Auction Reports

It may be stating the obvious, but collectors acquire militaria for many different reasons within that market.

The esteem in which British botanist William Lawrence Balls (1882-1960) was held is obvious from lots offered at Norfolk auction house Keys (25% buyer’s premium) on July 26-28.

A privately produced Victorian silver bravery medal proved hugely popular when offered at Noonans (24% buyer’s premium) on June 21.

Once thought to have been produced in the Black Forest region of Germany, chess sets like the one offered at Ewbank’s (30% buyer’s premium) on June 23, used to be called Luther sets.

This ‘ferris wheel’ timepiece, thermometer and barometer compendium is a novel type that was first made in France in the last quarter of the 19th century.

Recent advertising highlights from UK sales and an Italian auction

Born into a Jewish Orthodox family in Brooklyn, New York, Seymour Stein (1943-2023) discovered his love of pop music early on, listening to records and memorising Billboard magazine’s charts.

A Cornish saleroom offered over 300 enamel signs, advertising memorabilia, pump globes, vehicle mascots and collectables from a single-owner collection.

Victorian and Edwardian pottery butcher’s slabs made to display lard, butter and margarine are relatively frequent visitors to UK salerooms.

Classic examples of distinctive porcelain take four-figure sums in Gloucestershire

Furniture attributable to Gillows demonstrates demand for desirable pieces

A group of Victorian rowing memorabilia generated plenty of bidding at Claydon Auctioneers (19.5% buyer’s premium) in Buckinghamshire on June 25-26.

A Tennis Match at Manchester is a very rare print marking one of the first British tennis tournaments.

The best-known type of Maori jewellery is the pounamu (greenstone) hei tiki pendants, the figural carvings representing ‘the first man’ that were typically worn by women.

This 15th century gold ring, set with a rhomb-shaped table-cut sapphire, is engraved with lilies and other flowers issuing from a crescent bowl.

Sworders’ (25% buyer’s premium) June 13-14 Fine Interiors sale included a collection of Norwich 17th century silver assembled by one of East Anglia’s best-known families.

Needing work but with an impeccable pedigree, this striking drop-dial wall clock topped the day at Bellmans (25% buyer’s premium).

The June 8 sale at Toovey’s (24.5% buyer’s premium) in Washington, West Sussex included a fine example of Meiji cloisonné by Namikawa Yasuyuki (1845-1927).

Vendor finds glass marbles are worth more than expected as they make surprise four-figure sums in Bury St Edmunds

Pieces from two single-owner collections of silver by Stuart Devlin (1931-2018) and the partnership of Omar Ramsden (1873-1939) and Alwyn Carr (1872-1940) focused specialist eyes on Murray’s (20% buyer’s premium) in Douglas, Isle of Man.