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Bank of Ireland £1 note from 1831 UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
A spectacular Irish £1 note issued in 1831 in Newry, Dublin and Armagh comes up at Noonan’s auction of British and Irish banknotes in London on March 25. The specialist auctioneers say that it is a remarkable new discovery and the first note ever seen of this type, though it had been known to exist. They estimate lot 301 at £8,000-£10,000.
Cecil King (1921-1986) – UNTITLED (THRESHOLD SERIES) UPDATE: THIS MADE 750 AT HAMMER
This oil on paper from Cecil King’s Threshold series is lot 103 at Whyte’s Spring online art sale which runs until the evening of March 30. Signed in pencil on the lower right it is estimated at €800-€1,200. Bidding is open for this auction which is on view at Molesworth St. from March 23. There are 235 lots on the catalogue with estimates from €80 to €4,500 and it is online now.
RICHARD LONG – UNTITLED 2003. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
This lithograph from Richard Long’s Artists Against Torture portfolio is at the Spring online sale by Lismore based Lot 100 auctions which runs until March 24. From an edition of 150 it is estimated at €1,200-€1,400. Bristol born Long remains the only artist to have received four Turner Prize nominations, winning in 1989. He received the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French Ministry of Culture in 1990, was elected a Royal Academician 2001, and in 2009 was the recipient of the Praemium Imperiale for sculpture from Japan.
David Hockney, Autour de la maison, été (2019). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2026. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
David Hockney’s monumental Autour de la maison, été (2019) measuring an astonishing 12 metres in length will headline Christie’s Contemporary Edition London sale from March 17-31. The estimate is £200,000-300,000. Printed on a single sheet of paper, it is one of the largest works ever created by the artist, and his largest editioned print. It depicts Hockney’s home in Normandy, France, with his garden in the height of summer, the vibrant greens of the grass, trees and hedgerows in contrast with the architecture of the medieval barns and contemporary elements such as a swing set, treehouse and parked vehicles.
A detail from the monumental print.
A large antique Caucasian rug. UPDATE: THIS MADE 800 AT HAMMER
Antique Persian rugs, furniture and decorative objects sourced at auctions in the 1960’s, ’70’s and ’80’s at Kilroan House in Glanmire will come under the hammer at Sheppard’s on March 24 and 25.
Some of the rugs were acquired at the dispersal sale of Malahide Castle in the mid 1970’s and there is furniture from Adare Manor and other prominent Irish and English country houses from when their contents came to market.
Kilroan is brimful of lots collected with discrimination over many decades along with family heirlooms that reach way back. Viewing gets underway at the former family home of Mrs. Rosemary Punch and her late husband John in Glanmire on March 21. After three days of viewing in Cork the live and online auction will be held over the following two days in Durrow.
An 18th century oak longcase clock by James Aickin, Cork UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
Auctioneer Michael Sheppard describes this as an exceptionally layered collection. Many of the Persian rugs were acquired at Malahide Castle. Sturdy oak furniture in the house has a timeless appeal. Carved oak pieces offer ultimate sustainabilty and versatility. The selection available here is plentiful and ranges from panelled oak coffers and trunks to armchairs, a court cupboard and refectory tables. Oak is sought these days both by traditionalists and those seeking to make modern minimalist interiors.
At Kilroan,which has been sold, furniture was selected for quality and character. Practical 18th-century oak and mahogany pieces sit comfortably alongside more unusual and expressive objects like a metamorphic library pole which is both functional and a statement piece, a Regency crossbanded sofa table, a yew wood library table, a Regency inlaid cellarete and a Regency ebony and parcel gilt open bookcase.
Among the rare early books is a 17th-century translation of Homer’s Iliad along with books on gardening and early maps of Ireland. An iron-bound oak rent box is a 17th century piece. The collection of clocks includes an 18th century oak longcase clock by James Aickin, Cork and an 18th century longcase clock by Maddock of Waterford. There are plenty of clocks to choose from including a 19th century boulle inlaid bracket clock, a 19th century French gilt and marble figural mantel clock, a skeleton clock and a19th century barograph.
Map: The Harbour of Corke sold by Mount and Thos. Page at Tower Hill, London. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
Decorative garden ornaments, seats and urns, accumulated over many years, are available along with an exceptional group of terracotta rhubarb forcers.
The late John Punch’s workshop is largely as he maintained it. There are engineering and woodworking machines including a Myford Super 7 centre lathe, an earlier Drummond Bros metal lathe, a Meddings pillar drill, and a Scheppach planer–thicknesser. These are presented along with tools, fittings and sections of old panelling salvaged from the dismantled RMS Celtic which foundered off Roches Point in December 1928.
Silver on offer includes provincial Cork silver, and fine 18th-century Dublin silver. Two 19th-century portraits, traditionally believed to depict John Punch and his wife, have long presided over the dining room. A painting of Dublin Bay by Nathaniel Hone the Younger is accompanied by a presentation plaque recording that it was gifted to a John Punch in the 1840s.
This is a comprehensive dispersal auction with an across the board appeal to all sorts of collectors. The catalogue lists more than 1,300 lots from the Punch collection and other clients.
Looking out at Fountainstown by Anna O’Hara UPDATE: THIS MADE 220 AT HAMMER
London gallery Agnews will present Salvator Mundi (de Ganay version) at TEFAF, the European Fine Art Fair, which opens today at Maastricht in The Netherlands. One of the world’s most iconic images from the workshops of Leonardo da Vinci dates to c1505-15. When da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi (formerly in the Cook collection) sold at Christie’s New York in 2017 to a Saudi prince for a world record price for any work of art of $450,312,512, a new stratosphere was reached in the art world. Prior to the rediscovery of the Cook Collection Leonardo in 2005, the “de Ganay” Salvator Mundi had most often been considered the best of the versions known. TEFAF Maastricht is a celebration of 7000 years of art history which this year brings together 276 dealers and galleries from 24 countries. It runs until March 19.
The West End Bar fitting from Portadown at Victor Mee. UPDATE: THIS MADE €120,000 AT HAMMER
Architectural antiques, reclaimed building materials, fireplaces, decorative interiors and outdoor features combine to make a landmark online sale by Co. Cavan based Victor Mee Auctions next Wednesday and Thursday (March 18 and 19). Contents from Wilson’s Yard, Dromore, Co. Down – now closing down after more than four decades supplying contents for homes, designers and commercial projects across Ireland, the UK and beyond – will come under the hammer.
How about a French moulded sandstone three-tier fountain? Or a vintage copper topped cupola re-envisioned as a free standing garden ornament. A four sided c1920 tower clock which stood at Spitalfields Market in London until the late 1990’s maybe. The complete fittings from the West End Bar in Portadown, one of the oldest licensed premises in Co. Armagh, including bar counter, back bar and snug can be had for an estimated €60,000-€80,000. It was in use until 2024. The sale is on view on site at Wilson’s Yard on today (March 14), tomorrow and Monday.
A c1830 lead top cupola with wrought iron weather vane at Victor Mee. UPDATE: THIS MADE €7,500 AT HAMMER
Ed Mercer will bring these Art Deco sugar shakers to the National Antiques, Art and Vintage fair at Limerick Racecourse today and tomorrow.
Art by Graham Knuttel, antique rugs, jewellery, silver and Art Deco sugar shakers from the 1930’s and ’40’s are among the pieces awaiting the hunter gatherers who will descend on Limerick Racecourse for the two day national antiques fair this weekend. A Crown Devon Tiger Trees pattern sugar shaker and one from the Clarice Cliffe Bizarre range at Edwin Mercer will be a draw for some collectors. Others will favour vintage fashion, Irish art and antique furniture. This highly popular two day assembly of dealers from all over Ireland offers huge variety in all price ranges at this indoor venue with ample parking.
Jean-Henri Riesener – Roll top desk c1775-1785 at Galerie Léage
Galerie Léage of Paris will bring this roll top desk by Jean-Henri Riesener to TEFAF Maastricht which runs from March 14-19. It is among a remarkable array of historical rediscoveries, exceptional artworks, and museum-quality treasures from a diverse roster of international exhibitors. The belongs to a rare and highly distinguished group of roll top desks executed by Jean-Henri Riesener between circa 1775 and 1785, at the height of his career as ébéniste ordinaire to the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne. Conceived in the direct lineage of the revolutionary model invented by Jean-François Œben and perfected in the celebrated “bureau du roi” completed by Riesener in 1769, this type represents one of the most sophisticated achievements of French cabinetmaking under Louis XVI.
As a cornerstone of the global art world, TEFAF Maastricht presents an unrivalled spectrum of quality and expertise across the fine and decorative arts. The fair is a celebration of 7,000 years of art history, set against the historic and picturesque city of Maastricht. This year, it brings together 276 dealers and galleries from 24 countries across five continents, offering an unparalleled experience for collectors and connoisseurs alike.
Caravaggio – A portrait of cleric Monsignor Maffeo Barberini – later Pope Urban VIII
The Italian state has bought this portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini – later Pope Urban VIII – by Caravaggio for €30 million. This is one of the largest sums it has ever paid for an artwork. The purchase is part of a wider plan by the Italian government to prevent major artworks from being bought by private collectors. It had been in a private collection in Florence.
About 65 surviving works by Caravaggio are known, only three of which are portraits. This particular portrait has been transferred to the permanent collection of the Palazzo Barberini – the historic home of the family of the portrait’s subject in Rome – where it was first exhibited. It will be displayed alongside other works by the artist. It was painted in about 1598 and shows Barberini as a bearded cleric apparently issuing instructions with his right hand outstretched. Barberini was elected to the papacy in 1623 and served until his death in 1644. He was known as a prominent patron of the arts.
