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    • Archive for October, 2012

    18TH CENTURY IRISH HUNT TABLE WITH LITERARY ASSOCIATIONS

    Saturday, October 20th, 2012

    This 18th century hunt table originally from Coole Park is at de Veres. (Click on image to enlarge).  UPDATE: THIS MADE 4,000.

    The 18th century Irish mahogany hunt table illustrated on the left has literary associations. It is from Coole Park, home to the dramatist and folklorist Lady Augusta Gregory. She co-founded the Abbey Theatre with the Nobel prize winning poet William Butler Yeats and Edward Martyn of Tulira Castle. In the early 20th century the Co. Galway house was at the centre of the Irish Literary Revival. Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, John Millington Synge and Sean O’ Casey all visited.

    The hunt table, which is at de Veres Interiors Auction at the Pavilion, Leopardstown Racecourse on October 21, was purchased at the Coole Park auction in 1932 by Mrs. Christina O’Malley of Barna House, Co. Galway. The house at Coole Park no longer stands.  The table is estimated at 4,000-6,000.
    (See post on antiquesandartireland.com for October 17, 2012.)

    Posted in AUCTIONS, FURNITURE | Comments Off on 18TH CENTURY IRISH HUNT TABLE WITH LITERARY ASSOCIATIONS

    A TALE OF TWO CLASSICS, A DUESENBERG AND A RILEY

    Thursday, October 18th, 2012

    This 1929 Duesenberg Model J Sport Sedan with coachwork by the Walter M. Murphy Co. made $792,000. Photo Credit Darin Schnabel Courtesy of RM Auctions.

    A classic Duesenberg built in 1929 and a Riley from 1930 made for a transatlantic tale of two cars at auction this month.  RM Auctions, the world’s largest collector car auction house, sold the elegant Duesenberg Model J Sport Sedan illustrated on the left for $792,000 at Hershey in Pennsylvania last week.    In Ireland Mealy’s – best known for antique furniture and collectibles auctions – sold a 1930 Riley 9hp Special Sports Tourer for a hammer price of 22,500 euro at Castlecomer this week. It was the top lot in their two day auction.

    The top lot at the RM sale of 120 cars was an exceptional 1931 Duesenberg Model J Dual Windshield ‘Barrelside’ Phaeton by LeBaron, J299. One of just seven built it was the winner of the epic 1932 race at Lake Muroc against the Marx brothers’ Mercedes-Benz. It made $1,292,500. Both it and the 1929 Duesenberg Model J Sport Sedan, J139, with coachwork by the Walter M. Murphy Company were from the Ray Bowersox Collection. The RM auction of 120 cars generated $10.7 million with 95 per cent of lots sold. There were bidders from 17 countries in the room, on the phone and on the internet.

    The Riley at Mealy’s had a bespoke body, a copy of the James Flood design used by Jean Roberston in the 1931 Monte Carlo Rally. Mealy’s sold a 1969 Rolls Royce for 46,000 at the Mount Congreve auction in July. Click on any image to enlarge it.  (See post on antiquesandartireland.com for October 10, 2012).

    NO, these are not toys. They are more than $2 million worth of real. Click on image to see more clearly the two top selling Duesenbergs at RM Auctions in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Image Courtesy of RM Auctions.

    This c1930 Riley 9hp sports tourer made 22,000 at Mealy’s this week.

    Posted in AUCTIONS, Miscellaneous | Comments Off on A TALE OF TWO CLASSICS, A DUESENBERG AND A RILEY

    JEWELLERY, SILVER AND ART AT O’REILLY’S, FRANCIS ST., DUBLIN

    Thursday, October 18th, 2012

    AROUND 400 lots of antique and vintage jewellery, silverware and paintings will come under the hammer at O’Reilly’s, Francis St., Dublin on October 24.  The sale will include a fine diamond five carat solitaire, diamond stud earrings, Art Deco diamond bracelets, a Victorian amethyst and diamond pendant, a Boucheron berooch pendant, gold coins and watches by Cartier, Rolex and Tag Heuer.  There is as well some antique silver and paintings. The catalogue is on-line.  Here is a small selection:

    A DIAMOND SOLITAIRE RING, 5.03 ct, F colour, SI2 clarity (60,000 – 70,000).

    A BOUCHERON BROOCH PENDANT, set with diamonds, sapphires and citrines (3,500-4,000).

    AN ANTIQUE DIAMOND PLAQUE BRACELET (14,000-16,000).

    Posted in AUCTIONS | Comments Off on JEWELLERY, SILVER AND ART AT O’REILLY’S, FRANCIS ST., DUBLIN

    AN 1864 COURBET NEVER BEFORE ON THE MARKET

    Thursday, October 18th, 2012

    An 1864 painting by Gustave Courbet never before on the market comes up at Sotheby’s sale of 19th century European paintings in London on November 20. Le Ruisseau de Plaisir-Fontaine, dans la vallée du Puits Noir is from a French private collection.  It is estimated at £200,000-300,000. The Puits-Noir is the name of a secluded spot outside Ornans where the Brême river meanders through a narrow gorge. It was one of Courbet’s favourite places to paint. Provenance can be traced unbroken through the same family to the artist. Claude-Hélène-Prosper Teste (1801 – 1869), first owner of the present work, was Mayor of Ornans and a friend of Courbet.  He was a sitter for Courbet’s masterpiece L’Enterrement à Ornans (Burial at Ornans).
    Also featured is La Marseillaise by Jean Béraud from a European private collection. Estimated at £500,000-700,000 and depicting Bastille Day in 1880 it epitomises Parisian life at the height of the Belle Époque.

    GUSTAVE COURBET (1819 – 1877) (£200,000-300,000). (Click on image to enlarge).

    JEAN BÉRAUD (1849 – 1935) LA MARSEILLAISE (£500,000-700,000). (Click on image to enlarge).

     

    Posted in ART, AUCTIONS | Comments Off on AN 1864 COURBET NEVER BEFORE ON THE MARKET

    CLARET JUG WITH CORK ARMS AT WOODWARDS SILVER SALE

    Wednesday, October 17th, 2012

    This Victorian Sheffield claret jug bears the arms of Cork.  UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    The silver claret jug inscribed with the Cork Coat of Arms illustrated on the right is at Woodwards sale of silver, art and collectibles in Cork on October 24. The 1856 Sheffield jug was presented to Augustine Roche, Mayor of Cork in 1893-94. He became Lord Mayor of the city in 1905 and is the only person to have held both titles. The estimate for the piece is 3,000-5,000.
    The auction of 223 lots features Cork, Limerick, Dublin and English silver. Here are some highlights. You can click on any image to enlarge it:

    A Queen Anne Irish silver tazza by David King, Dublin c.1708 (4,000 – 5,000).  UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    A George III silver sugar bowl by Daniel McCarthy, Cork 1777-82. (1,600 – 2,000).  UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,400

    A George III Irish silver sauce boat by Joseph Jackson, Dublin 1788. (630 – 700).  UPDATE: THIS MADE 580

    Pair of rare Limerick tablespoons with Old Irish pattern plain handles by Maurice Fitzgerald c.1770. (2,500 – 3,000). UPDATE: THESE MADE 2,000.

    A James II silver tazza by John Jackson, London 1685-86 (6,500 – 8,000).  UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    Posted in AUCTIONS, COLLECTIBLES | Comments Off on CLARET JUG WITH CORK ARMS AT WOODWARDS SILVER SALE

    ICONIC CHAIR DESIGN MADE FAMOUS IN KENNEDY-NIXON DEBATE

    Wednesday, October 17th, 2012

     

    A SET OF SIX HANS WEGNER TEAK AND CANE ELBOW CHAIRS MADE BY JOHANNES HANSEN. (3,000-5,000). UPDATE: THESE MADE 6,500.

    The iconic design of the Danish chair illustrated on the left became famous in the Kennedy-Nixon US presidential debate in 1960.  The set for the first ever live televised debate by the candidates was severely modern and functional and these were the style of chair used.  A set of six of such chairs will feature at de Veres Interiors Auction at The Pavilion in Leopardstown Racecourse on Sunday, October 21. The Hans Wegner teak and cane elbow chairs were made c1949 by Johannes Hansen in Copenhagen.  They are estimated at 3,000-5,000.

    Design, whether antique or contemporary, is to the fore in this auction of around 450 lots.  There is Georgian 18th century furniture, through the 19th and 20th centuries to Contemporary design. Rory Guthrie, director at de Veres said: “The combination of old and new we think works very well”. Here is a small selection. The catalogue is on-line.

    UPDATE: THE SALE realised 225,000 with about 65 per cent of lots sold. The top lot was the circular dining table illustrated below which made 30,000. It was re-attributed to the Dublin makers Mack Williams and Gibton.  de Veres plan to hold another Interiors sale next Spring.

    An early 19th century mahogany secretaire cabinet originally at Airfield House, Dundrum (2,000-4,000).  UPDATE: THIS MADE 3,000.

    A MAHOGANY FOLD OVER TOP GAMES TABLE, IRISH, 18TH CENTURY. (3,000-5,000).  UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD.

    A MAHOGANY CIRCULAR DINING TABLE, C. 1840 (4,000-6,000).  UPDATE: THIS MADE 30,000.

    Posted in AUCTIONS, FURNITURE | Comments Off on ICONIC CHAIR DESIGN MADE FAMOUS IN KENNEDY-NIXON DEBATE

    THE HUNT OF THE UNICORN AT STIRLING CASTLE

    Wednesday, October 17th, 2012

    The Unicorn is Found Tapestry, © Crown Copyright reproduced courtesy of Historic Scotland. (Click on image to enlarge).

    The Unicorn is Found is one of a series of seven medieval tapestries collectively entitled The Hunt of the Unicorn being re-created for the Queen’s inner hall at Stirling Castle.  It will be displayed at the Fleming Collection, Berkeley St., Mayfair, London next year.  The exhibition, which runs from April 17 to June 1, 2012, celebrates the refurbishment of Stirling Castle by Historic Scotland and the skills of British tapestry weavers.  It has taken 12 years to weave the tapestries at the West Dean Tapestry Studio, part of the Edward James Foundation based near Chichester in west Sussex.  The originals are at the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

    The restoration is part of Historic Scotland’s £12 million undertaking to recreate the 16th century Royal Apartments of James V’s of Scotland’s Royal Palace.  Stirling Castle has been rated the United Kingdom’s best heritage attraction by members of Which? Magazine.  The Unicorn is Found is the centrepiece of  the seven tapestries.  The Fleming Collection has become an embassy for Scottish art in London and this will be the first time the tapestry has gone on public display outside Scotland.

    Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments Off on THE HUNT OF THE UNICORN AT STIRLING CASTLE

    SWIFT, DICKENS, AUSTEN AT DUBLIN BOOK AUCTION

    Tuesday, October 16th, 2012

    Jonathan Swift, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and a Dublin printing of The Necromancer by Peter Teuthold feature at Whyte’s book sale next weekend. The sale of the collection of late Dublin bookseller James O’Donoghue Fenning  will take place over two sessions on October 19 and 20. The first 500 lots, to be sold at 6 p.m. on Friday, is restricted to absentee and internet bidding and comprises pieces mainly valued at 100 or less. Nearly 1,000 lots will be offered on October 20 at The Freemason’s Hall, Molesworth St., Dublin.
    The Necromancer or  Tale of the Black Forest is a forerunner to popular Gothic stories of the 21st century and is estimated at 5,000-7,000. James O’D Fenning, who died in September, was the third and last generation of a family of Dublin booksellers. His grandfather established the business at Wood Quay in the 1890’s. The auction offers early printed works from the 1590’s and good ranges of 17th and 18th century  political, theological and literary interest, as well as travel books of the 19th century.  Click on any image to enlarge.

    UPDATE:  THE auction realised 230,000, with 64 per cent of 1,400 lots sold.

    A first edition of Charles Dickens Oliver Twist, 1838, is estimated at 4,000-6,000.

    The benefit of farting explain’d by Jonathan Swift is estimated at 600-800.

    Posted in AUCTIONS, COLLECTIBLES | Comments Off on SWIFT, DICKENS, AUSTEN AT DUBLIN BOOK AUCTION

    WALTER OSBORNE SKETCHBOOK AT BANDON AUCTION

    Sunday, October 14th, 2012

    An authenticated sketch book with 11 pencil drawings by Walter Osborne features at Hegarty’s  sale in Bandon on October 16.  Stamped 1891 the standard sketchbook measures 8″ x 10″.  It includes preparatory sketches for paintings, female heads and landscapes.  It is estimated at 2,000-3,000.  The sale also features a 1916 letter written by Terence MacSwiney, the Lord Mayor of Cork who died in Brixton Prison in 1920 after a 74 day hunger strike, other letters of Irish historical interest, Republican memorabilia, antique furniture and collectibles.  The catalogue is on-line.  UPDATE: THE OSBORNE SKETCH BOOK SOLD FOR  3,400.  The MacSwiney letter was sold in advance of the auction to the Cork Archive for an undisclosed sum.

    An image from the George Osborne sketchbook.

    An image from the George Osborne sketchbook.

    Posted in ART, AUCTIONS, COLLECTIBLES | Comments Off on WALTER OSBORNE SKETCHBOOK AT BANDON AUCTION

    NEW RECORD OF £21.3 MILLION FOR WORK BY LIVING ARTIST AT SOTHEBY’S

    Saturday, October 13th, 2012

    Gerhard Richter’s Abstraktes Bild (809-4) being sold for a record £21,321,250 at Sotheby’s in London last night.

    THERE was a new record for a living artist when Gerhard Richter’s Abstraktes Bild (809-4) made £21,321,250 at Sotheby’s in London.   It was from the collection of Eric Clapton.

    Alex Branczik of Sotheby’s said: The combination of outstanding provenance and gold-standard quality in this sublime work by this blue-chip artist made for an historic auction moment. Gerhard Richter’s international appeal as one of the hottest Contemporary artists was once again confirmed this evening. The price of $34.1 million smashed the previous record for Richter by nearly $13 million and brings the highest-ever auction price for a work by a living artist.”

    Eric Clapton bought the painting for $3.4 million at Sotheby’s in New York in 2001.

    Sotheby’s evening auction of Contemporary Art and 20th Century Italian Art on October 12 made a combined total of £60 million sterling and set a new record for an October series of evening sales during Frieze Week. The Contemporary Art day sale today brought a total of £10,175,075 with sell-through rates of 68.4% by lot and 70.5% by value.

    Cheyenne Westphal, Sotheby’s Chairman of Contemporary Art Europe, said: “This October we witnessed auction history being made at Sotheby’s with the new benchmarks we achieved. The depth of participation during this landmark series was truly international – across our evening sales alone, bidding came from 27 countries spanning South America, North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. These results – established during this extremely important week on the international arts calendar – reconfirm London’s position as a major centre for the contemporary art market on the global stage.”

    (See post on antiquesandartireland.com for September 13, 2012).

     

    Posted in ART, AUCTIONS | Comments Off on NEW RECORD OF £21.3 MILLION FOR WORK BY LIVING ARTIST AT SOTHEBY’S

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