It’s auction time again at our local auction house. As usual there is an interesting selection of items about which one has to ask “why?”.
A small oil of a carthorse with its driver in a ford, English School, probably late 19th century, on canvas, giltwood frame with ivy leaf border.
Is the horse holding the driver under to drown him, I wonder?
A collection of envelope seals, paper money …
I can find no reference t this new species the Envelope Seal.
A Japanese bone netsuke carved as a seated boy holding a cockerel, c1900.
Is it only my mind that would misinterpret this?
A pair of sterling shakers …
What is a sterling and how do you shake it?
Three old garden gnomes, in pottery and concrete, a glass fibre plaque of musical children, a shell architectural ornament, a terracotta pot …
All in the best possible taste, naturally.
An old hat box full of hats and a suitcase of lace curtains, two cushions …
I quite expected the suitcase to be full of suits!
An interesting collection of artefacts including a death mask in an oak case, a duty free pack of Players Navy Cut cigarettes, old table light, carved wooden items, manicure sets, old boxes, campaign mirror, and a set of Carl Zeiss Dekarem 10×50 binoculars
Words like “an interesting collection” always make my heart sink. Read “a collection of old toot we couldn’t think what to do with”.
A shelf containing a horn-handled carving set, a boomerang, brass candlesticks, four glass fish ornaments, miniature teapots, an old iron …
A bras [sic] bulkhead clock signed Hermle and a matching barometer
If you must mistype it, please do it properly and give us “A bras bulkhead cock”
A Carltonware Guinness advertising lamp base, as a penguin holding a placard inscribed Draught Guinness
A spectacular Capodimonte porcelain group of a Gypsy Encampment by Sandro Maggioni with grazing horse and covered wagon, dancing couple, fiddler, woman tending a fire and child with dog, with certificate dated May 1977
A Rowe Juke box. The vendor reports that this is in good working order, ask for a demonstration.
A vast quantity of miscellaneous goods including retro items, waste paper bins, wall clocks, magazine racks, prams, candlesticks, old tins, Scalextrics, prints, pictures, glassware, biscuit tins, an old chrome folding trolley, mirror, floor lamp
Yep, more old toot!
Best Name of the Year
