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* KUZNETSOV, PAVEL 1878-1968 Blue Fountain signed, c. 1904-1907 Oil on canvas, 98.5 by 68.5 cm. "Authenticity has been confirmed by the expert M. Valyaeva.Authenticity has also been confirmed by the expert I. Geraschenko.The work Blue Fountain presented here for auction was painted by Kuznetsov during his Blue Rose period, undoubtedly the most important stage of his career. It determined several significant directions in the development of Russian art of the Silver Age. A fire in 1911 at Black Swan, the country house near Moscow of the art patron and collector Nikolai Riabushinsky, destroyed many canvases by members of the Blue Rose group. And it was mostly the works of Pavel Kuznetsov which suffered, since he had had the leading role in designing the villa’s interiors. The tragedy destroyed irreplaceable works of art from a unique historical period which by then had already come to an end. Kuznetsov worked on his favourite subject, fountains, from 1904 to 1907. The artist himself associated this preoccupation of his with the real fountains of his youth in Saratov, the Volga town where he was born. Most probably, the man-made, decorative spring remained as an indelible memory in the mind of the artist, as a symbol of the water of life and of the freshness which bathes nature, and also symbolising the currents of his own dazzling, fantastical imaginings. It was the fountain which Kuznetsov made his distinctive, emblematic "artefact" during that period and it was the fountain which became the indispensable element of the majority of his Blue Rose works. Their crepuscular colouring, with glints of silver, leads the viewer into a dreamlike ecstasy, diverting our consciousness from the paltriness and vain concerns of our everyday life. As Alla Rusakova enthusiastically writes in her monograph on the artist, "The very idea of the fountain satisfied a particular predilection of Kuznetsov for self-contained movement. In this respect the fountain was, for him, the ultimate version of the water-raising bucket wheel. Sometimes it is the main subject of the painting and sometimes the background against which, as in an elusive dream, some action is being played out; sometimes only details appear, heads of sphinxes, included as legitimate components of the fabric of this artist’s graphic language". The present work is without any doubt of museum quality both in its historical significance and artistic merit, and offers a rare chance to acquire a painting from Pavel Kuznetsov’s most sought after period."

Glorious First of June 1794, engraved coin, a William III Halfcrown, rev. engraved with three-masted ship sailing left, ‘The Glorious Firft of June’ above, ‘1794’ below, obv. engraved ‘H. Gibb. Queen’ in two lines divided by a potted plant, a salmon above, plain edge, 33mm, 12.55g (Comfort -), fine and very rare £300-400 Comfort only describes one engraved coin commemorating Earl Howe’s victory over the French fleet on 1 June 1794. H.M.S. Queen, a 98-gun second rate of 1,876 tons, was launched at Woolwich in 1769. The vessel took part in the relief of Gibraltar in 1782-3 and, as the flagship of Admiral Alan Gardner, she led the van in the engagements that led up to the battle of 1 June 1794, closing with the Jemappes, a French man-of-war, and in the battle that followed disabled her, forcing the Jemappes to strike her flag in token of surrender. However, before the Jemappes could be taken as a prize, a full squadron of the French fleet swept down upon Queen fore and aft. Surrounded by the French men-of-war she was exposed to fierce fire from all quarters. Her captain, John Hutt, fell mortally wounded upon her quarterdeck and her first officer, Mr Mitchell, and 36 seamen also died while 67 seamen lay wounded on her decks. Disdaining the enemy`s summons to surrender, the survivors fought back gallantly until finally Lord Howe`s squadron came to the assistance of the Queen and drove off her attackers, although the vessel was seriously damaged. Sold with a transcript of a letter from Jno. Wilkinson, steward to the ward room on Queen, written from Spithead in July 1794, in which he describes the action, as well as further background information on the life of the ship, which was broken up in April 1821.

An important D.S.O., O.B.E. group of five awarded to Colonel E. E. `Bullfrog` Wilford, commanding 13th (Barnsley Pals) Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment, on 1 July 1916 Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., complete with top bar; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 2nd type breast badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1919; 1914 Star, with copy clasp (Major E. E. Wilford, 30th Lancers); British War Medal 1914-20 (Lt. Col. E. E. Wilford); Victory Medal 1914-19, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Maj. E. E. Wilford) mounted for display, good very fine (5) £2400-2800 D.S.O. London Gazette 1 January, 1917. O.B.E. London Gazette 3 June, 1919. M.I.D. London Gazette 4 January 1917. Edmund Ernest Wilford was the son of Colonel Edmund Percival Wilford, late Gloucestershire Regiment. He was educated at Clifton College. He joined the East Yorkshire Regiment as 2nd Lieutenant in 1896 and transferred to the Indian Army two years later. He served as a Major and Squadron Commander, 30th Lancers (Gordon`s Horse) with the Indian Corps in France 1914. On 11 November 1915, Wilford was given command of the new raised Barnsley Pals Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment. The Pals had finished their training in England and Wilford was to lead them to action in France where they were to suffer enormous casualties, especially on the first day of the battle of the Somme. He was to become respected by the men for his no-nonsense approach and his willingness to see for himself how things were going at the sharp end of operations. He was known amongst the men as `Bullfrog` and from Brigade Headquarters earned the nickname of `The Swashbuckler.` After the disaster on the Somme Lieutenant-Colonel Wilford sent the following letter back to Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Hewitt: ‘France 11th July, 1916.’ ‘ My Dear Hewitt, The 13th Y & L have covered themselves with glory, and you who raised the Battalion should indeed be pleased. They have added a page to history. The way the Regiment advanced through an intense artillery barrage and machine gun fire to the attack equals any deed done in the War. No faltering or wavering, each man pressing on to his objective as steadily as if on parade. Our casualties were very heavy, but we have the consolation they feel in the hour of victory. I would like you to let the people of Barnsley know that every lad who fought that day was a hero. The Battalion has been congratulated by many - the Corps Commander, the Divisional General, and by our Brigadier on its gallantry, and I am the proudest man in France.` Wilford was mentioned in despatches and awarded the D.S.O. in January 1917, and was wounded by an exploding shell in May of the same year. His D.S.O. was almost certainly in recognition of his services on the Somme. He saw out the last days of the war with the Royal Defence Corps in his old rank of Major, for which service he was awarded the O.B.E. in 1919.

The well-documented and remarkable Second World War M.B.E., Great War M.C. and Bar, D.F.C. group of nine awarded to Wing Commander J. H. Norton, Royal Canadian Air Force, late Essex Yeomanry, Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force, whose published account of his experiences in the Palestine campaign 1917-18 include frequent mention of personal encounters with Lawrence of Arabia - among them the occasion he flew the great man to a desert rendezvous and his direct part in one of his classic “Train Wrecking” operations The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) Member’s 2nd type breast badge; Military Cross, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar, the reverse privately engraved, ‘Capt. John Hamilton Norton, France 1917, Bar Palestine 1918’; Distinguished Flying Cross, G.V.R., the reverse privately engraved, ‘Flight Lieut. John Hamilton Norton, Palestine 1918’; British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oakleaf (Capt. J. H. Norton, R.A.F.); Territorial Force War Medal 1914-19 (1105 Pte. J. H. Norton, Essex Yeo.); Defence Medal 1939-45, silver; Canadian Voluntary Service Medal 1939-45, with overseas clasp; War Medal 1939-45, M.I.D. oakleaf, silver, generally good very fine (9) £25000-30000 M.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1946. M.C. London Gazette 26 May 1917: ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He reconnoitred the enemy’s wire at the height of 300 feet, and brought back most valuable information. He has at all times displayed great courage and skill.’ Bar to M.C. London Gazette 22 April 1918: ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. While he was carrying out observation for an important artillery shoot, two hostile aeroplanes endeavoured to interfere. These he at once attacked and drove off, afterwards continuing his observation for the shoot, during which two hostile emplacements were destroyed. His dash and determination contributed greatly to the success of the operation.’ D.F.C. London Gazette 8 February 1919: ‘On all occasions this officer displays gallantry and devotion to duty, notably on 29 July, when, in co-operation with our artillery, he carried out a shoot against two anti-aircraft pits. On approaching this target Captain Norton was wounded in the left foot; notwithstanding this, he continued the shoot, and succeeded in destroying both pits, thereby putting out of action two hostile guns.’ John Hamilton “Jocko” Norton was born in Southend, Essex in October 1896 and, after leaving school, was employed as an insurance broker at Lloyds of London. Enlisting in the Essex Yeomanry as a Trooper in August 1914, he was commissioned in the Reserve Regiment of Cavalry, via the Special List, that November, but remained employed in the U.K. until transferring to the Royal Flying Corps and gaining his Royal Aero Club Certificate in February 1916. France Posted to No. 12 Squadron out in France in July of the same year, he completed around 80 operational sorties before being transferred to No. 13 Squadron in March 1917, Army co-operation work that comprised bombing raids and spotting for the artillery, in addition to photography, and hazardous work, too, as evidenced by the following extracts taken from his Flying Log Book: 28 July 1916 - an attack on a bridge in the Somme region: ‘Bombs fell near railway track. A.A. very good. Lt. Watkins caught fire from direct hit. Own fuselage badly shot.’ 29 August 1916: ‘Bombed Bois de Loupart. Attacked by hostile machine - two rounds through cockpit, one through coat. Forced landing. Ran into telephone pole. Crashed machine’s wings dismantled.’ 15 September 1916: ‘Bombed Bapaume. Squadron came down to 500 feet. Tyson hit. Archie and Onions very bad. 20 hostile machines. Recrossed at 1000.’ 17 September 1916: ‘Bombed Marcoing station. Blew up large ammunition dump on railway line. Formation attacked south of Cambrai by about 40 hostile machines. Honey and Patterson lost. Four F.Es lost from escort.’ In March 1917, Norton transferred to No. 13 Squadron as a Flight Commander, which appointment quickly led to the award of his first M.C. for gallant work during the battle of Arras in the following month, namely the above cited low-level mission of which his Flying Log Book states: 7 April 1917: ‘Wire reconnaissance. Examined wire from 200-400 feet four miles behind line. Engine and machine badly hit by M.G. fire - awarded Military Cross.’ Just a couple of days later, on the 9th, his BE2e was hit by shellfire and he was compelled to make a crash-landing, though he and his Observer, Captain T. L. Tibbs, emerged unscathed from the wreckage. While on the 28th, during a contact patrol, his aircraft was attacked by five enemy machines, the resultant damage causing another rapid descent. But pilot and Observer once more emerged unscathed, Norton in fact going on to complete around 60 operational sorties before being ordered back to the U.K. to take up appointment as an instructor at the Central Flying School at Upavon in June. Palestine A brief home appointment in No. 62 Squadron having followed in August-September 1917, Norton was next posted to the Middle East, where he joined No. 113 Squadron in Palestine, a component, in common with No. 14 Squadron, of 5th Corps Wing. Moreover, his name appeared on a list of pilots attached to the following Routine Order: `The following officers are detached for special duty and will proceed immediately to headquarters of the Arab forces near Akabah. All officers upon arrival will report to Colonel T. E. Lawrence, or his representatives in Akabah, attached to the headquarters of Shereef Feisal, and will remain under their orders during forthcoming operations.` Thus ensued a memorable chapter in his active service career, a chapter described at length in a series of articles that were subsequently published in The Liberty magazine in America in 1934 - ‘I Flew Lawrence in War-Crazed Arabia, by Captain John H. Norton, as told by J. B. L. Lawrence’. As a result of lacking dates it would be difficult to corroborate these articles against his Flying Log Book, but the following extracts are illustrative of his encounters with Lawrence: On arrival at Lawrence’s Headquarters near Akabah ‘Lawrence came among us and greeted us heartily. I was to learn later that he never shook hands and hated to be touched in any way. Another amazing thing about the man that I noted from the first was that he never looked any one in the face. Instead he stared at one`s shoes intently .... I watched Lawrence carefully. His face interested me. It seemed to change with every word he spoke. It was the most mobile face I have ever seen. He couldn`t have been more than 27 or 28, yet I felt the force and strength of personality that I was to see accomplish so much later. His bluish-grey eyes, rather deeply set, reflected humour and at the same time were strangely hard. They seemed almost held in place by his unusually high cheek bones.` Under Lawrence’s watchful eye at a formal dinner with Feisal `The sheik beside me suddenly turned to me and grunted happily. Then he thrust in his fist and brought out the smoking liver. He handed it to me. I had my hands full. But a quick glance from Lawrence and a slight nod told me that I must not refuse. It was a gesture of friendliness. I took the liver and jammed it down my throat. It was no hard task - I was so hungry! Lawrence kept looking at me and signified by smacking his lips that I was to show pleasure at the gift. I smacked my lips and grunted. It pleased the sheikh so much that he offered me another bit and another ....` Piloting Lawrence and a “Train Wrecking” Mission ‘I was ready and waiting at dawn the next morning. During the night an army lorry had brought two little wooden boxes from the railway station for Lawrence, and he had thes

A Great War ‘Western Front’ M.M. group of eight awarded to Warrant Officer Class 1 A. Kerr, Canadian Army Service Corps and Princess Louise Dragoon Guards Military Medal, G.V.R. (30090 Dvr. A. Kerr, No. 1 Coy. 1/D.T. Can. A.S.C.); 1914-15 Star (30090 Dvr. A. Kerr, Can. A.S.C.); British War Medal 1914-20 (30090 Dvr. A. Kerr, C.A.S.C.); Victory Medal 1914-19, unnamed; Jubilee 1935 (R.S.M. (W.O.1) Alex Kerr, M.M., P.L.D.G.); Coronation 1937 (R.S.M. (W.O.1) Alex Kerr, M.M., 4th P.L.D.G.) these privately engraved; Colonial Auxiliary Force Long Service, G.V.R. (S.S.M. (W.O. Cl. II) A. Kerr, M.M., P.L.D.G.); Efficiency Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue, Canada (R.S.M. (W.O. Cl. I) A. Kerr, M.M., P.L.D.G.) mounted for display, some with contact marks, nearly very fine and better (8) £550-650 M.M. London Gazette 11 April 1917. Citation reads, ‘This man after being wounded in the arm by a piece of shell on 11 April 1917, in the afternoon, and having his arm placed in a sling, resumed his place of work on the driver’s seat and drove with one hand until his work was completed, three hours afterwards. After handing over his team he was taken to the Field Ambulance and has not yet returned to duty’. Alexander Kerr was born in Glasgow on 8 June 1896. Moving with his parents to Ottawa, Canada, in 1908, he enlisted into the 1st Division Train, C.A.S.C. on 19 September 1914. Serving on the Western Front he was wounded in action on 11 April 1917. For his service in bravely carrying on his duties, he was awarded the Military Medal. He was discharged from the Canadian Expeditionary Force on 31 December 1921. On his return to civilian life in Ottawa, he enlisted into the 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards. Attaining the rank of Regimental Sergeant-Major, he was awarded the Jubilee Medal of 1935, the Coronation Medal of 1937 and two long service medals. His obituary also states that he was a piper with the Cameron Highlanders in Ottawa. In civilian life he served for some 35 years as a member of the Treasury Branch of the Department of Transport. Retiring in June 1957, he died in April 1958. With a quantity of copied service papers and other research.

Sold by Order of the Recipient’s Direct Descendants Robert Mugabe: “Why are your men trying to kill me?” Lieutenant-General Peter Walls: “If they were my men you would be dead.” The highly important Malaya Emergency and Rhodesia “Bush War” group of eleven awarded to Lieutenant-General Peter Walls, G.L.M., D.C.D., M.B.E., arguably one of the greatest counter-insurgency leaders of modern times, who, having commanded ‘C’ Squadron, 22 Special Air Service Regiment in Malaya, rose to the command of the Rhodesian Army under Ian Smith during the U.D.I. and briefly of the Zimbabwe Armed Forces under Robert Mugabe on independence in 1980 - at one time he had 45,000 men under his command and his protracted defence of Rhodesia must surely rank as one of the finest military achievements of all time Zimbabwe Independence Medal 1980, in silver, officially numbered ‘0110’, with its case of issue; Rhodesian Grand Officer of the Legion of Merit (G.L.M.), neck badge and breast star, in silver, gilt and enamel, the latter fitted with four loops to reverse for wearing and in its case of issue; Rhodesian Officer of the Legion of Merit (O.L.M.), breast badge, gilt and enamel, in its case of issue; Rhodesian Defence Cross for Distinguished Service (D.C.D.) (Lt. Gen. G. P. Walls), with its case of issue; Rhodesian General Service Medal (Brig. G. P. Walls); Rhodesian Exemplary Service Medal, with Bar (Brig. G. P. Walls); The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) Member’s 2nd type breast badge; War Medal 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, G.VI.R. (Major C. P. Walls, S. Rhod. Mil. F.), note first initial; Coronation 1953, mounted as worn where applicable, together with a set of uniform tunic ribands, minor official correction to unit on the G.S.M., otherwise generally good very fine (11) £30000-40000 M.B.E. London Gazette 1 May 1953. The original recommendation states: ‘Major Walls has commanded the Rhodesian Squadron in the 22 S.A.S. since its arrival in Malaya in 1951. Although he is young and has no previous experience of commanding a unit of this size, his work had been quite outstanding; the Squadron has been absorbed into a British Army unit most successfully. The success of the scheme initiated by the Southern Rhodesian Government, whereby Southern Rhodesians were made available to fight against the communists in the Far East, is, in the case of the present Squadron, due to a great extent to the untiring efforts of Major Walls. He has set a very high standard of conduct, determination and courage throughout his tour with the Regiment, and his qualities of leadership are such that the Squadron has developed into a first rate fighting unit.’ George Peter Walls was born in Southern Rhodesia in July 1926, the son of one of the colony’s pioneer pilots, George Walls, who had served in the Royal Naval Air Service in the Great War. Educated at Plumtree School, Peter, as he was known, entered Sandhurst towards the end of the 1939-45 War, and was commissioned in the Black Watch, but, on learning that he was to be transferred to another regiment, chose to resign and ‘return to my beloved Rhodesia rather than serve in any regiment other than the Black Watch.’ With the S.A.S. in Malaya 1951-53 Commissioned into the Northern Rhodesia Regiment on his return, he was just 24 years of age when in early 1951 he was given command the Southern Rhodesia Far East Volunteer Unit (S.R.F.E.V.U.), afterwards designated ‘C’ Squadron, Malayan Scouts (S.A.S.), an unusual appointment for one so young, as recalled by Trooper Geoff Turner-Dauncey in S.A.S. Rhodesia, by Jonathan Pittaway and Craig Fourie: ‘S.R.F.E.V.U. was placed under the command of Lieutenant Peter Walls, a young Staff Corps officer who had served in the British Army with the Black Watch. He was appointed Temporary Captain to signify his position as the senior officer in the unit. As a Squadron Commander’s rank is that of Major, he was then appointed Acting Major. The intention was that on arrival in Malaya, a British Major would be appointed Squadron Commander of ‘C’ Squadron, and Major Walls would revert to the rank of Temporary Captain. This never happened, so the young Lieutenant, Temporary Captain, Acting Major Walls still in his twenties had the responsibility of being an operational commander for the complete duration of his Far East tour. I have no doubt that this experience stood him in good stead during the years that followed and in due course enabled him to become the supreme commander of the Rhodesian Forces.’ ‘C’ (Rhodesia) Squadron, Malayan Scouts (S.A.S.), arrived in the Far East in March 1951, where it was once more re-designated, this time as ‘C’ (Rhodesia) Squadron, 22 S.A.S. Regiment, and Walls quickly set to work in training his men in readiness for the jungle warfare ahead, himself being an early member of the team which carried out experimental “tree-jumping” as a means of entry into the deep jungle terrain. Mick Coetzee, another contributor to S.A.S. Rhodesia, takes up the story: ‘The answer was to drop directly into the jungle and since clearings were almost non-existent, dropping into trees was the only way. A member of ‘C’ Squadron was tasked with studying tree-jumping. The first experiment was conducted in a rubber plantation. Another experiment was to drop from a helicopter and this was actually tried over water. The difficulty was that there was no slipstream to assist in the development of the chute. Using helicopters was also expensive. The biggest helicopter in service was the S55 which had a ten-man capacity. Getting down to the ground from the tree was a problem. A hand-over-hand descent using knotted rope was successful but the physical effort required left the soldier almost exhausted on the reaching the ground. The hobby of the Regiment’s Medical Officer at the time was climbing in the Swiss Alps and he came up with the idea of the abseiling technique for making the tree-to-ground descent. For training purposes a scaffold was erected in camp and individuals were taught the technique. An experiment with the technique in the jungle proved successful. Unfortunately Peter Walls was wounded in the lower jaw at the moment the helicopter touched down on the helipad. It was speculated that the pieces of metal extracted from his jaw and lower face had come from the helicopter rotor which broke on touchdown.’ By January 1952, Walls - recovered from his injuries - was ready to take ‘C’ Squadron into action from a new base at Sungei Besi camp in Kuala Lumpur. In fact, the Rhodesians mounted no less than four operations in the months ahead, namely “Helsby” in Perak, “League” in Pahang, “Copley” in Kelantan and “Hive” in Negri Sembilan. In Rhodesia S.A.S., Trooper Geoff Turner-Dauncey describes the type of conditions the Squadron faced on such operations: ‘From the moment we stepped into the jungle until we returned to base we got soaked, and stayed wet, from the humidity, crossing rivers and swamps, and the soaking vegetation caused by monsoon rains. In that humidity, one has to learn to cope with impetigo skin diseases including ringworm, leeches and other ailments. Insect and leech bites began to fester, and ringworm, many forms of eczema, and athlete’s foot resulted in widespread ulceration of the skin. Ointments only aggravated rotting fleah, so where possible penicillin wound powder was applied to open sores. With our operational dress torn and rotting, and stinking of sweat, rifle oil and decaying vegetation, it was common practice to burn our clothes on returning to base. For a while troops returning to base from operations looked rather like clowns: wearing just P.T. shorts, sandal

A box of Action Man figures and accessories, costumes etc.

Sackville, the 5th Earl of Yarborough The property of Sackville George Pelham, the 5th Earl of Yarborough, d.1948. Sackville George Pelham, 5th Earl of Yarborough, MC (17 December 1888-7 February 1948) was a British peer and soldier, known as Lord Worsley from 1914-1926 and Lord Conyers from 1926 until his accession to the earldom in 1936. Pelham was the second son of Charles Pelham, 4th Earl of Yarborough and his wife, Marcia. In 1910, he became a Second Lieutenant in the 11th Hussars and initially fought as a lieutenant in France during World War I before being promoted to the rank of captain in 1916. During the war his elder brother, Charles, was killed in action and Sackville assumed the former’s courtesy title of Lord Worsley. After the war, he was awarded the Military Cross and retired from the Army in 1919 when he married Nancy Brocklehurst (a niece of Lord Ranksborough). On the death of his father in 1936, Sackville inherited the earldom; in the same year he commanded the Nottinghamshire Yeomanry as a Lieutenant Colonel, being posted to Palestine at the outbreak of World War II. On returning to Britain in October 1940, the ship carrying the Earl and Countess of Yarborough came under enemy fire and was sunk. Although most of the passengers and crew survived, the Earl contracted respiratory problems which contributed to his early death in 1948 at the age of 59. A Rare Chinese Imperial qiangjin and tianqi Red Lacquer Altar Table. Qing dynasty, 17th/18th century, 156.5cm wide, 63cm deep, 88.5cm high. Decorated in red, brown, black and gold. The rectangular top finely incised to depict a large central panel of two confronting phoenix amidst scrolling peony flowers, leaves and tendrils. The panel is bordered by forty-one flying bats, the whole enclosed by a design of further flowers and foliage with a cockerel-headed mythical beast to each corner, all within a key fret edge. The frieze is decorated with a band of panels containing bats and swastikas above a pattern of bats, cloud scrolls and shou characters; the reverse, sides and legs with similar designs. A modern plate glass top. Provenance: Sackville, 5th Earl of Yarborough. The Earl used this table to display the fine green jade water buffalo and gilt stand from the Earl’s collection, which was sold in these rooms in May 2009. The Earl’s will contains the following excerpt: To my dear elder daughter, Diana Mary, the Red Lacquer long table and the settee to match, which stand in the front hall at Brocklesby, and the antique Chinese green jade buffalo in the same room... Paper collection label to the underside. Catalogue note: Qiangjin is a decorative technique in which the incised outlines of the design are etched, and filled in gold, and tianqi (filled in) where the different colours of the lacquer are used for decorative effect against the coloured ground. For details of the history and development of this technique, cf. The Luxury of Chinese Lacquer, Littleton and Hennessy, March 2010 Introduction. The decorative design used is particularly auspicious. Terese Tse Bartholomew in her Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art states that, ‘The phoenix is the emperor of all birds, and like the qilin, it appears only in times of peace and prosperity. It is believed that the phoenix’s appearance in China augurs the emergence of an able ruler or the arrival of a great man, for it appeared when Confucius was born. The phoenix is the motif for the empress of China, ornamenting her crown as well as her clothing….. Phoenix (feng) and peony (fuguihua) = may there be wealth, rank and good fortune (fugui jixiang). The phoenix dallying with the peony is an auspicious design (fengxi mudan, fengchuan mudan). When the king of birds is paired with the king of flowers, together they augur great blessings.’ Cf. Imperial Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Classics of the Forbidden City, pp.152 & 155, nos.172, 175 and 176 for related examples; see also Soame Jenyns, & William Watson, Chinese Art II, p.238, no.176, The Collection of Lord and Lady Fairhaven; and a related pair of open armchairs in the Victoria and Albert Museum. See also, Chinese Furniture, Selected articles from Orientation 1984-2003, p.343. and The Minor Arts of China IV, Spink & Son Ltd, p.15, no.5 for a pair of kang tables decorated in this technique.

"Action Man Action Force boxed vehicles, 6 including triad fighter and laser experimenter"

"Action Man Action Force vehicles mainly boxed, including cosmic cruiser, and Z Force jeep (6)"

"Action Man toys, various ages and uniforms, assorted equipment, and a Scorpion reconnaissance vehicle (light tank)"

"Action Man pursuit craft and other assorted Action Man toys, Matchbox Seaking cruise missile destroyer, other playworn cars and Hornby trains"

Ephemera - An Action Man Official Equipment Manual, undated; Matchbox catalogues, 1979/80 and 1983; five Meccano promotional leaflets, circa 1973; two B.I.F. trade buyer badges by Gaunt; and a small quantity of other items. Provenance: Ex shop stock, Actons of Aldershot, thence by descent.Best Bid

Cinema posters for the two feature films Fangio and Indianapolis, both with Italian script and intended for lobby display, the first with a depiction of Fangio sliding his Maserati 250F by C. Ginello and subtitled UNA VITA A 300 ALL`ORA, the second with artist portraits of Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward and Robert Wagner above a racing scene and subtitled PISTA INFERNALE, both 70 by 33cm., 28 by 13in.; together with an advertisement poster titled THE KING set above a photograph of Damon Hill on the podium celebrating his victory in the 1994 British GP and standing immediately over Princess Diana above the strap-line DAMON WINNING WITH OMP, 69 by 49cm., 27 by 19in; plus a photographic poster of Mike Hailwood in action winning the Isle of Man Senior T.T. in 1978 on his Ducati 900, 63 by 94cm., 25 by 37in. (4) Provenance: The San Siro Museum, Milan.

Cherilea Toys amphibious jeep, boxed, Action Man afloat plane, together with various action man figures etc

A pair of 19th Century mahogany bar back dining chairs together with two boxes of sundry items to include Wedgwood bowl, Sylvac vases, an Action Man Palitoy Royal Hussar, etc

A collection of 1970`s / 1980`s Action Man dolls and accessories

Football autograph: Tottenham Hotspur FC, a black & white action press photo from the Tottenham v Man City game, 16 April, showing Spurs goalkeeper, Bill Brown, at the feet of centre half Maurice Norman, with later signature by Norman in black marker (gd) (1)

Football press photos: Thirteen b/w press photos, mostly 1960`s, various sizes inc. action from Arsenal v QPR 68/69, Chelsea v Arsenal 1967/68, Man Utd European Cup Winners teamgroup 1968 etc (gen gd)

CAPTAIN MARRYAT`S TELESCOPEa rare model by Thomas Jones, London comprising a 5½in. objective lens with removable lens cap, tapering leather-covered tube with carry strap and single drawer with dust slide, signed Captain Marryat C.B. / Thomas Jones, Charing Cross, London — 21in. (53.5cm.) high (closed) Captain Frederick Marryat (1792-1848) joined the navy in 1806 and, although he missed all the big fleet actions, he enjoyed a lively naval career and seemed to take his lead from his first Commander, Lord Cochrane. By the close of the Napoleonic Wars, he had guarded Napoleon, assisted in several spirited frigate actions, survived serious fevers, saved five lives in action and had been promoted Commander. Despite this, he found fame initially for his signal code, first published in 1817. The Code of Signals for the Merchant Service became an international success going through no less than nineteen editions (not including foreign ones) through to 1879 and which was still used by some merchants until the 1890s. When he retired from the Navy (or rather hot-headedly resigned on the nominal grounds of `private affairs`) in 1830 he became a man of letters and it was in this part of his career that he became a highly popular author, spawning many famous works drawn from his own experiences: Newton Forster, Peter Simple, Jacob Faithful, Midshipman Easy, and Japhet came first to great acclaim. The last eight years of his life were devoted to children`s stories including Masterman Ready, or, The Wreck of the Pacific (1841) and The Children of the New Forest (1847). He also colluded with George Cruickshank who wittily illustrated his Midshipman Ben Blockhead series which are duplicated often in modern references.The instrument offered is a very rare form and the huge objective lens gives a bright and wide field of vision suited more to celestial navigation than signals. It is thought that only four others by Jones exist, one of which is in the national collection at Greenwich.

Two modern stylized composition of black and white cats and an Action Man model

Action Man Palitoy 105mm light gun with original boxed

Various Action Man figures and models (2 boxes), diecast models, vehicles and planes

Action Man figures, various toys, plastic robots etc

Action Man 1980s vehicles including tanks, lorry, helicopter, aircraft and tower etc (qty)

Five Action Man figures (some as found), together with a small collection of clothing and accesories and a 10 inch Hermann teddy bear with jointed body.

A collection of various Action figures to include He-Man, WWF, Thundercats and Star Wars (with accessories).

Sel. die-cast vehicles, "Junior Iron", Action Man, talking Dalek etc.

Action Man: five dolls, Jeep, M41 Tank, A.A. Gun, Special Mission Pod, L 260 Official Equipment Manual, Special Operation Kit with leaflet (incomplete), assorted equipment and clothing

"19 James Bond VHS tapes from Dr.No to The World is Not Enough, two oversized books Dorling Kindersley James Bond the Secrety World of 007 and Boxtree The Essential Bond and two limited edition James Bond Action Man figures boxed - The Spy Who Loved Me and The World is Not Enough."

SCARLETT JAMES YORKE: (1799-1871) British General, a hero of the Crimean War. Scarlett led the charge of the Heavy Brigade at Balaclava. A.L.S., J. Yorke Scarlett, with rank beneath, three pages, 8vo, Crimea, 26th September 1855, to Sir Hew Ross. Scarlett announces `I am very anxious to submit to your notice the name of First Lieutenant Frederick Lyon of the Royal Artillery as a candidate for the Horse Artillery knowing him to be a clever & splendid young man & one who would I think be a credit to that beautiful branch of your service.` The General continues `You will be happy to hear that the Horse Artillery attached (to) our Cavalry are looking very well & do us great credit though we have not had an opportunity of bringing them into action this summer except a few shots fired by the C Troop on the 16th at the enemy.` Scarlett continues to refer to other military matters and in concluding confesses to being jealous of a Troop of Horse Artillery being attached to the Infantry, `but I concluded the arrangement is all for the best & good of the service`. A letter of fine content. Attractively and professionally matted in deep red alongside a brief printed biography and an oval engraving of Captain Nolan. Framed and glazed (to both sides to show each page of the letter) in a silver coloured frame to an overall size of 15 x 17.5. VG Hew Dalrymple Ross (1779-1868) British Field Marshal, Lieutenant General of the Ordnance 1854-55 & Master Gunner, St. James`s Park 1864-68.

MISCELLANY An interesting miscellany containing books, brochures, handbooks, cigarette cards, trade cards etc. Contains 5 handbooks from Bournemouth Football Association, ( 2 x 20s, 2 x 30s and 52/3, FA Laws booklet 1888-89 ( no cover) and FA Rules and Laws of the Game 1938-39, a number of Chix Famous Footballers ( 50s), Booklet issued by The Champion, 3rd Division South team photographs (early 30s), Topical Times cards, Sportswear brochures ( 50s- 3 x Bukta , 1 x Umbro) and Mansfield 58-59 sports equipment brochure, Volume 4 of Association Football and the Men Who Made It, numerous comic giveaways from late 50s/early 60s, booklets such as Action (60s), Football Favourites ( several from the 50s), Football Favourites annual 50/51, Ellesmere Port Town letter 1947, colour caricature of Trevor Ford (Aston Villa), Topical Times complete album of Great Players, and finally 15 team groups from the 1930s given away in groups of three teams, each team circa 4" x 2" and includes Man Utd, Leeds, Arsenal, Villa, Preston ( with the FA Cup), Everton, Sunderland, Rangers etc. A number of other items and quite an interesting collection, mainly fair condition but condition does vary, some poor-fair others good. As described

A touching old ebonised framed WWI Memorial `In Memoriam of the Noble Dead in Loving Memory of Haydn Evans 2209 19th Batallion Welsh Regiment (Pioneers), the Beloved son of Thomas and Ruth Evans, 12 Penllwyn Avenue Pontypridd, who fell in action at Ypres, Flanders, on Jan. 29th 1916, while serving with his regiment in The Great European War aged 19 years - Into the field of Battle, he bravely took his place, - fought and died for England, and the honour of his race, he sleeps not in his native land, but neath the foreign skies, far from those that loved him best, but in a heroe`s grave he lies - `Greater love hath no man than that he lays down his life for his friends`. sold together with a death penny for the deceased and also a one for a person believed to be his brother Sidney Evans; who also gave his life. Also included is a 1915 embroidered card Sincere Friendship.

A fully jointed moulded plastic American Indian with accessories marked Louis Marx & Co, a cowboy with accessories and a CPG Production 1978 Action Man (3)

A 1964 Palitoy Action Man, a 1978 and five others. With a large quantity of costumes, boots and accessories

Various Action Man Clothes and Accessories.

A Boxed Action Man Mission 2000 and Austin Powers Talking Doll ( Deans).

An Action Man with brown flock hair and gripping hands; together with a quantity of clothing and accessories, an army lorry, and a tank (lacking tracks); also a varied collection of Britains Deetail, Airfix, Timpo and other 54mm and smaller plastic model soldiers; and a quantity of diecast military vehicles, all unboxed.

A collection of Palitoy Action Man and Hasbro Action Force plastic vehicles, accessories and figures

A selection of Action Man and accessories including Pallitoy, Kenner etc also a collection of modern collectable Manchester United figures, and Corinthian figures

A Collection of Boxed Matchbox Motorway and Superfast Accessories, including M-2 Motorised Motorway, Superbooster, Motorway Extension E-2, Slipstream Curves, track etc; A Boxed Action Man Grand Prix Racing Car

Action Man: German soldier with a few accessories.

Football press photos: Tottenham, b/w photo lifted from scrapbook, 1904/05, showing Walton scoring v Newcastle in FA Cup tie. Sold with three other b/w Tottenham action photos v Man Utd 26/09/53, Chelsea 03/03/51 & 15/10/55 all with details to reverse (gd) (4 )

An Action Man doll, Trambino toy, etc., a/f

A mixed lot of assorted vintage toys and dolls, including a Hornby O gauge clockwork locomotive (af), a 1960`s Action Man with articulated limbs and a quantity of assorted card games and dolls etc.

A quantity of action man dolls and accessories, and other contemporary toys and games including meccano, boxed

A box of Action Man figures, uniforms, etc, including 1960s examples

A box of Action Man figures, James Bond 007, Austin Powers and Britney Spears figures, all boxed

A quantity of board games to include Jump Jockey, the `Action Man` game and Action Waterloo.

A 1996 Action Man figure

Action Man - A `Talking Commander` figure, with brown flock hair, `Eagle Eyes`, and gripping hands, in soldier`s khaki uniform, boxed (box crushed and lacking one tab); two other figures (both with damaged hands); assorted clothing and equipment; a Capture Copter, boxed; a Belt Feed Machine Gun, boxed (box with cut panel); and an armoured car, unboxed.

Six Million Dollar Man - A Denys Fisher Colonel Steve Austin `The Six Million Dollar Man` action figure, generally good condition (back of outfit repaired), boxed (box worn); Denys Fisher Bionic Transport & Repair Station, boxed; and empty box for a Denys Fisher Six Million Dollar Man Back Pack Radio (worn); and a Six Million Dollar Man colouring book, unused, (4).

3 Action Man figures including one with metal dog-dag; 8 pieces of Scalextric 1/24 scale track; two early 20th Century puzzles - The Beacon Puzzle and The Motorist Puzzle.

Assorted boxed model vehicles including Days Gone, Action Man accessories, etc.

DON BRADMAN Cricket "Flicker" book number 3 "Don Bradman"-Leg Glance and Pull, very scarce , very collectable and a chance to see the great man in action. Good

Annuals and comics: late 1960s and early 1970s including The Saint 1967, Monkees, Thunderbirds, Beryl The Peril; The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour twin single with booklet sleeve; Action Man Intelligence Manual; two Thunderbirds jig-saw puzzles, Horikawa `cap` Robot 225mm, Sutcliffe Unda-Wanda submarine; Matchbox 39 Rolls-Royce in original box, Viewaster with Sidereels, skittles, wood pond yacht and plastic Andy Cap

Airfix H0/00 Scale figures: twenty-two sets in boxes including Japanese Infantry, RAF Personnel and WW2 German (unchecked), in Action Man Helicopter box (22)

Action Man: Belt-Feed Machine Gun in original box, L288 Equipment Manual, L103 Intelligence Manual, three dolls, selection of clothes, boots and accessories, varying condition

An Action Man Helicopter, boxed

Thirteen novelty corkscrews; four carved wood and painted heads; Scottie dog; Bowling ball; Golf ball; boot; double action corkscrew; naked man; horn and brass bird and two others. (13)