Just Like A Museum-Part II -

  Friday, May 16, 2014
 Overcast, warm and heavy rain later today

Just Like a Museum-

 Part II

   Last week, (May 6,), I wrote the first part about Bonham's May 21, 2014 auction. Having been established in 1792, the historic auction house called Bonhams, has been in existence and auctioning 5 centuries now. Saying that, for sure they know what they are doing, and so do their followers. The reason that I titled these posts "Just Like a Museum" is that not only does Bonhams get to present all kinds of fascinating and historic items, but they also are able to present description in depth and thoroughness, - just like the descriptions toy's fine in museums.

Please click here to visit the upcoming auction page

Rare and Large Schmitt Et Fils bisque head Bebe

The beautifully moulded very pale pressed bisque head with fixed blue glass paper-weight eyes, finely painted lashes, feather brows, delicately shaded lids and cheeks, open/closed mouth showing white between lips and double chin, pierced ears and long auburn wig in ringlets, on a good wood and composition fully jointed body with fixed wrists, wearing original white ribbed cotton dress with brown panels to skirt decorated with black embroidered pattern and brown ruffled edging, under garment, socks and marked 'Deposee' shoes, (wig replaced), 92cm (36in) tall.*

* Description Courtesy of Bonhams

The photography is excellent, but so are the accompanying written descriptions.

A nice feature of Bonhams is the ability to magnify the images. You have to wait a bit in order for your ISP (Internet Service Provider) to download the magnified image.

Here is a larger magnification

Here is an ever larger image.

An extremely rare Rock and Graner tin-plate market, circa 1875

The tin-plate market stall with painted yellow and green pierced fencing and steps with painted sign 'Blumen-Obst-genuse-Markt (flowers, fruit, vegetables, market), with central circular display holding various flowers and shelves to rear with further sign 'Geflugel-fisch-wildpret-handlung' (poultry, fish, venison, treatment), displaying finely painted composition hanging meats including wild boar, deer, rabbits, pig and duck, other meats include pigs head and geese, together with scales and two sets of weights, the side shelves and floor with a selection of breads, fruit, mushrooms and vegetables, mostly contained in wicker baskets, two composition lady figures, a tin plate painted rocking chair and two tins containing toy money, (some creasing to main sign and one pole broken, rear shelf loose, figure lacks one lower arm, the other with damage to lower half, wares in good condition but with some minor paint loss damage), base 42cm (16 1/2in) wide, 38cm (15in) deep, 30.5cm (12in) tall.*

* Description Courtesy of Bonhams

An exceptional piece of history.

A rare set of five felt Steiff Musicians, 1912-1915

All having black boot button eyes, printed features and jointed at shoulders and hips each standing on a circular wooden base, the rotund trombone player with a pronounced nose and smiling mouth, black and grey cotton thread hair, black rimmed hat, and with a Steiff button to each ear, wearing a felt red shirt with a further sixteen Steiff buttons in two rows to front, blue jacket, black trousers and leather boots, holding a painted gold trombone, 33cm (13in) tall, the similar contra-bass player having a Steiff button to each ear, round hat with tassel and wearing a cream shirt with black boot buttons in a row to centre, a brown jacket, black trousers and black leather boots, holding a painted wooden stringed bass with bow, 33cm (13in) tall, the slimmer clarinet player with up-turned nose, painted ginger hair and Steiff button to left ear, tall grey hat and wearing a long black jacket with three gold buttons, blue trousers and painted shoes, holding a carved wooden clarinet, 36cm (14in) tall, the older slim violin player with pointed nose and chin, painted grey eyebrows and real shoulder-length grey hair, skull-cap and wearing a white shirt with black bow-tie, jacket and trousers, leather shoes, holding a carved wooden stringed violin and bow, Steiff button to left ear, 40cm (15 3/4in) tall, the tall and slim trumpeter with pointed features, painted ginger hair and flat hat, wearing a black jacket with five buttons and trousers, with white collar and bow-tie, leather shoes and Steiff button in left ear, holding a painted gold wooden trumpet, 43cm (17in) tall. 
(Condition is generally very good and original, a little dusty in places. Contra-bass player with two tiny pin size holes to jacket, some strings loose to instrument. 

Trombone player with small tear to back of jacket. 

Clarinet player has three tiny pin sized holes to trousers. 

Violinist has small hole to left hand, some loose strings. 

Trumpeter with tiny hole to left hand.) 

Please refer to 'Button in Ear, Steiff The history of teddy bear and his friends' by Jurgen & Marianne Cieslik, page 161 (illustration 494), The popular 'village band', this rare group was sold just 146 times. (5)*

* Description Courtesy of Bonhams

I like the way Bonhams has presented this quintet against both a white and black background, with different compositional arrangements. different moods are created and you also get to see how the colouyrs of the musicians appear against light and dark tones.

Huntley and Palmer boxed Tribrek Motor Van tin

Lithographed in royal blue with gold lettering to sides, Huntley & Palmers Ginger Nuts, Tribrek in black to front of roof, lithographed detailed front and driver to sides, HP 1937 number plates, hinged rear door with gold lettering and solid blue hub wheels (G some minor scratches, mainly to roof, box F-G one small tear and some creases) 22cm (8 3/4in) long.*

* Description Courtesy of Bonhams

The above truck is a very rare tin ginger nuts can. Long ago, companies would provide storage containers for their food items, which was an incentive to purchase the product, as well as a convenient way of keeping the food fresher. 

Marklin catalogue No.55562 gauge I electric Crocodile

2-rail electric engine No.14268, brown and black livery, original box and packing, instructions (E box G).*

*Description Courtesy of Bonhams

I enlarged the train to present the fine detail present on the toy. It's amazing how much detail can be seen from the Net image.

I decided to select the "highlights" of the action from Bonhams selection. The set is quite eclectic, but certainly is a fine collection to be presented for this auction # 21748. Imagine having had so many auction over the time frame that Bonhams has been in business.

What I'd like to see is the handwritten documentation of the first several auctions from 1792. 

Now that would truly be "historic".

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always,

have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com