A COLLECTION of glass ranging from the drinking vessels of the Ancient Greeks to the Art Deco designs of the renowned designer René Lalique are set to go under the hammer this month.

The online auction is being held by Elstob & Elstob is one of a few in the region not to be cancelled as a result of current restrictions.

The Ripon showroom will be closed to the public but live bids can still be made online.

Co-director David Elstob said: "We have decided to carry on with sales as long as possible.

“Our members of staff will all observe strict social distancing on the day and objects can either be collected safely, couriered to their destinations after the sale, or stored at our premises until such a time when people are able to collect them.

“Luckily we have been moving towards online sales for some time and have been investing heavily in state-of-the-art technology, so we are in an excellent position to be able to do this.

"All lots will be featured in an online catalogue with high-quality images and detailed descriptions. We are also producing videos of popular lots and our experts are readily available for internet-based or telephone consultations on request.

“It will be strange being by ourselves in what is usually a packed saleroom but we must remember that our audience has just moved a bit further away."

Among the lots on sale at the auction on April 18 are several signature pieces from Lalique (1860-1945), including perfume bottles, vases and car mascots.

They include a clear and frosted glass Longchamp car mascot displaying a rare double mane variant, which carries a guide price of £2,000 to £3,000.

Another showstopper is a spectacular plate depicting ondines (water spirits) in the distinctive Art Deco style, which has a price estimate of between £800 and £1,200.

Mr Elstob added: “We are expecting a lot of interest in the collection. Lalique glass has long been a world-famous brand that is internationally admired and, of course, is still in production today.

“The demand for vintage Lalique has been prevalent for a few decades now and the work is consistently popular with collectors across the globe. These early pieces from the 1920s are particularly collectable due to their enduring style and the car mascots will have an additional appeal to motoring enthusiasts as well as connoisseurs of design and antiques.”

Also in the sale, at the other end of the historical spectrum, are two glass pieces dating back to the 1st – 4th Century BC. One is a rare Greek oinochoe – a vase resembling a little pitcher from which wine was poured into the cups – that is decorated with black spiral trailing tooled into zig-zags of white and brown.

Measuring just 6.5cm high, it has a price estimate of £1,200 to £1,800.

The other is a Hellenistic amphoriskos, a flask-like vessel that would have been used for perfume or toilet oil.

The 10cm-high, urn-shaped body is decorated with white trail spiral and yellow/white zig-zags and the lot has a guide price of £1,500 to £2,500. Both lots are from the extensive Chris Crabtree Collection and were acquired on the UK art market in the 1970s to 1980s.

The sale features many other pieces from the 18th to 20th centuries, including work by Emile Galle (1846-1904) and more unusual items such as a rare Victorian ‘end of day’ glass sword.

This comes from a time when glassworkers would make things in their own time at the end of the day using up the remaining molten glass.

Often these would be fun items such as walking sticks or animals.