The Christmas countdown has begun and the varied members of the Cotswold Art & Antiques Dealers’ Association (CADA) have banded together to organise a curated festive season in one of the most alluring parts of England. If you are not able to make a trip to the beautiful scenic Cotswolds, the members’ website Cotswolds Antiques and Art is there to tempt buyers and browsers.

For the youngsters, look no further than Moxhams Antiques (17 Silver Street, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire), where you can find two rocking horses, providing hours of fun. Made by Lines, circa 1910, the larger one is the size of a small pony (87" wide, 52.5" high, 21" deep) and has extra carving on the neck, £4,250. Lines tilted the head for a more lifelike appearance. The smaller rocking horse (66" wide, 35.5" high, 15" deep) is priced at £1,850.

Moxhams Antiques - Two rocking horses made by Lines, c.1910, £4,250 and £1,850.

For the man or woman who has everything, Renaissance and Baroque specialist Mayflower Antiques has an important Charles 1 period Verge watch by the maker David Bouquet, London, circa 1640, £65,000. Very few watches of this period have survived, certainly not with the original movement. The oval dial is set with octagonal gold mounts decorated with enamel tulips and butterflies amongst leaves of blue, green and orange. The circular gold chapter ring has black enamel Roman numerals centred by a gilt floriate hand, the case of faceted rock crystal in gilt-brass mounts. Also from Mayflower Antiques comes an Italian or Spanish silver pax with scrolled applied handle at the back, circa 1580-1600, £2,950 and two early 17th century Portuguese silver pyx with gilt interiors, £5,000 and £4,500. Both pyx were included in an exhibition at the Museu Nacional in Porto in the summer of 2007.

Mayflower Antiques - An important Charles I period Verge watch, London, c.1640, the maker
David Bouquet, £65,000

Religious prints for sale come from Neil Schofield and Elizabeth Harvey-Lee. ‘Nativity with Shepherd and Beasts Rejoicing’ by David Jones (1895-1974) is a drypoint from the original plate on handmade paper, published by Douglas Cleverdon and printed in 1981 by L’Atelier Georges Leblanc, Paris, from the numbered portfolio of 105, 200 x 155mm (frame size 300 x 370mm), 1929, priced at £500 from Neil Schofield.

Lawrence Josset R.E. (1910-1995) began his career briefly working for Waterlows, the banknote engravers, before starting his 60 year freelance career, primarily as a professional reproductive engraver using mezzotint to reproduce his paintings, such as Ammigoni’s portrait of the Queen. He made original etchings and engravings for himself, especially for his Christmas cards, some of which are for sale from Elizabeth Harvey-Lee. Signed in pencil, these include ‘Mary in the stable’ an original etching and stipple engraving, £50; ‘Cherubs celebrating’ and ‘Joyful Angels’ original mezzotints, priced at £40 and £50 respectively; ‘Horses, Stable and Star’ original etching with aquatint, £50 and ‘Holly and Ivy’original mixed method engraving, £20. Watercolour and bodycolour ‘Primordium Vitae’ by Robert Traill Rose (1863-1942 is signed with monogram, as well as being signed and inscribed with the title and the artist's address and dated 1899 on a label on the backboard, 73.5 x 33 cm., 29” x 13” (frame size 93 by 52 cm., 36” by 20”), £2,800 from Sarah Colegrave.

Elizabeth Harvey-Lee - ‘Horses, Stable and Star’ by Lawrence Josset R.E., original etching with aquatint, £50.

Heralding the arrival of Christmas is a mid-17th century brass trumpet-base candlestick, English, 21cm high, circa 1660, £1,950 from Houlston (Tudor House, Sheep Street, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire GL54 1AA). Textiles include a 16th century pair of silk and couched metal thread embroidered silk-velvet panels, made in Florence, Italy, circa 1590, 131cm long x 28cm wide, £3,250 and large panel of 17th century Italian silk floss needlework, 99cm high x 223cm wide, circa 1650, £6,950.

Houlston - A large panel of 17th century Italian silk floss needlework, c.1650, £6,950
and a mid-17th century brass trumpet-base candlestick, c.1660, £1,950.

Antique box specialist Mark Goodger Antiques has a variety of different items catering for the whisky lover – a stylish pair of mid-century glass whisky decanters, marked Scotch and Bourbon, with applied sterling silver and ball glass stoppers, circa 1950, £675 or on a much grander scale – a burr walnut decanter box with a beautiful round edge top, brass edging and escutcheon, circa 1880, £2,995. For the cigar smoking train enthusiast, you can’t do better than a captivating antique oak cigar humidor in the form of a Great Western Railway coal wagon, circa 1910, £1,575. With real coal fixed on the lid, this wagon also has brass wheels, dampers and chassis components. Hiding amongst the coal on the lid is a key profile. The key must be turned clockwise to open the wagon revealing a three-compartmented cedar wood-lined and protected interior for keeping your finest cigars. An impressive Asprey silver gilt coromandel vanity box has its original leather case and a truly amazing secret compartment, which Mark Goodger Antiques almost missed, stating that the makers were very clever indeed, where a hidden tray drops down to the drawer's void. In addition to 12 sovereign holders, this tray features a leather-strapped letter compartment. A cheque signed ‘Hereford’, with a grand total of £600, was discovered inside the secret tray. In today's currency, this equates to £76,950! Dating from 1856, the vanity
box has beautifully engraved escutcheons with an engraved monogram ‘MH’ - these crowned initials are for Mary Anne Devereux, Viscountess Hereford - and is priced at £8,500.

Mark Goodger Antiques - A pair of whiskey decanters

Paintings are a personal choice, so why not buy something with your partner as a Christmas present to each other? For the skiers, there is ‘Skiers, Kitzbuhel, Austria’ oil on canvas by Andrew Macara (British b. 1944), £7,500 from Trinity House Paintings (35 High Street, Broadway, Worcestershire WR12 7DP). The Broadway based gallery also has a charming ‘Cottages on a Frosty Evening’ signed oil on canvas by Sir George Clausen (British, 1852-1944), £35,500 or for those who like to staycation in Cornwall, there is an oil on board ‘Larmorna Cove in the Snow’ by Samuel John Lamorna Birch (British 1869-1955), £15,000. Trinity House Paintings believes
Birch would have painted from his window at his home in Lamorna, perhaps not wanting to leave to paint on such a cold day or perhaps even snowed in. More winter scenes can be found with Sarah Colegrave including ‘The Farm in Winter’ by Gerald Gardiner, gouache, signed with initials and dated 1953, £980. Gardiner moved to the Cotswolds in 1927 (Upper Hatherley near Cheltenham and then Bisley near Stroud). During World War II he served in the local home guard and completed three large murals for the Cheltenham Services Club. He taught at Cheltenham School of Art, becoming Master of Painting.

Trinity House Paintings - ‘Skiers, Kitzbuhel, Austria’ oil on canvas signed by Andrew Macara,£7,500.

For the those who enjoy fine wines and spirits or for the discerning collector, find antique glass decanters and drinking vessels from Delomosne (Court Close, North Wraxall, Wiltshire SN14 7AD). Delomosne’s Christmas Exhibition 2022 continues until 21st December 2022; visitors are most welcome by appointment. You can’t go far wrong with the fine pair of ship’s decanters, the conical sides cut with diamonds, with single neck rings and original mushroom stoppers, showing off the wonderful cutter’s skill in reducing the size of the diamonds from the base up to the lower neck, circa 1810-15, £3,800 the pair. For personal presents like jewellery, look no
further than Howards Jewellers (44a Wood Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 6JG.

Delomosne - Rare amethyst taper decanter

Delomosne - Christmas Exhibition 21 November to 21 December 2022
Online and in person by appointment - Court Close, North Wraxall, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 7AD
A selection of items new to the website for Christmas

For more information visit Delomosne