AUCTION REVIEW
SPECIALIST AUCTIONS | JANUARY – JUNE 2019 JANUARY 15
THE BARBARA HOLLIDAY COLLECTION of Modern British Art and Antique Furnishings
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20th CENTURY DESIGN Entries Close: 14 December 2018
Contact:
John Black | johnblack@sworder.co.uk
To be sold in the Barbara Holliday Collection - 15 January 2019 Augusto Passaglia (1838-1918) Masaniello Marble, 79cm high Est £3,000-5,000
FEBRUARY 12 Contact:
OUT OF THE ORDINARY Entries Close: 7 December 2018 Mark Wilkinson | markwilkinson@sworder.co.uk
26
MODERN BRITISH & 20TH CENTURY ART Entries Close: 11 January 2019
Contact:
Amy Scanlon | amyscanlon@sworder.co.uk
MARCH 12/13
SPRING SALE British and European Furniture, Works of Art and Books To include the Principal Contents of Holland House, Huntingfield Entries Close: 25 January 2019
Contact:
James Pickup | jamespickup@sworder.co.uk
14
FINE WINE & PORT Entries Close: 25 January 2019 Catherine Scantlebury | finewine@sworder.co.uk
Contact:
APRIL 9 Contact 30 Contact:
MODERN & CONTEMPORARY PRINTS Entries Close: 22 February 2019 Kirstie Imber | kirstieimber@sworder.co.uk SPORTING ART, WILDLIFE & DOGS Entries Close: 15 March 2019 Jane Oakley | janeoakley@sworder.co.uk
MAY 17 Contact:
ASIAN ART Entries Close: 29 March 2019 Yexue Li | yexueli@sworder.co.uk
29
20th CENTURY DESIGN Entries Close: 12 April 2019
Contact:
John Black | johnblack@sworder.co.uk
JUNE 11 Contact:
JEWELLERY Entries Close: 12 April 2019 Catriona Smith | catrionasmith@sworder.co.uk
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CHAIRMAN’S INTRODUCTION
CONTENTS
Welcome to our Auction Review. 2018 has been a remarkable year with so many highlights I felt I could not let it pass without reflection.
2-3
North Mymms Park
4-5
Anniversary Sale
The year began with the auction of the contents of North Mymms Park, one of the most significant house contents sales of the year, which included an important and extraordinary collection of 16th and 17th century tapestries, with impeccable provenances via J Pierpoint Morgan to the Palazzo Verde in Genoa, which sold for a gross total of almost ÂŁ1m. I was fortunate to be on the rostrum for this sale; it was certainly one of the highlights of my career. Ten years after she so graciously helped celebrate our inaugural auction here, we were fortunate to, once again, welcome HRH Princess Michael of Kent to a preview prior to the auction, another highlight.
6
September Fine Interiors
7
20th Century Design
8
The Barbara Holliday Collection
9
Spring Fine Art
10-11
Further 2018 Highlights
12
Modern British and 20th Century Art
We followed this outstanding success with a further two-day auction to celebrate ten years in our wonderful building. The auction included collections from the length and breadth of the United Kingdom, from Glasgow to Alderney and Cornwall to East Anglia. Into September, having previously welcomed royalty, we welcomed pop royalty in the form of Sir Rod Stewart. Sir Rod, having recently moved, entered 40 lots into the September Fine Interiors Auction which inevitably attracted huge global media interest. October brought the auction of an important collection of Robert 'Mouseman' Thompson furniture from the iconic Art Deco Horlicks factory in Slough. Next year we begin with the Barbara Holliday Collection of Modern British Art and traditional furniture, removed from her Cumbrian home and South Kensington apartment, to be followed, in March, by the principal contents of Holland House, near Southwold and further eclectic items from the Tim Wonnacott Collection. Thank you all for your friendship and support over many years; let us hope 2019 will be as successful and as much fun as this year.
The Stansted Auction Rooms Cambridge Road Stansted Mountfitchet Essex CM24 8GE Tel 01279 817778 Email: auctions@sworder.co.uk Hertford Office 42 St Andrew Street Hertford SG14 1JA Tel 01992 583508 Email: hertfordoffice@sworder.co.uk Sworders Kent Tel: 01732 757675 Email: kent@sworder.co.uk
*all achieved prices quoted including premium
Guy Schooling Chairman
www.sworder.co.uk 1
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English School, 1594, The Sydenham Portrait, Portrait of a Gentleman, said to be Sir Francis Drake, oil on panel Sold ÂŁ47,970
NORTH MYMMS PARK April 2018
A pair of impressive George IV silver five-light candelabra, with Royal arms, 74cm high x 46cm wide Sold ÂŁ45,500
Situated in the Hertfordshire countryside four miles from Hatfield and six from St Albans, sits one of Britain's finest Jacobean homes, North Mymms Park. After a long and chequered history the house was purchased in 1893 by Walter Hayes Burns, brother-in-law of the famous American banker, outstanding art collector and patron, John Pierpoint Morgan. Burns extensively remodelled and refurbished the house prior to his death in 1897; many of the contents were acquired upon the advice of Pierpoint Morgan, particularly the famous tapestries. These included two-part sets acquired from the Palazzo Verde in Genoa, five depicting scenes from the Labours of Hercules, after the Flemish painter Bernard van Orley and six depicting scenes from the life of Julius Caesar. After passing through several hands during the 20th century, the house and park passed into the careful ownership of a multinational company upon whose instructions the house and contents were sold.
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A Regency mahogany three-piece sideboard Sold £6,150
One of nineteen important 17th century tapestries
A pair of Roman-style white marble pedestals
Sold for in excess of £910,000
Sold £73,800
John Glover OWS (1767-1849), ‘The Beggar’s Oak’, oil on canvas
Tylorean School, 16th century, St Blaise Preaching to the Animals, tempera and gold ground on panel
Sold £115,600
Sold £39,350
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A Yoruba iroke ifa divination tapper, 21cm long Sold £5,400
Philip Mercier (French, 1689-1760), oil on canvas
Miss Jane Vivien (fl. 1869-1877), oil on canvas Sold £5,700
Sold £8,600
ANNIVERSARY SALE June 2018 In June we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the completion of our 'new' Auction Rooms. We finally moved in May 2008, after five years careful preparation of our planning application followed by a year of construction. We chose a radical building technique, a sustainably sourced laminated wooden frame with straw bale walls directly on to which we applied four coats of lime render. Within three years we had outgrown the building and designed and erected a storeroom and office extension, increasing our footprint by almost 50%. The construction is so efficient that the building is heated by a boiler no larger than that used to heat a threebedroom semi-detached house.
A Royal Worcester vase by W Powell Sold £1,600
To mark the event, we staged an Anniversary Auction, held over two days in June.
A massive Dutch bronze mortar, dated 1697
A pair of Baltic mahogany elbow chairs Sold £3,500
Sold £8,000
A George III rosewood sofa/backgammon table Sold £7,150
A carved and painted wood royal coat of arms, early 20th century Sold £4,900
A pair of George III satinwood pier tables Sold £7,400
A red lacquered bureau bookcase, George II and later 4
Sold £11,600
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20TH CENTURY DECORATIVE ART & DESIGN INCLUDING A COLLECTION OF ROBERT ‘MOUSEMAN’ THOMPSON FURNITURE October 2018
An oak refectory table
An oak dresser
Sold £34,400
Sold £43,000
‘Mighty Mouse’ Forty-seven lots of Yorkshire-made Arts and Crafts oak furniture, which represented one of the 'Mouseman's' largest commissions from the prime period of his career, was offered for sale in our October auction of 20th Century Decorative Art & Design. The collection from the Horlicks’ landmark factory in Slough was commissioned by the Horlick family to furnish offices in their famous malted milk factory. The commission, delivered in three batches, 1930, 1936 and 1938, followed the building of a new office wing in the 1920s. The collection, estimated to realise around £100,000, realised a remarkable £290,000. Leading the sale was an oak dresser with a double-mouse signature, carved with a letter 'H' and dated 1930. It is recorded in Robert Thompson’s 1930 ledger as selling for £45, Sworders realised £43,000, the highest price achieved for a piece of ‘Mouseman’ furniture in the UK.
An oak bookcase Sold £17,200
A pair of oak paper trays Sold £2,550
A pair of monk’s armchairs
An oak coat stand
A pair of oak hall chairs
Sold £5,650
Sold £3,900
Sold £7,850 5
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FINE INTERIORS September 2018
A cold painted spelter figure of a black musician Sold £3,550
Our September Fine Interiors sale included entries from the Cornish estate of the former Governor of the Bank of England, Sir Eddie George, a collection of antiquities from Geneva, a collection of letters and manuscripts by the Duke of Wellington, Florence Nightingale, Robert Browning and Oscar Wilde, amongst others and most remarkably, 40 lots from pop legend Sir Rod Stewart, following his recent house move. This latter consignment generated huge publicity from the local and national press, as well as radio and television. Director John Black, who handled the sale, became almost as much of a media personality as Sir Rod himself.
A pair of Howard & Sons Victorian crimson leather armchairs Sold £8,500 A teak lounge armchair with a ‘signature’ leopard print cushion Sold £4,650
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A pair of gilt bronze-mounted side tables
A modern gilt painted coffee table
Sold £7,650
Sold £3,550
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20TH CENTURY DESIGN 29 January 2019 | Entries Close 14 December 2018
Pierre Le Faguays (1892-1962) A pair of cold painted bronze and ivory figures Est. ÂŁ4000-6000
To learn more about this sale or to discuss potential consignments, please contact: John Black | johnblack@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778
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THE BARBARA HOLLIDAY COLLECTION TO INCLUDE A LARGE COLLECTION OF MODERN BRITISH ART AND TRADITIONAL FURNISHINGS 15 January 2019
Barbara Holliday – The Collector The Gale is a handsome Victorian house situated in the hamlet of Highlaws, a stone’s throw from the Cumbrian coast in the far north west of England. Ormond and Barbara Holliday moved into the house in the early 1960s when it was of relatively small proportions, sitting in a sparse windswept garden. Whilst Ormond was occupied running the adjacent farms, Barbara set to work on what became her great passions – her garden and furnishing The Gale. The glorious gardens now include formal, landscaped terraces, leading from one secret space to the other, populated with mature trees and shrubs and enriched by garden statuary and urns, some of which will be included in this sale.
Sir Eduardo Paolozzi RA (1924-2005) Count Basie, bronze 2/2 34cm high Est £15,000-20,000
From the late 1960s, Barbara formed a close friendship with local born artist, Sheila Fell. Fell won many awards and was elected an RA in the mid-70s. This encouraged Barbara to become a passionate collector of contemporary art and sculpture, particularly the work of Royal Academicians. She enjoyed buying work directly from her artist friends, Olwen Bowey and Carel Weight in particular became close family friends, making long trips to The Gale to paint and guide Barbara in her collecting. Through them she bought works by many of the most significant Academicians of the late 20th century, including Dame Elisabeth Frink, Sir Jacob Epstein, Anthony Gross, Bernard Dunstan, Ruskin Spear, Mary Fedden and William Roberts. Late in his life she formed a friendship with Eduardo Paolozzi, from whom she bought a magnificent bronze bust of Count Basie, which is to be offered in the sale, and from whom she was gifted several plaster sculptures.
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Sir Cedric Morris (1889-1982) THE RED POND Oil on canvas
John Northcote Nash RA (1893-1977) REFLECTIONS ON THE WATER Oil on canvas
Est £15,000-18,000
Est £6,000-8,000
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SPRING SALE OF BRITISH AND EUROPEAN FINE ART & FURNITURE TO INCLUDE THE PRINCIPAL CONTENTS OF HOLLAND HOUSE, HUNTINGFIELD, NEAR SOUTHWOLD 12/13 March 2019 | Entries Close 25 January
Holland House, the home of John Murphy and Janet Fogg, was formerly the Old Rectory, an engagingly idiosyncratic but harmonious house, blending major elements from the late 15th century onwards. It was renamed by the Murphys in honour of the Reverend William Holland and in particular his wife Mildred, who spent much of the 1860s restoring and repainting the extraordinary ceiling of the adjacent parish church. John Murphy founded ‘Interbrand’, a worldwide consulting business, which first described the concept of ‘branding’. He sold Interbrand in 1994 and founded St Peter’s Brewery in Suffolk and Ruffians, a male grooming brand, in London. He started collecting seriously around 40 years ago, though most of his current collection was assembled over the last 25 years, mainly from sources in East Anglia. He particularly loves early English oak furniture as well as early decorative oak objects and associated pieces.
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Spring Sale A rare C J Spooner fairground/ carousel ‘Boer War’ centaur in the form of General Redvers Buller (1839-1908),c.1900, 165cm wide Sold £12,000
Sporting Art, Wildlife & Dogs David Shepherd CBE (1931-2017) THE WATERING HOLE, GIRAFFES
35.5 x 45.7cm Sold £7,350
2018 AUCTION Asian Art A Chinese famille rose dish, signed Tu Juqing and dated 1960 Sold £34,400
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Modern British & 20th Century Art Simon Bussy (French, 1870-1954)
Modern & Contemporary Prints Banksy (British, b.1974)
BIRD OF PARADISE ON A BRANCH
39 x 33cm
Screenprint in colours, 2003 49.8 x 69.5cm
Sold £19,650
Sold £14,500
LOVE IS IN THE AIR
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Accessories A Christian Dior ‘Lady Dior’ navy lambskin leather quilted handbag
Fine Wine & Port Château Margaux, Margaux 1st growth, 1982 Sold £6,500
Sold £1,000 Out of the Ordinary A Dodo femur bone, Mauritius, before 1690, 14.5cm long Sold £4,650
HIGHLIGHTS 20th Century Design A throne chair by Carlo Bugatti (1856-1940), c.1900 Sold £6,000
Fine Jewellery & Watches A gentlemen’s stainless steel British military Omega Seamaster 300 ‘Big Triangle’ Royal Navy Divers Automatic wristwatch, c.1970 Sold £14,150
Silver A George IV silver wine cooler, William Bateman, London, 1823, 25cm high, 77oz approximately Sold £4,200
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MODERN BRITISH AND 20TH CENTURY ART INCLUDING GREAT BARDFIELD ARTISTS 26 February 2019 | Entries Close 11 January 2019
Dorothea Sharp (1874-1955) SUMMER FLOWERS IN A VASE Signed l.l., oil on board 51 x 41cm Est. £2000-3000
We continue to invite entries for our next auction of Modern British & 20th Century Art. By keeping a close eye on our local art movements, we have secured record prices for the Great Bardfield and Benton End artist communities. Featured on our cover, Edward Bawden’s linocut ‘AESOP’S FABLES: PEACOCK AND MAGPIE’ achieved £2,100 in July 2018. To learn more about this sale or to discuss potential consignments, please contact: Amy Scanlon | amyscanlon@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778 12
SPECIALIST STAFF
Guy Schooling Chairman guyschooling@sworder.co.uk
Paul Martin Managing Director paulmartin@sworder.co.uk
John Black Director 20th Century Design johnblack@sworder.co.uk
James Pickup British & European Works of Art & Silver jamespickup@sworder.co.uk
Catriona Smith Fine Watches & Jewellery catrionasmith@sworder.co.uk
Prudence Hopkins Jewellery & Accessories prudencehopkins@sworder.co.uk
Amy Scanlon Paintings including Modern British Art amyscanlon@sworder.co.uk
Yexue Li Asian Art yexueli@sworder.co.uk
Mark Wilkinson Out of the Ordinary markwilkinson@sworder.co.uk
Alex Froggatt Homes & Interiors alexfroggatt@sworder.co.uk
Jane Oakley Paintings including Sporting Art janeoakley@sworder.co.uk
Dr Kirstie Imber Modern & Contemporary Prints kirstieimber@sworder.co.uk
Michael Kousah Books & Manuscripts rarebooks@sworder.co.uk
Dick Burge Fine Wine & Port finewine@port@sworder.co.uk
Tony Salani Coins & Medals tonysalani@sworder.co.uk
Tim Turner Clocks, Furniture & Works of Art timturner@sworder.co.uk
Hertford Office Daniel Webster Senior Valuer danielwebster@sworder.co.uk
Paul Fox Homes & Interiors paulfox@sworder.co.uk
Hertford Office Briony Harford Valuer and Auctioneer brionyharford@sworder.co.uk
www.sworder.co.uk