A decorative piece, a Victorian Montieth punch bowl emerged as the top seller in a large silver section. Embossed to the body with wrythen flutes and foliate scrolls below a vitruvian scroll edge containing a man-in-the-moon crescent mask, the bowl at 12in (30cm) diameter weighing 48oz with marks for London 1884 brought £2400 – more than double the top estimate.
Later silver included a cafe-au-lait set by London maker C.J. Vander with marks for 1959. After a design by Reginald Hill, D & J Wellby Ltd. the set, comprising a coffee pot of tapering baluster shape, hot water jug and sugar basin, took a reble top estimate trade bid of £900.
Old Sheffield plate was also attracting large amounts of interest primarily in the form of a pair of baluster-shape wine coolers. Raised on four foliate and shell scrolled feet with two foliate scrolled handles below an everted shell scrolled edge.
Engraved to the body with armorials and the the inscriprion Quondam his vicimis armis the c.1820 coolers at 10in (25cm) high, had the attraction of coming complete with their original cylindrical linings which helped them to take £1950.
Ceramics featured such guaranteed favourites as Wedgwood Fairyland and George Jones majolica.
The Fairyland lustre Candlemas vases and covers yielded the strongest result. Of ovoid shape, the 9in (22cm) high vases, decorated in pattern no. 2515Y with candles and heads divided by turquoise borders with strings of elves hanging on bell ropes were in very good condition condition.
A large selection of Oriental ceramics also saw some strong prices. Decorated in the popular Imari pattern, a pair of early 20th century Japanese vases, 12in (29.5cm) high, with ribbed ovoid sides painted with lobed reserves of flowers flanked by diaper panels in floral scrolling grounds went for an above estimate £1600 and a Chinese blue and white bottle vase 7in (17cm) high, from the Kangxi period brought £460.
Attracting both trade and private buyers a George III painted pine breakfront library bookcase took the top price among the furniture.
Consigned by a private Bedfordshire client the 8ft 4in (2.56m) bookcase, with moulded cornice above four astragal glazed doors enclosing fixed shelves with four panelled doors below was described by auctioneer Jonathan Law as in “country house condition”.
After fierce competion the hammer fell to a private buyer underbid by the trade for £6800.
Cheffins, Cambridge,
February 21-22
Number of lots: 1440
Number of lots sold: n/a
Sale total: n/a
Buyer’s premium: 15 per cent
Victorian Montieth keeps decorative silver in its star role
UK: THE current strength of the silver market for unusual pieces has been discussed in theAntiques Trade Gazette of recent weeks and the Cambridge auctioneers two-day sale showed that the trend is no different in East Anglia.
