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AN IRISH PROCLAMATION AT SOTHEBY’S THIS JULY

Tuesday, July 5th, 2016

The Proclamation at Sotheby’s

A copy of the Irish Proclamation comes up at Sotheby’s sale of English Literature, History, Childrens’ Books and Illustrations in London on July 12. When purchased in 1996 it was mounted on early stiff card. It was professionally repaired at the Williamstown Art Conservation Centre in Massachusetts and afterwards preserved in a clamshell box. The restoration saw the copy removed from its previous mount, washed, archival backed, newly remounted on thin Japanese paper and encapsulated. It is estimated at £100,000-150,000.

This is one of a small number of copies printed at Liberty Hall on Easter Sunday 1916, marking the beginning of the Easter Rising. Three men, printer Christopher Brady and two compositors, Michael Molloy and Liam O’Brien handled the printing. The Rising led eventually to the foundation of the Irish Free State and later Irish Republic. Less than 50 copies of the original are thought to have survived.

UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

Tags: Irish Proclamation, sotheby's
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THE WARWICK VASE FROM HADRIAN’S VILLA AT MASTERPIECE

Friday, July 1st, 2016

The monumental Warwick Vase.

The massive mid 19th century Warwick Vase is a highlight at Anthony Outred’s stand at Masterpiece, which runs until next Wednesday at the Royal Hospital at Chelsea in London. It is of ancient Roman origin and Bacchic inspiration and was discovered in fragments at Hadrian’s Villa in 1771 by Gavin Hamilton. It was restored to Piranesi’s designs by Sir William Hamilton and passed to his nephew George Greville, Second Earl of Warwick. It now resides in Glasgow as part of the Burrell Collection.

England is represented on the stand by a pair of panoramic views of Westminster that span 300 years. One shows the buildings of 1895, the other is based on engravings from the time of Henry VIII. They are based on aerial studies and engravings by English artists William Brewer and William Lionel Wyllie executed from a balloon 1,400 up. They were published in May 1884 in the weekly illustrated magazine The Graphic.

Westminster in the late 19th century

A view of Westminster c1584.

Tags: Anthony Outred, Masterpiece, Warick Vase
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IRISHMAN’S POLAR MEDAL AT DIX NOONAN WEBB

Wednesday, June 29th, 2016

THE Polar Medal awarded to Timothy McCarthy from Kinsale who sailed to South Georgia in the Antarctic with Shackleton comes up at auction in London on July 22. The unique bronze medal awarded to the Royal Naval Reserve Able Seaman for the epic 800 mile journey across the sub Antarctic Ocean is expected to make between £15,000 and £20,000 at Dix Noonan Webb, the international coin, medal and jewellery specialists.

McCarthy sailed with Sir Ernest Shackleton in the 20 foot long boat James Caird from Elephant Island to South Georgia in 1916. The 16 day journey to get help for their shipmates from the Polar exploration ship Endurance became one of the greatest maritime stories in history. Shackleton paid tribute to his shipmate: “McCarthy, the best and most efficient of sailors, always cheerful under the most trying circumstances and who for these reasons I choose to accompany me on the boat journey to South Georgia”.

The Kinsale man was one of just 26 selected to crew Endurance, whose aim was to cross the Antarctic continent, a journey of 1,800 miles. They set sail in August 1914. The following January Endurance was held up by pack ice in the Weddell Sea and later that year, damaged by the pressure of ice, was abandoned and later sank. The crew established base camp on an ice flow but as supplies dwindled it was clear that help would have to be sought. Six men set out on the James Caird for South Georgia, where there were whaling stations.

After their rescue McCarthy was sent back to Britain with Shackleton’s warm gratitude. He was almost immediately thrust into service aboard the armed oil tanker SS Narrangansett. This ship was torpedoed and sunk off the south west coast of Ireland on March 16, 1917 and McCarthy was one of 46 sailors who lost their lives.

UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR £65,000: THE ATHY, CO. KILDARE HERITAGE MUSEUM DEDICATED TO SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON WAS THE UNDER BIDDER.

The Polar Medal.

The James Caird being launched from the shore of Elephant Island in April 1916.

Tags: Dix Noonan Webb, Endurance, Ernest Shackleton, Timothy McCarthy
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ELK HORNS AT FONSIE MEALY’S CASTLECOMER SALE

Monday, June 27th, 2016

A pair of fossilized Great Irish Elk horns and skull will come up at Fonsie Mealy’s Chatsworth Fine Art sale in Castlecomer on June 28 and 29. The horns with 12 points are approximately six feet eight inches across. There is some chipping loss and repairs. From Dartrey House, Co. Monaghan they are estimated at 10,000-15,000.

Another animal lot is a large late 19th Century tiger skin with snarling head and teeth. This is estimated at 1,000-1,500.

The specimen of “Cervus Giganteus Hibernicus Gigantic Irish Deer”

A 19th century tiger skin.

Tags: Fonsie Mealy, Great Irish Elk
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A CARPET MADE FOR THE SUN KING AT SOTHEBY’S

Monday, June 20th, 2016

From opulent carpets made for the Sun King and Frederick the Great’s armchair to the intriguing Rothschild Orpheus Cup and gems of scientific innovation the sale entitled Treasures at Sotheby’s in London on July 6 offers much to the serious and wealthy collector. Inaugurated in 2010 this highly curated sale is one of the more notable of the year in decorative art. Combining royal and aristocratic provenance with craftsmanship and freshness to market the selection this summer includes furniture, silver, vertu, clocks, sculpture and works of art.

Henry House, Head of Sotheby’s Furniture and Decorative Arts Department, said: “Each of the 46 lots in the sale exemplifies the definition of treasure. Formerly the preserve of Kings, Princes and Popes, they celebrate the genius and craftsmanship of the greatest artists and artisans of their era.”

A ROYAL CARPET FOR THE PALAIS DU LOUVRE
PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF DIMITRI MAVROMMATIS
A Louis XIV Savonnerie carpet for the galerie du Bord de l’eau (grande galerie), Palais du Louvre Paris
Chaillot workshop of the Lourdet family, delivered on 10 June 1678 (£300,000-500,000) UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £341,000

SOUTH GERMAN, AUGSBURG, AROUND 1600
THE ROTHSCHILD ORPHEUS CUP (£600,000 – 800,000) UPDATE; THIS SOLD FOR £1,061,000

CHAIR FOR FREDERICK THE GREAT
A German rococo silvered armchair, attributed to Johann August Nahl, Potsdam, circa 1744-46 (£80,000-120,000) UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

Tags: SAVONNERIE CARPET, sotheby's, THE SUN KING
Posted in ART, AUCTIONS, COLLECTIBLES, FURNITURE | 1 Comment »

TOGETHER AGAIN – TWO OF ONLY THREE KNOWN LIMERICK SILVER COFFEE POTS

Sunday, June 19th, 2016

The last two of only three known Limerick Silver coffee pots have been brought together by antique silver dealer William Crofton, who is about to market them with a price tag that reflects their extreme rarity. He plans to seek £750,000 sterling for the two. At this price level William Crofton, who trades as L and W Duvallier based in Dublin and London, reckons that only about two collectors in Ireland would have both the passion and the money needed to acquire them.

One coffee pot is plain and inscribed with the initials U I M, believed to be Isaac and Mary Unthank, members of a prominent Limerick Quaker family. Isaac Unthank married Mary Robinson in 1749. The second coffee pot is pear shaped and engraved with the coat of arms of Petyt. Both are by Joseph Johns. Each one dates to around 1750-55. A third coffee pot by maker Samuel Johns at the Limerick Civic Museum was once in the collection of William Crofton’s late father Gerry Crofton. It is possible that other Limerick silver coffee pots are out there, but these three are the only known pieces.

A plain Limerick silver coffee pot by Joseph Johns.

A pear shaped engraved Limerick silver coffee pot by Joseph Johns.

Tags: Joseph Johns, L and W Duvallier, Limerick Silver
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A NATIVE AMERICAN HEADDRESS AT FONSIE MEALY

Friday, June 17th, 2016

The llate 19th Century / early 20th Century Native American Indian Headdress

The late 19th Century / early 20th Century Native American Indian Headdress

A Native American Indian headdress comes up at Fonsie Mealy’s Chatsworth Summer Fine Art sale in Castlecomer on June 28-29. Complete with plaited human hair it dates to the late 19th or early 20th century. The headdress has eagle feather quills and plumes and coloured, threaded supports over a decorative bead work front.

There should be considerable excitement around this lot. In February of 2015 a Native American outfit estimated at 4,000-6,000 sold for a hammer price of 320,000 at Fonsie Mealy. A number of bidders on the phone and the internet competed for the lot from across the Atlantic.

The headdress coming up later this month has an excellent provenance. It is from the Laidlaw family of Castleknock in Dublin. Elizabeth Clarke of Coats and Clarke, a Scottish cotton spool thread firm with branches in the US married into the Laidlaw family and it has come down by direct descent. It is estimated at 2,000-3,000.

(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for February 25, 2015)

Tags: Fonsie Mealy, Native American Headdress
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TRANSPORT FOR HIGH SUMMER AT SHEPPARDS COOLATTIN SALE

Thursday, June 16th, 2016

There is more than a hint of high summer about some of the wheeled lots at Sheppards Great Irish Country House collections sale at Coolattin House, Co. Wicklow on June 28 and 29. The auction will feature an exceptional set of ten dining chairs by Butler of Dublin, Chinese export porcelain, 18th century French tapestries and cars. The cars include everything from 19th century horse drawn carriages to a brace of Porsches and a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow. A Porsche 911 Carrera from 1994 is estimated at 70,000-90,000, the 1976 Rolls Royce at 20,000-30,000. Antique carriages and side cars have estimates of from 1,500 to 8,000. The catalogue is now online.

19th century carriage (1,500-2,500)

Fordson P6 vintage tractor (1,000-1,500)

A 19th century horse drawn carriage (6,000-8,000)

A 1994 Porsche 911 Carrera (70,000-90,000)

Tags: 19th century horse drawn carriage, Porsche 911, Sheppards
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JAMES ADAM AT HOME SALE ON SUNDAY

Wednesday, June 8th, 2016

Furniture, art, silver and a wide variety of collectibles come up at the next auction at James Adam in Dublin on June 12. Entitled At Home the sale features more than 420 lots. The catalogue is online. Here is a small selection:

SATINWOOD AND MARQUETRY INLAID SEMI-ELLIPTICAL COMMODE, BY JAMES HICKS OF DUBLIN (3,000-5,000) UPDATE: THIS MADE 2,000

A VICTORIAN MAHOGANY BOOKCASE (2,000-3,000) UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,700

BERTRAM NICHOLLS (1883-1974)
Cliveden Woods (800-1,200) UPDATE: THIS MADE 800

A FRENCH LOUIS QUINZE STYLE KINGWOOD MARQUETRY BREAKFRONT SIDE CABINET (2,000-3,000) UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

Tags: James Adam auctioneers
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ANTIQUE FURNITURE AT HEGARTY’S IN BANDON

Tuesday, June 7th, 2016

Antique furniture and collectibles will come up at Hegarty’s sale in Bandon on June 12. The sale will include contents from the Old Rectory at Douglas in Cork as well as items from collections in west Cork. The catalogue is online. Here is a small selection: