Antique tools for auction at Christie's For keen gardeners with deep pockets and an eye for an antique, Christie's has a unique lot coming up for auction. This cased set of gardening tools is being sold in London on March 6, with an estimated price range of £2,500-£3,500. The tools were made in 1851 for the Great Exhibition by John Moseley and Sons, and include two trowels, a fork, two pruning knives and some clippers. The tools are made from engraved steel, with muntjac hoof handles. One of the trowels is engraved with the Royal Coat of Arms, the other with the French Second Empire Eagle. Mark Stephen, a specialist in European works of art at Christie's South Kensington, who is in charge of the sale, says that it's unlikely that the tools were ever used. They're not the easiest things to value, because they're so unusual. But they were made as an example of English workmanship, and the engraving is of a very high quality. The tools are being sold by a collector who picked them up at auction about 15 years ago, but beyond that little is known about their provenance. "They were made mostly for display, but you could certainly still do some actual gardening with them," says Stephen. Probably lighter pruning, rather than digging a new vegetable patch. The case will be auctioned at Interiors: Masters & Makers on March 6 at Christie's South Kensington, London SW7 (020 7752 3121; christies.com)