Largely consisting of tiles and vases, this got off to a good start with the opening lot.
A set of six 6in (15cm) square tiles with decoration designed by Walter Crane of Flora’s Train featured six Art Nouveau women set against different specimen floral backgrounds, the design dust pressed into the tile in imitation of tube lining. They sold for a double-estimate £2800.
Copper and brass Arts & Crafts electrolier by Benson, £4800 at Tennants.
The Arts & Crafts section also included a good price for a copper and brass three-light electrolier of c.1900 by WAS Benson, who specialised in the design of metalwork and particularly lighting.
This light fitting, which was stamped Patent and Benson, lacked the original glass shades and ceiling plate but nonetheless outpaced its £300-500 guide to take £4800.
Early Mouseman
A 1937 Mouseman Monk’s chair offered with the original receipt from Thompson, £7500 at Tennants.
A large part of this 325-lot auction was given over to vernacular Mouseman furniture from Robert Thompson of Kilburn and his workshop and disciples.
Heading the list was an example of a Mouseman Monk’s chair from 1937. Constructed from oak with a slung leather seat, this was carved to each side of the toprail with a monk’s head, the crest and arms of the McEvoy family, the date 1937 and initials PE McE to the back as well as bearing Thompson’s mouse trademark.
The chair was offered with the original receipt from 1938 from Thompson to the McEvoy family showing that it had cost £7.14.10.
Estimated at £2000-3000, it sold this time around for £7500.
Thompson trio
Mouseman dressing chest and mirror from c.1930-40 sold by Elstob for £9200.
More early Mouseman oak furniture was included in the sale held by fellow North Yorkshire auction house Elstob (25% buyer’s premium) on November 8 when it offered three lots from a single vendor.
One of these was a c.1930-40 dressing chest measuring 2ft 6in (76cm) in width surmounted by an integral mirror. The chest was fitted with two short and two long drawers and the mirror was supported on faceted columns topped by leaf carved scones and both were carved with the signature Mouse.
It realised £9200 against a £4000-6000 estimate in the Ripon auction.
Mouseman free-standing mirror from c.1930-40 which made £1900 at Elstob.
A separate 2ft 7in (81cm) high free standing mirror of the same period and of particularly good colour, with mouse trademark, realised £1900.
The third Mouseman lot was later: a set of eight panel back dining chairs each with a carved mouse, six purchased new from Thompson’s in 1987 and two bought in 2009. These also took £1900.
