Auction alert: 3-day antiques, collectables, paintings, prints and sporting & country pursuits

Vintage Aldo Londi Bitossi horse

Claydon Auctioneers will be holding their 3-day antiques, collectables, paintings, prints and sporting & country pursuits auction early next month. It takes place in Buckingham on 6th & 7th October 2021 from 9am and 8th October 2021 from 10am. An astonishing 2,743 lots will be going under the hammer.

In addition to the hammer price, there will be a buyer’s premium charge of 19.5% + VAT, (23.4% inclusive of VAT). As is the case with all the auctions we feature in this series, bidding online is an option if you can’t be in the room for whatever reason. Claydon explain:

Online bidding has transformed traditional auctions, allowing bidders to participate from anywhere in the world from the palm of their hand. We are therefore very pleased to offer various options for online bidding. You can bid through our own website, as well as via a number of popular online bidding platforms which include The Saleroom, EasyLive Auction, Invaluable / AuctionZip and Live Auctioneers.

Don’t forget that bidding online brings further fees. EasyLive Auction is our preferred site as you can pay a flat fee of £3.00 when registering to bid on each sale, instead of a percentage of the grand total of your winning bids.

You wouldn’t know it from the 12 items that we’ve selected to share however, there are a lot of sporting & country pursuits-related items. For example, there’s a large quantity of ‘dead stock’ country (hunting, shooting, fishing) attire and vintage advertising ephemera such as pro-hunt wall posters. We’ve chosen to concentrate on the homewares side of things.

My favourite item has to be the vintage American range cooker (the very last image below). I can just imagine it in a mid-century modern decorated kitchen (with bright Formica worktops) alongside one of those over-sized fridge freezers.

Lot 68: An Italian model of a stylised horse
With a turquoise glaze, in Oriental manner, by Aldo Londi (1911-2003). Approx. 16¼” high x 16¼” long
Estimate: £80 – £120

Vintage Scandinavian plate

Lot 127: Scandinavian plate
Decorated with animal illustrations, to include fox, pig, hedgehog, squirrel, rabbit, etc. Marked under Arabia, Made in Finland, 8-63. Approx. 7¾” diameter
Estimate: £10 – £20

Pair of vintage Whitefriars vases

Lot 278: Geoffrey Baxter for Whitefriars
A tangerine glass ‘ coffin ‘ vase 5¼” high together with a m aubergine glass ‘ finger ‘ vase 5½” high (2)
Estimate: £30 – £50

Orange vintage Murano cased glass vase

Lot 309: A 1960s/ 70s retro Murano large orange glass vase
In the manner of Carlo Moretti. Approx 16″ high
Estimate: £50 – £80

Antique letterpress tray and blocks

Lot 1194: A vintage letterpress tray / drawer
With a quantity of assorted carved wooden letter, number and symbol printing blocks, of varying fonts and sizes. Drawer approx. 14¼” x 32¾”
Estimate: £30 – £50

Anatomy head

Lot 1266: A 20thC educational model of half a human head
Showing the anatomy within, with removable brain. Approx. 8½” high
Estimate: £60 – £80

4 vintage suitcases

Lot 1341A: Four 20thC suitcases
Comprising 2 shoe cases by Victor Luggage, 1 vanity case, and 1 suitcase by Harwen Trunk of Hong Kong, the largest 28½” wide (4)
Estimate: £50 – £80

Antique chess pieces

Lot 1488: A set of 19thC turned and carved bone chess pieces
The largest approx. 4″ high
Estimate: £150 – £200

Vintage Mary Quant poncho

Lot 1553: A Mary Quant multi coloured PVC poncho
Estimate: £20 – £30

Antique bead-work handbag

Lot 1571: An Art Deco Austrian / Viennese bead work bag / purse
With multicoloured geometric and striped patterns. Believed to have been designed by Hilda Wagner Ascher, Wiener Werkstatte. Approx. 8¼” long x 5½” wide
Estimate: £50 – £100

Antique leather travelling trunk

Lot 2099: A late 19th / early 20thC leather travelling trunk
With two carry handles. Approx. 14″ x 32″ x 21″
Estimate: £50 – £80

Turquoise vintage American range cooker

Lot 2236: Vintage retro, mid-century: a1950s American GE (General Electric) 1J408N range cooker / stove
In turquoise / aqua blue livery, 49 tall, 27 deep 40 wide
Estimate: £200 – £300

Auction alert: Antiques, Collectables, Paintings & Prints

Vintage Midwinter 'Zambesi' pattern pottery

Hello, and welcome to week 3 of our auction alerts. Today, we’re looking at the Antiques, Collectables, Paintings & Prints sale run by Claydon Auctioneers who are based in Buckingham.

The auction takes place on 4 August 2021, from 9am. We’ve chosen to highlight a few of the lots from the first day of a 3-day sale.

Below, we’ll be showing you a trio of vintage pottery and another three of vintage glass.

Susie Cooper 'Diablo' pattern coffee service designed for Wedgwood

Lot 256: A quantity of retro Susie Cooper coffee wares in the pattern Diablo, designed for Wedgwood. Comprising coffee pot, milk jug, sugar bowl and six cups and saucers.

Vintage Midwinter 'Zambesi' pattern pottery

Lot 259: A quantity of retro Midwinter dinner wares in the pattern Zambesi, comprising plates, serving plates, dishes etc.

Vintage Denby 'Chevron' pattern pottery

Lot 261: A quantity of Denby wares in the pattern Chevron, to include jugs, teapot, pans, mugs, etc.

Villeroy & Boch 'Nek' red cased glass vase

Lot 292: A modern Villeroy & Boch Nek Polish glass bottle vase, red with white interior, the base stamped with maker’s name, standing 18″ tall

Large orange cased glass Murano vase

Lot 311: 1960s/ 70s retro Murano large orange glass vase. In the manner of Carlo Moretti. Approx 16″ high

Brown vintage Whitefriars bark glass vase, designed by Geoffrey Baxter + Brama blue glass textured vase by Davidson

Lot 331: A Whitefriars brown bark glass vase, designed by Geoffrey Baxter. Approx 6″ high Together with a Brama blue glass textured vase by Davidson. Approx 8 1/2″ high

Charity Vintage: Whitefriars nipple vase

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Vintage Whitefriars nipple vase

We have a high-end Charity Vintage item for you this week. Helen & Douglas House* are selling this fantastic vintage Whitefriars nipple vase.

An identical vase, in the same sage green colourway, sold in March for £800. Another nipple vase, in kingfisher blue, ends tomorrow and is currently at £450. Yet another, in aqua, is for sale elsewhere online with a price of £900. This example above is listed with a ‘buy it now’ price of £800 but they are open to offers; a very fair price.

Up until fairly recently, we had a collection of tangerine Whitefriars art glass. However, as is the way when you’re vintage dealers, items come & go, ebb & flow.

*Helen & Douglas House is a registered charity providing respite and end of life care for children and young adults with life-shortening conditions, as well as support and friendship for the whole family.


Bookmarks: Miller’s Mid-Century Modern

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'Mid-Century Modern' by Judith Miller surrounded by vintage Mid-century modern homewares including a West German fat lava vase, bright orange pedestal cigarette lighter, small Cathrineholm enamelware Lotus bowl and still life oil painting

In today’s Bookmarks post, we’re taking a peek at Miller’s Mid-Century Modern – living with mid-century modern design by Judith Miller.

title page of "Mid-Century Modern" by Judith Miller with a small Cathrineholm enamelware Lotus bowl

Well, a bit more of a peek, really, as we linger over some of the wonderful pieces on display!

interior view of the mid-century modern design Kauffman House sitting room

Mid-century modern is one of our favourite eras for interior design, illustration, textiles and product design…

Arne Jacobsen "Ant" and "Swan" chairs

…so as the pages turned, there was a soundtrack of many oohs and ahhs!

selection of vintage Mid-Century Modern glassware including a kingfisher blue "Drunken Bricklayer" vase designed for Whitefriars by Geoffrey Baxter

Judith Miller is most famous for her all-encompassing antiques & collectables guides which are published annually.

collection of colourful West German "Fat Lava" pottery pots and vases

In recent years, they’ve included an ever-increasing number of 20th century pieces in response to interest & demand.

collection of GPlan furniture including a nest of pebble tables and "Butterfly" chairs designed by Lucian Ercolani

This book concentrates solely on mid-century modern – 1950s to the 1970s being the period generally accepted.

collection of vintage mid-century modern glass vases

A wonderful introductory chapter covers its evolution and influential designers.

collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs including examples designed by Charles and Ray Eames and Carlo di Carli

The movement perfectly encapsulated a new mood of optimism after the war years with revolutionary designs, materials & techniques.

collection of vintage mid-century modern pop art chairs including examples designed by Egon Eiermann and Günter Beltzig

The fresh ideas, and indeed disposable income, of a whole new generation began to soar.

vintage mid-century modern chair designed by Eero Saarinen and folding cube radio designed by Richard Sapper

There are examples of houses & interiors that encapsulate the era – less cluttered and designed for modern living.

vintage mid-century modern George Nelson "Spike" wall clock, Tommi Parzinger-designed sideboard and mahogany credenza and aluminium armchair designed by Harvey Probber

A broad array of objects is included, with chapters given over to furniture, lighting, glass, ceramics, metalware & textiles.

collection of vintage mid-century modern glass vases produced by Riihimaki of Finland

In addition, an extensive section covers the people responsible for these wonderful & iconic designs.

collection of vintage mid-century modern fabric

There are about 200 familiar & not so familiar names who are given a short, individual write up.

Mid-Century Modern text

We’ll just scratch the surface by mentioning Arne Jacobsen, Verner Panton, Eero Saarinen, Alvar Aalto, Robert Welch, Stig Lindberg, Lucienne Day, Per Lutken, Charles & Ray Eames.

view of a sitting room with black Barcelona chairs and sofas

The book is packed with quality, full colour photographic references throughout…

vintage "Valentine" typewriter designed by Ettore Sottsass, Peter and Alison Smithson chair and Ronald Stennett-Wilson green glass candlestick

…and as with all Miller’s guides – estimated values to accompany each item image.

vintage mid-century modern Marcel Breuer reclining chair and Holmegaard "Gulvase" designed by Otto Brauer

There’s also a useful directory included of international dealers and their contact details – broken down into categories such as ceramics, glass, furniture, lighting etc.

collection of American-designed vintage mid-century modern furniture

As well as auctions & fairs and museums if you fancy going to see or sometimes handle wares in the flesh.

vintage mid-century modern posters by Saul Bass and Herbert Bayer

The book is well researched and accessible – a perfect coffee table browser or excellent source book for your library.

collection of vintage Scandinavian mid-century modern ceramic pots, vases and plaques

Mid-Century Modern – living with mid-century modern design is available from the publishers Octopus, Amazon and AbeBooks.

collection of vintage Scandinavian mid-century modern ceramics designed by Stig Lindberg

[Many thanks to Octopus for the review copy]