The Luck of the Irish Stays With Cuttlestones

Once again Irish Art proved to be a big draw at this sale, building on the successes of the last sale, with bidders travelling from all parts of the country, as well as bidders on the telephone from Ireland. An oil on canvas harbour scene by Leech fetched over £1000 and a pastel of women washing clothes by Conor far exceeded its estimate, selling at £720 to an Irish telephone bidder. Other Irish examples by Carey and McGuiness also proved to be in demand.

There was a strong silver and jewellery section, with some fine examples of Georgian and Victorian silver, including an 1894 hallmarked silver tea caddy (£150). A hallmarked 9ct gold charm bracelet (£240), a 9ct gold heavy gentleman’s bracelet (£160) and an 18ct gold diamond and sapphire engagement ring (£190) all sold well, further demonstrating how auctions are a great place to buy and sell jewellery, particularly if you are a private buyer or seller.

As always the miscellaneous collectables section contained an eclectic mix, with several people tracking the Hornby train sets, including “0” and “00” gauge, together with various railwayana lots. Taxidermy always seems to attract interest, and on this occasion a stuffed tigers head had ferocious competition with one bidder wanting it merely for spares! A wooden cased violin and bow made by Henry Thompson of London doubled its estimate making £200 to a commission bidder. Militaria continues to be of enduring interest, and on this occasion, a pair of cavalry swords considerably exceeded their estimate at £260, despite being in less than perfect condition.

Local interest kicked off with a 1950s Wolverhampton Wanderers FA Cup Commemorative Teapot and Lid scoring highly, being won by a local supporter with a bid of £170. Also doing well in the ceramics section were pieces of Moorcroft, Masons and traditional Staffordshire pottery, together with the usual varied selection of Royal Doulton, Beswick, Royal Worcester etc, including a considerable selection of character jugs. Causing a rush of interest in the metalware section was a cast Welsh rush light holder, not much to look at but nevertheless rare and interesting enough to raise £200.

The most expensive lot in the auction was to be found in the furniture section, when a Georgian mahogany linen press with an outstanding pediment, originally estimated at £500 – 800, was pushed to £3500 by a telephone bidder. Also faring well were several pieces of fine Victorian furniture including a heavy, intricately carved oak salon suite (£700), a walnut davenport (£330), and a child’s cradle (£100), further showing that there is hope for recovery in the beleaguered antiques furniture market.

The variety of items offered in this sale illustrates how many people are being bitten by the auction “bug” and are looking to realise money for many kinds of “treasure”, much of which they did not realise they had until after contacting Cuttlestones for a valuation. Some people are de-cluttering, but some are collecting again, with a definite resurgence in the interest in quality antique furniture.

The Internet is a fantastic marketplace for auctioneers to exploit on behalf of their vendors, and Cuttlestones are committed to ensuring that images of every lot are available for potential buyers to view online along with the catalogue for all their periodic Fine Art & Antique Sales. The success of this is borne out by the fact that many lots have been won by buyers who are bidding from a distance, many choosing the personal service afforded by booking a telephone bid for the day of the sale.

Cuttlestones Auctioneers hold their Fine Art & Antique Sales every two months, the next one being on Friday 25th April at 11.00am, and entries are now being invited for this sale.

Cuttlestones Ltd, Auctioneers & Valuers
Address : Penkridge Salerooms, Pinfold Lane, Penkridge, Staffordshire, ST19 5AP
Telephone : 01785 714905
Fax : 01785 715918
Website : www.cuttlestones.co.uk
Email : office@cuttlestones.co.uk