Vintage Wooden Tennis Racket

Stamped 'W D 50 HENRY POTTER & CO 30. CHARING CROSS LONDON C&M 1888'; scratched graffiti near the mouth reading 'N.Irish Horse'; decorative fabric cord. 648 grams, 43 cm



Acquired from The Antiques Storehouse, UK, 2015. The Kusmirek Collection, UK. Accompanied by a copy of the invoice and other information.

Produced for the North Irish Horse (60th Imperial Yeomanry) regiment and was presented to a Colonel at some stage in its history. The NIH is a yeomanry unit of the British Territorial Army raised in the northern counties of Ireland in the aftermath of the Second Boer War.

Composed of a chalcographic print representing the Evangelist Luke who, depicted with a brush and easel, is painting a true image of the Virgin and Child, who appear to him in a cloud radiating Divine Light; a winged ox above; inscription 'S. Lucas Evang.' (St Luke the Evangelist) below; the central image enclosed within a lace frame, decorated with embroidery, containing relics of Saints Magnus, Diodorus and Prosperus; all enclosed in a gilded wooden frame. 1.06 kg, 35 x 28.5 cm



Acquired in Germany. Property of RWM Collection.

According to Christian tradition, St Luke made the first pictorial representations of the Mother of God, which were defined as acheiropitae, that is, not created by humans. The presence of the relics of Saint Magnus (saint patron of Anagni, Lazio), of the Roman martyr St Diodorus and of St Prosperus, (patron saint of Reggio Emilia), would suggest an Italic environment as the centre of production of the sacred image.

Comprising an early wired 'spider' catcher's mask with leather padding and buckle strap and elasticated headband with Schwarz NY sporting label and handwritten owner name; later leather Del Crandell catcher's glove with embossed signatures. 1 kg total, 25-27 cm



Acquired separately, USA, 2016. The Kusmirek Collection, UK.