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20th Century and Contemporary Auction Preview

Roger Hilton (1911-1975): Untitled (CC2/53) offered in our One Day 20th Century and Contemporary Sale starting on 11th June 2019 at our salerooms in Exeter, Devon.

Daniel Goddard (Head of the Pictures Department) takes a tour of the upcoming 20th Century and Contemporary Auction that brings a fresh and exciting vibe to our salerooms in Exeter.

Antiques and Interiors Sale Our next Antiques and Interiors Sale will be held at our salerooms in Okehampton Street in Exeter on Tuesday, 18th June 2019 commencing at 10:00am. The catalogue is now available.

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A typical Art Deco ring. Lucy Marles (of the Jewellery Department) discusses the Art Deco movement in jewellery, which has re-emerged as one of today's most popular antique jewellery styles.
Val Barry unloading her kiln at Crouch End. Nic Saintey (Head of the Ceramics Department) looks at the back story to Val Barry as a studio potter and poses the intriguing question about what the artist herself would make about the contents of her studio being sold at auction.
A hand-painted lantern slide of London by Night made by Carpenter & Westley, circa 1860s. Brian Goodison-Blanks (Joint Head of the Collectables and Toys Department) delves into the highly-paid Victorian world of the Magic Lantern Projectorist. Their 'magical slides' brought animation and scenes far removed from the day-to-day experiences of those people who first viewed them.
A bronze figure of Mercury (FS38/821). Martin McIlroy (Head of the Works of Art Department) looks at the 'grand tour' that many young aristocrats and gentlemen engaged in from the end of 17th Century as an important part of their cultural education and the items that they might typically collect that now find their way into modern works of art auctions.
Albrect Durer - Self-Portrait at 28, circa 1500. Daniel Goddard (Head of the Pictures Department) contemplates the importance of portraits and portraiture in a contemporary world where the boundaries between reality and imagination are blurred, distorted and jumbled, largely by Social Media and the Internet.
Selected items from the studio of Valerie Barry. Nic Saintey (Head of the Ceramics Department) looks at the work of studio potter Val Barry, whose has become largely forgotten, but may yet find reinvigorated favour in the current post-Leach environment.
This Cartier diamond ring (FS24/194) is a good example of a circular, brilliant-cut diamond certified E colour and VS1 clarity. Lucy Marles (of the Jewellery Department) explains the ins and outs of buying diamond jewellery at auction.
The scrolling HB of Hester Bateman's sponsor's mark. Martin McIlroy (Head of the Silver Department) retells the remarkable story of Hester Bateman (d 1794), a renowned female silversmith in the male dominated silver trade of 18th Century London.
Front Cover of The Lot Magazine Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood publishes an occasional magazine called The Lot covering our recent news and saleroom hightlights. It also provides interesting insights into our work. The current and previous editions can be downloaded in PDF format or read online as a page-by-page electronic magazine.

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