A Pair of 18th or 19th Century Crewelwork Curtains were one of the highlights of Tennants Auctioneers’ Costume, Accessories and Textiles Sale on 20th November. Beautifully decorated with a tree of life motif and surrounded by flowers and leaves the pair beat the £400-600 estimate to sell for £2,800 (plus buyer’s premium). A good result was also seen for a Mid-18th Century Wool and Petit Point Needlework depicting figures seated at a table, which sold for £1,000.
Amongst the dolls and teddy bears in the sale was a rare French 19th Century Doll made by Daniel & Cie that sold for £2,200. The doll is an important piece of doll history; in 1890 leading doll makers Jumeau successfully sued Daniel & Cie for copyright infringement, and all the moulds for Daniel’s dolls were destroyed. Thus, extant examples, such as the present doll, are rarely found on the market. An Early 20th Century Steiff Light Brown Mohair Joined Teddy Bear found a new home too, when it sold above top estimate for £1,700.
A good selection of millinery related items in the sale were headed by a rare Allie Maillard Hat Conformateur, a head measuring tool made in Paris circa 1900. Designed and patented to measure the head size and shape for custom hats to be made, the unusual lot sold for £1,600.
With a royal connection were shoes and costume that once belonged to Wallis Simpson and were part of the landmark sale of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’s personal collections at Sotheby’s in 1997. The top lot was a collection of 10 pairs of decorative shoes from the 1960s and 1970s that sold for £1,200.
20th Century costume continues to perform well at auction, with lots from desirable labels and printed cotton dresses seeing good prices. Highlights include a circa 1970s outfit from Mr Freedom Costume, a boutique favoured by the likes of Elton John and Mick Jagger that sold for £700, a collection of 1950s Printed Cotton Day Dresses with examples by Sambo Fashions and Charles Hymen of Chicago that sold for £500, and a collection of early 20th Century Dressing Gowns and Robes that sold for £600.
Luxury and designer goods included a circa 2010 Hermes Black Leather Kelly 50 Travel Bag in wonderful condition, which sold for £3,500 and was the top lot of the sale.
The sale achieved a total hammer prices of £59,900 for the 295 lots, and an 83 % sold rate.
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