Latest News Articles by Terence Ryle
Hawk bell recalls sad story of Duleep Singh
23 March 2020There was no shortage of desirable names among the 1370-lot Fine & Decorative three-day sale at Kingham & Orme (23% buyer’s premium), such as Charles Ashbee, Omar Ramsden, Lalique, Christopher Dresser and William de Morgan.
Spode service heads to US
23 March 2020With supply generally exceeding demand for Spode services – such was their abundance on tables of the 19th century middle class – prices at auction remain modest.
Kashmir woollen design is surprise top seller as a family estate comes to Yorkshire auction
23 March 2020Long unseen material from the country home of an ancient English family brought some estimate-demolishing five-figure bids at Morphets (17.5% buyer’s premium) including a genuine sleeper.
Sale drives towards a sell-out
23 March 2020With just five of the 630 lots of toys and models failing to get away and an £80,000 total well above top hopes, Special Auctions Services’ Newbury sale was, said auctioneer Hugo Marsh, “just like the old days – even better”.
Dedicated design auctions have become a regular part of the regional saleroom calendar
16 March 2020From relatively modest beginnings, specialist design sales have become mainstream money-spinners at provincial auctions.
Modest but marvellous Mouseman
09 March 2020This set of table and chairs by the ever-popular Mouseman had been bought from the Kilburn workshops in the 1970s by the vendor’s parents.
Early lantern clock shines through the dust to spark saleroom excitement
09 March 2020Battered and dust-engrained when found in a basement during a Lake District house clearance, an early unsigned brass lantern clock generated great excitement at Penrith Farmers’ & Kidd’s (18% buyer’s premium).
International interest drives bidding at Bellmans
09 March 2020Overseas interest fuelled bidding for two of the foreign offerings at Bellmans’ (22% buyer’s premium) Interiors sale in Winchester on February 12.
Marquetry appeal of a tired chest
09 March 2020Frankly catalogued as in need of restoration and ‘sold as seen’, a late-17th century walnut and marquetry chest had the inherent quality to attract phone and internet bidders from across the UK to the Carlisle rooms of Thomson Roddick (17.5% buyer’s premium).
Juhl serves up a £6000 salad surprise
09 March 2020The near dominance of Scandinavians among mid-20th century designers of wood furniture and artefacts was underlined at two sales at Chiswick Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) in February.
Second chance for works from Spetchley Park offered at Chorley’s
02 March 2020Second-dibs sales at regional salerooms – those that follow after a major London auctioneer has cherry-picked the contents of a stately country house – can sometimes acquire the slighting epithet of ‘crumbs from a rich man’s table’.
Napoleon: his majesty and tragedy depicted
02 March 2020Napoleon Bonaparte’s magnetism remains as forceful as ever in UK salerooms.
Art Deco duo dance into North Shields
02 March 2020Briefly catalogued, but accurately estimated, this bronze and ivory dancing couple was the outstanding star at Featonby’s (18.75% buyer’s premium) recent sale in North Shields.
Brid buffet serves up vintage treats
02 March 2020The vintage contents of a railway station buffet offered in East Yorkshire were not the most upmarket pieces – nothing made more than £2000 – but more than 400 people packed the room and online bids came from India, the US and Finland. It gave veteran auctioneer Andy Spicer only his second white-glove sell-out in 35 years on the rostrum.
Great sports: 1911 football shirt and cycling souvenirs
02 March 2020With tripartite appeal to football fans of England, Wales and – most importantly as it turned out – of Millwall FC, a historic shirt was a winner at Hansons’ ( 20% buyer’s premium) sporting sale.
Decorative furniture and lighting in flamboyant style forms core of single collection
02 March 2020“A fabulous example of how an auctioneer can sell these collections so successfully outside of London,” said Dreweatts’ (25% buyer’s premium) managing director Jonathan Pratt in the wake of Donnington Priory’s latest auction of European furniture and works of art.
Bell to announce ships in Ceylon stands proud in Scotland
02 March 2020This 14in (25cm) diameter bronze bell shown here bears the insignia of the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (the Dutch East India Company or VOC), the date 1747 and the name Jaffanapatnam. It is suspended in a wrought iron frame and mounted to a large stone mill wheel.
Whiskey mirrors galore reflect high demand
17 February 2020The first specialist pub memorabilia sale of the year held by Co Cavan auction house Victor Mee (19% buyer’s premium) showed no drying up of demand in a lively market niche.
Lalique touch of glass in Glasgow
17 February 2020Many familiar names were represented in a concentrated 145-lot specialist sale of British and Continental glass at McTear’s (24% buyer’s premium), but the winner by a distance was Lalique’s Formose green glass vase.
Nelson bust sails high to top sale
17 February 2020While furniture and books fully justified its title, The Oxford Library Sale at Mallams (22.5% buyer’s premium) was led by a surprise star: a rather lowly regarded gesso bust of the sort that would have been a minor decoration to such a room.