{"title":"Latest Stock to arrive","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe latest antique furniture, folk art, paintings and unusual objects to arrive at Rob Hall Antiques.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eNew stock is added regularly, with an emphasis on British country furniture, vernacular pieces and distinctive antiques from the 16th to the 19th century, individually selected for their originality, character and historical interest.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"english-naive-school-military-watercolour-by-james-young-of-the-48th-northamptonshire-regiment-of-foot-carlisle-castle","title":"English Naïve School Military Watercolour by James Young of the 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot - Carlisle Castle","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnglish Naïve School Military Watercolour by James Young of the 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eInterior of Carlisle Castle\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eSigned and dated 15 July 1854\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eAn English Naïve School watercolour depicting the interior of Carlisle Castle, showing companies of infantry drilling across the parade ground beneath the great Norman keep, together with mounted officers, sentries and civilian figures. Executed in the direct and unaffected manner characteristic of nineteenth-century British folk art, the composition combines a carefully observed topographical view with an engaging record of everyday military life within one of Britain’s most important historic garrison fortresses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe watercolour is signed and inscribed \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e‘Interior of Carlisle Castle By James Young 48th Regt.’\u003c\/span\u003e and dated \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e15 July 1854\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eJames Young entered the British Army Medical Department as a Hospital Assistant Surgeon on \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e18 March 1824\u003c\/span\u003e, was promoted Assistant Surgeon later that year and became \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eSurgeon on 19 October 1839\u003c\/span\u003e. During the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eFirst Anglo-Ashanti War\u003c\/span\u003e, he served in West Africa and was present at the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eBattle of Dodowa\u003c\/span\u003e on \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e7 August 1826\u003c\/span\u003e, one of the decisive British victories of the campaign against the Ashanti Kingdom. The battle secured British and allied control of the region and remains one of the defining engagements of the war. Following his African service, Young served with the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e78th (Highland) Regiment of Foot\u003c\/span\u003e, the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e19th Regiment of Foot\u003c\/span\u003e, and later the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot\u003c\/span\u003e, the regiment identified in the inscription to this watercolour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003ePainted during the opening months of the Crimean War, the work records the routine of a Victorian garrison rather than the drama of the battlefield. Infantry companies drill on the parade ground while officers and civilians move through the castle precincts, creating an authentic contemporary record of military life in Britain immediately before many regiments embarked on overseas service.  \u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eIn July 1854 Carlisle Castle was then an active military barracks and regimental depot, and the standard documentary history of the castle records that the 48th Regiment had succeeded the 28th in occupation of the castle during 1853. Official War Office station returns further record the regiment’s depot at Carlisle throughout 1854–55. The painting should therefore be understood as a rare contemporary depiction of the castle executed during the documented period of the 48th Regiment’s occupation and association with Carlisle Castle.\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eCarlisle Castle, founded in the late eleventh century by William II, had remained an important military stronghold for centuries and continued to serve as an active barracks throughout the nineteenth century. Young’s depiction preserves not only the architecture of the castle but also the atmosphere and daily life of a functioning British garrison.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe watercolour has been professionally conserved during its lifetime, with historic repairs to tears and creases. It is presented in a period simulated rosewood frame which complements the work well.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eA particularly appealing example of nineteenth-century English military folk art, combining an identifiable artist, a documented military career, an exact date and a historically important setting. Watercolour on paper.  Signed, inscribed and dated 15 July 1854. Presented in a period simulated rosewood frame with period glass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cb\u003eMeasuring: Frame 65 cm x 55.5 cm\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cb\u003eCarlisle, England, 1854\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e***PLEASE ASK FOR A QUOTE FOR DELIVERY BEFORE PURCHASE AS THIS IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE***\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48023162552485,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/Image12_8d2aa2b9-4e9d-4cc0-8b18-5762da8e62fa.jpg?v=1786895437"},{"product_id":"victorian-prisoner-s-restraint-belt-stamped-n-g-and-dated-1878","title":"Victorian Prisoner’s  Restraint Belt with handcuffs, Stamped “N.G.” and Dated 1878","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eVictorian Hiatt Prisoner’s Escort Restraint Belt, Stamped “N.G.” and Dated 1878\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eAn original Victorian prisoner’s escort restraint belt retaining its original pair of Hiatt handcuffs and stamped to the inside of the leather \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“N.G.”\u003c\/span\u003e and \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“1878”\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe forged iron handcuffs carry the maker’s marks \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“HIATT”\u003c\/span\u003e and \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“BRITISH MADE”\u003c\/span\u003e, identifying them as the work of the renowned Birmingham manufacturer \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eHiatt \u0026amp; Co.\u003c\/span\u003e, one of Britain’s best-known makers of police, prison and institutional restraints throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The heavy leather waist belt retains its original mounting for the cuffs and represents an increasingly uncommon survival in complete form.  The font loop would have been fastened with a separate padlock that - both that and the handcuffs keys are no longer present.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe inside of the original leather belt is impressed \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“N.G.”\u003c\/span\u003e together with the date \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“1878”\u003c\/span\u003e. The initials almost certainly denote an issuing gaol, while the date records the year of issue or entry into institutional service. Although the precise gaol represented by the initials has not been conclusively identified, the marking is entirely consistent with Victorian institutional property stamps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe date is particularly significant. The \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ePrison Act 1877\u003c\/span\u003e came into force on \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e1 April 1878\u003c\/span\u003e, transferring the administration of local prisons in England and Wales from county and borough authorities to the newly established \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ePrison Commission\u003c\/span\u003e under central government control. This restraint therefore dates from the very first year of Britain’s centrally administered prison system, placing it within an important period of reform in Victorian penal history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eEscort restraint belts such as this were designed to secure a prisoner around the waist while the attached handcuffs restrained the wrists, allowing prisoners to be escorted safely between prisons, courts and other institutions. Owing to their hard institutional use, leather belts were frequently replaced or discarded when worn, whilst handcuffs were often separated from their original mountings. Complete surviving examples retaining both their original leather belt and handcuffs are therefore considerably less common than loose Victorian restraints.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe leather displays the honest wear expected from institutional service, while the forged ironwork has acquired an attractive deep patina consistent with age and use. The maker’s marks remain crisp and legible, as do the impressed \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“N.G.”\u003c\/span\u003e and \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“1878”\u003c\/span\u003e stamps to the interior of the belt.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eA fascinating and evocative survival from the Victorian penal system, combining documented Hiatt manufacture, contemporary institutional markings and an exact nineteenth-century date from the year in which Britain’s prison system entered a new era of central administration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eMeasuring:\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e 115 cm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003eBritish, 1878\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48040068939941,"sku":null,"price":895.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/IMG_7564.jpg?v=1784824564"},{"product_id":"an-original-hand-drawn-beyer-peacock-locomotive-works-drawing-bombay-baroda-amp-central-india-railway-dated-1905","title":"An Original Hand-Drawn Beyer, Peacock Locomotive Works Drawing, Bombay, Baroda \u0026 Central India Railway, Dated 1905","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDrawing No. 67090 – Annotated “Engine No. 9310” – Dated 12 June 1905\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eA remarkable original locomotive works drawing produced during the golden age of British locomotive manufacture, executed entirely by hand for the celebrated Manchester engineering firm \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eBeyer, Peacock \u0026amp; Co. Ltd.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eDated \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e12th June 1905\u003c\/span\u003e, this substantial drawing relates to a broad gauge steam locomotive constructed for the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eBombay, Baroda \u0026amp; Central India Railway (BB\u0026amp;CI)\u003c\/span\u003e, one of the principal railway systems of British India.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eUnlike the later blueprint or photographic reproductions commonly associated with twentieth-century engineering drawings, this sheet is an original hand-executed working drawing. Examination under magnification confirms that the construction lines, lettering, dimensions, sectioning and coloured areas have all been individually drawn by hand. Minute variations in line weight, natural graphite smudging, occasional overshoots and subtle irregularities throughout the drawing are entirely consistent with traditional draughtsmanship and clearly distinguish the sheet from any form of mechanical reproduction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe drawing is prominently marked \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“SHOP COPY”\u003c\/span\u003e and \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“DRAWER L”\u003c\/span\u003e, demonstrating that it formed part of the company’s working drawing office and was intended for practical use within the works rather than as a presentation drawing.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eExecuted entirely in graphite pencil with hand-applied coloured washes, the sheet depicts a detailed longitudinal sectional elevation of the locomotive, illustrating the boiler, firebox, smokebox, frames, running gear and numerous engineering details. Hundreds of original dimensions, calculations, amendments and references to related component drawings remain visible throughout, providing a fascinating insight into Edwardian locomotive design and manufacture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe upper margin carries the original pencil annotation:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“Engine No. 9310”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003ewhile the drawing itself bears the principal works drawing reference:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e67090\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003etogether with the pencil inscription:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eB. W. Brooks\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe identity of B. W. Brooks has not yet been established with certainty, although the inscription is believed likely to represent the draughtsman, checker or engineer associated with the preparation or subsequent use of the drawing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eResearch undertaken during cataloguing indicates that drawing number \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e67090\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e falls within the surviving numerical sequence of Beyer, Peacock drawing records preserved within the company archive, reinforcing the attribution to the Gorton drawing office.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe drawing possesses considerable decorative appeal while remaining an important historical document recording the extraordinary precision and craftsmanship of the Edwardian engineering draughtsman. Every line represents the work of an individual rather than a mechanical process, preserving the direct evidence of over a century-old industrial craftsmanship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p4\"\u003eA fascinating survivor from one of Britain’s greatest locomotive builders and an exceptional piece of railway and industrial history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eOriginal working condition.  The drawing is cloth backed and displays the honest wear expected of an authentic workshop document, including folds, handling marks, light staining, creasing, edge wear and minor tears acquired during its original working life and subsequent storage. These features are entirely consistent with its intended function as a drawing office shop copy and contribute significantly to its authenticity and character.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eMeasuring:  89 cm × 72 cm\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eGorton, England, 1905\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48084339392677,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/Image11.jpg?v=1786895323"},{"product_id":"attributed-to-scottish-artist-james-howe-c-1815-portrait-of-john-brash-of-edinburgh","title":"Attributed to Scottish artist James Howe c. 1815 Portrait of John Brash","description":"\u003ch1\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAttributed to James Howe (1780–1836)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003ePortrait of John Brash (born c.1782), dated 1815\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eA finely executed Scottish Regency portrait attributed to the Edinburgh artist \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eJames Howe (1780–1836)\u003c\/span\u003e, depicting \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eJohn Brash\u003c\/span\u003e, born about 1782.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe attribution is supported by an early handwritten label preserved on the reverse, identifying the sitter as \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eJohn Brash\u003c\/span\u003e, recording the date \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e1815\u003c\/span\u003e, and naming \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eJames Howe of Edinburgh\u003c\/span\u003e as the artist. The 19th c century label appears to have been retained from an earlier frame and transferred when this was reframed in the early 20th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe reverse also retains its original \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eGraves Gallery\u003c\/span\u003e label, printed:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e“The Graves Gallery – Ernest H. Hare, Successor.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eFounded through the philanthropy of John George Graves, the Graves Gallery became one of Britain’s leading municipal collections during the early twentieth century. The surviving label records the painting’s later passage through the gallery under the stewardship of Ernest H. Hare and provides an additional layer of early provenance. The portrait remains housed in its original gilt frame, preserving an unusually complete historical association between the painting, its frame and its surviving labels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eJames Howe is remembered today as one of Scotland’s foremost painters of sporting subjects, horses and domestic animals. His work is represented in the collection of the National Galleries of Scotland, where numerous paintings and drawings by the artist are preserved. Although portraiture forms a comparatively small part of his recorded oeuvre, it is nevertheless documented. The National Army Museum holds Howe’s portrait of \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eMajor George Cunningham (1783–1838), 7th Bengal Native Infantry, Commanding 2nd Corps Rohilla Cavalry\u003c\/span\u003e, painted circa 1820, demonstrating that portrait commissions formed part of his professional practice alongside the sporting works for which he became celebrated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe present portrait displays many of the qualities associated with an accomplished Scottish painter working during the Regency period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p4\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition:\u003c\/b\u003e Professionally cleaned and conserved. Presented in an early 20th century  gilt frame retaining the historic labels to the reverse.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p4\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeasuring:   63 cm x 53 cm Frame:  74 cm x 64 cm\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p4\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eScottish, c. 1815\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48085453406373,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/IMG_7973.jpg?v=1785679467"},{"product_id":"a-rare-george-iii-circus-handbill-of-samuel-saunders-celebrated-equilibrist-and-slack-wire-performer","title":"A Rare George III Handbill Advertising a Performance by Samuel Saunders, Celebrated Equilibrist and Slack-Wire Performer","description":"\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eA rare surviving Georgian handbill advertising a performance by \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eSamuel Saunders\u003c\/span\u003e, one of Britain’s most celebrated eighteenth-century \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eequilibrists\u003c\/span\u003e and a leading member of one of the families whose careers helped shape the development of the early British circus.  The performance was in Bristol on Wednesday 30th September 1772.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eAn \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eequilibrist\u003c\/span\u003e was a performer whose speciality was the art of balance. Unlike a traditional tightrope walker, Saunders performed upon the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eslack-wire\u003c\/span\u003e—a wire suspended with a slight sag rather than stretched tight. Because the wire continually moved beneath him, it demanded extraordinary balance and control. The supporting performers on this handbill demonstrated \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003estiff-rope dancing\u003c\/span\u003e, performed upon a tightly stretched rope and involving dancing, jumping and acrobatic movement. The distinction was well understood by eighteenth-century audiences and the handbill proudly advertises both disciplines, with Saunders himself as the principal attraction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003ePrinted for a performance at the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eOld Assembly Room, St Augustine’s Back, Bristol\u003c\/span\u003e, on \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eWednesday 30th September 1772\u003c\/span\u003e, this remarkable survival records one stage of Samuel Saunders’ extensive national tour. Contemporary newspaper advertisements now allow much of his touring career to be reconstructed, documenting performances throughout England, Wales and Ireland in towns including Birmingham, Stafford, Shrewsbury, Coventry, Bristol, London, Dublin and many others. Rather than being attached to a single theatre, Saunders travelled continually, bringing his remarkable performances to audiences across Britain and Ireland.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe handbill immediately announces:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“Not perform’d in this City these SIX YEARS.”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003emaking clear that this was a much-anticipated return engagement rather than an ordinary provincial performance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eSamuel Saunders is described as:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“The celebrated EQUILIBRIST.”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe advertisement proudly states that he had performed at the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eTheatres Royal in London and Dublin\u003c\/span\u003e, at \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eSadler’s Wells\u003c\/span\u003e, and before \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eKing George III, Queen Charlotte and the Royal Family\u003c\/span\u003e at the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eTheatre Royal, Covent Garden\u003c\/span\u003e. These claims appear repeatedly throughout contemporary newspaper advertisements and formed an important part of Saunders’ established public reputation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe programme itself provides an extraordinary insight into eighteenth-century popular entertainment. Saunders advertised that he would perform on the slack-wire \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ewithout the aid of a balancing pole\u003c\/span\u003e, dramatically increasing the difficulty of his feats. Among the astonishing performances promised were standing upon his head on a pint bottle balanced on the swinging wire, balancing and playing a French horn without using his hands, beating military drum signals whilst balancing, performing seated balances upon a chair on the wire, balancing a ladder supporting a boy upon his chin, performing blindfold whilst enclosed within a sack, and concluding with his celebrated \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ePeacock’s Feather \u003c\/span\u003eexhibition, perhaps his most famous routine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eSuch was his confidence that the handbill boldly proclaims:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“A HUNDRED GUINEAS to any Person in the World, who can perform the Like.”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe evening’s entertainment extended far beyond Saunders himself. It included \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eStiff-Rope Dancing\u003c\/span\u003e by the “two celebrated Giants from Sadler’s Wells”, who were advertised to dance blindfold with naked swords beneath their feet, together with the clown \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eSignior Vampognini\u003c\/span\u003e and a troupe of continental tumblers and acrobats. The programme vividly illustrates the blend of balancing, rope dancing, tumbling, clowning and spectacle that characterised Georgian entertainment immediately before the emergence of the modern circus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eSamuel Saunders occupies an important place in British circus history. His younger brother was \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eAbraham Saunders (1748–1839)\u003c\/span\u003e, who began his public career performing within Samuel’s company before becoming one of Britain’s best-known equestrian performers and later one of the country’s leading travelling circus proprietors. Together, the Saunders family established one of Britain’s earliest circus dynasties, with successive generations remaining connected with travelling entertainment well into the nineteenth century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe surviving newspaper advertisements also chart Samuel’s own remarkable professional development. During the 1760s he appears principally as the country’s leading slack-wire performer, but by the later 1770s he was advertising and managing an increasingly sophisticated travelling company of rope dancers, singers, tumblers, clowns and speciality performers. His career therefore mirrors the wider evolution of British popular entertainment, from individual exhibition acts towards the organised travelling circus companies that would dominate the nineteenth century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe Saunders family also formed part of the same pioneering world of performance as \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ePhilip Astley\u003c\/span\u003e, whose innovations are widely recognised as marking the birth of the modern circus. Their careers overlap during the formative decades in which eighteenth-century rope dancing, equestrian display and travelling exhibitions gradually evolved into the circus as we know it today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eEphemeral theatrical printing of this nature was never intended to survive. Produced to advertise a handful of performances before being discarded, genuine eighteenth-century circus handbills are exceptionally scarce. An earlier Saunders handbill advertising a performance at Salford in January 1766 survives in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The present Bristol example is a later and substantially different handbill, printed six years afterwards for Saunders’ return to the city as part of his continuing national tour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eBeyond its rarity as a piece of Georgian printed ephemera, this handbill is an important documentary record of early British performance history. It preserves not only the name of one of the country’s greatest eighteenth-century entertainers, but also an extraordinarily detailed description of the feats that made him famous. It is a rare survival from the formative years of British circus history and a tangible reminder of the remarkable Saunders family, whose influence upon travelling entertainment extended across several generations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe handbill was almost certainly printed by Samuel Bonner of Castle Street, one of Bristol’s leading eighteenth-century printers and later printer of the Bristol Journal, further placing this ephemeral survival within the city’s rich printing history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003ePresented in a later frame. The handbill survives with the expected folds, staining, tears and small losses associated with a genuine working piece of eighteenth-century theatrical ephemera, entirely consistent with an object intended for temporary public display rather than long-term preservation. There is evidence that the sheet has been laid onto a paper backing at some stage in its life, almost certainly as a means of stabilising and preserving this fragile survivors. But it survives.....\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eMeasuring: (handbill) - 21 .5 cm x 26 cm\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBristol, England, 1772 \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48090166526117,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/Image10_4e4f80a1-3f42-4cce-984a-bb1c70629be0.jpg?v=1786895244"},{"product_id":"a-small-17th-century-boarded-chest","title":"A small 17th century boarded chest","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eA late 17th century oak boarded chest of small proportions, standing on shaped end boards and constructed in oak with pegged joints.  The chest retains period hinges to base, although the top pins appear to have been replaced during its working life. The large riveted iron lock plate is an old replacement, while one of spandrels may be later.  . There is a split to wood, which suggested unseasoned wood was used, and this would have appeared very early in the life of the chest and visible to the first owner.  The top board has bowed so the chest creaks as it opens, although the opening is restricted somewhat and the extent it opens can be seeing the photos.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe ogee shaped end boards give the chest its distinctive profile, while the front, sides and lid are formed from oak planks secured with a combination of pegs and some nails\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eBoarded chests such as this were an essential item of household furniture during the seventeenth century, providing secure storage for clothing, linens and other possessions. Their simple construction and practical purpose make them among the most enduring forms of English vernacular furniture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeasuring: 76 cm wide, 58 cm high and 35 cm deep\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnglish or Welsh, last quarter 17th \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ecentury \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e***PLEASE ASK FOR A QUOTE FOR A COURIER BEFORE BUYING - THIS WILL NOT BE AUTOMATICALLY CALCULATED DUE TO DIFFERING DISTANCES***\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48090244481189,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/Image8_fbb9c951-d4c2-4265-a048-fb2a09d44f77.jpg?v=1786895060"},{"product_id":"a-rare-collection-of-four-victorian-tole-servants-call-bell-signs","title":"A Rare Collection of Four Victorian Tole Servants’ Call Bell Signs","description":"\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eA rare surviving collection of four original Victorian japanned tole servants’ call bell signs, formerly mounted beside a mechanical servants’ bell board within a large country house or institutional building.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eMade from thin japanned sheet iron and hand-painted in gilt lettering upon a black ground, the collection comprises:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eDRAWING ROOM\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eWAITING ROOM\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eOFFICE\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ePARLOR\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eEach sign retains its original fixing holes and displays the honest wear, oxidation and untouched patination expected from many decades of practical use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eBefore the widespread introduction of electric bell systems, large country houses relied upon complex mechanical servants’ call bell installations. A pull on a bell cord from one of the principal rooms activated a corresponding bell within the servants’ hall or butler’s pantry. Painted iron signs such as these were mounted adjacent to the individual bells, allowing servants to identify immediately which room required attention.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eAlthough mechanical bell systems once formed an essential part of every substantial household, very few of the associated signs survive today. Most were discarded when houses were modernised during the twentieth century, making complete or near-complete groups increasingly difficult to find.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eOne particularly interesting feature is the spelling \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“Parlor”\u003c\/span\u003e rather than the now more familiar British \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“Parlour.”\u003c\/span\u003eAlthough today the spelling is generally associated with American English, \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“Parlor” continued to be used in Britain throughout the nineteenth century and appears regularly in Victorian British newspapers, advertisements and trade catalogues alongside “Parlour.”\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eA particularly attractive and increasingly scarce collection of original Victorian servants’ call bell signs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p4\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eMeasuring:  \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p4\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eEngland, circa 1860–1890\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p5\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition:\u003c\/b\u003e Untouched original condition with expected surface wear, minor paint loss, oxidation and age-related patination consistent with long practical use. They have not been over-cleaned or restored, preserving their originality and character.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48092220424357,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/Image7.jpg?v=1786894534"},{"product_id":"an-unusual-late-19th-century-anglo-india-campaign-table","title":"An unusual Anglo-Indian campaign table late 19th century, circa 1880","description":"\u003cp\u003eA  more unusual example of late nineteenth-century Anglo-Indian campaign furniture, constructed as a sophisticated five-piece  table designed for transport throughout the British Empire. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe table is ingeniously constructed in five separate sections comprising a removable top, a central frieze drawer section and two pedestal drawer units. Each pedestal fits within its own outer protective case, the cases becoming the supporting stands when the table is assembled. This clever arrangement allowed the complete piece to be dismantled, packed securely and transported before being rapidly reassembled wherever required. Such construction demonstrates the emphasis placed upon portability whilst maintaining the rigidity expected of furniture intended for prolonged service overseas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eConstructed in beautifully figured mahogany throughout, the table retains its original recessed brass campaign handles, substantial brass corner mounts and iron carrying straps to the reverse of each pedestal. These practical fittings were designed to withstand the repeated dismantling, transport and reassembly that campaign furniture was expected to endure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eUnlike the standard military pedestal desk, this example possesses unusually generous proportions. Standing approximately \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e93 cm (36½ inches)\u003c\/span\u003e high with a clearance of \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e70 cm (27½ inches)\u003c\/span\u003e beneath the central drawer, it is noticeably taller than a conventional Victorian writing desk. Whilst it could certainly have functioned as a standing writing table, its proportions equally lend themselves to use as a serving or side table within a military mess, colonial residence or administrative building. Rather than forcing a definitive attribution, we have chosen to describe it as a campaign table, as this best reflects the evidence presented by its construction.  It would now work well as a standing desk.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eOne of the most appealing survivals is a fragmentary blue paper transport label fixed to the reverse, bearing the name \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“BURTT”\u003c\/span\u003e together with the partially legible word \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“PUN…”\u003c\/span\u003e. Although incomplete, the surviving lettering strongly suggests a historical connection with \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ePunjab\u003c\/span\u003e, almost certainly relating to its working life within British India. Whilst insufficient survives to identify the individual, department or transport company involved, such original labels provide tangible evidence of the journeys undertaken by campaign furniture during the period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe drawer locks are stamped \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“G.C. Dass”\u003c\/span\u003e.  One lock is missing but all others are present.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe reverse of each pedestal retains its original iron strengthening and carrying bar, another practical feature intended to reinforce the cases during transport. These survive alongside the original brass mounts and campaign handles, giving the piece an honesty and integrity often lost through years of hard use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eCampaign furniture was produced for officers of the British Army, members of the Indian Civil Service, engineers, surveyors and colonial administrators serving throughout the Empire. Designed to withstand frequent movement whilst providing the comforts and functionality of home, the finest examples combined robust engineering with restrained elegance. This table is an excellent example of that philosophy, its ingenious five-part construction distinguishing it from the far more commonly encountered campaign desks and chests.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eA handsome, practical and highly evocative piece of nineteenth-century Anglo-Indian campaign furniture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eSome losses to drawer inserts, split to wood to left drawer and wood let in to top right hand drawer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeasuring:  155.5 cm wide, 93 cm high (70 cm to under base) front to back 43 cm\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnglo-Indian, late 19th century\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e***PLEASE ASK FOR A QUOTE FOR DELIVERY BEFORE PURCHASING.  THIS WILL NOT AUTOMATICALLY BE ADDED  AT POINT OF SALE***\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48092377350309,"sku":null,"price":1750.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/IMG_8303_c3318fe2-4a30-43e7-8dc1-d03061e8f13e.jpg?v=1785953017"},{"product_id":"18th-century-portrait-of-dr-thomas-wise-of-hillbank-forfarshire-scotland","title":"18th century portrait of Dr Thomas Wise of Hillbank, Forfarshire, Scotland","description":"\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eA fine late 18th century Scottish oil on canvas portrait, circa 1795, traditionally identified as \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eDr Thomas Wise (1755–1819) of Hillbank, Dundee\u003c\/span\u003e, physician and member of a prominent Scottish family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eWise is depicted seated three-quarter length against a dark background, wearing a brown double-breasted coat and waistcoat with a white stock. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThomas was the eldest son of \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eDavid Wise of Lunan, Forfarshire\u003c\/span\u003e, and Grizel Henderson. The Wise family had longstanding connections with Dundee and the surrounding area. His father David was described as an ingenious mechanician and became involved in the developing textile industry, establishing a cotton-spinning manufactory near what subsequently became Cotton Road.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThomas became a physician and spent a period in \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eJamaica\u003c\/span\u003e, where family histories record that he acquired the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eClaremont estate in the parish of Hanover\u003c\/span\u003e. On returning to Scotland he purchased \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eHillbank\u003c\/span\u003e, an estate immediately north of Dundee and close to his father’s cotton works.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eIn \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e1795\u003c\/span\u003e, the approximate date of the present portrait, Wise married \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eAnne Chalmers\u003c\/span\u003e, second daughter of William Chalmers of Glenericht, Perthshire. The Chalmers family was prominent in Dundee civic life, William Chalmers having served for many years as Town Clerk of Dundee. Thomas and Anne subsequently had six children between 1796 and 1806.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eHillbank House appears on early maps of Dundee standing on an eminence amongst open fields, with a decorative approach leading towards the house. As Dundee expanded during the 19th century, the estate was gradually absorbed into the city, although its history remains preserved in local street names. \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eHillbank Road\u003c\/span\u003e perpetuates the name of the former estate, while \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eJamaica Street\u003c\/span\u003e, laid out following the development of part of Hillbank, was reportedly named in remembrance of Wise’s earlier life in Jamaica.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe following generation of the Wise family proved particularly interesting. Several of Thomas’s sons pursued careers in British India. His son \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eDr Thomas Alexander Wise (1802–1889)\u003c\/span\u003e followed his father into medicine and served for many years with the Honourable East India Company. He held appointments at various stations in India and became Principal of both Hooghly and Dacca Colleges. A physician, scholar, author and collector, he subsequently wrote extensively on Indian medicine and related subjects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnother son, \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ePatrick Wise\u003c\/span\u003e, became a magistrate in Bengal, while \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eCaptain William Wise\u003c\/span\u003e succeeded his father at Hillbank and also served with the East India Company. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eOf particular notes was that \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eWise also sat for a different portrait painted by Sir Henry Raeburn\u003c\/span\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eStylistically, the portrait sits comfortably within the Scottish portrait tradition of the closing years of the 18th century, with its dark background, restrained composition and naturalistic treatment of the sitter. In the absence of documentary evidence identifying the painter, we have deliberately catalogued the work conservatively as \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eScottish School.   It remains unattributed but further research may lead to an identified artist.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe portrait is presented in its impressive \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eperiod gilt composition frame\u003c\/span\u003e, richly decorated with scrolling foliage, acanthus and floral ornament. Both the painting and frame have recently undergone\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e restoration and conservation\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/b\u003e Previously in a private collection, Bath, Somerset.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeasuring:    (Frame - 102 cm x 89 cm (Canvas - 77 cm x 63 cm)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eScottish school, c. 1795 \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48100737908901,"sku":null,"price":2750.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/IMG_9813.jpg?v=1786880251"},{"product_id":"george-iii-cudgel-or-stave-traces-of-original-paint-god-save-the-king-possibly-naval","title":"A George III cudgel or stave with traces of original paint - 'God save the King\"","description":"\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eA very unusual painted hardwood cudgel or stave dating to the late 18th or early 19th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eOf heavy construction, with a long shaft terminating in a large rounded ball end, the surface retains traces of its original painted decoration, including the partially surviving inscription \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“GOD SAVE…”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, almost certainly originally \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“GOD SAVE THE KING.”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Further painted decoration survives above, although this is now too worn to identify with certainty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe exact purpose of the piece is uncertain. Its form could suggest a constable’s stave or truncheon; however, these would more typically carry a royal cipher, arms or other device denoting the authority of the bearer. Expert referral has suggested that the patriotic \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“\u003c\/b\u003eGod Save the King”\u003c\/span\u003e inscription would be highly unusual in this context.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe patriotic wording may instead point towards a military association, possibly a sailor’s cudgel or club, although this cannot be stated with certainty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe piece has considerable age and wear, particularly to the sides of the rounded ball end, consistent with prolonged and regular use. Some cracking to one side of the shaft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eMeasuring:\u003c\/b\u003e 45 cm (18”) in length.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnglish, late 18th \/ early 19th century.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48131020849317,"sku":null,"price":250.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/IMG_8514_565bc631-45d0-4607-83ea-5455bbf564e0.jpg?v=1786457332"},{"product_id":"an-18th-century-skeleton-key-or-lock-pick","title":"An 18th century skeleton key or lock pick","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"Chosen by Charlie\" - Another piece selected by young Charlie Hall.  A single 18th century iron lock pick or skeleton key.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeasuring: 18 cm (7\")\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBritish, late 18th century \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48138477273253,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/IMG_8783_4a9d7a1e-3c3a-4040-a0e9-3a9485eb141a.jpg?v=1786543251"},{"product_id":"original-poor-relief-hand-painted-wooden-sign-c-1920","title":"Original Poor Relief hand painted wooden sign .c. 1920","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eCity of Leicester Poor Relief Notice, c.1910–1930\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eAn original early 20th-century painted municipal sign issued by the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eCity of Leicester\u003c\/span\u003e, giving instructions to applicants seeking Poor Law relief.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eHand painted in gilt lettering upon a black ground and retained within its moulded wooden frame, the notice reads:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eCITY OF LEICESTER\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eNOTICE TO APPLICANTS FOR RELIEF\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCHILDREN UNDER 16 YEARS OF AGE ARE NOT\u003cbr\u003eALLOWED AT THESE OFFICES, AND IN NO\u003cbr\u003eCASE ARE CHILDREN ALLOWED TO FETCH RELIEF.\u003cbr\u003eAPPLICATIONS FOR DOCTORS ORDERS ARE TO\u003cbr\u003eBE MADE BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 9 AND 10 A.M.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eBY ORDER\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe sign belongs to Leicester’s administration of the Poor Law during the early decades of the 20th century. At this date those requiring assistance could apply to the local Poor Law authorities for relief, including \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eoutdoor relief\u003c\/span\u003e — assistance provided without the recipient entering the workhouse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eLeicester’s purpose-built \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ePoor Law Offices stood at Pocklington’s Walk\u003c\/span\u003e, with the complex also associated with Rupert Street. The offices were erected in \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e1883 at a cost of £5,000\u003c\/span\u003e, to designs by the Leicester architects \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eRedfern \u0026amp; Sawday\u003c\/span\u003e. Contemporary directories record the Guardians meeting there, together with a Relief Committee, relieving officers and medical officers responsible for administering the system.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe reference on the sign to \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“Doctors Orders”\u003c\/span\u003e relates directly to the provision of medical assistance under the Poor Law. Medical officers were appointed to districts alongside the relieving officers, and the notice regulated both who could attend the relief offices and the hours during which applications for medical orders could be made.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe offices became the focus of a significant episode in Leicester’s social history in \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e1921\u003c\/span\u003e, during a period of severe post-war unemployment. A large demonstration by unemployed people seeking relief gathered outside the Poor Law Board of Guardians’ offices in \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eRupert Street\u003c\/span\u003e. The protest developed into a serious confrontation with the police and spread into the city centre, resulting in violence and damage. Contemporary and archival accounts subsequently referred to the disturbance as a riot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe sign provides a direct record of the regulations imposed upon those seeking assistance from this system. The instruction that children under sixteen were not permitted at the offices, nor allowed to collect relief, illustrates the practical controls governing the everyday administration of Poor Law assistance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eConstructed as a wooden panel within a moulded wooden frame, the sign is hand painted. The surface retains considerable evidence of age and use, including craquelure, scratches, small paint losses, old fixing holes and general wear. There is evidence of \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ehistoric repainting or strengthening to areas of the black ground and possibly portions of the lettering\u003c\/span\u003e. The appearance and subsequent wear of these areas suggest that this work is itself old.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe exact date of manufacture is unrecorded. Its administrative context places it within the period of Poor Law administration before the abolition of the Boards of Guardians in 1930, and a date of \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ecirca 1910–1930.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeasuring: 56.5 cm x 40.5 cm\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnglish, City of Leicester, circa 1910–1930.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48141732905125,"sku":null,"price":575.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/IMG_8850.jpg?v=1786637953"},{"product_id":"19th-century-dish-seated-elm-top-stool","title":"A good size 19th century elm top stool","description":"\u003cp\u003eA good size 19th century elm top stool over three turned ash legs.    Due to the height the stool also functions as a small table.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWear and marks to the top consistent with use as a work stool.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeasuring:  56 cm tall, 27 cm diameter (seat), 5 cm thick (seat)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnglish, Mid 19th century  \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48141763510437,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/IMG_9043.jpg?v=1786639371"},{"product_id":"a-framed-group-of-1930s-theatrical-photographs-chu-chin-chow-birmingham-1935","title":"A Framed Group of 1930s Theatrical Photographs – Chu Chin Chow, Birmingham 1935","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eMarjorie Tarsh as Zahrat in  \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eChu Chin Chow\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e, Birmingham Operatic Society, 1935\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eAn original framed photographic record of \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eMarjorie Tarsh appearing as Zahrat in Birmingham Operatic Society’s 1935 production of Chu Chin Chow\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe display comprises six original black-and-white photographs mounted together, showing Tarsh both in individual costume studies and in scenes from the production. The mount is titled \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“Marjorie Tarsh as Zahrat”\u003c\/span\u003e, with the name \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eHarvey Thomas\u003c\/span\u003e below and a photographic studio credit at the lower right for \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eSparkhill, Birmingham\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eContemporary newspaper reports allow the photographs to be placed firmly within their original theatrical context. In March 1935 the Birmingham press reported on \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eBirmingham Operatic Society’s production of Chu Chin Chow\u003c\/span\u003e, Oscar Asche and Frederic Norton’s spectacular musical play. The production was extensively reported locally, providing contemporary evidence for the performance represented by the photographs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eFirst produced at His Majesty’s Theatre, London, in 1916, \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eChu Chin Chow\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e had proved an extraordinary theatrical success. Written and produced by \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eOscar Asche\u003c\/span\u003e, with music by \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eFrederic Norton\u003c\/span\u003e, it was based loosely upon the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and became particularly noted for its elaborate sets, large cast and richly conceived costumes. It continued to be revived by professional and amateur operatic companies long after its original London run.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe photographs record Marjorie Tarsh in the role of \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eZahrat\u003c\/span\u003e, and show something of the scale and visual character of the Birmingham production, including elaborate costumes and several group and dramatic scenes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eFurther contemporary newspaper research provides some biographical information about Tarsh herself. In \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eJuly 1935\u003c\/span\u003e, only a few months after the production, the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eBirmingham Daily Gazette\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e reported her wedding. The report identifies \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eMiss Marjorie Tarsh\u003c\/span\u003e and records her marriage to \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eMr Joseph Samuel\u003c\/span\u003e, providing independent contemporary confirmation of her identity and placing her within Birmingham society at precisely the period represented by the photographs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eTarsh came from Birmingham’s Jewish community, as did her husband, and the contemporary wedding report records the marriage within that community. This provides an additional piece of social history to a display which otherwise survives principally as a record of a local theatrical production.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe survival of the photographs together on their original titled mount is particularly useful, retaining the identification of both performer and character rather than leaving the individuals in the photographs anonymous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe photographs remain in their original arrangement within a simple black frame. There is staining, discolouration, minor losses and general age-related wear to the mount and wear to the frame, all consistent with age and clearly visible in the photographs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eMeasuring: 78 cm wide \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e55 cm tell\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBirmingham, 1935.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48141799456933,"sku":null,"price":350.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/IMG_9173.jpg?v=1786640743"},{"product_id":"a-soil-hill-pottery-of-halifax-cream-jug","title":"A Soil Hill pottery of Halifax cream jug","description":"\u003cp\u003eA small cream jug from Soil Hill pottery, Halifax.   Small areas chipping to glaze and small hairline crack to rear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeasuring: 6.5 cm tall\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHalifax, England, First quarter 20th century\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48141819773093,"sku":null,"price":95.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/IMG_9202.jpg?v=1786641905"},{"product_id":"early-19th-century-sycamore-and-ash-vernacular-stool","title":"Early 19th Century Sycamore and Ash Vernacular Stool","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eEarly 19th Century Sycamore and Ash Vernacular Stool\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eA characterful English vernacular stool dating to the early 19th century, constructed with a thick \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003esycamore seat and ash legs\u003c\/span\u003e, and retaining evidence of an interesting period of working repair.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe single-piece sycamore chamfered top has developed a particularly pleasing buttery cream colour through generations of use.  The seat measures approximately \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e3 cm thick\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe legs are secured directly into the seat with their tenons passing completely through it and visible from above, a straightforward and robust method of construction frequently encountered in vernacular seating.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eTwo of the simple ash legs appear to be original to the stool. The remaining two, positioned diagonally opposite one another, are \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eold ring-turned ash replacements\u003c\/span\u003e, probably dating from around the middle of the 19th century. Rather than attempting to reproduce the original plain legs, whoever repaired the stool appears simply to have used a pair of available turned legs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe result is an unusually appealing example of the practical approach to repairing everyday country furniture. Stools of this type were working objects and were repaired when necessary rather than discarded. Here the contrasting legs have themselves acquired considerable age and wear and have long since become part of the history and appearance of the stool.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eTraces of old red paint survive to the underside of the seat, while the upper surface retains the extensive wear and patination accumulated through use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eA pleasing piece of English vernacular furniture in which the later working repairs have become as much a part of its character as the original construction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eMeasuring: 40 cm wide x 24.5 cm deep x 33.5 cm high.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eEnglish, c. 1800, with two later replacement legs, probably circa 1850.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48141835337893,"sku":null,"price":340.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/IMG_9141.jpg?v=1786642652"},{"product_id":"rev-charles-simeon-of-king-s-college-cambridge-watercolour-portrait-with-admission-tickets-1834","title":"Rev. Charles Simeon of King’s College, Cambridge – Watercolour Portrait with Admission Tickets, 1834","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eAn unusual early 19th-century watercolour portrait of \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThe Reverend Charles Simeon (1759–1836)\u003c\/span\u003e, one of the most influential Anglican clergymen of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, whose legacy remains unusually tangible today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe portrait is inscribed beneath:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e“Rev. C. Simeon\u2028 King’s College\u2028 Cambridge\u2028 1834”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eSimeon is shown preaching from an elaborate wooden pulpit, dressed in clerical robes and raising one hand as he addresses his congregation. Before him is an open manuscript resting upon a fringed cushion, with a brass candle fitting rising alongside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eEducated at Eton, Simeon entered King’s College, Cambridge in 1779, becoming a Fellow in 1782. The following year he took up the living of \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eHoly Trinity Church, Cambridge\u003c\/span\u003e, a position he would hold for the remainder of his life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eHis appointment was initially deeply unpopular. Parishioners opposed to Simeon famously locked their pews to prevent those coming to hear him from using them, while additional seating provided by Simeon was removed by the churchwardens. Over the following decades, however, his position was transformed. He became one of the best-known clergymen in Cambridge and attracted such large congregations that an additional gallery was installed at Holy Trinity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eSimeon’s position at Cambridge gave him considerable influence within the early 19th-century Church of England. Numerous clergymen who subsequently held positions throughout Britain and overseas had studied or come under his influence at Cambridge, while his published works on preaching were widely circulated. He was also among the  founder members of the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eChurch Missionary Society\u003c\/span\u003e in 1799, advised on the appointment of East India Company chaplains and was associated with figures including the missionary and scholar \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eHenry Martyn (1781–1812)\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003ePerhaps the clearest measure of Simeon’s importance — and the most remarkable aspect of his continuing legacy — lies in the system of church patronage he established.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eSimeon purchased \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eadvowsons\u003c\/span\u003e, the legal rights to nominate clergy to particular Church of England parishes, with the intention that this patronage should continue beyond his own lifetime. From this developed \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eSimeon’s Trustees\u003c\/span\u003e, which still operates today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eSimeon’s standing was already considerable during his own lifetime. The historian and politician \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThomas Babington Macaulay\u003c\/span\u003e famously considered his effective influence within the Church greater than that of any Archbishop of his age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eSimeon died on \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e13 November 1836\u003c\/span\u003e, having spent more than half a century at Holy Trinity. More than 2,000 people attended his funeral in King’s College Chapel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe present watercolour, dated \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e1834\u003c\/span\u003e, therefore depicts Simeon in the final years of his life.  \u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eOf particular interest are \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\" style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003etwo original manuscript admission tickets\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e, preserved on the reverse of the portrait and both dated \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\" style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e8 May 1836\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e, only six months before Simeon’s death. The tickets begin “Admit”, name those being admitted together with accompanying friends, and bear Simeon’s name. Their precise purpose has not yet been established, but their date and association with Simeon make them a particularly interesting documentary survival from the final year of his life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe tickets remain attached to the old wooden backboard together with further early manuscript labels. Their survival with the portrait provides an unusual additional documentary connection with Simeon and Cambridge during the closing months of his life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe portrait remains in its early 19th-century hardwood frame with gilt slip, retaining the old wooden backboard, paper sealing and manuscript labels to the reverse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThere is some age-related discolouration and wear to the watercolour, while the old paper and manuscript labels to the reverse show the expected deterioration and losses. The frame likewise has minor knocks and wear consistent with age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrame measuring:\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e 35.5 cm x 29.5 cm.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnglish, dated 1834.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48141841858725,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/Image_adf11f9b-d660-47f7-8dbb-881d907ab12d.jpg?v=1787304884"},{"product_id":"a-george-iii-west-country-elm-ash-windsor-armchair-with-cow-horn-stretcher-c-1800-1820","title":"A George III West Country elm \u0026 ash Windsor armchair with crinoline  stretcher, c.1800–1820","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eA George III West Country Elm and Ash Windsor Armchair, c.1800–1820\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eA good early 19th-century West Country Windsor armchair, dating to circa 1800–1820.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe chair is constructed in the traditional West Country manner, centred upon a broad, single-piece elm seat. The seat measures 55 cm across at its widest point.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eRising from the seat is an open hoop-and-stick back principally constructed in ash, with the tall outer hoop enclosing a closely spaced arrangement of slender spindles. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe chair stands on four splayed ash legs, the front pair with distinctive ring turning towards the feet, a treatment frequently encountered on West Country Windsor chairs of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eJoining the understructure is a \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ecow-horn stretcher\u003c\/span\u003e, its curved profile contrasting with the otherwise relatively simple construction of the chair. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe use of elm for the seat and ash for the bent, turned and spindle components is entirely characteristic of vernacular Windsor chairmaking. Elm’s interlocking grain made it particularly suitable for the broad seat, into which the numerous structural elements could be securely socketed, while the strength and flexibility of ash made it particularly well suited to the chair’s turned and bent components.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe combination of the elm seat, ash hoop-and-stick construction, closely spaced spindles and ring-turned understructure is consistent with the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eWest Country Windsor tradition\u003c\/span\u003e. The chair has a seat height of just 39.5 cm and an overall height of 92 cm. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eA good, honest example of the distinctive vernacular Windsor chairmaking tradition of the West Country.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeasuring: 55 cm wide at the widest point of the seat x 39 cm front to back x 92 cm high overall. Seat height 39.5 cm.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eEnglish, West Country, circa 1820.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e***PLEASE CONTACT US FOR A QUOTE  FOR DELIVERY BEFORE BUYING THE CHAIR AS THIS WILL NOT AUTOMATICALLY BE ADDED AT CHECKOUT DUE TO VARIANCES IN DISTANCES FOR COURIER. DELIVERY IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE ON THIS CHAIR*** \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48141972930725,"sku":null,"price":1150.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/IMG_8915_2e16e7fc-31ad-4e6d-b7ad-db0949deb016.jpg?v=1786644305"},{"product_id":"an-unusual-george-iii-ash-and-elm-high-hoop-back-windsor-armchair-circa-1800","title":"An unusual George III elm and ash high hoop-back Windsor armchair, probably West Country, circa 1800","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn unusual George III ash and elm high hoop-back Windsor armchair, circa 1800\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn unusual English Windsor armchair dating to around 1800, distinguished by its particularly tall and slender hoop back and particularly distinctive vernacular construction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe substantial elm seat supports a remarkably lightly constructed back, formed by a high continuous hoop enclosing seven slender hand-shaped back sticks. The sticks are mortised through the upper bow, their ends remaining visible on its outer surface, and are arranged with a subtle outward splay. The unusually tall back is additionally strengthened by two heavier structural braces, quite distinct from the seven finer back sticks and passing down into the seat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe construction of the beech arms is equally distinctive. Rather than forming part of a conventional continuous arm bow, the separate arm rails are each supported by a broad, strongly swept underarm support tenoned into the seat. This combination of a very high, lightly made hoop, separate arms and substantial structural braces gives the chair an unusually architectural appearance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe thick elm seat acts as the structural centre of the chair, with the legs and back components mortised directly into it. The splayed front legs have an unusual but restrained turning sequence, comprising three closely grouped rings beneath the seat with a further pair of fine incised rings lower down the shafts. The rear legs are considerably plainer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e The chair has clearly seen considerable use and retains a good worn surface, together with old repairs and movement associated with its age - there is a very small amount of play in both arms. . Traces of old green paint survive in a number of protected areas.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat particularly distinguishes the chair is the unusual combination of its exceptionally tall hoop, seven through-mortised back sticks, two heavier structural braces and independently supported arms. While each of these elements can be paralleled within English regional Windsor traditions, we have not identified another chair reproducing precisely the same arrangement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMeasuring: 107 cm (42¼”) high overall; 38.5 cm (15¼”) high to the seat; seat 43.5 cm (17¼”) wide at its widest point and 43 cm (17”) deep.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEnglish, probably West Country, circa 1800\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48154619609253,"sku":null,"price":1650.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/IMG_9594.jpg?v=1786811525"},{"product_id":"an-unusual-collection-of-fourteen-reverse-painted-glass-signs-from-a-hairdressing-and-beauty-establishment-c-1930s-1940s","title":"An unusual collection of fourteen reverse-painted glass signs from a hairdressing and beauty establishment c. 1930s\/1940s","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eAn unusual collection of fourteen reverse-painted glass signs from a hairdressing and beauty establishment c. 1930s\/1940s\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eEach sign is painted and lettered to the reverse of the glass and identifies a particular treatment or service.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eHenna application, hair bleaching and eyebrow shaping were established salon treatments, while \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eBEAUTY CULTURE\u003c\/span\u003e was a contemporary term for professional beauty treatment and training. \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eVIBRO MASSAGE\u003c\/span\u003e refers to massage using mechanical vibration apparatus, which was employed in beauty and hairdressing establishments during the first half of the 20th century. \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eFRICTION\u003c\/span\u003e is likely to relate to a scalp treatment or massage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe signs have evidently seen considerable use and survive with varying degrees of wear, scratching and losses to the reverse-painted decoration.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p5\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eSold as a collection of 14 signs\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p5\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eMeasuring: Approx 23c, x 7 cm\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p5\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBritish, circa 1930-1940s\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p4\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48183568859301,"sku":null,"price":480.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/IMG_0139_b90c4c6a-d28a-4fa1-a961-9101bad8774c.jpg?v=1787675973"},{"product_id":"a-mid-20th-century-painted-metal-auctioneers-west-country-conditions-of-sale-sign","title":"A Mid-20th Century Painted Metal Auctioneers’ West Country Conditions of Sale Sign","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Mid-20th Century Painted Metal Auctioneers’ Conditions of Sale Sign – Hussey \u0026amp; Son, Exeter\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eA large (and heavy) painted metal \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eConditions of Sale\u003c\/span\u003e sign made for the Exeter auctioneers \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eHussey \u0026amp; Son\u003c\/span\u003e, dating to the mid-20th century, circa 1950.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe sign is dominated by the bold black \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eCONDITIONS OF SALE\u003c\/span\u003e lettering, beneath which are eight numbered conditions governing the conduct of the firm’s auctions. At the bottom, despite considerable losses from years of use, the name \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eHUSSEY \u0026amp; SON\u003c\/span\u003e, their Exeter address and \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eAUCTIONEERS\u003c\/span\u003e remain visible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eHussey \u0026amp; Son were a long-established firm of Exeter auctioneers and surveyors, operating from \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eQueen Street, Exeter\u003c\/span\u003e, and conducting sales in the city and surrounding Devon countryside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eRather than an advertising sign, this was a functional piece of auction-room equipment. Displayed prominently during a sale, it ensured that bidders could see the conditions under which the auction was being conducted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe wording provides a fascinating glimpse into the workings of the traditional provincial auction room. The highest bidder was to become the purchaser; disputed bidding could result in a lot being offered again; the auctioneers reserved the right to refuse a bidder; and purchasers could be required to pay \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003efive shillings in the pound as a deposit at the fall of the hammer\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eFurther conditions concern payment for and delivery of lots, the responsibilities of vendors and purchasers, errors of description and the auctioneers’ right to resell goods where a purchaser failed to complete the transaction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eAlthough much of this language had been used by auctioneers for generations, the construction and particularly the strong condensed typography are consistent with a \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003emid-20th-century date\u003c\/span\u003e, and we believe the sign dates from around 1950.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eIts condition is very much part of its appeal. Historic paint loss, oxidation, staining and wear have produced a superbly weathered surface, particularly towards the bottom of the sign. Enough survives, however, to identify both the auctioneers and the original purpose of the piece.  Price of postage to a UK mainland address is included in the price.  For other locations, please contact us.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMeasuring: 92 cm x 76 cm\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eHussey \u0026amp; Son, Auctioneers, Queen Street, Exeter.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnglish, West Country, circa 1950.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48185926647973,"sku":null,"price":395.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/IMG_9895.jpg?v=1787760448"},{"product_id":"a-pair-of-early-20th-century-leather-shoulder-bags-with-original-straps","title":"A pair of early 20th century leather despatch-type shoulder bags with original straps","description":"\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eA good pair of early 20th-century despatch-type leather shoulder bags, dating to circa 1900–1920.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eEach is constructed from heavy brown leather with a rounded body, shaped overlapping flap and long adjustable shoulder strap. The flaps are secured by narrow leather straps and metal buckles, with further leather and metal fittings to the reverse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eBoth bags have developed a good surface through prolonged use, with heavy creasing, rubbing, staining and variations in colour across the leather. The grain is particularly pronounced and gives them a strong, almost textured appearance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe interiors remain largely untouched, with the same wear and darkening expected from practical working objects of this type.   \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe flat nature of the pieces suggest use for paper of documents such as in despatch pouches.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeasuring:\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e 22 cm x 22 cm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBritish, circa 1900–1920\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48199642120357,"sku":null,"price":295.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/IMG_0383.jpg?v=1788097525"},{"product_id":"a-rare-elizabethan-carved-oak-boarded-chest-with-winged-fantastic-beasts-english-probably-west-country-circa-1570-90","title":"An  Elizabethan carved oak boarded chest with winged fantastic beasts, probably West Country, circa 1570–90","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eA rare small Elizabethan oak boarded chest of good colour, circa 1570–90, with distinctive solid concavely flared end boards, the front extensively carved with a pair of winged fantastic beasts flanking a prominent central triple-chevron device, against a densely punched background.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eConstructed in the traditional boarded manner from substantial oak boards, the chest is particularly compact, measuring only 81 cm wide and 29 cm deep. The principal boards are approximately 19–25 mm thick.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe construction of the ends is especially unusual. Each is formed from a \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003esingle full-height solid board\u003c\/span\u003e, extending uninterrupted from the top of the chest to the floor. There is no conventional arched or V-shaped cut-out beneath the chest and no formation of separate feet. Instead, the lower front and rear edges of each end board are \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003econcavely swept outwards\u003c\/span\u003e, broadening towards a continuous ground-bearing lower edge. It is an uncommon variation on the familiar boarded or six-plank chest form.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eTwo large \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ewinged fantastic beasts\u003c\/span\u003e occupy the principal field, arranged to either side of a prominent \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ecentral triple-chevron device\u003c\/span\u003e. The three nested chevrons are formed as strongly defined V-shaped ribs and provide the central axis for the otherwise broadly symmetrical composition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe beasts face outwards from the centre and are boldly rendered, with elongated heads, small forelimbs and large scrolling bodies and tails. Particular attention has been given to the wings, which are carved with overlapping rounded upper feathers above long individual flight feathers, the latter further articulated with diagonal incised detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe whole of the principal field is set against a \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003edensely punched recessed ground\u003c\/span\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe front is framed by an extensive sequence of geometric decoration. Particularly prominent are the repeated bands of deeply cut \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003edog-tooth or triangular ornament\u003c\/span\u003e, together with \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003elunette carving\u003c\/span\u003e, narrow geometric borders and horizontal moulded and incised lines. The decoration continues onto the lid, where further demi-lune, triangular and linear ornament forms part of the overall decorative scheme.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe chest's lockplate appears a later replacement.. The lid is carried on two long iron strap hinges. The left-hand hinge when viewed from the rear is original, although it has broken historically and been re-seated during the working life of the chest. The second hinge is an old replacement, probably dating from the 18th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe oak has developed naturally worn surface and good colour. There is considerable wear to the high points of the carving, contrasting with the sharper detail preserved within the recesses. This is particularly apparent in the punched ground, where the tiny individual impressions range from substantially worn and softened to remarkably distinct in the more protected areas.   \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDating and regional context\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe boarded or six-plank chest is a form with medieval origins which continued throughout the Tudor period and into the 17th century. This example belongs to the Elizabethan continuation of that long-established method of chest construction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe decorative vocabulary also has earlier origins. \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eFantastic beasts, chevrons, punched grounds, lunettes and dog-tooth ornament\u003c\/span\u003e all occur within Tudor carved woodwork, drawing upon decorative traditions established considerably earlier. Their combination here, and the extent to which the carving covers both the front and lid, is particularly notable on a chest of such modest dimensions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe treatment of the two fantastic beasts is especially distinctive. Rather than confronting one another, they face outwards from the central triple-chevron device, their elongated bodies terminating in large scrolling tails. The central chevrons appear to function as the organising element of the composition. In the absence of a shield or other armorial context, there is presently no basis for interpreting them as heraldic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThere are interesting comparisons with surviving \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eWest Country woodcarving\u003c\/span\u003e, particularly in Somerset, where fantastic creatures, geometric borders and densely punched backgrounds occur amongst 16th-century architectural and ecclesiastical carving.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe unusual construction of the solid end boards provides a further point of interest. Concave slab-ended construction is subsequently recognised amongst regional furniture from \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eWest Somerset\u003c\/span\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe chest retains its extensive carved decoration . One iron strap hinge is original but has broken and been re-seated historically. The second is an old replacement, probably dating from the 18th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eExpected wear, old marks, minor losses and movement consistent with age and use. The extensive wear to the carved and punched surfaces forms an important part of the chest’s character and history. There is a split to the top, most likely through the use of unseasoned oak, and this would likely have been visible to the first owner of the chest. The lock plate is later but old.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eMeasuring: 81 cm wide × 47 cm high × 29 cm deep.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnglish, probably West Country, circa 1570–90\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rob Hall Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50547913949349,"sku":null,"price":3950.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/files\/Chest23.jpg?v=1790685221"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1151\/3980\/collections\/IMG_8288_954098a3-4923-4834-8bc3-b573bfbc9413.jpg?v=1786995985","url":"https:\/\/robhallantiques.com\/collections\/latest-stock-to-arrive.oembed?page=2","provider":"Rob Hall Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}