The gravel pits of Hampstead Oil on paper laid on board, c.1820-22
18.1 x 25.8cm; 7 x 10¼in
Provenance:
Probably Charles Golding Constable (1821-1878); Probably with Dowdeswell and Dowdeswell, London, 1890s (the above according to inscription to reverse); Sotheby’s, London, c.1952, where purchased by B Y McPeake; And by family descent
Estimate £50,000 - 80,000
Back cover: Megan Corbett, with a selection of designer handbags from the Fine Jewellery sale on 30th October
Chairman’s Introduction
John Axford
MRICS
Looking Forward
A previously unpublished oil sketch by John Constable kicks off our Autumn Series of sales in early September. This exciting discovery hasn’t been seen on the market since the 1950s, and the close ties between Constable and the city of Salisbury makes this an extra special find for our Paintings team.
Our Asian Art departments are proud to have been asked to offer important 17th and 18th century Chinese and Japanese porcelains from Curraghmore House from the collection of the 9th Marquis of Waterford (see pages 18-20). Curraghmore is one of the finest stately homes in Ireland and has been the ancestral home of the de la Poer family for over 800 years.
In an act of one upmanship, our excellent Jewellery department will be offering an important family necklace commissioned by his Grace the 7th Duke of Marlborough, John Winston SpencerChurchill, for his wife Her Grace the Duchess of Marlborough, Lady Frances Anne Vane. Lord Spencer-Churchill was grandfather to Sir Winston Churchill and through the Spencer family line was related to Princess Diana and William, Prince of Wales.
Featuring a number of private collections across all of our sales, we are very excited for the season to come, and we look forward to seeing you here in the salerooms.
British & Continental Ceramics & Glass
It is a privilege to include in our auction on 3rd September, the collection of the late Rod Jellicoe. Rod was well known to many as a dealer in high-end 18th century English porcelain, especially of blue and white, in which his knowledge was unsurpassed. The excavations in which he was involved in both Liverpool and at Isleworth in London led to a number of reattributions. Most crucially, the sherds he studied from sites excavated in America led to the identification of the first extant piece of
A rare Worcester yellow-ground coffee cup and saucer in imitation of Meissen, c.1768-70
Provenance:
Rod Jellicoe
Estimate £1,000 - £1,500
To be sold without reserve
Clare Durham
+44 (0) 1722 424507
cd@woolleys.live
Bartlam porcelain in 2011. Only nine pieces have been identified since that date, and Rod was commissioned on behalf of the Metropolitan Museum in New York to purchase the only known Bartlam teapot from these rooms in 2018.
His collection comprises around 130 lots and is being sold without reserve.
A rare Derby punch kettle painted with dishevelled birds, c.1760-65, 26.5cm high
Provenance:
Rod Jellicoe
Estimate £1,000 - £1,500
To be sold without reserve
Rod Jellicoe
Vezzi
In my 17 years as a ceramics specialist I have yet to have the chance of offering a piece of Vezzi porcelain at auction – until this sale. The factory, operating in Venice, was the first porcelain factory in Italy after the short-lived experimental concern of the Medici family in the late 16th century. Production at Vezzi lasted just seven years (between 1720 and 1727) and survivals are rare. This beaker, made for the consumption of drinking chocolate, has come from a private collection and carries a pre-sale estimate of £2,000 – 3,000.
In 2006, the Art Fund negotiated the private sale of a Chelsea boar’s head tureen to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, at a cost of £237,565. The tureen was one of only three complete examples known to exist. The large pieces were a challenge to produce and didn’t always survive the firing process. Two are listed in the Eighth Day’s Sale of the factory in 1755. Although incomplete in themselves, the pair of tureen covers included in the September sale are believed to also be unique survivors of the finest of Chelsea’s wares. They are wonderfully tactile in their moulding and remain statement pieces 270 years after their production. Their starting price of £7,000 belies their rarity.
Chelsea Boars
Old Masters, British & European Paintings
“The world is wide. No two days are alike, nor even two hours; neither were there ever two leaves of a tree alike since the creation of all the world … In a sketch, there is nothing but the one state of mind – that which you were in at the time.”
- John Constable
This September, we are delighted to be bringing to auction a hitherto unpublished work by John Constable, one the great masters of not only British but of European art. Painted in the early 1820s, it depicts workers at a gravel pit on Hampstead Heath. The Heath and its surroundings were one of the mainstays of Constable’s art in the second half of his career. He first moved there in 1819, in part to help improve the health of his young family. However, with its combination of panoramic views across London and the rustic ruggedness of its steep banks and hollows, the area also held great appeal to him as an artist.
Today Constable’s oil sketches, such as our painting, are amongst his most admired and best loved works. The Gravel Pits of Hampstead would have been executed in a single sitting. With it’s fluid and vigorous brushwork, it provides a fascinating insight into his working technique. Constable had the virtuoso ability to rapidly paint wet on wet, or alla prima, creating spontaneous impressions of the landscape around him. These works were never intended for exhibition or sale but gave him something to refer back to as he worked on larger compositions. In fact, along the edges of our painting one can see the evenly placed pencil marks which indicate the artist was planning on working on a larger version of the work.
Victor Fauvelle
+44 (0) 1722 446961 vf@woolleys.live
Ed Beer
+44 (0) 1722 446962 eb@woolleys.live
This exciting rediscovery helps demonstrate the originality and modernity of Constable’s work and is a fine example of why he is considered such an influential figure on the generations of artists that followed him. The significance of his oil sketches was surmised in 1937 by John Piper, who wrote, “His sketches mean more to us today than his big paintings in the end; they are so complete, vivid and timeless. … Constable … deeply affected the course of the [landscape] tradition and made the Impressionist movement, and ultimately the whole of the modern movement, possible and necessary.”
Head of Department, Victor Fauvelle, with John Constable RA (1776-1837)
The gravel pits of Hampstead Oil on paper laid on board, c.1820-22 18.1 x 25.8cm; 7 x 10¼in
Provenance: Probably Charles Golding Constable (1821-1878); Probably with Dowdeswell and Dowdeswell, London, 1890s (the above according to inscription to reverse); Sotheby’s, London, c.1952, where purchased by B Y McPeake; And by family descent
Estimate £50,000 - £80,000
Country House Collections & Furniture, Works of Art & Clocks
Following in the footsteps of previous single owner and country house collections, such as Ashley Manor, Upper Slaughter Manor, and Exbury House: Le Goût Rothschild, we are proud to announce the sale of the contents of The Grange, Wendover, Buckinghamshire. The sale comprises around 500 lots of fine English and Continental furniture, Old Master paintings, sculpture, lighting, collectable objets d’art, and garden statuary. The collection was formed over the last fifty years and artfully graced The Grange, a splendid Grade II listed house dating back to the early 17th century, which incorporates an elegant Georgian wing with many period features.
The Grange, Wendover has a fascinating history, especially as it was owned from 1789 to 1794 by John Barker Church (1748-1818). Barker Church was an English-born businessman and the supplier of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He was one of the few American revolutionaries to sit in the English parliament. His brother-in-law was Alexander Hamilton, the influential Founding Father of the United States. Hamilton and Church were not only business partners but also friends, having married sisters. Hamilton went on to have a love affair with Church’s wife, Angelica Schuyler. She is featured in the popular musical ‘Hamilton’ by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Church is referred to as her ‘wealthy husband’.
Mark Yuan-Richards
+44 (0) 1722 411854 myr@woolleys.live
Neil Grenyer
+44 (0) 1722 446974 ng@woolleys.live
A pair of French Siberian amethyst urns
Estimate £4,000 - £6,000
Detail of a fine 19th century Maltese pietra dura table attributed to Darmanin
Estimate £4,000 - £6,000
A view of The Grange, Wendover
The Study with a glimpse of a rare George III revolving bookcase
A detail from the Hall
A detail of the Drawing Room
Design
We are pleased to include a fine private collection of Clarice Cliff and Goldscheider Pottery figures in the Design auction. The collection, which will begin day one of the sale, was put together by Billy and Liz Kidd filling their house in Bridlington, Newcastle to the brim. One of the highlights of the Clarice Cliff section is a unique charger, possibly painted by Clarice Cliff herself, featuring a single female figure dancing with a tambourine on a swirling abstract backdrop inspired by Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, with designs by avant-garde artists of the time including Léon Bakst. These designers also influenced the ceramic sculptures made by Goldscheider in Austria in the 1930s.
Also consigned for the auction is a comprehensive collection of engraved glass designed by Tapio Wirkkala and Timo Sarpaneva and produced by Iittala, and glass by Lalique, Daum, Monart, Whitefriars and a selection of post-war Murano glass.
Michael Jeffery +44 (0) 1722 424505 mj@woolleys.live
Above:
Tambourine Dancer, a unique Clarice Cliff charger
Estimate £1,000 - £2,000
Left:
A Wylie & Lochhead bureau designed by George Logan
Estimate £5,000 - £10,000
Middle Top:
Les 5 Forvil, a set of three Lalique glass scent bottles designed by René Lalique, in presentation case
Estimate £600 - £1,000
Le Corail Rouge 3, a rare Lalique glass scent bottle designed by René Lalique, in presentation case
Estimate £4,000 - £6,000
Middle Bottom:
An Iittala glass Kantarelli vase designed by Tapio Wirkkala
Estimate £300 - £500
Two Art Deco Goldscheider Pottery figures
Estimate £500 - £1,000 each
Silver & Objects of Vertu
Two private collections lead our upcoming Silver & Objects of Vertu sale on the 22nd & 23rd of October. The first is a small private collection of tankards and flagons, which includes examples from Charles I through to George III.
The leading lot from the collection is a Charles II silver flagon, made by Thomas Smith in London circa 1681. Examples of Smith’s work can be found in the Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Inner Temple, London. The flagon last appeared on the open market in November 1968, where it was sold on behalf of the Rector and Churchwardens of St. Mary Newington at Sotheby’s. It sold then for £3,800 and was bought by renowned London dealer S.J. Phillips. The flagon has the original engraving ‘Newington Butts- Nov. 2 1681, Deo datum By the Gentlemen of Ye Vestry and whose names are registered in ye book of Accnts. Edward Webster, Rector, Samuel Staples, Richard Burton, Churchwardens’, and is estimated at £6,000-8,000.
In a religious setting, the flagon contains the consecrated wine for communion, which is then poured into the chalice for distribution among the congregation. Modern practice has largely removed the need for this interim vessel. Other highlights from the collection include a smaller Charles I silver flagon, probably made by Robert Gregory in London 1635, and a selection of tankards, including a Charles II silver tankard, and a William and Mary silver tankard.
We are also delighted to be offering The Simon Ward Collection of Wine Labels, Part One. The collection consists of over five hundred labels and was built up over thirty years. It will be presented in two parts, with the second part being offered in early 2025.
Highlights include a late Victorian label modelled as an elephant, made by Wakely and Wheeler in 1898, estimate £200-300, and a pair of George IV Robert Garrard fox labels, London 1829, estimate £400-600.
A selection from the Simon Ward Collection of Wine Labels, Part One
(0) 1722 446956
A Charles I flagon, possibly by Robert Gregory, London 1635 Estimate £6,000 - £8,000 A Charles II flagon, by Thomas Smith, London circa 1681 Estimate £6,000 - £8,000 A Charles II silver tankard, by Francis Singleton, London 1670
Estimate £3,000 - £4,000
A William and Mary silver tankard, by John Ruslen, London 1689
Estimate £3,000 - £4,000
Marielle Whiting FGA
+44 (0)1722 424595 mw@woolleys.live
Fine Jewellery
Jonathan Edwards FGAA
+44 (0)1722 424504 je@woolleys.live
Another of our highlights this October is a superb pair of natural pearl, diamond and coloured diamond earrings, carrying an estimate of £30,000-50,000. Traded since antiquity, natural pearls have been prized for millennia for their delicate lustre. While each natural pearl is rare by its very nature, sourcing a well-matched pair, of substantial size, regular shape and high lustre is an extremely difficult feat for any jeweller. With natural oyster beds increasingly under threat, these miracles of nature are harder to obtain than ever before, and continue to achieve strong results in our auctions.
Samuel Hug FGA DGA
+44 (0)1722 446586 sh@woolleys.live
In our upcoming sale of Fine Jewellery on the 30th and 31st of October, we have three remarkable lots showcasing the unrivalled glamour and enduring appeal of natural diamonds. One is an exceptional emerald-cut diamond rivière by the Swiss jeweller Adler, totalling approximately 77.00cts, estimated at £100,000-150,000 – a wearable and versatile design. The other is an impressive diamond fringe necklace at £80,000-120,000, composed of heartshaped and oval diamonds, its central stone weighing 10.44cts, with GIA certification. The third a demi-parure by Bulgari, estimated at £20,000-30,000.
Sapphires rank highly among the most desirable gemstones, none more so than Kashmir sapphires, known for their rich, dreamy blue colour. Following their chance discovery in 1881 in the aftermath of an avalanche in the Zanskar region of the Himalayas, it was only a brief six-year window that yielded the best stones, as the so-called Old Mine deposits were exhausted by 1887. Though the lower-altitude New Mine continued to be worked until the 1930s, those impressive earlier yields were never replicated, with some gems described to be the size of polo balls. The Kashmir sapphires on the market today are mainly from the 1880s, hence their exceptional scarcity even in comparison to extremely fine sapphires from Burma/Myanmar and Sri Lanka. In our October sale, we are excited to include an extremely attractive 3.53 carat Kashmir sapphire ring. In its original early 20th century setting, it carries an estimate of £35,000-45,000, captivating with its characteristic shade of velvet blue.
Animal carvings are among Fabergé’s most celebrated creations finding immense popularity with a number of the firm’s key patrons, most notably the British royal family, whose collection boasts more than 350 examples in their menagerie.
The dendritic or ‘moss’ agate used here is an unusual choice for an animal study. Traditionally found in India but eventually sourced by Fabergé from Siberia, its use here is a clever attempt to mimic the distinct patterning of the Gloucester Old Spot, whose ‘lop’ ears are also forward folding as in the present carving, partially shielding its eyes. A number of realistically modelled farm animals including pigs were produced from life at the Sandringham estate in 1907, following a suggestion made to King Edward VII by Fabergé’s London agent Henry Bainbridge, that the firm recreate a number of the animals across the estate, from the King’s own terrier dog Caesar, to the cows, pigs, ducks and chickens that populated the farmland around them. Known as the ‘Sandringham Commission’, the animals were reproduced in wax sculptures by the carver Boris Frödman-Cluzel, before being sent back to the Russian workshops to be immortalised in hardstone. They were then sent back to Fabergé’s London branch for purchase, mostly, but not exclusively, by those who wished to gift them back to the royal family, and some by members of the family themselves, such as Princess Victoria. Pigs were one of Fabergé’s more popular animal studies in their native Russia, with several examples in the collection of Empress Maria Feodorovna, and are also among the most humorous and varied of their miniature sculptures. This example carries an estimate of £5,000 – 7,000.
We are delighted to offer the Spencer-Churchill necklace, a sentimental commission by John Winston Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough, for his wife Lady Frances Anne Vane. This gold collar is set with eight lockets, enamelled with the initials of their children and centring on a gem-set ducal coronet. There is an incredible amount of history condensed in this beautiful piece, with the initials on each of its lockets connecting it to some of the most influential personalities of the 20th century. To name a few, ‘RH’ for Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill was the father of Sir Winston Churchill; ‘GC’ for Lord George Charles Spencer-Churchill, later 8th Duke of Marlborough, whose son infamously married American railroad heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt ‘to save Blenheim Palace’; ‘RJ’ for Lady Rosamund Jane Frances Spencer-Churchill, the mother-in-law of the influential Singer heiress and fashion icon Daisy Fellows; and ‘SI’ for Lady Sarah Isabella Augusta Spencer-Churchill, one of the first-ever woman war correspondents, reporting on the Boer War. This incredible piece will be offered in our October sale at the estimate of £30,000-50,000.
Fine Chinese Works of Art
An Imperial Birthday
A series of bowls decorated with the characters wan shou wu jiang (long life without end) were commissioned in 1780 to celebrate the 70th birthday of the Qianlong Emperor. The decoration is rich in auspicious features appropriate for an Imperial birthday: the scrolling lotus branches reference the wish for a long Imperial lineage; the mark on the base is an archaistic reference to those found on early Western Zhou bronzes and thus to the notion of longevity. The character bao (treasure) incorporates pictorial references to the Imperial throne as well as the shape of old Chinese gold currency. Qianlong was personally involved in the design of this service. This bowl has a remarkably strong provenance, having been owned by Hinton Daniell Stewart and his descendants since the 19th century.
John Axford
+44 (0) 1722 424506 jea@woolleys.live
Alexandra Aguilar
+44 (0) 1722 424583 aa@woolleys.live
Above:
A rare Chinese Imperial cloisonné and champlevé enamel birthday bowl
Qianlong 1736-95, 1kg, 16.8cm
Provenance:
Hinton Daniell Stewart (1835-1926) of Strathgarry, Perthshire, and thence by descent
Estimate £10,000 - £20,000
Left:
Hinton Daniell Stewart (centre) with his family
Freya Yuan-Richards
+44 (0) 1722 424589 fyr@woolleys.live
Jeremy Morgan
+44 (0) 7812 601098 jm@woolleys.live
Two rare Chinese Imperial monochrome bowls
Qianlong and Xianfeng marks and of the period, 15.5cm each
Provenance:
both formerly with Marchant & Son, London; purchased from D & M Freedman
Estimate £10,000 - £15,000 and £8,000 - £12,000
The taste for the simplicity of monochrome glazes has a longstanding history in Chinese ceramic production dating back to the Song period, becoming particularly popular during the 18th and 19th centuries. Imperial wares with Xianfeng reign marks (as seen in the red bowl) are particularly rare. The Imperial kiln burnt down in the 5th year of the reign (1855) and was not rebuilt until the Tongzhi period. For several years the kilns were flooded and no production took place.
A Chinese soapstone figure of Vajraputra early 18th century, 11.8cm overall
Provenance:
purchased from John Sparks Ltd, London, 10th June 1970
Estimate £8,000 - £12,000
Vajraputra, literally translating to ‘man of cats’, is known as xiaoshi luohan or the laughing lion luohan, and represents ‘playfulness and freedom from inhibition’. According to legend, prior to converting to Buddhism, Vajraputra was a lion hunter. However, after attaining enlightenment, he was approached by a playful lion who recognised that he was no longer a threat and showed gratitude for his reformation.
Curraghmore, County Waterford
From the collection of the 9th Marquis of Waterford.
Curraghmore, the seat of the Marquises of Waterford, has been the ancestral home of the de la Poer family for over 800 years, after their arrival in Ireland in 1167. Curraghmore, literally translating from the Irish An Currach Mór to ‘The Great Bog’, has evolved greatly over these eight centuries. However, the core of the current house remains the late medieval tower-house, believed to have been built by Richard Power (d. 1483), the sheriff of Waterford, notorious for attacking the city and inhabitants within his own jurisdiction.
In 1778 James Wyatt, considered one of the finest neo-classical architects of the time, was instructed to redesign the house by the second Earl of Tyrone, George de la Poer Beresford (17351800), later created the first Marquis of Waterford in 1789.
In the 1830s the third Marquis of Waterford, Henry de la Poer (1811-59), known as the ‘Mad Marquis’, proposed transforming the entire house into a massive Gothic castle. Although his plan did not come to fruition, the third Marquis embarked on other extravagant adventures. In 1837 after an evening of merriment, he and his friends quite literally ‘painted the town red’ at Melton Mowbray leading to the alleged origin of the phrase. However, since Wyatt’s redevelopment of Curraghmore, there have been relatively few alterations to the house.
We are delighted to offer this highly important private collection of 17th and 18th century Chinese and Japanese porcelains from Curraghmore in our Chinese and Japanese Works of Art auctions this November.
Highlights of the Chinese Transitional and Kangxi period porcelains
Provenance:
From the collection of the 9th Marquis of Waterford, Henry Nicholas de la Poer of Curraghmore, County Waterford
Estimates ranging from £15,000 - £50,000
From the collection
Provenance:
Estimates ranging from £3,000 - £10,000
Three Japanese ‘Hampton Court’ vases, Edo period, 17th century
of the 9th Marquis of Waterford, Henry Nicholas de la Poer of Curraghmore, County Waterford
Japanese Works of Art
Collecting Japanese lacquer: from Versailles to New York
Japanese lacquer has existed for centuries, with the earliest known pieces dating from 7,000 BC. Made from the sap of a tree related to sumac, layers upon layers of the poisonous liquid were applied on to a base, thus creating a deep lustrous surface. Over the centuries, this highly skilled craft evolved for different uses and markets. In the 8th century, master craftsmen adopted techniques and influences from China, but it is in the 16th century with the arrival of Portuguese merchants that Japanese lacquerware developed into a commodity traded on a worldwide scale. European aristocrats and royal families were particularly taken by it, and many acquired pieces of furniture such as large coffers decorated with mother of pearl inlays. In the 18th century, smaller, more delicate items became available. The pair of chicken kōgō (small boxes for incense) featured here is a good example. The French Queen Marie Antoinette (1774-93) was very fond of her Japanese lacquer collection which featured many variously shaped boxes, including another modelled as a chicken. The box is listed in a 1789 inventory at Versailles, in the ‘Cabinet Doré
Estimate
Alexandra Aguilar +44 (0) 1722 424583 aa@woolleys.live
de la Reine’ (the Queen’s golden chamber), in pride of place on a table beside the chimney.
Japanese lacquer continued evolving during the 19th century. The gold lacquer inro (below), intricately decorated with minute inlays made of mother of pearl, coral, hardstones, stained ivory and tortoiseshell, is a particularly fine example produced by the Shibayama family during the Meiji era (1868-1912). Sometimes referred to as the ‘oriental mosaic art’, Shibayama lacquerwares were popular exhibits at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1867. This inro comes with a long provenance and was once owned by the great collector and curator WW Winkworth (1897-1991). It is also illustrated in the auction catalogue for the sale of the Gilbertson Collection at Glendining in 1917, and it was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, as part of the Charles A Greenfield Collection of Japanese lacquer. It is offered for sale together with a DEFRA ivory certificate for a pre-1918 item of outstanding high artistic, cultural or historical
Estimate
A pair of Japanese gold lacquer incense boxes and covers modelled as chickens, Edo or Meiji, 18th/19th century
£1,500 - £2,500
A fine Japanese inro, ojime and manju netsuke signed Shibayama Soichi, Meiji era, 19th century
£6,000 - £8,000
Medals & Coins, Arms & Armour
The George Geear Small Arms Collection
Ned Cowell +44 (0) 1722 341469 nc@woolleys.live
George Geear (1949-2024) was known to his many friends in the collecting community for his avid interest in both military history and in the development and use of firearms. This enthusiasm is amply demonstrated by his outstanding collection of small arms. The collection comprises over 200 individual firearms as well as a large number of edged weapons, shooting accessories and miscellanea. As such, it provides a tangible record of a fascinating time in history that saw industrialised nations move swiftly from the flintlock era to the age of modern cartridge loading repeaters.
This process is represented not only by great examples of the principal weapons that defined it – including the British Pattern 1853 rifle-musket and the German Gewehr 1888 ‘Commission’ rifle - but also by many designs that saw only limited adoption. These categories are prized by collectors for their rarity and for the ingenuity and enterprise of their makers; among them feature the Westley Richards ‘monkey tail’ capping breech loader, and the rare and exotic Wilson’s patent straight pull rifle in .45 Boxer calibre. It is a pleasure and a privilege to catalogue this wonderful and historic collection and we look forward to offering it at auction in November.
Head of Department, Ned
examines some of the scarce and desirable weapons from the collection
Cowell,
British Art Pottery
This year’s auction will display pots from the late 19th century to the present day, with a backdrop of modern paintings from the 5th December auction (see highlights on page 26 & 27). Illustrated, is a fine eight-tile panel designed by the architect Halsey Ricardo and made by William De Morgan. The panel, featuring a large central owl flanked by eagles, was designed by
Ricardo for a fireplace mantelpiece in his family home and can be seen in a watercolour portrait by Edith Brinton, dated 1912. The auction concludes with a good selection of studio pottery by potters including Lucie Rie, Gordon Baldwin, John Maltby, Walter Keeler, Peter Beard, and John Ward.
A Martin Brothers stoneware bird jar and cover by Robert Wallace Martin, dated 1905
Estimate £8,000 - £12,000
Bottom:
A fine William De Morgan eight tile panel designed by Halsey Ricardo
Estimate £6,000 - £10,000
Middle:
Gordon Baldwin, untitled form, dated 1989
Estimate £1,000 - £2,000
Right:
Dame Lucie Rie, a large, flaring porcelain bowl
Estimate £2,000 - £4,000
Left:
Modern British & 20th Century Art
In 1971, the Morris Singer Foundry commissioned a series of works from some of the leading British sculptors of the time, including Barbara Hepworth, Lynn Chadwick, and Elisabeth Frink. They were asked to create small-scale works, each cast in 18 carat gold. Unsurprisingly, for such a prestigious commission, Frink turned to one of her favourite subjects and created Rolling Over Horse, a cast of which we are delighted to be bringing to auction this December.
Frink’s affinity with horses stemmed from her rural childhood when she learned to ride from a young age. However, she was less interested in sculpting a physically accurate rendering of the horse, than capturing ‘the spirit of the animal’. This interest in the horse’s character is reflected in the alert way it raises its head, imbuing the sculpture with a sense of potential energy.
Another of Frink’s favourite subjects was the wild boar. During her time in France, she frequently saw them in the woods surrounding her house and found them to be ‘fascinating, shy creatures’. Consigned from the same private collection is not only a bronze but also a drawing of a boar. Frink’s drawings were a crucial part of her creative process, and a comparison of the two works demonstrates how her bold draftsmanship mirrored her vigorous sculptural style.
Elsewhere in the sale, we are delighted to have been asked to sell the collection of Michael and Henrietta Gough. Michael and Henrietta were close friends with several significant figures in 20th century British art including Frink, Mary Fedden, and Julian Trevelyan. Alongside numerous works by these artists, the collection includes examples by Winifred Nicholson, John Craxton, Maggi Hambling, and Pierre Bonnard.
Mary Fedden OBE, RA, RWA (1915-2012)
The Blue Cart
Signed and dated Fedden 1983 (lower left), and further signed and inscribed MARY FEDDEN/THE BLUE CART (to label)
Oil on canvas
40.9 x 51.2cm
Estimate £5,000 - £7,000
Opposite:
Modern British Specialist, Ed Beer with Dame Elisabeth Frink RA (1930-1993)
Rolling Over Horse
Signed and numbered 9/12 Frink (to underside of horse), and hallmarked 18 carat gold, London, 1973 (on back left leg)
18 carat gold on a black stone base, conceived in 1972, cast in 1973, appox. weight 3125.5g (including screws, excluding base)
13.5 x 20.8 x 10.6cm (excluding base)
Estimate £100,000 - £150,000
Dame Elisabeth Frink RA (1930-1993)
Small Boar
Signed and numbered Frink 5/10 (to base)
Bronze with a dark brown patina, conceived in 1971
11.6 x 17.4 x 5.8cm
Estimate £15,000 - £25,000
Dame Elisabeth Frink RA (1930-1993)
Boar
Signed and dated Frink 69 (lower right)
Pencil and watercolour
76.5 x 101.4cm
Estimate £5,000 - £7,000
Victor Fauvelle
+44 (0) 1722 446961 vf@woolleys.live
Ed Beer
+44 (0) 1722 446962
eb@woolleys.live
Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas
Following the success of our first online-only sale in January 2023 - Adornment:
The Romy Rey Collection, which included jewellery of the indigenous people from around the world and in particular that of the Naga from Northeast India, we are delighted to offer the Hansjorg Mayer Collection.
The collection is published in The Nagas, Hill People of Northeast India, by Julian Jacobs, 1990, and consists of a vast array of everyday and ceremonial items including numerous necklaces made from coloured glass beads, carnelian beads and shells, some hung with brass fish tail or brass shank shape pendants, brass bangles, brass torques, fibre and shell bangles, armbands, ear ornaments, hairpins, hats, headdresses, textiles, spears, shields, daos (knives) and dao holders, baskets, carved and cast heads, pipes and horns.
Top Right:
A Naga headdress, fibre, Great Indian Hornbill feathers, red kafferboom seeds, white Job’s tear seeds, horsehair and brass, 157cm high
Left:
A selection of Naga necklaces, coloured glass beads, fibre, shell and coins
Bottom Left:
Two Naga carved wood pipes, 21.5cm and 25.5cm long
Bottom Right:
A pair of Naga brass bracelets, 8.5cm wide
Handbags
Our dedicated handbag section has now featured in three of our Fine Jewellery sales, following its debut in our Christmas sale of 2022. It has been exciting to handle some classic and rare designs, most recently the Hermès vintage black crocodile Constance 18 that sold for £10,710 in our July auction.
It is hard to pick a favourite but if we had to choose one bag it would have to be the Hermès Kelly. This bag is one of the most iconic designs of luxury handbag, and it is also deeply entwined with the history of Hermès itself. It derives from one of the firm’s oldest bags, the Haut à Courroies (HAC) of 1852, introduced for equestrian use to carry saddles, which was then transformed in the 1930s into the Sac à Dépêches by Robert Dumas, sonin-law of Émile Hermès. The year 1955 was the turning point for the history of this bag, when actress Grace Kelly was introduced to it while filming To Catch a Thief. It became her inseparable accessory, immortalised hiding her baby bump from the paparazzi in a shot so famous it eventually featured on the cover of Life Magazine in 1956. Later, Hermès renamed the bag
Sold for £10,710
‘Kelly’ in her honour in 1977. It takes thirty-six pieces of leather and six-hundred-and-eighty-stitches to construct this bag, all in the hands of a single craftsman for just twenty-four hours. How these stitches are applied dictates which type of Kelly is created, either the more structured Sellier with its visible stitching or the softer Retourne where the stitches are internal. Both come in various sizes ranging from the Kelly 15 to the Kelly 50, and we have featured a number in our sales.
In our October sale, we will be featuring two vintage examples of the Retourne Kelly 32, as well as an example of its equally famous cousin, a Birkin 35 in taupe togo leather from 2015. Also included will be the sought-after Chanel quilted Double Flap Bag, a staple in any collector’s wardrobe, as well as a rare black patent leather double-sided Chanel Flap Bag. Finally, we are excited to present in this sale a selection of Lady Dior handbags in an astonishing array of colours, all in pristine condition from a private collection.
mc@woolleys.live
Hermès, a vintage black crocodile Constance 18
Megan Corbett, with a selection of bags from the forthcoming sale on 30th October
Megan Corbett
Valuations
Realising Value
Jeremy Lamond MRICS FRSA
+44 (0) 1722 424502 jl@woolleys.live
Neil Grenyer
+44 (0) 1722 446974
ng@woolleys.live
The Valuations Department is fortunate to be able to pass on rare and unusual finds to our strong and knowledgeable specialist departments, leading to exciting results. Here are just a few of those recent discoveries:
This early view of London from Greenwich by Irish artist Susanna Drury (1698-1770) was a surprising find in a private house in Richmond, since the picture was last offered at auction in 1905. The painting shows a line of windmills following a bend of the Thames on the Isle of Dogs, a fascinating view now lost beneath the urban sprawl that is Greater London.
Head of Valuations, Jeremy Lamond, with ‘A view of London from Greenwich with St Pauls and the Isle of Dogs in the distance’, by Susanna Drury (1698-1770).
Estimate £1,500 - £2,500
To be sold in the Old Masters, British & European Paintings sale on 4th September
Further Afield
The Valuations Department were contacted via an online enquiry from the United States of America. This Italian white marble Grand Tour figure of a panther, in the manner of Francesco Antonio Franzoni (1734-1818), was subsequently shipped to Salisbury to be consigned for sale, realising a price of £3,276 on 4th July 2024 during the Furniture, Works of Art & Clocks sale.
Sale Highlights
Fine Jewellery
A
Sold for £119,700
Silver and Objects of Vertu
Sold for £49,140
Sold for £40,320
Sold for £8,190
Sold for £30,240
Sold for £31,500
Cartier, a superb Art Deco diamond bracelet, 1920
An early-18th century Maltese silver coffee pot, Antonio Manoel de Vilhena period (1722-1736), maker’s mark of FA probably for Francesco Assenza
Cartier, a fine ruby and diamond ring, early 20th century
A modern silver and enamel cigar humidor, designed and enamelled by Gerald Benney in conjunction with Alan Evans, London 1980
pair of natural pearl and diamond drop earrings
A pair of George III Royal presentation silver wine coolers, by Robert Garrard, London 1804
Arts Of Africa, Oceania and The Americas | Antiquities
Fine Pottery & Porcelain
Left:
A large Russian porcelain figure of a Chinese man, Imperial Porcelain Factory, dated 1914
Sold for £27,720
Right:
A rare and early Doccia teapot, c.1750-52 Sold for £15,120
William W. Armstrong (1822 - 1914) Halt on the Plains watercolour
Sold for £18,900
An Inuit arrow straightener Arctic
Sold for £27,720
Old Masters, British & European Paintings
ARTIST AUCTION RECORD | LOT 251
Louise Josephine Sarazin de Belmont (French 1790-1870)
View of Florence with the Duomo in the distance
Signed, inscribed and dated J S de B/Florence/1839 (lower left)
Oil on canvas
54.7 x 81.4cm; 21½ x 32in
Sold for £31,500
Clarice Cliff, Art Deco & Design
Demétre Chiparus (1886-1947)
Les Amis de Toujours (Friends Forever)
Sold for £10,710
Carl Vilhelm Holsøe (Danish 1863-1935)
An interior with a Chinese porcelain figure on a table
Signed C Holsoe (lower right)
Oil on canvas
32.4 x 29.8cm; 12¾ x 11¾in
Sold for £20,790
Dame Lucie Rie DBE (1902-1995) a footed porcelain bowl
Sold for £20,160
Fine Asian Art
Japanese & Korean Works of Art
Left:
A rare Nepalese gilt-copper figure of Indra 14th century
Sold for £100,800
Right:
A rare Chinese creamy-white jade chimera
Song-Ming dynasty
Sold for £41,580
Above:
A good Japanese album of woodblock prints, including triptychs by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-92), Ogata Gekko (1859-1920), Mizuno Toshikata (1866-1908) and others
Sold for £11,340
Meiji era, 19th century
Sold for £15,750
Left:
A miniature Japanese cloisonné enamel vase and cover by Namikawa Yasuyuki (1845-1927)
Meiji era, early 20th century
Modern British & 20th Century Art
Harold Harvey (1874–1941)
Interior with a woman standing in a doorway
Signed and dated Harold Harvey/25 (lower right)
Oil on canvas
61.4 x 50.5cm
Sold for £29.610
Ivon Hitchens (1893-1979)
Trees and Cottages
Signed Hitchens (lower right)
Oil on canvas, 1928
46.1 x 50.8cm
Sold for £34,020
Parker & Morris: The Art of Decorating
The sale concluded with a total of over £428,000
Proceeds were donated to the National Gallery of Victoria based in Melbourne
Collections & Fine Furniture
A fine William and Mary oyster veneered and marquetry chest Late 17th century
Sold for £18,900
Medals & Coins, Arms & Armour
Top:
A Naval General Service Medal 1793-1840 to Gunner William Farmer, Royal Marine Artillery, H.M.S. Beelzebub
Sold for £3,150
Bottom:
China - Empire: Guangxu, silver dollar, undated (1908), general unified coinage (KM Y14)
Sold for £3,150
Fine Arts & Crafts
British & Continental Ceramics & Glass
Left:
A William De Morgan Sunset and Moonlight suite lustre wall plate by Charles Passenger
Sold for £8,190
Right:
A good and large cider glass, c.1755-60
Sold for £10,710
Furniture, Works of Art & Clocks
Victoria Elwell, with one of two Edwardian easy ‘Ivor’ armchairs by Howard & Sons, early 20th century and Marmite & Guinness the office dogs
Sold for £12,600
Painting to be sold on 4th September
Follower of Peter Lely
Portrait of a young man, three-quarter length, wearing a brown mantle, with his dog, and a river landscape in the distance Oil on canvas
127.5 x 102cm; 50¼ x 40¼in
Estimate £4,000 - £6,000
Farewell to Sally!
The Woolley and Wallis team were reluctant to say goodbye to wellloved, office lynchpin, Sally Litherland, as she left her position at Castle Gate reception to begin retirement at the end of May.
Her welcoming smile, weekly quizzes, Friday sausage rolls, crafty hobbies and honorary membership of the Woolley and Wallis porters cohort (who Sally referred to as her ‘boys’) brought so much joy to the team.
Visiting clients still ask for Sally regularly! We wish her a very happy retirement and look forward to seeing her whenever she pops in.
Held over the final balmy week in June, The Chalke History Festival was better attended than ever this year. It was the perfect Friday evening to enjoy a Pimm’s and a catch-up with our clients before our sponsored event, the ever-popular Histrionics quiz. The highly entertaining history mash-up was chaired by Charlie Higson flanked by team members Dan Snow and Anuvab Pal, Alice Loxton and Laurence Rickard, who succeeded in filling the Hiscox marquee with laughter.
“Woolley and Wallis has been involved in supporting the festival since its inception in 2011 and is proud to be one of its most enduring sponsors,” said Chairman, John Axford. “We have sponsored a great variety of talks and events over the last 14 years and have enjoyed seeing the festival grow in popularity and numbers. Long may it continue!”
Chalke History Festival 2024
New Consultant for Period Oak
David Houlston spent 25 years refining the highly respected Oak Interior sale at Phillips, which subsequently became Bonhams, into a globally recognised brand, selling numerous acclaimed collections and forging ground-breaking results time and again. He relocated the department from Chester to Oxford and finally to the prestigious New Bond Street, London. Holding up to five specialist sales a year David has handled a wider variety of prestigious pieces of period oak and related works of art than anyone else of his generation. David is now delighted to bring his unrivalled wealth of experience and love of period oak, related works of art and metalware to Woolley & Wallis as a consultant.
Supporting Well-Being Spaces
The Horatio’s Garden charity has grown to encompass eight award-winning gardens for patients with spinal injuries located in hospitals around the UK. The first garden designed by RHS Chelsea gold medal winner Clive West, opened in Salisbury in 2012 and Woolley and Wallis have been sponsors of the charity since 2018.
Merchandise from the Horatio’s Garden charity is available at both our Castle Gate and Castle Street offices. Do ask at our reception desks if you would like to make a purchase to support this incredible charity as it goes from strength to strength.
Directors & Heads of Departments
Chairman Head of Asian Art
John Axford MRICS +44 (0) 1722 424506 jea@woolleys.live
20th Century Design
Michael Jeffery +44 (0) 1722 424505 mj@woolleys.live
British & Continental Ceramics & Glass
Clare Durham +44 (0) 1722 424507 cd@woolleys.live
Asian Art & Japanese Works of Art
Alexandra Aguilar +44 (0) 1722 424583 aa@woolleys.live
Jewellery
Samuel Hug FGA DGA +44 (0) 1722 424586 sh@woolleys.live
Paintings
Ed Beer
+44 (0) 1722 446962 eb@woolleys.live
Medals & Coins, Arms & Armour
Ned Cowell +44 (0) 1722 341469 nc@woolleys.live
Valuations
Jeremy Lamond MRICS FRSA +44 (0) 1722 424502 jl@woolleys.live
