Among the results of Gaze's rural and domestic bygones sale last Saturday, a kingfisher pole trap with chain and spike sold for £340. Kingfishers used to feed at fish hatcheries and, prior to 1904 when these traps were outlawed, tiny gin traps baited with a small fish, were attached to poles used as kingfisher perches. Kingfishers, with their bright orange and electirc blue plumage, were also popular in Victorian ornithological stuffed bird collections. Pole traps were normally used to catch larger birds of prey as well as owls. A variation on the round bait plate is the ring for egg-baited eagle traps.
 
A glass minnow trap sold for £110. Other notable prices were a pair of iron scaffold board trestles at £140, Horlicks enamel sign £460, Fraser removals enamel sign £200. The top lot and enamel sign at £620 was one of 18ins by 10ins for Bullards Beers of Norwich which flourished from 1837-1970. It was taken over by Watneys and Sir Alfred Munnings original artwork of 1909, for the famous Bullard's posters and wall-plaques of which this lot was one, was re-styled in cartoon form by Watneys.
 
Next Gaze sale is for Architectural Salvage & Statuary on Saturday 26 February 2011.