20th Century Design Sale: Results

The desire for pieces from the workshop of Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson showed no signs of abating in Tennants' 20th Century Design Sale on 17th June. The top lot amongst a varied offering of figures and furniture was a Carved English Oak Figural Newel Post which achieved £6,000 (all figures plus buyer’s premium) more than twice the top estimate.

The 27cm high newel post was modelled as a merry monk, holding a pint and a bible, with the trademark carved mouse hiding up his sleeve. A Carved English Oak Mare and Foal Group, circa 1976, by Stan Dodds (1928-2012) on a tooled base with carved mouse trademark and numbered 14 sold for £4,500.

‘Mouseman’ furniture included a suite of bedroom furniture commissioned in 1951, which was led by an Oak Panelled Double Wardrobe inscribed ’19 D.A.B 51’ (£5,500). Interesting chairs included a set of three Oak Panel Back Chairs from the 1930s, with the backs decorated with a carved sheep, a goat and a ram (£1,500). Also on offer were two ‘Mouseman’ bowls, one of which is the largest (42cm diameter) ‘Mouseman’ bowl to have been sold at Tennants, and one the smallest (12cm diameter). The large bowl was a bespoke commission and sold for £2,500, and the smaller nut dish sold alongside a slightly larger dish made £400.

Five pieces by the famed 20th century potter Lucie Rie were also on offer, led by a Porcelain Footed Bowl covered in a green glaze (£3,500) and a yellow glazed Stoneware Footed Bowl (£2,000).

Elsewhere in the sale, two striking pieces of Murano Glass sold strongly; a Large Murano Glass Centrepiece, probably by Danilo Zanella, with two clear cased Dolphins riding on the crest of two waves, on a shaped base, signed Danilo Zanella achieved £3,500 and a Large Murano Aquarium, script artist signature and Glass Studio Murano, achieved £3,200.

The sale realised a total hammer price of £155,510 for 221 lots, with an 86% sold rate.