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    AMAZING MODERNIST HUNGARIAN SILVER TEA SERVICE

    Sunday, July 29th, 2012

    AN amazing Hungarian modernist tea service is among the treasures to be found at the LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair at Berkeley Square in London from September 19-23.  Around 95 of the UK’s major art and antique dealers alongside European specialists who are among 600 members of LAPADA – the Association of Art & Antiques Dealers – will attend. LAPADA is the largest UK trade association for professional art and antique dealers.

    Exhibitors offer fine English and Continental furniture, modern and contemporary art, Old Master paintings and drawings, rare and fine jewellery, English silver, sculpture and specialities such as antique clocks, vintage wristwatches, marine art, aeronautica, rugs and textiles, ceramics, porcelain and glass. This will be the fourth edition of the Mayfair fair.  The six day event normally attracts around 15,000 visitors.

    Smith and Robinson will show this rare Hungarian modernist silver tea & coffee service dating from 1963-65. The tray is 16″ x 11″. The service is hallmarked 835 silver. (Click on image to enlarge).

    Detail from a Florentine giltwood and porphyry side table attributed to Franceso Morini and supplied to Marchese Gino Capponi, Palazzo Capponi, Florence c1860 at Butchoff Antiques. (Click on image to enlarge).

    Posted in ART, COLLECTIBLES, FAIRS, FURNITURE | Comments Off on AMAZING MODERNIST HUNGARIAN SILVER TEA SERVICE

    THE ART OF MAURICE DESMOND IN VANGARD

    Thursday, July 26th, 2012

    Flanders Fields VIII by Maurice Desmond. (Click on image to enlarge).

    THE art of Maurice Desmond is entirely his own.  There are ways in which this influential Cork based artist is an outsider.  Nonetheless his work has had an inspirational impact on many younger artists and his following, though relatively small in market terms, is both discriminating and loyal. After you come to know the work insofar as it will ever allow the viewer to know it the art of Maurice Desmond is as recognisable as it is independent. Emerging at its own unhurried pace it offers layer after layer of contrast and conundrum.  The viewer can get lost in introspective images which point towards unknowing, unknown and uncharted territories.

    Flanders Fields, his first show since 2005, is inspired by the sites of some of the bloodiest battles of the Great War.  Maurice Desmond has visited these sites over a number of years, at the same time as immersing himself in the poetry of Wilfred Owen, Edward Thomas and Siefried Sassoon.  The resulting images are on show, at the Vangard Gallery  in Macroom, Co. Cork, from July 28 to September 8.

    Posted in ART | Comments Off on THE ART OF MAURICE DESMOND IN VANGARD

    THE LIFE OF THE IRISH AS DEPICTED IN ART

    Wednesday, July 25th, 2012

    Erskine Nicol’s iconic “A shebeen at Donnybrook” (1851). (Click on image to enlarge).

    THE life of Irish people as depicted in art over the past 200 years is the focus of the summer loan exhibiton at the Ava Gallery, Clandeboye Estate, Co. Down.  ‘Ireland: Her People and Landscape’ presented by Adams at Clandeboye comprises over 50 important paintings, drawings and sculpture from the 19th and 20th centuries.  Drawn from private collections across Ireland it is a non commercial event, with works on loan rather than for sale.  There is iconic work by artists including Richard Thomas Moynan, Sir John Lavery, Walter Osborne, James Humbert Craig, Erskine Nicol, Charles Lamb, Sean O’Sullivan, Lilian Davidson, Sean Keating and many others.

    David Britton, Director, Adam’s and The Ava Gallery said: “The landscape of Ireland has been a continual draw for artists regardless of their approach to painting, and this exhibition tells a unique story of Ireland’s social history through it. From laborers toiling the land or loading boats with turf, in the west of Ireland to bustling country fairs, families going to mass, a day at the races, or children’s playtime activities, the collection of works tracks time and marks the gradual modernization of Ireland both socially and artistically”.  The show runs until September 7.

    The Jockey, Gerard Dillon. (Click to enlarge).

    Richard Thomas Moynan, The Travelling Show. (Click to enlarge).

    Charles Lamb, Connemara Harvesters. (Click to enlarge).

     

    Posted in ART | Comments Off on THE LIFE OF THE IRISH AS DEPICTED IN ART

    A 1631 MARRIAGE BETWEEN TWO GALWAY FAMILIES COMMEMORATED

    Thursday, July 19th, 2012

    The 17th Century Bronze /Bell Metal Mortar at Dolan’s art auction. (Click on image to enlarge). UPDATE: THIS MADE 8,250.

    An extremely rare 1631 mortar inscribed to commemorate a marriage between two great Galway families, the Joyces and the Brownes, is a feature lot at Dolan’s art auction in Ballynahinch Castle on August 6.  The mid 17th century bronze or bell metal mortar probably originated in England or in the north east of Continental Europe.  The inscription on the rim – E. BROVNE … 1631 … T. IOYES – was probably added later.  The piece has passed down to the vendor through generations of the Lynch family of Belclare, Co. Galway.

    It was of practical use and may have been put on the table to grind herbs and spices.  This was a symbol of wealth as only the most privileged would have been in a position to import spices from the East Indies. The handles appear to be modelled on late medieval gargoyles used as water spouts in buildings of the time. They resemble hippopotamus heads, a possible allusion to the exotic nature of the spices being ground. It dates from a time when leading merchants often resided in fortified town houses in Galway. Lynch’s Castle, on Shop Street, Galway is an example of one such fortified townhouse. The foundry where it came from would have manufactured bronze and brass bells and military cannon.

    Dolan’s is grateful to Dr Pat Wallace, former Director of the National Museum of Ireland, to Dr Patrick Melvin, and to the staff of the National Museum of
    Ireland for their advice and assistance in cataloguing this Mortar.

    The August Bank Holiday Monday auction in the wonderfully scenic Connemara surroudings of Ballynahinch offers a good selection of Irish art and sculpture plus a number of lots of furniture, silver and porcelain.

    A detail of the mortar showing part of the inscription. (Click on image to enlarge).

    A detail of the mortar showing the date. The maker had a set of letters, but no numbers, so ‘I’ was used as a ‘One’ and the numbers six and three have been inscribed. (Click on image to enlarge).

    Posted in ART, AUCTIONS, COLLECTIBLES | Comments Off on A 1631 MARRIAGE BETWEEN TWO GALWAY FAMILIES COMMEMORATED

    SALES UP 13% AT CHRISTIE’S, 15% INCREASE IN NUMBERS BIDDING ON-LINE

    Tuesday, July 17th, 2012

    Mark Rothko’s Orange, Red, Yellow sold on May 8 for $86,882,500 a world record price for any contemporary work of art sold at auction.

    Global sales at Christie’s are up 13% to £2.2 billion ($3.5 billion) on the first six months of 2012.  Growth in on-line activity saw a 15% increase in the number of clients bidding on line and a 20% increase in visitors to the company website.  Collectors from 124 countries registered to bid at global auctions and private sales are up by 53% to £413.4 million.

    Post-War and Contemporary art led the categories with auction sales of £576.1 million ($921.8 million) up 34%.  The New York auction on May 8 brought in $388.5 million (£240.9 million) and was the most valuable auction ever in Post-War and Contemporary art. In the first six months of 2012, Christie’s sold 340 works at auction for over $1 million (376 in the same period 2011) and 26 for over $10 million (18 in the same period 2011). The market at more accessible price levels also performed strongly; Christie’s South Kensington saleroom, which offers works of art from under £1,000, built on two consecutive years of record sales and recorded its highest ever total.

    Christie’s  chief executive Steven P. Murphy said:  “We’ve seen a steady increase in sales at Christie’s driven by three key factors: growing worldwide demand for art, the quality and curation of important consignments and our consistency in offering the best service and broadest choice to our clients”.

    The second half of the year began strongly with the evening auction of Old Master and British Paintings in London on July 3 which realised £85.1 million, a record total for the category. Christie’s will launch the first in a series of online-only auctions for a global collecting category in August with a sale of fine and rare wines. Coinciding with the Olympic Games, Christie’s South Kensington will present The London Sale. An extended public exhibition will start on July 27 and run through to the auction on September 3.

    Posted in ART, AUCTIONS, COLLECTIBLES, FURNITURE | Comments Off on SALES UP 13% AT CHRISTIE’S, 15% INCREASE IN NUMBERS BIDDING ON-LINE

    EVERYONE WANTS SOMETHING FROM MOUNT CONGREVE

    Monday, July 9th, 2012

    This Chinese Yongzheng vase, lot 911, is estimated at 20,000-30,000. (Click on image to enlarge). UPDATE: IT MADE 26,000 AT HAMMER.

    EVERYONE seems to want something of Mount Congreve.  Thousands of people descended on the Co. Waterford big house, venue for Ireland’s largest country house auction in decades, over the weekend.

    Internet bidders from US, Canada, China, Japan, Chile, Russia, throughout Continental Europe as well as Australia, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have already registered to take part.  Competition will be strong for lots rights across the board.

    Mealy’s, who will conduct the sale in association with Christie’s, say that international interest has focused on the prime furniture, the carpets, chandeliers and Oriental items like lot 911, a Chinese Yongzheng vase estimated at 20,000-30,000.  Lot 985, a commode, was reputedly bought in the courtyard of Versailles during the French Revolution and said to have been once owned by Marie Antoinette. It is estimated at 20,000-30,000. Other top lots include a mahogany Carlton House Desk with an estimate of 80,000-100,000 and the Schreiber collection of salt glaze ceramics (40,000-60,000).

    The auction is on July 10 and 11.

     

    UPDATE: THE  sale brought in 2.25 million at hammer. Up to 13,000 people attended three days of viewing. Everything was sold, many lots at significantly above estimate.

    (See posts on antiquesandartireland.com for July 3, May 24, June 24, May 20 and April 16, 2012).

    Posted in ART, AUCTIONS, COLLECTIBLES, FURNITURE | Comments Off on EVERYONE WANTS SOMETHING FROM MOUNT CONGREVE

    DUTCH GOLDEN AGE MARINE WORK MAKES £5,305,250

    Wednesday, July 4th, 2012

    Willem van de Velde the Younger, The Surrender of the Royal Prince during the Four Days’ Battle. (Click on image to enlarge).

    A dramatic composition by Willem Van de Velde, considered the finest marine artist of the Dutch Golden Age, sold for  £5,305,250 at Sotheby’s in London on July 4.  It was the top lot  in the Old  Master & British Paintings Evening Sale.  It had been estimated at  £1.5-2.5 million.   Willem van de Velde the Younger’s The Surrender of the Royal Prince during the Four Days’ Battle is an evocative rendering of the  Dutch naval battle against the English in 1666. In it the artist depicts his own father sketching in a tiny galliot beneath the stern of the English ship “The Royal Prince” as it surrenders.

    The subject – the defeat of the English – marked the high point of Dutch naval history and was considered so important that the precursor of the Rijksmuseum attempted to acquire the work for the nation in 1800 but was outbid.  The work was bought by a private Dutch collector and will return to Holland.  The sale of 44 works realised a total of £32,268,650 against an estimate of £26-40 million.

    (See post on antiquesandartireland.com for June 26, 2012).

    Posted in ART, AUCTIONS | Comments Off on DUTCH GOLDEN AGE MARINE WORK MAKES £5,305,250

    WORLD RECORD PRICE FOR THE LOCK BY JOHN CONSTABLE

    Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012

    The Lock by John Constable (1776-1837) sold for a record £22,441,250, courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2012. (Click on image to enlarge).

    There was a world record price for The Lock a masterpiece by John Constable (1776-1837)  at Christie’s Old Master and British Paintings evening auction in London on July 3.  It made  £22,441,250.  From the Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection it had been estimated at £20-25 million.

    The Lock is one of six paintings from Contable’s most celebrated series of large scale works – The Stour Series – and was the last to remain in private hands.  The series includes The Hay Wain in the collection of The National Gallery, London. In the original gilt plaster and carved wood frame The Lock has been sold only once since it was acquired from the artist and is remarkable for its excellent state of preservation.  It is believed to have been bought by a Russian client of Christie’s.

    The sale brought in £85,057,100 pounds.  This was the highest ever total for the category and 17 works sold for over £1 million.  Rembrandt’s A Man in a Gorget and Cap made £8.4 million against an estimate of £8-12 million. It was acquired by a lone telephone bidder from Asia.  There were artists records for Pietro Lorenzetti (£5 million), Joachim Anthonisz Wtewael £4.6 million), –  Pieter Jansz Saenredam (£3.7 million), Juan de Zurbarán(£2.7 million), Balthasar van der Ast (£2.6 million) and Adriaen Coorte (£2.2 million).

    Christie’s summer auctions of Old Master & British Paintings, Drawings & Watercolours in London on July 3 and 4 realised a combined total of £93,663,150.

    (See posts on antiquesandartireland.com for May 29 and March 5, 2012).

    Posted in ART, AUCTIONS | Comments Off on WORLD RECORD PRICE FOR THE LOCK BY JOHN CONSTABLE

    INTEREST MOUNTING IN THE MOUNT CONGREVE CONTENTS AUCTION

    Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012

    Interest is mounting in the Mount Congreve contents auction.  Numerous international enquiries are in, particularly in relation to the Oriental lots.  There is no shortage of collectors registered to bid on-line.  Mealy’s in association with Christie’s will offer 1,100 lots from Mount Congreve, Kilmeaden, Co. Waterford on July 10 and 11. Viewing starts on Saturday July 7 and the sales will take place on each day at 11 a.m.  The catalogue for the sale is on-line at www.mealys.com.  Meantime here is a small selection.  (See posts on antiquesandartireland.comfor May 24 and June 24, May 20 and April 16, 2012).

    The prices quoted under the images are hammer prices to which must be added around 25 per cent to cover fees, charges and commissions.

    A Louis XV amaranth, tulipwood, marquetry and parquetry cylinder bureau c1780 (15,000-25,000). Click on image to enlarge. UPDATE: IT MADE 24,OOO.

    A kingwood and floral marquetry bombe commode, Louis XV, mid 18th century (10,000-15,000). Click on image to enlarge. UPDATE: IT MADE 8,500.

    A set of four George II table candlesticks by John Cafe, London 1749 (5,000-7,000). Click on image to enlarge.  UPDATE: THIS LOT MADE 4,000

    A French school mid 19th century fan with scenes of lovers and courtiers (150-250). Click on image to enlarge.  UPDATE: THIS LOT MADE 675

    An Aubusson tapestry four leaf screen, the tapestry late 17th century (5,000-8,000). Click on image to enlarge.  UPDATE: THIS MADE 6,000

    Portrait of a gentleman, attributed to Joseph Highmore (1,500-2,500). Click on image to enlarge. UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,800

    A Meissen model of a swan c1860 estimated at 800-1,200. (Click on image to enlarge). UPDATE: THIS MADE 2,700

    Posted in ART, AUCTIONS, COLLECTIBLES, FURNITURE | Comments Off on INTEREST MOUNTING IN THE MOUNT CONGREVE CONTENTS AUCTION

    PAIR OF 18TH CENTURY OIL PORTRAITS AT HEGARTY’S IN BANDON

    Saturday, June 30th, 2012

    A pair of 18th century oil portraits of Captain William Spaight and his wife Millicent Anne Studdert come up at Hegarty’s sale in Bandon on July 3.  A British Army Captain of the 65th Regiment he served at the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775 during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War.  The British suffered heavy losses but Capt. Spaight survived. He died in 1801 at his home at Corbally, Co. Clare. The artist is unknown but the portraits are estimated at 2,000-4,000.

    There is a selection of antique furniture including an 18th century Irish side table, a 19th century marquetry longcase clock, an 18th century Irish plate bucket, an Irish Chippendale fold over card table and a Killarney wine table with armorial crest.

    A Killarney wine table with armorial crest at Hegarty’s sale in Bandon.  UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD AND UNDER OFFER.

    A pair of 18th century oil portraits of Capt. William Spaight and his wife Millicent Anne Studdert. (Click on image to enlarge).  UPDATE: THE PAIR MADE 2,100.

    Posted in ART, AUCTIONS, FURNITURE | Comments Off on PAIR OF 18TH CENTURY OIL PORTRAITS AT HEGARTY’S IN BANDON

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