A George III Irish provincial soup ladle with shell bowl with the mark of William Ward of Limerick (2,200-2,400). (Click on image to enlarge).

Around 200 lots of Irish and English silver will feature at Woodwards sale of silver and art in Cork on May 23.  The top lot is a George III twin handled soup tureen made in Dublin c1765 by Richard Williams and later fitted with a similar lid by James Scott in Dublin in 1821.  It is estimated at 12,000-14,000. A George III swing handled fruit or bread basket made by James Scott in 1803 has an estimate of 2,800-3,000 and a George III soup ladle with shell bowl by William Ward of Limerick, hallmarked in Dublin in 1772 is estimated at 2,200-2,400.

A 1970 Royal Irish Silver sugar bowl is estimated at 450-500 and a swing handled bright cut sugar based on pedestal by William Doyle, Dublin 1803 is estimated at 820-880.  A George III sauce ladle with fiddle pattern handle by Samuel Neville, Dublin 1808 is estimated at 120-150 and six George IV forks by Richard Garde, Cork with Dublin hallmarks for 1829 are estimated at 300-350.  There are bone handled dessert services, coasters, tea spoons, sauceboats, bon bon dishes, dressing table jars, cigarette boxes, sugar nips, tea services, mustard pots, vases, salvers, trays and bowls and dish rings.  Artists whose work is in the sale include Arthur Maderson, Markey Robinson, Kenneth Webb, William Perring Hollyer, Carol Anne Waldron, Philip French, Andrew Nicholl, John Bosanquet, Liam Treacy, Cecily Brennan,John Morris, Barbara von Seida and Norah McGuinness.

Set of six silver bright-cut teaspoons by Carden Terry and Jane Williams, Cork, c1810. (400-600).

A George III silver serving spoon in the neoclassical style by John Nicholson, Cork, c1770. (200-300).

A silver dish ring with Cork scenes including Blackrock Castle by William Egan is estimated at 1,800-2,200.

An Irish George III tureen by Richard Williams, Dublin c1765 with later lid by James Scott, Dublin 1821 is estimated at 12,000-14,000.

The Beau Sancy sold for $9,699,618 US dollars. (Click on image to enlarge).

The Beau Sancy, one of the most important historic diamonds ever to come to auction, sold for $9,699,618 US dollars, almost five times the pre-sale low estimate of $2-4 million at Sotheby’s  in Geneva tonight. It was bought on the telephone by an anonymous bidder. Five bidders competed.

Worn in her crown by Marie de Medici at her coronation as Queen Consort of Henri IV in 1610 the 34.98 carat modified pear double rose cut diamond has passed down through the Royal Families of France, England, Prussia and the House of Orange.  It has been the witness of 400 years of European history. David Bennett of Sotheby’s commented: “Its supreme historical importance was reflected tonight in the strength of the bidding and the remarkable result realised”.

The sale realised $108,377,219, a world record for a various owner jewel auction.

See post on antiquesandartireland.com for February 28, 2012.

Meissen Coronation Service dish at Bonhams in London. (Click on image to enlarge).

Yellow ground plate from the only Meissen dinner service known to have a coloured background. (Click on image to enlarge).

A Meissen treasure, an armorial dish from the ‘Coronation Service’ circa 1733-34, features at Bonhams in London on May 23.   Part of the first Meissen armorial table service it is estimated at  £10,000-15,000. Painted  with the arms of Saxony and Poland – scattered floral sprigs and bound wheat-sheaves –  it was delivered to the Royal collection at the Japanese Palace in Dresden in 1734. The Japanese Palace was built by Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland and Lithuania to house his finest porcelain.

Bonhams sale of a European private collection includes a Meissen yellow-ground plate from the ‘Gelbe Jagdservice’, (Yellow hunting service) circa 1733-34. This is the only Meissen dinner service known to have a coloured background.  The lobed panel in the centre is painted with a phoenix and three sprigs of flowers,  with three quatrelobe panels around the brown-edged rim painted with flowering branches. Ordered around 1730 by Augustus the Strong it too is estimated at £10,000-15,000.

A Northern Ireland corporate collection offered on behalf of the liquidator includes works by Sir John Lavery, William Conor, Frank McKelvey, James Humbert Craig and Maurice Wilks.  There is a large selection of work by Grace Henry from the collection of Dr. James Cruickshank. Contemporary artists in the sale include Camille Souter, Alice Maher, Robert Ballagh, Patrick Scott, Charles Tyrrell, Sean Scully and Pauline Bewick.  Here is a small selection (Click on any image to enlarge):

Images from le Brocquy's Tain tapestries.

James Humbert Craig RHA RUA (1877-1944) AUTUMN, GLEN DUN, COUNTY ANTRIM (6,000-8,000).

Sir John Lavery RA RSA RHA (1856-1941) THE SOKO, TANGIER, 1891. (20,000-25,000).

Pauline Bewick RHA (b.1935) WILD DUCK OVER CARAGH LAKE, KERRY. (!,000-1,500).

Louis le Brocquy HRHA (1916-2012) STUDY TOWARDS AN IMAGE OF W.B. YEATS, 1975. (4,000-6,000).

Patrick Collins HRHA (1910-1994) DRUID'S MOON, 1981(14,000-16,000).

Included in the auction are Pop Art masterpieces, sensational decorative pieces such as Allen Jones’ provocative, life-sized “mannequin” hatstand, chair and table, Modern and Surrealist art, decorative art and 20th century design. The collection is expected to bring in more than £20 million.  (See post on antiquesandartireland.com for March 12, 2012). Here is a selection:

ANDY WARHOL 1928 - 1987 BRIGITTE BARDOT (£3-£4 million). Click to enlarge.

YVES KLEIN 1928 - 1962 SE 162 (£150,000-200,000). Click to enlarge.

DIEGO GIACOMETTI 1902 - 1985 'TABLE BASSE AUX DOMPTEUSES'. (£250,000-350,000). Click on image to enlarge.

ALLEN JONES B.1937 CHAIR (£30,000-40,000). Click to enlarge.

The auctioneer for the evening is Morgan O’Driscoll and all lots can be viewed on-line at  www.morganodriscoll.com or at www.stlukeshome.ie  Here is a small selection:

Charlo Quain (20th/21st Century) 'Summer Road, Ardmore'. (250-350). UPDATE: THIS MADE 240.

Charlo Quain (20th/21st Century) 'Open Mountain II'. (250-350). UPDATE: THIS MADE 100

Charlo Quain (20th/21st Century) 'Happy Red Balancing Bird'. (300-400). UPDATE: THIS MADE 220

Charlo Quain (20th/21st Century) 'Across the Estuary'. (400-600). UPDATE: THIS MADE 550

NATURE MORTE BY RODERIC O'CONOR (1860 - 1940) estimated at £50,000-80,000 did not sell.

The top lot overall at Sotheby’s sale of British and Irish art in London on May 10 was Sir William Orpen’s portrait of Rosie, Fourth Marchioness of Headfort.  Exhibited at the Royal Academy in London in 1915 it sold for £577,250. Irish art accounted for five of the top ten lots in the sale, but less than half the 56 Irish artworks in the auction found buyers.  An oil on canvas by Roderic O’Conor, L’Approache de Lezaven, Pont-Aven made £151,250 over a top estimate of £100,000.  It was bought by the UK trade.  Private UK buyers accounted for the other three Irish paintings in the top ten.  All were by Paul Henry. A Connaught Fishing Village sold for £145,250, Among the Twelve Pins, Connemara and The Edge of the Lake both sold for £115,250.

Two very different works on offer by the late Louis le Brocquy –  Travelling People from his celebrated Tinkers series and Masked Head from his head series  - failed to find buyers.  Two landscapes by James Arthur O’Connor (1792-1841) A View of Fin Lough and Delphi Lodge and A Mountain Road in Mayo sold for £36,050 and £22,500.  Sir John Lavery’s Kenmare River, Evening made £42,050. Among the unsolds were works by Orpen, Yeats, Henry, O’Conor, William Crozier, F.E. McWilliam, Patrick Scott, Dan O’Neill and Colin Middleton.

See posts on antiquesandartireland.com for May 4, April 12 and January 16, 2012.