A collection of nine bonbonnières – the small boxes intended for breath-freshening tablets or cachous to sweeten the breath – feature in a Fine & Decorative sale on March 21 at Roseberys in West Norwood, London.
Such decorative objets d’art were particularly popular with the aristocracy of the 18th century and were produced in a variety of sculptural forms including animals.
This early 19th century continental porcelain and gilt-metal mounted example, modelled as a white mouse and with an interior satirical scene of mice tying a cat into a baby’s crib, is estimated at £1200-1800.
roseberys.co.uk or see this item on thesaleroom.com
Bermondsey gallery Eames Fine Art in south-east London has assembled an exhibition of biting political cartoons by the 18th century artist James Gillray (1756-1815).
James Gillray: Political Ravishment runs until March 31 and showcases a series of recently hand-coloured engravings taken from models in the British Museum’s archives. (Gillray’s prints were produced in black and white then hand-coloured by his print shop to order.)
Resonating with the current political relationship between Britain and Europe, this satirical map shows England personified as John Bull excreting a British Declaration at swarming French boats. The French Invasion; – or – John Bull bombarding the Bum-Boats, 1793, is priced at £850.
For centuries after the execution of King Charles I on January 30, 1649, commemorative jewellery in the form of rings, lockets and pendants was produced and worn as a sign of allegiance to the Royalist cause.
This heart-shaped silver locket opens to reveal a portrait of Charles l in low relief and is engraved with the devotional phrases I morne for Monarchy and I live and dye in loyaltye.
It has provenance to the Penrose Estate in Porthleven, Cornwall, and carries a £500-1000 estimate in a two-day sale at Penzance auction house David Lay on March 21-22.
davidlay.co.uk or see this item on thesaleroom.com
Believed to be an undiscovered melody not previously heard before, this andante notated on musical manuscript is signed by the composer Edward Elgar and dated 1924.
The piece of music, possibly a brief overture scored for a string quartet, was discovered by the auctioneer. It had been tucked inside an autograph book collected by Lydia Tabb, a matron and fundraiser for the children’s charity Barnardo’s who died in 1983.
It features in a sale at Staffordshire saleroom Richard Winterton in Lichfield on March 26, estimated in the region of £1000.
