Tudor-era swan-keeping book to take flight at Sworders, Aug. 23

Swan Mark Registers of Owners, two volumes, both dating to the 16th century, est. £8,000-£16,000
Swan Mark Registers of Owners, two volumes, both dating to the 16th century, est. £8,000-£16,000
Swan Mark Registers of Owners, two volumes, both dating to the 16th century, est. £8,000-£16,000

STANSTED MOUNTFITCHET, U.K. –  A Tudor manuscript designed to help with swan-keeping in the era when mute swans were owned by the English crown comes to auction in the summer. The two-volume manuscript in Sworders’ August 23 sale of Books and Maps was used from the 16th to the 19th century by landowners in Norfolk and Suffolk. This example, consigned from the estate of Cambridgeshire antiques dealer Peter Croft (1924-2001), is estimated at £8,000-£16,000. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Interior designers freshen decor by mixing styles

Carsons tufted chaise lounge in burnt orange. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers and Regency Auction House

NEW YORK – The freshest style in decor these days is … mixing styles.

Traditional and contemporary often work well together. Think abstract art with an overstuffed chaise, or an 18th century-style toile wallpaper with an ’80s-era lamp. The appeal is in the pleasing tension between the styles; sophisticated, artsy, yet livable.

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