The highlight of the January 9 and 10 sale was a mahogany longcase clock, c.1820/30. With arched top and face, it was formerly fitted with a swan phase movement (the swan head now missing) over a painted dial with Arabic chapter ring. The trunk was inlaid with boxwood and ebonised stringing and it had an eight-day movement by John Zipfel of Norwich. With several parties interested in the clock, it had no trouble selling at £5600.
Other clocks included a late 18th century oak longcase clock with pagoda top fitted with a rocking ship mechanism at £1500, and an ornate walnut and oak heavily carved wall bracket with the support modelled as a figure of Neptune, German or French, 17th/18th century sold at £750.
A utilitarian 4ft (1.3m) wide Victorian mahogany secretaire bookcase brought £1500 and outside the furniture a set of ten thistle wine glasses with single knopped stems took £1000, while a 19th century ebony and brass sextant, bone scale and vernier, inset with a plaque inscribed G H C Cowland, Sunderland, and with a Liverpool trade label, brought £350.
The sale on January 30 and 31 followed a similar pattern, but the biggest price came on an 18ct gold Rolex Datejust wristwatch and bracelet at £2600.
An 18th century mahogany bureau bookcase, 3ft (90cm) high, came a close second selling at £2250, while another popular entry – a Regency period mahogany rectangular snap-top breakfast table with rosewood banding – was knocked down at £1650.
Aylsham Salerooms, January 9-10 & January 30-31
Buyer’s premium: 11.75 per cent (inc VAT)
Good times among the lower-value items
UK: THE double January offering of two-day 1300-lot auctions at the Norfolk auctioneers followed the usual house pattern of a high volume of low-value entries interspersed with one or two gems, and saw consistent bidding throughout both auctions.
