Antique and Fine Art Sale Report – May 29th 2009

Date: 29th May 09

Cuttlestone’s latest Fine Art and Antique Sale was held at their Penkridge Auction Rooms on Friday 29th May. As well as having a full saleroom Cuttlestones were registered for live bidding with a live video feed being used for the first time. Auctioneer Ben Gamble was quietly optimistic pre-sale with over seventy telephone lines booked and 100+ registered on-line bidders.

The undoubted sale highlight was a privately entered collection of football medals and associated items belonging to Charlie Wilson, spanning from his medals won in the Great War through to his time at Tottenham Hotspur, Huddersfield Town and Stoke City.

In the First World War Charlie won medals for trench bombing which was just the start. Charlie joined Tottenham on his return to England and helped the club win the 1920 Division Two Winners Medal amongst others. He was then signed by the legendary Herbert Chapman at Huddersfield Town. Charlie won successive Division One Winners Medals before finishing his career at Stoke City where he ended as Stoke’s third highest scorer of all time. Through his 12 year career Charlie won thirteen medals and associated awards.

Huge interest had been recorded with confirmed on-line bidders, four telephone and keen collectors in the saleroom.

The collection had been split into five lots and the first lot consisted of Charlie’s war medals which went to a buyer in the room at £650. A Staffordshire FA cap from 1926 went to a collector on the telephone for £180 and the same purchaser took the Spurs medals at £3700.

The Huddersfield Town medals were contested fiercely with a buyer in the saleroom overcoming the telephones with a winning bid of £8800.

The final lot were the Stoke City medals which again went to a local collector at £3400.

An impressive silver section started the sale and a large 20th century twin-handled serving tray led the way taking £600. Two private estates certainly aided the jewellery and watch section with a 100% success. A pretty ladies gold Rolex wristwatch was won by a local buyer for her daughter’s 21st birthday at £680. An online bidder underbid the Rolex but was pleased with a George Cranbrook pocket watch at £450.

The sixty lots of jewellery flew out with a number of punchy prices. A Victorian cameo brooch attracted a trade bid of £680, a George II two guinea coin also went to Wiltshire trade at £620. A ladies five stone diamond ring and a ruby and diamond ring took £600 and £680 repectively. A local vendor was also delighted when a continental gold bangle realised a triple estimate £720.

As usual Beswick was in attendance at the Staffordshire Rooms and although there were no four figure bids the Auctioneers were pleased with a collective total of over £5000.

A private entry of Royal Worcester horses had been consigned from a local private residence. All in perfect condition a Mill reef study cantered away at £850 closely followed by Arkle at £800.

A wonderful Royal Doulton figurine, again from a private residence had been offered. ‘The Awakening’ was an exquisite study of a semi-clad young lady in the Art Deco style. Modelled by Lesley Harradine, the figurine was issued between 1940-1949 and undoubtedly the Second World War took care of five of those years. Bidders from all over the world contested the figurine before an English trade buyer won the day on the telephone at £1950.

A collector’s section was well received with a private stamp collection at £1600, a late 19th century Zulu shield at £680, a Curta mechanical calculator £300 and a Basset Lowke locomotive £230.
The picture section had a real eclectic feel with an oil on canvas in the Millais style reaching its top estimate at £2500 and a pretty David Bates landscape oil taking £470. An Italian watercolour attracted interest selling to the Italian trade at £420.

A larger than usual furniture entry provided a fitting finale to the sale. A local office clearance provided an entry of nine good quality desks with a good sized burr oak twin pedestal example going to a Southern based buyer at £1400, and a smaller similar example taking £520.

Two period pieces also attracted interest from trade and private buyers with a Georgian oak dresser base reaching £1200 and an early Georgian walnut chest which despite missing its stand and in need of extensive restoration took a winning bid of £820.

Cuttlestones next Fine Art and Antique Sale is to be held on Friday 4th September and entries are now being invited.

Contact: Ben Gamble 01785 714905 email: bengamble@cuttlestones.co.uk

Cuttlestones, Pinfold Lane, Penkridge, ST19 5AP