Tennants

The popularity of the tiara, that reached its peak in the decades before the onset of the First World War when diamonds from South Africa were in plentiful supply, has fluctuated across the 20th century in line with prosperity and fashion.

It is often said there is a strict hierarchy for the prices of game bird pictures by the great ornithological artist Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935).

Tennants offered a well-received 70-lot sale dedicated to views mostly of Yorkshire from a private collection last month.

Among the Banksy works sold outside London recently was a screenprint of Trolleys that made £40,000 at Tennants’ (20% buyer’s premium) of Leyburn in North Yorkshire.

By 1941, wartime Britain was facing severe shortages of both the raw materials and the labour force needed to make clothing.

The highlight of a £75,000, 30-lot private collection of Robert Thompson oak carvings sold by Tennants was an anthropomorphic figure of The Mouseman of Kilburn.

A late work by LS Lowry (1887-1976), which had never appeared on the open market before, overshot a £60,000- 90,000 estimate at Tennants’ latest Modern & Contemporary art sale.

Made using woollen yarns on a linen ground, crewelwork is most typically associated with England in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Lacking the glitter of a former rock star owner, this Fender Stratocaster sold on the traditional antiques virtues of quality, age and condition.

This Liverpool creamware transfer-printed frog mug was produced by the short-lived Herculaneum factory c.1830-33 just after the 1829 Rainhill Steam Trials.

As with so many other collecting areas recently, the conditions of lockdown – meaning spare money and time for the fortunate – have led to buoyant demand for toys, models and collectables.

Cases of Australian animals stand out among a family home taxidermy treasure trove

The luxury perfumery l’Officina Profuma Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella in Florence is considered the oldest pharmacy in the world.

Mounted in an autograph book that was compiled from 1937 onwards by Miss Joyce Cartmell, a sketch of Christopher Robin was a highlight of a Yorkshire sale.

The highlight of a private collection of Robert Thompson oak carvings to be offered by Tennants on March 6 is this curious anthropomorphic figure of the ‘Mouseman of Kilburn’.

Tennants’ (20% buyer’s premium) Autumn Fine Sale in Leyburn was topped by a pair of verre eglomisé pictures by Jonas Zeuner (1727-1814).

Four lots of French railway posters attracted a good deal of attention at Tennants (20% buyer’s premium) on December 9-10.

Furniture by Robert ‘Mouseman' Thompson and more recent productions from the Kilburn workshop attracted the usual enthusiasm at Tennants (20% buyer’s premium).

Three modestly valued works selling at regional sales including a Harry Fidler oil.

Always popular at auction, always great to write about – so no excuses needed for featuring a selection of the weird and wonderful Second World War spy and sabotage gadgets and ingenious escape devices which do appear often in sales.