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The Japanese temple bell is in original condition.  UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD.

The cameo vase with the mark of d’Argental.  UPDATE: THIS MADE 350.

A large 19th century Japanese bronze temple bell, dating from the late Edo period c1850, is one of the more unusual lots at the sale at Cork Auction Rooms on July 28.   The bell, which is inscribed, measures 52cms across by 40 cms high. It is estimated at 1,200-1,500.

Other lots on offer include a collection of Irish maps, three sketches by the Northern Ireland artist Colin Middleton and a c1930 French cameo vase signed by the firm d’Argental, the signature mark adopted by Cristalleries St Louis, which began operations in 1924.  It is estimated at 500-600.

This ring belonged to Jane Austen. (Click on image to enlarge).

A gold and gem set ring belonging to Jane Austen made £152,450 at Sotheby’s English Literature sale in London on July 10.  It has been handed down by female descendants of the author  for nearly 200 years.  The price was more than five times the high estimate of £30,000.  No less than eight bidders battled for the turquoise ring, eventually bought by an anonymous private collector on the telephone.  It was on the market for the first time.

At the Mount Congreve sale in Co. Waterford on the following day an 1833 edition of five volumes of Jane Austen made 2,800 over a top estimate of 800.

The scene at Christie’s during the auction.

There was a world record price for the Leinster dinner service at Christie’s Exceptional Sale in London on July 6.  The grandest and most complete surviving aristocratic dinner service made  £1,721,250, the highest price at auction for any antique English silver dinner service. The Rococo style service was the top lot in a sale of 48 lots which brought in a total of £18,065,650.

The Brand Cabinet, a George II ivory-mounted padouk medal-cabinet, circa 1743 made £1,217,250.

The Brand Cabinet, a c1743 George II ivory-mounted padouk medal-cabinet with ivory plaques purchased in Rome by Robert Brand while on the Grand Tour, sold for £1,217,250. The plaques depict figures from Classical mythology like Leda and the Swan. A Louis XV ormolu-mounted Chinese clair-de-lune celadon porcelain vase, the porcelain Qianlong (1736-95), the Ormolu mid-18th century, realised £1,161,250.

The fourth lot in the sale to sell for over £1 million was the Ogden Mills ‘Armoires à Six Medailles’ which made £1,049,250. They are lavishly decorated with gilt-bronze mounts and scrolling foliate pattern with brass and tortoiseshell ground of première and contre-partie marquetry. The Louis XIV armoire in contre-partie is attributed to André-Charles Boulle, while the late Louis XV in première partie is by Delorme.

(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for July 2, 2012).

The 18th-century gilded elephant automaton clock (click on image to enlarge).

This extraordinary 18th century gilded elephant automaton clock sold for £1.6 million at Sotheby’s in London on July 4. Made for the Asian market by the celebrated English clockmaker Peter Torckler, it was previously owned by the Shah of Persia Naser al-Din (1831–96). The Shah bought it after seeing the remarkable collection of performing clocks owned by Ferdinand de Rothschild at Waddesdon Manor.
The automaton springs to life every third hour, playing music, waving its tail and trunk and flapping its ears. It was bought by an Asian collector. The c1780 clock had been on display at Sotheby’s, New Bond St., for the past month where it became a popular attraction.

This pair of gilt-bronze-mounted Sèvres vases made £1,777,250 (click on image to enlarge).

A pair of gilt bronze mounted Sèvres vases (c1788-1790) was the top lot at Sotheby’s evening sale entitled Treasures, Princely Taste.  They realised £1,777,250.  The 39 lots in the auction brought in £9,507,800.