A lovely afternoon out

 Well, I went to the auction, with my little list, but only bought one thing from it.  I had 2nd thoughts on the display cabinet as so much glass to potentially break, and difficult for me to manouvre on my own.  It went cheaply enough too, but I made the right decision.

Wasn't this a fabulous piece of Anglo-Indian furniture - I nearly wrote art, because the carving on it was so fine.  The table I quite wanted was the piece to the left, but all the examples I saw on line had an extra tray on the top, which was missing on this piece.  It was quite heavy and difficult for me to shift on my own and I would have had to wait another hour or so, and I decided against it.  In fact, I bought nothing that I had marked down when viewing the auction on line!

These were Yoruba/Eshu helmets.  Part of our Colonial past.  Keith would have bought them in a flash, bless him!  I was quite tempted but again, 200 lots later at the end of the sale and I couldn't be bothered to wait that long, especially when I had no idea of the real value.  That sort of thing can really linger too, as so specialist.

At the front was a Sundanese/Ethiopian shield from around the very late Victorian period.

So, what DID I buy?

A very dust-clad mahogany Regency sarcophagus shape tea caddy, which still had its original key (must make it a tassle) and lids for the two tea compartments inside.  It needs some gentle beeswax polishing after I have cleaned it up with meths and 0000 grade fine wire wool.

It looked so much better after just a wipe down with a damp rag.

I hadn't seen these listed online, but decided I would have a go at buying them and they came my way.  As you can see, a wonky leg on one needs sorting and the missing backsplat on the other needs replacing.  Will see if I can get Paul (who is the master carpenter who did some work for Keith) to make me one up.  Sadly, they look to have been in the dipping tank, which does wood no good whatsoever so much feeding and polishing will be needed.  I need to go in Keith's workshop in search of Danish Oil or Boiled Linseed Oil.

Then, two unfinished quilts which of course had to come my way.  This will need a couple of borders on it to make it single bed size.  Looks like she may have intended it as a lap throw originally, but love the design.

Hah - this will take a little more fettling!  Of course, I don't have any of the prints she has used to will have to improvise :)  I'll lay it on my bed today and see what prints I have in my stash which I could use, though I don't buy much in pale pink as a rule.  More work than I foresaw as I have NO pinks that match.  I am going to unpick the top edge, take out a row of blocks and use those for the centre, and then put the border back on.  No-one should notice.  A rainy day job or perhaps when I am "resting" this afternoon!!

So, all in all, a lovely afternoon out.  It's always a beautiful drive there and back through varying countryside - fields and woods as you go over the county border, and then wilder hills on the Welsh side.  Lots of Dog Roses blooming, and Foxgloves heralding the start of summer, and gardens full of beautiful plantings, roses especially.  I listened to The Three Ravens on the way there, but it went from the end of Merlin to the Langs Red Fairy Book which wasn't to my taste, so it was Dan Snow on the way home, a brilliant epic of Harald Hadrada, who I hadn't realized travelled and fought over half the known world including battles in Sicily, and he lived for varying periods in Constantinople and Byzantium and Kiev.  Mention of the Varangian Guard and daring exploits.  How I missed not having Keith here to discuss this with as he was so well read and would have been able to discuss this with me at length, bless him.

So, to sum up yesterday, what did I buy?  WORK!!!