2019-08-01_Homes_&_Antiques 2

ThePeriod:The

18th,19thandearly

to mid20thcenturies

TheSource:The

RoyalNavy,merchant

shipsandyachts

TheAppeal:

Talking-pointantiques

to mountonthewallor

displayunderpictures

and on shelves

We’reanislandnation,in love

withthesea– fromSirFrancis

Drake’sglobalcircumnavigation

ontheGoldenHind, to the

journeysof CaptainCookon

HMSEndeavourandCharles

DarwinonHMSBeagle– and

there’sa thrivingmarketfor

nauticalinstruments.Octantsand

sextantsareprecisionnavigation

instrumentsthatmeasurethe

horizonandstars.Theycomein

sizesupto a half-metrewideand

a basicmid19th-centurymodel

costs as little as £150. Examples

bytopmakersGeorgeAdams,

JesseRamsdenor theDollond

familyfetch£1,500to £3,500.

‘Theyareverytactilethingsand

themahoganyframescanbe

beautiful,’explainsauctioneer

CharlesMiller,marineantiques

specialist.Therevolutionary‘sea

clock’or chronometer,inventedin

themid18thcentury,enabledthe

calculationof longitude,andtop

makersincludeLe Roy,Dentand

Frodsham.Two-daychronometers

arefairlycommonbutstillcostly

at £1,500 to £2,500; while

eight-daychronometersarerare

withpricesto match.‘Collectors

loveprovenance,too,’says

Charles,whichexplainswhya

chronometerfromHMSBeagle

fetched£60,000at Bonhams

in 2014.Fornovicecollectors,

marinetelescopescanbefound

forunder£100,upwardsto

£500,andcompasses,including

pocketexamples,fora similar

outlay.Regularmarineantiques

auctionsareheldat Charles

MillerLtd,Bonhams,andBearnes

Hampton & Littlewood.

ABOVEA selectionof marinetelescopesdatingfrom 1790 to 1860,valuedindividuallyfrom£150to £500;a pocketcompassattributed

to John Gilbert, early 19th-century, sold for £620; a radius octant, c1780, sold for £1,132, all at Charles Miller(charlesmillerltd.com).

How to collect: Antique navigational instruments

Farewell fanfare

Atastefulhaulof 240 lots

wasconsignedtoDreweas

recentlyfromthe3rd

BaronWraxall’sestate.

AmongtheDutchand

Italianfurniture,sculpture,

porcelainandrugswasthis

Frenchpalisanderand

rosewoodsecretaire,c1750,

that sold for £3,500.dnfa.com

AntiquesKnowhow

Running

smoothly

Tomakeantiquechests

ofdrawerseasiertopull

outandpushin,ruba

candlealongthelength

oftheboomrunnersof

thedrawertosmooththe

action.Applythesame

methodtocurtainpoles

that are geing sticky.

60-Second

Guide

110 Homes & Antiques August 2019