The historic Washington Lafayette presentation gold button (Lot 171) was a highlight of the latest Fine Art & Antiques Auction Sale at Gildings Auctioneers Market Harborough Saleroom, Roman Way, Market Harborough, Leicestershire.

It came under the hammer for £5,000 after attracting keen interest from many collectors and dealers. There was a profile portrait of George Washington on the obverse, with the reverse stamped "presented to General Lafayette by L. H. & Scovill, button manufacturers, Waterbury, Con" mounted as a tie pin, 7cm – 2 3/4", together with a replica button of slightly smaller size (2 items in lot).

This historic button had a fine provenance: The Marquis de Lafayette, received this as a gift presented in July 1825, being one of a set of coat buttons, then by descent to Mme de Lasteyrie, Chateau La Grange, near Paris. It was given to Margaret Lacroix circa 1890 and then by descent to the present owners – literature: Edward H Davis, the Lafayette Presentation Button 1824, Mattatuck Historical Society, Waterbury, Connecticut, 1951. For more information, visit: http://www.gildings.co.uk/lafayette/

Mark Gilding said: "Bidding started at £2,500 with interest in the sale room, on the internet and on the telephone. It was a small, but rare and historically significant item linking the two men – George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette – so significant in the American War of Independence. It was sold on the telephone to an American buyer."

Lot 171	Lot 343	Lot 356

But top prices in this sale were both for paintings. Lot 343 a landscape near the ocean by V Higgins, signed, sold for £7,000 – oil on artist’s board 33 x 41cm – 13" by 16" – provenance: With J Frank Raw Co. Ltd., Toronto; and Lot 356 £6,000 – an oil on canvas "Summer" by Cecil Kennedy, signed – still life of roses in a glass vase 51 x 41cm – 20" x 16" – provenance: With MacConnal-Mason & Sons Ltd.

Another oil on canvas also created enthusiasm – Lot 364 Prince Charles with the Quorn Hunt at Baggrave, by Neil Cawthorne, signed and dated 79 made £3,600 – 61 x 91cm – 24" x 30" – provenance: Sir John Miller (who is portrayed in the painting), a gift to the present owner.

In furniture, an Edwardian inlaid mahogany pedestal table (Lot 443) fetched £4,000 – in the manner of Edwards & Roberts, circular drum top with satinwood banding, framing a foliate band with meandering tendrils, enclosing zodiacal signs, the frieze with four drawers, matched by panels, decorated with swags and harvest wreaths, tapering octagonal pedestal on splayed legs, with lacquered brass toes and castors, diameter 75cm – 29 ½", height 71cm – 28".

Lot 364	Lot 443	Lot 411

Lot 411 – a George III style mahogany bow front display cabinet – realised £3,400 – carved lion rampant, labelled Thomas Ferrand, York, with a domed glazed top, surmounted by a gilt armorial lion, above a Gothic arch and astragal doors, enclosing elliptical shelves, flanked by further astragal panelled sides, all with mirrored spandrels, the frieze with Prince of Wales Feathers and fluting, the base section with scrolled foliage and rosette ornamentation, plinth base, trade label printed "Thomas Ferrand, carver, gilder and frame maker, opposite the George Inn, Coney Street, York" height 200cm – 79" width 137cm – 54". Footnote: Thomas Ferrand (1786-1852) recorded as being in partnership with William Dodgson, as early as 1814. Ferrand’s trade label is recorded on a painted satinwood cabinet C. G. Beard & C. Gilbert "The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840." The cabinet appears to be a near copy of the example illustrated by Ralph Edwards in "The Dictionary of English Furniture" 1924-27 (fig. 77) as being in the collection at Chequers, Buckinghamshire.

A George II style walnut card table (Lot 447) made £2,800 – probably late 19th Century, shaped hinged top enclosing baize lined interior with well sections, plain frieze on cabriole legs, with scallop and pendant knees, ball and claw feet width 84cm – 33", depth 42cm – 16 ½"; and Lot 457 £2,500 – a Dutch walnut and marquetry armoire, early 19th Century, with inlaid decoration throughout, incorporating sphinx motifs, urns, ornamental monograms, mythical birds, angels with trumpets, flower baskets, stiff foliage within banding and stringing, moulded cornice with a deep frieze, fitted with two doors, turned legs – width 158cm – 62", height 202cm – 79 ½", depth 66cm – 26".

Lot 447	Lot 457	Lot 437

A William IV rosewood pedestal table (Lot 437) achieved £2,200 – rectangular top with a shaped gallery, plain frieze, octagonal column, with leafy scrolled fronds, scrolled base (damaged) – width 54cm – 21", depth 36cm – 14", height 74cm – 29"; Lot 379 £1,800 – a walnut cased Symphonion", the cabinet with a moulded cornice, labelled "SYMPHONION" to the frieze, arched glazed door with applied corbels and pendants, playing 19" disks – width 62cm – 24 ½", height 95cm – 37 ½" and a collection of disks; Lot 464 £1,700 – an Art Nouveau walnut music cabinet, the top with a three-quarter gallery, fall front enclosing divisions, shelf below, on bracket feet, embossed copper panels, designed with a peacock and with a verse "and she’ll sing the song that pleaseth you" – width 63cm 25", depth 47cm – 14 ½", height 123cm – 48 ½"; also £1,700 – Lot 473 – a Victorian burr walnut and marquetry serpentine credenza, gilt metal appliqués, the frieze with scrolled foliate motifs centre panelled door with a floral spray, flanked by glazed panelled doors, gilt metal mask head corbel pieces, plinth base – length 162cm – 64", height 107cm – 42".

Lot 379	Lot 464	Lot 473

Lot 214	Lot 215	Lot 314

An Anglo-Indian inlaid ivory walking stick (Lot 214) sold for £3,600 – with a spiral twist section, mother of pearl, tortoiseshell and maccasser ebony inlay, polygonal pommel – 89cm – 35", and Lot 215 £1,600 – After Antonio Canova "The Three Graces" carved ivory group, 20th Century, 19cm, on a hard wood stand, the presentation plaque dated December, 1944.

A case of red Bordeaux (Lot 314) went for £3,000 – Chateau Lafite Rothschild, 1976; and a pewter tankard (Lot 225) £2,700 – mid 17th Century, flat top, domed lid, the thumb-piece designed as an Ionic scroll, supported by two birds, ‘S’ shaped handle, straight sided tapering body with a moulded foot, struck with four leopard’s head marks to the lid and to the body, (repaired hinge, possibly re-shaped) 16.5cm – 6 ½". Footnote: Offered with two letters from Lambert, Coventry Street, London, W. dated 1911. In one letter they report "We are of opinion that you can safely describe your pewter tankard as of the time of the Commonwealth circa 1655. Curiously there is a dish bearing the same marks leopard’s head four times repeated quite close to you in Thorpe Langton Church the date is ascribed as 1655."

Lot 225	Lot 88	Lot 131

Lot 88 fetched £2,600 – a four-piece shaped oval silver tea and coffee service, by Walker & Hall, Sheffield 1918 and 1921, semi-fluted form, each piece raised on four bun feet, comprising a coffee pot 24cm – 10 ½", composition handle and finial, a teapot 16cm – 6 ¼", composition handle and finial, milk jug and sugar bowl, together with a rectangular tea tray by Walker & Hall, Sheffield 1921, with a moulded serpentine outline, all five pieces engraved consistently with a monogram device, 145oz gross; a Victorian silver part canteen of Devonshire pattern cutlery (Lot 131) £1,950 – by George Adams, London 1850, comprising a fish slice with a pierced blade, 32cm – 12 ½", a pair of basting spoons, a pair of serving spoons, four tablespoons, six table forks, six dessert spoons, six dessert forks, five teaspoons, five coffee spoons and a butter knife, each piece engraved with a crest and monogram and motto "HOLD FAST" on a strap, 102oz; and Lot 106 £1,700 – a canteen of Edwardian silver Old English pattern cutlery, comprising twelve tablespoons, twelve table forks, twelve dessert spoons, twelve dessert forks and six teaspoons, 96oz.

Lot 106	Lot 183	Lot 138

After the Antique (Lot 183) realised £2,400 – The Farnese Hercules, perhaps 17th or 18th Century, 53cm – 25"; provenance: from the estate of Albert Pountney, footnote: the marble figure of Hercules now in Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples, was discovered in the Baths of Caracalla in Rome, said to date from the 3rd Century AD. It is considered to be a copy of an original by Lysippus from the 4th Century BC.

A diamond cluster and white metal pendant (Lot 138) made £2,400 – first quarter of the 20th Century, set with forty stones, the largest centre pendant approx 0.7ct, with a yellow metal screw fitting brooch clip; a pair of Chinese painted wood canisters (Lot 476) £2,200 – of octagonal form, painted with continuous landscape scenes, within banded borders, 46cm – 18", and Lot 192 – a Chinese Celadon jade snuff bottle a similar price £2,200 – 18th or 19th Century, of flan double gourd shape, (lacking stopper) 6cm – 2", together with a carved Celadon jade figure standing holding a branch, on a carved wood stand, 8cm – 3" overall (2 items in lot).

Lot 476	Lot 192	Lot 110

Lot 110 – a French oval silver and parcel gilt box – sold for £1,900 – with carved jade domed panel to the lid, probably early 20th Century, the lid decorated with a Phoenix amongst clouds and a pavilion, width 11cm – 4 ¼".

	Lot 175

A Wurlitzer Jukebox (Lot 175) achieved £2,000 – with a Cobra Radionic Tone Arm, chrome casing, some damage, width 81cm – 32", height 143cm – 56".