The Antiques, Rare Pottery & Fine Art Auction on 11th and 12th of November created quite a stir amongst collectors due to the interesting and eclectic range of lots on offer. 1600 lots went under the hammer over the weekend kicking off with 700 lots of pottery and ceramics. The sale commenced with tea and dinnerware with the first five lots sold being Aynsley Orchard Gold that proved it still deserves a place setting with all of the lots realising well above and beyond their estimates. A Hammersley hand painted bone china 21 piece teaset fetched an impressive £1500 well above its expected £100-£200 estimate and a collection of pottery to include a Vienna gilded coffee set made £780.
As always Royal Doulton figures, character and Toby jugs sold well with a rare 1950’s prototype of a cleaning maid designed by Mary Nichol realising £1500. A double-sided Mephistopheles jug reached £340 and an Erwin Rommel large character jug fetched £400. A large two handled loving cup of Jan Van Riebeek was the most expensive sold on the day at £1100.
Amongst the more unusual ceramic lots on offer was a Rosenthal Bavaria early 20th century figure of a semi naked lady in blue ceremonial robe marked Ferd Liebermann that realised £800. A Pilkingtons Royal Lancastrian small vase decorated with bands of scrolling foilage and flower heads made £750. A Victorian ceramic cane or umbrella stand by J. Dimmock & Co., circa 1885 realised £440.
Early Coalport pottery has always been synonymous with quality which was evident in the prices realised for a two-handled vase hand painted panel of a woman by E N Sutton that made £1700 and a Coalport cabinet plate by J Keeling that fetched £280.
Wedgwood proved popular again this sale with a 19th century Wedgwood large jasperware Portland vase in white on black colourway realising £700, a two-handled vase & cover decorated with birds on branches in white on black pate sur pate signed by Dale Bowen making £440, a set of Wedgwood jasper ware chess pieces, one set in blue jasper and the other in white realised an astounding £2600.
Over 100 lots of Moorcroft featured in this sale with the star lot so apt for Rememberence weekend, a William Moorcroft Burslem vase in the big poppy design that sold for a memorable £3300. Other items featured were a Macintyre Claremont Toadstool Liberty & Co bowl that made £1400, a Macintyre Pansy vase that fetched £1200 and an Eventide bowl with a Tudric pewter cover that realised £1150.
One of the highest grossing sections of the sale was the Minton pottery. Forever popular amongst collectors, a pair of pate-sur-pate Alboin Birks vases realised £3600, a two-handled vase and cover made £2800 and another Alboin Birks vase fetched £2100. Two pate-sur-pate plaques depicting classical women and signed L. Salon realised £2000 ensuring new homes with happy collectors.
Potteries Auctions has always been synonymous with the sale of local pottery that was evident in one of the strongest areas of the auction, the Beswick. A family of Red Friesian Cattle in gloss finish realised £2100 and the matt version fetched £2400, a Belted Galloway Bull made £620 and Beswick rare Huntsman on rearing rocking horse grey horse realised £1200. The star lot in this section was a Skewbald Shire horse that realised £3350 and two other colours of the same model also did well in achieving £1900 for the Piebald version and £1100 for a Chestnut colourway.
Next came a large private collection of vintage pub memorabilia with a considerable number of mirrors and other paraphernalia followed by over fifty lots of wine, whisky and spirits to conclude day one of the sale.
Day two of the auction commenced with antique and reproduction furniture and some unusual items such as a 19th Century Arts and Crafts oblong stained and etched glass window, by repute the Coat of Arms belonging to the family of Richard Heathcote associated with a local country house known as Apedale Hall. This realised £1050.
Clocks came next making good hammer prices with a French decorative gilt mantle clock ornately decorated with jasper ware panels & columns and French movement dated 1889, this fetched £701.
Stoke on Trent although famous for manufacturing pottery, has also produced a number of artists who have originated from this talented town. A number of oil paintings from local artist Jack Simcock featured in this sale which resulted in a flurry of interest within the saleroom. Jack Simcock was born in Biddulph Moor and lived most of his life in Mow Cop, he studied at the Burslem school of art under Arthur Berry. He started exhibiting at the London Piccadilly gallery in 1957 and went on to have more than fifty solo shows worldwide. His evocative paintings feature in art collections all over the world and one lot of his paintings of a man and shed realised £800 with a number of others fetching over £600 each.
Some of the more surprising prices were made in the “Collectors Items” section of the auction. A Carrier Belleuse “Liseuse” large bronze figure “The Reader”, marked Grand Prix Du Salon realised £1900.
Surprisingly a 19th century Wheeler & Wilson sewing machine “The Royal” fitted in original mahogany cabinet with drawers made £1300 and a solid silver Rolls-Royce ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ mascot fetched £550. Another unusual lot that sold well above its estimate was an Arthur Sullivan “Martyr of Antioch” leather bound book of music scripts, hand written presented to Her Royal Highness The Princess Louise Duchess of Argyll, signed Arthur Sullivan 1880 and another leather music script book by John Sebastian Bachs that realised £900.
The oriental section of the sale featured lots that originated from farther afield with a Japanese early 20th Century carved wood & ivory figure of a carpenter from the Meiji/Taisho period 1868-1926 realising £720. Amongst the jade lots were a Chinese carved white jade seal dog of foe and Chinese silver small jade shaped box that made £820, a Chinese white and russet jade melon & butterfly pendant fetched £1700 and an unusual Chinese yellow and russet jade bear realised £1800.
More than fifty lots of military items followed including medals and slightly more unusual lots such as a Blunderbus with spring bayonet that made £360 and an 18th century hunting cutlass with horn handle that fetched £420.
Next came coins and amongst the highlights were a George III full sovereign 22ct gold coin dated 1817 that realised £500 and an Austrian 4 ducat coin restrike dated 1915 that fetched £520.
The penultimate section of the sale was Watches and as always good prices were achieved for the better makers and manufacturers with a Breitling 1960’s Top Time Gold-Plated and Stainless Steel Chronograph watch fetching £1500 and a Gentleman’s 18ct gold English keyless repeating chronograph and calendar watch made £2000. A number of avid collectors made time for the star lot of the day when a Heuer Autavia GMT Chronograph watch with the original stainless steel bracelet did exceptionally well realizing an astonishing £8200.
Two hundred lots of jewellery ended the sale with a Stephen Webster quality 18ct white gold “Attention Seeker” ruby set ring realising £2300, a Georgian yellow metal bangle set with rose cut diamonds and emeralds fetched £1000 and a heavy 9ct gold charm bracelet with a quantity of gold charms made £650 topping off a very busy two day sale.
We are now taking entries for our next Antiques and Fine Art Auction on 10th March.
Selling Moorcroft at Auction
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