News Blog

The top lot at the March 21^st auction was a Minton plate (lot 51) with raised female and cupid motifs and all over gilt decoration.  The plate was made via a process known as pâte-sur-pâte whereby the design is built up in liquid slip layer by layer.  This technique was invented Marc-Louis Solon at the Sevres factory in the latter half of the 19^th century and brought by Solon to Minton.  Our example was in very good condition and sold for £3000.

Eight of the top twenty lots in Saturday’s sale were in our Oils, Watercolours, and Prints category continuing the surge we’ve seen in this category in the past few months.  Our top seller was the 19th century marine oil on canvas (lot 331) depicting a moored schooner with buildings in background, indistinctly signed and dated 1866, in a gilt frame.  Ten phone lines were reserved for the lot with staff phones pressed into service and some people having to manage two lines at once plus many commission bids and a lot of activity in the room.  The painting, estimated at £300-£500 sold for £1500. 

A still life by Brian Davies, lot 313, Beaton’s Basket, estimated to sell for £300-£500 sold for £980.

Two more still life paintings (lots 310 and 309) both by Albert Williams sold well: “Summer Bouquet” sold within estimate at £460 and the other depicting a basket of flowers sold for £410. 

 Two Cecil Aldin etchings, “Portrait of a Sealyham” and the other untitled (lots 321 and 322) attracted a lot of attention eventually selling for £530 and £580 respectively. 

In Furniture, a gorgeous B Taylor and Sons burr walnut side cabinet (lot 881) which has been drawing people to our showroom window like a magnet for the past month sold over estimate at £1300.  Also over estimate was a pair of Oriental horseshoe hardwood chairs (lot 884) selling for £430.

Finally, we must admit that the big surprise of the day was lot 798- two pairs of WWI boots, one leather, the other leather and suede.  Attractive, we thought, in good condition, and an interesting lot.  We estimated between £20 and £40.  They sold for £420.

The next auction is on April 25 and the warehouse is filling up rapidly already.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for some previews of what’s to come.