Royal Worcester plaques depicting the Duke of Wellington and Lord Nelson will appear in a sale of English and European ceramics and glass at Woolley & Wallis of Salisbury on April 29.
The 6 x 4in (15 x 11cm) plaques, mounted in elaborate gilt wood frames with old paper labels to the reverse, were made in 1915 by William Hawkins. Hawkins worked at the factory from 1874-1928, specialising in portraiture, and was foreman of the men’s painting department for many years.
Estimate £3000-5000.
This pair of George III cast silver candlesticks is among 470 lots of furniture, silverware and paintings going under the hammer at Wilkinson’s Auctioneers of Doncaster in South Yorkshire on April 29.
Estimated at £1800-2600, the 10in (25cm) high candlesticks have shell-crested scrolls and were made by the English silversmith Ebenezer Coker (d.1783), hallmarked 1767.
wilkinsons-auctioneers.co.uk or see this item on thesaleroom.com
An Islamic and Indian art sale on April 27 at Chiswick Auctions in London will include this life-size, 9ft 10in x 7ft (3 x 2.15m) reproduction of a brass weighing chair.
This piece is likely to have been produced in the 20th century possibly for the lavish weighing ceremonies of Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III (1877-1957) in India.
Often the equivalent of the Aga Khan’s weight in gold or diamonds was gifted in support of Ismaili community causes.
The scales have been in a UK private collection since they were purchased from a gallery in Geneva around 40 years ago.
Estimate £2000-3000.
chiswickauctions.co.uk or see this item on thesaleroom.com
This is a 5ft (1.52m) long brass patent model of the ‘Traction Torpedo’ – a weapon so complicated and dangerous it appears never to have been made. The brass model, possibly a working prototype used as a sales pitch to governments, was constructed in c.1886 by ALG & Co, a London firm of scientific instrument makers.
The torpedoes were designed to be kept in the confines of a harbour or secure area where they would be hitched to a chain and supposed to settle harmlessly on the sea bed when not in use. When needed, the torpedoes rose to a pre-determined depth to patrol the harbour. The risk they posed to the user’s own ships appears to be a major reason they failed to be deployed.
Maritime auction specialist Charles Miller will offer the 5ft (1.52m) long model on May 1 at 25 Blythe Road in West Kensington, London. Estimate £1500-2500.
charlesmillerltd.com or see this item on thesaleroom.com
