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The Leinster dinner service, a George II silver service with the mark of George Wickes, London 1745-1756. Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd. 2012. (Click on image to enlarge).  UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR £1.7 MILLION.

The Leinster Dinner-Service comes under the hammer at The Exceptional Sale at Christie’s in London on July 5. Made for James FitzGerald, 20th Duke of Kildare and later 1st Duke of Leinster (1722-1773) it is the grandest and most complete surviving aristocratic dinner service. It comprises 70 dinner plates, 18 soup plates, 29 dishes, 22 dish covers, 4 candlesticks, 11 salvers, 8 sauceboats and many other pieces
In the 17th century the buffet at the side of the dining room was used to show the host’s wealth through the arrangement of flagons, flasks, cups and dishes. In the 18th century display moved to the dining table itself. The linen covered table was centered on the great epergne or surtout-de-table. The fashion for dining à la Française also called for soup tureens for the first course and a plethora of dishes and covers for the following courses. The French style of dining further created the need for casters, cruets, sauceboats and condiment vases.

The service passed by descent to Edward, 7th Duke of Leinster (1892-1976). It was sold in January 1918 as part of his inheritance to the property magnate Sir Harry Mallaby-Deeley, who died in 1937. It was acquired by Walter Chrysler jnr. (1909-1988) and sold at Parke Bernet Galleries, New York in 1960. The Leinster Dinner Service is rare, not only because of its survival but also because its commission is fully listed in the Gentleman’s Ledgers of its maker, the Royal goldsmith George Wickes. It is expected to realise between £1.5 million and £2 million. It is one of 48 lots in a sale with fine examples of furniture, silver, sculpture, clocks and porcelain. The auction is expected to realise more than £13 million

UPDATE: SOLD FOR £1.7 MILLION THE LEINSTER DINNER SERVICE SET A RECORD PRICE FOR ANY ENGLISH SILVER DINNER SERVICE SOLD AT AUCTION.  OVERALL THE SALE BROUGHT IN OVER £18 MILLION.

This ivory silk gown with bodice embellished with silverpaste and glass beads, The Girl who lived in the Tree by Alexander McQueen, Autumn/Winter 2008-9 and a photograph by Mat Collishaw for Harper’s Bazaar, UK 2012, made £85,250, a world record price for the designer at auction.

The auction of the Daphne Guinness Collection made £476,800 at Christie’s, South Kensington, on June 27.  This was four times the pre-sale estimate. Sold to benefit the Isabella Blow Foundation the auction offered 102 lots, including a selection of dresses, coats, skirts, tops and jackets belonging to Daphne Guinness, as well as selected photographs and her signature shoes.  The top lot was a photograph by Mario Testino for British Vogue.  It made £133,250, a new world record price for the photographer at auction.

This Spanish-style white lace dress with black matador jacket by Christian Lacroix made £16,250, a world record price for the designer at auction.

The top dress was an ivory silk tulle empire line gown, The Girl Who Lived In The Tree by Alexander McQueen, Autumn/Winter 2008-9. Sold with a photograph by Mat Collishaw for Harper’s Bazaar UK, May 2012, it made a world record price for the designer at auction of £85,250. There was a record at auction for designer Christian Lacroix whose Spanish style white lace dress with black matador jacket made £16,250.  Images courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2012.  Click on either one to enlarge it.

(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for June 11, 2012).

THERE was a world record for a Picasso ceramic at the sale of the Madoura Collection at Christie’s, South Kensington.  Grand vase aux femmes voilées made £735,650.  Conceived by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) in 1950 it was executed in an edition of 25. The vase sold more than ten times the estimate.  The previous record for a Picasso ceramic edition at auction was €312,750.

The sale of 543 lots realised £8,082,300, more than four times pre-sale expectations.  Nearly 500 clients registered to bid and buyers came from 43 different countries.  The auction was 100 per cent sold and four works exceeded the previous record set in December 2010.

(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for April 1, 2012).

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
Gros oiseau visage noir made £289,250. Image courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2012. (Click to enlarge).

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Grand vase aux femmes voilées made £735,650. Image courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2012. (Click to enlarge).

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
Grand vase aux danseurs made £265,250. Image courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2012. (Click to enlarge).

This silver epergne was the top lot at the Mount Congreve sale in London.

The Hampden Epergne, A George III Silver Epergne, mark of Thomas Pitts, London, 1763 was the top lot at the sale of 116 lots from Mount Congreve at Christie’s on May 23.  It sold for £343,250. The sale brought in £3,447,275, selling 91% and 78% by lot.  It had been estimated to bring in around £2.5 million.

A second sale of contents from Mount Congreve by Christie’s and Mealy’s takes place at Mount Congreve on July 10-11.  Another 900 lots will be auctioned, including fine furniture, mirrors, chandeliers and even a Rolls Royce.

After the auction Charles Cator, deputy chairman, Christie’s International and Amelia Elborne, Private Collections & Country House Sales department issued the following statement: “The strong results achieved for the auction of ‘Mount Congreve: The London Sale’ are a testament to the discerning taste, connoisseurship and care with which the collection at Mount Congreve was formed over six decades. The collection attracted interest from around the world and there was fierce bidding on the internet, on the phones and in the room for the best pieces. We are extremely pleased with the prices realised for the wonderful Hampden Epergne – £343,250 – over three times the low estimate, the beautiful George II overmantel mirror made by William Linnell for the Earl of Coventry, and the pair of George III pier-tables designed by Robert Adam for Robert Child, which each realised £313,250, all demonstrating the importance of quality, provenance, and design to today’s collector market. We look forward to ‘Mount Congreve: The House Sale’ to be held on the premises in Ireland on 10-11 July by Mealy’s of Kilkenny, in association with Christie’s.”

See post on antiquesandartireland.com for Monday April 16, 2012.