Shropshire

Porcelain from short-lived Staffordshire firm comes from collector and dealer who revived the market

The Times recently ran a feature on seven of the most atmospheric towns in the UK in which to do your Christmas shopping for one-off gifts, maybe combining this joysome activity with a weekend break. Here are some art and antiques options in two of them, Ludlow in Shropshire and Frome in Somerset.

The artist Samuel Fulton (1855-1941) painted portraits of people and horses but by far his favourite subject was dogs.

An example from Frederick Edward McWilliam’s (1909-92) 'Women of Belfast' series is being offered at Halls’ auction in Shrewsbury on December 6.

An antiques fair with a country twist is on offer at Ludlow Racecourse from Two C’s fairs over the weekend of Saturday, and Sunday, July 1-2.

The Asian art sale at Halls in Shrewsbury on May 11 features this 10½in (27cm) pink ground famille rose vase.

Pictured here is a signed photo-portrait of the 20-year-old future Queen Elizabeth II and her then 15-year-old younger sister, Princess Margaret.

Shrewsbury sale offered rare opportunity to bid for a letters by the great writer and lexicographer

A handful of lots featuring communications between an actress, Miss Alice Bowes (1889-1969), and George Bernard Shaw featured in a Mullock’s (20% buyer’s premium) sale.

Among the works on paper causing a stir in the regions during the early part of 2023 was a group of four 19th century topographical studies of Afghanistan

A late 19th century novelty silver teapot offered at Halls (22% buyer’s premium) was made by US silversmith Gorham of Rhode Island.

A small drawing by John Constable of a tree in his birthplace of East Bergholt sold for a triple-estimate £31,000 (plus 22% buyer’s premium).

A happy football fan in Texas – quite possibly with Caledonian roots – is now the proud owner of the first jersey to come to auction from Rangers’ 1972 European Cup Winners’ Cup triumph over Dynamo Moscow.

While this 1672 first did not quite hit the high of pre-sale hopes, it was still top lot of the Shrewsbury sale.

The most desirable of the varied wares produced by the small ceramics factory established by Vilmos Zsolnay (1828-1900) in the south-west Hungarian town of Pecs are those created after the 1890s.

Literally the highlight of Halls’ (23% buyer’s premium) Autumn Sale was a hall lantern demonstrating showy high Victorian taste at its most confident.

This copy of 'Hansel and Gretel', 1925, with 12 tipped-in colour plates by the Danish artist Kay Nielsen (1886-1957), is one of 600 numbered copies (numbered 16) signed by the artist, in the original publisher’s pictorial cloth.

Proof that a traditional piece of furniture can still bring a traditional price, this mid-18th century oak tridarn went seven times above estimate at the Trevanion (20% buyer’s premium) auction in Shropshire.

Two sporting ‘firsts’ are being marked by lots coming up in separate auctions this month.

This cased pair of English flintlock duelling pistols by Joseph Gulley, London, c.1810-15, sold for £8600 at Halls (20/12% buyer’s premium) in a timed online sale that ended on August 2.