Michael Collins bible, with him when he died. UPDATE: THIS MADE 12,500 AT HAMMER
The pocket bible carried by Michael Collins, with him when he died, comes up at Whyte’s Eclectic Collector timed online auction in Dublin today. Collins would have received a copy of this Protestant version of the scriptures when working as a post office clerk in London from 1907-1910. Lot 269 is estimated at €3,000-€5,000. The sale, which ends from 2 pm, has a wide variety of political, sporting and historic collecibles from ancient Celtic stone heads to a signed Beatles photograph and a Rory Gallagher archive.
An Empire design centre table. UPDATE: THIS MADE 500 AT HAMMER
Temptation beckons in a live online sale of ecclesiastical and decorative items from the Franciscan Community in Ireland and some other clients on May 16-17 at 5 pm on each day. A variety of paintings, Oriental rugs, statues, garden seating, pedestals, desks, candlesticks and antique furniture among 874 lots. Leading the auction is a 19th century oil on canvas titled The Inquisition, an inlaid marble fire surround in the manner of Pietro Bossi and a marble statue of St. Joseph and Child. All are estimated at €2,000-€4,000. Collectibles include an early carved wood Penal cross (€800-€1,200), a baroque oak dome top chest (€600-€1,000), an outdoor limestone font with inscription (€500-€1,000) and a finely made model of a church complete with oak furnishings (€400-€800). There is a Georgian brass dial long case clock, an early Victorian d-end dining table, a pair of Chippendale style wingback armchairs and an Empire centre table with an amboyna and macassar top and ebonised supports among a good selection of furniture. The auction will be conducted by Aidan Foley in co-ordination with Niall Mullen. It is on view at Cook St., Dublin 8 today, tomorrow and Monday and the catalogue is online.
An inlaid fire surround in the manner of Pietro Bossi UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,900 AT HAMMER
A letter handwritten in 1971 by Lord Mountbatten from Classiebawn Castle on the subject of security comes up as lot 336 at Whyte’s timed online Eclectic Collector sale in Dublin on May 13. It was sent to Garda Superintendent Long. Written on Classiebawn Castle crested notepaper Mountbatten thanks Superintendent Long for ‘coming here to see me about the question of security and for the admirable arrangements you made for my protection’. He mentions enclosing a paperback edition of The Life And Times Of Lord Mountbatten by John Terraine. The book is with this lot, inscribed ‘Pauline Long, October 1971’.
Lord Mountbatten was assassinated by the IRA on 27 August 1979, by a bomb in his boat. The letter is estimated at €800-€1,200. Viewing for the sale gets underway at Whyte’s Galleries at Molesworth St., Dublin today. UPDATE: THIS MADE 750 AT HAMMER
PERCY FRENCH (1854 – 1920) – On the road to Falcarragh
This watercolour by Percy French made a hammer price of €5,000 at the opening day of Sheppards four day sale in Durrow, Co. Laois this week. A set of Royal letters patent from King Charles II dated 1667 made €6,500, a 19th century walnut and marquetry longcase clock made €5,500, a George III automaton striking bracket clock made €4,300, a 19th century Chinese hardwood cabinet on cabinet made €4,200, a pair of 18th century Ottoman flintlock pistols made €2,200, a pair of hide upholstered wingback armchairs made €2,300, an 18th century Irish settee made €2,000, a Killarney cabinet made €1,800, a George III side table made €2,400, a George III inlaid breakfront bookcase made €4,400 and a Chinese archaic bronze bell made €28,000.
This Chinese archaic bronze bell made €28,000 at hammer.
Alpha, a cast and fabricated unique bronze by renowned Irish sculptor Eilis O’Connell made a hammer price of €2,400 at the James Adam timed online Mid-Century Modern sale in Dublin today. It had been estimated at €1,200-1,600. The sculpture was used as the invitation image for the 2015 exhibition Eilis O’Connell: Khôra at Hillsboro Fine Art, Dublin, An armchair by Eileen Gray made €3,400, a set of four rosewood chairs by Nils Otto Muller made €2,600, a 2003 oil on canvas, Transverse by Mark Francis, made €13,000, Interior with Wine Jar by Stephen McKenna made €11,000 and a chaise longue by le Corbusier made €2,400.
An unpublished recording is among a valuable Rory Gallagher archive at Whyte’s timed online Eclectic Collector sale which runs until Saturday May 13. Relating to his time with the Fontana Showband from Cork it includes a reel to reel tape by Kingsway Recording, London with tracks titled All the Time, I Want You to be Happy, Slow Down, My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean and Valley of Tears along with a CD copy. There are original passport photos taken in a booth in the early 1960’s, promotional cards, Evening Echo news cuttings, a New Spotlight magazine from June 1965, Rory’s harmonica and his sunglasses. Lot 540 is estimated at €15,000-€20,000. The sale offers historical artefacts, manuscripts, 1916 Rising medals, a bible which belonged to Michael Collins, sporting memorabilia, a 1916-1923 film archive, signed Beatles photographs and cinema posters. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
Dining table and ten chairs by Joseph Walsh UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
A dining suite and a cabinet by Joseph Walsh will lead Sheppards four day sale live and online from Durrow, Co. Laois from next Tuesday to Friday (May 9-12). Walsh is celebrated globally and there will be international interest in lots 2039 and 2040, the last objects to be offered in this large auction of contents from Pouldrew House, located between Kilmeaden and Portlaw in Co. Waterford, as well as from other sources. The suite comprising a black walnut and silver dining table and ten black walnut chairs with sycamore backs created at the Joseph Walsh Studio in Riverstock in 2001 is estimated at €80,000-€120,000. Walshs cabinet on stand dating from the 2001-2003 period, with a walnut case and sycamore interior, comes with an estimate of €35,000-€55,000.
Pouldrew House, home from 1992 to the late Dr. Jan Mohamed who came from Singapore to work at Waterford Regional Hospital (now University Hospital, Waterford), was a magical setting for furniture, art and collectibles acquired over the years in Asia and at country house sales in Ireland. Priscilla Presley and her daughter Lisa-Marie (who died in January) came here several times for acupuncture as a result of a recommendation from the artist Gottfried Helnwein, who lives and works in Ireland and Los Angeles. Given that today is the coronation day of Charles III there might be some extra interest in decorative letters on vellum from Charles II (1630-1685) dated 1667 granting 2,400 acres in seven towns and villages in Waterford to Thomas Brightwell. The estimate is €8,000-€12,000. (Charles I was executed in 1649, but this is an aside).
Chinese yellow glazed bowl. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
The many Oriental lots are headed by two Chinese Qing Dynasty hardwood palace cabinets, each estimated at €20,000-€30,000. A magnificent Zhengde yellow glazed bowl (€10,000-€15,000), a Qianlong celadon plate (€8,000-€10,000) and a decorated Chinese lacquered 12 panel palace folding screen (€3,000-€5,000) are feature pieces too.Among many collectibles and conversation pieces is a 19th century Venetian walnut throne chair (€4,000-€6,000), a late 17th century Flemish tapestry (€5,000-€8,000), an 18th century leather panelled sedan chair (€5,000-€8,000), a c1830 monumental American carved wood eagle (€3,000-€5,000) and a signed 1945 World War II war crimes investigation team pewter tankard from Singapore (€500-€800). Leading jewellery lots include a 3.70 carat three stone diamond ring (€20,000-€30,000), a four stone diamond ring (€12,000-€14,000), Colombian emerald and diamond earrings (€8,000-€12,000), a diamond cluster ring (€8,000-€12,000) and an emerald and diamond ring (€6,000-€9,000). The most expensively estimated painting is a Donegal watercolour landscape by Percy French (€5,000-€8,000). There are two mid 20th century Donegal carpets and a good selection of Oriental rugs, runners and carpets in a sale with much interest for all sorts of collectors. The auction is on view in Durrow today, tomorrow and Monday. The catalogue is online and around 500 lots will be sold on each day.
17th century Flemish tapestry. UPDATE: THIS MADE €4,300 AT HAMMER
GAETANO PESCE (B.1939) – ‘Up-5 Donna’ armchair with ‘Up-6 Donna’ ottoman. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
Originally designed in 1969 this arresting armchair and ottoman by Gaetano Pesce comes up as lot 37 at Adams Mid-Century Modern sale on May 9. It is estimated at 4,000-6,000. Viewing for this timed online auction gets underway in Dublin today and continues over the weekend. The catalogue is online.
This Chinese lacquered palace folding screen with 12 gilded panels comes up at Sheppards four day sale of contents from Pouldrew House, Co. Waterford and other clients in Durrow from May 9-12. Decorated with exotic birds among blossums Lot 25 is estimated at 3,000-5,000. It is from the collection of the late Dr. Jan Mohamed. Around 2000 lots are to be offered, with 500 coming under the hammer on each day. The catalogue is online. Viewing in Durrow gets underway on May 6 and the catalogue is online. UPDATE: THIS MADE €2,900 AT HAMMER
Stage Costumes, handwritten lyrics, fine and decorative arts, Japanese art, precious objects and a trove of Freddy Mercury’s personal belongings will be sold by Sotheby’s this summer. While Mercury captivated audiences across the globe, it was at his beloved home – Garden Lodge in Kensington, West London – where he fashioned his own private world, assembling a collection that reflected and fired his expansive imagination.
For some 30 years, Garden Lodge has remained almost entirely as Mercury left it, complete with the many works of art that spoke to him so deeply: from Victorian paintings and striking works on paper by the greatest artists of the 20th century, to the finest examples of the glass maker’s art (a medium he loved beyond measure) and other beautiful objects; and from the exceptional fabrics and fine works he would seek out on trips to Japan, to the smaller, more personal items that were such an important part of his daily life. All complemented by defining objects from his more public life: a number of never-before-seen drafts of the immortal song lyrics, along with some of the riotous costumes that were the hallmark of Mercury’s signature style.
Freddy Mercury’s Martin D35 acoustic guitar
This summer, the contents of Garden Lodge, all lovingly cherished and cared for over the last three decades, will be revealed to the public for the first time in a dedicated month-long exhibition at Sotheby’s in London, which will see every inch of the company’s 16,000 square foot gallery space dedicated to celebrating Mercury’s rich and multi-faceted life and passions, culminating in six dedicated sales in September, each one devoted to a different aspect of his life, both public and private.
Pablo Picasso, Jaqueline au Chapeau Noir (1962
Mary Austin, one of Mercury’s closest and most trusted friends, has treasured and cared for his home and everything in it for the last thirty years.
The month-long exhibition at Sotheby’s this summer will see all 1,500 or so items from Garden Lodge displayed in a sequence of specially designed immersive galleries, each one devoted to a different aspect of Mercury’s rich and varied life. The exhibition will open on August 4, and close on what would have been his 77th birthday, September 5. Prior to the exhibition highlights from will tour to New York, London, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong in June.
The six dedicated auctions which follow will kick off with a live evening sale on September 6 with a cross-section of the most significant items.
