Autumn 2013 Fine Sale Preview

Published 8th October 2013

The Gulf of Salerno, possibly Positano, on All Saints' Day (FS20/473) by the artist Franz Richard Unterberger (1838-1901) is being offered in the pictures auction of the October 2013 Fine Art Sale with an estimate of £25,000-£35,000.

The forthcoming West Country Autumn 2013 quarterly fine sale is being held on 23rd/24th October 2013. The auction includes just shy of 1,000 lots, which have been collected over the last few months, and will be immediately followed by the second part of the the Nye Furniture Collection Sale in Honiton on Friday, 25th October 2013.

The fine art sale starts with the silver auction, some of the highlights of which include a Canadian silver ingot (FS20/9a) of rectangular outline, which bears the Canadian assay office stamp. Weighing in at 100ozs, this heavy piece is expected to fetch between £1,200 and £1,500.

A Victorian four piece silver tea and coffee service (FS20/124), made in 1874, is expected to make between £1,500 and £2,000 at auction.

The silver auction also includes a Chinese silver three piece tea service (FS20/118) that is inviting bids of around £1,200-£1,500.

A Victorian four piece silver tea and coffee service (FS20/124) (made by Martin Hall and Co Ltd in London in 1874) is being offered with an estimate of £1,500-£2,000, whilst a Chinese silver three piece tea service by the maker Wang Hing & Co of Hong Kong (FS20/118) is expected to fetch £1,200-£1,500.

Amongst the jewellery auction lots is this impressive sapphire and diamond mounted oval cluster ring (FS20/286), which carries an estimate of between £2,000 and £3,000. Interested bidders unable to make the salerooms in the South West of England will be able to bid online using our usual online bidding platforms.

The jewellery and watch auction within the sale includes a lovely sapphire and diamond mounted oval cluster ring (FS20/286), which has an estimate of £2,000-£3,000. Sapphires come in many colours, including various shades of blue as well as pink and yellow tones. This sapphire and diamond ring is an excellent statement ring in regards to its size and colour. Within a surround of diamonds, it is a classic and impressive item of jewellery.

There is a very popular and highly collectable 18ct gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual wristwatch, which is inviting bids of around £4,000 to £5,000.

Also in the jewellery and watches auction is a gentleman's 18ct gold Oyster Perpetual day date superlative chronometer wristwatch (FS20/187). Very popular and collectable, this particular Rolex Oyster Perpetual is powered with every movement of the wearer's arm. It carries a pre-sale estimate of £4,000-£5,000.

Amber is now becoming increasingly popular, with various types of amber jewellery reaching high prices at auction. Natural amber beaded necklaces are most popular, with large beaded necklaces reaching thousands of pounds at auction. A slightly more modest necklace is included in our auction, being of graduated form, it is inviting bids of between £300 and £500.

A still life of garden flowers by the painter Winifred Nicholson (1893-1981) is expected to realise between £20,000 and £30,000 (FS20/520).

Within the picture auction, there are several high value paintings including a Winifred Nicholson (1893-1981) depicting a still life of garden flowers (FS20/520) painted circa 1972, which carries a pre-sale estimate of £20,000-£30,000. There is also an oil on canvas by Franz Richard Unterberger (1838-1901) titled The Gulf of Salerno, Positano, All Saints Day (FS20/473), which has an estimate of £25,000-£35,000. In addition, there is a painting by the ever popular Heywood Hardy (1842-1933) entitled Riders on the Shore (FS20/408), which is a signed oil on canvas and expected to fetch between £12,000 and £18,000.

The oil on canvas Riders on the Shore by artist Heywood Hardy (1842-1933) carries an estimate of £12,000-£18,000 (FS20/408).

Day Two of the sale (24th October 2013) starts off with the ceramics and glass auction. Amongst the glassware, there is a Baccarat dated spaced millefiori paperweight (FS20/558) with coloured and animal silhouette canes. From this period onwards, around half of all Baccarat paperweights were discreetly marked and dated. The factory was the first to use such novelty animal canes that came about when the manager of the factory came across his nephew Emile Gridel making animal cut outs from black paper. The factory used them to popular acclaim and Emile went on to become a painter of animals... and a great hunter. This example has an estimate of £500-£800.

A Baccarat dated spaced millefiori paperweight is being offered (FS20/558) as part of the auction at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood's much enlarged salerooms that now form a Centre of Auction Excellence in the South West of England.

Amonst the ceramics is a Kangxi blue and white vase (FS20/563), which was formerly offered as part of the Edward James dispersal at West Dean on 3rd June 1986 – the kind of provenance that can add value to any potential bidders. West Dean was Edward James' English estate, with which he endowed a charitable trust for the preservation of traditional arts and crafts. Edward James was a colourful society character who inherited a fortune from his father, championed the surrealist movement and even built an extensive sculpture park in the Mexican rain forest. This vase, which boasts all this history, is expected to fetch between £1,000 and £1,500.

A Kangxi blue and white vase (FS20/563) is amongst the fine ceramics. It formed part of Edward James' collection at West Dean before being dispersed on 3rd June 1986. Its provenance is expected to see it fetch between £1,000 and £1,500.

Another star lot within the ceramics auction is a Lenci pottery figure of a peasant girl with doves (FS20/659), estimated at £800-£1,000. Originally a manufacturer of dolls, Lenci, owned by Elena Scaveni, opened a factory in Turin – a somewhat shortlived and enigmatic factory, it produced during its heyday (1928-37) a rather strange mixture of devotional items and, at the opposite end of the spectrum, wonderfully modelled, often fashionably attired and sometimes naked female figures. During the 1950s, they produced figures for Disney, as Walt Disney was an admirer who was reputed to have been influenced by the Lenci look when making Bambi.

A Lenci Pottery Figure (FS20/659) offered in our Two Day Westcountry Fine Art Sale starting on 23rd October 2013 at our salerooms in Exeter, Devon in the South West of England.

A 19th century brise fan (FS20/779) is being offered in our Westcountry Fine Art Auction and is inviting offers of between £1,800 and £2,000.

Within the works of art auction, there are as always some unusual pieces on offer. A 19th century brise fan (FS20/779), the sticks carved to both sides with figures in a garden landscape, is estimated at £1,800-£2,000, whilst a bronze statue of Bodhisattva (FS20/794), dating from the late Ming period, depicts a seated figure wearing a crown and has a pre-sale estimate of between £5,000 and £6,000.

A Chinese gilt bronze statue of Bodhisattva that is attracting bids in the region of £5,000-£6,000 will go under the hammer at our South West of England Centre of Auction Excellence during three intensive days of selling across our salerooms in Devon.

Other highlights within this section include a late 17th Century lignum vitae Wassail bowl and cover (FS20/931) with an estimate of £1,500-£2,000 and a bronze figure group after Moreau of a neo classical maiden being taunted by two cherubs (FS20/946), which carries a pre-sale estimate of £3,000-£4,000.

A Pair of Regency Pollard Oak Rectangular Card Tables in the Manner of George Bullock (FS20/1078), which will be auctioned at our Exeter salerooms in October 2013.

The furniture auction also includes some good highlights, such as a pair of Regency Pollard Oak Rectangular Card Tables in the Manner of George Bullock. George Bullock was an important and influential early 19th Century cabinet maker and although he only had a short life, he had a spectacular career. Although not attributed to him directly, these card tables are very typical of his style and are expected to fetch £5,000-£6,000.

A Shapland and Petter Arts and Crafts sideboard (FS20/1094) is expected to fetch between £3,000 and £4,000.

Shapland and Petter furniture is becoming more and more popular. They were a major employer in North Devon over their 100 year history. Known for their Arts and Crafts style of furniture, they nevertheless did not espouse the artisan values of William Morris, but used the most up-to-date techniques and machinery in their production.

The sale includes an Arts and Crafts oak sideboard (FS20/1094) produced by Shapland and Petter, designed by William Cowie. It is typical of the Shapland and Petter furniture of this time, having embossed copper hinges, heart motifs and tulips. This superb quality piece carries a pre-sale estimate of £3,000-£4,000.

This forthcoming fine sale is one of the biggest Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood have held and promises much excitement from the many lots on offer.

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