Plaster model of a swan in an art deco style (base repaired).

Circa 1950.

Height: 38cm, Width: 28cm, Depth: 63cm

Green glazed French water jug.

Circa 1890.

Height: 25cm, Width: 20cm, Depth: 15cm

Exceptional late 18th Century French canvas.

Painted on linen with egg tempura of three birds in the grounds of a chateau forest.  A true decorator’s piece.

Antique 19th Century French Architectural Model of a Château Turret | Large Scale Grand Tour Folk Art Spire, c.1860

An exceptionally rare and highly decorative large-scale 19th-century French architectural model of a château turret. Masterfully constructed with a combination of mixed media, this captivating piece features a hand-carved and painted gesso-over-wood body, meticulously detailed slate roof tiles.

The tower is punctuated by a singularly charming, hand-painted casement window complete with a faux-stone lintel and leaded-glass detailing in hues of deep cobalt blue. It is crowned by a dramatic, conical, high-pitched roof heavily layered with individual, applied slate tiles, showing a wonderfully weathered, crackled patina, and terminating in an elegant, turned-metal finial.

Dating to circa 1860, models of this scale and specific architectural focus occupy a fascinating intersection between the European Grand Tour tradition, institutional architectural maquettes, and high-end folk art.

While smaller architectural models were frequently produced by master builders to demonstrate capability or by students at institutions like the École des Beaux-Arts, specialised models of distinct castle elements—such as this conical turret—were also commissioned as high-quality souvenirs for wealthy Grand Tour travelers enamored with the romanticism of French Gothic and Renaissance Châteaux.

The structural base reveals a robust, turned timber core with a central aperture at the foot, a feature highly characteristic of models designed to be securely mounted onto a display plinth, a grand architectural drawing desk, or used as an educational apparatus in an estate library.

Today, this turret model serves as a magnificent, sculptural statement piece. It represents the pinnacle of “cabinet of curiosities” (wunderkammer) aestheticism. Standing considerably taller than a standard wine bottle (as shown in reference photography), its scale lends it an impressive presence whether anchoring a mantlepiece, standing proud on a library table, or integrated into a sophisticated collection of antiquities. It appeals equally to collectors of architectural salvage, folk art enthusiast, and interior designers looking to inject immediate European heritage and texture into a space.

Dealer Comments

“Finding an architectural model of this specific scale and subject matter is an absolute rarity. The texture on the roof is extraordinary; the natural crazing of the gesso and the remaining fragments of dark, slate tiles give it an authentic, ‘ruinated’ romantic charm that you simply cannot manufacture. It is incredibly tactile. The painted blue window adds a lovely pop of color against the neutral, stone-washed tones of the tower body. There is minor, honest age-related wear to the surfaces and paint finishes, which only enhances its decorative gravity. A true connoisseur’s piece.”

Excellent French mid 19th Century Animalier bronze study of the French Derby winner Ibrahim, with rich brown lightly rubbed patination and fine hand finished surface detail, inscribed to the fore with the name of the stallion and signed on the naturalistic base P J Mene

Arts & Crafts Tudric 0253 pewter & copper clock by Archibald Knox for Liberty & Co, England c1902 

Marks: Marked to base

Dimensions: Height 11 ¾ inches (30cms), width 6 ½ inches (16.5cms), depth 4 ¾ inches (12cms)

Condition: Excellent. Mechanism cleaned and fully overhauled. Has a 1 year warranty

Pair of Tulip Candlesticks by Kronen, Denmark. Silver plated and in good condition.

 Circa 1970.

H 22cm x W 10cm x D 7cm

Rolls Royce silver Spirit of Ecstasy bookends, mounted on carved marble bases with fitted silver elements and dating to the late 1930s.

Each bookend is formed with a demi-lune stepped plinth base in marble, rising to fluted column supports. The mounts are surmounted by miniature Spirit of Ecstasy mascots cast in solid silver, immediately identifying the pieces within the Rolls Royce design language of the period.

The silver elements are hallmarked for Saunders and Shepherd, London, and dated 1937, the final year of the Rolls Royce Objets de Bureau series. The front of each bookend features a sterling silver initial plaque, engraved “P.P”, and bearing matching hallmarks.

These bookends form part of the celebrated series of sterling silver desk objects commissioned by Rolls Royce between 1926 and 1937. Produced in limited numbers and presented as gifts to selected individuals connected with the company, they were never offered for public sale.

The pair retain strong historical significance, representing both the closing year of the series and the enduring association between Rolls Royce and the Spirit of Ecstasy.

Tea chest with Chinoiserie decoration, of rectangular sarcophagus form with a slightly tapered body and angled lid, raised upon four brass ball feet and dating to the Regency period.

The exterior is decorated in penwork with a central band of foliage and blossoming flowers running across the body. The faceted panels to the lid are each finely detailed with Chinoiserie scenes, adding variation and interest across the surface.

The chest is fitted with twin loop handles to either side, complementing the brass feet and providing balance to the form.

Opening the tea chest reveals an interior lined in red paper, fitted with two removable tea caddies, each decorated with further Chinoiserie penwork. To the centre sits a hand made etched glass sugar bowl, completing the original fitted arrangement.

The tea chest dates to the early nineteenth century, circa 1820, during the Regency period.

This antique apple fruit tea caddy is turned in sycamore and modelled as a natural apple, dating to circa 1800.

Carved in a rounded form with a naturalistic button stalk to the top, closely echoing the shape of the original fruit. The surface has developed a warm colour over time consistent with early nineteenth century sycamore.

The caddy retains its original steel escutcheon to the front with matching hinge to the rear. When opened, the interior shows traces of the original silver foil lining, traditionally used to preserve the freshness of tea.

Fruit tea caddies were produced as both functional and decorative objects, reflecting the importance of tea drinking within the home at the turn of the nineteenth century. Their sculptural forms make them particularly desirable to collectors.

A well preserved example of an early treen tea caddy with strong colour and form.