Sale News Summer/Autumn 2015
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 1
14/08/2015 16:45
Auction Calendar September 2ND 15
TH
23RD
Tribal Art & Antiquities Fine Porcelain & Pottery Paintings
OCTOBER 7TH 7TH 21ST 28TH 29TH
Furniture, Works of Art & Clocks Arms & Armour 20TH Century Design Fine Silver & Objects of Vertu Jewellery
NOVEMBER 17th & 18TH 24TH 25TH
Asian Art English & European Ceramics & Glass British Art Pottery
DECEMBER 9th
Paintings Part I - Fine Old Masters & 19TH Century Part II - 20TH Century & Contemporary Art
FREE AUCTION VALUATIONS Woolley & Wallis Salisbury Salerooms Ltd. 51-61 Castle Street, Salisbury Wiltshire, SP1 3SU
Every first Friday in the month our specialists will be providing free auction valuations at our Castle Street salerooms.
T: +44 (0) 1722 424 500 enquiries@woolleyandwallis.co.uk www.woolleyandwallis.co.uk
10am - 1pm. No appointment necessary. Please call 01722 424 509 for information.
2 | Woolley & Wallis
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 2
*All prices quoted are hammer price plus buyers premium.
14/08/2015 16:45
Opposite. Two Tibetan Densatil-style
gilt-bronze supports, 15th century, each cast with two four-armed Bodhisattvas standing on a lotus, 26.4cm. Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000
Front Cover. A Victorian diamond necklace. Estimate: £40,000 - 60,000
Back Cover. A Doulton Lambeth stoneware Christmas Tree finial, designed by Gilbert Bayes, 54cm high. Estimate: £6,000 - 10,000
Issue 116
contents 4
Tribal Art & Antiquities
6
Fine Porcelain & Pottery
8
Paintings
10
Furniture & Works of Art
12
20th Century Design
14
Fine Silver & Objects of Vertu
16
Jewellery
18
Asian Art
20
English & European Ceramics & Glass
22
British Art Pottery
24
Paintings - Fine Old Masters & 19th Century
26
Paintings - 20th Century & Contemporary Art
28
Events
30 Sales Review
‘We have all come a long way in 20 years….’ John Axford examines a pair of Chinese figures in the mid 1990s. chairman’s introduction
This year we celebrate two decades of independence, as it was in 1995 that the Salerooms broke away from the Woolley and Wallis Partnership (very amicably I’m glad to say) and became a limited company. How different the auction world was twenty years ago. For a start we had far more auctions what with fortnightly general sales, various specialist sales and, hard to credit today, no less than eleven furniture sales a year. O tempera, O mores! Catalogues were much less sophisticated with a limited number of rather grainy black and white photographs and only the occasional colour illustration. Condition reports were practically unknown whereas now they are ubiquitous – in the most recent silver sale our specialists Rupert
Slingsby and Lucy Chalmers had to reply to over 800 of them; and paddle bidding had just been introduced, much to the annoyance of Tim Woolley who rued the lack of opportunity it gave to get to know the names of new clients. In those quondam days technology was in its infancy. We had no website, no emails and if you were one of those rare people who owned a mobile phone it was likely to be the size and weight of a brick. Telephone bidding was minimal – only the other day I came across a wonderful photograph taken during one of our auctions in 1996 where two members of staff were seated at a small circular wine table carrying out the occasional telephone bid. Today at any given auction we have up to twenty staff handling telephone bids, often
conducting the bidding in a wide variety of languages. Twenty years ago we had fifteen full time staff. Today it is roughly double that and it rises to over 50 when all our part time staff are included. Our turnover then was £3.8 million whereas last year it was just over £20 million. So, the auction world today is a far cry from 1995, and who knows what my successors will be writing about in 2035. Lunar bids anyone? Paul Viney Chairman
Contents | 3
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 3
14/08/2015 16:45
tribal art & Antiquities 2nd September 2015
4 | Woolley & Wallis
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 4
14/08/2015 16:45
Specialist: Will Hobbs +44 (0) 1722 339 752 willhobbs@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Opposite. An Inuit carved walrus amulet, 6.8cm long. Estimate: £400 - 600
1. Two Marquesas Islands
fan handles, 8.5cm high, on wood stands by Kichizo Inagaki. Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000
2. A Solomon Islands kap
kap, 18.4cm diameter. Estimate: £300 - 500
3. From a collection of
5. An Egyptian cedarwood Mummy mask, 13th-14th century B.C., 54cm high. Estimate: £4,000 - 5,000
4. A Kikuyu shield, Kenya,
6. A pair of Baule royal leopard stools, 46.5cm high. Estimate: £10,000 - 15,000
Roman glass, 2nd/3rd century A.D. Estimates from: £200 - 600
68.5cm high. Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000
1
2
3
4
The sale will include the collection of the late Dr James Spillius, whose career as an anthropologist took him to the islands of the South Pacific from which many differing articles are represented; food bowls, clubs, masks, shell currency, fish hooks etc. Born in Canada, there is also a small section of Inuit and other Northwest coast pieces.
Illustrated above is part of an interesting collection of Roman glass dating to the 2nd/3rd centuries A.D. acquired by the late Leslie D’Oyly Harmer (1903-1993) whilst in Lebanon and Damascus in 1943 from a Damascan antiquarian whom he knew and includes a variety of vessels in differing forms, colours and techniques.
5
6
Tribal Art & Antiquities | 5
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 5
14/08/2015 16:45
fine porcelain & pottery 15th September 2015
6 | Woolley & Wallis
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 6
14/08/2015 16:45
Opposite. An impressive pair of Copeland bough pots or jardinières painted by Charles Ferdinand Hürten with flowers to one side and panels of fruit to the reverse, 36cm across. Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000
Specialist: CLARE DURHAM +44 (0) 1722 424 507 claredurham@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
2. A pair of trompe l’oeil
models of artichokes by Lady Anne Gordon, the Dowager Marchioness of Aberdeen, dated 1975, 14cm high. Provenance: from the collection at Newby Hall in Yorkshire. Estimate: £150 - 250
1. A Meissen model of a
seagull, naturalistically modelled with one foot raised, standing amidst reeds, 27cm. From a small menagerie of Meissen birds and animals included in the sale. Estimate: £500 - 800
3. A good English delftware
5. A Bow model of a
4. A Chantilly beaker or
6. A good Worcester blue
two-handled sauceboat, painted in blue with Oriental flowers, the handles formed as foxes, 20.4cm across. Estimate: £600 - 800
teabowl painted in the Kakiemon palette with Chinese figural decoration, c.1730, 5.5cm high. Estimate: £800 - 1,200
sphinx c.1752-3, modelled reclining on a tall scrolling base, her head turned to sinister, 12.5cm high. Estimate: £400 - 600
and white hexagonal vase and cover painted with the Fancy Bird in a Tree pattern, c.1758, 38.5cm. Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000
2
1
3
The Cabbage Lady Lady Anne Gordon (1924-2007) was wellknown for her vivid and often realistic ceramic depictions of fruit, flowers and vegetables, so much so that she was sometimes known as “the cabbage lady” and the artichokes (image 2) are typical of her work. Educated at Godolphin School in Salisbury, she was evacuated to New York during WWII but returned in 1947 to study at Camberwell School of Art. Here she met and married Captain Alastair Gordon, a gifted botanical artist, who became the 6th Marquess of Aberdeen in 1984. In 2005 Gordon held an exhibition entitled The Cabbage Lady’s Exhibition, in aid of Macmillan Cancer Relief. Her work today remains highly collectable and yet very affordable.
5 6
4
F ine P orcelain & P ottery | 7
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 7
14/08/2015 16:45
paintings 23rd September 2015
8 | Woolley & Wallis
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 8
14/08/2015 16:45
Specialists: Victor Fauvelle +44 (0) 1722 424 503 victorfauvelle@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
JO BUTLER +44 (0) 1722 424 592 jobutler@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Opposite. William Thomson (1925-1988) Seated nude Signed, oil on canvas 25.5 x 20cm Estimate: £400 - 600 1. Harry Robert Mileham (1873-1957) Tristram’s Deathbed Signed, oil on canvas 78 x 90cm Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000
2. Diana Maxwell Armfield (b.1920) Marigolds with other flowers Signed, oil on board 30.5 x 23cm Estimate: £800 - 1,200
The September sale has a wide variety of works from different periods. The oil by William Thomson (opposite) is typical of his work, the nude being his preferred subject. A traditionalist by training, he believed that study of the figure was essential to good painting and he chose to depict the nude in a more subtle way by accentuating the light and colour and posing his models in a more thoughtful way. He was highly regarded by his peers, Elisabeth Frink referred to him as ‘an artist’s artist’ in her obituary published in The Telegraph. He went on to be Chairman of the Chelsea Arts Club in the 1970s, a well known venue for artists at that time.
4. A large photograph of Stanley Baldwin and Winston Churchill, signed by both 273 x 365mm Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000
2
1
3
3. Hercules Brabazon Brabazon (1821-1906) Venice after Turner Signed, watercolour 17.5 x 24.5cm Estimate: £750 - 850
4
Harry Mileham never achieved the same notoriety as many of his artistic friends and mentors like Lord Leighton and G.F.Watts, but his work is of refined quality and this depiction of Isolde, about to die of a broken heart embracing the dying Tristam, is no exception (image 1). He also turned his hand to altar pieces and designs for stained glass. His detailed meticulous style resulted in a smaller output and works of this scale by Mileham are rare. Hercules Brabazon Brabazon remains a favourite with watercolour collectors (image 3) and his lively spontaneous sketches seem to bridge the 19th and 20th centuries as well as harking back to the brilliance of
late Turner. The 26 sketches in the sale display the broad range of his subjects and give a flavour of the places he visited, often with John Ruskin and Arthur Severn. He was friends with John Singer Sargent who persuaded the amateur Brabazon to exhibit his works for the first time. Also in this sale is a rare photograph of Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin and the Chancellor of the Exchequer Winston Churchill (image 4) taken in the Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street. Signed by both and dated April 1929, this photograph was taken a month before the Conservatives lost the general election and Churchill began his wilderness years. P aintings | 9
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 9
14/08/2015 16:45
Furniture, Works of Art & Clocks 7th October 2015
10 | Woolley & Wallis
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 10
14/08/2015 16:45
Specialist: MARK RICHARDS +44 (0) 1722 411 854 markrichards@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Opposite. A George III rosewood and giltwood side cabinet after a design by Thomas Sheraton, 186.5cm wide. Estimate: £20,000 - 30,000
We are delighted to be offering the important George III side cabinet featured opposite. This extravagant piece of furniture closely follows a design by Thomas Sheraton illustrated in his Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer’s Drawing Book of 1802 (drawing right). The cabinet has impeccable provenance; given by Charles 3rd Baron Leconfield (1872-1952) to Violet Lady Leconfield (1892-1956) Petworth House, Sussex and by descent to her daughter Mrs Elizabeth Wyndham (1922-2008). It was possibly commissioned by George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont (1787-1869) for his Brighton house, East Lodge. The use of a French style loose Brazilian rosewood top points to a possible continental cabinet maker. Also from the Regency period is this striking calamander centre table (image 1). Bought from the Hilborough Hall sale held by Christie’s in 1985. It is veneered in the exotic timber calamander, a type of variegated ebony which can be found on the island of Sri Lanka. The word is a derivation of the Singhalese Kalu-mindrie which means ‘black flaming’. Its popularity and relative abundance coincides with the British victories over the Dutch forces in Ceylon in 1796, by 1815 the island was under British control. This attractive timber suited the Regency and early Victorian aesthetic for highly figured woods.
1. A Regency calamander centre table, 134.5cm diameter. Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000
3. A set of four French
2. A pair of Louis XVI
4. A George II Scottish
ormolu and enamel cassolettes, 18.3cm high. Estimate: £2,500 - 3,500
giltwood wall appliques, 83cm high. Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000
5. An Italian micromosaic plaque of St. Peter’s, Rome, 26.5cm wide. Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000
giltwood shell diorama, 134cm wide. Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000
1
3
2
The sale will also feature selected items from the estate of the late Anthony Hobson (1921-2014). Anthony Hobson was the greatest expert in the field of Renaissance book bindings. He was appointed head of Sotheby’s Book department at the prodigious age of twenty-seven and his pre-eminence in the book world was confirmed by his presidency of the Internationale de Bibliophilie (1985-1999). He lived with his family at The Glebe House, a beautiful Queen Anne residence in Whitsbury, Hampshire. The highlight is this rare George II Scottish giltwood shell diorama (image 4). Other items of interest are a blue john carved dummy mallet and a George III satinwood side cabinet.
5
4
F urniture , W orks
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 11
of
A rt & C locks | 11
14/08/2015 16:45
20
th
Century Design 21st October 2015
12 | Woolley & Wallis
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 12
14/08/2015 16:45
Specialist: Michael Jeffery +44 (0) 1722 424 505 michaeljeffery@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Opposite & 5. Il Topo, a detail of an Essevi figure designed by Sandro Vacchetti, 41cm high. Estimate: £5,000 - 7,000
2. Voilee Mains Jointes No.
1. An Art Nouveau silver
3. A figural glass vase
and plique a jour enamel pendant necklace by Carl Herman, belonging to Lily Odell who survived the Titanic, 5cm high. Estimate: £500 - 1,000
1
828 an opalescent glass figure designed by Rene Lalique, 28cm high. Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000
designed by Pablo Picasso and made by Aldo Bon,1955, 41cm high. Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000
4. A photograph of Lily
Odell with her son Jack. This photo relates to image 1.
6. The Living Daylights, a
7. Study for Spectre H.Q. from Thunderball, a pen and ink drawing by Ken Adam, 31 x 20cm. Estimate: £1,000 - 1,500
pre-teaser James Bond poster, from a private collection of Bond and film memorabilia, 44 x 29cm. Estimate: £250 - 350
2
3
4
5
The auction covers all aspects of design from the Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods to the post war design of the 1960s and 1970s. Featured are ceramics, glass, works on paper, furniture and metal ware. Included in the jewellery section is an intriguing Art Nouveau silver and enamel necklace (image 1 &4) which was owned by Lily Odell who, along with her son Jack Odell, her brothers Richard and Stanley and her sister-in-law Kate, travelled on the Titanic from Southampton via Cherbourg to Cobh in Ireland, where they disembarked for a motoring holiday. Kate Odell is credited with taking the last photograph of the Titanic as it left Cobh for America.
6
7
20 th C entury D esign | 13
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 13
14/08/2015 16:45
FINE SILVER & OBJECTS OF VERTU 28th October 2015
14 | Woolley & Wallis
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 14
14/08/2015 16:45
Specialists: Rupert Slingsby +44 (0) 1722 424 501 rupertslingsby@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Lucy Chalmers +44 (0) 1722 424 594 lucychalmers@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Closing date for entries 11th September
1
Included in the sale is an impressive and massive Victorian silver cup by Elkington & Co, 1887. The cup was won by Mr Joe Blake of Tiverton at the Championship of the World for Winged Shooting, at the Welsh Harp, Hendon, 15th and 16th December 1897. On its plinth, the cup stands at over three feet and a photograph of Blake’s son, also called Joseph, comfortably sitting in it was used by the family as their Christmas card for the same year (opposite & 5). Tigerware is an English term used to describe the mottled-brown glazed stoneware made along the Rhine, and the October sale will include a late-16th century silver mounted jug (image 3). During the mid to late-16th century it became popular to mount jugs
Opposite. A massive late Victorian silver World Championship Cup for Pigeon Shooting, by Elkington & Co, Birmingham 1887, approx. weight 220 troy oz, 77cm high. Estimate: £5,000 - 7,000 1. A Charles II silver
tankard, London 1673, 17cm high. Estimate: £3,000 - 5,000
2. A Charles II silver Chinoiserie two-handled porringer and cover, by Benjamin Pyne, London 1683, 19.5cm high. Estimate: £5,000 - 7,000
4. A William & Mary
3. A late 16th century silver
5. Joseph Blake junior
mounted tigerware jug, 14cm high. Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000
2
with elaborate silver handles, covers and straps. Good examples from this period are increasingly rare and the jug we are selling is in superb condition, the mounts engraved with scrolling vines with a fleur-de-lys thumbpiece and set with an agate.
silver nutmeg grater, length 4.3cm. From a collection of nutmeg graters. Estimate: £1,000 - 1,500
seated in the Elkington cup.
6. A Victorian novelty silver dog’s head box, by E. H. Stockwell, London 1877, length 16cm. Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000
7. A George III silver-gilt bachelor’s teapot, by Charles Price, London 1818, 10.5cm high. Estimate: £800 - 1,200 8. A fine 18th century gold
filigree mounted swagger stick, unmarked, c.1770-80, total length 135.7cm. Estimate: £600 - 800
3
4
Other highlights of the sale include a Charles II tankard and porringer (image 1 & 2). The porringer is decorated in the Chinoiserie manner, a style popular in the 17th century and was characterised by the use of fanciful decoration of imaginary Chinese motifs.
6
8
5
7
F ine S ilver & O bject s
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 15
of
V ertu | 15
14/08/2015 16:45
je wellery 29th October 2015
16 | Woolley & Wallis
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 16
14/08/2015 16:45
Specialists: jonathan edwards fgaa +44 (0) 1722 424 504
2. An aquamarine and
1. An early 20th century natural pearl and diamond pendant, 5.3cm high. Estimate: £500,000 700,000
3. A Victorian diamond set
diamond and natural pearl drop pendant, 10cm high. Property of a titled lady. Estimate: £50,000 - 70,000
jonathanedwards@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
marielle whiting fga +44 (0) 1722 424 595 mariellewhiting@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
1
Opposite. A Victorian
diamond brooch, 7cm wide. Property of an aristocratic lady. Estimate: £10,000 - 15,000
floral brooch. 6cm high. Estimate: £50,000 - 70,000
4. A Victorian cruciform
emerald pendant, 5.3cm high. Estimate: £10,000 - 15,000
5. An Art Deco diamond
brooch by Cartier, of Oriental influence, c.1930, 3.8cm high. Formally the property of The Late Countess of Haddington. Estimate: £10,000 - 15,000
7. Four desk seals from a collection of twenty six. The single owner collection all to be sold October 29th. Estimates from: £200 - 2,000
6. A black enamel and gold frog with ruby eyes and with a matching pair of earrings by David Webb, the brooch 4cm. Property of an aristocratic lady. Estimate: £5,000 - 10,000
3
2
The pearl weighs 44.30cts and has certification from SSEF, together with an additional letter referring to the pearl’s exceptional size and quality.
This aquamarine is remarkable for its depth of colour and size, weighing in excess of 100.00cts. Coloured Diamonds A very small number of diamonds had trapped impurities when they were formed over a billion years ago. Blue diamonds had part of their carbon structure replaced with boron and yellow diamonds replaced with nitrogen. They are graded for colour using the descriptions faint, fancy, intense and vivid. The 4.23ct yellow diamond in the brooch has been certified by the GIA, New York as having the strongest colour ‘vivid’.
5
4
The emeralds were formally the property of Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden, Lord Chancellor 1766–1770.
6
7
David Webb rose to fame in New York in the 1960s and 1970s and was soon established as the high society jeweller to the rich and famous from Hollywood to New York. His patrons included Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor and The Duchess of Windsor. He was to become ‘America’s quintessential jeweller.’
all jewellery on this page is life size
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 17
Jewellery | 17
14/08/2015 16:45
asian art 17th & 18th November 2015
http://weibo.com/johnaxford
18 | Woolley & Wallis
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 18
14/08/2015 16:45
Specialist: john axford +44 (0) 1722 424 506 johnaxford@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Closing date for entries 11th September
Opposite. A large and rare Chinese lacquered wood figure of a seated Bodhisattva, 14th century, 50.7cm. Estimate: £30,000 - 50,000
1. A Chinese Imperial famille rose bowl, six character Yongzheng mark and of the period 1723-35, delicately painted with peony and chrysanthemum, 17.5cm. Provenance: formerly in the collection of Peter Boode (d. c.1972). Estimate: £50,000 - 60,000
2. A rare pair of Chinese chengxiangmu dragon and phoenix libation cups, late Ming/early Qing dynasty, 8.3cm. Estimate: £10,000 - 20,000
3. A rare Chinese blanc de
Chine gilt copper mounted libation cup and spoon, late 17th century, 17.2cm. Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000
1
Peter Boode 2
Peter Boode was an important and welltravelled Dutch dealer in the early part of the 20th century. In his own unpublished autobiography he admits, ‘when I arrived in the Far East in 1913 I did not know anything about Chinese Antiques but had a great love for Art in general’, and yet by 1934 upon opening his gallery at 125 Mount Street, he was described as a ‘discriminating specialist’ by Connoisseur magazine. In the same year, Bluett’s held an exhibition entitled ‘Old Chinese Pottery and Porcelain recently collected in China by Mr Peter Boode of The Hague’, which included ceramics ranging from the Song to the Qing dynasties, several of which are now in the collections of the British Museum and Percival David Foundation. He also lent two pieces to the prestigious Royal Academy Exhibition of 1935-36.
3
The bowl above was formerly part of this fascinating collection, purchased c.1950 in London. It exhibits the rare ‘boneless’, or mogu style, which is derived from an ancient painting technique where the subject lacks outlines.
Asian Art | 19
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 19
14/08/2015 16:45
english & european ceramics & glass 24th November 2015
20 | Woolley & Wallis
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 20
14/08/2015 16:45
Specialist: Clare Durham +44 (0) 1722 424 507 claredurham@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Closing date for entries 9th October
Opposite. Two good Thomas Webb (Stourbridge) cameo glass scent bottles, late 19th century, finely decorated with flowering and leafy sprays one on a dark green ground, the other a rich yellow, with silver metal mounts, one for Theodore Starr, New York, 23cm and 25cm. Estimate: £800 - 1,200 each
The November sale includes a selection of glass spanning a number of centuries from the estate of Christopher Sheppard, who sadly passed away earlier this year. Christopher was a well-known figure in the glass trade and was a regular feature at many of the London and New York fairs. Also in the sale are a number of lots of English and Dutch delftware from the 17th to the 19th century, items from a private collection of Meissen figures, and a number of interesting pearlware pieces.
1. A pair of green glass decanters and stoppers, c.1800-1810, titled in gilt for Brandy and Hollands with initials to the flattened stoppers, 21.5cm. One of a number of lots from the estate of the late Christopher Sheppard. Estimate: £80 - 120
2. Eight London delftware
tiles, mid 18th century, painted with bucolic scenes of figures in rural settings and ships in harbours, the edges sponged in manganese, 13cm. Estimate: £300 - 500
3. A set of fourteen Worcester blue and white plates, c.1770, printed with the Pinecone pattern, 21cm. Estimate: £500 - 800 4. A faience model of a cat, 19th century, 22cm. Estimate: £300 - 500
1
Webb Cameo Glass These particularly fine scent bottles (opposite) are classic examples of the cameo glass produced in Stourbridge by the firm Thomas Webb & Sons during the last decades of the 19th century. Although a technique known in Europe during the 9th and 10th centuries, it was lost for several hundred years and only re-perfected (thanks to new industrial techniques) during the 19th century. The process fuses a layer of opaque white glass over a coloured glass layer, the upper layer then being etched and carved to produce the subtle shaded effects so loved by collectors of this type of ware. The silver mount on the yellow scent bottle is marked for Theodore Starr, a jeweller and retailer in New York who established his store in 1877. Entries are still being invited.
3
2
4
English & European Ceramics & Glass | 21
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 21
14/08/2015 16:46
British art pottery 25th November 2015
22 | Woolley & Wallis
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 22
14/08/2015 16:46
Specialist: Michael Jeffery +44 (0) 1722 424 505 michaeljeffery@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Closing date for entries 30th September
Opposite. A fine Martin Brothers stoneware spoonwarmer by Robert Wallace Martin, dated 1879, 14.5cm high. Estimate: £15,000 - 20,000
1. Three pots by R J Washington, from the estate of the artist. The tallest 75cm high. Estimates: £600 - 1,000 each
Back Cover. A Doulton
Adams Poole Pottery Holly vases designed by Truda Carter, 34cm high. Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 each
Lambeth stoneware Christmas Tree finial, designed by Gilbert Bayes, 54cm high. Estimate: £6,000 - 10,000
1
This year’s Art Pottery auction already includes a fine selection of work from the late Victorians to contemporary potters of today. Highlighting a strong section of Martinware is a fine and unrecorded spoon-warmer (opposite) made by Robert Wallace Martin in 1879. The section of Martinware will also include Renaissance, aquatic and gourd vases and is complemented in the sale with contemporary works by William De Morgan, Minton’s Art Studio, Doulton Lambeth and Burmantoft’s. There is also a small section of Della Robbia pottery including a fine plaque The Apple Gatherers by Cassandra Annie Walker, dated 1900 and showing the influence of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood’s art. This plaque 4
2. Two Carter, Stabler &
3. A stoneware bowl by
Lucie Rie, 14cm diameter. Estimate: £1,500 - 2,500
4. A Pilkington’s
Lancastrian vase by Richard Joyce, 14.5cm high. Estimate: £700 - 900
5. A Doulton Lambeth
stoneware fountain designed by Gilbert Bayes for his own garden, 49cm high. Estimate: £10,000 - 15,000
6. A Doulton Lambeth
stoneware Galleon finial designed by Gilbert Bayes, 43cm high. Estimate: £3,000 - 5,000
2
was exhibited at the Walker Art Gallery in1900 and listed with commendation in The Studio of that year. The sale has a section of studio pottery with work by Bernard Leach, Michael Cardew and Lucie Rie. We are pleased to include a group of works by R J Washington (19131997) (image 1) consigned by his estate. Included are his famous figural pots produced first in the 1930s under the tutorship of William Staite Murray and then re-discovered in the 1980s, and also some of his later panels and bowls covered in craggy volcanic glazes. Washington’s work is being celebrated with the launch of a biographical film in November 2015. 5
3
6
B ritish A rt P ottery | 23
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 23
14/08/2015 16:46
fine old masters & 19 th century paintings 9th December 2015
24 | Woolley & Wallis
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 24
14/08/2015 16:46
Opposite. François Auguste Biard (French 1798-1882) Count Rosander admires the Diamond Beetle Signed, oil on canvas 74 x 92cm Estimate: £15,000 - 20,000
Specialists: Victor Fauvelle +44 (0) 1722 424 503 victorfauvelle@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Jo Butler +44 (0) 1722 424 592 jobutler@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
1. Vlaho Bukovac (Russian 1855-1912) Reclining Nude Signed, inscribed Zagreb Oil on canvas 64 x 38cm £10,000 - 15,000
2. John Emms
(1843-1912) Waiting for master Signed, oil on canvas 61 x 92cm £3,000 - 5,000
3. James Hayllar (1829-1920) On the way to the Coronation Signed and dated 1863 Oil on canvas 63.5 x 76cm £5,000 - 7,000
Closing date for entries 23rd October
1
2
The December 2014 sale was the highest total for a painting sale at Woolley and Wallis, narrowly beating the June sale. We have significant entries already and look forward to hearing from interested vendors for this year’s sale. The painting by Biard (opposite) is a tour de force of artistic skill. It shows Count Rosander admiring the rare Diamond Beetle in a tented interior with opulent furnishings; everything from the Japanese lanterns, the chandelier, the tapestries, fine furniture and silverware are meticulously depicted, the painter concocting the most elaborate and complicated interior to showcase his ability. Whilst the origin of the subject still eludes us, it is likely to be a literary one.
3
The work by Emms (image 2) highlights his ability to depict everyday country scenes in an un-idealised way. This is a pleasant rural scene but at the same time the sombre mood of the horse and the greyhounds alludes to the harsh reality of rural life for rural workers at this time. Emms enjoyed great success in the 1880s and 1890s having worked as Frederic Lord Leighton’s studio assistant. He moved to Lyndhurst in the 1880s but after a stroke in the early 1900s was unable to paint; he took to drink and fell on hard times.
F ine O ld M asters & 19 th C entury A rt | 25
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 25
14/08/2015 16:46
20 th century & contemporary art 9th December 2015
26 | Woolley & Wallis
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 26
14/08/2015 16:46
Specialists: Victor Fauvelle +44 (0) 1722 424 503 victorfauvelle@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Jo Butler +44 (0) 1722 424 592 jobutler@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Opposite. Dame Elisabeth Frink R.A. (1930-1993) Tribute head II Signed and dated ‘82 Pencil, 38 x 28cm Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000
Closing date for entries 23rd October
1
1. Frederick Gore R.A. (1913-2009) Wild flowers on a roadside hedge Signed and dated 1998 Watercolour over pencil 60 x 43.5cm Estimate: £1,000 - 1,500
2. Martin Hayward-Harris (b.1959) Resting hare Signed with a monogram and numbered 3/9 Patinated bronze 60cm long Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000
3. John Anthony Park
(1880-1962) Welsh trout river Signed, oil on canvas 63.5 x 76cm Estimate: £2,500 - 3,500
4. Wilfred Gabriel de Glehn (1870-1951) The Palladian Bridge at Wilton House Oil on canvas 64 x 76cm Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000
2
3
The 20th Century sale has a fine drawing by Elisabeth Frink created in 1982 (opposite). The male heads, or goggle heads, were a theme she first explored in the late 1960s when she was living in France and the sculptures that resulted are iconic in Frink’s oeuvre. She revisited the theme and this drawing has been consigned by a local vendor who was a friend of the artist. The stylish tactile bronze of a hare (image 2) by Hayward-Harris is one of several sculptures in the sale, an area we are keen to expand.
4
Wilfred Gabriel de Glehn was the archetypal suave Edwardian painter (image 4). He toured Europe with John Singer Sargent who was undoubtedly a strong influence on his work. The view of The Palladian Bridge at Wilton is a good example of his spontaneous en plein air style. In a similar vein the work of John Anthony Park was greatly influenced by the Impressionist movement. Although it is harbour scenes in the west country that form the core of his work, this delightful view of a trout stream in Wales shows his skill at painting water (image 3).
20 th C entury & C ontemporary A rt | 27
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 27
14/08/2015 16:46
EVENTS The Annual Tim Woolley Memorial Lecture The friendship between Tim and Michael Naxton lasted 40 years, commencing when Michael, a coin and medal specialist at Sotheby’s received a call from Tim asking for some advice and a valuation of a medal, for which Michael joked he had never received a fee! Dispelling some of the myths surrounding Lord Nelson, the lecture by Michael Naxton on ‘Nelson, The Tarnished Hero’ held on the 27th of April as The Annual
Michael Naxton
Tim Woolley Memorial Lecture, took the audience through Lord Nelson’s life, giving a fascinating insight into the man regarded as one of the most influential military commanders. Naxton, an authority on Nelson went beyond the text book stories, portraying a vain hero and a gambler whose risky strategies and frequent disregard for orders led to victories which otherwise would have been lost. Naxton gave the perfect balance of fact and legend.
Although given a state funeral, King George III refused to attend due to his disapproval of Nelson’s long standing adulterous affair with Emma Hamilton. A photo of their illegitimate daughter, in contrast to the statue of Nelson in Trafalgar Square, brought the lecture to an end. The proceeds from the lecture were donated to Salisbury Hospice.
A reverse glass painting of Nelson. Part of a collection sold by the salerooms in 2013 for over £25,000.
28 | Woolley & Wallis
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 28
14/08/2015 16:46
events Turner Exhibition To date 12,200 people have come to view the Turner exhibition of which Woolley & Wallis are a lead sponsor. The exhibition, titled ‘Turner’s Wessex – Architecture and Ambition’ has run from the 22nd of May and continues until the 27th of September. Turner first visited Salisbury in 1795 when he was 20 years old, returning to paint Stonehenge and the surrounding landscape as his career developed. This year Salisbury has been a magnet for visitors, as across The Close from the museum at Salisbury Cathedral the Magna Carta celebrates its 800th anniversary.
The Chalke Valley History Festival Such was the comfort and familiarity with his subject that A.N. Wilson was able to discourse for over an hour unaided by notes, for our sponsored lecture at The Chalke Valley History Festival. A leading authority on Queen Victoria, Wilson gave powerful insight into the relationships and persona of our soon to be second longest reigning monarch and alerted the audience to the rich contradictions of his subject’s personality. Amusing anecdotes gave rise to much laughter from the 250 guests as Wilson explored Victoria’s relationship with her mother, the love she had for her husband Prince Albert and the deep physical attraction which led to them having nine children, and for whom she spent the rest of her life in mourning. A.N. Wilson and Paul Viney, who were contemporaries at Rugby School, are pictured here at the end of the lecture.
Events | 29
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 29
14/08/2015 16:46
sales re view Furniture & Works of Art A number of items from the esteemed furniture company Gillows of Lancaster were included in the March Furniture & Works of Art sale. The company was founded in 1730 by a Freeman of Lancaster, Robert Gillow, who’d started out as an apprentice joiner circa 1718. His sons Richard and Robert, subsequently took over the business and were sent to London to study architecture and interior design. The main consequence of this investment in training, was not only a very high standard of craftsmanship, but also the ability to stay close to the cutting edge of fashion. The lots were sold by a direct descendant. Of particular interest were a pair of George IV mahogany bookcases, selling for £8,845 and a William IV mahogany four poster bed, complete with a modern mattress which sold for £6,800.
Arms & Armour Discovered in a disused room of a country house, a collection of around forty rifles were offered in the Arms and Amour section as part of the Furniture and Works of Art sale. The rifles, all .577 Snider-Enfields, had the conversion from muzzle loading to breech. Each had its own associated bayonet and scabbard, with a crudely carved number to the butt. The condition gave testament to them having lain disused in the damp for many years. A theory is these may have been kept ready for militia to use in the event of uprising or war. The rifles were the property of a nobleman and sold in pairs, together with other militaria from the estate. The entire collection made £15,500.
30 | Woolley & Wallis
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 30
14/08/2015 16:46
sales review
20th Century Design A lacquered box and cover by Jean Dunand (1877-1942) (image below right), a man considered to be the most important and influential metalsmith and lacquer artist of the Art Deco movement was unsurprisingly the highlight of the Clarice Cliff, Art Deco & 20th Century Design sale in April. Measuring 13cm in diameter and inlaid with mother of pearl and shell decoration the box brought collectors and dealers from Europe, America and South Africa to the telephones and internet to bid for this unusual piece. The lot sold to a private London collector for £21,950. The June offering of Arts & Crafts saw Martin Brothers pottery yet again dominate the top prices. The department continues to hold the world record price for a Martin Brothers bird sculpture sold at auction. Although this one (pictured below) didn’t outdo its predecessor, it did sell for £73,200 to a private UK collector. To coincide with the sale we held a small exhibition to commemorate the centenary of Edwin Bruce Martin’s death in 1915. Exhibited were 50 pots, which were made by Edwin Martin at the Martin Brothers Pottery in Southall. Pictured by the exhibition is Edwin Martin’s granddaughter who came to view the sale.
Sales Review | 31
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 31
14/08/2015 16:46
sales re view Fine Silver & Objects of Vertu The success of the Fine Silver and Objects of Vertu sale in April, with an 80% sold rate and a sale total of just under half a million means these specialist sales will be twice yearly. The George III silver plate from Admiral Lord Nelson’s Copenhagen service featured in the last Sale News sold for £39,050 and was the leading lot of the sale. The battle of Copenhagen in 1801 ultimately resulted in victory over the Danish fleet, and as a reward Nelson was gifted £500 which he used to augment his growing collection of plate. Selling for nearly four times the pre-sale estimate, the figure demonstrates the continued interest in Nelson artefacts. It was bought by a distinguished collector who has spent 30 years amassing his collection and was delighted with the acquisition.
Jewellery A pair of earrings, sold on behalf of the descendants of Thomas Pitt (1653-1726) reaffirmed the demand and Woolley & Wallis’ place in the market for natural pearls with good provenance. Grandfather and great-grandfather to two Prime Ministers, Thomas Pitt also represented a Salisbury constituency in The House of Commons and famously bought the 410 carat ‘Regent’ diamond in 1701. The drop shaped pearls, suspended from two graduated circular cut diamonds attracted global interest with several international buyers contesting the lot to £292,800.
32 | Woolley & Wallis
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 32
14/08/2015 16:46
sales review
Asian Art Leading the sale, a small doucai lingzhi bowl, measuring only 10.4cm wide achieved just under half a million pounds at the first Asian Art sale of the year on the 20th and 21st of May. Fierce demand for the highlight drove lot 342 to twice the top estimate with bidding from virtually every continent; all twenty telephone lines were booked with our staff bidding in three different languages. Bearing a six character Yonzheng mark and of the period 1723-35, the bowl is now bound for China courtesy of a private Chinese collector who bought the lot for £482,800. The lot is pictured with Jasmine, one of eight Mandarin speaking telephone ladies, who are so invaluable in our Asian Art sales. Appealing to the Chinese desire for colour and display, the jardinières featured on the front cover of the previous Sale News sold for £183,000, contributing to a sale total of 2.7 million pounds for the two days.
Paintings The June sale saw strong prices for wellknown artists in the 20th Century and Contemporary Art sale. The trend amongst buyers seems to be an increased desire to buy a ‘name’ rather than just an aesthetically pleasing piece. Collectors are opting to spend more on one work rather than amassing large collections. A landscape by Paul Nash (1889-1946), dating from 1921-1922, depicting a scene from a village in Buckinghamshire was fresh to the market but a recognised work, selling for £83,000 and is believed to be the highest price achieved for the artist at auction outside London. The sale saw an 80% sold rate for the 146 lots offered.
Sales Review | 33
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 33
14/08/2015 16:46
sales review
English & European Ceramics & Glass It is not always a lot with the most stellar provenance or the rarest which leads to a purchase. A Meissen Bolognese terrier after the model by J J Kändler, standing about 23cm high was bought with the heart by a bidder in Australia who secured the lot for £3,660. A young family member had suffered a broken leg in a riding accident and the terrier was a gift to help cheer her up. Such was the delight at the gift, the buyer commented ‘the smile on her face when she received it was something I shall never forget.’
Clocks, Watches & Scientific Instruments A private collection of carriage clocks, many unseen previously at auction produced a collection sale total of just under £60,000. For 2016 clocks will be integrated in alternate Furniture & Works of Art sales, starting in January. Pocket watches and wristwatches will be included in the Jewellery sales.
34 | Woolley & Wallis
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 34
14/08/2015 16:46
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
PA to the Directors
Marketing
Mark Richards
Christine Johnson
Tamzin Corbett
T: +44 (0) 1722 411 854 markrichards@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
T: +44 (0) 1722 424509 christinejohnson@woolleyandwallis.
T: +44 (0) 1722 424 590 tamzincorbett@woolleyandwallis.co.uk
Insurance & Probate Valuations
Asian Art
Specialist Departments | 35
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 35
14/08/2015 16:46
woolleyandwallis.co.uk
WW-Sales-News_FA2.indd 36
14/08/2015 16:46