A Bundle of Hummel !!

We have just finished cataloguing a large Private Collection of Hummel figures to be sold in our next Fine Art and Antique Auction on Wednesday 27th November.

The history of Hummel is a fascinating one taking us back to the 1930's and a German Nun called Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel who began drawing pastoral images of children. These drawings were in turn made into 'art cards' which became popular throughout Germany catching the eye of Franz Goebel who was at that time head of W. Goebel Porzellanfabrik. The Goebel factory acquired the rights to turn Sister Maria Innocentia's drawings into figurines and the first Hummel figures were produced in 1935. American soldiers stationed in West Germany at the end of World War II contributed to the increase in popularity of these figures in the United States by sending these nostalgic pieces home as presents.

Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel died in 1946 at the age of 37. Goebel together with his team of artists and a board of Sisters from the Convent where Sister Maria Innocentia had lived carried on her legacy until 2008 when the production of Hummel figures was discontinued.

Deadline Looming!

Don't miss the deadline for entries to our next Fine Art and Antique Auction to be held on Wednesday 27th November.

Please contact us to arrange for items to be entered before Friday 8th November.

Call us 0191 537 2630, email boldon@btconnect.com or call into the Saleroom.

We look forward to meeting you and hopefully selling your items.

18th September 2013 Fine Art & Antique Auction Highlights

Toys took a leading role at our most recent Fine Art and Antique auction with a combined sale total of just under £4000. The star lot was the Japanese Batman Robot which sold for a massive £1600. And other big money items included a Barbie “Twist and Turn” Francie doll and outfit which sold for £680 and a vintage Elastolin Noah’s Ark and animals which sold for £320. Corgi vehicles also sold well.

Modern Chinese ceramics also sold for more than was expected with lot 49, a modern Oriental egg shell table lamp and shade decorated with butterflies and a tall slender egg shell vase decorated with landscapes, selling for £950. And Lot 127, a small Chinese bronze censor sold to the internet for £1900.

Fans of Mabel Lucie Attwell ceramics had three lots to choose from in this auction, “The Bride”, “Is Shy” and “The Gardener’s Boy” which sold for between £320-550 each.

Watches again sold for well above the top end, reinforcing the argument that they are still a good investment. Lot 275, a Gentleman's Rolex Oyster Perpetual 'Yacht Master', sold for £3000 and a Rolex Oyster Perpetual “Air King” sold for £825.

 

A lot of work had to go on behind the scenes before we could sell lot 143, a snow leopard skin. We were advised that a government licence, Article 10 needed to be obtained before we could legally sell it, and each subsequent owner will need to purchase their own licence. Fortunately it sold for £1800 following a lot of interest so it was worth the extra work.

We had three vintage cameras in the sale including a Perkins and Son and Rayment half plate mahogany and brass camera with red bellows and mahogany tripod, in good condition, which sold for £300, showing the continuing popular demand for anything photographic.

We see a lot of old sewing machines in our General Sales and they never usually raise particularly good money, but lot 179, a 'Princess of Wales' cast iron sewing machine, sold for £130 partly, according to Giles Hodges, because it was manufactured by Newton Wilson and Co. one of the pioneers of the sewing machine industry in Great Britain from 1851.

Local interest was raised by a collection of half block model boats built between 1838-1870 that sold for prices ranging from £440-520. Enthusiasts will be pleased to know that they will be staying in the North East.

Our fortnightly valuation days, held on the Friday following each auction, have turned up some impressive items including this small oil on board by Antoinetta Brandeis (1849-1910) of the Ducal Palace Yard, Venice, which sold for £2800 against an estimate of £800-1200.

We had a good selection of art works in this auction, including a large collection of dog pictures. Lot 445, a signed pastel by John Silver (born 1959) of a study of a foxhound from the North Shropshire Hunt sold for £290.

In the furniture section a particularly nice quality 19th century Continental centre table with shaped walnut and ebonised top decorated with goat herders and hunting scenes and with marquetry floral banding and peacock decoration, lot 497, sold for £500 proving that good quality items will always find their way at auction.

Lot 497, a 19th century walnut Penny-in-Slot polyphone, was unusual in that it came in the form of a clock rather than the more normal table form. The music mechanism still played although the clock itself was not working. It sold for £2150 against an estimate of £300-500.

As you can see from the varied range of items sold in this Auction it is always worth while bringing items along for Valuation – you have nothing to lose and possibly a lot to gain!
All Valuations are free and if items are large or bulky please do email pictures to us at boldon@btconnect.com.

We are now accepting entries for our next Fine Art and Antique Auction to be held on Wednesday 27th November 2013.  Please call in, telephone or email us and we will arrange to value and/or enter items for Auction.

Front Street, East Boldon, Tyne and Wear, NE36 0SJ

tel: 0191 5372630

e-mail: boldon@btconnect.com

www.boldonauctions.co.uk

Half Block Model Ships for Sale

 

We have 6 half block models of ships for sale in our forthcoming Fine Art & Antique Sale on 18th September 2013.

One of the models is a half block model of the composite ship 'Maitland', length 183 ft, breadth 35 ft, depth 19 ft 6 in, Tonnage 1004 B. M. (The Famous Tea Clipper).
121 cm long. Estimate £400 - £600

The Maitland was a tea clipper built by William Pile, Sunderland. and launched December 2nd 1865. During her relatively short career of 9 years she sailed to Hong Kong, Shangai and Foochow and was wrecked on May 25th 1874 on a coral reef in the Huon Islands, New Caledonia on a voyage from Brisbane to Foochow.

The shipyard where she was built was owned by William Pile, a well respected British shipbuilder who was the first to introduce the Clipper class of ship to the river Wear in Sunderland. Amongst the ships built by William Pile was the ‘St Vincent’ and the redoubtable ‘City of Adelaide’.

Half block models were an important design and sales tool and were carved from a single block of wood. The shipbuilder would sit down with the prospective ship owner and the proposed half block model.

The model itself represented only the hull, from the sheer line to the keel. The model was also carved to the inside of planking. In other words, the dimensions of the model represented the size of the ship less the thickness of planking. This was done so that measurements taken from the model represented the outside dimensions of the frames. This was important in times when the hull planking could be as much a three to six inches thick or more.

Vertical marks would be made on the model, from sheer line to keel. These represented the locations of key frames. On a block model, strips of lead were bent to conform to the shape of the hull at one of the frame marks. These outlines were then transferred to a flat surface and the outline of the frame was expanded to full size and drawn on thin wood as templates.

Once the ship was finished, the half block model was often fastened to a piece of planking and hung on the office wall or presented to the ship owner. Models of clipper ship hulls are quite rare, as the designing and building of these ships was a very competitive process.

'Elanware' Mother and Child

We are offering for sale in our Fine Art & Antique Auction on Wednesday 18th September an Adamsez ‘Elanware’ of Scotswood, Newcastle ‘Mother and Child’ figure.

The estimate is £400 - £600.

The ‘Elanware’ pottery was developed by Alan H. Adams. A slightly crystalline, dark grey glaze has been applied, giving the figure a metallic sheen. This type of glaze was developed for the firm by A.B. Searle, and was used on pottery made from local fireclay.

Moses J. Adams began to make ‘Adamesk’ art wares in 1904 at his pottery in Scotswood, Newcastle. Using local fireclay the firm first produced sanitary wares which were often decorated with coloured leadless glazes developed by A.B. Searle.

The production of decorative vases, bowls and models developed and was continued by Moses’ son Alan H. Adams, who became a director in 1921. The firm later changed its name to Adamsez Ltd., and finally closed in 1975.
This Sale will be held on Wednesday 18th September from 10am.

We are open for viewing on Saturday 14th September 10am - 1pm, Tuesday 17th September 2pm-6pm and on the morning of the sale from 9am.

Entries still being accepted Fine Art & Antique Sale 18th September

Entries are still being accepted for the next Fine Art and Antique Sale on Wednesday 18th September

Come along to one of our Free Valuation Sessions

No need to make an appointment!

Friday 23rd August 10am - 12 noon and 2pm - 4pm

Friday 6th September 10am - 12 noon and 2pm - 4pm

If these dates are not suitable call us 0191 537 2630 or email boldon@btconnect.com

We look forward to meeting you and valuing your items

Fine Art and Antique Auction

Please note that our

Fine Art and Antique Auction

will now be held on

Wednesday 18th September at 10am.

This is a change from the scheduled date of Wednesday 4th September

Viewing

Saturday 14th September between 10am - 1pm
and Tuesday 17th September between 2pm - 6pm

Thank you

A huge Thank You to all staff and clients at Boldon Auction Galleries who have been so generous in their donations and support for Giles and Team before the Lakeland 50 last weekend.

£860 has been raised for Fix The Fells so thank you again.

Lakeland 50 completed



Team 'Are We Nearly There Yet'



Giles Hodges from Boldon Auction Galleries completed the gruelling Lakeland 50 in 20 hours, 49 minutes and 49 seconds.

He said afterwards that it was the hardest thing he had ever done. 

 


The Start at Dalemain Estate

 
From a humid 11.30am start on Saturday morning at Dalemain Estate to torrential rain for the last 13 hours the Team of 4 became 3 at Ambleside after 13 hours when Jason Lloyd had to retire. 



Final Checkpoint Coniston


The remaining 3 members of 'Are we Nearly There Yet?' Giles, Fergus and Peter covered the 50 miles with 3,100 metres ascent passing through 6 checkpoints on their way and pushed on to the finish at Coniston, arriving at 8.22am on Sunday morning.




Finish


A huge thank you goes to all the organisers and wonderful volunteer marshalls who were at every checkpoint giving encouragement, food, drinks and medical assistance if necessary.




The Finish at Coniston



Giles, Fergus, Peter and Jason have now raised a brilliant £860 for the Charity Fix The Fells which works to protect the Lakeland fells from erosion by maintaining and repairing the miles of pathways.

Giles is now waiting for his feet to recover whilst planning his next Challenge!!

The Lakeland 50 is around the corner!

Tomorrow at 11:30am our team of 4 - Giles Hodges, Fergus Bates, Jason Lloyd and Peter Walker-Birch will be starting this year's Lakeland 50.

For those that are unaware of the event it involves walking and with a little bit of motivation from Fergus (our Morpeth Harrier's secret weapon) running 50 miles in 24 hours.

Added to the mix is 3,100 metres of ascent and remember what comes up must come down!

We start at the Dalemain Estate and make headway to Ambleside hopefully before closing time and then a short crawl of approx. 15 miles to the finish at Coniston and home to bed !!.

The monies raised are going to the Charity - Nuture Lakeland (FIx The Fells). This Charity needs funds to help to repair and maintain the fells for future generations.

It's not going to be easy and all four of us have had plenty of injuries to hold up our training along the way.

We have raised £840 so far and are still collecting so any more donations will make a huge difference.
A big thank you from team ARE WE NEARLY THERE YET?!!

Giles, Fergus, Jason and Peter