£325
Folk & Fantasy: Property from The Thrie Estaits and the Collection of Alison & Angus Hill | 645
Auction: 10 December 2020 at 10:00 GMT
modelled as tall heeled boots with later red ribbon laces
Note: Parrot coal, also known as cannel coal appears to get its name from the sound it makes when burning, a crackling similar to that of a parrot's beak clicking. It was used during the 19th century to make furniture and works of art, due to its similar characteristics to marble. Unlike household coal, it can be carved. Thomas Williamson, a stonemason from West Wemyss, Fife is known for the parrot coal pieces he created during the mid-1800s, including a table, chairs and a toilet mirror, all within the collection at Kirkcaldy Galleries. A garden seat by Williamson was acquired by Prince Albert, and exhibited at the Great Exhibition in 1851, which is now at Osborne House.