ONE of the more unusual lots at the magnificent Country House Collections sale by James Adam is a painting of a famous horse complete with its skull. Valentine and Splendour are two historically important racehorses and each one is depicted in a pair of sporting paintings attributed to William Brocas. Valentine is best known for his performance at the 1840 Grand National in which he came third. A fence at Aintree is named after Valentine to this day. The horses’ skull is included in the lot which has come down through the Power family of Gurteen and Curraghchase.
More than 720 lots will come under the hammer at the James Adam sale at Townley Hall, Drogheda, Co. Louth on October 15.
VALENTINE from one of a pair of equestrian portraits estimated at 15,000-20,000 UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
Hurricane Lorenzo – now bearing down on the island of Ireland as a tropical storm – is a timely reminder of an auction in aid of the RNLI – the largest charity that saves lives at sea – in the seafaring town of Kinsale in Co. Cork on October 6. Auctioneer Aidan Foley will offer a selection of donated lots including artwork, jewellery, antique furniture, garden items and collectibles at The White Lady in aid of this worthy charity.
A pair of engravings of Cork by Henry Morgan will come up at the Lynes and Lynes sale in Carrigtwohill on October 5. They are from a series of 28 lithographs published by Henry Morgan around 1849. Cork City Library holds a copy of the series reprinted by Feehan and Sons in 1999 and a number of older reprints in varying condition. The engravings are estimated at 100-200.The auction comprises around 400 lots. Collectibles include a pair of antique cast iron signal cannons (800-1,200), Kew Gardens by Virginia Woolf and a collection of seven Ian Fleming first editions.
Henry Morgan’s mid 19th century engraving of Belvelly Bridge and Castle
A carved French bed at Fonsie Mealy’s sale in Thurles on October 1 is reputed to have belonged to the Empress Josephine, wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. The 4’6″ 18th century bed has been at Glengarriff, Thurles – home of the Carrigan family for over 100 years – since 1962. It was purchased that year at the contents sale of the Duke de Stacpoole, Tobertynan, Longwood, Co. Meath where it was reputed by strong family tradition to have been originally owned by Josephine. Longwood House on the island of St. Helena where Napoleon was exiled was his final residence and he died there. The bed is estimated at 2,000-3,000.More than 500 lots including heirlooms from the Carrigan family and items from other private clients will go under the hammer. There is furniture, paintings, prints, silver, Chinese porcelain, sporting guns, garden furniture, books and maps. A set of 19th century Irish miniatures of the Shipsey family of Cape Clear is estimated at 700-800. An early watercolour by Peter Curling, Caught in the Ditch, depicts a jockey and a distressed horse and was painted in 1974 when the noted equestrian artist was just 19. It is estimated at 1,000-1,500. Among other equestrian artworks is an oil by Gilbert Halliday “The Hunt, at Woolwich drag” (10,000-15,000). There are some Old Master paintings and prints including a portrait of Jan de Middelste (1561-1623) by a follower of Anthonisz van Ravesteyn (2,000-3,000).The highlight of over 70 lots of silver is an 18th century Irish provincial sauceboat with the makers mark PW, possibly Peter Webb of Limerick (2,000-3,000). There is a collection of sporting guns, a first edition of the History of Clonmel by Rev William P Burke (1907) and a hand coloured copy of the 1843 Ordnance Survey of Tipperary North Riding. The catalogue is online.
Bed reputedly owned by Empress Josephine UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 2,200 AT HAMMERA group of five miniature portraits of the Shipsey family of Cape Clear UPDATE: THESE MADE 2,500 AT HAMMER
Fonsie Mealy’s sale of contents of Glengarriff, Thurles, Co. Tipperary on October 1 will offer more than 500 lots of furniture, paintings, prints, silver, Chinese porcelain, sporting guns, garden furniture, books and maps. The auction will include heirlooms from the Carrigan family and items from other private clients. Viewing is on the premises on September 29 and 30, the sale will be held at the Anner Hotel in Thurles at 11 am.
An Arts and Crafts Library Table with the label Battam, Heywood and Hanks, Oxford St. and Berners St., London (2,000-3,000). UPDATE: THIS MADE 2,700 AT HAMMER
A William Morris Donegal carpet with an all over bold pattern made a hammer price of 5,200 on day two of Sheppards sale in Durrow today. A Donegal carpet designed by CFA Voysey made 5,400 at hammer. A pair of 19th century cloisonne lamps made 4,800. The Jews Harp, an oil on canvas by Robert Gemmill Hutchison (1860-1936) made 4,600, Horse in a landscape by Wright Barker (1864-1941) made 6,400, Le Triomphe de la Republique by Henri F Bellan (1899) made 9,500, a set of 12 Edwardian Chippendale style dining chairs made 4,400, an 18th century Chinese Chippendale table made 7,500 and a pair of brass bound mahogany peat buckets made 2,400. Jewellery made good prices. An 18 carat white gold tennis bracelet made 9,000 and a white gold solitaire diamond ring made 12,000. A pair of large Qing famille rose bowls made 7,800.
The Rescue by Arthur Wardle (1864-1949) was among the top lots on the opening day at Sheppard’s Legacy of the Big House sale in Durrow today. It made a hammer price of 11,000. A pair of 19th century ebony pier cabinets made 9,000 at hammer; a pair of 19th century walnut and marquetry plinths sold for 7,500; a pair of 18th century Gainsborough chairs made 5,600; a 19th century Sevres urn made 5,000 and a pair of 19th century Vienna porcelain ewers made 4,400. The auction continues tomorrow.
What is described as The Legacy of the Big House, Sheppards two day sale in Durrow on September 24 and 25 is packed to the brim with objects that might readily fit into any home, big or small.On offer is an across the board selection of more than 1,300 lots of furniture, jewellery, Chinese and Japanese art and collectibles, sculpture, rugs and militaria. The auction kicks off at 10.30 am on September 24 with some French bronzes and militaria, including ceremonial swords and antique percussion pistols. Continuing the theme of decorating the walls there are some beautiful old mirrors, wall lights, sconces and art to suit all tastes. Then there is the furniture and the selection is interesting. There are all sorts of chairs, singly, in pairs, dining chairs, couches, settees, library chairs, window seats, stools and even a set of eight Provincial ladder back chairs with rush panelled seats. There are desks, occasional tables, centre tables, side tables, silver tables, wine tables, serving tables, games tables, console tables, a Chinese hardwood table, chests of drawers, side cabinets, peat buckets, log barrels, a Chinese lacquered cabinet and bookcases. There are rugs, silver and plate, lots of Oriental ceramics, African ceremonial masks, a couple of chimney pieces, glass and collectibles.Estimates vary widely which makes this a sale for all pockets. The auction will be over four sessions at 10.30 am and 2 pm each day and it will be live online.
18th century carved giltwood mirror UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 4,200
The venerable London antique firm Apter-Fredericks is closing three floors of showrooms and moving to an online business model. In mid September they will vacate the Fulham Road premises, their location for the past 73 years. A company statement said: “Despite this change, Apter-Fredericks is still committed to dealing in the finest eighteenth century English furniture. We are keen to embrace the future and operate in the new norm. Our business will continue to offer fine and important pieces of English furniture to private clients, interior designers and institutions. We shall be available to assist in sourcing, selling and restoration.”
The firm will continue to present our stock by website and will be available to view by appointment and at art fairs – specifically Masterpiece London and the Winter Show New York.
“In giving up the shop with our three floors of showrooms, we find our storerooms rather over-stretched. We would encourage you to contact us should you require any furniture or should you have been considering a particular piece of stock in the past, all of which will be sold at the most agreeable prices.”
THE first Sunday interior sale of the new season at Dublin auctioneers James Adam takes place on September 8. It will feature antique furniture and collectibles in porcelain, silver, glass and art. The most expensively estimated lot is a Dutch landscape by Nicolaas Johannes Roosenboom (1805-1880) (2,500-3,500). These Sunday sales offer something for both new and established collectors. The catalogue, which is online, shows 454 lots.
IRISH WILLIAM IV MAHOGANY FRAMED LIBRARY ARMCHAIR, c.1830 (400-500) UPDATE: THIS MADE 500 AT HAMMER
