A very rare Georgian Colour of the Coldstream Guards will be among the highlights of Thomas Del Mar Ltd’s sale of Antique Arms, Armour & Militaria at 25 Blythe Road, London W14 on Wednesday, June 27, 2018 at 12noon. Viewing will take place on the preceding Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and online bidding is available via the-saleroom.com.
Expected to fetch £12,000-18,000, the design dates from 1814 and is of the no. 15 company, 2nd Battalion, the centre bearing St Edward’s Crown above the company symbol (Carolingian crown), ‘EGYPT’, the Sphinx between laurel sprays, ‘BARROSA ’, a bugle-horn, ‘PENINSULA ’ and horizontal arm of the cross inscribed ‘LINCELLES’ and ‘TALAVERA’. This discovered in near-relic condition and has been expertly restored on a museum quality mount to display the obverse face.
Another interesting and topical item – particularly for this time of year – is a Victorian officer’s helmet of the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards, almost certainly that of Major Walter Clopton Wingfield, who served between 1851 and 1861, and is credited with being the inventor of Lawn Tennis. It is estimated at £1,500-2,000.
The auction opens with a very strong section consisting of more than 115 lots of Japanese objects ranging from armour to firearms but predominantly swords. This is intersected by the property of a Collector comprising 15 Japanese swords including an example dating from the Shinshinto Period (1764-1886) decorated in red lacquer and gold dragons which is estimated at £3,000-4,000, while a Daisho from the late Edo Period (1603–1868) decorated with celestial figures in gilt carries an estimate of £4,000-6,000 and of a similar date, a dagger decorated in black lacquer highlighted with fish in gold is also estimated at £4,000-6,000 (see left).
Elsewhere in the sale are three highly decorated small- swords including two from the descendant family of Arthur Richard Dufty CBE, (1911-1993), Master of the Royal Armouries (1963-76) and President of the Society of Antiquaries (1978- 81). These include a fine French small-sword with a paste-set silver-gilt hilt, dating from 1778-9, decorated with scrolling foliage, trophies and an
allegorical figure (estimate: £3,500-4,500) (see right), while a fine and rare Russian small-sword with a golden crusted chiselled iron hilt and encrusted with garlands of flowers in three colours of gold, dating from 1780-90 and made in Tula is estimated at £2,000-3,000, while from another consignor is a fine French small-sword with enamelled and gold close-plated silver hilt, dating from the late 18th century is estimated at £4,000-6,000.
Among the Firearms is a rare 16 bore double-barrel flintlock coaching carbine, inlaid with gold, by London-maker Durs Egg, circa 1785, estimated at £4,000-5,000 (see left), and a pair of 14 bore Irish silver-mounted flintlock holster pistols by Dublin- maker Michael Ransford, circa 1740-50, carries an estimate of £6,000-7,000 (see page 3).
Other interesting pieces in the sale include a rare South German close helmet for field use, circa 1510-15 which is expected to fetch £10,000-14,000 (see page 3), while a pair of model field guns dated 1647, and thought to have been made in either Germany or the Netherlands carry an estimate of £4,000-5,000 (see page 3).
VIEWING:
Sunday, June 24 – 12noon to 4pm Monday, June 25 – 10am to 7pm Tuesday, June 26 – 10am to 5pm
NEXT SALE: December 5th, 2018
For further details of the sale, please visit www.thomasdelmar.com or call 0207 602 4805
