A painting catalogued as ‘Early 16th Century, Circle of Ghirlandaio Family’, estimated £12,000-£18,000 at Parker Fine Art Auctions.
A depiction of St Catherine of Siena painted in tempera on a cradled poplar panel is among the Old Masters on offer at Parker Fine Art Auctions in Farnham, Surrey on March 7.
Measuring 203/4 x 141/2in (53 x 37cm), it shows St Catherine with eyes closed and holding a single rose and a handwritten prayer book in her hands. She wears the white veil and black cloak of the Dominican Tertiary.
The work is catalogued as ‘Circle of Ghirlandaio Family’ and dating from the early 16th century. Housed in a later silver frame, the auction house believes it was overpainted in the 19th century but has been restored to a state where it is ready to hang.
Estimate: £12,000-£18,000
Second World War flying jacket owned by a gunner in the Royal Australian Air Force, estimate £400-600 at Sworders.
An original Second World War flying jacket owned by a gunner in the Royal Australian Airforce has a guide of £400-600 as part of the arms and militaria section in the March 12 Home and Interiors sale at Sworders.
The Irvin 1943 pattern sheep skin and fleece lined jacket, labelled 40288 1943 is also inscribed in ink for the original owner WS Cheetham 411645 RAAF.
Sydney Wilfred Cheetham (1921-96) was born in Toowoomba, Queensland, and enlisted in the RAAF in November 1941. Taken from Australia to Canada on the Dutch liner MS Klipfontein in May 1942, he trained as a WOAG (Wireless Operator Air Gunner) and joined 58 Squadron (Coastal Command) in Stornoway, Scotland. Flying in Handley Page Halifax heavy bombers, he completed 38 sorties totalling more than 330 hours.
His jacket was acquired after the war by an Essex farmer to wear against the elements while driving his tractor.
Chorley’s is offering this letter by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, estimate £3000-5000.
On March 20 Gloucestershire saleroom Chorley’s is offering this letter by the renowned 18th century Swiss Enlightenment philosopher, and political theorist Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-78).
Identified on a routine valuation day (the owner had no idea who it was written to, or by, as it was written in French) it was penned by Rousseau to a Monsieur Le Chambrier, a diplomat to the Kingdom of Prussia, who was stationed to protect the municipality of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.
A translation of the letter shows Rousseau asking for help with a woman’s plight following a fire. Le Chambrier was well-known to Rousseau and he mentioned him in his memoirs, The Confessions. The letter carries an estimate of £3000-5000.
Two Elisabeth Frink (1930-93) pictures are coming up for auction in Cheltenham on March 19.
An etching and aquatint of a horse rolling over is estimated at £1500-2000 and Man and Horse III, a lithograph, is guided at £700-800. They feature in The Cotswold Auction Company’s sale of Modern Art and Design, Vintage Fashion and Textiles.
Victorian diamond-set horse and jockey brooch, estimate £1500-2000 at Ryedale Auctioneers.
This Victorian diamond-set horse and jockey brooch, 5cm long, features in the Ryedale Auctioneers Country House Sale on March 15.
The enamel jockey rides a white and yellow metal jumping horse set with round cut diamonds of various sizes, with cabochon sapphire eyes.
Estimate £1500-2000.
Sheffield United v Middlesbrough football programme for the match held on March 27, 1911, estimate £50-60 at Vectis.
This Sheffield United v Middlesbrough football programme for the match held on March 27, 1911, is estimated at £50-60 in the Vectis auction in Stockton-on-Tees on March 14.
Rare Chinese volume of Mao lectures, estimate £40,000-60,000 at Lacy Scott & Knight.
In Previews, ATG No 2632, we featured a prototype edition of the Quotations of Chairman Mao Tse-Tung (the Little Red Book) coming up at a London auction.
If that wasn’t enough to sate your appetite, Bury St Edmunds auction house Lacy Scott & Knight is also offering (separately) a rare Chinese volume of Mao lectures on March 16.
A fresh-to-auction 1938 signed first edition of On Protracted War, an original Chinese publication includes Mao’s signature, an early example from the war-torn period before the foundation of the People’s Republic of China. The volume was bought by the vendor’s left-wing grandfather from the British Communist Party in 1950, and remained undiscovered in a drawer until very recently when the vendor’s own father died.
From his base in Yan’an, Mao authored several texts for his troops, including Philosophy of Revolution, which offered an introduction to the Marxist theory of knowledge; Protracted Warfare (this volume), dealing with guerrilla and mobile military tactics; and On New Democracy, which laid forward ideas for China’s future.
Mao’s lectures regarding the war with Japan were undertaken in May and June 1938 at the Yenan Association for the Study of the War of Resistance Against Japan.
The estimate is £40,000-60,000.
Chinese celadon jade inscribed ‘Luohan’ boulder from the Qianlong reign with its original hardwood stand, estimate £70,000-100,000 at Tennants.
An array of Asian art and European antiques will be going under the hammer in Tennants’ Spring Fine Sale on March 16, led by this Chinese celadon jade inscribed ‘Luohan’ boulder from the Qianlong reign with its original hardwood stand.
Estimated at £70,000-100,000, it depicts Buddhist sage Luohan Ańgaja sitting cross-legged in a rocky grotto and is inscribed with the imperial seal marks and the imperial eulogy to Ańgaja written by the Qianlong Emperor.
It is offered as part of a private collection of Asian art and European antiques, which has a fine offering of Jade. The collectors lived in London from the 1950s and acquired the fine collection predominantly from the leading Asian art and antiques dealers in the city.
A religious painting believed to date from the first half of the 16th century, estimate £150,000-200,000 at Martel Maides.
A religious painting believed to date from the first half of the 16th century will be offered at Guernsey saleroom Martel Maides Auctions on March 7.
The auction house has attributed the triptych depicting the Adoration of the Magi to ‘circle or workshop’ of Flemish artist Pieter Coecke van Aelst the Elder (1502-50).
Martel Maides’ painting specialist Jonathan Voak said: “No signed and very few documented paintings by Pieter Coecke van Aelst have survived. He is known to have operated a large workshop where numerous assistants followed his original designs and produced works under his supervision.
“This triptych bears a close resemblance to others ascribed to him but this example is unique with its own peculiarities, not a copy or replica. It’s distinguished by an intriguing inscription, NAC, on the column fragment and a Latin inscription on the seal of Balthazar’s hat - features which do not appear in other versions. The Latin inscription SAPI V. Dioc. Nictu (I will give you my wisdom) is a biblical reference taken from Luke 21:15.”
Estimate £150,000-200,000.
A previously unknown collection of items related to the Jack the Ripper murders, expected to sell for in excess of £10,000 at Whitton & Laing.
A previously unknown collection of items related to the Jack the Ripper murders will be offered at auction by Whitton & Laing in Exeter on March 22.
They all belonged to Inspector Joseph Henry Helson (1845-1920) and have been passed down through his family and are currently in the possession of his great grandson.
Helson was a Devonshire man. After working for the South Devon railway as a porter and policeman, he joined the Metropolitan Police as a constable in 1869, retiring as an inspector in 1895. At the time of the first Ripper murder, that of Mary Ann ‘Polly’ Nichols on August 31, 1888, Helson was acting inspector in J Division and took charge of the investigation. He also assisted in the second murder and attended inquests of some of the other victims. On his retirement from the Met, he returned to Devon and again worked for the railway.
Among the items to be sold are a mortuary photo of Mary Nichols which, although faded, seems to differ from the known photo with the camera at a very slightly different angle. There are also two photos of one of the main suspects, Michael Ostrog, with notes to the reverse listing three of his aliases, criminal record and physical appearance.
The collection is to be offered as one lot and is expected to sell for in excess of £10,000.
whittonandlaingauctioneers.co.uk
Victorian cyclist bugle, estimate £200-300 at Charterhouse.
A group of unusual bicycle items are being sold by Charterhouse in Sherborne on April 3 in the Automobilia & Enamel Sign Auction.
Bikes going under the hammer include a c.1950 tandem tricycle, a c.1912 James tricycle, a BSA and a Humber bicycle, both c.1910, and all being sold without reserve.
Shown here is a Victorian cyclist bugle which is perhaps the rarest item in the sale. The silver-plated bugle, made by Henry Keats and called a buglet, would have been used by early cycling clubs. The bugler would announce when the cyclists were to mount, move off, slow down, be aware of other road users, dangerous descents or to dismount.
Victorian cyclist bugle, estimate £200-300 at Charterhouse.
Measuring just (18.5cm), it is engraved Presented by the Lewes Bicycle Club won by J Andrews Jnr July 11th 1878 and is estimated at £200-300.
A collection of early cycling medals and ephemera is to be sold by Lawrences of Crewkerne, estimate £4000-6000.
A collection of early cycling medals and ephemera is to be sold by Lawrences of Crewkerne on April 17. It relates to Frederick Charles Lowcock who was born in 1876 in Northenden, Manchester.
Records show that he was a member of the Manchester Wheelers from its formation in 1890. Among the lots are 20 cased gold medals and 11 silver cased medals, dating from the 1890s and early 1900s. These comprise individual races and some tandem races too. The sale also includes photographs, an album of paper cuttings and various ephemera.
A collection of early cycling medals and ephemera is to be sold by Lawrences of Crewkerne, estimate £4000-6000.
Lowcock later became chairman and managing director of FC Lowcock & Co Glove Factory. After his move to the Isle of Man, he was active in the Manx Wheelers Cycling Club and he encouraged young cyclists. He died in 1947 at the age of 70. The collection has been consigned by a relative.
Simon Jones of Lawrences said: “This is the largest and most impressive cycling collection I have seen, dating from the very earliest early days of organised cycling races.”
The collection is estimated at £4000-6000 in this Somerset sale.
