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.

A sword that saw action in the Charge of the Light Brigade will go under the hammer at an antiques and fine art sale in Ripon on Saturday.

The sword was carried by Lieutenant John Chadwick, a troop leader in the charge of British light cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854.

Measuring just over a metre in length, the sword has been put up for sale by Lt Chadwick’s descendants and is expected to fetch between £500 and £700.

Regarded as one of the most infamous days in British military history, the battle lasted only 20 minutes and resulted in the deaths of 110 British soldiers with a further 161 wounded.

The near-suicidal charge was immortalised in Alfred Tennyson’s poem, depicting the plight of the 600-strong cavalry who rode into the ‘Valley of Death’.

Lt John Chadwick was one of only two officers taken prisoner at the battle. He managed to reach the Russian guns but his injured horse was unable to move any further and he was knocked from the saddle by an enemy lance.

The officer was taken prisoner by the Russians and released 12 months later at the end of the Crimean conflict. He died in Liverpool aged 52 in 1869.

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Made by London firm Firmin & Son, the sword is decorated with an 1847 pattern. It is etched with a crowned VR royal cypher and accompanied by the name XVII Lancers, which is surrounded by scrolling foliage.

It is one of more than 700 lots at Elstob Auctioneers sale in Ripon

Auction house director David Elstob said:

“It is amazing to have an object with such a fascinating backstory.

“The Charge of the Light Brigade is such a well-known event in its own right but the fact that we know such a lot about the sword’s owner adds even more to its appeal.

“Lt Chadwick’s Crimea Medal, with clasps for Alma, Balaclava and Sebastopol were sold for £14,000 at a London auction house in 2020, so we are expecting a considerable amount of interest in the sword.”

The silver, jewellery, antiques and fine art sale features ceramics and glass, metalwork, silver, Asian art, objects of vertu, militaria, textiles, rugs and carpets, clocks and instruments, antique furniture and Yorkshire oak.

Other militaria highlights in the sale include an officer’s full dress sabretache of the 2nd Durham Artillery Volunteers, Seaham – a flat leather pouch with long straps traditionally worn by cavalry officers to the side of the waist belt – and a Victorian officer’s full dress sword belt of the Ordnance Department.

The auction starts at 9.30am on Saturday. All lots can be viewed online at www.elstob.co.uk and bidding on the day of the sale can be made in person, over the telephone or online.

Items can be viewed at the Ripon-based saleroom the day before the sale from 10am until 4pm.

An oil painting donated by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will go under the hammer in Ripon this month.

The painting of Richmond Castle will be included in Elstob Auctioneers’ fine art and antiques sale on  June 17.

Members of the public will be able to bid at the sale in person or online. The proceeds will raise funds for Richmond community arts venue The Station.

The painting, by contemporary landscape painter Alice Boggis-Rolfe, carries a price estimate of £1,800 to £2,200. It comes with a signed title card from the Prime Minister.

Broadcaster Sky gave the painting to Mr Sunak to mark the Sky Arts channel becoming free-to-view. With Sky’s blessing, the Richmond MP donated it to the gallery at The Station, which is housed in Richmond’s former Victorian Railway Station.

It was displayed in The Station gallery but is now being sold to raise money for the venue.

Mr Sunak said:

“I thought it most appropriate that The Station – a centre for the arts in Richmond – should benefit from Sky’s generosity and people in Richmond should have the chance to see the work too.”

Rohan McCulloch, paintings and sculptures specialist at Elstob Auctioneers, said:

“This is a rare opportunity to acquire a fabulous piece of art by one of the UK’s up-and-coming artists at the same time as supporting a great cause. Alice Boggis-Rolfe regularly sells out at exhibitions.”

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Chris Brown, general manager of the Richmondshire Building Preservation Trust, said:

“Elstob Auctioneers are kindly waiving all fees associated with the sale so 100% of the proceeds will go straight back into The Station and supporting other at-risk buildings in Richmondshire.”

Commissioned by Sky to produce the painting, Alice Boggis-Rolfe said:

“I am delighted and honoured that Rishi Sunak has donated my painting to The Station in Richmond and look forward to the auction.”

The fine art and antiques sale will be held on Saturday, June 17 at 9.30am. Bids can be made in person, online or by telephone.

The contents of the sale, including the painting, will be available to view at the Ripon saleroom on Friday, June 16 from 10am until 4pm.

For further information, call 01765 699200 or email: info@elstob.co.uk

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. Our next networking event is after-work drinks at Manahatta, on May 25th at 5:30.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A Ripon auctioneers has announced a new name and sales structure.

Elstob & Elstob, based on Charter Road, has re-branded as Elstob Auctioneers following a change in direction that positions David Elstob as the sole director of the company.

The company has also revealed a new logo and signage to mark the change.

Meanwhile, it has also restructured its auction calendar which will see it host a four-weekly Fine Art and Antiques Sale. 

The first sale in the new schedule will take place over three days from Thursday 18 to Saturday 20 May, starting each day at 9.30am. 

David Elstob, director at Elstob Auctioneers, said:

“We like to have a close dialogue with our customers and always listen carefully to any feedback they might have.

“A common theme from buyers was that they would prefer to have sales containing a mixture of items which makes browsing though the catalogues more engaging with a greater opportunity of spotting pieces of interest.

“Moving our sales to the end of the week and including a Saturday will also enable more people to take part and the regularity of a monthly auction will mean that people can anticipate the timing of the sales.”

For more information on the auction house, visit the Elstob Auctioneers website here.

Pictured above: Left to Right: David Elstob (Director); Melanie Saleem (Jewellery Specialist and General Valuer); Camilla Rawlinson (Saleroom Manager); Nigel Whitfield (Photographer); Henrietta Graham (Consultant); and Rohan McCulloch (Paintings and Sculpture Specialist).

Harrogate accountancy firm staff to take on three peaks challenge

Staff at a Harrogate accountancy firm are set to tackle the three peaks to raise money for charity.

A dozen employees at Saffery Champness will tackle the Yorkshire Three Peaks on June 17.

The team at Saffery Champness which are taking on the three peaks.

The firm is taking on the challenge to raise money for Marie Curie, a charity which has had a personal impact on some of those taking part.

Kathryn Belton, senior manager at Saffery Champness, said:

“We plan team building and social events throughout the year, but there was a real consensus that this challenge should be about more than just having a good time together.

“Some of those involved have experienced the fantastic work of Marie Curie and so we are really hoping to smash our target of £2,200 for this great cause.”

To donate to Saffery Champness’ fundraising challenge, visit the donation page here.

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An early 19th century Italian micro-mosaic panel that came to light at a valuation event could make up to £7,000 at auction in Ripon.

The panel depicts the Roman Temple of Vesta and will be presented at Elstob Auctioneers’ antiques sale on Wednesday, April 5.

It measures 23cm by 30cm, which is large for a panel of this type, and is mounted in a broad ornate gilt frame 

The Temple of Vesta was an ancient Roman shrine dedicated to the goddess of the hearth, the remains of which are found in the southeast of the Roman Forum beside the Atrium Vestae.

Serving as the temple of the Vestal Virgins – the priestesses dedicated to Vesta – the Temple of Vesta housed an eternal flame, which represented the everlasting nature of the Roman state. If the flame were extinguished, this would indicate bad fortunes for Rome.

David Elstob

David Elstob, auction house director, said:

“This extraordinary piece was brought along to one of our valuation days in Southport.

“At first glance it looked like a painting but closer examination showed that it was actually a mosaic. The pieces are so intricate that you can hardly see them and the craftsmanship is truly amazing.”

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The panel has a guide price of £5,000 to £7,000. 

More information on the auction and antiques for sale can be found at the Elstob Auctioneers website.