Spectacular September Fine and Decorative Arts Sale
RICHARD Winterton Auctioneers' autumn auction of Fine & Decorative Arts included jewellery, silver, ceramics, glass, works of art, collectables, wine, whisky and spirits, country sports, paintings and furniture, writes Sarah Leedham.
The sale on September 19 was well viewed online and in person and many telephone bids were booked for the auction including bidders in Italy and the USA.
Some spectacular early 20th century and modern jewellery was first under the hammer, the top lot being a modern large oval sapphire and diamond cluster ring (pictured below) at £1,100, an 18ct trefoil three stone diamond ring sold at £850, the same price was paid for an Edwardian diamond and split pearl necklace and a late 19th century opal and diamond oval cluster ring made £700.
From a century earlier was a late 18th century portrait memorial ring depicting a lady in classical dress dated 1785 at £560. Wrist and pocket watches showed some fantastic results when a 1993 ladies Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date Just Auto in two tone stainless steel with box and guarantee (pictured below) made £1,700 and an 18ct open faced pocket watch £950.
The silver found new owners on all but four lots. The magical name of Paul Storr featured twice amongst the items on offer, with a salver (pictured below) reaching £1,200 and a tablespoon in Storr’s recognised Coburg pattern at £280. An Art Nouveau WMF silver plated and green glass claret jug soared past estimate to £780. The section featured three-part canteens of silver flatware in three different patterns which varied considerably, the best making £720 in a Fiddle, Thread & Shell pattern. Three early Victorian silver tablespoons of excellent quality in patterns rarely seen sold for five times the estimate at £500.
Ceramics and glassware section featured an early 19th century Spode Japan pattern Imari tea and coffee service of thirty-five pieces with extensive damage selling for £620, a group of early 19th century blue and white export ceramics sold well at £380 and a Delft drug jar which was also extensively damaged attracted huge interest selling at £300. A Moorcroft pottery vase dating from 1914 decorated in a pansy pattern took £300.
The works of art and collectables section of the sale yielded some surprises and some pleasing results. The top selling lot was a string of 51 Japanese ojime beads (pictured above). The beads are in wood, horn, lacquer, ivory and metal, some in the form of animals, others carved with figures and some as decorative spheres. Internet bidders raced this lot along to a hammer price of £2,600.
To coin a phrase, it was music to the auctioneer’s ears when a 19th century music box with interchangeable cylinders (pictured below) made £2,000, a pair of cased Selmer Series 105 clarinets made £1,000 and a cased Hohner Morino VN five voice 120 bass accordion at £750.
The wine, whisky and ports in the sale proved as much in demand as usual with interest coming in from all over the world. The top spot went to a bottle of Courvoisier extra cognac from Collection Erte in its presentation box (pictured below) at £380, second billing went to a boxed bottle of The Macallan 10-year-old single Highland malt at £320.
Although the market for more traditional pictures and furniture has been difficult over the last 10 years there were signs of hope as some excellent results were seen across the 158 lots available. Notable results were a 19th century Anglo Chinese seven-piece salon suite at £7,200, a pair of Regency walnut fold over card tables for £1,600, an early 18th century oak dresser at £1,350 and a George I cabinet on stand for £1,450 (pictured below).
Two paintings in a modernist style by Josef Herman proved very popular making £3,400 (below, top left) and £3,200 (below, top right) and the continuing trend of signed Lowry prints selling above expectations at £1,900 (below, lower left) and £1,500 (below, lower right).
The next auction of Fine & Decorative Arts at The Lichfield Auction Centre is on December 12 and entries are currently being accepted.