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Victorian cut glass and mirrored centrepieces, possibly Irish. UPDATE: SOLD FOR £49,250 ON JULY 7

THIS collection of Victorian cut and mirrored glass table centrepieces c1880 is thought to have been purchased by John Poyntz, 5th Earl Spencer, while serving as Viceroy of Ireland in 1882-1885.

It is pictured adorning a table at the Vice-Regal Lodge in Dublin (now Aras an Uachtarain) in the 1880’s in the Christie’s catalogue for the Althorp Attic sale in London on July 7-8.

Lot 177, which has some damage, comprises three oblong centrepieces, each with a roundel bearing the Spencer coat-of-arms with Poyntz, the three arches supported by cluster columns and supporting candlebranches, vases and droplets, on purple velvet base with ceramic castors. There are losses to all three, with further component parts for two further centrepieces which are incomplete.

The lot includes a pair of twelve-branch candelabra en suite, lacking some drops, with a third incomplete candelabrum and component parts for a fourth. Possibly made in Ireland, it was brought to Althorp after 1885. It is estimated to make 15,000-25,000 sterling.

The sale also features 13 horse drawn carriages of various types. Two of them, an early Victorian dark green Japanned private coach (40,000-60,000) and a George IV livery painted barouche (20,000-30,000) are photographed with the Spencer family in Dublin.

UPDATE: THE attic sale brought in £2,024,038 /€2,426,822 – more than doubling pre-sale expectations. Christie’s sales of The Spencer Collections realised a total of £21,076,288 / €25,360,494.

A carved giltwood wall mirror by John and Francis Booker, Dublin c1750 (click on image to enlarge). IT MADE 115,250 POUNDS STERLING

A c1750 George II carved giltwood wall mirror attributed to Dublin makers John and Francis Booker features at Sotheby’s sale of Important Furniture, Silver and Ceramics in London on July 6.

Working from published designs, such as those in William Jones The Gentleman`s or Builders Companion of 1739, the Bookers evolved a highly distinctive style of mirror, characterised by the use of conspicuous architectural elements of Baroque and Palladian inspiration.

Such details can be seen in the present lot in the form of the pediment, the scroll carved corbels and the prolific use of egg and dart carving. This one, from an English private collection, is estimated at 40,000-60,000.

A second c1770 carved giltwood wall mirror by the Bookers, thought probably supplied to Richard Rochfort, first Earl of Belvedere ( 1708-74) for Belvedere, Mullingar, Co.Westmeath. features in the same sale. It is estimated at 35,000-40,000.

LITERATURE:

The Knight of Glin and James Peill, Irish Furniture, 2007, pp.141, 142, 144 and 261. Graham Child, World Mirrors 1650-1900, 1990, p.122. Geoffrey Wills, English Looking Glasses, 1965, p.84.

UPDATE: The mirror made 115,250 in a sale which realised 4.1 million.  At the same sale a c1770 carved giltwood wall mirror by the Bookers made 97,250.