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  • Posts Tagged ‘Sheppards’

    OLD FAVOURITES AND NEW NAMES AT ART SALES NEXT WEEK

    Saturday, December 6th, 2025

    River Run Poppies by Kenneth Webb at Sheppards.

    Old favourites and new names combine to make an interesting selection at art sales by Sheppards in Durrow, de Veres in Dublin and the newly formed Lot 100 which is based in Lismore in the coming week.

    An arresting view of River Run Poppies by Kenneth Webb is the catalogue cover lot for Sheppard’s evening sale of Irish and international art on December 11.  Choices here range from Donald Teskey’s take on Kilkee, a dramatic abstract composition by the Norwegian artist Thorvald Hellesen, an image of Samuel Beckett by Louis le Brocquy and houses by Mary Lou, a self taught painter from the Glens of Antrim.

    Abstract Composition by Thorvald Hellesen at Sheppards

    Her contribution is an oil on board of a village in the west of Ireland in a bold, graphic style against a mountainous backdrop. A vibrant studio still life by Gladys MacCabe reflects a modernist style while a pen and ink drawing by Sir William Orpen was once in the collection of Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones.  A Walled off Hotel box set by Banksy, a lithograph of Queen Beatrix from the Reigning Queen series by Andy Warhol, a screenprint of birdflight by Braque and a signed etching by Renoir of a seated bather are among the international lots on offer.  The sale is on view in Durrow and the catalogue is online.

    An Italian tinted mirror and tiered hall table at de Veres

    The Christmas art and furniture online auction at de Veres on December 10 at 2 pm is headed by The Children of Lir, an oil on board by Patrick Collins. Artists in the sale include Peter Collis, Arthur Armstrong, William Carron, Yvonne Moore, Felim Egan, Mark Francis, Anne King Harman,Markey Robinson, Gerard Dillon and Patrick Scott.

    There is a range of 20th century design furniture and period pieces by Hicks including a Georgian style semi-elliptical side table, a set of Dutch 18th century style dining chairs and a pair of compartmental wall mirrors.  An Italian tinted and mirrored hall table and a pair of 1970’s black leather Swedish easy chairs cater for a contrasting taste in furniture.

    An original and vintage portrait of Fellini’s Amarcord at Lot 100.

    A large scale, rare vintage poster for Federico Fellini’s Amarcord is among the highly collectible lots at the online auction by Lot 100 which runs until next Tuesday (December 9). Amarcord is set in his hometown of Rimini in the 1930’s and the extraordinary characters that surrounded him. Fellini commissioned the Italian painter Giuliano Geleng to create a portrait of some of the people and events that shaped his young life in this film classic.

    There is art by Eithne Jordan, Joan Miro, Damien Hirst, Richard Long, Patrick Scott and a photographic portrait of Martin McDonagh by Steve Pyke in an eclectic selection that can be seen online and is on view this weekend in Lismore.

    PRIVATE COLLECTION OF ASIAN ART AT SHEPPARDS

    Tuesday, October 28th, 2025

    PAIR OF CHINESE CLOISONNÉ ENAMELLED CENSERS. UPDATE: THESE MADE €1,900 at hammer

    This pair of Chinese cloisonné enamelled censers will be included in Sheppards sale of a private collection of Asian art on November 5. A total of 155 lots will be sold without reserve. Estimated at €8,000-€12,000 the censers are among the highlights of the sale. The catalogue is online and the auction will be on view in Durrow on November 3 and 4.

    COMPLETE SET OF CUSTOMS HOUSE MASKS MAKES €125,000

    Wednesday, September 17th, 2025

    RORY BRESLIN (B. 1963) – Custom House Keystones. UPDATE: THESE MADE €125,000 at hammer

    A complete set of 14 patinated bronze masks of the Custom House keystones of the rivers of Ireland by Rory Breslin made a hammer price of €125,000 at Sheppards Irish and International art sale in Durrow. The Original Set of 14 – Liffey, Erne, Foyle, Slaney, Nore, Suir, Lagan, Lee, Shannon, Bann, Atlantic, Blackwater, Barrow and Boyne – were from the artist’s private collection. They are cast after the original keystones carved by Edward Smyth (1749–1812) for the Custom House, Dublin, c. 1791. This exceptional series reimagines one of the great achievements of Irish neoclassical sculpture: the monumental keystones personifying the Atlantic and the principal rivers of Ireland.  Smyth’s original carvings, designed under architect James Gandon, embodied the aspirations of an Irish Parliament-era Dublin. Each head is laden with symbolic attributes — maritime emblems, flora, fauna, and produce — evoking the geography, economy, and folklore of its river basin. Breslin’s Variations project captures these qualities with striking fidelity while revealing the energy, texture, and modelling of the originals through the medium of bronze.

    An Abstract Constructivist Composition (Study) c1920’s by Thorvald Hellesen made €33,000 over a top estimate of €9,000.

    (See post on antiquesandartireland.com for September 15, 2025).

    THORVALD HELLESEN (NORWEGIAN, 1888 – 1937) – Abstract Constructive Composition (Study) 

    BRONZE FIGURE MAKES MORE THAN 10 TIMES THE LOW ESTIMATE AT SHEPPARDS

    Tuesday, July 15th, 2025

    18TH-CENTURY SINO-TIBETAN GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF A MANJUSHRI

    This finely cast 18th century Sino-Tibetan gilt bronze made a hammer price of €9,500 over an estimate of €800-€1,200 at Sheppards two day sale of the collection of Philip and Constance Murphy in Durrow today. The figure of a Manjushri,  the bodhisattva of transcendent wisdom, is seated in the meditation position atop a double-lotus throne with beaded rims. It is richly adorned with beaded jewellery and a five-pointed crown, with detailed facial expression and blue pigment remaining in the hair and crown crevices. A folder of 24 Chinese Qing watercolours made €14,000, a Chinese Qing period Hu shaped vase made €7,650 at hammer, a 19th century oil painting of a volcanic eruption by moonlight made €7,500, a 19th century marine chronometer made €5,400, a Chinese Qing Period blue dragon plate made €5,000, an Arts and Crafts carpet made €4,300, a 19th century automaton bird clock under a glass dome made €4,000 at hammer, a Persian Tabriz carpet made €4,200, an 18th century Dublin bracket clock made €3,600, a trio of Chinese gold commemorative coins made €2,800 and a Chinese lime glazed bowl made €2,800.

    KILLARNEY CENTRE TABLE AT SHEPPARDS GREAT IRISH INTERIORS SALE

    Wednesday, May 21st, 2025

    19TH-CENTURY KILLARNEY YEW AND ARBUTUS WOOD MARQUETRY TABLE. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    This 19th Killarney centre circular centre table inlaid with yew and arbutus wood is among the highlights at Sheppards Great Irish Interiors sale in Durrow on May 27 and 28.  The top is centred by circular marquetry medallions and enclosed within elaborate borders of Celtic strapwork, foliate motifs and symbolic patterns. More than 1200 lots will come under the hammer and the catalogue is online. The estimate on this table, which comes up on May 28, is €6,000-€9,000.

    FELIM EGAN’S SINGULAR CONTRIBUTION TO IRISH ABSTRACTION

    Wednesday, May 7th, 2025

    FELIM EGAN (1952 – 2020) – CANARY (2007). UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    This meditative composition by Felim Egan is lot 20 at Sheppards Irish and International art sale on May 14. The restrained geometry and tonal shifts create an atmosphere of stillness—typical of Egan’s singular contribution to Irish abstraction. The surface is finely worked, suggesting multiple veils of pigment applied over time. His minimalist compositions, built up in semi-translucent layers, earned him international recognition. The artist received the Gold Award at Cagnes-sur-Mer and his work is held in collections such as the Irish Museum of Modern Art and the European Parliament. This acrylic on canvas is estimated at €3,000-€5,000. There are 166 lots in the auction and the catalogue is online.

    SCEPTRE MAKES TEN TIMES LOW ESTIMATE AT SHEPPARDS

    Tuesday, November 26th, 2024

    CHINESE TIBETO GILT BRONZE SCEPTRE

    This Chinese Tibeto gilt bronze sceptre with an estimate of €3,000-€5,000 sold for a hammer price of €30,000 at the opening session of Sheppards three day auction in Durrow of contents from Grange Manor, Co. Kilkenny and other clients. It contains the six-character reign mark of the Yongle Emperor (1402 – 1424). The makara head is above flowing lotus scrolls over a faceted pierced dorje handle. The Makara is a legendary sea creature in Hindu mythology. The Currach Fishermen by Liam O’Neill made €11,000, the Great Seal of Ireland of Henry VIII made €8,500, a pair of gilt console tables made €5,500, a Mughal hand woven carpet made €5,500, a tree of life carpet made €5,500, a Donegal carpet made €5,500, a pen and ink portrait by Jack B Yeats made €5,000, a gilt, bronze and marble clock garniture made €4,800, a George III inlaid bookcase made €4,000, a portrait of Anna Stewart by Nathanial Hone made €4,000, a large two tier Irish crystal chandelier made €3,800, a pair of 19th century Black Forest bears made €3,000, a 20th century Meissen figure of King Augustus on Horseback made €3,200 and an Irish brass bound peat bucket made €2,800. The sale is ongoing.

    ARRAY OF RARE CHOICES AT SALES IN IRELAND NEXT WEEK

    Saturday, November 23rd, 2024

    19th century Killarney wood breakfast table at Aidan Foley’s sale  UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD AND IS UNDER OFFER

    With big sales by Aidan Foley in Killarney, Shepperds in Durrow and Lynes and Lynes in Carrigtwohill next week collectors will be spoiled by an array of astonishing and rare choices as the winter selling season reaches it maximum point.

    There is much to see and appreciate, from the finest of Irish furniture to a complete apothecary cabinet, a bronze stag, Patek Philippe and Rolex watches and even a Great Seal of Ireland of Henry VIII on vellum dated 1544.

    The Killarney furniture including a museum quality davenport at Aidan Foley’s three day sale has aroused international interest.  The retirement  auction on behalf of Pat O’Connor of Killarney Antiques is now on view at the shop on the Cork road.  The in-room and online auction with 1388 lots takes place at the Killarney Heights Hotel next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 2.30 pm on each day.

    A Killarney breakfast table, two davenports and a sewing table range in estimate from €3,000 to €50,000.  There is a selection of Killarney trinket boxes, games boards, trays and travelling writing boxes on offer as well as antique furniture, a range of artists from Marshall Hutson to Maurice Wilks, Ann Tallentire and Sean O’Connor, mirrors, porcelain and collectibles including a 19th century estate bronze bell and an original Cork Examiner enamel advertising sign.

    A pair of Meissen figural candelabras a Sheppards. UPDATE: THESE WERE UNSOLD

    At Sheppards a pair of Irish 19th century marquetry side cabinets once in the Long Room at Kilkenny Castle will highlight a three day sale of contents from Grange Manor in Co. Kilkenny and other clients next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The estimate for this historically important pair of cabinets sold separately at the dispersal auction at the castle in 1935 is €100,000-€150,000.

    The seal of Henry VIII grants various properties around Inistioge including fishing rights on the River Nore to Milo Barron Bishop of Ossory and his brother David. The estimate is €7,000-€9,000.  More than 1600 lots will come under the hammer.  Viewing gets underway today at Grange Manor, the auction is in Durrow and online.

    A Patek Philippe man’s watch with an estimate of €50,000-€80,000 will lead the Lynes and Lynes sale in Carrigtwohill next Saturday (November 30).  There are contents from Gurrane House near Fermoy which has been in the Blackley, Grant and Deane families since it was built in 1850.  A collection of circus clowns in the auction (€2,500-€3,500) was amassed by a clown at Duffy’s. Circus and is being sold by his nephew. A set of fine Georgian Cork 11-bar chairs (€4,000-€5,000) and a Georgian dining table (€3,000-€4,000) should generate interest.

    A going away outfit dating to c1850 at Lynes and Lynes. UPDATE: THIS MADE 460 AT HAMMER

    Large old family houses contain hidden treasures.  Among the signature pieces from Gurrane is a complete 19th century mahogany apothecary cabinet (€600-€1,000) owned by Dr. Travers Robert Blackley (1801-1876) and an 1850 going away outfit..  This was worn by Mrs Charles Deane (nee Grant), who  married Colonel Charles Deane of Gurrane circa 1850. A Spanish School painting of The Virgin and  Child distributing the Rosary to Saints and the Royal Family is estimated at €1,000-€1,500. There is a similar estimate on a Plan of the City and Suburbs of Cork drawn in 1832 by Thomas Holt.  There will be local interest too in a Robert Stopford engraving of Cork Harbour and a large view of the Cork International Exhibition from 1903.  Viewing gets underway in Carrigtwohill today.

    The bronze stag is at Aidan Foley’s auction and there is garden furniture on offer at all three sales.

    A close up of some of the clown collection at Lynes and Lynes. UPDATE: THE CLOWN COLLECTION MADE 3,100 AT HAMMER

    HANDKERCHIEF WAS IN THE POCKET OF MICHAEL COLLINS WHEN HE DIED

    Saturday, September 21st, 2024

     A framed linen handkerchief on Michael Collins at the time of his death at Hegarty’s. UPDATE: THIS LOT WAS WITHDRAWN AND SOLD PRIOR TO THE AUCTION

    As the autumn season moves into high gear an impressive selection of highly collectible lots is available to collectors up and down the country next week.  The  range on offer right now includes everything from a rediscovered painting by Frank O’Meara at Adams, a Rolls Royce Silver Spirit at Sheppards and a linen handkerchief which Michael Collins had in his pocket when he died at Hegarty’s in Bandon.

    When the autumn art selling season kicks off at Adams in Dublin on the evening of September 25 there will be much interest in A Knitting Shepherdess painted in 1880 by Frank O’Meara.  This small scale transitional work by a short lived though renowned Irish artist, unknown to researchers, has been in an Irish private collection for decades. It is estimated at €10,000-€15,000.

    Frank O’Meara (1853-1888) – A Knitting Shepherdess at Adams. UPDATE: THIS MADE 24,000 AT HAMMER

    The Bog Pool by Paul Henry is at €120,000-€160,000, the most expensively estimated lot in this auction of 150 lots which features work by Jack B Yeats, Paul Henry, Colin Middleton, Louis le Brocquy, Sean Keating, Frank McKelvey, Gerard Dillon and Lilian Davidson.  On the contemporary side there is a large work painted in 2008 by Hughie O’Donoghue – No. 37, Stuttgart 7 Hours 20 Minutes 24.7.44 – of a Lancaster bomber during the Second World War setting the night sky ablaze (€30,000-€50,000).  Painting and sculpture by Neil Shawcross, Colin Harrison, Edward Delaney, Melanie le Brocquy, John Behan and many others add enormous interest to this sale.

    The petrol driven 1984 Rolls Royce at Sheppards Legacy of the Big House auction of more than 1600 lots on September 24, 25 and 26 in Durrow is estimated at €20,000-€30,000.  A west Cork collection assembled in Ireland, Europe and America has a strong emphasis on 17th and 18th century furniture.  An Irish 17th century leather bound marriage trunk with metal and stud decoration and domed lid, inscribed 1693, is certain to create interest. The estimate is €4,000-€6,000.

    An Irish 17th century leather bound marriage trunk at Sheppards. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    An Italian 18th century carved gilt console table with marble top is estimated at €3,000-€5,000. There are Regency tables, an Irish oak rent table, a Grand Tour marble specimen table, a 17th century walnut and crossbanded chest, a Cork Regency carved giltwood mirror and a pair of early 19th century Viennese salon chairs among an appetising selection.

    Curiosities include a 19th century Cork ebony and ivory octant and a bronze model of a Venetian Lion of St Mark.  There is a collection of fountain pens,  jewellery from Atelier Jacobi, Stuttgart and art by James Arthur O’Connor, Guido Reni, Norah McGuinness, James Humbert Craig and others. Viewing starts in Durrow today.

    A framed white linen handkerchief which Michael Collins had with him on the evening of his death on August 22, 1922 comes up at Hegarty’s sale in Bandon on the evening of September 25.  It is accompanied by a manuscript letter in pencil signed by Collins’ brother Sean O Coileain dated August 31 to General Sean MacMahon asking him to: ‘accept enclosed as a souvenir of Michael – in his pocket at time of death’ .  The estimate is €10,000-€20,000.  The provenance of the handkerchief is General Sean MacMahon and thence by descent.

    The online sale features antique furniture, art, silver and jewellery including a  Victorian emerald and diamond shamrock bar brooch.

    A Cork Regency carved giltwood mirror at Sheppards. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    FENDERS HAVING A MOMENT AT AUCTION IN IRELAND

    Wednesday, July 24th, 2024

    Brass club fender with leather upholstered seat

    Fenders are having a moment at auction in Ireland. This good quality brass club fender made 2,000 at hammer on the opening night of Victor Mee’s three day decorative interiors and art sale in Belturbet, Co. Cavan last night. Just last week a large Cork regency brass fender made 1,300 at hammer at Sheppards three day sale of contents from St. Austins, Gorey, Co. Wexford. And a brass and leather club fender made 1,500 at last nights sale. The auction by Victor Mee continues this evening and tomorrow.