Underlining the continued worldwide enthusiasm for antiques, he added: “The saleroom was packed and with the internet we had over 1600 bidders from 33 countries apart from the UK. Some visitors arrived at 7am and did not leave until the auction ended around 8.15pm.”
The 11-hour straight-through marathon was the eighth New Year’s Day sale at the expanding Lincoln rooms, the buyers coming from a different demographic than the 16-30 group traditionally nursing hangovers.
Instead there were buyers such as the Scottish collector who had travelled south from the spiritual home of Hogmanay to secure a Victorian Sirion, the penny-in-the-slot polyphon music player.
With 30 discs each playing two tunes, the mechanics were in excellent condition, although the case had flaws including a crack to the glass cover and minor chips.
It was lot No 1258 but the buyer stayed the course and secured the machine at £7800 against an estimate of £2000-3000.
There was something here for all budgets, but better bids included a lower-estimate £6000 on a Louis XVI-style ‘Three Graces’ cercle tourant pillar clock in ormolu, bronze and marble.
A 19th century lady’s rosewood writing desk took £1500; a Meiji shibayama card in excellent condition and decorated with birds, bees and plants sold at £900 and a late 19th century, 8in (20cm) tall Stevens & Williams glass Orisis vase made £1340.
The Orisis technique – blown and cased glass with ‘pulled’ decoration – was pioneered by John Northwood at the Stourbridge factory in the 1880s.
