Woolley & Wallis Sale News Spring 2015

SALE NEWSWinter 2014 Winter 2014

SALE NEWSSpring/Summer 2015

WW-Sales-News-7-09.indd 1 26/03/2015 11:53

AUCTION CALENDAR

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APRIL

MAY

JUNE

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

JULY

DECEMBER

SEPTEMBER

15TH

21ST

29TH

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20TH & 21ST

3RD

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27TH & 28TH

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ClariCe Cliff, art DeCo & 20th Century Design

english & european CeramiCs & glass

fine silver & objeCts of vertu

jewellery

asian art

20th Century & Contemporary art

arts & Crafts

furniture & works of art

20th Century Design

silver

jewellery

asian art

english & european CeramiCs & glass

british art pottery

furniture & works of art

silver, Coins & meDals

jewellery

CloCks, watChes & sCientifiC instruments

CloCks, watChes & sCientifiC instruments

paintings – fine olD masters & 19th Century

tribal art & antiquities

fine porCelain & pottery

paintings

Jamaican silver rarely comes to the market,and featured in the Fine Silver & Objectsof Vertu sale is a mid-18th century rocococoffee pot by Gerardus Stoutenburgh, assay master Anthony Danvers (above) estimated at £10,000 – 15,000. Jamaica supported at least 23 silversmiths during the late-18th century, an unusual amount for a colony island at the time, demonstrating the enormous wealth created by the sugar cane plantations and the slave trade, with slaves outnumbering

their white masters 20:1. In 1747 an Act was introduced requiring an assay master to stamp each piece of silver with an alligators head and the initial letters of the silversmith. To complement the coffee pot, we will also be selling a pair of circular cauldron salt cellars and a sugar bowl and cover by the same maker, circa 1760, with estimates of £1,500 – £2,000 and £4,000 – 6,000 respectively.

Woolley & Wallis Salisbury Salerooms Ltd.51-61 Castle Street, SalisburyWiltshire, SP1 3SU

T: +44 (0) 1722 424 [email protected]

*All prices quoted are hammer price plus buyers premium.2 | Woolley & Wallis


chairman’s introduction A ‘white glove’ auction is a rare event these days. This nomenclature relates back to the 19th century when the auctioneer was presented with a pair of white silk gloves at the end of an auction where every lot sold. We do not have any white gloves on site these days (an oversight that surely needs to be rectified) but if we had, they would have been brought out at the end of Michael Jeffery’s sale of The Nick Rocke Collection of British Art Pottery which was held in our salerooms on February 25th.

Nick, who died last year, was a longtime client of Woolley & Wallis and as Michael said it was with a mixture of great pleasure tinged with sadness that we offered his collection for sale. The combination of pieces by de Morgan, Bernard Moore, Ruskin and Pilkington as well as pictures and furniture attracted a huge amount of interest and come the start of the auction it was standing room only. Not surprisingly given the content of the sale the majority of buyers were from the UK though the Americans also got into the act and buyers

from Florida, Texas and Tennessee were in evidence, some of whom, bless them, must have had to get up pretty early to facilitate their live online bidding.

By the time of our next auction where we sell every lot (which being an optimist I trust will not be too far away) rest assured that I will have been out shopping and we shall be able to celebrate in time honoured tradition.

Paul VineyChairman

opposite. A rare late 18th century Jamaican silver coffee pot, maker’s mark GSB, assay master A. Danvers, c.1760, height 27.5cm, approx. weight 40.7oz.Estimate: £10,000 - 15,000

Back cover. Clarice Cliff, five tradesman’s sample vases, including Tennis.Estimate: £1,000 - 1,500

Front cover. A fine and rarepair of Chinese Imperial jade models of jardinières,Qianlong 1736-95, 37.5cm overall.Provenance: purchased from John Sparks Ltd.Estimate: £40,000 - 60,000

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CONTENTS

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clarice cliFF, art deco & 20th century design

english & european ceramics & glass

Fine silver & oBjects oF vertu

jeWellery

asian art

20th century & contemporary art

arts & craFts

Furniture & Works oF art

clocks, Watches & scientiFic instruments

triBal art & antiquities

sales revieW

events

valuation days

issue 115

contents | 3



15th April 2015

CLARICE CLIFF, ART DECO & 20TH CENTURY DESIGN


SPECIALIST: MICHAEL JEFFERY +44 (0) 1722 424 [email protected]

The sale includes over 150 lots of Clarice Cliff from three private collections and a good selection of Art Deco glass, ceramics, metal ware, furniture and fittings.

The 20th Century Design section of the sale has two private collections of studio pottery (over 100 lots) with work by Bernard Leach, Lucie Rie, John Maltby, Kate Malone, Edmund de Waal and others.

1. Pink Roof Cottage, a rare original artwork design. Estimate: £500 - 1,000

2. Orange Roof Cottage,a Clarice Cliff vase. Estimate: £400 - 500

3. A Jean Dunand lacquer box and cover. Estimate: £800 - 1,200

4. Bob, a Goldscheider figure of a confident young woman, based on the dancer Louise Brooks.Estimate: £4,000 - 5,000

5. A Muller Freres cameo glass lamp and shade. Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000

6. A large Rowley Gallery panel.Estimate: £150 - 250

7. Head, 2000, Christie Brown. Estimate: £400 - 500

8. A Lucie Rie sgraffito bowl. Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000

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opposite. A private collection of nine Louis Wain pottery spill vases.Estimates from £100 - 3,000

clarice cliFF, art deco & 20th century design | 5



21st April 2015

ENGLISH & EUROPEAN CERAMICS & GLASS


SPECIALIST: CLARE DURHAM +44 (0) 1722 424 [email protected]

opposite. A good Coalport ice pail with cover and liner, the painting attributed to William Billingsley at Mansfield, 28cm. Illustrated in Geoffrey Godden’s book, Coalport and Coalbrookdale Porcelain. Estimate: £800 - 1,200

1. A rare pair of Derby dessert plates, c.1800-1805, decorated with sepia flower sprays by William Billingsley at Mansfield. A similar plate is in the collection at the Derby Museum. Estimate: £150 - 250

2. A part Derby dessert service of Camden type, c.1785, decorated by William Billingsley with pink roses. Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000

3. A Nantgarw plate from the Duke of Cambridge service, c.1818, decorated in a London atelier. Estimate: £400 - 600

4. An English porcelain jug, perhaps Derby, c.1800, decorated by William Billingsley at either Pinxton or Mansfield. Estimate: £100 - 200

One name synonymous with the best ofEnglish Regency porcelain is that of WilliamBillingsley. A porcelain painter, gilder and manufacturer, his involvement with a number of factories has drawn the interest of collectors over the years.

Billingsley started in 1774 at the age of sixteen as a porcelain painter for William Duesbury’s Derby factory, where he spent a large part of his career. Though perhaps primarily known as a fine decorator, Billingsley’s dream was tomanufacture his own porcelain, and it isthis focus which created some of the Regency period’s most collectable wares.

The first of Billingsley’s ventures was thePinxton factory, which he established withJohn Coke during 1795-96. Destined to beshort-lived, with financial failure causingBillingsley to retreat to the Mansfielddecorating workshop in 1799, the factory’swares are highly sought-after by today’scollectors, being both fine porcelain andbeautifully painted. After several years as adecorator at Mansfield, the apparent promise of renewed financial backing drove Billingsley to Brampton-in-Torksey where he spent several years attempting to establish a new factory, but in reality was driven to seek additional employment as a farmhand in order to make ends meet.

Between 1807 and 1813 Billingsley workedas a decorator in Worcester, eventuallybeing employed by the Barr, Flight & Barrpartnership to improve the factory’s porcelainbody. However, less than a year after signingthe agreement, Billingsley left Worcester forthe Welsh village of Nantgarw alongside hisbusiness partner, Samuel Walker. It was herethat they succeeded in Billingsley’s aim ofproducing porcelain “equal to the best of theFrench”. The fineness of the porcelaincoupled with excellent decoration, executedboth at Nantgarw and in the decoratingateliers of London, make the wares of thisconcern highly collectable today. The harsh winter of 1819-20 forced the closure of the Nantgarw factory, and in 1820 both Billingsley and Walker left everythingbehind them and walked 100 miles to the Coalport factory in search of work. Here Billingsley helped owner John Rose toimprove the Coalport body but, now beingover 60 years of age, appears to have donelittle in the way of actual decoration. He diedin January 1828.

Over the years, certain dealers in ceramicshave chosen to attribute all painting of pinkroses (a speciality) to Billingsley, but many ofthese have been reattributed with time andtoday more caution is generally exercisedexcept where pieces are recorded as beingby his hand. In an era where porcelainproduction was becoming more prolific and,arguably, quality declining in many areas, itis right that William Billingsley’s focus onproducing the best has stood the test of time.

William Billingsley (1758-1828)

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29th April 2015

FINE SILVER & OBJECTS OF VERTU


SPECIALISTS: RUPERT SLINGSBY +44 (0) 1722 424 [email protected]

LUCY CHALMERS +44 (0) 1722 424 [email protected]

opposite. A George III silver plate from Admiral Lord Nelson’s Copenhagen service, by Timothy Renou, London 1801.Estimate: £8,000 - 12,000

1. A pair of Victorian novelty cat and dog pepper pots, by Edward Stockwell, London 1884.Estimate: £700 - 900

2. A rare early 18th century Scottish provincial silver cup, by Simon McKenzie, Inverness circa 1710.Estimate: £10,000 - 15,000

A rare William III Scottish provincial silver quaich, by George Walker, Aberdeen c.1700.Estimate: £4,000 - 5,000

3. Salisbury interest, a late Victorian silver mounted ox hoof inkwell, by Heath and Middleton, Birmingham 1897.Estimate: £300 - 500

4. A pair of German silver models of a parrot and parakeet, with import marks for Chester 1905, importer’s mark of Samuel Landeck.Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000

5. A fine late-19th century Russian 18 carat gold cigarette/vesta case, by Nicols and Plinke, St. Petersburg, c.1894.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000

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We are delighted to be selling a George III silver plate from Admiral Lord Nelson’s Copenhagen service, by Timothy Renou, London 1801 (opposite).

On the 2 April 1801, Lord Nelson was instrumental in a victory over the Danish fleet at Copenhagen. The committee of Lloyds gifted £500 to augment his growing collection of plates. An order was placed which included six dozen gadrooned circular plates and were supplied by a number of London goldsmiths including Timothy Renou. On Nelson’s death, his silver was widely dispersed, with some being passed to his brother Earl Nelson, and thereafter to the Bridport family via the marriage of his daughter to Lord Bridport. The Bridport estate was disposed in 1895, where the plate was purchased by John Spink, and then by direct descent to the current owner.

There are several private collections in theauction, including wine labels, bastingspoons, fish slices, scent bottles, and PartOne of a collection of over 70 knife rests.Scottish silver is a popular market and wehave a private collection of provincial flatware and hollow-ware. Highlights are a William III silver quaich, by George Walker, Aberdeen 1700, with an estimate of £4,000-5,000 and a rare provincial cup, by Simon McKenzie, Inverness, circa 1710 (image 2).

The April sale will also include a fine late-19th century Russian 18 carat gold cigarette/vesta case (image 5), by Nicols and Plinke,St. Petersburg, circa 1894. The interior is inscribed ‘Cannes Golf Club, President’s Prize Presented by H.I.H The Grand Duke

Michael of Russia March 15th 1894’. The Cannes Golf Course was founded by The Grand Duke in 1891, who also served asthe Club President. The 9-hole course, alsocalled the “Grand Duke” was the first courseto be created, and is one of the oldest inFrance.

Of local interest in the sale is a mounted oxhoof (image 3). The hoof is from the Jubilee Ox, which was roasted for a public dinner as part of the Salisbury commemorations to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee on 23rd June 1897. The ox was roasted whole in Salisbury Market Square the day prior, in the presence of a large crowd who paid a small fee to baste the carcass. An estimated 4500 sat for dinner, and the meal included over 4,000 pounds of beef, 300 pounds of which was from the Jubilee Ox.

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Fine silver & oBjects oF vertu | 9


JEWELLERY30th April 2015


The history of the ownership of a piece ofjewellery can contribute to its value as muchas a signature or condition and sometimesmore. In addition to the confidence createdby the credence, the added interest of afamous previous owner can generate ahundred times to the selling price, as was seenwhen the Duchess of Windsor and ElizabethTaylor’s jewels were auctioned.

We are fortunate to be offering two piecesof jewellery each with alluring provenances.The natural pearl drop earrings (above) are to be sold on behalf of a descendant of Thomas Pitt (1653-1726), who represented a Salisbury constituency in The House of Commons, in 1689 and 1690 and was President of Madras (1698-1709). Thomas Pitt bought the famous 410 carat ‘Regent’ diamond in 1701. He was

grandfather and great–grandfather to William Pitt The Elder and William Pitt The Younger. The pearls are the property of Thomas Pitt’s descendants through the Fortescue and Grenville families.

the importance oF provenance


SPECIALISTS: JONATHAN EDWARDS FGAA +44 (0) 1722 424 [email protected] MARIELLE WHITING FGA +44 (0) 1722 424 [email protected]

jeWellery | 11

1. The sapphire and diamond ring also has an interesting Indian provenance: it will be sold on behalf of the great great grandson of Lady Maud Petty-Fitzmaurice, Marchioness of Lansdowne (pictured right), from whom the ring was inherited. Lady Maud was the eleventh child of James Hamilton, The 1st Duke of Abercorn. Her husband, Henry, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne was Viceroy of India (1888-1894) and she was later Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Alexandra (1905-1909).

2. Dreicer & Co 1904–1923. The firm of Dreicer & Co. was one of the top jewellery retailers in America in the early 20th century. The shop was liquidated in 1923 following the death of Michael Dreicer, the founder’s son, in 1921. Cartier bought Dreicer’s stock of jewels for $2.5 million.

opposite. A pair of pearl and diamond drop earrings, the pearls weigh 15.57 and 15.22 carats.Estimate: £80,000 - 120,000

1. A sapphire and diamondcluster ring. The sapphire weighs approximately7.80 carats.Estimate: £8,000 - 12,000

2. An impressive BelleÉpoque necklace byDreicer & Co, New York.Estimate: £80,000 - 120,000

3. An Art Deco ruby and diamond ring. The ruby weighs 6.17ct. Estimate: £20,000 - 30,000

4. An Art Deco Burmeseruby and diamond brooch,by Cartier. Of stylised Islamic palm design.Estimate: £25,000 - 35,000

5. A three row diamond necklace c.1950. Estimate: £20,000 - 30,000

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ASIAN ART20th & 21st May 2015


http://weibo.com/johnaxford


Opposite. A fine and rarepair of Chinese Imperial jade models of jardinières, Qianlong 1736-95, 37.5cm overall.Provenance: purchased from John Sparks Ltd.Estimate: £40,000 - 60,000

1. Taken from a large collection of kingfisher feather jewellery included in the sale, seventeen Chinese gilt metal and kingfisherfeather hairpins, Qing dynasty.Provenance: a privatecollection, London.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,500

2. A large pair ofChinese Imperial famillerose gu beaker bajixiangvases, Qianlong 1736-95. 44.8cm high. Provenance: an English private collection.Estimate: £30,000 - 50,000

3. A Japanese ivorynetsuke, 18th century,the horse’s eyes inlaid inhorn, the tail sweepingaround at the back underthe himotoshi, signedMitsuyoshi, 5.1cm.Estimate: £600 - 1,000

SPECIALIST: JOHN AXFORD +44 (0) 1722 424 [email protected]

asian art | 13

These small items of Chinese Imperialtreasure (opposite), date from the late 18th century and would once have adorned an Imperial palace. One very similar pair still remain in the Forbidden City in Beijing today.

Each pale celadon jade jardinière contains a springtime garden in microcosm. The fruit trees have trunks and branches of gilded bronze. Each has a single bird applied with kingfisher feathers perched amongst the blossoms, which themselves are fashioned from white jade, coral, orange agate, kingfisher feathers and seed pearls. At the base of each tree grow flowers and lingzhi fungi amongst rocks, carved from amber, coral, green jade, lapis lazuli, malachite and rock crystal. The elaborate reticulated five-legged stands are carved from zitan, a wood so precious that its use required court approval. Similar examples can also be seen in cloisonné, gilt metal and porcelain, as well as related arrangements surmounting lanterns, which would have contributed to the elaborate interior decoration in these grand settings.

These beautiful virtuoso works of art wereretailed through the famous dealership ofJohn Sparks when they were at 128 MountStreet, and still bear their paper labels.

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springtime treasure gardens


3rd June 2015

20TH CENTURY & CONTEMPORARY ART



SPECIALISTS: VICTOR FAUVELLE +44 (0) 1722 424 503 [email protected]

JO BUTLER +44 (0) 1722 424 [email protected]

opposite. André Derain(French 1880-1954)Paysage de Provencec.1925, signed, oil oncanvas, 60.5 x 49.5cm.Estimate: £6,000 - 8,000 1. Frederick Gore R.A.(1913-2009) Sunflowers and butterfly Signed, oil on canvas 50.5 x 61cm.Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000

2. Simon-Albert Bussy(French 1869-1954)Crevette Rouge de MadereSigned with initials, oil oncanvas, 24 x 19cm.Estimate: £5,000 - 7,000One of five lots by theartist in the sale.

3. Henry Moore, O.M., R.A.(1898-1986) Wall Relief: Three Forms Signed and numbered 9/12,18 x 33cm.Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000

4. Erich Wolfsfeld(1885-1956) A woman on a donkeySigned, oil on paper, unframed, 56 x 78.5cm.Estimate: £400 - 600One of eleven lots by the artist in the sale.

The two dedicated 20th Century andContemporary sales that we held in Juneand December 2014 were very successful,with strong prices being achieved forworks by Graham Sutherland O.M., KyffinWilliams R.A., Ivon Hitchens, Sir WilliamRussell Flint R.A., Mark Senior, EdwardBurra, Lionel Bulmer and Edward Seagoamongst others. We also achieved a PictureDepartment record with the sale of a workby Sir Alfred Munnings P.R.A. for £244,000in the June sale.

The June 2015 sale already has a number of very interesting French consignments including this landscape by André Derain

(opposite) and two watercolours by Hans Reichel. There are also five oils by the French painter Simon-Albert Bussy (1870-1954) (image 2). He was the son of a shoemaker in the Jura region of France but went on to become close friends with many of the leading painters of the day including Matisse and Rouault. He trained under Robert Delaunay and Gustave Moreau. He later formed a strong link with the Bloomsbury Group when he married Lytton Strachey’s sister Dorothea in 1903. The works are typical of his later oeuvre with strong but subtly balanced colour, dynamic patterns and creatures painted with humour and style.

Also in the sale is a Henry Moore sculpture,Wall Relief; Three Forms of 1955 (image 3). Moore rediscovered working in relief when he was commissioned to create a brick WallRelief, by the Bouwcentrum in Rotterdamin 1955. This led to a series of works influenced by his desire to produce abstract reliefs showing the forms projecting from the background rather than relief as a narrative in the traditional manner. The forms are likely to be based on objects from his Wunderkammer of natural objects.

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20th century & contemporary art | 15



17th June 2015

ARTS & CRAFTS


SPECIALIST: MICHAEL JEFFERY +44 (0) 1722 424 505 [email protected]

opposite & 4. A fine early Martin Brothers stoneware bird jar and cover by Robert Wallace Martin. Estimate: £20,000 - 30,000

1. A unique cabinet with embroidered panels designed by Walter Crane.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000

2. Two enamel vasesdesigned by Hubert von Herkomer R.A. (1849-1914).Estimate: £800 - 1,200 each

3. A rare Liberty & Co silverclock, London 1904.Estimate: £3,000 - 5,000

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Following last year’s record breaking salewhich was our highest grossing designauction to date, this year’s sale already includes a good selection of ceramics, glass, furniture and metalware. Already consigned is an archive of work directly from descendants of Walter Crane (1845-1915) (image 1), best remembered today as an illustrator of the classic children’s books and nursery rhymes. Not only does this include one of Crane’s palettes (caked with oil paint), his easel, but also a unique cabinet set withembroidery panels. By family repute thepanels were embroidered by his wife whilston honeymoon in Italy.

The sale also includes a Martin Brothers stoneware bird made in 1884 by Robert Wallace (opposite & 4). An early example, this bird is fresh to the market and with the provenance of the property of a nobleman. There is a fine section of Martinware consigned for auction, from miniature gourd vases to large and imposing pieces by the brothers.

The sale concludes with a section of furniture and metal ware retailed by Liberty & Co department store. Included in this section is a small silver clock previously unseen at auction (image 3).

We are pleased to be holding an exhibition of Martin Brothers gourd vases from private collections, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the death of Edwin Bruce Martin (1860-1915). This will be on view in conjunction with the Arts and Crafts auction.

Closing date for entries 23rd April

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FURNITURE & WORKS OF ART

1st July 2015



SPECIALIST: MARK RICHARDS +44 (0) 1722 411 [email protected]

opposite. A pair of George III giltwood bergères in the manner of François Hervé. Estimate: £15,000 - 20,000

1. A pair of 19th century‘Grand Tour’ Siena marbleand bronze candelabra.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000

2. A George III mahogany and marquetry secretaire bookcase.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000

3. A Venetian carved woodblackamoor table waiter,with Murano glass earrings.Estimate: £1,000 - 1,500

4. A mid 17th centuryembroidered picture.Estimate: £1,000 - 1,500

Furniture & Works oF art | 19

Leading the entries for the July sale are the pair of George III giltwood bergères featured opposite. Acquired in the early 1970s from Frank Partridge Ltd., they reflect the fashion for French furniture in the 1780s championed by George, Prince of Wales. Imitating the Louis XVI style they relate to chairs produced by the Parisian trained Cabinet and chair maker François Hervé who worked for the Prince of Wales at Carlton House.

The auction will feature a good selection of antique and decorative items. For the connoisseur of 18th century English furniture we have this very attractive Sheraton period mahogany and marquetry secretaire bookcase (image 2), with an unusual sunburst cornice and ivory urn shape escutcheons. It is interesting to note that this piece was bought from Mark Collier Antiques based in Downton near Salisbury in 1976 for £1,800, our guide price is £2,000 – 3,000 illustrating things haven’t changed much in forty years!

Spotted on a routine valuation in the New Forest by our Chairman Paul Viney, is this very interesting late 17th century needlework picture of a lady and a gentleman in a landscape setting (image 4). The owners were unaware of its significant age and value. Naively decorated with exotic birds, a squirrel, a stag, a greyhound, sheep and an owl, it still retains the original colours without much fading.

For continental buyers the sale will feature Grand Tour objets d’art, including: a faux Siena marble column and the fine pair of Siena marble and bronze candelabra (image 1). Also from Italy we have this fun Venetian carved wood blackamoor table waiter (image 3). Blackamoors have a long history in Italian art that stretches back to the 17th century. Andrea Brustolon (1672-1732) the 17th century Italian sculptor was the most famous carver of blackamoors and they have remained popular throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. This example dates from the end of the 19th century and remarkably his original Murano glass earrings have survived intact.

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17th July 2015

CLOCKS, WATCHES & SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS

Actual size


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SPECIALIST: RICHARD PRICE (Consultant) +44 (0) 7741 242 421 [email protected]

opposite. The smallest recorded English Grande Sonnerie bracket clock, signed Richard Gregg, London por orden de Miquel Smith, Madrid.Estimate: POA

1. Rolex. A very rare chronograph wristwatch, ref: 2920, c.1937.Estimate: £15,000 - 20,000

2. An orrery by J. Addison, globe maker to George III, c.1820.Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000

3. Gold watches: (i) An 18ct gold free-sprung half hunter wristwatch.Estimate: £900 - 1,200

(ii) A 14ct gold and enamel Russian presentation watch by Pavel Buhre.Estimate: £700 - 1,000

(iii) A 9ct gold art deco dress watch.Estimate: £300 - 400

4. Part of a collection of fifty carriage clocks, including fine enamel examples.Varying estimates.

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This exquisite miniature clock (opposite), the property of a European noble family, has not been seen since the 1950s and is unique. The white enamel main dial and triple subsidiaries are all against a painted gilt mask. The break arch case flanked all round by finely cast columns and feet. This clock, dating from circa 1745, is a collaboration between Richard Gregg, clockmaker to King George II and Miquel Smith, clockmaker to King Fernando VI of Spain. It is almost

the rolexThe Rolex below is particularly rare because both tachymeter and telemeter scales are in miles rather than the normal kilometre register.

the orreryThis clockwork model of the solar system or ‘Orrery’ is an early 19th century example and is almost identical to one at the Maritime museum.

The geared tellurium shows the annual and diurnal motions of the Earth, the manual planetarium showing the motions of the planets around the Sun. Signed on the baseboard J. Addison, 116 Regent Street, St. James’s, Globe Maker to His Most

Gracious Majesty Geo III; the planets and their satellites consist of ivory balls on brass arms, the Earth has printed paper gores beside a gilt Sun, the printed paper base showing calendar and zodiacal scales, also signed ‘A View of the Principal Stars from the Southern Limit of the Zodiac to the Northern Ecliptic Pole’. Sitting on turned mahogany feet, the overall size is 25cm.

the grand sonnerie clock

certainly of royal provenance. Richard Price, head of the department commented, ‘This is the most incredible find that I have encountered in 40 years within the business’.

After an initial email consultation, the clock was brought in to one of the monthly valuation days and further research into the provenance is ongoing.


TRIBAL ART & ANTIQUITIES

2nd September 2015



SPECIALIST: WILL HOBBS +44 (0) 1722 339 [email protected]

money matters During the viewing of the February TribalArt sale I was asked of the Santa Cruz feathercurrency roll ‘Do they just cut bits offdepending on what they are buying?’ Madefrom the bright red feathers of the smallscarlet honeybird from Santa Cruz (detail opposite and fully illustrated on page 27), part of the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, the ten metre woven fibre strip rolled into two circles would have been used for trade and ritual payments, like fines or compensation. They were also employed as a form of dowry with typically ten rolls paid as a ‘bride price’, not by the father of the bride but by the groom’s family. Losing a daughter was not only an emotional wrench for a family, it was also the loss of labour and these rolls were seen as a type of compensation. The process of making these rolls would have taken a year, using three specialists to do so. The finished pieces would not be on display, but wrapped carefully in leaves or trade cloth and placed in the rafters of the owners’ houses. This would protect the feathers from deterioration and loss of colour, two important factors in establishing theirvalue. This form of currency is exclusive toSanta Cruz and is one of the most elaborateof the Pacific, but trading has been part ofhuman existence for tens of thousands ofyears. Currency was used depending of whatresources were to hand, from the humblecowrie shell, used in China, Africa and thePacific to the constructed examples like the ‘feather currency’. Cowrie shell is the most recognised of many types of shell currency, (image 5) they are easy to source and would have been the preferred form for many, whilst the larger and rarer shells (image 2) would have been for the bigger exchanges or barters.

opposite. A detail of the Santa Cruz feather currency.

1. A Kuba iron currency blade, D R Congo, 168cm high.

2. A Papua New Guineashell currency, 24cm wide.

3. A Solomons Island shell ‘currency’ necklace.

4. Sierra Leone kissi pennies.

5. A quantity of Fijian cowrie shells.

All items have been included in previous sales

triBal art & antiquities | 23

Shells were left whole or laboriouslyground into shapes and often strung, andmeasured by fingers joints (image 3).

Other nations had the essential ore to forgeand cast metal currency. In parts of Africacurrency can be found in the form of knifeor spear blades, tools, bracelets and anklets,all used to trade and or store wealth. InSierra Leone kissi pennies (image 4) were traded. These thin iron rods which measure between 15cm to 41cm long, are typically forged with ‘T’ shaped and flattened ‘hoe’ ends. They were used in small denominations for fruit and gathered into bundles of about 20, of which 100 bundles would be the cost of a cow, whilst bride prices could be 200

21 3

4

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bundles. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, oversized blades and those of a more practical size are common forms ofcurrency, like the elongated blade of theTopoke people (image 1), which would be too weak to be used as a weapon and measuring between 140cm and 180cm high would be used primarily as bride currency. What we see as a colourful necklace, shaped iron blade or roll of feathers, have all been used for generations as an essential part of life to those who possessed them. My answer to the saleroom question was unequivocally ‘No, as with all these pieces they are made and stay as whole objects, each having their own individual significant value.’



SALES REVIEWSALES REVIEW

Traditionally made by Japanese and East Indies fishermen, the ‘Feejee Mermaid’ caused a sensation in the 19th century when P. T. Barnum exhibited an example in 1842. Barnum passed the creature off as genuine but the illusion was just a hoax. The example in the January Furniture & Works of Art sale comprised of a papier-mâché monkey head with glass eyes attached to bird legs and talons, together with the taxidermy body of a fish. Consigned by a south coast vendor the lot was secured by an internet bidder for £5,125.

The top lot of the sale was an early George III Irish giltwood overmantel mirror which belonged to Lady Leconfield of Petworth House, Sussex, after her marriage to Charles Henry Wyndham 3rd Lord Leconfield in 1911 and by descent. The mirror’s surmount featured a carved figure of cockerel and a seated squirrel eating a nut, adding to the charm of the piece. It sold for £9,150.

A rare Tavern clock achieved the highest price in the February sale. The octagonal clock was made by Edward Faulkner, who became a master to the oldest surviving horological institution in the world, The Clockmaker’s Company in 1734. Born circa 1679, Faulkner apprenticed in 1692 and is regarded as one of the most eminent London clock makers, this combined with the rarity of the clock contributed to the sale price of £6,700.


clocks, Watches & scientiFic instruments


sales revieW | 25


Following on from the success of the American Half-Cent sold at the salerooms in 2013 for £225,000, a full cent achieved a sale price of £58,600 – securing the highest price of the day in the first Silver, Coins & Medals sale of 2015. Considered by the American market to be in superb condition the 1796 Cent also exhibited a die flaw from T of UNITED, through CENT and on to the right upright of the M of AMERICA, this flaw is only known on 23 other examples which

gave it the rarity desired by numismatic enthusiasts. Attracting international interest from America and Australia, the Cent eventually sold to Stephen Fenton of Knightsbridge Coins of London.

Silver items by Patrick Mavros continue to attract strong prices and the five palm tree candlesticks featured in the previous Sale News sold for £9,760.

The January Jewellery sale’s top selling lots were both Art Deco pieces, demonstrating the continued strength in demand for wearable quality lots of that period. The diamond and emerald brooch by Cartier sold for £24,400 and the coral, diamond, onyx and enamel bracelet sold for £14,650.

silver, coins & medals

jeWellery



Fine porcelain & pottery

Previously unrecorded figural decoration on a Vincennes flared cup and saucer caused excitement among both the trade and private collectors in the Fine Porcelain & Pottery February sale. The strength of the French porcelain market coupled with a good private provenance meant the piece attracted considerable interest despite a significant crack to the cup, with two telephone bidders pushing the lot to £15,850.

A rare surviving pair of Minton Majolica stick stands modelled as a heron and stork, and standing an impressive one metre high,


had private collectors keen to purchase. Catalogued as “the property of a nobleman” and with no more than a few chips in the way of damage, the hammer fell at a premium inclusive £14,640. Of interest to those

following the English pottery market was the shift in location for potential buyers, as keen Continental bidders emerged in an area where American had previously dominated.

As mentioned in the Chairman’s introduction (page 3) the Nick Rocke Collection had a 100% sold rate. Formerly a pupil at Bryanston School in Dorset, Nick continued with his passion for music and the arts throughout his life. He attended virtually every 20th Century sale and his collection was considered amongst the finest in private hands.

Online bidders brought an international audience, driving prices well above their estimates. Collectors, unseen at the salerooms for over ten years, together with friends and acquaintances of Nick’s were keen to add to their collections, proving the British Art pottery market and in particular Pilkington’s, which provided the top two lots in the sale, are still very strong. Of the 57 lots of Pilkington’s, a large ginger jar and cover by Richard Joyce, dated 1911 made the top price.

the nick rocke collection oF British art pottery

The quality of the paintwork depicting scaly fish swimming in turbulent waters had a London buyer on the internet secure the lot for £4,640.

This vase, is believed to be the first Ruskin piece bought by Nick and thus started the collection, was one of 103 lots in the Ruskin

pottery section. Lot 130 a large high-fired vase by William Howson Taylor, the founder of The Ruskin Pottery in Smethwick, established in 1898, sold for £3,900.


sales revieW | 27

Reportedly Ethnographical Art could become the strongest area of growth for UK auctioneers since the beginning of the Chinese boom. This was certainly true of the February Tribal Art sale which had an 80% sold rate and interest from every continent.

The last lot of the sale was a cased section of a Santa Cruz ‘currency’ role, mentioned in further detail on page 23. With each coil, the base is made from ‘platelets’; feathers from pigeons glued together by sap, to which red feathers of the Cardinal honey-eater bird are then attached. The case they came in had a paper label, Native Feather Money from Melanesia, Richard Blundell Comins, providing the all-important provenance. The Rev Comins (1848-1919) was an Anglican missionary in the Solomon Islands from 1877 to 1903 and in 1878 was working in Santa Cruz. The lot is now bound for France, courtesy of a Parisian buyer’s bid of £24,400.

An aboriginal board shield brought back from Australia by George Kenney, a Japanese prisoner of war, sold for £22,000. Upon his release, he, like thousands of others were shipped to Australia as the journey directly back to England was deemed too far for the emaciated and weakened prisoners. Whilst recuperating in Australia he acquired the shield and other antiquities which have been passed down through the family.

A rare sketch by Frederic, Lord LeightonP.R.A. (1830-1896) (below), probably painted during the artist’s travels in Asia Minor during the late 1860s sold for £22,000, over seven times the top estimate in the March Paintings sale. Presented in untouched condition with provenance of having been owned by Walter Heape, a pioneer of

antiquities, pre-columBian and triBal art

paintings


reproductive biology and previously exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1897, the work typified the sort of picture in demand in the current market.

The delightful vignettes by Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935) (below right) were also popular, his ability to depict creatures

accurately but with the feeling of movement makes his work constantly appealing to buyers. The lot was sold for £4,880 together with a letter from Constance Thorburn to Sylvia Peacock thanking her for her letter of sympathy on the artist’s death.



EVENTSEVENTS

The Life and Times of Lord Nelson by Michael Naxton

Monday 27th April at 7pm

There will also be a private view of the Silver and Jewellery Sales from 6pm–7pm.

Tickets are £15 each and the proceeds will be donated to The Salisbury Hospice. Wine and canapés will be served at the beginning of the evening. Michael Naxton spent 20 years in the coins and medals department at Sotheby’s where he handled the disposal of many distinguished collections.

He left to set up on his own which gave him time to pursue his other passion of maritime history. He has worked for the Royal Collection and is an authority on Nelson. In addition he is curator of Lord Ashcroft’s collection of VCs, the largest in the world.

For further information or to reserve tickets please contact:

Christine johnson: 01722 424 [email protected]

the annual tim Woolley memorial lecture 2015

the salisBury arts Festival

Tuesday 26th May 2015 at 7.30pm

This year our chosen sponsored event will be musical duo Mahan Esfahani with the harpsichord and Avi Avital with the mandolin. Esfahani has been described as ‘a superstar in the world of classical music’; he and Avital met while studying in Italy and struck up an immediate friendship.

The harpsichord and the mandolin also perfectly complement each other, with composers including Vivaldi, Beethoven and Bach all having written music for the combination of the two. Each of the musicians will also perform work solely for his instrument.

Tickets and further information can be found at www.salisburyartsfestival.co.uk


events | 29

Once again we are very pleased to continue our support for the Chalke Valley History Festival which this year takes place from 22nd–28th June.

Since its inception in 2011, this acclaimed event has rapidly become the largest history festival in the country with a dazzling array of speakers.

The lecture we are sponsoring this year is on Queen Victoria and will be given by the renowned writer and historian A.N. Wilson. In his lecture he will shed new light on Victoria, explore her passionate relationship with Prince Albert and investigate the balance between political commentary and personal gossip. The lecture will take place at 5pm on Sunday June 28th.

Tickets and full details of the festival can be found at www.cvhf.co.uk.

the chalke valley history Festival

An Exhibition of Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A.

We are delighted to be one of the lead sponsors of ‘Turner’s Wessex – Architecture and Ambition’, a major exhibition at Salisbury Museum from May 22nd to September 27th.

This will be the first ever exhibition devoted to Turner’s watercolours and paintings of Salisbury, Stonehenge, Stourhead, Fonthill and other local areas. The catalogue has been written by noted Turner Scholar Ian Warrell and the exhibition will be supported by a programme of events including lectures, artists’ workshops and tours of some of the sites that Turner painted.

www.salisburymuseum.org.uk

the salisBury museum

EVENTSEVENTS

Salisbury from Old Sarumc.1827-8, watercolour, 27.2cm x 41cm

Copyright Salisbury Museum



ART & ANTIQUESFREE VALUATIONS

We offer a free auction valuation service, usually on the first Friday of every month, 10am – 1pm, no appointment necessary.

For further information or to confirm the specialist you wish to see will be available, please call Christine Johnson on 01722 424590

ITEMS BROUGHT IN ON VALUATIONS DAYS

1. An early Worcester blue and white teapot and cover c.1754The vendor brought this in on a valuation day in 2013 after purchasing the piece from a local charity shop the year before. Sold for £790

2. A Chinese pale celadon jade ruyi sceptre.Sold for £51,250

3. An Edwardian silver model of a pig.Sold for £1,950

4. A George III striking mahogany bracket with automation. Sold for £17,100

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Friday 10th April

Friday 1st May

Friday 5th June

Friday 3rd July

Friday 7th August

Friday 4th September

Friday 9th October

Friday 6th November

Friday 4th December20th Century Design Tribal Art


ART & ANTIQUESFREE VALUATIONS

silver

Lucy Chalmerst: +44 (0) 1722 424 594

[email protected]

asian art

Freya Yuan t: +44 (0) 1722 424 589

[email protected]

paintings

Jo Butler

t: +44 (0) 1722 424 592

[email protected]

english & european ceramics & glass

Clare Durhamt: +44 (0) 1722 424 507

[email protected]

Deputy Chairmanasian art

John Axford mrics asFav

t: +44 (0) 1722 424 506

[email protected]

Managing Director

Clive Stewart-Lockhart Frics Frsa

t: +44 (0) 1722 424 598

[email protected]

SPECIALIST DEPARTMENTS

Chairmaninsurance & proBate valuations

Paul Viney asFav

t: +44 (0) 1722 424 502

[email protected]

jeWellery

Marielle Whiting Fga

t: +44 (0) 1722 424 595

[email protected]

silver

Rupert Slingsby

t: +44 (0) 1722 424 501

[email protected]

asian art

Sophie Lister t: +44 (0) 1722 424 591

[email protected]

triBal art & antiquities

arms & armour

Will Hobbs

t: +44 (0) 1722 339 752

[email protected]

marketing

Tamzin Corbettt: +44 (0) 1722 424 590

[email protected]

asian art

Alexandra Aguilar Doméracki t: +44 (0) 1722 424 583

[email protected]


Mark Richards

t: +44 (0) 1722 411 854

[email protected]

clocks, Watches & scientiFic

Richard Price (Consultant) t: +44 (0) 7741 242 421

[email protected]

jeWellery

Jonathan Edwards Fgaa t: +44 (0) 1722 424 504

[email protected]

20th century design

Michael Jeffery

t: +44 (0) 1722 424 505

[email protected]

paintings

Victor Fauvellet: +44 (0) 1722 424 503

[email protected]

specialist departments | 31

ITEMS BROUGHT IN ON VALUATIONS DAYS


woolleyandwallis.co.uk


Woolley & Wallis Sale News Spring 2015

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Transcript of Woolley & Wallis Sale News Spring 2015