Rare Mouseman furniture and Victorian ginger beer bottle among treasure trove of antiques to feature at Beverley auction

The Hawleys sale, today and tomorrow, includes some 1,300 lots from furniture to silver and costumes and textiles.

One piece which has already drawn plenty of attention is an original ‘Mouseman’ table, with four accompanying chairs.

Robert ‘Mousey’ Thompson, born 1876 in Kilburn in North Yorkshire, was to become one of Britain’s best-known furniture makers, with a carved mouse on almost every piece.

Caroline Hawley, partner at the auctioneers, said his carved table was in “beautiful order”, adding: “It’s beautiful really. A timeless piece, and Mouseman has never lost it’s appeal. It sits as well within a modern interior as an antique one.”

The table is one lot among many for the vast sale, with the chairs to be sold separately. To Ms Hawley, an array of fashion and textiles proves a “plethora of wonders”.

“It’s like roaming a department store,” she said. “We have vintage pieces, dresses from the 1950s and 60s, just in time for party season, and we’ve got diamonds galore.

"One is an early 20th century silk wedding dress which is exquisite. It has a very tiny waist, just 20 inches I believe, and is of museum quality.”

Yesterday saw viewings ahead of today’s live auction at Beverley Racecourse as well as online. Having spent much of the past two years coordinating from two computers, Ms Hawley said it makes all the difference to return to a live setting.

She said: “Since we’ve gone back to the sale room it’s fantastic. An auction is like a piece of theatre, a performance,” she said. “It’s wonderful to see people getting involved.”

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