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.
In our next Design sale on Tuesday 22 October, we are lucky to offer a plethora of cameo works from many of the French greats, as well as a fine collection of contemporary Lalique works.
1 October 2024
A remarkable European private collection is set to come up for auction at Sworders later this year, offering an eclectic mix of antiquities and modern art that reflects the sophisticated taste of its owner.
20 September 2024
Featured in our next two Homes & Interiors sales (18-19 September and 8 October) are pieces from an exceptional private collection of Georgian shoe buckles. Inherited from the vendor’s parents (some even from their grandparents) they were acquired over a prolonged period since the 1950s.
13 September 2024