The triumph was largely due to the consignment of items from the estate of the late Anthony Ford of Oxen Park Farm in Barnstaple, North Devon, which comprised the lion’s share of the 800 lots. Mr Ford’s father, Albert, was a well known Bristol auctioneer in the early part of the last century and many of the items had, in fact belonged to Albert, who clearly had an eye for quality.
Quality and freshness brought the London trade to Cornwall and a London dealer took this Japanese wood and ivory group right. Standing 15in (38cm) high, the musician and child holding a horse puppet was inlaid with mother of pearl and ivory and although it had suffered some slight damage it had no trouble going over estimate at £2400.
The London trade were also keen on a 17th century oak cricket table but were beaten to it by a private buyer. The table, in good condition and with a well worn patina to the 2ft 6in (76cm) diameter top, sold at £4200.
A local farmer was the successful buyer of a mahogany demi-lune inlaid fold-over card table. With a sliding action rather than a gateleg movement, it took £1280.
The condition of a 6in (15cm) high Victorian tortoisehell tea caddy was “not so good” – the hinges were broken as was some of the stringing. But it saw strong competition and fell to the trade at £3200.
In the ceramics, a pair of shaped Masons dishes took £290 and five Beswick flying wall ducks were contested to £180.
Old auctioneer pulls in the trade
A number of auctioneers have reported their best sales of the year in December and the North Cornish firm of Kivells (10% buyer’s premium) were in that happy position following their sale at Bude, on December 12. It was not merely the best of the year but their best sale ever.
