Bonhams Vernacular Furniture, Naïve Art, and Textiles Auction Realizes £116,634

The Bonhams Vernacular Furniture, Naïve Art, and Textiles auction, in a sale that closed on 6 October 2026, achieved a total realized figure of £116,634^[1]. The specialized auction saw 101 of 166 lots sold, representing a 60.8%^[1] sell-through rate for the session. Bonhams serves as the official result source for this auction^[1], documenting the final outcomes of these historical pieces.

The auction presented a diverse selection of early European furniture, domestic objects, and religious carvings. Among the notable offerings was an Italian walnut and fruitwood cassone, featuring intricate ivory and bone 'alla certosina' or 'alla Veneziana' inlay. According to the Bonhams lot description, the piece is decorated with a profusion of geometric, star, and stylized foliate patterns^[2], with alternating borders formed of tesserae and stringing. The inlay itself is comprised of a wide assortment of segments of various geometric shapes and proportions, principally lozenges. Its hinged overhanging top is inlaid with a central chess board tablet flanked by two smaller chequered lozenges each within concentric roundels, above a flute-and-leaf moulded edge.

Another significant historical object featured in the sale was a rare Elizabeth I engraved horn shoe horn by Robert Mindum. This piece of domestic history is intricately decorated with a fleur-de-lys motif, interlaced strapwork borders, and the initials ER. As detailed by Bonhams, it bears the engraved inscription "THIS IS FRANCIS HINSONS SHOE HORNE, GYVEN BY MARGREAT H AND ELISABEATH SMITH AND MADE BY ROBERT MINDVM" on its outer border, while the reverse is crudely engraved with the monogram EG.

Religious and architectural carvings also formed a core part of the sale's character. A pair of fifteenth-century English oak roof or hammer beam angels represents the craftsmanship of medieval church architecture. Each angel is carved with long flowing widespread hair and feathered arms holding a plain shield surmounted by merlons^[4], measuring 35cm high, 16cm wide, and 6cm deep. Additionally, the sale featured a rare early English carved and polychrome decorated oak clock jack or 'Jaquemart' dating from the early modern period, with the figure carved in the manner of the documented Church of St Edmund clock jack at Southwold, Suffolk^[5].

The market for vernacular furniture and naïve art relies heavily on the physical condition, provenance, and regional specificity of the pieces offered. The survival of delicate domestic items, such as the engraved horn shoe horn by Robert Mindum, highlights the historical value placed on signed and dated utilitarian objects from the Elizabethan period. Similarly, architectural survivals like the hammer beam angels and the early English clock jack reflect the enduring interest in medieval and early modern woodcarving traditions. These objects represent specialized collecting categories where historical documentation and decorative appeal drive collector interest.