antiquesandartireland.com

‘The Sunrise Ruby’, a superb and extremely rare Burmese ruby and diamond ring weighing 25.59 carats. UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 28,250,000 SWISS FRANCS, ($30 million US)A WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR A RUBY

The Sunrise Ruby, an exceptional cushion shaped stone of Burmese origin weighing 25.59 carats is a highlight at Sotheby’s sale of magnificent and noble jewels in Geneva on May 12. Regarded by virtue of its size and colour as a unique treasure of nature it is estimated at $12-18 million US.

David Bennett, global chairman of Sotheby’s international jewellery division, said”  “I have had the privilege over the last 40 years of handling some of the world’s finest and rarest gemstones.  I do not recall ever having seen another Burmese ruby of this exceptional size possessing such truly outstanding colour. I was transfixed from the moment I first set eyes on this stone, and have remained in awe of it ever since”.

The “pigeon’s blood” hued stone, mounted as a ring by Cartier, was named in reference to a poem of the same name by the Sufi poet Rumi.

The manuscript for Don McLean’s enigmatically worded 1971 hit American Pie – anthem for a generation – sold at Christie’s in New York for $1.2 million. The 16 page lyrics had a top estimate of $1.5 million.  McLean, who is 69, decided to sell them on a whim.

A new themed auction Around the World showcasing fascinating items from all corners of the globe and the spirit of travel takes place at Christie’s, South Kensington on April 28.  With everything from a 34 star Civil War flag from North America to a world map from 1838 showing central Africa as unchartered territory the sale is brimful of interest. The map depicts central Africa as unchartered territory, just at the dawn of European exploration. Antarctica also remained somewhat undiscovered and it shows the extent of the discoveries in the South Seas by Cook, Palmer, Bransfield and Enderby, just prior to Sir James Ross’s expedition in 1839 to charter the Antarctic coastline. This  led to the discovery of the Ross Sea. Estimates range from £500 to £30,000.  Here is a small selection.

AN ENGRAVED AND COLOURED MAP OF THE WORLD
ENGRAVED BY JOHN DOWER, PUBLISHED BY HENRY TEESDALE & CO., LONDON, 1838 (£7,000-10,000). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2015.

RARE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR FLAG WITH THIRTY-FOUR STARS
PROBABLY MADE BY THE ANNIN COMPANY, CIRCA 1861-1863 (£10,000-15,000). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2015.

AN INDO-PORTUGUESE BRASS-MOUNTED, EBONY AND IVORY-INLAID CEDAR, ROSEWOOD, CALAMANDER AND MARQUETRY CHEST
GOA, LATE 17TH / EARLY 18TH CENTURY (£20,000-30,000). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2015.

A REVOLVING BOOKCASE MADE OF TIMBERS RECOVERED FROM ADMIRAL LORD NELSON’S FLAGSHIP, THE FOUDROYANT
BY GOODALL, LAMB AND HEIGHWAY OF MANCHESTER, CIRCA 1900 (£1,000-1,500). Courtesy, Christie’s Images Ltd., 2015.

A Guan Vase of the Southern Song Dynasty expected to make around US$7.7 million sold for US$14.6 million at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong today.  It was bought by the Long Museum, Shanghai, one of eight bidders.  This is the third highest price for Song Ceramics ever at auction.

An Imperial white jade Yongzheng Yubi Zhi Bao seal with  original ivory inlaid box and cover from the Qing Dynasty with a top estimate of US$5.1 million sold for $13.5 million.

The current world auction record for Song Ceramics was set by a Ru Guanyao Lobed Brush Washer, Northern Song Dynasty, sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong for HK$207,860,000 / US$26.65 million on April 4, 2012.

UPDATE: Sotheby’s Hong Kong four day spring sale series achieved US$346.3 million with 2,192 lots sold. There was participation from 53 countries.

(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for March 4, 2015).

Nicolas Chow, Sotheby’s Asia Deputy Chairman and International Head of Chinese Works of Art presenting the Southern Song Guan Vase

Nicolas Chow, Sotheby’s Asia Deputy Chairman and International Head of Chinese Works of Art presenting the Yongzheng Imperiald White Jade Seal

LORD UXBRIDGE (1ST MARQUESS OF ANGELESEY): A GEORGE IV 18 CARAT GOLD IRISH FREEDOM BOX
by Edward Murray, Dublin 1827
Sold for £100,900

An 18 carat gold Irish presentation box dating to 1827 sold for £100,900 at Bonham’s April Waterloo sale. The Lord Uxbridge (Ist Marquess of Anglesea) presentation gold box was made in 1827 by Edward Murray, Dublin.  The cover of the finely embossed and chased box is set with coat or arms on a matted ground within a frame of rocaille shells and foliage. There are convex plain sides and the base is set with another coat of arms on a plain ground with similar border.

The arms on the cover are those of Field Marshal Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey (1768-1854) who served twice as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.  He was styled Lord Paget between 1784 and 1812 and known as The Earl of Uxbridge between 1812 and 1815. During his first appointment in Ireland he received an honorary doctorate from Trinity College, Dublin.  The arms on the base are those of Trinity College.

He led the charge of the heavy cavalry against Comte d’Erlon’s column at the Battle of Waterloo. At the end of the battle he lost part of one of his legs to a cannonball, leading to a famous brief exchange of words: he was close to Wellington when his leg was hit, and exclaimed, “By God, sir, I’ve lost my leg!” ? to which Wellington replied, “By God, sir, so you have!”  The auction was built around Wellington, Waterloo and the Napoleonic Wars.