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HEGARTY’S SALE IN BANDON ON MAY 8

Friday, May 6th, 2011

An Irish Arts and Crafts movement library bookcase c1890 (estimate 5,000-10,000) UPDATE: THIS WAS BID UP TO 3,800 AND REMAINED UNSOLD, BUT IS UNDER ACTVE NEGOTIATION.

A William IV walnut davenport at Hegarty's, Bandon. UPDATE: IT MADE 3,650

A 19th century bronze figure "The Harvester", signed A. Gaudez, exhibited at the Salon, Paris 1899 at Hegarty's. UPDATE: IT MADE 950.

A gong with horse decoration at Hegarty's. UPDATE: IT MADE 1,200.

There is a wide variety of lots on offer at Hegarty’s sale in Bandon on Sunday, May 8 at 4 p.m. This 350 lot sale features antique furniture, porcelain, glass, jewellery, silver and household effects.

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SOME LOTS FROM MEALY’S SALE ON MAY 4

Sunday, May 1st, 2011

More than 800 lots will come under the hammer at Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny on May 4. The fine and decorative art sale at Mealy’s will include 18th, 19th and 20th century furniture; contemporary Irish paintings; silver and plate; bronzes; clocks and barometers; carpets and rugs; jewellery; light fittings; overmantels; porcelain and a single owner collection of whiskeys, brandy and other liquors.

Here is a sample. The catalogue is on-line.

See antiquesandartireland.com post for April 27.

UPDATE: Around 35 per cent of lots remained unsold, which is higher than usual. On an overall tough day the sale brought in a figure close to 150,000. Garden furniture, silver and the alcohol collection sold well, trading conditions were difficult for furniture and paintings.

This c1900 mahogany bureau by Edwards and Roberts with satinwood and kingwood banding and profuse inlay is estimated at 4,000-6,000. (click on image to enlarge) UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

A c1900 Gothic style pitch pine writing table with tooled leather top is estimated at just 200-300. UPDATE: THIS MADE 200

A west of Ireland watercolour by William Percy French (1854 - 1920) is estimated at 2,500-3,500. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

An old oak drop-leaf gateleg table with frieze drawer is estimated at 300-400. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

Tags: auction, mealy's
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WHEN LUCIAN MET BRENDAN: PHOTOGRAPHIC RARITIES AT SHEPPARDS SALE IN DURROW

Thursday, April 28th, 2011

Lucian Freud and Brendan Behan, Dublin 1952 (click to enlarge) UPDATE: THIS MADE 850

Bill Brandt's 1947 image of the northern quays, Dublin. (click to enlarge) UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

Three centuries of period furniture, fine art, garden statuary, seating and planters feature at Sheppards three day sale of outstanding interiors and exteriors on May 10, 11 and 12 at Durrow, Co. Laois.

The sale on Thursday, May 12 is of 300 lots of Asian art.

Photographic rarities on offer include this image by Daniel Farson of the artist Lucian Freud and the writer Brendan Behan in front of the Mansion House in Dublin. Dated August 1952 the print is signed and stamped. It is estimated at 800-1,200.

The second image is of the northern quays, Dublin circa 1947. The silver gelatin print is a view from the Ha’penny Bridge extending west towards the Four Courts. It is estimated at 1,200-1,600.

It is one of two Dublin photographs taken by Bill Brandt in Dublin on offer at Sheppards on May 10. Brandt’s work is to be found in museums like the Victoria and Albert in London, MoMA in New York and the Bibliotheque Nationale de Paris. The second image by Brandt is of the now deconsecrated St. George’s Church at Hardwicke Place designed by Francis Johnson. Johnson donated the bells of St. George’s which are heard chiming by Leopold Bloom in James Joyce’s Ulysses.

Tags: Behan, Brandt, Farson, Freud, Sheppards
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DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER AND POSTERS CAN BE FUN

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

Diamonds are Forever concept artwork (left), detail (centre) and the final poster design (right).

Diamonds are Forever and posters are pretty important too. The original concept artwork for the poster campaign of the 1971 James Bond classic Diamonds Are Forever hand-painted by Robert McGinnis leads Christie’s sale of Vintage Film Posters in London on June 15. The unique prototype offers a rare chance to own an exceptional piece of James Bond memorabilia. It is estimated at £18,000-24,000.

The auction spans nine decades of film making with over 300 lots of promotional material. As well as James Bond posters, Dr. No through to Never Say Never Again, a rare advance British quad for Thunderball, 1965 (£6,000-9,000), original concept artwork for View to A Kill, 1985 (£4,000-6,000), and the final poster design used for the Eon/United Artists production Diamonds are Forever (£300-500), the sale features cinematic genres from Film Noir to Disney.

The selection includes Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour, 1967 (£300-500), Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, 1961 (£1,500-2,500), Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, 1958 (£300-500), Anita Ekberg in La Dolce Vita, 1959 (£4,000-6,000), as well as Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot, Lauren Bacall and many more.

Tags: Bond, Christie's, film posters
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ENGLISH ROYAL WEDDING, IRISH AUCTION, FRENCH BRANDY

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

Stiff drink anyone? (click on image to enlarge) UPDATE: THIS MADE 220

A 30 year old bottle of French brandy commemorating an English Royal wedding features at an Irish auction in May.

Lot 469 at Mealy’s sale of fine and decorative art at Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny on May 4 is a Limoges container of Cognac Camus modelled as a book to commemorate the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana on July 29, 1981. There are separate colour photos and drawings of the star crossed pair on the front and colour crests of the Prince and Princess of Wales on the back. This limited edition – La Grande Marque No. 602 – is estimated at 120-180 euro.

The 831 lot sale features furniture, paintings, jewellery, clocks, carpets, rugs, bronzes, overmantles, porcelain and a collection whiskeys and brandies.

Markey Robinson (1918 - 1999) “Still Life with Jugs, or Flowers by the Sea,” at Mealy's. It is estimated at 3,000-4,000. (click on image to enlarge) UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD.

Tags: Markey, mealy's
Posted in ART, AUCTIONS, COLLECTIBLES | 1 Comment »

A GIRL’S EXTRA VERY BEST FRIEND

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

Rare emerald cut pink diamond at Sotheby's. (Click on image to enlarge).

A pink diamond weighing 10.99 carats will be offered by Sotheby’s at its sale of magnificent and noble jewels in Geneva on May 17.

Graded as “fancy intense pink” it is part of a rare subgroup of diamonds known as type IIa and comprising less than 2% of all of the world’s gem diamonds. Stones in this group are chemically the purest of all diamond crystals.

This stone features a classic emerald cut, a style of cutting normally associated with white diamonds. It is immensely sought-after when found in the rare colours such as pink and blue.

Estimated at CHF 8.3-14.8 million ($9-16 million), this stone is being offered for sale from a private collection and has not appeared on the market for more than 30 years.

UPDATE: International jewellers Leviev outbid four underbidders to purchase the 10.99 carat diamond for CHF 9,602,500/$10,840,358, the third highest price for a pink diamond. It was the ninth highest price for a diamond at auction.

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SALE OF CONTENTS FROM THREE CONVENTS

Monday, April 25th, 2011

The throne chair from the convent auction. UPDATE: IT MADE 900.

One of the four Piranesi prints. (click on image to enlarge) UPDATE: THE SET OF FOUR SOLD FOR 500.

In Ireland in the 1990’s and a little bit beyond sales of contents from former monasteries and convents were a regular feature on the auction scene. Such sales are more rare nowadays. So there is bound to be interest in a single sale from three convents on Sunday May 1.

The auction features objects from the Convents of Mercy in Cobh, Co. Cork and Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford as well as from St. Marie’s of the Isle in Cork city. It will be held at St. Marie’s of the Isle in Cork city centre and will be conducted by P.J. O’Gorman auctioneer of Charleville, Co. Cork.

It features a set of four large prints of Rome by Giovanni Battista Piranesi framed by the old Cork concern of Guy and Company. There are library bookcases, Victorian and Regency dining tables, antique breakfast tables, a mahogany longcase clock by Mangan’s of Cork, a carved throne chair, display cabinets, a seven piece inlaid drawingroom suite, kneehole desks, four pianos, church pews, statues, brass and china among 416 lots.

UPDATE: The auction was almost a complete sellout with all but three lots finding buyers.

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INFORMER’S MEDAL RECALLS 1798 TREACHERY

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

IRISH history is peppered with stories about informers. Vital information passed to the enemy cost many a battle. An 18 carat oval gold medal at the Adams-Mealy’s Independence sale recalls one such unhappy event. It dates to the year the United Irishmen, influenced by the ideals of the American and French revolutions, rebelled against British rule. the 1798 Rebellion went on for several months.

The Master Wardens and Brethren of the Guild of Merchants of Dublin presented this gold medal to the informer Thomas Reynolds in 1798..

On October 15, 1798 this oval gold medal was presented to Thomas Reynolds (1771 – 1836) the 1798 Informer.

Though he had inherited considerable wealth poor management and a profligate lifestyle led Reynolds to virtual bankruptcy. He joined the United Irishmen, but became nervous about their plans. On St. Patrick’s Day, 1798, he betrayed the meeting of the Leinster Directory of the United Irishmen. The meeting, held at the Dublin house of Oliver Bond, was broken up and the conspirators arrested, Oliver Bond was later murdered in prison. Lord Edward Fitzgerald, warned of the raid, was absent at the time, but forced to become a fugitive. He was arrested by Major Henry Sirr in a house in Thomas Street on May 19, dying later of wounds suffered during his arrest, and left without treatment by the authorities.

For this act of treachery Reynolds was paid £5,000 together with a pension of £1,000 per year for life, and a government posting. In addition he was presented by the city merchants with this gold medal and a gold freedom box, the whereabouts of which is unknown. Reynolds and his wife Henrietta – whose sister Maltilda had married Theobald Wolfe Tone who is widely regarded as the father of Irish Republicanism – left the country after the trials of the United Irishmen. He obtained various diplomatic posts becoming Consul at Copenhagen in 1819.

The medal sold for 15,000.

See antiquesandartireland.com posts for April 16 and April 13.

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THE STATE OF INDEPENDENCE

Saturday, April 16th, 2011

Lot 546 is an Irish Flag from American Civil War period. The green flag was the basis of the unit colours of American Irish military organisations. This rare version is estimated at 1,000-1,500. UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR 4,600

THE fascination of relatively recent Irish history underlines the success of the Independence series of auctions. These have been held jointly by James Adam in Dublin and Mealy’s of Castlecomer in April for the past six years. This year the sale is on April 19 at Adams in Dublin.

The top lot is a copy of the Proclamation (see antiquesandartireland.com post for April 13) estimated at 100,000-150,000. A small hand gun given by Countess Markievicz (a crack shot) to Seamus Babington of the 3rd Tipperary Brigade, I.R.A. is estimated at 800-1,400. (Note image attached to antiquesandartireland.com post for January 11, 2011).

Private letters from Michael Collins (who lost his life during the Civil War in 1922) range in estimate from 800 to 6,000. The 32 letters cover the period before the Easter Rising of 1916, his imprisonment and his development into a rebel leader. Terence MacSwiney’s Volunteer Diary from 1915 records his daily activities as a Volunteer organiser in Co. Cork. He was Lord Mayor of Cork when he died on hunger strike in Brixton Prison in 1920. It is estimated at 6,000-8,000.

There are 631 lots in total, including original photos and autograph books, pamphlets, medals, swords and flags. The sale will be held over two sessions at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on April 19.

UPDATE: The Collins letters brought in 202,000, the Proclamation failed to sell, Terence MacSwiney’s Volunteer Diary made 7,500. The sale brought in a hammer price of 655,000 and was 80 per cent sold.

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RYANAIR FOUNDER’S COLLECTION AT CHRISTIE’S

Thursday, April 14th, 2011

Hugh Douglas Hamilton, R.H.A., 1736-1801, Arthur Hill, 2nd Marquess of Downshire (1753-1801), 1785-90, pastel (£200,000-300,000). Click on image to enlarge. UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR £337,250

WORKS from the collection of Dr. Tony Ryan, the founder of Ryanair, will be offered at Christie’s in London on July 14. Dr. Ryan, who died in 2007, was one of Ireland’s biggest philathropists and supporter of the arts.

On offer are 400 lots from his estate, the Lyons Demesne in Co. Kildare. This is a relatively small selection, but Christie’s say it will provide collectors and institutions around the world with a rare glimpse into a private Irish treasure trove. The sale is expected to bring in more than two million sterling.

Highlights include an important full length portrait in pastel of Arthur Hill, 2nd Marquess of Downshire (1753-1801) by Hugh Douglas Hamilton, R.H.A., 1736-1801 (£200,000-300,000); a pair of George III giltwood and painted satinwood console tables in the manner of Thomas Chippendale the Younger (£50,000-80,000); a Louis XV Gobelins tapestry, by Claude Audran ( £30,000-50,000) and a white marble sculpture of Love Awakened by Giovanni Battista Lombardi, Rome, circa 1870 (£30,000-50,000).

UPDATE:

The sale of Lyons Demesne: Works of Art from the Collection of the late Dr. Tony Ryan realised £3,352,200, selling 90% by value and 83% by lot.

The top lot was Hugh Douglas Hamilton, R.H.A. (Dublin 1740-1808), Portrait of Arthur Hill, 2nd Marquess of Downshire (1753-1801), which realised £337,250