One such huge bedroom piece, 7ft 4in by 7ft 6in (2.23m x 2.29m), fetched £850 and another, c.1870, realised £480.
The star turn was another large piece, a handsome North Country oak linen press, c.1740-1760, with a rich patina and an arrangement of three short drawers above three graduated longer drawers. Privately consigned and in good original condition, the 4ft 1in x 6ft 7in (1.24m x 2m) entry was secured by a Midlands dealer for his own use at £5000.
A strong bid was also tendered for a well-figured, locally entered, Victorian burr walnut and inlaid credenza, which sold to the trade at £4800, while a Shropshire oak dresser with plate rack, c.1800 with later additions, sold just below estimate at £2300.
Elsewhere, a walnut-framed, tapestry-upholstered, hall seat was a decorative and affordable early 20th century alternative to the early Georgian real thing, It took a winning £1450.
Outside the furniture, the eyecatcher was the 4 1/4in (11cm) signed Loetz glass baluster vase pictured right. In good condition, it sold to the Viennese trade at £1450 against seven rivals on the phone and an undercooked estimate of £200-300.
Overall, the sale was 80 per cent sold and totalled £130,000.
£5000 linen press leads day of rising standards
THERE was an encouraging take-up for Victorian and Georgian furniture in Byrne's (15% buyer's premium) 623-lot March 10 outing, with buyers found for the more standard fare as well as for the better lots. “We had more than our fair share of Victorian mahogany triple wardrobes but most sold to a mixture of private buyers and the trade,” said Byrne’s specialist Adrian Byrne.
