AN UNUSUAL Art Nouveau belt buckle discovered during an episode of the Antiques Roadshow filmed in the region has sold for £19,000.
The silver and gold buckle was modelled in the form of a woman's face with flowing hair and a blue enamel headband and was created by famed Parisian jeweller and glassmaker René Lalique.
The intriguing piece came to light when the Antiques Roadshow crew filmed at Castle Howard, near Malton, North Yorkshire, with the episode broadcast in April this year.
It had been worn by the vendor throughout her nursing career after being gifted the buckle by her uncle’s great aunt, who had moved to the UK from France in the 1890s.
The buckle attracted attention from across the globe when it featured in the Tennants Auctioneers’ Fine Art Sale on Saturday in Leyburn.
Competing bids eventually saw the Lalique piece sold to a bidder in the United States.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here