1. 19th century baker’s shop fitting
The Pedestal’s May 11 sale titled Design For Living, to be staged in Henley on Thames, includes a dozen lots consigned by the British-South African restaurateur and cookery writer Prue Leith.
This late 19th century French mahogany and stained pine baker’s shop fitting (above), 9ft (2.75m) across, is expected to bring £1500-2500.
View and bid for this 19th century baker’s shop fitting via thesaleroom.com.
2. Lowestoft porcelain jug
A documentary jug is the stand-out piece among 50 lots of Lowestoft porcelain in Keys’ first Fine Sale of the year on May 12-13.
Known as the ‘Aldred Jug’, its lip is inscribed with the initials SA, for Samuel Aldred, grandson of Obed Aldred, who was one of the original partners in the Lowestoft factory. It is the only known inscribed piece of Lowestoft porcelain with a possible direct link to one of the owners of the factory.
The jug was once in the collection of artist Edward Seago, and it featured in the bicentenary exhibition of Lowestoft porcelain in 1957.
Estimate £5000-7000. View and bid for this Lowestoft porcelain jug via thesaleroom.com.
3. Vietnamese three-panel painting
This Vietnamese three-panel painting of a hunting scene attributed to Nguyen van Minh (1930-2014) is a highlight of the Islamic and Oriental auction at John Nicholson’s in Fernhurst on May 12.
Nguyen, who was born in Saigon, mastered traditional Japanese lacquer techniques while studying in Kyoto and Sendai in the early 1960s.
His artworks have made up to £35,000 at auction before. This example, measuring 8ft long x 4ft high (2.43 x 1.21m) overall, is estimated at £5000-8000. View and bid for this Vietnamese three-panel painting via thesaleroom.com.
4. Rolex Submariner watches
Two Rolex Submariner wristwatches dating from 1958-59 are to be sold at Plymouth Auction Rooms on May 12. They were both given to the late Stanley Sayer by Rolex and have been in the family since.
Sayer was a film cameraman working for Technicolour, who also set up a special effects company, was a keen diver and inventor of the minisub. The minisub enabled divers move underwater effortlessly, steer a course and to light their way ahead. Although he himself did not patent the design, it attracted widespread interest.
Around 1959 Rolex was interested in using Sayer and his machine in its advertising portfolio and took a number of photos with him in action wearing one of its watches for publication. In payment for his services, he was invited to keep the watch (the one with the strap on) and given a second Submariner, which he then gave to his son.
Sayer wore the watch daily until he died in April 2000. His son has now decided to sell both watches. Both model 6536, they have serial numbers within eight digits of each other and the sought-after ‘tropical’ dials.
One is estimated at £8000-10,000 while the other lacking bracelet and bezel is guided at £3000-4000. View and bid for these two Rolex Submariner watches via thesaleroom.com.
5. 1920s touring car
This Doll et Cie (Germany) four-seater open touring car, c.1920s, is in fact a live steam model.
It is catalogued by Kent auction house C&T as ‘boiler (untested) to front of car, three opening side doors, missing burner, steering wheel, glass windshield and two front lamps, still in very good original condition, with a nice patina to paint work’.
The 19in (48cm) long model is estimated at £2500-3500 in the May 12 sale in Kenardington. View and bid for this 1920s four-seater open touring car via thesaleroom.com.