April sale basks in exceptional silver candlesticks
A rare set of 4 exceptional rococo candlesticks by William Brown, hallmarked London 1827, was the brightest lot in a sale with many bright spots. The ‘sticks attracted a lot of interest from the trade, but they finally sold for £5,900 to a private buyer. Consigned from a house in Reading they were among several interesting lots from the same source, which included a continental mahogany chest of 3 shape-fronted drawers that made £950; a serpentine marble-topped gilt side table in need of restoration that sold for £760; a pair of silver candlesticks hallmarked Sheffield 1893 which sold at £380; and an oil on canvas portrait of “Gladdys” aged 4, by E Bordes and in need of some restoration, which made £350. Garden ornaments from the same house proved worth moving, with a statue of Pandora selling for £270, and pairs of large urns making £350 and £260. There were other garden ornaments from another vendor and they also sold well, with an ancient stone trough in the shape of a horseshoe making £150, and 3 spherical stone finials making between £190 and £160 each.
Amongst the other notable lots in the various sections were:
Books
Vogels Van Nederland (Birds of The Netherlands), published 1854-1858, text in Dutch made £300;
Silver & Jewellery
sterling silver sculpture of dolphins leaping, by Roger Squires, sold for £2,500; a striking silver teapot by Garrards, London, 1881, made £340; and an 18ct gold and diamond tennis bracelet made £800;
Watches & Clocks
9ct gold cased pocket watch by John Russell, London, sold at £400; and an Omega men’s manual wrist watch fetched £200;
China
Approximately 30 pieces of Royal Albert “Old Country Roses” dinner ware made £120;
Furniture
an oak church bench 1.5 metres long made £160; a Globe Wernicke 3 tier bookcase with drawer beneath fetched £260; an oak chest of drawers with geometric patterns to the drawer fronts sold for £140; a glass topped low collector’s cabinet sold at £260; an oak heavily carved drop-side table made £140; a pair of oak stools sold for £100; and a pair of heavily carved ornately framed wall mirrors fetched £140;
Collectables
2 brass swans sold for £120; a group of Beswick “Top Cat” figurines made £105; a Beswick Camargue horse figurine and another made £160; a large A M German doll c. 1930 fetched £140, and a Bahr and Proschild doll £150; a small 19th century brown glazed oriental vase together with other miscellaneous ware made £420; and a collection of Palestinian pottery £300;
A Louis Vuitton handbag in good used condition sold for £260;
In the other sections notable prices were: a Carrera Crossfire bike £140; Kubota G1700 ride-on mower (repairs required to deck) £800; and a D-weld portable welder £160;
Auctioneer Chris Boreham said ”It was a great thrill to have a few really exceptional lots – the candlesticks and the teapot would have graced any auction house. The candlesticks were a real find as they had been hidden and I think forgotten about, since their appearance when we started clearing the house caused quite a stir! The joy of our sales is the mix of genres and the fact that there is usually something notable in each one.”