Saving the best until last, the final lot to this good-quality sale was an early Victorian circular breakfast table, 5ft (1.53m) diameter, with a hexagonal pedestal, triform base, carved claw feet and a stunning top inlaid with a sunburst of exotic woods.
The myriad of specimen timbers - there were perhaps 100 of them - would appear to support a family story that the table was made for a Commonwealth meeting or exhibition in Canada but it was its raw quality and good condition that helped it to sell to the London trade at £21,000 (estimate £2500-3500).
A more straightforward example of early Georgian cabinetmaking was a 3ft 10in (1.17m) wide walnut tallboy, a period standard aided by fluted and canted corners, herringbone banding and swan neck handles to a typical arrangement of drawers and a brushing slide. A nice golden colour saw it sell privately at £10,500 (estimate £4000-6000).
The Welsh factor helped an 18th century Welsh oak deuddarn to £3500 (estimate £1500-2000). A commercial 3ft 6in (1.13m) wide, it was relatively plain with inverted finials to a moulded cornice, a pair of arch-top fielded panel doors, and a base of two drawers and two three-panel cupboards and bracket feet.
A child's mid-18th century commode chair had bags of charm and it sold way above hopes at £2400 (estimate £150-200). In the 'rustic' Chippendale manner, it featured a pierced upright splat back and scroll arms (the bar missing), a loose solid trap seat and short cabriole legs with pad feet.
A pair of 14 3/4in (37cm) high silver gilt and glass claret jugs in the Renaissance style looked undercooked at £800-1200 and, indeed, they pushed on to £6500. The London trade particularly admired the quality of the bacchanalian mounts (London 1899), cast and engraved with mask-head spouts, figural spouts and putti stoppers.
Although the marks were rubbed, there was also strong competition against a modest £600-800 estimate for an early 18th century snuffer stand complete with snuffers. The stand, with a scroll handle and circular base typical of the George I period, carried an armorial for Huntley and Ferrers. It brought £1900.
