Devon Auctioneers' Fine Art Auction Review

Published 1st February 2013

A pair of carved padouk upright display cabinets in the Chinese taste was the top lot in the January 2013 Fine Art Auction at Devon Auctioneers, Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood. The lot attracted fierce competition from eight telephone bidders and finally realised a stunning £36,000. (FS17/864).

The highest hammer price in our important three day fine art auction, which ran over 29th/30th/31st January 2013 and included the Tryhorn Collection, was for a pair of carved padouk upright display cabinets in the Chinese taste (FS17/864). These interesting, unusual and highly decorative pieces proved to be very fine decorator's pieces from a good local source and had been in the vendor's possession for many years. In good original unrestored condition, they realised a stunning £36,000, after fierce competition from eight telephone bidders.

A beautiful pair of Canton vases, which had been brought to the Westcountry by the vendor's Great Grandfather from Shanghai, fetched £21,000, and will now return to China. (FS17/525).

The next star in the sale was consigned from another local vendor, whose Great Grandfather was a merchant in Shanghai and brought this beautiful pair of Canton vases back from one of his trips (FS17/525). The neck and shoulders of these Chinese ceramics had applied kylins and chilongs, and were enamelled front and verso with panels of warriors and other figures within a courtyard. There was a great deal of interest in the pair of vases prior to the auction, but they are now to be returned to their homeland, the purchaser having paid £21,000 for them.

An imposing 19th century French carved giltwood centre table, which was great sought after by those bidding, finally fell for £11,500. (FS17/850).

Furniture prices were strong, well illustrated by the 19th Century French carved giltwood centre table (FS17/850), which carried a pre-sale estimate of £7,000-£9,000. This imposing, high quality piece of antique continental furniture was greatly sought after and this was reflected in the final hammer price of £11,500.

The mixed photographic album from the 1850s and 1860s originally belonging to Colonel Edmund Gilling Hallewell (1822-1869) soared beyond expectations to achieve £9,400 at auction. (FS17/380).

In the picture section of the sale, a mixed photographic album from the 1850s and 1860s of Colonel Edmund Gilling Hallewell (FS17/380) soared beyond expectations of £4,000-£6,000, realising £9,400.

A collection of Chinese bronze censers attracted considerable attention from bidders in the Far East, with the top lot in the collection reaching £9,200 in the Devon Auctioneers' salerooms. (FS17/686).

There was strong interest from the Far East in the private collection of bronze censers, the top lot of the collection being a Chinese bronze tripod censer (FS17/686), which went under the hammer for £9,200.

An oil on canvas of a study of a girl with blonde hair by the late Devon-based artist Robert Lenkiewicz (1941-2002) sold well at £8,000. (FS17/480). Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood will be offering an important painting from Lenkiewicz's vagrancy project in their April 2013 Fine Art Sale.

Within the picture section of the auction, an oil on canvas by Robert O Lenkiewicz (1941–2002) depicting a study of a girl with blonde hair (FS17/480) also sold well at £8,000. The next fine art sale in April 2013 includes an important vagrancy project painting, which will form part of a very strong 20th Century British Pictures section which includes Newlyn and St Ives paintings and sculptures.

Please visit the January 2013 Quarterly Fine Art Sale page for the full results.