A rare ‘Roly Poly’ Steiff bear, a Minton majolica matchbox and more… Caroline Wheater selects her highlights from recent auctions
1. Serene Scene
Estimate £8,000–£12,000
Sold £13,750
Last August, we lost one of our bestregarded artists and print makers, Dame Elizabeth Blackadder OBE, whose airy paintings and lithographs of owers and cats charmed art lovers. Born in Falkirk, Scotland, in 1931, she studied ne and applied arts at Edinburgh University, leaving with a First Class degree. A Carnegie Travelling Scholarship from 1954–55 took her to Italy,Greece and Yugoslavia to study Byzantine art and architecture. From 1962 she taught at Edinburgh College of Art, before retiring in 1986 to focus on her atmospheric artworks. The Royal Academician worked in a variety of mediums – watercolour, oils and pastels – and her bestknown compositions are of lilies, orchids, irises, anemones and tulips. She was also fond of three pet cats, who she captured si ing on cupboards and chairs. This watercolour, Clivia, Orchids and Arum Lily, was painted by Blackadder in 1981, and was probably sold at a solo exhibition in 1984. Earlier this year it found a new home, a er selling at Roseberys’ Modern & Contemporary British & Irish Art auction. Sadly, now the artist’s output is finite, buying her work could be a good investment. Her limited-edition prints are more affordable, and no less charming.
2. Slim Lines
Estimate £400–£600
Sold £1,950
An elegant giltwood display cabinet was part of a private collection of furniture consigned from 9 Royal Crescent in Bath, to Drewea s in Berkshire. The cabinet is French and in the 18th-century Louis XV style, but was actually made in the late 19th or early 20th century. Standing 123cm tall and a metre wide, it has a ne Breche Viole e marble top, however, some of the glass in the lower window needs replacement; perhaps even professional restoration. This didn’t put o the buyer, who rated the overall quality of the piece.
3. Tiny Treasure
Estimate £1,500–£2,000
Sold £8,060
This 18th-century pocket terrestrial globe, inside a lobed lacquer case, featured the cartography of the world – as it was then known – in superb detail. According to the Whipple Museum of the History of Science in Cambridge, pocket globes were first produced by Joseph Moxon in 1673 and used by gentlemen as status accessories. This example, a ‘New and Improved’ model, was produced by Newton & Son of Chancery Lane in London. It has a small patch of wear near the Indian Ocean, and was sold at Mallams. mallams.co.uk
4. Strike a Light
Estimate £600–£800
Sold £1,083
According to Bonhams, which sold this rare, 1864 Minton majolica matchbox, the modeller is believed to be John Bell –a proli c sculptor whose designs were reproduced by Copeland and also Wedgwood, o en in Parianware. Bell drew much of his inspiration from literature – Ivanhoe in the case of this ‘Crusader’s Tomb’ matchbox. Collectively, such containers were referred to as ‘Lucifer boxes’ and came in various forms including ay made by Wedgwood in the 1870s, and a hare by the George Jones majolica pottery factory.
5. Fine Hounds
Estimate £200–£300
Sold £318
Sta ordshire spaniels are two a penny, but greyhounds are another ma er, which is why this pair of elegant canines got such a good price at Chorley’s.
Wearing gilt collars and si ing on a grassy oval base, each dog has a hare at its feet; greyhounds were used for hare coursing in the 19th century –a sport that’s now illegal. The fine, hand-painted detail on the faces and bodies of the dogs, plus the quality of the moulding, suggests that the pair were made around 1860, before mass production lowered the standards of finish. chorleys.com
6. Silver Service
Estimate £80–£120
Sold £112
With its classic lines, this silver George III jug is perfect for pouring cream over strawberries and summer puds. It came up for sale at Tennants and carries a maker’s mark for London, dated 1802. In antiques-speak, the form is described as ‘helmet’ shaped, and the 11cm-high piece is embellished with a reeded scroll handle. Buying silver at auction is currently great value – people o oad it because it needs cleaning, which is a chore. But if you don’t mind pu ing in a bit of elbow grease now and again, your hard work will be rewarded. tennants.co.uk
7. Rare Bear
Estimate £600–£800
Sold £3,160
Early 20th-century Stei bears are very collectable; none more so than a ‘Roly Poly’ ursine in yellow mohair, with jointed head, stitched nose and belly ra le. This example was one of the star lots sold at Tennants’ Costume, Accessories & Textiles sale and, despite missing its trademark Stei ear bu on, quickly rose in price. Stei introduced ‘Roly Poly’ toys to their 1909 catalogue. The ‘Roly Poly’ bears came in four o cial sizes, from 7 to 14 inches tall, but smaller versions such as this ted (a neat 5 inches high) are also known.