Garmelow Manor Auction Report

First Sale 19th September 2008
Second Sale 1st October 2008

Cuttlestones Fine Art Auctioneers of Penkridge held their widely publicised Country House Sale at the former home of Arnold Machin RA in the tiny hamlet of Garmelow near Eccleshall, Stafford. Arnold was responsible for the most reproduced piece of artwork ever with his original design of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II being used for stamp and coins since 1967. Current estimations stand at around 320 million reproductions.

Glorious sunshine greeted the large numbers of prospective purchasers to the house and with over 1000 people registering for the sale both in person and via the world wide web auctioneer Ben Gamble was hopeful of a successful sale. ‘To have secured a sale of this magnitude within our first year is a real feather in our cap. The range of items we have for auction and in such a wonderful setting have reminded people of country house sales from the 1960s and 1970s the like of which you just do not see anymore’

A wonderful range of outbuildings provided an eclectic start to the sale with a quantity of various outdoor lamps taking a winning bid of £550 followed by a large collection of oil lamps in the very next lot, again at £550.

Arnold’s son Francis who himself was a renowned architect, took over the running of the estate when Arnold passed away in 1999 and began collecting various vintage agricultural machinery and effects. Two vintage Fordson Fieldmaster tractors in good order took bids at £2100 and £1900 respectively and a ‘Little grey Fergie’ surprised everyone by attracting a bid of £2100 with one onlooker remarking that it was probably the most expensive Fergie of its type in the country!

Another of Francis passions was aviation with various aircraft engines being dotted around the estate. Francis was a talented engineer and one of his creations was to take a vw beetle and put gull wing doors and a cockpit style cabin and then proceed to drive around Eccleshall and even over to France in it. The star attraction was a Rolls Royce Merlin Engine which Francis had completely restored to its former glory. Entered into the second sale at the Moat House two collectors keenly fought against each other with the winning bid of £25000 tripling the pre-sale estimate. Other engines back at the house included a Bristol Perseus engine at £1550 and a huge Hercules engine at £1200.

With Arnolds celebrated background in sculpture it was not surprising to see various examples being offered from the house and gardens. Leading the way was a wonderful study of ‘Young Bacchus’. Cast in lead it had been removed from the gardens by Arnold for safekeeping and wonderfully held sway in the house at the end of the hall. Set on an associated stone base the quality of the casting helped it to take a winning bid of £3600. A French collector was determined to buy a classical marble bust of a young lady which despite damage and weathered features took a triple estimate £4400.

The outdoor sculpture and garden effects were probably the most keenly contested lots of the day with no less than 30 four figures bids being taken. Other highlights included a set of four 20th century stone garden urns £3800, a pair of large footed urns at £2300 despite damage, a classical marble figure of a gentleman taking £2400 and a Victorian cast circular tree bench at £1600. One surprise was an Adams style fire grate which was discovered buried in an outbuilding. Needing a huge amount of restoration it surprised everyone by securing a winning bid of £2700.

Surprisingly ceramics did not yield any star lots despite Arnold working for Minton and Wedgwood in his early years. The Machin passion for collecting centred around sculpture and paintings and the furniture and ceramics were bought as functional items to be used in everyday life.

However collectors were keen to buy the genuine lots on offer and a huge 19th century Giltwood Console table and mirror led the way. Measuring over 10 feet in height a conservative estimate of £1500 to 2500 was put forward but interest saw two buyers compete to £3500 with local trade winning the battle. The same buyer took a small but perfectly formed Gilt Girandole Mirror with a matching Console table at £1750.

The Dining Room yielded a couple of surprises. Despite having provision for electris lights the absence of electric lights meant Candelabrum were popular. A quality pair of Gilt metal Cherubic candelabra went to the Northern trade at £1400 with another similar pair taking slightly less at £1300.

Keeping watch in the kitchen was a quality ebonised Venetian Doorman raised on a stand. In the form of a monkey dressed in a dinner jacket, the head had been kept in the kitchen on a dresser whilst the body had been relegated to a barn and had suffered accordingly. The eclectic subject matter attracted five telephone lines and commission bids from as far afield as Japan but a local buyer took it home at £3200. In the same room an early oak wall alarm clock by Whitehurst of Derby attracted a winning bid of £2200.

Another interesting lot came from the Drawing Room. Sitting over the fireplace was an impressive Giltwood mirror with rococo styling. The most interesting feature of this mirror centred around the photograph taken by an potential buyer during a private viewing the week before the sale. The photograph which was taken by a friend of auctioneer Ben Gamble was downloaded later in the day and a ghostly image of an old man was clearly visible in the mirror. Undetered the mirror went to a private collector at £1300.

Further highlights in the house included a pair of walnut armchairs at £1700, a yew refectory table again at £1700 and a French marble topped bakers style table at a five times estimate £1900.

Following the success at the Manor the Moat House Hotel at Acton Trussell was selected to hold the second part of the sale on October 1st. The decision to hold a second sale of the selected finer pieces from the Manor proved to be a wise one with a packed suite and five telephone lines booked on over 40% of the lots.

The sale began with a fine quality viola and bow which attracted interest from the telephones and room with a local man taking it away at £3800.

Arnold Machin also had a small mews studio in London and selected items were brought up from the studio to be offered and one of those lots was a fine bronze bust by Sir William Reid Dick. Titled ‘Joan’ the bust had been exhibited in the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1920 and the quality of the casting attracted local interest but it was the London trade that won through at £6200.

Another item collected from the London Studio was a large impressive Marble statue depicting a young Scottish warrior in traditional dress. The lack of provenance and a signature meant a conservative estimate of £1000 was placed on the statue but interested parties took the bidding up to over £5000 with the hammer falling at £5800.

Discovered by Cuttlestones watch expert in a bureau was a fairly standard pocket watch. In a late 19th century case, further inspection revealed the revered name of Thomas Tompion found stamped on the movement. As the most celebrated of English clock and watch makers interest took the movement up to a winning bid of £3000.

Paintings provided the bulk of the entries into the second sale and a lovely portrait study by Savage Cooper of a young lady attracted interest. Upon reading Arnold Machins biography Auctioneer Ben Gamble found an extract detailing the history of the oil on canvas. Bought by Arnold in a London sale room back in the 1970s upon returning home Arnolds wife Patricia herself a known artist decided that she did not like the young ladies expression and therefore the mouth was re-painted ! Despite the alteration the portrait attracted £3200.

One sleeper in the sale came in the form of an Oil on canvas portrait painting. Catalogued as an 18th century portrait three buyers competed against each other on the telephone and in the room before the telephone won the day at an amazing £24000.

The highest price of the two sales came in the form of a huge Victorian Oil on canvas. Depicting a Canterbury Farmyard the quality picture bore the celebrated name of Thomas Sidney Cooper. Widely regarded as one of the foremost painters of cattle and sheep studies ever pre-sale interest was recorded from all over the world. Despite the current downturn in Victorian art Cuttlestones marketing paid off with two bidders battling against each other on the telephone and in the room. The buyer in the room holding his nerve to defeat the telephone bidder with an Auction record for Cuttlestones at £51000 plus premium.

A 19th century wooden mannequin used by Arnold Machin in his studies and teaching was also taken by a buyer in the room at £8800.

The most iconic item in the sale was an original plaster cast depicting Queen Elizabeth II. Created by Arnold Machin the cast effigy was used on all coins from 1964 until 1988 and has been used on all stamps until the present day. It is believed the Queen herself is so pleased with the likeness on the stamps the design will remain un-changed during her reign. Huge interest was recorded and bids were taken from collectors all over the world. Once bidding passed five figures two interested parties remained on the telephones and the hammer fell at £15700 with the cast remaining in the United Kingdom against an American Collector.

Over the two sales over 600 lots were offered and only 8 lots remained unsold and Cuttlestones would be delighted to offer any advice to potential clients on the sale of Collections or estates.