an all-silver chatelaine foldover glovehook by Saunders & Shepherd, established in 1869 at Holborn, London. It is heavily chased and hallmarked for Birmingham 1889 plus Queen Victoria’s head. The hinge is good & strong giving a satisfying snap when closed

Item reference: 2706
Dimensions: 2 and 3/4 inches closed
Condition: good original
Price: £40 GB
Status: Sold

this figural duck handled buttonhook with glass eyes is one  of a suite of animals, all made from celluloid in the early 20th century. Others in the suite to look out for are elephant, kingfisher & owl. This duck is in simulated shagreen (sharkskin)

Item reference: 2682
Dimensions: 5 and 3/4 inches overall
Condition: good original with old patination on the steel shaft
Price: £68 GB
Status: Sold

a classic early French ladies leg buttonhook in brass & bois durcis.patented in France in 1856 by Francois Charles Lepage, ‘literary man of Paris’. He claimed ‘A New Composition of materials which may be employed as a substitute for wood, leather, bone, metal and other hard or plastic substances’. His composition was made up from blood (from the Paris slaughterhouses) and powdered wood, mixed with colouring to simulate wood. He heated and stirred the mixture until it acquired the ‘correct consistency’ and then moulded it in a heated mould. The mixture was cured under heat and pressure yielding a hard, dense, glossy, moulding .His claim refers to small household items, combs, pipe stems, etc. The SOCIETE DU BOIS DURCI was established to produce desk items, especially decorative inkwell stands and plaques. The factory was at Grenelle in Paris and products were sold through A Latry & Cie. of 7 Rue du Grand-Chantier, (Au Marais) in Paris.

Item reference: 2681
Dimensions: 9 inches overall
Condition: minor distortion to the hook end, otherwise good original
Price: £90 GB
Status: Sold

a nickel plate on brass Stanhope (“peeper”) glove button hook with 6 views A Memory of CORBRIDGE: Vale of Tyne, Parish Church, Dilston Castle, Corbridge, Market Palce, The Bridge. It was made by the renowned producer of Stanhopes, McKee of Dublin but made in France for the British tourist market.

Item reference: 2649
Dimensions: 2 and 1/2 inches closed
Condition: some loss of plate but clear views in the "peeper"
Price: £78 GB
Status: Sold

an agate & brass halberd axe buttonhook, the original weapon of which  dates to the 14th/15th century. The origins go back to Swiss German, known as a HELLEBARDE and popular in battle for it’s multiple use.

Item reference: 2646
Dimensions: 5 and 1/4 inches overall
Condition: these hooks frequently have one or more of the spikes missing which are somewhat fragile so it is nice to see one complete
Price: £38 GB
Status: Sold

this tiny little solid gold chatelaine glove buttonhook tests at 14ct and is inset with a blue sapphire.

Item reference: 2624
Dimensions: 2 inches overall
Condition: good original
Price: £38 GB
Status: Sold

a silver gilt and enamel glovehook by David Andersen, the famous Norwegian silversmith. It has the makers mark for 1888-1925 and also 925 denoting Sterling quality

Item reference: 2616
Dimensions: 3 inches overall
Condition: good original
Price: £38 GB
Status: Sold

one of the rare Corozo nut buttonhooks, carved into a grotesque face. It is generally accepted the nuts were carved in Africa and mounted on a steel shaft in France. All original with glass eyes

Item reference: 2609
Dimensions: 3 and 1/4 inches overall length
Condition: good original
Price: £110 GB
Status: Sold

an all-silver STERLING glovehook of the The World’s Columbian Exposition, celebrating the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s landing in America.  It was actually held in 1893, a year later than had been planned with New York City, Washington, D.C., St.Louis, and Chicago all vieing for the honour of housing the exposition. On April 25, 1890, President Benjamin Harrison signed the act that designated Chicago as the site of the exposition. It took three frantic years of preparation and work to produce the exposition. Although dedication ceremonies were held on October 21, 1892, the fairgrounds were not opened to the public until May 1, 1893.

Item reference: 2596
Dimensions: 3 inches overall
Condition: good original
Price: £30 GB
Status: Sold

one of the most sought after figural animal buttonhooks, the Spaniel and not only one but a matching pair! This shoehorn and buttonhook have heavy silver handles and are by Crisford & Norris, established at 118 Vyse Street, Birmingham in 1896. The steel shanks are both marked Steel. The shank on the buttonhook has a nice aged patina indicating much use over it’s 110 year life but the silver handle is in good condition. The marks are rubbed but the date letter is clear for 1901, the start of the  Edward VII reign.

Item reference: 2559
Dimensions: button hook 8 and 5/8 inches overall
Condition: good original
Price: £180 pair GB
Status: Sold