Cumbria

Hammer falls at 24 times the top estimate as Scandinavian buyer snaps up highly unusual collection

Thousands of items are available to buy from dealers online. Here we pick out one that caught our eye this week.

Cryptoryptomentyces et Cryptographiae has been described as ‘arguably the most complete tome on esoteric cryptography ever published’, an esoteric claim to fame in itself.

Daniel Daulby of Liverpool, a brewer and collector of prints and drawings, was also a compiler of a catalogue of Rembrandt etchings.

On February 29 Fellows (25% buyer’s premium) of Birmingham held its inaugural Monies, Medals & Militaria sale.

Among the many recommendations on the Facebook page of Spotty Dawgs Antiques & Used Furniture is a particularly praiseworthy one in which the poster has said that he would pay an entrance fee to wander round this treasure trove all day.

There were many massive English country house sales in the 20th century but the largest by volume was the contents sale at Lowther Castle during April, May and June 1947.

A high price for a Winifred Nicholson (1893-1981) picture sold outside the main London rooms came recently in Cumbria.

This colonial-era Indian silver horse racing trophy is marked for Peter Orr and Sons of Madras.

The salt-glazed portrait jug of Nelson by Doulton & Watts of Lambeth is considered the first character jug made by Doulton

The artist Richard Ernst Eurich (1903-92) is rather hard to categorise.

A Queen’s Gallantry Medal in its case of issue awarded to a police constable who helped to catch two violent escaped prisoners sold for £2400 at auction.

Just as stereoscope images became a Victorian collecting craze, another notable photographic fad of the era was the carte de visite

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.

A drawing by Sheila Fell (1931-79) offered in Cockermouth showed how strong demand can emerge even for a simple sketch.

The 33 pieces of ‘Mouseman’ furniture on offer at Carlisle auction house Thomson Roddick (20% buyer’s premium) all came from a Cumbrian Georgian country house where they had been since at least before 1950.

The best-selling lot in a recent Carlisle auction was a 1919, Collins first of Heritage, the debut novel of Vita Sackville-West, who at that time was better known for her poetry.

Alex Styles (1922-2017) was in 1966 given a glowing accolade in The Times: “Many think he is the finest designer of hand-made silver in England.”