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  • Posts Tagged ‘James Adam Dublin’

    IMPORTANT IRISH ART SALES AT ADAMS AND DE VERES

    Sunday, March 17th, 2024
    The Rebuilding of Monte Cassino (1951) by Patrick Hennessy at Adams

    In Dublin viewings get underway on March 22 for upcoming sales of important Irish art at both James Adam and de Veres.  The sale at James Adam on March 27 features some of Ireland’s best loved artists with estimates of from €500 to over €60,000 for The Bog by Paul Henry (€60,000-€80,000).A number of paintings by Patrick Hennessy and Harry Roberston Craig from the collection of Pamela and George Fegan, a Dublin couple who were friends of both artists and bought directly from them, will feature. The catalogue cover lot is a 1951 painting by Patrick Hennessy, The Rebuilding of Monte Cassino, located about 130 kilometres south east of Rome and site of a major Second World War battle in 1944.  This work, which has not been on the market before, is estimated at €10,000-€15,000.

    Eliza Doolittle in Dublin by Sean Keating (€50,000-€70,000) is the most expensively estimated lot at de Veres sale on March 26.  Based on Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw the 1965 work depicts a daffodil seller against a background of Georgian buildings and thunderous clouds. Sean Keating, along with many others, was vociferous in his condemnation of the destruction of Georgian Dublin which got underway in the 1950’s. Among the other highlights at de Veres are John B Vallely’s Heading for the Final Sprint with a pack of cyclists in full flight and  Letitia Hamilton’s Wind Blown Tree, Killary. There is a collection of works on paper by Mainie Jellett.  All catalogues are online now.

    Eliza Doolittle in Dublin by Sean Keating at de Veres.

    A BUSY WEEK FOR JAMES ADAM IN DUBLIN WITH THREE SALES

    Saturday, March 9th, 2024
    A Famille Verte “Lady with Children” Kangxi charger. UPDATE: THIS MADE 18,000 AT HAMMER

    A c1920 synthetic sapphire and diamond bracelet with an estimate of €7,000-€8,000 is the most expensively estimated lot at The Jewellery Box sale at James Adam on March 11. A Famille Verte Lady with Children charger (€8,000-€10,000) takes that honour at a sale entitled The Awakening Dragon on March 12.  It all adds up to a busy week for the Dublin firm, which will follow up on March 13 with an online picture sale to include a number of works to be sold without reserve. The most highly estimated art lots are Figures with Two Cottages by Markey Robinson and a bronze of Three Galloping Horses by Siobhan Bulfin, each estimated at  €3,000-€5,000.

    EVERYTHING FOR THE IMAGINATIVE HOME AT JAMES ADAM

    Sunday, February 25th, 2024
    A  c1790 commode. UPDATE: THIS MADE 850 AT HAMMER

    Along with a great selection of highly desirable lots in categories from antique furniture, art and collectibles the At Home sale at James Adam in Dublin on February 27 comes with a message of sustainability. The venerable auctioneering firm is setting out in 2024 to highlight how the purchase of antique furniture and furnishings at auction contributes to sustainability.  Each year in Ireland the Environmental Protection Agency calculates that 1.2 million re-usable bulky items, mostly furniture, are consigned to landfill. Not unlike fast fashion the constant production and consumption of new items contributes to a rapidly growing waste problem.

    In an attempt to counter this trend Adams is encouraging those of us who love antique furniture to spread the message that sustainability starts at home and help new buyers appreciate the benefits of acquiring affordable, well made quality items that are built to last. A selection of stylish and affordable furniture is on the catalogue for this auction. A c1790 George III demi lune commode veneered in flame mahogany is estimated at €1,000-€1,500.  Walnut was the most prized wood for furniture making from the end of the 17th century to the middle of the 18th century.  The attractive grain and colour of the wood is well demonstrated in lot 327, a Georgian walnut side table with distinctive cabriole legs, hinged top and compartmented interior.  This piece is estimated at €1,000-€1,500.

    19th century oak Welsh dresser. UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,300 AT HAMMER

    The catalogue cover lot is a riverbank scene at Veneux les Sablons by the French artist Pierre Eugene Montezin (1874-1946) who once remarked to the critic Louis Vauxcelles that: “The subjects of the landscape painter are less in front of the artist’s eyes than in his heart”.  In 1932 Montezin received the Medal of Honour at the Salon des Artistes Francais and he was an office of the Legion d’Honneur.  The painting is estimated at €5,000-€7,000. The proceeds from the sale of another painting, a 19th century Breton market scene, will be donated to the Irish Cancer Society.  The artist is unknown and the work is estimated at €1,000-€1,500. The auction kicks off with a selection of garden statuary, campagna urns, plant holders, patio furniture and a circular millstone mounted on a granite base as a table.  There is a selection of lighting, rugs, chairs and and collectibles. 

    A millstone mounted on a granite base as a table UPDATE: THIS MADE 3,200 AT HAMMER

    VIEWING FOR ADAMS AT HOME SALE STARTS TODAY

    Thursday, February 22nd, 2024
    NORTH EUROPEAN INLAID FRUITWOOD COMMODE. UPDATE: THIS MADE 3,600 AT HAMMER

    Viewing gets underway in Dublin today and continues over the weekend for the James Adam At Home sale next Tuesday (February 27). The timed online sale is open for bidding and will draw to a close from 11 am on Tuesday. This North European inlaid fruitwood serpentine fronted commode is, at €4,000-€6,000, one of the more expensively estimated lots. The top is inlaid with scrolls and putto and centred by a flower filled urn, musical instruments, horns and birds of paradise.

    COLLECTION OF LIMERICK SILVER AT JAMES ADAM

    Sunday, February 18th, 2024
    A c1800 bright cut Limerick silver sauce ladle by  William Fitzgerald  UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    Limerick silver is rare and not always easy to come by so there should be much interest in a private collection of Limerick silver spoons at the timed online James Adam At Home sale which runs until February 27. They are from the workshops of makers  William Fitzgerald, George Halloran, Robert O’Shaughnessy, Joseph Johns, Patrick Connell, Samuel John, Maurice Fitzgerald  and William Ward. It is downright unusual to find such a gathering of known makers names from Limerick in one sale.  Lots 72 to 84 carry estimates ranging from €400 to €3,000.  There is also a mid 18th century silver bowl by George Hodder of Cork and a George III silver bowl by James le Bas of Dublin.  The catalogue is online and timed bidding is already underway.

    A set of 12 c1780 teaspoons by Patrick Connell, Limerick. UPDATE: THESE SOLD FOR 1,400 AT HAMMER

    NEW APPOINTMENT AT JAMES ADAM IN DUBLIN

    Thursday, February 1st, 2024

    Adam’s has announced the appointment of Nathaniel Nicholson as Associate Director, Head of Valuations. Nathaniel, a BBS graduate from Trinity College, Dublin joins the St Stephen’s Green based Fine Art Auctioneers having worked as a specialist in the private and iconic collections department at Christie’s, in London. While there he developed a broad knowledge and passion for single owner collections having been involved in many high-profile sales over the past decade.
    At Adam’s Nathaniel will be focusing on professional valuation work for the legal and financial advisory professions, as well as providing valuation and planning advice for private clients, augmenting the existing team of general and specialist valuers.

    JADE GROUP SELLS FOR ELEVEN TIMES THE ESTIMATE AT ADAMS

    Tuesday, December 19th, 2023
    RETICULATED WHITE JADE ‘EGRETS AND LOTUS’ GROUP

    This Ming Dynasty white jade carved group with an egret amongst flowering stems made a hammer price of €34,000 over an estimated of €2,000-€3,000 at the Fine Asian Art sale at James Adam in Dublin on December 18. It had been in an Irish private collection since the early 20th century. The top lot of the sale was A Charioteer by Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar (1911-1996) which made €65,000 at hammer over a top estimate of €40,000. A Ding Kilns white stoneware bowl from the Northern Song Dynasty made €23,000, a celadon glazed jar and cover made €20,000 and a Qing Dynasty soapstone seal made €10,000.

    QING DYNASTY SEAL HEAD FINE ASIAN ART SALE AT ADAMS

    Saturday, December 16th, 2023
    An important Qing Dynasty celadon jade. UPDATE: THIS WAS WITHDRWN PRIOR TO THE SALE

    A Qing Dynasty celadon jade seal heads up the Fine Asian Art sale at James Adam in Dublin on December 18.  The base is carved with six characters meaning:  “A treasure in auspicious celebration of a seventeenth birthday”, Set on a small square platform surmounted by a mythical double headed beast carved with a scaly body it will attract international interest and is estimated at €120,000-€150,000. Dr. Wei Wang, who has taken over as head of the Asian art department at Adams explained that seals symbolise power and can be crafted from various materials,with jades being particularly prized for their precious nature.  “Our seal stands out for its impressive size and intricate carving work” she said.

    A Meiji period ivory okimono of a grimacing fisherman holding giant conch shells being tackled by a large crab at Adams. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    A total of 455 lots will come under the hammer on Monday in an auction divided across four sections originating from China, the Himalayas, Vietnam and Japan.  Offerings from each country have been divided into categories including ceramics, jade and stones, accessories, bronzes and paintings. A Meiji period (1868-1912) Imari charger from Japan is estimated at just €300-€400, a very rare Ding kilns white stoneware bowl  of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127)  carved with a peony spray is estimated at €15,000-€20,000).  Ding bowls with peony designs are rare. This one is from an Irish private collection. A bronze stupa with four directionals Buddhas made in 18th century Tibet is estimated at €1,500-€2,000.

    Two kingfisher feather hairpins, one with carved amber. UPDATE: THESE MADE 420 AT HAMMER

    The sale offers a European collection of Qing Dynasty kingfisher feather ornaments worn as head pieces and accessories within an estimate range of €300-€1,500. For over 2,000 years, the Chinese have utilized the iridescent blue feathers of kingfisher birds as inlays for fine art objects and adornments, ranging from hairpins, headdresses, and fans to panels and screens. Dr. Wang said that In the past decade, a rising trend has emerged among the younger generation in China seeking to incorporate historical Chinese elements into the design of modern fashion.  This has created a revival and appreciation of Hanfu culture and traditional Chinese handicrafts.

    An 18th century Bleu de Hue porcelain bowl finely painted in shades of cobalt blue from Vietnam – commissioned from China – has an estimate of €8,000-€10,000. A fantastic carved ivory Japanese okimono of a fisherman with giant conch shells being tackled by a crab is estimated at €3,000-€5,000.Or how about an armchair made of deer antlers.  One of the top lots of the auction is a Qing Imperial style antler armchair. There are seven known surviving deer antler chairs in China, with five in the Palace Museum in the Forbidden City.  The one at Adams is a late copy, but it remains rare in the market, hence the estimate of €85,000-€95,000.   

    A rare Qing Imperial style antler armchair at Adam. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    TIMED ONLINE JEWELLERY BOX SALE AT JAMES ADAM IN DUBLIN

    Thursday, December 14th, 2023

    THIS multi-strand, cultured pearl necklace, with an 18 carat gold clasp designed as a rose flowerhead is one of the more expensively estimated lots at Adams Jewellery Box sale in Dublin on December 17. The estimate is €4,000-€5,000 in a timed online auction where many of the nearly 300 lots are estimated at under €1,000. Among the are a ruby and diamond pendant (€400-€600), an amethyst, diamond and pink sapphire cluster ring (€500-€700), a pair of ruby and sapphire earrings (€500-€700), a silver mesh bib necklace by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany (€400-€600) and a pair of rock crystal and diamond drop earrings (€700-€900). Bidding begins to close at 5 pm on Sunday. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    RARE ANTLER ARMCHAIR AT ADAMS ASIAN ART SALE

    Friday, December 1st, 2023
    A RARE QING IMPERIAL STYLE ANTLER ARMCHAIR. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    There are seven known surviving deer antler chairs in China. The Palace Museum in the Forbidden City holds five, each uniquely designed. The deer antlers used in crafting these chairs were sourced from deer captured during royal hunting activities in the Qing Dynasty. The creation of thrones from deer antlers serves as a profound homage to Chinese equestrian roots, preserving the essence of Manchu heritage. Emperor Qianlong expressed his reverence for these chairs in a poem, stating, ‘Dare not sit upon it, ever in awe and admiration.’

    The armchair pictured here comes up at Adams sale of Fine Asian Art on December 16 with an estimate of €85,000-€95,000. Dr. Wei Wang, newly appointed head of Adams Asian Art Department, explained that while this armchair is a late copy, it remains a rare item in the market. She holds a PhD in semiology from Panthéon-Assas Paris II University, and has demonstrated a passion for Asian Art throughout her academic and professional journey.

    The upcoming Asian art sale at Adam’s bears Chinese title meaning ‘Ji Guang’s feathers.’ This metaphorical expression signifies precious relics or cultural artifacts that have endured, likened to the feathers of the mythical beast Ji Guang from ancient Chinese mythology. There are 456 lots across four sections, originating from China, the Himalayas, Vietnam, and Japan organised into several categories, including ceramics, jade and stones, accessories, bronzes, and paintings.