Fine Art Newsletter Spring 2017

Fine Art News Spring 2017

Inside News and views from the Fine Art department The Wright Collection Bugatti for the drawing room?

Not just about the weight!

Treasures from the East Art: What to buy now Sale highlights Time and history Antique jewellery enters a new era

Lot 432: Hamilton Donald Fraser (1929-2009) Offshore study, Lindisfarne

EST

£800-1,200

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Spring tied?

Spring has traditionally been seen as the best time of year to sell at auction. People emerge from their winter hibernation and there is new life in the air and a rebirth in home furnishing. The ‘spring clean’ is after all a positive statement of change and growth. This tradition however is under pressure from our 24/7 culture. The growth of the internet and ‘real time’ global bidding in our saleroom has meant that seasonal distinctions no longer apply as much as they used to and the market bids all year round. For the seller as well as the buyer this is a good thing and the levelling out of the seasonal playing field has obviously been good for business for buyers and sellers alike.

This year we have a plethora of exciting auctions coming up, some good private collections and some excellent and fascinating objects. In March, our Pictures, Silver and Jewellery auction benefits from a good private consignment of coins and a map collection. In April our country house auction is privileged to host the Wright Collection of Caughley blue and white porcelain, an auction which is already keenly anticipated by the Caughley collectors’ market.

Halls on the Road

Our specialists are often out on valuation visits around the region and further afield. Pictures specialist, James Forster, recently consigned a Geoffrey Key painting (above) to our March auction with an estimate of £800-1,200.

If you would like a valuation visit then please contact us on 01743 450 700

Life does not stand still and neither does Halls Fine Art. We are introducing new facets to our social media platforms, podcasts, chats DATES FOR DIARY 2017: with specialists and image based sale previews. Our website has been redesigned to make it more accessible and our valuation templates and 22nd March Fine Pictures, Silver and Jewellery e-shots ensure that sellers and buyers have a rewarding and pleasant experience.

26th April Country House Auction Talking of a pleasant experience, if you have not partaken of the delicious cakes at the Halls café, hand made by chef Alex on the premises, you are missing a trick. Best time to test them is on a Monday between 10am-1pm when, coincidentally, our specialists are available for free antiques valuations.

See you soon.

21st June

Fine Pictures, Silver and Jewellery

19th July

Country House Auction

18th October

Fine Pictures, Silver and Jewellery

Jeremy Lamond - Fine Art Director

22nd November

Country House Auction

E: jeremy@hallsgb.com

*Plus our fortnightly interiors auctions

hallsgb.com/fine-art

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Spring 2017 A Bugatti for the Drawing Room?

For our Country House auction in April we are offering a Carlo Bugatti (1856-1940), framed circular wall mirror, circa 1900-1905, signed ‘Bugatti’. The circular mirror plate, within a hand decorated vellum and pierced hand beaten sheet copper covered frame, is estimated at £2,000 £3,000.

The Wright Collection An important collection of blue collection is already creating and white patterned Caughley huge interest amongst porcelain assembled by a Caughley collectors Shropshire collector is to be nationwide.” offered in our April auction.

The collection belongs to the Two other small collections Rev Maurice Wright, President of Caughley, amounting to of the Caughley Society, and 30 pieces, will also be going his wife, Janet. There are under the hammer in the same more than 400 pieces, valued auction. The pieces include at around £70,000. Each of the a pounce pot valued at up to pieces has full provenance and £3,000. many are extremely rare, with auction It’s the finest We have previously sold estimates expected two large Caughley and most to range from £50 to collections. Professor comprehensive Charles Bawden’s £5,000. collection of collection made £31,000 Caughley that two years ago and a Mr and Mrs Wright, we have ever Worcestershire collection who live near sold Shrewsbury, have sold for £56,000 in 2010. collected the porcelain since the 1970s and Caughley porcelain was he was a joint author of the made in the 18th century - from definitive Caughley reference around 1775-’99 – by Ambrose book.

Gallimore and Thomas Turner at Caughley, near Broseley.

“It’s the finest and most Many shapes and patterns comprehensive collection of were produced, including tea Caughley that we have ever services, dinner services and sold,” said Caroline Dennard, everyday objects used in the “It’s a lifetime’s work and Mr households of the emerging and Mrs Wright have dedicated middle classes. their spare time to collecting.

The importance of the Wright Mr Wright has been responsible Collection is that most of the for some of the scholarship patterns are represented, behind the Caughley reference including some book and more than 80 of the that are unique. pieces in the collection are featured Caroline Dennard - Ceramics in the book. The E: carolined@hallsgb.com

hallsgb.com/fine-art

Carlo Bugatti born 1856 in Milan. Studied at the Brera Academy and subsequently at the Academie Des Beaux Art in Paris. In 1880 he started to manufacture furniture in Milan, later transferring to France, he triumphed at the exhibition of decorative art in Turin in 1902 and returned to Paris in 1904. Father of the famous automobile manufacturer Ettore Bugatti and sculptor Rembrant Bugatti. He retired in 1935 at the age of 79.

Andrew Beeston - Works of Art E: andrew@hallsgb.com

Not just about the weight!

People often ask if silver will just achieve a ‘scrap’ value at auction. In most circumstances this is not the case. Prices realised will depend not only on its weight but also what the items actually is, the person/company who made, the year it was produced, how it is decorated, etc. to name but a few.

A perfect example is a pair of entrée dishes we have offered into 22nd March auction made by renowned silversmith Paul Storr. Their scrap value is around £1000 but because they were produced by Paul Storr they are valued between £6000-8000!

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Treasures from the East Riding the crest of a wave of exceptional results last year, the Asian Art Department has much to celebrate. The Battlefield saleroom house record was broken in May with a superb pair of Daoguang vases selling for £85,000 and then broken again in November with a magnificent cinnabar lacquer brush pot achieving £155,000.

2017 is set to be another great year with some super lots already consigned for our 26 April auction. These include a large bronze figure of Guanyin, protector goddess, dating to the late Qing Dynasty. It is not only great quality but has terrific

provenance and is estimated at £4,000-6,000. It was acquired in Hong Kong by prominent physician and collector Hugh Alderson Fawcett (1897-1982).

Much of Fawcett’s collection has been donated to museums or sold at auction and so this figure, and other accompanying lots, represent a rare opportunity to buy objects completely fresh to the market from a renowned collection.

Another object to be offered is the superb Wang Hing silver trophy, dating to 1897. The piece was won by Egbert Shepherd, grandfather of the vendor, in the Lagos Governor’s Cup horse race. Raised on wrythen dragon feet, the openwork bowl is finely tooled and chased throughout with further dragons in flight amid broiling clouds. The intricately carved hardwood stand bears a plaque inscribed with details of the race, indicating that it was presented

by Lt. Col. H.E. McCallum, Governor of Lagos from 1897-1899. The bowl is estimated to sell for £8,00012,000.

The Asian art market continues to show strength and resilience in the face of a changing global economy which is fantastic news for vendors. The biggest gains are in items privately consigned, particularly those with a solid history behind them.

Contact us for further information and confidential advice on selling at auction.

Alexander Clement - Asian Art E: alexander@hallsgb.com

art market can be a fickle place and whilst sales ART: What to buy now The of post war modern and contemporary art make all

David Bates (1840-1921) Strensham Church on Avon from the Hammocks, Eckington.

Signed and dated 1901 lower right, Oil on canvas, 48 x 70cm £2500-3500

the headlines, prices for good quality British artists from the late 19th century haven’t fared so well of late. It isn’t unusual for changes in fashion and how we now furnish our homes to impact upon what we would like to see hung on our walls. However, changing fashions are really only an issue if you buy art for investment purposes rather than personal taste and when bought as an investment you would sell when the market was buoyant anyway.

When turning our mind to buying rather than selling, I am often asked what somebody should buy if looking to invest in the art market. Currently, late Victorian artists; such as David Bates (1840-1921) are a very good buy. As with any area of the market look for quality and good condition, such as the one illustrated, then there is the opportunity to avoid James Forster - Pictures fashion inflated prices and possibly E: jamesf@hallsgb.com benefit in the future.

A Dunhill ‘Aquarium’ table lighter Sold £4,200

David Shepherd (B. 1930) Cheetahs, oil on canvas Sold £25,000

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2016 SALE HIGHLIGHTS

Two bronze sculptures of Irish Setters Sold £4,500

Spring 2017 Something to sell?

FREE auction estimates and advice are available every Monday at our Battlefield salerooms between 10am-1pm

Time and history

Already this year, coins and medallions are being consigned at a far greater rate than ever before. Coin collections, small and large, are appearing from people’s attics and garages and are realising excellent prices.

Watches are also an expanding sector with quality makers, such as, Rolex, Cartier, Jaeger-le-Coultre, I.W.C. and Omega appearing in almost every sale. The highlight of our watch sale in December was a military watch, a gentleman’s stainless steel Longines Serbian example, dating from circa 1935 which realised £2,800.

Our medallion and medals section has performed well in recent months and I feel these have always been under priced in comparison with coins. They are miniature works of art and this is becoming more widely appreciated, which is reflected by higher auction results.

Last October, we offered two very interesting collections of medallions, the first being a collection of nine British and international exhibition award medals. These had been presented to the weaving firm of Edward Webb and Sons, Worcester, during the mid to late 19th century and realised just over £1,100. The second collection was a private collection of medallions by the esteemed William Wyon (1795-1851) and Leonard Charles Wyon (1826-1891) which sold for £3,000. We are hoping to replicate this success in March with the medal group below.

Lot 678: An impressive Great War Military Cross and Life Saving Albert medal EST

£12,000 - 18,000

Derek Ainsworth - Medals and Coins E: fineart@hallsgb.com

As a valuer I never cease learning. Recently, I attended a lecture

by Antiques Roadshow jewellery specialist, John Benjamin and came away with numerous nuggets of information to expand my professional knowledge. The focus was a chronology of jewellery from 16th century to present day with regards the impact of social and political changes on style, fashion and availability.

One of the subjects was the escalating rarity, on the market, of pre-mid-19th century pieces. Ranging from diamond set parures to natural pearl necklaces and long enamelled gold chains, pre-1850 jewellery is highly sought after by private

hallsgb.com/fine-art

and trade buyers due to its scarcity. Why, you may ask, is there a shortage of such pieces when we live in a country steeped in wealth and history?

The discovery of diamonds in South Africa in the late 19th century is a defining factor.

Prior to this, diamonds were primarily sourced in India and due to their ‘alluvial’ nature, meaning they were found in river beds, they were of very high quality and quite sparse.

The sudden abundance of diamonds, provided by South African deposits, meant these precious stones were now available to the masses. The vast quantities available also meant advances were made in how they were faceted, leading to the most famous of cuts, the

‘brilliant’. ‘Cheap’ diamond set jewellery was manufactured for the middle classes whilst the upper classes often chose to ‘redesign’ their jewellery with the diamonds re-cut and mounted to reflect changing fashions.

Furthermore, the evolution of the ‘cultured’ pearl in the early 20th century, resulted in a decline in demand for natural pearls, plus gold chains from the Georgian period were being melted down for use in other pieces. This has resulted in a rarity of early jewellery, now reflected in the high prices they achieve.

If you would like to know what your jewellery or silver may achieve at auction please contact us for advice.

Maryanne Lineker-Mobberley - Jewellery and Silver FGA DGA E: maryanne@hallsgb.com

Halls Holdings Ltd. Bowmen Way, Battlefield, Shrewsbury, SY4 3DR (Registered in England 06597073) Copyright © 2010 Halls. All rights reserved.

Antique jewellery enters new era This publication is intended as a general guide, and although every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, liability cannot be accepted for any errors of fact or opinion.

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