Tennants

Whereas buying at fairs often involves a heavy dose of serendipity, buying at auction tends to be a more focused and considered affair.

A number of portraits of women from different periods of history were among the most contested pictures at sales around the country in the early part of this year.

Eight different colourways of the classic Whitefriars Banjo vase were offered in a single-owner private collection at Tennants (22% buyer’s premium).

Estimated at £100-150, a group of six items of Second World War army kit ended up selling for £4000 at Tennants (22% buyer’s premium).

A dreamy interwar architectural portrait of Pilgrims Hall, Essex, by Rex Whistler (1905-44) generated interest at Tennants (22% buyer’s premium) of Leyburn, North Yorkshire, on March 19.

The London firm Samuel Jackson seems to have specialised in mounting other materials in silver to produce wine-coolers.

Collectors use the name ‘Snowflake’ to refer the range of Tudor Submariners produced from 1969-75.

Aubrey Beardsley and John Batten add the illustrative attractions in North Yorks sale

The Palais Royale built for Cardinal Richelieu in 1629 had a variety of uses over the years but in the 18th and early 19th century was rebuilt as a place for public recreation and social gathering.

Auction figures for firms outside London show a shake-up of the status quo

Rarely do 19th century Staffordshire figures feature among the top-selling lots at auction these days but two bare-fist boxing champions did just that.

The undoubted star of the November 24 sale at Tennants (20% buyer’s premium) was the early 15th century folding almanac, or girdle book, that took £95,000.

One of around 30 known medieval English folding almanacs, and one of only a few in private hands, sold for £95,000 (plus 20% buyer’s premium) at Tennants.

Enicar watches do not have the instant brand recognition of a Rolex or Omega but they do share many of the same parts.

If ever there were a price to demonstrate just how important condition has become in the top end of the collecting market then it is the record-breaking SFr2.55m (£2.065m) for a reference CK2915 Speedmaster at Phillips (26/21% buyer's premium) in Geneva on November 5.

The strong prices for Modern British female artists keep rolling on. Among the notable results in the regions recently was a beach scene by Dorothea Sharp (1874-1955) that was among the star performers at Parker Auctions (25% buyer’s premium).

The windmill cup was the most popular of the novelty silver wager cups produced from the late 16th century until the early 18th century.

A pair of early 19th century Staffordshire pearlware figures modelled after bare-knuckle boxers Tom Cribb and Tom Molineaux who fought for a ‘world title’ of sorts is estimated at £3000-5000 in Tennants’ Autumn Fine Sale on November 13 in Leyburn.

The Northern Antiques Fair looks set to move permanently from Harrogate following a successful first outing at Tennants auction house complex.

The Northern Antiques Fair looks set to move permanently from Harrogate following a successful first outing at the new venue of the Tennants auction house complex in Leyburn.