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.
Chairs given by MIchael Collins as a wedding gift to his sister Mary. UPDATE: THESE MADE 1,900 AT HAMMER
A set of six Arts and Crafts dining chairs given as a wedding gift by Michael Collins to his sister Mary – sold at Marshs in Cork in 2017 – are among a number of items of Collins memorabilia at Mullen’s Collector’s Cabinet sale on October 15. The estimate for the mahogany and tooled leather chairs by Schoolbred and Co. London is €1,800-€2,200.
The auction of 649 lots offers everything from Neolithic arrowheads and a giant Elk cranium to more than 40 lots relating to the Northern Ireland troubles. The steel housing for a camera used to monitor one of the H-Blocks (€500-€700) and a flak jacket worn by a member of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (€200-€300) are included. Two photographs from 1941 of a military funeral for four British airmen show coffins draped in the Union flag being carried by Irish Army pallbearers past an honour guard of Irish solders (€150-€200). Lot 90 is the Irish Citizen Army red hand badge of Brigid Brady, a first cousin in Padraig Pearse who worked at Jacobs and played an important part in the 1913 Lockout and the organisation of the Irish Citizen Army. She served at City Hall, Dublin during the 1916 Rising. The badge and her uniform belt are each estimated at €1,200-€1,500.
British airmen received full military honours at a 1941 funeral at Blessington, Co. Wicklow. UPDATE: THESE MADE 140 AT HAMMER
This pair of silver four branch candleabra made a hammer price of €17,000 over a top estimate of €3,000 at Mullens of Laurel Park on August 28. Stamped Hull and Roskill, late Storr and Mortimer London 1873-79 they weigh 296 troy ounces. The pair is of naturalistic form with four sconces on fruiting vine branches raised on puttis with lions frolicking on a platform above a circular foot decorated with vines on scroll legs.
19TH CENTURY WALNUT AND MARQUETRY FOLD OVER CARD TABLE: UPDATE: THE CLOSING BIG WAS 600.
This 19th century foldover card table is lot 26 at Mullen’s online timed classic and contemporary interiors evening sale at Laurel Park, Bray on February 13. It is estimated at 600-800. A total of 601 lots, including antique furniture, garden furniture, art, bronzes, lighting, militaria and rugs will come under the hammer.
