Yorkshire and the Humber

This Victorian cased diorama of birds of paradise native to New Guinea sold for £18,000 to lead Tennants’ (22% buyer’s premium) Natural History and Taxidermy sale in Leyburn on April 20.

A Queen Anne treen nutcracker proved popular at auction.

Two views of historic British landmarks by John Martin (1789-1854) attracted interest in different parts of the country.

North Yorkshire saleroom Tennants is selling this Kemp & Co field camera with ‘tropical’ mahogany casing and brass fittings, with an estimate of £150-250.

York vintage event returns as first to be staged for three years

Ripley Castle’s website describes a history of persecution, plague, loyalty, social turbulence and recklessness.

Sunny Bank Mills at Farsley near Leeds has been in the Gaunt family for six generations.

While the market for post-war wares by Thompson’s of Kilburn – particularly the animal and figure carvings – has grown substantially in recent years, the ‘prime period’ for Mouseman collecting remains the 1920s-30s.

A number of portraits of women from different periods of history were among the most contested pictures at sales around the country in the early part of this year.

Knowledgeable bidders spot a design by Owen Jones on offer in North Yorkshire

Estimated at £100-150, a group of six items of Second World War army kit ended up selling for £4000 at Tennants (22% buyer’s premium).

A dreamy interwar architectural portrait of Pilgrims Hall, Essex, by Rex Whistler (1905-44) generated interest at Tennants (22% buyer’s premium) of Leyburn, North Yorkshire, on March 19.

Eight different colourways of the classic Whitefriars Banjo vase were offered in a single-owner private collection at Tennants (22% buyer’s premium).

Henry William Dee, the son of Soho silversmith Thomas William Dee (c.1792- 1869), made a speciality of producing silver novelties for Garrard, Leuchars & Son and Asprey’s and other retail goldsmiths. There was real genius here and the patterns for many were patented.

The London firm Samuel Jackson seems to have specialised in mounting other materials in silver to produce wine-coolers.

Galloway Antiques Fairs is back in North Yorkshire this spring for its Duncombe Park event.

This early 19th century walnut and ebonised circular breakfast table sold at Hawleys (20% buyer’s premium) is very much in the Grecian revival style.

When dealer Ian Walker was a child, his father gave him £5, which he promptly spent on a small, signed watercolour by Yorkshire artist George Weatherill (1810-90) he found in a Whitby antiques shop.

Despite a general lack of provenance, Tudor house owner had clearly been well advised

This early 17th century English carved and inlaid oak court cupboard or buffet was the highlight of a sale in Doncaster.