Equestrian models are among the most highly sought and the damage to a number of examples here was not deemed great enough to put off any potential buyers.
The best money was taken by an 81/2in (22cm) high huntsman on horseback. Deceased estates generally allow for attractive ‘come-and-buy’ estimates but here the condition also had something to do with the £60-100 guide price.
The rider’s head had been broken off and re-glued as had the horse’s leg.
The key to the interest was the rarity of the chestnut horse (generally with models of this type the horse is brown) resulting in buyers being prepared to overlook condition issues.
A fierce bidding battle saw it contested by a private collector to £2400, a result auctioneer John Gilding described as “unbelievable”. Another model of a huntsman, this time on a rearing horse, was in slightly better condition, suffering only some damage to one of the horse’s legs, and as such was pitched a little higher at £100-150.
But the ‘rocking horse grey’ of the horse in this 9in (23cm) model is a much more common example so interest levels weren’t as high.
However, they were high enough to see it contested way over estimate to a winning £660.
Other Beswick successes from the collection included another 81/2in (22cm) model of a Huntsman, this time with a white gloss, which brought £1100, and a Staffordshire bull terrier, model 1982, which sold at £400.
Away from the Staffordshire the top furniture price, and indeed the top price of the 565-lot sale was taken by a George III mahogany bowfront sideboard. The 3ft 10in (1.18m) was sourced from another local deceased estate and was in good condition with a shaped apron top above one central long drawer flanked by two pairs of deep drawers, all of which had boxwood and ebony stringing and brass swan neck handles. Carrying hopes of just £200-300, it got away at £2700.
Gildings, Market Harborough, January 7
Buyer’s premium: 12.5%
Rarity outpaces condition as the horses by Beswick ride again
BESWICK is one of the strongest areas of the 20th century collectable ceramics market so it was not surprising to see trade and private collectors packing these Leicestershire rooms at Gildings to bid on a large single-owner collection from a local deceased estate. What was surprising were the lengths to which bidders would go.
