Robert Thompson - Mouseman

Lake District cabinetmaker and woodcarver Ernest John Oldcorn trained at Gillows of Lancaster but he found his niche after joining the Arthur W Simpson workshop.

A Mouseman single wardrobe with panelled adzed decoration sold for £7400 against a guide of £4000-6000 at Summersgills (18% buyer’s premium) in Easingwold, North Yorkshire.

A classic early 1930s Mouseman recliner came for sale at a recent event held at Clevedon Auctions (22% buyer’s premium) near Bristol.

Back in July 2019, Lawrences in Crewkerne set a new high for a Mouseman carving when a pair of elephant bookends by master carver Stan Dodds (1928-2012) sold at £10,000.

Our selection of lots from five upcoming auctions

A suite of three oak panelled bedroom pieces with original invoices from the Robert Thompson workshop were the stand-out lots at a recent sale at Gildings (24% buyer’s premium) of Market Harborough.

Not only is this a fine and unusual example of pre-war Mouseman furniture but it comes with a remarkable provenance.

The residual contents of Yorkshire country house Copgrove Hall were sold by Duggleby Stephenson (25% buyer’s premium) in York.

Small-scale Mouseman carvings were typically made in Kilburn for promotional purposes – attracting custom at the Yorkshire Show or similar trade events. Rarities continue to bring muscular sums in the salerooms.

Two sales of the classic furniture include items featuring direct family history

The 33 pieces of ‘Mouseman’ furniture on offer at Carlisle auction house Thomson Roddick (20% buyer’s premium) all came from a Cumbrian Georgian country house where they had been since at least before 1950.

Carving once available in low four figures now sells for five in North Yorkshire saleroom

Wife describes how collector husband Chris Hancock’s latest artworks had to fight for space in a family home

These two oak boarded chests, made to similar techniques four centuries apart, were offered for sale recently.

Re: your article in ATG No 2538 (A Trio of Arts & Crafts designers in focus) including a Mouseman oak blanket chest sold at Sheffield Auction Gallery for £12,000 hammer, which features the mouse carved in recess rather than profile.