Published 7th April 2011
The epitome of the glass makers art is encapsulated in a Facon de Venise vase (FS10/330) with an intricate display of blowing, tooling and trailing that is all the more astounding as it was produced in the 17th century.
Novelty of course always sells and there is always a market for pieces such, as lot 18, modelled on animals particularly when coupled with a good maker, Richard Comyns and an equally good retailer Asprey & Co.
A three piece novelty 'frog' cruet set by Asprey & Co (FS10/18), modelled as one large and two smaller frogs seated in a pensive pose, with textured bodies, black and brown glass eyes, the larger frog a mustard pot with hinged head, complete with blue glass liner and forked tongue modelled by spoon maker Richard Comyns 1966, the frogs hallmarked for London 1967, the mustard 7cm high, 18ozs.
Estimate: £300-£400.
Understandably not many Inuit items make it to these shores particularly when they hallow from the tip of Alaska or the Chuckchi Peninsula. The two ivory discs that in the sale (FS10/530) seem even more obscure as they have been carved from mammoth tusk!
An Inuit circular carved ivory disc (FS10/530) decorated with a face carved in low relief, 7cm diameter and a smaller oval carved plaque, 6cm high. Estimate: £600-£800.
In our last Fine Sale, we offered a group of four works by the, primarily West Country based, abstract artist Alexander Mackenzie (1923-2002) all of which were well received so we are happy once again to offer another striking work of the Yorkshire Dales entitled 'Austwick Landscape' (FS10/306).
