Friday 15 January 2016

Random odds and soforth ~

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10 comments:

  1. (2) Stethoscope ? circa 1840(?)

    (9) Watchmaker's hammer (?) circa 1820 (?)

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  2. 2. Pretty close Mike, it's a Stoke's monaural stethoscope of 1860 in rose-wood and ivory.
    9. Close again Mike, it's given as a jeweler's hammer with a baleen shaft and ivory handle ~ but I'm sure a watch-maker could find a job for it.

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  3. (4) is a Corsican folding, lock knife, of late 19th century date (although it looks Spanish - perhaps it's an import, made in Spain ?).

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    Replies
    1. 4. Yes. Locally known as a 'vendetta' and bearing the legend 'Know that I wound to kill'.
      11. This is one of only 4 made of this special issue gold plated Leica Luxus II model in lizard skin cover with crocodile skin case, for which a bidder paid £434,562 at Bonhams Hong kong on 22 Nov 2013.

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  4. Number eleven reminds me of the theatre/film critic who reviewed 'I am a camera' with the words "I no Leica".

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  5. "Me no Leica" - a Leica Luxus II worth about £2 (million that is...)

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  6. Yes Rog, I think the auction estimate was 1 to 2 million Hong-Kong dollars (about £100,000 to £200,000) but it more than doubled the upper estimate at £434,562.

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  7. Crowbard. What is the rather 'Methodist Sunday School' looking chair at the top? It has a rather 'Shaker' appearance to it.

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    Replies
    1. Well spotted Mike, it is a Shaker (or possibly Quaker) meditation chair. The occupant would sit astride it resting his (or possibly her) arms on the 'elevated shelf' whilst meditating on spiritual matters.

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  8. 1. a Roycroft meditation chair of 1905, note the slightly bulbous 'front' to the seat for comfort when sitting astride the chair and the shelf to support your arms or elbows whilst meditating.
    3. a brass cicada brooch.
    5. an American cautionary enameled sign found in a machine-shop.
    6. a Fisher patented poultry killing device.
    6a. the 1937 patent for Fisher poultry killing device.
    7. a Galileo's compass.
    8. a carpenter's Georgian dowelling-box for making sash windows.
    10. a soap grater for the laundry (before soap-flakes were mass-produced).
    12. MacDonald patent hydrostatic level.

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