Star Sales
A vintage poster advertising Marseille, a Knox-style silver clock and a French farmhouse table are among Caroline Wheater’s auction highlights
!" Literary Links Estimate £80–£120 Sold £2,000
This small Spanish or Italian casket, measuring just 11cm long and 9cm high, wasn’t predicted to carry o! a king’s ransom at Mallams Cheltenham. But then surprises are all part of the thrill of a live auction. Numbered lot 6 in the sale, it was one of 193 items consigned from Long Court in Randwick, Gloucestershire. Many of these things were from the collection of the erudite English travel writer and illustrator Richard Ford (1796–1858), whose masterpiece A Handbook for Travellers in Spain was "rst published in 1845. ‘ Long Court was owned by a direct relative of Richard Ford and while we can’t say for sure that the casket belonged to him, as we can’t
"nd a wri#en record, most of the earlier lots in the sale did come from his collection,’ says Mallams specialist William Fisher. The li#le casket dated to the late 18th or early 19th century and was veneered in ‘tortoiseshell’ – actually turtle shell. Its continental origins "t with Ford living in Seville and Granada for three years (from 1830 to 1833), amassing research for his writings. Based on this information, the casket’s probable provenance propelled its price to heady heights. mallams.co.uk
!" French Finesse
Estimate £5,000–£6,000 Sold £10,837
The French illustrator and artist Roger Broders (1883–1953) is one of the big names of vintage posters. His output was proli !c and he produced hundreds of designs for companies such as the PLM (Paris à Lyons et à la Méditerranée railway company), promoting the French Alps and the Côte d’Azur. This advertising poster, depicting Marseille as the gateway to North Africa, dates to 1929. Rare and in excellent condition, it fetched a smart price at Bonhams Knightsbridge. bonhams.com
#. Teatime Treat
Estimate £80–£120 Sold £120
Toasted and bu"ered mu # ns served on a lidded dish were a teatime treat in Victorian and Edwardian Britain. The specialist at Lawrences felt this electroplated example was probably made around 1900 by the Guild of Handicra $ to a design by CR Ashbee. The famous cra $s guild was established in 1888 by Ashbee, and operated from premises in London before moving to Chipping Campden in 1902, where it survived for another six years. lawrences.co.uk
$. Kitchen Find
Estimate £300–£500 Sold £650
Antique baking dishes are sought a $er by collectors, and this slipware baking dish caused a stir at Tennants. Dating to around 1870, it was made at the Harwood Po"ery in Stockton (now called Thornaby) in Sta %ordshire and, measuring 40.5cm wide, was perfect for baking a shallow pie or a tart. The pre"y combed decoration was in blue, grey and cream slip (liquid clay) and the lot included another similar but slightly smaller dish. tennants.co.uk
". Clock This
Estimate £400–£600 Sold £440
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries Liberty & Co of Regent Street, London was a hotspot of Art Nouveau and Arts and Cra !s-style home furnishings and accessories. This sleek silver clock is pure Arts and Cra !s in look and hallmarked Birmingham, 1915. Sold at Duke’s, it clearly re"ects the style of Archibald Knox, who created silver clocks and jewellery for Liberty & Co. Had it been directly a#ributed to him it would have been 10 times as valuable. dukes-auctions.com
!. Farmhouse Chic
Estimate £1,000–£1,500 Sold £1,375
French farmhouse furniture in good condition is prized by buyers, as this ash and elm example proved when it romped away at The Pedestal, a relatively new auction house. The 19thcentury table, made stable by an H stretcher, comprised a plank top above a frieze drawer on chamfered legs. At the time, ash and elm were commonly used to make country furniture, which makes this piece even more precious now. auctions.thepedestal.com