A Neo Classical marble chimney piece. UPDATE: THIS MADE €4,800 at hammer
The annual Legacy of the Big House sale over three days at Sheppards in Durrow on September 16, 27 and 28 offers 1,496 lots of period furniture, art, militaria, silver, jewellery, Asian art and collectibles including an electric guitar signed by the Rolling Stones. One of a number of rarities is a view of Cobh, Co. Cork before the advent of the railway built in 1860 by the early English lithographer John Brandard (1812-1863). Lot 118, which comes up on Tuesday, is estimated at €150-€200. There are Qing Dynasty hardwood palace cabinets, Limerick silver serving spoons, a punch ladle and a soup ladle, a neo classical marble chimney piece, a Donegal carpet, a platinum five stone diamond ring, art by Percy French and Mark O’Neill, Chinese ceramics and French mantle clocks among the top lots. Around 500 lots are to be sold on each day. Viewing is underway in Durrow and the catalogue is online.
John Brandard (1812-1863) lithograph titled “The Cove of Cork” UPDATE: THIS MADE €220 at hammer
GUITAR SIGNED BY THE ROLLING STONES. UPDATE: THIS MADE 3,600 AT HAMMER
A guitar signed by the Rolling Stones is among the more unusual lots at Sheppards three day Legacy of the Big House sale in Durrow on September 26, 27 and 28. The electric guitar is signed by Charlie Watts, Mick Jagger, Ronnie Woods and Keith Richards. Lot 14 in the auction, which comes up on September 26 is estimated at €3,000-5,000. The three day auctions offers a total of 1499 lots of antique furniture, pictures and prints, Asian art, carpets, rugs, boxes, jewellery, musical instruments, arms and armour, silver and plate and various collectibles. Viewing gets underway in Durrow on September 23 and the catalogue is online.
A pair of Regency gilt bronze Armorial lustres at Sheppards. UPDATE: THESE MADE 460 AT HAMMER
Offering everything from a carved Black Forest standing bear and fine antique furniture to a restored Steinway boutique grand piano there will be a feast of interiors auctions for Irish collectors next week. No less than nine days of sales will be packed into just four days up and down the country on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Catalogues for all auctions are online and all are now on view. Aidan Foley’s online hotel interiors sale can be viewed at Prussia St. in Dublin and includes a life size Black Forest Bear (€1,200-€1,600). This two day sale takes place on September 4 and 5. Adams At Home sale featured on these pages last week is in Dublin on Monday. Victor Mee’s three day Decorative Interiors sale on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday is headed by a Steinway grand (€20,000-€30,000) and is on view at Cloverhill in Co. Cavan. Meantime a selection of fine antique furniture from Sheppards two day interiors sale on Tuesday and Wednesday is on view in Durrow, Co. Laois.
A restored Steinway boutique grand piano at Victor Mee UPDATE: THIS MADE 18,000 AT HAMMER
With 1,287 lots Aidan Foley’s sale kicks off with a selection of mirrors, lighting, bedside lockers, tables and chairs. There are some decorative metal wall hangings and plenty of framed pictures and prints. There is a selection of banqueting tables and chairs, restaurant tables, sets of open armchairs, sofas, desks, tableware, kitchen equipment, advertising signs, a bronze bust of Michael Collins (€1,600-€2,000) and more than enough to open an hotel and decorate it too. The fully restored rosewood Steinway boutique grand piano at Victor Mee’s three day decorative interiors sale in Belturbet, Co. Cavan which gets underway on Tuesday evening is estimated at €20,000-€30,000. Lot 382 is the most expensively estimated piece in the auction. Other top lots include a 19th century ebonised inverted breakfront credenza and an early 20th century French moulded stone gazebo with a wrought iron top, each estimated at €8,000-€12,000. With everything from wrought iron entrance gates to a Georgian longcase clock and a set of 1950’s Louis Vuitton luggage the sale offers a huge variety of furniture and collectibles including a 19th century French burr walnut music box and a vintage metal childs pedal car.
An Arts and Crafts inlaid secretaire at James Adam. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
Fine antique furniture is a feature at Sheppards sale of over 700 lots on Tuesday and Wednesday. From 18th century parcel gilt console tables and a set of ten Regency dining chairs to an 18th century Danish silver tea urn and a monumental carved wood American eagle and a 19th century satinwood period pier cabinet there is much to tempt collectors. Rarities include a cast iron Great Southern Western Railway plaque (€120-€180), a 17th century leather wine pouch (€350-€600), a collection of nine oval Indian miniatures painted on ivory (€1,800-€3,000) and a pair of Regency gilt bronze armorial lustres (€500-€700). The timed online At Home sale at James Adam offers more than 400 lot with examples of Art Nouveau, the Arts and Crafts Movement, Art Deco, 19th century French furniture, a Victorian framed settee, an ebonised credenza and a selection of silver along with carpets, runners, kilims and prayer rugs. This auction ends from 11 am on Monday.
IRISH 18TH-CENTURY CUT GLASS CENTREPIECE. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
This Irish 18th century cut glass centrepiece with hobnail decoration and lobed rim is lot 160 at Sheppards two day sale in Durrow on September 5 and 6. It is estimated at €500-€700. There are 706 lots in total in this sale of antique furniture, art and collectibles. The catalogue is online and the sale will be on view in Durrow from September 2-4.
19TH-CENTURY VERNIS MARTIN ESCRITOIRE. UPDATE: THIS MADE 2,200 AT HAMMER
This 19th century Vernis Martin escritoire comes up at Sheppards sale of contents of Knocksaintlour House, Cashel on August 15. With a rouge-royale marble top above a painted panelled fall front opening there is a comprehensive fitted writing interior. The estimate is €2,500-€3,500. A total of 360 lots are on offer at a sale where viewing will be at Knocksaintlour House in Cashel on August 12 and 13. The auction will be held in Durrow and online.
French Empire Style specimen table. UPDATE: THIS MADE €3,800 AT HAMMER
This French Empire style marble specimen table comes up Sheppards sale of the entire contents of Knocksaintlour House, Cashel on August 15. The sale will be held at Durrow in Co. Laois. The circular-shaped table top with Greek key scroll border encloses a quadrant paterae centre. It rests on a doric columned temple centred by a figure of Hebe on a stepped circular base terminating on claw feet. The table is estimated at €5,000-€8,000.
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.
A plate from the Wedgwood Frog service. UPDATE: THIS MADE 170 AT HAMMER
Limited edition Wedgwood plates with views commissioned by Catherine the Great are among the lots at the James Adam At Home sale in Dublin on June 14. Catherine, who reigned as Empress from 1762-1796 after overthrowing her husband, greatly extended the borders of Russia and annexed Crimea (old habits die hard). She corresponded with Voltaire for 15 years and the magnificent Hermitage Museum started out as her personal collection. The Frog dinner and dessert service with 50 settings and 944 pieces was commissioned from Wedgwood and completed in 1774. Most of it is now at The Hermitage. Nine modern limited edition Frog service plates by Wedgwood with six Coalport strawberry plates and six Limoges crescent vegetable dishes form lot 433 at Adams with an estimate of €100-€200.
They are among lots of interesting pieces at timed online sales at James Adam in Dublin and Sheppards in Durrow next week. Adams will hold back to back online sales with the At Home auction starting to close from 11 am on June 14 with a smaller sale of jewellery and watches closing from 11 am on June 15. Sheppards will offer the Chinese jade and snuff bottle collection of the late Dr. Jan Mohamed of Pouldrew House, Co. Waterford on June 15 from 10 am. The extensive collection from Pouldrew House at Kilmeaden was auctioned over four days early in May.
George I burr maple desk bookcase UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
More than 500 lots will come up at the At Home sale, which offers a large selection of silver including Irish Georgian pieces and a three piece tea service by renowned London maker Paul Storr. Among a number of dinner services are fine examples of Herend porcelain and a Limoges service by Dior based on buldings designed by Palladio.A George I burr maple desk bookcase (€7,000-€10,000) is the top lot in the sale. Other prime lots of antique furniture include an overmantle mirror (€3,000-€5,000) once in the collection of designer Sybil Connolly, a Georgian revival bottle tray (€600-€800), a walnut and marquetry inlaid table (€800-€1,200) and an early Georgian sideboard (€1,000-€1,500). Art includes The Slopes of Ben Venue by Alfred de Breanski junior (1,500-€2,000) and Dublin Bay with the ship Eclipse by Joseph Sempill (€1,200-€1,600). Antique, vintage and designer jewellery and watches come to auction at Adams on the following day. Highlights include a tutti frutti design gem set and diamond bracelet (€7,000-€8,000), diamond rings, watches, Victorian and early 20th century jewellery and some novelty brooches.
Chinese green jade scholars stand. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
Novelty in the form of Chinese jade can be found in abundance at Sheppards on Thursday. The late Dr. Mohamed was a distinguished collector, renowned for his passion for and knowledge about Chinese antiquities. This is a singular opportunity for collectors, connoisseurs and enthusiasts to acquire unique and exquisite pieces, a once off offering of a large collection of jade carvings, pendants, puzzle balls, amulets, necklaces, seals, plaques, masques and brush washers. Colour ranges celadon and spinach jade to white. Most of the 251 lots are estimated at between €50 and €80, with similar estimates on the snuff bottles.
PERCY FRENCH (1854 – 1920) – On the road to Falcarragh
This watercolour by Percy French made a hammer price of €5,000 at the opening day of Sheppards four day sale in Durrow, Co. Laois this week. A set of Royal letters patent from King Charles II dated 1667 made €6,500, a 19th century walnut and marquetry longcase clock made €5,500, a George III automaton striking bracket clock made €4,300, a 19th century Chinese hardwood cabinet on cabinet made €4,200, a pair of 18th century Ottoman flintlock pistols made €2,200, a pair of hide upholstered wingback armchairs made €2,300, an 18th century Irish settee made €2,000, a Killarney cabinet made €1,800, a George III side table made €2,400, a George III inlaid breakfront bookcase made €4,400 and a Chinese archaic bronze bell made €28,000.
This Chinese archaic bronze bell made €28,000 at hammer.
Dining table and ten chairs by Joseph Walsh UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
A dining suite and a cabinet by Joseph Walsh will lead Sheppards four day sale live and online from Durrow, Co. Laois from next Tuesday to Friday (May 9-12). Walsh is celebrated globally and there will be international interest in lots 2039 and 2040, the last objects to be offered in this large auction of contents from Pouldrew House, located between Kilmeaden and Portlaw in Co. Waterford, as well as from other sources. The suite comprising a black walnut and silver dining table and ten black walnut chairs with sycamore backs created at the Joseph Walsh Studio in Riverstock in 2001 is estimated at €80,000-€120,000. Walshs cabinet on stand dating from the 2001-2003 period, with a walnut case and sycamore interior, comes with an estimate of €35,000-€55,000.
Pouldrew House, home from 1992 to the late Dr. Jan Mohamed who came from Singapore to work at Waterford Regional Hospital (now University Hospital, Waterford), was a magical setting for furniture, art and collectibles acquired over the years in Asia and at country house sales in Ireland. Priscilla Presley and her daughter Lisa-Marie (who died in January) came here several times for acupuncture as a result of a recommendation from the artist Gottfried Helnwein, who lives and works in Ireland and Los Angeles. Given that today is the coronation day of Charles III there might be some extra interest in decorative letters on vellum from Charles II (1630-1685) dated 1667 granting 2,400 acres in seven towns and villages in Waterford to Thomas Brightwell. The estimate is €8,000-€12,000. (Charles I was executed in 1649, but this is an aside).
Chinese yellow glazed bowl. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
The many Oriental lots are headed by two Chinese Qing Dynasty hardwood palace cabinets, each estimated at €20,000-€30,000. A magnificent Zhengde yellow glazed bowl (€10,000-€15,000), a Qianlong celadon plate (€8,000-€10,000) and a decorated Chinese lacquered 12 panel palace folding screen (€3,000-€5,000) are feature pieces too.Among many collectibles and conversation pieces is a 19th century Venetian walnut throne chair (€4,000-€6,000), a late 17th century Flemish tapestry (€5,000-€8,000), an 18th century leather panelled sedan chair (€5,000-€8,000), a c1830 monumental American carved wood eagle (€3,000-€5,000) and a signed 1945 World War II war crimes investigation team pewter tankard from Singapore (€500-€800). Leading jewellery lots include a 3.70 carat three stone diamond ring (€20,000-€30,000), a four stone diamond ring (€12,000-€14,000), Colombian emerald and diamond earrings (€8,000-€12,000), a diamond cluster ring (€8,000-€12,000) and an emerald and diamond ring (€6,000-€9,000). The most expensively estimated painting is a Donegal watercolour landscape by Percy French (€5,000-€8,000). There are two mid 20th century Donegal carpets and a good selection of Oriental rugs, runners and carpets in a sale with much interest for all sorts of collectors. The auction is on view in Durrow today, tomorrow and Monday. The catalogue is online and around 500 lots will be sold on each day.
17th century Flemish tapestry. UPDATE: THIS MADE €4,300 AT HAMMER
