For centuries, equestrian clay ridge tiles, typically in the shape of a horse and rider like this one, right, were a popular addition to the roofs of English and Northern European houses.
The practice declined in the early 19th century but a century later in St Ives the potter Bernard Leach (1887-1979) and members of the Old Cornwall Society decided to reintroduce the tradition. This 16in (41cm) model of a tired horseman, estimated at £8000-12,000 at WH Lane & Son on September 28 in Penzance, was made by Leach in 1931.
It comes from the estate of Margaret Reed, a local who got to know Leach as a child. She was given a pair of horses by the potter and they were mounted on the ridge tiles of her family home at Boskelly in Trencrom Lane Carbis Bay. This example was exhibited in 1977 at the V&A retrospective exhibition to celebrate Leach’s 90th birthday
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Toovey’s dedicated prints auction on October 4 features 19th century hand-coloured aquatints from Joseph Cartwright’s (1789-1829) Twelve Views in the Ionian Islands.
The well-known works were published by R Havell in 1821. Nine plates from the group are included in the auction at Toovey’s, including The Town, Citadel and Harbour of Corfu from the Island of Vido, Santa Maura, from the Upper Acropolis of the Ancient City of Leucadia, and View of the Town and Harbour of Vathi in Ithaca.
Together the group, each 15 x 23in (38 x 59cm), is estimated at £8000-12,000.
This painting by American artist Andrew Melrose (1836-1901) is included in Boningtons’ November 15 auction in Epping, Essex.
The 22½ x 2ft 11in (55 x 90cm) oil on canvas titled A Spring Morning on the Delaware is signed lower left and labelled to the verso.
It has been consigned by a local client and is estimated at £4000-6000.
