BIRMINGHAM, UK – Fellows will auction more than 700 lots of silver and plated ware on Monday, Dec. 14. Items will range from Georgian through the Victorian era and on to modern.
The traditional singing bird box originated in Switzerland and contains a miniature automaton songbird concealed below a lid. Once activated it performs a distinctive whistle and musical melody, before returning to the box. Lot 681 (below, £1,500-£2,000) is a beautiful German silver example in the manner of Karl Griesbaum, decorated with musician cherubs and a charming bird.
For those with a military interest, Lot 348 (estimate £500-£700) is a mid-Victorian Irish silver double snuff box engraved with the 4th Royal Lancashire Militia crest, mounted on a wooden plinth with presentation inscription that reads: “Presented to the mess of the 4th Royal Lancashire Light Infantry by Aquilla H. Kent and T. Byron Whitehead, Berwick-On-Tweed 185.” The snuffbox (below) is hallmarked Dublin 1855 and bears a maker’s mark: “JT.”
With Christmas just around the corner Fellows is offering an abundance of silver novelties that would make perfect stocking fillers, including hip flasks, napkin rings, scent bottles, smoking accessories and in particular Lot 633, a late Victorian silver mounted playing card box with cribbage board (£500-£800), alongside Lot 691, a Continental cigarette case (below) depicting a deer (£140-£180).
Lot 419 is a French silver mounted claret jug with floral swags and fruiting surmount (below, estimate £600-£800).
Other highlights include Lot 717, a selection of three similar Indian pandan or betel boxes (below, estimate £300-£400), each depicting various birds and animals among floral engraving. The use of these boxes in India were for holding “paan” combined usually with areca nut (betel nut) “chunam” (lime paste) and wrapped with betel leaves.
LiveAuctioneers.com will facilitate absentee and Internet live bidding.
For more information contact Fellows on 0121 212 2131.