring the string works of the artist and sculptor Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975).
Piano Nobile unveils the exhibition on February 6, bringing together a signi cant group of Hepworth’s work, taken from public and private collections, including sculptures, drawings and paintings that embrace the string motif.
Hepworth’s string sculptures are some of her most innovative and visually striking works, blending the elements of sculpture, geometry, and tension. She was inspired by the natural world and mathematical principles. e strings in her sculptures often mimic natural patterns, like the webbing of a spider, the curves of a wave, or the tension in biological structures.
Far left Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (18641901), e Clown ChaU-Kao, 1895. All images courtesy of e Swiss Confederation, Oskar Reinhart Collection
Above left Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) A Ward in the Hospital at Arles, 1889
Above right Ithell
Colquhoun (1906-1988), Scylla (méditerranée), 1938, Tate, © Spire Healthcare, © Noise Abatement Society, © Samaritans
Top right Ithell
Colquhoun (19061988), Self-Portrait, 1929, e Ruth Borchard Collection, courtesy of Piano Nobile, © Spire Healthcare, © Noise Abatement Society, © Samaritans
Above left Paul Cézanne (1839-1906)
Still Life with Faience Jug and Fruit, c. 1900
Above right Ithell Colquhoun (1906-1988) Earth Process, 1940. Tate, presented by the National Trust 2016, © Tate. Photo Sam Day
Right Barbara Hepworth (1903–1975) Forms in movement (Circle), 1942
Below right Barbara Hepworth (1903–1975)
Stringed gure (Curlew) (Version I), 1956, Sammlung Pohl, Marburg
Far right Barbara Hepworth (1903–1975) Delphi (Stone form)
Works by the overlooked British Surrealist Ithell Colquhoun (1906-1988) go on show this month at Tate St Ives. e landmark exhibition features more than 170 works, including painting, drawing and writing; many of which have never been publicly exhibited. Born in India, Colquhoun was educated in the UK. She studied at the Slade School of Fine Art where she honed her skills in painting and drawing. She became involved with the British Surrealist movement in the 1930s and exhibited with the London Group. Her work often explored themes of automatism and the subconscious but she was expelled from the group in 1940 due to her commitment to esotericism and occult practices, which clashed with the group’s secular orientation. e exhibition runs from February 1 to May 5.
A hoard of 2,584 silver pennies from the time of the Norman Conquest has gone on display at the British Museum after being bought for £4.3m -making it the highestvalue treasure ever found in the UK.
The South West Heritage Trust bought the hoard after metal detectorists discovered the cache, known as the Chew Valley Hoard, in 2019 while searching an area of north-east Somerset. Experts suspect the coins were buried for safekeeping in the turmoil of the Norman Conquest. Half the coins represent Harold II (1066) with the rest featuring William I.
e search is on to nd the UK’s Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025, the winner of which receives the world’s largest museum prize.
e victor, selected from the country’s 2,500 museums, galleries and heritage sites will be awarded £120,000, with £15,000 going to each of the four other nalists.
A shortlist of ve will be announced in early May with the winner revealed in late June. Last year’s winner was the Young V&A in East London.
Furniture restorer Steven Swann founded Swann
Antiques in 2020 in Southampton specialising in decorative antiques
How did you start in the business?
I had been buying and selling on and off for years, but five years ago developed a real passion for all things wood. I love traditional, hand tools so, naturally, my hand turned to restoring pieces, as well as selling. It soon became apparent I have a particular love of 17th to early 20th-century furniture.
What areas or items are selling well?
Seating and storage. We all need
60 new acquisitions go on show at the V&A Wedgwood Collection in Stoke-on-Trent this autumn to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the museum’s acquisition of the famous maker’s archive.
Highlights include a reworking of Wedgwood’s abolitionist medallion by 17-year-old student Amy Sproston, titled I Am a Man and a Brother.
The celebrations continue throughout 2025, with the collection’s first ever touring exhibition, Wedgwood: Artists and Industry opening in Townsville, Australia in April. The Wedgwood Collection is made up of more than 175,000 ceramic works, manuscripts and photographs.
Above Amy Sproston’s ceramic is titled I Am a Man and a Brother
Right e work is a reworking of Josiah Wedgwood’s (1730–1795) famous medallion Am I not a Man and Brother?
Best known for his iconic fashion photography, Cecil Beaton’s love of gardens is explored this year at London’s Garden Museum. Beaton (1904–1980) was an in uential British photographer, designer and diarist, celebrated for his work in fashion, portrait and war photography, as well as his contributions to stage and lm design.
But it is the role owers played in his work and private life – from the lavish ower arrangements at his infamous parties to the oral costumes from My Fair Lady – which are explored in the exhibition opening on May 14.
somewhere to sit and, equally, somewhere to store our belongings. Both types of furniture resonate with the history of antiques, being among the earliest pieces ever created. Personally, I love a good primitive stool and a fine Georgian chest of drawers. These would be my desert island antiques – though I’m not sure how well the chest would fare in salty water. As always, quality sells well.
Tell us some trade secrets
Wax, wax, and wax some more! When I’m not out hunting for new stock, I spend a lot of my time waxing furniture. It’s incredible how many pieces I’ve bought from people who’ve said they don’t like a particular item anymore because it looks tired. If you’ve never tried it, give it a go – you’ll be amazed at the transformation a little wax can bring
to a piece. Another tip: if you’reat an auction, always check out the mixed lot boxes. Some of my best fi nds have come from these hidden treasures!
Where are your favourite antique hunting destinations and why?
I love a house call. I’ve always done well at these, and you can usually build up a great rapport with the seller while getting thetour.
I also love antique and vintage emporiums – the messier, the better. I also enjoy a good fair. I recently discovered the Ford Airfi eld Market and Car Boot Sale near Arundel – it’s great for buying and selling antiques and collectables.
Formore details on Steven’s stock visit www.swann-antiques.co.uk
Architects’ inspiration for the country’s best-known 18th and 19th-century buildings is explored in an exhibition opening next month.
Compton Verney in Warwickshire, itself built in the 1800s, is hosting the event, drawn from the collection of Sir John Soane (1753-1837) one of Britain’s most famous architects. At the time architects modelled their work on everything from pyramids to ancient temples, with some using their own initials as inspiration. Towering Dreams: Extraordinary Architectural Drawings runs from March 15 to August 31.
Robert Louis Stevenson’s life in the Paci c is the focus of a new exhibition at the University of Edinburgh.
While the Edinburgh-born author is best known for classics such as Treasure Island, (1883) and Kidnapped (1886), in June 1888 he set sail from San Francisco to spend the next two years voyaging across the Paci c Ocean with his family.
ey eventually settled in Vailima, on the Samoan island of Upolu, where he lived until his death aged 44.
In 1890, Stevenson purchased 314 acres of land and built a ve-bedroom mansion called Villa Vailima. At rst seen as a colonial gure, Stevenson soon became locally beloved as ‘Tusitala’ or teller of tales.
Below Robert Louis Stevenson’s life in the Paci c is explored at the exhibition
Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire has scooped a prestigious nationwide award. e castle, which was given to the family of Willoughby de Eresby in the 16th century by Henry VIII, has won the 2024 Historic Houses Collections Award which honours conservation and curation.
Judges were particularly impressed by work carried out by castle sta on a silk doublet and trunk hose dating from 1600 to 1605 which was rediscovered in a poor condition in 2019. ey likely belonged to Robert Bertie, 13th Lord Willoughby de Eresby and may have been worn by him to the coronation of James I in 1603.
e castle houses a remarkable collection of art, furniture, and artefacts, showcasing the heritage of the Willoughby family and the estate’s historical signi cance.
Above e restoration of the early 17th-century doublet and trunk hose impressed judges
Above right Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire has won a prestigious award
e largest restoration of Rembrandt’s masterpiece, e Night Watch (1642), is under way at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Following ve years of research using techniques such as digital imaging and arti cial intelligence, eight restorers have embarked on ‘Operation Night Watch’ by removing the varnish from the painting. e Night Watch, one of the most famous Dutch Golden Age paintings, was made for Amsterdam’s Arquebusiers Guild Hall and is one of the earliest to portray a group in action.
The first of two new V&A East sites, called V&A East Storehouse, opens on May 31. The new facility is set to house more than half a million works – from vintage football shirts to Roman frescoes.
For the first time, visitors will be able to book to see any piece they like in a scheme called ‘order an object’.
The second site – the David Bowie Centre – will open on September 13, with visitors having the opportunity to personally view anything from the singer’s archive. Both sites are located in the new cultural quarter of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford.
e sale of a collection of Punk badges causes mirth, and Mouseman pews in Hertfordshire pose questions
I have been a subscriber to your magazine for 50 years and, while I admit my gross ignorance of the reigns of the British kings, I still nd it necessary to correct errors on your part.
On page 12 of the November issue of Antique Collecting, in Around the Houses, you state that Lincoln was assassinated on April 4, 1865. I assume that this was merely a typo but no American editor would allow it to pass. You merely left out the “1” before the “4”. He was shot on the evening of April 14 and died the next morning on April 15. Fear not, we’re not mad at you as it wasn’t your fault. After all, John Wilkes Booth was an American. Ricky Cooper, Chicago, by email.
Our star letter receives a copy of British Designer Silver by John Andrew and Derek Styles worth £75. Write to us at Antique Collecting magazine, Riverside House, Dock Lane, Melton, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 1PE or email magazine@ accartbooks.com
My wife and I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when we read about a collection of assorted Punk and New Wave badges which recently sold at Vectis Auctions for£400 (Around theHouses, December/ January issue).
Left e wanted poster for the assassins of President Lincoln who was shot on April 14, it sold at RR Auctions
Above right e collection of Punk badges sold for £400
Below One of 11 ‘Mouseman’ mice which can be found in a Hertfordshire church, image Dr MacFarlane
We met at a Sex Pistols concert in Middlesborough Town Hall in 1976, so does that make us antiques? While you ponder the answer, I am heading to the attic to see if I’ve kept any of the badges I once proudly pinned to my donkey jacket (making sure, of course Idon’t sustain any injuries to my ageing hips).
Anon, by email
The answers to the quiz on page 42.
I am replying to the letter from Dr Kathryn MacFarlane in the last magazine (Your Letters, December/ January issue) on how thrilled she was to come across a number of ‘Mouseman’ pews at St Margaret’s church in the small Hertfordshire village of Ridge, near St Albans.
Her discovery sent me to my muchthumbed copy of e Tale of the Mouse by Patricia Lennon, which is not only a wonderful introduction to the work of Robert ‘Mouseman’ ompson, but provides a comprehensive list of the places, including churches, where his work can be found. While it lists a font at the United Reform Church in St Albans, and a lectern in Potters Bar, alas, I found no reference to Ridge. Maybe more research is required?
Jean Ruthen, by email
Q1 (d) ‘Rupert’ was the name given to human-like para-dummies dropped over Normandy on June 5, 1944, to confuse the Germans and designed to explode on landing. They are very rare and occasionally appear at auction so (d) and possibly (a). Q2 (b) It used wire to ‘stitch’ magazine pages together. Briggs also founded the Boston Wire Stitcher Company. Q3 (c) They were pictures made of coloured sand, probably based on the Japanese craft of bonseki (or tray-painting), and popular souvenirs from the Isle-of-Wight. Q4. (c) They are also known as a meander. Q5 (a) Small wafers (often coloured) impregnated with flour. They were wetted and attached to letter-flaps, when they dried, they stuck. In the late 1800s ready-gummed envelopes were available. Q6 (b) It is a generic term for glassware decorated with enamelled figures of children. Q7 (d). Q8 (b) It is the name of a short sword worn, or sometimes carried, by Roman officers. Q9 (a). Q10 While the end of a sword is called a crampet; a crampon is the metal border keeping a stone in a ring; a crannog is an Irish lake fortress and a cradling refers to buildings made with a timber frame.
Finally eel petition can be rearranged to form the two-word phrase toile peinte; the words true coach are an anagram of cartouche; our elk bowl can be rearranged to form the words boulle work and Cheerio nisi is an anagram of Chinoiserie.
It was one of the most notorious events in maritime history, and this month a piece of HMS Bounty goes under the hammer in Derbyshire. Eric Knowles reports
After Titanic, it is possibly the most famous ship in history. So when a relic from the wreckage of HMS Bounty came to light in Rugby, it’s safe to say we were all rather at sea.
Rugby is located some 9,077 miles from the Pitcairn Islands (I checked). So how did a piece of the iconic vessel, which was burnt by mutineers o the island in 1790, make it to the UK?
Enter John Coleman, an RAF chief technician from Coningsby in Lincolnshire who, in 1973, was sent to the remote British outpost.
His job was to provide a radio station on the UK’s most isolated dependency in the middle of the South Paci c, 3,728 miles from any continent.
His detailed diary describes idyllic days on the island he dubbed paradise, telling of long sunny days swimming and shing and making friends with the locals.
But on May 20, 1973, swimming o Bounty Bay, Coleman came across something very special. He wrote, ‘You can still see a cannon embedded in the coral, it will probably stay there forever. Nearby there were also sheets of copper from the ship’s bottom, well encrusted with the invading coral’.
Above right A poster for 1935 lm Mutiny on the Bounty, image public domain
Left A fragment from HMS Bounty, it has an estimate of £1,000£1,500 at Hansons’ sale on February 26
Below left Mutineers turning Lt Bligh, O cers and Crew adrift from HMS Bounty, 29th April 1789, credit National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, image public domain
His July entry that year describes how he helped raise one of ship’s cannons from the seabed. e excavation led to the discovery of a large piece of copper sheathing, patinated with verdigris, and a patch of barnacles which was part of the hull of the famous ship. Coleman, a skilled carpenter, mounted it using one of the ship’s nails to secure it to a plinth and, when home gave it pride of place near the replace of his Rugby home.
If any reader is unaware of the famous tale, or has not seen it immortalised in numerous lms, let me remind you.
e Bounty, commanded by the strict and often tyrannical Captain William Bligh, set sail in 1787 on a mission to collect breadfruit plants from Tahiti to feed enslaved people in the British colonies. But the paradise of the South Paci c island and allure of the local women proved hard to give up. And on the return leg, after Bligh accused the crew of stealing the ship’s store of coconuts, Fletcher Christian and others mutinied. e renegades seized control of the vessel and cast the captain and 18 of his followers adrift in the ship’s launch without charts, very limited instrumentation and only meagre rations.
While Bligh navigated thousands of miles to nd relative safety in Timor, the mutineers settled on a number of islands before setting up a new community on the uninhabited Pitcairn Islands. After deciding to settle there, in 1790, they burned Bounty to avoid detection.
Fast forward some 235 years and a small part of that legendary ship, released from the seabed of the South Paci c, is looking for the next phase of its amazing history.
e HMS Bounty fragment will appear in Hansons’ saleroom in Etwall on February 26 with a guide price of £1,000-£1,500, for more details go to www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk
‘Mr Coleman’s diary entry mentions how he helped raise one of Bounty’s cannons from the seabed. The excavation led to the discovery of a large piece of copper sheathing, patinated with verdigris and barnacles, which was part of the hull of the famous ship.
A Sèvres cup and saucer sells for more than 80 times its estimate in Derbyshire and Margaret atcher’s desk defeats its low guide price in London
A set of four Hillestak chairs by the renowned British furniture designer Robin Day (1915-2010) purchased for £14 in 1954, sold for £550 at the Leicestershire auction house, almost twice its low estimate of £350.
Day’s recliner chair sold for a mid-estimate price of £650
e chairs were part of a suite of furniture bought in Northampton 70 years ago, including a recliner chair, which sold for a mid-estimate price of £650, and a Hilleplan unit B sideboard, with a receipt for £26, which was also sold for a mid-estimate price of £900.
A late 17th-century silver-inlaid ebony clock by the French clockmaker and conspirator, John Joyne (b. 1647) sold for £16,640 at the London auctioneer’s ne clocks sale, beating its low estimate of £10,000. e “pendule miniature religieuse” clock, dated 1680 from Paris, stands 30cm high.
As well as a clock maker, part-time spy Joyne was instrumental in the arrest of John Scott whose capture, for murder and slave-trading, had been ordered by the diarist Samuel Pepys.
The 17th-century clock by the French maker John Joyne sold for £16,640
A Hilleplan unit B sideboard came with a receipt for £26 and sold for £900
All were made by Day for the furniture maker Hille in the early 1950s, and acquired from Hemming Brothers store in Northampton.
Day rose to prominence in 1951 when he designed the seating in the Royal Festival Hall in London, which is still in use today. at year he also won plaudits for two open-plan living and dining room settings designed for the Festival of Britain.
An 18ct gold beaker by the contemporary goldsmith, Rod Kelly (b. 1956) sold for a mid-estimate £24,120 at the Cotswold auction house’s recent sale.
Berkshire-born Kelly graduated from the Royal College of Arts in 1983, having studied under the well-known gold and silversmith Gerald Benney. After setting up his workshop in Norfolk, Kelly undertook a number of high-pro le commissions, with his work appearing in the V&A. Latterly, he was commissioned to design the £5 crown to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth I, in 2008. He now lives in the Shetland Islands.
Rod Kelly studied under the well-known gold and silversmith Gerald Benney
A George III carved mahogany ‘silver’ table, with a possible attribution to omas Chippendale (1718-1779), expected to make £7,000-£10,000 sold for £154,000 at the Channel Islands auction house.
The table had possible links to the famous maker Thomas Chippendale
e table, dated 1765, has a rectangular top with fretwork above a carved frieze on four foliate carved legs with scroll feet. In the 18th century when drinking tea was a pastime of only the very rich, furniture and silverware was designed and commissioned around the ceremony. Silver tables were designed to stand the full tea service on and would most likely have been positioned centrally, allowing them (and what they held) to be admired from all sides.
A cap worn by Australian cricket legend Don Bradman sold for $479,700 Australian dollars (£245,000) at an auction in Sydney. Bradman wore the cap, known as a “baggy green”, in the 1947-1948 home Test series against India, during which he scored his 100th rst-class century.
Bonhams described the cap as “sun faded and worn”, with “some insect damage” and “loss to edge of the peak”. Bradman, who died aged 92 in 2001, is regarded as cricket’s greatest-ever batter, averaging 99.4 runs per Test innings.
Don Bradman is considered cricket’s greatest-ever batter
A rst edition of John Keats’ 1818 work Endymion: A Poetic Romance sold for £23,300 at the London auction house’s Roslin Square saleroom, beating its guide price of £6,000-£8,000.
e book contains a number of original illustrations by John Buckland-Wright, including 136 full-page and six un nished in pencil, pen, ink and wash.
Endymion was so badly received by contemporary reviewers it has been argued that it contributed to Keats’ death from tuberculosis. e reviews even caused Byron to write: ‘Tis strange the mind, that very ery particle / Should let itself be snu ed out by an article’. Shelley also attributed Keats’ early death directly to the reception of the book.
The book sold for close to four times its low estimate in London
The hyper realistic painting features faces of Klimt’s family
A large-scale and highly-detailed painting by Ernst Klimt (18641892) that was completed by his more famous brother, Gustav, (1862-1918) after his sudden death sold for £2.2m, beating its guide price of £300,000-£500,000.
Ernst, two years Gustav’s junior, started the work in 1892 but died of heart illness in December that year at the age of 29. In a touching tribute to his brother, Gustav completed the painting and introduced Klimt family faces, and those of Ernst’s in-laws – the Flöge family – into the Bavarian street scene. Gustav signed the painting with Ernst’s signature.
When the painting last sold at auction 40 years ago, it made £140,000.
A mahogany desk belonging to the former Tory prime minister, Margaret atcher, sold for £60,000, some 60 times its low estimate. e 1.37m (4ft 6in) wide, ve-drawer desk came from the atchers’ home at 19 Flood Street in Chelsea where many of her speeches as leader of the opposition were written. It was one of 39 atcher-related lots which sold for a total of £330,000. A vanity case given to the former PM by King Hassan II of Morocco in 1989 fetched £55,000 o a £6,000-£8,000 estimate, while a silver letter opener by the Australian silversmith designer Stuart Devlin inscribed It was a famous victory.....3rd May 1979 made £22,000, beating its £300-£500 estimate.
Margaret Thatcher’s desk was used during her time in opposition and made 60 times its estimate
The band includes the princess’s royal cypher
The ring which was made in India was a gift from Lord Glenconner and his wife to the princess in 1995
A sapphire ring owned by Princess Margaret sold for £5,200, beating its guide price of £3,200£4,200 at the Midlands auction house. e ring of marquise-cut sapphire petals around an emerald centre has the princess’s royal cypher engraved on the inside of the band, and the name ‘Dolly’ (Prince Adolphus of Teck, 1st Marquess of Cambridge) handwritten on the silk lining of its green leather case. e ring was sold with a certi cate of provenance as well as a copy of correspondence between Lord Glenconner and Princess Margaret. Colin Tennant, the 3rd Baron Glenconner, was one of Margaret’s closest friends, and his wife, Lady Anne Coke, was one of the princess’s ladies-in-waiting.
A Sèvres cabinet cup and saucer expected to make £100-£150 sold for £12,000 at the Derbyshire auction house after it was spotted to have been the work of one of the French manufactory’s most famous designers. Marks to this piece, including the date letters dd, denote the year 1781 but key to its appeal was a painter’s mark of a lower case k for Nicolas Charles Dodin (1734-1803).
During his long tenure with the Vincennes factory Dodin painted a diverse array of subject matter including pastorals after Boucher and Fragonard, tavern scenes after Teniers and later revolutionary allegories and symbols.
The cup and saucer was spotted to have been the work of the well-known painter Nicolas Dodin
A number of 19th-century memento mori items beat their presale estimate of £140-£160 to fetch £400 at the Kent auction house’s recent sale, proving collectors’ undying interest in the genre. e haul included an agate brooch engraved In Memory of M H Middleton, with another brooch containing a lock of hair, marked William Crosby, 31st August 1828. At the same sale a 19ct gold watch by Cartier sold for £12,500 – more than ve times its low estimate. e Cartier Baignoire was rst produced by Louis Cartier in 1912 but developed into its trademark rounded silhouette in 1958. Many assume the it takes its name from the French word for “bathtub”, but more likely it comes from the name for VIP seats at the opera.
The Cartier Baignoire was first produced by Louis Cartier in 1912
The collection of memento mori pieces defied pre-sale expectations
A single-owner collection of more than 250 lots of Central and Eastern European banknotes from 23 countries fetched £250,000, more than £100,000 above its pre-sale estimate. e notes, which date from 1794 to 2003, were collected by Joe Cook, after he spotted an album of banknotes in a second-hand bookshop in Bucharest in 1998 while working as a nancial journalist in the region.
A colour trial of the Albania 1926 100 Franka Ari sold for £14,000
e highest-selling lot was for a colour trial of the Albania 1926 100 Franka Ari. Estimated to fetch £3,000-£4,000. e note, in a spectacular set of colours to the one actually issued, realised a hammer price of £14,000. It was purchased by an Albanian collector after a bidding war.
Fine
English furniture specialist David Harvey
discovers a rare Davenport desk, by the soughtafter maker Gillows, that ticks all his client’s boxes
Afew months ago I was asked to nd a burr walnut Davenport desk for a client who also stipulated the piece should be both made by Gillows of Lancaster and stamped by the illustrious makers. As if by magic, just before Christmas I was o ered the piece shown above which is, as requested, stamped by Gillows. Adding to its charm is the fact it is veneered not in walnut but pollard oak which is much rarer. Pollarded oaks, a technique used in Europe since
medieval times, encourages “burrs”, which, when cut, produce a fantastic grain with a very complex gure which is highly sought after by furniture makers.
I forwarded pictures of the desk to my client who immediately e-mailed me back asking if the Gillows’ cabinetmaker had signed the piece in pencil as he had seen on a similar example.
Grabbing a torch I searched high and low for such a maker’s mark and, only when I removed the largest drawer and turned it over, could I see the clear pencil signature Noar
I straightaway ran to consult my copy of Susan Stuart’s two-volume book Gillows of Lancaster and London 17301840. According to the author, ‘Noar’ or ‘E Noar’ referred to Edmund Noar who appears in the Gillows’ records in the rst half of the 19th century.
He was apprenticed to William Blackburne Jr. in 1796 who, with his father, worked with Gillows. When the younger Blackburne died in 1803, Noar took over their role with the legendary maker.
Not only does the desk have the maker’s signature, the top edge of the same drawer bears the stamp for Gillows, as does the front edge of the sliding top under the lid. What a nd – to have a stamped Gillows’ desk with the maker’s name signed on it.
Of course, the Davenport has a long history with Gillows. It has even been suggested by furniture historian Ralph Edwards that the company invented the design in the late 18th century, citing a commission for a desk for a certain Captain Davenport who asked for “a small writing table with a sloping-top desk above a case of drawers.” e extensive Gillows’ records, housed at the Westminster Archives, contain the earliest drawing of a Davenport, dated March 1816, executed for John Burton Phillips. e desk remained a clear favourite of the rm, and no fewer than 27 drawings of Davenports appear between 1816 and 1850. A more popular example was that ordered by Ferguson & Co. in 1830 and made by omas Myers at Gillows.
‘Not only does the desk have the maker’s signature, but the top edge of the same drawer bears the stamp for Gillows – as does the front edge of the sliding top under the lid. What a find! To actually have a stamped Gillows’ desk with the maker’s name signed on it’
Gillows would have described this example as a “good solid mahogany Davenport desk” and I was struck by the similarities of the sketch (above) and the spindle gallery which terminates in scrolls (right) which is a typical Gillows’ feature.
You can clearly see further similarities, such as the hinged pen drawer on the right-hand side and the pullout slide which is repeated on the left side. e three graduated drawers are copied on the left side by three false drawers, complete with matching, turned ebony knobs. ere is one slight deviation – the bun feet on my example are gadrooned, rather than the plain ones shown in the illustration.
But, all in all, to nd such a terri c example that ticked all my client’s boxes was a wonderful start to the year.
Susan Stuart, author of Gillows of Lancaster and London 1730-1840, has written at some length about the Bramah Patent locks which Gillows used and which are clearly visible on this piece.
This lock is stamped with a crown above the name J Bramah and the address 124 Piccadilly. It was created by Joseph Bramah in 1784 and employed the first known, high-security design which received a patent in the same year.
Locks produced by Bramah were famed for their resistance to picking and tampering, so much so that the company famously had a “challenge” lock displayed in the window of its London shop, offering 200 guineas for anyone who could pick it.
The challenge stood for more than 67 years until the Great Exhibition of 1851, when the American locksmith Alfred Charles Hobbs foiled the design and, following arguments over the method he used, was awarded the prize. Hobbs’ attempt required some 51 hours, spread over an incredible 16 days.
left e
Above right e desk’s lock was made by the
Right e spindle gallery
2024 was a big year for dinosaurs when the fossilised bones of a stegosaurus sold for a record $44.6m. But is the market all it’s cracked up to be? Antique
Hector, Barry, Stan and Sue – they might not sound like some of the most fearsome creatures that ever strode the Earth but they all feature in the dinosaur hall of fame which reached dizzying heights in 2024, when a 150-million-year-old stegosaurus called Apex, sold for a record $44.6m (£3.4m).
Mounted in a defensive pose, with its spiked tail raised in the air, it stood around 3.4m (11.5ft) tall and measured roughly 8.2m (27ft) in length. Discovered by a palaeontologist in 2022 near the suitably named town of Dinosaur in the western US state of Colorado, it was purchased by billionaire Kenneth C. Gri n, the CEO and long-time museum donor and founder of Citadel.
With patriotic pride, he declared: “Apex was born in America and is going to stay in America!” He may have been referring to the fact that the previous record-selling dinosaur – a T-rex called Stan, discovered in 1987 in South Dakota, had been sold to Abu Dhabi and is set to go on display at the country’s Natural History Museum when it opens this year.
But what does the sale of Apex, who was expected to fetch $7.4m, tell us about the market for fossilised dinosaur bones? With eight of the 10 most expensive fossils sold in the last four years, headline-making dinosaurs are more likely to be owned by Hollywood
Above In August 2024, a 150-million-year-old stegosaurus thought to be the largest dinosaur ever discovered sold for a record $44.6m, image courtesy of Sotheby’s. Hailing from Dinosaur, Colorado, it was was discovered by commercial paleontologist Jason Cooper at his property in 2022
actors or collectors in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan than your local natural history museum.
For traditional fossil enthusiasts and palaeontologists, the sale of Stan at Christie’s in 2020, for $31.8m, was a game changer. Not only did it smash the previous record of a mere $8.6m in 1997 for a T-rex called Sue (also discovered in south Dakota), it kick-started the trend for private, very wealthy collectors – some art collectors, others tech billionaires, with a few actors thrown in.
Back in the 90s, Sue was bought by the Field Museum of Natural History of Chicago (albeit with help from McDonald’s and Walt Disney World Resort). Since then the market is very di erent, with a modern bone war raging between scientists and the megarich.
Of the 50 or more partial T-rex skeletons which have been uncovered, up to a half may be in private hands, e ectively stalling their importance to scienti c research.
Rather than taking a scienti c aproach to studying the fossils, modern-day collectors can appear less rigorous. Actor Nicolas Cage had to return the skull of a Tyrannosaurus bataar — a close relative of T-rex — which he bought for $276,000 to Mongolia when authorities realised that the dinosaur had been illegally smuggled out of the country.
But while some sceptics feared the private purchase of dinosaur skeletons might mean they stay hidden away from public view preventing crucial ongoing research, the opposite may be the case.
Apex has gone on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York allowing access to vital palaeontological research which, among other things, demonstrated tha the ageing Apex had suffered from rheumatism in its pelvic area, a well as signs of matingrelated infections.
The museum’s curator of fossil amphibians,reptiles, birds and plants, Sean M. Decatur, said: “As exciting as it is to have this dinosaur on display, it iseven more exciting to have the opportunity to study it and make important scienti c data available for research.”
Left e impressive tail of a stegosaurus called Apex which sold for $44.6m – 11 times its estimate in 2024, image courtesy of Sotheby’s, credit Matthew Sherman
Right An adult and juvenile allosaurus, which had a pre-sale estimate of £5m-£8m sold for £8.13m, in December 2024, image courtesy of Christie’s
Below An adult and juvenile allosaurus, which had a pre-sale estimate of £5m-£8m sold for £8.13m in December 2024, image courtesy of Christie’s
Below right A stegosaurus, expected to make £3m-£5m, it sold for £4.3m, image courtesy of Christie’s
In December the dinosaur added three more to its hall of fame when a trio of prehistoric skeletons, which date back approximately 150 million years, together fetched £12.4m at Christie’s London saleroom.
All three skeletons - two allosaurus and one stegosaurus - were contemporaneous and excavated from the same site in Carbon County, Wyoming and travelled to London in 12 crates, where they were rebuilt.
Christie’s head of science and natural history, James Hyslop, said: “It is humbling to stand in the presence of these ancient giants and marvel at the wonders of our Earth’s past.”
The allosaurus duo had a pre-sale estimate of £5m-£8m and sold for £8.1m, while the stegosaurus fetched a hammer price of £4.3m. Like most dinosaurs none of the three was complete: the stegosaurus numbered 144 bone elements; the adult allosaurus about 143 and the juvenile 135. Hyslop said: “There is no complete dinosaur skeleton so all three fossils have been enhanced with cast, sculpted, 3D-printed materials, and are displayed on custom frames.”
‘Not only did Stan smash the previous record of a mere $8.6m in 1997 for a T-rex called Sue (also discovered in south Dakota), the sale kick-started the trend for private, very wealthy collectors – some
art
collectors, others tech billionaires, with a few actors thrown in’
All three would have roamed the semi-arid savannah of western America 150 million years ago. The stegosaurus was discovered just three metres from the pair, meaning they may even have roamed — and perished — together, with the stegosaurus bearing evidence of a bite mark through one of its dorsal plates, an injury which might have even been dealt by the allosaurus found alongside it.
The pairing of the juvenile allosaurus with a full-grown adult apparently roaming together, might offer scientists new insights into the hunting strategies of the species.
Hyslop said: “The adult and juvenile pair was discovered just a metre apart, which to my knowledge is unique. Perhaps there’s a familial connection, and that could be crucial for our understanding of how their social units operated.”
According to dinosaur watchers, nothing a ected the market for fossilised bones as much as the lm Jurassic Park. Based on the 1990 novel by Michael Crichton, Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning epic three years later depicted a dinosaur amusement park made up of genetically-cloned creatures.
Before the 1993 movie hit, the market for dinosaur bones was mainly fuelled by Japan seeking out American fossils for the country’s newly-built natural history museums. at spree came to an abrupt end when the country’s economic bubble burst in 1992.
Frédéric Lacombat from the Wyoming Dinosaur Center, told Christie’s magazine: “Demand picked up again following Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. en there was another spike, four years later, when the rst Tyrannosaurus rex, Sue, appeared at auction.”
Whatever the broader market trends, popular culture continued to in uence the trends. Christie’s James Hyslop said: “It’s often all in the name. If my phone rings and someone says, ‘James, I’d like a dinosaur’, it’s almost always followed by a request for a tyrannosaurus or a velociraptor. ese are the species we grew up with.”
While the velociraptor gained fame thanks to their inclusion in Jurassic Park, in reality they were the size of
Above A 3D rendering of a stegosaurus, image Shutterstock
chickens and come from Mongolia, so, as in the case f Nicholas Cage’s example, can’t be exported.”
Crichton’s famous predators were, in fact, based on the larger deinonychus. When Christie’s sold one of only three known examples in May 2022 in New York. It achieved $12.4m.
anks to our love of the truly menacing, plant-eating dinosaurs tend to sell for less than their carnivorous counterparts. Price can also be dependent on condition and also aesthetics —the vertebra of aTriceratops, for example, has a sculptural quality to it, with examples costing around the £2,000 mark. Small, individual bones cost as little as a few hundred dollars.
In 2013, Summers Place Auctions in West Sussex sold a 57ft long, 150 million-year-old diplodocus, to the Danish Natural History Museum at a cost of £500,000. It isstill the only auction house in Europe to have sold a sauropod at auction.
‘Before
JurassicPark, the market for dinosaur bones was mainly fuelled by Japan seeking out American fossils for the country’s newly-built natural history museums. That spree came to an abrupt end when the country’s economic bubble burst in 1992’
.
But, despite the stellar prices achieved at the top end of the market, complex laws surrounding global export of fossilised dinosaur bones may be holding back the market.
Rupert van der Wer , the director of Billingshurstbased Summers Place Auctions, which, in 2013,became the rst British auction house to hold dedicated natural history sales, said: “ e market grew from strength to strength over several years, but has become more stagnant in recent years, not through lack of interest but because of new regulations and ever changing trade embargos, which makes the market more di cult to manoeuvre for both the auction houses and dealers as well as the buyers.”
Would-be collectors should know where the fossil has come from and whether it was legally imported recently, or has a solid provenance. Van der Wer continued: “ ere are plenty of illegally exported fossils on the market that should have never left the countryof where they were found, which makes this area of collecting a little more complicated than it used to be.
“Some items that may have been ina collection for decades, andwere perfectlylegal toimport then, may now not be legal to sell.”
Those collectors not in the market for a multimillion pound dinosaur can still own a piece of Jurassic history in the shape of a smaller fossilised bone.
Rupert van der Werff said: “They are as much a slice of history as they are natural art; a great talking point at dinner parties as well as a decorative focal point in your living room.”
The Jurassic Coast in Devon and Dorset, a 9.5-mile stretch of coastline in southern England is the obvious choice when it comes to UK fossils, with the beaches between Charmouth and Lyme Regis good places for beginners to start. Lyme Regis is especially well-known for its fossils, and the Lyme Regis Museum offers fossil-hunting walks led by expert geologists.
Above left A fossiled skull of a deinonychus antirrhopus, image Shutterstock
Above right Lower Jurassic ammonites from Lyme Regis on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, preserved in pyrite, image Shutterstock
Left In 2024 an apatosaurus (formerly known as a brontosaurus) skeleton sold in Paris, for $6.3m, setting a record for the highest selling dinosaur at auction in France, image courtesy of Collin du Bocage and Barbarossa, credit Antoine Pascal
Generally the fossils found on the famous coastline are from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, making it possibly one of the only places in the world where you can find fossils from three different periods.
Look for ammonites, ichthyosaurs, seashells and dinosaur footprints, although a permit may be needed for fossil hunting on some parts of the Jurassic Coast. Another great UK fossil area is the Yorkshire coast near Whitby.
While Summers Place Auctions recently sold a rare aspidorhynchus fi sh plaque, 75cm high, for £2,000, plenty of fossils can be bought for less than £1,000, with some, smaller fish plaques, ammonites, pecten plaques and dinosaur footprints, available for a few hundreds of pounds.
Fossils of shells can be even cheaper as there are a number available on the market.
Rupert van der Werff, said: “Nothing is more fascinating than holding a beautiful object in your hand that is millions of years old.”
Aussie comedian Barry Humphries’ alter egos hid a sensitive and talented connoisseur, as the sale of
his collection this month shows
Apair of diamante-encrusted spectacles in the shape of Sydney Opera House from the collection of the late Barry Humphries is expected to make £1,500 when it goes under the hammer this month at Christie’s. e glasses are one of the trademark accessories of Humphries’ most famous alter ego, the Melbourne housewife-cum-megastar, Dame Edna Everage. And whereas the purple-haired, gladioliloving dame, and the even coarser Sir Les Patterson, were strangers to good taste, the same cannot be said for their creator.
e 250-lot Barry Humphries collection, which goes under the hammer at Christie’s on February 13, has estimates ranging from £200 to £300,000, and includes exceptional pieces from an enviable and tasteful art collection.
Above Barry Humphries at home, 2021. © Tereza Cervenova. All images courtesy of Christie’s Ltd.
Above right A pair of diamante-encrusted
Sydney Opera House spectacles is expected to make £1,000-£1,500
Left Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898) Self portrait
It has an estimate of £20,000-£30,000 at this month’s sale
Right Jean Delville (1867-1953) L ‘oubli des Passions, oil on canvas. It has an estimate of £120,000-£180,000
became one of the leading members of the British comedy scene alongside Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett and Spike Milligan, with his talents extending into scriptwriting and lm producing.
But the roles for which he became most famous were Dame Edna Everage, who was frequently accompanied on stage by her silent retainer, and former bridesmaid, Madge Alsop, and the boorish cultural attaché Sir Les Patterson. And yet o stage, Humphries’ persona could not have been more di erent. Last year the Australian landscape artist, and Humphries’ close friend, David Dridan, told e Guardian: “I think the public had the wrong impression of Barry, they assumed he was a bit of a larrikin. But he was very much a gentleman, terribly polite, he never swore.”
Leading the sale is a work by the English-born Australian artist Charles Conder (1868-1909), whose painting Sand Dunes, Ambleteuse has a top estimate of £300,000. Conder moved to Australia when he was 16 joining a number of en plein artists in rural localities around Melbourne, rst at Box Hill and, from late 1888, in Heidelberg, becoming part of the Heidelberg School movement. In 1890, Conder
left Australia to move to Paris where he befriended several avant-garde artists, including Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and became linked to the aesthetic movement, mixing with the likes of Aubrey Beardsley and Oscar Wilde, both of whose works also appear in Humphries’ collection.
Oscar Wilde
A rst edition copy of Oscar Wilde’s e Importance of Being Earnest, which is inscribed to Wilde’s publisher has a ceiling estimate of £150,000, while an 1893 copy of Salome, inscribed by the author to his love Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas, has an estimate of £40,000-£60,000.
e auction also includes 19th-century European and symbolist art, with the Belgian symbolist Jean Delville’s L’Oubli Des Passions estimated to sell for up to £180,000; while the Belgian symbolist’s Fernand Khnop Le Collier De Medailles has a top estimate of £100,000.
Work by the British painter of still-lifes, landscapes and portraits Sir William Nicholson (1872-1949) is also represented, along with classics of modern design including a chandelier by the French metalsmith Edgar
WHAT: Barry Humphries: The Personal Collection
Where: Christie’s, 8 King St, London, SW1Y 6QT
When: February 13
Viewing: February 7-12 at Christie’s HQ and online at www.christies. com/barry-humphries
Above left Charles Conner (1868-1909)
Sand dunes, Ambleteuse, oil on canvas, 1901. It is expected to make £200,000-£300,000
Above Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) Salome, 1893, inscribed by the author to Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas. It has an estimate of £40,000£60,000
Left Jan Sluijters (18811957) Nu allongé, oil on canvas, c. 1916. It has an estimate of £70,000£100,000
‘He was most famous for Dame Edna Everage, who was frequently accompanied by her silent retainer, and former bridesmaid, Madge Alsop, and the boorish cultural attaché Sir Les Patterson’ ’
We asked Benedict Winter, Christie’s specialist in private and iconic collections, for his sale highlights
How would you describe Humphries’ collecting style?
Barry Humphries is best remembered for his comedic genius, but behind his famous figure was a true polymath and connoisseur.
His passion for collecting and his insatiable appetite for deepening his knowledge was the driving force behind the acquisition of these fascinating and very diverse works of art.
This refined and engaging collection provides compelling insights into the private world of this very public performer.
Were there any surprises?
I think on first look you would call the collection eclectic, but on closer inspection every item in the sale has a link with another. It is a collection built from a complete symbiotic love of the 1890s onwards with real academic focus and passion. These are not works bought for decoration, but represent a true connoisseur’s collection.
The library is particularly fascinating and surprising – and it is wonderful to see to whom the annotations of specific books were made – whether it’s Clive Bell, Alfred Douglas or Aubrey Beardsley, even the books tell a story of provenance.
This, for me, was such a surprise, and just reawakens the evocative power of provenance when you look at the books in detail.
Do you personally have a favourite lot?
There are so many to choose from, but I will sneakily pick an artist, rather than a lot. The work of Charles Conder, who Barry avidly collected, is astonishing.
I knew very little of the artist before this sale and have been completely captivated, particularly in the Impressionistic landscapes such as Sand Dunes at Ambleteuse, which is the top lot in the sale with an estimate of £200,000-£300,000.
Where are you expecting interest in the sale to come from?
We are expecting global interest. Of course, Barry Humphries was best known in Australia, the UK and the USA due to his comedy career, but there will be significant interest globally as his collecting categories were so broad, ranging from books to symbolist art, and even striking modern design.
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Catherine Southon has Valentine’s Day all spelt out –with some enchanting examples of acrostic jewellery
his Valentine’s Day there are any number of ways to remind your beloved of your presence, from an Instagram post to a box of their favourite chocolates. But put yourself in the shoes of a lovelorn Georgian swain. How could you give your would-be love’s ever-vigilant chaperone the slip long enough to make your feelings known?
If only there was a secret code, a way of sharing your devotion, without letting the rest of the world know.
And so there was. Acrostic jewellery used gemstones to share the giver’s deep-felt passion. Called the “language of gemstones,” brooches, rings and pendants were studded with stones, the rst letter of which spelt a lover’s sentiment. Hence a ring with a diamond, emerald, amethyst, ruby, emerald, sapphire and topaz or turquoise would spell the word ‘dearest’; while a ruby, emerald, garnet, amethyst, ruby and diamond would spell the word ‘regard’. It really is most charming, and, unsurprisingly, really took hold in Georgian and Victorian times when romance and personal adornment were most popular.
It is also important to remember that in bygone days gemstones may have been known by di erent names, for example certain varieties of garnet were called verneuil –which neatly solved the rather inconvenient problem of trying to spell our ‘love’ in a gemstone.
For today’s collectors, the fashion is having somewhat of a resurgence. As diamonds are taking a bit of a slump in the current market, coloured precious gems are facing a strong surge, with semi-precious gems following close behind. Whenever we have acrostic jewellery appear in the saleroom it always ies, showing romance is not dead.
As you might expect with something so uber romantic, acrostic jewellery is believed to have originated in Paris in the early 1800s and was rst created by Parisian jeweller Jean-Baptiste Mellerio (1765-1850), a favourite jeweller of Marie Antoinette. He rst had the idea of spelling words with gemstones and designed a ring using gems that spelled “J’adore,” -“I love” in jade, amethyst, diamond, opal, ruby and emerald.
Napoleon Bonaparte was also drawn to this style and had numerous pieces commissioned for both Empress Josephine and his second wife Empress Marie Louise. For Josephine he commissioned bracelets from Chaumet, spelling out the names of her children Eugene and
Above right A late Regency/early Victorian gem-set sentimental acrostic ‘regard’ cluster ring, set with a central oldcut diamond to the border of ve ovoid gems. It sold for £1,400
Above far right An early Victorian gem-set sentimental acrostic ‘regard’ pendant with an emerald, a garnet, an amethyst, a diamond and two ruby collets. It sold for £3,400 in 2024
Above An early Victorian ‘regard’ gem-set ring set with a ruby, emerald, garnet, amethyst, ruby and diamond. It sold for £780
Hortense. While, for Marie Louise, a set of bracelets spelling out their own names and birthdays, as well as the dates of their meeting and marriage in 1810.
Before long, British and Italian dignitaries who visited the court of Versailles took the fashion back to their respective courts ensuring the charming romantic fad spread among the well o .
Victorians were masters of hidden messages with pieces often created to signify love, loyalty, family bonds, and even mourning. One of the most famous wearers was Queen Victoria. She wore a bracelet that spelt out the name of her husband, Albert, in gemstones of amethyst, lapis, beryl, emerald, ruby and turquoise.
What Victoria did, the rest of the UK soon followed and, before long, acrostic jewellery was everywhere, sometimes with an added layer of ‘secret’ meaning.
For example, an acrostic locket or ring with a pansy and the word ‘regard’ spelled out has a double meaning as the pansy’s name (from the French pensée) also means think of me. Add to this a brooch with a hidden compartment to hold a treasured memento, such as a lock of hair, and you have the full romantic package, which certainly beats a bunch of owers from the local garage.
Catherine Southon Auctioneers’ next Fine Jewellery, Watches and Silver sale is at its Chislehurst saleroom on February 24.
‘The Victorians were masters of hidden messages with pieces often created to signify love, loyalty, family bonds, and even mourning. One of the most famous wearers was Queen Victoria. She wore a bracelet that spelt out the name of her husband, Albert, in gemstones of amethyst, lapis, beryl, emerald, ruby and turquoise’
An attic sale at Holkham Hall, the magni cent 18th-century Norfolk mansion, is set to attract bidders from around the world, Antique Collecting reports
For the rst time in its long history, Holkham Hall on the north Norfolk coast is to o er selected contents from its storerooms and attics at an on-the-premises auction this month. Under the instruction of the current earl, omas Coke, 8th Earl of Leicester, some 400 lots from the estate, many of them Coke family heirlooms in storage for half a century or more, will go under the hammer of Sworders’ auctioneers.
Among the upmarket “declutter” are porcelain and china, silver, furniture, sculpture, pictures and prints from the late 18th and 19th centuries. e current Lord Leicester, who has run the estate since 2006 and became an earl in 2015, said: “I hope buyers will see these pieces with a fresh pair of eyes and give them a new lease of life”.
omas Coke
e Coke family traces its roots back to the Jacobean jurist Sir Edward Coke (1552-1634) the attorney general who oversaw the trials of both Sir Walter Raleigh and the eight main conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot. He is buried in St Mary’s Church in the Norfolk village of Tittleshall, where a Latin inscription on his memorial identi es him as ‘Father of 12 children and 13 books’.
But it was some ve generations later that Holkham Hall itself was built by omas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester (16971759). Aged 15, like many wealthy men of the time, the 1st Earl embarked on a six-year Grand Tour. Accompanied by his Cambridge tutor, Dr omas Hobart, he visited France, Germany and Austria but it was Italy, and more speci cally Rome, which were to have a profound e ect on his tastes.
His became one of the longest Grand Tours of the 18th century (from August 1712 to May 1718) with a detailed account book providing a records of his daily expenses and purchases, including his fondness for drinking chocolate, bread and butter, tea, brandy, and wine.
‘While
in Rome the 1st Earl befriended the Palladian architect William Kent and together they planned
a grand villa, inspired by ancient Roman temples, on the windswept north Norfolk coast’
Opposite page A plaster bust of General Marcus Claudius Marcellus indistinctly inscribed JS April 28, 1848, has an estimate of £800£1,200. All images unless otherwise stated courtesy of Sworders
Above right Titian Venus and the Lute Player, c. 1565–1570, brought to Holkham by omas Coke, it is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Below right Holkham Hall on the north Norfolk coast was built in the Palladian style
Coke’s treasures lost
Treasures from Holkham have previously appeared at auctions around the world – often to pay for death duties. In 1921, Titian’s Venus and the Lute Player was sold to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for an unknown sum.
In 1980, the Codex Leicester, a 500-year-old notebook of scientific writings and illustrations by Leonardo da Vinci, was sold to the art collector and industrialist Armand Hammer, for $5.1m. In 1994, it became the most expensive manuscript ever sold when it was bought at auction for $30.8m by Bill and Melinda Gates.
The 18-sheet collection of notes, written between 1506 and 1510, had belonged to the sculptor Giovanni della Porta (1500-1570), who was a pupil of Michelangelo. Della Porta’s heirs gave it to the painter Giuseppe Ghezzi (16341721), who sold it, in 1717, to Thomas Coke on his Grand Tour. Coke had a copy of the Codex Leicester made, which is still in the Holkham library. It was copied left to right (rather than in Leonardo’s mirror hand) and is therefore a more readable version.
Despite his youth, the 1st Earl managed to amass, and commission, an extraordinary collection of works of art from the most prominent painters of the Roman School, such as Andrea Procaccini, Giuseppe Chiari, and Luigi Garzi. Coke spent over two years travelling Italy, with 10 months living in Rome, where he studied classical history, art and, above all, architecture, becoming, in his own words, a “perfect virtuoso”.
While in Rome he befriended the Palladian architect William Kent and the idea of building a grand villa, inspired by the ancient structures they encountered in Italy, on the windswept north Norfolk coast was born. e foundations for Holkham Hall were dug in 1744, with the intention of the property being a ‘Temple of e Arts’ to house the earl’s vast collection.
But the building process turned out to be a long one. Hampered by the nancial strife following the bursting of the South Sea Bubble, the house, which cost £90,000, took 28 years to complete and was only nished in 1762, three years after the earl’s death.
Work on the interiors took even longer and were completed by Coke’s widow, Lady Margaret Tufton, Countess of Leicester (1700-1775) in 1771.
e core collection at Holkham today remains very much as it was in the 1st Earl’s time, with his acquisitions of classical marble sculptures and library of illuminated manuscripts, still largely intact.
Most of the items in this month’s sale were purchased for the estate by subsequent generations of Cokes, most notably omas William Coke (1754-1842). Known as “Coke of Norfolk”, like his great uncle, he undertook a Grand Tour of Europe, nanced by his father and his great-aunt (who o ered him £500 not to go to university, regarding them as dens of vice).
When he took possession of the hall in 1776, knowing he lacked an understanding of classical architecture and art, Coke mainly left the interior largely the same, instead focusing on the park and gardens.
He sat as the Whig MP for north Norfolk for 56 years but is best remembered as an agricultural reformer, championing four-course rotation and starting the annual sheep shearings - the forerunner to the county agricultural shows of today.
His achievements saw his elevation to the peerage by Queen Victoria in 1837, establishing the Leicester line that continues today. Alongside his work as an agrarian pioneer, he moved in the highest Whig social circles and lavishly entertained distinguished friends from both political and academic elds at Holkham.
Like most country houses which su ered from war and death duties, Holkham’s history in the 20th and 21st century had some turbulent times. In the 1940s, then some 42,000 acres, the 4th Earl, another omas Coke, tried, and failed, to encourage the National Trust to take the estate on. e Cokes were down to their last 25,000 acres in 1973 when Edward, father of the current incumbent, began running the estate. e 7th Earl, oversaw a programme of modernisation and making the collection more accessible to the public
When the current lord, an ex Etonian who served in the Scots Guard, took over in 2006 he continued his father’s work opening the hall to the public 120 days a year and even inviting TV cameras to chart Christmas at Holkham. e hall’s baubles, canine carol service and craft workshops were seen by millions on Channel 4’s Christmas at Holkham. Today, the estate even runs a caravan park on its grounds and is set to receive another £300,000-£400,000 cash injection with this month’s sale.
Landmark sale
is is the rst time an auction house has been invited to conduct a sale on the premises. In 2019, Holkham’s collections co-ordinator was tasked with cataloguing all the furnishings within the estate’s bulging attics and cellars and make recommendations. Lord Leicester then went through the list and added or omitted items. He said: “I undertake this exercise with mixed feelings. I am, like some of my ancestors, something of a ‘hoarder’, though equally it is wonderfully cathartic to say goodbye.”
One consideration was to establish whether sale items have an historical importance. Maria de Peverelli, art manager at Stonehage Fleming which advises on management of Holkham’s collections, said: “Attic sales usually include a large volume of relatively inexpensive items. It was important to pick some items with a coat of arms and to select things that were used by the family on a daily basis, as people want to own a little bit of Holkham.”
Some of the items in the sale come direct from the family’s private living quarters and include furniture from the bedrooms of Lord and Lady Leicester’s four children as well as porcelain services from the family’s living rooms. A Sèvres ‘beau bleu’ ground dessert service, made during the rst years of the Republic in 1792, is expected to bring £10,000-£20,000.
‘Some
Above A Sèvres ‘beau bleu’ ground dessert service. It has an estimate of £10,000-£20,000 at this month’s sale
Right A table lamp with lapis lazuli glaze made and signed by Holkham Pottery’s chief potter Cyril Ru es. It is expected to make £80-£120
The sale includes a number of pieces made at Holkham Pottery, the once thriving local studio, active on the estate between 1951 and 2007. The pottery was the idea of Lady Elizabeth Leicester, the wife of the 5th Earl to provide local jobs, including for the couple’s two eldest daughters, one of whom was Lady Anne (later Lady Glenconner) who, for a time, worked as a travelling saleswomen. Her time on the road, during which time she received the news she was to be one of Elizabeth II’s maids of honour, is described in her best-selling autobiography Lady in Waiting.
Among the pottery’s best-known designs were its Elizabeth mugs and tea sets, which went on to sell more than a million units, its Chevron dinner services and the Snowdrop range.
of the items in the sale come direct from the family’s private living quarters in the hall. A Sèvres ‘beau bleu’ ground dessert service, made during the first years of the Republic in 1792, is expected to bring £10,000-£20,000’
At its height, the pottery employed almost 100 people making it one of the largest cottage industries in the county. Unfortunately, due to cheaper overseas imports, sales dropped and the pottery closed in 2007.
At the core of the Holkham dispersal is a large quantity of classic English country house furniture. Pieces of obvious quality include a pair of William IV mahogany library tables with carved foliate decoration and paw feet, which is expected to sell for £4,000-£6,000.
A Regency giltwood re screen in the Egyptian revival taste, that was likely made in the workshops of omas Chippendale the Younger has a guide price of £5,000£8,000.
Above left e library tables are expected to make £4,000-£6,000 at this month’s sale
Above e Earl and Countess of Leicester, photo credit Grahame Mellan FRSA
Above right A pair of electric-powered servants’ bells by Cowton & Sons of Oxford Street
Left A Regency giltwood re screen possibly from the workshops of omas Chippendale the Younger (1749–1822)
Opposite page top Holkham Hall is home to a number of classical statues, some of which are on sale this month
Opposite page right e chair was used by Baroness Glenconner at the 1953 coronation
Opposite page far right
A photograph of George V at a shooting party at nearby Sandringham has an estimate of £250-£450
Other estate items have more modest expectations. Bidders will have a chance to buy a car trunk from the classic age of motoring by Brexton (which as an estimate of £150-£250) and a pair of electric-powered servants’ bells by Cowton & Sons of Oxford Street (expected to make £200-£400).
Lord Leicester said: “We worked through the list in bite-sized pieces, category by category. Some were easy decisions to sell or keep, while others were more marginal. For example, I kept a really interesting torchiere stand table, which was in bad repair and listed to go, but I noticed that the feet were sheep’s hooves and I thought that would have been something Coke of Norfolk might have commissioned or been given, so we decided to keep it.”
Other pieces he felt obliged to sell. He went on: “I let go of an unusual 19th-century bracelet of lion’s claws, set on a silver chain, which is intriguing and would make a great objet d’art in a frame. We want to attract interest from purchasers who will love and cherish the items that they buy.”
Today, the hall’s Statue Gallery, dotted with alcoves, still houses one of the nest collections of classical sculpture in private hands – all of it collected by the 1st Earl and his agent Matthew Brettingham between 1716 and 1755. e most celebrated piece he acquired in Italy during 17121718 is the statue of Diana Moon Goddess and Goddess of the chase. It was once thought to have belonged to Cicero and is dated from the same period of ucydides.
While not as priceless, a connection with the earliest years of Holkham is provided by a series of 18th and 19th-century bronze, terracotta and plaster busts
‘Holkham pottery was sold abroad with Lady Anne, the couple’s eldest daughter (later Lady Glenconner) being one of its most famous travelling saleswomen. Her times on the road are amusingly described in her best-selling autobiography LadyinWaiting.’
depicting extended members of the Coke family, and faces from classical Greece and Rome.
A plaster bust of the Punic War General Marcus Claudius Marcellus, indistinctly inscribed JS April 28, 1848, will be o ered for sale with a £800-£1,200 estimate. It was probably made from a mould by Matthew Brettingham or his architect son of the same name, who travelled to Italy in 1747-1754 to purchase sculptures and artwork for his British patrons, including omas Coke.
Souvenirs of royalty include a photograph of George V at a shooting party at Sandringham, c.1905, (which has a guide price of £250-£450) and a silvered oak and blue velvet chair from the 1953 coronation (which has presale hopes of £300-£500). e chair may have been used by Anne Tennant, Baroness Glenconner, the daughter of the 5th Earl of Leicester, who was one of Queen Elizabeth ll’s maids of honour and later a lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret. e baroness, born in 1932, would
WHAT: Holkham: The Attic Sale
Where: The Lady Elizabeth Wing, Holkham Hall and Marble Hall, Holkham Estate, Wells-next-the-Sea, NR23 1AB.
When: February 11
Viewing: At the hall from February 7 to February 10. Entry is by catalogue only. A catalogue is priced £20 which admits two. They can be pre-ordered at www.sworder.co.uk
With Sworders’ chairman and head of art and antiques, Guy Schooling
Head of sale, Guy Schooling, said: “It’s unusual to have a sale at a house, and holding it at Holkham Hall provides a great opportunity to visit.
“There are some interesting pieces, including a number of 18th-century plaster busts, which rarely come to market, a Regency giltwood firescreen in the manner of Thomas Chippendale the Younger and a group of marble fragments of a Roman sarcophagus relief collected on Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester’s Grand Tour.
“These are really special things, but there are also many highly affordable pieces including clocks, Victorian china and plenty of furniture.
“As a collection, it gives an insight into the story of the house and there will be great interest from the USA, where collectors love the idea of a grand, aristocratic country home.
Many bids are expected to be made online and there will be screens erected at Holkham Hall to display them as they are placed, Guy explained. He continued: “Viewing will take place over four days prior to the sale, with catalogue holders able to view lots on display in the hall’s Lady Elizabeth Wing and Marble Hall.”
have inherited the title and Holkham Hall if she had been born a boy. She grew up at Holkham Hall, but because of English laws of primogeniture, could not inherit the estate, its land, farms, pictures, silver, or money. (For details of a sapphire ring given to Princess Margaret by her husband Lord Glenconner, turn to page 14.)
A 180-lot collection of artefacts from the Naga tribespeople of northwest India goes under the hammer this month in Wiltshire
In the 1830s there was only one location for the budding anthropologist – the Naga Hills, now known as Nagaland, situated in the remote mountainous region of northeast India and northwest Myanmar. It was in 1832 when the tribespeople were thrust into a western gaze when two British army captains were searching for a route between Manipur and Assam. While the future of the region would remain turbulent both before and after Indian independence in 1947, for students of traditional cultures it was manna from heaven with the widely diverse Naga being radically di erent from the better-known Hindu peoples of the plains.
While the Naga, who lived in thousands of small villages perched on isolated hill spurs, shared some cultural traits, including feasting, head taking, youth dormitories, and a culture of pre-marital sex, they also varied in political systems ranging from autocratic chiefdom to egalitarianism, and spoke in more than a dozen languages.
But the quality of their craftsmanship and vibrancy of their personal ornamentation made it inevitable that a large amount of the Naga’s cultural artefacts would soon nd their way into museums across the USA, UK and
Europe, as well as personal collections. One such – the Hansjörg Mayer collection – goes under the hammer at the Salisbury auction house Woolley & Wallis this month.
e Naga people, today made up of some 17 tribes over 16,579 square kilometres, are said to have originated from the Qiang, a Chinese ethnic group who lived in the northwestern areas of China between the 11th and 13th centuries. e name ‘Naga’ comes from the Burmese word naka, meaning people with earrings.
Ritual is central to all aspects of Naga life, from household tasks to large scale feasting. To placate the various spirits which controlled disease and human and crop fertility, tribespeople o ered human heads considered to contain a vital life force. Rival clans and inter-village feuds provided an opportunity for murder and head taking. On the coming of age, the taking of a head allowed a man to pick a bride.
Weapons included spears and shields, with a dao used for decapitation. Taken heads were decorated with rattan casing, tassels, mithun or wooden horns, and proudly showcased on the walls and doorways of the warriors’ dormitory, known as a morung
Above Large necklace with carnelian blue grass and uted brass beads with bone spacers and a row of conch shells along the back, Ao tribe. It has an estimate of £1,500£2,000 in this month’s sale
Above right Cane hat decorated with boars’ tusks and a long fringe of goat hair, It has an estimate of £200-£300
Right Wood pipe with carved bowl in the shape of a head, probably Konyak or Phom, It has an estimate of £500-£800
e importance of head taking permeated much Naga material culture. Jewellery and tattoos were used to represent the wearer’s prowess, with a brass ‘head’ necklace denoting the number of heads the wearer had taken. Successful Konyak head takers had the right to wear a symmetrical facial tattoo of thick black patterns around the brows and the eyes, while the successful Angami warrior sported a wide chest tattoo. Besides human skulls, other animal skulls including hornbills, gibbons and monkeys were prized.
As well as head taking another source of prestige was feasting. Strict rules governed who was allowed to wear certain types of personal ornamentation, some of which
was only allowed for those who had hosted a successful village-wide event.
As neither sex wore many clothes, ornamentation is even more important. Men traditionally wearing necklaces with pendants carved from boar tusks, symbolising their warrior status. Displaying tiger teeth showed the courage of men who had hunted and killed tigers. Bone and shell pendants often adorn necklaces, symbolising fertility and protection, with red beads in a collar indicating danger, blood and ame.
While Naga artefacts have enticed collectors for decades, acquiring them, especially human remains, has attracted some justi able criticism. Last year e Swan at Tetsworth removed a Naga skull from a Belgian collection, valued between £3,500 and £4,000, after complaints from the Naga Forum for Reconciliation. Naga human remains were removed from the Pitt Rivers Museum in 2020.
Glass beads feature highly in Naga jewellery highlighting not just the wealth of the wearer but the complexity of the Naga’s trading routes. While some come from India and Tibet others likely originated in Europe (even Venice) arriving in Nagaland via Dacca or Calcutta, along with seashells and cowrie shell beads. Carnelian beads, particularly cherished by the Ao tribe, came from Cambay in Gujarat some 2,500 km southwest of Nagaland. Rarity and distance meant higher value. Ao women in particular are known for their bright multi-strand necklaces made from glass beads.
WHAT: Arts of Africa, Oceania, including the Hansjörg Mayer collection
Where: Woolley & Wallis, 51-61 Castle Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 3SU
When: February 19
Viewing: Old Sarum Galleries, Castle Gate Business Park, Salisbury, SP4 6QX, Saturday Feb 15, 10am-1pm; Feb 17-18 from 10am- 4pm and online at www. woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Above Konyak man during the Hornbill Festival, image Shutterstock
Above far left Brass head with bead and shells worn as chest ornaments to indicate head-taking status, It has an estimate of £300-£500 in this month’s sale
Above left Male headdress of hornbill feathers and jaw piece decorated with red seeds and hair fringes. It has an estimate of £1,000-£1,500
Left Bead necklace with conch shells. It has an estimate of £200-£300
Right Bead necklaces with bone spacers. ey have an estimate of £200£300
‘While the Naga, who lived in thousands of small villages on isolated hill spurs, shared some cultural traits – including feasting, head taking, youth dormitories and a culture of pre-marital sex – they also varied in political systems, ranging from chiefdom to egalitarianism,’
We asked Woolley & Wallis’ head of African and Oceanic art and antiquities, Will Hobbs, for his sale highlights
Who is Hansjörg Mayer?
Hansjörg Mayer (b. 1943) is a prominent German typographer, designer, printer, and publisher. His contribution to graphic design and art, particularly during the 1960s and 1970s, is still relevant today. He started this collection in the 1980s and published many of the lots in this sale in a 1990 book called The Nagas, along with other objects and textiles from museum collections.
How important is the collection?
It is very comprehensive, covering most areas of artefacts produced by the Nagas, including textiles, jewellery, hats and weapons.
Do you have a favourite lot?
I particularly like the pipes: one carved with two figures sitting back-to-back with an animal jumping at them and another showing two animals, with one jumping from the bowl. Both show great skill from their carvers, as well as a sense of humour. Such pipes were not only functional items but also symbols of status and tradition. Some of the hats on offer also bring a smile.
Where are you expecting interest in the collection to come from?
With so much available, new and established collectors will have the opportunity to both start a collection and find pieces they don’t already own. Collectors of traditional artefacts from Nagaland typically include museums, private collectors, cultural institutions and individuals interested in anthropology, art, and indigenous cultures. I am expecting interest from all over the world including the UK, Europe and America. A lot of the glass bead necklaces can be worn, so I am hoping there will be appeal there, too.
1 Bonifacio Bembo (active 1440-1480), e Hanged Man, from the Visconti-Sforza tarot cards, Milan, all cards shown 173 x 87mm, image courtesy of Pierpont Morgan Library (none of the cards on this page appear in this month’s exhibition) 2 Bonifacio Bembo (active 1440-1480), Popess, from the Visconti-Sforza tarot cards, Milan, image courtesy of Pierpont Morgan Library 3 Bonifacio Bembo (active 1440-1480), Death, from the Visconti-Sforza tarot cards, Milan, image courtesy of Pierpont Morgan Library 4 Bonifacio Bembo (active 1440-1480), e Juggler (Bagatto), from the Visconti-Sforza tarot cards, Milan, image courtesy of Pierpont Morgan Library 5 Bonifacio Bembo (active 1440-1480), e Fool (Matto), from the Visconti-Sforza tarot cards, Milan, image courtesy of Pierpont Morgan Library 6 Bonifacio Bembo (active 14401480), e Chariot, from the Visconti-Sforza tarot cards, Milan, image courtesy of Pierpont Morgan Library 7 Bonifacio Bembo (active 1440-1480), e Queen of Cups, from the Visconti-Sforza tarot cards, Milan, image courtesy of Pierpont Morgan Library 8 Bonifacio Bembo (active 1440-1480), e King of Swords, from the Visconti-Sforza tarot cards, Milan, image courtesy of Pierpont Morgan Library 9 Bonifacio Bembo (active 1440-1480), e Last Judgement, from the Visconti-Sforza tarot cards, Milan, image courtesy of Pierpont Morgan Library
Devised as a parlour game
Italy, it wasn’t until the 19th century that tarot cards became known for fortune-telling. On the unveiling of a new exhibition, Antique Collecting reveals why tarot is now big business
Tarot has come a long way from an end-ofthe-pier attraction with ominous and mystic overtones. Since the pandemic, and fuelled by social media sites like TikTok, online spirituality has experienced turbo-charged growth, with tarot estimated to be worth nearly $1.3bn in 2023. And the phenomenon has legs, with the global online psychic reading market expected to be $1.16bn by 2030. e online boom is also re ected in traditional retail. Watkins the London book shop which specialises in esoterica, now boasts a section devoted to tarot cards, with Treadwell’s, another store for the occult, o ering online and in-person tarot readings as well as secondhand books of the best-known decks.
is January, the Warburg Institute in London unveiled its rst exhibition on the history of tarot. It was an apt choice – the institute’s founder, Aby Warburg (1866-1929), was one of the rst modern scholars of tarot cards and a serious collector of decks.
e institute’s director, Professor Bill Sherman, said: “Everyone knows that tarot is everywhere right now. But few have had the opportunity to see its long history, covering more than ve centuries of cultural and countercultural work.”
One of the rst surprises the exhibition makes clear is that the origins of tarot were a long way from its latter fortune-telling application.
Despite the persistent legends linking tarot with the Ancient Egyptians, tarot had its origins in the decadent court of Milan in northern Italy, sometime around the beginning of the 1440s and 1450s. Rather than being a way of predicting one’s fate, it began its life as a tricktaking card game purely for entertainment. Tarot, or trion , meaning “triumphs”, started at the court of Milan before spreading to Venice, Florence and Urbino.
Above right Part of a set of Italian Minchiate playing cards, 17th century, stencil-coloured woodblock print, Florence, image public domain (not in this month’s exhibition)
Right A complete 78-card tarot pack which is a 19th-century reproduction of the Tarot de Marseille created in 1760 by Nicolas Conver, image pubic domain (not in this month’s exhibition)
Below right e Temperance card from a Tarot de Marseillestyle tarot deck (c.1865), image courtesy of the Warburg Institute
The Minchiate Alongside the Tarot de Marseille, another medieval card game, a variation on the tarot, became popular in the 17th century with its cards also seeing an upsurge among collectors.
Called minchiate, the game’s 97-card deck is larger than the 78-card tarot pack and in design terms minchiate cards were often richly illustrated, blending Renaissance allegory, mythology, and cultural symbolism.
Minchiate spread from Florence to the rest of Italy and France in the 1600s. It was also known by different names in different regions, including gallerini in Sicily and ganellini in Liguria.
After Milan fell to the forces of France and Switzerland in the 16th century, the game of tarot became established farther a eld.
One region of southern France in particular became known for its role in the development of tarot. e Tarot de Marseille started life at the beginning of the 17th century, and became the standard pack made by French and Swiss card makers from about 1700.
Very few Marseilles pattern cards from the 17th century have survived, unlike more proli c decks from the 18th century.
‘It was Court de Gébelin’s writings, which speculated wildly (and inaccurately) on the supposed Egyptian origin of the cards and their symbols, that made the occultists sit up and take note’
From France and Switzerland, the game spread north to Sweden and east to Russia, fast becoming one of the most popular card games of the era, certainly until being overtaken by whist in the 19th century.
One of the better-known versions of the Tarot de Marseille is by the French card maker Jean-
Baptiste Madenié who in the 18th century created a highly in uential deck with iconic imagery.
All cards were originally printed from woodcuts; the cards were later coloured either by hand or by the use of stencils. Another well-known artisan producing tarot cards in the Marseille pattern was Nicolas Conver. And it was the Conver deck, produced in 1760, or a deck very similar to it, that came to the attention of Antoine Court de Gébelin (1719-1784) in the late 18th century.
De Gébelin was a Protestant pastor and Freemason and student of any number of pseudo religions permeating French culture at that time, including the Hermetic mysteries of ancient Egypt and kabbalism.
It was de Gébelin’s writings, which speculated wildly (and inaccurately) on the supposed Egyptian origin of tarot cards and their symbols, that made the occultists sit up and take note.
Between 1773 and 1782, he published his ninevolume opus entitled Le Monde Primitif Analysé et Comparé avec le Monde Moderne the last of which was devoted to the origins of tarot, in particular linking them to the lost Book of oth. He identi ed the Popess, for example, as ‘the High Priestess’, the Chariot as ‘Osiris Triumphant’ and the Devil as ‘Typhon’.
French culture of the time was intoxicated by all things Egyptian, as French travellers brought home any number of mysterious-looking artefacts many inscribed with hieroglyphs, thought to be part of a magical language. It was little wonder tarot became linked to the mystical ancient world.
Tarot cards continued to inspire writers across the generations not least TS Eliot, whose poem The Waste Land uses the cards as a depiction of spiritual desolation and renewal.
In 2021, a deck of Tarot de Marseille cards given to Sylvia Plath by her husband Ted Hughes, expected to make £4,000-£6,000 sold for £151,200 at Sotheby’s in London. She went on to refer to tarot in several of her poems, most directly in 1960 in her poem, The Hanging Man
The poet William Butler Yeats, an avid student of tarot, refers to archetypal characters in his works, with his autobiographical work The Trembling of the Veil suggesting a knowledge of the Rider-Waite tarot.
Right Tarot cards laid out according to their supposed arrangement at Memphis. Includes a portrait engraving of Etteilla (Jean-Baptiste Alliette, 1738-1791) image courtesy of the Wellcome Collection (not in this month’s exhibition)
Below left e tarot cards were given to Plath by Ted Hughes, image courtesy of Sotheby’s (not in this month’s exhibition)
De Gébelin’s theories on tarot cards were moved even more to the mystic in 1789 when “M. Etteilla, Professeur d’Algebre” applied to print a French edition of Livre de ot, which promised to reveal the theory and practice of ancient Egyptian magic through tarot. Etteilla – a pseudonym for the French occultist Jean-Baptiste Alliette (1738–1791) – became the rst person to give divinatory meanings to cards. By July, at the start of the French Revolution and the storming of the Bastille fortress, scores of Parisians were already turning to Etteilla’s cards to divine the fate of France.
His Le Jeu de Toth, engraved by Pierre-François Basan, contained 78 cards and was radically di erent from the many Tarot de Marseille versions that had appeared previously.
By referencing the Le Jeu de Toth, Etteilla linked tarot to ancient Egypt and, in particular, the temple of Memphis. Historians even consider Etteilla to be the rst person to earn a living as a professional tarot reader.
‘In 2021, a deck of Tarot de Marseille cards given to Sylvia Plath by her husband Ted Hughes, expected to make £4,000-£6,000 sold for £151,200 at Sotheby’s in London’
e growth in occultism was not limited to France. In the UK, secret societies started to proliferate, the best known of which was the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. In 1888, the Isis-Urania Temple opened in London becoming the rst temple devoted to the study of magical arts.
e order was founded on somewhat suspicious and possibly fake documents, called the ‘cipher manuscripts’, allegedly written by Anna Sprengel – a character who may have been entirely ctitious.
e documents linked the order’s origins to an earlier German occult order. By the mid-1890s, the Golden Dawn included more than 100 members from every class of Victorian society, including the Irish revolutionary Maud Gonne, the Irish poet William Butler Yeats, the Welsh author Arthur Machen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and the well-known occultist (and later tarot card designer) Aleister Crowley. e order was dedicated to the study and practice of the occult, with its members expected to study tarot cards and their meaning.
While card cartomancy (using any cards for divination, not just tarot) had a long history with the British middle and working-classes, 19th-century tarot reading was the preserve of an educated elite with esoteric interests. eir interest in tarot has been seen as a reaction to the growth of both secularisation and science. Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, published in 1859, undermined traditional religious beliefs causing many to explore alternate beliefs. Add this to a growth in Egyptology – and the translation of the Rosetta Stone – and tarot became more even more popular. When psychoanalysis arrived at the start of the 20th century, it added another dimension to a confusing number of theories.
Right Pamela Colman Smith (1878-1951) e Hierophant card from the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, 1909, image courtesy of the college of Psychic Studies
Below left Cover detail of Absolute Key To Occult Science – e Tarot of the Bohemians by Papus, 1892, image courtesy of the Warburg Institute
One of the members of the Golden Dawn was the Brooklyn-born poet and mystic Arthur Edward Waite (1857-1942). Brought up in the UK by his English mother, Waite was drawn into psychic research after the death of his sister Frederika in 1874. In 1909, Waite commissioned the artist, and fellow Golden Dawn member, Pamela “Pixie” Colman Smith (1878-1951), to illustrate a tarot deck, although her role in the deck has largely been written out of history.
While born in London, Colman Smith, who was half Jamaican, spent much of her youth in America and the West Indies, before returning to the UK. Here she immersed herself in the emerging occult revival, illustrating the books of both William Butler Yeats and his brother, Jack.
While many of the ideas for their jointlycreated deck originated with Waite, the design of the 56 unnamed cards was left to Colman Smith. While Waite looked to masonic and Egyptian themes, Colman Smith drew inspiration from the 1481 Sola-Busca tarot, as well as the prevalent Japanese art of the time.
The Rider Waite Tarot was published by William Rider & Son Ltd using chromolithography, with a ‘roses & lilies’ back design. It was accompanied by the book The Key to the Tarot by Waite. There are five known copies of this version, which was soon replaced by a second edition. The original plates were destroyed in WWII. So far, none of the original artwork has ever been found.
Following her collaboration with Waite, in 1909, Colman Smith joined the Su rage Atelier in 1909, a newly formed society of artists devoted to promoting women’s right to vote through visual propaganda.
Here she met the su ragette and fellow artist Sylvia Pankhurst, who had attended the Royal College of Art, with a talented young artist called Austin Osman Spare (1886-1956) – another legendary name in the world of tarot cards.
Although now forgotten, by the time they met, Spare had already been hailed a genius by the popular press and went on to be dubbed the father of British Surrealism (Spare’s art has some devotees including Led Zepellin’s Jimmy Page).
But he was best known as one of the most in uential gures of 20th-century occultism. In 2013, a 79-card tarot deck, designed in 1906, was discovered in the collections of the Magic Circle Museum in London. e deck, now highly regarded, is unusual for combining tarot and playing card cartomancy.
Right Lady Frieda Harris (1877-1962) original painting of e Death card for Aleister Crowley’s oth Tarot (1937-1943), image courtesy of the Warburg Institute.
Below left e Juggler, Austin Osman Spare tarot deck (c.1906), image courtesy of the Magic Circle Collection
is month’s exhibition at the Warburg Institute also includes one of the period’s most signi cant tarot decks by the notorious occultist Aleister Crowley.
Born in 1875, Crowley is best known as the founder of elema based on a number of ideas ranging from Hermeticism to yoga. Its central tenet: “Do what thou wilt” means that elemites can do whatever they want, as long as it doesn’t harm others. In the late 1930s, Crowley began a project to create a tarot deck with the artist and fellow elemite, Lady Frieda Harris (1877-1962). Harris, who was aged 60 at the time, was a novice in tarot and esotericism but had a unique artistic perspective, in uenced by Surrealism and Cubism.
e artwork for the cards was completed in the 1940s, but the deck was not published during Crowley’s lifetime. It was rst published posthumously in 1969, decades after Crowley’s death in 1947.
It retained the traditional structure of 78 cards (22 major arcana and 56 minor) but renamed some cards, such as Strength as Lust, and Judgment as e Aeon.
After her husband’s death in 1952, Harris moved to India where she died in 1962 bequeathing the original paintings of her Tarot cards to fellow elemite Gerald Yorke, who, in turn, placed them with the Warburg Institute along with much other Crowley material that he had collected over the years.
As tarot moved into the 20th century, it showed no signs of diminishing in popularity. Cards in the Linweave tarot deck show all the hallmarks of the swinging sixties – the decade in which they were created. e plus-sized cards (each measures more than 15cm by 22cm) were published in 1967 by the New York Linweave Paper Company.
e deck is the work of four artists, a quartet comprised of the Scottish sculptor and graphic artist Ron Rae (b. 1946), the American artist Hy Roth (1937-2011), the American commercial artist and illustrator Nicolas Sidjakov (1924-1993), and the Italian-American illustrator David Mario Palladini (1946-2019).
e deck is set apart by its psychedelic artwork with the divinatory meanings printed on the back, along with some advertising copy for the company and the artist’s name. e deck is now a collector’s item.
Tarot: Origins & Afterlives is on at e Warburg Institute, London from January 31 to April 30. For more details go to www.warburg.sas.ac.uk
‘The
Right e Wheel of Fortune card by David Palladini for the Linweave tarot, Brown Company (1967). Private collection
Below A deck of Tarot de Marseille cards by Jean-Baptiste Madenié, c. 1739, sold for £3,000 in March 2024, image courtesy of Dominic Winter Auctioneers
Below left In 2019 an Etteilla deck sold for £300, image courtesy of Sworders
Below right A rare 78-card set of Belgian tarot cards, c.1750, sold for £6,600 in December 2024, image courtesy of Reeman Dansie
19th-century British occult revival was a reaction to the rising popularity of secularisation and science. Darwin’s OntheOriginofSpecies, published in 1859, undermined traditional religious beliefs, provoking many to start exploring alternate belief systems’
e boom in interest in tarot reading has been re ected in an increase of antique cards at auction. Last March, a deck of Tarot de Marseille cards by Jean-Baptiste Madenié, dated c. 1739, which was expected to fetch £200-£300, sold for £3,000 at Dominic Winter Auctions in Cirencester.
e deck was one of a number from the collection of Dudley Ollis, a member of the International Playing Card Society, who had amassed an enviable collection over more than 50 years, buying from dealers on Portobello Road and Camden Passage, as well as auction houses.
When it comes to collecting, older decks, especially those from the 15th to 19th centuries, are highly collectable and can fetch signi cant prices. Even more sought after are early handmade decks or rst editions of historically signi cant decks.
‘The
British occult
revival 19th-century was a reaction to the
rising popularity
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In 2019, a 20th-century Etteilla deck, doubled its high estimate at the Essex auction house Sworders when it sold for £300. Part of its attraction was the fact it had been used by a professional tarot reader and thus garnered extra collecting cachet.
secularisation and science. Darwin’s Origin of the Species, published in 1859, undermined traditional religion provoking many people start exploring alternate belief systems’
A rare 78-card set of Belgian tarot cards, c. 1750, from the estate of Christopher Rayner, a former chairman of the International Society of Playing Cards appeared for sale at the Colchester auction house Reeman Dansie. Estimated to make £1,000-£2,500, the deck sold for £6,600.
Inevitably though it is cards from the oldest and rarest tarot decks, such as the 15th-century Visconti-Sforza Tarot, which command the highest price. Single cards rarely appear at auction but, in 2008, Christie’s Milan sold a single card e King of Cups, by Bonifacio Bembo, for €19,500, beating its low estimate of €15,000.
Our quiz editor Peter Wade-Wright puts you through your paces this month with some head-scratching puzzles, anagrams and a crossword
Q1 If you found a very rare ‘Rupert’ in your attic, would you immediately call (a) an auction house, (b) a pest exterminator, (c) a book seller, (d) a bomb disposal unit?
Q2 In 1896 the American omas Briggs built a device that became a boon to the publishing industry. What was it? (a) a paper shredder, (b) stapler, (c) glue-stick, (d) a comfortable editor’s chair.
Q3 What is marmotinto? Art produced using (a) beef-based food, (b) marmalade/jam (c) crushed rock, (d) hair-colouring.
Q4 A ‘Greek key’ is what? (a) an untuned mandolin, (b) a false but decorative lock, (c) an artistic edging, (d) a type of puzzle jug?
Q5 Before the late 1800s letters would be sealed using wax, or what? (a) our, (b) egg white, (c) plant sap, (d) attractive cross-stitching.
Q6 e name Mary Gregory is associated with (a) Pre-WWI cookbooks, (b) glassware, (c) religious icons, (d) Post-WWII natural history pamphlets.
Q7 omas Tompion (1639-1713) is regarded as the 'Father of English'…What?’ (a) penmanship e.g. maps, (b) surveying equipment, (c) wig styles, (d) clockmaking.
Q8 A parazonium would have been found in/on (a) a Victorian medicine chest, (b) a Roman belt, (c) a book cover (etched), (d) an Etruscan nger i.e. a ring.
Q9 e decorated end of a scabbard is called… (a) a crampet, (b) a crampon, (c) a crannog, (d) a cradling? Before looking at the answer, consider the next question.
Send your answers to Crossword, Antique Collecting magazine, Riverside House, Dock Lane, Melton Woodbridge, Su olk, IP12 1PE. Photocopies are also acceptable, or email your answers to magazine@ accartbooks.com. e rst three opened by February 15 will win a copy of Jackson’s Hallmarks, Pocket Edition: English, Scottish, Irish Silver & Gold Marks From 1300 to the Present Day, worth £6.95.
Q10 What are the de nitions for the remaining terms used in that question? ie (a) a crampet, (b) a crampon, (c) a crannog, (d) a cradling?
Finally, here are four anagrams with a French connection: Eel petition; true coach; ourelk bowl and cheerio nisi. Rearrange them in order to form:
(a) Painted fabrics (generally called chintz in English) (two words).
(b) A fanciful scroll ornament used as a border (French soldiers also gave the name to certain pharaonic symbols).
Q7 For what is omas Tompion best known?
The letters in the highlighted squares could be rearranged to make the word Underexposed. The winners, who will each receive a copy of the book are Meg Tyler, by email; Kate Sheppard, London, and Duncan Brody, Hull, by email.
(c) Marquetry technique perfected by one of Louis XIV’s furniture makers. (two words).
(d) Decoration done in an oriental style.
1 With 3-across. Staffordshire pottery company (founded c. 1781 at Shelton) using a slightly changed hard-paste formula (that had been used at Bristol) for mostly tea and coffee services. (3, 4)
3 See 1-across.
6 Vases with covers. (pl.) (4)
7 Ancient Indian concept in which whatever you do, has consequences. (5)
8 Description of financially canny bidder or saver. (7)
9 de Havilland _____. One of the light aircraft series in the 1920s and ‘30s. (4)
11 Salvador ______ (1904-1989). Spanish eccentric artist known for bizarre, thought-provoking images. (4)
12 Masses of seafood eggs. (pl.) (4)
14 A group of animals…or a mentality. (4)
15 Type of carriage…and a world-renowned symbol of things ‘British’. (7)
17 With 9-down. Late Middle Ages allegory on the inevitability of death. (5, 7)
18 Worry over interlaced ornamental work. (4)
19 Long, upholstered seat with a back and arms. The name is of Arabic origin. (4)
20 Japanese coin you may have a longing for. (3)
1 Greek mythological goddess personifying victory. (4)
2 Andy ______ (1928-1987). American leading figure in pop art. (6) ‘______ Robinson’. A description of a complex and implausible contraption. Named after the English cartoonist/artist
French brothers (Auguste and Louis) and inventors of cinematic projection (first publicly presented in 1895). (7)
Fibres being tightly interlaced. (7)
Bottle ______ labels (pl.) indicating the liquid contents. (7)
Islands north of Scotland with archaeological gems. (6) Serpentine lake monster of Greek and Roman mythology. (5)
Plant beloved by many a Victorian pteridomaniac. (4)
Finally, rearrange the letters in the highlighted squares to form the name of the celebrated Victorian art critic (1819-1900) who championed Turner among others. Note one letter of his name is missing. You are invited to write it into the central square. (4, 6)
ÉDOUARD VUILLARD - THE POETRY OF THE EVERYDAY
BY BELINDA THOMPSON & CHRIS
STEPHENS
ISBN 9781843682493
RRP £14.95
OFFER PRICE £9.72
Start 2025 as you mean to go on, hungry for knowledge and making the most of these titles from our sister publisher ACC Art Books
WHERE THE WILDNESS PLEASES - THE ENGLISH GARDEN CELEBRATED BY CAROLINE HOLMES
ISBN 9781788841153
RRP £25.00
OFFER PRICE £16.25
This book explores Édouard Vuillard’s early career and how his work used decorative elements including fabrics, wallpapers and carpets as central to his interiors. The book is introduced by Chris Stephens, director of the Holburne Museum, with an original essay by Belinda Thompson.
WINE CONFIDENT - THERE’S NO WRONG WAY TO ENJOY WINE
BY KELLI A WHITE, MS
ISBN 9781917084499
RRP £25.00
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Presenting a new approach to understanding wine, Kelli White shares her passion for the drink as she introduces the many ways in which we can taste wine, talk about it, appreciate it, choose it, understand it, and navigate its enjoyment with confidence.
A detailed guide to many of the most attractive gardens in southern England’s unspoilt High Weald. Featured gardens range from grand landscapes to works of glorious eccentricity, Arts and Crafts green rooms to postage stamp-sized plots of inspiring ingenuity.
BY CHARLES NOBLE, GREGORY RUBINSTEIN, & CHRISTIAN TICO SEIFERT
ISBN 9781911054672
RRP £30.00
OFFER PRICE £19.50
Published to accompany an exhibition of the same name at the Royal Scottish Academy, this is a unique opportunity to see rare drawings by some of European art’s biggest names, selected from the remarkable collection at Chatsworth House. The book showcases 47 drawings from this exceptional collection, including watercolour works and drawings by Albrecht Dürer and Hans Holbein.
EVE ARNOLD
ISBN 9781788842778
RRP £40.00
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Including newlydiscovered and restored photographs in colour and black and white, Eve Arnold takes us on a photographic journey of Monroe’s life. A detailed biography in Arnold’s own words allows a rare glimpse into the stories behind the photographs and the author’s unique relationship with the actress.
ISBN 9781843682530
RRP £23.99 OFFER PRICE £15.59
The palaces built in Rome in the 17th and 18th centuries are some of the most magnificent buildings in Europe - yet they remain relatively unfamiliar. This is the first stand-alone, overview guide on the subject ever published.
Email uksales@accartbooks.com, or call 01394 389950.
Postage to UK addresses is £7, call for overseas rates. Offer subject to change without notice.
A museum-quality collection of European porcelain goes under the hammer in Wiltshire, while a rare Stradivarius is set to hit the right notes in London
A violin made in 1714 by the famous Italian violin maker Antonio Stradivari, during his “golden period” of craftsmanship has an estimate of $12-$18m at Sotheby’s New York this month. Known as the JoachimMa Stradivarius, the violin, which is still playable, was once owned by the renowned Hungarian musician Joseph Joachim. The musician likely performed with it during the 1879 premiere of Johannes Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D Major, which the famous composer conducted himself.
The current record-holder for the most expensive musical instrument sold at auction is another Stradivari violin: the 1721 Lady Blunt Stradivarius, named after the granddaughter of the Romantic poet Lord Byron, which sold for $15.9m in 2011.
A French Navy diver’s helmet by Auguste Denayrouze and Charles Petit has an estimate of £1,500-£2,000 Special Auction Services’ 500lot sale of motoring and maritime interest in Newbury on February 4-5. The helmet includes a breastplate plaque reading Appareils Plongeurs, Denayrouze, CH.Petit Paris. In the late 19th century, Petit collaborated with the French naval officer Denayrouze (one of the inventors of the diving suit) to create robust helmets with multiple viewports.
A poster by the American-born graphic designer Edward McKnight Kauffer (1890-1954) has an estimate of £12,000-£14,000 at Bonhams’ online poster sale ending on February 6.
Born in poverty in Montana, Kauffer’s artistic talent was spotted by Utah University professor Joseph McKnight who gave him $12,000 to study painting in Paris (Kauffer dutifully adopted ‘McKnight’ as his middle name).
After leaving France his first commission came from the legendary Frank Pick, the publicity manager for the London Underground in 1915 for whom he produced 140 posters before going on to work for the Empire Marketing Board, the Post Office, Great Western Railway, Shell, Imperial Airways, Eno’s Fruit Salt, W.A. Gilbey, and BP.
A number of ceramics from the Somerset pottery Dennis Chinaworks have estimates of £200-£300 at The Canterbury Auction Galleries’ sale on February 2-3.
The studio was founded in 1993 by the fashion designer turned Moorcroft designer Sally Tuffin and her husband Richard Dennis who trained with Sotheby’s before establishing an antique glass and ceramic business and publishing house. Among the team of potters who design for the studio is their son Buchan Dennis, some of whose work is inspired by the colours of global warming trends. Other designers include Rory Mcleod, Vanessa Thompson and
A mint condition Queen Victoria sovereign, dated 1841, described as “the king of Victorian sovereigns” has an estimate of £30,000-£36,000 at Noonans of Mayfair’s sale on February 19.
This 1841 Victoria sovereign was issued by the Royal Mint with the obverse design showing the young head portrait of the monarch and Jean Baptiste Merlen’s crown shield design on the reverse.
The gold sovereign is the rarest date of Victoria shield sovereigns. In common with other “young head” sovereigns from 1838 to 1848, the portrait is not only smaller, but in slightly higher relief. The coin is one of 62 lots from the Hammersley collection of sovereigns.
A lifetime collection of porcelain, including work by some of the finest painters from the best-known British and European manufactories, goes under the hammer this month at Woolley & Wallis in Salisbury.
Mostly made up of teaware, the museum-quality collection belonged to Sir Bruno Welby who acquired it from the very best British porcelain dealers of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Itencompasses rare pieces from British factories including Chelsea, Worcester, Longton Hall and Vauxhall. In Europe, the roll call extends to the German factories of Meissen, Nymphenburg, Frankenthal and Furstenberg. From Italy, the porcelain makers are made up of Capodimonte, Doccia, Cozzi and Naples.
Woolley & Wallis’ ceramics specialist, Clare Durham, said: “This is one of the most extensive collections of 18th-century porcelain to come onto the market in recent years, combining academic fascination with a decorative aesthetic. A friend to many significant names in the world of ceramic collecting, Sir Bruno has put together a collection to rival any serious museum. It represents a wonderful learning opportunity for the novice collector, and a chance to snap up a market-fresh rarity for those with a more established interest.”
Sale highlights
One such rarity (5) is a tea bowl decorated with Aesops Fables by the Irish born painter Jefferyes Hamett O’Neale (1734–1801) who worked at the Chelsea Porcelain Factory until 1755 before moving to Worcester in 1767. Meanwhile, at the Italian Cozzi manufactory it was the colourful characters of the Commedia dell’arte – a form of improvised 16th-century street theatre – that served as inspiration. The sale includes a tea bowl (2) depicting the character of Pulcinella (with his trademark hunchback and beaked nose) made at the Italian factory, which was founded in Venice in 1764 by Geminiano Cozzi (1764–1812).
The sale also includes a pair of saucers from the Weesp factory (8) which, between 1759 and 1770, was responsible for the first porcelain ever produced in the Netherlands, and is considered to be the rarest Dutch porcelain. The head of the factory was Bertrand Philip, Count of Gronsveld who employed experienced porcelain workers from the German and French workshops, including the painter and model maker Louis Victor Gerverot and a ceramics painter from Tournai, Fidelle Duvivier. The porcelain was marked with two crossed swords with three balls in between, which came from the family crests of the count and his wife.
1 A cup and saucer painted by Cajetan Purtscher (1740-1813), for the Nymphenburg factory decorated with scenes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, showing Persephone changing Ascalaphus into an owl by sprinkling him with water of the underworld river Phlegethon, c.1760-1770. It has a guide price of £800-£1,200 2 A rare Cozzi teabowl, painted with Pulcinella from the Commedia dell’arte, c.1770. It has an estimate of £600-£800 3 An early saucer from the Portuguese porcelain manufacturer, Vista Alegre, c.1827. It is expected to make £500-£800 4 A rare Vauxhall vase painted with Watteau-esque gures, c.1763-1768. It is expected to make £800-£1,200
5 A rare Chelsea tea bowl with Fables of Aesop decoration by Je eryes Hamett O’Neale (1734–1801), c.1750-1752. It has an estimate of £1,000£2,000 6 Sèvres co ee can byLouis-François Lécot (1741-1800), with a chinoiserie scene, c.1780. It has an estimate of £600-£800 7 A Meissen hausmaler beaker painted in the workshop of Franz Ferdinand Mayer in Pressnitz, c.1725-1730. It is expected to make £200-£300.A hausmaler piece is onepainted by outside decorators, who worked on whatever white porcelain they could nd, often using Chinese porcelain or old Meissen stock sold o by the factory 8 A rare pair of Weesp saucers from Count von Gronsveld’s service, c.1764. It has a guide price of £500-£800
In the start of a new series marking 50 years in the business, Adrian Mibus director of the London gallery Whitford Fine Art, celebrates significant art movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, starting with Orientalism
From the rst decade of my career in the 1970s, I have been passionate about Orientalism. e term refers to the works of mostly 19th-century Western artists, writers and architects who specialised in Oriental subjects. Most were inspired by their travels further a eld than the traditional European Grand Tour. For some, north Africa, Turkey, Egypt and the near East awaited. Early travellers ventured up the Nile to Cairo, across to Faiyum, then further up the Nile to Abu Simbel, before travelling back to Cairo, across the Sinai Peninsula and Wadi el-Araba to Jerusalem and, nally, Damascus.
While gures from the Middle East had appeared in Renaissance and Baroque works, it was not until the 19th century that most Europeans came in contact with the East, usually through trade or military campaigns. So an important function of Orientalist painting was to create a visual record of new places of interest. Artists were seeking to capture the exotic and fantastic in landscapes, cityscapes, interior scenes and nudes.
However, since Muslim women were forbidden to model for Westerners, Orientalist artists painted their famous nudes in oriental-staged settings in their studios, using European models dressed in oriental and Arab attire which the artists had collected from their trips.
e Orientalists created some of the most debated visual works of the 19th century, as they strove to rede ne their own identity, exploring cultural opposites and expressing prohibited fantasies. With the foundation of the French Orientalist Painters Society, artists established themselves as a distinct artistic movement. But it was not without later controversy. In 1978, Edward W. Said’s book Orientalism famously denounced the concept for minimising the diversity of the populations and using images which made the West seem culturally superior.
Opposite page JeanLéon Gérôme (18241904) Les Baingneuses, all images unless otherwise stated courtesy of
But whatever the politics of the movement it did produce some excetional artists, including Jean-Léon Gérôme, Eugène Delacroix, Rudolph Ernst, Jean-Joseph BenjaminConstant and Jacques Majorelle, all of which the gallery has handled over the years.
Delacroix travelled to Spain and North Africa in 1832, as part of a diplomatic mission to Morocco shortly after France conquered Algeria.
‘In Orientalist painting the odalisque, a maid who tended the harem of the Turkish sultans, quickly
became a popular stereotype of Oriental eroticism as imagined by the Western establishment. Typically, the scantily – and exotically – dressed odalisque poses as if on display for the (assumed) male viewer’
e Romantic painter wished to escape the con nes of Western civilisation in the hope of encountering indigenous cultures. His journey through North Africa was inspirational – with Delacroix believing local inhabiants, in their attire and their attitudes, provided a visual equivalent to the people of classical Rome and Greece.
e artist also used horses and lions as the embodiment of passion, mastering movement by the use of bright light on details selected for their signi cance. In Arab Horseman Giving a Signal rapid gestures on the part of the horse and its rider, depicts the moment before a violent attack.
Comerre’s ability to portray women in a sensitive light with delicate tactility made him one of the most soughtafter portrait painters in Paris. is was the age of the ‘femme fatale’ often in exotic attire, and the subject was a recurrent preoccupation of the French Salon painters.
Comerre’s mornings were occupied with Orientalist scenes. In the afternoon, society clients would pose for portraits in his studio while his wife entertained them.
Convincing in every detail, Haifa gives the impression of being painted in situ but, in reality, Comerre used European models dressed in eastern clothes. On his travels he would have been banned from the harem, so his paintings were not based on direct observation but on the accounts of others. To lend verisimilitude to his paintings he lled his Paris studio with myriad props that he had collected on his sojourns to the Orient.
e port of Haifa was under the control of the Ottoman Empire at the time Comerre painted this Turkish scene. A rich, cosmopolitan town in the 19th century, it had survived conquests by the crusaders, Napoleon, Pasha Ibrahim of Egypt and the Ottomans in 1840. As a home to Muslims, Maronites and Baha it provided an exotic platform for Comerre to explore Orientalist themes.
Above Léon Comerre (1850-1916) Haifa
Right Henri Evenepoel (1872-1899) Le Mendiant Arabe
Opposite page top Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904) Marchand de peaux
Opposite page bottom Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962) Les Deux Amies
‘Orientalist paintings are increasingly examined in the broader context of colonialism, exoticism, and representation, providing a lens for understanding how Western artists engaged with non-European cultures during the 19th century’
e French-born Belgian artist Henri Evenepoel was remarkably in uential, considering the brevity of his life.
After studying at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, in October 1892 Evenepoel settled in Paris, studying at the atelier of the symbolist Gustave Moreau where he met Georges Rouault and Henri Matisse.
In October 1897, he travelled to Algeria for his health, and during his six months there painted Le Mendiant Arabe. e bright light of North Africa enlisted a response close to that of the Fauves; and Le Mendiant Arabe is built up from solid blocks of colouring — the green door compared with the brown tones in the beggar’s shabby cloak.
e value of Evenepoel’s time spent in Algeria gave him a greater understanding of composition and colour which he displayed on his return to Paris. His success was cut short however and he died in 1899 from typhoid fever, at the age of just 27.
Gérôme was one of the most proli c and successful Orientalist painters of his time, producing numerous works that captivated European audiences.
His success was in part due to his travels to Egypt, Turkey, Syria, and North Africa which provided him with direct inspiration. A key gure in 19th-century French Academic art, Gérôme’s paintings were notable for their photorealistic quality, which lent a further air of authenticity to his scenes.
His works depicted markets, harems, mosques, and street scenes, attempting to portray the customs and daily activities of the Eastern world.
But Gérôme’s depictions often blended authentic observation with stereotypes, reinforcing a romanticised and sometimes reductive view of the East. His work was famously analysed by Edward Said in his seminal book Orientalism (1978) who argued his work was shaped through a Western lens.
Majorelle, the son of the famous art nouveau cabinet-maker Louis Majorelle, was born in Nancy in 1886. He attended the local Ecole des Beaux Arts, before travelling to Paris to attend the Academie Julian in 1903. In 1910, Majorelle travelled to Egypt in order to cure his lung condition. By 1917 he had arrived in Morocco where he spent most of the rest of his life.
He settled in the medina of Marrakech but in 1922 built a studio and a villa in exotic gardens just outside the city walls. e iconic complex went on to become the most visited gardens and museum in Marrakech.
Les Deux Amies is one of Majorelle’s most noted paintings, re ecting the artist’s fascination with Moroccan culture and daily life. e painting portrays two Moroccan women in an intimate and serene setting, symbolising friendship, and the quiet beauty of everyday life.
Majorelle frequently painted local women dressed in traditional Moroccan attire, often using subtle details to capture their personalities and relationships.
During 1945-1954 Majorelle travelled further into subSaharan Africa visiting Mali, Guinea, Senegal and the Ivory Coast
‘Les Deux Amies is one of Majorelle’s most noted paintings, reflecting the artist’s fascination with Moroccan culture and daily life’
Born in Vienna, Ernst moved to Paris in 1876. Inspired by the Orientalist fever he travelled extensively, including to Morocco, Turkey, and Egypt, immersing himself in the region’s architecture, traditions, and cultural practices.
Ernst paid close attention to textiles and patterns worn by both men and women, who he depicted in rich, colourful garments, turbans, or embroidered robes. He also portrayed daily life in the Middle East, highlighting everyday scenes, such as people engaging in trade, musicians playing instruments, or scholars reading.
Like other Orientalists, Ernst also painted harems and tranquil courtyards, capturing the romanticised views that so appealed to Western audiences. In A Moor Admiring his Jewels a merchant stands in a rich Oriental interior full of both Moroccan and Egyptian details, indicating that the painting was painted in Paris from sketches Ernst made during his travels.
Later in life, Ernst moved to Fontenay-aux-Roses, a suburb of Paris, where he continued his work as an Orientalist painter, while also producing tiles inspired by eastern designs.
In 1888, when the British, Dutch-born, artist Alma-Tadema had nished painting e Roses of Heliogabalus, he was one of the most successful painters in Europe.
Alma-Tadema was primarily celebrated for his meticulously detailed depictions of life in ancient Greece and Rome, while occasionally venturing into Orientalist themes. Such works are less central to his oeuvre than those of other artists such as Jean-Léon Gérôme, but they do re ect his fascination with historical and cultural speci city, executed with the same painstaking realism for which he is so well known.
e painting e Roses of Heliogabalus tells the story of how the debauched teenage Roman Emperor Elagabalus (reign 218-222 AD) smothered his entire court in rose petals. e spectacular scene was commissioned by Sir John Aird – whose company had built the Aswan Dam – for the enormous sum of £4,000.
To create the opulent scene Alma-Tadema had roses sent weekly from the French Riviera for four months so that each petal would be perfectly portrayed.
Alma-Tadema rst visited Italy on his honeymoon in 1863 having previously focused on Merovingian and Egyptian subjects. His fascination with Roman sites, particularly the impressive ruins and fresco decorations of Pompeii and Herculaneum, proved to be a turning point in his career. e following year he won a gold medal at the Paris Salon and during that summer he met the in uential London dealer and print publisher Ernest Gambart (18141902) who immediately recognised the young artist’s extraordinary talent and commissioned and exhibited work by him.
Like other Orientalist artists, Alma-Tadema romanticised the East, but his works tend to emphasise serenity and elegance over sensuality or mystery.
Above Rudolph Ernst (1854-1932) A Moor
Admiring His Jewels
Right Jean-Joseph Benjamin Constant (1845-1902) L’odalisque
Top right Lawrence Alma-Tadema (18361912) e Roses of Heliogabalus
Constant spent his spent his youth in Toulouse, where a municipal scholarship allowed him to study at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. By 1867 he was a student in the Ecole de la Rue Bonaparte studying under the history painter Alexandre Cabanel. In 1872, Constant followed his mentor Charles Tissot to Morocco and became so enthralled with Orientalist subjects that he entirely abandoned history painting.
His depictions of both royal and civilian lives – of palaces, harems, marketplaces, homes – are vivid and detailed, and were in high demand among European audiences eager to get a glimpse of exotic populations.
In the Orientalist genre, the Odalisque (or L’odalisque) was a maid who tended the harem of Turkish sultans. She quickly became a popular stereotype of Oriental eroticism as imagined by the Western establishment. Typically, the scantily and exotically-dressed odalisque poses as if on display for the (assumed) male viewer.
By 1880, Constant had moved away from Orientalist subjects to pursue portraiture and more decorative works. For much of the latter part of the 19th century, he was a favourite portraitist of English high-society painting likenesses of both Queen Victoria and Queen Alexandra.
Stuck for a Valentine’s gift this year? Take inspiration from lovers’ gifts from years gone by
Picture those endless evenings without the luxury of electric, or even gas light. While young women sewed their trousseaux, young swains whittled their time away – quite literally. eir intention was to create anything likely to grab the eye and interest of their intended. Such tokens could range from a mangle board to a, more racy, stay for her corset. e most ardent suitor may have carved an apple corer allowing his toothless love to eat raw fruit.
Since the earliest times love tokens have come in a number of forms. In his book De amore (Of love), the 12th-century French author Andreas Capellanus spelt out the acceptable love tokens of the day. He wrote: “A lover may freely accept from her beloved these things: a handkerchief, a hair band, a circlet of gold or silver, a brooch for the breast, a mirror, a belt, a purse, a lace for clothes, a comb, sleeves, gloves, a ring, a box, a keepsake of the lover, and, to speak more generally, a lady can accept from her love whatever small gift may be useful in the care of her person.”
In other words – almost anything went. Up until the 14th century European art was predominantly religious in content. Likewise the art of the carver was largely concerned with portraying devotional themes. But, as tales of chivalry and romance gained popularity, secular illustration became acceptable. For wealthy patrons carved artefacts decorated with romantic and allegorical scenes became the focus of the most talented artists of the day. And, what went for the to s, soon applied to the rest of the population.
Above Combs were popular gifts among lovers in the Middle Ages, image courtesy of Metropolitan Museum of Art
Top right Comb, French, 1530–1560s, image courtesy of Metropolitan Museum of Art
Above right Woman’s comb, 15th or 16th century, French or Italian, image courtesy of Metropolitan Museum of Art
Below right Comb from the Pinto Collection, image courtesy of Birmingham Museums Trust
Ornately carved combs were among the most popular lovers’ gifts of the Middle Ages. Most were commissioned from professional comb makers and, measuring 13cm by 18cm, were made in boxwood, which was considered the best wood for carving.
At the time women’s hair was considered a signi cant symbol of her sexuality, with long hair seen as a sign of availability and allure, which gave any comb an added sexual frisson.
Some designs were inlaid with bone or ivory which was also carved with delicate and intricate designs. Many were rich with romantic symbols: a heart, or a heart pierced with an arrow, with words of endearment. Wording on some of the combs is in French, the international language of courtship at the time. In other instances the script is in Latin.
Some contain a central panel with a recessed area which, as Edward Pinto in his book Treen and
Other Wooden Bygones, 1969, believes may have been receptacles for locks of hair, or fragments of perfumed pomander. On several combs an interfacing or lining of coloured silk was placed within the central panel thus allowing the fretwork to be highlighted.
Plainer, wooden H-combs were handmade up to 1900 or so. In the later 17th century there was a fashion for engraved tortoiseshell combs in the West Indies.
Another popular lovers’ gift dating back to the 17th century was the knitting sheath. eir intention was to support the weight of the fabric while stopping stitches slipping o the bottom of a double-ended needle. Sheaths also made it possible to knit while carrying out other domestic chores, in particular carrying or feeding infants. ey were generally worn in the belt, on the right side, in a sloping position and ranged from crudely whittled a airs to masterpieces of treen. Like the comb, boxwood was the favoured wood with most sheaths dated, with an initial and an inscription such as: “I am box and brass within, my place is on your apron string.”
Right Chinese 18th-century boxes in the shape of ducks, image courtesy of Metropolitan Museum of Art
Below left sheaths the rst initialled E.O. and dated 1695, the second an early 19thcentury Welsh example initialled dated 1814. e pair sold for £1,200 at Bonhams’ vernacular furniture, folk and naïve art sale last October
Middle left A Georgian knitting sheath in fruitwood with silver mount, inscribed Ellen Crossland, 1736, image courtesy of Robert Young Antiques
Bottom left Knitting sheath, 1600-1750
Below right Pair of incense boxes in the shape of mandarin ducks, later 19th century, image courtesy of Metropolitan Museum of Art
‘Shoes were popular
love
tokens
and wedding gifts.
The
association
stems
from the outdated custom when the father of the bride handed his shoe to the new husband as a sign that he relinquishes the right to chastise his daughter. Rather than an actual leather version, the rather dubious custom is celebrated in little shoe tokens in glass or china’
In East Asia, mandarin ducks, which for centuries were thought to stay together for life, represent marital bliss and fidelity. As such they are frequently depicted on ceramics, lacquers and textiles as symbols of long-lasting happiness and fertility. In his poem Changan: Poem Written in an Antiquated Form, the 7th-century poet Lu Zhaolin wrote that lovers “wished to be mandarin ducks more so than immortals” The same association exists in Japan, as seen in the decorative incense box below. Such
Left A late 18th-century, lovespoon a a ‘ballin cage’ balls thought to represent the number of children a couple ould hope for
Right A large Norwegian sycamore lovespoon, c. 1874. The style, though beautiful, is less ornate than Welsh designs, image courtesy of Robert Young Antiques
For the lovelorn Welsh maiden nothing was as thrilling as the presentation of a carved spoon from her wouldbe suitor. Not only did it show a loving intent, it proved her potential husband was no slouch in the woodworking department.
e oldest Welsh love spoon, dated 1667, is in the collection of the National Museum of Wales, and inscribed: “As a ring is round, hath no end. So is my love for thee, my friend.”
Like their Scandinavian counterparts, British spoons would have been shaped with great care and devotion by their carvers with the calibre of the spoons as testimony to the makers’ skill and devotion. Unlike their Nordic brothers, Welsh carving is more amboyant with a wider variety of symbols and more eclectic choice of styles.
Like their Scandinavian counterparts,
Styles range from simple panel spoons to chain-link and balls-in-cages crowned by ornate swivels and anchors. Most were carved from close-grain woods, such as sycamore, box and fruit woods which were particularly popular.
While few documented records exist, there is no evidence that the acceptance of a spoon constituted a ‘betrothal’; most likely, it simply gave the young man a green light to initiate a relationship.
frequently seen on
Even though the simple panel spoon (right) displays only a small number of symbols, it nevertheless imparts a good deal of romantic information. e heart is the universal symbol of love and is frequently seen on Welsh lovespoons. Double bowls, or even more, possibly indicate the union of the souls when joined together, or perhaps the number of
‘From
the 17th through the 19th century, corsets, known as “stays” were an essential requirement for women adhering to the fashion of very small waists, proximity to the wearer and, ideally her most intimate parts, was the reason corset busks became popular love tokens ’
to represent the number of
children desired. Balls carved within cages are commonly thought to represent the number of children hoped for by the carver, but could equally be a sign of a man held captive by his love. e balls-in-cages demonstrate the consummate skill of the maker as the balls had to be carved from the solid piece of wood and not somehow placed in the cage.
Chain links were considered to indicate loyalty and faithfulness, a couple bound together in their love and loyalty. Diamonds are believed to represent a wish for prosperity and good fortune and a promise to provide well for a loved one.
Key and keyhole carvings are also used frequently, perhaps symbolising security or, more romantically, the key to one’s heart. Wheel symbols are said to represent a vow by the carver to work hard and to guide a loved one through life. Genuine love spoons are expensive and the would-be collector should avoid more modern versions made for the tourist market. Authentic antiques are evident from their patina and, in many cases, the presence of wood worm.
From the 17th through the 19th century, corsets, known as stays, were an essential requirement for women hoping to achieve a fashionably small waist.
e corset was kept in place by a wooden, or whalebone (or, more likely baleen, from the upper jaw of baleen whales), busk inserted into the front of a woman’s stays to keep the torso upright and atten the stomach.
Proximity to the wearer’s most intimate parts was the reason corset busks became popular love tokens. A man would inscribe the busk with coded sentimental images, such as hearts, initials and owers and sometimes words –the idea being that these thoughts of love would stay close to her heart.
Busks ranged from 25 to 32cm in length, the longest of which would make sitting impossible for the wearer. e constant discomfort of the corset likely kept the busk’s maker in sharp focus.
Above A George III decorative stay, from the collection of Dr Jim omson, sold for £1,664 last October, image courtesy of Bonhams
Above right Loving cup, 1715, salt-glazed stoneware, image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Below right Loving cup, image courtesy of Smithsonian Open Access
Below left A sailor’s pin cushion, c. 1880, decorated with a heart, anchor, cross and crown and the motto “Forget me not”, image courtesy of Robert Young Antiques
There is another type of love token, the wedding gift, given either by the couple to each other or by well wishers. The 18th century saw a rise in the fashion for pretty, rather than utilitarian gifts. These were made up of items such as buckles, goblets and loving cups, as well as decanters. Also fashionable was the tradition of giving brides’ spoons in silver or pewter, cast with love symbols and entwining initials. The practice was common throughout Europe and was often followed up with an apostle spoon, one for each year of marriage, or the birth of a child.
Shoes were another popular love token and wedding gift. The association stemmed from the outdated custom of the father of the bride handing his shoe to the groom showing he had relinquished the right to chastise his daughter. Rather than an actual leather version, the custom became celebrated in little shoe tokens in glass or china.
Another gift came in the shape of loving cups – a large vessel with arching handles which made it easier to pass from person to person.
Throughout medieval Europe loving cups were a prominent feature at feasts and weddings.
The bride and groom would drink from the cup as a symbol of their union, before it was passed around to family and friends as a gesture of shared joy.
The design of the cup often included intricate engraving, heraldic symbols, and the inscription marking the names of the husband and wife and date of their union.
While common in silver, the medium of salt-glazed stoneware was an inexpensive one, allowing wares such as these to be affordable to the middle classes. The salt-glazed example at the top of the page, from Nottingham, is inscribed on upper section: William Hollinworth / and Sarah His Wife / 1715.
Left 17th-century wedding knife, fork and sheath by Ephraim How (1652–1720), image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Right A collection of bent coins, image courtesy of Hansons Auctioneers
Below left e knife and fork set depicts a man and woman, presumably a married couple, image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Below e married man as seen from behind, image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Below right Carved boxwood apple corer, 1690, Pinto Collection, image courtesy of the Birmingham Museums Trust
Bottom right ” ink of Me” pin cushion in the shape of a heart, made from velvet, sequins, pins and glass beads, c 1880, image courtesy of Robert Young Antiques
Bent coins
Excavations and mudlarking expeditions on the Thames’ foreshore have uncovered bent or bowed coins dating from 16th century onwards. To prove their devotion, suitors would bend coins before presenting them to the object of their affections as a symbol of the strength of their love, affection and intent.
Even though the defacement and wilful damage of coins was a treasonable offense, it didn’t always deter the most ardent.
In some cases the head of the monarch would be rubbed out and replaced by the engraved initials of the giver and his intended. If the suitor was accepted, the coin would be worn as a pendant (and worn close to the heart) or incorporated into other pieces of jewellery. While the poorer lover made his love token from a copper coin, wealthy swains used silver or gold ones.
These small scoops enabled people who had lost their teeth to eat foods such as apples and pears.
While to today’s sweethearts they may seem an unlikely lover’s gift, elaborate designs were prized among the lovelorn – perhaps because of the apple’s association with Adam and Eve. Added to which apple corers were thought of as personal items and it was considered bad luck to share one. Often made of fruitwood, like the Welsh love spoon they could feature open cages with a ball inside, as well as heart motifs.
Pin cushions Pin cushions are a familiar love token to collectors. Usually beaded and embroidered, many were made by sailors during the longsea voyages of the Victorian age. Some wereeven stuffed with sawdust swept up from the deck.
Because this list is compiled in advance, alterations or cancellations to the fairs listed can occur and it is not possible to notify readers of the changes. We strongly advise anyone wishing to attend a fair especially if they have to travel any distance, to telephone the organiser to confirm the details given.
LONDON:
Inc. Greater London
Adams Antiques Fairs
020 7254 4054
www.adamsantiquesfairs.com
Adams Antiques Fair, The Royal Holticultural Halls, Elverton Street, SW1P 2QW, Feb 23
Coin and Medal Fair Ltd 01694 731781
www.coinfairs.co.uk
Novotel, 1 Shortlands, Hammersmith, London W6 8DR, Feb 1
Etc Fairs
01707 872140
www.bloomsburybookfair.com
Bloomsbury Book Fair, Turner Suite at Holiday Inn, Coram Street, London, WC1N 1HT, Feb 9
Sunbury Antiques
01932 230946
www.sunburyantiques.com
Kempton Antiques Market, Kempton Park Race Course, Staines Road East, Sunburn-OnThames, Middlesex, TW16 5AQ, Feb 13, 27
SOUTH EAST & EAST ANGLIA: including Beds, Cambs, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex.
CL Fairs
07501 782821
Norfolk Collectors Fair At The Parish Hall, Parish Hall Church Street, Cromer Norfolk, NR27 9HH, Feb 1
Grandmas Attic
www.grandmasatticfairs.co.uk
Antique and Collectors Fair, Woking Leisure Centre, Kingfield Road, Woking, GU22 9BA, Feb 2
The Westgate Leisure Centre, Via Ravenna, Chichester, PO19 1RJ, Feb 16
Marcel Fairs 07887 648255
www.marcelfairs.co.uk
Marcel’s Antique and Vintage Fair The Weatherley Centre, Biggleswade,Bedfordshire, SG18 8JH, Feb 16
St Ives Antiques Fair
07803 820347
www.stivesantiquesfair.co.uk
Burgess Hall in Westwood Road, St Ives, PE27 6WU, Feb 22-23
Sunbury Antiques
01932 230946
www.sunburyantiques.com
Sandown Park Racecourse, Portsmouth Road, Esher, KT10 9AJ, Feb 16
including Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Wiltshire.
Arun Fairs 07563 589725
Emsworth Antiques and Collectors Fair, Emsworth Community Centre., North Street, Emsworth, Hampshire, PO10 7DD, Feb 9
Continuity Fairs
www.continuityfairs.co.uk
The International Westpoint
Antique Home and Vintage Fair, Westpoint Arena, Clyst St Mary, Exeter EX5 1DJ, Feb 10-11
Grandma’s Attic
www.grandmasatticfairs.co.uk
Antique and Collectors Fair, Brockenhurst Village Hall
Highwood Road, Hampshire, SO42 7R, Feb 9
Major Antiques Fair
07870432805
Stockbridge Antiques Fair, Stockbridge Town Hall, High Street, Stockbridge, Hampshire, SO20 6HE, Feb 1
Mark Carter Militaria and Medal Fairs, 01753 534777/ 07871 777062
Yate Leisure Centre, Kennedy Way, Yate, Nr. Chipping Sodbury, Bristol BS37 4DQ, Feb 23
Sga Fairs
07759 380299
Browsers Antique & Collectors Fair Hartley Wintney
Victoria Halls, Hartley Wintney, Hampshire RG27 8RQ, Feb 9, 23
Pangbourne Village Hall
Pangbourne, Berkshire, RG8 7AN, Feb 22
EAST MIDLANDS
including Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland.
Arthur Swallow Fairs
01298 274493
asfairs.com
Vintage Flea Market EXO Centre, Lincolnshire Showground, Lincoln, LN2 2NA, Feb 16
IACF
01636 702326
www.iacf.co.uk
Newark International Antiques & Collectors Fair, Newark Showground, Newark, Notts, NG24 2NY, Feb 6-7
Runway Monday at Newark Antiques & Collectors Fair, Feb 17
Stags Head Events
07583 410862
www.stagsheadevents.co.uk
Antiques, Vintage & Collectors Fair, Coalville Leisure Centre, Coalville LE67 3FE, Feb 8
WEST MIDLANDS
including Birmingham, Coventry, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire
B2B Fairs
07774 147197
www.b2bevents.info
Malvern Antiques and Collectors Fair, Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire WR13 6NW, Feb 16
Coin and Medal Fair Ltd
01694 731781
www.coinfairs.co.uk
Midland Coin Fair, National Motorcycle Museum, Bickenhill, B92 0EJ, Feb 9
Continuity Fairs
www.continuityfairs.co.uk
The Bingley Hall Antique Home & Vintage Fair, Stafford
Showground Ltd, Weston Rd, Stafford ST18 0BD, Feb 1-2
including Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Yorkshire.
Freckleton Antique & Collectors Fair 07935 966 574
Freckleton Memorial Village Hall, 17 School Lane, Freckleton, Lancashire, PR4 1PJ, Feb 8
Jaguar Fairs
01332 830444 www.jaguarfairs.com
Derby Conference Centre, Derby, Derbyshire, DE24 8UX, Feb 1-2
V&A Fairs 01244 659887 www.vandafairs.com
Nantwich Civic Hall Antique and Collectors Fair, Civic Hall Nantwich, Beam Street, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 5DG, Feb 20
RJG Events 0798 9955541
Beaumaris Antique and Collectors Fair, Beaumaris Leisure Centre Rating Row, Beaumaris, Isle of Anglesey, LL58 8AL, Feb 16
JAC Fairs 07960 198409
Ayr Antique, Vintage & Collectors Fair, Citadel Leisure Centre, South Harbour Street, Ayr, KA7 1JB, Feb 24
Glasgow Antique, Vintage & Collectors Fair, Bellahouston Leisure Centre, Glasgow, G52 1HH, Feb 16
Antiques Fairs Ireland 00353 85 862 9007
South Dublin Antiques, Vintage & More Fair, Royal Marine Hotel Marine Road, Dun Laoghaire, Feb 2
Portlaoise Antiques, Vintage & More Fair, Killeshin Hotel Dublin Rd., Portlaoise, Feb 9
e prestigious Belgian art fair known as BRAFA takes place this month, as well as a popular collectors event at the National Botanic Garden of Wales
Whitford Fine Art, the Willow Gallery and Stern Pissarro are among the UK dealers taking part in the 70th edition of the Belgian art fair, BRAFA. The milestone event, from January 28 to February 2 at Brussels Expo’s Halls 3 and 4, brings together approximately 130 galleries from 16 countries.
Among this year’s new participants at BRAFA – the name is an acronym for Brussels Art Fair – is the London gallery Colnaghi, one of the leading dealers in Old Master paintings, prints and drawings.
The popular northern spa town of Harrogate is the location for this month’s three-day Pavilions of Harrogate Decorative, Antiques and Art Fair. The fair, from February 7-9, offers something for everyone, from decorative to period furniture, 19th and 20th-century jewellery, silver and ceramics to fine paintings, copper and brass, bronze art deco statuary and fine glass.
While there, visitors can make the most of the town’s many attractions visiting its Royal Pump Room Museum and Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms, established in 1919, and renowned for its afternoon teas. Fair-goers can also take a stroll through the award- winning Valley Gardens or RHS Harlow Carr.
The first Dorking Halls Fine Antiques Fair of 2025 takes place in the Surrey town on February 23, boasting some 120 dealers offering their finest pieces over two halls.
With the previous two fairs having to be held at Dorking Sports Centre, due to a £4m revamp at its usual venue, the fair returns to Dorking Halls. Mole Valley District Council closed the 1930s art deco theatre in June 2024 to undergo essential restoration work.
Started in 1976, the fair is one of the longest running in the country and, a year off its 50th anniversary, continues to promise a variety of antiques and decorative arts.
Organised by Dovehouse Fine Antiques Fair, the event runs from 10.30am to 4.00pm, with trade admitted at 9.30am. Chargers on o er at a previous Dorking fair
The National Botanic Garden of Wales is the stunning location for the first Antiques Fair and Vintage Market of the year.
Antiques, collectables, retro and vintage pieces will all take centre stage among the rare and endangered blooms from February 1-2.
The Derwen Fairs flagship event has swollen in size from just 23 stalls in the early days, to more than 50 dealers today – all of whom will be dotted around the Theatr Botanica, a garden marquee and the Regency-era Principality House.
The Norman Foster-designed glass house is the backdrop for weekend event, with exhibitors ranging from militaria experts to specialists in Welsh art – with the Anglesey artist Kyffin Williams always popular among visitors.
Admission to both fair and gardens is £10 for the weekend which includes five entrance days entry to the gardens.
Because this list is compiled in advance, alterations or cancellations to the auctions listed can occur and it is not possible to notify readers of the changes. We strongly advise anyone wishing to attend an auction especially if they have to travel any distance, to telephone the organiser to confirm the details given
LONDON:
Inc. Greater London
Adam Partridge
The London Saleroom, The Auction Room, Station Parade, Ickenham Road, West Ruislip, HA4 7DL, 01895 621991
www.adampartridge.co.uk
Antiques and Fine Art with Specialist Silver, Feb 4-5
Bonhams
101 New Bond St, London W1S 1SR, 020 7447 7447 www.bonhams.com
Old Masters (Online), Feb 13-18
Bonhams
Montpelier St, Knightsbridge, London, SW7 1HH, 020 7393 3900 www.bonhams.com
Vintage Posters (Online), Jan 30-Feb 6
Chiswick Auctions
Barley Mow Centre, Chiswick, London, W4 4PH 020 8992 4442 www.chiswickauctions.co.uk
Prints and Multiples, Feb 12 Asian Art, Feb 18 Silver and Objects of Vertu, Feb 26
Chiswick Auctions
1 Roslin Square, Roslin Road, London, W3 8DH, 020 8992 4442 www.chiswickauctions.co.uk
Autographs and Memorabilia (Online), ends Feb 2 Interiors, Homes and Antiques (Timed Online), Feb 14-23 Books and Works on Paper, Feb 25
Christie’s
8 King St, St. James’s, SW1Y 6QT, 020 7839 9060 www.christies.com
Barry Humphries: The Personal Collection, Feb 13 Fine and Rare Wines & Spirits,London Edition, Feb 4-18 (online)
Elmwood’s 101 Talbot Road London, W11 2AT, 0207 096 8933 www.elmwoods.co.uk
Valentines Day Luxury Gifts, Feb 5
Forum Auctions
220 Queenstown Road, London, SW8 4LP, 020 7871 2640 www.forumauctions.co.uk
Modern and Contemporary Editions, Feb 5
Books and Works on Paper (Online), Feb 6
Modern Literature (Online), Feb 20
Bob Dylan (Art and Editions), Feb 26
The Ricky Jay Collection, Feb 27
Hansons
6 Parkley’s Parade, Upper Ham Road, Richmond, TW10 5LF 0207 018 9300 www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk
Silver, Jewellery, Watches & Fine Art, Feb 28
Lots Road Auctions
Unit 9 Piper Centre, Carnwath Road, London SW6 3JX 020 7376 6800 www.lotsroad.com
Interior Auction, Feb 2
Fine Interior Auction, Feb 9
Lyon & Turnbull
Mall Galleries, The Mall, St. James’s, London SW1Y 5AS, 0207 930 9115 www.lyonandturnbull.com
None listed in London see Edinburgh saleroom.
Noonans
16 Bolton St, Mayfair, London W1J 8BQ, 020 7016 1700
www.noonans.co.uk
Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, Feb 12
Ancient Coins and Antiquities, Feb 18
A Collection of British and Ancient Coins, Feb 19
Phillips
30 Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6EX, 020 7318 4010
www.phillips.com
None listed in February
Olympia Auctions
25 Blythe Road, London W14 0PD, 020 7806 5541
www.olympiaauctions.com
Olympia Timed starts Feb 21
Jewellery & Watches, Feb 21
Private Collection of Vesta Cases and other Silver Smallwork (timed) Feb 21
Arms, Armour & Militaria (timed) Feb 28
Roseberys
Knights Hill, Norwood, London, SE27 0JD, 020 8761 2522
www.roseberys.co.uk
Watches Feb 5
Design Feb 18
Sloane Street Auctions
158-164 Fulham Road, SW10 9PR, 020 3915 8340
www.sloanestreetauctions.com
Old and Modern Masters, Estate
Contents from the late Baroness
Margaret Thatcher, Jewellery Feb 6
Sotheby’s
New Bond St., London W1A 2AA, 020 7293 5000 www.sothebys.com
None listed in February
SOUTH EAST AND EAST
ANGLIA: Inc. Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex
Bishop and Miller
Unit 12 Manor Farm, Glandford, Holt, Norfolk, NR25 7JP 01263 687342
bishopandmillerauctions.co.uk
The Collector, Feb 12
Bellmans
Newpound, Wisborough Green, West Sussex, RH14 0AZ, 01403 700858
www.bellmans.co.uk
Antiques and Interiors, Feb 17-19
Burstow & Hewett
The Auction Gallery, Lower Lake, Battle, East Sussex,TN33 0AT, 01424 772 374
www.burstowandhewett.co.uk
Homes & Interiors, Feb 5-6
Fine Antiques, Feb 27
Fine Art & Sculpture, Feb 27
Catherine Southon
Auctioneers Kingsley House, 5 High Street, Chislehurst, BR7 5AB
Kent, 020 8396 6970 www.catherinesouthon.co.uk Interiors, Feb 12
Henry Adams Auctions
Baffins Hall, Baffins Lane, Chichester, PO19 1UA 01243 532223 www.henryadamsfineart.co.uk An Antiques and Collectables Auction, Feb 20
The Canterbury Auction Galleries 40 Station Road West, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 8AN, 01227 763337
canterburyauctiongalleries.com Antiques, Feb 14-15
Cheffins Clifton House, Clifton Road, Cambridge, CB1 7EA 01223 213343, www.cheffins.co.uk
The Art and Design Sale, Feb 27
Ewbank’s
London Rd, Send, Woking, Surrey, 01483 223 101 www.ewbankauctions.co.uk
Comic Books, Feb 7 Pre-Loved, Vintage and Antique (Timed), Feb 7-13
Toys and Models, Feb 14
Retro Video Games and Trading Cards Collectables (Timed), Feb 7-20
Trading Cards & Retro Video Games. Premier Live Sale, Feb 21 Vintage Posters - The Adam Peasey, Feb 25
Sporting Memorabilia, Feb 26 James Bond, Dec 20
Entertainment and Memorabilia Collectables (Timed), Feb 14-27
Entertainment and MemorabiliaPremier Live, Feb 28
Excalibur Auctions Limited Unit 16 Abbots Business Park Primrose Hill Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, WD4 8FR 020 3633 0913
www.excaliburauctions.com
Marvel, DC and Independent Comic Books, Feb 15
Gorringes
15 North Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2PE, 01273 472503 www.gorringes.co.uk
Toys, Dolls & Teddy Bears, Feb 3
Coins and Stamps, Feb 10
Because this list is compiled in advance, alterations or cancellations to the auctions listed can occur and it is not possible to notify readers of the changes. We strongly advise anyone wishing to attend an auction especially if they have to travel any distance, to telephone the organiser to confirm the details given.
Mid-Century Furniture, Vinyl and Autographs, Feb 17
Books and Manuscripts, Feb 24
Vintage and Collectable Pens, Feb 28
Hanson Ross
Unit 1, The Power House, Lumen Road, Royston, Hertfordshire, SG8 7AG, 01763 430 042
www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk
Royston February Jewellery & Fine Art, Feb 7
John Nicholson’s Longfield, Midhurst Rd, Fernhurst, Haslemere, Surrey, GU27 3HA, 01428 653727
www.johnnicholsons.com
Antiques and General Feb 8
Lacy Scott & Knight
10 Risbygate St, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3AA, 01284 748 623
www.lskauctioncentre.co.uk
Homes and Interiors, Feb 1
Jewellery and Watches, Feb 4
Toys and Models, Feb 28
Lockdales Auctioneers
52 Barrack Square, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP5 3RF 01473 627110
www.lockdales.com
Medals, Militaria and Weapons, Feb 4-5
The Fine Sale, Feb 11-12 Toys, Ceramics and Antiques, Feb 25-26
Mander Auctioneers
The Auction Centre Assington Road Newton, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 0QX, 01787 211847
www.manderauctions.co.uk
Antiques and Interiors. Feb 15
Mander Auctioneers
St Mary Coslany Church, St Mary’s Plain, Norwich, NR3 3AF 01787 211847
www.manderauctions.co.uk
Fine Art, Jewellery & Interiors, Feb 1
Reeman Dansie
8 Wyncolls Road, Severalls Business Park, Colchester, Essex, CO4 9HU, 01206 754754
www.reemandansie.com
Antiques & Fine Art, Feb 18-19
Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers
Cambridge Rd, Stansted
Mountfitchet, Essex, CM24 8GE, 01279 817778
www.sworder.co.uk
Homes and Interiors, Feb 4
Holkham the Attic Sale, Feb 11
Jewellery, Feb 26
Timeline Auctions The Court House, 363 Main Rd, Harwich Essex, CO12 4DN, 01277 815121
www.timelineauctions.co.uk
None listed in February
Toovey’s Antique & Fine Art
Auctioneers Spring Gardens, Washington, West Sussex, RH20 3BS, 01903 891955
www.tooveys.com
British and Continental Ceramics, Glassware, Feb 13
Prints, Maps and Posters, Silver and Plate, Jewellery, Feb 19
Furniture, Collectors’ Items, Works of Art and Light Fittings, Needleworks, Textiles and Clothing, Rugs and Carpets, Feb 20
Stamps, Cigarette and Trade Cards, and Ephemera, Feb 26
T.W. Gaze Diss Auction Rooms, Roydon Road, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 4LN, 01379 650306. www.twgaze.com
Blyth Barn Furniture Auction, Feb 4, 18, 25
Antiques & Interiors, Feb 7, 14, 21, 28
W&H Peacock Auctioneers
Eastcotts Park, Wallis Way Bedford, Bedfordshire MK42 0PE, 01234 266 366 www.peacockauction.co.uk
Mid-Century Design, Feb 21
SOUTH WEST: Inc. Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Wiltshire
Auctioneum
Broadlands Fruit Farm, Box Road, Bathford, Bath BA1 7LR, 01225251303 www.auctioneum.co.uk
Fine Art and Antiques Part 1, Feb 20
Fine Art and Antiques Part 2, Feb 21
Advertising and Automobilia, Feb 21
Books Manuscripts and Works on Paper (Timed), Feb 12-26
Auctioneum East Bristol, Unit 1, Hanham Business Park, Memorial Road, Bristol, BS15 3JE, 0117 967 1000 www.auctioneum.co.uk
None listed in Feb
Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood St. Edmund’s Court, Okehampton Street, Exeter. EX4 1DU, O1392 41310 www.bhandl.co.uk
20th Century & Contemporary Feb 4
Silver & Jewellery Feb 25
British Bespoke Auctions
The Old Boys School, Gretton Rd, Winchcombe, Gloucestershire GL54 5EE, 01242 603005 www.bespokeauctions.co.uk
Winter Auction at Sudeley Castle, Feb 27
Dominic Winter Mallard House, Broadway Lane, South Cerney, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 5UQ, 01285 860006 www.dominicwinter.co.uk
Printed Books, Maps and Documents, Feb 12
Dreweatts Donnington Priory Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 2JE 01635 553 553 www.dreweatts.com
Art and Interiors (Live Online), Feb 6
Old Master, British and European Art (Live Online), Feb 12 Fine Silver and Objects of Vertu (Live Online), Feb 20
Fine Wine, Champagne, Vintage Port and Spirits (Live Online) at Forum Auctions, Feb 26
Duke’s Brewery Square, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1GA, 0105 265080
www.dukes-auctions.com
Sporting and Natural History, Feb 12
Interiors, Feb 27
Gardiner Houlgate
9 Leafield Way, Corsham, Wiltshire, SN13 9SW, 01225 812912
www.gardinerhoulgate.co.uk
The Watch Auction –Wristwatches, Feb 25
The Watch Auction – Pocket Watches, Feb 26
Fine Clocks and Related Items, Feb 27
Hansons Auctioneers
49 Parsons Street, Banbury, Oxford, OX16 5NB, 01295 817777
www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk
Banbury February Fine Art & Antiques, Feb 19
Harper Field Auctioneers
The Stroud Auction Saleroom Ebley Road, Stonehouse, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL10 2LN, 01453 873800
www.harperfield.co.uk
February Auction To Include Guns and Weapons, Medals and Militaria, Taxidermy and Sporting, Ceramics and Glass, Weights and Scales, Scientific Instruments and Cameras, Feb 12-13
Kinghams
10-12 Cotswold Business Village, London Road, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucester, GL56 0JQ, 01608 695695
www.kinghamsauctioneers.com
Cotswold Interiors & Collectors, Feb 27
Jewellery, Watches & Designer Goods, Feb 12 - 13
Lay’s Auctioneers Alverton Road, Penzance, Cornwall. TR18 4RE. 01736 361414
www.davidlay.co.uk
Silver (Timed), ends Feb 2
Rare Books and Works on Paper, Feb 13
Moore Allen & Innocent
Burford Road Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 5RH, 01285 646050
www.mooreallen.co.uk
Timed Vintage and Antique Furniture, ends Feb 2
Vintage and Antique Furniture
Auction to Include Home Interiors, Feb 19 - 20, , Feb 21- Mar 2
Special Auction Services
Plenty Close, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 5RL 01635 580 595 www.specialauctionservices.
The Collector’s Auction , Feb 4-5
Toys for the Collector, Feb 11
Sand and Clay: Ceramics and Glass Auction, Feb 18
The Cotswold Auction Company
Bankside Saleroom, Love Lane, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 1YG, 01285 642420 www.cotswoldauction.co.uk
Toys, Dolls, Models, Antiques and Interiors, Feb 25-26
The Cotswold Auction Company
Chapel Walk Saleroom, Cheltenham, Gloucesterhire, GL50 3DS, 01242 256363 www.cotswoldauction.co.uk
Books, Medals, Militaria, Coins, Stamps & Collectables, Feb 4
Wessex Auction Rooms
Westbrook Far, Draycot Cerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 5LH, 01249 720888 www.wessexauctionrooms.co.uk
Antiques, Collectables & Furniture, Feb 1, 15
Toys, Feb 6-7
Vinyl Records & Music Memorabilia, Feb 13-14
Woolley & Wallis
51-61 Castle Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 3SU, 01722 424500 www.woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Silver and Objects of Vertu, Feb 4-5
Fine Pottery and Porcelain, Feb 5
The Sir Bruno Welby Collection of Porcelain, Feb 6
Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas, Feb 19
EAST MIDLANDS: Inc.
Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Sheffield
Gildings Auctioneers
The Mill, Great Bowden Road, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 7DE. 01858 410414
www.gildings.co.uk
Antiques & Collectors, Feb 11
Jewellery, Watches, and Accessories, Feb 18
Golding Young & Mawer
The Bourne Auction Rooms, Spalding Road, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9LE 01778 422686 www.goldingyoung.com
Bourne Collective Sale, Feb 19
Bourne Collective Sale, Part Two
Feb 20
Golding Young & Mawer
The Grantham Auction Rooms, Old Wharf Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 7AA, 01476 565118
www.goldingyoung.com
Grantham Collective Sale, Feb 12
Grantham Collective Sale Part 2, Feb 13
Golding Young & Mawer
The Lincoln Auction Rooms, Thos Mawer House, Station Road
North Hykeham, Lincoln LN6 3QY, 01522 524984
www.goldingyoung.com
Lincoln Fine Art, Feb 5
Lincoln Collective Sale, Feb 26
Lincoln Collective Sale, Part Two, Feb 27
Hansons Heage Lane, Etwall, Derbyshire, DE65 6LS 01283 733988
www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk
Georgian Auction, Feb 6
Stamps & Philatelic, Feb 1
Four-Day Antiques & Collectors: Including Silver, Jewellery & Watches Feb 13-16
Wine, Whisky & Spirits, Feb 18
Medals, Militaria & Firearms, Feb 26
Coins & Banknotes, Feb 27
Irita Marriott Auctioneers
and Valuers Ltd, William’s Yard Derby Rd, Melbourne, Derbyshire, DE73 8JR. 01332414848
iritamarriottauctioneers.co.uk
Two-Day Antiques and Collectors Auction, Feb 12-13
John Taylors Auction Rooms
The Wool Mart, Kidgate, Louth, Lincolnshire LN11 9EZ 01507 611107
www.johntaylors.com
Antiques, Collectibles, Jewellery, Watches, Pictures, Furniture and more, Feb 4
WEST MIDLANDS: Inc.
Birmingham, Coventry, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire
Cuttlestones Ltd
Pinfold Lane, Penkridge Staffordshire
ST19 5AP, 01785 714905
www.cuttlestones.co.uk
Antiques and Home, Feb 13, 27
Fellows Augusta House, 19 Augusta St, Hockley, Birmingham, B18 6JA , 0121 212 2131 www.fellows.co.uk
Jewellery, Day One, Feb 4
Fieldings Mill Race Lane, Stourbridge, DY8 1JN 01384 444140
www.fieldingsauctioneers.co.uk
Antiques and Interiors, Feb 13-14
Everyday Antiques (Timed), Feb 19-26
A Single Owner Collection of Diecast, Feb 27
Halls Bowmen Way, Battlefield, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 3DR, 01743 450700 www.hallsgb.com/fine-art.com
Ceramics and Pictures Auction, Feb 12
Militaria, Naval and Aviation Auction, Feb 26
Hansons Auctioneers
Bishton Hall, Wolseley Bridge, Stafford, ST18 0XN, 0208 9797954 www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk
Classic Car & Automobilia, Feb 22
Richard Winterton
Lichfield Auction Centre, Wood End Lane, Fradley Park, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 8NF, 01543 251081
www.richardwinterton.co.uk
Antique and Home, Feb 3, 10, 17, 24
Richard Winterton
Tamworth Auction Rooms, 34 -35 Church Street, Tamworth, Staffordshire
B79 7BX, 01827 217746
www.richardwinterton.co.uk
Toys, Trains, Stamps & Militaria
Sale, To Include: Dinky, Corgi, Airfix, Hornby, OO Gauge, Stamps and Militaria, Feb 26
Trevanion The Joyce Building, Station Rd, Whitchurch, Shropshire, SY13 1RD, 01948 800 202 www.trevanion.com
The February Auction, Feb 12
NORTH: Inc. Cheshire, Co. Durham, Cumbria, Humberside, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Sheffield, Yorkshire
Adam Partridge Auctioneers
Withyfold Drive, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 2BD
01625 431 788
www.adampartridge.co.uk
Northern and Contemporary Art Auction, Feb 22
Adam Partridge Auctioneers
The Liverpool Saleroom, 18 Jordan Street, Liverpool, L1 OBP, 01625 431 788
www.adampartridge.co.uk
Antiques and Interiors, With Asian Art, Feb 20-21
Anderson and Garland Crispin Court, Newbiggin Lane, Westerhope, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE5 1BF, 0191 430 3000
www.andersonandgarland.com
The Collectors’ Auction, Feb 6 Silver, Jewellery and Watches, Feb 11
The Music Auction, Feb 19 Homes and Interiors, Feb 25
British Toy Auctions
9 Berkeley Court Manor Park, Runcorn Cheshire, WA7 1TQ 01928 579032
www.britishtoyauctions.co.uk
Vintage Diecast and Tin-plate Toys, Model Railways and more, Feb 3, 10, 17, 24
Capes Dunn The Auction Galleries, 40 Station Rd, Heaton, Mersey, Cheshire, SK4 3QT. 0161 273 1911
www.capesdunn.com
Interiors, Vintage & Modern Furniture & Effects, Feb 17
Jewellery, Silver, Watches & Gold Coins, Feb 18
Hawleys Auctioneers, Albion House, Westgate, North Cave, Brough, Beverley, East Yorkshire, HU15 2NJ, 01482 868193
www.hawleys.info
Antiques and Fine Art, Feb 15-16
David Duggleby Auctioneers
The Gallery Saleroom, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO11 1XN, 01723 507 111
www.davidduggleby.com
The Silver Sale, Feb 5
Furniture, Rugs and Interiors, Feb 5, 26
Jewellery and Watches, Feb 6, 27
Affordable Art, Feb 6, 27
Antiques and Decorative Objects, Feb 7, 28
Affordable Antiques and Collectors, Feb 7, 28
Coins and Banknotes, Feb 20
The Stamp Sale, Feb 20
Because this list is compiled in advance, alterations or cancellations to the auctions listed can occur and it is not possible to notify readers of the changes. We strongly advise anyone wishing to attend an auction especially if they have to travel any distance, to telephone the organiser to confirm the details given.
Duggleby Stephenson
The Saleroom, York Auction Centre, Murton, York, YO19 5GF,01904 393 300 www.dugglebystephenson.com
The Silver Sale, Feb 13
Jewellery and Watches, Feb 13 Antiques and Decorative Objects, Feb 13
Affordable Antiques and Collectors, Feb 13
Fine and Affordable Art, Feb 14 Furniture, Rugs and Interiors, Feb 14
Elstob Ripon Business Park, Charter Rd, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 1AJ, 01677 333003
www.elstob.co.uk
Fine Art and Antiques, Feb 26
Omega Auctions Ltd
Sankey Valley Industrial Estate, Newton-Le-Willows, Merseyside WA12 8DN, 01925 873040
www.omegaauctions.co.uk
Audio Equipment and Music Memorabilia, Day One, Feb 25
Rare and Collectable Vinyl Records, Day Two, Feb 26
Ryedale Auctioneers Cooks
Yard, New Rd, Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire, YO62 6DZ, 01751 431 544
www.ryedaleauctioneers.com
Country House Sale including Mouseman and Yorkshire Oak, Feb 14
Toys, Models, Comics and Sci-Fi, Feb 21-22
Sheffield Auction Gallery
Windsor Road, Heeley, Sheffield, S8 8UB, 0114 281 6161
www.sheffieldauctiongallery.com
Specialist Collectable Coins Auction, Feb 27
Specialist Collectable Stamps Auction, Feb 27
Tennants Auctioneers
The Auction Centre, Harmby Road, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 5SG, 01969 623780
Antiques and Interiors, to include a Section of Silver, Feb 7
Fashion, Costume and Textiles, Feb 7
Coins and Banknotes, Feb 12
Stamps, Postcards and Postal History, Feb 19
Antiques and Interiors, to include Beswick and Border Fine Arts, Feb 21
A Single Owner Royal Mint Collection - Part Two, Feb 26
Thomson Roddick Callan
The Auction Centre, Marconi Road, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA2 7NA 01228 535 288 www.thomsonroddick.com
Carlisle - Lots of Antiquarian & Collectable Books, Maps and Related Items, Feb 6
Wilson55 Victoria Gallery, Market St, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 5DG, 01270 623 878 www.wilson55.com
Firearms, Shotguns, Airguns, Arms and Militaria, Feb 5
SCOTLAND
Lyon & Turnbull 33 Broughton Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3RR, 0131 557 8844
www.lyonandturnbull.com
Books and Manuscripts, Feb 5
The Art Edit, Feb 11
Five Centuries, Feb 19-20
McTears Auctioneers
31 Meiklewood Rd, Glasgow, G51 4GB, 0141 810 2880 www.mctears.co.uk
Antiques and Interiors, Feb 6, 20
Militaria, Maps and Ethnographica, Feb 12
The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction, Dec 5
19th and 20th Century Design, Feb 12
Silver and Luxury Accessories, Feb 13
Asian Art, Feb 13
Ramsey Cornish
15-17 Jane Street, Edinburgh EH6 5HE, 0131 553 7000 www.ramsaycornish.com
Homes & Interiors, Feb 14, 28
The Decorative House: Antiques & Interiors, Feb 22
Thomson Roddick Callan
The Auction Centre, Irongray Road Industrial Estate, Dumfries, DG2 0JE, 01387 721 635
www.thompsonroddick.com 01558 823 430 Home Furnishings & Interiors, Feb 11, 25
Thomson Roddick Callan
The Auction Centre, 118 Carnethie Street, Edinburgh, EH24 9AL 0131 440 2448
www.thompsonroddick.com Interiors, Feb 3
Thomson Roddick Callan
The Auction Centre, 22 Smith Street, Ayr, KA7 1TF, 01292 267681
www.thomsonroddick.com
Antiques and Modern Furniture,, Feb 13, 27
Anthemion Auctions, 15 Norwich Road, Cardiff, CF23 9AB, 029 2047 2444 www.anthemionauction.com
Fine and Antique Auction to include Jewellery, Silver, Ceramics, Glass, Paintings, Furniture, Clocks, Works of Art, Books, Sporting Memorabilia, Feb 12
Jones & Llewelyn Unit B, Beechwood Trading Estate, Carmarthenshire, SA19 7HR, www.jonesandllewelyn.com
General Sale, Feb 8, 22
Rogers Jones & Co
Colwyn Bay Saleroom, 33 Abergele Road, Colwyn Bay, Conwy, North Wales, LL29 7RU, 01492 532176
www.rogersjones.co.uk
None listed in Feb
Rogers Jones & Co 17
Llandough Trading Est, Penarth, Cardiff, CF11 8RR, 02920 708125 www.rogersjones.co.uk
None listed in Feb
Adam’s 26, Stephens Green, Dublin 2, D02 X665, Ireland, 00 353 1 6760261 www.adams.ie
None listed in Feb
DeVeres 35 Kildare Street Dublin, D02 X088. Ireland, 00 353 1 676 8300 www.deveres.ie
Antiques, Furniture, Paintings, Feb 18
Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers
The Old Cinema, Chatsworth St, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny, R95 XV05 00 353 (0)56 4441229 www.fonsiemealy.ie
None listed in Feb
O’Reillys126 Francis St, The Liberties, Dublin 8, D08 E0C3 00 353 (0)1 453 0311 www.oreillysfineart.com Jewellery, Coins, Paintings, Feb 19
Sheppards The Square, Durrow, Co. Laois, R32 FN88, Ireland 00 353 (0)57 874 0000 www.sheppards.ie
None listed in Feb
Coachmans Holiday Cottage and The Antiques Source
Country House Style Created with Antiques in West Wiltshire. The perfect self catering retreat for guests in the Village of Steeple Ashton
See www.coachmans -cottage.com for Holidays And www.theantiquessource.co.uk for Antiques
Contact Penny Email: phornseys@gmail.com Tel: 01380 870764 for Antique Sales or Bookings
Hundreds of indoor and outdoor stalls offering everything from furniture through to toys. A fair not to be missed!
For a superb selection of over 100 Genuine Antique longcase, wall, and bracket clocks Open 7 days by appointment
Dame Laura Knight R.A. (British, 18771970), ‘Hop Picking’ – sold for £71,500
NATIONWIDE VALUATIONS & ADVICE
SPECIALISTS IN SINGLE-OWNER COLLECTIONS NATIONWIDE VALUATIONS & ADVICE
Whaley Bridge, High Peak, Derbyshire
Jewellery | Watches | Silver | Ceramics | Glass | Decorative Arts Paintings | Furniture | Clocks | Design | Books | Designer Goods 10-12 Cotswold Business Village, London Road, Moreton-in-Marsh, GL56 0JQ 01608 695695 enquiries@kinghamsauctioneers.com www.kinghamsauctioneers.com
Tel: 07767 617507 or 01663 733209 www.antique-clock.co.uk
Three Counties Showground, Worcs. WR13 6NW.
Antiques Roadshow expert Marc Allum tries to bring order to his chaotic workshop and shares some of his restoration know-how
Irarely make New Year’s resolutions. Mainly because there is no chance of sticking to them. However, I do try to start the year with a clean brush and ideas on how to organise things better. is generally involves trying to rationalise possessions; clearing out the detritus that comes with collecting and trying to nish any number of ongoing restoration and repair projects. Despite a few mistakes, I’ve always been rather proud of my abilities to bring tired-looking artefacts back to life, especially without damaging them. I am, in essence, a competent restorer who knows his limitations.
I was struck by the conservation bug three days after Christmas when I decided to stick the heads back on some 18th-century Derby and Sta ordshire pearlware gures and remodel a few missing parts. However, like so many projects, it stalled when I became sidetracked by other things.
My workshop is a typically Virgoan arrangement of polishing wheels, neatly lined up containers of now
On with her head.
repairs a Derby pearlware gure, image
Below right Marc has some handy hints for cleaning antiques, image Shutterstock
banned substances; you know, the ones that used to work before all the new eco rules came in.
Paint stripper, acids, oils and waxes salvaged from old sheds and disbanded workshops – some of them antiques in their own right. Consequently, even my workshop, bulging with salvaged ‘junk’ and half- nished endeavours, has become its own organisational project.
Very little workbench is now visible to work on. I’ve recently been threatened with the ultimate, and unthinkable, sanction that if I don’t clear it up, it’ll be loaded into a skip while I’m o lecturing. Such an act would imperil a 30-year collection of cherished materials, gold leaf, rare lacquers, metal powders, brass handles, handmade screws, box escutcheons, vintage light bulbs and antique light ttings, which have been moved from workshop to workshop over the decades. Just the thought makes me shudder.
But there is some order in the chaos and, over the years, I have learned a great deal. One tip is on how to clean brass – something the cleaning manufacturers don’t want you to know. Simply immerse the tarnished object in cheap vinegar with salt added to it. Remove it when the chemical reaction has done its job; clean the liquid o before bu ng with polish for extra shine. It saves hours – although I must add the caveat that, if in doubt, ask the advice of a professional cleaner as patination can be an integral part of an object’s history and value.
Now, that said, I’d better heed my own advice and clean that pile of brass lamps stacked in my workshop.
Marc Allum is an author, lecturer and specialist on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. For more details go to www.marcallum.co.uk
‘My
workshop is a typically Virgoan arrangement of polishing wheels, neatly lined up containers of now banned substances; you know, the ones that used to work before all the new eco rules came in. Paint stripper, acids, oils and waxes salvaged from old sheds and disbanded workshops - some of them antiques in their own right’
Alfies, a sprawling cluster of Victorian and Art Deco buildings in Marylebone, is London’s biggest and most established antique and vintage market. Over the last 48 years, its 80 specialist dealers have built up a vast clientele of regular collectors and customers from around the world.
