South-east England

Matthew Boulton’s inventory of stock in 1782 lists “1 small figure of Minerva”, according to Nicholas Goodison’s Ormolu: the Work of Matthew Boulton, 1974.

Who can fail to love a country house car boot?

Four medals awarded to members of the Robertson family included one to a Battle of Trafalgar veteran.

A case containing plumes from the Duke of Wellington’s hat was central to a lot offered by Hannams (25% buyer’s premium) in Hampshire on March 11.

The top price of the recent sale of the Philip Astley-Jones collection came for a portrait with a strong Indian connection.

An embroidered glove understood to have been worn by Charles II at his Scottish Coronation in Scone in 1651 sold for £7000 at Ewbank’s (25% buyer’s premium) in Woking.

An early leather-bound feather golf ball consigned for sale from a house move in Old Woking in Surrey comes for sale at John Nicholson’s in Haslemere on May 14.

Possibly a pair with Franklin, but saleroom unable to trace another example depicting Washington

Stands and side tables were a prominent feature in many large Georgian houses and were used for a variety of quite specific purposes. However, it is extremely rare to find a piece of furniture designed specifically to take a goldfish bowl.

A letter from Robert Falcon Scott – aka Scott of the Antarctic – came up for sale at Canterbury Auction Galleries (20% buyer’s premium) on April 11-14.

Julia Prentice of Cherish Vintage is launching her Midhurst Brocante on Saturday, May 3, at the Old Library in the West Sussex town.

What a difference three years and an estimate can make.

A recent sale at Burstow & Hewitt (20% buyer’s premium) in Battle, East Sussex was led by six Danish rosewood dining chairs designed by Niels Otto Moller for JL Moller.

Paul Nash, looking back at the 1924-25 period when he taught design at the Royal College of Art, said: “I was fortunate in being there during an outbreak of talent and can remember at least eight men and women who have made names for themselves since then in a variety of different directions.”

The Petersfield Antiques Fair is now in its 52nd year since the event’s dawn in the early 1970s.