A total of 242 lots of porcelain, plate, glassware, clocks and collectibles will come under the hammer at Fonsie Mealy’s timed online Spring Collectibles sale which runs to February 22. Among them are a 20th century West African Dan mask with slit eyes and fibre headdress, a set of ten Art Nouveau floral tiles, Cantonese vases, a 19th century French gilt metal and marble clock, a carved Japanese Okimono, a First Period Belleek floral basket, a Victorian rosewood book carrier and a pair of Meissen three branch candleabra. All lots are to be sold without reserve.
Pair of Meissen three branch Candelabra,UPDATE: THESE MADE 160 AT HAMMER
This first edition of the 1570 Atlas by Abraham Ortelius made a hammer price of €96,000 over a top estimate of €60,000 at Fonsie Mealy’s Rare Books and Collectibles sale in Dublin today. An original engraved facsimile copy of the American Declaration of Independence issued by Order of Congress in 1823 and executed by engraver William Stone made €48,000 at hammer over a top estimate of €30,000.
The hectic pace of 2021 continues as the auction world zooms into December. A number of stunning sales in the offing next week in Ireland offer collectors a wide range of stellar choices in the fields of antiques, art and collectibles. Fonsie Mealy’s Christmas Rare Books and Collectors sale is at the Talbot Hotel, Stillorgan on Tuesday and Wednesday, four days of sales with amazing contents from the Cronin collection at Seafield House, Donabate, Co. Dublin get underway at Sheppards in Durrow next Tuesday and the Outstanding Irish Art sale at James Adam on Wednesday evening will follow a strong sale of fine jewellery and watches at Adams on Tuesday. And Aidan Foley will offer more than 2,000 lots at three days of online sales from tomorrow with viewing in Sixmilebridge today.
A full size replica in silver plate of the Liam McCarthy Cup at Fonsie Mealy. UPDATE: THIS MADE 9,000 AT HAMMER
Among more than 1,000 lots at Fonsie Mealy is a prized first edition of Ulysses by James Joyce and full replicas in silver plate of both the Liam McCarthy Cup and the Sam Maguire Cup There will be international interest in.an original engraved facsimile copy of the American Declaration of Independence issued by Order of Congress in 1823 when it was noted that the ink on the original document was fading. This particular copy has direct provenance by family descent to Charles O’Connor, the Irish American democratic lawyer who in 1872 became the first catholic to be nominated for a US Presidential election. With everything from the antiquities of Ireland to Monty Python this auction is on view at the Talbot Hotel, Stillorgan on tomorrow and Monday.
One of a pair of museum quality late nineteenth century satinwood bookcases at Sheppards. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD.
Sheppards have a pair of museum quality 19th century satinwood bookcases from the collection of Cork businessman Liam Cronin. There is a Mannerist Mannerist painting of The baptism of Christ by John the Baptist, once owned by Augustine Roche, Lord Mayor of Cork. His dispersal sale by Marshs, Cork in 1916 had to be postponed from April to July because of the Easter Rising. This is an online sale of 1,637 lots with everything from a Chinese Meiping vase to a 19th century neoclassical overmantle. The auction is on view in Durrow on today, tomorrow and Monday.Adams will offer lots of diamonds, as well as rubies, sapphires, emeralds and all sort of gemstones at their fine jewellery sale in Dublin at 4 pm next Tuesday. Viewing for this dazzling sale is now underway in Dubin.
The Adams sale next Wednesday is particularly strong in mid 20th century art. Through the Streets to the Hills by Jack Yeats from 1950 is a view of Fitzwilliam St., Dublin where Yeats lived from 1919 until he retired to the Portobello Home. It is estimated at €100,000-€150,000. There will be much interest too in a contrasting work, Portrait of Lucian Freud in Patrick Swift’s Hatch St. (€20,000-€30,000) which depicts the young artist in Dublin.Other Modernist works include Edward McGuire’s Barn Owl (€6,000-€8,000) and How Many Miles to London Town (€30,000-€50,000), Trojan Horse (€15,000-€20,000) and Abstract with Toy Train (€20,000-€30,000) all by Colin Middleton.
Ortelius (Abraham) “Theatrum Orbis Terrarum”, folio, Antwerp (Aegidius Coppenius Diesth) 1570, First Edition (Second Issue)
With maps of America, Asia, Africa, Europe, Ireland and Britain this 1570 first edition of the atlas of Abraham Ortelius comes up as lot 761 at Fonsie Mealy’s Christmas Rare Book and Collectors’ Sale in Dublin on December 7. From Antwerp in 1570 there are 53 double page engraved maps with contemporary hand colouring and manuscript notes. Billed as The Atlas that Changed the World it is estimated at €40,000-60,000. The auction of 1,030 lots will be held at the Talbot Hotel, Stillorgan. There will be viewing on December 5 and 6 and Covid certificates and face coverings will be required. UPDATE: THIS MADE 96,000 AT HAMMER
An engraved facsimile copy of the American Declaration of Independence at Fonsie Mealy. UPDATE: THIS MADE 48,000 AT HAMMER
An original engraved facsimile copy of the American Declaration of Independence comes up at Fonsie Mealy’s Christmas Book and Collectors sale in Dublin on December 7 and 8. It was issued by Order of Congress in 1823 when it was noted that the ink on the original document was fading. The limited edition of 200 copies on fine parchment was executed by engraver William J. Stone. The copy at Fonsie Mealy’s has direct provenance by family descent to Charles O’Connor, the Irish American Democratic lawyer who in 1872 became the first catholic to be nominated for the US Presidency. It is estimated at €20,000-€30,000.
There is art by Barrie Cooke, Jane O’Malley, Tony O’Malley, Bernadette Kiely, Eileen MacDonagh, Dorothy Cross, Eithne Jordan, Paul Mosse, Liam Belton, Peter Curling and many more Irish artists at the Butler Gallery Kilkenny Christmas Benefit Auction by Fonsie Mealy on November 26. The online sale gets underway at 7.30 p.m. and the catalogue is online.
Peter Curling (B. 1955) “False Start, 2021. UPDATE: THIS MADE 4,000 AT HAMMER
This exceptionally fine copy of the Monuments of Egypt and Nubia by Ippolito Rosellini housed in a custom made mahogany case sold for a hammer price of 74,000 at Fonsie Mealy’s sale of the library at Howth Castle today. The first edition of the elephant folio, Pisa, 1832-1834 with plates is inscribed: “Presented by his Grace the Duke of Northumberland K.G.F.R.S. President R.I.,”. The lot came together with a second set in original condition with plates in original wrappers and a complete set of the original text volumes.
Fine Greek, Latin, Italian, French, German and English volumes from 1515 to 1920 and important books on travel, botany and history are included in Fonsie Mealy’s live and online sale of the library at Howth Castle on September 22 and 23. next Wednesday and Thursday (Sep 22-23). Bibliophiles from around the world will connect to the sale with rarities incuding The Munster Farmers Magazine (1812-1816), the Botanical Magazine 1746-93 with more than 10,000 illustrated plates, log books of British warships, ecclesiastical history, Lutyens plans for Howth Castle and volumes covering a vast range of subjects. There is important original manuscript work and correspondence from Saint John Henry Newman, signed, presentation and annotated copies, together with periodicals in large runs. There is a collection of early books by George Berkeley, fine coloured plate books of botanical and travel interest, a good collection of 19th century English poetry, photographs and a collection of material, atlases, addresses and manuscripts, scrap albums of watercolours and prints and photograph albums relating to the Gaisford-St. Lawrence family and the local area of Howth Castle Estate.
Lot 368 is a descriptive catalogue of the prints of Sir Joshua Reynolds signed by the artist. UPDATE: THIS MADE 750 AT HAMMER
The entire contents of the Howth Castle Library is generally in fine original condition and in fine bindings. Dean Thomas Gaisford in 1812, at the age of 32, was elected Regius Professor of Greek at Oxford University, a position he held for 43 years, until his death in 1855. He was Dean of Christ Church, Oxford from 1830 for 25 years. The St. Lawrence family came to Howth in 1177. Howth Castle is one of the longest continuously inhabited private homes in Europe.
VOLUMES 1 AND 2 OF THE BOTANICAL MAGAZINE. THE ENTIRE SET IS ESTIMATED AT €30,000-40,000
With everything from Memoirs relating to European and Asiatic Turkey by Robert Walpole, London 1817 to an extraordinary 18th/19th century botanical survivor – the complete editions of Curtis’s Botanical Magazine with 10,700 plates – the Companion to the magazine and its successor Kew to a finely executed pencil drawing by John Ruskin of Oxford Cathedral Fonsie Mealy’s sale of the Library of Howth Castle on September 22 and 23 promises to be another humdinger. The sale of contents from the castle by Fonsie Mealy earlier this month realised over €2 million. In a note to the catalogue Julian Gaisford St. Lawrence notes that the large library at Howth and to adjacent book room were added to the house in 1910 by Sir Edwin Lutyens. He notes that the Earls of Howth owned books but were not scholars or academics, the distaff Gaisfords were serious collectors.
AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE PLATES
Bibliophiles will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire multiple rare and once off treasures from their collections at the two day live online auction of 1,082 lots.
UPDATE: The complete editions of Curtis’s Botanical Magazine was bid to €30,000 and was then withdrawn.
ONE of the most historic items at the Howth Castle sale, the great sword of Howth, made a hammer price of 40,000 at day two of Fonsie Mealy’s Howth Castle contents sale today. It has been estimated at 10,000-15,000. The auctioneer announced that it would be staying in Ireland. According to tradition, it was used by Sir Armoricus Tristram, who arrived at Howth with Sir John de Courcy in the year 1177. It has been in the St Lawrence family for many generations and a more sober assessment dates the sword to the late 15th century, so it may well have been borne by Sir Armoricus’s descendant Sir Nicholas St Lawrence, 16th Lord & 3rd Baron Howth. He commanded the “billmen” (wielders of a fearsome chopping blade mounted on a strong staff) at the battle of Knockdoe in 1504, in which the army of the Lord Deputy, the Earl of Kildare, defeated that of Ulick Burke, Lord of Clanricarde. The Sword is first recorded in an inventory of 1748.
Again on the second day of the sale at Howth Castle there was competitive bidding from Ireland and abroad for once off items of rarity. A George IV silver gilt model of the Warwick Vase by Philip Rundell, London, 1820 made 24,000 at hammer and an Irish William IV silver gilt Warwick Vase by Richard Sawyer junior Dublin 1836 made 23,000. Each had been estimated at 8,000-12,000. An Irish George II silver salver by John Hamilton, Dublin 1726-27 made 21,000 over a top estimate of 7,000. A jewel cut breast star of The Most Illustrious Order of St. Patrick together with a small ceremonial sword made 32,000 at hammer over a top estimate of 10,000. William Ulick Tristram St. Lawrence, 4th Earl of Howth (1827-1909) was appointed knight of the order in May 1884.
