Time for another sale at our local auction house. This time round it is a huge sale with over 1000 lots. And as usual it is a curious mix of some “wow!” stuff and the exceedingly strange.

Let’s start with the star of the show, Lot 600:

An important Chinese gilt bronze figure of Amitayus, the Buddha of Infinite Life, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period, seated in shawl and dhoti with engraved floral borders, wearing elaborate diadem and other jewellery, retaining numerous inset coral, turquoise and lapiz cabochons, the exposed flesh retaining brown lacquer colouring, the eyebrows and hair coloured black, on double lotus petal base, 35.5cm high.

Note: this figure belongs to a select group made in the Imperial foundry, one of which was cast on the orders of the Kangxi emperor for his devoutly Buddhist grandmother’s birthday in 1686 and is illustrated in Cultural Relics of Tibetan Buddhism Collected in the Qing Palace, Hong Kong, 1992, pls 1-2. It is likely that the other examples were made for the many Tibetan Buddhist temples in Beijing.

Should you desire this magnificent piece you’ll need to arrange a mortgage before you even consider bidding.

So after that it has to be all down hill into the oddities …

A set of Guinness buttons on original card.
How do you sew buttons on Guinness?

3 silver-gilt jewels of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes, early 20th century, in cases, each for Lodge 181 (Prince Victor Lodge, Isle of Wight), together with the order’s certificate for … and an old photograph of a tailor’s shop; also a German Iron Cross, Second World War 1939-45 War Medal and the 1939-45 Defence Medal, and the George V and Queen Mary medal by Elect Cocoa.

An original cartoon by Willie Rushton and a 1930s map of Berlin.
Does anyone else find this slightly surreal?

An interesting collection of 20 buttonhooks and other implements, some silver, mainly circa. 1900.

An extensive collection of old horse decorations mounted on leather, a collection of graded buckles mounted on leather, a carved furniture decoration, a fire trivet, a letter stamp, etc.

An old milk churn inscribed: ‘S. Jackman, Buckingham’, a Bakelite record player by Columbia, an old coat hanger in the form of a doll, a similar doll, a brush with a doll handle, a bed pan … an old trunk, purple glass vase, etc.

A large well presented light brown sawfish rostrum, 130cm.

A large early Victorian neo-gothic burr walnut chiming mantel clock, by Daniel Desbois, the signed painted arched dial with strike/silent indicator below the chapter ring, with gilt hands, quarter chiming on eight bells and hour striking and with pull-cord repeat, the back plate signed … the case with outset cluster columns with obelisk finials flanking the arched cresting, 24″ high.
They make it sound a mess, but from the photo (right) it’s actually rather nice in it’s way. You’d need an enormous mantelpiece to put it on though.

A pull-along papier mache French Bulldog with nodding head, glass eyes, opening mouth and barking when chain pulled, fitted with coir and red fabric collar, early 20th century.

A probably tribal or theatrical musket.

A pair of William IV neo rococo ormolu candlesticks, each with a heron by a foliate scroll stem on rocaille base, complete with nozzles.
Yes, they are a complete mess!

A wax profile of Catherine the Great, said to be by G Dupre after Wyon, under glass in Georgian ebonised frame.

A broken stained glass roundel, probably 16th century, of St John the Baptist.

The skull and horns of a bison mounted on a shield and stand.

Seventeen terracotta, wood and pottery garden pots, and contents, and a linen box of rope sisal construction.

Two unusual mirrors incorporating the grille from a Rover 75 motor car, and another, a tennis racquet mirror, also a ship’s wheel nutcracker, water flask, wooden tool box with tools and a leather document case.

Four fire extinguishers.

A large quantity of artist’s equipment: pads, paints, an easel, also decorative lamps, birds under glass domes, resin bird figures …

A pair of occasional reproduction tables, each with a galleried centre section and two hinged ends, on moulded tapering legs.
But what are they at the times they aren’t reproduction tables?

As with so much of it, you just have to ask “Why?”.