Features

Wars are full of renowned acts of bravery in the face of the enemy but medals also salute the feats of many unsung military heroes who often go under the radar in recognition terms.

A look at unusual lots that stood out in recent auctions

Coloured Vuittonite canvas – in yellow, red, green, black or orange – usually appears on trunks made from 1900-20.

A single-owner collection of 37 pieces of Louis Vuitton luggage formed part of Sworders’ (25% buyer’s premium) Design sale.

The largest private collection of Louis Vuitton trunks ever to come to auction was sold by Christie’s Paris (26% buyer’s premium) earlier this year.

The latest Watches sale at Fellows in Birmingham included a rare Rolex Explorer II, reference 1665.

A rare military issue by The International Watch Company sold well above estimate at Wessex Auction Rooms (19% buyer’s premium) in Chippenham, Wiltshire.

Duke’s September 11 sale of Jewellery, Watches, Silver and Currency includes a fine array of vintage and second-hand branded wristwatches.

The driver’s watch, with its elongated ‘stirrup’ lugs and rectangular Roman dial, is a classic of the 1930s and early 40s.

A recent sale at Key’s (25% buyer’s premium) in Aylsham included a Second World War prisoner of war Rolex 3525 Oyster chronograph offered together with the original owner’s medals, dog tags and personal wartime diaries.

Once damned with faint praise, watches from Cartier’s Bond Street boutique are now winning fans among collectors for their adventurous case designs

Examples of this three-dimensional technique stand out as part of a dealer’s collection

The first section of the Dominic Winter (20% buyer’s premium) Historic Textiles & Antiques auction on July 26 contained 33 lots of textiles from the collection of the Quaker antiquary Martha Spriggs and her descendants.

A recent timed online sale at Bleasdales (20% buyer’s premium) featured a couple of pin balls that performed well.

Tennants’ Fashion, Costume and Textiles Sale held on August 16 provided many hammer highlights.

A pale blue and white striped garment offered at Martin & Pole’s (22% buyer’s premium) General Auction on August 7 was simply described as an “antique silk dress, appears in a photograph worn by Esther Palmer in around 1925”.

Estimated at £60-100, a late 19th century sampler sold via thesaleroom.com for £4600 at Rogers Jones (22% buyer’s premium) in Colwyn Bay.

A collector interview with author and expert David Petty

The rarity of an unusual saleroom visitor - and its original condition - was confirmed after research by Bonhams’ arms and armour department.

A pair of pistols Napoleon Bonaparte supposedly intended to use on himself after defeat sold for €1.69m (£1.4m) including buyer’s premium at auction house Osenat in Fontainebleau, France.