The exterior of Bantry House, beautifully located on the shores of Bantry Bay.
Exquisite tapestries will be a feature of the sale of contents from Bantry House in west Cork. The auction, by Edinburgh based Lyon and Turnbull, will be held in Bantry next October 21. Viewing will be on the premises from October 17. Formerly the seat of the Earls of Bantry, who lived here for over 300 years, the auction will include paintings, furniture and books collected by the 2nd Earl. These include 18th century tapestries from the workshops of Gobelin and Aubusson. One of the two Gobelins panels is said to have hung in the Palace of Versailles . There is a particularly beautiful rose-coloured set of Aubussons, said to have been made by order of Louis XV for Marie Antoinette on her marriage to the Dauphin of France.
Lyon & Turnbull director Gavin Strang said: “Lord Bantry’s collection has long been recognised as having great artistic and historical interest. As a young man, Viscount Berehaven, who later became the second Earl, travelled extensively in Europe; visiting countries as far distant as Russia and Poland, seeking out the pieces which were to form his remarkable collection of furniture, tapestries and other works of art that are included in the sale.”
Among the furniture in the sale is a Russian household shrine which contains 15th and 16th Century icons and an impressive pair of William Kent style console tables. The paintings in the collection include a pair of portraits from the studio of Allan Ramsay of George III and Queen Charlotte, presented by King George to the First Earl of Bantry on his elevation to the peerage. Funds raised will be used to secure the future of Bantry House.
The dining room at Bantry House.
An interior view with furnishings and tapestry.
The hall at Bantry House.