Over 550 lots of Militaria and Ethnographica went under the hammer on Friday 22 June totalling £185,000, the most successful Militaria sale Tennants have held.
Top price went to a rare Maori Whalebone hand club or ‘Wahiaka’ which sold for £19,000. The club was carved with a mythological figure with inlaid red sealing wax eyes and the back of the blade with a ‘Tiki’ figure.
Still in the South Seas, a Fiji Islands ‘Wasekaseka’ necklace sold for £11,000. Such necklaces were seen as a symbol of wealth and political power, and were often buried with high ranking men when they died, and so are extremely rare. Made up of thirty four fine carved Sperm Whale teeth, the necklace outstripped its modest estimate of £2000 to £3000.
No vampires were seen at the saleroom on Friday, possibly due to the presence of a rare vampire killing kit Lot 451 which contained a pistol, bottles of Holy Water, Garlic and Holy Earth, rosary beads, a crucifix, mallet and four stakes – all you require to protect yourself from a demon. It sold after much pre sale interest from around the globe for £7,500 and will probably end up in a museum collection.
Such kits are rare, this one, made up of 19th century pieces and in a mahogany, velvet lined case, was probably made up in the late 19th or 20th century – but who knows, it caught the imagination of 6 telephone bidders but was eventually sold to a mysterious dark haired man in the room!!!
Lot 234 would also possibly help in protecting you from vampires, a 19th century Man Trap, with semi-circular jaws and sharp triangular teeth, long since outlawed these traps are rare – this one selling for £1200, possibly bought by a lady!
The finest weapon in the sale was a 26 Bore single barrel big game rifle by Joseph Harkom, which was complete and in amazing condition it sold after strong bidding for £9,500, double the mid estimate.
The next Militaria sale will be on 26th September with entries now being accepted. Time indeed to look under the bed!