Halls Fine Art

Sought-after book of recipes including a puff-pastry print first was intended for the use of his pupils

A Rolex used by Spanish sailor and scientist Vital Alsar Ramirez (1933-2020) during his Amazon and Atlantic expeditions in 1977 sold for £10,000 at Halls (24% buyer’s premium).

A remarkable sketchbook compiled after its creator had been taken prisoner at the fall of Singapore in the Second World War sold for £1650 (estimate £500-700) as part of a timed online sale.

The highest auction prices for Mary Adshead (1904-95) all came at Sotheby’s Olympia back in 2006.

A bronze from Frederick Edward McWilliam’s (1909-92) Women of Belfast series of sculptures sold for £37,000 at Halls (24% buyer’s premium) on December 6.

Top-selling lot in Halls’ (24% buyer’s premium) books and manuscripts sale on November 15 was a collection of 14 letters written by the Anglo-Irish novelist Maria Edgeworth (1768-1849) between 1818-31.

This silver and enamel vase by Namikawa Yasuyuki (1845-1927), the great master of Japanese cloisonné, sold to an English collector for £11,000 at Halls (24% buyer’s premium).

Porcelain from short-lived Staffordshire firm comes from collector and dealer who revived the market

The artist Samuel Fulton (1855-1941) painted portraits of people and horses but by far his favourite subject was dogs.

An example from Frederick Edward McWilliam’s (1909-92) 'Women of Belfast' series is being offered at Halls’ auction in Shrewsbury on December 6.

The Asian art sale at Halls in Shrewsbury on May 11 features this 10½in (27cm) pink ground famille rose vase.

Pictured here is a signed photo-portrait of the 20-year-old future Queen Elizabeth II and her then 15-year-old younger sister, Princess Margaret.

Shrewsbury sale offered rare opportunity to bid for a letters by the great writer and lexicographer

A late 19th century novelty silver teapot offered at Halls (22% buyer’s premium) was made by US silversmith Gorham of Rhode Island.

A small drawing by John Constable of a tree in his birthplace of East Bergholt sold for a triple-estimate £31,000 (plus 22% buyer’s premium).

While this 1672 first did not quite hit the high of pre-sale hopes, it was still top lot of the Shrewsbury sale.

Literally the highlight of Halls’ (23% buyer’s premium) Autumn Sale was a hall lantern demonstrating showy high Victorian taste at its most confident.

This copy of 'Hansel and Gretel', 1925, with 12 tipped-in colour plates by the Danish artist Kay Nielsen (1886-1957), is one of 600 numbered copies (numbered 16) signed by the artist, in the original publisher’s pictorial cloth.

This cased pair of English flintlock duelling pistols by Joseph Gulley, London, c.1810-15, sold for £8600 at Halls (20/12% buyer’s premium) in a timed online sale that ended on August 2.

Showing the growing sensitivity towards estimates in the Modern British market, a portrait by Sir Matthew Smith (1879-1959) that had been unsold at Halls last year did rather better when it was reoffered last month with a reduced pitch.