THIS Victorian oak cased taxidermy display is lot 10 at the Library Collection sale at James Adam in Dublin on April 26. Viewing for this exciting sale with all kinds of everything thrown in gets underway in Dublin today. The display here depicts grey partridges in a rocky scrub setting. It is contained in a fine case on stand with spiral turned legs and stretcher and is estimated at 1,000-1,500. The catalogue is online.
This 19th century bentwood prie dieu (€800-€1,400) by Thonet comes up as lot 789 at Victor Mee’s two day sale of decorative interiors on April 19 and 20 at 5 pm on each day. Michael Thonet, the inventor of bentwood furniture, set up his business in 1819 and is still in existence today. The online auction features a selection of garden pieces including a composition stone gazebo with a metal roof (lot 983 estimated at €3,000-€5,000) along with decor, furnishings and artwork.
The online auction at Hegarty’s in Bandon on April 19 offers a selection of antique furniture, art, jewellery and collectibles. From an Art Deco bracelet and a diamond ring to a view of Lake Maggiore by Eugenio Gignous and a Chippendale style glazed display cabinet the auction will give collectors plenty to think about. The catalogue is online.
Property from the life and eight decade spanning career of legendary actress Betty White comes up live and online at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills on September 23, 24 and 25. On offer is a collection of over 1,500 lots featuring awards, scripts, wardrobe and memorabilia from iconic television shows and films, as well as furnishings, artwork, fine jewellery, household and personal items from her homes in Brentwood and Carmel, California. Irish fans of the actress who died just short of her 100th birthday last December 31 will have a chance to see the collection at the Museum of Style Icons at Newbridge, Co. Kildare from August 1 to September 11.
Highlights include White’s original director chair from The Golden Girls set; the first draft script, a production script used for the finale of the series signed by Betty White, Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, a large number of production scripts from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a goodbye plaque from the cast and crew of The Betty White Show and numerous awards and nomination certificates including Emmy award nomination certificates for The Golden Girls, Saturday Night Live and Hot in Cleveland.
UPDATE: THIS WAS A WHITE GLOVE AUCTION IN WHICH EVERY LOT SOLD. A director’s chair used by Betty White during the production of The Golden Girls sold for an incredible $76,800, seventy-six times its original estimate of $1,000.
THIS Killarney davenport made a hammer price of 11,000 at Aidan Foley’s sale in Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare, today. The 19th century piece is inlaid with yew and arbutus wood profusely decorated with shamrocks and an Irish Harp, a deer and an eagle. A Victorian mahogany serving table made 2,500 and a pair of satinwood commodes made 2,200.
Georgian, William IV, Regency and Edwardian furniture will come up at Woodwards online sale in Cork on April 2. Highlights in this sale of more than 300 lots include a Regency inlaid yew fitted work table (€1,500-€2,500), a George II walnut kneehole desk €1,000-€1,500) and a pair of Coalbrookdale garden benches (€1,500-€2,000). Estimates are more reasonable than would have been the case a couple of decades ago, underlining once again how vintage furniture is undervalued right now. Here are some examples: A George II walnut card table (€700-€1,000); Edwardian cellarette (€400-€600); William IV rosewood teapoy (€600-€1,000); three pillar d-end dining table (€500-€800); Regency gilt window seat (€400-€600); Georgian walnut bureau €400-€600); Georgian library armchair (500-€800); Edwardian bonheur du jour (€300-€400) and a Victorian walnut drop leaf table (€400-€600).
This Victorian walnut clock comes up as lot 176 at Aidan Foley’s three day antique and home interiors auction in Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare on April 3, 4 and 5. It is estimated at 200-300. With a total of 1,866 lots the selection on offer is extensive. The sale is built around contents from three properties in Kenmare. There is antique furniture, Irish and European art, silver and collectibles. The catalogue is online and viewing at Sixmilebridge gets underway today.
THIS Edwardian corner cabinet comes up at Hegarty’s fine interiors sale in Bandon on March 29 with an estimate of just 200-300. The auction offers a selection of 270 lots of antique furniture, art, silver, jewellery and rugs. The catalogue is online.
This Chinese Export lacquered work box and writing stand has provenance by repute to the Drogheda born Irish actress Eliza O’Neill, Lady Wrixon-Becher (1791-1872). Regarded as the foremost tragic actress on the London stage and worthy successor to Sarah Siddons she earned a reputation for meanness, possibly because she had a large family to support. Thackery included this trait in his portrait of Irish actress Emily Costigan in his novel Pendennis. At the height of her fame she returned to Ireland in 1819 and concluded her career. Eliza married Sir William Wrixon-Becher (1780-1850), improving landlord, MP for Mallow and an amateur actor. Mother of three sons and two daughters she spent the greater part of her retirement at her family home at Ballygiblin, Co. Cork. The workbox comes up at Bonhams Home and Interiors sale in Knightsbridge on March 29-30 with an estimate of £600-£800 (€714-€953). UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
A Regency cheval mirror with satinwood crossbanding is among the lots of interest at Matthews sale of the entire contents of Rath House in Dundalk online from Kells, Co. Meath on March 20. The sale of 1,117 lots includes antique furniture, paintings, silver and collectibles. There are tables, sets of chairs, chests of drawers, bookcases, Oriental porcelain, Waterford Crystal, Victorian landscapes and portraits and all sorts of collectibles among a wide variety of lots. Viewing is now underway and the auction will be online.
The sale is a prelude to a number of auctions next week and the week after. Purcell Auctioneers in Birr will offer a 1908 limited edition Collected Works of W.B. Yeats (update – hammer 2,400) in verse and prose as a highlight of their sale of Irish and world interest books on March 23. A very rare Treatise on the Art of War by Roger, Earl of Orrery from 1677 comes up too (update – this made 1,250 at hammer). Works by Richard Brydges Beechey, Roderic O’Conor and William Orpen’s portrait of James Hugh Smith-Barry will highlight Fonsie Mealy’s sale of Irish and International Art on March 23. There are 236 lots on offer. A 48 hour timed online auction of jewellery by O’Reilly’s of Francis St. in Dublin runs from March 23-25.