Leicestershire

Specialist buyers turn out in force to bid for rusty ‘warts and all’ weapons amassed by dealer-collector

Revered in the world of railway modelling, the name James Stanley Beeson (1906-90), better known as Stan Beeson, attracted well-heeled collectors and specialist dealers to Tennants’ (22% buyer’s premium) sale on July 27.

This ‘St George and the Dragon’ Pilkington’s Royal Lancastrian plaster panel came for sale at Gildings in Market Harborough by descent from Abraham Lomax.

A large plaster relief panel executed by Pilkington’s, designed by Gordon Forsyth and modelled by Richard Joyce, will be offered at Gildings next month.

Left out of the Christie’s sale 20 years ago, but far from remnant-bag pieces, the 11 early needlework items from the Sir Frederick Richmond collection offered at Gildings (20% buyer’s premium) attracted keen interest from UK collectors and specialist dealers.

A recent sale at Gildings (20% buyer’s premium) of Market Harborough included a number of medals of historical interest.

Modern British pictures sold at Gildings’ (20% buyer’s premium) recent Fine & Decorative Arts and Antiques auction helped the Leicestershire saleroom to the highest total in its 41-year history.

Theodolite and telescope made to high standards measure up in two salerooms

This Volvo PV 444 diecast toy is by the Swedish toy distributor Gösta Norén.

The invention of the gauger’s slide rule in the 1680s is generally credited to one Thomas Everard of Southampton.

Leicestershire saleroom Gildings is offering an extensive single-owner collection of large-scale model locomotives in an auction which will benefit a life-size steam railway.

With tripartite appeal to football fans of England, Wales and – most importantly as it turned out – of Millwall FC, a historic shirt was a winner at Hansons’ ( 20% buyer’s premium) sporting sale.

Catalogued simply as an ‘African ceremonial tribal spear’ and estimated at £200-300, a Luba staff of office sold for an unexpected £18,500 (plus 15% buyer’s premium) at Gildings’ first sale of the new year in Market Harborough.

The sale at Knights Sporting Auctions in Leicester on November 2-3 includes a number of items previously sold by Christie’s as duplicates from the library of the Marylebone Cricket Club in 2010.

A sale at Gildings in Market Harborough this month included 10 lots from the family of Albert and Nora McGill – influential industrialists credited with a key role in the founding of Russia’s cotton mill industry in the mid-19th century.

An exceptional example of Thai silversmithing has sold for £13,500 (plus 17.5% buyer’s premium) in Leicestershire.

Racing along to a double-estimate £2400, this tinplate clockwork Tri-ang Magic Midget made by Line Bros in 1933, led the field at the 450-lot toys sale at Gildings (15% buyer’s premium) in Market Harborough on June 24.

Containing an original watercolour, one of just a dozen de luxe copies of the 1931, Harrap edition of Izaak Walton’s 'Compleat Angler', illustrated by Arthur Rackham, made a record equalling £10,000 at Gildings (18/12% buyer’s premium) of Market Harborough.