LONDON – A rare Elizabethan shoehorn could fetch up to £6,000 when it is offered for sale in Matthew Barton Ltd’s biannual auction of Decorative Works of Art, which will take place on Tuesday, November 24.
The horn (below) is signed with the legend “THIS IS ROBART HEND / 1596 / ART MINDUM,” decorated with a woman, her hands on her hips, flanked by hatched borders and measures 14.5cm (5.8 inches) long. Robert (or ‘Robart’ as he invariably signed himself) Mindum is known to have have flourished between 1593-1613 and 22 further examples are known to be in existence. Apart from the horns themselves and one powder horn, nothing concrete is known of Mindum himself.
The sale, which comprises more than 500 lots of silver, ceramics, jewelry, watches, works of art, and objects of vertu, has estimates ranging from £50 through to £8,000.
Also included in the sale is group of Chinese artifacts has descended in the present owner’s family from their ancestor, Adm. Arthur William Acland Hood, 1st Baron Hood of Avalon (1824-1901). Arthur Hood began his career in the Royal Navy in 1836 and gained considerable experience before being promoted in November 1854 to command the brig HMS Acorn. By May 1856 he and his vessel were in China under Rear Adm. Sir Michael Seymour (1802-1887), commander-in-chief of the East Indies and China Station. In June of 1857 HMS Acorn was involved in the destruction of the fleet of Chinese junks in the Battle of Fatshan Creek and later in the attack on Canton. It is from this period that Hood acquired the pieces comprising this collection.
Included in the collections is a Chinese nut bead and rose quartz Mandarin official’s necklace, Chao Zhu, circa 1850, which is estimated at £2,000-£3,000. It is described as the official necklace of Governor Yeh of Canton, China.
Also included in the collection is Yeh’s Mandarin official hat, Zhao Guan (below) of black velvet with red silk tassels, which is estimated at £600-£800.
Elsewhere, a silver-gilt bowl by Edward Farrell, London, 1824 chased with panels containing the arms of James I and his emblems and the date 1610 is expected to fetch £1,500-£2,000. This bowl is one from a set of 34 such vessels belonging George IV’s brother, Prince Frederick the Duke of York, each with a differing inscription. The Duke amassed an enormous collection of plate, much of it through the auspices of the maverick retailer, Kensington Lewis (circa 1790-1854).
The prince’s collection included a number of Farrell’s extraordinary and somewhat eccentric designs. Kensington Lewis had encouraged Farrell to gain inspiration from early silver, leading the chaser and silversmith to become one of the earliest proponents of historicist silver. These particular bowls were based upon a rare 17th century type of English fruitwood drinking bowl.
Other silver includes a pair of Victorian silver novelty pepperettes each finely modeled as a jester by Robert Hennell & Sons, London, dating from 1868, estimated at £2,000-£3,000.
Absentee and Internet live bidding will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com.
For further information call 020 7806 5545.