An auction sale of Maltese and continental furniture and fine arts is being held at 48 Guze Howard Street, Sliema, from 2.30pm on Tuesday, 20 October and subsequent days, by R. & J. Gingell Littlejohn Auctioneers.

Items of special interest include an 18th century Maltese serpentine front olivewood chest-of-drawers with orangewood string inlay, an 18th century Maltese chestnut prie-dieu panelled with ebonised mouldings, a Maltese mahogany nougat hawker’s stand with metal scales, a late 19th century Maltese mahogany sofa table, a Maltese wall clock (tal-lira) with a quarter chime and alarm circa 1800, a selection of Victorian inlaid walnut drawing room furniture consisting of a credenza with side shaped glass doors, worktables, pier cabinets and centre tables and a three-piece Bergere suite.

Of the selection of paintings, a watercolour by Chev. Edward Caruana Dingli depicting a scene from The Eucharistic Congress (1913) stands out, as do gouache works by Nicolas Camilleri, D’Esposito, C. Mangion and Anton Schranz (attri.) and a still life by Frank Borg, among others. There is also a fine collection of Maltese silver, including two pairs of candlesticks by Gaetano Laferla dated 1818 and Guzeppi Cauchi dated 1862, a balsamina spice box dated 1750, a balsamina coffee-pot by Pasquale Bonomo Vella dated 1845, salt cellars, a quantity of flatware, a sterling silver tea set, trays and frames. A small collection of Roman and Punic pottery includes oil lamps, offering dishes, olpe, jugs, imnara, urns and a pilgrim’s flask.

Other interesting items include majolica wall plates, vases, albarellos, a wax Baby Jesus complete with ganutil flowers under a glass dome and various gilded wall mirrors.

Viewing of the above items began yesterday and will continue through today and Monday from 9.30am to 12.30pm and from 2.30 to 6pm.