1. Tour match programme – £3600
A single sheet produced for a match played between Hearts and Manchester United in New York on May 22, 1960. Estimated at £30-40 at Stacey’s of Rayleigh in Essex, it sold at £3600.
Among the rarest football programmes are those produced for overseas tour games.
This single sheet for a match played between Hearts and Manchester United in New York on May 22, 1960, was estimated to bring £30-40 at Stacey’s of Rayleigh in Essex on April 15. In fact it sold at £3600.
The Jam Tarts, the team that had won the league and cup double in Scotland that season, met United, rebuilding after the Munich disaster, on four occasions during the ten-match summer tour of North America. At this game, played in front of more than 10,000 fans at Triborough Stadium, the score was 3-0 to the Red Devils.
A few days later at Wrigley Field, Los Angeles, Hearts would win 4-0. The sheet, in good condition with no writing, was given away free at the ground by American League Soccer News. According to the vendor it had been brought back to the UK at the time by United player.
2. James I silver shell box – £23,000
This James I silver shell-form spice or sugar box was offered at £15,000-20,000 and took £23,000 at Salisbury saleroom Woolley & Wallis.
After almost 50 years on public display in the silver galleries at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, this James I silver shell-form spice or sugar box was offered for sale at Salisbury saleroom Woolley & Wallis on April 16.
Designed with a realistically chased scallop shell-hinged cover and snail feet, the 10.3oz piece bears the maker’s mark BT, possibly for Balthasar Trimson, London 1611.
It was given as a wedding present in 1936 to Sir Godfrey Nicholson and his wife Lady Katharine, the fifth daughter of the 27th Earl of Crawford, and passed by decent to Baroness Emma Nicholson of Winterbourne.
Estimated at £15,000-20,000, it took £23,000.
3. George II mahogany side table - £15,000
A George II mahogany side table offered by Lawrences of Crewkerne and sold at £15,000.
This George II mahogany side table was last on the market in 1970 when it was bought by the vendor’s family at Gloria Antiqua of Brompton Road, London.
In addition to a grey fossil marble top the frieze is carved with both Prince of Wales feathers and scallop shells while the cabriole legs have ball and hairy claw feet. Offered by Lawrences of Crewkerne on April 12 with an estimate of £1500-2500, it sold to an online bidder at £15,000.
4. Lucie Rie bowl – £20,000
This c.1980 Lucie Rie emerald green glaze and a bronzed manganese rim bowl sold for a top estimate £20,000 at Chorley’s of Prinknash Abbey.
The series of stoneware footed bowls made by Lucie Rie (1902-1995) represent the cream of the burgeoning studio pottery market.
This 6.5in (16.5cm) example from c.1980, with and emerald green glaze and a bronzed manganese rim, sold to an online bidder for a top estimate £20,000 at Chorley’s of Prinknash Abbey on April 16.
It had formed part of an exhibition at the Peter Dingley Gallery, Stratford-upon-Avon and was sold together with a copy of the exhibition catalogue Pots by Joanna Constantinidis, Lucie Rie and John Ward and a receipt dated April 1988 for £1300.
5. First ballet libretto – £15,000
A first edition of the 1582 'Balet Comique de la Royne' that took £15,000 at Mellors & Kirk of Nottingham.
The 'Balet Comique de la Royne' is considered to be the first ballet, performed in 1581 at the French court of Catherine de Medici as part of the wedding celebrations for the Duke de Joyeuse and Marguerite de Vaudemont.
Choreographed by Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx, it combined poetry, music, design and dance, using as a theme the witchcraft of the goddess Circe. It is also the first ballet of which there is a printed account (libretto).
Beaujoyeulx's volume, with printed music and superb illustrations by Jacques Patin, was highly successful and influenced the courts of Europe. This copy, a first edition of 1582 bound in 18th century blue paper wrappers, had not been seen on the market for over a century. It took £15,000 from an online bidder at Mellors & Kirk of Nottingham on April 11.
6. Victorian Angling catalogue – £1450
This late 19th century trade catalogue for 'World Renowned Angling Specialities' Hardy’s of Alnwick sold for an unexpected £1450 to an online bidder at Stride & Son of Chichester, against an estimate of £50-80.
This late 19th century trade catalogue for 'World Renowned Angling Specialities' Hardy’s of Alnwick sold for an unexpected £1450 to an online bidder at Stride & Son of Chichester on April 11. The estimate was just £50-80.
The catalogue, retraining its printed paper covers and in generally good condition, number 180 pages and includes numerous wood engraved illustrations of rods, reels, lures, fly boxes and other tackle.
The opening pages reference recent awards won at the Great International Fisheries Exhibition in London (1883) and a gold medal for rods and tackle received at a Cologne expo in 1889.
