A SUPERB KOMAI-STYLE GOLD AND SILVER INLAID BRONZE VASE WITH MONKEYSJapan, Kyoto, Meiji period (1868-1912)Of baluster form, supported on a spreading foot with slightly concave base, the straight shoulder surmounted by the short-waisted neck and galleried rim. Finely decorated in gold and silver nunomezogan and takazogan with two shaped panels enclosing numerous monkeys huddled together in various poses, some constituting the sambiki saru motif, also referred to as the three wise monkeys, using their hands to cover their own or each other's ears, eyes, or mouth, the simians further well detailed with finely incised fur and gold eyes. The panels are reserved against a silver-inlaid ground of various brocade patterns, above stylized waves and dew drops at the foot, and below foliate scroll and chrysanthemum flowerheads to the shoulder, finely engraved clouds to the neck, and a silver-inlaid key-fret band around the rim. HEIGHT 16 cmWEIGHT 467 gCondition: Very good condition with minor wear and few tiny nicks.Provenance: From a private collection in southern Germany, acquired before 2007.The present vases are decorated in the manner of the famous Komai workshop of Kyoto. The Komai workshop is believed to have been founded in 1841, but it was only when Komai Otojiro I became its head, in 1865, that the company began to make the wares for which they were to become so famous. Under his leadership, the workshop specialized in intricate inlaid work of gold and silver into iron. In a promotional brochure from around 1915 his son, Komai Otojiro II (his father having retired in 1906) called his workshop the 'pioneer of damascene work' and describes the lacquering process of the characteristic black ground, which required kiln firing and burnishing. The Komai style developed with an increasingly pictorial central motif on a background of both geometric patterns and free illustrations of nature, life, and landscapes with elaborate repeating borders. Most of these central motifs illustrate stories from Japanese history or mythology, and the Komai family retains a number of design books in which can be found drawings for many of their works.
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ICHIHASHI TOSHIO: A LARGE BRONZE ART DECO RECTANGULAR VASEBy Ichihashi Toshio (1919-2005), signed Toshio Japan, Showa period (1926-1989)The attractively textured bronze finely worked with tall sides decorated with geometric designs in the form of vertical tapering lines centered by lozenges.Condition: Excellent condition.Provenance: Dutch private collection.Weight: 5.8 kgDimensions: Height 34.7 cmIchihashi Toshio is a Japanese artist. In 1951 Ichihashi graduated from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts. In 1953 he won the Nitten Fine Arts Exhibiton prize and started as a lecturer at the Tokyo National University the year after. In 1961 he received the Nitten Hokutosho award and in 1964 he made the sculpture of the Tokugawa Yoshitoshi statue in Yoyogi park. Ichihashi was a member of the Nitten Fine Arts Exhibition jury and took part in the New Japan Craftsman Federation Council.
AIDA TOMIYASU: A LARGE BRONZE VASEBy Aida Tomiyasu (1901-1987), signed TomiyasuJapan, Showa period (1926-1989)Of cylindrical form, supported on a flat base the cordate-shaped opening cast to the side, surmounted by a round overhang topped by a stylized waterfowl. The base signed TOMIYASU.Condition: Excellent condition with minimal wear and casting flaws.Provenance: Dutch private collection.Weight: 2,567 gDimensions: Height 40.8 cmWith a fitted wood tomobako box.Aida Tomiyasu is the go or art name of Ibara Meijiro. He was born in Tateyama City, Chiba prefecture and studied metal casting under Yamamoto Azumi (1880-1945), also a graduate of the metal casting department at the Tokyo School of Fine Art. Between 1929-1957 he exhibited regularly at the annual government-sponsored exhibitions, the Teiten, Shin-Bunten and Nitten, winning the grand prize a the 1949 Nitten. Internationally, he successfully exhibited at the New York World's fair and at the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1939 and became known for his Art Deco-inspired style evident in this example.
OTA HARUKAGE: A MASTERFUL BRONZE PANEL WITH PLAYING PUPPIESBy Ota Harukage, signed Taiyosai Harukage with kakihanJapan, Tokyo, first half of 20th centuryMasterfully cast as three playing puppies in the style of Maruyama Okyo, worked in high relief, each patinated differently and with gilt eyes. The puppies are extremely lifelike, almost appearing as if they were jumping out of the picture. Note the finely incised bamboo and grasses. Signed to the lower right OTA HARUKAGE with the artist's kakihan. Framed within a black-lacquered wood frame.SIZE (with frame) 39.6 x 33.6 cm, SIZE (picture only) 35.5 x 29.5 cmWEIGHT (with frame) 1,036 gCondition: Superb condition with hardly any wear.Provenance: British private collection.Ota Harukage, a pupil of Funakoshi Shunmin (1868-1940), is recorded as being active in Tokyo during the Taisho and Showa eras. For further information, see Wakayama Takeshi, Kinko jiten (A Dictionary of Metalworkers), Tokyo, Token Shunju Shinbunsha, 1999, p. 620.Maruyama Okyo (1733-1795) became famous for his paintings of puppies. His puppies have inspired Japanese artists throughout the centuries, appearing in homages on various mediums such as paintings, lacquerware, or metalwork, as in the present example.
A FINE INLAID IRON PANEL DEPICTING EGRETS AND LOTUSJapan, late 19th century, Meiji period (1868-1912)The roughly textured iron ground finely decorated in gold, silver, and bronze takazogan to depict two egrets, one flying and the other standing in a lotus pond, surrounded by giant leaves, buds, blossoms, and reeds, the pond rendered with subtly incised lines. SIZE 50 x 33.5 (the panel) and 57 x 41 cm (incl. frame)WEIGHT 3,360 gCondition: Very good condition with minor wear.With an old wood frame. Auction comparison: Compare a related inlaid iron panel signed Fukuda Michiharu zo, also dated late 19th century, Meiji period, 59 cm high, at Sotheby's, Fine Japanese Art, 14 May 2019, London, lot 168 (sold for 8,750 GBP).13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.
MASATOSHI: A LARGE KOMAI-STYLE MIXED-METAL-INLAID BRONZE BOX AND COVERBy Masatoshi, signed Masatoshi sakuJapan, Meiji period (1868-1912)Of rectangular form, supported on four short bracket feet, the flush-fitting cover and the sides lacquered black and decorated in gold and silver hirazogan and nunome-zogan, the cover featuring a landscape with a shrine and temple surrounded by lush trees, with Mount Fuji in the background, the sides with two dragons, a seahawk causing crashing waves with its wings, two cranes amid bamboo, and huts in a river landscape, the silvered interior engraved with a sparrow and flowering prunus. SIZE 15.4 x 27.5 x 18.4 cmWEIGHT 3,391 gCondition: Good condition with some wear and minor rubbing to inlays, small dents and nicks here and there, light scratches, the base slightly loose.
YOSHIMITSU: A FINE BRONZE OKIMONO OF A DOEBy Yoshimitsu, signed Yoshimitsu Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912)The ungulate slowly walking ahead with the head lowered, the ears pricked and eyes open in an alert expression, the fur neatly yet sparingly incised, the animal further detailed with a short tail, the belly incised with the signature YOSHIMITSU.LENGTH 28.5 cmWEIGHT 2,675 gCondition: Very good condition with minor wear, casting irregularities, light surface scratches.
MUNECHIKA: A CHARMING BRONZE OKIMONO OF A PUPPYBy Munechika, signed MunechikaJapan, Meiji period (1868-1912)Finely cast, the small puppy resting on its haunches, lifting its paw as it looks into the distance. Covered in finely detailed fur, the puppy's face set with a short snout, whiskers, and a large forehead above eyes of inlaid gold and shakudo. The bronze is covered in a lustrous patina. The base with the artist's signature MUNECHIKA.LENGTH 15.8 cmWEIGHT 1,401 gCondition: Very good condition with minor wear and small casting irregularities.Auction comparison:Compare a related bronze okimono of a Chin dog, by Suzuki Chokichi, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, 7 November 2019, London, lot 229 (sold for GBP 2,550).
A LARGE BRONZE EAGLE PERCHED ON A CLIFFJapan, Meiji period (1868-1912)Heavily cast in two parts, the naturalistically modeled eagle lifting its large wings back as it grips the rock with its talons. The coastal cliff finely detailed with waves crashing high against the rock.WEIGHT 8.3 kgHEIGHT 48.2 cmCondition: Very good condition with only minor wear and casting flaws.
A FINE BRONZE OKIMONO OF A HERONJapan, Meiji period (1868-1912)Finely modeled as a standing heron, the legs and feet finely textured, the wings and plumage neatly incised, the eyes gilt with incised pupils, the bird further detailed with sinuous neck and long beak and crest, the bronze patinated to a coppery tone.HEIGHT 25.6 cm (excl. base) and 28.2 cm (incl. base)WEIGHT 1,767 gCondition: Excellent condition with minor wear and casting irregularities.Mounted on a black-lacquered wood base.Auction comparison:Compare a closely related bronze okimono of a heron at Zacke, Fine Japanese Art, 4 June 2021, Vienna, lot 10 (sold for 5,056 EUR).
A LARGE BRONZE CENSER IN THE FORM OF A BUDDHIST LION, LATE EDO PERIODJapan, 19th century. Heavily cast, the fierce lion standing foursquare with a caparison draped over its back. Its mouth open in a grisly snarl, exposing sharp teeth, a curling mane falling down its back and its furcated tale cast with thick fur. The central aperture on its back with a wood cover.Condition: Good condition with some wear, casting flaws, including a fissure across the underside. Small nicks, light scratches.Provenance: From a private collection in Austria.Weight: 10 kgDimensions: Length 38 cm
SEIYA: A PATINATED BRONZE OKIMONO OF A GEISHA, MEIJIBy the Seiya Workshop, signed Seiya Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912) Well cast as a lady standing on a naturalistically executed base, wearing a kimono with well-carved folds, and geta sandals, holding a hairpin, a bachi (plectrum), and a biwa, the hair arranged in an elaborate coiffure. The top of the base signed SEIYA. Fine reddish-brown patination. Condition: Good condition, minor wear, and few small nicks. The neck of the biwa lost. Provenance: Danish private collection. Weight: 1,200 g Dimensions: Height 20.5 cm
MIYAO: A PARCEL-GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF A TRUMPET BOY, MEIJI PERIODBy the Miyao company of Yokohama, signed Miyao with seal EiJapan, late 19th century, Meiji period (1868-1912)Finely modeled standing barefoot, lifting a trumpet to his pursed lips, the small boy dressed in elaborately patterned robes with kiku and peony flowers. The boy's charming face is well detailed with inflated cheeks, focused eyes, and hair finely incised. The back of his robe signed on a rectangular tablet MIYAO.WEIGHT 97.5 gHEIGHT 8.3 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor surface wear. The trumpet lost.Provenance: Estate of Wolfgang Zacke (1942-2022), co-founder of Galerie Zacke, thence by descent.Founded by Miyao Eisuke, the Miyao Company of Yokohama (later based in Nihonbashi-ku, Tokyo, after ca. 1890) specialized in the manufacture of bronze sculptures, embellished with gold and silver as well as patinated copper alloys, that represent generic samurai warriors as well as more precisely identifiable characters from Japanese myth and legend. In addition, the company also made a smaller number of pieces in other formats such as incense burners, vases, and chargers.
MASATOMO: A LARGE BRONZE FIGURE OF A YOUNG ACTOR PERFORMING THE TAIHEIRAKU DANCEBy Masatomo, signed MasatomoJapan, Taisho period (1912-1926)Beautifully cast, the warrior with one knee raised, one hand placed firmly on his waist, the other raising a sword, as he performs the Taiheiraku (Song and Dance of Great Peace), a court Gagaku dance. Dressed in decorative armor with particular attention paid to the swelling of the garments, and his young face surmounted by an elaborate dragon kabuto. Signed to the base MASATOMO.HEIGHT 46 cmWEIGHT 10.7 kgCondition: Very good condition with minor wear and casting irregularities, few minuscule nicks.
A MIXED METAL DISH DEPICTING FISHERMAN IN THE RAIN, MEIJI PERIODJapan, Meiji period (1868-1912)The bronze dish supported on a round foot with an everted rim decorated in geometric designs, the front worked in iro-e takazogan of sentoku, shibuichi, shakudo, and depicting a fisherman. The fisherman stands on a bridge in the rain with his umbrella, holding a basket with a fish, looking back over his shoulder as a bird passes him by. Signed next to the fishermen and the base sealed with an archaic inscription.Condition: Good condition with minor wear, casting flaws, dents, and small nicks.Provenance: From an Austrian private collection.Weight: 1,016.4 gDimensions: Diameter 21 cm
A LARGE BRONZE BONSHO BELL FOR THE ENMEI-IN TEMPLE, DATED 1900Japan, Yokohama, dated 1900Well cast in barrel form, decorated in high relief with horizontal and vertical lines, bands of bosses, and flowerheads, surmounted by a twin dragon loop handle. The side engraved with an inscription dating the bell to the 33rd year of the Meiji period (corresponding to 1900), naming the devotees who commissioned the bell, and identifying the temple for which it was made.Condition: Very good condition with wear, casting flaws, signs of weathering and erosion, traces of use, and scratches.Provenance: From a Dutch private collection.Weight: 18.9 kgDimensions: Height 55.8 cmThe earliest bells date to around 600 AD, although the general design is of much earlier Chinese origin and shares some of the features seen in ancient Chinese bells. Their penetrating and pervasive tone carries over considerable distances. The sound of the bell is thought to have supernatural properties. It is believed, for example, that it can be heard in the underworld.In Japanese ceremonies, hanging bells are used for signaling during the prayer and for calling Buddhists to worship. In China, similar bells were employed in ensembles, where they represented the yin, or "receptive" principle, and were sounded after the beat of a large drum (yang, or "creative" element). The bonsho incorporates many symbolic motifs found in the Far East. The suspension loop (ryuzo) is formed by two dragon heads and a flame; the upper third contains nipples (nyu), symbols of fertility; and the barren field below (ikenomachi) provides a place for poetry or iconography. The chrysanthemum, a symbol of longevity and happiness, forms the striking surface (shuza). The bonsho may occasionally be heard in the kabuki theatre's off-stage ensembles.The Enmei-in Temple in Yokohama was rebuilt during the 19th century, but local legend dates the foundations of the temple to the 9th century. According to oral tradition, the temple was originally built by Kobo Daishi, possibly falling into its dilapidated state during the Edo period. Today it houses a large statue of Buddha dedicated by the Tokugawa family, Fudomyouo. The temple is known for the story of the priest Nitto, who is executed for murder and sexual promiscuity.
MURATA SEIMIN: A CLOISONNE ENAMEL KORO (INCENSE BURNER) AND COVER, 1818-1830By Murata Seimin (1761-1837), signed Dai Nippon Bunsei nen Seimin chu Japan, 1818 -1830 The compressed globular body with an angular shoulder and waisted neck, flanked by a pair of shishi handles, the body and neck finely decorated in bright enamels with archaistic motifs. The reticulated domed cover is adorned with clouds and surmounted by a finial in the shape of a shishi resting a paw on a ball. All supported on three curving legs emerging from mythical-beast terminals, below a cloisonne apron similarly decorated. The base with a nine character mark: Dai Nippon Bunsei nen Seimin chu (cast by Seimin of great Japan in the Bunsei period (1818-30). Condition: Good condition with wear and expected manufacturing flaws, such as pitting. Minor nicks, small dents, and light scratches. The shishi finial slightly loose. Provenance: Danish private collection, acquired at Bruun Rasmussen on 21 January 2010, lot 1003. Weight: 3,761 g Dimensions: Height 35 cm Muarata Seimin (1761-1837) specialized in precise bronze sculpture using the lost-wax method. Much of his work was of Buddhist subjects, such as the casting of 500 arhats (disciples of the Buddha) at Kenchoji Temple in Kamakura. His other work included vases and ornaments, and he was famed for his studies of tortoises.
A RARE AND LARGE PAINTED POTTERY OKIMONO OF A MONKEY EXAMINING A MONKEY NETSUKEJapan, Meiji period (1868-1912)Well modeled and painted with polychrome pigments, the monkey seated with its legs crossed, looking through a magnifying glass (now lost) held in his right hand to examine a monkey netsuke in his left, the netsuke attached to a kinchaku (pouch) decorated with a diapered brocade pattern and a globular ojime, both the monkey and the netsuke with neatly incised fur, the primate further detailed with large ears, a short tail, and alert eyes. HEIGHT 22 cmCondition: Good condition with minor wear and firing irregularities, including a small firing crack to the underside, the hand with old repair and minor touchups, few small chips to edges, the magnifying glass lost.Provenance: From an English private collection, by repute formerly in the Charlton Collection. The underside with three old labels, two numbered '985' and one inscribed in Japanese.Auction comparison:Compare a bronze okimono by Mitani depicting a similar subject, dated late 19th century, Meiji period, 10.2 cm high, at Bonhams, 16 September 2014, New York, lot 2162 (sold for 8,750 GBP).
A MIXED METAL NETSUKE OF A POUCHUnsignedJapan, 19th centuryFinely worked, the oval pouch decorated with florets above crashing waves. A central flap linked to an upper hinge with a bronze blossom button. The back with a loose ring for suspension.LENGTH 4.6 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear, small nicks, and shallow dents.Provenance: Galerie Max, Brussels, 19 October 1939. Collection of Robert and Isabelle de Strycker, acquired from the above. Robert de Strycker (1903-1968) was a French engineer who specialized in metallurgy. He was a Stanford graduate, a professor at the University of Leuven, a director of the Institute of Metallurgy at the Universite Catholique de Louvain, and one of the most influential members of the faculty of applied sciences. After World War II, he made large contributions to France's post-war recovery. Robert and his wife Isabelle (1915-2010) first encountered Chinese art at the British Museum during a stay in London in the 1930s. Enamored with the style and beauty, they both decided to study and collect Japanese and Chinese works of art. In 1938 they eventually began to build their collection, buying from Belgian, Parisian, and English dealers. They kept close contact with the famous English collector Sir Harry Garner (1891-1977) and noted Czech collector and expert Fritz Low-Beer (1906-1976). In 1964, the couple lent 174 objects from their collection to the Belgian city of Leuven's museum for an exhibition titled Oude kunst in Leuvens Privebezit ('Old Art in Private Collections in Leuven'), and in 1967 they lent around thirty Japanese objects to the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels for their exhibition Kunst van Japan im belgischen Privatverzameingen ('Japanese Art in Belgian Private Collections').
A LARGE KEYAKI (ZELKOVA) WOOD HIBACHIJapan, late 19th to early 20th centuryOf rectangular form, the hibachi fitted with an asymmetrical copper lining and five drawers with bronze loop handles. The finely stained keyaki (zelkova) wood is of an attractive grain with exquisite ghost eyes. LENGTH 72.2 cmCondition: Fine condition with wear, expected age cracks, replacements to the drawers, traces of use, minor warping, chips, scratches, and malachite encrustations to the copper. The copper liner sealed with adhesive.Provenance: German private collection.
YOSHITSUGU: A RARE SILVER-PATINATED BRONZE NETSUKE OF JUROJINBy Yoshitsugu, signed Yoshitsugu 美亜Japan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Published: Bushell, Raymond (1985), Netsuke Masks, p. 64, pls. 267.Finely cast depicting Jurojin with his large bushy beard, wrinkled forehead, and large ears with pendulous lobes. His mouth is upturned in a scowl and his brows are furrowed with small eyes, the large nose pierced with nostrils. Signed to the interior YOSHITSUGU. Looped himotoshi to the back. The bronze finely polished and patinated to a silverish tone.HEIGHT 4.3 cmCondition: Excellent condition with minor typical surface wear.Provenance: Ex-collection Raymond Bushell. Sotheby's, Netsuke from the Collection of Raymond and Frances Bushell, 21 March 2000, lot 301. European collection P. Jacquesson, acquired from the above.
A BRONZE RITUAL WATER VESSEL, KUNDIKA, GORYEO DYNASTY 高麗王朝銅質淨瓶Korea, 12th-13th century. Finely cast, the ovoid body set on the shoulder with a lobed spout and a cupped opening, surmounted by a tall cylindrical neck with flaring rim.Provenance: Canadian trade. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, signs of weathering and erosion, some losses, small nicks and cracks, all as expected from ancient bronzes. Superb, naturally grown patina with fine malachite encrustation.Weight: 556.3 g Dimensions: Height 18.3 cmThe long, slender neck and small spout on the broad shoulder are typical characteristics of Goryeo kundika. This type was popular during the Tang dynasty and continued to be used in the northern regions of China during the Northern Song and Liao dynasties. In Goryeo, bronze kundika were especially popular. The particularly thin and elongated profile of the kundika suggests a date of the 12th or 13th century.Kundika is a Sanskrit term for a long-necked water-pouring vessel. Throughout Asia, these vessels were associated with wandering ascetics, who carried them like canteens. In ancient India, pouring water into the hands of another person was a way to express 'your wish is granted'. Because of water's association with wishes, purification, and nurturing, kundika often appear among the attributes of Buddhist deities such as the future Buddha Maitreya and the Bodhisattva Guanyin. In ritual, they are used to evoke those deities and to pour water for cleansing purposes.Literature comparison:Compare a related bronze kundika, 37.2 cm, Korea, 12th-13th century, in the Brooklyn Museum, accession number 74.27. Compare a related bronze kundika, 34.2 cm, Korea, Goryeo dynasty, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 23.115. Compare a related bronze kundika, 37.6 cm, Korea, Goryeo dynasty, in the Art Institute Chicago, reference number 1969.702. Compare a related bronze kundika, 38.1 cm, Korea, 13th-14th century, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), accession number M.2000.15.171.高麗王朝銅質淨瓶韓國，十二至十三世紀。本件圓形侈口帶唇稜，口部向下收斂，直長頸，肩上有一短流，圓口，圓肩，碩腹深長向下漸收斂。 來源：加拿大古玩交易。 品相：品相極好，大面積磨損、風化侵蝕痕跡、細小刻痕和裂紋。自然銅綉，精美的孔雀石綠色外殼。 重量：556.3 克 尺寸：高18.3 厘米 細長的頸部和寬肩上的小壺嘴是高麗淨水瓶的典型特徵。這種類型盛行於唐代，北宋、遼代在中國北方地區繼續使用。 在高麗，青銅淨水瓶特別受歡迎。該拍品薄胎，修長的輪廓，顯示了他的製作時間在十二至十三世紀。Kundika 是梵文術語，指長頸注水器。在整個亞洲，這些器皿都與流浪的苦行者聯繫在一起，他們像攜帶水壺一樣攜帶它們。在古印度，將水倒在另一個人的手中是表達“你的願望得到滿足”的一種方式。由於水與願望、淨化和滋養聯繫在一起，昆迪卡經常出現在彌勒佛和觀世音菩薩等佛教本尊的法器中。在儀式上，它們被用來喚起那些神靈並倒水以進行清潔。 文獻比較： 比較一件相近的十二至十三世紀韓國銅質淨瓶，37.2 厘米，收藏於布魯克林博物館，館藏編號 74.27。比較一件相近韓國高麗銅質淨瓶，34.2 厘米，收藏於大都會美術館，館藏編號 23.115。比較一件相近的韓國高麗銅質淨瓶，37.6 厘米，收藏於芝加哥藝術學院，館藏編號 1969.702。比較一件相近十三至十四世紀韓國銅質淨瓶，38.1 厘米，洛杉磯郡立美術館，館藏編號 M.2000.15.171。
A VERY RARE AND LARGE GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF AMIDA NYORAI, EDOJapan, 18th to 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Finely cast in multiple sections, Amida standing on a lotus dais supported by a round pedestal with hands raised in raigo-in (vitarka mudra). He is wearing heavy monastic robes falling in elegant, voluminous folds and opening at the chest. His face bearing a serene expression with heavy-lidded eyes, sinuous brows and a raised byakugo (urna), his hair arranged in tight curls over the domed ushnisha, flanked by beautiful kohai (nimbus) exuding rays.HEIGHT 35.4 cm (figure), 65.6 cm (incl. stand)WEIGHT 7,848 gCondition: Good condition with minor wear, light nicks, small scratches, some rubbing, and repairs to the neck and hands. The bronze is covered in a rich, dark patina. Provenance: Ex-collection of Anton Exner, Vienna, Austria. Each section painted in red 'EX5.' Anton Exner (1882-1952) was the most important dealer, collector, and assessor of East Asian art in Vienna during the interwar period. His collection included all branches of Asian art, from all epochs, and particularly Chinese and Japanese works. During a long sojourn through Canada and the USA from 1908 to 1910, he made first contacts with Chinese dealers and subsequently acquired numerous antiques at various Asian ports, which formed the basis for his future business activities. From then on, he went almost every year on buying trips to the Far East. The Austrian auction house Dorotheum appointed him as a sworn assessor of Asian art, a position he held for c. 25 years. From the early 1920s onwards, he lent objects to most major exhibitions of Asian art held in Austria, and eventually gifted a large part of his personal collection, numbering several thousand objects, to the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna, where it is on permanent exhibition to this day.The sculpture represents Amitabha, known in Japanese as Amida Nyorai, or the Buddha of Limitless Light. Amitabha reigns over the Western Pure Land, a paradise to which anyone is welcomed if they faithfully and sincerely incant his name. This place of salvation became central to the Jodo [lit. Pure Land] sect of Buddhism. Propounded in 1175 by the monk Honen, the accessibility of such tenets of redemption allowed this form of Buddhism to proliferate across the nation and feudal classes of Japan. Often depicted with an elaborate mandala, the boat-shaped halo is said to remind his followers that he serves as a guide for them to cross the ocean of suffering which contaminates the living.Japanese gilt bronzes depicting Amida are to be considered extremely rare. Museum comparison:Compare a related earlier gilt bronze figure of Amida, dated 14th-15th century, in The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The MET), accession no. 1975.268.168a, b.
A QING DYNASTY CHRYSOPRASE LIDDED VASE AS LAMP BASEChina, Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). The vase of flattened baluster form decorated with flowering branches, a young boy, and birds, the cover with a reticulated metal mount, standing on a wood base which is attached to a bronze lamp mount.Condition: Very good condition, minor wear, the stone with natural fissures, which may have developed into thin hairlines. Provenance: From the private collection of Michael B. Weisbrod, New York, USA. Michael B. Weisbrod is a noted scholar of Chinese art, who has published extensively on the subject over a time span of more than 50 years. In 1972, Michael joined his father Dr. Gerald Weisbrod's Asian art gallery in Toronto, Canada. The father-and-son team opened their New York location on Madison Avenue in 1977, and during the next 45 years the gallery held a significant number of exhibitions, selling to museums and private collectors across the globe, eventually adding further locations in Shanghai and Hong Kong.Weight: 3,720 gDimensions: Height 59 cm13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.
A PAIR OF AGATE SLIT-RINGS, LATE NEOLITHIC PERIOD TO EARLY BRONZE AGEChina, circa 2000-1700 BC. Each of circular form, pierced with a hole in the center and a slit to one side forming a C-shape. The translucent jade with brown and mustard inclusions, as well as calcification.Condition: Very good condition with wear and expected minor signs of weathering.Provenance: Estate of Wolfgang Zacke (1942-2022), co-founder of Galerie Zacke, thence by descent.Weight: 4.8 g, 3.4 gDimensions: Diameter 2.9 cm, 2.6 cm
A LARGE ARCHAIC GREEN JADE AXE BLADE, DAO, QIJIA CULTUREChina, early Bronze Age, Qijia culture, c. 2200-1600 BCOf trapezoidal form with a straight upper edge and beveled lower edge, pierced with three apertures along the upper edge. The translucent stone of a sea-green tone with grayish-white and dark green shadings.According to the Cleveland Museum of Art, recent recoveries of similar blades from a pit of a Qijia cultural site located in northwest China reveal that they were originally standing on their edges and were arranged in parallel formations at the ritual ground.With a velvet fitted silk storage box.Condition: Good age-related condition with ancient wear as well as chips and nibbles, the stone with natural fissures and imperfections. Provenance: From a Canadian private collection.Weight: 534 g Dimensions: Length 31 cmExpert's note: Jessica Rawson in Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, British Museum, 1995, p. 184, discusses jade ceremonial blades and how they evolved from stone reaping implements.AUCTION RESULT COMPARISON: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams London, Fine Chinese Art on 18 May 2023, lot 4 Price: GBP 17,850 Description: A very large archaic jade axe blade, Dao, Neolithic Period Expert remark: Compare the related form and subject.13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.
A LARGE GREEN AND BROWN CEREMONIAL JADE BLADE, QIJIA CULTUREChina, early Bronze Age, Qijia culture, c. 2200-1600 BC An amazing example of a long ceremonial blade, trapezoidal in shape, with slightly slanting short sides, faintly arched at the top edge, and with a straight cutting edge. The top pierced with three holes. The softly polished stone of an amazing, translucent blueish green tone and with large areas of darker, semi-translucent brown inclusions to the top and sides.According to the Cleveland Museum of Art, recent recoveries of similar blades from a pit of a Qijia cultural site located in northwest China reveal that they were originally standing on their edges and were arranged in parallel formations at the ritual ground. Condition: Very good condition with age-related wear, and tiny chips.Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik Istvan Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. Istvan Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.Weight: 612 g Dimensions: Length 39 cmLITERATURE COMPARISON: Compare to closely related blades in 4000 Years of Chinese Archaic Jades, by Prof. Filippo Salviati, Nos. 134, 135, 136, pages: 114-117. Compare to a closely related Ceremonial Blade with Three Perforations (Dao), 2000-1700 BC, Northwest China, late Neolithic period to early Bronze Age, Qijia culture exhibited at Cleveland Museuam of Art, Severeance and Greta Milikin Colllection 2009.83.AUCTION RESULT COMPARISON: Type: Related Price: Sold at 30,000 GBP approx. 35,000 EUR Auction: Christie's, A Private English collection of White Jade Carvings and Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art including Export Art, Lot 118, 4th of November 2008 Description: A greyish-green jade blade, Dao, Neolithic period, Qijia culture, circa 2050-1700 BC
A FINE MOTTLED JADE DAO BLADE, QIJIA CULTUREChina, early Bronze Age, Qijia culture, c. 2200-1600 BCA fine ceremonial blade, trapezoidal in shape, with slightly slanting short sides, faintly arched top edge, and curved cutting edge. The top pierced with three holes. The softly polished semi-translucent stone showing an intense color play of white, ochre, brown and black hues and whitish alterations.According to the Cleveland Museum of Art, recent recoveries of similar blades from a pit of a Qijia cultural site located in northwest China reveal that they were originally standing on their edges and were arranged in parallel formations at the ritual ground.Condition: Very good condition with age-related wear, calcification, and small chips.Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik Istvan Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. Istvan Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.Weight: 331 g Dimensions: Length 31 cmLITERATURE COMPARISON: Compare to closely related DAO blades in 4000 Years of Chinese Archaic Jades, by Prof. Filippo Salviati, Nos. 134, 135, 136, pages: 114-117.
A LARGE AND IMPRESSIVE MOTTLED CELADON JADE ZHANG BLADE, QIJIA CULTUREChina, early Bronze Age, Qijia culture, c. 2200-1600 BCStriking in its form, this long ZHANG blade boasts a curved cutting edge, thus creating a double-pointed form. The asymmetrical, inner curvature is typical for long ceremonial ZHANG blades. Two neatly carved flanges flank the tang pierced with one circular hole. A strong, perfectly straight line runs along the blade. The semi-translucent jade is of a celadon hue with cloudy inclusions of brownish colors, green spots, and darker veins.Condition: Very good condition with natural inclusions, calcification, and fissures. A small chip to the pointy edge of the blade. Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik Istvan Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. Istvan Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.Weight: 189 g Dimensions: Length 29 cmLITERATURE COMPARISON: Compare to closely related ZHANG blades in 4000 Years of Chinese Archaic Jades, by Prof. Filippo Salviati, Nos. 137, 138, 139, pages: 118-121 AUCTION RESULT COMPARISON:Type: Related Price: 32,500 USD approx. 30,000 EUR Auction: Christie's, Fine Chinese Art from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, 18th of March 2009, Lot 289. Description: A blackish-green jade ceremonial blade, Zhang, Northwest China, Qijia culture, circa 1500 BC
A CELADON AND RUSSET QI JADE BLADE, QIJIA CULTUREChina, early Bronze Age, Qijia culture, c. 2200-1600 BCA fine arched blade, with straight cutting edge and a triangularly tapered, narrow handle with one pierced hole. The sides are embellished with four symmetrical notches. The surface is neatly polished and almost lustrous. The celadon hue of the jade is enriched by russet and dark brown inclusions, as well as near black- and ivory-colored areas along the border of the cutting edge.Condition: Very good condition with expected traces of weathering, and tiny notches.Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik Istvan Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. Istvan Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.Weight: 137 g Dimensions: Length 21.5 cmLITERATURE COMPARISON: Compare to closely related Bronze Age QI blades in 4000 Years of Chinese Archaic Jades, by Prof. Filippo Salviati, Nos. 140, 141, pages: 122-123
A LONG 'RIVER JADE' BLADE, QIJIA CULTUREChina, early Bronze Age, Qijia culture, c. 2200-1600 BCAn elegant blade of remarkable size, skillfully worked from an opaque and mottled hardstone, incorporating various hues of green and light russet, reminiscent of a river stream. The blade is faintly thinning towards the sides, the cutting edge is slightly convex. The top section of the jade is pierced with one hole. The surface is exquisitely polished and smooth to the touch.Condition: Excellent condition with expected wear and natural fissures.Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik Istvan Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. Istvan Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.Weight: 175 g Dimensions: Length 29 cmLITERATURE COMPARISON: Compare to closely related blades in 4000 Years of Chinese Archaic Jades, by Prof. Filippo Salviati, Nos. 132, 133 pages: 112-113AUCTION RESULT COMPARISON:Type: Related Price: 187,500 HKG, approx. 22,000 EUR Auction: Christie's, The Chang Wei-Hwa collection of Archaic Jades Part I - Neolithic Period, Lot 2741, 29th of November 2023 Description: A DARK GREEN STONE BLADE, NEOLITHIC PERIOD, CIRCA 2500-2000 BC
A CELADON JADE NOTCHED YUE AXE, QIJIA CULTUREChina, early Bronze Age, Qijia culture, c. 2200-1600 BC Of tapering form with a wide and straight cutting edge, well-carved form a beautiful, translucent celadon stone with delicate, brownish, and milky white inclusions, as well as with miniature, spinach-green spots. A large, circular hole is pierced in the center and the sides are embellished with notches. The well-polished surface is perfectly smooth. Some areas of the edges calcified showing a milky beige hue.Condition: Very good condition with small notches to the edges and central hole, natural fissures.Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik Istvan Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. Istvan Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.Weight: 142 g Dimensions: Height 10.1 cm, Length 11.5 cmLITERATURE COMPARISON: Compare to a closely related notched Bronze Age Yue axe, yet Erlitou to Shang, in 4000 Years of Chinese Archaic Jades, by Prof. Filippo Salviati, No. 143, pages 124-125.
A JADE NOTCHED YUE AXE, QIJIA CULTUREChina, Qijia culture, c. 2200-1600 BC. Of tapering form with a wide and straight cutting edge, well-carved from a beautiful, translucent celadon stone with delicate, brownish, grayish, and milky white inclusions, as well as russet spots. A large, circular hole is pierced in the center topped by two smaller symmetrical holes and the sides are embellished with notches. The well-polished surface is perfectly smooth. Some areas of the edges calcified showing a milky beige hue.Condition: Very good condition with wear and expected minor signs of weathering and minor chips and nibbles to the edges.Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik Istvan Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. Istvan Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.Weight: 210.6 gDimensions: Height 10.1 cm, Width 11.5 cmLiterature comparison: Compare a closely related notched bronze age yue axe, dated Erlitou to Shang, in 4000 Years of Chinese Archaic Jades, by Prof. Filippo Salviati, No. 143, pages 124-125.
A SEA-GREEN THREE SECTION JADE BI DISC, QIJIA CULTUREChina, early Bronze Age, Qijia culture, c. 2200-1600 BC All three flat arc-shaped sections are carved from the same piece of semi-translucent, sea-green jade varied by large, milky-white and brownish inclusions. Each section is fashioned with rounded edges and conical holes pierced at each end for the three parts to be attached to each other. The surface is carefully polished and smooth to the touch.Condition: Good condition with some material loss to the outer edges, and small chips. Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik Istvan Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. Istvan Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.Weight: 231 g Dimensions: Diameter 15.7 cmLITERATURE COMPARISON: Compare to closely related three-section jade discs in 4000 Years of Chinese Archaic Jades, by Prof. Filippo Salviati, Nos. 121, 122, 123, pages: 102-103.AUCTION RESULT COMPARISON: Type: Related Price: Sold at 75,000 HKD, approx. 9,000 EUR Auction: Christie's, Chinese Archaic Jades from The Yangdetang Collection, lot 2711, 29th of November 2017 Description: A White Jade „Triple Huang“ BI Disc, Qijia culture, circa 2300-1500 BC
A MOTTLED CELADON JADE BI DISC, QIJIA CULTUREChina, early Bronze Age, Qijia culture, c. 2200-1600 BC The disc of circular form with a large, tubular aperture gets thinner toward one side. The stone is translucent and of a beautiful celadon tone, with cloudy inclusions and mottled with darker spots.Condition: Very good condition with some natural fissures and signs of weathering.Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik Istvan Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. Istvan Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.Weight: 116 g Dimensions: Diameter 11.4 cmLITERATURE COMPARISON: Compare to closely related Bronze Age jade BI discs in 4000 Years of Chinese Archaic Jades, by Prof. Filippo Salviati, Nos. 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, pages: 98-101.AUCTION RESULT COMPARISON: Type: Related Price: Sold at 187,500 HKD, approx. 22,000 EUR Auction: Christie's, Chinese Archaic Jades from The Yangdetang Collection Part II, lot 2710, 28th of November 2018 Description: A Celadon Jade Disc, BI
A DOUBLE FISH CLOISONNE SNUFF BOTTLE, LATE QING DYNASTYChina, late Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). The twin fish bottle is finely crafted and enameled as two side-by-side fish, the fin and underside revealing the gilt copper body without enamel. The base stamped with an apocryphal four-character Qianlong Reign mark within a square.Condition: Good condition with minor wear, some manufacturing irregularities, and miniscule nicks here and there.Provenance: Slovakian private collection.Stopper: Matching cloisonne stopper with a gilt bronze platelet, gilt bronze spoon.Weight: 50.8 gDimensions: Height including stopper 69 mm. Diameter neck 16 mm and mouth 7 mm.
A BRONZE WINE CONTAINER, HU, WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTYChina, c. 1100-771 BC. Of pear shape, the round body supported on a splaying foot, rising to a broad neck with animal-mask handles suspending flattened rings. The central band cast with taotie masks beneath a band archaic scroll, and the foot cast with lappets. The cover cast with a diamond-shape pattern and lappet band around it flaring rim.Condition: Extensive wear, signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations. Nicks, dents, and losses. Presenting very well. The bronze with a rich patina with malachite, cuprite, and azurite encrustations.Provenance: From a private collection in Anchorage, Alaska, acquired at Rob Michiels, Bruges, 22 February 2023, lot 1081 (sold for EUR 4,335), dated “Eastern Zhou or earlier”.Weight: 1,880 gDimensions: Height 29.8 cmAuction result comparison: Compare a closely related bronze hu and cover, dated to the Western Zhou dynasty, 39.5 cm high, at Sotheby's London, 8 November 2023, lot 402 (sold for GBP 8,890).13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.
A BRONZE EAR CUP, HAN DYNASTY 漢代青銅耳杯China, 206 BC to 220 AD. Of oval shape, the wine vessel is cast with two thick, ear-form handles on either side and stands on a flat and rather thin base. The bronze is entirely covered in a naturally grown patina with subtle malachite, azurite, and cuprite encrustations.Provenance: Collection of William Rogers, Australia. From a private collection in Anchorage, Alaska, acquired from the above. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Some casting flaws, signs of wear and weathering, minor losses, dents and corrosion. Weight: 465.5 g Dimensions: Length 13.9 cmLiterature comparison:Compare a closely related bronze cup, 15.2 cm long, dated to the Han dynasty, in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S1987.362. Compare a closely related ear cup, 5.7 cm long, dated 2nd to 1st century BC, in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S2012.9.2487.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's New York, 22 March 2023 Price: USD 35,560 or approx. EUR 32,500 converted at the time of writing Description: A gilt-bronze stand and ear cup, Western Han dynasty Expert remark: Note this lot consists of a similar ear cup and an associated stand. Note the size (16.3 cm).13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.漢代青銅耳杯中國，西元前206-西元220年。酒器呈橢圓形，雙耳，底座平坦且較薄。通體自然包漿，上有美麗的紅藍結殼。 來源：澳洲William Rogers收藏；阿拉斯加安克拉治私人收藏，購於上述收藏。 品相：狀況良好，一些鑄造缺陷、磨損和風化跡象、輕微損失、凹痕和腐蝕。 重量：465.5 克 尺寸：長 13.9 釐米 文獻比較： 比較一件非常相近的漢代青銅耳杯，長15.2 釐米，收藏於史密森學會國立亞洲藝術博物館，館藏編號S1987.362。比較一件非常相近的西元前二至一世紀青銅耳杯，長5.7 釐米，收藏於史密森學會國立亞洲藝術博物館，館藏編號S2012.9.2487。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2023年3月22日 價格：USD 35,560（相當於今日EUR 32,500） 描述：西漢銅鎏金架座及羽觴 專家評論：請注意此耳杯有相應的架座和尺寸 (16.3 釐米)。
A BRONZE MIRROR, HAN DYNASTY China, Han Dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD). Of circular form, with a central pierced knop, set within a raised circle, an outer band with scrolling and archaic patterns, the rim raised. Condition: Fine condition, commensurate with age, surface wear, some weathering, nicks, and a crack. Fine, naturally grown patina with malachite and cuprite encrustation. Provenance: Collection of Dr. Walter Rieder (1890-1986), thence by descent. Old inventory labels to the mirror and box. Dr. Walter Rieder served in the Swiss East Asia Mission (SOAM) in Qingdao, Shandong Province, between October 1930 and December 1951. The mission specialized in educational, literary, and philanthropic work and Dr. Rieder was in fact, not a theologian or missionary, but a teacher of mathematics, physics, and science to high school students attached to the SOAM. His guiding principles were 'Creating understanding between different cultures' and 'Building bridges between East and West'. While in Qingdao, Dr. Rieder collected a wide variety of Chinese art. The objects in the collection thus offer a unique window into the type of antiques that were on the market in Qingdao in the second quarter of the 20th century. As well as demonstrating his passion for Chinese art, his collection also reveals the personal friendships Dr. Rieder forged with local artists, some of whom he knew from his teaching activities. Dr. Rieder had a scholarly approach to studying his collection. Alongside many of his objects, meticulous notes can sometimes be found detailing his art historical commentaries. The collection was hence Dr. Rieder's gateway to the history and culture of China. Objects from the collection were exhibited at the Kunsthaus in Interlaken, Switzerland in 2006 and 2018. Weight: 38 g Dimensions: Diameter 6.5 cmWith an old fitted box. (2)
Four: Sister Alice M. Beardsley, Territorial Force Nursing Service 1914-15 Star (S. Nurse A. M. Beardsley, T.F.N.S.); British War and Victory Medals (Sister A. M. Beardsley.); Belgium, Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth Medal, bronze, with enamelled cross; together with a ‘Pilgrimage 1934’ medal, bronze, unnamed, very fine and better (5) £200-£240 --- Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, November 2015. Alice Mary Beardsley was born in Newbury, Berkshire, in 1879, and took her nursing studies at the Leicester Infirmary from 1902 to 1905. A pre-War member of the T.F.N.S., she was called up for service at the 5th Northern General Hospital in Leicester on 26 August 1914 and was later posted to Egypt on 25 July 1915. Sent to Mudros and then Alexandria, she served briefly aboard the Hospital Ships Devanah and Kildonan Castle, before being transferred for duty at No. 15 Stationary Hospital. Embarked at Suez Docks for East Africa on 21 April 1916, Beardsley spent much of the remainder of the Great War at Morogoro in Tanganyika, East Africa. Raised Sister, she returned to the UK on 4 March 1918 aboard the liner Osterley and returned to the 5th Northern General Hospital on 6 July 1918. She was later selected to receive the Reine Elizabeth Medal with red cross, the notification being published in the London Gazette of 8 March 1920.
Three: Assistant Administrator Mary H. Laird, Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps, late Scottish Women’s Hospitals, whop served with great enthusiasm in France and Salonika, winning the lasting affection and admiration of her contemporaries British War and Victory Medals (A.Adtr. M. H. Laird. Q.M.A.A.C.); France, Third Republic, Medal of Honour, Ministere de la Guerre Bronze Medal for Devouement Epidemies, the reverse officially embossed ‘Miss Laird 1917’, good very fine (3) £140-£180 --- Mary Holmes Laird lived at Windsor House, 15 Kirklee Terrace, Glasgow, and initially served during the Great War as an Orderly with the Girton and Newnham unit of the Scottish Women’s Hospital. Detailed to the creation of a tented hospital in the grounds of the Chateaux de Chantelun in Troyes, she later wrote two articles of her early experiences which were published in the Old Comrade’s Association Gazette in September and October, 1937: ‘Most of our patients at that time were “malades” - that is ill, and quite ill with fatigue. Our duties were to sweep and scrub the tent floors, help Sister with beds, go for meals for the patients, and do exactly as we were told... These men were tired beyond measure and had been in the trenches for many months. Some of them hadn’t the slightest idea what may have happened to their families or where they would be, so added to their own danger was the anxiety about their wives and little children... We loved our patients and when it came to sending them away the whole tent would be heartbroken, but we had to cheer up for the sake of the others left.’ Transferred to Salonika from 25 May 1915 to August 1916, Laird continued to devote her time and energies to the care of sick and wounded French soldiers and was later recognised by the French authorities for her efforts on 8 November 1917. Returned home to Scotland for rest, she joined the Q.M.A.A.C. and returned to France on 26 May 1917 as Forewoman Cook. Transferring to the administrative branch, she served at Rouen, Bapaume and St. Pol, the latter involving the leadership of women at the local Graves Registration Unit. Leaving the Q.M.A.A.C. on 5 November 1919, she later took local employment at the Women’s Student Union of Glasgow University. Described as a ‘kind woman’ by Miss Effie Anderson, Laird died on 13 November 1937. Sold with copied research, including two published articles and the recipient’s obituary by Miss Anderson.
Three: Sergeant E. M. O’Conor, First Aid Nursing Yeomanry Corps British War and Victory Medals (E. M. O’Conor F.A.N.Y.C.); France, Third Republic, Croix de Guerre, bronze, reverse dated 1914-1918, with bronze star on riband; together with the recipient’s First Aid Nursing Yeomanry Medal, bronze, very fine and better (4) £100-£140 --- Sold with a copied press photograph showing Unit 7 of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry during the Great War, the recipient identified. French Croix de Guerre unconfirmed.
Four: Driver Celia Meade, First Aid Nursing Yeomanry Corps, late No. 24 (Cornwall) Voluntary Aid Detachment British War and Victory Medals (C. Meade F.A.N.Y.C.); France, Third Republic, Croix de Guerre, bronze, the reverse dated 1914-1917; Belgium, Kingdom, Medaille de la Reine Elisabeth, bronze and red enamel; together with the recipient’s First Aid Nursing Yeomanry Medal, bronze, unnamed as issued, nearly extremely fine (5) £400-£500 --- Celia Meade was born in St. Ives, Cornwall, on 24 November 1892, the daughter of artist Arthur Meade. A keen performer, she played a musician in the town’s performance of Aladdin and is noted in the St. Ives Weekly Summary of 2 January 1909 as one of the lead characters in the annual pantomine, Cinderella. Meade attested for her local V.A.D. detachment on 29 November 1915 and was soon employed as a chauffeuse. Transferred with permission to the F.A.N.Y. on 24 January 1916, she crossed the Channel and served in France with the Calais Convoy from February 1916 to May 1917. For her services as a motor ambulance driver, she was awarded the French Croix de Guerre on 16 September 1918 under General Order No. 336. Her citation states: ‘During the War operations from 10 August to 10 September 1918, she drove by medical car day and night, to the most perilous posts to ensure the transport of the wounded.’ Further recognised with the award of the Medaille de la Reine Elisabeth on 22 April 1919, Meade resigned from the F.A.N.Y. in 1919 and likely returned home to ‘Godrevy’, St. Ives. Sold with copied research including V.A.D. service record, a fine French identity card portrait, and two others of the recipient alongside her ambulance, and photocopies of the certificates relating to both foreign decorations.
Four: Sister Edith M. Salisbury, British Red Cross Society and Order of St. John of Jerusalem British War and Victory Medals (E. M. Salisbury. B.R.C.S. & St. J.J.); Belgium, Kingdom, Civic Decoration, First Class, 1 clasp, 1914-1915, enamel chipped and reverse centre damaged; Queen Elizabeth Medal, bronze, with red cross suspension, generally very fine and better (4) £140-£180 --- Edith Mary Salisbury was born in 1889 and lived at Cambray House, Llandovery, South Wales. A trained nurse, she served during the Great War as a Nursing Sister at Boulogne and with No. 2 A.B. at Calais. Sold with the recipient’s British Red Cross Order of St John brass pin badge and General Nursing Council for England and Wales badge, silver and enamel, by Thomas Fattorini, engraved to reverse ‘E. M. Davies. S.R.N. 25033 16.11.23.’
Four: Senior Nursing Sister Ethel M. Scammell, Serbian Relief Fund and Scottish Women’s Hospitals, who later conducted pioneering work to improve public healthcare in West Africa British War and Victory Medals (E. M. Scammell.); Serbia, Kingdom, Cross of Charity, 1912 issue, gilt and enamel; Serbian Red Cross Medal 1914-18, silver and enamel, very fine and better (4) £200-£240 --- Ethel Maud Scammell was born in 1886 and took her nursing studies at the Seaman’s Hospital in Greenwich and at the Royal Waterloo Hospital for Children and Women from 1907 to 1912. She initially served during the Great War as a Trained Nurse with the Serbian Relief Fund in Serbia from October 1914 to 3 April 1916, before being sent to the small hospital at Bastia on the French island of Corsica from 15 May 1916 to July 1916. Transferring to the Scottish Women’s Hospitals in the autumn of 1917, she nursed in Salonica and Macedonia from 14 December 1917 to November 1918, before returning home and registering as a SRN in London on 19 May 1922. An article published in the Nursing Journal offers a little more information regarding her later life: ‘Appointment as Senior Nursing Sister on the Gold Coast: Miss Ethel Maud Scammell has been appointed as a Senior Nursing Sister having previously worked for six years in Nigeria. Miss Scammell informs us that nursing in Nigeria has very much improved of late years and the natives themselves are being trained to qualify for posts in the hospitals. The great difficulty is to get male nurses, and the West African medical staff are now insisting that all nurses trained in Government Hospitals shall have achieved a certain standard of education and shall have passes what is equivalent to the sixth standard class in England. Miss Scammell speaks very hopefully of the probable results of the pioneer work.’ Serbian awards remain unconfirmed. Sold with a fine Overseas Nursing Association 1896 cape badge, with 1923 top riband bar, marked ‘Sterling’ to reverse; a bronze Overseas Nursing Association 1896 cape badge, unnamed; a Royal British Nurses Association badge with top riband bar Steadfast & True, engraved to reverse ‘Ethel M. Scammell 5965’; a bronze and enamel Dreadnought Hospital pin badge, engraved to reverse ‘Ethel Maud Scammell May 1911.’
Three: Cook and Orderly Louise Haviland, British Red Cross Society and Scottish Women’s Hospitals British War and Victory Medals (L. Haviland.); Serbia, Kingdom, Medal for Zeal, bronze-gilt, unnamed, good very fine (3) £100-£140 --- Louise Haviland was born in 1891 and lived at Lane Farm, Maidenhead Thicket, Berkshire. Initially serving as Cook at the Technical Institute Auxiliary Red Cross Hospital in Maidenhead, she transferred to the London unit of the Scottish Women’s Hospitals as Orderly on 21 April 1917. Posted overseas to Macedonia in the spring of 1918, a note accompanying the lot adds: ‘For her services with this unit she was awarded the Medal of Zeal by the Serbs, confirmed in the records of the SWH.’ These records are absent from the lot, hence the Serbian award remains unconfirmed.
A ‘double-issue’ British War Medal group of three awarded to Nursing Sister Minnie A. Mitchell, British Committee of the French Red Cross, later Canadian Army Medical Corps, who was awarded the rare l’Insigne Special en bronze by the French Authorities on 17 January 1918 British War Medal 1914-20 (2) (M. A. Mitchell.; N.Sister M. A. Mitchell.); Victory Medal 1914-19 (M. A. Mitchell.) generally very fine (3) £200-£240 --- Provenance: Christie’s, March 1990. Minnie Alice Mitchell was born in Durham-Sud, Canada, on 31 October 1880, and came to Britain as a Sister with the British Committee of the French Red Cross. Initially posted to the Johnstone Reckitt French Military Hospital (V.R. 76) from May 1916 to April 1918, she transferred to the Canadian Army Medical Corps and served as Nursing Sister at No. 15 Canadian General Hospital from 24 May 1918 to 12 June 1919. Located on the Astor Estate at Clivedon, the former tennis pavilion and bowling alley became one of the most fully equipped military hospitals in England. Sold with the Insignia in bronze with enamel red cross mounted upon a white riband; the original award certificate to ‘Mademoiselle Minnie Mitchell’ of the General Infirmary, No. 1044, from the French Ministry of War; a fine enamel badge from the Johnstone Reckitt Military Hospital, unnamed; Canadian Honourable Service Badge, No. 24292.; and copied C.A.M.C. service record.
Three: Sister Florence Heathfield, British Committee of the French Red Cross British War and Victory Medals (F. Heathfield.); France, Third Republic, Medal of Honour, Ministere de la Guerre Bronze Medal for Devouement Epidemies, the reverse officially embossed ‘Miss F. Heathfield 1917’, good very fine (3) £60-£80 --- Florence Heathfield served from 1 April 1915 as an Orderly with the Serbian Relief Fund. She later transferred as Sister to the British Committee of the French Red Cross; confirmed as full entitlement.
Four: Nurse Ruth C. Jameson, British Committee of the French Red Cross British War and Victory Medals (R. C. Jameson.); France, Third Republic, Medaille de La Reconnaissance, bronze, unnamed; La Société Francaise de Secours aux Blessés Militaires avec Palme, silver, unnamed as issued, good very fine (4) £200-£240 --- Ruth C. Jameson was born in 1895 and spent her early childhood in Sunninghill and Ascot. Educated at Wycombe Abbey, she was presented as a debutant to King George V and Queen Mary in 1914. Two years later she travelled to Normandy in a successful search for a cure to her mother’s phlebitis; thereafter, when her mother returned, Jameson enrolled into the French Red Cross as a nurse, witnessing initial service at a hospital in Bagnoles de Lorne looking after wounded French soldiers. Returning home to Sunninghill in August 1917, Jameson soon took appointment as a nurse at her local Red Cross Hospital at Sandridge House. A later newspaper report offers an interesting record of this time: ‘One of the earliest women drivers, she also involved herself in the hospital car service, whereby she drove local people to and from London hospitals on a voluntary basis’. In February 1918 she returned to France, this time to a temporary hospital established in the Chateau d’Arc-en-Barrois within sound of the guns of Verdun. The cessation of hostilities saw Jameson embrace travel and what she classed as ‘frivolities’. She later became a founding member of both the Guards Polo Club and the Windsor Horse Show, but the declining health of both parents saw her return to nursing and administrative roles. During the Second World War she acted as a fire watcher, firstly in Silwood Park Tower and secondly in St. Michael’s Church tower in Sunninghill. In 1948, at the age of 53, she decided to embark upon a new career as Hospital Service driver - it would occupy her life for the next quarter of a century. Sold with the original Award Certificate for the second French decoration, to ‘Mademoiselle Ruth C. Jameson’ for service with different formations between 3 September 1916 and 11 August 1918, together with copied research and newspaper articles.
Five: M. C. Van Renen, South African Forces 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Africa Service Medal, the Stars privately engraved, the remainder officially impressed ‘W.109532 M. C. Van Renen’, heavy staining to Stars, otherwise nearly very fine and better Three: Alice M. Newton, Women’s Auxiliary Naval Service, South African Forces War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal; South Africa Medal for War Service, the first two officially impressed ‘WN615742 A. M. Newton’, nearly very fine Pair: Maria S. Harrod, South African Women’s Auxiliary Air Force War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal, both officially impressed ‘F269297 M. S. Harrod’, nearly very fine (10) £80-£100 --- Alice Maude Newton was born in Cape Town on 15 November 1925 and served as Leading Swan in the Women’s Auxiliary Naval Service from 12 November 1943 to 30 September 1946. A typist by profession, her service record notes that she completed a course at Robben Island on 15 August 1944, but her service was later hampered by acute appendicitis. Maria Salimona Harrod was born in the Uitenhage District of the Cape Province on 11 February 1897. She attested at Roberts Heights for the South African Women’s Auxiliary Air Force on 27 October 1942, serving as Medical Orderly at No. 2 Air School from 28 January 1943. She was discharged less than a year later as a result of being medically unfit for further service. Sold with a bronze St John Ambulance Association Re-examination Cross, engraved to reverse ‘373506 Maria Harrod’.
Five: Miss Irene C. Mitchell, British Red Cross Society, who drove a mobile dispensary to remote villages on ‘errands of mercy’ Defence Medal; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, G.VI.R. (Miss. I. C. Mitchell.); Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Kenya (Miss I. C. Mitchell. B.R.C.S.); Voluntary Medical Service Medal, silver (Miss Irene C. Mitchell); Malaysia, Federation, Negri Sembilan Meritorious Service Medal, bronze, unnamed as issued, nearly extremely fine (6) £400-£500 --- Negri Sembilian Meritorious Service Medal (Pingat Jasa Kebaktian), 18 December 1954: ‘Miss I. C. Mitchell came to Malaya in April, 1952, and was posted to Negri Sembilan in August, 1953. As a Field Officer of the British Red Cross Society in Negri Sembilan, Miss Mitchell has also undertaken the work of Secretary. She has trained over 350 young people in First Aid and has regularly visited every part of the State and gone into remote kampongs on errands of mercy. In addition to all these things, she has been responsible for the establishment of the voluntary detachment of persons who are now full trained in Red Cross work, First Aid and Nursing. No task has been too arduous or too difficult for her to fulfil. She has been highly complimented by the State Director of the British Red Cross Society, Negri Sembilan Branch, as a lady of outstanding ability who has carried out her duties with great cheerfulness and efficiency. On her departure from the State for England, His Highness the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan has been graciously pleased to award her with the Negri Sembilan Meritorious Service Medal.’ Irene C. Mitchell lived in Balham, London, and took leave of absence as a French and biology teacher at Alvering Secondary School in Wandsworth to spend a year in Malaya as one of 50 volunteers with the British Red Cross. Separated into 25 separate ‘teams’, each consisting of a health and welfare worker, Mitchell found herself in the company of Miss Margaret Hale, a qualified nurse from the Royal Cancer Hospital in London. Moving from village to village in a modified Land Rover nicknamed ‘Horace’, the two ladies spent the next twelve months attempting to win the confidence and support of the local Malay people, many of whom were previously sympathetic to the Communist terrorist insurgents who controlled much of the remote jungle territories. Sold with the original recommendation for the Negri Sembilan Meritorious Service Medal; the recipient’s British Red Cross Society Medal with Proficiency in Red Cross First Aid top riband bar (016447 I. Mitchell) and British Red Cross Society merit badge ‘13285 I. Mitchell’; a fine photograph of Miss Mitchell and Miss Hale in uniform; and copied research.
General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, Palestine, Palestine 1945-48 (W. M. Farrer.) extremely fine £100-£140 --- Winifred Farrer trained at St. Mary’s Hospital, London, from 1923 to 1927. Applying to the Colonial Office, she was selected by the Overseas Nursing Service for duty in Palestine and was appointed Nursing Sister on 13 May 1932. Sold with the recipient’s bronze Overseas Nursing Association cape badge.
Four: Second Nursing Officer Mrs. E. Brunning, St. John Ambulance Brigade Jubilee 1897, bronze (Nursg. Sisr. Mrs. E. Brunning.); Coronation 1902, St. John Ambulance Brigade, bronze (E. Brunning. 2nd. N.O.); Coronation 1911, St. John Ambulance Brigade (2nd. Nurs. Offr. E. M. Brunning.); Service Medal of the Order of St John, silver, with three Additional Award Bars (2nd Nursing Officer Elizabeth Brunning. 8th. July 1907.) good very fine (4) £200-£240
An extremely fine Great War R.R.C. and Second Award Bar group of four awarded to Principal Matron Dorothea M. Taylor, Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service, who was further recognised by His Majesty the King of Italy for her valuable work with the Italian Expeditionary Force Royal Red Cross, 1st Class (R.R.C.), G.V.R., with Second Award Bar, silver-gilt, gold, and enamel, the reverse privately engraved ‘D. M. Taylor Jan 1916 Q.A.I.M.N.S.’, on lady’s bow riband; British War and Victory Medals, with copy M.I.D. oak leaves (A. Pr. Matron D. M. Taylor.); Italy, Kingdom, Bronze Medal della Salute Publica, unnamed as issued, nearly extremely fine (4) £2,000-£2,400 --- R.R.C. London Gazette 14 January 1916. R.R.C. Second Award Bar London Gazette 1 January 1921. Italy, Medal of Merit for Public Safety London Gazette 2 November 1920. Dorothea Matilda Taylor was born in Edinburgh on 29 November 1873, the daughter of physician William Taylor. Educated at St. George’s High School in Edinburgh, she crossed the Firth of Forth and River Tay to take her nursing training at Dundee Royal Infirmary from May 1900 to May 1903. Appointed Staff Nurse to the Q.A.I.M.N.S. on 10 July 1903, she was raised Sister on 18 November 1904 and sent to Egypt from April 1906 to October 1910. Sent to Khartoum on a tour of duty in 1907, she likely treated people suffering from malaria, yellow fever, and other infections associated with a lack of safe water. Returned to the United Kingdom, Taylor was promoted Acting Matron on 8 August 1914 and placed on home service. Awarded the Royal Red Cross, she received her decoration from the hand of the King at an investiture held in Buckingham Palace on 15 January 1916. Posted overseas to Italy on 8 December 1917, she later wrote a most emotive account of her experiences: ‘On a cold, bleak morning, early in December 1917, I and my party arrived at the Italian Frontier on our way to join the Italian Expeditionary Force. The ground was white with snow, and it was exceedingly cold. The railway station was guarded by Italian soldiers, and even at the door of the refreshment room there was a sentry with a fixed bayonet. We were informed by the Railway Transport Officer that food was very short in Italy, and that he did not know where we were to go, but he would send us on to Turin, where we arrived about 5 p.m. - No one seemed to know anything about us at Turin, so we were again sent on - this time to Genoa - and arrived there about midnight. Again, we were not expected, so we were taken to No. 11 General Hospital to be kindly received and housed until quarters could be found for us.’ Sent to a small hospital in Arquata and then on to Stationary Hospitals at Cremona and Bordighera, Taylor spent New Year’s Day of 1918 at Padova in a ‘dreary and cold hotel’, the night being spent in a cellar as the town received the attention of the enemy. Transferred to work at a Casualty Clearing Station in the foothills of the Austrian Alps, she took solace in the beauty of the landscape and hospitality of the Italian people, before being sent on to a hospital in Taranto and digs in newly constructed Nissen huts. It was at around this time that Taylor’s health began to suffer, likely in consequence of the volume of work and bombing by the armies and air forces of the Central Powers; the recipient’s Service Record notes her struggling with concussion, neuritis and headaches. Sent back to England at the cessation of hostilities, Taylor received the Second Award Bar to her Royal Red Cross at an investiture held at Buckingham Palace on 8 March 1921. Her hard work from 1917 to 1918 was further recognised by the King of Italy, Taylor receiving the rare award of the Bronze Medal della Salute Publica - usually conferred for service to Italian citizens in staving off disease and protecting societal health. Raised Matron on 31 January 1921, Taylor took further appointment at the Officer’s Hospital in Scarborough and the Military Hospital in Cosham, but with her health failing she was invalided on 15 December 1924 and placed on retired pay. She died of pneumonia on 11 October 1928, her last address noted as Swanston Cottage, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft. Sold with the recipient’s original silver Q.A.I.M.N.S. cape badge, hallmarked Birmingham 1915.
Three: Mr. R. Wilkinson, South Eastern and Chatham Railway St. John Ambulance Association South Eastern and Chatham Railway St John Ambulance Association Medal, in recognition of having passed 14 annual examinations in succession, silver, hallmarked Birmingham 1918 (Robert Wilkinson 1918); South Eastern and Chatham Railway St John Ambulance Association Medal, in recognition of having passed seven annual examinations in succession, bronze (Robert Wilkinson 1911); Order of St. John of Jerusalem Cross, unnamed, very fine and better (3) £60-£80
A fine Great War R.R.C. group of five awarded to Matron Dora Westbrook, Imperial Yeomanry Hospital Staff, later British Red Cross Society Royal Red Cross, 1st Class (R.R.C.), G.V.R., silver-gilt, gold, and enamel, on lady’s bow riband; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp (Nursing Sister D. Westbrook. I.Y. Hp. Staff); King’s South Africa 1901-02, no clasp (Nursing Sister D. Westbrook.); Voluntary Medical Service Medal, with Second Award Bar (Dora King.); British Red Cross Society Medal for War Service 1914-18, bronze, with integral top riband bar, very fine and better (5) £600-£800 --- R.R.C. London Gazette 24 October 1917. Dora Westbrook trained in nursing at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. She joined Princess Christian’s Army Nursing Service Reserve on 15 May 1900 and served during the Boer War as a Nursing Sister at the Imperial Yeomanry Hospital in Dreelfontein. According to The Yeomen of the Karoo, The Story of the Imperial Yeomanry Hospital at Dreelfontein, this military hospital was created by the charitable efforts of Lady Georgina Curzon, daughter of the Duke of Marlborough, and Lady Beatrice Grosvenor, daughter of the Duke of Westminster. Tasked initially with providing the highest quality medical care for the Imperial Yeomanry, the hospital was staffed by 706 medical professionals and offered 1960 beds to sick and injured soldiers. The Chairman’s report of 1902 notes that for its short period of existence, the hospital treated over 20,000 patients and developed a reputation as the best equipped, most sophisticated medical, surgical and convalescent hospital of the war, borne heavily of the untiring efforts of its aristocratic figureheads and their successful fundraising efforts. Westbrook later served during the Great War as Matron of Highfield Hall Hospital in Southampton, and was awarded the R.R.C. under her married name of Dora King. She received the decoration from the hand of the King at an investiture held at Buckingham Palace on 12 December 1917.
A Second War O.B.E., United States of America Medal of Freedom group of seven awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel H. P. Croom-Johnson, Queen’s Westminster Rifles and King’s Royal Rifle Corps, later Assistant Director-General of the British Council, for which work he was subsequently awarded the C.M.G. and C.B.E. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 2nd type, breast badge; 1939-45 Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf; Efficiency Decoration, G.VI.R., 2nd issue, Territorial, reverse officially dated ‘1948’; United States of America, Medal of Freedom, with Bronze Palm, nearly extremely fine (7) £400-£500 --- C.M.G. London Gazette 1 January 1964: ‘British Council Representative in India.’ C.B.E. (Civil) London Gazette 10 June 1954: ‘Controller, Finance Division, British Council.’ O.B.E. (Military) London Gazette 21 December 1944: ‘W/S Major (T/Lt-Col), K.R.R.C., H.Q. 6 Base Sub Area.’ M.I.D. London Gazette 24 August 1944 (Italy). U.S.A. Medal of Freedom with Bronze Palm London Gazette 23 May 1947. Efficiency Decoration London Gazette 13 February 1948. Henry Powell Croom-Johnson was born on 15 December 1910, eldest son of Hon. Sir Reginald Croom-Johnson, sometime Judge of High Court, and Lady (Ruby) Croom-Johnson. He was educated at Stowe School and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and was assistant master at Bedford School between 1932 and 1934. He was appointed 2nd Lieutenant (late Officer Cadet Corporal, Cambridge University O.T.C.) in March 1932 for service with the Bedford School Contingent. He joined the staff of the British Council in 1935, and became secretary to the Lecture Committee in 1936. Appointed 2nd Lieutenant, 16th London Regiment (Queen’s Westminsters) in February 1937, and to Lieutenant in December 1937. He served with the Queen’s Westminsters and King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 1939-46, on the staff in Sicily, Italy and Greece (Despatches, O.B.E., Lieutenant-Colonel). Rejoining the British Council in 1946, he was appointed controller of the Finance Division in 1951, and controller of the European Division in 1956. He was the British Council Representative in India from 1957 to 1964; appointed Controller of Overseas Division ‘B’, 1964, and was Assistant Director-General of the British Council from 1966 until his retirement in 1973. Lieutenant-Colonel Croom-Johnson lived at Ravenscourt Square, London, and died on 22 March 1994. Sold with two fibre identity discs, a named cloth patch for “D” Company, 1st Bn. The Queen’s Westminsters (Captain), and a large quantity of metal and cloth insignia, badges and buttons relating to Stowe School O.T.C., The Queen’s Westminsters and the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, mostly those which he wore whilst in service but some purchased later to represent the history of the regiments he had served in. Together with copied research which includes recommendations for the O.B.E. and U.S.A. Medal of Freedom.
Family Group: A Great War M.B.E. group of three awarded to Mrs. Jane S. Henry, British Red Cross Society The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Civil) Member’s 1st type, lady’s shoulder badge, silver, hallmarks for London 1916, the reverse privately engraved ‘J. S. Henry March 1917’, on lady’s bow riband; British Red Cross Society Medal for War Service, unnamed as issued, lacking integral top riband bar; Belgium, Kingdom, Queen Elisabeth Medal, bronze, the last two mounted as worn, good very fine Three: Private R. A. Henry, Royal Air Force, later A.R.P. Post Warden, Harrow British War and Victory Medals (36690. Pte. 1. R. A. Henry. R.A.F.); Defence Medal, the first two mounted as worn, the last loose; together with the recipient’s riband bar, contact marks, traces of lacquer, very fine and better (6) £160-£200 --- M.B.E. London Gazette 7 January 1918: Mrs. Jane Selina Henry. ‘For services in connection with the War.’ Mrs. Jane Selina Henry (née Sherwood), was the mother of Robert Alexander Henry.
An Order of St. John group of six awarded to District Superintendent S. H. Vilven, St John Ambulance Brigade The Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Officer‘s (Brother’s) breast badge, silver and enamel; Jubilee 1897, St. John Ambulance Brigade (2nd Class Supy. Offr. S. H. Vilven); Coronation 1902, St. John Ambulance Brigade, bronze (S. H. Vivlen. 1st Offr.); Coronation 1911, St. John Ambulance Brigade (Dist. Supt. Sec. S. H. Vilven); Service Medal of the Order of St John, silvered base metal, unnamed; St. John Medal for South Africa 1899-1902 (1st Officer S. H. Vilven. No. 1 Dist.) polished, otherwise nearly very fine (6) £360-£440 --- Vilven was a ‘contributor’ to the St John Ambulance Brigade and is not entitled to the Q.S.A.
An Inter-War R.R.C. group of five awarded to Lady Superintendent Ethel Green, Queen Alexandra’s Military Nursing Service for India Royal Red Cross, 1st Class (R.R.C.), G.V.R., silver-gilt, gold, and enamel, on lady’s bow riband; 1914-15 Star (Sister E. Green. Q.A.M.N.S.I.); British War and Victory Medals (Sister E. Green.); Jubilee 1935, unnamed as issued; together with the recipient’s Charing Cross Hospital Medal, bronze, unnamed, good very fine (6) £700-£900 --- Provenance: Christie’s, July 1984. R.R.C. London Gazette 1 January 1936. M.I.D. London Gazettes 15 August 1918 and 2 November 1918. Ethel Green was born in Cheltenham on 15 May 1883. Educated at Manchester High School and Cricklewood Ladies College, she trained for her nursing certificate at Charing Cross Hospital in London from 1 September 1905 to 12 October 1909. She applied to join the Q.A.M.N.S.I. on 27 February 1911 and was soon accepted pending a vacancy; taking temporary appointment in Birmingham, she finally sailed for India aboard the City of Marseilles on 15 February 1913. Initially serving as Nursing Sister at Poona and Peshawar, Green was transferred to Mesopotamia in 1916. Here she was twice Mentioned in Despatches, being further notified of the award of the A.R.R.C. in the London Gazette of 25 February 1918. This was later forwarded to the Sister’s Quarters of British Stationary Hospital, Poona, on 3 January 1922. Promoted Lady Superintendent on 18 June 1932, Green witnessed her final posting at the hill station of Dalhousie, a summer retreat of the Earl of Dalhousie, who was once British Governor-General in India. Confirmed as entitled to the Silver Jubilee Medal, she retired from the service on 31 August 1935 and was awarded the R.R.C. soon thereafter. It was also at around this time that she applied for her BWM and VM, thus accounting for the error in rank where ‘Sister’ is substituted for the correct ‘Nursing Sister’.
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