I thought we should have a little diversion from these interesting times we’re living in. And it is a while since we had a selection of the idiosyncrasies which turn up at out local auction house. So here’s a collection from the last three sales. As always it is not just the odd which amuses but the strange things which get up together as a lot.
A quantity of mixed items including an espresso Magimix, an indoor fountain, a Siemens espresso maker designed by FA Porsche, a Veuve Clicquot wine cooler, a Vice Versa knife box, wooden tray, plastic champagne glasses in stand, a Moulinex Blender 2, an aquarium, BaByliss hair dryer.
A mixed lot including aluminium pots and pans, Oriol zoom binoculars 30 x 60, a gas mask, an Aqua Vac, Precision LED magnifying glass, watering can, aluminium bowls, camping gas bottle, a mixer, umbrellas, painters’ tools and a fishing rod; many appear to be unused in boxes.
A mixed lot including a picture of a Rolls Royce made up from watch parts, a wooden framed barometer, a painted ostrich egg, a set of steak knives and forks on a tray, a small quantity of CDs, a small quantity of foreign coins, a resin figurine of a bird etc.
Antique taxidermy: a kestrel with bird prey, under glass dome on wooden base
A mid-18th century English delft flower brick, delicately painted in blue with a figure on a bridge between buildings
A fruit box containing an extensive number of cigarette lighters including Ronson and Zippo, an old mahogany box containing Victorian brass and steel geometry equipment, a colourful pottery pot decorated with eels and squid and two glass pint pots.
A box of pipes including briar, some unused, one in a carry box, a carton of old briar pipes one unused by Falcon, foreign coins, an original box of cowry shell counters for games, a button-hook and shoe-horn with silver handles, a dagger paper-knife and a collection of old cut-throat razors in a velvet pouch, old scissors, wrist watches, a scout dagger, etc.
A wooden box containing a collection of call girl telephone cards and a child’s crocheted matinee jacket, socks and slippers and a silver-plated and mother-of-pearl baby rattle.
I feel sure there’s a rather sordid story within this juxtaposition.
A carton including a number of Beryl Cook calendars, a quantity of legal documents, a postcard book Vues d’Ypres, a quantity of unused gilt metal buttons some of them Naval others with enamelled Scales of Justice, an original Tiddlywinks box and contents, a silver-plated copper coffee pot, an old Williams Deacon’s Bank savings box, office stamps, a pipe, 19th century corkscrew, etc.
A mixed lot including a Polaroid camera, a Seasmoke Rigid drill, a Sony Handycam, a kitchen wall-light, an Xtreme torch, a folding desk lamp, carbon-monoxide alarm, a brass dog doorstop, a frog telephone.
A quantity of glassware including two glass ceiling shades, sherry and wine glasses, a box of vintage tools including spanners and saws, two aluminium cooking pots, a sundial, etc.
A life size model of Elvis Presley seated on a stool playing his guitar.
Apart from wondering why one would want a life-size model of Elvis, how does a stool play a guitar?
Two vintage My Pet Monster stuffed toys – one the pet monster and also the monster’s pet, by Amtoy, and a small quantity of records
A glazed cabinet of stuffed and mounted birds including kingfisher, snipe, golden oriels, and flycatchers
A small mixed lot, including a soda syphon, Chinese-style lamp base, a garniture of Art Deco vases, some silver plate, a model car and a tail coat etc.
An antique set of bagpipes with lignum vitae pipes, contained in a pine box
A scratch-built wooden model of ‘HMS Victory’, fully rigged and with furled canvas
A reproduction horse armour chanfron with armorial escutcheon, mounted on a board
No I didn’t know what a chanfron was either! I knew about horse armour, but not what the individual pieces were called.
And we end with two rather steampunk items …
A modern German skeleton clock by Franz Hermle, under conical glass cover on wood base
An elaborate Victorian writing slope in burr walnut and cut brass, fitted with a stationery cabinet and glass inkwells
Be good, and stay safe!