'As poor as a church mouse’: North Yorkshire’s legendary craftsman's dresser sells for £9,500 at Ripon auction

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An early ‘Mouseman’ oak dresser sold for £9,500 at Ripon Elstob Auctioneers this week proving North Yorkshire’s most famous craftsman still maintains value on the antique market.

The solid oak antique dresser was carved between 1920-1930 by Robert Thompson, who is now globally known as - the Mouseman.

Mr Thompson became a legendary craftsman due to his unique signature of a mouse carved on his furniture.

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Mouseman is now a name synonymous with exceptional quality furniture, and in recent years has taken record prices at auction.

North Yorkshire's most famous craftsman's dresser sells for £9,500 at Ripon's Elstob Auctioneers.North Yorkshire's most famous craftsman's dresser sells for £9,500 at Ripon's Elstob Auctioneers.
North Yorkshire's most famous craftsman's dresser sells for £9,500 at Ripon's Elstob Auctioneers.

Part of the furniture's charm comes from the discovery of the mouse which is skilfully hidden within each piece.

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The most expensive single piece on record sold for an incredible $70,000 in an auction in New York.

Other collections have sold for even more in recent years, whilst all original pieces manage to retain a high market value regardless of size.

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The inspiring story is said to have originated from carving an altar rail one day, whilst bemoaning his poverty with a colleague, he said: “We’re as poor as a church mouse.”

According to his great grandson the idea of a church mouse gnawing away with no one knowing it was there, inspired the idea to use it as a trademark.

From that moment on, he carved a small mouse on every piece he made, and became known to future generations across the globe as 'the Mouseman'.

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