Antique Collecting magazine March 2024

Tuesday

Estimate £800 - £1,200

Estimate £3,000 - £5,000

Estimate £300 - £500

Estimate £300 - £500

Extensive

Estimate £10,000 - £15,000

Estimate £1,500 - £2,500

Georgian Japanned secretaire cabinet

M. L Wallen portrait of Charles Dyson Perrins

Royal Copenhagen Blue Fluted wares

Emmanuel Villanis 'Salome' bronze bust

19th century Chinese export gaming box

George III silver twinhandled pedestal tea urn

Perhaps you, like me, were one of the hundreds (or probably thousands) who made the pilgrimage to Salvage Hunters star, Drew Pritchard’s antiques shop in the north Welsh town of Conwy. While I can’t confess to being a super fan (I was staying with friends in Nefyn just down the coast) there is something about the at-capped, blunt-speaking, treasure-hunting Welshman that cannot be ignored. Foremost is his unerring ability to snu e out pieces that are just ‘right’.

What he might lack in high-end connoisseurship is more than made up for in his undeniable skill in understanding the market; handpicking pieces simply because they made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. If you are in any doubt have a look at our feature on page 34 covering the two-day sale of his personal collection by the Berkshire auctioneers Dreweatts this month. Every lot is elegant, intriguing and really just rather lovely.

Good design and craftsmanship are two elements Drew prizes highly, so it’s no surprise his stock over the years has included pieces by Robert ‘Mouseman’ ompson – the north Yorkshire furniture maker whose arts and crafts style pieces are recognisable by the trademark carvings of a mouse. For almost a century ompson’s designs have been sought after by collectors and interiors specialists alike. On page 18, ahead of a major sale this month, including a number of single-owner collections, we look at his career and how each mouse reveals more about a piece than just its maker. It’s all in the paws.

Elsewhere, on page 41, we welcome one of the most recognisable faces in the antiques business – Eric Knowles – as a new columnist. What Eric doesn’t know about collectables isn’t worth knowing and in this magazine he reveals why the well-dressed Victorian appreciated nothing more than a snake-shaped ring.

On page 24 we go behind the scenes at a new exhibition on the 18th-century history painter and portraitist Angelica Kau man opening at the Royal Academy; while on page 42, a century on from the publication of the rst Winnie-the-Pooh book, you can discover everything you need to know about collecting those classic A.A. Milnes books. Enjoy the issue.

DAVID HARVEY

Sings the praises of majestic satinwood, page 16 IRITA

Gets on track with a racing suit worn and signed by Sir Stirling Moss, page 32

ERIC KNOWLES

On the ancient symbol of the ouroboros and its popularity on Victorian jewellery, page 41

1PE,

Georgina Wroe, Editor

www.antique-collecting. co.uk and follow us on X and Instagram @AntiqueMag

PAUL FRASER

Reveals the signature every collector should own in 2024, page 56

Georgina Wroe, georgina. wroe@accartbooks.com

Online Editor: Richard Ginger, richard.ginger@accartbooks.com

Design: Philp Design, philpdesign.co.uk Advertising and subscriptions: Charlotte Kettell 01394 389969, charlotte.kettell @accartbooks.com

REGULARS

3 Editor’s Welcome: Georgina Wroe introduces the March magazine

6 Antiques News: Find out what to get in the diary this month, with our fourpage guide to all the latest from the world of antiques and ne art

year’s hottest collecting area?

Memorabilia expert Paul Fraser has all the answers

10 Your Letters: ere is a call to identify a striking wall clock and praise for the production team behind e Crown

12 Around the Houses: Winston Churchill’s dentures are a hit in the Cotswolds, while a display case of dressed eas leaps past its guide price

16 Waxing Lyrical: David Harvey marvels at the beauty of satinwood, a much loved wood of the Georgian era

of £500-£700 at the two-day sale of the Drew Pritchard collection.

Saleroom Spotlight: One of the largest collections of art medals ever amassed goes under the hammer this month. What are they, and why are they so collectable?

Lots of Love: Bargain Hunt star and auctioneer Irita Marriott is revved up when a racing suit worn, owned and signed by Sir Stirling Moss was consigned for sale in her new auction house

In the Knowles: Antiques legend Eric Knowles joins the team. In his debut column he considers why a tail-eating snake was all the rage among fashionable Victorian men and women

Subscription O er: Save more than a third on the latest subscription o er and you, or a friend, receives a free gift and the magazine delivered straight to your door

50 Puzzle Pages: ink you know antiques? Pit you wits against our resident quiz editor Peter Wade-Wright

52 Top of the Lots: A life-time collection of fairground art goes under the hammer in Essex while recently discovered letters by the Romantic poet and the Swiss philosopher Rousseau appear on the rostrum in London

54 Book O ers: Bone up your arts knowledge with the latest titles from our sister publisher ACC Art Books and save more than a third on the RRP

57 Fairs News: Collectors will be ocking to the capital this month for the 39th London Original Print Fair, while highend antiques bu s head to the Netherlands for TEFAF Maastricht

58 Fairs Calendar: Our up-to-date guide to some of the largest – and smallest –events going on around the UK in the month of March

60 Auctions Calendar: Never miss another sale in your area and beyond. Our ve-page guide will steer you to all the best auctions this month

66 Marc My Words: Antiques Roadshow expert Marc Allum discovers that his business is full of rats – although these ones are four-legged

FEATURES

18 Mouse in the House: Furniture by the maker Robert ‘Mouseman’ ompson is some of the most recognisable to appear in UK salerooms. As a major sale gets underway this month Antique Collecting presents its ultimate guide

24 Miss Angel: In the late 18th century the Swiss artist Angelica Kauffmantook the London and European artworld by storm. As a new exhibitionis unveiled at the Royal Academy we gobehind the scenes

34 A Room With a Drew: Salvage Hunter Drew Pritchard is holding a “palate cleansing” sale of his collection in Berkshire this month. Discover his secrets and how you can own one of his trademark pieces

42 Bear Essentials: A century on from the publication of the firstWinnie-thePooh book –one of the best-loved children’s books ever – specialist Dr Philip W. Errington reveals if your much-read copy could be worth a fortune

WHAT’S ON IN MARCH

A NTIQUE news

ere’s a chance to see 100 life-size sculptures by Antony Gormley this month and go behind the scenes of life in the Roman army

left e King’s

Doll’s face

e largest and most famous dolls’ house in the world takes centre stage in a year of celebrations in 2024, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the making of the miniature miracle.

e Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House housed at Windsor Castle was built between 1921 and 1924 as a gift from the nation to Queen Mary following WWI.

e perfect 1:12 scale replica of an Edwardian residence, including electricity, working lifts and running water, took 1,500 people to make.

It went on display at the castle in 1925 and this year’s centenary will see a tiny grand piano (fully strung and with functioning keys) and the miniature Crown Jewels (inset with real diamonds, rubies and, sapphires) go on show.

While the grandest rooms are above stairs, the servants’ quarters include a vacuum cleaner, which was a relatively new innovation in the 1920s; a sewing machine, complete with thread and minuscule scissors and a copper kettle made from a coin, with the King’s head still visible on its base.

DETECTING CONSTABLE

Below left e annual deep clean of Blenheim Palace is underway

Below John Constable’s (1776–1837) e Hay Wain (1821) © e National Gallery, London

Palace coo

The annual deep clean of one of the country’s bestloved palaces has begun.

The spruce up of Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, home to the dukes of Marlborough since 1705, includes everything from silverware to tables and tapestries, as well as 18 clocks, 38 pieces of armour and 40 different busts and sculptures.

Each requires specialist techniques somtimes using distilled water and no aerosol sprays.

The eight-week spring clean is due to finish this month. For more details or to book a visit go to www.blenheimpalace.com

Ever wanted to know what makes John Constable’s The Hay Wain (1821) such an iconic painting? This autumn the National Gallery in London explores the hidden meanings of the seemingly tranquil portrayal of 19th-century Suffolk countryside – which was seen as controversial when it first went on show.

In the mid 1800s the hierarchy of art styles saw landscape painting as inferior to other genres, sparking much public debate. Added to which Constable’s brushwork was loose and broad for the time, using a colour palette not derived from nature – another factor putting him at odds with earlier artists.

Discover Constable and The Hay Wain is on at the gallery’s Sunley Room from October 17 to February 2025.

Top

bedroom in the famous dolls’ house, image Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2024

1Fashion forward

e rst London exhibition devoted to the fashion icon Biba opens this month, charting the rm’s meteoric rise from a mail order catalogue in 1963 to a seven-storey department store on Kensington High Street at the heart of the Swinging Sixties.

e Fashion and Textile Museum in Bermondsey unveils e Biba Story: 1964-1975, from March 22 to September 8, celebrating the brand’s iconic look – and its legendary founder Barbara Hulanicki – from leopard print coats to oppy hats and feather boas.

3 Roman guard

Life as a member of one of the most elite ghting forces of all time – the Roman army – is put in the spotlight at a major new exhibition at the British Museum this month.

Legion: Life in the Roman Army, on until June 23, explores the reality of daily life for the men, women and children who were part of a military machine which protected a superpower for more than half a millennium – at its height policing a quarter of the global population.

Many of the items will be on display in the UK for the rst time ever, including the world’s only intact legionary shield (on its maiden transatlantic loan from Yale ) and the oldest and most complete classic Roman segmental body armour, recently unearthed from the battle eld at Kalkriese in Germany in 2018.

Left Twiggy in Biba © Justin De Villeneuve, Iconic Images

Right Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) e Laughing Man c. 16291630, Mauritshuis, e Hague

Far right Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), Head Study of an Old Woman Seen from the Front, c.1617 © e Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp

Below right Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) Girl with the Red Hat, c.1665-1667, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington

2 Face the future

Work by some of the best-known artists of the Dutch Golden Age and Flemish Baroque is on show in Dublin this month.

3

to see in March

Far left Dress by Biba © Fashion Museum Bath Bridgeman Images

Left Biba crepe out t, 1972 Photo Du y © Du y Archive

Right Tombstone of an imaginifer’s daughter, AD 100-300 © e Trustees of the British Museum

Far right

Tiberius, an iron sword with gilded bronze scabbard © e Trustees of the British Museum

Below right legionary helmet made of copper alloy © e Trustees of the British Museum

Turning Heads: Rubens, Rembrandt and Vermeer, on at the National Gallery of Ireland until May 26, is dedicated to ‘the tronie’ – an old Dutch word for face – and celebrates artists’ portrayal, character studies and facial expressions.

At the forefront of the exhibition will be one of Vermeer’s most exquisitely detailed tronies, Girl with the Red Hat (c. 1665-1667), which has rarely been seen outside the US in the last century, along (1629-1630), depicting a mirthful man baring crooked teeth.

Bug’s life

Relive childhood memories at an exhibition in Bath this month when some of the most iconic children’s books ever created are in the spotlight. The Victoria Art Gallery is staging the exhibition The Wonderful World of the Ladybird Book Artists until April 14. It is curated by Ladybird expert Helen Day, who has spent more than 20 years collecting and researching the famous books. As well as showcasing the books, the exhibition reveals the illustrators behind the titles from 1940 to 1975.

Garden party

A large-scale art installation featuring 100 lifesize sculptures heads to a Norfolk stately home next month for its UK debut.

Time Horizon, Sir Antony Gormley’s largescale installation, will be displayed across the grounds and through the house at Houghton Hall, near West Rudham, from April 21 to October 31.

Some of the cast-iron sculptures, each weighing 620kg and 1.9m tall, will be buried, allowing only a part of the head to be visible, while others are buried to the chest or knees.

COLD FRONT

A new exhibition in Edinburgh will use 190 objects to explore the central position Scotland played on the frontline of the Cold War from 1947-1991.

POT LIGHT

Scotland’s unique geography and topography provided a useful base for allied military preparations and research during the 40-year nuclear stand-off between the USA and the Soviet Union following the end of WWII.

The exhibition, which opens on July 13, will also reveal the physical remains of the period including ruined bases, forgotten bunkers and decommissioned nuclear power stations still evident across the Scottish landscape.

On show will be a Geiger counter used by East Ayrshire farmers to test for radiation in sheep following the Chernobyl Disaster in 1986. For more details or to book a ticket go to www.nms.ac.uk

30 seconds with...

Husband and wife team

Cathy and Peter Bullen, founders of the Frenchstyle brocante Boule-in

What items are currently selling well?

At the moment the clean lines of art deco and mid-century is on-trend, particularly with the young. Another consideration can be limited space in 21st-century accommodation so we’re finding it’s a huge asset for furniture and collectables to be functional as well as decorative.

Which items are the ones to watch?

Personally we believe that quality always

counts: decorative trends come and go but beautiful, authentic, design pieces in good condition will always sell. Trends seem to turn in a 50-60-year cycle, so perhaps we’ll see the return of ’90’s chateau-chic (but definitely without the shabby!)

Tell us some trade secrets – what key questions should buyers ask?

Provenance is key – so always try to authenticate an antique piece by finding out as much information as you can about it and wherever possible get certified proof of the story.

We pride ourselves that we personally source all our collections in Provence, so we’re already a direct link in the chain of the piece’s history. Building long-term relationships with dealers is another great

Ceramic Art London, Europe’s largest ceramics fair, is moving to bigger premises for its 20th edition next month.

Organised by e Craft Potters Association, the event will take place in the large location of Olympia in west London from April 19-21. ere will be 120 makers exhibiting at the event – coming from as far a eld as Guatemala, Greece and South Korea – with prices ranging from just £50 to up to £10,000.

Tickets can be bought in advance at www.ceramicartlondon.com

asset as trust and respect comes into the partnership and you have a good idea that their information is reliable.

Where are your favourite antique hunting destinations?

As we’re French antique specialists our hunting grounds are all in the south of France. We regularly visit the brocantes and vide greniers of Hyéres, Toulon and Marseille as well as Cogolin and St Tropez.

They’re all authentic brocantes which produce well-priced, local artisanal antiques – as long as you make it clear you’re not a tourist browsing!

The Boule-in’s upcoming Fête du Printemps takes place from March 23 to April 1 in Bildeston, Suffolk

Above Ladybird expert and enthusiast Helen Day has curated the exhibition Above Polaris Demonstration at Holy Loch, February 3, 1961. Image Trinity Mirror Mirrorpix, Alamy

Above Antony Gormley installs his work Time Horizon at Houghton Hall in Norfolk © Pete Huggins

Below e event was previously held at Central St Martins, picture credit Ceramic Art London

Tree of knowledge

e National Trust has launched a new awards scheme worth £5,000 to support the next Sir Isaac Newton. Applicants, aged between 16 and 25, have until next month to enter a ‘Time and Space’ award, which encourages new ideas to be brought to life at Newton’s home, Woolsthorpe Manor, near Grantham.

Aged just 23, Newton had his ‘year of wonders’ after being forced home from university by a pandemic – the Great Plague in 1665.

During his isolation he made worldchanging discoveries about calculus, optics, motion and gravity. e award is one of a host of plans launched by the trust in 2024.

HANGED TO RIGHTS

A complete rehang at one of the country’s most popular galleries seeks to shed new light on the treasures in houses from the 1500s to the present day. Visitors to Tate Britain in London can view more than 800 works by 350 artists with a mind to the era they were produced in.

Now each room at the Pimlico gallery has a distinct title and theme exploring artworks in their social contexts, revealing how artists responded to the cultural and economic climate of their day. Director, Alex Farquharson, said: “Exploring connections between artists and their times sheds new light on the UK’s greatest artworks.”

Ever Blades

Star of the BBC’s hit programme e Repair Shop, Jay Blades is to host Craftworks, a brand new three-day celebration of the best in British craft and design.

e event, from May 15-17 at Shoreditch Town Hall in London, hopes to attract the next generation of makers to future-proof some of the world’s oldest craft practices. Exhibitors include the Cornish silversmith Anna Rennie, Bridget Bailey whose artworks are inspired by her allotment, and Hampshire-based Colin Norgate who has spent the last 35 years working in wood using traditional methods with pieces ranging from a small spurtle to several commissions and larger ecclesiastical pieces. For more details of the event go to www.craftworksshow.com

TWO’S A CHARM

A brooch bought at a market in the 1980s for less than £20 goes under the hammer this month expected to make £15,000 after its owner recognised it when a clip from the Antiques Roadshow’s ‘most-wanted’ appeared on her phone.

A sketch of the silver, coral, lapis lazuli and malachite brooch by the great Victorian designer William Burges (1827-1881), first appeared on the Roadshow in 2011 when jewellery expert Geoffrey Munn revealed his desire to find nine ‘lost’ brooches by Burges, sparking one owner to come forward. After seeing a clip of the programme, Flora Steel revealed herself as the owner of another sought-after Bruges brooch. The brooch will be sold at Gildings’ jewellery and watches auction on March 19.

Above right One of the rst ‘lost’ brooches by William Burges sold for £31,500 in 2011.

Right Another Burges brooch may make the same amount when it goes under the hammer this month

Turning Japanese

e largest ever exhibition in the UK dedicated to Mingei, the in uential Japanese folk-craft movement of the 1920s and 1930s opens in London this month.

e William Morris Gallery in London hosts the exhibition Art Without Heroes: Mingei from March 23 to September 22.

e term mingei was coined by the Japanese philosopher and critic Yanagi Setsu (1889-1961) to mean ‘the art of the people’ and ascribes cultural value to traditional craft objects, often with unnamed makers, re ecting William Morris’s own arts and crafts philosophy.

Above London’s Tate Britain has had a complete rehang

Above (l to r) Jay Blades MBE, Nicola and Chris Cox in the Cox London studio, picture Alun Callender

Above Isaac Newton’s apple tree still stands at Woolsthorpe Manor, Lincolnshire © National Trust, Annapurna Mellor

Below Kokeshi artisan Okazaki Ikuo at his studio in Zao Onsen, Yamagata Prefecture © Okazaki Manami

Your Let ters

is month’s postbag delivers praise for the hit show e Crown and memories of a trip to the Su olk village of Polstead – site of a notorious 19th-century murder

I am attaching an image of a ‘Downton’ clock which I acquired recently. As far as I know it was manufactured in 1886 in Downton, Hampshire; or in Downton, Herefordshire; or even in Downton, Powys, Wales, and a further possibility is that it was made in Downton, Shropshire.

Apart from this small amount of information I have not been able to nd any other information on it at all! I was wondering if any of your readers could provide me with any further knowledge about it.

Martin Briggs, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, by email

As someone who has been addicted to e Crown from the rst episode of the rst series, I was delighted to get a behind-the-scenes look at the lengths to which the talented production team went to create the programme’s authenticity. One of the more heated debates my husband and I have is which actress made the best Queen Elizabeth II (I am team Clare Foy, he is for Imelda Staunton.) At the time of writing the online sale has yet to open but when it does, my better half is charged with bidding on the silver-plated drinks tray and accessories. What better way to enjoy a Dubonnet – the Queen Mother’s favourite tipple – than served from her replica tumbler, with ice picked from her replica silverplated ice tongs. I know it’s not exactly the set, but a girl can dream!

Joyce Green, London, 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

Above right Jill was intrigued by souvenirs surrounding the infamous 1827 Red Barn Murder, such as this Sta ordshire gure depicting the macabre event, image courtesy of Bonhams

Above left Which Downton does the clock originate from?

Below left Clare Foy is Joyce’s favourite Queen Elizabeth, image courtesy of Net ix

Below e drinks tray, soda syphon and other accessories, have an estimate of £60-£80, image courtesy of Bonhams

What a great magazine Antique Collecting is! I picked up a complimentary copy at the November Compton Verney Fair. Upon reading, I saw a letter responding to an article in the October issue re. the infamous 1827 Red Barn Murder in Polstead, Su olk. I was taken to Polstead whilst researching my family tree some years ago and had come across the story.

While speaking to the subscriptions manager, Charlotte, who very kindly sent me the previous article, I decided to subscribe and haven’t once regretted it. Always a good read and what a lovely surprise to see David Harvey as a regular contributor.  As for the free gift Water Lilies’... stunning!   ank you to the entire team.

Jill

Froggatt, by email

‘I decided to subscribe to the magazine and haven’t once regretted it. Always a good read and what a lovely surprise to see David Harvey as a regular contributor.’

The answers to the quiz on page 38.

Q1 (b). They were introduced c. 1770 and were a little like a coffee pot but with a separate section for hot water. Q2 (c). They were given as a courting gift and mirrored those produced by the Chinese for export. Q3 (b). Note: An arbor is a shaft of a clock wheel. Q4 (a). Q5 (d). Contact with the skin’s secretions gave a fake patina of age.

Q6 (c). Using cobalt oxide, and also known as smales. Q7 (c). The first ever ‘annual’ is thought to have appeared in England in 1825. Q8 (d). The menuisier and ébéniste were distinct. The ébéniste produced veneered pieces, the menuisier (carpenter or joiner) made plain or carved wood furniture. Q9 (b). Q10 (a).

Uncoil sins, can be rearranged to make the word inclusions; nebula treat, is an anagram of entablature, neon riots can make the word ironstone and sue poser is an anagram of the word repousse.

A ROUND the HOUSES

A set of Mexican dressed eas and the microphone used by Winston Churchill to issue his famous VE Day speech were among the recent lots sold by UK auctioneers

Tennants, Leyburn

An antique cello was music to the ears of the North Yorkshire auctioneers when it more than scraped past its pre-sale estimate of £800-£1,200 to sell for £17,000.

The early 19th-century cello sold for £17,000 against a guide price of £800-£1,200

e cello, possibly English and dated to pre-1820, attracted signi cant levels of interest before selling to a telephone bidder. With signs of use and a couple of cracks, the cello had an ebony ngerboard and ttings and was tted with a wooden case and bow.

Scienti c curios attracted bidders at the same sale, with a cased collection of 30 pairs of glass eyes, selling for £380, against an estimate of £200-300, and a life-size model showing the muscles of a human leg, matching its top estimate of £300.

Scientific curios including a life-size model of a human leg attracted bidders

The colourful case of glass pupils sold for an eyepopping £380

Sworders, Stansted Mount tchet

A recently rediscovered arts and crafts piano designed by one of the best-known members of the Guild of Handicraft sold for £16,000 at the Essex auction house’s recent sale, beating its pre-sale estimate of £6,000-£8,000.

e upright, designed by Charles Robert Ashbee (18631942) and made of Spanish mahogany, was one of ve Broadwood pianos made with Ashbee casings for the famous guild.

Purchased in 1902 for £118.2.6, the piano was part of the British Applied Arts Exhibition at the National Museum of Decorative Art in Budapest in the same year.

Hansons Ross, Royston

A 19th-century Native American wolf mask used by a tribe on the northwest coast, beat its £50-£100 estimate to fetch £14,000 at the Hertfordshire auction house’s recent sale.

Shamanic masks or headdresses, often depicting spirit animals, were worn during important ceremonial occasions. While most are attributed to the Haida people, they were also made by the Tlingit and the Tsimshian in British Columbia. is example, measuring 15in (37cm) long, is made out of wood, animal hide and human hair, with abalone shell inlays ashing from the eyes and the teeth. Although it was catalogued as ‘a carved wood tribal ceremonial horse’s head mask’, it more likely evokes a wolf and would have been used in the walas’axa, or wolf, dance.

The wolf mask had been expected to make £50-£100 but sold for £14,000

The piano casing was designed by Charles Robert Ashbee (18631942)

Lawrences, Crewkerne

A rare 19th-century doll made by the famous French maker Jumeau, recently found discarded in a trunk, sold for a midestimate price of £1,200 at the Somerset auctioneer’s recent sale.

e 46cm tall porcelain doll head with glass paperweight eyes, came with some clothing and a brass miniature bed.

Jumeau, founded in the early 1840s, designed and manufactured high-quality bisque dolls and became known for their rst-rate heads which are widely collected.

Woolley & Wallis, Salisbury

Five sets of 19th-century Mexican dressed eas sold at the Wiltshire auction house’s recent sale for £1,000, jumping past their guide price of £500-£800.

e practice of clothing eas, also referred to as Pulgas Vestidas, originated with Mexican nuns as a way of subsidising their convents before becoming novelties aimed at the tourist market. Usually modelled as a bride and groom, the tableaux sometimes feature a farming scene or occasionally a full mariachi band with their instruments.

Excalibur, Kings Langley

e most coveted of all Star Wars gures, a 1978

Star Wars Jawa

gure by Palitoy, found in a loft, sold for £15,000, beating its low estimate of £10,000 in the auction house’s Hertfordshire saleroom.

e vendor who worked as Marvel UK’s art director between 1974 and 1979, discovered the gure while unpacking lm memorabilia given to him by the company.

e Cotswold Auction Company, Cheltenham

A set of Winston Churchill’s false teeth, expected to make £5,000 to £8,000, sold for £18,000 at the Gloucestershire auctioneer’s sale. e gold-mounted dentures were one of four identical sets designed by the wartime leader’s dentist, Sir Wilfred Fish, to preserve Churchill’s natural lisp. e former PM was beset with dental problems and lost several teeth in his 20s.

Churchill used the microphone for one of four speeches given on VE Day on May 8 1945

At the same sale the microphone Churchill used on VE Day to announce the end of WWII, estimated to make £5,000-£8,000, sold for £11,500. Churchill gave four recorded VE Day speeches on May 8, 1945, and made several public appearances. Following his victory broadcast to the nation from the cabinet room at Downing Street, Churchill travelled to the House of Commons where he requested MPs join him at the nearby church of St. Margaret, Westminster, to “give thanks to almighty God for our deliverance from the threat of German domination.” Director Liz Poole said: “Churchill’s false teeth must be among the most unusual items we have ever sold.”

Churchill’s gold-mounted dentures sold for £18,000 in the Cotswolds

ere are only 10-15 documented carded Star Wars Jawa gures known to exist. To add to its rarity the gure had its original vinyl cape, which was later substituted with a cloth cape not long into production.

Halls, Shrewsbury

A 19th-century Napoleonic snu box, expected to make £200-£300 at the Shropshire auctioneer’s recent sale, hammered at £900.

Made from white metal and mother of pearl and 7.5cm wide, the lid is inscribed with the rallying cry used by Bonaparte to address his soldiers before the Battle of the Pyramids in 1798. It reads (in French) “Bear in mind that from the peaks of these pyramids forty centuries of history are watching you!” At the same sale a 19th-century acrostic ring, expected to make £120£180, sold for £850.

The ruby, emerald, garnet, amethyst, ruby and diamond spell the word ‘regard’

The Napoleonic snuff box featuring the Battle of the Pyramids sold for £900

The Mexican dressed fleas leapt past their estimate in Wiltshire

The French maker Jumeau was renowned for the quality of its doll heads

The rare Palitoy Jawa figure came with its original back card

AUCTION Sales round-up

Kinghams, Moreton-in-Marsh

Consigned for sale as “unwanted”, an early 18th-century wine glass, expected to make £500-£800, sold for £9,750 at the Gloucestershire auctioneers.

Dating from the Queen Anne period, c. 1710, the heavy baluster wine glass had a conical bowl with a single air drop to the lower stem.

Measuring just 18cm tall, the glass had been consigned by a client sorting out unwanted possessions. It was soon identi ed as “rare” by the auction house’s glass specialist, sparking much pre-sale interest from collectors.

Noonans, Mayfair

The rare Queen Anne wine glass smashed its pre-sale expectations in the Cotswolds

A secret gallantry medal awarded to a former Welsh miner who took part in one of the most daring secret raids of WWII doubled its pre-sale guide price to hammer for £120,000 at the London auction house’s recent sale.

Welsh acting sergeant, later major, Ronald George ‘Ta y’ Morris was one of a group of largely Australian commandos which, disguised as an Asian shing boat, raided Japaneseoccupied Singapore Harbour in 1943.

Known as ‘Operation Jaywick’, the audacious 48-day, 4,000-mile round trip resulted in the biggest loss of Japanese shipping tonnage of the entire war. With no uniforms or identity tags – and ying the Japanese ag – death would have been the only outcome for the crew if they were captured.

Morris served as a medical orderly on the MV Krait during the hazardous mission

Elstob Auctioneers, Ripon

Two watch display stands proved to be a hit at the North Yorkshire auctioneer’s recent sale. Promotional signs advertising a group of Omega ‘007’ watches hammered at £850, some 10 times its low estimate of £80.

At the same sale another Omega watch stand shaped as a bobsleigh and marking the 2006 Winter Olympics sold for £750, beating its guide price of £40-£60.

Auction house owner, David Elstob, said: “Promotional sales signs and stands sent to stockists by various watch manufacturers are of particular interest to collectors as they were not available to the public.”

The

The 007-branded Omega watch stand sold for 10 times its low pre-sale estimate

Chiswick Auctions, London

The ‘secret’ Military Medal (far left) awarded to ‘Taffy’ Morris for his gallantry and distinguished service

A vase by the French glassmaker René Lalique (1860-1945) sold for £13,750 at the west London auctioneer’s recent sale, beating its guide price of £5,500-£7,500. e 1927 Alicante vase, modelled with parrot heads and made in mutiple

Perspex stand in the shape of a bobsleigh measures 30cm in length

A Lalique vase took centre stage at the west London auction house

The twisted cuff bangle sold for more than twice its retail price

11th September 2024

Inviting entries for single items or collections

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Email: tblest@catherinesouthon.co.uk

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David Harvey

Waxing lyrical

Fine furniture specialist David Harvey sings the praises of satinwood and its golden quarter century from 1785-1810

Many years ago I held one of my themed annual exhibitions to coincide with the tercentenary of the establishment of Bond Street in Mayfair. At the time, long before we moved to Witney, we were based at 5 Old Bond Street and the theme was “Satinwood – the Elegant Quarter”.

In the world of antique dealing there are always ebbs and ows. While the Bond Street exhibition took me more than a year to nd, conserve and catalogue the 30, or so, satinwood pieces, in other years I may have a riches of, say, walnut one year; or rosewood another.

Recently, however, satinwood seems to have been in the ascendency, with a wide-ranging selection of pieces nding their way to my showroom. e exhibition covered the period 1785 to 1810 – a remarkable 25 years characterised by the extrovert excellence with which Georgian high society surrounded themselves.

omas Sheraton

eir riches were manifested not only in the costume of the day but also in the decoration and furnishing of their homes. During the 18th century the interiors of houses had changed rapidly, going from the baroque to Palladianism and then on to the rococo with its Chinese and gothic o shoots.

e work of the Adam brothers in uenced decoration in the neoclassical taste and, by the end of the century, the ponderous and heavy furniture of the earlier periods had been supplanted by the very essence of elegance.

e most prominent of all the furniture designers of this period was omas Sheraton (1751-1806) who trained as a journeyman cabinet maker before moving to London in 1790, the decade he published his famous CabinetMaker and Upholsterer’s Drawing Book.

He wrote of satinwood: “No instance in nature yet discovered does exceed the beauty of the richest sort of it...It has a light satiny sheen which cannot be obtained by any arti cial means or equalled by any other wood.”

While satinwood had been used sparingly in the preceding 20 years, it was the designs of Sheraton predominantly and to a lesser degree Adam, Hepplewhite, Seddon, Shearer and, of course, Gillows, which lent themselves to the use of this particular wood.

Above George III period satinwood inlaid bonheur du jour with tambour, c. 1790

Far right Sheraton period satinwood inlaid étagère, c. 1790

Right Detail from the étagère showing the ne inlays and very thin line inlays

Precious veneer

Because of the high cost of satinwood which had to be imported from the East and West Indies and the nature of the wood itself, it was found to be ideal for veneering purposes.

e paleness of the wood lightened furniture and it was used to create and complement the marquetry inlay, painted decoration and contrasting bandings which it is found with.

Due to cost, the cabinetmakers of this period would only have used this most precious of woods on their best pieces which is why so little satinwood furniture has survived from this time compared to the numbers of mahogany items available.

One of the delights of satinwood is that the surviving examples are mostly of above average quality both in manufacture and design.

Indeed, it has almost become synonymous with the best of British workmanship and a re ection of the anonymous talent which abounded in Britain in the half a century before the Industrial Revolution – a period of both peace and war in which there was a great expansion of the nation’s economy.

Card table

Even the card table when veneered in satinwood and crossbanded becomes a much more special piece. In this example (below) we can see how the maker has not been content just to veneer and crossband the main body, but has spent extra time inlaying black lines to the frieze panels and lozenge-shaped rosewood inlays to the stiles where the legs join the frieze. is would have cost more and shows again that even this was made for a very good home.

Above Sheraton period satinwood bow-fronted chest of drawers crossbanded in kingwood, c. 1785

Right Fine Sheraton period satinwood inlaid bonheur du jour, c. 1785

Below left Satinwood and rosewood crossbanded fold over card table, c. 1795

Design and execution

Both the étagère and card table came from the same collection which I helped to build some 40 years ago. It also included a third piece from the same home which again came from Harvey’s all those years ago and also demonstrated the owner’s delight at finding terrific pieces of late 18th and early 19th-century satinwood pieces.

This pretty little Sheraton-period satinwood bonheur du jour typifies what the buyer had always sought in his collection - it is all about the design and execution.

It is a very light looking piece dating from about 1785, enhanced by the waterfall effect of the shelves as well as its inlays and crossbandings.

The delicacy of the square tapered legs is excellent and leads the eye to the conforming brass cups with casters to finish the piece off.

e maker didn’t stop there. e legs are far from plain with their delicate ring turning on the tapered section and inverted tulip-shaped feet to nish o . is table also has a double-gate action with both the back legs hinged to swing around and support the top when opened. All of these small details are indicators of quality.

David Harvey is the owner of Witney-based W R Harvey & Co. (Antiques) Ltd. For more details go to the website www.wrharvey.com

‘One of the delights of satinwood is that surviving examples are mostly of above average quality both in manufacture and design. Indeed, it has almost become synonymous with the best of British workmanship in the half a century before the Industrial Revolution’

MOUSE in the HOUSE

Few pieces of furniture are as distinctive as those of the Yorkshire maker Robert ompson and his trademark carved mouse. As a signi cant collection goes under the hammer, Antique Collecting sni s out his best work

From Sotheby’s in New York (which holds the record for a piece of Mouseman furniture) to the smallest UK regional saleroom, work by Robert ‘Mouseman’ (1876-1955) ompson continues to make headlines around the world. His worldwide acclaim is all the more surprising for a selftaught carpenter who never left the North Yorkshire village where he was born and built up a name for ecclesiastic commissions.

But there is more to ompson’s designs than his trademark rodent. He embodied the ethos of the arts and crafts movement and, in the spirit of William Morris, forsook the mass production and uniformity of his time, in favour of the adze, and dowelled mortise and tenon joint. e method worked to his advantage, lending every piece its own distinctive ngerprint and character, making him all the more enticing for vernacular furniture lovers and collectors.

is month, one of the nest collections of his early –and most sought-after – furniture appears on the rostrum in North Yorkshire, ompson’s home county, including a set of bedroom furniture made as a wedding gift for Kate Elwell, who was ompson’s secretary for several years until she married in 1938.

Tennants’ specialist, Diane Sinnott, said: “We have been very privileged to sell some wonderful pieces of Mouseman furniture over the years, but we have never had a sale with so many important early pieces with such excellent provenance. is really is an exceptional auction.”

Early days

ompson was born in the village of Kilburn, tucked away at the foot of the Hambleton Hills in the heart of North Yorkshire. He was the son of the village joiner, and born in

Mouseman furniture from the collection of David Lamb which was sold in 2023, image courtesy of Sworders

Above Robert ‘Mouseman’ ompson (1876-1955) an English oak panelled double wardrobe, 1930s, made for Kate Elwell, ompson’s secretary for several years until her marriage in 1938, it has an estimate of £5,000-£7,000

the same small Elizabethan cottage where he continued to live and work for the rest of his life.

Aged 15, ompson went to work for a rm of engineers at Cleckheaton in West Riding. Missing home, his time away from Kilburn did give him a glimpse of life beyond the village including the medieval oak carvings in Ripon Cathedral. So impressed was he by the skills of the medieval craftsmen his life’s mission became to emulate their work .

In 1895, ompson returned to Kilburn to start working with his father who died shortly later, leaving his son to run the village joinery. He spent the next few years making and mending fencing, farming equipment, and e ecting repairs to churches and buildings in the area. He also gradually began experimenting in wood, making simple oak furniture in a traditional style.

First commission

In 1919, ompson was introduced to his rst major patron, Father Paul Nevill, a Catholic priest from Ampleforth Abbey, who commissioned him to make a cross large enough to support a carved gure of Christ in the abbey grounds.

Father Paul was to become a life-long friend and shortly afterwards commissioned ompson to furnish the rapidly expanding Ampleforth College. From 1921, ompson produced tables, chairs and benches that were simple, practical, and durable; excellently suited to life in a

Left Photograph of Kate Elwell painting alms boxes at ompson’s Kilburn workshop. In addition to her secretarial work, Kate helped paint polychromed pieces

Right Robert ‘Mouseman’ ompson (1876-1955) two adjustable children’s chairs, featuring a bear and an elephant, c.1930s, Each has monks’ heads (with di erent facial expressions) carved into the arms and a recessed caved mouse. e pair has an estimate of £3,000-£5,000

Below left Robert ‘Mouseman’ ompson (1876-1955) an English oak marriage chest, 1928, with mouse tails to the front corners. It is carved with the date and initials 1928 JKB (John and Kathleen Brunton) below Fere God Love God. e couple married in 1928 at St Matthew’s Church, Lightcli e, Halifax. ere is a carved mouse on the left panel. e chest has an estimate of £4,000£6,000

Below right Robert ‘Mouseman’ ompson (1876-1955) a single Peter Rabbit bedstead, 1930s. Both head and footboard are carved with mouse tails to corners. e bedstead has an estimate of £500£800

Child’s suite

A set of unique child’s nursery furniture is also on offer, which was commissioned by the Thompson-Schwab family of Kingfield House, Penton, Carlisle, before later being purchased by the current vendor.

The unusual set includes a single bedstead, the headboard of which is carved with a scene from Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit depicting Mrs Rabbit with three of the Flopsy Bunnies. It also comprises an ingenious pair of adjustable chairs with a winding mechanism allowing the height of the seat to be adjusted in line with the child.

The Thompson-Schwab family were early

‘By the early 1920s Thompson began to draw inspiration from ecclesiastical woodwork and period oak furniture from the 16th and 17th centuries, copying the solid proportions, simple carving, and rustic ironwork’

COLLECTING GUIDE ‘Mouseman’ furniture

boys’ school. is rst big commission, completed over several years, did much to establish his reputation and bring his work to a wider audience.

Medieval in uences

By the early 1920s ompson began to draw inspiration from ecclesiastical woodwork and period oak furniture from the 16th and 17th centuries, copying its solid proportions, simple carving, and rustic ironwork.

He used well- gured English oak in generous proportions, giving his work solidity and weight. Stylistic features were inspired by ecclesiastical, medieval tradition, such as the octagonal and pillar-like legs to chairs and tables, and simple decorative chip-carved borders. He also built up a library of books on early furniture, architecture, carving and design which he used as a blueprint for many of his pieces.

e 1928 blanket box (previous page) appeared in his much annotated copy of Early English Furniture and Woodwork which is still in the possession of the omson family at Kilburn.

e rst mouse

Between 1923 and 1926 ompson started to carve every item he produced with a mouse that was to become his signature and trademark (he o cially patented it in 1931).

Unfortunately, the whereabouts of the rst mouse have been forgotten, but a letter written by Robert reveals: ‘ e origin of the mouse as my mark was almost in the way of being an accident. I and another carver were carving a huge cornice for a screen and he happened to say something about being as poor as a church mouse. I

said I’ll carve a mouse here and did so, then it struck me, what a lovely trademark.”

He later recounted to his family: “I thought how a mouse manages to scrape and chew away the hardest wood with its chisel-like teeth, and it works quietly; nobody takes much notice. I thought that was maybe like this workshop hidden away in the Hambleton Hills. It is what you might call industry in quiet places, so I put the mouse on all my work.”

Workshop expansion

Above Robert ‘Mouseman’ ompson (1876-1955) an English oak panelled partners’ desk, c. 1932. e desk and chair were a wedding gift from the American Paul Herrick Kelly to his eldest son Captain Philip Paul Kelly in 1932. e desk has an estimate of £5,000-£7,000

Below left Robert ‘Mouseman’ ompson (1876-1955) an English oak mantel clock, 1930s, with the carved mouse trademark, 24cm wide, 6.5cm deep, 18cm high. It has an estimate of £2,000-£3,000

Right Robert ‘Mouseman’ ompson (1876-1955) an English burr oak panelled corner cupboard 1930s, penny moulded top, with a recessed carved mouse trademark. It has an estimate of £3,000£4,000

By the 1930s the workshop was well established, with a sizable team of apprentices and craftsmen. Each of ompson’s craftsmen were allowed to carve their own unique style of mouse. A trained eye can identify the work of individual carvers. Robert was at the height of his creative abilities, and the mid-1930s saw some of his most important commissions.

WWII created a hiatus in the workshop, leaving him with only a handful of men and a full order book. In response, he simpli ed many of his standard designs to be less labour intensive while retaining the high quality of work. After the war, the workshop recovered and in the last few years of his life, before he died in 1955, ompson would see his life’s work go from strength to strength, knowing his family and craftsmen would continue his legacy.

e workshop continued to produce omson’s iconic and widely recognised designs, as they do today. e only attempt to modernise came in the 1960s and 1970s, when in response to market forces, ompson’s grandson, John Cartwright, experimented with producing Mouseman

‘By the 1930s another mouse had evolved – one without paws which were omitted from domestic furniture for being too liable to break’

furniture in the new modern style. e result was lighter, simpler pieces of furniture that took their inspiration from Scandinavian designs. However, the Kilburn tradition of oak and adze were adhered to, and the little trademark mouse was still carved on every piece of furniture.

However, in the late ‘70s fashion changed again, and ompson’s traditional designs were back in demand, and the new modern-look Mouseman was discontinued.

ompson’s legacy

In the post-war period, particularly admired are pieces by Stan Dodds who took over the role of master carver in Kilburn from George Weightman in the 1960s and made many of the popular bird and animal models. Dodds was probably the maker of a rare pair of bookends, carved in the form of elephants (one with a recessed carved mouse signature) sold at auction for a record £10,000.

Over the years, many of ompson’s craftsmen went on to establish their own workshops and produced furniture based on ompson’s original designs. ese are now known as the Yorkshire Critters and are very collectable and sought-after in their own right. e most notable are Wilfrid ‘Squirrelman’ Hutchinson, Colin ‘Beaverman’ Almack and Bob ‘Wrenman’ Hunter. Many of the Critter workshops continue to thrive today.

Above left Robert ‘Mouseman’ ompson (1876-1955) English oak refectory dining table, 1930s, adzed both sides, with carved mouse trademark. It has an estimate of £2,000-£3,000

Above right A mouse on a partner’s desk dated 1932 lacks its front paws

Below left Robert ‘Mouseman’ ompson (1876-1955) an English oak panelled sideboard, 1930s, with carved mouse trademark, 160cm wide, 47cm deep, 94cm high, it has an estimate of £5,000-£8,000 at this month’s sale

Below right Will Dawson of Kirkbymoorside was commissioned to make hinges, locks and latches

Dating Mouseman

The fact similar Mouseman furniture was produced in the late 1920s and 1930s, makes dating it difficult, even though the age of a piece can affect the price dramatically.

As well as gauging the age from the patina, colour, and surface wear, it is possible to date pieces by charting the differences made to design and construction.

When it comes to the rodent, pre-mouse pieces from the early 1920s, can be stamped – though not always – with the inscription Thompson Kilburn York.

The ‘first generation’ mice appeared in the mid 1920s with whiskers and front paws. By the 1930s another mouse had evolved – one without paws which were omitted from domestic furniture for being too liable to break. However they were kept on church furniture which was less likely to be damaged. Paws were also retained if asked for by a later client.

Earlier cheeseboards feature a mouse on the board while from the 1960s the animal moved to the handle. A mouse in the centre of a fruit bowl suggests it was made after the 1960s. Before then the rodent sat on the side of the bowl.

Construction details

By the middle of the 1920s the relatively delicate proportions of earlier pieces were replaced by a solidity and heft and Thompson’s distinctive rippling adzed surfaces and column-like, octagonal legs begin to appear.

Table tops were made with dowels rather than tongue-and-groove boards until the early 1970s. Also the position of the ‘rush rail’ on dining chairs changed in the mid 1950s, when it was repositioned from the front legs, to a few inches back.

Techniques of upholstery also evolved from interwoven leather straps on earlier designs to the full cotton web frames still used today.

Thompson commissioned ironwork, including screws, hinges, locks and latches, from local blacksmith, Will Dawson of Kirkbymoorside.

The first screws used for attaching ironwork were handmade with a square slot. They were later replaced with crosshead screws and then with the flat head screws still used today.

Mouseman’s monk’s chair

Monks’ evolution

e monk’s chair had a clear evolution over four decades. ey were initially constructed with a ‘square’ stretcher, with the the rails running between one leg and the next. However, in c. 1929 the switch was made to a ‘cross’ stretcher with the rails running diagonally between front and back legs.

Before the mid-30s ‘pop marks’ can be seen on the base of each leg, made when the oak was held on the lathe to be turned before being shaped to an octagon on the bench. From the mid30s onwards the whole process was completed on the bench, and the marks disappear. In the 20s and 30s the Mouse was carved on the upright support between the arm and the seat, whereas in the 40s it was lowered to the top of the leg.

Again in the 20s and 30s the seat was made from woven leather strips, but by the 40s it had been replaced by a slung leather seat before nally being fully upholstered in leather in the 50s.

While all Mouseman furniture and furnishings are rm favourites at auction, it is the iconic monk’s chair that makes collectors really sit up

Combining ompson’s characteristic use of solid oak and octagonal legs with his eye for design and skilled carving, the monk’s chair embodies the Mouseman style.

It was during his rst important commission, for nearby Ampleforth Abbey, that the design started to take shape. ompson produced furniture for both the abbey and the college throughout the 1920s and it was on the request of the abbey’s monks – who wanted a comfortable seat on which they could rest between services – that the chair was based. e result: a squarely proportioned chair with sturdy legs, broad arms, a gently-rounded back and a leather seat.

Joining the back and the seat were carved ‘gridiron’ panels in reference to St. Laurence, the patron saint of the abbey who was martyred on a gridiron.

e backs of the arms were carved with humorous characterised monks’ heads, some frowning, some smiling and some angry. Often the monks appear asleep, which is an irreverent touch that testi es to the close relationship ompson had with the abbey.

Such was the popularity of the design, that versions for the domestic setting were soon in production. While the gridiron and monks’ heads were often included, ompson frequently personalised the commissions by carving di erent motifs on the side panels or changed the carved heads on the backs of the arms.

Top left Robert ‘Mouseman’ ompson (1876-1955) one of two monk’s chairs, both 1930s. e side of both are carved with a monk’s head and Yorkshire rose. Each is carved H (Horlicks) with a carved mouse on the lower right leg and has an estimate of £2,000£3,000

Top Robert ‘Mouseman’ ompson (18761955) monk’s chair, c1928/1929, it sold for £8,000 at Tennants

Top right

A carved mouse with a long tail features on the chair’s lower left leg

Ampleforth College from 1919-1923. It has an estimate of £2,000-£3,000

‘Such was the popularity of the design, that versions for the domestic setting were soon in production. While the gridiron and monks’ heads were often included, Thompson frequently personalised the commissions by carving different motifs on the side panels or changed the carved heads on the backs of the arms’

Left Robert ‘Mouseman’ ompson (18761955) an English oak monk’s chair, c. 1932, featuring the Ampleforth Abbey coat of arms. e chair was part of the wedding gift to Captain Philip Paul Kelly who had attended

Below Each side of the chair has a monk’s head carved into it

Collecting Mouseman

Although there are many Mouseman collectors in the UK, there is a strong international market, with determined buyers from the USA, New Zealand, Australia and the Far East.

The most sought-after items were made during Robert’s lifetime (pre-1955); while not always made by his own hand, each piece was produced under his tutelage and his exacting eye. Within this bracket of pre-1955 furniture, the earlier pieces made during the 1920s and the ‘golden age’ of Mouseman, the 1930s, are especially prized.

Bespoke commissions and unique items of furniture are particularly desired, as are pieces that differ from the established Mouseman pattern book. The greater Thompson’s personal connection with the client, the more unique touches he tended to include – a factor resulting in some highly sought-after pieces.

Wood choice

Thompson always gave careful consideration to selecting the right piece of wood for each commission. Collectors and connoisseurs of Mouseman furniture especially value items with beautiful figuring, and those made from the highly decorative, but comparatively rare, burr or pippy oak.

The choice of wood is central to the unique fingerprint of the finished product, lending each piece its own distinctive character.

However, it is interesting to note that rarity value is not only placed on bespoke or personalised commissions, but also on certain practical pieces of furniture.

Along with the cut of wood, pre-1955 furniture is again favoured for the deep, rich patina developed through time and use.

Left Robert ‘Mouseman’ ompson (1876-1955) a panelled dressing chest, c.1930s. It sold for £14,000, image courtesy of Tennants

Above right Rare piece: a Robert ‘Mouseman’ ompson mantel clock, c. 1967, sold for £10,000 at Tennants

Below right e UK auction record for Mouseman stands at £35,000, image courtesy of Sworders

Mouseman at auction

e standing auction record for a piece of Mouseman was set at Sotheby’s New York in 2003, when a two-section oak cabinet with a hand-written label inscribed 1923 sold for $70,000 (£46,460 at the time). e simple, early design was decorated with elaborate ironwork made by Will Dawson of Kirkbymoorside, and the cabinet held a label with his name, too.

e UK record dates to October 2018, when an oak dresser, estimated to make £8,000, sold for £35,000 at the Essex auctioneers Sworders. It came from one of the ompson’s largest commissions at the prime period of his career for the landmark Horlick’s factory in Slough.

e highest prices achieved at Tennants, which is holding this month’s sale, was in 2008 for a bookcase, which sold for £24,000 – part of a commission for Leeds Girls High School.

Surprisingly few bookcases and chests of drawers appear on the secondary market. While they were produced in numbers, they proved such useful pieces that were less likely to be sold, meaning high prices are achieved when they do come up for sale. Carved clocks fetch a high price, too, as fewer were made.

Drawn from several private collections, a number of early Mouseman pieces are part of Tennant’s 20th-century sale on March 2, go to www.tennants.co.uk for more details. e sale will also include a further 80 lots of Mouseman furniture and furnishings dating from the 1940s onwards.

Miss Angel

e toast of 18th-century high society, the Swiss artist Angelica Kau man was one of the era’s most sought-after history painters and portraitists. Regardless of her wit and charm, hers was a career built on determination and business acumen

With the male-dominated profession of artist denied to them, many 18th-century wouldbe female painters threw in the towel, or contented themselves as hobbyists with a penchant for still life and watercolours. Many, but not all. A new exhibition opening at the Royal Academy of Arts, reveals how artist Angelica Kau man’s 15-year spell in London, from 1766 to 1781, left both the established art scene and Georgian high society swooning. From royalty to actors, her portraits were sought after across the board and she even became one of the two female founder members of the Royal Academy. But hers was no accidental success.

When she was excluded from life classes (women were not permitted to draw a naked male model), Kau man developed her own brand of history painting which focused on female subjects posed as subjects from classical history and mythology.

She also shrewdly embraced the era of the Grand Tour and the 18th-century obsession with classicism following the discovery of the remains of the ancient Roman cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii.

Bettina Baumgärtel, head of the Angelica Kau man Research Project and curator of this month’s exhibition, said: “At a time when more and more women artists were extricating themselves from the seldom acknowledged work performed in family workshops, and daring to embark on careers as professional artists, Kau man was seen as a shining example – for her contemporaries and subsequent generations of women.”

Early life

Born in Chur, Switzerland in 1741, Kau man trained with her father, the Austrian, largely itinerant, painter Joseph Johann Kau man. From her earliest years she was recognised as a child prodigy. Even as an infant, when given chalk to play with, she made ornamental designs on her father’s studio oor and, before she had learned to write, was able to draw heads and gures. By the age of nine she had begun to paint in oil, to the delight of her proud, some might say, pushy, father.

With a ne operatic voice, and able to play the clavichord and zither, the young Kau man contemplated both music and painting, the dilemma re ected in a later allegorical picture, Self-portrait at the Crossroads between the Arts of Music and Painting, 1794.

Above Angelica

Kau man (1741-1807), Self-portrait with Bust of Minerva, c. 1780-1781, oil on canvas, Grisons Museum of Fine Arts, on deposit from the Gottfried Keller Foundation, Federal O ce of Culture, Bern

Right Angelica

Kau man (1741-1807)

Self-portrait at the Crossroads between the Arts of Music and Painting, 1794, oil on canvas. National Trust Collections (Nostell Priory) © National Trust Images/John Hammond

Move to Italy

In 1762, ve years after the death of her mother, father and daughter left for Rome.

On their way, they visited galleries in Milan, Bologna, Parma and Florence with the young Kau man marvelling at the treasures to be seen. When they reached the Italian capital, Kau man, as a woman, was not able to o cially enrol at an art academy, but she continued to study the works of the Old Masters and classical sculpture, honing her skills by copying works by Italian masters.

In Rome aged 22, she met the archaeologist and art historian Johann Joachim Winckelmann, who was so taken by her skills, he wrote: “I have just been painted by a stranger, a young person of rare merit. She is eminent in portraits in oil, mine is a half-length, and she has made an etching of it as a present. She speaks Italian as well as German, and expresses herself in French and English, on which account she paints all the English who visit Rome.

‘Kauffman shrewdly made the most of the fact this was the era of the Grand Tour and the 18th-century obsession with the newly discovered remains of the ancient Roman cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii’

Women at the Royal Academy

Considering the prevailing prejudice against female painters Angelica Kauffman and Mary Moser, another artist taught by her father, were both somewhat surprising founders of the Royal Academy of Arts.

Founded by George III on December 10, 1768, the RA was the first training school for artists in England to receive royal endorsement and, as such, marked a distinctive shift away from the various informal drawing schools that had preceded it.

The rest of the 36 founders were male and Zoffany’s famous group portrait of the original members (below) depicts Kauffman and Moser not in life-drawing room at Old Somerset House, where the portrait is set (where women were forbidden to go) but rather as forbidding-looking portraits on the wall.

After Kauffman’s return to Rome and Moser’s death, It took 168 years for another woman to be voted a full RA member, she being Dame Laura Knight, in 1936. Last year Marina Abramovic’s ground-breaking exhibition became the first solo show by a woman in the RA’s main galleries in its 255 years of existence.

Kauffman went on to contribute some 80 paintings to the RA’s annual shows between 1769–1797. While the first were all history paintings, she later added literary and allegorical subjects and portraits to her repertoire.

She sings with a taste which ranks her amongst our greatest virtuosi. Her name is Angelica Kau ’mann.”

Above Johan Joseph Zo any (1733-1810) e Academicians of the Royal Academy Royal Collection Trust, London, public domain

Her popularity soared among the community of British Grand Tour visitors and expatriates, including Lady Wentworth, the wife of the British ambassador, who was so enchanted by Kau man she encouraged her to move to London in 1766. With her Italian commissions starting to dry up, Kau man was keen to accept.

Top Angelica Kau man (1741-1807), Portrait of Johann Joachim Winckelmann, 1764, oil on canvas, © Kunsthaus Zurich

London 1766 to 1781

In London, Kau man was met with an enthusiastic reception. She was greatly eased into London society by a friendship forged with the leading portrait artist of the day Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) who, clearly delighted with his young protegy, referred to her as ‘Miss Angel’.

e a ection was returned. In a letter to her father Kau man wrote: “He is one of my kindest friends, and is never done praising me to everyone. As a proof of his admiration for me, he has asked me to sit for my picture to him, and, in return, I am to paint his.”

She painted a half portrait of the artist in 1767 followed by a whole length in 1769, which was afterwards engraved by Francesco Bartolozzi (1727-1815). Her fame spread.

Lady Hamilton

Kau man bene ted from the patronage of her own sex during her early days in London developing a new type of portrait depicting her female clients as creative personalities. In 1791, her most notable English commission was from Sir William Hamilton to paint his wife. e picture was painted in Rome, the year that the then Emma Hart, aged 26, married Sir William, the British ambassador at Naples.

Kau man portrays Lady Hamilton as the Comic Muse. Sir William encouraged his young wife to perform ‘attitudes’, a series of poses and dramatic vignettes, representing classical gures and scenes from history and literature to entertain his friends. Her lively performances bought her fame among Italian high society and even visiting royals.

But in 1798, perhaps fed up with dancing, she embarked on an internationally scandalous a air with Admiral Horatio Nelson, which began when the naval hero arrived in Naples to recuperate after the Battle of Aboukir Bay.

Above Angelica

Kau man (1741-1807)

Portrait of Joshua Reynolds, 1767, oil on canvas. National Trust Collections (Saltram) © National Trust Images/ Rob Matheson

Above right Angelica

Kau man (1741-1807)

Cleopatra Adorning the Tomb of Mark Anthony, c. 1765, oil on canvas. © e Burghley House Collection

Below Angelica

Kau man (1741-1807)

Self-portrait in the Traditional Costume of the Bregenz Forest, 1781, oil on canvas.

Innsbruck, TLM, Ältere kunstgeschichtliche Sammlung/ Tiroler Landesmuseen

In 1775, the Danish ambassador wrote: “She is incredibly productive. Such an abundance of her works here in England alone. Everything she paints is grabbed up immediately. One local engraver who does practically nothing else but reproduce her paintings once told me that the whole world is Angelicamad.”

When Kau man’s friend and patron Lady Wentworth became ill, Kau man established herself in a at in Su olk Street, Charing Cross. By 1767, as her notoriety increased, she took a house in Golden Square at the corner of Soho Street, as a more suitable location to welcome her well-to-do clients. It was the address she gave until she left England in 1781.

Royal patrons

By then her sitters included in uential members of the royal family such as the Dowager Princess Augusta, mother of George III, and her art-loving daughter-inlaw, Queen Charlotte, who further assured Kau man’s successful launch in London.

Catering to high society was a shrewd move allowing her to raise her own social status simply by surrounding herself with famous people eager to be painted by the talented young artist who was suddenly all the rage.

Kau man ourished as a portraitist, often focusing on female protagonists, as was the case in Cleopatra Adorning the Tomb of Mark Anthony, c.1769-1770, a picture she exhibited in the second Annual Exhibition of the Royal Academy in the summer of 1770.

roughout her career, Kau man returned to the practice of self-portraiture presenting herself in a host of di erent guises apparent in Self-portrait in the Traditional Costume of the Bregenz Forest, 1781.

‘In London, Kauffman was greeted with an enthusiastic reception. She was greatly eased into London society by a friendship forged with Sir Joshua Reynolds, who called her ‘Miss Angel’’’

Angelica Kau man (1741-1807) Portrait of Emma, Lady Hamilton, as Muse of Comedy, 1791, oil on canvas. Private collection

Kau man and the National Trust

To mark this month’s exhibition at the Royal Academy the National Trust is showcasing a number of Kau man works in its collection. Unsurprisingly, Kau man’s neoclassical style of painting ourished at the same time her aristocratic patrons were building large mansions across the UK, many of which are now in the trust’s care.

In fact so intertwined was she with the design styles of the day, her husband Antonio Zucchi was responsible for decorating Lord Boringdon’s Georgian mansion of Saltram, near Plymouth. Both Saltram and Nostell Priory in West Yorkshire are lending paintings to this month’s London exhibition, while Petworth Park in West Sussex and Stourhead in Wiltshire will be showcasing her work.

Petworth House and Park

As an art collector and patron, George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont (1751–1837), amassed a large and impressive collection at his grand Petworth home, including signi cant works by JMW Turner, who was a friend of the earl, John Flaxman and Angelica Kau man.

Today, paintings and sculptures are displayed just as they would have been when he lived at Petworth – a time known as its ‘golden age’.

One of the highlights of the collection is Kau man’s oil on canvas painted in 1789, Diomed and Cressida (from Act V, scene II of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Troilus and Cressida). e work was commissioned by the engraver and printer John Boydell (1719–1804) for his ‘Shakespeare Gallery’. Boydell made his fortune providing engraved prints from famous well-known artists of the day including Joshua Reynolds, Henri Fuseli, and Kau man, all of whom were called on to create works inspired by Shakespearean scenes.

e paintings then went on show at a special gallery which visitors entered under a sculpture of the Bard.

Diomed and Cressida was bought at Boydell’s sale at Christie’s in 1805 by Sir William Burrell for £73.10s. and left in his will to the 3rd Earl and his Petworth collection. From May to October this year, Petworth is showcasing the work as an ‘object-in-focus,’ looking at the conservation of the painting and frame, including a lm charting the process.

Kau man at Stourhead

Last year, Kau man’s Penelope and Euriclea returned to Stourhead House in Wiltshire having rst been bought for the house in 1773 by its owner and enthusiastic art collector Henry Hoare II (1705–1785).

But more than a century later, faced with mounting debts, the family sold the painting, in 1883, for just seven guineas.

e picture then went into the hands of a number of private collectors including Sir Arthur Philip du Cros (1871-1955) before being auctioned at Christie’s London on July 17, 1992.

On May 24 last year it went under the hammer again, this time at Christie’s New York, with an estimate of £150,000£250,000. With only 12 days’ warning, the trust raised the required funds and secured the work before returning it to Stourhead

after an absence of 140 years.

e painting depicts the moment from Homer’s Odyssey where the faithful servant Euriclea wakes Penelope, with news her husband Odysseus has nally returned from ghting in the Trojan War and a perilous decade-long journey home.

Kau man frequently drew on the epics of Homer and Virgil for inspiration, being especially fond of the loyal wife Penelope.

e resulting works were widely exhibited and among her rst commercial successes with history paintings in England.

Above Angelica Kau man (1741-1807) Penelope and Euriclea which returned to Stourhead House in 2023

Below Angelica Kau man (1741-1807) Diomed and Cressida (from Act V, scene II of Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida), on show at Petworth House

COLLECTING GUIDES Angelica Kau man

Return to Rome

In 1781, Kau man married the Venetian painter Antonio Zucchi, a match approved by her socially ambitious father who was increasingly anxious his daughter should have the support and protection of a husband.

Zucchi was in Britain undertaking decorating work for Robert Adam at some of the country’s grandest houses. He was 55, to Kau man’s 42 – it was her second marriage having endured a brief, failed marriage in 1767 to a moneyseeking bigamist.

A year later, with Zucchi having ful lled his English commissions, the pair left London to return to Rome where they bought the house of the painter Anton Raphael Mengs. In Rome, a splendid social life developed around Kau man and her studio near the Spanish Steps which became a hub for the cultural elite and a popular stop for fashionable visitors on the Grand Tour.

Glittering clientele

Her glittering clientele continued with visits from many of the crowned heads of Europe, including Catherine the Great of Russia. She was close friends with international luminaries such as Goethe, and the sculptor Antonio Canova. One contemporary described her as “the most cultivated woman in Europe”.

After her husband’s death in 1795, Kau man barely left the city. She died in 1807 in Rome with her funeral arranged by Canova and a bust of the artist, sculpted by her cousin Johann Peter Kau man, was later placed in the Pantheon, beside that of Raphael.

Kau man the printmaker

When Kau man arrived in London the English print market was rapidly expanding and she was quick to realise the bene ts –nancial as well as reputational – that the new medium could give her.

Between 1762 and 1779 Kau man created a total of 41 etchings, a skill likely learned as a young woman travelling around Italy for her artistic education.

One of her rst etchings was a portrait of the German amateur artist Friedrich Rei enstein, made in 1763 having met him a year earlier in Florence.

Right Angelica Kau man (1741-1807) Portraits of Domenica Morghen and Maddalena Volpato as Muses of Tragedy and Comedy, 1791, oil on canvas. National Museum in Warsaw © Collection of National Museum in Warsaw/ Piotr Ligier

Below left Angelica Kau man (1741–1807) etching of Portrait of Johann Joachim Winckelmann, 1764

Below right Lady Hamilton as the Comic Muse, after Angelica Kau man (1741–1807), 1791, engraving second state of two

is was the era of the painter-etcher and when she left Italy; Kau man took her copper plates with her to England. Both she and her mentor Joshua Reynolds harnessed the booming market for images of famous people of the day both in Britain and Europe.

On her arrival in London, Kau man launched herself on to the print market with gusto, one of her rst being a mezzotint after her portrait of Augusta, Duchess of Brunswick, for which Jonathan Spilsbury made the mezzotint and likely she herself nanced. It was to be the rst of many. She wrote to her father: “I have nished some portraits which are snapped up by everyone. Mr Reynolds is excessively pleased with them. I have painted his portrait, which turned out very well and does me much honour, it will soon be engraved.”

While it seems she never grasped the technique of the mezzotint, aquatinting was a technique that was used by several peintre-graveurs of time because of the ease of application. It is likely that Kau man chose this method because she could master it herself; possibly dusting her own copper plates with the resin, in her studio.

Later issues

At least a year before leaving London,

Kau man sold all her plates to the leading print publisher John Boydell understanding their value lay with the London market and its ever-expanding international clientele.

It is not clear how much Kau man sold her plates for, but Boydell began reprinting them before Kau man left England, around October 1780 and throughout 1781. Later, as the plates began to lose their clarity, Boydell, or more likely one of the printmakers he employed, added aquatint to them to cover up the wear.

CEILING PAINTING

In the late 1770s, Kauffman was commissioned by the Royal Academy to paint a set of four ceiling paintings depicting the Elements of Art, to be displayed in the Council Room of New Somerset House which opened in 1780.

Her four oval paintings present four female figures as Invention, Composition, Design and Colour. During the period, women were prohibited from drawing nude models and could only draw the male figure from existing casts, as Kauffman depicts in Design.

The ceiling paintings are usually on display in the Front Hall of Burlington House but they have been taken down for inclusion in this month’s exhibition.

Top right A record for a work by Angelica Kau man (1741–1807), was set at Sotheby’s in 2018 with her portrait of three children of the Spencer family which sold for £573,745, image courtesy of Sotheby’s

Above Angelica

Kau man (1741–1807), Return of a Knight in Armour, described as ‘circle of Angelica Kau man’, sold for £67,000 in Maidenhead, image courtesy of Dawsons

Left Angelica Kau man (1741-1807), Design, 1778-1780, oil on canvas, © Royal Academy of Arts, photo John Hammond

Collecting Kauffman

In her lifetime Kauffman created more than 1,000 mythological, historical, religious and allegorical paintings as well as numerous portraits and drawings and 41 etchings by her own hand, which are sought-after by collectors throughout Europe and the USA, and increasingly also in Australia, East Asia or South Africa. Kauffman’s portrait of three children of the Spencer family, one of them almost certainly Lady Georgiana Spencer, later Duchess of Devonshire, set a record for the artist when it sold at Sotheby’s New York for $750,000 (£573,745) in 2018. The same painting had previously been sold at Christie’s in London in June 2001 for a hammer price of £270,000.

Sotheby’s Old Master paintings specialist, Calvine Harvey, confirmed the growing interest in female artists – sometimes referred to as ‘Old Mistresses’. She said: “Over the past five years and across the art world, both curators and collectors have been addressing the gender imbalance in their collections, actively investing in female artists who have historically been overlooked and undervalued relative to their male counterparts.”

Last year a circular painting, or tondo, catalogued as “circle of Angelica Kauffman”, sold for £67,000 in Berkshire auction house Dawsons’ fine art sale.

The oil on copper, titled Return of a Knight in Armour measured 13in (33cm) in diameter and was housed in an ornate gilt frame. Works “after” Kauffman usually sell for less than £1,000, but the painting’s superb execution, 18th-century date and good condition sparked a bidding war.

In 2022, the Cirencester auction house Dominic Winter sold a 1770 etching and aquatint by Kauffman titled, Woman Resting Her Head on a Book, for £540, putting the prints of this great artist within the realm of many collectors.

SAL EROOM SPOTLIGHT

Alongside military and sporting gongs, art medals are a highly sought-after and a ordable collecting genre, as the 3,500-piece collection of David Silich on sale this month is set to show

Since their inception in the Renaissance, when the Italian artist Pisanello (c. 1395-1455) pioneered the art medal tradition they have been sought after, combining, as they do, elements of sculpture and medallic art. Often made of metal, they commemorate an event, convey a message, or celebrate a worthy individual. is month sees a vast collection of historic art medals go under the hammer at Noonans in London. e subject range of the medals o ered is vast, encompassing Lord Nelson to the Munich Olympics. e sale is the rst of eight auctions taking place between March 2024 and October 2027. e rst two auctions (the next is scheduled for October 2024) features work by more than 900 artists, medallists and sculptors – testament to the breadth of the collection, which numbers upwards of 3,500 pieces in total and is valued at more than £400,000.

e collector

New Zealand-born David Nicholas Silich (1944-2018) was born in Whangarei, New Zealand, and educated at Whangarei Boys High School. Emigrating to London in his twenties, he built an extremely successful career in the European nancial sector. Attracted to ne craftsmanship, he had already formed a collection of Renaissance medals by the time he became an early member of the British Art Medal Society (BAMS). But in the 1980s he was introduced to the area of modern and contemporary medals through BAMS’ journal, e Medal

Frances Simmons, from Simmons Gallery, one of the Silich’s favourite dealers, said: “David began collecting medals from the late 19th century, beginning with the time of Hubert Ponscarme and continuing just into the 21st century. e collection therefore features examples from the belle époque and art nouveau through expressionism and art déco to surrealism and the anarchy of the contemporary art medal in all its forms.”

Above right A 2013 silver-plated bronze medal by the contemporary silversmith and art medal maker Yosun Jung. Titled Ivory Exploitation, it was entered into BAMS’ student medal competition and exhibited during an exhibition in 2014. It has an estimate of £300-£400

Above left érèse Dufresne (1937-2010) a 1978 bronze medal by the French sculptor and medallist depicting a bird’s eye view of Manhattan skyscrapers, the reverse showing a network of roads set above the buildings. It has an estimate of £60-£80

Left A medal cast to mark the inauguration of the Port Jerôme oil re nery located by the Seine near Le Havre. It has estimate of £600£800

All embracing

e collection embraces medals from all corners of the globe, from Canada to New Zealand, Chile to Japan, highlighting the extraordinary craftsmanship of leading artists and all brought together by one man’s passion for the subject.

Philip Attwood, the Keeper of Coins and Medals at the British Museum from 2010–2020, said: “As a private collection, it must rank among the most comprehensive and wide-ranging of its kind.”

Frances Simmons continued: “Sometimes collectors act like magpies wanting shiny stu , while others chase after the pieces not in their collection. David Silich fell into the latter category. His intention was ultimately to produce ‘the book’ on medals of the long 20th century. For him, collecting did not mean spending large sums of money on individual items, but on acquiring medals for their art and their historical interest.”

Sale highlights

e highest-valued medal in the rst sale was made to commemorate Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee in 1887. It was created by Sir Alfred Gilbert (1854-1934) one of the best-known British sculptors of the 1880s who had a studio o Fulham Road where he built his own foundry. As well as making medals, he found public acclaim for creating Eros in Piccadilly Circus.

Another notable piece is by the caricaturist Ronald Searle (1920-2012). In addition to his many other works, Searle was a medallist of some note, having, since 1973, designed medals for the British Art Medal Society (BAMS). In 2002, Silich sponsored the society’s issue of large

electroformed versions of Searle’s medal of Dr Johnson’s biographer James Boswell, one of which appears in this month’s sale (above).

Silich was also a generous donor to international institutions including the British Museum. One such was the gift of several of Maurice enot’s animal medals from the 1930s (one of which, an art deco bronze of a faun holding the head of an antelope) is o ered in this month’s sale). He also donated 18 medals by the important early 20th-century Austrian medallist Stefan Schwartz, one of whose medals also appears in the same auction.

‘Another notable medal is by the caricaturist Ronald Searle (1920-2012). In addition to his many other works, Searle was a medallist of some note’

Left A medal to commemorate Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee in 1887 by Sir Alfred Gilbert (1854-1934). It has an estimate of £1,500-£2,000

Below left Ronald Searle, (1920-2011) 2002 a bronze medal of James Boswell and Samuel Johnson. It has an estimate of £80-£100

AUCTION fact file

WHAT: The Silich Collection of Historical and Art Medals, part 1 Where: Noonans, 16 Bolton Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 8BQ

When: Wednesday, March 6 at midday Viewing: Monday February 19 to March 1 by appointment only (call 020 7016 1700 or email viewings@ noonans.co.uk) and March 4 and 5 from 10am-4pm. Also online at www.noonans.co.uk

Left Frank Bowcher (1864-1938) A gilt-bronze medal celebrating the Franco-British Exhibition, White City, London, 1908. It has an estimate of £40-£50

Below left Prof. Stefan Schwartz, (1851-1924) 1900 a bronze plaque of a female presenting laurel branch to two kneeling artisans, for the Austrian Pavilion at the Universal Exposition, Paris in 1900. It has an estimate of £50-£70

We asked Noonan’s specialist Peter Preston-Morley for his sale highlights

How important is the collection?

Very. In terms of its breadth and scope, it features more than 3,500 medals dating from the Renaissance to the present day, representing some 920 artists.

Silich collected medals commissioned by the British Art Medals Society as well as pieces issued by the medal societies of Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and elsewhere. He also picked up occasional pieces issued by the Société des Amis de la Médaille Française (SAMF) dating from the beginning of the 20th century, medals from the 1920s onwards from the Société Francaise des Amis de la Médaille (SFAM) and a series of art medals published by the Monnaie de Paris from the early 1960s.

Do you have a favourite medal?

Quite a few in this sale, especially the medal by the Hungarian-born sculptor Gustave Miklos (1888-1967) to commemorate the inauguration of the Port Jerôme oil refinery (opposite). Dating to 1934 it was inspired by the prevailing art deco style of the times, and cast to mark the importance of the new refinery located on the Seine and linked to the port of Le Havre by a 35km pipeline. Its creation also led to the establishment of a garden city next to the site which remains today. Such an important moment in the country’s industrial development had to be celebrated with a memorable artwork, and Miklos took the commission. The resulting bronze is a view of the refinery with the reverse depicting a helmeted figure appearing out of the flame. The 115 x 64mm piece is estimated at £600-£800 in the first sale.

What tips have you got new for new art medal collectors?

Concentrate on one particular country, or restrict yourself to a certain period or style – art nouveau, art deco – or perhaps pieces by female artists, of which there are quite a number in this collection.

Where are you expecting interest to come from?

Art medals have always been collected in Europe and North America, but increasingly buyers from the Far East are discovering their appeal, which adds a new dimension to the market. With estimates ranging from £2,000 to less that £100, it is an ideal opportunity for new collectors.

LOTS of LOVE

Irita Marriott was stopped in her tracks when a racing suit worn and signed by driving legend Sir Stirling Moss appeared in her saleroom

Ilove the variety of lots that come across the saleroom threshold. ey keep me and my team on our toes and make our jobs the most varied, interesting and best imaginable. Such was the case when a racing suit worn by motorsport legend Sir Stirling Moss, who died in 2020 aged 90, was consigned for sale.

You don’t have to be a car nut to have heard of Stirling Moss – his name was synonymous with driving genius. He competed in various disciplines, including Formula One, sports cars and rallying, and was described as ‘the greatest driver never to win the F1 World Championship’.

In a seven-year span between 1955 and 1961 he nished in second place four times and in third place three times. Despite this he secured 16 Grand Prix victories and stood on the podium 24 times. He was known for his fearless driving style and determination on the track, but also respected for his sense of fair play.

In 1977, his appeal went mainstream when, driving a Renault in a TV advert, he was approached by a policeman at tra c lights asking, “Who do you think are, Stirling Moss?” e phrase entered national consciousness.

His in uence extended beyond the racing circuit – he became a cultural icon, inspiring generations of drivers and fans. As a result, when his possessions come to auction you know they are going to, well, race away.

Mega fan

Which is what we expect from the nine lots consigned by mega motoring fan 70-year-old Rob Arnold, owner of

Automobilia UK, a rm based near Melbourne, to y. e highlight is Moss’s full-body racing suit, bearing a Ferrari logo, which was personally authenticated and signed by Sir Stirling. It is such a rarity it could roar to a ve- gure sum.

It was found in America in a car used by Sir Stirling and sent to London for his authentication which is when Rob, who was visiting Sir Stirling’s PA, rst saw it and and bought it on the spot – even before it had gone to Sir Stirling’s Mayfair home for his o cial seal of approval.

Rob is also parting with a classic white racing helmet, expected to make a more modest £200-£400, and white racing gloves which have a guide price of £100-£200 each. While neither were worn by the driving legend, they are of the period and accompanied by photos of Sir Stirling signing them.

Sir Stirling’s

Left e Sir Stirling Moss race suit on display in Rob Arnold’s home, photo credit Rob Arnold

Below right e gloves are signed by Sir Stirling, photo credit @ chloe creativephotography

e suit has been in Rob’s collection for nine years during which time it has gone on show at several locations around the UK, including James Martin’s Manchester restaurant and former F1 world champion Nigel Mansell’s collection in Jersey. In fact, so taken was Mansell by the slice of motorsport history he asked to buy it. A request that was politely declined.

Home town

e sale is all the more thrilling for us because several London auction houses approached Rob wanting to sell the suit. But he loyally decided to support a new business in his home town and we are privileged to bring this important motorsport memorabilia to the world.

Aside from the pieces themselves, I love the insider titbits from the vendor. On hearing of the great man’s death, Rob, who remained a friend of Sir Stirling’s PA for many years, marked the occasion with a lunchtime trip to London’s Fortnum & Mason, a place where the racing icon loved to go for his favourite meal of Welsh rarebit. Who knew?

e Sir Stirling Moss memorabilia goes under the hammer at Irita Marriott Auctioneers’ sale on March 14.

‘With Sir Stirling’s influence extending beyond the racing circuit, he became a cultural icon, inspiring generations of drivers and fans. As a result, when his possessions come to auction you know they are going to, well, race away’

Above

signature on the race-worn suit, photo credit @ chloecreative photography

THE EXPERT COLLECTOR Drew Pritchard

A matched pair of walnut and upholstered Bridgewater and Grafton armchairs by Howard & Sons Ltd., early 20th century. One chair with rear leg stamped 1994 436 Howard & Sons Ltd, Berners St, the other stamped 1994 435 Howard & Sons Ltd, Berners St. It is rare to nd chair legs are stamped in numerical sequence. e pair has an estimate of £15,000£25,000

Drew on Howard & Sons

The sale sees a number of pieces by the 19th-century maker Howard & Sons up for sale, including the two chairs above.

Drew said: “I love pieces by Howard & Sons. The furniture is incredibly comfortable and I can’t get hold of enough of it. I have four chairs, including two armchairs for sale this month, which are among my favourites.

“Today, demand for Howard & Sons’ furniture is stronger than ever, with even the most mundane models fetching thousands of pounds. The most sought after pieces are late 19th-century

armchairs and sofas, in particular my absolute favourite model – the Grafton.

“In particular, over-sized pieces (in any model) are highly sought after, as are specialist pieces, especially those commissioned. Also sought after is furniture in its original fabric, or leather.

“While Howard & Sons’ furniture wasn’t really reproduced, some makers did mimic their style and occasionally dealers will try to pass them off as original pieces.

“Look out for the stamp on the inside of

the rear legs which should read: Howard & Sons, Berners St.

“On earlier models the castors should read Cope and Collinson, while later models will have the mark, Howard & Sons. Sofas should have a black timber stretcher visible underneath. Also, look out for remnants of the original H&S monogrammed factory ticking.

“Value is determined by firstly its size of the piece and then the model – as every piece was made in various sizes.”

A Room with a DREW

After 30 years in the business Drew Pritchard is having a clear out with 500 lots from his personal collection going under the hammer in Berkshire this month

If there ever was a “snapper up of unconsidered tri es” – as Shakespeare dubbed one of his more roguish vagabonds – that person would be atcapwearing, blunt-speaking Drew Pritchard, whose uncanny ability to spot a diamond in the rough helped his programme Salvage Hunters notch up 22 million viewers in up to 52 countries.

From salvage yards to stately homes, junk yards to factories, Pritchard has snapped up tri es large and small in both the UK and abroad. Now, with a recent move from his native Wales to the West Country, he is having a “palate cleansing” clear out, promising a feast of treasures for collectors and interior designers.

is month some 500 lots from his personal collection are expected to make more than £700,000 when they go under the hammer at Dreweatts in Berkshire. And with estimates ranging from £200 up to £30,000 there is sure to be something to enchant everyone, from the newbie collector to established dealer.

With pieces prized for their craftsmanship, provenance and backstory, the collection is the result of a 30-year career rummaging through draughty aeroplane hangers, old schools and country house attics – all in his quest to nd a hidden gem.

TV frontman

It was in 2011 when producers from Quest Media approached him to front a new style of show – not the cosy tea-time variety of valuations and auctions – but a behind-

‘It was 2011 when producers from Quest Media approached him to front a new style of show – not the cosy tea-time variety of valuations and auctions – but a behindthe-scenes, ‘muck-and-brass’ look at the work of a self-styled “decorative salvage dealer”’

-the-scenes, “muck-and-brass” look at the work of a selfstyled “decorative salvage dealer”.

Each episode would see Pritchard scour the country with his childhood chum-turned driver, “T” (John Tee), seeking out overlooked pieces which he would deliver to his team of restorers, including his then wife, Rebecca, in Conwy. Once restored, items would be sold, with many notching up multiple times the amount paid.

It resulted in unexpected stardom for the former Ysgol Dy ryn Conwy pupil, the son of a signmaker, who left school to take up a place on a YTS (youth training scheme) as a glass restorer. He said: “I started as a stained glass restorer in 1986, pulling doors out of architectural antique dealers’ vans and restoring them. I went selfemployed years ago and have been ever since.”

But in many ways the antiques trade was in his blood. He told Quest: “I was just utterly fascinated with it and it’s never left me. It’s not something I can explain why, I just had to be around this old stu all the time.”

He added: “My parents are still digging up boxes of old rubbish I found when I was a kid – I’d drag it all home. ey even built another shed for me as I’d lled all the sheds in the garden with junk.”

A pair of late 17th-, or rst quarter of early 18th-century, Portuguese carved and gilded porto, 209cm high, 72cm wide, 64cm deep. e doors have an estimate of £6,000-£8,000

THE EXPERT COLLECTOR Drew Pritchard

Conwy collection

In 2017, more than 25 years after setting up as a dealer, he opened a shop in Conwy using his “eye” to come up with an unparalleled selection of pieces.

He said: “I sometimes say that my eye is all I’ve got but it’s been enough to keep me successful. My dad had an incredible eye, as does my brother and son, so maybe it is something that can be inherited. I think you can teach it up to 80 per cent, but that last, all-important 20 per cent is just inherent. I am very picky about what I buy. It has to be the best quality, it has to be original, and be able to stand alone - then there’s the extra 10 per cent. It has to be better, di erent, the best colour, height, materials, patina. It’s that 10 per cent that keeps me where I am.”

Describing his buying process, he said: “My process of buying anything starts in the split second I see something and go ‘what’s that about?’ and I know I have to look at it further. I’ve learned to listen to the voice inside me because those pieces are, without doubt, the best pieces you can buy and there are a lot of those in this collection.”

His venture succeeded, prompting visits from collectors from around the globe. Business leaders in the town even praised its opening for sparking a “Drew e ect” in the town. But last year, Pritchard decided it was time to ring the changes.

All change

He said: “2023 marked my 30th year in the antiques trade and this collection is a vignette of that work. Anyone who deals in antiques knows it’s all consuming. is collection is part of that 30 years of obsessively collecting and dealing. I look forward to and am excited by the possibilities of the next 30 years.”

e next chapter is also involving some lifestyle changes. He told the Telegraph: “I’ve had a blip in the middle where everything just got too much for me, which I’m over now. I’ve started again from scratch. I’ve completely binned my old life and started afresh.”

While keeping his Conwy warehouse and house, last year he made an on-the-spot o er to buy a second home 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset.

He told Bristol Online “Within two minutes I realised this house was an absolute gem. Just as the estate agent was walking out, I said, ‘I’ll give you this much for it. No

Above Drew’s shop (now closed) was on the high street of the popular Welsh town of Conwy

Right A pair of 18thor early 19th-century painted leather panels possibly depicting the Battle of Cannae, one of the worst defeats in Roman history, 245cm high, 184cm wide, 5cm deep (including frame).

e pair has an estimate of £8,000-£12,000

Left Dated 1875, possibly the original retailer’s sign which hung outside Liberty & Co. on Regent Street, London, it measures 187cm high, 123cm wide and 66cm deep. Arthur Lasenby Liberty founded the iconic shop in the same year o ering pieces by important gures of the arts and crafts period including William Morris and Archibald Knox. e sign has an estimate of £8,000£12,000

Right A rare ‘Steamboat Willie’ fairground ride boat, c. 1930, French, though likely sold to the British market as a fairground ride, 200cm long, 90cm high, 92cm wide. Steamboat Willie was the rst lm starring Mickey Mouse in his earliest form in 1928 before becoming the face of Disney. It has an estimate of £3,000£5,000

‘Now, with a recent move from his native Wales to the West Country, Pritchard is having a clear out, promising a feast of treasures for collectors and interior designers’

and a changed approach .

He told the Times: “ is is a big move I’m making. It has cost me all the money I’ve ever had.”

Moving on

Now it’s time for would-be buyers to rummage through his hidden gems at the same time testing Pritchard’s ability to give up prized pieces. He said: “To be a successful dealer you have to be happy to let things go. If someone wanted to buy everything I would have to say, “Yes, please, take it all” and be really happy. If I can’t do that, I can’t be a dealer.”

Buyers can be assured each piece represents the authentic Drew Pritchard. He said: “Some of the pieces in the sale are old friends who have travelled with me for a long time.

“It is my own collection and it contains a lot of things that I love. Some of these things I’ve owned for 30 or more years and it’s just time to let them go. I’m selling my two favourite chairs. It’s a good process to take part in. When you are buying hundreds of items a year it’s a good time to cleanse the palate and start again. is collection is a very good capsule of what I am all about.”

Below A detail from the retailer’s sign showing the date 1875

THE EXPERT COLLECTOR Drew Pritchard

Sale highlights

Among the highlights is a ne Regency satinwood and ebony library table by George Oakley (1773-1840), one of the most famous cabinetmakers of Regency London.

Oakley was a leading taste maker of the day and, as such, an exponent of Grecian furniture. In 1801, the Journal des Luxus und der Moden wrote: “Everyone of taste and discrimination makes their purchases at Oakley’s, the most tasteful of London’s cabinetmakers”.

e table, in the manner of omas Hope (1769-1831) sports trestle end supports and ebony surrounds.

Its brown leather top is decorated by inlaid brass stars mimicking the ‘emblems of the night’ – a pattern used extensively by Hope.

Opposite page Salvage Hunters star Drew Pritchard, image Drew Pritchard

Right Chalk calculations suggest the chest may have been present at some of the most famous land speed records

Left e Regency table by George Oakley (17731840) has an estimate of £12,000-£18,000

Below left e use of exotic timbers and brass inlay are all features of Oakley’s work

Below right e trunk may have accompanied Sir Malcolm Campbell on one of his many land speed record attempts

Slice of motoring history

Unsurpisingly (Pritchard is a huge car fan), the collection contains many pieces of motoring interest, including a wooden engineer’s chest owned by Sir Malcolm Campbell (1885-1948).

e driving legend would have used the trunk on one – or more – of his land speed records while driving his famous car, Blue Bird.

e fact the title ‘sir’ appears to have been added later suggests the trunk was used before Campbell was knighted in 1931 – after his successful land speed record of 245.736 mph on Daytona Beach.

Prior to that, and pre his knighthood, in 1926 in Blue Bird 2, Campbell established a then land speed record of 174.883 mph at Pendine Sands in south Wales. Two years later, in the same car, Campbell set the record at Daytona of 206.956 mph.

Design classic

A matched pair of upholstered Bridgewater and Grafton armchairs by Howard & Son (previous page) with stamped legs (detailing the maker), should also prove popular.

Pritchard said: “From day one Howard & Sons was known as a purveyor of the nest furniture in the country. At the time, you could buy bespoke and one-o pieces from its legendary range. Today, it has the same appeal: total quality and furniture built without compromise. But what it comes down to is Howard & Sons produces incredibly comfortable pieces of furniture.”

e company was responsible for inventing a number of modern techniques, such as siege de duvet (trapped cushions) and innovative frame designs, such as the Bridgewater, which both transformed furniture making and are still copied by furniture makers today.

e chest also provides some other tantalising clues to one of the greatest periods of racing history. Its colour, made up of multi-layered blue paint, re ects the changing of the colour of Campbell’s Blue Bird cars over time. (All Campbell’s cars and boats were named Blue Bird – after a play of the same name by Maurice Maeterlinck – and painted a shade of azure blue.)

Even more thrilling for motoring collectors is the fact the chest’s lid is scrawled with chalk scribblings of numbers and calculations, suggesting a direct link to one of Campbell’s speed record attempts.

e chest belonged to Campbell’s long-serving mechanic, Leopoldo Alfonso Villa OBE (1899-1979), who played a key role in nine land and four water world speed record attempts. Following Campbell’s death, Villa continued as chief mechanic to many record attempts by his son Donald Campbell (19211967). Pritchard purchased the chest for his own collection in 2015.

e two-day sale titled Drew Pritchard: e Collection will take place at Dreweatts on March 5 and 6, for more details go to www.dreweatts.com

Drew’s happy hunting grounds

“I love architectural salvage yards. I went to one the other day in Leamington Spa and it was like going back to the 1980s – it was packed with garden architecture and hidden gems. The other places I really like are antiques centres – the bigger the better. If there are thousands of pieces for sale you know there has to be a couple of treasures that have slipped through the net. Plus, they have tea shops.”

Custom packing:

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In the KNOWLES

Serpents and garnets were both favourites of Georgian and Victorian jewellery makers, writes new columnist Eric Knowles

Strange as it might seem today, but a snake was seen by Victorians, not just as venemous and deadly, but also as the ideal representation of eternal love, wisdom and commitment. Indeed, the ouroboros – a snake eating its own tail – was widely perceived as the ultimate manifestation of everlasting devotion. Meaning ‘tail-devourer’ in Greek, the symbol has endured since ancient times, even appearing in the tomb of Tutankhamun in the 13th century BC.

But it was in the 19th century that jewellery shaped as an ouroboros, the sign of everlasting renewal, became all the rage. e reason was Queen Victoria herself, who started the trend with the engagement ring she received from her beloved Albert which was in the shape of a coiled serpent.

With rubies for the eyes, diamonds for the mouth and a large emerald set at the centre (Victoria’s birthstone) it sparked a trend of the snake as a symbol of love, that was worn by both women and men.

e theme continued after Albert’s death in 1861 when, as well as wearing black, Victoria commissioned mourning jewellery – pieces to remember loved ones. While mourning jewellery had existed for centuries, when Victoria entered her lifetime of grief, it reached new heights.

A Victorian garnet and 9ct gold serpent necklace on o er this month at Hansons combines both themes in the most thrilling way. e symbolism is clear: I will love this person into eternity.

Garnet’s charm

e necklace features a garnet-set heart, with a glazed hair compartment (to contain a loved one’s locks). In the late 18th and early 19th century, as well as serpents, garnets were in vogue and it’s easy to see why. In Georgian times, when balls were at their height, there was no better way for wealthy young ladies to dazzle their would-be beau than with an elegant garnet choker glistening in the candlelight.

During the late 18th century a technique of ‘foiling’ gemstones also came into fashion. It involved mounting a thin, at-cut garnet into a bowl-shaped mount, lined with coloured metal foil.

Foiling the stones, and fully enclosing the mounts at the back, intensi ed their glowing appearance and appeal.

(In revolutionary France they had a more ghoulish appeal when republican o cials’ wives wore a single row around their necks imitating the bloody line that might await those facing the guillotine.)

Garnets’ popularity extended into the Victorian era when they continued to be fashionable with the pyrope and almandine varieties used proli cally in jewellery of the day. Designs often feature a cabochon (domed) shape as they were easy to cut and accentuated the stone’s colour.

Tucked away

Above A 19th-century foil closed back quartz rivière necklace hammered at £3,800, beating its £600-£800 guide, image Hansons

Above right Two garnet crystals in rock crystal form, have an estimate of £30-£40 in Hansons’ sale on March 21

Below right A Victorian garnet and 9ct gold serpent necklace has an estimate of £800-£1,200 in the same sale

Today, many such pieces are often inherited, tucked away in drawers and forgotten about, sometimes for decades. Such was the case with this 19th-century rivière necklace (left), which had been languishing in a box of costume jewellery, which a vendor brought to the team. She had no idea of its worth and, with a guide price of £600-£800, this belle of the ball recently hammered at £3,800.

e value of Victorian and Georgian jewellery is also enhanced by rarity. Much Georgian jewellery has not survived as families restyled pieces to keep up with trends, or sold them o with components taken apart for their value. It is a sad loss as Georgian jewellery was crafted by hand due to the lack of precision-cutting machinery.

To gain an idea of the work involved in turning a gemstone into jewellery, the same auction includes two garnet crystals in rock crystal form.

As well as appearing in a number of TV programmes, Eric Knowles is a consultant valuer for Hansons Auctioneers at whose Derby saleroom the necklace and garnet crystals will go under the hammer on March 21.

‘It was in the 19th century that ouroboros jewellery became all the rage. The reason was Queen Victoria herself, who started the trend with the engagement ring she received from her beloved Albert which was in the shape of a coiled serpent’

Bear Essentials

A century on from the publication of the rst

Winnie-the-Pooh

book, specialist Dr Philip W. Errington reveals whether that tattered copy in the attic could really bear fruit

Whether you like your Winnie-the-Pooh in the original A.A. Milne books, or as a Walt Disney cartoon (or both), there’s no escaping the teddy bear holds a special place in all our hearts alongside other childhood favourites such as Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. Cambridge graduate, Alan Alexander Milne (1882-

Above Complete set of the Winnie-the-Pooh books: When We Were Very Young; Winnie-thePooh; Now We Are Six and e House at Pooh Corner, by A.A. Milne. Each is signed by the author and illustrator. For sale by Peter Harrington for Winnie-theby A.A. Milne, signed by the author and illustrator. For sale, as one of the set of four, by Peter Harrington for £50,000

career abruptly changed direction.

In 1913, he married Dorothy “Daphne” de Sélincourt and their son, Christopher Robin Milne, was born in 1920. In 1925, the family moved to Cotchford Farm on the edge of the Ashdown Forest in East Sussex, said to be the location of Hundred Acre Wood, and before long he began to publish stories about the beloved bear.

When Christopher was three Milne started to create a ctional world based around his son. To illustrate the tales a mutual friend suggested there would be no better person for the job than one of the illustrators at Punch, the artist E.H. Shepard (1879-1976).

A tale of two bears

Pooh himself has two ursine inspirations. During WWI (where Milne served as a signals o cer on the Somme before he was invalided out with trench foot), a Canadian soldier by the name of Harry Colebourn brought a female bear cub named ‘Winnie’ with him to England from Winnipeg in Manitoba.

Winnie eventually lived in London Zoo from 1914 until her death in 1934. It was there that Christopher met the bear.

e other bear, which became an intrinsic part of Pooh, was a teddy bear (“Edward Bear”) bought for Christopher on his rst birthday.

‘As with many children’s books, the first edition was issued with a decorative dust jacket. The presence or absence of this protective jacket in different conditions accounts for a wide range of commercial values. Without a jacket a first edition may be worth a few hundred pounds. With a fine jacket, copies may sell for around £7,000 to £9,000’

When We Were Very Young

Published on November 6, 1924, When We Were Very Young, is a collection of poems. e book begins with an introduction entitled ‘Just Before We Begin’ which, in part, asks readers to imagine who the narrator is, suggesting it might be Christopher Robin.

Verses included ‘Buckingham Palace’, ‘ e King’s Breakfast’, ‘Halfway Down’, and ‘Vespers’. Shepard’s illustration for ‘Halfway Down’ has Pooh at the top of the stairs. e original dust jacket also features Pooh on the front panel. In Vespers Shepard illustrates the words “Little Boy kneels at the foot of the bed”, with the familiar teddy bear at the foot of Christopher Robin’s bed.

e books were published by Dutton in America and there was a standard trade edition and a signed limited edition (100 copies) published by Methuen in the UK.

As with many children’s books, the rst edition was issued with a decorative dust jacket. e presence or absence of this protective jacket in di erent conditions accounts for a wide range of commercial values. Without a jacket a rst edition may be worth a few hundred pounds. With a ne jacket, copies may sell for around £7,000 to £9,000.

Winnie- e-Pooh

e stories of the eponymous bear started in earnest in December 1925, when Milne was asked to contribute a tale to the Christmas Eve issue of e Evening News

e story of Pooh climbing a tree to steal honey from some bees was also broadcast on the radio on Christmas

Far left A signed limitededition of When We Were Very Young by A.A. Milne, 1924. For sale by Peter Harrington for £3,750

Left e frontispiece shows it is signed by the author (one of a 100) from a limited-edition of 500. For sale by Peter Harrington for £3,750

1 Without the dust jacket, Winnie- e-Pooh by A.A. Milne retails for a few hundred pounds

2 Winnie- e-Pooh by A.A. Milne in dust jacket, 1926. Sold by Peter Harrington for £7,000

3 e endpapers of the rst edition of Winniee-Pooh shows E.H. Shepard’s map of the Hundred Acre Wood

4 A signed limited edition Winnie- e-Pooh by A.A. Milne, 1926. For sale by Peter Harrington for £17,500

5 e limitation shows the book is signed by the author and is number 288 of 350. For sale by

E.H. Shepard record

In 2018, E.H. Shepard’s illustrated map for the Hundred Acre Wood, used to illustrate the endpapers of Winnie-the-Pooh, sold for £430,000, making it the most expensive book illustration sold at auction. The illustration includes locations on the map such as Big Stones and Rox and Nice For Piknicks.

Shepard produced at least two other drawings of the wood’s map; one was sold at auction in 2008, and the other is part of the V&A collection.

Above Shepard’s hand-drawn map of the famous wood was expected to make between £100,000 and £150,000 – but after worldwide attention it ended up selling for £430,000, image courtesy of Sotheby’s

Day. Winnie-the-Pooh had arrived, and a full book of adventures was published on October 14, 1926 by Methuen in the UK. By this time the publishers knew they had a hit on their hands.

e stories have a wit and lightness of touch which immediately captivates readers. e characters also bene t from Milne’s experience as a dramatist with some deftly written dialogue. Above all, the characters themselves are fully developed and display individual and interesting personalities. Richard Adams, author Watership Down, once noted that Eeyore was, “the rst portrait in English literature of a type of neurotic we all know only too well”.

COLLECTING GUIDES Winnie-the-Pooh books

ere had been 5,175 copies of the rst edition of When We Were Very Young. By contrast, there were 35,067 trade copies of Winnie-the-Pooh. It is an indication of the publisher’s faith in the new book that it was rst published in three di erent versions: a standard trade edition, a signed, limited-edition (350 copies), and a signed, extra limited-edition (20 copies).

Demand is always high for Winnie-the-Pooh in a dust jacket. With a very good to ne jacket, copies may sell for between £3,000 to £7,000. Without the jacket a copy may retail in the low thousands. e signed or extra signed copies are very special indeed and, chasing 350 or 20 copies, they are increasingly scarce.

Now We Are Six

For the third book in the series, Now We Are Six, Milne returned to verse. e publication date was October 13, 1927. Winnie-the-Pooh was now rmly established, and Shepard included him in many of his creations. When Christopher Robin meets a charcoal-burner in the ninth poem there are three illustrations with Pooh present.

In the poem, ‘Us Two’, which starts, “Wherever I am, there’s always Pooh, ere’s always Pooh and Me,” Shepard concludes with another illustration of the famous staircase complete with bear.

Once again, the English publishers issued a standard trade edition, a signed, limited-edition (200 copies), and a signed, extra limited edition (20 copies).

e extra limited-edition was issued in a very expensive and exclusive vellum binding; ne copies sparkle with a luxurious desirability.

e House at Pooh Corner

Despite the assurance in ‘Us Two’ that two can stick together, it’s the second story book and fourth volume in

Right e House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne, 1928. Sold by Peter Harrington for £1,250

Below left

Six by A.A. Milne in dust jacket, 1927. For sale by Peter Harrington for £1,750

Below

limited-edition of We Are Six 1927. For sale by Peter Harrington for £27,500

beloved bear.

Before this conclusion, however, there are tales featuring a new character: Tigger. It’s a surprise that one of the most popular inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood is such a late appearance. He bounces o the page, however, and becomes one of Milne’s most beloved characters. By now the publishers were aware of unprecedented demand and there were 75,204 copies of the rst trade edition. As before, there was a signed, limited-edition (back to 350 copies) and a signed extra

‘The stories have a wit and lightness of touch which immediately captivates readers. The characters also benefit from Milne’s experience as a dramatist with some deftly written dialogue’

Left A signed, limitededition of The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne, 1928. For sale by Peter Harrington for £8,750

Above When We Were Very Young by A.A. Milne in original box and glassine jacket, 1925. For sale by Peter Harrington for £1,000

Below A deluxe rst edition (without box or jacket) of Winnie- e-Pooh by A.A. Milne, 1926. Sold by Peter Harrington for £1,500

DELUXE BINDINGS

It’s worth noting that the English publishers Methuen also sold a deluxe binding of the trade issue of all the books (although the deluxe binding of When We Were Very Young only appears from the seventh impression).

In contrast with a cloth binding in dust jacket, published at 7/6, the deluxe bindings in calf came with a thin tissue jacket in a box at 10/6. Today the commercial value depends on

Above left A signed limited-edition of e House at Pooh Corner A.A. Milne. One of only 20 signed by the author and illustrator. For sale by Peter Harrington for £35,000

Above right Limitation page for the extra limited-edition of e House at Pooh Corner

Lef t Illustrations of of Friendship Treasury book, by ea Feldman. In one of the illustrations, the bear is wearing a shirt which was later coloured red becoming the standard for the Disney adaptations

Winnie-the-Pooh books

DRAWN TOGETHER

eirs was one of the most important creative partnerships in children’s literature. But the pairing of A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard almost never came about

eir collaboration on the four Winnie-the-Pooh books came from their association at Punch magazine, where Shepard was a well-respected artist and they both worked, although had it been up to Milne alone, this partnership might never have happened.

On several occasions Milne asked Punch’s art editor, “What on earth do you see in this man? He’s perfectly hopeless”, to which the reply was, “You wait”.

In the end Milne was delighted with Shepard’s interpretation, and the resulting series of Pooh books established both Milne and Shepard’s reputations, with one critic arguing that the verses and illustrations belonged together “as intimately as the echo does to the voice.”

When Milne gave Shepard a copy of the rst American edition of Winnie-the-Pooh he inscribed it with an eightline verse which commences: “When I am gone, | Let Shepard decorate my tomb”. Milne then requests a picture of Piglet (from page 111) and one of Pooh and Piglet walking together (from page 157). ere is no doubt of the debt that Milne owed his illustrator.

Selling exhibitions

Shepard’s working practice was to create a preliminary drawing in pencil. Having revised this, he covered the reverse of the sheet with pencil shading. en, placed on top of a sheet of artist’s board, he copied the drawing by tracing the appropriate lines of the composition.

With a faint pencil outline, Shepard would then draw the nished illustration in black ink. e preliminary pencil sketches were retained by Shepard and, throughout his life, he would occasionally produce new drawings from them. e preliminaries are now in the V&A Museum.

e original ink drawings, once used by the publishers, were returned to Shepard and sold through a series of exhibitions at e Sporting Galleries in Covent Garden. It is because of these exhibitions that it is still possible to acquire Shepard’s original drawings, as published in the four Pooh books.

Above Shepard, working in the late 1950s in colour, is represented by a preliminary drawing for e World of Pooh showing a scene from the fourth chapter of Winnie-the-Pooh sale by Peter Harrington for £60,000

Above right Original artwork for Winnie-thePooh. One of two ink drawings from Piglet Meets a He alump, by E.H. Shepard, 1926. For sale by Peter Harrington for £110,000

Left Original artwork for Winnie-the-Pooh. Both ink drawings from Piglet Meets a He alump, by E.H. Shepard, 1926. For sale by Peter Harrington for £110,000

‘The original ink drawings, once used by the publishers, were returned to Shepard and sold through a series of exhibitions at The Sporting Galleries in Covent Garden. It is because of these exhibitions that it is still possible to acquire Shepard’s original drawings, as published in the four Pooh books’

Left Original artwork for Winnie-the-Pooh, one of two ink drawings from Piglet Meets a He alump, by E.H. Shepard, 1926. For sale by Peter Harrington for £110,000

Right e anniversary edition of Winnie- ePooh by A.A. Milne, numbered and signed by Christopher Robin Milne, 1976. Sold by Peter Harrington for £1,500

Below right Winniee-Pooh by A.A. Milne, numbered and signed by Christopher Robin Milne, 1976. Sold by Peter Harrington for £1,500

Below left Original artwork for e House at Pooh Corner: “‘Good Morning, Christopher Robin,” he said... “Are we alone?’” By E.H. Shepard, 1928. For sale by Peter Harrington for £95,000

Lost detail

When one looks at an original drawing it tends to reveal an amazing level of detail that was lost on publication. Generally, the size of Shepard’s originals is larger and, when shrunk for publication, detail tends to be lost.

In two ink drawings from chapter ve of Winnie-thePooh, for example, the buttons on Piglet’s top, Christopher Robin’s jumper and the tree roof in the he alump trap have become lost or blurred when published.

A contemporary review of Shepard’s exhibition sale of drawings for e House at Pooh Corner in 1928 stated that “Mr Shepard shows a remarkable aptitude in giving a human expression to animals, and his... animals are, if possible, even more expressive than the children which accompany them”.

Original artwork by Shepard for Milne’s books is highly prized. Although in later years Shepard made copies of some of his Pooh drawings, the originals used to illustrate the Pooh books are uncommon on the market.

COLLECTING POOH

Starting a collection of Milne, Shepard or Pooh material is possible at every entry level. In the 1970s the publishers issued 50th anniversary editions of the Pooh books which were numbered and signed by Christopher Robin Milne (300 copies of each book published in 1974, 1976, 1977 and 1978 respectively) and these turn up regularly.

The publishers had the good sense to retain a uniformity to the series of books. The size and appearance of When We Were Very Young therefore matches that of The House at Pooh Corner four years later.

Sets of the books are hugely desirable and a wonderful instant collection. The commercial value has soared.

A few years ago, I knew a retired doctor who had bought a set as a first birthday present for his first grandchild. He repeated this a few years later for a second grandchild. By the time he was on his fifth grandchild he expressed the hope that there’d be no further grandchildren. (There was a sixth, who luckily received the now traditional set.)

Should any indulgent grandparent wish to copy the idea, Peter Harrington currently has a very good set of all four books in their dust jackets priced £12,500.

www.peterharrington.co.uk.

Dr Philip W. Errington is an authority on children’s books and a senior specialist at rare bookseller Peter Harrington. For more details go to

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Puzzle TIME

Spring is in sight and there’s no better time to give your noddle a workout, courtesy of our quiz editor

Peter Wade-Wright

MARCH QUIZ

Q1 What is/was an argyle? (a) a waistcoat, (b) a gravy boat, (c) a highland shooting-stick, (d) a ceremonial haggis-knife.

Q2 A small 18th-century New England mirror with a moulded frame and a painting or design on the crest was traditionally known as (a) a Georgy, (b) Boston re ector, (c) Courting gift, (c) a Patriot.

Q3 Sta ordshire or Whieldon ware called an ‘Arbour’ group, originally depicted what? (a) inner workings of a clock, (b) seated lovers, (c) owers (usually roses), (d) ships (as in ‘arbour).

Q4 A ‘joney grig’ is a dialect term for a 19th-century pottery ornament often placed on a chimney shelf. What did it depict? (a) a dog, (b) a cat, (c) a child, (d) a tinker.

Q5 Once upon a time Chinese girls could be given ivory trinkets to wear in their cleavage. Why? (a) a Ming dynasty custom and gift to the betrothed, (b) an ancient symbol of purity, (c) to ward o demons, (d) as part of the ivory ‘aging’ process.

Q6 What colour is the enamel preparation known as smalt? (a) pearl/ivory, (b) pink, (c) deep blue, (d) bright yellow.

Q7 e Drawing Room Scrap Book was an ‘annual’ rst produced by Charles Heath in which year? (a) 1825, (b) 1830, (c) 1832, (d) 1837.

Q8 If you were a French menuisier, what would you produce? (a) decorative cooking ingredient lists, (b) veneered furniture, (c) fans decorated with ‘improving’ aphorisms, (d) none of the above.

Q9 Soapstone and diamond are at either end of the ‘hardness’ scale. Put the following in order softer → harder. (a) opal, agate, coral, (b) coral, opal, agate, (c) agate, coral, opal, (d) coral, agate, opal.

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 March 14 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 For what is the 16th-centrury artisan William Sheldon known? (a) tapestries, (b) cricket bats, (c) carved household accessories such as doorknobs, (d) forged coins he gifted to a well-known university.

Finally, here are four anagrams uncoil sins, nebula treat, neon riots and sue poser rearrange them to form, in order, (a) natural aws in gemstones (pl.), (b) horizontal beam on the top of architectural columns, (c) type of hard earthenware associated with Charles James Mason (early 19th century), (d) a term, without accent, meaning ‘pushed out’ … embossing.

SOLUTION TO LAST MONTH’S CROSSWORD:

The highlighted letters could be rearranged to form the word Waverley.

The three winners who will each receive a copy of the book are: Jack Lemans, by email; Marguerite Chapman (Mrs) by email and Harry Singh-Jones, by email.

Q9 e Mohs scale tests the hardness of minerals

Anagram 2 What is the name of the horizontal beam on the top of an architectural column?

24 ACROSS CLUE

4 DOWN CLUE

Across

1 Francis _____ (1909-1992) Irish-born artist of the brutal and despairing. (5)

7 Type of spoon once, but now rarely, found in sets of 13. (7)

8 Alexandre _____ (1802-1870) Prolific French writer…also one of the most widely read. (5)

9 A label e.g. a bottle-ticket or a graffiti-artist’s signature. (3)

10 Poem intended to be sung. (3)

12 Dense, dark wood capable of taking a fine polish. (5)

15 Henrik _____ (1828-1906) Norwegian playwright ‘The father of realism.’ (5)

17 Royal _____ Derby. Oldest (?) porcelain manufacturer in England. (5)

20 What the tusks of elephants really are…and, in this puzzle constructor’s opinion, should stay on the living animal. (5)

23 ‘____ indoors’. Slang for ‘wife’ coined by the writer of the 1980s/90s ITV comedy drama, Minder. (3)

24 The name given to sensitive ‘goths’ who emerged in the late 20th century and whose jewellery has become collectable. (3)

25 Dynamite inventor’s highly desirable prizes. (5)

26 Japanese pottery from the province of the same name, from 1600 to the 19th century when it became elaborately decorated for the Western market. (7)

27 Laurence Stephen ____ (1887-1976) English artist known for distinctive figures in industrial landscapes. (5)

With what do gra ti artists sign their work?

9 ACROSS CLUE

Down

1 Mark or emblem. Many an older person may have started an interest in collecting by acquiring them in youthful activities. (5)

2 Brooch with a figure carved in relief. (5)

3 Very bad or unpleasant. Punk-inspired art? (5)

4 Die-cast vehicle toy manufacture (and a queen’s favourite pet). (5)

5 Character created by eight across who was a role-model for d’Artagnan. (5)

6 Greek figure from myth whose face launched a thousand ships (5)

11 Surface hollow, and as Arthur ___, the hapless protagonist in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. (4)

13 Naked, unfurnished or worn. (4)

14 ____ Romantic. Late ‘70s UK fashion movement. (3)

16 One of the emerging insects on the Lyle’s golden syrup tin decoration (and the oldest advertising image still in use). (3)

17 Decorate metal by engraving. (5)

18 To harangue or pontificate. (5)

19 Arthur ____ (1903-1985). British TV and antiques expert. (5)

20 Quality of music, colour or writing. (5)

21 ____ chair. Term introduced in the 17th century to distinguish the armchair from individual dining chairs. (5)

22 Hardwood, easily dyed and used for furniture ornamentation. (5)

Finally, rearrange the letters in the highlighted squares to form the name of the shelf above a fireplace on which many a collector’s treasure has been placed.

What sort of ‘goth’ would wear jewellery like this?

What toy maker’s name is shared with this ‘royal’ canine?

TOP of the LOTS

A lifetime collection of fairground art goes under the hammer in Essex, while Lionel Messi’s rst footballing contract, written on a napkin, has a starting price of £300,000

A modern, limited-edition Fabergé egg enclosing two single-stone diamond rings has an estimate of £4,000-£6,000 at Halls auction house in Shropshire on March 6.

The champagne-coloured, enamel egg, dated 2003, is decorated with an 18ct gold honey bee and flowers on the lid which opens to reveal a tiny 18ct gold bear eating honey.

Contained within its original box, the egg was consigned from the estate of a Whitchurch collector.

The only known letter to exist between poet Lord Byron (1788-1824) and the political reformer John Cartwright (1740-1824) dated 1813 found in a country house in Gloucestershire has an estimate of £1,500-£2,500 at Chorley’s sale on March 20.

At the same sale, a letter from the Swiss political theorist Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) dated 1763, has a pre-sale guide price of £3,000-£5,000. Written in French, the owner had no idea of its author or recipient. Examination showed it was from Rousseau to a Monsieur Le Chambrier; while Byron’s less prosaic note apologises for missing a

Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s missive, dated 1763, has a pre-sale guide price of £3,000-£5,000 e letter in Lord Byron’s hand carries an auction estimate of £1,500-£2,500.

A Dunhill lighter lacquered by the Namiki Manufacturing Company, dated 1928, has an estimate of £300-£500 at Tennants’ sale on March 16.

Japanese pen maker Namiki came to fame in the West in the early 20th century when it teamed up with luxury brands including Dunhill to retail ‘maki-e’ pens under the brand name Dunhill-Namiki.

Maki-e, which literally means ‘sprinkled picture’ is the name given to a specific type of lacquer decoration, in this case referring to depictions of exotic birds on branches and foliage on a gold speckled blackground.

The lighter has the maker’s Mark W&G, possibly for Wise and Greenwood, London.

Above Dunhill lighters are highly sought after by collectors

The paper napkin used as an impromptu contract to secure the 13-year-old Lionel Messi for FC Barcelona, dubbed “one of the most pivotal documents in the history of football”, has a starting price of £300,000 in Bonhams’ online sale in New York from March 18-27.

Consigned for sale by the football legend’s Spanish agent, the contract in blue ink translates as In Barcelona, on 14 December 2000... FC Barcelona’s sporting director, hereby agrees...regardless of any dissenting opinions, to sign the player Lionel Messi, provided that we keep to the amounts agreed upon.

Messi’s career scored eight Ballon d’Or awards as well as becoming Barcelona’s all-time top scorer. Bonhams New York’s Ian Ehling, said: “This is one of the most thrilling items I have ever handled. Yes, it’s a paper napkin, but it’s a famous napkin.”

Above e paper napkin which secured Lionel Messi for Barcelona FC has a starting price of £300,000

An arts and crafts repoussé brass wall clock by the Scottish artist Margaret Gilmour (1860-1942) has an estimate £1,000 -£1,500 at Bonhams Edinburgh’s online sale from March 11-21.

Gilmour was born in Glasgow, the daughter of a local businessman and attended the School of Art from 1877 to 1880 with her sister, Mary.

With a third sister the trio established the Gilmour Studio at 179 West George Street, known for its decorative metalwork. It became a a successful workshop which operated for more than 50 years.

Left e Fabergé egg containing two single stone diamond rings has an estimate of £4,000- £6,000

Above e arts and crafts clock is by the ‘Glasgow Girl’ Margaret Gilmour

This month 50 lots from a single-owner collection of fairground horses, carvings and wagons acquired over half a century, goes under the hammer at Sworders in Stansted Mountfitchet in Essex.

John Barker’s passion for fairgrounds and their art started at the age of 14 when he spotted an outsiderow double-seater horse, made by the maker CJ Spooner (1871-1939), in an antiques shop in Cookham.

He said: “I found out it was owned by the daughter of Billy Smart and came from the family’s set of gallopers. As a child, I could not pass a funfair without begging my father to stop, as the colours, lights and sounds fascinated me, so really, I suppose, it was just in my blood.”

From then on, Barker’s hunt for the best fairground art took him around the world. He continued: “Probably 80 per cent of my collection was acquired from America, where the very best pieces were exported from the 1960s to the 1990s. Unfortunately, getting these pieces shipped back to the UK was very costly, very time-consuming, and sometimes, very frustrating.”

Sale highlight

One of the rarest pieces on offer is the torso of the British statesman Joseph Chamberlain carved by CJ Spooner. As well as producing fine quality roundabout figures and traditional galloping horses, Spooner also carved figures reflecting the political climate of the day.

The carving of Chamberlain was one of 12 Boer War generals, including Kitchener and Baden-Powell, from Spooner’s famous 1900 ride which debuted at Neath Fair in Swansea.

Chamberlain, sadly, was not as popular with fairgound goers as his counterparts and was later removed from the ride and never re-carved – making it a rare survivor and, likely, unique.

Barker’s favourite lot, however, is a galloper from a set carved by Anderson of Bristol for William Sharples in 1895. He said: “The stance of this early horse is truly majestic and is heavily carved to both sides, and even to the inside of the neck, something I have never seen on any other galloper horse.”

The sale, An English Fairground: The John Barker Collection takes place at Sworders on March 7.

1 A 35-key juvenile fairground organ by Limonaire Frères, c.1910, Paris, 105cm wide, 75cm deep, 159cm high, with a number of music books, and an LP of the organ in full voice made by Ron Armstrong during his ownership. It has an estimate of £12,000-£15,000 2 A rare juvenile elephant carousel mount by C J Spooner, c.1890, from an outside row, 103cm wide, 26cm deep, 86cm high. It has an estimate of £7,000-£9,000

3 A large carousel galloper horse by Anderson, Bristol, c.1895, inscribed with the initial ‘W.S.’ and probably carved for Walter Sharples, 186cm wide, 34cm deep, 118cm high. It has an estimate of £5,000-£7,000

4 A rare juvenile carousel mount in the form of a lion, attributed to Anderson, Bristol, c.1900, initialled ‘A.S.’ for Alfred (‘Alf’) Scarrott, the well-known Worcestershire-based showman, 114cm wide, 30cm deep 63cm high. It has an estimate of £3,000-£5,000 5 A large double-seated carousel galloper by F Savage, King’s Lynn, c.1920, with ears and a tightly curled mane, and carved owers and Romayne panels to the legs, 200cm wide, 36cm deep, 115cm high. It has an estimate of £2,500£3,500 6 A rare carousel mount torso by C J Spooner, Burton-on-Trent, c.1900, carved in the form of Joseph Chamberlain, wearing a tam-o’shanter and, 37cm wide, 37cm deep, 73cm high, carved element only. It has an estimate of £6,000-£8,000 7 An ornate pair of juvenile ‘Dobby’ horse carousel mounts by C J Spooner, Burton-on-Trent, c.1900, likely taken from W H Marshall’s juvenile ride, 114cm long, 24cm deep, 75cm high. It has an estimate of £4,000-£5,000

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MARKET REPORT

2023 was a remarkable year for Princess Diana memorabilia, peaking when one of her jumpers sold for a sevengure sum for the rst time. What does it mean for royal collectors?

IPaul Fraser reports

’ve often written about the market for Princess Diana memorabilia. But in 2023 that market made a huge leap upwards. ere are several reasons for this, mainly due to her increasing cultural signi cance. Anyone who watches e Crown will testify to that. But in this article I’m going to focus on the numbers. Because whether you’re a royal collector or not, the gures are impossible to ignore.

It started with a bang. Until last year, the most valuable Princess Diana item ever sold was her famous ‘Travolta’ dress, which sold in 2019 for £264,000.

But that all changed in January, when her purple Victor Edelstein evening gown hit the block. In 1997, Diana had sold it during a charity auction at Christie’s for $24,150. But this time it sold for a record $604,800. Its value had increased 25 times over in the space of just 27 years.

Monster results

Million dollar club

Less than a week later, one of her most famous jumpers went up for auction. Known as the ‘Black Sheep’ jumper, Diana was photographed wearing it regularly in 1982. And many had speculated the design was her own way of rebelling against the formality of the royal family.

e jumper was expected to fetch $40,000-$70,000. But instead it sold for $1.14m. It was a landmark sale. Because when a person’s memorabilia hits seven gures, it’s always a major step up for the market. But was it a one-o , or had the market really made a permanent leap?

e answer came in December when a velvet Jacques Azagury gown worn by Diana in 1985 had a guide price of $100,000-$200,000. And it sold for the same price: $1.14m. Like the others, the dress had sold in 1997 – for $26,450. In the space of 27 years it had increased by 4,210 per cent.

is pattern of growth continued in September 2023, when three more of Diana’s dresses went up for sale in the US (each one originally sold in 1997).

A Catherine Walker ivory gown which sold for $25,300 in 1997, sold for $508,000 in 2023– up 1,907 per cent.

A green and black gown by the same designer which sold in 1997 for $24,150, sold for $571,500 in 2023 – an increase of 2,266 per cent. A Bruce Old eld chi on dress which sold for $34,500 in 1997, sold for $571,500 – up 1,556 per cent. Not only that, each dress attracted more than 40 bids – a clear sign of erce competition.

Top far right Princess Diana wore the dress to visit the Expo ’86 in the Canadian capital Vancouver, image courtesy of Julien’s Auctions, California

Top right Her velvet Jacques Azagury gown worn by Diana in 1985 sold for $1.14m, beating its guide price of $100,000-$200,000, image courtesy of Julien’s Auctions, California

Above Interest in Princess Diana has boomed in the wake of e Crown, image courtesy of Net ix

Left A signed 1982 Christmas card to King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece is priced £4,500, image courtesy of Paul Fraser Collectibles

‘Last year a handwritten Diana letter sold for £26,000, against an estimate of just £3,000.

If

you don’t already own a good example of Princess Diana’s signature, you need to acquire one’

Strict royal protocol

Unless you’re a multi-millionaire or a major museum, owning one of Princess Diana’s out ts or personal items is not an option. But collectors are turning to the next-best thing. Her signed memorabilia.

But as far as royal autographs go, Diana’s are rarer than most people think. While she was one of the most famous women in the world, she wasn’t allowed to sign autographs like one.

As a member of the royal family, she was bound by strict protocols which prevented her from signing them. So her signature was never easily available during her lifetime. Like most of the royals, she also used an autopen to sign all but the most personal correspondence.

Which signi cantly cuts down the number of genuine, hand-signed examples available to collectors. And her sudden tragic death in 1997 capped that supply forever.

So the demand for Diana’s autograph has always been greater than the supply. at’s why its value has risen by 900 per cent since 2000.

Last year, a Diana letter handwritten to a close friend sold at auction for £26,000, against an estimate of just £3,000. So as we head into 2024, my simple advice is this: if you collect autographs and you don’t already own a good example of Princess Diana’s signature, you need to acquire one. And sooner rather than later.

Paul Fraser is the owner of Paul Fraser Collectibles. For more details go to www.paulfrasercollectibles.com

FAIR NEWS

Two landmark events return to London and Maastricht this month, while Bath welcomes a much-beloved fair

Bath time

The Bath Decorative Antiques Fair celebrates its 35th edition this month, attracting collectors and interiors buffs with its blend of antiques and contemporary design.

From March 15-16, the event at The Pavilion, North Parade Road, showcases a wide range of decorative items and country house furniture, art from renowned exhibitors and an array of accessories. The fair has also established a name for itself for its folk art with the return of Stow-on-the-Wold dealers, Hiscock &

Maastricht Treat

The 2024 edition of TEFAF Maastricht, organised by The European Fine Art Foundation, returns to the Dutch city this month. The Maastricht Exhibition and Conference Centre (MECC) will host the event from March 9-14, welcoming 270 globally renowned dealers and gallerists from 22 countries.

Alongside the traditional areas of Old Master paintings, antiques, and classical antiquities that cover approximately half of the fair, visitors can also find modern and contemporary art, photography, jewellery, 20th-century design and works on paper. This year sees Colnaghi Elliott Master Drawings among seven new UK dealers taking part, along with David Gill Gallery in St James’s and London-based Sarah Myerscough Gallery. Above A visitor to last year’s stand by the German dealer Galerie Neuse

Print makers

Barns storming

A quartet of Suffolk dealers holds its second antiques fair this month on the 140-acre site of Stonham Barns Park in Suffolk.

Made up of two couples: Alan Knight and Henrietta Lewis, and Wendy and Alf Faulkner, the foursome already operates Aspal Emporium Antiques Centre and Aspal Reclamations on the site.

On March 16 they will host a fair made up of antique and collectable dealers, attracting both established and start-up traders from across Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex. For more details go to www.aspalantiques.co.uk

The London Original Print Fair returns to Somerset House from March 21-24, bringing together more than 40 international print dealers showcasing six centuries of printmaking.

This year’s event sees a special tribute to British pop art pioneer and experimental printmaker, Joe Tilson (1928-2023), while Norman Ackroyd, one of Britain’s most celebrated contemporary printmakers curates an exhibition of his own work.

Director, Helen Rosslyn, said: “Prints are going from strength to strength as an important part of the art market, and we are thrilled to provide a dynamic stage for visitors to engage in the exciting medium.”

Right Joe Tilson (1928-2023), Ziggurat, 181/350, screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil

Above e Aspal antiques team: Alan Knight, Henrietta Lewis and Wendy and Alf Faulkner

Shepherd, with their offering of samplers, paintings, early pottery, glass, and textiles.

Above A 19th-century porcelain children’s 22-piece dinner rests on wrought iron steps, both on o er at this month’s event

FAIRS Calendar

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 Horticultural Halls, Elverton Street, SW1P 2QW, March 24

Etc Fairs

01707 872 140

www.bloomsburybookfair.com

Bloomsbury Book Fair, Turner Suite at Holiday Inn, Coram Street, London, WC1N 1HT, Bloomsbury Book Fair, Mar 10

Bloomsbury Ephemera Fair Mar 24

London Original Print Fair

07805 679275

www. londonoriginalprintfair.com

Somerset House

London , WC2R 1LA (East, South, & West Wings), Mar 21-24

Sunbury Antiques

01932 230946

www.sunburyantiques.com

Kempton Antiques Market, Kempton Park Race Course, Staines Road East, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex TW16 5AQ, Mar 12, 26

SOUTH EAST & EAST ANGLIA: including Beds, Cambs, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex.

Arun Fairs

07563 589725

Rustington Antiques & Collectables Fair, The Woodland Centre, Woodlands Avenue, Rustington, West Sussex, BN16 3HB, Mar 3

Aspal Antiques Fair 01449 797175

www.aspalantiques.co.uk

Aspal Antiques, Stonham Barns, Pettaugh Lane, Stonham Aspal, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 6AT, Mar 16

Castlewood Antique Fairs 01933 353517

www.castlewood-antique-fairs. co.uk The 10th Three Counties Antiques and Fine Art Fair, The Rufus Centre, Flitwick, Bedfordshire,MK45 1AH, Mar 9-10

CL Fairs 07501 782821

Norfolks Collectors Fair At The Parish Hall, Church Street, Cromer, Norfolk, NR27 9HH, Mar 2

Castlewood Antique Fairs 07594 800998

Three Counties Antiques and Fine Art Fair, The Rufus Centre Flitwick, Beds, MK45 1AH Mar 9-10

Dedham Antiques Fair

Dedham Assembly Rooms, Dedham, High Street, Suffolk, CO7 6HJ, Mar 3

Grandmas Attic Antique and Collectors Fairs

www.grandmasatticfairs.co.uk

Brockenhurst Village Hall, Highwood Road, SO42 7RY, Mar 24

Lomax Antiques Fairs

07779 619875

Lomax Easter / Summer

Southwold Antiques Fair St Felix School, Halesworth Rd, Reydon, Suffolk, IP18 6SD, Mar 29

Langley Park and Bromley Rotary, Antique, Vintage and Collectables fair, Hayes Free Church, 111 Pickhurst Lane, Hayes, Kent, BR2 7HU, March 9

Long Melford Antiques and Vintage Fair 07837 497617

The Old School, Long Melford, Suffolk, CO10 9DX, Mar 31

Marcel Fairs

07887648255

www.marcelfairs.co.uk

Antique and Vintage Fair, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8JH, Mar 17

Whitstable Antiques & Vintage Fairs

07749 083761

St Marys Hall, Oxford Street, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 1DD, Mar 2

SOUTH WEST

including Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Wiltshire.

Antique Fairs Cornwall 07887 753 956

www.antiquefairscornwall.co.uk

Lostwithiel Antiques & Collectors Fair Community Centre, Plyber Christ Way, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0HA, Mar 10

Pensilva Liskeard Antique and Collectors Fair, PL14 5NF, Mar 31

Arun Fairs 07563 589725

Emsworth Antiques and Collectors Fair, Emsworth Community Centre., North Street, Emsworth, Hampshire, PO10 7DD, Mar 10

Cooper Events

www.cooperevents.com 01278 784912

Bath Decorative Antiques Fair

The Pavilion, Bath BA2 4EU, Mar 14-16

Cameo Fairs

07790 126967

Corfe Castle Antique & Vintage Fair, Village Hall, East Street, Corfe Castle, Dorset, BH20 5EE, Mar 3

Continiuity Fairs 01584 873634

www.continuityfairs.co.uk

Matford Centre, Matford Park Rd, Marsh Barton, Exeter EX2 8FD, Mar 2

Drayton Antique & Collectors Fair, 07488549026

Drayton Village Hall, Lockway, Drayton, Abingdon Oxon, OX14 4LG, Mar 13

Grandmas Attic Antique and Collectors Fairs

www.grandmasatticfairs.co.uk

Antique and Collectors Fair

Westgate Leisure Centre, Chichester, PO19 1RJ, Mar 10

Hidden Treasures

073947 04272

Benson on Thames Antique &

Collectors Fair, The Parish Hall Sunnyside, Benson, Wallingford Oxon, OX10 6LZ, Mar 17

New Forest Fairs Dorset 07904 634858

Shaftesbury Town Hall Antique & Vintage Fair Shaftesbury Town Hall, High Street, Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 8LY, Mar 26

Sga Fairs

07759 380299

Browsers Antique & Collectors Fair. Pangbourne Village Hall

Adj to Central Village Car Park Pangbourne, Berkshire, RG8 7AN, Mar 23

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, Mar 24

C-Live Antique Fairs

07552 605222

St Peters Hall Antiques & Collectables Fair

St Peters Hall (opposite The Golf Hotel), The Broadway, Woodhall Spa, Licolnshire, LN10 6ST, Mar 30

Halcyon Fairs

0780 3543467

Buxton Antiques and Collectors

Fair, The Pavilion Gardens, St Johns Road, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6BE, Mar 3

Stags Head Events

07583 410862

www.stagsheadevents.co.uk

Antiques, Vintage & Collectors Fair, Brockington Campus Enderby, Leicestershire, LE19 4AQ, Mar 10

Lamport Antiques & Collectors

Fair, Bank Holiday at Lamport Hall Lamport Hall, Northants, NN6 9EZ, Mar 31 - Apr 1

WEST MIDLANDS

including Birmingham, Coventry, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire

B2B Events

07774 147197/

www.b2bevents.info

Malvern Flea & Collectors Fair

Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire WR13 6NW, Mar 3

Codsall Antiques and Collectables Fair

07923 538178

Codsall Village Hall, Wolverhampton Rd, Codsall, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, WV8 1PL, Mar 31

Continiuity Fairs

01584 873634

www.continuityfairs.co.uk

Bingley Hall, Stafford Showground Ltd, Weston Rd, Stafford ST18 0BD, Mar 23-24

Coin and Medal Fair Ltd

01694 731781

www.coinfairs.co.uk

Midland Coin Fair

National Motorcycle Museum, Bickenhill, Birmingham, B92 0EJ, Mar 10

IACF

01636 702326

www.iacf.co.uk

Shepton Mallet, Antiques, Vintage & Collectors Fair, Royal Bath & West Showground

Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 6QN, Mar 15-17

Marcel Fairs

07887 648255

www.marcelfairs.co.uk

Antique & Collectors Fair, Sarratt Village Hall, The Green, WD3 6AS, Mar 10

M & B Cramp

07973 655903

Ludlow Castle Square Antique Flea And Collectors Fair, Castle Square, Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 1AX Mar 3

NORTH

including Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Yorkshire.

Arthur Swallow Fairs

01298 274493

www.asfairs.com

Clay House Farm, Flittogate Lane, Tabley, Cheshire, WA16 0HJ, Mar 9

Colin Caygill Events

01434 672495

Gateshead Antiques and Vintage Fair, Gateshead Stadium, Nelson Road, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, NE10 0EF, Mar 3

Ilkley Fairs

07973 563992

Ilkley Antiques, Vintage & Collectables Fair, Clarke Foley Centre, Cunliffe Road, Ilkley, West Yorkshire, LS29 9DZ, Mar 3

The Yorkshire Flea Ltd

07803 121428

07889 828288

The Yorkshire Flea Skipton Skipton Auction Mart, Gargrave Road, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 1UD, Mar 31

V&A Fairs 01244 659887

www.vandafairs.com

Nantwich Civic Hall Antique and Collectors Fair, Civic Hall Nantwich, Beam Street, Nantwich, Cheshire England, CW5 5DG, Mar 21

SCOTLAND

Glasgow, Antique, Vintage & Collectors Fair 07960 198409

Bellahouston Leisure Centre, 31 Bellahouston Drive, Glasgow, G52 1HH, Mar 17

Kelso Antique Fleamarket Fair 07760 660556

BUAS Showground, Springwood Park,Kelso, TD5 8LS, Mar 30-31

IRELAND

Vintage Ireland

+353 85 862 9007

Naas Antiques & Vintage Fair, Osprey Hotel Devoy Quarter, Kildare, Mar 10

North Dublin Antiques, Art & Vintage Fair, White

Sands Hotel Coast Road, Portmarnock, Mar 3

INTERNATIONAL

TEFAF +31 43 383 83 83

www.tefaf.com, TEFAT Maastricht

MECC, Forum 100 6229 GV, Maastricht

The Netherlands, Mar 9-14

AUCTION Calendar

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, March 19

Bonhams

101 New Bond St, London W1S 1SR, 020 7447 7447

www.bonhams.com

British. Cool (Online), Mar 8-20

19th-Century and British Impressionist Art, Mar 20

Post-War and Contemporary Art, Mar 21

Modern and Contemporary African Art, Mar 27

Bonhams

Montpelier St, Knightsbridge, London, SW7 1HH, 020 7393 3900

www.bonhams.com

Knightsbridge Jewels, Mar 6

British and European Art, Mar 13

Jewels (Online), Mar 18-26

Modern British and Irish Art, Mar 27

Chiswick Auctions

Barley Mow Centre

Chiswick, London, W4 4PH 020 8992 4442

www.chiswickauctions.co.uk

20th and 21st-Century Art, Mar 5

Jewellery, Mar 12

Watches, Mar 12

Designer handbags and Fashion, Mar 13

Fine Oriental Rugs and Carpets, Mar 19

Silver and Objects of Vertu, Mar 19

Optical Toys, Images and Collectable Cameras, Mar 21

Modern British and Irish Art, Mar 26

Chiswick Auctions

1Roslin Square, Roslin Road, London, W3 8DH

www.chiswickauctions.co.uk

Interiors. Homes and Antiques, Mar 27

Christie’s

8 King St, St. James’s, SW1Y 6QT, 020 7839 9060

www.christies.com

20th / 21st Century: London

Evening Sale, Mar 7

The Art of the Surreal, Mar 7

Impressionist and Modern Art Day and Works on Paper Sale, Mar 8

Post-War and Contemporary Art

Day Sale, Mar 9

Old Master Prints, Mar 19

Modern British and Irish Art

Evening Sale, Mar 20

Modern British and Irish Art Day Sale, Mar 21

Contemporary Edition: London (Online), Mar 12-26

Prints and Multiples (Online), Mar 13-27

Elmwood’s

101 Talbot Road London, W11 2AT, 0207 096 8933

www.elmwoods.co.uk

None listed in March

Forum Auctions

220 Queenstown Road, London SW8 4LP, 020 7871 2640

www.forumauctions.co.uk

Travel Books, Maps and Atlases (Online), Mar 7

Editions and Works on Paper, Mar 20

Books and Works on Paper (Online), Mar 21

Colour Plate Books from the Library of Norman Bobins (Part 2), Mar 27

Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper, Mar 28

Hansons Auctioneers

The Normansfield Theatre, 2A Langdon Park, Teddington TW11 9PS, 0207 018 9300

www.hansonsauctioneers.com

Silver, Jewellery, Watches, Fine Art and Antiques, Mar 23

Lyon & Turnbull

Mall Galleries, The Mall, St. James’s, London SW1Y 5AS, 0207 930 9115

www.lyonandturnbull.com

Asian Works of Art (Live Online) March 13

Form Through Time (Viewing in London), Mar 21

Noonans

16 Bolton St, Mayfair, W1J 8BQ, 020 7016 1700

www.noonans.co.uk

The Silich Collection of Historical and Art Medals, Mar 6 British and Irish Banknotes, Mar 11, Jewellery, Mar 12 Watches, Mar 12

Silver and Objects of Vertu, Mar 12

Orders, Decorations, Medal and Militaria, Mar 13

The Frank Gook Collection, Part 2, Mar 23

Phillips

30 Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6EX, 020 7318 4010

www.phillips.com

20th Century and Contemporary Art Evening Sale, Mar 7-8

Olympia Auctions

25 Blythe Road, London W14 0PD, 020 7806 5541

www.olympiaauctions.com

Paintings, Works on Paper and Sculpture, Mar 20

From the Studio: Works from Artists’ Estates, Mar 20

Roseberys

Knights Hill, Norwood, London, SE27 0JD, 020 8761 2522

www.roseberys.co.uk

Prints and Multiples, Mar 5

Modern British and Contemporary Art, Mar 12

Jewellery and Watches, Mar 19

Fine and Decorative, Mar 20 Silver, Mar 20

Sotheby’s

New Bond St., London

W1A 2AA, 020 7293 5000

www.sothebys.com

The Now Evening Auction, Mar 6

Modern and Contemporary Evening Auction, Mar 6

Modern and Contemporary Day Auction, Mar 7

Prints and Multiples,Mar 13-20

Finest and Rarest Wines (Online), Mar 1-15

Modern and Contemporary African Art, Mar 21

Timeline Auctions

23-24 Berkeley Square London W1J 6HE

www.timelineauctions.co.uk

020 7129 1494

Ancient Art, Antiquities, Natural History and Coins, Mar 5-9

SOUTH EAST AND EAST

ANGLIA: Inc. Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex

Bishop and Miller

19 Charles Industrial Estate, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 5AH, 01449 673088

bishopandmillerauctions.co.uk Fine Jewellery, & Wristwatches, Mar 20

Bishop and Miller

Unit 12 Manor Farm, Glandford, Holt, Norfolk, NR25 7JP 01263 687342

bishopandmillerauctions.co.uk

None listed in March

Bellmans Newpound, Wisborough Green, West Sussex, RH14 0AZ, 01403 700858

www.bellmans.co.uk

Antiques and Interiors, Mar 25-26

Asian Ceramics and Works of Art, Mar 27

Old Master, British and European Paintings, Mar 28

Burstow & Hewett

The Auction Gallery, Lower Lake, Battle, East Sussex,TN33 0AT, 01424 772 374

www.burstowandhewett.co.uk

Luxury Watches, Fine Jewellery and Silver, Mar 8

Homes and Interiors, Mar 13-14

Fine Sale, Mar 28

20th-Century Design, Mar 28

Fine Art and Sculpture, Mar 28

The Canterbury Auction

Galleries 40 Station Road West, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 8AN, 01227 763337

canterburyauctiongalleries.com

None listed in March

Catherine Southon

Auctioneers Farleigh Court Golf Club, Old Farleigh Road, Selsdon, Surrey, CR6 9PE, 0208 468 1010

www.catherinesouthon.co.uk

None listed in March

Cheffins

Clifton House, Clifton Road, Cambridge, CB1 7EA 01223 213343,

www.cheffins.co.uk

The Interiors Sale, Mar 7

The Fine Sale, Mar 20-21

Ewbank’s London Rd, Send, Woking, Surrey, 01483 223 101

www.ewbankauctions.co.uk

Steve Oxenrider - James Bond Collection - Part 2. Day 1, Mar 7

Steve Oxenrider - James Bond Collection - Part 2. Day 2, Mar 8

Jewellery, Watches and Coins, Mar 20

Silver and Fine Art, Mar 21

Antiques, Books, Stamps, Clocks and Antique Furniture , Mar 22

Pokémon - Trading Cards, Mar 27

Cars, Motorbikes, Parts and Automobilia rt, Mar 28

Excalibur Auctions Limited

Unit 16 Abbots Business Park

Primrose Hill Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, WD4 8FR 020 3633 0913

www.excaliburauctions.com

Diecast and Vintage Toys and Model Railway Collectors Sale, Mar 23

Gorringes

15 North Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2PE, 01273 472503

www.gorringes.co.uk

Weekly featuring Music and Science, Mar 4

Weekly featuring Lux, Mar 11

Spring Fine Sale, Mar 12

Weekly featuring Mid Century Furniture, Mar 18

Weekly House and Gardens, Mar 25

Hansons

The Pantiles Arcade, 49 The Lower Pantiles, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5TE, 01892 573540

www.hansonauctioneers.co.uk

None listed in March

Hanson Ross

Unit 1, The Power House, Lumen Road, Royston, Hertfordshire, SG8 7AG, 01763 430 042

www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk

March Silver, Jewellery, Watches, Fine Art and Antiques Auction, Mar 8

John Nicholson’s

Longfield, Midhurst Road, Fernhurst, Haslemere, Surrey, GU27 3HA, 01428 653727

www.johnnicholsons.com

Islamic and Oriental Auction, Mar 5

FIne Art, Mar 6

General Auction, Mar 16

An Auction of Important Paintings, Mar 26

Lacy Scott & Knight

10 Risbygate St, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3AA, 01284 748 623

www.lskauctioncentre.co.uk

Home and Interiors, Mar 9

Music, Film and Sport Memorabilia, Mar 15

20th-Century Art and Design, Mar 15

Fine Art and Antiques, Mar 16

Lockdales Auctioneers

52 Barrack Square, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP5 3RF 01473 627110

www.lockdales.com

Toys, Ceramics and Antiques, Mar 5-6

The Banknote Sale, Mar 12-13

Coins and Exonumia, Mar 19-20

Medals, Militaria and Weapons, Mar 19-20

Mander Auctioneers

The Auction Centre

Assington Road

Newton, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 0QX, 01787 211847

www.manderauctions.co.uk

Antiques and Interiors, Mar 16

Parker Fine Art Auctions

Hawthorn House, East Street, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 7SX, 01252 203020

www.parkerfineartauctions.com

Fine Paintings and Frames Auction Mar 7

Reeman Dansie

8 Wyncolls Road, Severalls

Business Park, Colchester, Essex, CO4 9HU, 01206 754754

www.reemandansie.com

Homes and Interiors, Mar 5-6

Specialist Collectors’ Sale, Mar 26-28

Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers

Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, CM24 8GE, 01279 817778

www.sworder.co.uk

An English Fairground: The John Barker Collection, Mar 7

Homes and Interiors With Militaria (Online), Mar 12

Fine Interiors, Mar 19-20

Fine Wine and Spirits

(Timed Online), Mar 15-24

Jewellery (Online), Mar 27

Toovey’s Antique & Fine Art

Auctioneers

Spring Gardens, Washington, West Sussex, RH20 3BS, 01903 891955

www.tooveys.com

Wristwatches and Pocket Watches, Clocks and Barometers, Cameras and Scientific Instruments, Mar 7

Die-cast Model Figures and Accessories, Model Trains and Railways, Tinplate and Mechanical Toys and Models, Dolls, Dolls’ Houses and Accessories, Teddy Bears and Other Soft Toys, Mar 20 Silver and Plate, Jewellery, Mar 20 Furniture, Collectors’ Items, Works of Art and Light Fittings, Needleworks, Textiles and Clothing, Rugs and Carpets, Mar 21

T.W. Gaze

Diss Auction Rooms, Roydon Road, Diss, Norfolk,IP22 4LN, 01379 650306.

www.twgaze.com

Antiques and Interiors, Mar 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Blyth Barn Furniture Auction, Mar 5, 12, 19, 26

W&H Peacock Auctioneers

Eastcotts Park, Wallis Way Bedford, Bedfordshire MK42 0PE, 01234 266 366

www.peacockauction.co.uk

Sporting Guns and Antique Arms, Mar 7

SOUTH WEST: Inc. Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Wiltshire

Adam Partridge

The Devon Saleroom, The Antique Village Station Road Hele, Exeter EX5 4PW 01392 719826

www.adampartridge.co.uk

Fine Art, Antiques & Collectors’ Items with Jewellery, Silver and Watches, Mar 4

Auctioneum

Broadlands Fruit Farm, Box Road, Bathford, Bath BA1 7LR, 01225251303

www.auctioneum.co.uk

None listed in March

Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood St. Edmund’s Court,

Okehampton Street, Exeter EX4 1DU, O1392 41310

www.bhandl.co.uk

The Sporting and Collectors Auction, Mar 19-20

British Bespoke Auctions

The Old Boys School, Gretton Rd, Winchcombe, Cheltenham, GL54 5EE 01242 603005

www.bespokeauctions.co.uk

Antiques and Collectables (Timed Online), Mar 8-17

Chorley’s

Prinknash Abbey Park, Near Cranham, Gloucestershire, GL4 8EU, 01452 344499

www.chorleys.com

Asian Art, Mar 19

Oriental Rugs and Carpets, Mar 19

European Ceramics and Glass, Mar 20

Books and Manuscripts, Mar 20

David Lay Auctions

Lay’s Auctioneers, Church Row, Lanner Redruth, Cornwall, 01736 361414, TR16 6ET

www.davidlay.co.uk

The Cornish Library of John Stengelhofen, Rare Books & Antiques and Interiors, Mar 14

Art Sale (Timed), Mar 1-17

Islamic, Indian and Rugs, Mar 26

Asian Antiques, Mar 27-28

Dawsons

Unit 8 Cordwallis Business Park, Clivemont Rd, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 4BU, 01628 944100

www.dawsonsauctions.co.uk

None listed in March

Dominic Winter

Mallard House, Broadway Lane, South Cerney, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 5UQ, 01285 860006

www.dominicwinter.co.uk

Printed Books, Maps and Documents, Natural History, Early Herbals and Charles Darwin, Mar 6-7

British & European Paintings and Works on Paper, Old Master and Modern Prints, Vintage Posters, Mar 13

Antiques and Historic Textiles, Mar 14

Dreweatts

Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 2JE 01635 553 553

www.dreweatts.com

The Drew Pritchard Collection Day 1, Mar 5

AUCTION Calendar

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.

The Drew Pritchard Collection Day 2, Mar 6

Fine Jewellery, Silver, Watches and Objects of Vertu, Mar 7

Modern and Contemporary Art, Mar 13

Fine Wine, Champagne, Vintage Port and Spirits (At Forum Auctions,) Mar 19

Jewellery, Silver, Watches, Pens and Accessories, Mar 20

Fine Furniture. Sculpture, Carpets and Works of Art, Day 1, Mar 26

Fine Furniture. Sculpture, Carpets and Works of Art, Day 2, Mar 27

Duke’s Brewery Square, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1GA, 0105 265080

www.dukes-auctions.com

Sandford Orcas: Auction of the Contents, Mar 6

Jewellery, Watches, Silver and Currency, Mar 27

East Bristol Auctions

Unit 1, Hanham Business Park, Memorial Road, Hanham, BS15 3JE, 0117 967 1000

www.eastbristol.co.uk

None listed in March

Gardiner Houlgate 9 Leafield Way, Corsham, Wiltshire, SN13 9SW, 01225 812912

www.gardinerhoulgate.co.uk

The Guitar Sale, Part 1, Mar 5

The Guitar Sale, Part 2, Mar 6

Entertainment Memorabilia, Guitar Amps and Effects, Mar 7 Antique and Classical Guitars, Mar 8

Musical Instruments, Mar 8

Jewellery and Watches, Mar 20

Antiques and Works of Art, Mar 21

Paintings and Prints, Mar 21

Decorative Arts and 20th Century Design, Mar 21

Hansons Auctioneers

49 Parsons Street, Banbury, Oxford, OX16 5NB, 01295 817777

www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk

Banbury March Silver, Jewellery, Watches, Fine Art and Antiques Auction, Mar 2

Harper Field Auctioneers

The Stroud Auction Saleroom Ebley Road, Stonehouse, Stroud,

Gloucestershire, GL10 2LN 01453 873800

www.harperfield.co.uk

March Auction To Include Jewellery, Silver, Watches,Clocks, Coins, Bijouterie, Classic Cars and Motorcycles and Designer Good and Textiles, Mar 6-7

Kinghams 10-12 Cotswold Business Village, London Road, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucester, GL56 0JQ, 01608 695695

www.kinghamsauctioneers.com

None listed in March

Lawrences Auctioneers Ltd The Linen Yard, South St, Crewkerne, Somerset, TA18 8AB, 01460 703041

www.lawrences.co.uk

Books, Maps, Manuscripts and Photography, Mar 21

Mallams Oxford Bocardo House, St Michael’s St, Oxford, OX1 2EB 01865 241358

www.mallams.co.uk

The Picture Sale, Mar 6 Affordable Art (Timed), Feb 2-11

Mallams Cheltenham

26 Grosvenor St, Cheltenham. Gloucestershire, GL52 2SG 01242 235 712

www.mallams.co.uk

Cotswold Living, Mar 11

Mallams Abingdon

Dunmore Court, Wootten Road, Abingdon, OX13 6BH, 01235 462840

www.mallams.co.uk

The House and Garden Sale, Mar 25

Moore Allen & Innocent Burford Road Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 5RH, 01285 646050

www.mooreallen.co.uk

Vintage and Antique Furniture and Home Interiors, Mar 20-21, Vintage And Antique Furniture Auction (Timed), Mar 22-30

Philip Serrell

Barnards Green Rd, Malvern, Worcestershire.

WR14 3LW, 01684 892314

www.serrell.com Interiors, Mar 12

Richard Edmonds Auctions Ltd. (formerly Chippenham Auction Rooms) Unit 1, Showell Business Park Showell. Chippenham Wiltshire. SN15 2NU, 01249 444544

Petroliana, Mar 23

Special Auction Services

Plenty Close, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 5RL 01635 580 595

www.specialauctionservices.

Jewellery, Pens and Silver Auction, Mar 21

Music and Entertainment Auction, Mar 26

The Cotswold Auction Company Bankside Saleroom, Love Lane, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 1YG, 01285 642420 www.cotswoldauction.co.uk

None listed in March

The Cotswold Auction Company Chapel Walk Saleroom, Chapel Walk, Cheltenham, Gloucesterhire, GL50 3DS, 01242 256363 www.cotswoldauction.co.uk

Modern Art & Design, Vintage Fashion and Textiles, Mar 19

The Pedestal The Dairy, Stonor Park, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 6HF, 01491 522733

www.thepedestal.com

None listed in March

Wessex Auction Rooms

Westbrook Far, Draycot Cerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 5LH, 01249 720888

www.wessexauctionrooms.co.uk

Antiques, Collectables and Furniture (with BBC Bargain Hunt), Mar 2 Coins, Mar 14

Jewellery, Silver, Watches and Pocket Watches, Mar 15

Antiques, Collectables and Furniture, Mar 16 Toys, Mar 22

Woolley & Wallis

51-61 Castle Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 3SU, 01722 424500 www.woolleyandwallis.co.uk

Old Masters, British and European Paintings, Mar 6

Clarice Cliff, Art Deco and Design, Mar 20-21

EAST MIDLANDS: Inc.

Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Sheffield

Bamfords The Derby Auction House, Chequers Road, Derby, Derbyshire, DE21 6EN, 01332 210 000

www.bamfords-auctions.co.uk

Toys For The Collector - The March Toy, Juvenalia, Advertising and Collector’s Auction, Mar 5

Antiques, Interiors, Estates and Collectables Auction, Mar 6, 20

Medals, Militaria and Firearms Auction, Mar 11

The Stuart Wood Auction of D-Day Veterans Photographs to Be Sold In Aid of The Royal British Legion and The National Arboretum, Mar 11

Bamfords Peak Shopping Village Chatsworth Road, Rowsley, Derbyshire,DE4 2JE, 01629 730 920

The Bakewell Country Home Interiors and Collectors Auction Including Furniture, Ceramics, Textiles, Jewellery, Contemporary Design, Mar 13, 20

Gildings Auctioneers

The Mill, Great Bowden Road, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 7DE 01858 410414

www.gildings.co.uk

Jewellery, Mar 19

Die-Cast, Models, Toys, Trains, and Aero-engines (Online), Mar 20

Golding Young & Mawer

The Bourne Auction Rooms, Spalding Road, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9LE 01778 422686

www.goldingyoung.com

Bourne Collective Sale, Mar 13-14

Golding Young & Mawer

The Grantham Auction Rooms, Old Wharf Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 7AA, 01476 565118

www.goldingyoung.com

Grantham Collective Sale, Mar 6-7

Grantham Asian Art Sale, Mar 27

Golding Young & Mawer

The Lincoln Auction Rooms, Thos Mawer House, Station Road North Hykeham, Lincoln LN6 3QY, 01522 524984

www.goldingyoung.com

Lincoln Collective Sale, Mar 20-21

Hansons

Heage Lane, Etwall, Derbyshire, DE65 6LS 01283 733988

www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk

Derby February Music

Memorabilia and Film Auction, Mar 6

Decorative Arts, Mar 7

Derby Spring Auction of Toys, Diecast and Model Railway, Mar 12

Derby March Antique and Collectors Auction: Including Silver, Jewellery and Watches, Mar 14-19

Derby March Single Owner Stamp Auction, Mar 19

Derby March Fine Art Auction , Mar 21

Coins, Banknotes and Historica Auction, Mar 27

Irita Marriott Auctioneers and Valuers Ltd, William’s Yard

Derby Road, Melbourne, Derbyshire, DE73 8JR 01332414848

iritamarriottauctioneers.co.uk

Antiques, Mar 14

John Taylors Auction Rooms

The Wool Mart, Kidgate Louth, Lincolnshire LN11 9EZ 01507 611107

www.johntaylors.com

Antiques, Furniture, Ceramics, Pictures, Jewellery, Watches, Coins and Silver etc, Mar 12

WEST MIDLANDS: Inc.

Birmingham, Coventry, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire

Bigwood Fine Art Auctioneers

The Old School, Tiddington, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 7AW 01789 269415

www.bigwoodauctioneers.com

Collectables

Mar 1, 8 15, 22

Cuttlestones Ltd

Pinfold Lane, Penkridge, Staffordshire

ST19 5AP, 01785 714905

www.cuttlestones.co.uk

Antiques and Interiors, Mar 7, 14

Fellows Augusta House, 19 Augusta Street, Hockley, Birmingham, B18 6JA , 0121 212 2131 www.fellows.co.uk

A Country House Auction, Mar 5

Silver and Plated Ware, Mar 6, 21

Pawnbrokers Jewellery and Watches, Mar 6, 20

Fine Jewellery, Mar 7

Jewellery Day 1, Mar 12, 26

Jewellery Day 2, Mar 13, 27

Watch and Watch Accessories, Mar 14

Gemstones, Mar 19

Fieldings Mill Race Lane, Stourbridge, DY8 1JN 01384 444140

www.fieldingsauctioneers.co.uk

Decades Of Design including Clarice Cliff, Mar 14-15

Antiques (Online), Mar 19-26

Coins, Mar 27

Halls Bowmen Way, Battlefield, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 3DR 01743 450700

www.hallsgb.com/fine-art.com

Fine Art, Antiques and Jewellery Auction, Mar 6

Books, Coins and Stamps Auction, Mar 20

Hansons Auctioneers

Bishton Hall, Wolseley Bridge, Stafford, ST18 0XN, 0208 9797954

www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk

Bishton Hall March Dolls, Teddy Bears & Toys: Antique Textiles and Fashion Auction, Mar 1

Bishton Hall March Silver, Jewellery, Watches, Fine Art and Antiques, Mar 4-5

Bishton Hall March Whisky and Spirit Auction, Mar 13

Bishton Hall March Classic Cars and Automobilia Auction, Mar 30

Potteries Auctions Unit

4A, Aspect Court, Silverdale Enterprise Park, Newcastle, Staffordshire, ST5 6SS, 01782 638100

www.potteriesauctions.com

None listed in March

Potteries Auctions The Cobridge Saleroom, 271 Waterloo Road, Cobridge, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST6 3HR 01782 212489

www.potteriesauctions.com

20th Century Rare Ceramics, Collectables, Jewellery and Furniture, Mar 7-9

Trevanion

The Joyce Building, Station Rd, Whitchurch, Shropshire, SY13 1RD, 01928 800 202

www.trevanion.com

Fine Art and Antiques, Mar 20

NORTH: Inc. Cheshire, Co. Durham, Cumbria, Humberside, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Sheffield, Yorkshire

Adam Partridge

Withyfold Drive, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 2BD 01625 431 788

www.adampartridge.co.uk

Fine Art with Sporting & Militaria, Feb 29-March 1

Studio Ceramics, Mar 22

Adam Partridge

The Liverpool Saleroom, 18 Jordan Street, Liverpool, L1 OBP, 01625 431 788

www.adampartridge.co.uk

Rock and Pop with Antiques and Collectors’ Items, Mar 6-7

Anderson and Garland

Crispin Court, Newbiggin Lane, Westerhope, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE5 1BF, 0191 432 1911

www.andersonandgarland.com

Homes and Interiors, Mar 5

Silver, Jewellery and Watches Auction, Mar 6

Fine Silver Auction, Mar 19

Fine Watches Auction, Mar 20

Fine Jewellery Auction, Mar 20

Spring Country House and Fine Interiors Auction, Mar 20-21

Capes Dunn

The Auction Galleries, 40 Station Road, Heaton Mersey, Cheshire, SK4 3QT. 0161 273 1911

www.capesdunn.com

Interiors, Vintage and Modern Furniture, Mar 4, 18

Antiquarian and Collectable Books, Maps, Prints and Affordable Art, Mar 5 Collectors, Mar 19

Hawleys Auctioneers, Albion House, Westgate, North Cave, Brough, Beverley, East Yorkshire, HU15 2NJ 01482 868193

www.hawleys.info

Antique and Fine Art, Mar 23-34

David Duggleby Auctioneers

The Gallery Saleroom, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO11 1XN, 01723 507 111

www.davidduggleby.com

Collectors and Clearance, Mar 1

Furniture, Rugs and Interiors, Mar 2

The Spring Sale, Mar 15

The Country House Sale, Mar 16

Toys and Models, Mar 22

Single Owner Collection of Model Railways, Mar 22

Duggleby Stephenson

The Saleroom, York Auction Centre, Murton, York, YO19 5GF,01904 393 300

www.dugglebystephenson.com

Traditional Persian and Oriental Handmade Rugs, Mar 3

Jewellery and Watches, Mar 7

The Silver Sale, Mar 7

Antiques and Collectors, Mar 7

Collectors and Clearance, Mar 7

Fine and Affordable Art, Mar 8

Furniture, Rugs and Interiors, Mar 8

Elstob

Ripon Business Park, Charter Road, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 1AJ, 01677 333003

www.elstob.co.uk

Fine Art and Antiques, Mar 13

Omega Auctions Ltd

Sankey Valley Industrial Estate, Newton-Le-Willows, Merseyside WA12 8DN, 01925 873040

www.omegaauctions.co.uk

None listed in March

Richard Winterton

Lichfield Auction Centre, Wood End Lane, Fradley Park, Staffordshire, WS13 8NF, 01543 251081

www.richardwinterton.co.uk

Two Day Antiques and Home Sale, Mar 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-26

Richard Winterton

Tamworth Auction Rooms, 34 -35 Church Street, Tamworth, B79 7BX, 01827 217746

www.richardwinterton.co.uk

Collectors’ Sale, Mar 20

Ryedale Auctioneers

Cooks Yard, New Road

Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire, YO62 6DZ, 01751 431 544

www.ryedaleauctioneers.com

Antiques, Interiors and Collectables, Mar 1-2

Country House Sale. Mar 15-16

Sheffield Auction Gallery

Windsor Road, Heeley, Sheffield, S8 8UB, 0114 281 6161

www.sheffieldauctiongallery.com

Specialist Collectable Toys, Mar 7 Silver, Jewellery and Watches, Mar 7, 21

Antiques and Collectables, Mar 8

Specialist Collectable Coins and Stamps Auction, Mar 21

Antiques and Fine Art, Mar 22

Shelby’s Auctioneers Ltd

Unit 1B Westfield House, Leeds LS13 3HA, 0113 250 2626

www.shelbysauctioneers.net

Antiques and General Sale, (Online)

Mar 15, 19

Tennants Auctioneers

The Auction Centre, Harmby Road, Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 5SG, 01969 623780

www.tennants.co.uk

20th-Century Design, Mar 2 Modern and Contemporary Art, Mar 2

Antiques and Interiors, Including Fashion, Mar 8

British, European and Sporting Art, Mar 8

Fine Jewellery, Watches and Silver, Mar 16

Spring Fine Sale, Mar 16

Militaria and Ethnographica, Mar 20

Antiques and Interiors, Mar 22

Thompson Roddick

The Auction Centre, Marconi Road, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA2 7NA 01228 535 288

www.thomsonroddick.com

Carlisle: Home Furnishings and Interiors Auction to include Jewellery, Silver, Paintings, Porcelain, Collectables, Furniture Etc., Mar 4

Antiques Collectors to Include Jewellery, Silver, Porcelain and Antique Furniture, Militaria, Vintage Toys, Model Railways, Coins and World Currency, Mar 26-27

Vectis Auctions Ltd

Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton on Tees, TS17 9JZ, 01642 750616

www.vectis.co.uk

Dolls and Bear Sale, Mar 1

Specialist Diecast, Mar 5 General Toys, Mar 7

Vinyl, Music and Associated Items, Mar 13

General Toys and Tinplate, Mar 14

Military, Civilian Figures and Accessories, Mar 19

Specialist Diecast, Mar 20

Matchbox Model Sale, Mar 21

TV and Film Related Sale, Mar 26

Model Train Sale, Mar 28

Wilkinson’s Auctioneers

The Old Salesroom, 28 Netherhall Road, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN1 2PW, 01302 814 884

wilkinsons-auctioneers.co.uk

None listed in March

Wilson55

Victoria Gallery, Market St, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 5DG 01270 623 878

www.wilson55.com

Coins and Banknotes, Mar 7

Fine Jewellery and Watches, Mar 21

SCOTLAND

Bonhams

22 Queen St, Edinburgh, EH2 1JX 0131 225 2266

www.bonhams.com

Whisky, Feb 26 to Mar 6

Spring Home and Interiors

(Online) Mar 11-21

Lyon & Turnbull

33 Broughton Place, Edinburgh. EH1 3RR, 0131 557 8844

www.lyonandturnbull.com

Silver and Objets de Vertus, Mar 5

Jewellery, Mar 6

Classical and Ancient Arts, Mar 21

Form Through Time, Mar 21

McTears Auctioneers

31 Meiklewood Road, Glasgow, G51 4GB, 0141 810 2880

www.mctears.co.uk

Antiques and Interiors, Mar 7, 21

Coins and Banknotes, Mar 20

Jewellery, Mar 20

Watches, Mar 20

Whisky, Mar 27

Scottish Contemporary Art, Mar 28

Thomson Roddick

The Auction Centre, Irongray Road Industrial Estate, Dumfries, DG2 0JE, 01387 721 635

www.thompsonroddick.com

Home Furnishings and Interiors, Mar 5

Antiques and Works of Art, Mar 19

STREET MAYFAIR LONDON W1J 8BQ WWW.NOONANS.CO.UK

Thomson Roddick

The Auction Centre, 118 Carnethie Street, Edinburgh, EH24 9AL, 0131 440 2448

www.thompsonroddick.com

Home Furnishings and Interiors, Mar 28

Thomson Roddick

22 Smith Street, Ayr KA7 1TF , 01292 267 681

www.thompsonroddick.com

None listed in March

WALES

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, Mar 13

Jones & Llewelyn

Unit B, Beechwood Trading Estate, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, SA19 7HR, 01558 823 430 www.jonesandllewelyn.com General Sale, Mar 9

Rogers Jones & Co

Colwyn Bay Saleroom, 33 Abergele Road, Colwyn Bay, Conwy, North Wales, LL29 7RU 01492 532176

www.rogersjones.co.uk

Jewellery, Collectables and Fine Art, Mar 5, 26

Fine Art and Interiors, Mar 19

Rogers Jones & Co

17 Llandough Trading Estate, Penarth, Cardiff, CF11 8RR, 02920 708125

www.rogersjones.co.uk

The Club House, Mar 1

Fine Art and Interiors, Mar 8

IRELAND

Adam’s

26, Stephens Green, Dublin 2, D02 X665, Ireland 00 353 1 6760261

www.adams.ie

Important Irish Art, Mar 27

Whyte’s 38 Molesworth St. Dublin D02 KF80 Ireland 00 353- 1-676 2888

www.whytes.ie

Important Irish Art, Mar 11

Labelled/ stamped branded furniture from Georgian to Victorian, eg Thomas Butler, Morgan & Sanders, J Alderman, Ross of Dublin (pictured), Gregory Kane, Wilkinson of Ludgate Hill, Robert James of Bristol, James Winter, W Priest, Samuel Pratt and many others. Tables all types, chairs, bookcases, , Davenport. mirrors etc. Campaign shower.

Georgian chamber horse exercise chair (pictured)

Unusual Georgian to William IV architectural features eg doors, door frames, over door pediments. 18th century staircase spindles and handrail needed. Anything Georgian or Regency with lots of character considered.

Rectangular Georgian fanlight.

Four identical reclaimed Georgian wooden sash windows with boxes, approx 60 high x 37 wide.

Marble fire surrounds from 1750 to 1850ish. White or coloured. Bullseyes, William IV styles etc. Brass Regency reeded fire insert and Victorian griffin grate (pictured)

Human

Marc My Words

Antiques

Roadshow

expert describes how over 30 years of valuations he has smelt many a rat – quite literally in some

cases

Afew years ago we had a rodent problem in the house. On several occasions I found myself sitting bolt upright in bed at four o’clock in the morning listening to the sounds of incessant scratching in the ceiling or from under the oor. It was so loud that my visions of the intruder(s) morphed into a nightmare of chewed cables and half-eaten oor joists. Something had to be done and unfortunately, there was no choice but to use poison (rather quaintly called ‘mouse cheese’). After carefully removing plug sockets and peeling back carpet corners, the bait was laid and we waited. It was two weeks before Christmas. e scratching stopped but then the horri c odour started. So much so the festive period in our household became known as ‘dead rat Christmas’.

Decent burial

Re ecting on this episode, and believe me, nothing can get rid of or even mask the smell, I started reminiscing about my past pest experiences in the antiques business and realised I could literally write a book. Here are a few of the ‘best’ examples that spring to mind.

Below left An infestation of rodents over Marc’s festive period led it to being named ‘dead rat Christmas’, image Shutterstock

I was visiting a lady to value a few items with the prospect of consigning them to auction. We sat down in her living room which was jammed to the gunnels and hadn’t been thoroughly cleaned for some decades. I risked the politely pro ered cup of tea and she commenced to tell me her life story – quite usual for that sort of visit. As we were chatting, a mouse staggered out from under her chair into the middle of the living room oor and promptly expired. I didn’t say anything but she quickly intervened, apologised profusely and burst into tears, explaining that she hated to poison them but they had taken over the house. She picked it up, left, and when she returned explained that she had given it a decent burial in the garden.

Mummi ed rat

On another visit, I was executing my usual room-toroom evaluation of a house that had been inherited by a bene ciary. It hadn’t been maintained for decades and there were obvious signs of rodent incursion. As I went into one bedroom I was confronted by a rather magni cent Georgian chest of drawers. However, one of the drawers had a huge ‘U’ shaped hole in the front where is had been gnawed by rats. Now most people would have sent it to the dump but I thought this was a rather charming modi cation to the chest, which I expressed to the bene ciary. ey promptly agreed and said they would keep it!

On another occasion while viewing an auction, I took a seat on a big, old Victorian sofa. As I sat back I thought how comfortable it was and, when I pushed myself forward to get up, realised my hand was resting on something unusual. It turned out to be the backend of a rather large mummi ed rodent with its head buried in the back of the seat.

ese days, we tend to carry a bottle of ‘anti bac’, but 30 years ago you were lucky to be able to wash your hands! I’ve never been squeamish, and my latest job has had more squirrel ‘nests’ in than I’ve ever seen before. But in the antiques trade you have to be prepared for almost anything and getting your hands dirty is just par for the course.

Marc Allum is an author, lecturer and specialist on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. For more details go to www.marcallum.co.uk

‘As we were chatting, a mouse staggered out from under her chair into the middle of the living room floor and promptly expired. I didn’t say anything but she quickly intervened, apologised profusely and burst into tears’

TheKeithHockinCollection

Thursday11April2024atourStowmarketsaleroom

www.bishopandmillerauctions.co.uk

GlandfordAuctionGallery:12ManorFarm,Glandford,nrHolt,Norfolk,NR257JP norfolk.enquiries@bm-auctions.co.uk01263687342

Stowmarketsaleroom:19CharlesIndustrialEstate,Stowmarket,Suffolk,IP145AH enquiries@bm-auctions.co.uk01449673088