Buyers plump for battered Beswick at Taunton auction

Buyers were undeterred by the sorry state of some of the pottery pieces, but their rarity only drove up prices at The Octagon Salerooms, East Reach, Taunton.

A collection of Beswick horses, including a Windsor Grey, together sold for £4,600. The most notable individual lot was £2,200 achieved for a grey horse and a chestnut.

The painting section saw a range of pleasing prices. A well traveled Lionel Edwards oil painting bought by a Northamptonshire client from Greenslade Taylor Hunt’s salerooms in 2001 returned to the saleroom and found a new home in West Somerset.

The oil on board signed by the artist attracted a good deal interest prior to the Spring Sporting Sale which translated into a tussle between bidders for ownership. It sold for £4,500.

An oil by leading sporting artist of the post war era, John Gregory King depicting Brian Roberts with the Duke of Beaufort’s Fox Hounds was another good performer. Signed and dated 1962 it sold for £800.

Finally a John T Kenney, oil painting, a fox in covert went for £500.

OIL: This John Gregory King piece went for £800

Sporting books were also in demand with ‘Shires and Provinces’ and ‘More Shires and Provinces’, illustrated by Lionel Edwards, a pair of limited signed editions made £400.

A large collection of colour photographs of Somerset County Cricket Club, sold in three lots, went for £500.

Other prices of interest across the wide ranging sale included a Hardy’s salmon fly ‘Palakona’ cane rod £190, and a fitted leather case containing flask and sandwich case for £280. The same sum was achieved for a saddle rack and similar bridle rack by ‘Musgrave, Belfast’.

Entries are now being accepted for the Autumn Sporting Sale, which will be held in early October. Contact Stuart Triggol, sporting sale consultant, for further details on 07860 928797.

HUNT: A Lionel Edwards oil went for £4,500