The Cotswold Auction Company’s Cirencester sale on 4th November, Toys, Dolls and Models: Antiques and Interiors held at Bingham Hall
David Dickinson films in a packed saleroom!
The Cotswold Auction Company saw crowds flock to the Bingham Hall in Cirencester for their autumn outing of Toys, Dolls and Models with Antiques and Interiors on Friday 4th November. For this lively sale they were joined by Dickinson’s Real Deal, who were filming contributors’ lots. Local curiosity was aroused and many excited onlookers turned up to watch the filming and catch a glimpse of David!
Marching to the front of the star lots in the toys was an excellent private collection of Britain’s lead models. One lot of Britains Boer War soldiers, circa 1899-1939, came under the hammer for £380, while a good collection of Royal Army Medical Corps including a horse-drawn ambulance, stretcher parties, wounded soldiers and other figures was subject to strong competition, selling at £180. A Royal Horse Artillery gun team dating from the 1920s in playworn condition brought £100, while there was strong local interest in a quantity of Gloucestershire Regiment soldiers selling at £170. The total collection made in excess of £3,000 and auctioneer Charles Woodward said “ This is a museum quality collection, a great opportunity for collectors. ”
Also among the lead models were a collection of hunting figures, principally Britains, which realised £190, while a quantity of farm animals and equipment made a respectable £120. A chicken that ruffled a few feathers on sale day was an old red plush chicken, which went under the hammer for £300 and a bisque head doll that sold for £230. A Late Victorian/Edwardian platform rocking horse also rocked under the hammer for £340. In the model railway section three lots of Hornby "00" gauge locomotives and rolling stock made over £100 each, while a Big Boy Union Pacific locomotive no. 4005 realised £95.
The furniture section remained strong considering market conditions for brown furniture. An early eighteenth century walnut bureau cabinet sold for £1,200, an exquisite Regency satinwood sewing box with leather of Pearl inlay and fitted interior saw the gavel fall at £750, while a nineteenth century Brook and Pollard oak Davenport desk, stamped ‘J.Hindley & Sons, London’ sold for £480. Some rare, early examples of treen prompted strong bidding including a Georgian spoonrack with horn spoons, which made £280 and an early oak candle box, which sold for £160.
One of the Real Deal lots that made a stir was an exquisite Moser type enamelled glass sugar casket, circa 1880, decorated with birds on flowering scroll branches which sold to a telephone bidder for £600. This really was an exceptional piece made to the highest standard and the condition was impeccable for its age.
An interesting Collectables section included such varying lots as a Chinese carved ivory chess set which made £220, a bronze bust, possibly of Disraeli, which made £220 and a bronze model sphinx which sold at £150. A mid- 20th century Ekco bakelite radio realised £170. Three stevengraphs, illustrating steeplechasing and hunting, raised a great deal of interest and sold well above estimate at £200, while a collection of four miniatures totalled £385.
The next specialist auction is Ceramics and Glass: Antiques and Interiors 2nd December at Bingham Hall saleroom in Cirencester. Entries are being taken now, so please do contact the auctioneers on 01285-642420 ,01242-256363, email info@cotswoldauction.co.uk and via the website www.cotswoldauction.co.uk.
The Cotswold Auction Company’s Cirencester sale on 7th October
From Russia with Love
A highlight of the auction at Cirencester's Bingham Hall specialist picture sale held by The Cotswold Auction Company on the 7th October was a collection of Russian paintings. These had descended through a family, whose great-grandfather had been a Russian artist, forced into exile in the 1920s. He joined other emigre artists in Paris, eventually moving to Britain. Part of his collection reached The Cotswold Auction Company’s sale, where they attracted great interest amongst bidders.
The Cotswold Auction Company had already offered several pictures on the family's behalf in their Christmas sale, with excellent results and were anticipating strong competition: the Russian Art market continues to be one of the strongest and most exciting areas within the international art market.
Two Russian artists were represented, the first work an oil on canvas by Vasily Shebuyev (1777-1855). This painting depicted a half-length portrait of a bearded man writing in a book with feather quill ,“The Prophet”, signed. ‘Shebuyev’. The artist both studied and taught art in Russia and Italy and decorated the new cathedral of Kazan and also the chapel of Tsarskoe Seloe. Phone lines from Russia were booked and the hammer finally fell at £4500.
The second oil was attributed to Victor Borisov-Musatov (1870-1905) and showed a wooded hilltop landscape with buildings and distant clouds. Borisov-Musatov was known for his post-impressionist style and spent time in Paris. He is often referred to as the creator of Russian symbolism, together with Mikhail Vrubel. Russian bidders battled it out for the picture until this too reached the hammer price of £4,500.
The battle between dealers and collectors didn’t end with the pictures. A large pair of Chinese porcelain ginger jars, bearing Kangxi marks and decorated with a woman and children in garden, went to the phone at £1,700. Another blue and white piece of delft, dating from the early eighteenth century, sold well at £300, despite the fact that it needed restoration and a smaller charger made £200.
A 1915 100 Corona gold coin attracted a lot of interest due to its weight and intricate chain, with the gavel finally falling at £1,100, while another collection of Victorian sovereigns realised £420. Silver and gold sold extremely well and very few lots failed to find a buyer.
The next specialist auction is the Toys, Dolls and Models; Antiques and Interiors sale on 4th November at Bingham Hall saleroom in Cirencester. Entries are being taken now, so please do contact the auctioneers on 01285-642420 or 01242-256363, email info@cotswoldauction.co.uk and via our website www.cotswoldauction.co.uk.
A Winning Formula at St Barnabas
The Cotswold Auction Company opened its doors to another jam packed sale held at St Barnabas in Gloucester on 20 September. This quarterly sale was full of china, glass, silver, gold, jewellery, furniture and collectables. Flying high amongst the antiques was a selection of various Oriental ceramics which sold to the trade at £3,900 after a furious battle between phone bidders. This illustrated yet again just how strong the market is at the moment for Oriental wares and how Chinese art is continuing to dominate our sales. Another favourite within the ceramics was an unusual Continental majolica plate by Cantagalli, this sold at £220, while a mixed lot including Ridgways 1960s Homecraft teaware sold for £480.
Flying away at £390 was a large and impressive carved marble model of an eagle, followed closely by a bronze group of two greyhounds inscribed “P.J. Mene”. This elegant piece found a ready buyer at £230.
The silver section was topped by a handsome 1940s silver tea service which outstripped all expectations with the gavel finally coming down at £920. Here again there was a premium paid for a early plated coffee pot with engraved armorials, which came under the hammer at £460. A delightful Movado pocket watch in a sliding, rectangular silver case sold well at £210. But the clock section was topped by a French Hausmann brass carriage clock, which benefited from both a repeat and an alarm. It was in a neat coach-top brass case and also retained its original morocco travelling case. This little clock sold well above estimate and made a respectable £500.
Collectors’ items always cause a bit of a stir on sale days and a tidy silver hipflask hallmarked for Sheffield 1909 was swallowed up by the trade at £260. Closely following was a pair of exquisite gilded pheasants which plucked up a storm with bidders, leaving the saleroom at £230. “Decorative items always sell well” said auctioneer Bob Short. A 20th century gold sovereign mounted as a pendant, 1974, sold above estimate at £310 while a mixed album of early postcards came under the hammer at £240.
Georgian mahogany bookcase bucks the trend at Cirencester
Buyers are exceptionally choosy when Georgian and Victorian furniture comes on the market these days -- however bidders were out in force at the Bingham Hall in Cirencester on 9 September, when a large Georgian mahogany bookcase, which had resided peacefully in a country house near Painswick, came onto the market. This was in reasonable, unrestored condition with a pair of astragal glazed doors to the upper section and a writing slide above cupboards below. Bidding in the room and on the telephone quickly soared to a hammer price of £4600.
Also in the furniture section was a piece from the other end of the spectrum -- a charming small Victorian birds eye maple combination games table with drop flap and central sliding section, which left the rooms at £1400. Victorian credenzas too retain their popularity and there was a bow-fronted example in burr walnut and floral marquetry. Despite needing considerable restoration this piece went to £1250. For the musicians there was a 1920s full concert grand piano, which had rather unhappily been somewhat neglected in a school for several decades. This too was thought worthy of restoration however and found a buyer at £900
The specialist silver section yielded consistently good prices, reflecting the strong price of gold and silver at the moment. Also the Oriental market made its presence felt here, as a Chinese silver three-piece tea service of square form and embossed with dragons raced up to £2800 -- a price which would have been unthinkable two or three years ago. A service of 20th-century silver flatware realised £1000, a set of 12 George III fiddle pattern dinner forks, London 1817 made £800, a circular silver fruit bowl also sold at £800 and an Edwardian teapot made £400.
There was also a specialist jewellery section in this sale, which yielded some very pleasing prices. A large and handsome diamond and pearl ring set with three cultured pearls alternating with two diamonds found a buyer at £1700, a gold and diamond star brooch of typical form sold at the top end of estimate at £1400 and a diamond marquise ring realised £800. A useful and long Victorian 15 ct gold chain realised £550 and a gold charm bracelet £450. An unusual piece of jewellery with regimental association, a 17th/21st Lancers "Death or Glory" white metal, diamond and enamel brooch sailed away over estimate at £500.
A small section of carriage clocks was topped by a repeater with enamel dial and a chrome case selling at £400, while the others all found ready buyers. A lady's Omega 9 ct gold wristwatch, 1959, realised £400.
Another Oriental piece to attract a great deal of attention was a small Chinese jade carved group of a pair of deer eating foliage. At just 5 cm this small piece commanded a great deal of attention and sold, again way over estimate, at £1850 to a buyer in the room against the Internet. A similarly surprising price was paid for an Oriental piece at the auctioneers' July sale in Cirencester, when an 18th century Chinese porcelain flask attracted a great deal of interest by the Internet and came under the hammer at £7000. A small selection of ceramics including both English and Chinese teapots and other items sold well at £420, while a Masons ironstone Imari jug and matching pieces made a respectable £520. Top price amongst the metalware was £380 paid for a late 19th-century Austrian cold cast painted bronze hound’s head, a popular piece designed to sit on a desk and hold stationery and pens.
Entries are already being accepted for The Cotswold Auction Company's next Specialist Silver and Jewellery sale to be held at the Chapel Walk saleroom in Cheltenham on Tuesday 13th December. Please contact the auctioneers for a free valuation on 01285-642420, 01242-256363 or 01452-521177 or via their website www.cotswoldauction.co.uk.
Rare Charles II London Delft mug sells for £82,000 !
An astonishing result was achieved at auction for The Cotswold Auction Company on Midsummer's Day, June 21, at their Cheltenham Chapel Walk saleroom. A rare 17th-century English delft mug came to the market in a specialist collectors sale and caused a real battle amongst delft enthusiasts , resulting in one of the highest ever prices achieved for a delft mug at auction.
The mug, a highly important piece of English ceramic history, had been unearthed amongst house contents destined for sale by auctioneer Lindsey Braune on a routine visit. "I was just listing the lots for sale when the mug seemed to jump out at me from the back of a china cabinet! What was particularly striking was its armorial shield, together with the very early date of 1674. I suggested taking it away it for research -- rather to the family's surprise, as they thought the chips on the rim would mean it wasn't of value."
In fact, for its age, the mug was in remarkable condition. English delft is a type of tin-glazed earthenware, light in weight and very easily damaged, so that few pieces survive three centuries or more without major faults. The globular-shaped mug was painted in blue with a shield from the armorial bearings of the Worshipful Company of Salters, comprising three salt pots with grains of salt trailing from each. The Worshipful Company of Salters is one of the oldest livery companies in the country -- ranked number nine in the "Great Twelve City of London Livery Companies" and was founded in 1394.
The painted floral decoration around the shield has charming additions, such as a butterfly and a snail and the homely motto on the rim states "I am but earth it is most trew, disdain mee not for so are you, ano dom 1674" and the mug also bears the initials "WWR", possibly indicating that it was a wedding present for a liveryman of the Company.
Lindsey Braune commented "The amount of interest before the sale was phenomenal and viewers were particularly struck by the inscription, date and crisp decoration - but above all by the condition. Devotees of English delft said they felt privileged just to hold it for a short time, because it is so rare." The last of the 3 sales of the Longridge Ceramic Collection at Christie's, London in May this year included a smaller delft mug with powdered manganese decoration, which sold at £59,000. It is thought that Tuesday's result in Cheltenham may actually be a record for a delft mug sold at auction.
Interested parties were keeping their cards close to their chest prior to the sale and many turned up in the saleroom to do battle with telephone and internet bidders. Serious commission bids were received by the auctioneers before the sale and bidding started at £25,000, rising quickly to £70,000 in the room, then pushed up by telephone bidders until the mug was secured by ceramics specialist Garry Atkins bidding in the room on behalf of a collector.
"This was an auctioneer’s dream" comments Lindsey, "And early English ceramics are one of my particular passions. I could hardly believe what I had found and carrying out the research with the help of the archivist at the Salters Company and Gloucester archives was fascinating. We think that the mug may even have been in the same family from the beginning, but records from this period are rather elusive!"
The next Cotswold Auction Company specialist collectors sale in Cheltenham will take place in October and includes books, medals, militaria, stamps, coins and other collectables. Entries are already being accepted and the auctioneers are happy to give advice on value. Please contact them on 01242-256363 or via the website www.cotswoldauction.co.uk.
Picture This!
Paintings took the top honours at both of The Cotswold Auction Company ‘s recent auctions held in Cirencester and Cheltenham. In the 20th Century Art sale held at the Chapel Walk sale in Cheltenham on the 24th May a watercolour by Julian Trevelyan (1910-1988) was subject to competitive bidding. This pen and wash study of Roman-style stone baths in a rustic building in an extensive landscape, "Le Lavoir", signed and dated 1930, was finally sold at £2100, having doubled its presale estimate. Trevelyan was well-known for surrealist prints in the 1930s, worked in Paris and London, became head of the etching department at the Royal College of Art and was himself a highly influential teacher of such students as David Hockney.
A pair of much earlier oils, late 18th-century studies of a mounted jockey in silks, also found a ready buyer at the Bingham Hall saleroom in Cirencester on 13 May. These had come from the house of one of Cirencester's oldest farming families and may even have depicted horses owned by the family in an earlier generation. Telephone and internet bids were taken for this pair, which finally came under the hammer at £1800.
A limited edition screenprint by John Piper (1903-1992) depicting three Suffolk church towers in a triptych format on marbled background also made a good showing in the modern art sale. A very familiar subject for this artist, this was one of his highly collectable limited editions, 52/70 and was sold above estimate at £950. John Piper was an official war artist during World War II and later produced many studies of church towers such as this.
Art Deco bronzes and ivories are still more than holding their own in today's market -- and this was evident in the competition for a charming Ferdinand Preiss carved ivory figure of a child feeding a dove on outstretched hand, circa 1930, signed and on a black slate plinth. Measuring only 19 cm high, this sold to an absent bidder at £1900. A 20th-century Irish School bronze half-length figure of a ballerina found a buyer at £400, while a pair of Liberty Tudric pewter candlesticks, each on three curved supports, 15 cm high, realised £400. From the same collection came three Tudric pewter specimen vases of Art Nouveau design, which realised £350, a Liberty Tudric pewter candlestick, which sold for £260 and a small Tudric twin handled vase which brought £100. Also in this section was a delightful Tudric pewter and enamel inkstand of square form which was bid up to £350.
Furniture sold well at Cirencester, with a pair of Regency mahogany hall chairs, possibly Gillows design, realising £1450 and a pair of Regency giltwood convex mirrors surmounted by eagles fetching £680. A 19th century bird's eye maple circular dining table with line inlay to the top was bid up to £600 and a Georgian oak dresser base on cabriole supports also realised £600.
Among the more unusual collectables were a 1930s circular brown Bakelite Ekco radio selling at £420, a Chinese carved ivory card case realising £420 and a gentleman's 18 ct gold open faced pocket watch, London 1896, which came under the hammer at £420.
The Cotswold Auction Company's next sale to be held in Cirencester on 10th June will include a specialist section of Silver and Jewellery, while entries are already being accepted for their specialist Pictures sale to be held in the autumn. Please contact the auctioneers for a valuation without obligation on 01285-642420, 01242-256363 or 01452, 521177 or via their website www.cotswoldauction.co.uk.
Buyers out in force for silver and porcelain
The Cotswold Auction Company's specialist Silver, Jewellery and Ceramics sale held at the Bingham Hall in Cirencester was packed with buyers on 1 April – no adverse effects from April Fools' Day here! This annual sale saw a saleroom full of china, glass, silver, plate jewellery and clocks. Top price of the day went in the Oriental section to a Chinese porcelain export gourd-shaped vase with floral polychrome decoration, standing 44 cm high. This came under the hammer at £1050, while there was strong interest in the rest of the Oriental section, with £520 paid for an 18th century Chinese porcelain tureen with cover and stand, having boars head handles, despite damage to the stand and keen bidding for a section of Chinese Imari porcelain. A small Chinese carved jade frog was bought for £580.
A small section of 18th-century Worcester porcelain with underglaze blue floral spray decoration was topped by £400 paid for a tea canister (lacking top), standing 11 cm high, and a sparrowbeak jug and tea bowl of the same pattern made £70 and £55 respectively. A delightful and extensive 19th century Meissen porcelain part tea service with "Deutsche Blumen” decoration realised £420 and there was competition across the board for unusual Staffordshire figures (a group of a hound saving a child from a serpent sold for £200), treacle glaze pottery and Delft. Three attractive 19th-century silver resist jugs sold well, with the top price of £200 paid for the smallest, but most delicately painted.
As was to be expected with an ever-rising silver price there was strong competition in the room, on the phone and on the Internet throughout the silver section. A handsome Victorian silver claret jug of globe and spire form by George Fox, London 1862, topped its estimate, selling at £750, while two salvers with presentation inscriptions made a respectable £800 and £620 respectively. The silver numbered over 250 lots in this auction and a large quantity of this was flatware dating from the 18th century and later. One mixed lot of Georgian and later silver flatware, principally fiddle and shell pattern, came under the hammer at £550, while a set of six French silver tablespoons, forks and tea spoons by Ercuis realised £380, a set of six old English pattern silver table and dessert forks made £340 and a collection of nine various silver serving spoons £330.
A handsome George III silver mustard pot by the well-known maker Robert Hennell, London 1783, exceeded its estimate at £480 while a pair of George IV silver chambersticks by James Arthur sold for £400. The Bateman family is always sought after and a Georgian silver circular card tray, London 1796, by Peter and Anne Bateman found a buyer at £310, as did another designer piece, a Hukin and Heath 19th century Christopher Dresser silverplated water jug which sold for £320.
The clock section was topped by a Jaeger le Coultre Atmos mantel clock, which sailed above its estimate at £850, while amongst the watches a 9ct gold cased gentleman's open-faced pocket watch, London 1907, together with a 9ct gold link chain realised £400 and an 18ct gold half-hunter pocket watch by Bensons made £400. Gold was predictably the strongest seller in the jewellery section - a sovereign bracelet set with five coins made £900 and a gold fancy link charm bracelet realised £500.
The Cotswold Auction Company's next specialist Silver and Jewellery sale will be held at Cirencester saleroom on 10th June and entries are currently being accepted. Ceramics also form part of most of the auctions, although 20th century ceramics will be on offer on 24 May at the Chapel Walk saleroom in Cheltenham. The auctioneers can be contacted for free presale advice on 01242-256363, 01285-642420 or 01452-521177 or via their website
www.cotswoldauction.co.uk.
Terrific toys in Cirencester!
A superb collection of toys - including model trains, model cars, dolls and dolls houses provided something for everyone at The Cotswold Auction Company's last specialist sale at the Bingham Hall on 18th March. "We've been selling toys through our specialist auctions since 1985" said auctioneer and director Lindsey Braune "And I have to say this was one of the best toys sales I remember! There were some fabulous examples in every section, with early Dinky Supertoys and other vehicles, early wax dolls and as well as some unusual bisque headed ones and the best collection of Hornby ‘OO’ gauge model railway which we have ever offered."
The model railway was advertised as an extensive collection, but was quite an unknown quantity until there was space to sort and catalogue it properly. "All we could see before it was delivered to the saleroom was a tempting array of cardboard boxes stacked to the ceiling in a garage" said Lindsey. In the event there were over 100 lots of model railway from this one particular collection which came under the hammer at over £11,000 in total. These were principally Hornby OO gauge, but also included Lima, Bachman, Tri-ang etc and the vast majority of lots still retained their original boxes. Such familiar models as "Thomas the Tank Engine", "Flying Scotsman", "Silver King" and "Kestrel” were on offer and prices were generally around £1-£200 a lot.
From the same collection came some exciting lots of Dinky Supertoys models, including one lot of 13 comprising Foden lorries, petrol tankers etc which came under the hammer at £420, while two boxes of Foden lorries and other Supertoys made £380, two boxes of Dinky Supertoy Foden lorries with a Lesney car transporter etc made £300 and a quantity of early Dinky and Corgi cars sold in lots for £1-£200 a lot. From another collector came one lot of Dinky vehicles including Bedford vans which realised £220 and two other various boxes making £220 and £200 each. Several Dinky Guy vans were in the sale, but as they were unboxed and playworn they served to add interest to boxed lots.
Another private collection, this time of dolls, attracted a great deal of attention and led to bidding from Germany, Belgium and other countries. Top price went to a Georgian wax over composition should head doll with glass eyes and painted features. She came under the hammer at £400, while an attractive Simon and Halbig 129/4 bisque headed doll, circa 1900-1910 realised £350. Another Simon and Halbig doll with pierced ears realised £280 and a French bisque headed doll made £260. A large collection of 20th century reproduction dolls houses of attractive traditional design found ready buyers, as did the dozen or so lots of dolls house furniture and accessories. This is the second specialist toys sale the auctioneers have held with live online bidding and they were delighted with the results. Auction in Elizabeth Poole commented "The number of online buyers has trebled, with interest coming from across the country and abroad".
A small section of live steam engines attracted bids such as £260 paid for a live steam beam engine, while tinplate and Meccano were highly saleable as usual.
In the furniture section a William IV mahogany extending dining table sold to one of four telephone bidders at £2200. With its extra leaves it extended to a useful 285 cm and it had been well loved and cared for in its previous Cotswold cottage home. It stood on slender reeded tapering legs and was the most elegant piece of furniture. From the same cottage came a large Oriental carpet with geometric design on blue ground which realised £950 and a William IV mahogany work table which made £520. A Regency mahogany and rosewood etagere sold well at £500 and a Gillows of Lancaster mahogany and inlaid open bookcase realised £280, as did an 18th century walnut straight front chest with sunburst decoration.
The Cotswold Auction Company will be back at the Bingham Hall in Cirencester on Friday 1st April with a specialist sale of Silver Jewellery Ceramics and Glass. Their next specialist toys sale will be held on Friday 15th July and entries are already being accepted and catalogued for this sale. Please contact the auctioneers for a free valuation prior to sale on 01285-642420, 01242-256363 or 01452-521177 or via their website www.cotswoldauction.co.uk.
Photos to accompany this article:-
Russian River landscape sells at £22,000!
Bids from around the globe were a feature of the The Cotswold Auction Company's Russian art sale with Antique Furniture, Silver and Jewellery held at the Chapel Walk saleroom in Cheltenham on Wednesday, 5 January. The sale had been destined to take place before Christmas, but near-Arctic conditions prevented even those from 1 mile away in Charlton Kings reaching the saleroom and it was reluctantly re-scheduled!
As it turned out, interest in the sale, which was already strong, continued to build over the Christmas and New Year holiday, with the result that a record number of bidders registered online and extra staff were required to help with telephone bids. The main focus was on an excellent private collection of Russian art, which was brought out of the USSR in the 1920s by the present vendors' grandfather. He himself was an artist and may well have mixed with those whose works were on offer. 29 works were included, ranging from framed oils to unframed pencil sketches, dating from the mid-19th century and into the early 20th century.
Many major Russian artists were represented, but top honours went to an oil on canvas by Nikolai Petrovich Krymov (1884-1958). This work depicted a river landscape at dusk under a glowing ruby-red sky and with a fisherman in boat in the foreground. The painting bore a signature in Cyrillic and was dated 1914, though lacked its original frame. The estimate of £4000-£6000 was quickly left behind, as persistent Russian telephone bidders battled against bidders in the room, however it was finally won by a bid in the saleroom at £22,000. Nikolai Krymov had a long and distinguished career after training at the Moscow School of Painting (1904-07) with notable tutors. He was a member of the Blue Rose group and the Society of Moscow Artists.
 sold of r £22,000.JPG)
Strong interest was also shown in two miniatures from the collection, each in watercolour and illustrating an attractive young female sitter. One was signed by the artist Alexeev (XIX) and showed a young lady with sapphire and diamond earrings. Auctioneer and director Lindsey Braune,, who had catalogued the collection had expected keen competition for this picture, however was delighted with the final hammer price of £9000, particularly as she was on the rostrum at the time! The second miniature, which may have been by the same hand, but was indistinctly signed, depicted a half-length study of a young woman in floral and lace headdress, dated 1892. This was bid up to the same level, with the hammer finally falling at £10,000.
 Half-length portrait of a lady sold for £9000.JPG)
Another major Russian artist represented in this collection was Byalynitski-Beryulya (1872-1957). Two large unframed canvases, which had spent many years rolled up in a cardboard tube, were in dire need of restoration. Nevertheless the first, depicting an extensive coastal landscape with two spruce trees, signed, sold for £3000 and the second, also a river landscape, dated 1910, made £1800. Another unframed work in need of restoration by Vladimir Osipovich Sherwood, a watercolour and body-colour drawing of a woodland clearing with figures, made £1100, while a small watercolour sketch of a waterside sunset by Perepletchikov (1863-1918) sold for £850.
Diamonds still sparkle
Despite missing the Christmas market because of the snow, auctioneer Elizabeth Poole was very pleased with prices in the jewellery section. "Gold and silver prices have risen over the Christmas period and this had an effect on the final hammer results, though diamonds were certainly at the top of the shopping list today!" she commented. Top price was taken by a stunning three-stone diamond ring which totalled approximately 2.7ct and was bid up to £3100. A five-stone diamond ring came under the hammer at £1700, while another realised £1050. One of the most striking pieces of jewellery however was a beautiful 18ct gold, enamel and ruby-set snake bangle of flexible pattern. The head was enamelled in green and white and set with ruby eyes. Its owner had received several offers before bringing it to auction and was delighted to see it sail past all of these with a final price of £850.
Bluejohn and silver
Henry Meadows was on the rostrum when a rare example of British natural history came up for sale. This was a 19th century Derbyshire bluejohn goblet, so-called because of its colour "bleu-jaune", which ranges from dark purple and violet to light brown and yellow. Although known since Roman times, it was not mined extensively until a large deposit was discovered near Castleton in Derbyshire. This particular example was 18 cm high and, despite damage, still raced away to hammer price of £1250.
In the silver section a Victorian silver baluster claret jug with fruiting vine handle by Barber and Smith, London, made £700 while a George III silver vase- shaped pedestal coffee pot, London 1781, came under the hammer at £680. An unusual and early set of three Queen Anne silver miniatures, viz. a doll's teapot and pair of tea bowls and plates, London 1706, by George Manjoy sold at £500. Silver flatware and smallwork was generally selling extremely well and very few lots failed to find a buyer.
The auctioneers are already accepting entries for their next specialist silver and jewellery sale to be held in the spring. Full details of 2011 auction dates can be found on their website www.cotswoldauction.co.uk and free valuations for sale can be given at the saleroom or in your own home. Please contact directors Lindsey Braune and Elizabeth Poole on 01242 256363, 01285 642420 or 01452 521177.
Sensational stamps sold 29th June
A record price was set in a packed and rather warm saleroom on Tuesday June 29th at The Cotswold Auction Company’s Chapel Walk venue. A rare two volume set ‘New Imperial’ to 1936 was entered for sale as part of a deceased estate, having being collected by the present vendor’s grandfather. This was an exceptionally good and valuable collection, uniformly in fine condition with many rare high value issues. The original estimate was £18,000-£22,000 and interest had built up over the week with many private viewings for the country’s major stamp buyers.
Auctioneer Lindsey Braune was on the rostrum as the price climbed steadily and silence fell in the saleroom. Four telephone bidders were on the line and the internet was also live, though in the end it was a bidder in the room who secured the lot for his private collection at £42,000! ‘The vendor was more than delighted’ said Lindsey ‘ and especially pleased that the collection is going to remain intact, after the love and attention expended on it by his own family.’
Just before this lot came under the hammer another speculative collection was on offer, although the condition could not have been more different. This was a stunning collection of American stamps from 1845 to World War I. The book value of this collection was high, but the stamps had been stored in a derelict house and many were disintegrating. Nevertheless American buyers were out in force and this lot raced past its £4000-£6000 estimate to sell at £24,000.!!
The specialist sale of Medals and Militaria complemented a fantastic auction on Tuesday 29th June at The Cotswold Auction Company’s Cheltenham saleroom. Following the success of the Naval General Service Medal at £4,600 in the March 2nd Auction we were lucky enough to attract two more. Lot 418 was a single clasp, 1st June 1794 given for the first and largest action against the French fleet also known as “The glorious first of June”. It sold for £1500 against an estimate of £1200-1500. Another with single clasp for St Vincent sold on the lower estimate for £900, however this medal had been brooch mounted (it was common practice for sailors’ loved ones to take the medal and wear it in a pin brooch), but from a collector’s point of view it is not as issued and therefore will be worth a fraction of the price.
Two Military Cross groups were consigned. First to go under the hammer was a Great War group to Lieutenant D. Hindson who served with the Royal Engineers. Hindson’s service took him all the way through the Great War and he was later a key figure with the St Johns Ambulance. Hindson’s recommendation for M.C. was published in the London Gazette on 6.4.1918 ‘For conspicuous gallantry and duty when in charge of parties which successfully completed three strong points in the newly captured ground on the exposed flank of the advance’, an emotive group selling within estimate for £950. Another Great War group to Major C.W.G. Bryan sold for £850, Bryan served with the Royal Army Medical Corps and not only received his Military Cross for his gallant actions but was mentioned in despatches too.
Medals to Australians have seen a recent surge in the market and Lot 313 was no exception. The Great War group to Private W. Bridges who served with the 23rd Battalion, Australian Imperial Force created a lot of attention and far exceeded the estimate selling for £450; the group was part of a collection consigned to us by The Royal Air Forces Association in Gloucester. We were entrusted to achieve the highest prices for the collection which was formed over their many years in residence at Spa Road. The association is relocating and the sale of the collection will contribute substantially to the regeneration of their club later on this year. Top prices were paid for Second World War tunics averaging out £120 each, and many of the lithographic prints which hung in their bar sold well above estimate. Overall the collection sold incredibly well, Auctioneer Henry Meadows remarked ‘It was an absolute pleasure to assist the RAFA club from start to finish, and with a diverse and interesting collection such as this it just emphasises the importance of having specialist auctions. The online bidding service which our sales offer really came into its own with £16,000 in value being purchased by internet buyers”.
The books section in this sale was fairly small but quite select! Following the theme of war a limited edition of Louis Raemaekers ‘ The Great War – a Neutral’s Enlightenment’ sold well at £150. A Dutch artist, his first wartime drawings appeared in the Amsterdam "Telegraaf", and the response of the German Imperial Government was swift. They offered a reward of 12,000 Dutch guilders for Raemaekers' body, dead or alive. Not content with this, they pressured the Dutch government into prosecuting him for endangering Holland's neutrality, and he was actually tried for this offense but acquitted by a jury. At the end of December 1915 he took his wife and family to England in the face of threatened assassination by German agents.
Other limited edition and signed books found buyers with a superb copy of Edward Fitzgerald’s ‘The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam’ illustrated by Willy Pogany selling for £260. A full red leather limited edition of A.A.Milne’s ‘Winnie the Pooh’ signed by Christopher Milne ( Christopher Robin) reached £240 whilst four novels by Laurence Durrell, two of which were first editions and all with dustjackets realized £140.
The next Books, Medals, Militaria, Stamps and Collectables sale will be on 26th October in the Cheltenham saleroom. Consignments are already being accepted so please do contact the auctioneers on 01242 256363 or email info@cotswoldauction.co.uk. For the full results of the 29th June please go to the archived catalogue on www.cotswoldauction.co.uk.
Tuesday 27th April Antiques, Rugs, Textiles and Costume
Cheltenham Auction is the ‘Real Deal’
Directors and auctioneers Lindsey Braune and Elizabeth Poole welcomed David Dickinson and his ‘Real Deal’ team to the Chapel Walk Saleroom in Cheltenham for the first of two visits this year. A selection of varied and interesting items made it to camera for the auction on 27th April ranging from a Victorian 3.07 ct diamond crescent brooch to a mid twentieth century set of small plush bodied ‘The Three Bears’ complete with miniature table, chairs and porridge bowls!
The star of the television show was the diamond brooch, which climbed to £2400 for a telephone bidder buying something rather special for his wife. As this will be broadcast to the nation in the near future perhaps it is all right to admit that the hammer price was £2,400!
The set of “The Three Bears” sold for £160, while a gold-plated Mont Blanc pen complete with original box and paperwork realised £260. This came to the ‘Real Deal’ purportedly given to the vendor by a ‘roadie’ who worked for Elton John. It is said Elton distributed these pens as gifts to his touring teams!
A 19th century French gilt-metal and porcelain clock garniture marked for Samuel Marti (French c.1890) went to another telephone bidder for £200.
The rest of the auction was punctuated with good results from all sections. A good 19th century oak dresser sold well at £850, well above estimate of £150-£250.
A late 17th century laburnum oyster veneer cabinet made £600, again above estimate and an early 19th century oak chest of drawers sold at £400. Four long case clocks found buyers , two at £420, one at £400 and the final one at £380.
In the rug section a Persian silk carpet with a delightful animal and floral design with a deep blue margin and soft colours left the saleroom having sold for £420,
Four telephones were booked and the auction book crammed with commissions for a Victorian silver dog’s head whistle. This charming piece was marked Birmingham 1859 George Unite, with a presentation inscription ‘August 12, 1860’. George Unite was born in Birmingham in 1798, and was apprenticed to Joseph Willmore at the age of 12. He registered his own mark in 1832 and continued to be based in Birmingham until his death in 1898. He was a hugely successful silversmith, earning a reputation for producing items that reflected the Victorian taste for high decoration and sumptuous design. He crafted such ‘high quality silver toys’ as dishes, serving spoons, apple corers, pepperettes, snuff boxes, vesta, card, cigar and spectacle cases, wine and brandy labels, buckles, chatelaines, letter openers, inkwells, and babies’ rattles – and in this case the silver dog’s head whistle. The whistle eventually went to one successful and determined telephone bidder for £750.
A late Georgian Staffordshire pottery dog’s head whistle sold for £280.
The specialist section of the sale featured textiles and vintage costume. This has become a hugely successful section over the years with buyers from all over the world.
A black lace parasol is going to California and a large woven Paisley shawl, which sold for £320 over the telephone, will go to New York!
A beautiful and unusual feathered cape with swansdown and peacock feathers realised £250. This was the subject of much discussion as to origin, but it was generally agreed to be 1920’s, European.
A fabulous 1920’s beaded dress made £180 while a glamorous green lamé evening gown sold for £160. A box of Victorian and later baby gowns was highly contested and reached a price of £230. A Japanese silver colour metal Niello-work cigarette case marked ‘Okubio’ with a 19th century decorated papier mâché pin box and two other items realised £300. Perhaps to go with the green lamé gown!
The next sale to be held at the Chapel Walk Saleroom is Modern Art and Design on Tuesday 8th June at 7pm. This is an evening sale. The next Textiles and Costume sale will be on Wednesday September2nd at the Chapel Walk Saleroom and entries are being accepted for this sale now. Please do contact the auctioneers on 01242 256363 for free sales valuations and advice for these and any future sales, or go to www.cotswoldauction.co.uk
12th February Pictures with Antiques and Interiors
Landscapes Lead the Day
The Cotswold Auction Company held another successful sale on Cirencester on February 12th with a specialist picture section as well as antique and other furniture.
Despite the inclement weather – or perhaps because of it – the saleroom was well attended both on view and sale day, with the pictures being very much the subject of interest. Two well known Victorian artists realised the highest prices. W.J. Mander’s oil on canvas, ‘ Near Beddgelert, North Wales’ found a good hammer price of £750, whilst John MacWhirter, oil on panel, ‘Scottish Scene’ matched it also with £750. Although late 19th century artists are not the most fashionable in these modern times these results show that good work will always find a buyer. Another Welsh landscape by James T. Watts entitled ‘Early Spring at Bettws-y-Coed’ sold for £400 and a most attractive oil on canvas by Charles Pott ‘Ferry Boat on the Trent’ realised £360.
Moving to the continent a large oil on canvas by Rodolfo Paoletti (1824-1891),Portrait of a female Saint, signed to reverse, in a superb Florentine carved giltwood foliate frame sold for £680 on the telephone. A full length portrait of a beautiful woman holding a harp, oval in shape, oil on canvas, inscribed on the reverse ‘A. Sasso and Son’ realised £580 in the room. An unusual lot was a 19th century ceramic tile entitled ‘The Darmstadt Madonna’ after a famous portrait by Hans Holbein. Impressed CFI on the base and in another Florentine frame it sold well at £400.
A late entry to the sale was a Jaeger-le-Coultre timepiece made of perspex with Chinoiserie lacquered decoration. This realised £580 for the delighted vendor, who had brought it in as an afterthought! Another unusual timepiece was circular, brass-encased with the surround in the form of a horseshoe with enamel nails and surmounted by a brass fox with an enamel dial. It was retailed by Martin & Co. Cheltenham and one wonders if it was originally made to order for a keen foxhunting squire! This reached a hammer price of £280. In the same hunting vein, five colour lithographs after Cecil Aldin showing the hunt in its stages sold for £200.
Jewellery and gold are very strong in the salerooms at present and an 18ct gold, sapphire and diamond ring was the subject of much competition, reaching £300 in the room and 9ct gold necklace weighing approx. 27grm sold at £170.
Auctioneer Lindsey Braune was delighted with the results of the sale. The next sale to be held at the Bingham Hall Saleroom is on 12th March. This will have a specialist section of toys, dolls and models with antique furniture and collectables. Please contact the auctioneers on 01285 642420 or 01242 256363 for further information and for sales and other valuations.
12th March 2010 - Toys, Dolls and Models more
2nd February 2010 - Books and Collectables more
22nd December 2009 - Antique Furniture, clocks, boxes, silver, jewellery and watches more
27th October 2009- Medals, Militaria, Collectables and Books more
16th October 2009 - Preview report on fabulous entries more
4th August 2009 - Medals, Militaria, Books & Collectables more
17th March 2009 - Record Book Sale more
12th December 2008 - Diamonds really ARE forever! Jewellery and Silver sale at Cirencester saleroom... more
December 2008 - Winter roundup of sales at our Cirencester Saleroom... more
Spring Boost to Auction Prices
Daffodils and sunshine brought an enthusiastic crowd to The Cotswold Auction Company’s Antiques and Interiors sale at the Bingham Hall in Cirencester on Friday 16th April and they were not disappointed! A good selection of antique and general furniture was on offer with the star lot being a superb Georgian oak dresser base. This marvellous example of a practical and yet good looking ‘ country’ piece of furniture created a deal of interest and was finally knocked down at £1700 to one of three telephone bidders and against the room. It had a raised back, the top with ogee moulded edge, three frieze drawers on square legs. The patina was a golden colour as so often found in early Georgian oak furniture that has been lovingly looked after over the centuries.
Another interesting piece was a teak campaign chest – these military chests are much sought after and this one realised £780 despite not being in the peak of condition. If only the chests could tell of their campaigns! It is said ‘ books furnish a room’ but perhaps it is the bookcases that furnish the room! The name Globe Wernicke instantly conjures up the image of the iconic ‘elastic bookcases,’ so-called as the sections are capable of being fitted together to form bookcases of different heights and depths according to requirements. These glass-fronted shelves are now proving to be collectable and usable antiques, as shown in this sale when one sold for £350 and another for £340 with interest on the phones! Returning to classical furniture a Regency rosewood worktable with drop flaps and a pink silk workbox realised £320.
Woodcarvings will ornament any room and a pair of 18th century carved, stained wood cherub heads together with a 19th century carved pediment of cherubs supporting a painted armorial shield sold well at £340.
Clocks featured strongly in this sale with a most unusual early 20th century wood and brass novelty train timepiece which showed a brass locomotive protruding from a tunnel-like back on rails with the front of the train mounted with a silvered clock face, selling for £480. A 19th century mahogany longcase clock by ‘J.G. Shaw, Chester’ with 8-day striking movement found a hammer price of £320 and a 19th century circular fusee movement wall clock, the painted white dial by F & C Lake, Taunton was the subject of much competition, finally selling for £680.
Among the collectables a Victorian golf-club walking cane with engraved silver collar with another cane with a silver wrythen knop made a one collector happy as he bought them for £110. £110 seemed to be the magic number during this sale as a pair of Doulton Lambeth vases, a silver helmet shaped cream jug and a good quality collection of copperware all realised this figure!
The next sale to be held at the Bingham Hall by The Cotswold Auction Company will be held on Friday 21
st May and will feature a specialist section of pictures with antiques, later furniture and collectables. Entries are being accepted now, so please contact the auctioneers for free sales valuation on 01285 642420, 01242 256363, 01452 521177 or through our website
www.cotswoldauction.co.uk.
The Cotswold Auction Company’s sale of silver, jewellery, watches with antiques and interiors at the Bingham Hall in Cirencester on Friday June 18th saw a packed saleroom from 10am-3.30pm! The 579 lots drew private collectors and dealers alike – perhaps trying to put off the evil hour of England/Algeria at 7.30pm that evening!
The star lot of the sale was a gentleman’s 18ct gold Omega Constellation wristwatch which sold spectacularly in the room for £2,000, for which auctioneer Henry Meadows had two bidders battling it out in the room. Watches are highly collectable these days and Jensen Button is almost as well-known for his collection of 74 as being F.1 world champion, but world champion status must allow him free rein! Two other watches which sold well were an 18ct. gold open-faced pocket watch with an enamel dial which realised £800 and a lady’s 18ct. gold Omega dress watch in its original box which made £720.
As ever diamonds are a big draw and a superb 1.3ct diamond in an art deco style setting raced up to £1900 in the room, while an 18ct. white gold three-stone diamond ring of 0.7ct with diamond set shoulders went to a very happy private buyer for £950 in the room, along with an 18ct gold five- stone diamond ring for their daughter, which added £260 ( hammer price) to their bill! A 14ct gold sapphire and diamond bracelet sold for £350 ,whilst an 18ct gold, ruby and diamond bangle made £220. All the jewellery sold well, much above estimate, proving yet again that people prefer to invest in ‘real valuables’ rather than the unpredictable stock market in these difficult times.
Silver is now as healthy an investment as gold and has the added bonus of usually being something that can be used on a day-to-day basis. A four-piece silver tea and coffee service, dated Sheffield 1835 and weighing approximately 45ozs, found a buyer at £420, a silver salver , again Sheffield, 1930, weighing 36 ozs sold well at £300 and a matched set of flatware comprising serving spoons, forks, spoons and a ladle went for £220.
It also appears at last that good furniture of the 18th and 19th century is enjoying a revival in the saleroom. A 19th century Dutch walnut and floral marquetry inlaid bombe bureau, a really enchanting piece, had four telephones booked and interest in the room. It eventually sold to one determined telephone bidder from the north country for £1,900. A pair of 18th century style wing armchairs, that would not have looked amiss in any of the stately homes of England, with pink velvet upholstery and tapestry panel backs, realised £480. Secretaire bookcases will look well in any style of house and a good example of an early 19th century mahogany one sold for £370.
An unusual lot were three sculptures in bronze-resin – Emily the Goose Girl and two Geese, who were rather delightfully named Belinda and Gertrude! These were original sculptures by Marion Smith and found a new home for £250.
Overall, auctioneers Lindsey Braune and Elizabeth Poole were delighted with the results of the sale and look forward to returning to the Bingham Hall on July 16th where the specialist section this time will be toys, dolls and models. Lots due to sold can be found on www.cotswoldauction.co.uk. Entries are still being accepted for this sale –please contact the Cirencester office on 01285 642420 or email: info@cotswoldauction.co.uk
Please go to our archived catalogue on the Catalogue button to see more images and a full list of prices realised.
16th July Toys, Dolls and Models with Antiques and Interiors
Serious Players bid for Toys !
Enthusiasts came from all quarters to view and buy at The Cotswold Auction Company’s specialist sale of Toys, Dolls and Models in Cirencester on Friday 16th July at the Bingham Hall. These specialist sales draw much attention from the serious afficionado to the amateur collector, or even the passerby who wonders at the fact the toys of their childhood can be worth so much money these days!
The star lot in the sale was an early 20th century Bing tinplate clockwork steamer ship which realised £560 despite being in need of plenty of work in the local shipyard! Brothers (Gebruder) Bing were one of the most prominent toy makers in Germany. Founded in Nurnberg by the brothers Ignaz and Adolf Bing in 1863, they started out making kitchen utensils, progressing to toys in the late 1800's. Production grew to the point where, in 1905, Bing boasted the largest toy factory in the world. Their model steam engine line was one of the most diverse.
A live steam vertical piston-engine with a flywheel and gasburner made a realistic £440, against a conservative estimate of £150-£200, whilst a stationary steam engine with a brick effect boiler and brass water tank in a fitted carrying case sold at £200,
Dolls have seen a slight decline in popularity in recent months, but as ever when a particularly rare one appears there is a flurry of activity. This was the case with two unusual dolls in the sale. An Armand Marseille bisque-headed Oriental baby doll was fiercely contested, with a more than determined telephone bidder winning her at £440.Another Armand Marseille doll sold to the same buyer for £260. This was a black bisque-headed doll with a closed mouth, rather less common than the open-mouthed dolls. Armand Marseille of Sonneberg & Koppelsdorf, Thuringia, Germany was one of the world’s largest and best-known bisque doll head manufacturers. Armand was born in 1856 in St. Petersburg, Russia the son of an architect, and emigrated to Germany with his family a short while after 1860. In 1884 he bought the toy factory of Mathias Lambert in Sonneberg and in 1885 acquired the porcelain factory of Lidbermann & Wegscher in Koppelsdorf . . . and his empire in the doll world began.
From 1900-1930 it is reported they produced 1,000 bisque doll heads a day. They made bisque-headed child, baby, lady & character dolls with kid bodies and most with glass eyes, but some with painted eyes, as well as bisque & composition dolls and bisque heads with cloth bodies. They interestingly did not produce the body of their dolls but purchased those from other doll manufactures.
And now to the Dinky and diecast models! The saleroom was still full when these lots came up for sale near the end of the day, as no-one wanted to miss the opportunity of a successful purchase! A quantity of Dinky models including Landrover and classic cars of the 1950’s realised £320, a Spot-On bubble car by Triang, boxed, a Corgi Morris Minor, no 226, a Mini Cooper, no 321 and a Lotus Elan, no 318, boxed sold at £240, a Dinky Volkswagen, no 181, boxed, with a Comet Airliner, a Foden tanker and fire engine among others sold at £200. A Dinky Austin Healey, Talbot Largo and Ferrari with a No. 176 Austin saloon, boxed, realised £150 and a single Dinky Foden flat truck, no 505, sold for £130. How lucky are those who kept their toys in their boxes and barely played with them! Check out those attics and toy boxes!
A most attractive watercolour by local artist Peter Hicks-Beach, signed and dated 1979, sold for £400, and a Victorian mahogany duet music stand on a turned column support realised £460.
The next sale with a specialist section of Toys, Dolls and Models will be held at the Bingham Hall in Cirencester on November 5th. Entries are being taken now, so please do contact the auctioneers on 01285 642420 , email info@cotswoldauction.co.uk and via our website www.cotswoldauction.co.uk