But even though the Mrs Baker of 21a Molescroft Park, Beverly, was no more prone to dancing in bananas than Miss Nora Battie (another advertised vendor) was the character from the BBC’s Last of the Summer Wine, their articles did not disappoint the collectors who turned up for the auction.
Leading the sale was a mahogany chest-on-chest. This 5ft 81/4in high by 3ft 8in wide (1.73 x 1.12m) piece with a dentil cornice and pendant frieze above two short and three long cockbeaded drawers enclosed by chequered, canted angles, the base with three long drawers, made a triple-estimate £3550.
It was followed by an early 19th century 4ft 2in (1.27m) high, giltwood and gesso girandole with a convex plate, eagle crest and twin scroll candle branches which made £3300, and a Victorian walnut salon sofa with well-moulded cabriole legs, sold along with an open elbow chair and a nursing chair at £2300.
Best of the clocks were a couple of 19th century eight-day longcases.
The first, from early in the century, was a clock by Robinson of Newcastle, housed in a decorative 7ft 7in (2.31m) high mahogany case with boxwood-strung door and canted angles, the arched dial painted with a rural scene, the hood surmounted with a swan neck pediment, brass eagle and ball finial and it attracted £2100.
The second, in a 7ft 5in (2.26m) high oak case with a brass face, painted moonphase and milled centre inscribed John Watson, sold at £2450.
Jewellery was led by a single-stone diamond ring of approximately 1.8 carats with three small diamonds set to each shoulder, which made £3350. Among the smalls there was a carved ivory phallus, 41/2in (11.5cm) long, suggesting an ornamental rather than functional purpose, which sold at £540 where £50-100 had been forecast.
Pick of the ceramics was a Copeland Parian figure of a lightly clad maiden holding a (damaged) lyre. Sculpted by Opus Theed, this 2ft (79cm) high figure sold at a double- estimate £760.
Following it to the rostrum was a restored Royal Worcester Parian-type figure of a loose-robed maiden beside a tree stump, sculpted by T. Brock of London, dated 1868. Standing 2ft 2in (66cm) high, it sold at £400.
David Duggleby, Scarborough, February 11
Number of lots offered: 597 Lots sold: n/a
Sale total: £170,000
Buyer’s premium: 10 per cent
Misleading names lead to solid sales
Collectors looking for glamour in the north-eastern seaside town of Scarborough almost found it when they saw that the possessions of Josephine Baker were to be sold by local auctioneer David Duggleby.
