South-west England

Pictured and described here are six very different lots that formed part of a March 2 sale held by Dominic Winter (20% buyer’s premium).

At a mid or high-end art and antiques fair buyers can comfortably get round all the stands in a day and have time to browse, consider and discuss with expert dealers. Such events have a more relaxed and social vibe to them: dealers invite their clients along and hope to meet new buyers by attracting them onto their stands with eye-catching items and displays.

Teapots made in delftware were never particularly functional nor popular in either England or the Netherlands.

Local appeal propelled a naïve painting of Farnham to 40-times its top estimate at Parker Fine Art Auctions’ (25% buyer’s premium) latest sale.

The Kent artist William Stephen Tomkin (1861-1940) is best known as a proficient watercolour painter of marine subjects and a draughtsman who worked for General August Pitt Rivers (of Oxford museum fame) between 1882-90.

Ceramics by the Omega Workshops rose to unprecedented heights on March 17. The Design sale at Woolley & Wallis in Salisbury included a small collection of pottery by Roger Fry that came for sale from the former Fulham Road dealer Andrew Harriss.

This parcel gilt musical box decorated with a frieze of figures is by Stuart Devlin (London 1975).

The elaborately tooled and richly decorated binding with its gilt inner dentelles shown right was made to contain an address ‘To Percy L. Pewtress Esq., Organist at Lee Chapel’, who had served the congregation of that south-east London church from 1883-1922.

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

For many years the largest city outside London, Norwich had its own silver assay office during three periods from 1565-1702.

Exhibitions event features nine dealers from Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Oxfordshire

The original artwork for Queen’s A Day at the Races sold for £21,000 (estimate £5000-10,000) at Gardiner Houlgate (22% buyer’s premium).

RAF Wing Commander Terence Helfer’s Distinguished Flying Cross citation stated: “He has undertaken many hazardous missions…”

Cornish event hosted in historic house and grounds will now be staged twice a year.

Mid-century and modern pieces will feature at Wyke House this month

Traders look forward to fairs such as Bath after numerous challenges of sourcing new items

The jewellery department at Woolley & Wallis has built up something of a reputation for selling cameos and intaglios.