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    ART AND LUXURY AT IRISH AUCTIONS NEXT WEEK

    Saturday, October 19th, 2024

    Italian 17th century style copper water cistern at Fonsie Mealy. UPDATE: THIS MADE 5,800 AT HAMMER

    Art, luxury and the Epsom Gold Cup will vie for the attention of collectors next week.  With a selection headed by Sean Scully’s Wall Dark Green (2021) – on course to possibly become the most expensive painting to be sold this year in Ireland – the Irish and international online art sale by Morgan O’Driscoll on October 22 is a must see.

    A 17th century style Italian copper water cistern at Fonsie Mealys Chatsworth autumn fine art sale in Castlecomer on October 23 and 24 will undoubtedly leave some viewers with a sense of deja vu.  For many decades this unusual piece graced the storied Park Hotel in Kenmare, which came under new ownership last November.  The estimate is €5,000-€7,000.

    The sale offers more than 100 lots from this luxurious hotel including a suite of four landscape scenes from the circle of Flemish baroque painter David Teniers the Younger (1610-1690) which graced the main stairway.  The estimate is €3,000-€4,000.

    Wall Dark Green (2021) by Sean Scully at Morgan O’Driscoll. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    Old Road, Caherciveen by Jack Butler Yeats ( €180,000-€240,000), Study of Self (1994) by Louis le Brocquy (€120,000-€180,000) and Gerard Dillon’s The Table in the Blue Room (€100,000-€150,000) are among leading lots at Morgan O’Driscoll’s sale.  The 172 lots on offer include a seductive selection of work by artists ranging from Roderic O’Conor, George Mounsey Wheatley Atkinson and Donald Teskey to Patrick Scott, Genieve Figgis and Felim Egan.

    There is sculpture by John Behan and highly collectible work by Frank Auerbach, Albert Irvin and William Scott in a sale that is on view all weekend  and on Monday at the RDS.

    Meantime Fonsie Mealy offers racegoers a chance to bag the Epsom Gold Cup from 1963.  It was won in 1963 by Mrs Anne Biddle’s homebred L’Homme Arme, trained by Tommy Shaw. Born Anne Bullitt in Philadelphia she was daughter of US Ambassador William Bullitt and became, in 1966, the first woman in Ireland to be allowed a trainers licence. 

    Cork Butter Trade made his Pile  by Stephen O’Driscoll (1825-1895) at Fonsie Mealy. UPDATE: THE COLLECTION MADE 3,000 AT HAMMER

    It is unusual to find at auction a group of no less than eight charismatic Cork silhouettes by Stephen O’Driscoll (1825-1895).  These ones, to be sold as a collection at Fonsie Mealy, have typical titles like Cork Butter Trade made his Pile, The Man Wot Weighted the Cat, Cork Beggars Opera, The Council of War – a Volcano Row and The Two Paddys Blowing up the Mansion House.  The estimate is €2,000-€3,000.

    The most expensively estimated lot is an Irish Victorian giltwood side table (€20,000-€30,000) made by Arthur Jones in Dublin in 1853 and exhibited that year at The Irish Industrial Exhibition in Dublin.  At the other end of the price scale, with estimates from €20 euro up, are silver teaspoons, dessert forks, butter knives and sugar tongs. Viewing at Castlecomer is from 1 pm to 5 pm tomorrow and from 10 am to 5 pm on Monday and Tuesday.  The catalogue with almost 1,000 lots in total is online.

    George Mounsey Wheatley Atkinson – HMS Conqueror and HMS Duke of Wellington in Cork Harbour (1858) at Morgan O’Driscoll. UPDATE: THIS MADE 34,000 AT HAMMER

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    ICONIC RORY GALLAGHER GUITAR SELLS FOR £700,000 AT BONHAMS

    Thursday, October 17th, 2024

    RORY GALLAGHER’S 1961 FENDER STRATOCASTER SOLD FOR £700,000

    After just seven bids Rory Gallagher’s legendary 1961 Fender Stratocaster electric guitar sold for £700,000 (£889,400 with fees) at Bonhams in London this afternoon. Estimated at £700,000-£1 million it was secured by the National Museum of Ireland and is coming home. It was bought by Live Nation Gaiety Ltd with a view to donation to the National Museum of Ireland under Section 1003 of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997. Promoter Denis Desmond of Live Nation Gaiety, a joint venture with Live Nation, said the guitar made in Fullerton, California and purchased by Rory from Crowley’s Music Shop in Cork in 1963, will end up in Cork.

    Bidding opened at £450,000 and quickly reached £650,000. After the next telephone bid there was a long pause, no more bidders emerged and the guitar was sold. Many lots in the auction of the Rory Gallagher Collection were hotly contested and went way above estimate after bidding battles on the internet, phone and in the room. The 1958 Fender electric guitar known as Rory’s back up Strat made £127,400. A Martin D-35 flat top acoustic guitar  from 1968 made £102,000, a National Trifolian resonator guitar 1930 made £95,650, a Fender Esquire election guitar 1959 made £96,950, a Fender telecaster electric guitar made £82,950, a Martin mandolin 1942 made £51,200 and a green flight case made £14,080. The sale made a total of £2.3 million.

    (See posts on antiquesandartireland.com for October 5 and July 9, 2024)

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    HISTORIC IRISH GILTWOOD SIDE TABLE AT FONSIE MEALY SALE

    Thursday, October 17th, 2024

    Irish Victorian Giltwood Side Table and Mirror. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    This Irish giltwood side table and mirror, crafted by Arthur Jones & Sons for the Great Exhibition of 1853, is the leading lot at Fonsie Mealy’s Chatsworth autumn fine art auction on October 23 and 24 in Castlecomer.  A superb example of mid-19th century Irish craftsmanship and nationalist symbolism it is commonly referred to as “The Table of Ireland” as it captures the essence of Irish identity and national pride through a complex composition of decorative motifs. Among them are a harp, a carved mask of a bearded man crowned with a hat of shamrocks, an Irish round tower and a medieval tower house. This historic piece is estimated at €20,000-€30,000. There are 983 lots in the sale and the catalogue is online.

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    RARE 17th CENTURY SILK SAFAVID ‘POLONAISE” CARPET AT CHRISTIE’S

    Wednesday, October 16th, 2024

    A silk Safavid silk Safavid ‘Polonaise’ carpet probably Isfahan, Central Persia, early 17th century

    A recently discovered 17th century silk Safavid ‘Polonaise’ carpet probably from Isfahan will lead Christie’s Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds sale in London on October 24. It was woven in Persia during the reign of Shah Abbas the Great (1588-1629) and has remained preserved in remarkable condition in a Japanese private collection until very recently. This previously unrecorded rare silk carpet is estimated at £1 million – £2 million. The auction offers a curated selection of carpets, ceramics, manuscripts, textiles, works on paper and metalwork from across the Islamic world, with objects spanning over a thousand years of history.  

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    IRISH GEORGIAN SIDE TABLE MAKES €30,000 AT HAMMER

    Tuesday, October 15th, 2024

    Irish George II mahogany side table made €30,000 at hammer

    Irish furniture of the mid-18th century can be identified by its specific idiosyncrasies, and in particular with tables and stands, where the frieze and aprons served as the area that furniture makers were able to show off their imagination and skill. Scallop shells were some of the most prominent carvings used as decoration on tables from this period. It emerged as an important part of the lexicon of Irish furniture and decorative arts in the 18th century. The pair of doves which also accompany the shell in the frieze of this table further expressed the symbolism of love, peace and harmony. They are position in opposing directions with wings spread, creating a wonderful balance and sense of movement to the carving. The remainder of the frieze is embellished with fleur-de-lys, foliage and rosettes. This Irish c1750 mahogany side table made a hammer price of €30,000 at the James Adam Townley Hall sale today against an estimate of €30,000-€40,000.

    A portrait of Sir Francis Wyndham by John Michael Wright (1617-1694) last auctioned at the Adare Manor sale in 1982 made €73,000 at hammer; a half length portrait of Queen Mary attributed to Sir Godfrey Knellar made €22,000; a still life by Nicola Cassisa, Naples (1680-1730) made €15,000; a set of 12 George II silver dinner plates from Drogheda House, Dublin by by Robert Calderwood c1737 made €14,000; a set of four large George III silver candlesticks by Richard Williams, Dublin c1765 made €14,000; a Dutch Book of Hours made €12,000; a George IV twin pedestal partners desk made €11,000; a 19th century Continental School painting of a Red Ibis made €11,000; a French ormolu mounted commode made €11,000; an 18th century Irish mahogany side table made €8,000; a large Donegal carpet made €10,000, a Regency brass inlaid sofa table made €10,000 and a Victorian silver inkwell in the form of a donkey carrying panniers made €11,000.

    A Red Ibis Standing in a Leafy Stream, Continental School, 19th century made €11,000 at hammer over a top estimate of €800.

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    AN IRISH DINING TABLE AT SOTHEBY’S IN NEW YORK

    Tuesday, October 15th, 2024

    This Irish George II carved and figTCeramics which closes in New York on October 16. The estimate is $5,000-$7,000. A c1760 Irish silver soup tureen and cover in the same sale is estimated at $4,000-$6,000. UPDATE: The table and the tureen were unsold

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    IRISHMAN’S HEROIC COLDITZ ESCAPE MEDAL SOLD AT NOONANS

    Monday, October 14th, 2024

    A Second War St. Nazaire raid and Colditz “home-run” D.S.C. and Bar group of seven awarded to Commander W. L. “Billie” Stephens of Northern Ireland sold for a hammer price of £48,000 at Noonans latest sale of Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria.

    Christopher Mellor-Hill, Head of Client Liaison at Noonans, said: Medals relating to Colditz and the heroic stories of those who tried to escape always attract strong interest. The story of William Lawson “Billie” Stephens, who was born in Holywood, Northern Ireland in August 1911 into a prominent Ulster family is no different. His Second War Distinguished Service Cross was awarded for his gallantry during both the St. Nazaire raid and Colditz. He had been taken prisoner after his own launch was set on fire, however he endeavoured to make a successful bid for freedom with three others from the infamous Colditz Castle in October 1942 during a breakout conducted by Douglas Bader that culminated with the four men squeezing naked through a narrow vent! It was being sold as part of a deceased estate.”

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    SPECTACULAR SELECTION AT ADAMS TOWNLEY HALL SALE

    Saturday, October 12th, 2024

    A pair of Irish George II style carved console tables with hairy paw feet UPDATE; THESE WERE UNSOLD

    Silver dinner plates from a grand house on Sackville St., a commode decorated in the neo-classical manner of Angelica Kauffman, a Wyndham family portrait from Adare Manor, an Irish Regency chiffonier almost certainly made in Cork, a very rare Huguenot silver beer mug and even a disgraced cardinal feature at Adam’s spectacular Country House Collection auction next week.

    Viewing starts today for this annual auction mostly drawn from country houses in Ireland such as Doneraile, Hamwood and Mount Stewart in the splendid surroundings of Townley Hall, a Georgian country house near Drogheda.  The auction will take place over two days, with an online sale on Monday October 14 and a live sale at Adams at St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin on the following day.  

    This extra special sale is a highlight of the annual antique and fine art calendar in Ireland.  With estimates  from €100 to €40,000 the emphasis is on quality and rarity which underlines something always re-enforced on these pages; quality is by no means the exclusive preserve of the super rich, it is for anyone with a discriminating eye.

    A 1727 Irish beer jug in the Huguenot style UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    Among various highlights on offer is a set of 12 George II silver dinner plates from Drogheda House, Sackville St., Dublin made around 1737 by one of the most celebrated silversmiths of the day Robert Calderwood (€15,000-€20,000). The same estimate is on a George I Irish beer mug made by Matthew Walker c1727.  The elegant style of this silver mug was introduced into Ireland by the Huguenots and there is a similar example in the Smithsonian Institution.

    A 19th century demi-lune commode complete with painted roundels in the manner of Angelica Kauffman is estimated at €10,000-€15,000. So is a pair of Irish George II style marble top console tables with rectangular marble tops and terminating in block mounted hairy paw feet.

    A 1671 portrait of Sir Francis Wyndham, 1st Baronet of Trent in a suit of armour by John Michael Wright (1617-1694) is estimated at €20,000-€30,000.  He is associated with Adare and the Quin and Wyndham families and this painting was in the Adare Manor sale in the 1980’s.  In the early 19th century the Pain brothers James and George were commissioned to begin redesigning the house into a manor.  Their lasting legacy is the spectacular gallery at Adare, then considered to be the largest domestic room in Ireland.

    Samuel West – Cardinal Wolsey leaving London after his Disgrace UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    Cardinal Wolsey leaving London after his Disgrace by the Cork artist Samuel West (1810-1867) was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1841, the British Institution in 1842 and the Cork Art Union in 1843.  Samuel West was born in Cork in 1810 to a bookseller father who had moved from London and is thought to have started his art education in Cork before moving to Rome to study.  The rise of the English statesman and Catholic cardinal Thomas Wolsey coincided with the accession of Henry VIII. He fell out of favour after failing to negotiate an annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon, retreated to York and died of natural causes following an accident when returning to London to answer charges of treason.

    Wolsey lived at the Palace of Whitehall. This was taken over by Henry as his principal residence in the capital and served as seat of English monarchs until destroyed by fire in 1698. Cardinal Wolsey was in a non canonical marriage with Joan Larke of Yarmouth and they had two children. A woman and two children are featured in the painting, now estimated at €20,000-€30,000. 

    An Irish Regency rosewood and brass inlaid chiffonier has a Dublin trade label but is thought likely to be a Cork piece because of  features characteristic of Cork workshops in the 18th and 29th centuries.  These include shaped rope twist sides, spiral reeded columns, reeded edge and bun feet. The estimate is €8,000-€12,000.  A pair of Waterford oval cut glass mirrors with blue and clear glass border is also estimated at €8,000-€12,000.

    If you are unable to make it to Townley Hall the catalogue for this large and impressive sale is online.

    An Irish Regency chiffonier, probably made in Cork. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

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    TSAR’S TREASURE AT SOTHEBY’S JEWELLERY AUCTION IN GENEVA

    Friday, October 11th, 2024

    Gem set and diamond bracelet, Eugène Fontenay, circa 1870. UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR CHF156,000

    Royal jewellery from the collection of Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria (1861-1948) will highlight Sotheby’s Royal and Noble jewels sale in Geneva on November 13. With 114 lots, spanning nearly a century in the history of the family of Tsar Ferdinand of Saxe-Cobourg-Gotha, the collection is testimony to Tsar Ferdinand’s exquisite taste, nurtured by his mother, Princess Clementine of Orleans, daughter of the last French King Louis Philippe – herself an avid jewellery collector.

    Along with pieces owned by Tsar Ferdinand and heirlooms from his mother there ius jewellery passed down through generations of the Tsar’s immediate lineage as well as pieces made for his children – especially his daughters Princesses Eudoxia and Nadezha.

    The top lot is a yellow gold tie pin with a fleur-de-lis motif set with a 2.08 carat pear-shaped Fancy Gray-Blue diamond and four coloured diamonds, including a 0.65 carat Fancy Pink diamond, a 0.52 Fancy Green diamond, a 0.47 carat Fancy Deep Brown-Orange diamond and a 0.13 carat Fancy Intense Green-Yellow diamond. The estimate is US$500,000$700,000. The bracelet illustrated above is estimated at $40,000-$60,000.

    Fancy Gray-Blue diamond and coloured diamond tie pin, early 20th century. UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR CHF516,000

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    ADAMS COUNTRY HOUSE COLLECTIONS SALE AT TOWNLEY HALL

    Sunday, October 6th, 2024

    A pair of mid 18th century card tables. UPDATE: THESE WERE UNSOLD

    A pair of mid 18th century folding top card tables one of which was in the renowned collection of Simon Sainsbury – scion of the famous retailing family who died in 2006 – and a c1750 Irish side table will lead Adams annual Country House Collections at Townley Hall sale on October 14 and 15. Each lot is estimated at €30,000-€40,000. 

    With portraits, hard to come by collectible silver, beautiful furniture and collectibles this annual extravaganza of a sale abounds with rare and rich lots and is a magnet for collectors in Ireland and beyond. Two 18th century Irish School views  of the Barne Estate between Clonmel and Cahir, a commanding presence to this day, carry an estimate of €10,000-€15,000.  The online catalogue is brimful of items of interest. Viewing gets underway at Townley Hall near Drogheda on October 12.  An online only sale with 245 lots gets underway on October 14 and there will be a live auction of 460 lots at Adams headquarters at St. Stephen’s Green in Dublin at 11 am the following day.

    Two 18th century Irish School views of the Barne Estate, Co. Tipperary. UPDATE: THE PAIR MADE 9,500 AT HAMMER

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