Sporting and Collectors Auction
Brian Goodison-Blanks highlights some of the militaria lots on offer in the upcoming
Sporting and Collectors Sale on 25th/26th February 2015 focussing on the Picklehaube
and Merryweather helmets, which actually share the same origins in 16th/17th century
French heavy cavalry helmets.
An
Imperial German Officers Pickelhaube with Hanoverian Field Artillery Wappen
(SC20/359), which is being sold in the Sporting and Collectors Sale on 25th/26th
February 2015 in our Exeter salerooms and online through our live bidding platform
partners.
As the down turn in demand for 'traditional antiques' continues, the growing collectors
market still continues to lead the way for the younger generation of buyers. You
could say 'out with the old and in with the (new) old' as Victorian tea sets and
Edwardian wardrobes are being replaced with toys, collectables and militaria. The
forthcoming
Sporting and Collectors Sale
of 25th/26th February 2015 at our
Exeter salerooms
is a perfect example of the broad range of this new market, with over 1,300 lots
included in the sale.
As you can imagine, it certainly takes some time to catalogue all of these items,
but it is even harder than you think when you start to research the history and
provenances of the items in front of you.
Included in the sale are many things that will spark a nostalgic recognition from
most people in some way, either they owned one of the pieces as a child or have
fond memories of a family member possessing one. Included within the
militaria
section of the sale are a number of WWI period pickelhaubes, instantly
recognisable as the iconic symbol of German troops during the Great War. However,
how many people realise that the picklehaube shares its origins with another iconic
headpiece include in the sale, the Merryweather fireman's helmet?
An
Edwardian Brass Merryweather Pattern Fireman's Helmet
(SC20/543), which carries a pre-sale estimate of £700-£900.
The pickelhaube was designed by King Frederick William IV of Prussia in
1842 and was quickly adopted by the neighbouring states, while the Merryweather
design was introduced in 1868 to replace the earlier 1833 pattern leather helmet.
Though they may not look alike, they were both based upon the early French army
cuirassiers helmets of the 16th and 17th century.
A selection of helmets (from left to right:
SC20/545,
SC20/543,
SC20/542
, and
SC20/544).
Originally the first light armoured cavalry of the 15th and 16th century, the cuirassier’s
armour was eventually reduced down to the breastplate and helmet that can still
be seen as ceremonial dress today. Even the Royal Household Cavalry have
a variation of the helmet which is topped by a plume rather than a spike, and the
British army blue cloth helmets of the 19th century share many similarities with
the picklehaube.
It is this type of history that makes the
Sporting and Collectors Sale
sale to deal with, and you can begin to understand the appeal for buyers and collectors
alike.
- Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood
- Sporting and Collectors Auctions
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