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SALEROOM NEWS JULY 2020 Lot 384
Wednesday 22 & Thursday 23 July THE LIBRARY & PRINCIPAL CONTENTS OF PAXFORD HOUSE Paxford House near Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, has been in the ownership of the same family for almost 100 years. Instructed by the Executors of the Late Thomas Odling, Chorley’s are selling the principal contents of the property which includes several items that have been in the family for generations. The most notable member of the family, his great grandfather Sir William Sterndale-Bennett, would have owned several of the music scores that adorned the shelves of the library, some bearing his autograph and annotated comments in the margins. Sir William was an English composer, pianist, conductor and music educator. At the age of ten Bennett was admitted to the London Royal Academy of Music, where he remained for ten years. By the age of twenty, he had begun to make a reputation as a concert pianist, and his compositions received high praise. Among those impressed by Bennett was the German born British composer Felix Mendelssohn, who invited him to Leipzig. There Bennett became friendly
Lot 719
with Robert Schumann, who shared Mendelssohn's admiration for his compositions. Bennett spent three winters composing and performing in Leipzig and whilst in England enhanced his musical career through composition, conducting and teaching at the Royal Academy, becoming one of the most respected musicians of the 19th Century. Volumes in the Paxford House library could well have been used by Sterndale-Bennett whilst editing works by the great composers of the 17th and 18th Century, perhaps the 1760 copy of The Life of Handel by John Mainwaring, Lot 558, estimate £180-220. Other important books in the Library include Falconry in the Valley of the Indus 1852 by Sir Richard Burton, Lot 554, estimate £1,000-1,500, the third edition of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire in 6 volumes 1777, by Edward Gibbon, Lot 556, £500-700 and many books on political history. A large section on French History includes many about the life of Napoleon, complementing the collection of books, bronzes and other Napoleon memorabilia in the sale. Books about travel are also highly sought after and Lot 719, 17 volumes of the Works of Jonathan Swift, published in Dublin 1767, is expected to realise between £3,000 and £4,000.
A bureau from Paxford, previously used to house some of the books, should buck the trend in recent prices for this form of desk. Constructed in rosewood, perhaps Huanghuali, it is a piece of Chinese export furniture probably made in Canton in the 19th Century but in the English style. The undersides of the small bureau drawers bear Chinese characters denoting where each should be placed. Chinese export furniture is gaining a good following with interest both from UK collectors and mainland China. Lot 384 carries a pre-sale estimate of £1,000-1,500.
Lot 965
Another Odling association with the water represented in the sale are two rowing blades won by Thomas Odling’s father, William, in the Worcester College Eights, 1898 and 1899; found in a garden shed and in a rather distressed state they are still expected to realise £200-300, Lot 965.
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AUCTION | Wednesday 22 & Thursday 23 July Asian Art Chorley’s July auction will attract collectors of Asian art from across the globe. Highlights of the 100 lot section are Meiji era bronzes from Japan and Chinese and Japanese porcelain and pottery including pieces from the Song and Tang dynasties. One of the earliest lots in the sale is Lot 219 a Tang dynasty equestrian figure in a rare sancai and blue glaze. This was in the Collection of Irene and Earl Morse sold at Sotheby's New York in 1986 and exhibited in Orlando at ‘A Thousand Years of Chinese Tomb Sculpture’, 1983. A rare and decorative item with good provenance, it is estimated to fetch £10,000-15,000.
Lot 881
Lot 881
Lot 219
Country House Collections Our summer sale only offers also the contents of a flat in Hurlingham and a Bath townhouse. With a wide range of categories and price-points this sale includes plenty to delight the eye. Lot 881 is a finely observed still life by Edward Ladell (British 1821-1886) an artist who achieved enormous success and recognition in his own lifetime and is rightly considered the leading still-life painter of his generation. The present example includes a silver tazza, a glass rummer and a variety of fruit on a ledge and asks £6,000–8,000. Lot 915
A more recent item is Lot 248, a fine Japanese bronze which dates to the Meiji era (1868-1912). This Tokyo School ‘table group’ by Udagawa Kazuo depicts a mother seated on a bench holding her child and eating from a rice box, it measures an impressive 57cm high. This is of museum quality and indeed an example of this group can be found in the Ashmolean Museum, estimate £5,000-8,000.
Lot 915 would suit a follower of horse racing who wants to bring a slice of the glamour of the Sport of Kings into their own home, estimate £1,500–2,000. This pair of racehorse portraits by Alfred Wheeler (British 1851-1932) can be identified from the inscriptions as Ladas and Diamond Jubilee – Ladas with jockey in the colours of the Earl of Rosebery while Diamond Jubilee’s is in the Queens colours. Diamond Jubilee won the coveted Triple Crown in 1900.
Lot 1014
One of the most charming lots on offer is Lot 1014, a collection of sailors valentines. These love tokens were brought back by sailors from their travels and produced as souvenirs in coastal towns both in Britain and abroad, estimate £600£800.
Lot 248
Chinese porcelain is one of the most exciting collecting areas and Lot 254, a pair of bottle vases, will be sure to attract attention. Dating to the Kangxi period (1654-1722), the pair were spotted on a routine valuation in London and are expected to achieve £1,000£1,500. They are part of a group of related ceramics bearing what looks like a ‘G’ to the underside.
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VIEW DAYS | Sunday 19, Monday 20 & Tuesday 21 July
Lot 988
Lot 254
Lot 1002
It is the subject of conjecture whether the G is the initial of a western client who commissioned the items, a D copied erroneously from Delftwares or (when turned through 90 degrees) the Persian letter ye. The design of these vases could well suggest that they were made for a Persian or Mughal Indian patron. Among the Japanese ceramics the standout lot is a Kakiemon water dropper modelled as a Chinese boy sitting on a drum. Related water droppers modelled as boys can be found in museums and important collections including the Avery Brundage Lot 259 Collection at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. This charming piece, Lot 259, asks £1,500–2,000. Napoleon Napoleon and the Duke of Wellington were two of the most significant figures of the 19th Century. Their successes, failures and battles have been the subject of thousands of books, paintings and opinions. To this day there are devoted collectors of items relating to both men, although perhaps it is Napoleon that has the greater share of the collectors market, if not the spoils of victory. A private collection of Napoleona will give collectors something to get their teeth into from fine bronzes and ceramics to books and prints. Lot 992 is a bronze depicting the young Napoleon while at military school. It was here that he developed an interest in arithmetic, geometry and history and he is depicted standing by a globe and holding a book in one hand, estimate £1200-1500. Lot 988 is a less flattering item, an Lot 922 English pearlware jug with a scene of ‘John Bull Shewing the Corsican Monkey’ - here Napoleon is depicted as a fierce monkey astride a bear
led by a corpulent John Bull. An example of grotesque period satire, it could realise £300-500. From another source an interesting coquilla nut cup is carved with the letter N, a portrait and eagle; this bears a plaque in French which translates as ‘Napoleon used this as a drinking cup during the Battle of the Pyramids’, Lot 1002, estimate £600-800.
Lot 489
Items of Wellington interest can be found elsewhere in the sale. Lot 489 is a 17th Century curiosity cabinet with panelled lapis front that was last offered by Christie’s in their sale of items from the estate of Brigadier Arthur Valerian Wellesley, 8th Duke of Wellington, K.G (19152014) and Diana Ruth, née McConnel, Duchess of Wellington (1922-2010). The cabinet was probably acquired by the 7th Duke during his time in Rome. Estimated at £3,000-5,000 this is a rare item and with a provenance to match. The furniture section also includes a fine dressing table attributed to George Bullock, Lot 496. This example in mahogany with ebony lines is very similar in design to the furniture supplied by George Bullock to furnish Longwood House, St. Helena, Napoleon’s home in exile. A restrained piece of top quality, it should achieve £2,000-3,000.
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Lot 496
AUCTION INFORMATION Please note, the figures provided in this Newsletter are estimates only, based on past examples sold. Subject to any reserve in place, it may be possible to buy an item for less than the estimate, or the sale price may be considerably higher if there turns out to be a lot of interest on the day. A buyer’s premium of £27% (incl. VAT) will be added to the hammer price of every lot, and other fees may apply. Do get in touch with us before bidding if you require further information. A fully illustrated catalogue is now available to view on our website chorleys.com. If you are interested in an item but do not wish to come to our saleroom in person, please remember that we are happy to provide condition reports and additional images upon request. We also offer online bidding through our website at no additional charge, so you will pay the same as if you were bidding in the room. COVID-19 ARRANGEMENTS Viewing in person and attendance of the auction will be subject to strict social distancing measures. The number of people admitted to our saleroom will be limited, and everyone who enters will be required to observe the safety precautions in place, including maintaining a 2 metre distance from other people and using hand sanitiser on entry. All visitors will be asked to provide their name and contact details before entering the premises.
Auction: Wednesday 22 July, 10am Lots 1-548 Silver, Jewellery, Coins, Ceramics Asian Art, Furniture, Rugs Thursday 23 July, 10am Lots 550-1050 Books, Pictures, Miscellaneous, Napoleona, Textiles, Clocks
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AUTUMN 2020
AUCTION DATES Tuesday 22 & Wednesday 23 September Fine Art & Antiques Closing date for entries 14 August
Tuesday 27 October 20th Century Art & Design Closing date for entries 18 September
Tuesday 24 & Wednesday 25 November Fine Art & Antiques | Silver & Jewellery Closing date for entries 16 October
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