A Books, Fine Art and Antiques sale drew brisk interest at Gilding’s Auctioneers in Market Harborough, when more than 600 lots came under John Gilding’s gavel.

The sale opened with antiquarian books, followed by maps and ephemera, with 7 categories in the Fine Art and Antiques part of the sale, including paintings, clocks and furniture.

Several lots of The History and Antiquities of the County of Leicester by John Nichols aroused interest. One of them (Lot 98) in 4 volumes – bound in 8 – by Holloway, printed by and for John Nichols, around 1795, and a further copy of volume VII, similarly bound, fetched £3,400 – the top price of the day.

Lot 98	Lot 149	Lot 106

Volume I part I printed by and for J.Nichols 1795, volume II part I, 1795, volume IV part I and volume IV part II, printed 1810 and 1811 respectively, made £1400 in one lot (Lot 149). When another lot (Lot 106) including volume I part I, 1795, volume I part I, published 1815, volume II part I published l795, volume II part II, published 1798, volume IV part I, 1810, and volume IV part II, l828 made £1300 – all similarly bound.

Interest in these sought-after county books was maintained when £700 was paid for 8 volumes of The History and Antiquities of the County of Leicester, (Lot 155) with introduction by Professor Jack Simmons, republished by S.R.Publishers Ltd, 1971, rebound and boxed.

Lot 155	Lot 569	Lot 596

An Arts and Crafts oak occasional table (Lot 569) with circular serpentine top on six ring-turned legs, joined by ring-turned stretchers and cross stretchers, in the manner of George Jack, Morris & Co made £2800, a late 17th.century oak oval drop-leaf gateleg table (Lot 596) fitted with a deep frieze drawer, with later handle and on wavy supports and shaped feet £1800, and £1600 was paid for a George III mahogany secretaire bookcase (Lot 576). The upper half had a break arch pediment, with melon fluted urn finial, the interior fitted with 4 adjustable shelves with glazed doors. The interior of the secretaire was also fitted – with numerous pigeonholes and drawers, with a fall front, above 3 brass handled long drawers, and on bracket feet.

Lot 576	Lot 560	Lot 610

Lot 580	Lot 575	Lot 572

A George III and later standing corner cupboard (Lot 560) in 2 halves fetched £850; a 19th century mahogany chest on chest (Lot 610) £800, with similar amounts paid for a 19th century Italian mahogany table cabinet (Lot 580) and a George III walnut chest on stand (Lot 575). A William IV rosewood centre table with rectangular top (Lot 572) realised £740, a Regency mahogany 3-division Canterbury (Lot 561) £700 and £700 was also paid for an 18th.century walnut chest on stand (Lot 553) – the top with 2 short and 3 long drawers, the stand with 1 short and 2 deep drawers.

Lot 561	Lot 553	Lot 524

In paintings, Neil Cawthorne’s The Fernie Hunt Opening Meet at Gumley, (Lot 524), oil on canvas, signed, dated ’72, went for £1900; Basil Nightingale’s “A Critical Moment – The Famous Huntsman of the Quorn Tom Fir when Second Whip” (Lot 523), oil on canvas laid on board £1350 – signed and inscribed, and John Theodore Kenney’s The Fernie Hunt at Highfields Farm, Smeeton Westerby, with Col.H.Murray-Smith and Mr.Bruce Durno (Lot 532) £1250, an oil on board, signed and with a label on the back.

Lot 523	Lot 532	Lot 337

A set of 6 early Victorian silver Old English pattern dessert spoons (Lot 337) came under the hammer for £2400, each cast with a crest of coronet and anchor, Chawner & Co, London 1853, the matching forks, tablespoons, tableforks, ladle and basting spoon – 26 pieces with a total weight of 2100 grms. A composite stone figure of a satyr (Lot 551) made £2100 – on a squre tapered pedestal, cast with a lizard and another similar, both 5′ 2″ high. A 9 ct.gold cased Rolex Oyster wristwatch (Lot 447) made £1300, the back inscribed and dated 1930, on a gold-plated bracelet.

Lot 551	Lot 447	Lot 540

An Edwardian mahogany longcase clock (Lot 540) made £1650, with brass arched dial, with inscription “Geo.E.Butcher & Swann, 9, Market Street, Nottingham.” The silvered chapter ring cast and embossed spandrel chime/silent, Westminster/Whittington/ St.Michael chimes.

Lot 310	Lot 288	Lot 353

A pair of 19th century French blue-opaque glass vases (Lot 310) made £1100, each had a gilt flared collar, above an applique bronze panel, one finely decorated with a young boy in a farmyard, the other with an interior scene of a boy holding a sack of vegetables – 16 inches high, on circular bases, but both unsigned. A pair of Chinese baluster vases (Lot 288) realised £1050 – with flared necks, decorated with exotic pheasants, quails, peonies and leaves in enamels, 14 inches high, on circular bases with 4-character mark.

	Lot 364

Two other silver lots made good prices – a Chinese silver 3-piece tea service (Lot 353) sold for £740, comprising teapot, milk jug 2-handled sugar bowl and cover, each piece with simulated bamboo handles and cast with prunus blossom, marked for Wang Hing, and Lot 364 a George V silver oval 2-handled tea tray £680 with presentation inscription dated 1920, makers mark B.B. Birmingham, 1920, 2100 grms. weight.