Contents from Westport House, Luttrelstown Castle, Castle Durrow and Malahide Castle are among the lots at Sheppards two days sale Durrow next Tuesday and Wednesday. More than 1,200 lots will come under the hammer at auctions scheduled to begin at 10.30 am and 2 pm on Tuesday and Wednesday. There is a French ormolu corner cabinet from Westport House, a brass lantern from Luttrelstown Castle, a 19th century tapestry from Malahide Castle with lurchers and the castle in the background and a pair of William IV ebony curtain poles from Castle Durrow. Among the other lots from these sources are a pair of Irish mahogany side tables, a 19th century pine farmhouse table, an 18th century blunderbuss by Rigby of Dublin (3,000-5,000), a 17th century Italian School oil of The Last Supper, a pair of bronze Egyptian figures by Emile Louis Picault (1833-1915) and a 19th century classical urn.
One of a pair of Irish mahogany side tables UPDATE: THIS LOT MADE 4,400 AT HAMMER
Mid Century Modern is the title of the auction at James Adam in Dublin at 6 pm on April 30. This is a sale of 123 lots of 20th century furniture, lighting, glass, mirrors, sculpture and art with work by Nevill Johnson, Felim Egan, John Shinnors, Alice Maher, Sean Scully, Mark Francis and others. The catalogue is online.
Cecil King (1921-1986) Nexus II UPDATE: THIS MADE 3,000 AT HAMMEREAMES SOFT PAD OFFICE CHAIR, by Vitra UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 1,400
The Great Irish Interiors auction at Sheppards in Durrow on April 30 and May 1 will see more than 1,200 lots come under the hammer. There is a very good across the board selection at all price levels. There is garden furniture and statuary, art, silver, antique furniture, Oriental porcelain, brassware and a variety of collectibles. Adding even more interest is the fact that the sale will include lots from Westport House, Luttrellstown Castle, Castle Durrow and Malahide Castle. The catalogue is online. Here is a small selection:
Ballyconneely in Connemara is the venue for an Easter Sunday art and antique auction at 2 pm tomorrow. Dolan’s art auction house will offer nearly 400 lots at a sale timed to coincide with the busy Bank Holiday weekend in the west of Ireland. Dolan’s holiday auctions in Connemara are always crowd pullers and this one features art by Kenneth Webb, Hughie O’Donoghue, Edward Delaney, Sean Keating, Harry Kernoff, Sean McSweeney, George Campbell, Norah McGuinness, Tony O’Malley, Charles Harper, Mark O’Neill, Carina Scott, Arthur Maderson and many more.
There are some vintage toy cars by makers like Triang and Dinky, a Hornby train set, a set of three antique ebony elephants with ivory tusks, ebonised and inlaid cabinets, antique furniture including easy chairs, dining chairs, a sofa table, long case clocks, rugs, porcelain, silver and glass. Estimates for the art on offer range from a couple of hundred euro to 12,500, the top estimate for an orange cat tapestry by Graham Knuttel. This is inscribed “Tapisserie D’Aubusson Felletin” and the estimate is 7,500-12,500.
Brooks Emporium, Baggot St. Lower by John BrobbelStanding Figures by Edward Delaney
An Irish Library – the sale at James Adam in Dublin at noon next on April 17 – reflects the sort of weird and wonderful idea of the library in an Irish country house. This is as repository for all sorts of exotica. This interesting sale offers a range of books, furniture, art, taxidermy and militaria. Ten coloured engravings by Giovanni Ottaviani of Raphael’s Loggia, an outstanding pair of celestial and terrestrial globes, a pair of Irish carved side tables, a magnificent George II secretaire and a Killarney davenport are among the prime lots There is art by Richard Carver, Edwin Hayes and Erskine Nicol and taxidermy includes antlers, a wild boar, a lion and a bear cub. The catalogue is online.
A pair of George IV celestial and terrestrial globes by Newton UPDATE: THESE MADE 30,000 AT HAMMER
With everything from a portrait of Lord Tracton to the Dennis silver tray which recounts in Victorian detail the sterling efforts of a magistrate in Wicklow to repress insubordination along the borders of Wicklow, Carlow and Kildare in 1822 the Fortgranite house contents sale by Fonsie Mealy next Tuesday offers much to tempt collectors. Among more than 850 lots are a Qing Dynasty cabinet, war medals from both World Wars, a Boer war letter from Winston Churchill and a Qing Dynasty cabinet. Fortgranite in Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow was the home of the Dennis family for three centuries. They were originally Swifts, related to Jonathan Swift, Dean of St. Patrick’s, satirist and creator of Gulliver’s Travels, who changed their name to inherit an estate at Tracton in Cork. This inheritance was highlighted on these pages last Saturday through lot 428, letters patent on vellum from King George III granting the title Baron Tracton to James Dennis, son of a timber merchant of Kinsale, who died childless in 1782.The lavishly decorated Dennis silver tray, made in Dublin in 1822, was presented by local bigwigs to Thomas Stratford Dennis: ” …. for his conspicuous Zeal and active intrepidity as a Magistrate of their County And for his successful exertions in repressing the spirit of insubordination and contempt for the Laws which prevailed along the borders of the Counties of Wicklow Carlow and Kildare in the year 1822″. That year marked an ongoing economic slump following the end of the Napoleonic Wars, a disastrous potato crop failure and agrarian unrest.Lot 358 is a tooled gilt binding published in London in 1741 and estimated at 1,000-1,500. By Lewis Riccoboni it is an historical account of the Italian, Spanish, French, English, Dutch, Flemish and German theatres. The carved hardwood Qing Dynasty cabinet, purchased in Hong Kong, is estimated at 2,000-3,000. A portrait of Esther Johnson in the style of James Latham is estimated at 7,000-10,000. She was Dean Swift’s Stella and rumoured to have been his wife.
UPDATE: The sale realised 660,000 on the hammer and was 95% sold. The top lot was an Irish George II hunt table which made 25,000 at hammer.
A 1741 edition of the history of theatres in Europe UPDATE: THIS MADE 620 AT HAMMER: THE DENNIS SILVER TRAY SOLD FOR 12,000
THE Irish Library sale at James Adam in Dublin on April 17 contains some remarkable pieces of Irish furniture and numerous collectible items. There is a collection of militaria relating to the Duke of Albany’s 72nd Highland Regiment , art by Richard Carver and Edwin Hayes and a collection of taxidermy. The catalogue is online.
A PAIR OF IRISH CARVED MAHOGANY SIDE TABLES, with breccia marble tops (30,000-50,000) UPDATE: THESE WERE UNSOLD
Contents from Fortgranite at Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow – home of the Dennis family for three centuries – will be offered by Fonsie Mealy on April 16. The family, originally named Swift, is related to Jonathan Swift, Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, author, satirist and creator of Gulliver’s Travels. They changed their name for inheritance purposes. Among 850 lots is a portrait of Esther Johnson in the style of James Latham estimated at 7,000-10,000. Dean Swift’s Stella she is rumoured to have been his wife.
Other lots include a Boer War letter from Winston Churchill addressed to “Captain M.J.C. Dennis, K Section ‘Pompous’, 2 nd Cav. Bde, South African Field Army”, dated 4 March 1901, signed “Winston S. Churchill” and written on House of Commons notepaper. Captain Dennis took exception to Churchill’s assertion that the Boers had made more effective use of their Maxim guns than the British gunners. This is Churchill’s carefully-worded reply, in which he does not recede from his opinion.
Late 18th century/early 19th century Irish School portrait of Esther Johnson (Stella) UPDATE: THIS MADE 6,000 AT HAMMER
Oil paintings and antique furniture from a Georgian residence in Kinsale will form the bulk of lots at the Lynes and Lynes auction in Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork next Saturday (March 23). The executors sale of contents from DeCourcey House at Scilly will feature books of Cork interest including Somerville and Ross first editions and two lots from the White Star liner RMS Celtic which ran aground in Cork Harbour in 1928. Lot 100 is a large 17th century portrait in the manner of Sir Anthony van Dyck (10,000-15,000). There is a battle scene in the manner of Paul de Vos (Flemish 1595-1678) (1,500-3,000) and an oval military portrait. An Irish 19th century rent table in the style of Williams and Gibton is estimated at ,500-2,000. Other furniture includes an Irish early 19th century gothic style bookcase (600-1,000), a set of 12 Cork 11-bar dining chairs (3,000-4,000) and an arched gilt 19th century overmantle mirror with twin side columns (2,000-3,000). Books include Adventures Amidst The Equatorial Forests and Rivers of South America and In the West Indies And the Wilds of Florida by Villiers Stuart of Dromana on the River Blackwater. Sketches in India taken at Hyderabad and Secunderabad by Captan Allan N. Scott comes with 101 photographs and Geology Familiarly Illustrated by CMW from 1859 contains 31 hand coloured lithograph scenes. Two ships chairs on metal bases from the RMS Celtic are estimated at 200-300 and a ships library table is estimated at 200-300. A cased model of a Stena Line ferry is estimated at 1,500-2,000. The silver on offer includes a George III fox head stirrup cup, London 1802 (2,000-3,000). Among the books is a long run of Capuchin annuals including the year 1966.
17th century portrait of a bearded man wearing a red cloak.
Fonsie Mealy will offer an interesting and broadly based selection of 535 lots at a house contents auction in Birr on March 5. Viewing is underway at 11 Oxmantown Mall, Birr and the sale is to be held at the County Arms Hotel. The catalogue is online. Here is a small selection:
UPDATE: The sale realised in excess of €325,000 on the hammer with 85% sold. The top price of 36,000 was paid for an 18th century Augsburg marquetry table box; a three stone diamond ring made 20,000 and a 19th century Minton majolica two handled urn made 16,000.
(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for February 27, 2019)
Regency mahogany Sofa Table, c. 1820, attributed to Gillows UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,700 AT HAMMER
Attributed to Garret Morphy (Irish 1650 – 1716) “Portrait of Sir William Parsons, Bart,” died 1740 UPDATE: THIS MADE 2,800 AT HAMMER
A pair of Imari jars and covers UPDATE: THESE MADE 560 AT HAMMER
Large Panorama Illustrated London News: “The City of Dublin,”. UPDATE: THIS MADE 400 AT HAMMER
