Star Sales
1. Literary Links
Estimate £80–£120 Sold £2,000
This small Spanish or Italian casket, measuring just 11cm long and 9cm high, wasn’t predicted to carry off a king’s ransom at Mallams Cheltenham. But then surprises are all part of the thrill of a live auction. Numbered lot 6 in the sale, it was one of 193 items consigned from Long Court in Randwick,was first published in 1845. ‘Long Court was owned by a direct relative of Richard Ford and while we can’t say for sure that the casket belonged to him, as we can’t find a written record, most of the earlier lots in the sale did come from his collection,’ says Mallams specialist William Fisher. The little casket dated to the late 18th or early 19th century and was veneered in ‘tortoiseshell’ – actually turtle shell. Its continental origins fit with Ford living in Seville and Granada for three years (from 1830 to 1833), amassing research for his writings. Based on this information, the casket’s probable provenance propelled its price to heady heights.
