If it seems ridiculous now that the poster used in the United States to promote Michael Collins – the film directed by Neil Jordan – was deemed too militant for Ireland at least it shows that Irish politics has moved on a little. It depicts Liam Neeson playing Collins brandishing a rifle above his head while addressing a group of people. Timing is everything and this was in 1996, two years before The Good Friday agreement created the conditions for the beginning of some sort of normalisation. In Ireland a tamer image of Collins campaigning for The Treaty was used. A copy of the US cinema poster comes up today as lot 325 at Mullen’s Collector’s Cabinet auction of history, militaria and collectibles at Laurel Park in Bray on June 17. The poster is estimated at €200-€300. UPDATE: THIS MADE 200 AT HAMMER.
Little of the fabric of Medieval Dublin remains intact today. The late 1970s saw the original Viking settlement at Wood Quay, which had been remarkably preserved in Liffey mud for almost a Millennium, being destroyed by the development of Dublin Corporation’s offices. Protests against the destruction of Wood Quay received huge public support and it was the cause celebre of the time. A small collection of posters and leaflets produced by the protest movement are offered in three lots at Mullen’s Collector’s Cabinet sale of history, militaria and collectibles auction on June 17. Estimates range from €150-€200. UPDATE: THIS MADE 320 AT HAMMER
One of a pair of weathered stone lions. UPDATE: THIS LOT MADE 2,700 AT HAMMER
Weathered stone lions, a wake table, a silver cigarette box and a telescopic brass fender with a hide seat are among the many and varied offerings at auction in Ireland in the coming week. Sales by Woodards in Cork, Hegarty’s in Bandon, Sean Eacrett at the Horse and Jockey Hotel in Co. Tipperary and Mullen’s at Laurel Park in Bray will offer much to keep collectors busy. Choices range from conversation pieces like an Oriental style Carlton House desk to garden furniture, comfortable couches and a variety of collectibles like an unusual pair of Limerick china figures, The Philospher and The Critic, from Rocklow House in Fethard. Top furniture lots at Woodwards online sale in Cork next Saturday (June 10) include a set of six Cork 11-bar dining chairs, a Georgian walnut chest on chest and a seven foot long hunt or wake table. There is a selection of Georgian, Regency and Edwardian pieces among more than 300 lots. The 19th century stone lions come up at the house contents sale by Sean Eacrett at the Horse and Jockey Hotel in Co. Tipperary next Tuesday (June 6) of contents from Rocklow House, Fethard. In crouched poses they are, at €3,000-€5,000, among the more expensively estimated offerings in a sale of just over 1,000 lots. There is a selection of Oriental vases, bowls, jars, along with a private collection of Waterford Crystal including limited edition pieces and a highly collectible pair of 19th century oval Irish mirrors with faceted blue and white decorated frames (€2,000-€4,000). An unusual ebonised Carlton House Desk is estimated at €600-€1,000. There are chandeliers, a 160 piece Spode dinner service, Persian runners and rugs, a Donegal carpet and Meissen figures in a sale which is on view at Fethard from noon to 5 pm on today, tomorrow and Monday.
A George V silver cigarette box at Hegarty’s. UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR €80
A George V silver cigarette box from 1914, engraved with a presentation message in 1934, comes up at Hegarty’s online fine interiors auction next Tuesday (June 6). The estimate is €300-€400. Other lots include a triple panel overmantle mirror (€150-€300), a flame mahogany demi lune hall table (€400-€800) and Summer Shade, a colourful oil on canvas by Martin Stone (€700-€900).
A brass and hide upholstered telescopic fender is among the top lots at Mullen’s timed online auction of 849 lots which runs until 6 pm tomorrow (June 4). The estimate is €1,800-€2,600. This auction offers more than 300 lots of furniture, Irish, English and European art, lighting and a sextant by Cooke and Co. of Hull in a mahogany case. Catalogues for all these sales are online.
An upholstered telescopic club fender at Mullens of Laurel Park
On May 31, 1902, after two-and-a-half years of conflict between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South African Republic and the Orange Free State); the Boer War ended. On that day the Treaty of Vereeniging was signed, placing South Africa within the British Empire. This ia the Captain of the Guard’s chair used at the treaty signing by Major Charles Roper-Lindsay, Royal Munster Fusiliers. He was attached to Utrecht-Vryheid Mounted Police. The stinkwood dining chair has a brass plaque engraved “2nd Boer War – Used at Signing of Peace of – Vereeniging, May 1902 – Capt. of Guard – Maj. Charles Roper-Lindsay”. It comes up as lot 44 with an estimate of €800-1,200 at Mullen’s Collector’s Cabinet online auction on March 11. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
A knife, fork and spoon, stitched to a silk shamrock and framed with a photograph of Michael Collins, form a curious lot at Mullen’s Collector’s Cabinet auction on March 11. This was the cutlery used by Collins at his last meal in the Eldon Hotel in Skibbereen on August 22, 1922, just hours before the ambush at Béal na mBláth later that day. It was later presented to Kitty Kiernan, who gave it to her sister Maud. Maud married Gearóid O’Sullivan, the Irish Volunteer who raised the flag over the GPO during the Easter Rising. It is estimated at €1,500-€2,000. UPDATE: THIS MADE 6,500 AT HAMMER
This original Georgian mahogany jupe dining table made a hammer price of €42,000 at Mullen’s Classic and Contemporary interiors timed online auction which ended in Bray, Co. Wicklow on February 26. Complete with gadrooned rim and removable inlaid outer leaves it is raised on four cylindrical and leaf capped supports joined by a shaped platform centred by a leaf capped urn. In 1835 Robert Jupe patented a design for an improved expanding table and partnered John Johnstone in the firm of Johnstone Jupe and Co. in London. Jupe left the company in 1840, the firm changed its name to Johnstone and Jeanes and went on to achieve international fame.
There is an interesting provenance to this 19th century High Gothic Revival hall mirror at Mullen’s timed classic and contemporary interiors auction which runs until February 26. Lot 192 at this auction of 894 lots last came up at the Shelton Abbey, Arklow sale in 1950. That auction on behalf of the Earl of Wicklow was conducted by Allen & Townsend, Dublin and Clark, Delahunt of Wicklow. The mirror, in the manner of Augustus Pugin, has arched gothic plates in a cluster column and a gilt foliate capped frame. Lot 192 is estimated at €1,500-€2,500.
CONTINENTAL KINGWOOD GILT BRASS MOUNTED SPECIMEN TABLE. UPDATE: THE CLOSING BID WAS 4,000
This continental specimen table comes up as lot 356 at Mullen’s timed Classic and Contemporary Interiors sale which runs until November 6. The top is inlaid with Breccia, Verona, Lapis-Lazuli, Malachite, Blue John various other examples above a concave spreading column on a platform base. The estimate is 4,000-6,000. The catalogue for the sale of 833 lots is online and it will start to finish from 6 pm.
Cork Mansion House service tureen. UPDATE: THIS MADE 420
About 300 lots of Cork and Irish silver and the biggest collection of Cork Mansion House mayoral service plates to come to auction for many years feature at Woodwards special auction of silver, art and collectibles on October 22. It is part of a feast of rare and collectible pieces due to come up at auction in Ireland in the coming week. Not least of these is a set of six Arts and Crafts dining chairs given by Michael Collins as a wedding present to his sister Mary which comes up at the Collector’s Cabinet sale at Mullen’s in Laurel Park today (€1,800-€2,200).
A rare pair of Power’s Whiskey pillar framed advertising mirrors with Celtic lettering is lot 282 at Victor Mee’s pub memorabilia sale on October 18 and 19 with an estimate of €8,000-€12,000. And collectors will be offered a wide range of appetising choices of quality antique Irish furniture, art and collectibles at the annual James Adam Country House Collections sale at Townley Hall near Drogheda next Monday (online) and Tuesday (live in Dublin). Viewing at Townley Hall is now underway.
One of a rare pair of 19th century Power’s Whiskey pillar framed advertising mirrors at Victor Mee. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
Matthews Auctioneers of Kells will hold a two day sale next Tuesday and Wednesday with 1,338 lots of antique furniture, jewellery, art and collectibles.
Woodwards will feature the collection of Lt. Col. Michael C Nolan of Cork. Prime lots of silver include a c1750 Cork silver cream jug by Croker Barrington (€1,200-€1,600), a silver sugar bowl by Matthew West (€800-€1,200) and a silver strawberry dish by William Egan and Sons (€500-€700). Other Cork silver pieces include a sugar tongs by James Salter, a pair of tablespoons by Isaac Solomon, four dessert spoons by William Reynolds and a fish server by Richard Garde and there are examples from Cork makers like Samuel Green, Carden Terry and Jane Williams and John Nicholson.
More than 20 pieces from the old Cork Mansion House service – designed by the renowned Cork based architect Richard Pain (1793-1838) who was a pupil of John Nash – are included in the sale. The service was designed for the elegant old mansion house, now the Mercy Hospital. There is a tureen with a lid and plate, a large platter and a selection of dinner plates and soup bowls. Selling as individual lots or pairs they are expected to make from €500-€1,200 per lot. There is an interesting selection of art at Woodwards headed by Thatching in the Sun by Jack B Yeats and The Mountain Pool by Patrick Hennessey. Each of these works is estimated at €6,000-€8,000. There is art by Kenneth Webb, Anne Yeats, Peter Curling, Gladys Leach, Douglas Alexander, Norman Teeling, John Schwatschke, Marie Carroll and others.
Thatching in the Sun by Jack B Yeats UPDATE: THIS MADE 4,800
Not just any ship in a bottle this one of The Hellas at Mullen’s Collectors Cabinet sale in Bray on October 15 tells the story of an economic war fought nearly 200 years ago. The tea clippper was chartered by Samuel and Charles Bewley in 1835 to break the East India Company’s monopoly on importation of tea into Ireland. It is in a Hamilton Long and Co. bottle on a timber stand. Lot 21 in the auction, estimated at 200-300, was gifted by the Bewley family to a former housekeeper at their home at Willow Park, Blackrock, Dublin and was in turn purchased by the current owner from her daughter.
