A pair of fine antique Cork convex mirrors with a label for R & W Clarke, a Cork longcase clock by John Elliot, a pair of Famille Rose Canton export vases and an 1837 maritime painting of the ship Madagascar with the white cliffs of Dover in the background by William John Huggins are among the top lots at an important country house contents sale by Lynes and Lynes in Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork on November 18. On offer are contents from Cuskinny House, Cobh, home of Mrs. Wanda Ronan – widow of noted Cork lawyer John Ronan – who died aged 101 last December. Cuskinny was passed onto Wanda Ronan (nee Goolden) in 1950 when she inherited it from her uncle and godfather Hugh French. The French family bought Cuskinny in 1806 so it has been in the ownership of the same family for more than two centuries.
A total of 496 lots, including some from Sprayfield, Sandycove, Kinsale will come under the hammer. There is period furniture, quality porcelain, silver, paintings and interest effects. The photo of the drawing room at Cuskinny shows some of the pieces in situ, including the Cork Regency mirrors and a fine pair of Chinese vases with lids. Estimated at €8,000-€10,000 the mirrors are in rope twist circular frames with reeded insets surmounted by a seahorse with decorative swag bases and lions head insets. They were known in the family as the Trafalgar mirrors. The Canton export vases on the mantelpiece are estimated at €5,000-€7,000. An early Georgian longcase clock by John Elliott, Cork is a rarity estimated at €7,000-€9,000 as is the painting by William John Huggins (1781-1845).
Prime lots of antique Irish furniture include a Georgian hunt table (€4,000-€5,000), an early 19th century server table (€3,000-€4,000), a pair of brass banded turf buckets, an Irish Georgian circular dining table, a Regency Cork cylinder bookcase and desk and a Cork Regency sofa table all estimated at €2,000-€3,000. Auctioneer Denis Lynes expects strong interest in a large pair of Chinese blue and white jars and covers with Buddhist lions. Even though there is some damage he estimates them at €6,000-€8,000. A 19th century sofa table (€700-€1,000) and a pair of knife boxes (€300-€400) are among the more affordable options.There is a collection of portraits, mostly by the Cork artist James Butler Brenan (1825-1889) and a collection of books. Among the latter is six volumes of An Account of the Voyages from making Discoveries in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres performed by Commodore Byron, Captain Wallace, Captain Carteret and Captain Cook (€500-€600) and The Ancient and Present State of the County and City of Cork by Charles Smith (€300-€500). There is Cork, Dublin and English silver and collectibles include medals, fishing rods and reels, Cork Morgan views, old Pewter, a large stuffed Buffalo head from 1912, maps and trunks. Viewing in Carrigtwohill will continue from 10 am to 6 pm daily until next Friday and the catalogue is online.
