Let There Be Light | The Christopher Butterworth Collection 21 April 2022 by swordersfineart

LET THERE BE LIGHT The Christopher Butterworth Collection Thursday 21 April 2022

LET THERE BE LIGHT The Christopher Butterworth Collection Thursday 21 April 2022, 10am

VIEWING We will be offering viewing at our Stansted Mountfitchet saleroom. Appointments are available on our website - booking is encouraged, but not essential. Saturday 16 April | 10am - 1pm Tuesday 19 April | 9am - 5pm Wednesday 20 April | 9am - 5pm BIDDING ATTEND THE LIVE AUCTION To attend the auction in person, please visit www.sworder.co.uk/appointments ONLINE Bid live at www.sworder.co.uk (0% surcharge) SWORDERS’ DELIVERY SERVICE We provide a worldwide, bespoke, delivery service, provided on a ‘not for profit basis’. The cost will depend on the lot(s) purchased and the delivery destination. CONTACT auctions@sworder.co.uk 01279 817778 BROWSE THE FULL CATALOGUE

INTRODUCTION

Christopher’s rise to the top of his profession came by an atypical route. There was no family background in art and antiques or an apprenticeship with a dealer or auction house. Instead, his formative years were spent working in Fleet Street as a journalist and buying furniture from the rag-and-bone men of South London. It was as a reader of House & Garden and World of Interiors that his eyes were opened to antiques and the sphere of antique lighting in particular. Beginning with a stand at Antiquarius on the Kings Road in his 20s, this autodidact moved to Pimlico Road some 25 years ago by which time he had chosen to specialise. Whilst Christopher has a deep knowledge of objects from across a wide range of collecting disciplines – for some years he had been the chairman of the lighting and metalwork vetting committee at the prestigious Olympia Art & Antiques Fair - his ‘USP’ became antique lighting of all periods and a go-to destination for chandeliers, lanterns, light fittings and table lamps from the 17th to the mid 20th century. As his list of celebrity clients grew, so did the number of country houses purchasing his wares, from Castle Howard to Wilton House and Chatsworth. (He even supplied 20th century lamps for Lord Rothschild’s award-winning modern house at Waddesdon). The key to his success is taste, variety and a range of price points. After all, “modest lights for the servants’ quarters and childrens’ rooms can be just as important as the more spectacular pieces suited to grand living and formal dining”. Christopher is an inveterate buyer and collector, and his collection has spread well beyond his home, storerooms and shop into every nook and cranny in between. Thus, it is now time for a major dispersal, to include many items from his private collection, including several treasures, such as the rare James ‘Anthenian’ Stuart candelabrum, the Pradier Nessus marble group and Sir Noel Coward’s perpetual timepiece, as well as dozens of wonderful lights and lamps of all styles, shapes and sizes. We hope you will enjoy Christopher’s taste as much as we have in preparing the auction.

FROM THE PERSONAL COLLECTION OF CHRISTOPHER BUTTERWORTH

LOT 65 Sir Noel Coward’s wall-mounted sunburst perpetual dial timepiece, 19th century, Belgian, the convex enamel dial with a moonphase aperture, over weekday and calendar dials, within a compartmental months of the year border, in turn within a carved softwood and gilt sunburst border, 82cm diameter Estimate: £3,000 – 5,000

FROM THE PERSONAL COLLECTION OF CHRISTOPHER BUTTERWORTH

LOT 15 The Pradier Nessus, 1870, depicting the centaur Nessus attempting to abduct Deianira, the marble group inscribed ‘J Pradier et F.F. Roubaud son Elve Paris 1850, 1870’, 47cm high Estimate: £10,000 – 15,000 This is the last remaining version of what would have been Jacques Pradier’s last great large-scale masterpiece. Pradier completed a massive plaster model, which survived him and was bought by his favourite pupil, Francois Felix Roubaud (1825-1876), in the disbursement sale, following his demise. However, the plaster was irreparably damaged in transit, thus Roubaud recreated a smaller marble version as faithfully as possible from the remains, sketches, and memory. He took care to sign the piece with his and his master’s names, lest anyone should think it his creation.

FROM THE PERSONAL COLLECTION OF CHRISTOPHER BUTTERWORTH

LOT 46 A large and impressive George IV gilt-bronze free-standing colza candelabrum, c.1825, after the antique and of athénienne form, 119cm high Estimate: £8,000 – 12,000 A similar, though larger, candelabrum, was commissioned by the 6th Duke of Devonshire for the painted hall at Chatsworth House and is illustrated in Francis Thompson’s, ‘A History of Chatsworth’, p118, pl.53.

FROM THE PERSONAL COLLECTION OF CHRISTOPHER BUTTERWORTH

LOT 33 A George III ormolu three-light candelabrum, almost certainly designed by James ‘Athenian’ Stuart and probably supplied by Diederich Nicolaus Anderson, c.1758-1765, 33.5cm high Estimate: £8,000 – 12,000 This important candelabrum is amongst the earliest examples of English or European neoclassicism. Six pairs of similar candelabra are known to have been supplied to, amongst others, John, 1st Earl Spencer at Spencer House, George, later 1st Baron Lyttelton at Hagley Hall, and The Marquess of Rockingham at Wentworth Woodhouse. Matthew Boulton purchased items from Andersen’s stock following his death, including a vase candelabra, elements of which he copied for his own candelabra vases.

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FEATURED LOTS

Lot 5

Pierre-Philippe Thomire (French, 1751-1843), a pair of bronze three-branch candelabra, early 19th century, 59cm high £1,500-2,500

FEATURED LOTS

Lot 134 A pair of Vincennes soft-

paste biscuit porcelain figures, mid 18th century, 14cm & 15 cm high, £400-800 Lot 52 A beechwood linen chest from Cawston Hall, Norfolk, 19th century, 140.5cm wide, £700-1,500 Lot 8 A large Carrara marble and ivory statue of the goddess Diana, 19th century, 77cm high, £5,000-8,000 Lot 103 A fine ormolu five-light candelabrum, in the Louis XVI taste, late 19th century, 61cm high, £5001,000 Lot 11 A Swedish Gustavian giltwood console table, c.1800, 96cm wide, 83cm high, £2,000-3,000

FEATURED LOTS

Lot 12 The Thomire Altar clock, designed by Pierre-

Philippe Thomire (French, 1751-1843), 27cm wide, £8001,500 Lot 51 Three Congolese basketwork shields, largest 141cm high, £1,200-1,800 Lot 228 A pair of neoclassical Carrara marble and ormolu cassolette vases, French, late 19th century, 58cm high, £800-1,000 Lot 45 A pair of Chinese cloisonné vase table lamps, 39cm high, £400-800 Lot 66 A large and impressive painted iron hexagonal lantern, 130cm wide, £1,000-2,000

FEATURED LOTS

Lot 164

Francois Felix Roubaud (1825-1876) ‘Ariadne Bitten’ Bronze, signed ‘F.F. Roubaud, Paris, 1851’, 53cm high £500-1,000

OFFICES

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