Here Adrian Kinton, a cataloguer and lover of antiques in Hansons’ Derbyshire team, writes from the heart about items that excelled in a recent sale.
After lotting up the Works of Art section for our September Antiques & Collectors sale, I squirreled myself away in a cosy cottage on the banks of the River Dart in delightful Devon for a welcome break with my recently sexagenarian – and eternally youthful – wife.
However, on the day of the sale, I could not resist logging on to the Hansonslive website to check up on the results for a certain few, exceptional lots that had erstwhile caught my eye.
Lot 3130 was a beautifully painted circular Chinese plaque or cartouche, depicting several images upon an almost ethereal background, the artist’s signature in the top corner clear evidence of pride in a job well done.
One instinctively knows when an object arouses interest and a flurry of enquiries from our Chinese buyers – who are able to browse our catalogue from afar courtesy of our internet coverage – ensued. Our ‘come and get me’ estimate of £50-80 was met, exceeded and then dwarfed by a final selling price of £1,700. Great news for our vendors!
And then on to our group of lots relating to the ever-popular Robert Thompson aka ‘Mouseman’. This Yorkshire carpenter/sculptor has an avid following and prices, particularly for the older pieces, have soared in recent years.
Lot 3185 alone, a typically rustic, patinated pair of bookends adorned with the trademark mice, achieved a remarkable price of £1,600. For those who remember the tragic fire that devastated York Minster in 1984, the Mouseman studio had used a rescued remnant of oak that, duly fashioned, was sold for £620. Two further equally redolent carvings: a stunning box and an early ashtray achieved a combined hammer price of £470.
It is a privilege working at Hansons as you never know what’s coming through the door. Let’s see what October brings!
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