A single stone rectangular cut diamond ring of 6.74 carats is, at 160,000-200,000, the most expensively estimated lot at the James Adam sale of fine jewellery and watches in Dublin on December 3. A pair of diamond ear studs is estimated at 50,000-60,000 and a sapphire and diamond pendant on chain has an estimate of 25,000-30,000. A total of 246 lots will come under the hammer in this evening sale.
A rare pair of German 19th Century finely carved ivory relief panels was the top lot at Fonsie Mealy’s Chatsworth fine art sale in Castlecomer today. They made a hammer price of 15,000. Among the other top lots with hammer prices in brackets were a large stuffed and mounted Bengal Tiger head (7,500); The Wooing of Emer by Cuchulainn from the Harry Clarke Studios (7,000); an 18th century French Regence commode (6,400); an 18 carat gold mesh necklace set with diamonds by Boodles (3,500); a private collection of 18th century blue and white English porcelain (3,400); a Georgian Irish Chippendale style breakfront bookcase (2,800); a light grey Chanel handbag (3,300); a Spode dinner service (1,700); a 19th century Canton carved jewellery casket (1,500) and an embroidered Chinese silk robe (1,100).
This pair of Edwardian mahogany knife urns comes up at Sheppard’s two day sale entitled Desire: Sparkling Jewels and Inspirational Interiors in Durrow, Co. Laois on November 26 and 27. They are estimated at 400-600. The auction is now on view in Durrow and the catalogue is online.
A reticulated Qianlong fish vase at Fonsie Mealy’s sale in Castlecomer on November 26 is similar to the Yamanaka reticulated vase that made just over £19 million at Sotheby’s in 2018. That one was one of the most complex porcelains ever conceived by Tang Ying for the Emperor Qianlong and was a pair to a controversial sale in 2010. That one sold at hammer at north London auctioneers Bainbridges for £43 million to a Chinese billionaire who subsequently baulked at fees of 20%. After a two year stalemate the sale fell through. The vase was eventually sold in a deal brokered by Bonhams to an unidentified buyer from the Far East who is believed to have paid up to £25 million for it. The fish vase at Fonsie Mealy is estimated at a mere 6,000-8,000.
Viewing is underway in Castlecomer for Fonsie Mealy’s Winter Chatsworth Fine Art Sale. There is furniture, paintings, Old Masters, Irish art, silver, objets d’Art, taxidermy and an Irish private collection of Oriental ceramics and art.
The two day sale at Sheppards at Durrow in Co. Laois on November 26 and 27 contains much that is unusual and of interest. The varied catalogue, titled Desire: Sparkling Jewels and Inspirational Interiors, is online. Lot 502 is this pedestal William IV dining table with four extending leaves above a conforming frieze, raised on cavetto and leaf carved pedestals. It is estimated at 8,000-12,000. Viewing gets underway in Durrow on November 23.
UPDATE: THIS MADE 7,500 AT HAMMER
Among the more unusual lots at Fonsie Mealy’s Chatsworth Winter Fine Arts sale in Castlecomer on November 26 is this one. It is a 19th century Maori Pounamu green stone blade of about seven inches long. By tradition said to be used by a Maori chief it was subsequently gifted to Dr. T.W. Croke whilst he was Bishop of Auckland, New Zealand from 1870-1874. After this he became Archbishop of Cashel and Emly in Ireland and was an important figure in the Irish nationalist movement. He was a Champion of the Irish National Land League in the 1880’s and Croke Park in Dublin is named after him. The auction will include antique furniture, paintings, Old Masters, Irish art, silver, collectibles, taxidermy and a private Irish collection of Oriental ceramics and art.
There is nothing new about dirty tricks in political campaigns as illustrated by lot 48 at Mullen’s Collectors Cabinet auction at Laurel Park, Bray on November 23. The newspaper billboard poster for the Star headlines: “Parnell cross-examined”. This was at a special commission set up by Gladstone’s government to investigate various charges against Parnell and his Home Rule party. The basis was a letter in The Times in which Parnell appeared to give explicit support, after the fact, to the Phoenix Park murders. The commission sat for 128 days to November 1889. The following February one of the witnesses, Richard Piggott, admitted having forged the letters, then fled to Madrid and shot himself. Parnell’s name was fully cleared.
A first edition of Ulysses, a pro-Treaty campaign poster for the 1922 general election, an electric guitar signed by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits and a leather flying helmet from a Polish Air Force bomber which crashed on the Carlow Laois border in 1943 are among the lots. Viewing is from next Wednesday and the auction is at 11 am on Saturday.
A gold Cork freedom box comes up at Bonhams Important Design sale in London on November 27. The oval George III box inscribed with the arms of Cork surrounded by foliage and bright cut engravings was made by William Reynolds circa 1780. There is a further gold freedom box by Reynolds, whose premises was at North Main Street in Cork, at the National Maritime Museum in London. Bonhams estimate this one at £20,000-30,000.
UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £23,000
The 158 lots on offer at the James Adam Mid-Century Modern evening sale in Dublin on November 19 demonstrate the changing habits of Irish auction goers and Irish auction houses. Buyers have largely turned their back on what can be described as ordinary antique furniture and no auctioneer can survive merely by offering this. Diversification has brought Italian made armchairs, glass topped 1950’s coffee tables, Murano glass pieces, furniture by noted designers, Art Deco wall lights, drinks trolleys, chrome side tables and even a pair of pear wood side tables by Pierluigi Ghianda for Christian Dior into the mix on offer at this sale.
There is art by Mark Francis, Cecil King, Alice Maher, John Burke, Charles Tyrrell, Eilis O’Connell, Albert Irvin, Janet Mullarney, Sonja Landweer, Andy Warhol, Alan Davie, Patrick Graham and Robert Ballagh. Viewing gets underway in Dublin next Friday.
A round of applause greeted the sale of a rare Chinese moon flask discovered at a routine valuation at Blarney Castle for a hammer price of 610,000 at Sheppards in Durrow today. It had been estimated at 80,000-120,000. Unusually Sheppards had imposed a special condition of no internet bidding on the piece and registered bidders were required to pay a deposit. The blue and white flask, Bianhu, from a Co. Cork collection was discovered at a valuation by Sheppards at Blarney Castle in September.
(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for September 2, 2019)
