Ausperg House Special Auction

Ausperg House Special Auction

By Invitation Only

20 September 1924

Lots (in order of showing)

Lot 1

African Fetish. Circa 1800. Carved from teakwood and hair. About 40-cm tall in the style of the Hausi tribe of western Africa. African Drum. Circa 1800. Teakwood and skin. Similar height and construction as the fetish. Both items bear the same artisan mark. They derive from the collection of Winston Rhys-Smith. Minimum bid: ₤30

Lot 2

Deerstalker Hat. From the estate of Dr. J.H. Watson. A fine hand-crafted Worsted tweed cap from the House of Christy’s, circa 1900. Minimum bid: ₤40

Lot 3

Quisling’s Book of the Spirits. First edition of an exegesis on the nature of spirits and spiritualism, authored by British seer Lady Ramona Quisling. Includes a complete manual of instruction for spiritualists and seers. Minimum bid: ₤50

Lot 4

Duchess Dana’s Riding Crop. From the collection of Lady Dana Trelawny. Cane wrapped tightly in leather, 58 cm length. Minimum bid: ₤35

Lot 5

Sacrificial Knife. 30 cm long and carved from black obsidian, the knife has a leather-wrapped four-inch handle. A single glyph is carved near the hilt (where the handle meets the blade). Minimum bid: ₤130

Lot 6

Hip Flask. Small ornate glass flask with cork stopper. Inscribed on its bottom with a pentagram. Minimum bid: ₤20

Lot 7

Gatekeeper Statue. Recovered in 1898 from Avernus at Cumae. 30 cm tall statue of bronze covered in gold. Statue depicts an old man, clothed as an Ancient Greek mystic, holding a staff in his right hand and a large key in his left hand. Greek inscription reads, “The Keeper of the Gates and the Keys of Pythagoras.” Minimum bid: ₤250

Lot 8

Timekeeper Watch. Formerly belonging to Amos Elias Weatherby, a founding member of the Order of the Hourglass. The casing is silver, featuring ornate decorations and embellishments etched into the metal. The cover opens via clasp to reveal the face of the watch itself. Inside the casing cover are inscribed the initials “AEW,” and the formula “E=mc2.” The watch face and hands that measure hours, minutes, and seconds are apparent and functional. The watch face is inscribed, “Wellesworks,” the name of a small custom timepiece company in East Sussex. Minimum bid: ₤100

Lot 9

Webley Mk VI revolver. Manufactured in 1915, the serial number indicates this is the first number of this model produced. Minimum bid: ₤20

Lot 10

Hermetic Scroll of Calling. A huge length of vellum parchment on a pair of solid wooden spindles. The scroll is inscribed with Greek letters, but is indecipherable and appears to be random nonsense even to those who read the language. Certain magical markings identify the object as a Scroll of Calling, though what entity it summons remains a mystery. Minimum bid: ₤130

Lot 11

“The Garden of Earthly Delights,” an original painting by Austin Osman Spare. This painting was the subject of much controversy when originally displayed in 1919, and was soon after removed from public display and has not been seen since. Minimum bid: ₤25

Lot 12

Zimmerman’s Golem. A head and shoulders constructed of brass, thought to be a bardic golem created by Hans Zimmerman, legendary kabalistic conjurer of Frankfurt. Minimum bid: ₤200