All that glitters is not gold at Moore Allen

All that glitters at the auctioneer's saleroom is not necessarily gold, silver or precious stones: a large collection of cut glass ornaments by renowned Austrian-based producer Swarovski will go under the hammer at Moore Allen & Innocent's antique and general sale in Cirencester on Friday, June 10.

Among the collection are an early pair of parrots, perched on wooden – rather than the later metal – branches. Retailing at around £800 each, they carry an auction estimate of £200 to £300 each, as does a pair of kingfishers perched on a metal branch.

Cut glass flowers on metal stems, retailing at around £500 to £600, have estimates of £150 to £250, while collectors will be able to snap up small cut glass butterflies for £40 to £60 each.

Each of the pieces comes in its distinctive blue Swarovski box and is accompanied by a certificate of authentication.

What every cut glass parrot needs is a sailor's shoulder to sit on, and while Moore Allen's resident Jack Tar is not for sale – he's too busy lugging large pieces of furniture around, and so is considered priceless by his employers – the auctioneers are offering the next best thing... a collection of naval jackets.

The collection includes a Royal Navy Tunic, two Cunard White Star Line captain's jackets and an overcoat, and a jacket of a Royal Artillery officer. A bid of £100 to £150 should secure the lot.

The seafaring theme is continued over in the picture section, where a couple of etchings by the 19th century maritime artist William Wyllie are among the lots offered for sale.

A scene of Tower Bridge, signed by the artist, is expected to achieve between £100 and £150, while an unsigned study called Victoria Victrix carries an estimate of £50 to £80.

The work of another renowned maritime artist reminds us of the time when Britannia really did rule the waves.

All the Ships of the British Navy – The World's Most Formidable Fleet, after an original illustration by Oscar Parkes, was published by the Daily Telegraph in 1939, just as Britain was preparing to go to war with Germany for the second time that century.

Like William Wyllie, Dr Parkes was a member of the Royal Academy. He was also the editor of Jane's Fighting Ships between 1918 and 1935.

The 45-inch print features a range of warships from small escorts and minesweepers to mighty battleships and aircraft carriers. A bid of £20 to £30 should secure the lot.

Before Britain and Germany went to war, the British were happy enough to refer to The German Sea when describing the body of water we now call the North Sea. This is beautifully demonstrated in a circa 1831 hand stitched map of the British Isles by Mary Pinder.

She wasn't a famous artist, but was thoughtful enough to stitch her name and the date onto this silk and thread map, on which the seas are named and each county boundary is identified. The piece is valued at between £100 and £150.

A far more accurate cartographer was Robert Morden, who mapped the British Isles in the 17th century, and whose work was reproduced well into the 1800s.

A large collection of engravings – some hand coloured – are for sale at the auction, with estimates ranging from £30 to £50.

Maps include Huntingdonshire, Westmorland, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Nottinghamshire, Cumberland, Durham, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Northumberland, North Wales and South Wales. Each map is expected to achieve between £30 and £50.

For a full auction catalogue, log on to www.mooreallen.co.uk
 

Swarovski parrots and kingfishers	A collection of naval jackets
All the Ships of the British Navy – The World's Most Formidable Fleet, after an original illustration by Oscar Parkes	A circa 1831 hand stitched map of th e British Isles by Mary Pinder