Lot 25
A pair of rabbits eating lettuce appeared as early lots in Tennants Auctioneers high grossing £1.9 million Spring Catalogue Sale, and were to prove that not only were good low estimates a key to high hammer prices, but that the theme of animals as subject matter in art and antiques pervaded the sale. Despite some restoration (lot 25) these black-spotted plump and contented conies fetched £5,500.
Lot 128
Lot 194
Chinese porcelain and works of art continue to be the subject of bidding wars, especially when the pieces suit a very specific Chinese indigenous taste. The “sleeper” of this sale was a pair of Chinese porcelain small baluster vases (lot 128), very much of Manchu taste and decorated with groups of boy musicians. Although catalogued as late 19th/early 20th century it is probable that the seal mark of the Emperor Jiaqing (1796-1820) on each put them into that period, for the hammer fell at £48,000. A three hundred year old Chinese cup that derived its original material from a living animal (that of a rhinoceros) again showed the Chinese love of this rare and precious material (lot 194) by fetching £72,000 against an estimate of £30,000-50,000. Despite being three hundred years old and measuring just 7.3cm high, it was sold with the permission of Animal Health (DEFRA).
Lot 330
Lot 335
The jewellery section was boosted by the inclusion of several lots from Yorkshire families. A diamond solitaire ring (lots 330) sold for £24,000, consigned through the Harrogate Office is now making its way to Australia, whilst lot 268, a pair of diamond stud earrings realised £18,000 and have a new home in the Netherlands after being discovered at a valuation day at the Devonshire Arms in Bolton Abbey. From East Yorkshire an Art Deco, sapphire and diamond ring far exceeded its estimate, finally selling for £13,500 whilst a brooch (lot 335) from the same area sold for £7, 500 and has gone north to Scotland. Across the board the selection of jewellery was well viewed throughout the week and strongly contended in the saleroom on sale day by the room and international buyers on telephones. Such a good collection of large old cut diamonds are rarely seen in one auction house at any one time and excellent prices reflected this, showing that diamonds from Yorkshire are very much in demand!
Lot 419
The watches section that followed the jewellery saw the strongest buying for the “big” watch manufacturers. A case in point was the mid estimate £6,000 paid for a Calatrava model wristwatch by Patek Philippe of Geneva (lot 419).
Lot 580
Lot 598
Silver is another area of the market that has seen some extraordinary increases in value, which is in part due to the increase in the silver melt value. However, a small collection of rare Irish provincial silver had provenance from one of the sale’s main estates, that of the contents of Hornby Hall, Penrith, on instructions from Mr and Mrs John Westropp. The family’s ancestor included Michael Seymour Dudley Westropp, an inveterate collector of absolutely everything throughout his life, from butterflies and moths to Egyptian artefacts, and glass. A set of three Republican dishes by William Egan of Cork made between July and September 1922 (lot 512), just 7.5cm and weighing just short of 5oz, made a twelve times lower estimate £6,500. An armorial engraved provincial silver bowl by Carden Terry of Cork, circa 1770 (lot 534) reached £4,500, while a nutmeg grater with only maker’s mark MS, circa 1760 (lot 580), again considered to be Irish and probably Cork, went to £3,800. An estimate crushing bid of £9,000 was paid for two extremely rare Irish gold Claddagh rings (lot 598), one by Richard Joyce of Galway circa 1720, the other circa 1750. The Claddagh ring is a traditional Irish love token or wedding ring (heart for love, hands for friendship and crown for loyalty) whose design owes its origins to the Irish fishing village of Claddagh located just outside the city of Galway on the River Corrib.
Lot 576
One vendor will be tasting the success of an £8,500 bid for a rare silver seal top spoon made during the reign of King Charles I by Robert Robinson of Hull, circa 1630-40 (lot 576). Robert Robinson, as with many of Hull’s best known goldsmiths worked from premises on Church Lane (now demolished) after he had bought his freedom in 1617. Very few items survive that were made by him.
Lot 760
Lot 814
In the picture section the meticulous detail of Birmingham painter Edgar Hunt’s depiction of a donkey, ponies and poultry in a farmyard (lot 760) was able to charm a bid of £38,000. Wonderful views of Venice as portrayed in oils by Hungarian artist Antonietta Brandeis (lot 807) were pursued strongly to £25,000. John Frederick Herring Snr’s portrait of Grand National winner
Discount with jockey up (lot 814) got away at £55,000.
Lot 842
The highest price of the pictures was paid for a primitive oil painting of fishing boats off a Cornish coastline, painted on the back of a Great Western Railway advertising card (lot 842). Alfred Wallis (1855-1942) was a fisherman and scrap merchant who was “discovered” by Christopher Wood and Ben Nicholson in St Ives – and he became celebrated for his “pure and unadulterated” views of the areas beautiful coast, ships and boats. £65,000 was bid.
Lot 899
Lot 907
The animal theme returned with a vengeance in the works of art section when a private group of mainly Austrian cold painted bronzes of the period circa 1900-1920 (lot 892-916 inclusive) made a total hammer price of £23,830. Fresh to the market and providing some very rare individual specimens, this moment presented a bounty for any fan of these exquisite castings. A Franz Bergmann porcupine (lot 899) sold for £1,900, two lizards and a viper (lot 907) sold for £2,000, while a group of two fiercesome spiders, a fly and a grasshopper with horn wings (lot 894) reached an eye-watering £1,100.
Lot 1044
In the clock section a small red marble mantel timepiece signed Vulliamy, London, No.568, circa 1815 (lot 1044) sold for £5,500 and also another fine example was a George III mahogany chiming longcase clock signed John Farley, circa 1780 (lot 1070) sold for £8000.
Lot 1415
Lot 1417
For those who do not like mice – please turn away now. A remarkable collection of Doulton Lambeth stoneware modelled mice groups by George Tinworth caused a sensation, and all were purchased by determined telephone bidders with very little buying in the room itself. The humorous collection (with the exception of lots 1425 and 1426) were exhibited at the pioneering exhibitions held in 1971 and 1975 by Richard Dennis at Kensington Church Street and New Bond Street. The collection totalled £70,800, with an individual hammer price of £4,800 each paid for “Steeple Chase” (lot 1415), “Wait Water” (lot 1417), and “The Wheelwright” (lot 1424).
Lot 1172
Lot 1324
The furniture offered at Tennants sold extremely strongly, encouraged by conservatively pitched estimates. Early in the sale a Charles II oak dresser (lot 1172), of attractive size, colour and usefulness, put the estimate far behind itself by achieving £9,000. The very epitome of Edwardian elegance was a George V mahogany and boxwood strung dressing chest (lot 1300), complete with forty-three matching silver and cut glass dressing table pieces, which sold for £7,600. Derived from the Westropp Estate and again reflecting the interest in all things Chinese, was an export black lacquered and gilt painted small chest on stand, retrospectively considered to be early 18th century (lot 1324) which achieved a punchy £20,000 against an estimate of just £1,500-2,500.
For further enquiries please contact Adam Schoon or Gussie Wood on 01969 623780