Carved oak furniture by the renowned Yorkshire craftsman Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson is to go up for auction in Ripon next week.
The items include pieces from the early days of the renowned Mouseman workshop in Kilburn, near Thirsk.
Central to the collection is an oak dressing chest from around 1930 to 1940, which is expected to reach between £4,000 and £6,000. It has two short drawers over two long drawers and is topped with a moulded mirror. Both the mirror and chest carry Thompson’s signature mouse carvings.
From the same era is a stand-alone oak dressing table mirror of exceptional colour quality which carries a guide price of £1,000 to £1,500. Another stand-out lot is a set of eight impressive oak panel-back dining chairs, each with the carved mouse signature, that has been valued between £2,000 and £3,000.
The pieces will be included in a Fine Art & Antiques Sale at Elstob Auctioneers on Wednesday, November 8.
Director David Elstob said:
“The work of Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson has always been popular, particularly in the North of England, and we are lucky to have these highly sought-after pieces from his workshop in this sale.
“Quality English oak furniture is widely seen as a good investment at the moment so we are hoping to see a great deal of interest in these pieces.”
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Robert Thompson (1876-1955) was part of the 1920s revival of craftsmanship inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement. His style was characterised by a carved mouse on almost every piece, thought to have come about during a conversation about “being as poor as a church mouse”.
His furniture business in Kilburn is still run today by his descendants.
Elstob’s November Fine Art & Antiques Sale comprises more than 700 lots including a stunning Chinese huanghauli and hongmu ‘cracked-ice’ console table adorned with butterfly handles, a remarkable 19th century bronze figure of Hercules, and a large number of pieces by French designer René Lalique.
