Lots

Lot number: 1

An unusual cast bronze sheet copper and cast iron weathervane

circa 1860
198cm.; 78ins high

The bronze crowned lion and crowned cast iron bust of a man surmounting this piece would suggest that it was originally situated by a building with some form of Royal connection such as the palace of Westminster or perhaps an Oxford or Cambridge college.

Estimated Price: £3000-5000

Hammer Price: £14500.00

Lot number: 2

A pair of monumental carved granite gatepier balls

18th/19th century
122cm.; 48ins high

Estimated Price: £6000-10,000

Lot number: 3

A rare set of four carved Ketton stone pine cones

early 17th century
62cm.; 24ins high

This set of four carved stone pine cones originally stood on the parapet of Spixworth Hall, near Norwich (see photograph). The house was an interesting example of late Elizabethan/early Stuart domestic architecture. It was built in 1607 by William Peck and the pine cones flanked the Flemish style gables on the wings at either end of the house. Over the centuries, various parts of the house were remodelled before falling into disrepair in the early 20th century and being demolished in 1950, with only the stable block and entrance lodges surviving.

The pine cone has featured in art since Pagan times when it represented eternal life because it came from an evergreen. It subsequently featured in Assyrian, Egyptian and Roman art before being adopted by the Catholic church. It‘s use in architectural decoration was largely superseded in England by the introduction of the pineapple as a sign of welcome and a painting by Hendrik Danckerts from 1675 shows Charles II of England being given the first pineapple grown in England by his royal gardener, John Rose.

Estimated Price: £6000-10,000

Hammer Price: £6500.00

Lot number: 4

Joseph Barlow Robinson: A large pair of carved sandstone heads of a horse and a bull

circa 1860
each 74cm.; 29ins high

Provenance: By repute removed from the Corn Exchange, Derby and carved by Joseph Barlow Robinson (1820-1883). The Corn Exchange in Derby was built in 1860 by the Victorian architect, Benjamin Wilson.

This horse and bull heads originally formed part of the first floor balcony which was removed in 1928 during refurbishment following the building‘s acquisition by the Derby Daily Telegraph. Joseph Barlow Robinson was born in South Wingfield and then apprenticed to a London mason. He worked on the Palace of Westminster before returning to Derby and setting up his own showrooms in Derwent Street from which he issued a catalogue/promotional leaflet which itemized his most prestigious jobs including the carvings on The Corn Exchange. He also worked extensively with the architect Henry Isaac Stevens (1806-1873) and carved country house and ecclesiastical commissions throughout the region.

Estimated Price: £2000-3000

Hammer Price: £2600.00

Lot number: 5

A carved sandstone mounting block

possibly 18th century
102cm.; 40ins high

Estimated Price: £1800-2500

Hammer Price: £2000.00

Lot number: 6

A pair of carved Portland stone armorial lions

late 19th century
87cm.; 34ins high

Estimated Price: £2000-3000

Hammer Price: £2800.00

Lot number: 7

A pair of substantial Victorian carved sandstone urns

circa 1860
94cm.; 37ins high

Estimated Price: £10,000-15,000

Hammer Price: £10000.00

Lot number: 8

A rare composition stone bust attributed to Austin & Seeley of Queen Elizabeth I

mid 19th century
on earlier 18th century Belgian fossil marble pedestal
Bust 78cm.; 31ins high, 153cm.; 60ins high overall

Although this model doesn‘t appear in the catalogue, it was probably made by either Austin and Seeley or Matthew Johnson, both manufacturers of composition stone from the mid 19th century. Being an example of an English historical character makes it particularly rare.

Estimated Price: £1000-1500

Lot number: 9

A rare composition stone figure of a woodsman and dog

mid 19th century
the base stamped W. Vickers, Notts
restored
153cm.; 60ins high

The firm of W. Vickers in Nottingham were manufacturers of lace and were thriving in the middle of the 19th century under William Vickers and his son also called William. There is no record of them diversifying into other areas of manufacturing such as composition stone, and as such this figure, which is very similar in style and composition to the wares of Austin and Seeley who were also in operation at the same time in London and was probably an individual commission for their extensive lace making premises in Nottingham next to the Old Town Hall which were demolished in 1899 to make way for the Great Central Railway.

Estimated Price: £3000-5000

Lot number: 10

A rare carved sandstone armorial unicorn from the Palace of Westminster

mid 19th century
114cm.; 45ins high

Estimated Price: £2000-3000