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Archive for the ‘COLLECTIBLES’ Category

A REMBRANDT ETCHING AT FRANCIS STREET, DUBLIN

Friday, May 17th, 2013

A copper plate etching by Rembrandt dating from 1642 is among the more unusual lots at O’Reilly’s sale of antique and vintage jewellery, silverware, watches and paintings at Francs St. in Dublin on May 22. St.Jerome in a Dark Chamber measures 151 x 173 mm and was with Harcourt’s Gallery in San Francisco in 1983. Here is a small selection from the auction.

REMBRANDT VAN RIJN, ”St Jerome in a Dark Chamber’, copper plate etching 1642, 151 x 173 mm (800-1,200).

A diamond brooch modelled as a bee (700-800).

A c1940′s diamond plaque bracelet (20,000-22,000).

A diamond cluster pendant set with old cut stones.

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MOST PERFECT DIAMOND MAKES $26.7 MILLION: NAMED THE WINSTON LEGACY

Thursday, May 16th, 2013

This pear-shaped, D colour, Type IIA, flawless, diamond of 101.73 sold for $26.7 million and was named the Winston Legacy.

This pear-shaped, D colour, Type IIA, flawless, diamond of 101.73 carats sold for $26.7 million and was named the Winston Legacy. IMAGE courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2013.

THE most perfect diamond ever offered at auction made $26.7 million at Christie’s in Geneva last night. The flawless, pear shaped D colour 101.73 carat diamond was bought by Harry Winston and will be named the Winston Legacy. The price represents a world record for a colourless diamond.

The record breaking sale brought in $102 million and set records for diamonds, pearls and sapphires. This was the highest result ever for a various owner jewellery auction at Christie’s. There were world records for The Star of Kashmir, a cushion shaped Kashmir sapphire of 19.88 carats which made $3.48 million US; for a single strand natural pearl necklace, which made $8.45 million US; for a pair of natural pearl drop shaped ear pendants which made $2.44 million US and for a fancy red diamond ring which sold for $3.52 million US. This is a world record price for a red diamond.

More than 20 lots sold for over $1 million. There was 147 buyers from 31 countries across five continents.

(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for March 13, 2013).

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MOST IMPORTANT PRINTED BOOK TO BE OFFERED THIS CENTURY AT CHRISTIE’S

Monday, May 13th, 2013

VERGILIUS MARO, Publius (70-19 %SB.C.). Opera (Bucolica, Georgica, Aeneid, with argumenta). Venice: Vindelinus de Spira, 1470.

VERGILIUS MARO, Publius (70-19 B.C.). Opera (Bucolica,
Georgica, Aeneid, with argumenta). Venice: Vindelinus de Spira, 1470.

BURGES, William (1827-1881), a collection of illuminated letters and drawings, in English.

THE most important early printed book to be offered this century – Virgil’s Opera printed in 1470 – comes up at Christie’s in London on June 12. The Aeneid by Virgil (70-19 B.C.) is the foundation stone of western literature. Christie’s say this is the earliest edition a collector could ever aspire to own. It is the textually superior second edition, printed in Venice in 1470 within a year of the beginning of printing in that city. An indication of its rarity is that the last copy to come on the market was sold in 1920 and was lacking nine leaves. This newly discovered copy, complete and printed on vellum, is estimated at £500,000-800,000.

Christie’s sale of Valuable Printed Books and Manuscripts features a pre-publication edition of Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. This copy was presented to Sir Fitzroy Maclean, the soldier, writer, and politician, who is considered to be an inspiration to Ian Fleming for the character of James Bond, and is estimated at £18,000-25,000. A telegram sent by Lenin on April 6, 1917 to announce his departure from exile in Switzerland to French socialist Henri Guilbeaux in Geneva is estimated at £20,000-30,000.

The sale will feature a collection of illuminated letters by Englishman William Burges, the leading 19th century gothic revivalist architect and designer whose first major commission was St. Finn Barre’s Cathedral in Cork. The earliest known surviving works by Burges, written when he was just 13 years old, are estimated at £7,000-9,000.

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LENNON’S FERRARI BACK ON AUCTION CIRCUIT

Friday, May 10th, 2013

John Lennon’s Ferrari – photo credit Bonhams/Simon Clay. (Click on image to enlarge).

John Lennon’s Ferrari has raced back on to the auction circuit again. Withdrawn from auction in Paris in 2011 due to what was termed “seller’s remorse” the car will feature at Bonhams auction at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Chichester, England on July 12 next. In early 2011 it was estimated at 120,000-170,000 euro, the estimate now is £180,000 to £220,000 sterling.

John Lennon used it for nearly three years from 1965. By the late 1980′s it was with the Modena Ferrari dealership, from where it was acquired by the current owner. Painted red and separated from its number plate, it was then lovingly restored to its original specification. It is one of only 500 of its type built.

(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for January 11, 2011).

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RECORDS FOR WILDE AND YEATS AT BONHAMS

Thursday, May 9th, 2013

There was new records for Irish poets Oscar Wilde and William Butler Yeats at Bonhams in London on May 8. Wilde’s very early poem, ‘Heart’s Yearnings’ written when he was an undergraduate at Magdalen College Oxford in 1874 made £67,250, a world record for a poetic manuscript by the writer. The previous record was £24,000 for a draft poem on Lillie Langtry. A photograph of Wilde taken in New York by Napoleon Sarony in 1882 to publicise the writer’s tour of America made £16,250.

A photograph of William Butler Yeats by the American photographer Alice Boughton taken in New York in 1903 made £18,750 over an estimate of £4,000-5,000. Handwritten draft copies of his poems ‘Are you content’ and ‘The spirit medium’ sold for £15,000. The previous record for a Yeats poem at auction was £5,000. Handwritten works by Oscar Wilde and William Butler Yeats and portraits of the two made over £130,000 in Part II of the sale of The Roy Davids Collection Part III: Poetry: Poetical Manuscripts and Portraits of Poets. (Click on either image to enlarge it).

(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for January 23, 2013).

YEATS, WILLIAM BUTLER (1865-1939) PORTRAIT BY THE AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER ALICE BOUGHTON (1866-1943) SIGNED BY YEATS made £18,750.

WILDE, OSCAR (1854-1900) PORTRAIT BY NAPOLEON SARONY (1812-1896) SIGNED BY WILDE made £16,250.

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SUNDAY INTERIORS AUCTION AT JAMES ADAM IN DUBLIN

Tuesday, May 7th, 2013

A mixed selection with everything from silver, porcelain and rugs to art, furniture and books will come under the hammer at the James Adam Sunday Interiors auction in Dublin on May 12. The catalogue, which is on-line, lists 637 lots. Here is a small selection.

AN AESTHETIC MOVEMENT EBONISED AND STAINED OAK SIDE TABLE, by Lamb of Manchester, (200-400) UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

OSCAR WILDE: HIS LIFE AND CONFESSIONS WITH MEMORIES OF OSCAR WILDE BY BERNARD SHAW Two Volumes. Frank Harris; Bernard Shaw Printed and published by the author, New York, 1918.(100-200). UPDATE: THIS MADE 140

AN EARLY 19TH CENTURY IRISH SILVER SWING HANDLE FRUIT BASKET Dublin 1825, mark of W Nowlan (1,000-1,500). UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

A PAIR OF ITALIAN PIETRE DURE PICTORAL PLAQUES BY GIOVANNI MONTELATICI, Florence (1864-1930) (3,000-5,000). UPDATE: THESE WERE UNSOLD

A CHINESE BLUE AND WHITE PORCELAIN BOWL, MING DYNASTY (300-400). UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 700

A FRAMED HERMÈS SILK SCARF depicting the coronation of Napoleon within military trophies, uniforms and vignettes from his life is estimated at 300-400. UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 200

A George IV giltwood sofa once owned by Lennox Robinson, playright and director of the Abbey Theatre, is estimated at 4,000-6,000. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

A Chinese hand knotted pictorial wool run from Paotou c1890-1900 is estimated at 400-600. UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 350

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MATISSE LIFE STUDY MAKES 52,000 AT DURROW AUCTION

Friday, May 3rd, 2013

Henri Matisse, 1869-1954, Life study of kneeling woman sold for 52,000 at Sheppards.

A life study of a kneeling woman by Henri Matisse was the top lop at a most successful three day auction at Sheppards in Durrow this week. The signed ink and coloured wash work, laid down on hand made paper, sold for 52,000 over an estimate of 15,000-25,000.

Qing period pale celadon jade circular box sold for 36,000 at Sheppards.

At the same sale a Qing Dynasty place celadon jade circular box from a private collection in Co. Offaly sold for 36,000 over an estimate of 800-1,200. It is just 11 centimetres high with a carved lid and a seal on the underside.

See post on antiquesandartireland.com for April 19, 2013.

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NEVER BEFORE SEEN LYRICS OF A BOB DYLAN SONG AT CHRISTIE’S

Thursday, May 2nd, 2013

The lyrics for the unpublished 1963 song by Bob Dylan.

The never before seen lyrics of a Bob Dylan song – “Go Away you Bomb” – come up at Christie’s sale of pop culture in South Kensington on June 26. The bomb song was written for an unpublished book of anti-nuclear protest songs in 1963. At the time Dylan was working on his seminal album The Freewheelin Bob Dylan.

The lyrics include handwritten deletions and alterations and offer an insight into the mindset of the artist as he composed. They are being sold by Israel ‘Izzy’ Young, founder of the Folklore Center in Greenwich Village, New York, who organized Bob Dylan’s first ever concert. The lyrics are estimated to realise between £25,000 and £35,000 and proceeds will benefit the Folklore Center in Stockholm.

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GLASS BOWL FROM ANCIENT PERSIA MAKES £481,250 AT BONHAMS

Thursday, May 2nd, 2013

A side view of the glass bowl. (Click on image to enlarge).

A side view of the ancient glass bowl. (Click on image to enlarge).

The bowl from the front (click to enlarge).

An astonishing survivor – a glass Achaemenid bowl from the ancient Persian Empire, c 5th-early 4th century B.C. made £481,250 at Bonhams sale of antiquities in London on May 1 over an estimate of £30,000-50,000. It came from an English private collection.

There is a similar bowl in the Hermitage collection in St. Petersburg, Russia. The largest collection of Persian glass known was recovered between 1931 and 1934 from the palace treasury at Persepolis, the royal residence destroyed by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C. It consists of 24 pieces. These luxury vessels, made in the finest quality colourless glass, derived their forms from Achaemenid silver and bronze pieces, specially made in imitation of highly prized rock crystal.

Madeleine Perridge, Head of Antiquities at Bonhams, commented: “The price achieved for this wonderful ancient glass bowl is a result of its incredible rarity, excellent condition, and its great provenance from a private collection. There was a great deal of interest in it from around the world.”

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IMPERIAL QING CERAMICS AT SOTHEBY’S IN LONDON

Wednesday, May 1st, 2013

More than 350 fine Chinese ceramics and works of art will be auctioned at Sotheby’s in London on May 15. Ceramics and jades including Imperial Qing ceramics from a Far Eastern collection will feature in an auction expected to bring in more than £7.7 million.

Robert Bradlow, head of Sotheby’s London Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Department, said: “We have carefully curated this sale to offer some of the finest examples of Chinese ceramics and art currently available to the market. The collection includes marvellous rarities, including a jade sceptre, a pair of Famille Rose vases and a Famille Verte bowl, all with outstanding provenances”. (Click on any image to enlarge it).