Replica Model Of Antique German Wooden Draper/Haberdashery Shop SOLD

The following model of a draper/haberdashery shop belonged to a well-known and distinguished personality within the doll’s house world, and was part of their amazing personal dolls house and miniatures collection.  The owner had sadly passed away and it is with reluctance the family were selling. I was on a promise to find good homes for this and all the other wonderful items. 

This is an extremely rare and truly gorgeous model of an old-fashioned draper or haberdashery shop. The family of the now deceased owner knows very little about it, other than the family did have a house near to Lamyatt in Somerset, during the 1970s. 

There is an embossed inscription underneath stating the following:

*BRUCE & GINA COOMBES* MODELMAKERS* LAMYATT* SOMERSET*ENG*

Nothing as yet can be traced about these modelmakers, but the quality is quite stunning and remarkable. It could easily be mistaken for being a late 1800s/early 1900s shop and has deliberately been created to look old.  The authenticity is quite  remarkable. ** Update – see below this listing.

It has wooden shelves fixed to the back wall, and within those shelf sections there are eight removable drawers plus a central cupboard with opening door. There is fixed counter, and a nice touch is a brass measure fixed to the counter to measure material. On each side panel there is an inbuilt mirror with delightful shaped frame. The counter has two carved pillars on the front edges plus two scored front panels. Along the back plus there is a lovely carved decorative top pelmet in a two-tone green painted finish with gold highlight. There is a decorative pillar on each front side edge in a cream and green finish with attractive turned beading. The front of the floor edge too has a lovely decorative two-tone green edge. And finally, there are seven pieces of wooden “rollers” for wrapping material lengths around for display.

This is indeed a lovely rare item, a real gem of a piece for the discerning collector.  What a fantastic piece of modelling this is! It measures 17 ¼” at widest point x 8” at deep x 8 ¾” high. It is hard to say what scale this is. The counter measures 2 1/4″ high so not quite 1/12th, but not far off.

** Just by pure chance, whilst looking through the Summer issue 1976 – International Dolls’ House News, there is a whole paragraph on page 16 under the title….”Shopping Around” with Amy Grant,about MR BRUCE COOMBES of Lamyatt, Shepton Mallett, Somerset. 

It stated that he made reasonably priced and attractive dolls house furniture, and that he specialised in models of private houses, but that he had a range of dolls houses of different styles and periods ranging from £55 to £200, plus delightful shops. And it also stated that one could write to Mr Coombes for a black and white brochure….oooh if only I could get my hands on one of those 1976 brochures! More photos of the above shop can be found on KT Miniatures Journal: http://ktminiatures.blogspot.com/2020/02/fabulous-collection-of-miniatures-now.html