SALE NEWS Winter 2014 Winter 2014
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SALE NEWS Spring/Summer 2015
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AUCTION CALENDAR APRIL 15TH 21ST 29TH 30TH
Clarice Cliff, Art Deco & 20th Century Design English & European Ceramics & Glass Fine Silver & Objects of Vertu Jewellery
Woolley & Wallis Salisbury Salerooms Ltd. 51-61 Castle Street, Salisbury Wiltshire, SP1 3SU T: +44 (0) 1722 424 500 enquiries@woolleyandwallis.co.uk www.woolleyandwallis.co.uk
MAY 20TH & 21ST
Asian Art
JUNE 3RD 17TH
20th Century & Contemporary Art Arts & Crafts
JULY 1ST 14TH & 15TH 16TH 17TH
Furniture & Works of Art Silver, Coins & Medals Jewellery Clocks, Watches & Scientific Instruments
SEPTEMBER 2ND 15TH 23RD
Tribal Art & Antiquities Fine Porcelain & Pottery Paintings
OCTOBER 7TH 21
ST
27TH & 28TH 29TH
Furniture & Works of Art 20th Century Design Silver Jewellery
NOVEMBER 11TH & 12TH 24
TH
25TH
Asian Art English & European Ceramics & Glass British Art Pottery
DECEMBER 1ST 9TH
Clocks, Watches & Scientific Instruments Paintings – Fine Old Masters & 19th Century
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Jamaican silver rarely comes to the market, and featured in the Fine Silver & Objects of Vertu sale is a mid-18th century rococo coffee pot by Gerardus Stoutenburgh, assay master Anthony Danvers (above) estimated at £10,000 – 15,000. Jamaica supported at least 23 silversmiths during the late-18th century, an unusual amount for a colony island at the time, demonstrating the enormous wealth created by the sugar cane plantations and the slave trade, with slaves outnumbering
their white masters 20:1. In 1747 an Act was introduced requiring an assay master to stamp each piece of silver with an alligators head and the initial letters of the silversmith. To complement the coffee pot, we will also be selling a pair of circular cauldron salt cellars and a sugar bowl and cover by the same maker, circa 1760, with estimates of £1,500 – £2,000 and £4,000 – 6,000 respectively.
*All prices quoted are hammer price plus buyers premium.
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Opposite. A rare late 18th century
Jamaican silver coffee pot, maker’s mark GSB, assay master A. Danvers, c.1760, height 27.5cm, approx. weight 40.7oz. Estimate: £10,000 - 15,000
Front Cover. A fine and rare
pair of Chinese Imperial jade models of jardinières, Qianlong 1736-95, 37.5cm overall. Provenance: purchased from John Sparks Ltd. Estimate: £40,000 - 60,000
Back Cover. Clarice Cliff,
five tradesman’s sample vases, including Tennis. Estimate: £1,000 - 1,500
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Issue 115
CONTENTS 4
Clarice Cliff, Art Deco & 20th Century Design
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English & European Ceramics & Glass
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Fine Silver & Objects of Vertu
10 Jewellery 12 Asian Art 14 20th Century &
Contemporary Art
16 Arts & Crafts 18 Furniture & Works of Art 20 Clocks, Watches &
Scientific Instruments
22 Tribal Art & Antiquities 24 Sales Review 28 Events 30 Valuation Days
chairman’s introduction
A ‘white glove’ auction is a rare event these days. This nomenclature relates back to the 19th century when the auctioneer was presented with a pair of white silk gloves at the end of an auction where every lot sold. We do not have any white gloves on site these days (an oversight that surely needs to be rectified) but if we had, they would have been brought out at the end of Michael Jeffery’s sale of The Nick Rocke Collection of British Art Pottery which was held in our salerooms on February 25th.
Nick, who died last year, was a longtime client of Woolley & Wallis and as Michael said it was with a mixture of great pleasure tinged with sadness that we offered his collection for sale. The combination of pieces by de Morgan, Bernard Moore, Ruskin and Pilkington as well as pictures and furniture attracted a huge amount of interest and come the start of the auction it was standing room only. Not surprisingly given the content of the sale the majority of buyers were from the UK though the Americans also got into the act and buyers
from Florida, Texas and Tennessee were in evidence, some of whom, bless them, must have had to get up pretty early to facilitate their live online bidding. By the time of our next auction where we sell every lot (which being an optimist I trust will not be too far away) rest assured that I will have been out shopping and we shall be able to celebrate in time honoured tradition. Paul Viney Chairman
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CLARICE CLIFF, ART DECO & 20TH CENTURY DESIGN 15th April 2015
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Opposite. A private
SPECIALIST: MICHAEL JEFFERY +44 (0) 1722 424 505
collection of nine Louis Wain pottery spill vases. Estimates from £100 - 3,000
michaeljeffery@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
1. Pink Roof Cottage, a rare original artwork design. Estimate: £500 - 1,000
2. Orange Roof Cottage, a Clarice Cliff vase. Estimate: £400 - 500
3. A Jean Dunand lacquer box and cover. Estimate: £800 - 1,200
4. Bob, a Goldscheider
figure of a confident young woman, based on the dancer Louise Brooks. Estimate: £4,000 - 5,000
5. A Muller Freres cameo glass lamp and shade. Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000
6. A large Rowley
Gallery panel. Estimate: £150 - 250
7. Head, 2000,
Christie Brown. Estimate: £400 - 500
8. A Lucie Rie
sgraffito bowl. Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000
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The sale includes over 150 lots of Clarice Cliff from three private collections and a good selection of Art Deco glass, ceramics, metal ware, furniture and fittings. The 20th Century Design section of the sale has two private collections of studio pottery (over 100 lots) with work by Bernard Leach, Lucie Rie, John Maltby, Kate Malone, Edmund de Waal and others.
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ENGLISH & EUROPEAN CERAMICS & GLASS 21st April 2015
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SPECIALIST: CLARE DURHAM +44 (0) 1722 424 507 claredurham@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Opposite. A good Coalport
ice pail with cover and liner, the painting attributed to William Billingsley at Mansfield, 28cm. Illustrated in Geoffrey Godden’s book, Coalport and Coalbrookdale Porcelain. Estimate: £800 - 1,200
1. A rare pair of Derby
dessert plates, c.18001805, decorated with sepia flower sprays by William Billingsley at Mansfield. A similar plate is in the collection at the Derby Museum. Estimate: £150 - 250
2. A part Derby dessert
service of Camden type, c.1785, decorated by William Billingsley with pink roses. Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000
4. An English porcelain jug, perhaps Derby, c.1800, decorated by William Billingsley at either Pinxton or Mansfield. Estimate: £100 - 200
3. A Nantgarw plate from
the Duke of Cambridge service, c.1818, decorated in a London atelier. Estimate: £400 - 600
William Billingsley (1758-1828) One name synonymous with the best of English Regency porcelain is that of William Billingsley. A porcelain painter, gilder and manufacturer, his involvement with a number of factories has drawn the interest of collectors over the years.
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Billingsley started in 1774 at the age of sixteen as a porcelain painter for William Duesbury’s Derby factory, where he spent a large part of his career. Though perhaps primarily known as a fine decorator, Billingsley’s dream was to manufacture his own porcelain, and it is this focus which created some of the Regency period’s most collectable wares. The first of Billingsley’s ventures was the Pinxton factory, which he established with John Coke during 1795-96. Destined to be short-lived, with financial failure causing Billingsley to retreat to the Mansfield decorating workshop in 1799, the factory’s wares are highly sought-after by today’s collectors, being both fine porcelain and beautifully painted. After several years as a decorator at Mansfield, the apparent promise of renewed financial backing drove Billingsley to Brampton-in-Torksey where he spent several years attempting to establish a new factory, but in reality was driven to seek additional employment as a farmhand in order to make ends meet. Between 1807 and 1813 Billingsley worked as a decorator in Worcester, eventually being employed by the Barr, Flight & Barr partnership to improve the factory’s porcelain body. However, less than a year after signing the agreement, Billingsley left Worcester for the Welsh village of Nantgarw alongside his business partner, Samuel Walker. It was here that they succeeded in Billingsley’s aim of producing porcelain “equal to the best of the French”. The fineness of the porcelain coupled with excellent decoration, executed both at Nantgarw and in the decorating ateliers of London, make the wares of this concern highly collectable today. The harsh winter of 1819-20 forced the closure of the Nantgarw factory, and in 1820 both Billingsley and Walker left everything behind them and walked 100 miles to the Coalport factory in search of work. Here Billingsley helped owner John Rose to improve the Coalport body but, now being over 60 years of age, appears to have done little in the way of actual decoration. He died in January 1828.
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Over the years, certain dealers in ceramics have chosen to attribute all painting of pink roses (a speciality) to Billingsley, but many of these have been reattributed with time and today more caution is generally exercised except where pieces are recorded as being by his hand. In an era where porcelain production was becoming more prolific and, arguably, quality declining in many areas, it is right that William Billingsley’s focus on producing the best has stood the test of time.
E nglish & E uropean C eramics & G lass | 7
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FINE SILVER & OBJECTS OF VERTU 29th April 2015
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SPECIALISTS: RUPERT SLINGSBY +44 (0) 1722 424 501 rupertslingsby@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
LUCY CHALMERS +44 (0) 1722 424 594 lucychalmers@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Opposite. A George III
silver plate from Admiral Lord Nelson’s Copenhagen service, by Timothy Renou, London 1801. Estimate: £8,000 - 12,000
1. A pair of Victorian novelty cat and dog pepper pots, by Edward Stockwell, London 1884. Estimate: £700 - 900
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We are delighted to be selling a George III silver plate from Admiral Lord Nelson’s Copenhagen service, by Timothy Renou, London 1801 (opposite). On the 2 April 1801, Lord Nelson was instrumental in a victory over the Danish fleet at Copenhagen. The committee of Lloyds gifted £500 to augment his growing collection of plates. An order was placed which included six dozen gadrooned circular plates and were supplied by a number of London goldsmiths including Timothy Renou. On Nelson’s death, his silver was widely dispersed, with some being passed to his brother Earl Nelson, and thereafter to the Bridport family via the marriage of his daughter to Lord Bridport. The Bridport estate was disposed in 1895, where the plate was purchased by John Spink, and then by direct descent to the current owner. There are several private collections in the auction, including wine labels, basting spoons, fish slices, scent bottles, and Part One of a collection of over 70 knife rests. Scottish silver is a popular market and we have a private collection of provincial flatware and hollow-ware. Highlights are a William III silver quaich, by George Walker, Aberdeen 1700, with an estimate of £4,0005,000 and a rare provincial cup, by Simon McKenzie, Inverness, circa 1710 (image 2).
2. A rare early 18th century Scottish provincial silver cup, by Simon McKenzie, Inverness circa 1710. Estimate: £10,000 - 15,000 A rare William III Scottish provincial silver quaich, by George Walker, Aberdeen c.1700. Estimate: £4,000 - 5,000
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3. Salisbury interest, a late Victorian silver mounted ox hoof inkwell, by Heath and Middleton, Birmingham 1897. Estimate: £300 - 500
5. A fine late-19th century Russian 18 carat gold cigarette/vesta case, by Nicols and Plinke, St. Petersburg, c.1894. Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000
4. A pair of German silver
models of a parrot and parakeet, with import marks for Chester 1905, importer’s mark of Samuel Landeck. Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000
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Michael of Russia March 15th 1894’. The Cannes Golf Course was founded by The Grand Duke in 1891, who also served as the Club President. The 9-hole course, also called the “Grand Duke” was the first course to be created, and is one of the oldest in France. Of local interest in the sale is a mounted ox hoof (image 3). The hoof is from the Jubilee Ox, which was roasted for a public dinner as part of the Salisbury commemorations to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee on 23rd June 1897. The ox was roasted whole in Salisbury Market Square the day prior, in the presence of a large crowd who paid a small fee to baste the carcass. An estimated 4500 sat for dinner, and the meal included over 4,000 pounds of beef, 300 pounds of which was from the Jubilee Ox.
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The April sale will also include a fine late19th century Russian 18 carat gold cigarette/ vesta case (image 5), by Nicols and Plinke, St. Petersburg, circa 1894. The interior is inscribed ‘Cannes Golf Club, President’s Prize Presented by H.I.H The Grand Duke
F ine S ilver & O bject s
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V ertu | 9
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JE WELLERY 30th April 2015
The Importance of Provenance The history of the ownership of a piece of jewellery can contribute to its value as much as a signature or condition and sometimes more. In addition to the confidence created by the credence, the added interest of a famous previous owner can generate a hundred times to the selling price, as was seen when the Duchess of Windsor and Elizabeth Taylor’s jewels were auctioned.
We are fortunate to be offering two pieces of jewellery each with alluring provenances. The natural pearl drop earrings (above) are to be sold on behalf of a descendant of Thomas Pitt (1653-1726), who represented a Salisbury constituency in The House of Commons, in 1689 and 1690 and was President of Madras (1698-1709). Thomas Pitt bought the famous 410 carat ‘Regent’ diamond in 1701. He was
grandfather and great–grandfather to William Pitt The Elder and William Pitt The Younger. The pearls are the property of Thomas Pitt’s descendants through the Fortescue and Grenville families.
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SPECIALISTS: JONATHAN EDWARDS FGAA +44 (0) 1722 424 504 jonathanedwards@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
MARIELLE WHITING FGA +44 (0) 1722 424 595 mariellewhiting@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
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Opposite. A pair of pearl
and diamond drop earrings, the pearls weigh 15.57 and 15.22 carats. Estimate: £80,000 - 120,000
1. A sapphire and diamond cluster ring. The sapphire weighs approximately 7.80 carats. Estimate: £8,000 - 12,000
2. An impressive Belle
Époque necklace by Dreicer & Co, New York. Estimate: £80,000 - 120,000
3. An Art Deco ruby and
diamond ring. The ruby weighs 6.17ct. Estimate: £20,000 - 30,000
4. An Art Deco Burmese
ruby and diamond brooch, by Cartier. Of stylised Islamic palm design. Estimate: £25,000 - 35,000
5. A three row diamond
necklace c.1950. Estimate: £20,000 - 30,000
1. The sapphire and diamond ring also has an interesting Indian provenance: it will be sold on behalf of the great great grandson of Lady Maud PettyFitzmaurice, Marchioness of Lansdowne (pictured right), from whom the ring was inherited. Lady Maud was the eleventh child of James Hamilton, The 1st Duke of Abercorn. Her husband, Henry, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne was Viceroy of India (1888-1894) and she was later Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Alexandra (1905-1909).
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2. Dreicer & Co 1904–1923. The firm of Dreicer & Co. was one of the top jewellery retailers in America in the early 20th century. The shop was liquidated in 1923 following the death of Michael Dreicer, the founder’s son, in 1921. Cartier bought Dreicer’s stock of jewels for $2.5 million.
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ASIAN ART 20th & 21st May 2015
http://weibo.com/johnaxford
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SPECIALIST: JOHN AXFORD +44 (0) 1722 424 506 johnaxford@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Springtime Treasure Gardens These small items of Chinese Imperial treasure (opposite), date from the late 18th century and would once have adorned an Imperial palace. One very similar pair still remain in the Forbidden City in Beijing today.
Opposite. A fine and rare
pair of Chinese Imperial jade models of jardinières, Qianlong 1736-95, 37.5cm overall. Provenance: purchased from John Sparks Ltd. Estimate: £40,000 - 60,000
1. Taken from a large
collection of kingfisher feather jewellery included in the sale, seventeen Chinese gilt metal and kingfisher feather hairpins, Qing dynasty. Provenance: a private collection, London. Estimate: £1,500 - 2,500
2. A large pair of
Chinese Imperial famille rose gu beaker bajixiang vases, Qianlong 1736-95. 44.8cm high. Provenance: an English private collection. Estimate: £30,000 - 50,000
3. A Japanese ivory
netsuke, 18th century, the horse’s eyes inlaid in horn, the tail sweeping around at the back under the himotoshi, signed Mitsuyoshi, 5.1cm. Estimate: £600 - 1,000
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Each pale celadon jade jardinière contains a springtime garden in microcosm. The fruit trees have trunks and branches of gilded bronze. Each has a single bird applied with kingfisher feathers perched amongst the blossoms, which themselves are fashioned from white jade, coral, orange agate, kingfisher feathers and seed pearls. At the base of each tree grow flowers and lingzhi fungi amongst rocks, carved from amber, coral, green jade, lapis lazuli, malachite and rock crystal. The elaborate reticulated five-legged stands are carved from zitan, a wood so precious that its use required court approval. Similar examples can also be seen in cloisonné, gilt metal and porcelain, as well as related arrangements surmounting lanterns, which would have contributed to the elaborate interior decoration in these grand settings. These beautiful virtuoso works of art were retailed through the famous dealership of John Sparks when they were at 128 Mount Street, and still bear their paper labels. 2
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20TH CENTURY & CONTEMPORARY ART 3rd June 2015
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SPECIALISTS: VICTOR FAUVELLE +44 (0) 1722 424 503 victorfauvelle@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
JO BUTLER +44 (0) 1722 424 592 jobutler@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Opposite. André Derain
(French 1880-1954) Paysage de Provence c.1925, signed, oil on canvas, 60.5 x 49.5cm. Estimate: £6,000 - 8,000
1. Frederick Gore R.A.
(1913-2009) Sunflowers and butterfly Signed, oil on canvas 50.5 x 61cm. Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000
2. Simon-Albert Bussy
(French 1869-1954) Crevette Rouge de Madere Signed with initials, oil on canvas, 24 x 19cm. Estimate: £5,000 - 7,000 One of five lots by the artist in the sale.
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The two dedicated 20th Century and Contemporary sales that we held in June and December 2014 were very successful, with strong prices being achieved for works by Graham Sutherland O.M., Kyffin Williams R.A., Ivon Hitchens, Sir William Russell Flint R.A., Mark Senior, Edward Burra, Lionel Bulmer and Edward Seago amongst others. We also achieved a Picture Department record with the sale of a work by Sir Alfred Munnings P.R.A. for £244,000 in the June sale. The June 2015 sale already has a number of very interesting French consignments including this landscape by André Derain
3. Henry Moore, O.M., R.A. (1898-1986) Wall Relief: Three Forms Signed and numbered 9/12,18 x 33cm. Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000
4. Erich Wolfsfeld
(1885-1956) A woman on a donkey Signed, oil on paper, unframed, 56 x 78.5cm. Estimate: £400 - 600 One of eleven lots by the artist in the sale.
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(opposite) and two watercolours by Hans Reichel. There are also five oils by the French painter Simon-Albert Bussy (1870-1954) (image 2). He was the son of a shoemaker in the Jura region of France but went on to become close friends with many of the leading painters of the day including Matisse and Rouault. He trained under Robert Delaunay and Gustave Moreau. He later formed a strong link with the Bloomsbury Group when he married Lytton Strachey’s sister Dorothea in 1903. The works are typical of his later oeuvre with strong but subtly balanced colour, dynamic patterns and creatures painted with humour and style.
Also in the sale is a Henry Moore sculpture, Wall Relief; Three Forms of 1955 (image 3). Moore rediscovered working in relief when he was commissioned to create a brick Wall Relief, by the Bouwcentrum in Rotterdam in 1955. This led to a series of works influenced by his desire to produce abstract reliefs showing the forms projecting from the background rather than relief as a narrative in the traditional manner. The forms are likely to be based on objects from his Wunderkammer of natural objects.
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ARTS & CRAFTS 17th June 2015
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SPECIALIST: MICHAEL JEFFERY +44 (0) 1722 424 505 michaeljeffery@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Following last year’s record breaking sale which was our highest grossing design auction to date, this year’s sale already includes a good selection of ceramics, glass, furniture and metalware. Already consigned is an archive of work directly from descendants of Walter Crane (18451915) (image 1), best remembered today as an illustrator of the classic children’s books and nursery rhymes. Not only does this include one of Crane’s palettes (caked with oil paint), his easel, but also a unique cabinet set with embroidery panels. By family repute the panels were embroidered by his wife whilst on honeymoon in Italy.
Opposite & 4. A fine early
Martin Brothers stoneware bird jar and cover by Robert Wallace Martin. Estimate: £20,000 - 30,000
1. A unique cabinet with
embroidered panels designed by Walter Crane. Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000
2. Two enamel vases
designed by Hubert von Herkomer R.A. (1849-1914). Estimate: £800 - 1,200 each
3. A rare Liberty & Co silver clock, London 1904. Estimate: £3,000 - 5,000
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The sale also includes a Martin Brothers stoneware bird made in 1884 by Robert Wallace (opposite & 4). An early example, this bird is fresh to the market and with the provenance of the property of a nobleman. There is a fine section of Martinware consigned for auction, from miniature gourd vases to large and imposing pieces by the brothers. The sale concludes with a section of furniture and metal ware retailed by Liberty & Co department store. Included in this section is a small silver clock previously unseen at auction (image 3). We are pleased to be holding an exhibition of Martin Brothers gourd vases from private collections, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the death of Edwin Bruce Martin (1860-1915). This will be on view in conjunction with the Arts and Crafts auction. Closing date for entries 23rd April
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FURNITURE & WORKS OF ART 1st July 2015
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Opposite. A pair of George
SPECIALIST: MARK RICHARDS +44 (0) 1722 411 854
III giltwood bergères in the manner of François Hervé. Estimate: £15,000 - 20,000
markrichards@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
1. A pair of 19th century
‘Grand Tour’ Siena marble and bronze candelabra. Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000
2. A George III mahogany and marquetry secretaire bookcase. Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000
4. A mid 17th century
embroidered picture. Estimate: £1,000 - 1,500
3. A Venetian carved wood
blackamoor table waiter, with Murano glass earrings. Estimate: £1,000 - 1,500
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Leading the entries for the July sale are the pair of George III giltwood bergères featured opposite. Acquired in the early 1970s from Frank Partridge Ltd., they reflect the fashion for French furniture in the 1780s championed by George, Prince of Wales. Imitating the Louis XVI style they relate to chairs produced by the Parisian trained Cabinet and chair maker François Hervé who worked for the Prince of Wales at Carlton House.
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The auction will feature a good selection of antique and decorative items. For the connoisseur of 18th century English furniture we have this very attractive Sheraton period mahogany and marquetry secretaire bookcase (image 2), with an unusual sunburst cornice and ivory urn shape escutcheons. It is interesting to note that this piece was bought from Mark Collier Antiques based in Downton near Salisbury in 1976 for £1,800, our guide price is £2,000 – 3,000 illustrating things haven’t changed much in forty years!
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Spotted on a routine valuation in the New Forest by our Chairman Paul Viney, is this very interesting late 17th century needlework picture of a lady and a gentleman in a landscape setting (image 4). The owners were unaware of its significant age and value. Naively decorated with exotic birds, a squirrel, a stag, a greyhound, sheep and an owl, it still retains the original colours without much fading. 4 For continental buyers the sale will feature Grand Tour objets d’art, including: a faux Siena marble column and the fine pair of Siena marble and bronze candelabra (image 1). Also from Italy we have this fun Venetian carved wood blackamoor table waiter (image 3). Blackamoors have a long history in Italian art that stretches back to the 17th century. Andrea Brustolon (1672-1732) the 17th century Italian sculptor was the most famous carver of blackamoors and they have remained popular throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. This example dates from the end of the 19th century and remarkably his original Murano glass earrings have survived intact. Furniture & Works of Art | 19
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CLOCKS, WATCHES & SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 17th July 2015
Actual size
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SPECIALIST: RICHARD PRICE (Consultant) +44 (0) 7741 242 421 richardprice@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Opposite. The smallest
1. Rolex. A very rare
recorded English Grande Sonnerie bracket clock, signed Richard Gregg, London por orden de Miquel Smith, Madrid. Estimate: POA
chronograph wristwatch, ref: 2920, c.1937. Estimate: £15,000 - 20,000
2. An orrery by J. Addison, globe maker to George III, c.1820. Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000
3. Gold watches: (i) An 18ct gold
free-sprung half hunter wristwatch. Estimate: £900 - 1,200
4. Part of a collection of fifty carriage clocks, including fine enamel examples. Varying estimates.
(ii) A 14ct gold and enamel
Russian presentation watch by Pavel Buhre. Estimate: £700 - 1,000
(iii) A 9ct gold art deco dress watch. Estimate: £300 - 400
The Rolex
The Orrery
The Rolex below is particularly rare because both tachymeter and telemeter scales are in miles rather than the normal kilometre register.
This clockwork model of the solar system or ‘Orrery’ is an early 19th century example and is almost identical to one at the Maritime museum.
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Gracious Majesty Geo III; the planets and their satellites consist of ivory balls on brass arms, the Earth has printed paper gores beside a gilt Sun, the printed paper base showing calendar and zodiacal scales, also signed ‘A View of the Principal Stars from the Southern Limit of the Zodiac to the Northern Ecliptic Pole’. Sitting on turned mahogany feet, the overall size is 25cm.
The geared tellurium shows the annual and diurnal motions of the Earth, the manual planetarium showing the motions of the planets around the Sun. Signed on the baseboard J. Addison, 116 Regent Street, St. James’s, Globe Maker to His Most 2
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The Grand Sonnerie Clock This exquisite miniature clock (opposite), the property of a European noble family, has not been seen since the 1950s and is unique. The white enamel main dial and triple subsidiaries are all against a painted gilt mask. The break arch case flanked all round by finely cast columns and feet. This clock, dating from circa 1745, is a collaboration between Richard Gregg, clockmaker to King George II and Miquel Smith, clockmaker to King Fernando VI of Spain. It is almost
certainly of royal provenance. Richard Price, head of the department commented, ‘This is the most incredible find that I have encountered in 40 years within the business’.
After an initial email consultation, the clock was brought in to one of the monthly valuation days and further research into the provenance is ongoing.
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TRIBAL ART & ANTIQUITIES 2nd September 2015
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SPECIALIST: WILL HOBBS +44 (0) 1722 339 752 willhobbs@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Opposite. A detail of
the Santa Cruz feather currency.
1. A Kuba iron currency
blade, D R Congo, 168cm high.
2. A Papua New Guinea
shell currency, 24cm wide.
1
2
3. A Solomons Island shell
5. A quantity of Fijian
4. Sierra Leone kissi
All items have been included in previous sales
‘currency’ necklace.
pennies.
cowrie shells.
3
4
Money Matters During the viewing of the February Tribal Art sale I was asked of the Santa Cruz feather currency roll ‘Do they just cut bits off depending on what they are buying?’ Made from the bright red feathers of the small scarlet honeybird from Santa Cruz (detail opposite and fully illustrated on page 27), part of the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, the ten metre woven fibre strip rolled into two circles would have been used for trade and ritual payments, like fines or compensation. They were also employed as a form of dowry with typically ten rolls paid as a ‘bride price’, not by the father of the bride but by the groom’s family. Losing a daughter was not only an emotional wrench for a family, it was also the loss of labour and these rolls were seen as a type of compensation. The process of making these rolls would have taken a year, using three specialists to do so. The finished pieces would not be on display, but wrapped carefully in leaves or trade cloth and placed in the rafters of the owners’ houses. This would protect the feathers from deterioration and loss of colour, two important factors in establishing their value. This form of currency is exclusive to Santa Cruz and is one of the most elaborate of the Pacific, but trading has been part of human existence for tens of thousands of years. Currency was used depending of what resources were to hand, from the humble cowrie shell, used in China, Africa and the Pacific to the constructed examples like the ‘feather currency’. Cowrie shell is the most recognised of many types of shell currency, (image 5) they are easy to source and would have been the preferred form for many, whilst the larger and rarer shells (image 2) would have been for the bigger exchanges or barters.
Shells were left whole or laboriously ground into shapes and often strung, and measured by fingers joints (image 3). Other nations had the essential ore to forge and cast metal currency. In parts of Africa currency can be found in the form of knife or spear blades, tools, bracelets and anklets, all used to trade and or store wealth. In Sierra Leone kissi pennies (image 4) were traded. These thin iron rods which measure between 15cm to 41cm long, are typically forged with ‘T’ shaped and flattened ‘hoe’ ends. They were used in small denominations for fruit and gathered into bundles of about 20, of which 100 bundles would be the cost of a cow, whilst bride prices could be 200
bundles. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, oversized blades and those of a more practical size are common forms of currency, like the elongated blade of the Topoke people (image 1), which would be too weak to be used as a weapon and measuring between 140cm and 180cm high would be used primarily as bride currency. What we see as a colourful necklace, shaped iron blade or roll of feathers, have all been used for generations as an essential part of life to those who possessed them. My answer to the saleroom question was unequivocally ‘No, as with all these pieces they are made and stay as whole objects, each having their own individual significant value.’
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SALES RE VIEW Furniture & Works of Art Traditionally made by Japanese and East Indies fishermen, the ‘Feejee Mermaid’ caused a sensation in the 19th century when P. T. Barnum exhibited an example in 1842. Barnum passed the creature off as genuine but the illusion was just a hoax. The example in the January Furniture & Works of Art sale comprised of a papier-mâché monkey head with glass eyes attached to bird legs and talons, together with the taxidermy body of a fish. Consigned by a south coast vendor the lot was secured by an internet bidder for £5,125. The top lot of the sale was an early George III Irish giltwood overmantel mirror which belonged to Lady Leconfield of Petworth House, Sussex, after her marriage to Charles Henry Wyndham 3rd Lord Leconfield in 1911 and by descent. The mirror’s surmount featured a carved figure of cockerel and a seated squirrel eating a nut, adding to the charm of the piece. It sold for £9,150.
Clocks, Watches & Scientific Instruments A rare Tavern clock achieved the highest price in the February sale. The octagonal clock was made by Edward Faulkner, who became a master to the oldest surviving horological institution in the world, The Clockmaker’s Company in 1734. Born circa 1679, Faulkner apprenticed in 1692 and is regarded as one of the most eminent London clock makers, this combined with the rarity of the clock contributed to the sale price of £6,700.
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SALES RE VIEW
Jewellery The January Jewellery sale’s top selling lots were both Art Deco pieces, demonstrating the continued strength in demand for wearable quality lots of that period. The diamond and emerald brooch by Cartier sold for £24,400 and the coral, diamond, onyx and enamel bracelet sold for £14,650.
Silver, Coins & Medals Following on from the success of the American Half-Cent sold at the salerooms in 2013 for £225,000, a full cent achieved a sale price of £58,600 – securing the highest price of the day in the first Silver, Coins & Medals sale of 2015. Considered by the American market to be in superb condition the 1796 Cent also exhibited a die flaw from T of UNITED, through CENT and on to the right upright of the M of AMERICA, this flaw is only known on 23 other examples which
gave it the rarity desired by numismatic enthusiasts. Attracting international interest from America and Australia, the Cent eventually sold to Stephen Fenton of Knightsbridge Coins of London. Silver items by Patrick Mavros continue to attract strong prices and the five palm tree candlesticks featured in the previous Sale News sold for £9,760.
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SALES RE VIEW
The Nick Rocke Collection of British Art Pottery As mentioned in the Chairman’s introduction (page 3) the Nick Rocke Collection had a 100% sold rate. Formerly a pupil at Bryanston School in Dorset, Nick continued with his passion for music and the arts throughout his life. He attended virtually every 20th Century sale and his collection was considered amongst the finest in private hands. Online bidders brought an international audience, driving prices well above their estimates. Collectors, unseen at the salerooms for over ten years, together with friends and acquaintances of Nick’s were keen to add to their collections, proving the British Art pottery market and in particular Pilkington’s, which provided the top two lots in the sale, are still very strong. Of the 57 lots of Pilkington’s, a large ginger jar and cover by Richard Joyce, dated 1911 made the top price.
The quality of the paintwork depicting scaly fish swimming in turbulent waters had a London buyer on the internet secure the lot for £4,640. This vase, is believed to be the first Ruskin piece bought by Nick and thus started the collection, was one of 103 lots in the Ruskin
pottery section. Lot 130 a large high-fired vase by William Howson Taylor, the founder of The Ruskin Pottery in Smethwick, established in 1898, sold for £3,900.
had private collectors keen to purchase. Catalogued as “the property of a nobleman” and with no more than a few chips in the way of damage, the hammer fell at a premium inclusive £14,640. Of interest to those
following the English pottery market was the shift in location for potential buyers, as keen Continental bidders emerged in an area where American had previously dominated.
Fine Porcelain & Pottery Previously unrecorded figural decoration on a Vincennes flared cup and saucer caused excitement among both the trade and private collectors in the Fine Porcelain & Pottery February sale. The strength of the French porcelain market coupled with a good private provenance meant the piece attracted considerable interest despite a significant crack to the cup, with two telephone bidders pushing the lot to £15,850. A rare surviving pair of Minton Majolica stick stands modelled as a heron and stork, and standing an impressive one metre high,
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SALES RE VIEW
Antiquities, Pre-Columbian and Tribal Art Reportedly Ethnographical Art could become the strongest area of growth for UK auctioneers since the beginning of the Chinese boom. This was certainly true of the February Tribal Art sale which had an 80% sold rate and interest from every continent. The last lot of the sale was a cased section of a Santa Cruz ‘currency’ role, mentioned in further detail on page 23. With each coil, the base is made from ‘platelets’; feathers from pigeons glued together by sap, to which red feathers of the Cardinal honey-eater bird are then attached. The case they came in had a paper label, Native Feather Money from Melanesia, Richard Blundell Comins, providing the all-important provenance. The Rev Comins (1848-1919) was an Anglican missionary in the Solomon Islands from 1877 to 1903 and in 1878 was working in Santa Cruz. The lot is now bound for France, courtesy of a Parisian buyer’s bid of £24,400.
An aboriginal board shield brought back from Australia by George Kenney, a Japanese prisoner of war, sold for £22,000. Upon his release, he, like thousands of others were shipped to Australia as the journey directly back to England was deemed too far for the emaciated and weakened prisoners. Whilst recuperating in Australia he acquired the shield and other antiquities which have been passed down through the family.
Paintings A rare sketch by Frederic, Lord Leighton P.R.A. (1830-1896) (below), probably painted during the artist’s travels in Asia Minor during the late 1860s sold for £22,000, over seven times the top estimate in the March Paintings sale. Presented in untouched condition with provenance of having been owned by Walter Heape, a pioneer of
reproductive biology and previously exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1897, the work typified the sort of picture in demand in the current market. The delightful vignettes by Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935) (below right) were also popular, his ability to depict creatures
accurately but with the feeling of movement makes his work constantly appealing to buyers. The lot was sold for £4,880 together with a letter from Constance Thorburn to Sylvia Peacock thanking her for her letter of sympathy on the artist’s death.
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EVENTS The Salisbury Arts Festival Tuesday 26th May 2015 at 7.30pm This year our chosen sponsored event will be musical duo Mahan Esfahani with the harpsichord and Avi Avital with the mandolin. Esfahani has been described as ‘a superstar in the world of classical music’; he and Avital met while studying in Italy and struck up an immediate friendship. The harpsichord and the mandolin also perfectly complement each other, with composers including Vivaldi, Beethoven and Bach all having written music for the combination of the two. Each of the musicians will also perform work solely for his instrument. Tickets and further information can be found at www.salisburyartsfestival.co.uk
The Annual Tim Woolley Memorial Lecture 2015 The Life and Times of Lord Nelson by Michael Naxton Monday 27th April at 7pm There will also be a private view of the Silver and Jewellery Sales from 6pm–7pm. Tickets are £15 each and the proceeds will be donated to The Salisbury Hospice. Wine and canapés will be served at the beginning of the evening. Michael Naxton spent 20 years in the coins and medals department at Sotheby’s where he handled the disposal of many distinguished collections.
He left to set up on his own which gave him time to pursue his other passion of maritime history. He has worked for the Royal Collection and is an authority on Nelson. In addition he is curator of Lord Ashcroft’s collection of VCs, the largest in the world. For further information or to reserve tickets please contact: Christine Johnson: 01722 424 509 christinejohnson@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
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EVENTS
The Salisbury Museum An Exhibition of Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. We are delighted to be one of the lead sponsors of ‘Turner’s Wessex – Architecture and Ambition’, a major exhibition at Salisbury Museum from May 22nd to September 27th. This will be the first ever exhibition devoted to Turner’s watercolours and paintings of Salisbury, Stonehenge, Stourhead, Fonthill and other local areas. The catalogue has been written by noted Turner Scholar Ian Warrell and the exhibition will be supported by a programme of events including lectures, artists’ workshops and tours of some of the sites that Turner painted.
Salisbury from Old Sarum c.1827-8, watercolour, 27.2cm x 41cm
Copyright Salisbury Museum
www.salisburymuseum.org.uk
The Chalke Valley History Festival Once again we are very pleased to continue our support for the Chalke Valley History Festival which this year takes place from 22nd–28th June. Since its inception in 2011, this acclaimed event has rapidly become the largest history festival in the country with a dazzling array of speakers. The lecture we are sponsoring this year is on Queen Victoria and will be given by the renowned writer and historian A.N. Wilson. In his lecture he will shed new light on Victoria, explore her passionate relationship with Prince Albert and investigate the balance between political commentary and personal gossip. The lecture will take place at 5pm on Sunday June 28th. Tickets and full details of the festival can be found at www.cvhf.co.uk.
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ART & ANTIQUES FREE VALUATIONS We offer a free auction valuation service, usually on the first Friday of every month, 10am – 1pm, no appointment necessary. For further information or to confirm the specialist you wish to see will be available, please call Christine Johnson on 01722 424590
Friday 10th April Friday 1st May Friday 5th June Friday 3rd July Friday 7th August Friday 4th September Friday 9th October Friday 6th November 20th Century Design
Friday 4th December
Tribal Art
ITEMS BROUGHT IN ON VALUATIONS DAYS 1
1. An early Worcester blue and
2
white teapot and cover c.1754 The vendor brought this in on a valuation day in 2013 after purchasing the piece from a local charity shop the year before. Sold for £790
3
2. A Chinese pale celadon jade ruyi sceptre. Sold for £51,250 3. An Edwardian silver model of a pig. Sold for £1,950
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4. A George III striking mahogany bracket with automation. Sold for £17,100
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SPECIALIST DEPART MENTS Chairman
Deputy Chairman
Managing Director
Paul Viney ASFAV
John Axford MRICS ASFAV
Clive Stewart-Lockhart FRICS FRSA
T: +44 (0) 1722 424 502 paulviney@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
T: +44 (0) 1722 424 506 johnaxford@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
T: +44 (0) 1722 424 598 csl@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Paintings
Paintings
Asian Art
Victor Fauvelle
Jo Butler
Sophie Lister
T: +44 (0) 1722 424 503 victorfauvelle@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
T: +44 (0) 1722 424 592 jobutler@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
T: +44 (0) 1722 424 591 sophielister@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
English & European Ceramics & Glass
20th Century Design
Asian Art
Clare Durham
Michael Jeffery
Alexandra Aguilar DomĂŠracki
T: +44 (0) 1722 424 507 claredurham@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
T: +44 (0) 1722 424 505 michaeljeffery@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
T: +44 (0) 1722 424 583 alexaguilar@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Jewellery
Jewellery
Asian Art
Jonathan Edwards FGAA
Marielle Whiting FGA
Freya Yuan
T: +44 (0) 1722 424 504 jonathanedwards@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
T: +44 (0) 1722 424 595 mariellewhiting@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
T: +44 (0) 1722 424 589 freyayuan@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Silver
Silver
Tribal Art & Antiquities Arms & Armour
Rupert Slingsby
Lucy Chalmers
Will Hobbs
T: +44 (0) 1722 424 501 rupertslingsby@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
T: +44 (0) 1722 424 594 lucychalmers@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
T: +44 (0) 1722 339 752 willhobbs@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Furniture & Works of Art
Clocks, Watches & Scientific
Marketing
Mark Richards
Richard Price (Consultant)
Tamzin Corbett
T: +44 (0) 1722 411 854 markrichards@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
T: +44 (0) 7741 242 421 richardprice@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
T: +44 (0) 1722 424 590 tamzincorbett@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Insurance & Probate Valuations
Asian Art
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