Small stars from attic in Country House rescue
|
Some intriguing items surfaced from the attic of the Elizabethan mansion Elmore Court in Gloucestershire at the sale of its contents held by Mallams in Cheltenham on June 19th. The present owner, Alselm Guise, inherited the estate from his late uncle and is now converting it into a culinary retreat, the latest venture for the entrepreneur who is co-founder and owner of the nano record company and UK dance music event the Glade Festival. A television crew following his progress for a Channel Four documentary series, Country House Rescue, filmed the sale. The small objets d’art attracted the most competitive bidding. Singled out for particular attention was this unusual early 19th century ebonised mother-of-pearl sewing and musical box. It opened to reveal a tray of sewing implements, some with oval inlaid mounts marked Amoi. The box attracted five phone lines and sold at £4,000 to a private collector. Another rare piece was a Victorian silver visiting card case made by Taylor & Perry, Birmingham. decorated with a view of The Strand, Torquay, and another view of the bay to the reverse, it was marked James Braham, 8 The Strand, Torquay, to both sides. This attracted further fierce bidding and eventually sold to a london dealer at £2,300. (Anna Brady, The Antiques Trade Gazette, 12th July 2008, p. 23) |