Queen Ann Clock Reigns Supreme...
22nd October 2018
The concluding part of our three-day Autumn Fine Art sale comprised clocks, works of art, furniture and carpets. There was a reassuring strength of interest in many areas and little was left unsold.
A `Tavern` or `Act of Parliament` clock by Thomas Oldmeadow was decorated with a Chinoiserie scene on its door and made £2560 but a fine quality Queen Anne bracket clock by Henry Massy of London comfortably exceeded its upper estimate to make £26800. In less ornate condition but scarcely less in demand was a white marble head after the Antique, possibly Roman, that was eagerly contested by many bidders and made £10200.
Four items of furniture deserve special mention: a Coalbrookdale style cast iron garden bench made just over £3000; a single George III mahogany chair in Chippendale style was bid to £2920; a mahogan gateleg dining table, probably Irish, had good design, fine quality details and a warm colour so was bought for £6340; and an Aesthetic period side cabinet bookcase in the manner of Bruce Talbert for Gillows was admired for its elegant proportions and eye-catching coloured and gilded stylised floral decoration – this was bought for £5850.
As the carpets finished off the week of auctions, a Kelim covered Howard-style sofa, maybe by George Smith, had once come from Libertys in London and made £2560 whilst a Haji Jalili Tabriz carpet of Iranian Azerbaijan origin took bidders to £3530. The total for the buoyant week of sales exceeded £1.1million.