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.
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We are currently consigning for our autumn auction of Design to be held on Monday 24 & Tuesday 25 October with entries closing Friday 9 September.
23 June 2022
The 'V' Type Armchair Designed by Pierre Jeanneret (1896-1967)
Created for government officials in the city of Chandigarh, India, the 'V' Type Armchair was expertly crafted from humidity and bug resistant wood, ensuring they could withstand the test of time.
22 June 2022
The Queen’s Swans and How to Spot The Difference
A rare Tudor manuscript designed to help with swan-keeping in the era when mute swans were owned by the English crown comes to auction in the summer. The two-volume manuscript included in our August 23 sale of Books and Maps was used from the 16th to the19th century by landowners in Norfolk and Suffolk.
21 June 2022