Auction Reports

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.

Painted by one of Royal Worcester’s finest artists and one of only three green examples known to the knowledgeable buyer, this vase and cover was the focus and prize of Cromwells’ (20% buyer’s premium) sale.

Matchbox can sell well even when there isn’t an actual vehicle in sight.

A rare work of 1767 called A Journal of a Voyage Round the World in His Majesty’s Ship The Dolphin… was offered by Thomson Roddick (20% buyer’s premium) in Carlisle.

Merchandise relating to an early show from the Thunderbirds creator makes a surprise sum at Kent auction

It is not just Star Wars figures or film posters bringing the big bucks.

Not everything offered in the model railway market has to involve a glamorous name such as Flying Scotsman to make a good result.

When the (Louis) Marx toy company produced a friction-drive model Batmobile in the 1960s the plastic car that resulted was really a model of the 1951 General Motors Le Sabre concept show car designed by Harley Earl.

Novelty biscuit tin toys delivered a number of tasty sale successes for South Yorkshire auction house BBR (15% buyer’s premium).

Being a devil is profitable for a Pelham Puppet.

The first lot in Pook & Pook’s (25% buyer’s premium) May 4-5 sale was also the top result. And if you follow the toy boat market, it was also strangely familiar.