Latest News Articles by Mark Bridge
Colt icons become big money-earners
01 February 2021Two iconic Colt pistols were the big money-earners from both sides of the Atlantic in the pre-Christmas arms and armour sales.
Gunsmiths who produced the highest quality
01 February 2021Nicolas-Noel Boutet and Anton Vincent Lebeda pistols star at two London auctions.
Firearms collectors take aim at name recognition
01 February 2021Provenance can count for a lot when it comes to gun collecting and two names with quite different connotations came up at Holts (25/20% buyer’s premium).
Belter of a blunderbuss sells at Antony Cribb
01 February 2021The name Boutet appears on many fine presentation guns.
Purdey used by the hot-shot Singhs
01 February 2021At Bonhams in London this single-barrelled 28-bore made in 1877 for one of the sons of Prince Duleep Singh reached £20,000.
Classic British Baker rifle sold in Kent auction
01 February 2021Baker rifle stands out in Kent saleroom.
Peg selector fits into place
01 February 2021The random selection of a place in the line is one of the long-established rituals of English driven game shooting and novel methods continue to emerge.
Golden age Boss gun at Gavin Gardiner
01 February 2021Boss over-and-under guns from the golden age of London gunmaking have long ranked among the most sought by game shots.
Why armour still shone well after its use had faded
01 February 2021Such was the demand for suits of armour from late 19th and early 20th century collectors that European master armourers were kept hard at work long after the practical need for such protective wear had passed.
Krupp guns made in China reveal modern thinking
01 February 2021Krupp mountain guns made in Nanjing as China modernised come up at Thomas Del Mar auction.
Parts add up to high value
01 February 2021Even the composite parts of weapons now long lost have a value at auction.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.