Tarka artist works' auction sale

A study of waxwings is the most valuable work in the collection Enlarge Image

A hoard of forgotten drawings by the wildlife artist who illustrated Henry Williamson's Tarka the Otter have sold at auction for more than £14,000.

The 18 illustrations by Anglesey-based Charles Tunnicliffe, who died in 1979, were found at the house of his niece, Cicely Ridgway, earlier this year.

Tunnicliffe bequeathed the drawings to his Mrs Ridgway, but they had lain forgotten until her death.

The highest price was £2,411 for a study of 60 waxwings.

The collection - mainly illustrations of birds and wildlife - attracted keen bidding, passing the pre-sale estimate of £10,000, reflecting the growing interest in Tunnicliffe's work.

Born a farmer's son born at Langley near Macclesfield, Tunnicliffe illustrated his own books and other authors' work.

He is probably best known for his drawings in Henry Williamson's book, Tarka the Otter.

All the work was signed by the celebrated wildlife artist

He was also commissioned for advertising - notably the Brooke Bond tea cards, collected by youngsters between the 1950s and 1960s.

Auctioneers Peter Wilson in Nantwich expected to attract bids from overseas and British collectors.

Each of the illustrations was either signed or monogrammed by the artist, who moved into a cottage on Anglesey in 1947 and lived there until his death.

The study of waxwings was the most valuable work in the auction and easily surpassed its estimated price of around £1,000.

Other pictures include a watercolour of Lane Ends Farm, Sutton, near his boyhood home and a monochrome ink and pencil drawing titled Redesmere, the Footbridge Over the Outlet Stream.

The 18 forgotten drawings were found at Mrs Ridgway's home in Cheshire, where she herself, a textile designer, was a prolific amateur artist.

After Tunnicliffe's death, much of his personal collection was sent for auction at Christie's, but three days before the sale it was bought by Anglesey council for £400,000 after a national appeal.

The pictures are on public display at Oriel Ynys Mon, near Llangefni.