Tennants Auctioneers of Leyburn witnessed a tremendous response to the 1,940 lots offered in their Summer Antique Sale on 22-24 July 2010. With over four thousand people viewing the sale over a four day period it became clear that despite concerns about an economic recession there is still both private and trade money available for rare and decorative objects, furniture and pictures.
Lot 212
The overwhelming demand from China for its former artistic glories was witnessed when a Chinese blue and white porcelain vase (lot 212), just 13.5cm high, painted with scrolling peonies, and purchased by the Yorkshire vendor’s father in Harrogate about sixty years ago, came up trumps at £80,000. The auctioneer’s were aware that it carried the six character mark of the Emperor Yongzeng, but preferred not to give full “mark and period” attribution, as the dating of such vases is increasingly difficult, in the face of many copies of superior quality. The provenance of this piece did much to inspire confidence in the bidders.
Lot 1162
Hand in hand with the massive increase in the value of all Chinese works of art goes the Chinese desire for rhinoceros horn works of art and trophies. A Chinese buyer paid a world record £106,000 for a white rhinoceros anterior and posterior horn of circa 1930, mounted on its original shield, and prepared by Rowland Ward taxidermists (lot 1162). As rhinos are now highly endangered and CITES protected, the auctioneers were able to provide a concrete provenance to the vendor’s great-grandfather, who took annual safaris in Africa in the 1920’s and 30’s. Indeed the complete record of the expedition on which this horn was taken was recorded on complete sets of original glass plate camera photographs taken by the family.
Lot 1062
Lot 1021
The highest price in the picture section was paid for a charming oil painting of donkeys, ducks, ducklings and pigeons beside a thatched barn by that master of farmyard observation Edgar Hunt (1876-1953) (lot 1062). This pleasantly sentimental work was signed and dated 1920 and measured 56cm by 76.5cm. It achieved £30,000. A view of a sun-drenched Continental market place painted by Belgian artist Jacques Carabain (1834-1892) (lot 1021) realised £27,000.
Lot 1929
One of the great names of Cotswold Arts and Crafts furniture making cropped up in the sale – a primary provenanced oak glazed bookcase, circa 1921 (lot 1929) made by Sidney Barnsley (1865-1926) of rather plain appearance but fabulous quality (and which cost £55 in 1921) achieved £22,000 in the packed saleroom.
Lot 1482
That same price was achieved for a fine Ziegler Mahal carpet (lot 1482), with a beautifully coloured design of palmettes and flowerheads, and with a provenance to Elvedon Hall, Suffolk, originally designed in the 1850’s as the home for Maharajah Duleep Singh, the last Sikh emperor who was deposed by the British in the Punjab in 1849. Zieglers were a Manchester based firm who, in the 1870’s, with an office in Sultanabad, moved into carpet production, producing new designs specifically to suit European and American homes. Ziegler carpets are still considered the most desirable weavings on the market today.
Lot 1772
Fine quality furniture attracted good solid bidding – a pair of satinwood, rosewood and crossbanded ormolu mounted side cabinets, possibly by Gillows and dating to the late 19th century (lot 1772) achieved £16,000, while a set of eight George III Chippendale design dining chairs (lot 1762), one carver bearing a label stating that the chairs had been exhibited at the Arts and Crafts Exhibition 1904, the Bradford Exhibition 1904, and the Leeds Exhibition of English Furniture 1930 achieved £13,000.
Garden statuary always sells well in summer, as did an impressive bronze figure group sculpture in Greek Revival style depicting an half-robed kneeling maiden flanked by Greek warriors’ arms and flanked by a merman. The piece was discovered buried under a foot of snow and two foot of rotting autumn leaves by one of Tennants valuers during a winter probate valuation visit to a small country house near York. The long burial of the piece had seemingly assisted the item achieve a most attractive oxidised green colour – and accordingly was bid to £17,000.
Lot 441
A gorgeous diamond solitaire ring by Tiffany of 1.55 carat with diamonds channel set into the shoulders (lot 441) made £13,000, while an emerald cut diamond solitaire ring set with baguette cut diamonds (lot 375) took £14,000.
Lot 1387
Clocks sold solidly, with the highest price of £13,000 paid for a fine late 17th century pull quarter repeating verge table clock, signed John Bushman, London, circa 1695 (lot 1387) which struck a chord with one bidder at £13,000.
Entries for the Autumn Catalogue Sale (18-20 November) are invited by the end of September.
For further details please contact 01969 623780 or
enquiry@tennants-ltd.co.uk