The Field – August 2019

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ofthatatauction.StandardAfricanspears
tendtogetbundledupinlotsandsoldin
the£100-plusrangeandindividualknob-
kerries–thesortofthings‘TommyAtkins’
mighthavebroughthome– a similarprice.
C&TAuctioneers solda fine collection of
betterqualityZulupieceson 24 April.My
eye was taken by an ihubelo, a smaller
‘fighting’shieldmade ofhide from those
wars– largershieldstendtobeceremonial
orfordancing.This onewasperfect, bar
twoholesthatlookedtohavebeenmade
bya MartiniHenrybayonet:a shieldwitha
storytotell.Estimated at£150to£250,it
soldfor£540.Similarly,a ‘battlefieldrecov-
ered’assegai,theZulustabbingspearthat
wassofearedwhenthewarriorsmanaged
togetupcloseandpersonalandstartedon
theirbutchery business.This also hadan
addedextra: a Britishbulletholethrough
theblade.Thatuppeditsestimatebyabout
£50,to£200to£300.However,comethe
dayandthebidding battle, it disembow-
elledallpredictionstosellfor£900.These
twoitems, theones withthebest stories
totell,sold bestof all. All together now...
“ZUUULUUU!!”
Genteel Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire
isaboutasfarremovedfromthearidkill-
ingfieldsofZululandasit ispossibletoget
andyethere,on 26 August,GavinGardiner
will hold his annual Scottish jamboree of

fine sporting guns, rifles and accessories.

“Anythingforthegrouse?”I asked,everthe

journo looking foran ‘angle’.Yes: “Avery

quickhandlingpairof12-borePurdeyswith

short barrels.”Theyare cataloguedasfol-

lows:‘James Purdey&Sons.Afinepairof

Kell-engraved 12-bore self-opening side-

lockejectors.26-inchchopper-lumpbarrels

with2½inchambers,about¾andfullchoke

borings,sunkengameribs,theframes,locks

andnumberedtopleversretainingvirtually

alloftheiroriginalhardeningcolour,lined

cockingindicators,15inhighlyfiguredstocks

includingslim,leather-coveredrecoilpads,

6lb5oz,nitroproof,intheirmaker’sbrass-

bound oak and leather case. The maker

confirmsthatthegunswerebuiltin 1953 and

conformtotheiroriginalspecification.The

recordsnote,“BestfineengravingbyKell”.

Thegunsappearvirtuallyunusedandhave

beeninstorefora numberofyears.Estimate

£25,000-£35,000.’ What more can I add,

otherthanthatI amvery,veryenvious,both

ofthegunsandthethoughtofallthesport

theluckybuyerwillgettohavewiththem.

Moreaffordable,intheoryatleast,were

thethreeratherprettyoilpaintingsofgrouse

byGeorgeEdwardLodgethatI tippedyou

in my April column that Sworders would

Above:goodforgrouse,GavinGardineris selling a

pair of short barrel, 12-bore Purdeys

COUNTRYESTATE

UNDER THE HAMMER

Fromtop:GrouseonrockyoutcropbyGeorgeEdward

Lodge,soldbySworders;alsoatSworders,a Snaffles

lithograph,ThefinestviewinEurope; a raresword

withbubri patterned watered blade at Bonhams