Gildings

Specialist buyers turn out in force to bid for rusty ‘warts and all’ weapons amassed by dealer-collector

Revered in the world of railway modelling, the name James Stanley Beeson (1906-90), better known as Stan Beeson, attracted well-heeled collectors and specialist dealers to Tennants’ (22% buyer’s premium) sale on July 27.

This ‘St George and the Dragon’ Pilkington’s Royal Lancastrian plaster panel came for sale at Gildings in Market Harborough by descent from Abraham Lomax.

A large plaster relief panel executed by Pilkington’s, designed by Gordon Forsyth and modelled by Richard Joyce, will be offered at Gildings next month.

Joseph Edgar Boehm (1834-9) was commissioned to make a statue to mark the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887.

Left out of the Christie’s sale 20 years ago, but far from remnant-bag pieces, the 11 early needlework items from the Sir Frederick Richmond collection offered at Gildings (20% buyer’s premium) attracted keen interest from UK collectors and specialist dealers.

A recent sale at Gildings (20% buyer’s premium) of Market Harborough included a number of medals of historical interest.

Modern British pictures sold at Gildings’ (20% buyer’s premium) recent Fine & Decorative Arts and Antiques auction helped the Leicestershire saleroom to the highest total in its 41-year history.

Theodolite and telescope made to high standards measure up in two salerooms

This Volvo PV 444 diecast toy is by the Swedish toy distributor Gösta Norén.

This 19th century Indian knife with a shaped and carved horn handle comes in its original morocco case.

Good art at a great price in regional sales.

Leicestershire saleroom Gildings is offering an extensive single-owner collection of large-scale model locomotives in an auction which will benefit a life-size steam railway.

With tripartite appeal to football fans of England, Wales and – most importantly as it turned out – of Millwall FC, a historic shirt was a winner at Hansons’ ( 20% buyer’s premium) sporting sale.

Catalogued simply as an ‘African ceremonial tribal spear’ and estimated at £200-300, a Luba staff of office sold for an unexpected £18,500 (plus 15% buyer’s premium) at Gildings’ first sale of the new year in Market Harborough.

A sale at Gildings in Market Harborough this month included 10 lots from the family of Albert and Nora McGill – influential industrialists credited with a key role in the founding of Russia’s cotton mill industry in the mid-19th century.

A busier than usual summer for the local housing market appeared to boost both vendor consignments and bidding at Market Harborough auctioneers Gildings (18% buyer’s premium).

Racing along to a double-estimate £2400, this tinplate clockwork Tri-ang Magic Midget made by Line Bros in 1933, led the field at the 450-lot toys sale at Gildings (15% buyer’s premium) in Market Harborough on June 24.

Satirical magazine Private Eye once ran a series highlighting the fatuity of interviews by supposedly asking famous names their feelings towards spoons, there being nothing more mundane or less worthy of comment. But the appeal of an antique spoon to the cognoscenti is not difficult to appreciate.