We are amused: after-dinner entertainment of the Victorian era
Automata, clockwork models that could perform for guests at the wind of a key, were the after-dinner entertainment of the Victorian era....
A late Victorian papier-mâché model of a Boston terrier, complete with working growler, attracted strong bidding at Sworders’ bi-weekly Homes & Interiors auction on Tuesday 16 October. Probably made by the French toy manufacturing company Roullet & Decamps, well known for their automata and walking and moving dolls and toys, the mechanical terrier was consigned to sale by a seller local to Sworders' Stansted Moutfitchet auction room. It sold for £1,353 including premium.
Recent News
Beyond the Frame
We are delighted to share our Old Master, British & European Art department's recent successes, including a focus on women artists and rediscoveries.
22 July 2026
Tastemakers: Modern and Contemporary Art & Design
This November, Sworders is pleased to present Tastemakers: Modern and Contemporary Art & Design, a landmark auction dedicated to the artists, designers, makers, collectors and patrons who have shaped visual culture throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
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Why Do We Collect Art?
On Thursday 11 June we were thrilled to host a talk given by the incomparable Rufus Bird, staged at our London Gallery in Cecil Court.
3 July 2026