Chinese vases and works of art that have for generations decorated the mantelpieces, display cabinets and window sills of Yorkshire homes have been finding their way into auction where some phenomenal prices have been achieved as the Chinese seek to buy back their artistic heritage. There were indeed some extraordinary prices at Tennants Auctioneers Summer Catalogue Sale 22-23 July which took a total of £1.87 million hammer. Over 85% of all lots offered found buyers.
Lot 196
A piece that suited the current Chinese taste in every way was a yellow ground porcelain bowl from the reign of the Emperor Daoguang (1821-1850). Made for the Chinese market rather than for export this rare piece was decorated on the outside with six different flowerheads amongst blossoms, while inside with wufu (five bats – symbol of good luck, and in this instance particularly for the owner!) (lot 196). It measured just 18.5cm diameter and engendered a serious bidding war between the bank of telephones and the large audience of buyers. In almost perfect condition the bowl sold to a London buyer for £105,000.
Lot 215
The same buyer paid £20,000 for a pair of badly chipped porcelain wine ewers modelled as creatures called kylin (an ancient mythical animal composed of the body parts of a number of different animals, including dogs of fo, rhinoceros and deer) (lot 215).
Lot 261
A Cumbrian family’s heirloom, in the form of a Chinese carved rhinoceros horn magnolia flower shape libation cup dating from the late 17th or early 18th century (lot 261) sold to another London buyer for £85,000. Originally such cups were given as gifts by high-ranking Chinese scholars, and it was traditional to drink wine from the same.
Lot 106
Butch women modelled in pottery are a rarity at auction. Martha Gunn (1726-1815), immortalised as a toby jug (lot 106) in around 1790, was a famous “dipper” (the operator of seaside bathing machines used predominantly by women bathers). The dipper’s task was to push the machine in and out of the water, as well as help the bather “take the plunge”). Martha Gunn was a famous character of Brighton and was a favourite of the Prince of Wales. The estimate of £500-700 was soon surpassed, as bidding surfed to £2,200.
Lot 1410
Ceramic birds and animals proved as popular as ever with bidders, including the “cream of creamers” (lot 105), an example modelled not in the usual shape of a cow, but that of a goat, probably made at the St Anthony Pottery in Newcastle-upon-Tyne circa 1790. Despite having no cover and restoration to the extremities, it bucked the trend at £2,600. A Martin Brothers stoneware bird jar and cover, modelled with haughty expression by Robert Wallace Martin in 1904 (lot 1409) took £7,000, while a far more dozy looking “slim-line” hen (lot 1410) aroused more excited bidding and took £12,000.
Lot 354
It was northern silver that took some of the highest prices of the section – led by a unique George IV Britannia standard silver cake basket made from silver from the Hudgill Burn Lead Mine near Alston in Cumbria (lot 354). Inscribed The Produce of Hudgill Burn Lead Mine, the dish was made by northern silversmiths Christian Ker Reid and David Reid, and bore London hallmarks of 1823. It took £5,000 from a local buyer.
lot 392
Bearing initials only, a Charles II provincial tumbler cup, by William Ramsey I of Newcastle, circa 1670, of plain cylindrical form (lot 392) was contested to a double top estimate £4,500.
Lot 590
In the current climate of pessimistic economic outlook there has been a noticeable surge in the buying of jewellery. Strong prices in this section included £3,300 for a belle époque bow brooch (lot 590) which oozed style and was eminently wearable, whilst an equally wearable sapphire and diamond bangle, circa 1900 (lot 578) took £4,800.
Lot 1078
The superb offering of horology attracted top dealers and collectors from across Europe. Many hoped to take lot 1078 home with them – a fine and rare James II ebonised table timepiece by Johannes Knibb dating from circa 1685. Taken in for sale from an old family collection, the piece had been unknown for many years, and this freshness to the market enticed a private buyer from the south of England to pay £75,000 hammer. A very handsome deck watch by E D Johnson of London, circa 1860 (lot 638) took over ten times top estimate, selling for £4,500.
Lot 827
A £50,000 private bid secured a beautiful view in La Place de la Trinite, Paris, by Victor-Gabriel Gilbert (1847-1933). This atmospheric oil painting depicted flower vendors, local gentlefolk and a gendarme, measured 46cm by 56.5cm, and had a strong provenance to MacConnal-Mason & Son Ltd of Duke Street in London (lot 827).
Lot 1341
Amongst the furniture a very handsome 19th century Irish mahogany serving table (lot 1341), stamped and bearing the label of James Hicks of Dublin, was very much admired by the Irish trade and private collectors alike and, despite the bad economic conditions in Ireland, made double bottom estimate £16,000.
Lot 1511
Two of the firm’s vendors were delighted when their 1930’s Robert “Mouseman” Thompson furniture greatly exceeded the estimates. An oak octagonal two-tier occasional table (lot 1511) carved with a particularly plump mouse and of good colour sold for £5,800 to a local buyer, while a delightful small corner cupboard (lot 1512), bearing a recessed mouse trade mark, sold for £5,200.
Lot 976A
The great sailors’ art of scrimshaw was manifest in a magnificent pair of scrimshawed walrus tusks dating to the 19th century (lot 976A), each of which was engraved with three sailing vessels including HMS Trincomalee (this historic vessel was built in Bombay for the Admiralty in 1817 and is now fully restored at Hartlepool and is Britain’s oldest warship still afloat). The tusks were sold with prior registration with Natural England under class licence CL07, as walrus are a protected animal. These “long in the tooth” antiques realised £11,000.