A George II walnut partners desk quadruples pre-sale guided price

^{An impressive pair of Portuguese silver five-light candelabra}

ROSEBERYS LONDON: Roseberys were pleased to present the second Fine & Decorative auction of the year on Wednesday 21 July, that encompassed 542 lots in total. The sale of silver performed particularly well, with highlights including an extensive part-canteen of silver fiddle and thread pattern cutlery set making £8,750, twelve silver plates selling for £6,250 and an impressive pair of Portuguese silver five-light candelabra which made £5,250.

Anna Evans, Head of Sale commented: ‘Roseberys were delighted to welcome our clients back into our room for viewing and bidding in our Summer Fine & Decorative auction.  The sale attracted strong pre-sale interest which fed through into competitive bidding during the auction.  Fresh to the market items from private clients attracted the best prices of the day, including a group of silver from the Athenaeum Club led by an extensive part-canteen of silver fiddle and thread pattern cutlery by Roberts & Belk which realised £6,250.  Further highlights included a group of Kunstkammer objects which came a Property of a Gentleman and a George II walnut partners desk, a lovely period example which sold for £11,875.’

^{A George II walnut partners desk}

Leading the highlights in the sale was lot 411, a George II walnut partners desk. The rectangular top inset with leather top, above an arrangement of eleven drawers, with eleven opposing drawers, raised on bracket feet with castors, measuring 77cm high, 122cm wide, 91cm deep. The desk made £11,875 against a pre-sale estimate of £2,000 - £3,000, going to a telephone bidder.

^{A North Italian rosewood, walnut and fruitwood inlaid commode}

Lot 460, a North Italian rosewood, walnut and fruitwood inlaid commode was another highlight piece of furniture sold. The rectangular top centred by marquetry inlaid rosette, above three long drawers with foliate marquetry decoration and oval panel inlaid with classical figure, on square tapering legs, measured 188cm high, 119cm wide, 56cm deep. The commode, which was in wonderful condition, sold for £2,750 to a RoseberysLive online bidder.

^{An extensive part-canteen of silver fiddle and thread pattern cutlery, Roberts & Belk, Sheffield, 1995}

Lots 189 to 207 within the sale, was a group of silver consigned from The Athenaeum. The Athenæum is a private Members' Club in London, established in 1824 to serve as a place for eminent artists, writers, scientists and other great thinkers, to enjoy the companionship of civilised minds. It now includes persons of attainment in any field whose work is intellectual and of substantial value. The distinctive neoclassical Pall Mall Clubhouse was designed by the young architect and Member Decimus Burton. The Club was founded by John Wilson Croker and its first Secretary was the great scientist Michael Faraday. Members over the years have included Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Thomas Lawrence, Edwin Landseer, William Holman Hunt, William Wilberforce, John Nash, Sir Alec Guinness, Yehudi Menuhin and numerous Nobel Laureates. A highlight within the collection was lot 207, an extensive part-canteen of silver fiddle and thread pattern cutlery, Roberts & Belk, Sheffield, 1995. Coming with an estimate of £5,000 - £8,000, the collection made £8,750 to a telephone bidder.

^{A set of twelve silver plates, Sheffield, c.1966, CJ Vander}

Another highlight within the silver category was lot 16, a set of twelve silver plates, Sheffield, c.1966, CJ Vander. Each plate designed with a gadroon and shell border. Entered onto the market with a pre-sale guide of £2,500 – £3,500, the set made a handsome result of £6,250 to an online bidder, nearly double the top estimate.

^{A Meissen porcelain 'Indianische Blumen' pattern composite table-service, 20th century}

Lot 228, a Meissen porcelain 'Indianische Blumen' pattern composite table-service, 20th century, painted in pink and gilt, blue crossed swords marks and various pressnummern was the highlight group of porcelain sold. Comprising of a soup tureen and cover, a pair of figural salts, a tea pot, a coffee pot, a milk jug, a circular box, a sauce boat and ladle, a circular tureen and cover, twenty-six soup bowls, twenty-three soup bowls, eighteen crescent dishes, twelve side plates, twelve reticulated side plates, twelve luncheon plates, eighteen serving dishes of various sizes, a bowl, a monteith, twelve teacups, twelve saucers, two mustard pots, five single salts, twelve cutlery rests and two covers and a larger serving dish, the group made £5,000 against an estimate of £3,000 - £4,000.

^{An oak group of Salome with the head of St John, in the early 16th century Netherlandish style, 20th century}

Lot 242, an oak group of Salome with the head of St John, in the early 16th century Netherlandish style, 20th century, measuring 44cm high was the surprise highlight result on the day. Estimated to make £600 - £800, the group of Salome made £4,000, going to a buyer in Belgium.

^{Taxidermy: A Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), early 20th century}

Lot 326, a taxidermy Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), early 20th century, by Van Ingen & Van Ingen, mounted on a shield backplate, was another highlight within the sale. Stamped VAN INGEN MYSORE and with applied bone label VAN INGEN, MYSORE, the taxidermy came with a provenance by repute from Sotheby's, London, c.1988/89, shot by Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India. Against a pre-sale estimate of £3,000 - £5,000, the taxidermy Bengal Tiger made £5,500.

^{Daisy Makeig-Jones, British, 1881-1941, a Wedgwood Fairyland lustre 'Roc Centre' Daventry bowl, c.1925}

A stunning Wedgwood Fairyland lustre 'Roc Centre' Daventry bowl by Daisy Makeig-Jones, British, 1881-1941, c.1925 (lot 389) made £2,750, to an online RoseberysLive bidder in the Fine & Decorative auction. Makeig-Jones is best known for her "Fairyland Lustre" series, such as the lot offered at Roseberys.

^{A pair of glass ten-light chandeliers, late 20th century}

Rounding up the highlights within Roseberys Fine & Decorative auction was lot 310, a pair of glass ten-light chandeliers, late 20th century. Each with baluster stem issuing shaped branches, the canopies hung with facetted drops, both 84cm high. Estimated to sell for £800 - £1,200, the pair of grand chanderliers realised the price of £2,500, going to a telephone bidder.

-Ends-

The next Fine & Decorative auction will take place on Thursday 18 November.

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