Stride’s do not print estimates in their monthly catalogues but the black, green and silver set carried hopes of £100-120. On the day, a Hampshire buyer keen to add the set to her collection went to £1100 to beat off a London dealer.
The London trade had more success when a 19th century footbath by Pountney & Allies, Bristol was offered.
Blue-and-white transfer ware has been selling well of late as have footbaths, but the London trade battle which ended with a bid of £1300 was still a pleasant surprise to the vendor.
The modest furniture offering also threw up a considerable surprise in the form of a 4ft (1.22m) wide oblong walnut table on roughly square legs and catalogued as “rustic”.
Strides had expected up to £350 for the table but a bidding battle which included Continental and British dealers ended with a phone bid of £2300.
Top price of the sale was the £3400 which secured a Georgian mahogany chest on chest.
Stride & Son, Chichester, May 31
Buyer’s premium: 15 per cent
Shelley Deco tea set finally finds its moment
AT the time it was produced – 1930/31 – the geometric design of a Shelley tea set with triangular handles was far from popular and speedily withdrawn. Seven decades on, with Art Deco a buoyant area and Shelley becoming more in demand by collectors, the scarcity of the pattern was a considerable addition to the appeal of a tea set for six offered at Stride’s 1000-lot West Sussex sale.
