More than 100 silver antiques go under the hammer

MORE than 100 lots of silver will be going under the hammer in Cirencester next Friday, July 22, as part of Moore Allen & Innocent's regular auction of antiques.

With the price of base silver at record highs on the commodities market, dealers and collectors have been clamouring to get their hands on hallmarked antiques.

That's not to say they are being melted down to create mobile phone components, of course. Strong market prices give collectors a sense stability in their investments, as well as the joy of owning an antique.

Even a little silver on an antique can add to its value, as is the case with a glass decanter in the Art Deco style.

A fantastic faceted cut glass stopper is held in place by a hallmarked collar, cast by Birmingham silversmiths in 1936. A bid of £60 to £100 should secure the lot.

From around the same time is a very smart gentleman's travelling dressing set, manufactured by the Goldsmiths and Silversmiths company. Contained within the leather case are brushes with silver backs, a shaving brush in a silver holder and a number of glass bottles with silver stoppers.

The set also contains a leather-backed shaving mirror and tools including a penknife, nail scissors , nail file and shoehorn in stainless steel. With an estimate of £150 to £200, one would be hard-pressed to find a modern equivalent in non-precious metals much cheaper.

As well as their appearance, gentlemen of the 1930s were obsessed with speed – on the land, in the air and by water.

One of the most striking lots is a trophy, bronzed on silver plate and presented in 1934 by The Star to the British Outboard Racing Club.

The trophy has dolphin feet at its base and lion heads on the column, while Nike – the Greek goddess of speed – rides in the wake of a motorboat at the very top of the ornament. Auctioneers reckon it will make between £100 and £150.

A far more sedate pass time is celebrated in a Victorian sampler. Hand-stitched by 12-year-old Harriet Clarke in 1866, the girl has sewn the letters of the alphabet, common to most samplers – created by girls to demonstrate their needlework skills – of the period, but has then gone on to recite a delightful poem, which begins:

“Jesus permit thy gracious name to stand
As the first effort of an infant's hand
And while her fingers on the canvas move
Engage her tender thoughts to seek thy love.”

Below, the girl has stitched a scene from the Garden of Eden, complete with Adam, Eve, serpent and apple tree. A bid of £100 to £150 could be enough to secure this piece of history.

And for those who like their hand-crafted antiques really old, there's a chance to bid on a chest of drawers from the mid-1600s.

Chiseled from English oak in two sections, applied moulded decoration and replacement handles have been added by later generations.

Bids of £300 to £400 are anticipated, and the owners are assured that – unlike many modern examples – this chest is likely to remain intact for decades, if not centuries, to come.

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

A glass decanter with silver collar in the Art Deco style	A gentleman's travelling dressing set, manufactured by the Goldsmiths and Silversmiths company
A trophy, bronzed on silver plate and presented in 1934 by The Star to the British Outboard Racing Club	A Victorian sampler
A chest of drawers from the mid-1600s