This surtout de table, or table decoration, from Kilkenny Castle sold for a hammer price of £18,750 at Sotheby’s Of Royal and Noble Descent auction in London on February 24. It was most probably made for Walter Butler (1770-1820), 1st Marquess of Ormonde, 18th Earl of Ormonde, and his wife Anna Maria Catherine Clarke. Ormonde was an important patron of Royal Goldsmiths Rundell Bridge and Rundell, to whom this piece dating from 1805 is attributed. It had been estimated at £8,000-12,000.
A large Irish George III period oval wall mirror estimated to make 3,000-4,000 at Fonsie Mealy’s sale in Castlecomer on February 25 could make more. Enriched with a rim of blue and gilt milk glass studs inside a carved gilt frame it is complete with the original mirror plate. The mirror is 32 inches high.
An exhibition quality satinwood display cabinet by James Hicks is estimated at 7,000-10,000 and a stained glass panel from Kildimo Church in Co. Limerick by the Harry Clarke studio is estimated at 7,000-10,000. The catalogue for the sale is online.
A large Irish George III oval wall mirror with blue and gilt enriched glass studs (3,000-4,000) UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 9,500
An exhibition quality inlaid satinwood breakfront display cabinet by James Hicks (7,000-10,000) UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
A stained glass Harry Clarke Studios panel, Kildimo Church, Co. Limerick (7,000-10,000). UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 12,500
The late 19th century Native American outfit. UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 320,000 AT HAMMER
A native American outfit complete with feathered head dress is one of the more unusual lots at Fonsie Mealy’s auction in Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny on February 25. The late 19th century rig out comprises a very good hide poncho war shirt, matching hide leggings, head dress and purse. Open at the sides the poncho has original hand painted designed, front and back quilted rosettes, quilled strips on the sleeves and red cloth neck trimming. The leggings are similarly decorated. It is estimated at 4,000-6,000.
The sale of more than 700 lots from various estates includes items being sold by the executors of the late Mrs Jane Avril de Montmorency Wright of Burnchurch House and Castle Morres, Co. Kilkenny. It is suggested by tradition that this lot may have come to Castle Morres through the family of the Hon. Reymond Hervey de Montmorency (1835-1902).
He was a major general in the British Army who fought in the Indian Mutiny, commanded in the Sudan in 1886-87, and eventually succeeded his father to a Viscountcy in the Irish Peerage. In 1866 he married Rachel Mary Lumley Godolphin Michel, daughter of Field Marshall Sir John Michel at Montreal in Canada.
A Victorian horse trap. UPDATE: THE TRAP MADE 900, THE HORSE DRAWN CART SOLD FOR 200.
A set of eight Victorian library chairs by Lamb of Manchester. UPDATE: THESE SOLD FOR 1,400
The surtout de table UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR £18,750 at hammer
The surtout de table of the Marquesses of Ormonde originating from Kilkenny Castle is among the lots at Sotheby’s Of Royal and Noble Descent sale in London on February 24. Attributed to the London jewellery firm of Rundell Bridge and Rundell it dates to 1805 and is made in the French Empire Taste then fashionable. Sotheby’s say it was most probably made for Walter Butler (1770-1820), 1st Marquess of Ormonde, 18th Earl of Ormonde, and his wife Anna Maria Catherine Clarke. Ormonde was an important patron of Royal Goldsmiths Rundell Bridge and Rundell and commissioned a fine silver dinner service in 1808. Part of this was allocated in 1982 to the Royal Pavilion at Brighton by the English government.
Divided into five mirrored sections and measuring 8’4” in length the surtout is estimated at £8,000-12,000. The pierced gallery on paw feet below a cast double coronet is interspaced by plaques with the coat of arms for the Marquesses of Ormonde. The sellers are descendants of the Marquesses of Ormonde. It will be sold among 250 exceptional royal and aristocratic heirlooms originating from the four corners of the world.
Sotheby’s had record jewellery sales of $603 million in 2014, the highest annual total in company history. This is the third consecutive year of record sales. More than 3,900 lots were sold and 2,400 clients from 74 countries competed for them. More than 1,000 lots were competed for online and 77 jewels were sold for more than $1 million. The Zoe diamond from the collection of Mrs. Paul Mellon was the top lot at $32.6 million, making a record for a blue diamond and a record per carat of $3,348,205 for any diamond.
The jadeite Hutton-Mdivani necklace, fashioned by Cartier with jadeite beads from the Qing court, was purchased by the Cartier Collection for $27.4 million, a record price surpassed at auction only by diamonds. A new generation of buyers from China, Russia and the Middle East and an international clientele of high net worth individuals contributed to an insatiable demand for top quality sapphires, rubies and emeralds last year.
The Zoe Diamond from the collection of Mrs. Paul Mellon sold in New York last November.
The Hutton-Mdivani necklace.
There will be an Attic Sale at James Adam, St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin with something for all collectors on February 3. The catalogue, which lists 472 lots, is online. Here is a small selection:
An 18th century Chinese Export porcelain soup tureen (500-700) UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 300 AT HAMMER
A Victorian table telescope by Dollond of London (500-700). UPDATE: THIS MADE 250 AT HAMMER
Peter Gottlandt (German, 16th century) The three Dukes of Saxony, woodcut (200-300). UPDATE: THIS LOT WAS WITHDRAWN
A George II walnut framed elbow chair (1,000-2,000). UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,100 AT HAMMER
A 19th century ebony breakfront side cabinet (1,500-2,500). UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
A 19th century French kingwood and parquetry bombe commode (1,000-1,500). UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,150
John Wayne as The Quiet Man.
A bronze bust of John Wayne as The Quiet Man is to be sold as part of the Aidan Foley’s Ashford Castle contents auction in Co. Mayo on February 7 and 8. It was cast from the original mould for The Quiet Man statue in the village of Cong, setting in 1951 for the film starring Wayne and Maureen O’Hara.
John Ford won an Academy Award for Best Director of the film, which was in 2013 selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
The unique life sized bust is the work of sculptor Mark Rode who has a studio and foundry in Co. Mayo. Money raised will go to the Cong Festival Committee. There is no estimate on the piece. It will be sold alongside one of eight scaled down replicas of the statue.
UPDATE: THE BUST SOLD ON THE INTERNET FOR 3,900
(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for January 24, 2015).
A bedroom at Ashford Castle complete with contents typical the auction.
The final refurbishments at luxurious Ashford Castle at Cong in Co. Mayo have been completed. Auctioneer Aidan Foley will offer contents from 55 bedrooms and lots from other parts of the hotel at the old Sawmills on the Clonbur Road near Cong next February 7 and 8. More than 1,000 lots will be sold without reserve.
There are curtains, lamps, sofa’s, beds, dressing tables, towel radiators, pictures, prints, mirrors and antique furniture. There will be viewing on Friday, February 6. Many items sold for much more than had been anticipated at a similar sale of contents from the first part of the refurbishment of the castle – hotel last summer.
UPDATE: This was a highly successful auction at which nearly everything was sold. There were internet bidders from around the world, many with memories of holidays at Ashford. Nearly 40% of lots were sold on the internet.
(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for July 24, 2014).
King William III & Queen Mary II
Unique Dutch Delftware Bouquetières
This c1690 pair of bouquetieres or flower holders which Aronson of Amstersdam will highlight at New York’s Winter Antiques Show from January 23 to February 1 depict King William III and Queen Mary II, who acceded to the English throne in 1689. The pair will be exhibited together for the first time at America’s most prestigious antiques show at the Park Avenue Armory in Manhattan. The figures are attributed to The Greek A Factory, where Queen Mary ordered many magnificent pieces of Delft for Hampton Court Palace. The figure of William is marked AK for Adrianus Kocx.
Robert Aronson, who heads the 134 year old family firm specialising in Dutch delftware, acquired the lady figure in February 2014 and brought it to TEFAF at Maastricht. There were several interested parties, but a sale did not materialise. In May the family happened across an auction catalogue of a sale several hours south of Paris and when they requested photographs an image of the male figure arrived. “It rendered me speechless. I was looking at what seemed to be a figure almost identical to Mary – but the male version”. He instructed his assistant Lisa to take a long weekend with her boyfriend in the middle of France and to return home with the figure at any price. He further instructed her that if anyone asked, she was to say she was interested in the figure because it reminded her of her grandmother. The mission was successful and provenance has since shown that the figures had been made as a pair, but were separated in the division of a will. Mr. Aronson has described it as the greatest adventure of his first 25 years in the art business.
(See posts on antiquesandartireland.com for January 6, 2015).