Sibling rivalry Roman style, as one emperor outdoes another

POLITICAL history is full of brothers who enjoyed just a little more success than their siblings – the career of John F Kennedy overshadowed that of Robert, while last year Ed Miliband took on older brother David for leadership of the Labour Party and won.

Legend records that Romulus beat his brother Remus to found the city of Rome, and at the first antiques auction of Moore Allen & Innocent in Cirencester on Friday (January 7) there was a definite winner when the busts of two Roman Emperors, said to represent Romulus and Remus themselves, went under the hammer.

Both were chiselled from Sienna marble and raised upon a pedestal in the Classical taste, but while the chubby-faced Emperor in light armour achieved £340, his svelte brother, wearing a toga, made £420.

The combined totals, though, helped make the sale the most successful first sale of the year in 14 years. With 450 registered buyers bidding on more than 900 lots, the final value of antiques bought and sold exceeded £67,000.

The top two prices of the day were collections of jewellery. A box of assorted costume jewellery, including rings, brooches, a bracelet, locket and other gold and silver items made £820 – well above the £250 to £350 expected by auctioneers and buoyed, no doubt, by the scrap value of precious metals.

Similarly, a box containing nine carat gold and other cufflinks, including one highly coveted pair featuring fighting cocks in the manner of 19th century painter and engraver Henry Thomas Alken, made £680.

The highest value single lot was a large Moorcroft twin handled vase decorated in burgundy, green and yellow with birds amongst fruit and foliage, which sold for £560 against a £300 to £400 estimate.

A modern oak refractory table in the 17th century taste by Chris Bayliss made £540, and a bronze mermaid – which the vendor swore was life-sized, although having never seen one in the flesh, none of the auctioneers could verify – sold for £440; right at the top of its £350 to £450 estimate.

The Gordon Banks Award for Great Saves – had it existed – would have been presented to auctioneer and valuer Philip Allwood for saving a pair of carved gilt wood and gesso decorated table lamps in the Italian manner from the tip.

“The client thought all her Christmasses had come at once,” recalled Philip later, when they made £360 – exceeding even his £80 to £120 estimate.

And the surprise of the day was undoubtedly a box of assorted die cast toy vehicles, including Dinky and Foden, together with lead farm animals, children's books and jigsaw puzzles. Auctioneers were expecting bids of around £30 to £40, but the gavel finally fell at ten times that – a whopping £400.

The next sale will be held on Friday, January 21 from 9am. For an auction catalogue, log on to www.mooreallen.co.uk/furniturefinearts

The £420 emperor	The £340 emperor
A Moorcroft twin handled vase	A "life-sized" mermaid in bronze