More encouraging was the bidding on a George V pair of silver three-light candelabra with stop-fluted Corinthian columns on square bases and twin scrolled arms with Corinthian capital sockets and gadrooned nozzles. The weighted 18in (46cm) sticks by Walker & Hall, Sheffield, 1919 were estimated at up to £1200 but sold at £2050.
From the same estate came a pair of silver sauceboats by Peter and Anne Bateman, London 1815.
The 21oz, 7 1/2in (19cm) crested boats with bead rims, leaf-capped flying scroll handles and three hoof supports went a little over estimate at £1350.
The response to the furniture at Bristol was described as “patchy” but there were some good enough bids, particularly for oak.
Best of these was a triple-estimate £2400 on a 3ft 5in (1.05m) mid-17th century boarded coffer with a well carved front of twin arcades beneath double scrolls and the initials A.T. flanked by acanthus leaf panels.
There was also a quadruple-estimate £2100 on an early 18th century oak joined side table, with 2ft 11in (89cm) wide moulded-edge top over a frieze drawer with naive floral inlay and, going a little over hopes, £1300 on an early 18th century joined oak dresser base with three geometric fronted panel frieze drawers flanked by split turnings on four column-turned supports with pot platform and on turned feet. Described as South Wales style, this latter went to a South Wales private bidder.
Exotic oddities are frequent features at sales in the old port city, an example here being a Pacific Islands hardwood throwing club which went at £150 to an Australian e-mail bidder.
Sticks return to rare spot in the limelight
IT’S been a long time since any auctioneer chose to illustrate his catalogue front cover with an array of silver candlesticks but this was the rather heartening decision by The Bristol Auction Rooms for their April 8 sale (12.77% buyer's premium inc. VAT) and their enlightened, so to speak, move was rewarded when all the lots, from George IV to 1967, sold within or above the admittedly modest three-figure expectations.
