Latest News Articles by Mark Bridge
Korean helmet and Tongan war club
05 October 2020Two lots from Tennants’ (20% buyer’s premium) sale in Leyburn on September 4. The 17th century Korean leather and steel helmet sold to a South Korean buyer for £4800.
Exceptional European firearms excel
05 October 2020Thomas Del Mar (25% buyer’s premium) brightened the end of the summer season in London on July 30 with a 300–lot sale of arms and armour.
Castle hosts selected rather than huge sale
05 October 2020The Munich auction house Hermann Historica (25% buyer’s premium) is renowned for its huge multi-catalogue sales series, but on September 25 it mounted a special, selected sale of works of art held at Schloss Greding, south of Nuremburg.
Head turners
05 October 2020Two eye-catching but very different armours, one suited to royal palace style and the other more to purist taste, captured bidders’ attention at a London sale.
Zeus shield and grotesque mask armour
05 October 2020Armour made a strong showing at the sale held in Sarzana by Italian arms specialist Czerny (20% buyer’s premium) on September 19.
Bowie knives evoke pioneer spirit
05 October 2020At Morphy Auction (20% buyer’s premium) in Denver, Pennsylvania, on August 19 it was an exceptional example of an icon of the pioneering life that had everyone expecting some strong bidding.
‘Father of the RAF’ swords
05 October 2020Lawrences’ (25% buyer’s premium) sale in Crewkerne on September 10 featured three swords that came to auction from the family of the ‘Father of the RAF’: Viscount Trenchard GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO (1873-1956).
Fancy decoration for a helmet used in the field
05 October 2020A north Italian close helmet for field use, c.1550-60, with etched decoration which made £13,000 at Thomas Del Mar (25% buyer’s premium) on July 30.
Sporting guns spark sale interest
05 October 2020This 12-bore self-opening sidelock ejector by James Purdey & Sons sold for £14,000 at the Gavin Gardiner (25% buyer’s premium) sale in Pulborough on September 2.
Ideal if you take a shot in the dark
05 October 2020Firearms curiosa have long been a fascinating avenue for the collector to explore and this intriguing combined flintlock and lamp of c.1800 made €8500 (£7800) at Czerny (20% buyer’s premium) on September 19.
Armour through the ages: three lots commanding bids in winter sales
20 January 2020Rare and well-preserved armour from pre-history to the 17th century was well received in the pre-Christmas sales. Three examples are pictured here.
Five examples showing how exotic Eastern blades remain a key fixture at auction
20 January 2020Edged weapons from the East continue to feature regularly among the top lots in auctions across the world. Awareness of the rich array of culturally-significant weapons to be found in Western collections has grown as internet technology reaches a new international audience.
Acting class – Impressive collection sold at Bonhams
20 January 2020The impressive arms offered in London from a collection which supplied weapons for many films were far from being theatrical props
Holts heads home to the rural charm of Norfolk
20 January 2020December 10 marked a significant step in the history of specialist sporting and antique gun auction house Holts (25-20% buyer’s premium).
Rock Island auction goes supersize
20 January 2020If proof were needed that firearms sales are simply conducted on a completely different scale in the US, one need look no further than the three-day sale at Rock Island Auctions (18.5% buyer’s premium) in Illinois on December 6-8.
Stone Age weapons at the cutting edge of early technology
20 January 2020One fascinating section of a recent Thomas Del Mar (25% buyer’s premium) sale featured Stone Age and Viking weapons and artefacts from a European private collection.
Sabres suggest the swashbuckling world of Hornblower
20 January 2020Two spectacular early-19th century British presentation sabres have turned up in the salerooms recently, one in London and the other in Munich.
Eager for Hever armour as suit from famous collection reappears
12 August 2019In May 1983 the eyes of arms and armour bidders were fixed firmly on the £6m sale of the Hever Castle collection at Sotheby’s in London.
Pick of the pistol hammer highs
12 August 2019Fine sets of pistols, preferably nicely cased, have long been the mainstay of London arms and armour sales. This season’s crop were not as plentiful nor so eagerly contested as we sometimes see, but there were some gems on offer and a selection of them are illustrated here.
German game guns boast royal pedigree
12 August 2019Fine German sidelock ejectors do not feature often in the London salerooms but Gavin Gardiner’s 25% buyer’s premium) May 1 sale of sporting guns at Sotheby’s in London produced a pair that not only scored on quality but had a history to back it up.