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Click here to subscribeA Small Victorian Travelling Medicine Chest, English, c.1873, impressed in gilt lettering 'P & F SCHAFER 27 PICCADILLY LONDON' the tan leather covered case with monogram of EC to the lid, the lid opens to reveal 2 cut glass bottles and 2 cut glass jars each with white metal lids monogrammed with EC, fold down front (leather hinge broken) containing MOP handles tools, csissors and a silver gilt metal medicine spoon hallmarked for London 1873, case width 22cm.
Antique cabinet makers/joiners measuring tools believed to belong to the principal joiner at Armathwaite Hall during early 20th century, comprising of a pair of Mathieson & sons set squares, Rabone no1167 folding ruler, Rabone cast iron carpenters square and Mathieson & sons wood scribe and sliding bevel.
AN ENGRAVED BRASS ASTROLABE PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT EUROPEAN PRIVATE COLLECTION Safavid Iran, dated 1125 AH (1713 AD), signed by the maker Amin Mohammad Shams al-DinOf typical circular shape, comprising five engraved plates and an openwork rete with scrolling, intertwined vegetal interlace and an ecliptic ring at the top, the rule and mater densely engraved with Arabic letters and references, the womb featuring six decreasing concentric circles with Arabic inscriptions, the central roundel marked with the date '1125' (1713 AD) and signed by the maker Amin Mohammad Shams al-Din, another six bands occupying half hemisphere on the reverse, the cusp once fitted with a qibla pointer, now missing, engraved with rosettes on the front and an arabesque composition with a lotus flower flanked by split palmette scrolls on the back, with an old Sotheby's London tag reading Ottoman engraved brass astrolabe, Turkey, and extra notes in pen.13cm diameter and 16.5cm long Provenance: Chiswick Auctions, 29 April 2022, lot 92. Used in astronomical observations and for timekeeping, astrolabes allowed users to chart celestial bodies; determine the direction of Mecca; and navigate. Astrolabe makers were highly skilled craftsmen who often worked closely with scholars and astronomers to achieve the greatest level of precision and detail in their creations. Often, these scientific instruments were engraved not only with celestial markers but also religious inscriptions, demonstrating the dual role these devices played in both practical astronomical navigation and religious observance (e.g. determining prayer times and the direction of Mecca). During the Safavid period, their purpose became even more multi-faceted. In fact, despite their functional purpose, astrolabes and scientific tools became symbols of the cultural advancement promoted by the Persian shahs. As an example of this, the renowned Safavid astrolabe made by Muhammad Muqim al-Yazdi in 1647 - 48 AD, created for the Safavid ruler Shah Abbas Il, acts as both an utilitarian instrument, as well as a work of art and reminder of the degree of excellency strived for at the Safavid court. 13cm diameter and 16.5cm long Qty: 10
AN OTTOMAN SILVER MIRROR SET WITH TURQUOISE AND GARNETS Ottoman Turkey or Eastern Provinces, 19th centuryOf circular shape, with a typical scalloped, flower-collared profile, the reverse of the silver mount encrusted with high-collar settings in-filled with several beads made of turquoise, garnets, glass, and coloured paste, displayed as lobed petals issuing from a central filigree medallion with rosettes and beads, the mount rim of the front enhanced with a circular crown of rosette roundels.27cm diameter Mirrors were pivotal tools in Turkish hamams (public baths) and played a primary role in the Ottoman bathing routine. Often mounted on silver, the present lot, set with various coloured beads, departs from the more classical and standard look of Ottoman mirrors with repoussé mounts, two specimen of which can be seen in this sale (lots 188 and 189). The encrusted decoration is much more in line with armorial paraphernalia, such as shields and helmets, than functional objects, suggesting perhaps that it was a special commission or the original owner's vaunt of his higher social rank. 27cm diameter Qty: 1
A FINE ANGLO-INDIAN CARVED SANDALWOOD PORTABLE WRITING DESK Mysore, Karnataka, Southern India, 19th centuryOf rectangular shape with a stepped profile, with a hinged lid at the top and a forward-opening writing slope on the front, the lid concealing several square and rectangular compartments, some with their own lids, meant to be used for writing tools and stationary storage, the writing slope lined in green velvet, presenting two different storage units for documents underneath the velvet, one easy to access by lifting a circular hoop, the latter concealed under the fabric and with a recessed pin mark, possibly an added security measure to avoid the slope lid from being lifted too easily, the exterior an impressive tour-de-force of high-quality sandalwood carving featuring two overlapping registers on the body livened with wild animals and Hindu deities seated or standing under lobed arches, all set against lush vegetal meanders, the panel covering the writing slope decorated with a rectangular figural frieze showcasing the Churning of the Milk Ocean (Samudra Manthana), the subjects flanked by female deities slaying demons, possibly a reference to the Goddess Durga, the lid decorated with a single rectangular frieze with Sarasvati, the Goddess of Knowledge and Arts, flanked by musicians and winged apsaras with pairs of peacocks on the sides.14.5cm x 30.5cm x 43cm 14.5cm x 30.5cm x 43cm Qty: 1
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