The following news articles have recently been released by Bearnes Hampton &
Littlewood. We intend to keep these news articles online for reference. As our archive
grows, you will be able to search for them by topic and date.
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"In 1558 the Act of Supremacy made Elizabeth I Supreme Governor of the church. In
1559, the Act of Uniformity attempted to reconcile Protestants and Catholics and
return England to the Protestant faith. In further acts passed by Elizabeth, everyone
had to attend church on Sunday, each parish had to have a complete copy of the Bible
in English and each parish had to have a communion cup." writes Martin McIlroy (Silver
Specialist).
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Daniel Goddard (Head of the Picture Department) writes "An impressive single owner
collection of pictures comes under the hammer in Honiton on 19th June 2012, with
the emphasis very much on the west country and west country artists" as he reviews
the entries for the June 2012 Selected Pictures Sale, which will be held at our
auction rooms in Honiton, Devon.
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The stars of the Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood April 2012 Fine Sale jewellery
section were, appropriately enough, the diamonds. Several spectacular diamond-mounted
pieces found new homes and it was these, along with some of the more interesting
antique jewellery which were the outstanding lots.
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"The fateful maiden voyage of the Titanic 100 years ago has intrigued and fascinated
many with the opulence of the ship and the tragedy of the lives lost." writes Brian
Goodison-Blanks (Maritime Specialist) as he previews the maritime items in the upcoming
Fine Sale, which will be held on 11th July 2012 in Exeter, Devon.
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The Spring 2012 quarterly Fine Sale offering of selected furniture produced some
encouraging results.
For too long a time there has been heard the lamentations of the weakness in the
'brown furniture' market and just as the recession in the UK economy which dips
into and out of marginal growth, one has to accept the status quo and get on with
it.
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Something didn't smell right, something fishy was going on when Lot 41, a Georgian
vinaigrette, was offered for Sale - but not just any vinaigrette - this one was
modelled as an articulated fish. Vinaigrettes were used to hold smelling salts or
sponges, soaked in sweet smelling liquids, to be held close to the nose and remove
the smell of Georgian streets.
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Martin McIlroy ponders an Art Deco Tea Service, by Charles Boynton, and concludes
"If Hercule Poirot was to taste a Devon cream tea, then this is the service that
would have poured the tea..."
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Of all the tinplate clockwork toy cars produced in the 20th century, none is
more iconic the Alfa Romeo P2 produced by the French firm CIJ (Compagnie Industrielle
du Jouet).
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The April 2012 Fine Painting sale was a great success with over 90% of the
lots selling, many for clients in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. A group of ten Archibald
Thorburn watercolours and drawings from two different collections in Somerset and
Devon all sold for a total in excess of £17,000; the most popular being the unmistakeable
Snipe Amongst Grasses at £4,200.
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The highlight of the Works of Art section of our April 2012 Fine Art Sale held in
Exeter (Devon) was undoubtedly the sale of the early 19th century Indian carved
ivory chess set. Consigned by a client living in the heart of Devon, it was discovered
by Andrew Thomas of our Insurance Valuations Department It provided a chance for
chess collectors' around the world to bid on an unusual and potentially rare chess
set. After frantic bidding, the chess set finally realised £17,000.
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Nic Saintey (Ceramics Specialist) muses over Lot 577 in the Ceramics and Glass section
of the April 2012 Fine Sale. The ceramic plate was catalogued as probably being
Bristol Delft, but during viewing it soon became apparent that the prototype was
made a little further up the River Severn...
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Are you looking to sell an item of fine art in one of our upcoming specialist sales?
We regularly hold such sales throughout the year that attract interest from not
just United Kingdom buyers but also from an international audience who can bid electronically
using the Internet.
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Heading into an Easter weekend with the potential of snow seems a gloomy prospect.
However, Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood's sale of Antiques and Collectables including
Silver and Jewellery is a brighter outlook in more ways than one.
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Amongst the numerous objects in the Works of Art section of our forthcoming Fine
Art Sale on 18th and 19th April 2012, one word can be used to characterise many
of them - Ivory. Ivory has been used around the world over thousands of years for
ornament and decoration and examples of work from Japan, China, India and Europe,
are all represented.
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There are a number of long case clocks and a ship's chronometer in our April 2012
Fine Sale in Exeter. This article previews some of these lots, which have stories
to tell of their maker's untimely deaths, hastened marriages and multiple children!
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The antique furniture section of the April 2012 quarterly fine sale provides a good
cross section of oak and mahogany. This round up looks at a range of furniture on
offer, from the epoch of William and Mary, through the Georgian and Regency periods,
to the Victorian era.
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The Surrealist potter and painter Sam Haile met Marianne de Trey and they married
in 1938. Sam Haile was interested in the Surrealist work of contemporaries like
Picasso, Klee and Henry Moore. A watercolour by Sam Haile of his exploration of
the Alps entitled Giffre at Morillon, Haute Savoie with provenance to the
Private Collection of Marianne de Trey is being offered for auction in our Fine
Art Sale in April. The estimate for the watercolour is £600-£800.
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Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood's April 2012 Fine Art Sale includes an exciting
collection of antique and modern jewellery, which will be of interest to collectors
as well as those looking for a special piece for an important occasion or everyday
wear. Auction is a wonderful way of buying jewellery as pieces can be acquired at
a far more modest cost than at a retail jewellers.
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Amongst the silver to be offered in our Fine Sale on the 18th April 2012,
there is the usual assortment of examples of English silversmith's art. From salvers
to candlesticks, flatware to porringers, all are represented in this sale.
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Roger Collicott previews the upcoming antiquarian book auction, which will be held
at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood's Dowell Street salerooms in Honiton on Wednesday,
28th March 2012.
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A review of the Sporting & Collectors' Sale, which was held at Bearnes Hampton
& Littlewood's Dowell Street salerooms in Honiton on Wednesday, 29th February
2012.
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A preview of the upcoming antiques and selected silver and jewellery auction, which
will be held at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood's Dowell Street salerooms in Honiton
on Wednesday, 13th March 2012.
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Nic Saintey previews the forthcoming fine art sale, which is to be held over two
days in Exeter (Devon) on 25th and 26th January 2012, which is already generating
considerable interest.
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Brian Goodison-Blanks previews some of the exciting maritime lots being offered
in the forthcoming fine art sale, which is to be held over two days in Exeter (Devon)
on 25th and 26th January 2012.
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With its 85 dealers, two firms of auctioneers and numerous associated specialist
firms, Honiton can be justly proud of its reputation as the antiques centre of the
South West. On 14th-20th November 2011, all of those businesses will join forces
for the first ever Honiton Antiques Festival – part of National Antiques
Week, which is being celebrated around the country.
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Nic Saintey, Head of Ceramics and Glass at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood, previews
the October 2011 Fine Art Auction, which is being held by the auction house on Wednesday,
19th October 2011 and Thursday, 20th October 2011 in Exeter,
Devon.
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Roger Collicot (Book Specialist) reviews the succesful antiquarian book sale that
was recently held in our Dowell Street salerooms in Honiton.
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Daniel Goddard (Head of the Picture Department) talks about the upcoming selected
pictures sale to be held in Exeter on Tuesday, 6th September 2011 and
notes that these successful Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood sales are now three
years old.
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Roger Collicott, the book specialist at Bearnes, Hampton & Littlewood previews
the 'star' item in the September 2011 Antiquarian Book Sale, which is being held
in Honiton on Thursday, 1st September 2011.
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Nic Saintey reviews the July 2011 Fine Art Sale held in Exeter, which saw a Ngombe
Tribal Stool fetch £16,500 and a piece of pale celadon jade make £40,000. He also
notes that the furniture market is still strong for the right pieces, after he reflects
that a George III mahogany serpentine fronted serving table reached £21,000.
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Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood (along with others) are sponsoring the Michaelmas
Fair at Powderham Castle in aid of the ABF The Soldiers' Charity South West branch
on Thursday, 3rd November 2011.
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Nic Saintey provides a quick preview of some of the interesting lots being offered
by Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood in our July 2011 Fine Art Sale, which includes
pieces by Mary Fedden, Archibald Thorburn, David Shepherd, Faberge and Rolex as
well as some Chinese Jade and a grotesque 'Martin Bros' spoon warmer.
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Brian Goodison-Blanks, the Maritime Specialist at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood,
writes about the June 2011 Maritime Sale, which brought many people to the Exeter
saleroom on the day.
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There was a very positive and enthusiastic response, writes Daniel Goddard (Head
of Pictures at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood), to the variety of pictures
in the 7th June 2011 Selected Picture Sale in Honiton and by all accounts the salerooms
looked fantastic with a wide range of Modern British rubbing shoulders with minor
Dutch Old Masters.
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Brian Goodison-Blanks, the Maritime Specialist at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood,
previews the upcoming Maritime Sale in Exeter, Devon. The sale has a range of items
for all collectors and enthusiasts, as well as a couple of interesting historical
pieces to attract a wider audience.
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Daniel Goddard, Head of the Pictures Department at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood,
reviews the 7th June 2011 sale in Honiton, Devon, which has lots to offer collectors
of British 20th Century Paintings and Pottery.
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Roger Collicott, Book Consultant at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood, reviews the
March 2011 book sale, which achieved the highest price for a single item since Bearne's
and Hampton & Littlewood merged.
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Whilst it is the high value items we auctioneers make most noise about, it is often
those items that display a great deal of time and effort in the making, but seem
eminently affordable, or the more novel, obscure or abstract items that make the
Fine Sale so appealing and dare I say eclectic at times.
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The next book sale at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood promises to be very good.
An exciting discovery in a house clearance by one of Bearnes Hampton & Littlewoods'
valuers has unearthed a rare Captain Cook book, which will be the highpoint of the
sale on 30th March 2011 in Honiton.
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Brian Goodison-Blanks reviews a collection of original works by the Victorian ornithological
artist JW Ludlow, which has recently been discovered in Devon by the fine art auctioneers.
The collection, along with other items, is being offered for sale on 16th February 2011
at Honiton as part of the Sporting and Collectors Sale.
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Nic Saintey talks about the upcoming January 2011 Fine Art Sale to be held by Bearnes
Hampton & Littlewood at the auction rooms in Exeter, on 26th January 2011
and 27th January 2011.
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Brian Goodison-Blanks reviews the first Selected Fine Art Sale held by Bearnes Hampton
& Littlewood at the auction rooms in Honiton, on 23rd November 2010.
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A review of the Book, Prints and Map Sale held at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood
at the Salerooms in Dowell Street, Honiton, on 29th September 2010, by book consultant
Roger Collicott.
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The Autumn 2010 Fine Sale has nearly 750 lots of selected Silver, Jewellery, Paintings,
Ceramics, Works of Art, Clocks and Furniture with estimates from £100-£15,000. The
items are being offered for sale on 20th and 21st October 2010 in Exeter.
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Extending the range of sales and services available to our clients, Bearnes Hampton
& Littlewood are offering several classic cars and a motorbike in the sale on
23rd November 2010 in Honiton.
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Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood held a successful auction of sporting, country
pursuits and collectors items in Honiton on 4th August 2010.
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Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood are holding an auction of sporting, country pursuits
and collectors items to be held in Honiton on 4th August 2010.
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Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood are holding an auction of maritime and nautical
related items in Exeter on 16th June 2010. Notable lots include an oil
on canvas by Arthur Briscoe (1873-1943) and a Turkish bronze cannon captured by
Admiral Sir John Thomas Duckworth.
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Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood are currently inviting entries for an auction of
maritime and nautical related items to be held in Exeter on 16th June 2010.
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Our jewellery expert Jethro Marles will be at special valuation days at our Honiton
salerooms during May 2010 to advise on jewellery that you may be considering selling.
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It is a year since the merging of Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood and already we
are expanding Eastwards in the county of Devon into the antiques centre and market
town of Honiton.
We have re-opened the long established auction room in Dowell Street, Honiton, with
the first auction of antiques, collectables, silver and jewellery being held there
on 16th February 2010.
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Richard Bearne, Chairman of Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood, announced on Friday,
3rd July 2009 that the fine art auction house would be re-opening the salerooms
in Dowell Street, Honiton in January 2010 when they are vacated by Bonhams.
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Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood will be auctioning over a hundred pieces of
donated art at our Okehampton Street salerooms for The Chestnut Appeal for Prostate
Cancer on 10th May 2009. The sale will be on view to the general public on 8th May 2009
and 9th May 2009.
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Nic Saintey takes a brief glance at a few interesting lots in the first fine art
sale of 2009, which will be offered on 28th-29th January 2009 at our Okehampton
Street Salerooms in Exeter.
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Some of the results from the Lenkiewicz 2008, which lasted over nine hours, saw
over 3,000 people attend and achieved a world record for a painting by Robert
Lenkiewicz. The auction made £2.1m.
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A rare archive of Waynman Dixon, one of the people responsible for bringing Cleopatra's
Needle to London will be included in the forthcoming quarterly auction to be held
on 30th January 2008.
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The archive of Madame Handley Seymour, the exclusive London dressmaker from the
1920s to the 1940s, with Royal appointments from Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth,
the Queen Mother, will be offered for sale in the quarterly fine sale to be held
on 30th January 2008.
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A collection of artefacts related to Lord Byron and his descendants were eagerly
snapped up at auction by collectors for an astonishing £176,570 five times
the figure expected.
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Ethelbert White (1891-1972) was a painter, illustrator, wood engraver and poster
designer, born in Isleworth, Middlesex. He attended St John's Wood Art School and
became friends with Mark Gerter and CRW Nevinson and was a regular exhibitor at
the RWS and RA.
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Items from Greenway House in South Devon, the former home of the Queen of crime
writers Dame Agatha Christie, were eagerly snapped up at auction by collectors and
her many fans for an astonishing £303,000 today (Tuesday, 12th September 2006)
– double the figure expected.
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A unique and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is in store for collectors and Agatha
Christie enthusiasts on Tuesday September 12th at Bearne's in Exeter when the family
offer at auction a selection of items from her former home at Greenway House, Churston
Ferrers, South Devon.
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When Robert Lenkiewicz died on 5th August 2002, there was work in progress at seven
different studios on and around The Barbican in Plymouth. Lenkiewicz had kept the
existence of these studios unknown to all but a few and for a long period it was
unclear whether all The Painter's private and secret places had been found. As the
situation became clearer the studios revealed a fascinating indication of the working
practice of the man and a glimpse into his lifestyle.
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When fine art valuer and auctioneer Daniel Goddard was commissioned to help deal
with the estate of the late Plymouth artist Robert Lenkiewicz, little did he anticipate
the scale of the task ahead.
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There was huge public interest and high prices paid at an auction sale of West Country
railway memorabilia and model trains in Exeter on 30th October 2002, which realised
some £72,000.
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