Our Fine Jewellery & Watches auction on November 30 includes a metamorphic desk seal once belonging to Lady Sophia Macnamara (nee Hare) (1836-1912). The fifth child and fourth daughter of the 1st Earl of Listowe, Lady Sophia married Arthur Macnamara at Ballyhoole, Cork in 1854 and later settled in Hertfordshire becoming a lady in waiting to Princess Louise (later Duchess of Argyll).
9 November 2021
The seal, fashioned in 15ct gold with a carved white agate pommel handle, was made around 1860 when Lady Sophia and her husband Arthur Macnamara settled in Flamstead.
Lot 45 | A ladies' gold metamorphic desk seal, c.1860
Estimate £2,000-3,000
When ‘closed’ a bloodstone matrix with the family seal (the arms of Macnamara impaling Hare) is visible. However, a hinged base opens to reveal a smaller cornelian matrix engraved with a monogram and a third banded agate intaglio engraved with the name Sophia. It comes for sale with an estimate of £2,000-3,000 from the collection of the late Peter Crofts (1924-2001), a Cambridgeshire antiques dealer whose own story was extraordinary.
After schooling at Wisbech grammar, Peter Crofts, the scion of a local farming family, had volunteered to serve in the Fleet Air Army and subsequently went to the US to train as a pilot. Tragically, on March 25, 1945, a month and a day before his 21st birthday, the engine of his Corsair F4U burst into flames during take-off at US Naval Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida. Both his legs were amputated and he had spent three and a half years recovering in hospital.
It was under the guidance of the Stamford dealer Major Bernard Edinburgh that he became an antiques dealer and by 1958 was elected a member of the British Antique Dealers Association. Despite his disability, he was a keen sailor, owning an 88-year-old clinker-built Norfolk beach boat.
A remarkable collection of 177 lots of rare and historic Bibles feature in our timed auction of Books, Manuscripts and Maps from 17-27 April, offering collectors, scholars and history enthusiasts a unique opportunity to own some of the most significant early English translations of the Holy Scriptures. The collection showcases centuries-old editions that played a pivotal role in shaping religious thought, language and culture.
15 April 2025
Ahead of his upcoming ‘retirement sale’ on 13–14 May, we caught up with the ever-charismatic Paul Atkinson to uncover some of the captivating stories behind the lots on offer.
11 April 2025
With styles and silhouettes endlessly evolving during the Victorian period, the continuous advancements in fashion offered women more choice and freedom regarding their attire. Sworders are delighted to present a collection of Victorian clothing in our upcoming Jewellery, Designer Handbags & Accessories sale, taking place on Wednesday 23 April.
9 April 2025