The presence of two Turkish gentlemen at the Objects of Desire sale at Sworders in Stansted Mountfitchet on October 18 had raised a few eyebrows – if only because they appeared singularly disinterested in the contents of this ‘handbags and gladrags’ sale.
However, this changed with the appearance, towards the very end of the sale, of a lot catalogued simply as “a single row uniform Bakelite bead sautoir, with oxblood, olive-shaped beads”.
Bidding had been expected in the £80-100 range.