Fellows’ June 13 Watches auction includes this late 17th century open-face pocket watch (pictured above) by Isaac Perrot of Geneva. Housed in an outer case made of leather with white metal piqué decoration, it has an estimate of £1200-1800.
Born in the early 17th century, Perrot’s exact year of birth is unknown but his work (he was active between 1644-93) is characterised by meticulous craftsmanship and innovative design.
These medals from the 1950s, 60s and 70s were earned by the Glasgow Rangers legend Harold Davis (1933- 2018). Including the player’s Scottish Football League Winner’s medals from 1960-61 and 1973-74, a 1961 European Cup Finalist’s medal and a 1962-63 Scottish Football League Championship First Division medal, all are mounted together in a silver frame.
They will be offered at Great Western Auctions in Glasgow on June 14-15 together with an archive of material relating to Davis’ career that included action in the Korean War (when he took two gunshots to the stomach) and 261 appearances for Rangers over two stints with the club from 1956-75. Previously on display at the Rangers Museum at Ibrox, the medals come by family descent with an estimate of £10,000-15,000.
A wartime letter written by Elizabeth II as a young princess is on offer in the Autographs and Memorabilia timed online sale at Chiswick Auctions running until June 16. Written from Windsor Castle on August 26, 1940, to Lady Astor, it includes a signed photograph of Buckingham Palace that the future queen had promised to return to a Canadian soldier in convalescence at Cliveden.
It reads: “I am so sorry not to have sent the photograph before but here it is at last. I do hope the soldier has not gone away. It was entirely my fault that the photograph was not returned at once and I do hope he will forgive me.”
The photograph is signed to the back for both Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret and annotated by Elizabeth Buckingham Place floodlit, May 1935, given to me by Bobby in London, 1940.
The vendor’s father was the recipient of the picture and the letter. A member of the Canadian Army, 1st Division, Signal Corps, he had met both princesses when hospitalised on the Cliveden estate. The vendor recalls: “My father had some pictures on his bed which included the picture of Buckingham Palace. Princess Elizabeth asked if she could borrow the picture to show her father the king and later returned it with a letter of apology for the delay.”
Offered together with letters from Mary Astor, it is expected to bring £1500-2000.
The 10-year period at Sands End in Fulham from 1888-98 was the most prolific of William De Morgan’s career and resulted in some of the most ambitious designs and experiments in lustre decoration.
This plate, included in Woolley & Wallis’ sale of Fine Arts & Crafts in Salisbury on June 19, is from the Sunset and Moonlight series that employed double and triple lustre effects. The deep blue lustre used to such effect on this plate appears to be a colour of de Morgan’s invention and, as such, is remarkably rare.
Painted by Charles Passenger, it is part of a wider collection of De Morgan ceramics included in the sale and carries an estimate of £4000-6000.
Curated Auctions is conducting a sale with dealer Pushkin Antiques on June 14. The array of ‘James Bond look’ items includes this early-20th century novelty silver plated champagne bottle-shaped cigar holder. It is stamped on the base by the Pairpoint Manufacturing Company, Manufacturers of Silver Plated Ware, Howland and Prospect Streets, USA.
Estimate £200-300.
Gorringe’s in Lewes is holding a timed online sale of Miniatures & Silhouettes that ends on June 16.
Estimated at £2000-3000 is this early 17th century miniature showing John Harrison Senior (1552-1628). The High Master of St Paul’s School and a noted antiquary, the jewelled ring in the present miniature alluding to this interest, his collection was acquired after his death by Sir Simonds D’Ewes.
Based on a large-scale composition in the City Art Gallery, York, the watercolour on vellum portrait is attributed to Edward Norgate (1581-1650).
The sale at Duggleby Stephenson of York on June 14 includes a collection of Pilkington’s Royal Lancastrian wares. This 10in (25cm) high Sea Maiden vase with cyphers for Walter Crane and Richard Joyce has a guide of £2000-4000.
The Fine Art & Antiques sale at Lacy Scott & Knight in Bury St Edmunds on June 15 includes, estimated at £3500-4500, this late 17th century ebony basket-top bracket clock that is signed to the backplate Edward Burgis Londini Fecit.
Edward Burgis lived in St Saviour’s, Southwark. Although he seems never to have joined the Clockmakers’ Company, he was well respected and was asked to adjudicate a clockmaking contest on their behalf. He was active from the 1670s into the 18th century.
Wilkinson’s June 15-16 auction in Doncaster includes this mid-17th century engine-turned lignum vitae tankard, English, c.1650 standing 6in (15cm) high. Estimate £3000-5000.
Bonhams’ Fine Glass and British Ceramics sale on June 18-19 includes this exceptional engraved privateer goblet c.1756-57.
Fully decorated with a three-masted ship in full sail, with a figurehead to the bow, it is inscribed Success to the Famous Tyger Privateer. While the majority of privateer glasses are of this form, this well-documented piece is of exceptional size at 8in (20cm) high.
The Tiger was a ship of 560 tons with 30 guns and a crew of 300 men, that was declared on June 7, 1756, by Captain Peter Griffin, with Isaac Sharp as lieutenant. Her history is recorded by JW Damer Powell in Bristol Privateers and Ships of War (1930).
Estimate £12,000-18,000.
The online sewing sale at specialist Bleasdales in Warwick closes on June 19. Estimated at £800-1200 is this documentary Quaker pin ball, inscribed Sarah Barnsfather 1792 to one side and verse from Psalm II6 to the reverse.
Sarah Barnsfather of Lanercost, Cumberland, was born on October 4, 1776, her baptism records describing her as a ‘Garth Side Disenter’. She died aged 25 in 1802 unmarried.
Made when she was 16, this is one of two matching that were formerly owned by the late Michael Finlay of Carlisle. Other elements of his collection are included in this sale.