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SOURCE: BONHAMS
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London – A rare and early England football shirt dating from 1879 sold for £17,750, five times its pre-sale estimate of £2,500-3,500, at today’s Connoisseur’s Library Sale in Knightsbridge. Owned by Rupert Darnley Anderson (1859-1944), who played his first and only match for the England national team on 18th January 1879, the shirt elicited fierce bidding before the winning bidder secured this exceptional piece of English footballing history.
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Anderson represented England as goalkeeper during England’s 2-1 victory over Wales at The Oval, London, despite playing for Old Etonians FC as a striker. His appearance made him the ninth person ever to play for England in goal. The match itself was an historic occasion, marking the first international friendly between England and Wales according to Football Association (FA) rules; it also saw the first goal scored by the Wales national team, thanks to a solo effort by William Davies in the 55th minute.
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Jon Baddeley, Managing Director of Bonhams Knightsbridge, commented: “It’s no surprise that this remarkable survival performed so well in today’s sale. As one of the earliest England football shirts to ever appear at auction it is an important part of England’s footballing history. We had anticipated determined bidding but the result exceeded all expectations.”
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The top selling lot of the day was a mid-19th century ‘Exhibition quality’ centre table, which sold for £37,750. Delicately decorated with kingwood, tulipwood, walnut, rosewood, ebony, and boxwood ‘mosaic’ inlaid parquetry, the table is a true ‘tour de force’ of cabinet making, from the maker Johann Martin Levien (1811-1871), who some of his finest furniture at the 1855 Paris Exposition Universelle.
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A mid-19th century ‘Exhibition quality’ kingwood, tulipwood, walnut, rosewood, ebony and boxwood ‘mosaic’ inlaid and parquetry centre table by Johann Martin Levien (1811-1871). Estimate: £40,000-60,000.
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