Binoculars price zooms to £2,500

COLLECTORS who set their sights on a pair of Gulf War binoculars magnified the estimate twenty five-fold when the artefact was sold for £2,500 Friday, January 23.

Carrying an estimate of £100 to £150, the powerful field binoculars, set on a heavy metal tripod, are believed to have started life on a Japanese warship before being sold to the Iraqi military, which is where they obtained their Arabic inscription plaque. Later, they were obtained by a British soldier, who inscribed the item with his own name, rank and unit.

Military enthusiasts were also excited by several collections of medals. The most poignant was a clutch of medals awarded to Bombardier James Henry Tugwell of Malmesbury and his son, Frank Tugwell, of the 2nd Battalion, the Worcestershire Regiment. Although James survived the war, a plaque marking his son’s death in action was among the collection. Carrying an estimate of £80 to £120, the medals achieved £480.

And there were good results for a Crimea Medal featuring a Battle of Sebastopol bar, which was sold for £95, and a Boer War medal with three bars of the Battles of Johannesburg, Orange Free State and Cape Colony, which achieved £85.

Of a far more delicate nature was a large collection of lace, which was sold in four lots and was sold well in excess of its £70 to £100 estimate: Irish, which achieved £240, Honiton, which made £300, and Brussels, which was bought for £320. Of particular note was a single piece of lace embroidery decorated with floral sprays and scrolls, which won the Panel of Lace competition at the Great Exhibition in Paris in 1880. It sold for £140 against an estimate of £60 to £90.

Meanwhile, examples from ever-popular Art Deco ceramicist Clarice Cliff held their value, with a set of five Bizarre crocus pattern coffee cans and saucers with matching jug and sugar bowl selling for £340, and a Fantasque fruit bowl decorated with Sunrise pattern achieving £160.

Finally, the was considerable interest over the sale of the residual contents of a 20-bedroom mansion, and the fact that the auctioneers were sworn to secrecy over the identity of the family whose possessions filled 39 containers, the first 13 of which were sold on Friday, it did not stop buyers speculating.

From the consignment, a modern settee with matching armchair and stool sold for £720, whilst a modern reproduction oval centre table in mahogany with a gilt decorated frieze above four stylised dolphin supports and four large gilt decorated paw feet was bought for £320 and a modern Horseplay of Devon rocking horse painted in dappled grey achieved £340.

More items from the consignment will go under the hammer at the next antique and general sale on Friday, February 20, whilst the next event at the salerooms is the sporting sale, on Friday, February 6.  For more information log on to www.mooreallen.co.uk or call 01285 646050 for a catalogue.

A modern reproduction oval centre table which achieved £320
A pair of military field binoculars on tripod (estimate £100 to £150) which sold for £2,500	A close-up of the Arabic plaque on the binoculars
A piece of lace embroidery decorated with floral sprays and scrolls, which won the Panel of Lace competition at the Great Exhibition in Paris in 1880 (estimate £60 to £90), which made £140