Latest News Articles by Terence Ryle
Galway silver shines in Lewes auction
19 April 2021The West as well as the East made a major contribution to the success of Gorringe’s £1m sale on March 30 where, overall, 86% of the 593 lots sold.
Treen captures the imagination at Doncaster auction
22 March 2021On themes from Brighton Pavilion to a cat’s backside, well-known collection creates a stir
Obesity crisis? But not in the saleroom it seems…
15 March 2021Entered from the estate of an Ipswich craftsman-hobbyist, the corpulent figures shown below were two of his 144 wood carvings which met unexpected demand.
Silver: Sale in Devon hots up with a Charles II brazier
15 March 2021Bolstered by a strong melt price of over £15 an ounce, domestic silver hollowwares and flatwares are selling strongly. However, it is the pieces of collectable value – novelties, provincial rarities and the work of the best Georgian, Regency and Victorian smiths – that continue to perform best in the market
Furniture from across the centuries offers contrasting styles to bidders
08 March 2021Traditional 18th century styles rub shoulders with stand-out Modern design in regional sales
Table linked to ‘Diamond King and the King of Siam’
08 March 2021This eye-catching 19th century Ceylonese ebony and inlaid breakfast table came with intriguing stories about its provenance in an auction catalogue.
Elkington Paradise found but not at silver price level
08 March 2021If the famous image of the Milton Shield by Elkington and its £800-1200 estimate drew a double-take at a recent auction, there was good reason.
Commode inspired by Anglo-French influence heads impressive Chichester sale
01 March 2021In a sale that yielded quality and surprises in most sections, the major talking points at Stride & Son (18% buyer’s premium) were provided by two pieces of furniture. Emerging from the same house and given here-to-sell estimates, both achieved five-figure results.
Doucai cups bring international bids to defy damage issues
01 March 2021In poor condition but made in the coveted Yongzheng (1722-1735) period, this pair of Doucai porcelain cups attracted bids from China, Canada, Scandinavia and Spain as well as the UK.
Design and quality of Deco armchair stands out
01 March 2021Despite having no maker’s mark, the design and quality of this c.1930 oak reclining book table armchair, below, proclaimed Ambrose Heal.
Some buys have all the pluck
01 March 2021Lacking the glitter of a former rock star owner, this Fender Stratocaster sold on the traditional antiques virtues of quality, age and condition.
Meccano collectors out in force at Bury St Edmunds sale
01 March 2021With crossover appeal to Meccano collectors and advertising enthusiasts, this Meccano Dealer’s No 1 slope-back cabinet from 1929-35 went well over hopes.
Märklin fire engine from c.1902 fit for a museum exhibit
01 March 2021Rated a museum-quality piece, this rare c.1902 spirit-fired Märklin fire engine led the field at toys specialist Wallis & Wallis (24% buyer’s premium).
Dunhill lighter makes bright price but Mouseman leads Ilkley sale
01 March 2021Dunhill Aquarium table lighters painted by Margaret Bennett and husband Alan in the 1950s-60s remain popular among collectors in these non-smoking days.
Walk this way for collectables
22 February 2021With all 80 lots getting away – 79 to a single UK collector – a group of walking sticks totalled more than £40,000 at Charterhouse (25% buyer’s premium).
Scott says sorry to fellow explorer with a cigarette box
22 February 2021A cigarette box engraved with the facsimile signature Captain Falcon Scott may have been a piece the Antarctic hero gave to a fellow explorer he offended.
Mug celebrating George Stephenson’s Rocket steams to triple-estimate
22 February 2021This Liverpool creamware transfer-printed frog mug was produced by the short-lived Herculaneum factory c.1830-33 just after the 1829 Rainhill Steam Trials.
Seventy-five mirror bids in the frame
22 February 2021On a day when furniture and antiques proved to be particularly popular, the surprise star of Fellows’ (23% buyer’s premium) 740-lot online sale was an Italian 19th century pier mirror.
Bidders eager to compete for market-fresh material from Warwickshire manor
22 February 2021Until its sale last year, Newbold Pacey Hall had been the seat of the Little family since the house was built by William Little in c.1780-90.
Estate of Turpin Antiques dealer stands up and delivers
15 February 2021A recent Reeman Dansie sale in Colchester included 80 pieces from the estate of the well-known dealer Jane Sumner, who died last September at the age of 82.