Four sofas from a suite of seat furniture made for Raynham Hall, Norfolk, in the 1790s form part of Sworders’ Fine Interiors sale on September 14-15.
The grey painted sofas (pictured top) in the ‘French antique’ or ‘Grecian’ style with beaded frames were almost certainly commissioned by George, 1st Marquess Townshend (d.1807). He enjoyed a glittering military career serving under General James Wolfe at the siege of Quebec in 1759 and was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1767-72. His second wife, Anne Montgomery, was Mistress of the Robes to Caroline, Princess of Wales, from 1795-1820.
These sofas were part of a suite recorded in the drawing room at Raynham in an inventory taken after the untimely death of the 2nd Marquess in 1811. It was inherited in the Victorian era by Captain John Townshend (d.1863), a Royal Navy rear-admiral, and MP for Tamworth from 1847-55, and has since come by descent to the 8th Marquess Townshend at Raynham Hall.
Sworders will offer the sofas as two pairs, estimated at £5000-8000 a pair.
A set of 16 chairs from the same set was sold at Christie’s for £31,250 in 2013.
The unique group of six medals to SAS trooper Roger Tattersall is guided at £9000-12,000 at the Richard Winterton on September 6.
The unique group of six medals to SAS trooper Roger Tattersall is guided at £9000-12,000 at the Richard Winterton auction in Lichfield on September 6.
Tattersall (1938-2020) was a member of the Canadian Guards, the Parachute Regiment, 22 SAS Regiment, Rhodesian SAS and South African Forces.
His medals, which come to sale by order of the family, reflect this diverse experience.
Alongside the group in the lot are Tattersall’s SAS beret (Rhodesian issue); Parachute Regiment beret, Rhodesian issue; non-marked 1st type dress uniform blue ‘stable’ belt; and more than 20 photographs featuring Tattersall and comrades in places such as Aden, Radfan and Borneo.
The lot also includes regimental plaques and other personal items including cufflinks, tie pins, Paras metal insignia and two commemorative SAS medallions.
This rare Charles I broadside referencing the ‘prizing’ (pricing) of wines in the moments before the English Civil War is guided at £800-1200 at Forum on August 26.
This rare Charles I broadside referencing the ‘prizing’ (pricing) of wines in the moments before the English Civil War is one of just two recorded – the only other copy is in the British Library.
The royal proclamation with a woodcut arms and tail-piece is dated at Windsor, the two and twentieth day of January, in the seventeenth yeer of our Reign for 1642. It sets prices for the best Gascoin and French wines at eighteen pounds the Tun, and the Rochel wines, and other small and thin wines at fifteen pounds the Tun.
It has a guide of £800-1200 at Forum in London on August 26.
forumauctions.co.uk or see this item at thesaleroom.com
A 1925 Pleyel grand piano fitted with an original ‘Auto Pleyela’ self-playing mechanism, in a chinoiserie Louis XV case, estimated at £40,000-60,000 in the Dreweatts auction on September 23.
Dreweatts is to offer an impressive private collection of rare pianos on September 23. It was amassed by David Winston, who holds a Royal Warrant as Restorer and Conservator of Pianos to HM the Queen. It is comprised of 26 instruments dating from the 18th century to present day.
Among the lots expected to achieve the highest bids is a rare 1925 Pleyel grand piano fitted with an original ‘Auto Pleyela’ self-playing mechanism, in a chinoiserie Louis XV case (estimate £40,000-60,000, pictured) and a double piano from Pleyel, which is one of only 50 ever made. This model, which has a guide of £30,000-50,000, was once owned by the concert pianist wife of French writer and minister of culture André Malraux.
It is the first time the collection – many of which are one-off pieces with ‘significant historic importance’ – has been offered in its entirety.
Winston has restored some of the most valuable pianos in the world, including those owned and played by the greatest names in classical music, including Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt.
A late 18th century cello made by Benjamin Banks of Salisbury in 1786 is estimated at £50,000-80,000 in Tennants’ sale on September 29.
A late 18th century cello made by Benjamin Banks of Salisbury in 1786 is estimated at £50,000-70,000 in Tennants’ sale on September 29.
Banks, known as the ‘English Amati’, was one of the finest English instrument makers of his age with his cellos being particularly sought-after.
He was born in Salisbury in 1727 and unusually, for such a fine craftsman of the era, remained based there for the rest of his life rather than moving to London. However, he probably had close links with the capital, and certainly sold instruments through dealers there.
The cello bears the original maker’s label printed with a decorative scrolling border and BENJAMIN BANKS,/Salisbury, Fecit 17 with the last two digits of the date 86 written in by hand. The label and handwriting of the last two digits of the date are typical of other known examples by the maker.
The instrument was sold by LP Balmforth & Son of Leeds to a gentleman in the north-east England for £165 in 1965, with paperwork certifying its authenticity issued by William E Hill & Sons of New Bond Street, London, in 1938.
William Burton Baker’s patented double lever corkscrew, first made in 1880 by James Heeley & Sons of Birmingham - estimate £370-400 at Special Auction Services on September 14.
A single-owner collection of corkscrews and wine memorabilia is going under the hammer at Special Auction Services in Newbury.
The vendor, François Touzin, started collecting in 1976 when he took his girlfriend, now wife of 44 years, to a BYO restaurant. As the restaurant did not have a corkscrew he purchased one for £4 from the antiques shop next door and from then his interest in them was piqued.
Pictured here is William Burton Baker’s patented double lever corkscrew, first made in 1880 by James Heeley & Sons of Birmingham. As Heeley quickly found fault with the mechanism (he realised the concept worked better by attaching the arms to a collar and patented his own design in 1888), manufacturing was abandoned after just a few years.
This scarce example of Baker’s model, indistinctly marked James Heeley & Sons Patent Double Lever, forms part of the sale on September 14. Estimate £370-400.
specialauctionservices.com or see this item at thesaleroom.com
An England international football cap awarded to Sir Alfred (Alf) Ramsey is estimated at £2000-3000 in the Lacy Scott & Knight auction on September 10.
An England international football cap awarded to Sir Alfred (Alf) Ramsey is estimated at £2000-3000 in the Lacy Scott & Knight auction on September 10.
In blue velvet with silver braid and tassle with embroidered England badge, the peak is further embroidered YUG 1950-51 and the brown silk interior has a stitched label hand-written in blue ink RAMSEY, size 7 1/8.
The cap was awarded for the England v Yugoslavia international friendly held at Highbury on November 22, 1950, a game in which Ramsey was captain and ended in a 2-2 draw.
Sir Alfred Ernest Ramsey (1920-99) – who most famously managed England to win the 1966 World Cup – played for his country 32 times, captaining the side three times and scoring three goals.
After his ending his career in football in 1979-80 he retired to Ipswich with his wife Lady Victoria Ramsey. This cap was acquired directly from Lady Ramsey by the current vendor while working as a painter and decorator at her home (a letter to support this signed by Lady Ramsey and dated 30/09/2011 accompanies this lot).
lsk.co.uk or see this item at thesaleroom.com
Diamond set platinum necklace in its original fitted leather and gold tooled case by London & Ryder – estimate £3000-5000 at Cheffins in Cambridge on August 26.
Dating from c.1880 to the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the Belle Epoque was a time of relative peace, optimism and prosperity and jewellery design was made to match.
This diamond set platinum necklace in its original fitted leather and gold tooled case by London & Ryder comes for sale at the Jewellery, Silver & Watches Sale at Cheffins in Cambridge on August 26 with a guide of £3000-5000.
cheffins.co.uk or see this item at thesaleroom.com
Charles I period West Country seal-top spoon – estimate £600-700 at Lockdales on September 1-2.
This Charles I period West Country seal-top spoon has marks for Robert Tyte of Salisbury plus the prick-dot engraved ownership initials EB over D and the date 1627. At Lockdales in Ipswich on September 1-2 is expected to bring £600-700.
lockdales.com or see this item at thesaleroom.com
Navigator’s chair from a De Havilland DH106 Comet passenger jet airliner - estimate £150-200 at Wallis & Wallis on September 6.
This maroon leather and aluminium navigator’s chair is from a De Havilland DH106 Comet passenger jet airliner. As a restoration project it is guided at £150-200 by Wallis & Wallis of Lewes as part of a Toys, Models & Collectables auction in Lewes on September 6.
The DH106 Comet was the world’s first commercial jet airliner, developed and manufactured in Hatfield. Debuted in 1952, three Comets were lost within 12 months after suffering catastrophic in-flight breakups, although redesigned versions did remain in commercial service until 1981.
wallisandwallis.co.uk or see this item at thesaleroom.com
A Gentleman Travelling in a Dog Cariole in Hudson’s Bay with an Indian Guide by Peter Rindisbacher - estimate £50,000-80,000 at Bonhams on September 14.
Topographical works from early 19th century Canada will form a prominent part of Bonhams’ next Travel & Exploration sale in London.
Among a group of such works consigned to the sale on September 14 is this rare painting showing an indigenous figure and settlers by Peter Rindisbacher (1806-34).
The Swiss-born artist painted scenes of life on the North American frontier, including views of native peoples which have become an important historical record of the vanishing way of life that occurred in this period and subsequently.
After arriving in Hudson Bay with his family in 1821, the 15-year-old Rindisbacher, who had already trained as an artist under the Bernese miniaturist Jakob Samuel Weibel, began supporting his family by selling his small but detailed sketches, including some of the Hudson’s Bay Company officials.
A series of these early views were later turned into lithographs and published in London in 1823-24 – described as ‘taken by a gentleman on the spot’.
The example at Bonhams is titled A Gentleman Travelling in a Dog Cariole in Hudson’s Bay with an Indian Guide and shows the traditional mode of transport in the artist’s adopted country. Executed in 1824 when the artist was 18, the work is billed as “one of his finest” and estimated at £50,000-80,000.
Bow porcelain plate c.1758-63 - estimate £250-350 at Lyon & Turnbull on September 1-2.
The Five Centuries sale of traditional Furniture, Paintings & Works of Art at Lyon & Turnbull in Edinburgh on September 1-2 includes this Bow porcelain plate c.1758-63.
The underglaze blue chinoiserie design depicting a figure holding a sceptre followed by a young boy carrying a scroll is affectionately known as the Golfer and Caddy pattern. Like others in this design it has the painted number 12 to the base.
Estimate £250-350.
lyonandturnbull.com or see this item at thesaleroom.com
Cased London Colt model 1851 Navy revolver - estimate £4000-6000 at Durrants on August 27.
This cased London Colt model 1851 Navy revolver is an early example with all matching numbers (602) for 1853. In good condition and housed in its period oak fitted case containing a full accompaniment of accessories, it is expected to bring £4000-6000 at the Militaria, Air Guns and Firearms sale at Durrants in Beecles on August 27.
durrants.com or see this item at thesaleroom.com
