Tag: antiques

Auction Alert: Get An Unusual Gift For Christmas

Original Royal Doulton "The Beatles" toby jugs

All the big stores have now launched their TV Christmas ads, so I guess it’s time for us to start thinking about embarking on our Christmas shopping. ‘Get An Unusual Gift For Christmas’ is the tag line of this week’s timed auction; lots end on Sunday 26th November 2023 from 7pm.

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2 x Folio Society volumes with cases

Lot 12: 2 x Folio Society volumes with cases

Hans Andersons Fairytales, illustrated by W Heath Robinson (1995) and Grimm’s Fairy Tales, illustrated by Arthur Rackham (1996), in excellent condition

Shetland knitting belt

Lot 15: Shetland knitting belt

In very good order

12 x unframed Oriental Japanese silk textured prints

Lot 24: 12 x unframed Oriental Japanese silk textured prints

Vintage Omega Seamaster

Lot 113: Vintage Omega Seamaster

With square two-tone dial automatic watch with date

Vintage Sindy accessories

Lot 129: Vintage Sindy accessories

To include, Sindy Hair dryer 44524, Sindy Settee 44518, Sindy Eastham E-line floor cupboard 44549 & Sindy Shower 44573

Vintage American patchwork quilt

Lot 139: Vintage American patchwork quilt

(200 x 200cm approx) and a vintage Chintz small eiderdown (140 x 100cm approx)

Antique Centurion Port Mirror

Lot 158: Antique Centurion Port Mirror

The Wine of Quality 36 x 27cm approx; very, very rare

Original Royal Doulton "The Beatles" toby jugs

Lot 172: Original Royal Doulton “The Beatles” toby jugs

Signed Stanley James Taylor, Royal Doulton Tableware Ltd 1984

Antique wooden and leather jingle sleigh bells instrument

Lot 176: Antique wooden and leather jingle sleigh bells instrument

Vintage large Tonka Toy Caterpillar

Lot 200: Vintage large Tonka Toy Caterpillar

Auction alert: The Contents of a Country House

Four pairs of antique treen boot trees

I do love a ready-made group of vintage items; handbags, copper jelly moulds, antique ironstone. There are so many types of collections from which to choose at the upcoming sale that we’re highlighting today; ironstone jugs, brass candlesticks, galvanised zinc buckets, shoe lasts, pen knives… The lot that jumped out, though, was the large piece by Rosslyn Ruiz – I recognised her work immediately; we once owned a similar piece – but it was orange.

To The Manor Born, The Contents of a Country House and Much Much More! takes place at John Rolfe Auctions in Tetbury, Gloucestershire. It’s scheduled for Saturday 21st October 2023, from 10am. In total, there are 1249 lots going under the hammer:

Watches, Clocks, Jewellery, Silver, Luggage, Ceramics, Glass, Treen, Metalware, Walking Sticks and MORE

Bid online at Easy Live Auction (fees apply).

Seiko AKA Alba stainless steel gents 'Space Watch'

Lot 19: Seiko AKA Alba stainless steel gents ‘Space Watch’

W670-4000, box and instructions in working order
Estimate: £100 – £200

Beautiful 1940s brown snakeskin bag by Mappin & Webb

Lot 363: A beautiful 1940s brown snakeskin bag by Mappin & Webb

Hardware in gilt metal with strong clasp opening to the top which opens up to a pale tan suede interior with zip pocket and further two patch pockets. 
26 x 19 x 7cm. Handle height 15cm. Suede lining has small pen ink mark towards the base of the bag but otherwise no stains or discolouration
Estimate: £60 – £80

Good terracotta dairy bowl

Lot 413: Good terracotta dairy bowl

With yellow glazed interior, 45cm diameter x 23cm high
Estimate: £50 – £80

Collection of seven ironstone jugs

Lot 417: Collection of seven ironstone jugs

With relief banded decoration, the largest 23cm high, with a further Booths ironstone jelly mould (8)
Estimate: £40 – £80

Four good quality pestle and mortars of varying sizes

Lot 481: Four good quality pestle and mortars of varying sizes

Diameter 24cm / 21cm / 18.5cm / 17cm
Estimate: £40 – £60

Four pairs of antique treen boot trees

Lot 597: Four pairs of antique treen boot trees (8)

Estimate: £100 – £150

Stanford's general map of Great Britain together with a similar insect study

Lot 687: Stanford’s general map of Great Britain

Laid and rolled on linen for a school room, 115cm x 93cm, together with a similar insect study rolled on linen (2)
Estimate: £30 – £50

4 vintage birdcages

Lot 711: 4 vintage birdcages

Estimate: £50 – £80

Collection of seven vintage galvanised watering cans

Lot 1109: Collection of seven vintage galvanised watering cans (7)

Estimate: £40 – £60

Pair of Herbert Terry angle poise articulated desk lamps

Lot 1166: Pair of Herbert Terry angle poise articulated desk lamps

On stepped square bases with stripped and polished finish (2)
Estimate: £200 – £300

Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen - PH lamp

Lot 1191: Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen – PH lamp

In red and blue, 50cm diameter
Estimate: £100 – £200

Cool 1960s rocket floor lamp with pierced copper shade

Lot 1220: Cool 1960s rocket floor lamp

With pierced copper shade, 135cm high
Estimate: £60 – £100

Rosslyn Ruiz: large abstract relief on board

Lot 1245: Rosslyn Ruiz (b. 1935)

Large abstract relief on board, signed, 46cm x 121cm, framed
Estimate: £200 – £400

Auction Alert: 20th Century Art and Design sale

Werkstätte Hagenauer Wien bird ashtray

A 20th Century Art and Design sale takes place on Tuesday 26th September 2023 at 4pm. It’s being held by Gildings Auctioneers who are based in Market Harborough, Leicestershire.

There’s so much on offer that we simply love; mid-century modern items and contemporary art by a couple of my favourite female linocut artists – Angie Lewin and Angela Harding. My favourite item though – although I’ve never smoked – is a cute, metalwork ashtray in the shape of a bird produced by Werkstätte Hagenauer Wien in Austria.

The auction house’s buyer’s premium is 24% inc. VAT (with a minimum charge of £8) on top of the hammer price of each lot.

Keith Murray for Wedgwood, ribbed globe Football vase

Lot 543: Keith Murray for Wedgwood, a ribbed globe Football vase

Shape 4196, Moonstone glaze, facsimile signature above ‘Wedgwood Made in England’ in green, height 18.5cm.
Estimate: £100 – £150

A Nursery Alphabet mug designed by Eric Ravilious for Wedgwood

Lot 545: A Nursery Alphabet mug

Designed by Eric Ravilious for Wedgwood. With blue banding, factory backstamp, 8.3cm high.
Estimate: £200 – £300

Eric Ravillious, Letter Makers - The Luminor Sign Co.

Lot 546: Eric Ravillious, Letter Makers – The Luminor Sign Co.

Unsigned, lithograph, 21 x 14cm.
Estimate: £150 – £200

Set of five ALIG Imperial Glass Company highball glasses

Lot 549: Set of five ALIG Imperial Glass Company highball glasses

Spanish Windows design, gilt outlines, each 15cm. (5)
Estimate: £100 – £200

Oiva Toikka for Iittala - Bullfinch glass bird

Lot 551: Oiva Toikka for Iittala, a Bullfinch glass bird

Applied label, 14cm.
Estimate: £50 – £80

Svensk Gense Swedish ebony and stainless-steel cutlery set

Lot 552: Svensk Gense Swedish ebony and stainless-steel cutlery set

Swedish ebony and stainless-steel cutlery set, Focus de Luxe design.
Estimate: £100 – £150

Werkstätte Hagenauer Wien bird ashtray

Lot 555: A 1950s novelty ashtray, by Hagenauer

Designed in the form of a bird with a triangular body, the tail forming the cigarette rest, stamped ‘Handmade HAGENAUER WIEN’, ‘Made in Austria, with wHw logo, width 14,5cm, height 13cm.
Estimate: £80 – £120

Angela Harding, British, 20th century, 'Hare Run'

Lot 592: Angela Harding, British, 20th century, Hare Run

Limited edition colour print, signed, titled and numbered 2/45, 44x46cm, and another print, winter scene, 32x41cm. (2)
Estimate: £100 – £200

Angie Lewin, British, 20th century, 'The Moonlit Cup'

Lot 593: Angie Lewin, British, 20th century, The Moonlit Cup

Signed, titled, marked ‘A/P’ artist proof in pencil, linocut, image 56.5x43cm.
Estimate: £80 – £120

Paul Karslake - 'Frankie', painted cabinet 2014


Lot 644: Paul Karslake FRSA, (1958-2020) Frankie, 2014


An original spray-painted and lacquered cabinet, fitted with cupboard above two drawers, the front painted with an iconic image of Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s monster, with lace and cracked line design to top and sides, signed and dated 2014, width 81cm, depth 50cm, height 115cm. Acquired 2019 from Linda Karslake Paint Studio, Selby.
Estimate: £300 – £500

Our week that was: Litter pick, antique fair and apple pie

Our week that was blog post banner

Summer is slowly turning towards autumn. The garden is looking a little scruffy with the grasses and wild flowers in need of chopping back. Our huge sycamore has begun to drop a few leaves here and there in preparation for its big release. The week saw a couple of events for us; an early morning drive to an antique fair for Justin and a local litter picking mission for me.

Village litter pick, Aug 2024

Village litter pick

I organised for some of us Women’s Institute members to meet up to do a tidy up around our village. I borrowed a litter picking kit from the local council – a very easy task done via their website. Justin & I collected the kit a few days later from the library in Aberystwyth town centre. The bundle comprised grabbers, refuse bags, bag hoops (for keeping the bags open as you fill them) and heavy-duty gloves.

Four of us met up outside the village church and set about clearing the verges of plastic drinks bottles, cans, fast food containers, crisp packets and the like. We collected about one large bin bag full between us in about 2 hours. We were having such a good time nattering to each other along the way that we didn’t realise we’d walked about 4 miles. Good for the village AND our health!

Antiques fair held at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Showground at Builth Wells

Builth Wells

The twice-yearly antiques fair held at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Showground at Builth Wells was on again this week. It’s a huge, 2-day event with hundreds of dealers indoors and out from all over the UK.

Antiques fair held at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Showground at Builth Wells

Justin picked up a few choice items, including an antique margarine crock that has been receiving a lot of love over on our home Instagram account.

Antique custard sandwich biscuit tinAntique glazed margarine crock with wooden lidHearts decorated vintage pottery coffee set
Pair of antique brass candlesticksAntique white pottery candle holderAntique wooden bread board

All the items above will be hitting our web shop or listed on eBay in the not too distant future, so keep an eye out if anything is of interest… or contact us to reserve.

Homemade apple pie

Apple pie

The first thing I made with the apples I picked last week from a friend’s orchard was a plain apple pie. Without the addition of cinnamon, blackberries or sultanas, we could easier judge the flavour of the baker’s delicious variety. It was certainly delicious – the pieces of apple held its form on cooking and kept its colour too. A good all-round cooker.