Tennants

Tennants is a longstanding family-run auction house with a saleroom in Leyburn, North Yorkshire and offices in Harrogate and London. It also has representatives across the country.

The major expansion to its Leyburn premises in 2014 means that, in addition to its purpose-built salerooms, it also has catering, conference and events facilities.

Tennants’ sale calendar includes Fine Art Sales, Country House Sales, Modern Art and Interiors Sales, fortnightly Antiques and Interiors Sales, and other specialist sales in a range of collecting fields.


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Crewelwork from 1940s sells at 10-times estimate

15 March 2021

Made using woollen yarns on a linen ground, crewelwork is most typically associated with England in the 17th and 18th centuries.

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Some buys have all the pluck

01 March 2021

Lacking the glitter of a former rock star owner, this Fender Stratocaster sold on the traditional antiques virtues of quality, age and condition.

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Mug celebrating George Stephenson’s Rocket steams to triple-estimate

22 February 2021

This Liverpool creamware transfer-printed frog mug was produced by the short-lived Herculaneum factory c.1830-33 just after the 1829 Rainhill Steam Trials.

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Bing model fires the imagination at Tennants

25 January 2021

As with so many other collecting areas recently, the conditions of lockdown – meaning spare money and time for the fortunate – have led to buoyant demand for toys, models and collectables.

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The stuff of collectors’ dreams

25 January 2021

Cases of Australian animals stand out among a family home taxidermy treasure trove

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Pick of the week: Aroma therapy – the c.1800 perfumes concealed in a book

18 January 2021

The luxury perfumery l’Officina Profuma Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella in Florence is considered the oldest pharmacy in the world.

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Hugs and kisses, Christopher Robin

18 January 2021

Mounted in an autograph book that was compiled from 1937 onwards by Miss Joyce Cartmell, a sketch of Christopher Robin was a highlight of a Yorkshire sale.

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A true mouse man carving comes to auction in Yorkshire

11 January 2021

The highlight of a private collection of Robert Thompson oak carvings to be offered by Tennants on March 6 is this curious anthropomorphic figure of the ‘Mouseman of Kilburn’.

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Back-painting at sale forefront

04 January 2021

Tennants’ (20% buyer’s premium) Autumn Fine Sale in Leyburn was topped by a pair of verre eglomisé pictures by Jonas Zeuner (1727-1814).

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Take the train to Saint-Flour

21 December 2020

Four lots of French railway posters attracted a good deal of attention at Tennants (20% buyer’s premium) on December 9-10.

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Mouseman 'critters' chip in with their own creations

21 December 2020

Furniture by Robert ‘Mouseman' Thompson and more recent productions from the Kilburn workshop attracted the usual enthusiasm at Tennants (20% buyer’s premium).

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Affordable art: Three works sold for under £1600 including a Harry Fidler oil

21 December 2020

Three modestly valued works selling at regional sales including a Harry Fidler oil.

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Ingenious, but the Germans smelt a rat

14 December 2020

Always popular at auction, always great to write about – so no excuses needed for featuring a selection of the weird and wonderful Second World War spy and sabotage gadgets and ingenious escape devices which do appear often in sales.

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Spoons – the great English survivors

07 December 2020

As hugely personal items and of relatively small melt value, spoons represent the great majority of English domestic silver items surviving from the pre-civil war period.

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Australian gold rush jewellery in strong demand

23 November 2020

The distinctive Antipodean ‘botanical’ jewellery of the gold rush era is among the first to depict the native flora and fauna. It is of huge cultural significance to Australia and its mining heritage.

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Francis Bacon lithograph triptych among highlights at Tennants

16 November 2020

Tennants’ (20% buyer’s premium) latest sale of Modern and Contemporary art generated some confident bidding both online and in the room, taking in limited-edition prints by famous names.

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Highland achiever at Tennants

09 November 2020

The Fine Wine & Whisky sale at Tennants on December 12 features this Macallan-Glenlivet 1937 35-year-old Pure Highland Malt Scotch Whisky.

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Last 007 Submariner emerges at Tennants

02 November 2020

The Submariner 5508 released in 1958 was the last of the so-called ‘James Bond’ Submariners.

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Wildlife sculptures burst into sale life

12 October 2020

A number of wildlife sculptures, a niche sub-set of the Mod Brit art market, have performed well recently – perhaps as a result of the increased love of the natural world experienced by many during the lockdown crossing over into the art market.

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Korean helmet and Tongan war club

05 October 2020

Two lots from Tennants’ (20% buyer’s premium) sale in Leyburn on September 4. The 17th century Korean leather and steel helmet sold to a South Korean buyer for £4800.

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