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    ENID BLYTON’S DIAMONDS AT IRISH ANTIQUE FAIR

    Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

    Enid Blyton's diamond and emerald necklace.

    Enid Blyton’s emerald and diamond necklace is one feature item at the 12th Irish & International Art & Antiques Fair. Dating from 1880, it contains approximately eight carats of natural Colombian emeralds and 10 carats of old cut diamonds.  The necklace is  set in 18 carat gold and silver and can be found at the stand of London based antique jewellery dealer Saul Greenstein.

    The fair runs at the RDS Dublin from March 25 to March 27.  It is aimed at both the seasoned connoisseur and the new collector.

    RARE JADEITE IMPERIAL SEAL WITH IRISH LINK AT BONHAMS

    Monday, March 21st, 2011
    A rare jadeite double-square seal from an Imperial Palace in Beijing and with an Irish link features at Bonhams auction of Chinese art in London on May 12.  It is believed to have been an Imperial seal of the Jiaqing Emperor and was taken from the Summer Palace during Britain’s second Opium War with China in 1860.
    It was brought to Britain by Liverpool born medical missionary William Lockhart who trained at the Meath Hospital, Dublin, and Guy’s Hospital, London before going to China in 1838.  He worked in Peking from 1861 to 1864. The seal is being sold with William Lockhart’s fan which is printed with a map of China on one side and a map of Beijing on the other. The location of Lockhart’s hospital in Beijing is marked with an X.
    The seal measures under an inch square and is estimated to sell for £40,000 to £60,000. The seal inscription reads Jiaqing Chen Han (‘Jiaqing Emperor’s Literary and Artistic Work’) and Ji Xia Yi Qing (‘When does one have the leisure to delight the heart?’ Bonhams hope this seal will return to China as did the Qianlong Emperor’s personal seal which sold for £2.7m last May in London”

    FABULOUS JEWELS AND MORE AT TEFAF MAASTRICHT

    Friday, March 18th, 2011

    THERE are fabulous pieces to be seen in the Haute Joaillerie section at The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) in Maastricht.  Here are some to whet the appetite.

    The Graff blue diamond

    The Hemmerle vegetable collection.

    The aster brooch.

    The Chopard owl watch.

    Graff is exhibiting a 20.02 carat blue ice diamond ring.  The fancy deep blue diamond ring has white diamond shoulders. Each diamond pearshape sidestone is exactly one carat. The entire ring is 22.02 carats.
    Hemmerle Jewellers will unveil their new vegetable collection at TEFAF. The brooch illustrated is a white gold pod of five jade peas, speckled with demantoide garnets.
    THE Aster Brooch has a central cushion cut tourmaline supported by flame-shaped griffes bezel in yellow gold. It is contoured by a double circle of petals in white gold and brilliant-cut diamonds. This one-of-a-kind object of rare beauty and simplicity was created by Gianmaria Buccellati.
    At Chopard & Cie S.A. there is an Owl watch.  It is 18 ct white and rose gold set with diamonds (7cts), trapeze-cut diamonds (2cts) and trapeze-cut yellow sapphires (4cts).  It is from the ‘Animal World Collection 150th Anniversary.
    TEFAF 2011 has 260 exhibitors from 16 countries in nine sections. Some 30,000 works of art from the Neolithic Age to the present day are all rigorously vetted by 168 international experts in 29 specialist committees to ensure quality, authenticity and good condition.

    TEFAF Maastricht is launching the TEFAF Mobile Guide, an application for Android and iPhone, at the 2011 Fair. The application has been developed to help visitors get the most out of their visit to TEFAF.  It offers them a virtual tour, videos, an interactive floor plan, an overview of theFair’s sections, exhibitors and restaurants at the Fair and other information. It can be downloaded free at www.tefaf.com/mobile and from the iTunes AppStore and Android Market.

    (See antiquesandartireland.com posts for March 11, January 13 and January 6)

    QING DYNASTY TEA SERVICE TOP LOT AT QUEEN JULIANA SALE

    Friday, March 18th, 2011

    The Qing Dynasty silver gilt tea service (click to enlarge)

    THIS extensive Qing Dynasty Chinese silver gilt tea service was the top lot at  Sotheby’s four-day sale of property from the estate of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands.  The sale, in which all 1,535 lots sold, raised more than €5 million for charity against a pre-sale estimate of €1.5 million. There were bidders from around the world.

    The 18/19th century silver gilt tea service sold to a buyer in the saleroom for €204,750 against an estimate of €30,000-50,000.
    A rare Doccia Ginori porcelain dinner service, circa 1780-1810, sold for €168,750 ($233,172) against an estimate of €40,000-60,000.
    A watercolour by Hendrik Willem Mesdag entitled Bomschuiten in the Breakers sold for €82,350.  Half of the proceeds will go the Red Cross, the rest will be divided among four charities nominated by the late Queen Juliana’s daughters.

    MALLOW CASTLE CONTENTS AUCTION BY MEALY’S

    Thursday, March 17th, 2011
    Mealy’s will have a one days sale of contents from Mallow Castle at the Hibernian Hotel in Mallow on April 5.  It will feature around 800 lots including portraits, paintings, tapestries, furniture, glass, silver, plate, rugs, mirrors, books and garden furniture.
    Viewing will be at Mallow Castle on Sunday, April 3 and Monday, April 4.  The sale at the Hibernian Hotel will start at 10.30 a.m. on April 5.

    CHINA SURGES IN ART AND ANTIQUES MARKET

    Tuesday, March 15th, 2011
    China is now the second largest art and antiques auction market according to a report by economist Clare McAndrew for The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF).  According to her calculations auction sales in China rose to nearly 6 billion Euros to account for 23 percent of the global market in 2010.
    The USA maintained its lead with 34 per cent, but the UK slipped into third place with 22 percent, down five percent since 2006.
    Meanwhile Bonhams is mounting a campaign to uncover hidden, lost, or unrecognised Chinese or Japanese works of art, bronzes, jades, sculpture, ceramics, pictures or screens in private collections in Northern Ireland. Bonhams specialists Ian Glennie and Katherine Wright will visit the North on the week beginning April 4. A number of Chinese artefacts found in Northern Ireland have already made high prices at Bonhams. A jade hat finial made over £12,000 and a pair of cloisonné vases from the same collection made over £6,000. Anyone interested is asked to get in touch with Bonhams.

    A MONET BY RENOIR AT TEFAF

    Friday, March 11th, 2011
    This painting, Femme cueillant des Fleurs (Woman picking flowers) depicts Camille Monet, first wife of Claude Monet, who died young.  The work by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) features at The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) at Maastricht. It is being sold through Dickinson by the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in the United States in order to strengthen other areas of its collection.
    Important early Impressionist paintings are increasingly rare on the market. This one is a poignant reminder of a story of fierce jealousy involving Monet’s first and second wives. Camille Doncieux was 18 years old when Monet met her in 1865. She became his lover and the model for a number of  works in these early years. Monet’s father refused to accept her into the family because of her humble origins. Despite this the couple married in 1870.
    The lifelong friendship between Monet and Renoir was at its closest between 1866 and 1875. The two men often painted together. Camille was depicted in a number of their paintings including Femme cueillant des Fleurs, which dates from this period in the development of Impressionism.  A year after Renoir painted this picture, Camille became ill and in 1879 she died aged 32 , her already poor health worsened by the recent birth of her second son Michel.
    Monet’s second wife Alice Hoschedé destroyed all the material that she could find relating to Camille. Only one photograph survived the purge.
    TEFAF runs at Maastricht in The Netherlands from March 18-27.
    See antiquesandartireland.com posts for January 6 and Janaury 13.

    CORK SILVER FREEDOM BOX AT LIMERICK NATIONAL FAIR

    Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

    The Cork Freedom Box presented to Admiral Whitshed. (click on image to enlarge)

    The inscription on the base. (click on image to enlarge)

    A 200 year old Cork silver freedom box, made by Carden Terry and Jane Williams and presented to Admiral Sir James Hawkins Whitshed, is to be a feature at the Weldon’s stand at  the National Antique and Fine Art Fair in Limerick over the weekend of March 19/20.

    A friend of Lord Nelson, and a pallbearer at his funeral, Whitshed was Commander-in-Chief at Cork between 1807 and 1810, when he was promoted to admiral, and was later Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, 1821 to 1824. He became Admiral of the Fleet in 1844.
    Born in 1762 he entered the Navy in 1773 on board the sloop Ranger on the Irish station. He was awarded a gold medal for his conduct at the battle of Cape St.Vincent in 1797. Promoted Rear-Admiral in 1799 he served under Lord St.Vincent in the Mediterranean. In 1803 he was promoted Naval Adviser to the Viceroy of Ireland and Vice-Admiral from 1804. He was responsible for the protection of the Irish coasts, for the building of Martello towers and organising the Sea Fencibles against threat of French invasion and organising the defences of Dublin Bay.
    The rectangular box, which weighs just four ounces, is centred by the arms of the City of Cork.  The inscription on the base reads: The Freedom of the City of Cork was unanimously voted by the Mayor, Sheriffs & common Council to Vice Admiral Whitshed for his great attention to the important duties of his station & their high respect for his public & private character. Thos. Harding Mayor, Josh. Leycester, Geo. S. Waggett Sheriffs, W.James T.Clerk
    The venue for the National Antiques and Art Fair is the South Court Hotel.   Weldons are just one of a number of members of the Irish Antique Dealers Association who will participate in this fair.  There will be more than 70 stands. Opening times are from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both days.

    GREATEST COLLECTION OF 20TH CENTURY BRITISH ART EVER ON MARKET

    Monday, March 7th, 2011

    Henry Moore Rocking Chair No. 3 estimate £800,000-1,200,000 (click on image to enlarge)

    Sotheby’s today announced the sale of the greatest collection of 20th-Century British Art ever to come to the market.  The Evill/Frost Collection comprises the largest group of paintings by Stanley Spencer ever on the market, in addition to works by Lucian Freud, Henry Moore, Dame Barbara Hepworth, Graham Sutherland, Edward Burra and Patrick Heron, amongst many others.

    The collection, estimated to fetch in excess of £12 million, will be offered at a three part sale starting on Wednesday, June 15 and continuing over two sessions the following day. It will be sold by the executors of the Honor Frost estate in order to benefit charitable causes relating to marine archeology.
    The paintings and sculptures, collected by Wilfrid Evill between 1925 and 1960 represent a window into a past world.  A London solicitor his choices when he held a ten-year tenure as a buyer for the Contemporary Arts Society ensured the acquisition of masterpieces for museums and galleries throughout Britain. His own collection demonstrates an unparalleled vision of the achievements and talent of some of the most accomplished British artists in the period just before and after World War II.
    When he died in 1963 he bequeathed his estate to his long-time ward Honor Frost.  She shared his love of the arts and studied at the Central School of Art in London, and the Ruskin School of Art in Oxford.  She went on to work as a designer for the Ballet Rambert and then became director of publications at the Tate Gallery, before becoming a marine archaeologist, for which she is renowned.
    The sale offers paintings, drawings, watercolours and sculptures.  Evill had access to a younger generation of artists working in the post-war period. These included the young Lucian Freud, John Craxton and Patrick Heron. The sale will also include a selection of furniture and ceramics, a highlight of which is a Sèvres tea service contained within a kingwood parquetry carrying box (est. £10,000-15,000), formerly in the collection of the great actor, director and theatre manager David Garrick (1717-79).

    ROYAL FAMILY SALE AT SOTHEBY’S, AMSTERDAM

    Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
    Furniture, porcelain, glass, silver, paintings and drawings which encompass the long and varied history of the Dutch Royal family are about to come under the hammer in Amsterdam.  Sotheby’s will conduct the four day sale of around 1,600 lots from the estate of the late Queen Juliana of The Netherlands at the RAI Theatre, Europaplein 14, Amsterdam from March 14-17.
    The sale is taking place at the instructions of the Executors on behalf of the  Queen’s daughters, Her Majesty the Queen and Their Royal Highnesses Princess Irene, Princess Margriet and Princess Christina, who have stipulated that the proceeds go to four charities. Many of the lots are from the Palace Soestdijk where Queen Juliana lived throughout her married life, while other items come from the attics of other Royal Palaces, with many drawings and prints previously held in the Royal Archive.
    Only a small number of the pieces were acquired by Queen Juliana and her spouse Prince Bernhard, and by far the greater share was accumulated over the last 150 years from Kings Willem I, II and III, Queen Emma and Queen Wilhelmina. Many of the works still bear inventory marks and  labels to show their origins in the seven Royal Palaces and Royal Residences throughout the Netherlands.