Evelyn De Morgan preparatory head study for the monumental work St Christina Giving her Father’s Jewels to the Poor, estimate £2000-3000 at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood.
1. Evelyn De Morgan drawing
This sanguine drawing by Evelyn De Morgan (1855- 1919) is a preparatory head study for the monumental work St Christina Giving her Father’s Jewels to the Poor, destroyed by fire in 1991. Dated c.1904, it depicts the same model used in a similar story in the De Morgan Collection.
It comes by descent through De Morgan’s family for sale at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood in Exeter on January 16-17.
Estimate £2000-3000. View and bid for this drawing via thesaleroom.com.
2. Silver hip flask
George III silver tear-drop form hip flask by John Holloway engraved with the monogram of Princess Augusta Sophia, estimate £2000-3000 at Sotheby’s.
This George III silver tear-drop form hip flask by John Holloway (London, 1793) is engraved with the monogram of Princess Augusta Sophia (1768-1840), the sixth child and second daughter of George III and Queen Charlotte.
She lived mainly at Windsor with her mother and sisters – it was nicknamed ‘the nunnery’, with the mad king confined on the other side of the castle.
On her death her jewels and plate were purchased by her brother Prince Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover, who hoped to bequeath them to future generations via a fideicommissum (a legal agreement to ensure objects pass down in a direct line of succession). This hip flask carries the initials EAFs (Ernsti Augusti FideikommisSum) that were engraved to the family silver in 1855.
It carries an estimate of £2000-3000 as part of the Royal & Noble sale that runs online at Sotheby’s in London until January 17.
3. Military medal
Military Medal awarded at Acting Sergeant, later Major Ronald George ‘Taffy’ Morris following Operation Jaywick in 1943, in a group estimated at £60,000-80,000 at Noonans.
A secret medal awarded following Operation Jaywick in 1943 – when Australian Commandos performed a raid on Japanese-occupied Singapore Harbour in a vessel disguised as an Asian fishing boat - will be offered by Noonans.
Only two British men participated in the daring mission and the medals belonging to Welshman Acting Sergeant, later Major Ronald George ‘Taffy’ Morris of the Royal Army Medical Corps who was attached to the Special Operations Executive (SOE) are expected to fetch £60,000-80,000 in the Mayfair auction on January 17.
His Military Medal was approved by the king on May 17, 1944, on the Secret List, with the instruction that it was not to be published in the London Gazette until it had been taken off the Secret List. Morris was not the only one to be presented with the medal after the raid; Corporal Crilly, the ship's cook, was given one too.
The collection is being sold by the recipient’s son who has recently written a book about his father’s exploits.
4. Transformer toy
Hasbro Transformers G1 Classic Heroes Autobot Prowl, estimate £100-150 at Special Auction Services.
Transformers toys, first released in 1984, are among the more recent brands now appearing often at auction alongside the likes of Lego, Star Wars and He-Man. A collection of 100 Transformer toys that have been in an attic for 20 years will go under the hammer on January 16 at Special Auction Services in Newbury.
The Transformers were bought by the vendor from a work colleague who was getting married – and whose future wife insisted that he sell his collection beforehand.
At the time the vendor lived in a flat and did not have space for the seven large boxes he had bought. Fortunately, his brother stepped in and offered his attic. The collection stayed there untouched ever since.
Highlights include this Hasbro Transformers G1 Classic Heroes Autobot Prowl, estimated at £100-150.
View and bid for this transformer via thesaleroom.com.
5. Porcelain doll
Porcelain head doll made by Jumeau, estimate £1000-1500 at Lawrences of Crewkerne.
Found recently in a trunk, this porcelain head doll made by the famous Jumeau factory is estimated at £1000-1500 in the Lawrences of Crewkerne auction on January 16-19.
Dating to the late 19th century, the doll has glass paperweight eyes, closed mouth and applied ears, and comes with some clothing and a brass miniature bed. It stands 18in (46cm) high and has remained largely untouched, says the saleroom.
The doll was discovered in west Dorset and the family who own it believe it has been stored in the trunk for over 50 years, ensuring a good condition.
