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A Precise Start to Autumn

4th September 2024

A Precise Start to Autumn Image

On September 4th we held our Autumn Antiques & Interiors Auction, a sale with more variety than most, not only filled with the usual array of fine furniture, art and jewellery, but also sporting a large and intriguing arms & militaria section. The day started with the usual hum of late viewers, buzzing from item to item around the room and scribbling notes like school children cramming last minute revision before a big exam. The office by comparison was oddly peaceful, perhaps the calm before the storm, but only time would tell.

The auction started well with our ceramic and glass lots quickly finding their way under the hammer, China showing interest in lot 9 a porcelain shallow bowl that made lower estimate at £900, and crown Derby continued to be the exception to the rule that the market no longer likes “gilded traditional ceramics” with a service making a hammer total of £1,100.

We soon found ourselves in the silver section, sale sheets filled with pre-sale bids and the internet flashing with interest. For years now I have talked about how high silver price currently stands, but after a time I suppose I need to realise this is just the norm now and hope that this shows a baseline for future rises. The section started with the modern lots, the highest value being a stylishly simple art deco café-au-lait set by Walker & Hall that made £1,200; twice lower estimate. Within the antique silver, three lots stood out, with a beautifully embossed Victorian tea and coffee service that made £1,750, a large silver tray with a Boer War period engraving that made £2,500 and lot 114 a striking and large punch bowl with lion mask ring handles that made £3,400. The section sold with 100% success rate, without a single item being left unsold.

Keeping bullion in mind, we had a small but distinguished offering of coins within the auction. A chest of silver medallions celebrating “the 100 Greatest Masterpieces” sold well ahead of market comparables for £3,200, a Victorian gold double sovereign made £1,550 and a 1979 gold Krugerrand sold strongly for £1,600.

The jewellery was headed by the watch section, which rather than being filled with posh modern wristwatch brands, for a change was dominated by good quality antiques and collectables. Heading the charge was lot 133, a rare art deco travel watch which was engraved to Hedley Verity from “FERGY" (probably Bill Ferguson) from the Bodyline Ashes tour, a fantastic piece of cricket memorabilia and amazingly the second one we have seen at Hartleys, that sold well for £1,450. Following this we had a run of wonderfully traditional pocket watches including hunters and chronographs, that sold for between £1,550 to £1,950 each. Within the jewellery there was a host of results, but my favourites came from a wonderfully simple 18ct gold lozenge pendant making £1,100, a brilliantly coloured emerald ring that reached £1,150, a stylish tricolour 9ct gold bracelet at £1,250 and a diamond full eternity ring that made £1,350.

The sale marked the second specialist arms, militaria & fieldsports section of the year, which across the almost 200 lots covered practically every continent in terms of History. The real excitement within the section came from a single owner collection of mainly Victorian medals, the best within the bunch was lot 297 a Sutlej medal with clasps for conflicts at Sobraon, Aliwal and Ferozeshuhur that made £1,150, with the whole collection making a tremendous £14,230. A rare Smith & Wesson rimfire revolver made £900 and an equally rare war club, possibly from Fiji, made £700. We also had a very exciting single owner collection of Indian swords, with the best of the lots being found in lot 385, an Talwar with a wonderfully shaped Kilij type blade and scabbard that made £1,950. But the section wasn’t only “sharp sticks” and guns, shown by two rare collections of photographs, both created by the same gentleman in Captain William Coates Thompson, first lot 301 and two albums of military photographs from the Boer War that made £1,100 and secondly in lot 403 and five albums of Otterhound photos from the early 20th century that made £1,250. I could not have been more pleased with how this section performed overall, and across the section had a sold rate of 98%.

In our autumn sale each year we always pull together a specialist book section, from ancient leather-bound scripts holding decades of patina, to modern collectors books signed by authors. Within the section a 1970s Franklin Library collection in their original wrappings made £1,000, six volumes on the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon made £1,000, a single volume on the Sceptical Chymist by Robert Boyle Made £1,950 (even with a loose cover) and a wonderful surveyor’s note book on the North Western Railway from Lancaster to Skipton C.1840 made a whopping £2,500.

Next came the works of art section, brimming with the greatest variety of lots and as usual hiding the largest surprises of the sale.  Here we saw a large bronze nude figural sculpture by Nguyen Tuan called “Tranquillity” make £1,350, a traditional but nicely coloured Heriz rug surprised us at £1,700 and a stunningly coloured arts and crafts Donegal carpet sung the highest note of the sale at £8,600. But the biggest surprise of the section came from a small and discerning Robert “Mouseman” Thompson table lamp, which although most lamps sell for the mid hundreds of pounds, with internet flashing and phone lines full, made an impressive £3,400.

The picture section came with a spread from prints through to oils, and interesting results throughout. A stunning summer beach scene looking from Staffa to Iona by William Mervyn Glass made estimate at £1,050, a woodland scene in the Pre-Raphaelite style with an enticing monogram made £2,500, a large and impressive portrait of a solider on a horse (dubbed the conquistador by our staff) made a strong £3,600 and a river scene of London by the famous Edward Seago made £5,600. But finishing the section with our Yorkshire artists, there was still much joy to be found when a small but colourful Brian “Braaq” Shields made estimate at £3,000 and local lad Herbert Royle rocketed past expectation to make £4,000, a harvest scene painted only a couple of miles from the rostrum.

To finish the day, we had our furniture section, starting with 20th century design and the ever-popular Danish retro, and cruising onto the true antiques and the British oak. Early on within the 20th century lots a highly stylish, yet simple, Heals style arts and crafts dresser made £1,300, and Mouseman struck again with a top estimate result at £4,000 for an oak panelled bureau.  Within the traditional pieces a large estate chandelier made £1,600 and a wonderful quality serpentine Georgian commode chest made £1,800.

All in all, the day had been a great success, with a brilliant selling rate and our accumulative lot estimate being dissected with precision. Although we breathe easy for a moment as the fruition of three months of hard work is met, we hit the ground running once again to ready for the next Fine Sale, as well as our Toys in October and Wine in November!