A 1928 BIANCHI ( ITALY) VINTAGE CAR. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
This 1928 Bianchi with timber spokes is lot 5 at R.J. Keighery’s sale of classic cars, traps, carriages and transport memorabilia in Waterford on June 16. The body of the model S5 is leather covered and the estimate is €20,000-40,000. There are eight vintage cars in the sale as well as traps, horse equipment, vintage signs and collectibles in a total of 185 lots. The catalogue is online.
Lady Mount Cashell – The Sisters of Nansfield: A Tale for young women
Among the new arrivals at Peter Harrington in London in May is this 1824 work by Margaret King, Lady Mount Cashell, a first edition of the author’s only published novel. It is the story of two young women who are induced by the untimely death of their father to consider society and its conventions with a more critical eye. King was a one-time pupil and great admirer of Mary Wollstonecraft, and a mentor to Mary Shelley and Claire Clairmont. In her novel King critiques the education normally bestowed upon upper class women and their financial dependency on men.
Born into the Anglo Irish Kingsborough family Margaret’s mother was Caroline Fitzgerald who had been married at 15 to Viscount Kingsborough, later Earl of Kingston whose family seat was Mitchelstown Castle in Co. Cork. Caroline was a first cousin of Lord Edward Fitzgerald. One of Margaret’s governesses at Mitchelstown was Mary Wollstonecraft. In 1791 Margaret married Stephen Moore, 2nd Earl of Mount Cashell. She opposed the abolition of the Irish Parliament and counted Robert Emmett among her circle. In Rome in the early 19th century she began an affair with George William Tighe of Ashford, Co. Wicklow whose political views were close to her own and legally separated in 1812. In Germany, disguised as a man, she studied medicine at the University of Jena and is known to have conducted a dispensary for the poor of Pisa. She published a very popular medical guide, Advice to young mothers on the physical education of children by a grandmother. Styling themselves as Mr. and Mrs. Mason George and Margaret set up a home in Pisa where they were visited often by the poet Shelley, his wife Mary Shelley (author Frankenstein and daughter of Wollstonecraft) and their translator Claire Clairmont. The Sisters of Nansfield is priced at £2,500.
George Stacpoole
The death after a short illness yesterday of George Stacpoole has occasioned deep regret throughout the antique trade in Ireland. Aged 88 George was a founder member of the Irish Antique Dealers Association and its former longstanding President. He was a tireless promoter of art, books and antiques, of which he had a deep knowledge which he was always glad to share. He opened his first shop at Cecil St. in Limerick in 1964 and later moved to Adare. Early clients at his shop included John and Gertrude Hunt, Sybil Connolly, Jackie Kennedy during her 1967 visit to Ireland, Edna O’Brien and Catherine Deneuve.
A Modernist 1970’s ring. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
This 1970’s lapis lazuli and diamond ring of brutalist geometric form, made up of openwork cubes and rectangles is at the Design Sale by O’Reilly’s of Francis St., Dublin on May 14. Mounted in 18 carat gold it was retailed by Schaap and Citroen, Jewellers, of The Netherlands. Lot 93 is estimated at €2,000-€2,500. There are 259 lots in the sale and the catalogue is online.
Kashmir sapphire and diamond tank ring. UPDATE: THIS MADE 550,000 AT HAMMER
A retro tank design sapphire and diamond ring will lead Adams sale of fine jewellery and ladies watches in Dublin on May 13. Sapphires from Kashmir have a distinctive tint known to experts at blue velvet which makes them particularly valuable. The cushion shaped sapphire in this ring weighs 6.22 carats and the lot is estimated at €150,000-€250,000. A total of 307 lots are on offer but there will be no internet bidding allowed on this one.
Art Nouveau style birdbath. UPDATE: THIS MADE 220 AT HAMMER
Opportunities to spring into outdoor action abound at the annual garden sale by R.J. Keighery in Waterford on April 14. Cast iron garden seats in gothic and other styles, glazed and cast iron urns, stone troughs, a pair of large terracotta lions, staddle stones or mushrooms, even some anvils to forge a nod to the past with potential to find a hitherto unforeseen new use in some sunny or shady spot.
In the 21st century gardens are for living in and this sale offers oodles of decor to enhance suburban spaces and balconies of any size among more than 700 lots. Gothic style mirrors could work in many spaces and a magnificent pair of forged black powder coated and galvanised entrance gates will undoubtedly be just the ticket for someone. There ought to be demand for some salvaged forged field gates too. The sale, with its selection of old cast iron water pumps, birdbaths, lanterns and blue porcelain conservatory seats, is on view today and tomorrow and the catalogue is online.
Bracket clock made in London by William Clement in 1663
This is the oldest clock in the world to feature an anchor escapement, a landmark piece of horological engineering. Made by William Clement in London in 1663 it is among the prized possessions of the Irish Museum of Time in Waterford. The museum’s collection spans centuries, showcasing a diverse array of timepieces, including turret clocks that once adorned the steeples of churches, and a remarkable display of ten grandfather clocks that chart the evolution of Irish clock-making from the 17th to the early 20th centuries. These objects are displayed alongside pieces from across the globe, demonstrating the breadth of horological craftsmanship. Visitors can view clocks from the US, UK, France, Austria, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Switzerland, Japan, and more, each offering a unique insight into the art of timekeeping.
As the clocks move forward by one hour at 1 am March 30, 2025, a dedicated team of staff and volunteers at The Irish Museum of Time will be busy preparing to adjust over 600 clocks, marking the start of daylight saving time. This bi-annual tradition requires careful attention and precision, as each timepiece must be meticulously reset.
JEWELLERY GROUP LOT. UPDATE: THIS LOT MADE 1,000 AT HAMMER
This group is lot 33 at Adams Jewellery Box timed online sale which runs until March 11. It comprises an 18 ct gold ring, a smokey quartz fob seal pendant, a 9 ct gold Claddagh ring, a gold bracelet, a shell cameo bracelet, a gold ring, an emerald and diamond ring, a swivel fob pendant and a nine carat gold chain. The estimate is €700-900. The auction is on view in Dublin from today and the catalogue is online.
Aidan Foley will offer this Bentley at Ashford auction. UPDATE: THIS MADE 26,000 AT HAMMER
Not every kitchen clear out yields a Bentley, the bronze front doors once at Harrods and lithographs by Miro, Picasso and Dali. But Ashford Castle is not your average kitchen and all these lots will be included in Aidan Foley’s online auction of contents from the kitchens and lodge there on January 20 and 21.
The luxury hotel is carrying out a refit. Among masses of catering equipment and rare once off collectibles is a pair of plate glass doors in their bronze surround originally at Harrods. The large doors were acquired for Ashford Castle as part of a scheme that was never realised. Each one is a single plain glass panel.
The Bentley is estimated at €10,000-€20,000 and there is significant interest in it already. There is a Porsche too. A selection of around 50 lithographs by Miro, Picasso and Dali will whet the appetites of collectors. Around 700 lots will come under the hammer. The catalogue is online and the auction is on view for three days from January 17 in Cong, Co. Mayo at the Old Mill just outside the back gate of the castle.
A Miro woodcut from Ashford Castle. UPDATE: THIS MADE 220 AT HAMMER
The Joachim-Ma Stradivarius. UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR $11,250,000
The Joachin-Ma Stradivarius, one of the world’s finest violins, will come up at Sotheby’s in New York next February with an estimate of $12 million – $18 million (€11.34 million – €17 million). Crafted in 1714 by Antonio Stradivari during his renowned “Golden Period” it is being offered by the New England Conservatory with all proceeds dedicated to student scholarships. Before it was gifted to NEC it belonged to the late Si-Hon Ma, a violinist and pedagogue who graduated from NEC in the 1950s. It was given to the school with the provision that it could one day be sold to provide student scholarships. Before Ma, the violin was owned by Joseph Joachim whose collaborations with composers like Johannes Brahms shaped the course of classical music. It is likely that this violin premiered the Brahms Violin Concerto in 1879 asJoachim was one of the most influential violinists of the 19th century. What sets the Joachim-Ma Stradivarius apart according to Sotheby’s is its exceptional sound—rich, complex, and full of depth. The tone is both sweet and rounded.