During a spell of unseasonably hot spring sunshine, few things can match the appeal of running away to the seaside. One thing that, perhaps can, is the perennial appeal of a product of the sea – natural pearls. And it was a string of these that tantalized bidders on day one of Trevanion Auctioneers’ two day Fine Jewellery, Antiques and Art April auction.
‘A natural pearl is formed when a small piece of grit gets trapped inside an oyster’s shell, and the mollusc coats it in layers of a substance called nacre to protect itself,’ explains Jewellery specialist Amelia Tomkinson. ‘As the nacre builds up, a deeply lustrous and – crucially – uneven pearl is formed. Cultured pearls by contrast tend to be spherical and lack the deep lustre of their natural cousin.’
The string in question dated from the 20th century and contained one hundred and five graduated pearls. It was fitted with a cushion cut sapphire and diamond cluster clasp and came with its original jeweller’s receipt. With bidders around the world keen to own the string, it quickly sailed past its estimate before selling for a hammer price of £3200 plus fees.
A bespoke sapphire and ruby pendant also attracted fierce bidding. The emerald cut sapphire was surmounted by smaller mixed cut ruby in a fine white metal claw setting. Although only 1.5cm long, the pendant and its chain sold for an impressive £2700 plus fees.
As time flew by on auction day, bidders paused when their eye was caught by a George II verge yellow metal pocket watch by renowned maker Andrew Dunlop. The watch offered an elegant circular white dial in a plain polished inner case, but it was the repousse outer case, decorated with the figure of hope and the movement engraved with dragons that really appealed to buyers, who chased the hammer price up to £2600 plus fees.
The art section of the auction was dominated by a giant of British animal painting, Arthur Wardle (British 1864-1949). ‘Wardle was something of a child prodigy,’ notes art valuer Simon Grover. ‘He had his work displayed at the Royal Academy from the age of sixteen, and quickly became sought after for his charming and personality filled animal portraits.’ The painting offered for sale was an oil on canvas titled ‘The Conversation’, in which a gaggle of geese stand around as three of their number chat, while a bemused group of horses look on. Much admired, the painting attracted interest in the room and online, but eventually found a new home in the USA, selling for £3600 plus fees.
Another big name in British art was also represented at the auction. ‘Geoffrey Key (British, b.1941) is a Manchester artist whose work spans sixty years,’ says Simon. ‘He is known for his stylised, colourful and semi-abstract paintings whose subjects can include figures and animals, but he always returned to painting the urban landscape around Manchester’. The work on offer was ‘Stockport Church’, a small oil on board painted in 1972, which sold for £1900 plus fees.
As day one of the auction drew to a close, a collection belonging to former Chief Constable Joseph Farndale OBE CBE KPM (1864-1954), attracted considerable interest. Farndale was Chief Constable of Margate Borough police until 1897, Chief Constable of The City Of York from 1897 to 1900, Chief Constable of Bradford from 1900 to 1938 and Traffic Commissioner for Yorkshire from 1938 until his retirement. The collection included his George V Civil Division CBE, George V King’s Police Medal and Victorian police officer’s dress sword, which sold for a total of £2250 plus fees.
Day two of the auction began with a very unusual collection of 19th and 20th century dolls. The star lot included four sought after French ‘fashion dolls’ with bisque porcelain heads and articulated kid leather bodies. The lot sold for £1500 plus fees, while the collection as a whole made £3300 plus fees.
Perhaps saving the best till last, it was the furniture section which took top honours on day two, in the unusual form of an early 20th century Howard & Sons sofa frame. ‘Howard & Sons is an iconic name in British furniture, and their pieces always cause a stir at auction, but authenticity is key’, says furniture valuer Ian Woodward. ‘This frame had all the correct stamps to the legs and the castors, so even though it was entirely unupholstered, it attracted huge interest’. Hotly contested online and in the room, the frame eventually sold for £3800 plus fees.
The frame was followed by a Victorian cast iron fern pattern garden bench and chair, believed to be by the equally iconic makers Coalbrookdale, which made £1000 plus fees, and an early 18th century Dutch marquetry walnut chest of drawers, which sold for £1100 plus fees.
‘I have had a fabulous time helping to catalogue our April auction’ said managing partner Christina Trevanion after the sale. ‘This has been one of the most eclectic auctions we’ve ever assembled, and the variety and quality of the lots has been a joy to see. And to do all this in fantastic weather has been a real treat!’
We will hold our next auctions on the 11th June and 16th July. To book a valuation appointment, please call 01948 800202.
