Auction Reports

A rare Royal Crown Derby teapot made to a design created by Salvador Dalí surfaced recently at Batemans (20% buyer’s premium) in Stamford.

At the top end of the budget for ski poster enthusiasts are the Art Deco images promoting Gstaad.

A selection of these functional but fascinating objects that have appeared at recent sales

Estimated at just £60-100, a pair of Georgian portrait miniatures sold online for £2900 at Amersham Auctions (17.5% buyer’s premium) on January 6.

Handed in by miners at the start of a shift in exchange for a Davy lamp, colliery tokens, tallies or checks provided vital information in the event of fire or explosion.

Christopher Dresser created a number of daring geometric designs for silver and silver-plated toast racks in the late 1870s and early 1880s, both for Hukin & Heath and for James Dixon & Son.

Still a figure of glamour 450 years after her execution, Mary Queen of Scots was reputed to have embroidered the c.16th century fragment of bed curtain sold at Hansons (25% buyer’s premium) at Etwall on December 7.

Collections relating to leading British film director Lewis Gilbert (1920-2018) and his wife of 53 years Hylda (d.2005) provided very different lots for Billingshurst auction house Bellmans (22% buyer’s premium).

A 19th century sea otter amulet in walrus ivory and baleen fashioned as a mother and her pup sold for £24,000 at Woolley & Wallis (25% buyer’s premium).

Grand Canal sketch has provenance to artist’s student who became a renowned collector

This late 19th century walking cane with sturdy ebonised shaft and silver-plated handle comes with a letter of provenance stating that it had been a gift from Irish revolutionary soldier and politician Michael Collins (1890-1922) to Patrick Baker, head barman at the Gresham Hotel in Dublin.

Appealing to a range of different types of collectors, Victorian and Edwardian animals pin cushions have their own niche in the novelty silver field.

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 December 1-2 Country House & Fine Interiors sale at Anderson & Garland (22% buyer’s premium) in Newcastle included a late 17th century walnut longcase clock by local maker William Prevost.

In natural light this English ‘black glass’ onion form wine bottle appears distinctly blue.

Among the unexpected performers at the Prop Store’s (25% buyer’s premium) entertainment memorabilia sale was a single-sheet Star Wars poster.

The full fall-out from the record-breaking Dr John P Driscoll sale of British studio ceramics is yet to be understood.

Further lots from ancient country seat star alongside a stellar specialist collection.

Left out of the Christie’s sale 20 years ago, but far from remnant-bag pieces, the 11 early needlework items from the Sir Frederick Richmond collection offered at Gildings (20% buyer’s premium) attracted keen interest from UK collectors and specialist dealers.

‘Venus’ figurines from the Upper Paleolithic are recognised as some of the earliest works of prehistoric art.