The first sale in Stowmarket is scheduled for October 14 with follow-up events planned for January, May and September 2020.
Houlston spent 15 years heading Phillips’ and then Bonhams’ vernacular furniture sales but earlier this year moved to a consultancy role. Based in the Cotswolds, near Stow-on-the-Wold, he and wife Carolyn, previously a textiles specialist at Phillips, are dealing from home and online. Houlston’s departure marked the end of the regular Oak Interior sales at Bonhams held in Oxford with most items now being removed to Knightsbridge for sale.
Bishop & Miller’s sales, the first with over 500 lots, will feature period oak, vernacular furniture, textiles, metalwork, folk art and related works of art including early jewellery.
The first, with over 500 lots, includes a newly discovered Robert Mindum shoehorn (estimate £2000- 3000) and a small Yorkshire court cupboard c.1630 (£8000-10,000).
“We are delighted to be working with David and planning to take up the torch as the premier oak auction house in the country,” Oliver Miller told ATG.
