A private collection from the estate of Maurice Collis (1889-1973), who was an administrator in the Indian Civil Service, is the focus of John Nicholson’s April 26 sale in Fernhurst, Surrey.
His interest in collecting early Chinese ceramics began after objects were discovered near the old city of Tenasserim, close to where Collis was living in Mergui during the 1920s and ‘30s.
This Chinese Ming style Guangxu mark and period blue and white porcelain bottle vase is from the collection, and is estimated at £7000-10,000. Bearing the six-character mark on the base, the vase is 15in (38.5cm) high.
Dix Noonan Webb will be offering a group of rare Palestinian banknotes in its Paper Money auction on April 24.
The first paper money issued under the British Mandate for Palestine was dated September 1, 1927, and the second series September 30, 1929 – the date on all the notes to be auctioned.
These are scarce colour trial notes, and all have come from the same private source. The rarest is a fifty pounds note issued by the Palestine Currency Board but shown here is the ten pounds note, depicting the Tower of Ramla or Ramleh, estimated at £12,000-15,000.
In its Military, Coins, Scientific and Maritime sale, Bishop & Miller is featuring this rare c.1895 Alpha Bantam bike as one of its highlights in Stowmarket, Suffolk, on April 22. With crypto gearing and serial number 6988 to its front hub, it is fitted with a rare leather Brooks seat and block rubber pedals.
Built at a time when wheeled transport first became an essential part of society, it was easily mountable, unlike the previously used Penny Farthing, and was a fine example of Victorian engineering. Estimate £5500-7500.
