This 8½in (22cm) salt-glazed stoneware portrait jug of British naval hero Lord Nelson (1758-1805) shown above was produced by Doulton & Watts in the 19th century.
A forerunner of the more familiar Royal Doulton character jugs introduced a century later, this example is estimated at £80-120 in a sale of British and Continental ceramics and glass at McTear’s of Glasgow on April 26.
mctears.co.uk or see this item on thesaleroom.com
‘Bobbin’ hats were unique to London’s Billingsgate fish market. Made locally in the East End by a specialist ‘bobbin’ craftsman, they were designed with a flat top, enabling fish boxes to be transported on the head by porters.
Comprised of nailed leather, they had a distinct deep all-around brim designed to catch any dripping, icy water, and were given repeated coats of waterproofing tar.
With an average life span of 40 years, they were often passed down through generations of fish porter families. The hats began to disappear from use by the time Billingsgate moved to its new site in 1982.
A tarred leather bobbin hat is estimated at £200-300 at Barbara Kirk Auctions in Penzance on May 1-2.
A collection of antique children’s pottery is going with Robert Pugh Antiques to Antiques in Tents, a fair of country decorator-style pieces held at Burton Court near Leominster in Herefordshire on May 12-13.
The plate shown above is of a type produced by many factories with scenes suitable for children. Made in Staffordshire in c.1840, its rarity lies in the single name, Henry, and is priced at £95. The small Staffordshire mug, with a typical child’s scene captioned Monday Morning, dates to 1860 and is also priced at £95.
An auction dedicated to the art of East Anglia at Keys of Aylsham on April 27 will include a 7 x 11in (18 x 28cm) pencil and wash work of Surlingham Ferry outside Norwich.
Loaned for an exhibition at Norwich Castle Museum in 1965, the painting was executed by the English landscapist John Crome (1768-1821), one of the principal artists of the Norwich School art movement.
Estimate £120-150.
keysauctions.co.uk or see this item on thesaleroom.com
