Woolley & Wallis

‘Drum’ form mustard pots – known at the time as mustard tankards or cans – first emerged in the second half of the 18th century as the fashion changed from dry to wet mustard.

Scottish contemporary silver by Graham Leishman Stewart (1955-2020), squirreled away for decades in private collections, is now slowly beginning to reach the secondary market.

Jewellery shows great artistic and technical sophistication that catches the eyes of collectors

Woolley & Wallis (27% buyer’s premium) considered the Elizabethan bed offered on October 1 to be to ‘by far the most original to be offered at auction in recent years’.

So-called no’oanga stools from Rurutu Island, the northernmost island of the Austral archipelago in Polynesia, are distinct in their deep seats and solid curving legs terminating in button-like feet.

A strong selection of European pictures gave a boost to the latest specialist picture sale held at Salisbury saleroom Woolley & Wallis’ (27/26% buyer’s premium).

Altar-like form of an item usually attributed to one of two Southwark makers reflects the reverence that the commodity once held

A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days, including Michael Jeffery leaving Woolley & Wallis and joining Kinghams

Walter Child (1840-1930) and Harold Child (1848-1915), the sons of an East End pawnbroker who left a fortune of £30,000, opened as art jewellers in 1880 at 1 Seville Street, Belgravia.

Described as “rare and exquisite” when it came up for auction at C&T (22% buyer’s premium), an early painted carved wooden doll lived up to her billing.

Antique and vintage jewellery remains a strong suit across a broad range of styles, periods and values.

This stoneware pond by Robert Wallace Martin, measuring 6ft 6in (2m) across, comprises 40 architectural elements, each incised with fish and aquatic creatures among water weeds.

A rarity at a recent Woolley & Wallis (26% buyer’s premium) ceramics and glass sale was a late 18th century Wedgwood basalt intaglio seal, featuring a profile portrait of the notorious American spy Captain Nathan Hale (1755-76) beside the reversed inscription 'My Country!!!'.

Local landscapes by brother of the prominent Modern British artist Paul are now witnessing growing demand