Westcountry Fine Art Auction Preview
Published 2nd April 2015
The Spring 2015 Quarterly Fine Art Auction to be held on 21st/22nd April 2015 includes some interesting highlights.
Day One of the sale kicks off with the Silver Auction where an early George III silver table centrepiece (FS26/144) by the maker Thomas Hemming, dated London 1765, is being offered. It bears the Lovell family coat of arms and carries a pre-sale estimate of £3,000-£5,000.
The Jewellery Auction is next to be offered, with a Patek Philippe gentleman's 18ct gold wristwatch (FS26/176) inviting bids of £9,000-£10,000, a Chinese gold and green jade disc panel mounted bracelet (FS26/231) with an estimate of £300-£400 and a platinum and diamond single stone ring (FS26/311), the central stone weighing 1.6cts expected to fetch £2,500-£3,500.
Day One concludes with a good selection of paintings in the Pictures Auction. Amongst them there is a painting by Henry Ryland (1856-1924) titled Classical beauty with Greek lyre on a marble balcony (FS26/332). The estimate is £5,000-£7,000. A charming painting by Cyprien Eugene Boulet (1877-1972) titled A Summer Day, a girl in a garden (FS26/348) has a pre-sale estimate of £1,200-£1,600 and a sketch by Donald Hamilton Fraser (1929-2009) of Mont Ste Genevieve, 1965 (FS26/359) carries an estimate of £2,000-£3,000.
Onto Day Two and first up is the Ceramics Auction of the sale, with a Chinese blue and white bottle vase (FS26/465) with an estimate of £400-£600 and a pair of large Chinese blue and white jardinieres (FS26/474) expected to fetch £1,500-£2,000. A rare English delft-ware blue dash charger (FS26/492), which is similar to the next lot in the sale (FS26/493) carries a pre-sale estimate of £4,000-£6,000.
An extensive collection of coins is being offered in the Works of Art Auction of the sale, including a Victorian Gothic type crown (FS26/617) with an estimate of £800-£1,000. A fine and large Chinese red cinnabar lacquer 'Dragon' box and cover (FS26/733), from a Private collection in Dorset is expected to create interest at £3,000-£5,000. There is a good selection of treen in the sale. For example, there is a 19th Century Welsh treen love spoon (FS36/824) with an estimate of £300-£400. A super Victorian coromandel and silver mounted games compendium (FS26/811) carries a pre-sale estimate of £900-£1,100.
The final section to be offered in this prestigious sale is that of the Furniture Auction. A Charles and Ray Eames lounge chair for Herman Miller (FS26/988), in black leather upholstery, moulded back and seat on an aluminium stand is inviting bids of £1,200–£1,500. A charming leather footstool in the form of an elephant, retailed by Liberty (FS26/990) is expected to create interest too, with an estimate of £250-£350. So too is a Robert Thompson of Kilburn (The Mouseman) oak octagonal dining table (FS26/991). The top is adzed with concave edges and is on a curved cruciform pillar and trestle base. The curved upright is carved with a mouse. Measuring 135cm across, this beautiful piece has a pre-sale estimate of £3,000-£4,000.