Antiques Trade Gazette 23


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Peer’s porcelain triggers Anglo-US bidding battles


AS well as desirable Chinese furniture, Lydney Park also provided Chorley’s sale with an outstanding collection of English and Continental porcelain. A group of nine mid-18th century fruit-form boxes and


tureens were recorded at Lydney Park in the late 19th century. Such a fresh offering with attractive estimates ensured competitive bidding from dealers and collectors in the UK and the United States. Most eagerly contested were a group of naturalistically


modelled and coloured boxes and covers made at the Derby factory c.1756-1758. Sold at £14,000 (estimate £4000-6000) was a pair


modelled as a bunch of grapes with vine leaves rising to form the handle. They were in fine condition with only slight chips to extremities, some staining and the bubbling to the glaze that is characteristic of Derby of this date. In similar condition, a yellow and russet streaked apple


box and cover took £7500 (estimate £2000-3000) while two lemon-form boxes with twig and flower handles, one with hair cracks and restoration, achieved £4000 (estimate £1200- 1800). A melon-form tureen and cover with a snail finial, possibly Chelsea c.1760, took £2500 despite some losses to the enamel decoration. Three pieces of Chelsea decorated by Jefferyes Hammett


O’Neale came from another family collection. They included the c.1752-54, 5½in (14cm) octagonal saucer, painted with Leda and the Swan, which made £16,000 and was pictured on last week’s front page. More familiar fable subjects – the Ox and the Rat and the Sick Kite – decorated two octagonal tea bowls of much the same date. The first took £4800 and the second, which had a hairline crack, made £1750. Later English porcelain included two Chamberlain’s


Worcester cabinet cups and saucers painted with titled views – Cleopatra throwing herself at the feet of Augustus after the death of Mark Anthony and Appella the Painter. The latter had sustained a substantial chip to its rim issuing a hairline crack and the gilding to both was rubbed. Nevertheless, they took £2100 (estimate £500-800). The Continental pieces were also neoclassical in taste. They


included a Marcolini period (1774-1815) Meissen cabinet cup, cover and stand painted to a cobalt ground with named views of Pillnitz and Moritzburg which took a treble-estimate £2200, and a Sèvres porcelain dinner plate, c.1810, painted with a bouquet of summer flowers. Factory records include two services matching this


description ‘fond d’or guirlande de fleurs’. One, delivered in stages between 1808 and 1810, was a gift from Napoleon


Chorley’s, Prinknash Abbey, September 1,2 Number of lots offered: 849 Lots sold: 75% Buyer’s Premium: 17.5% Sale total: £471,795 Lots sold to internet: 109 Value sold to internet: £27,820 (00%) Bidders registered to internet: 309


Above: patchwork coverlet – ten-times estimate £3500 at Penrith Farmers’ & Kidd’s.


Above: a pair of Derby boxes modelled as bunches of black grapes – £14,000 at Chorley’s.


Right: Safavid pottery jar – £11,000 at the same sale.


Below left: Sèvres porcelain dinner plate, c.1810 from a service made either for the King of Bavaria or Napoleon’s personal household, £6000.


Below right: Derby apple box and cover, £7500.


Coverlet comes home south to a £3500 welcome


IT wasn’t in the best condition and the 19th century patchwork coverlet, above, had failed at £300 at a Scottish sale in the past 12 months. Hence the catalogue advice ‘viewing essential’ and the £200-300 estimate on the 7ft 6in x 5ft 7in (2.29 x 1.70m) piece offered at Penrith Farmers’ & Kidd’s (15% buyer’s premium) at their August 17and 18 sale. Like a number of pieces in the sale, the


coverlet, with panels of various historical and social events and a banner reading Wellington Vittoria flanked by Peninsular War cavalrymen, had a fine local provenance to Greystoke Castle. However, that did not seem a consideration for two US rivals or for the London dealer who eventually took it £3500. Meanwhile the spread of Chinese buying


Left: Marcoloni


period Meissen cabinet cup, cover and


stand – £2000 at Chorley’s.


power from London to the provinces continues apace. Among the Oriental offerings at Penrith were two carved horn rectangular pendants. One, 2¾x 2in (7 x 5cm) carved with a figure and a bat, had some wear and the other, slightly smaller, carved with a mythical beast and with Chinese text to the reverse had cracks. Nevertheless, against a £60-100 estimate they sold to a Chinese buyer at £5600. There was some minor damage to a lot


to Maximilien-Joseph, the King of Bavaria, the other for Napoleon’s personal household. Perhaps tellingly, the plate at Chorley’s once had an


inscription to the underside (now indecipherable) and part of the mark has been eradicated – ‘modifications’ probably made during the Restauration. Recent prices for similar pieces at Bonhams in London


made the £800-1000 estimate very appealing and the cup and cover went on to sell at £6000. A later pottery entry from Lydney was a George Jones


majolica game tureen and cover to the popular design modelled with a quail and her chicks. This piece was heavily restored but perfect examples in either of the two ground colours (turquoise or cobalt blue) are very hard to find. An example in apparently similar condition sold for £3800 at David Lay of Penzance in July. This one took £4800 (estimate £1000-1500). However, the sleeper in the ceramics section was from a


different source. This once-impressive Safavid pottery jar decorated with


blue floral arabesques stood 20in (51cm) high but had suffered heavy losses to the neck. The auctioneers correctly suggested a 17th century date (the period characterised by these Chinese inspired Kubachi blue and white wares) but felt its poor condition would limit bidding to £100-150. In fact its rarity took it to £11,000.


comprising 20 pieces of famille noire porcelain spoons, bowls and dishes from Greystoke Castle Furthermore, the six-character marks were described as Ch’ien Lung type. Nevertheless, the £100-150 estimate looked very pessimistic and the lot went to a Chinese buyer in the room at £5000. The furniture star was always expected – a 6ft


high, 7ft 6in wide (1.82 x 2.27m) 19th century ebonised and gilt Continental bookcase also from Greystoke Castle. With a central section of two long wire-mesh doors flanked by columns, between two conforming single sections, it was estimated at £3200-4500 and, against a local trade underbidder, went to London at £10,000. Wholly unexpected was the reaction to a small


19th century mahogany bookcase, 3ft (92cm) square, with a string-inlaid oblong top above a concave break-front section flanked by two slender panelled doors. It suffered some veneer splits and stringing depletions and was estimated at £150-250. Why it triggered a battle between two private


bidders eventually culminating in a bid of £3800 remains a mystery to auctioneer Thom Sarjeant. “I doubt if I could get that price again,“ he


said, reflecting on the likelihood of being flooded with such objects from hopeful vendors.”


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