The Country House Sale Preview

Tennants Auctioneers’ Country House Sale on the 19^th September offers an array of unusual and beautiful Country House style antiques, with good furnishing pieces mixing with decorative works of art and collector’s items.

A highlight of the sale is ‘A Gentleman’s Private Collection, Warwickshire’, which comprises one hundred lots of interesting Victorian antiques put together over the years by the vendor’s father. Antiques of shipping interest, such as a 19^th century brass-bound mahogany ship’s wheel (estimate: £150-250) sit alongside a selection of German earthenware lamp bases in the form of owls (estimate: £300-400) and unusual carved items. A carved oak cresting for the Royal Flying Corps, comprising a crowned laurel wreath surrounding ‘RFC’, and flanked with outstretched wings is the top lot in the collection, estimated at £4,000-5,000. The Royal Flying Corps was the precursor to the Royal Air Force during WWI and paved the way for modern aeronautics from 1912-1918. Also of interest is a rare Black Forest revolving stool or plant stand, carved in the form of a seated bear (estimate: £1,500-2,000), and a carved Black Forest stick stand (estimate: £1,500-2,000).

From other vendors come a range of unusual and rarely seen works of art, with notable lots including a collection of seven Victorian pewter ice cream moulds (estimate: £800-1,200), a circa 1700 Gentleman’s Dandy Stick with decorative ivory knop (estimate: £800-1,200), and a late 17^th century Flemish bone inlaid ebonised table cabinet with incised decorative panels depicting figures before buildings (estimate: £700-1,000). Of Yorkshire interest are a pair of circa 1842 Terracotta Campana Urns on Stands, which were originally from Queen’s Parade, Harrogate, where pairs of urns such as these were part of the original development of the properties (estimate: £600-800).

A good range of tribal and city rugs at estimates ranging from £50 to £5,000 are on offer, with highlights including a good example of large Ziegler Mahal Carpet, made circa 1880 in West Iran. The Ziegler Mahal, which has the typical wide bold borders, is offered with an estimate of £5,000-8,000. Also of note is an unusual circa 1930 Iranian Carpet, Saroukh or Kashan, which is estimated at £1,200-1,800.

Amongst the furniture on offer in the sale is a good selection of period oak furniture, such as a 17^th Century Joined Oak Spice Box (estimate: £400-600) and two campaign chests, which are always popular at auction but which now appear with less frequency. A 19^th century teak and brass bound campaign chest labelled Army & Navy C.S.L Makers is estimated at £600-800, and a 19^th century mahogany and brass bound campaign chest stamped to the lock Sampson Mordan & Co Makers London is estimated at £400-600. Also of interest is a circa 1870 Victorian figured walnut desk labelled Sopwith & Co Patent, Manufacturer, Newcastle-on-Tyne (estimate: £1,000-1,500). Thomas Sopwith invented an ingenious desk with all its drawers secured by a single lock, named the Monocleid, which won a prize in the 1851 Great Exhibition.

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