The last Antique and Fine Art auction of 2011 on the 25th November showed no signs of slowing down for the festive season with two of the busiest viewing days of the year (perhaps encouraged by the complimentary wine and mince pies!!) and hundreds of requests for condition reports from Canada and America to Turkey, Hong Kong and Australia. Technical problems with the Internet and online bidding caused concerns on the morning of sale but these were finally rectified two minutes before the start of the auction at 9.30am and everything proceeded as normal.

Silver again was a successful start to the sale with only two of the seventy-two lots failing to find a buyer. Highest price was for the last lot of the section an Edwardian 83ozs tray at £1,350.00 followed by a 1973 42ozs salver at £660.00. Tea sets varied from £340.00 to £850.00 and other heavier items such as fruit bowls and comports also sold well. A collection of thirty vesta cases, sold in lots of three, averaged about £70.00 per lot.

As expected at this time of year there was a good demand for jewellery, helped by the inclusion of a fresh-to-the-market quantity from a deceased estate in Hull, which has been locked away in a bank vault for many years. One of the surprising results was a suite of costume jewellery by the American designer Miriam Haskell, sold for £300.00 and going back to the USA via the Internet. Highest price in this section was for a gold full hunting cased quarter repeater chronograph pocket watch at £1,000.00 with a gentleman's Rolex Oyster wristwatch also doing well at £690.00.

The metalware section contained a number of lots from the Middle East and Far East consigned from a deceased estate in Bridlington with Isnik items selling better than those from India and China. The highest price was paid for a pair of 19th Century lustre candle holders which realised £320.00, with an Isnik copper dish, sold with two similar items, making £280.00. A pair of late 19th Century Chinese bronze vases sold for £210.00.

Amongst the miscellaneous items was lot 321 an 18th Century brass circumferentor/compass theodolite, one of the lots which created the most pre-sale interest, resulting in a frenzied battle between numerous worldwide internet and telephone bidders finally being sold for £2,000.00, ten times the pre-sale estimate despite having some damage. A particularly good quality Victorian inlaid mahogany writing box made £260.00 and the same price was paid for a collection of four carved oak ashtrays/bowls by Tom "Gnomeman" Whittaker of Little Beck. A 19th Century ivory mounted desk thermometer realised £170.00 and an Indian thrusting dagger Katar £160.00. A collection of forty French watercolour vignettes for the 1904 edition of La Chanson de Mois sold for just under the estimate at £450.00.

The traditional ceramics provided another lot with considerable pre-sale interest, lot 362 a pot lid entitled "All But Trapped", sold with two others, it realised £950.00, despite being chipped, cracked and stained - damage thought by one viewer to have been caused by a spade when excavated at a tip site! Another lot selling well over estimate was a Davenport Toby jug of a female drinker, again considerably damaged, but still selling for £750.00. Chinese ceramics continue to sell strongly with two ginger jars realising £300.00, an 18th Century meat plate £150.00 and a collection of four vases £220.00.

Amongst the more modern ceramics a small section of Moorcroft all sold for between £100.00 and £190.00, a large pair of Japanese table lamps £170.00 and the highest price of the section was for a pair of Dresden style figures at £550.00. A collection of three Isnik style items lot 412 were sold on the Internet for £220.00 to a buyer in Turkey.

The glass section contained a large collection of 18th and 19th Century drinking glasses sold in lots of four to eleven. Buyers were noticeably selective with one lot of four realising £250.00 and the remaining lots varying from £20.00 to £95.00. A Bohemian white overlay casket sold for £220.00, a Daum globular vase £180.00 and a pair of cranberry glass and silver-plated oil lamps £200.00. Modern art glass, particularly signed examples, all performed far better than earlier pieces.

A small number of objets d'Art lots also included various Eastern items with bronze figures of deities and animals realising £100.00 to £150.00, and a Cantonese carved ivory calling card case with similar box is off to Singapore for £180.00.

Amongst the clocks and other instruments a late 19th Century table top musical box sold for £650.00 and a similar pocket version £150.00. Mantel clocks sold for £70.00 to £140.00, Vienna style wall clock £110.00 and longcase clocks £250.00 to £1,000.00.

A well stocked furniture section proved difficult in parts but a matched set of twelve Chippendale style dining chairs found a buyer at £700.00, a George III linen press made £600.00 and a pair of Oriental rosewood jardinière stands went well over estimate at £600.00. Two cabinet made oak dining suites by Alan "Acornman" Grainger of Brandsby, one with seven chairs, the other four chairs realised £1,750.00 and £780.00 respectively. An Edwardian inlaid mahogany half round display cabinet sold for £800.00, a similar period six piece salon suite made £950.00. Highest price of the section was £1,850.00 for a fine early 19th Century rosewood Wellington chest.

Pictures got off to a good start with a limited edition hand coloured etching after Tom Carr selling for £300.00. Amongst the watercolours maritime subjects featured the best with Reuben Chappell's study of the brigantine Eliezer realising £650.00 and Kenneth Jepson's battle scene of two sailing ships achieving £500.00. Oil paintings were dominated by Fred Elwell with a rare self portrait selling for £4,000, a still life study of flowers £1,600.00 and a French river landscape scene £1,350.00. A 1905 view of cottages at Runswick Bay by John Bowman sold well over estimate at £1,900.00 and a very large painting of figures by a horse and carriage in a park in the manner of E Carpentier realised £1,450.00.

We are now collecting for the first Antique & Fine Art of 2012 to be held on 17th February. Deadline for entries 13th January 2012.

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