19th century lead fountain. UPDATE: THIS MADE 340 AT HAMMER
Maybe this is not the best June ever to talk about such garden features but water, as distinct from incessant rain and cool weather, can add interest, tranquility and even a touch of glamour to many gardens. You can take your pick from various ways of introducing decorative water at two days of sales at Sheppards in Durrow where the annual Glantelwe Gardens sale will be held next Tuesday and Wednesday.
The daddy of them all is a large bronze neo-classical fountain (€20,000-€30,000). Among the other choices are moulded stone fountain heads (€250-€350), a large Italianate stone fountain (€2,000-€3,000), a cast iron wall mounted miniature (€100-€150), an 18th century carved stone basin (€800-€1,200), a 19th century lead fountain (€300-€500), a set of Regency cast iron fountain heads (€500-€800), large moulded fountains and some wonderfully weathered offerings.
Nestled along the River Erkina at Durrow Glantelwe – by renowned garden designer Arthur Shackleton – is a superb showcase for a sale which includes statues, lions, urns, sundials, planters, benches, seats, patio set, staddle stones, estate railing and stone troughs. Viewing gets underway today and continues on tomorrow and Monday.
A large Portland stone arch. UPDATE: THIS MADE 3,000 AT HAMMER
This mosaic mural made with hand cut Venetian tiles is lot 433 at Sheppards Glantelwe gardens auction in Durrow on June 25 and 26. It is a large piece and the estimate is €3,000-€5,000. The catalogue for the online and live in Durrow sale of architural ornaments and garden lots is online and viewing gets underway on June 22. More than 600 lots will come under the hammer. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
Bronze garden sculpture group of dancing figures by Robin Buick at Sheppards. UPDATE: THESE WERE UNSOLD
Singular opportunities to add oodles of style to your garden and home await at upcoming auctions by Sheppards in Durrow and Victor Mee in Belturbet. Extraordinary architectural ornaments and garden sculpture will grace Sheppards annual live and online sale at Glantelwe Gardens in Durrow. There is grandeur here, and art and pieces for large and small gardens among a selection which includes entrance gates, fountains, statues, lions, urns, sundials, planters, benches, seats, patio sets, staddle stones, pumps, estate railing and stone troughs.
The Sheppards sale of 850 lots offers numerous decorative objects of the sort typically associated with the pleasure grounds and gardens of the Irish country house in centuries gone by. That is no reason to prevent anyone in our 21st century from locating such objects of beauty in the lovely gardens and balconies of the cityscapes and burgeoning leafy suburbs in cities and towns throughout Ireland.
A pair of carved stone French rococo lidded urns and stands at Sheppards. UPDATE: THESE WERE UNSOLD
Exceptional lots include a monumental pair of Sphinxes, a pair of carved stone French rococo lidded urns on stands, a lifesize bronze stallion and jockey after Isidore Bonheur (1827-1901), a pair of 19th century Medici lions, four Francois Carre garden sunburst armchairs, a bronze crane and a set of dancers by Robin Buick RHA. Glantelwe is a secret garden nestling along the banks of the Erkina River at Durrow. The name comes from the late Middle Ages and is an Anglicised version of Gleann Tulaigh (the glen of the hillocks). The garden designer Arthur Shackleton worked with Sheppards to provide an appropriate setting for the accoutrements in this annual auction, now in its seventh year.
Auctioneer David Sheppard said: “The objects we are bringing to sale have been treasured by generations of families and will bring great joy to their new owners”. Viewing at Glantelwe gets underway on June 24. The auction is on June 27 and 28 at 10 am on each day.
This composition fountain made 1,450 at Victor Mee.
Garden sculpture crops up at Victor Mee’s evening online June decorative interiors sale on June 20. Among 879 lots is a set of sandstone statues of the four seasons, life sized cast iron statues of a deer with fawn and of a deer family and a composition garden fountain on lions feet decorated with cherubs and carp. Leading art lots include works by James Humbert Craig, Cecil Maguire, Arthur Maderson and George Gillespie. Furniture ranges from an Art Deco style armchair and footstool and a chrome and walnut consul table to a 19th century Viennese carved oak armoire, a Victorian mahogany server with carved back, a 19th century burr walnut sewing table and a hand dyed aviator three seater sofa.Collectibles include a brass and oak wall mounted xylophone, a Sitzendorf Monkey Band (12 pieces), a Victrola gramophone, a copper bed warmer and a chrome and leather chess set. There are some marble fireplaces to choose from along with lanterns, mirrors, chandeliers and an Edwardian serpentine front desk. Catalogues for each of these sales are online.
19th century horse drawn coach from the estate of Maureen O’Hara UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
A life size bronze sculpture of a horse and jockey, a large cast iron gazebo and a group of large Italianate stone figures are among the leading lots at Sheppards annual Glantelwe gardens sale in Durrow, Co. Laois on June 28 and 29. These are large garden pieces but the sale of 724 lots of architectural ornaments and garden sculpture offers something for every garden, large or small.
Conversation pieces include lot 486, a 19th century horse drawn coach complete with carriage lights from the estate of the late Maureen O’Hara. It is estimated at €4,000-€6,000. Or how about lot 501, two large metal milk churns (€150-€250). An exercise in imagination might land an appetising spot for these in many gardens. There are lovely cast iron garden benches, stone sculptures, bronzes, estate entrance gates, troughs, planters, marble sculpture, staddle stones, 19th century urns, pedestals, finials, bollards, sundials, tree guards, tables, chairs, arches, jardinieres, spheres and fountains. The sale is on view in Durrow and the catalogue is online.
A large untitled iron sculpture by John Burke, exhibited outside the Crawford Gallery for many years, comes up at Sheppards annual Glantelwe Gardens sale in Durrow on June 30. The catalogue is online and in person viewing gets underway today. One of the most significant figures in the history of sculpture in Ireland the pioneering John Burke, who died in 2006, introduced the use of steel and welding process into an Irish world of sculpture dominated by carved marble and cast bronze. Like any artist ahead of his time his work is not always understood. Two of his best known pieces are the Red Cardinal at the Department of Health in Dublin and the large untitled piece at the Wilton Roundabout in Cork. A native of Clonmel, John Burke studied at the Crawford in Cork and the Royal Academy in London and travelled widely before setting up a workshop and studio near Blarney. He taught at the Crawford and numbered acclaimed artists like Vivienne Roche, Eilis O’Connell and Maud Cotter among his pupils. He made large and small pieces which are held in public and private collections. It is rare to see his work coming up at auction and this piece is estimated at €80,000-€120,000.
Gardens have become much more important in the lives of many of us during lockdown and in this sale Sheppards has no less than 522 lots of architectural ornament, garden statuary and about 30 lots of floral themed jewellery. There is something for every garden and every budget from a half life size bacchanal fountain by Robin Buick (€25,000-€35,000) to a 19th century terracotta chimney pot (€100-€150).
John Burke – Untitled. UPDATE: THIS MADE 110,000 AT HAMMER
