Hoard of 'Grand Tour' treasures raises thousands

Kate Grimwood, from the David Duggleby Auction House, holding some of the pieces found in a cardboard box

A hoard of antique holiday souvenirs from aristocratic "Grand Tours" of Europe has raised almost £5,000 at auction.

The items were found in a one-bedroom flat in Scunthorpe following the death of a collector, who spent decades scouring flea markets and car boot sales.

The collection, which included dozens of highly decorated objects such as brooches, mirrors and paperweights, attracted bidding from Italy and China when it went on sale at the David Duggleby saleroom, in Scarborough, on Friday.

The "micro mosaic" artworks would have been bought by young British aristocrats as pocket-sized mementos of trips to countries such as France and Italy during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Upper-class tourists collected the items in cities such as Paris and Rome

Micro-mosaic art – the trend for creating and adorning objects with tiny pieces of glass, enamel or semi-precious stones – began in Italy more than 200 years ago.

The dainty keepsakes were popular among travelling aristocrats as souvenirs of their visits to cities such as Paris and Rome.

But interest in the miniature works of art faded by the early 20th century and they could be bought cheaply.

'Total surprise'

Following the collector's death, auctioneer Dominic Cox was contacted by the executors of his estate to assess and sell the contents of the flat.

Mr Cox said: "I opened the first box expecting to find the usual crockery, cutlery or other household items but instead got a 19th Century Italian micro-mosaic brooch wrapped in a piece of paper kitchen roll."

The discovery came as a "total surprise".

It was the first of dozens of brooches and close to 300 micro-mosaic pieces that would emerge from that box and others.

"Some of the items were wrapped in newspaper, the dates of which suggested they had been there for more than a quarter of a century."

An Italian micro-mosaic mirror raised £240

The decorated objects exceeded top expectations by raising a total of £4,810 at auction.

One collection of micro-mosaic brooches, including examples made in Rome, Paris and Geneva, sold for £320 to a collector bidding from Cheshire.

A late 19th Century Italian mirror, which had a pre-sale estimate of £100 to £200, was sold for £240 to a Chinese buyer.

Mr Cox described the contents of the little Scunthorpe flat as "incredible".

"It was the home of a chap who had been collecting since he was a small boy," he said.

"There were cardboard boxes full of collectables everywhere and more to be found in just about every drawer, cupboard and wardrobe in the place."

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