The day’s best seller was a 3ft 4in (1.02m) wide George I walnut bureau bookcase, featherbanded and parcel-gilt which came in at a lower-estimate £25,000, followed at £16,000 by this early Victorian mahogany architect’s table with tooled leather double ratchetted folio rests on ratchetted supports and similar to an example by Gillow sold in the same rooms as Phillips in 1989.
With 65 per cent sold by lot, the sale was not without its casualties and, as the 58 per cent selling rate by value implies, they included several of the potential best sellers such as an early 18th century giltwood carved console table reputedly from Rockingham House guided at £25,000-40,000 and a George I dressing/tea table estimated at £25,000-30,000.
English bias brings very mixed results
Although billed as English and Continental furniture, and Works of Art Bonhams’ (17.5/10 % buyer’s premium) sale on June 11 was very much slated towards the home market, with English fare accounting for around 100 of the 153 lots.
