PRINKNASH ABBEY PARK, GLOUCESTERSHIRE GL4 8EU 01452 344499
SALEROOM NEWS SEPTEMBER 2019 NEXT AUCTION Tuesday 17 & Wednesday 18 September Geishas, dazzling jewels and shoes fit for a queen Lot 308
As the heat of summer fades and Autumn heralds a new palette of red and gold, our September auction offers a sumptuous array of Asian ceramics, sparkling jewels and wood patinas to rival the colours of the turning leaves. A large collection of Asian works of art, assembled over the course of many years includes a wide variety of ceramics.
Among the items of jewellery, the quixotic colours of an opal and 30-diamond cluster ring will appeal to many a lady. Boxed by Bentley & Co. of New Bond Street, this stunning ring is estimated to fetch between £2,500 and £3000.
Lot 14
The jewellery is complemented by a good selection of silver and plated items. A collection of couture clothing from the 1960s onwards will be offered for sale without reserve and the vendor has kindly instructed that all proceeds should be given to Chorley’s charity for 2019, Cobalt Health.
A Japanese Arita figure of a Bijin, circa 1700, stands tall at 37cm high and carries an estimate of £1,000-1,500. Complementing the Autumnal colours of her kimono, the collection includes a good selection of finely decorated Satsuma ware. Jade is a material that Lot 301 can appear in a mesmerising range of tones from near-white through all shades of green to rust and creams. A group of jade items includes a pale celadon jade and russet crane, 18th Century, carved with its head along its back clutching a peach branch, 5.75cm wide, estimate £2,000-3,000.
Lot 212
English and European ceramics are also well represented in the sale and a Barnstaple slipware harvest jug draws the eye with its cheerful sunshine motif. Inscribed 'The ring is Round and Hath no End so is my Love unto my Friend/Evan and Elanor Dalton, Aberystwith 1826’, the 24cm jug could realise £4,000-6,000.
Other costume and textiles in the auction include a pair of 17th Century silk court shoes with leather soles, embroidered floral decoration to a cream ground, estimate £3,000£5000.
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Lot 460
AUCTION | Tuesday 17 & Wednesday 18 September
Lot 747
Lot 740
Marking the passing of the seasons, a fine 18th Century walnut eight-day longcase clock by Aynsworth Thwaites, London will make a fine addition to any home. With strike/ silent, seconds dial and date aperture, the case has three ball finials and an arch-top door. It is accompanied by a catalogue for the auction in which it was purchased by the vendor: the John Chivers sale at Perrott House, Pershore, March 1950; this time around it is estimated to sell for £3,000-4,000. Keeping a weather eye on the elements, a mid 19th Century barometer by Robert Gogerty, 72 Fleet Street, London has considerable appeal, as the barometer glass is supported by a carved oak dancing bear support, estimate £3,000£5,000.
Despite the widely reported doom and gloom about the value of pieces of antique furniture made from mahogany, oak and other dark woods, high quality pieces can still provide a good investment and will look wonderful dressed with a few choice ceramics and pictures. A large 19th Century Chinese hardwood three drawer coffer (sometimes called a Liansanchu), offers both style and utility with a row of three drawers and a large cupboard, estimate £6,000-£8,000. Lot 381
Our September auction also provides a warming selection of rugs to keep your toes warm as the nights draw in, including a large Baktiar carpet from Persia covering more than 5 metres by 3 metres, estimate £5,000-6,000.
Lot 779
A fascinating collection of antiquarian books formerly in the library of Mr H W Bruton (1843-1920) will help to while away those darker evenings. Henry William Bruton was a respected auctioneer, the second generation of the Gloucester firm Bruton Knowles. He managed most of the important estates in Gloucestershire and conducted auctions of house contents. He had a brilliant literary mind and his passion for 19th Century works by the leading authors of the period lead him to become an ardent collector of the works of Dickens, Thackeray and the artist George Cruikshank, to name but a few. Two volumes of George Cruikshank’s Portraits of Himself would have been fresh off the shelf when Mr Bruton gave the books to his daughter, Ethel, at Christmas 1896. Ethel was married to Sir Herbert Brewer, Organist of Gloucester Cathedral. The two books are expected to realise upwards of £200. H W Bruton’s bookplate was after a design by George Cruikshank, without a doubt the collector’s favourite illustrator. Many books in this sale include the artist’s characteristic work; his ‘Points of Humour’, beautifully illustrated in colour is estimated at £200-300. The rarest book in the sale is by his namesake William Bruton ‘Newes from the East-Indies: or a Voyage to Bengalla, one of the greatest Kingdoms under High and Mighty Prince Pedesha Shassallem…also their detestable Religion, mad and foppish rites and Ceremonies and wicked Sacrifices and impious Customes used in those parts’. Published in 1638 with a wonderful frontispiece, it is an account of life in India Lot 119 more than 100 years before the British Raj. With endpapers inscribed ‘Bought at Sotheby’s on 19th June 1903 for £5,5s HWB’, the volume is now estimated to realise £2,000-3,000.
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VIEW DAYS | Sunday 15 & Monday 16 September
Lot 500
As we bid goodbye to Summer, we also say a sad farewell to the Prinknash Bird Park, a beautiful valley of lakes and woodland, which has just closed its gates for the very last time. Located next to Chorley’s auction room, the Park was created in 1974 by Philip Meigh MA RCA, an established cartoonist and artist living locally. The space featured delightful follies, landscaped parkland and a host of carefully chosen deer, pygmy goats, miniature Mediterranean donkeys and waterfowl. A charming Wendy house currently located in the Park is to be offered for sale in our auction. Reminiscent of a Tudor dwelling, this quirky little building has entertained generations of children and offers the unique opportunity for another public attraction or a private individual to acquire a stunning venue for children’s parties or perhaps a spot of quiet contemplation for a (small) adult! The origin of the Wendy house is believed to have been J M Barrie’s 1904 play Peter Pan or the Boy Who Never Grew Up. Inspired by the wash-house at his childhood home in Kirriemuir, Scotland, Barrie had a playhouse built for Wendy Darling on the ground where she had fallen after being shot down from the sky by the Lost Boy Tootles. The Prinknash Bird Park Wendy House is estimated to sell for between £12,000 and £15,000 as Lot 500 at the start of the second day of our sale.
Viewing is strictly by appointment through Chorley’s and the responsibility and cost of removal lies with the purchaser.
Auction: Tuesday 17 September, 10am. Lots 1-497 Wednesday 18 September, 10am. Lots 500-946
View Days: Sunday 15 September, 10am-4pm Monday 16 September, 9am-4pm Sale mornings, 8.30am-10am The online catalogue for this auction will be fully illustrated on our website from Saturday 7 September. Printed catalogues can be purchased from the office. Please note, figures in this Newsletter are estimates only. A buyer’s premium charge will be added to the hammer price of every lot, and other fees may apply. Live online bidding online is available through:
Chorley’s is a member of The Society of Fine Art Auctioneers and The Association of Accredited Auctioneers
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FUTURE EVENTS & OTHER NEWS While Chorley’s continues to hold collective sales including pieces ranging from the 16th Century to the present day, we have witnessed a growing demand for standalone sales of 20th Century and Contemporary art and design, resulting in the calendar fixture of two dedicated auctions per year.
Steven Hubbard
Among the pictures in Chorley’s next Modern Design auction on Tuesday 15 October, we love the 1980s and ‘90s abstract landscapes of British artist Bryan Ingham (British 1936Bryan Ingham 1997). Examples of his work typically fetch between £1,000 and £5,000 at auction currently and are fascinating pieces that will sit equally well on the walls of a modern flat or old cottage. His series of abstract landscapes in Italy includes “Still Life, Corbino”, illustrated above, estimate £4,000-6,000. Another name to watch is Steven Hubbard. Widely exhibited over the past 20 years, his paintings and marquetry constructions are only now starting to appear at auction. We are thrilled to be offering three of his works in October, including the poignant “Goldfinch”, illustrated above, estimate £600-800. A collection of linocut prints by Arthur Charlton includes charming depictions of fishermen around the docks of Swansea. His stylised technique is reminiscent of earlier 20th Century print makers and a small collection attracted good bids at our April sale, so the group of seven now offered in October would seem a good catch at around £100 each. The sale will also offer over 200 lots of studio ceramics, including The Roy and Margaret Warner Collection, assembled over 50 years from visits to the potters’ exhibitions. Headline grabbing prices have been achieved by currently fashionable potters Lucie Rie, Hans Coper and John Ward, but there is a steadily growing demand for ceramics thrown by British potters who are not yet household names. This provides a great opportunity to buy a statement piece which will not only display your flowers beautifully but cost you less than your weekly shop and have a very good chance of providing an investment for the future! Such pieces include elegant ribbed bowls in muted ash glazes by Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie and the foliate impressed pots of Jim Malone and Mike Dodd. Selection from Auction: The Roy & Margaret Tuesday 15 October, 10am Warner Collection
View Days: Sunday 13 October,10am-4pm Monday 14 October, 9am-4pm Arthur Charlton
Enquiries: catrin.hampton@chorleys.com
Save the Date! On Friday 11 October, from 11am to 1pm, we will be hosting a Charity auction of one-off experiences, luxury items and sought-after event tickets, all donated by kind supporters of Cobalt Health. A detailed list of the items on offer will be posted on our website nearer the time, and anyone attending the charity auction will also be able to sneak-a-peek at some of the lots in the following week’s Modern Design sale. All proceeds to Cobalt.
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