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A pair of European ivory panels,
19th century, carved with a courting couple in a garden in Renaissance costume and two ladies in a walled garden,
10.5 x 6.7cm (2)
£200 - 300
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A Rolleiflex Automat Type 2 Camera No. 1008684,
(1939-1945), Franke & Heidecke, with a Tessar E.3.5 lens no. 2699357, leather case, handbook, three further lenses and four filters,
together with an Agfa Isoly III,
1960s, complete with case (qty.)
£150 - 250
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French School (early 19th century),
a tortoiseshell circular snuff box inset with a miniature of a lady, half length in a white blouse and black dress,
8cm diameter
£150 - 250
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A pair of bronze sphinxes,
late 19th century, each seated on a plinth, with later gilt ribbons,
19.5cm long (2)
£300 - 500
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A prisoner of war ivory and bone domino set,
early 19th century, modelled as a casket fitted with dominoes, with a slide, with remnants of line decoration, and with a barrel cover with cribbage holes, slide restuck,
13.5cm long (qty.)
£150 - 250
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A gilt bronze inkstand,
late 19th century, with two hinged inkwells and blue glass liners, the front with cast panels depicting painting and sculpture, the sides mounted with sphinxes, with a cast oblong pen tray,
27.5cm wide
£200 - 300
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A French kingwood and gilt bronze mounted jewellery box,
late 19th century, the lid mounted with an oval porcelain plaque of a cherub and a dove, opening to reveal a light blue satin mounted interior, raised on a shaped apron, with a decorative escutcheon,
29cm wide
20.5cm deep
11.5cm high
£300 - 500
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A pair of gilt bronze candlestands,
late 19th century, modelled as putti holding candlebranches, raised on oval stepped marble plinths,
22.5cm (2)
£400 - 600
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A pair of sphinxes,
each carved wood and painted,
62cm long
56cm high (2)
£300 - 500
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A Qajar iron ewer and cover,
19th century, the body with engraved panels of flowers, hinged cover, remains of gilt details,
40cm high
£200 - 300
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A French bronze bowl,
late 19th century with a cast border, two lion's mask ring handles
32cm high
£200 - 400
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An extraordinary ivory parasol handle,
late 19th century, carved as a crocodile head, with glass eyes,
12cm long
£200 - 300
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A marble bust of Athena,
19th century, on a recent iron base with brass feet,
47cm high
£2,000 - 3,000
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A pull-along papier mâché cow,
late 19th century, probably German, which when the head is pushed sideways, releases the 'moo' bellows,
31cm overall
£250 - 350
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An unusual carved and stained wood candlestick,
in the form of a palm tree, encircled by snakes,
25cm high
£100 - 150
A member of the vendor's family was a boat captain, and may have brought this candlestick back from the South Seas.
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A gilt bronze and tortoiseshell mounted inkstand,
in the rococo style, with two hinged inkwells, lacking glass,
36cm wide
£300 - 500
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A Victorian horsedrawn four-wheel phaeton,
having seats for four, now painted in green livery with yellow lines, the wheels red with green and yellow lines, the seats now upholstered in a beige fabric, complete with hames for one and two horses
£1,000 - 2,000
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A Royal Mail licence plate coat of arms,
19th century, with photo of coach panel,
19.7 x 29cm (2)
£400 - 600
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A Victorian seaweed and shell picture,
mounted on paper with a verse, and inscribed 'Oce'anus 1858',
41 x 37cm, in a glazed mahogany frame
£100 - 150
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A rare George III inlaid, possibly canopy wood, twin compartment tea caddy,
inlaid with oval burr yew wood panels within foliate garlands and inlaid fluted canted corners,
13cm high, and
a George III burr walnut tea caddy,
with strung decoration and two lift-out compartments,
16.5cm high (2)
£200 - 400
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A George III burr yew wood tea caddy,
of rounded sarcophagus shape with strung decoration and bronze lion's mask ring handles, the interior with two lidded compartments,
17cm high
£200 - 400
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A George III burr walnut oval single compartment tea caddy,
with three oval inlaid panels, each depicting a basket of flowers,
9.5cm high
£250 - 350
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A George III elliptical single compartment satinwood tea caddy,
painted with neoclassical decoration,
12cm high
£150 - 250
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A George III harewood and painted tea caddy,
with canted corners and inlaid boxwood edges,
11.3cm high
£150 - 250
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A George III burr yew wood twin compartment tea caddy,
of sarcophagus shape on cast paw feet,
15cm high, and
a Regency brass inlaid rosewood twin compartment tea caddy,
of sarcophagus shape with ring handles,
15cm high (2)
£150 - 250
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A carved novelty nutcracker,
early 20th century, modelled as the cricketer W G Grace,
16cm
£150 - 250
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A Chinese tortoiseshell box and cover,
19th century, finely and deeply carved with a figure on horseback, other figures and buildings, mountains in the background, with foliate border, the side with a floral band, the base carved in relief with figures standing in buildings and in a boat, the sides carved with buildings within a landscape,
8.7cm diameter (2)
£1,000 - 1,500
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A pair of Chinese flags,
each with a dragon, reputedly from the Imperial Chinese Maritime Customs Headquarters at Antung Manchuria, with label to reverse reading:
'This Flag, No. 1, and its companion, No. 2, once flew over the Imperial Chinese Maritime Customs Headquarters at Antung, Manchuria. After the death of the Emperor T'ung-Chih, the deposition of the Empire in November, 1911, and the accession of the Republic, these flags were presented to Captain R. Caldicott by Mr. Hubbard, an Officer of the Chinese Customs Service. Antung, December 1911.'
91 x 110cm approximately,
mounted and framed, 113 x 127cm, frayed edges (2)
£3,000 - 5,000
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A Chinese export lacquered picture frame,
18th century, the scrolled frame with low relief flowers and fuchsias, with a hatched border,
63 x 55cm overall
44.5 x 37.5cm opening
£1,000 - 1,500
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A Louis Vuitton dome top travelling trunk,
with metal bracings, the interior with a blue printed design, no tray, labelled 'Louis Vuitton, 4 rue Neuve des Capucines, Paris'
111cm wide
65cm deep
75cm high
£400 - 600
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A Louis Vuitton flat top travelling trunk,
with 'LV' monogrammed canvas, wood bracings and brass mounts, numbered '132325', labelled '1 rue Scribe, Paris, 149 New Bond St., London', lacking tray, worn,
102cm wide
53.5cm deep
53.5cm high
£1,000 - 2,000
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A French travelling trunk,
with wooden and leather and brass mounts, label inside for 'Smiths Trunk Stores, 136 Praed St., Paddington',
90cm wide
57cm deep
64cm high
£500 - 700
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A carved polychrome figure of John the Baptist,
16th century, kneeling in prayer,
89cm high
£3,500 - 4,500
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A quantity of worldwide postage stamps,
the All World Collection to c.1956 mint and used, housed in IDEAL volumes 1 and 2 and loose in packets or on sheets, some better covers, middle-period FDCs of GB and Presentation Cards printed by Harrisons 'for the Postmaster General' for 1952 Wilding 1 1/2d and 2 1/2d, 1953 Coronation and 1957 Jubilee; also 1956 cover from Gough Island (qty.)
£150 - 250
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A quantity of Chinese postage stamps,
a comprehensive mint and used collection of Chinese stamps housed in three Rapkin albums plus many loose, from 1878 to 1952 (c) with good ranges of most issues including 'special-purpose' stamps with Dues and Airs.
Of note are 1878-83 Customs Large Dragons fine 1 ca. wide setting, 3 ca. (2) and 5 ca. with Newchwang cds, later Small Dragons to 5 ca, Dowager Empress 1894-97 unoverprinted various to 12 ca, small overprints and large overprints various to 30 c narrow and wide settings, Red Revenue 2c, comprehensive "coiling dragon" series with most printings represented including 'Japan' prints, later engraved with and without watermark and 1912 Republic overprints; 1914-19 'Junk' issues to 50c , Middle Period Dr Sun and 'Martyr' issues with huge variety of overprints for regional areas incl. Formosa, Schezuan and Manchuria; commemorative issues similarly covered including 1941 Thrift mini-sheet imperf. with special cachets.
Also noted are British and Japanese Post offices, and CEF.
The collection appears to have been assembled over two generations spanning some fifty years, and is highlighted by some exceptional calligraphy and watercolour illustrations. An excellent and original basis for further expansion (qty.)
£1,000 - 1,500
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An historically important ship's figurehead from the Brazilian slave ship, 'Piratenim',
carved wood and painted, modelled as a South American gaucho, the three-quarter length figure wearing a curled brim hat, fastened to his chin with a string, with 'Piratenim' to the front, a white shirt and a red scarf, a brass buttoned jacket and clasping his boleadoras to his left,
32cm wide
38cm deep
63cm high,
together with a book by Captain John C Bailey, 'HMS Sharpshooter',
privately printed, and
a typed draft of Averil MacKenzie-Grieve's 'The Last of the Brazilian Slavers, 1851',
with an alternate title ' A Brazilian Slaver's Figurehead - The Story of the Capture by HMS Sharpshooter' (3)
£5,000 - 8,000
Provenance:
Bought by the vendor's grandfather, Mr Vivian Collett, from an antique dealer in Worcester in the 1940s.
Literature:
Averil Mackenzie-Grieve 'The Last of the Brazilian Slavers, 1851, Mariners Mirror, Vol. 31, 1945.
Captain John C Bailey 'HMS Sharpshooter'.
HMS Sharpshooter was one of the first iron steamers to be used by the Royal Navy. It was built by Ditchburn and Mare in 1846 and entered service after sea trials in 1848. In Captain Bailey's account she was, 'a brand new and experimental steam gun vessel of 489 tons and 202 horse-power, carrying eight guns, namely six 32-pounder medium guns on the broadsides, one 8-inch 68-pounder pivot gun forward, and one 10-inch 84-pounder pivot aft. She was the first iron ship to which the screw propeller had ever been applied'.
After serving in the Channel Squadron and the Mediterranean, HMS Sharpshooter headed to the coast of Brazil on anti-slavery duties.
Averil Mackenzie-Grieve's 'The Last of the Brazilian Slavers, 1851',
published in 'The Mariner's Mirror', Vol. 31, 1945, explains vividly the capture of the 'Piratenim'.
This is Captain John Bailey's own account of the action which followed:
'We at once slipped back behind Busios, furled sails, and got up steam, but notwithstanding the smoke emitted in so doing, which betrayed what and where we were to the stranger, she, instead of sheering off, held on her course towards us. That looked bad, as indicating that she had got a clear conscience, which did not suit our books at all. She was now made out to be a brig, so, steaming out from behind the island, we soon ran alongside her, when, to my great surprise, up went the Brazilian ensign to her peak, which looked worse still, for slavers very rarely show any colours at all when being overhauled, unless they are sure there are not sufficient proofs of illegality on board their vessel to condemn her. She looked dirty and dilapidated, and it was observed that her figurehead was missing, but that might have been washed away by a sea. She proved to be the Brazilian brig Piratenim.
A search party was at once sent on board, who, on looking down the main hatchway, gave three cheers, followed by the welcome cry of 'Chock full, sir'. I now went on board for myself, and on stepping over the gangway was accosted by the captain exclaiming, 'You can't touch me; those people' (pointing to the crowd of negroes who blocked up the hatchway) 'are all passengers, and I have passports for every one of them'. The hatchway was crammed with blacks, all wearing clothing and able to speak Portuguese, thus coming under the category of old slaves moving from one Brazilian port to another, which, being lawful, secured them from interference at our hands. I asked him how many black passengers he had. Ninety.
The passports were counted; there were ninety of them also. This was a puzzler; so Bennett, my coxswain, was sent below to ascertain how matters stood there. No sooner had he got through the crowd of old slaves, who, filling up the hatchway, were the only ones visible from the deck, than he shouted, 'She is full of niggers as naked as they were born, and the Portuguese are rigging them up as fast as they can go'. The old slaves had been stationed in the hatchway to throw us off the scent by answering our questions in Portuguese and by concealing the new ones, who stood behind them stark naked. Each of the latter had a little bundle tied round his waist, which contained a short, coloured cotton frock, or jumper, and a pair of drawers of similar material, ready to slip on in a moment in the event of meeting with such an emergency as had now occurred. These scanty garments were now, with the assistance of the crew, being donned as fast as possible; but some of the terrified fellows produced ludicrous effects in trying to make their toilets without help. Some had stepped into their frocks, and, tying the arms round their waist, had converted them into very flimsy-looking kilts; whilst another had thrust his head through the leg of his drawers, which was jammed so tight round his neck that Bennett had to slit it with his knife to prevent the man choking.
The slaves and their nautical valets were soon driven on deck, and on being counted proved to amount to seventy-three, so not agreeing with the number of passports, of which there were ninety. The captain now became loud in his remonstrances against being further detained; and I became greatly perplexed as to how matters really stood, but had no intention of letting him go, for there were forty-four new slaves already discovered amongst the lot, and the presence of one would suffice to condemn the vessel and her whole cargo. Accompanied by the interpreter, the slave captain, and three or four of his white passengers, one of whom was a doctor, and the rest, I suspect, persons interested in the venture, I went down to the cabin to examine the ship's papers.
We had not been there long before a slight noise, which rapidly grew louder, was heard under the table at which we sat, and, presently, up burst a large hatch, which, being let in flush with the floor, looked at first sight like the rest of it. The gap was instantly filled with fainting women, stripped down to the waist and streaming with perspiration, and the floor was speedily covered with the poor, hysterical creatures writhing and screaming at our feet.
All the captain's previous virtuous indignation at being suspected now vanished, and, dashing his fist on the table, he ejaculated, 'I am your prize'; and thenceforward refused to answer another question. Into a space of about twelve feet square by five feet high, dark as Erebus, and without any kind of ventilation, twenty-six women and three children had been thrust, after having been told, to terrify them into quiescence, that the English devoured all slaves they captured. The hatch had been closed upon them, as we had been heard descending the ladder; and there, in utter darkness and mortal fear, the poor things lay like mice till, being at the last gasp from suffocation, they could no longer control themselves, and burst the hatch lid open.
This fresh accession brought the number of slaves up to 102, namely, seventy-three men, twenty-six women and three children.
The case being now clear, the brig was taken possession of, and in the course of her examination the missing figurehead was found stowed away in the hold. It was a peculiar one, and for that reason had been unshipped, lest it might lead to the vessel's identification. It represented a Gaucho, or Bolero (mounted half-bred Indian huntsman of the Argentine Republic), who catch the wild cattle and horses of the Pampas by hurling a ball, attached to a long line, round the animal's horns or forelegs, whereon the huntsman's horse, to whose saddle the other end of the line is secured, stops dead short, and so throws the pursued animal to the ground.
This figurehead, together with some slave whips and drinking tubes found on board the Piratenim, are now in the possession of Sir Joseph Bailey. They are interesting as being unique mementos of that hideous New World Slave Trade which, after having flourished during three centuries and a half, was now, in 1851, receiving those fatal blows which at last resulted in its extinction and banishment for ever to the limbo of past history.
A party of seamen and another of marines having been put on board the prize we took her in tow, and arrived off Rio on the 24th. The slaver was anchored at Pay Island, and the negroes were taken into Rio Harbour on board the Sharpshooter whence they were transferred to the slave depot ship, Crescent. We then returned to Pay, and on surveying the brig found her to be unseaworthy and dangerous to be sent for adjudication to St. Helena.'
The Sharpshooter anchored close to her prize for the night. The following morning the Piratenim was towed out to sea and prepared for burning. John Bailey writes that it was only after dark, however, that they set the brig ablaze, 'not wishing passers by to see details of our proceedings', which seems to have been a somewhat superfluous precaution since he tells us that soon the burning ship 'lit up the whole horizon for miles around'.
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A French gilt bronze group of bacchante,
late 19th century, after Claude Michel Clodion, modelled as two nymphs, one holding aloft a tambourine, flanked by an infant faun, pipes and thyrsus at their feet, the naturalistic base with cast signature 'Clodion', stamped '5069' and 'Percheron' to the underside,
57.8cm high
raised on a turned marble plinth, 15cm high
£1,200 - 1,500
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A set of eight bronze Daoist immortals,
each standing on an unusual cast base representing a dolphin, a dragon, a turtle etc.,
44cm high (8)
£800 - 1,200
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Vincenzo Cinque (Italian 19th/20th century),
'The Fisherboy', naturalistically modelled holding a fish in his left hand and rod in his right, standing upon rocks, signed 'V Cinque', on marble base,
49cm high
£400 - 600
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An Art Nouveau bronze inkwell,
of oval shape, in the form of lily pads on an onyx panel,
21cm long
£300 - 500
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Bernard Steuer (1853-1913),
'Ballade à la Lune', late 19th century, modelled and cast as a Pierrot with mandolin, the water bucket beside him reflects the crescent moon, a cat behind him, the oval base with title and signed 'B Steuer', with a later pine stand,
60cm overall (2)
£1,000 - 1,500
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François Hippolyte Moreau (1832-1927),
'Le Petit Chaperon Rouge', bronze on an integral plinth with an applied plaque,
45cm high
£300 - 500
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After Claude Michel Clodion (1738-1814)
two dancers, one with a tambourine, beside a satyr, signed 'Clodion J.62' and impressed '1060',
60cm high
£1,000 - 1,500
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A pair of bronze figures of Mercury and Venus,
each on an integral cylindrical black marble plinth, the plinths with applied bronze classical relief panels,
tallest 60cm (2)
£300 - 500
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A bronze figure of Urania, the Muse of Astronomy,
19th century, on a marble base,
37cm high
£350 - 450
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After Eutrope Bouret (1833-1906),
a classical bronze figure holding a book inscribed 'Histoire' and a quill, signed 'Bouret' to the column,
32cm high
£250 - 350
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After Charles Massé,
a bronze clown and a performing dog titled 'Le Clown', standing on a cast wood plinth,
49.5cm high
£500 - 700
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A gilt bronze centrepiece,
late 19th century, cast with three panels from the classics, the central roundel signed 'G Poitvin', with oak and olive leaf cast details and handles, with medallion to the base 'Syndicat des Fabrts des Bronzes' and numbered 1517,
54.5cm long
£250 - 350
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After Emile Guillemin,
a pair of bronze cavaliers, modelled wearing plumed hats, doublet and hose, one drawing his sword, raised on oval plinths, signed 'El Guillemin',
22cm high (2)
£300 - 500
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After Claude Michel Clodion (1738-1814),
a lady before a herm, bronze, signed Clodion,
35cm high
£450 - 550
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