Consigned locally and privately (it was bought new by the vendor's father from a jewellers in Leamington Spa), it sold on the phone to a local collector at £3500.
If this was a predictable price for a well-known model that has made more in the past, then more unusual was the hallmarked silver cylindrical tea caddy and conforming caddy spoon pictured bottom right. Marked for Birmingham 1903, the 5 1/2in (14cm) high caddy was more austere than many Cymric wares, the plain flaring body embellished with a narrow band of yellow and green enamel. With four strong underbids, it sold to a collector on commission at £1900 (estimate £800-1000).
A third Liberty design in this sale was a good example of David Veazey's well-known pewter twin-handled pedestal bowl, 9 1/2in (23cm) diameter, moulded with a continuous frieze of stylised trees and the verse And the woodbine spice…. It sold at £340 (estimate £100-150) to a buyer in London.
Rare and not-so-rare Liberty
PICTURED here are two pieces of Liberty & Co metalwork sold by Fieldings (12.5% buyers premium) of Hagley on July 17. The 8in (20cm) high pewter timepiece, top right, with a central copper and enamel dial with two enamel cabochons to the base, is a recorded design by Archibald Knox. The case, still with original patina, is fitted with a Lenzkirch brass bodied movement (the original key fitted to the door) and the base stamped 0370 Tudric.