Well it’s summer (allegedly) and there doesn’t seem to be a whole bunch going on to blog about. So here is one of our irregular collections of curiosities from our local auction house’s latest catalogue. As usual the eccentricity defies logic.
A full-length pastel of a girl on the seashore, by D Alvarez Gomez Domingo, signed, wearing a long white dress with a scarlet sash and holding a straw hat, modern frame
[But why was D Alvarez Gomez Domingo wearing a long white dress, with sash, and carrying a straw hat when they signed the picture?]
A small limited edition engraving of artist mice being watched by a cat, signed by the artist in the margin (illegible), two oils of cats, etc.
Three reproduction Georgian style mahogany framed wall mirrors, one with a shell and the other a Ho-ho bird surmount.
[And the third mirror? Oh and WTF is a ho-ho bird?]
A mid 20th century autograph bool (sic) with sketches, poems, photographs of the stars of the time, some signed, etc.
A pair of large George III silver shoe buckles, with openwork faceted beads between milled borders, maker’s IL, lion passant and duty marks.[This is only one of about two dozen similar lots. Who collects this stuff?]
A musical John Peel tankard by Crown Devon, and silver plated objects including a candelabra, (sic) candlesticks, goblets, etc.
A snooker cue in metal case, inscribed on a plaque, ‘To Stumpie from Max and Buddy Bear’
[The mind boggles!]
Three shelves of mainly tribal wooden carvings including a wooden duck with brass and mother-of-pearl decoration, a lion, green painted octagonal lidded box with brass decoration, wicker lidded box, a tribal head, brass pot, etc.
A large mantel clock in exuberant pottery case … c.1900
An interesting collection of bladed weapons and associated items, 19th and 20th century, comprising 7 bayonets with 4 scabbards, a commando knife with leather scabbard, the blade signed IXL, a kris, 4 other knives with 2 sheaths, 3 powder horns, a shot flask, 2 shell cases, and gun parts
A reproduction suit of armour and four dress swords
[Anyone got a castle to decorate?]
A 4-Hatch Coaster radio controlled boat named ‘Tamara’ with a digger on the deck, in white, red and grey, approximately 40″ long, on stand
A radio controlled German WWII E-Boat, scale 1:24, approximately 57″ with three motors, also a part-built submarine approximately 67″
[These two boats are a sample of about 12 similar lots!]
A lot of old skulls, antlers and horns, and a display of small tusks
Two old tool boxes and contents, a roll of barbed wire, axle supports, a saw, level, etc.
[It’s the barbed wire that makes this a “must have” lot!]
An example of taxidermy, a mongoose struggling with an adder
A BMW motorbike combination, registration number E259 LOW, the sidecar possibly by Steil
