Autumn 2013 Fine Art Auction Review

Rachel Littlewood of leading Westcountry Fine Art Auctioneers Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood reviews the Autumn 2013 Fine Art Auction that saw intense Internet and telephone bidding at the firm's new South West of England Centre of Auction Excellence, which kept the the sale running until 7:30pm on the second day.

Riders on the Shore (FS20/408) painted by the ever popular artist Heywood Hardy (1842-1933) was one of the auction highlights of the sale, realising £22,000.

The Quarterly Fine Art Auction held on 23rd and 24th October 2013 at our newly extended salerooms, offered around a thousand lots over the two days of the sale. Internet interest and telephone bidding was so great that on Day Two the auction did not finish until 7.30pm!

The top lot was the oil on canvas entitled 'The Gulf of Salerno, possibly Positano – All Saints' Day' (FS20/473) painted by Franz Richard Unterberger (1838-1901), which fetched £25,000.

Day One of the auction saw the paintings being sold, which included some of the top lots of the sale overall. The top hammer price was paid for a painting by Franz Richard Unterberger (1838-1901) entitled The Gulf of Salerno, possibly Positano – All Saints' Day (FS20/473). This oil on canvas, which was signed bottom right, created quite a stir and with the provenance being from a West Country Private Collection, this super painting sold for £25,000.

Also within the painting auction of the sale was the charming painting by the ever popular Heywood Hardy (1842-1933). Entitled Riders on the Shore (FS20/408), it was a really good example of this artist's work, who is known as a painter and watercolourist of animals, hunting and sporting scenes, genre and portraiture. The hammer price for this lot was £22,000.

The vibrant still life picture of garden flowers (FS20/520) painted by Winifred Nicholson (1893-1981) sold for £20,000.

Another highlight was the Winifred Nicholson oil on canvas board of still life of garden flowers (FS20/520). This vibrant example of her work sold for £20,000.

The jewellery auction within the sale went under the hammer on the first day. Again, there were some sparkling results. An early 20th Century platinum faced gold, sapphire and diamond necklace (FS20/235) with graduated, circular sapphires and shades of various colours including pink, yellow, green and blue joined by single diamond set links exceeded expectations selling for £7,200 and a diamond five stone ring (FS20/280), with graduated round old brilliant cut diamonds approximately 0.5cts, 0.80cts, 1.10cts, 0.85ct and 0.45ct respectively sold for a very pleasing £6,600.

The Early 20th Century Platinum Faced Gold, Sapphire and Diamond Necklace (FS20/235) offered for auction at our newly extended salerooms in Exeter in Devon attracted a winning bid of £7,200.

The Diamond Five Stone Ring (FS20/280) was sold at our new South West of England Centre of Auction Excellence in Exeter for a pleasing £6,600.

Day Two of the auction brought many excitements, particularly in the sections of Chinese porcelain and works of art.

A group of Chinese jade and hardstone pendants/discs (FS20/823) realised £23,000 and a pair of Chinese yellow glazed small saucer dishes (FS20/624) each with shallow curving sides and everted rims, apocryphal underglaze blue six character Jiajing marks realised £13,500. Also in the same section of the sale, a Chinese porcelain vase (FS20/563) of swelling cylindrical form finally went under the hammer for £11,000.

The oriental artefacts in the auction, whether ceramics or works of art, attracted great interest and intense bidding. These three Chinese jade and hardstone pendant discs (FS20/823) sold for £23,000.

A Pair of Chinese Yellow Glazed Small Saucer Dishes (FS20/624) exceeded all expectations finally attracting a winning bid of £23,000.

This Chinese Porcelain Vase (FS20/563) eventually went under the hammer for £11,000 during a long day of selling with Internet and telephone bidders from across the globe competing for the oriental porcelain and works of art.

A rare early 20th Century narwhal tusk (FS20/888) mounted with two walrus tusks on a polished stepped base sold for £9,600; a fine and unusual Victorian carved walnut presentation wheelbarrow with plated mounts (FS20/1106) labelled J & W Cookes, Warwick, Manufacturers to Her Majesty sold for £5,200 and a rare pair of Regency carved giltwood and Chinese reverse painted convex mirrors (FS20/1150) sold for £17,500.

The Rare Early 20th Century Narwhal Tusk (FS20/888), mounted with two walrus tusks, attracted a winning bid of £9,600 in the Works of Art auction of the Fine Sale.

A fine and unusual Victorian carved walnut presentation wheelbarrow (FS20/1106) was sold for £5,200 in a sale that saw all sections attracting considerable interest from across the World.

A highlight of the furniture auction within the Autumn 2013 Fine Sale was the winning bid of £17,500 that secured this pair of Regency carved giltwood and Chinese reverse painted convex mirrors (FS20/1150).

Overall, there were some superb prices achieved in every field of this prestigious auction.

Entries are currently being invited for the next Quarterly Fine Art Sale to be held on 21st/22nd January 2014.