Charles Hanson looks back on some of the most memorable lots from his Penzance saleroom in 2025
Charles Hanson looks back on some of the most memorable lots from his Penzance saleroom in 2025
For me there is nothing quite like the thrill of the auction room.
I love wielding the gavel from the rostrum, like a conductor, orchestrating bids from around the world online, on the phone and in the room.
You never really know what is going to happen, which is, of course, part of the attraction.
Valuers put what is called an estimate on a lot – what they think it might sell for – but if there’s a bidding battle, then the sky is the limit.
For a lot to be truly memorable it must both surprise and come with its own slice of history.
We all know the name Clarice Cliff – the Staffordshire born ceramicist known for her brightly-coloured range of art deco pottery designed in the 1920s and ‘30s.
It is hugely collectable, especially designs made in limited numbers which sum up the vitality of the jazz age.
20 years after her death, Wedgwood made a range of reproductions of her work, including flat back figures of dancers and musicians.
At a valuation day in Helston my eagle-eyed colleague Darren Ashley spotted a hand-painted original of two dancers.
It didn’t have the Wedgwood mark, instead the stamp identified it as part of Cliff’s popular Bizarre range.
Seeing its potential, he gave it an estimate of £5,000-£10,000 but it went on to sell for £12,000, snapped up by a London barrister.
In the same sale we were consigned an old music box from a local house clearance.
In a terrible condition with peeling veneer, the dealer who offered it thought it might be worth a couple of hundred pounds.
But a quick polish revealed its illustrious makers – the Nicole brothers from Geneva.
Nicole Frères were the Rolls Royce of musical boxes in the mid 19th century, founded by François and David Nicole.
Examples of their work can be seen in museums worldwide, including the V&A.
In the end, after a spirited saleroom battle, it sold for £5,500 going to an Australian collector.
Another favourite from this year came in the shape of five silk escape maps from WWII and later conflicts.
More resilient than paper, cloth maps were carried by the military to guide them home in enemy territory.
Some were even hidden in special editions of Monopoly sent to the prisoners of war camps. They were used after the WWII, with one of these maps depicting the territory around Kandahar and likely used by the SAS in the Cold War when fighting the Russians in Afghanistan.
The stories all three of these lots could tell, from the Potteries to daring wartime escapes.
Bringing their tales to life makes my job is the best in the world.
If you want to see the excitement in action, come along to the next auction in our Penzance saleroom on January 6.
Or if you are having a pre or post-Christmas clear out, do get in touch. One man’s rubbish is another’s treasure.
Auction Details
Auction: Cornwall January Antiques Auction to include Jewellery, Silver & Watches, with Collectors & Asian
Auction date: 6th January 2026 | 10am
Location: Hansons Cornwall Saleroom
Auction contact: service@hansonsauctioneers.co.uk
Catalogue/bidding: www.hansonslive.co.uk | www.the-saleroom.com