A Chinese Bronze Censer (FS19/521) was secured by a Chinese Internet bidder for £5,000 in our Two Day Summer Fine Art Sale held at our salerooms in Exeter, Devon.
Interest in our July 2013 Fine Sale was worldwide with the top prices reflecting the current world economic situation with Chinese, Indian and Russian art buyers leading the way.
The Fine Sale was held in our Exeter salerooms over two days and was closely followed by a further day's selling in Honiton with the first of two Special Fine Sales to disperse the Nye Furniture Collection, which made for a very hectic few days of auctioneering!
Another bronze censer and stand in the Works of Art auction fetched £3,800 (FS19/522).
Within the Chinese Metal Wares section of the Fine Sale, the top price was for a bronze censer bearing a six character Xuande mark (FS19/521) that sold for £5,000; closely followed by another bronze censer and stand that realised £3,800 (FS19/522).
The auction included a private collection of Rajasthan ivory and polychrome decorated figures, including these two elephants that sold for £2,900 (FS19/601).
This group of six Rajasthan carved ivory and polychrome decorated figures were also part of the same collection and realised £3,000 (FS19/600).
Interest from India in a private collection of Rajasthan ivory and polychrome decorated figures led to two elephants (FS19/601) being sold for £2,900 and a collection of six Rajasthan ivory figures realising £3,000 (FS19/600).
Good quality ethnic pieces with good provenance are always sought after and a Tongan headrest (FS19/613) was no exception. Brought back by a surgeon on HMS Plyades in 1902, the headrest had remained within the family. With a cautious estimate of £1,000-£1,500, it finally sold for £4,600!
The Tongan headrest (FS19/613) proved that ethnic art supported with good provenance is keenly sought by buyers. This particular lot was sold for £4,600.
The equestrian bronze of a Russian trumpeter by Russian sculptor Evgenii Alexandrovich Lanceray was fiercly fought over by telephone and internet bidders alike and finally succumbed to a bid of £5,400 (FS19/659).
A bronze equestrian group of a Russian trumpeter by the Russian sculptor Evgenii Alexandrovich Lanceray (FS19/659) brought fierce competition from telephone and internet bidders alike and eventually sold for £5,400.
In a smaller than normal fine silver auction, interest varied from the novelty items to the more traditional pieces. A George V six piece tea service (FS19/21) sold for £1,850 whilst a novelty silver cruet set in the form of frogs (FS19/50) realised £820.
A George V Silver Six Piece Tea and Coffee Service, Maker JT & Co, Sheffield, 1923 (FS19/21) realised £1,850.
An Elizabeth II Silver Three-piece Novelty Frog Cruet Set, Maker Richard Comyns, London, 1972 (FS19/50) fetched £820.
An impressive William IV presentation cup and cover (FS19/60) sold to the London trade for £1,550 whilst interest in Irish silver remained strong, with a Dublin silver cigar casket (FS19/65) selling for £1,550.
This William IV presentation cup and cover was sold to the London trade for £1,550 (FS19/60).
The Edward VII Irish Silver Cigar Casket produced in 1903 by silversmiths West & Son of Dublin (FS19/65) was sold at auction for £1,550.
Wine related silver pieces were also holding up well with a Victorian wine ewer (FS19/66) fetching £1,000 despite a couple of small dents to the body.
Despite a couple of dents, this Victorian silver wine ewer (FS19/66) proved that wine-related silverware is currently holding up well, selling for £1,000.
- Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood
- Silver Auctions
- Works of Art Auctions
