Mallams

An extraordinary example of British avant-garde clothing made on the eve of the First World War will be offered at auction in Oxford next month.

Mallams in Oxford posted a house record for jewellery on November 15 when a pair of Cartier earrings sold to one of 12 international phone bidders for £72,000 (plus premium).

A collection of tobacco leaf pattern Chinese export porcelain surpassed all expectations to sell for a combined £116,000 at Mallams Cheltenham (20% buyer’s premium).

Mallams will sell a significant Dutch collection of Japanese swords and armour as part of this week’s auction of Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Islamic Art in Cheltenham on October 25-26.

Mural painter, stained glass artist and landscapist, Henry Arthur Payne (1868-1940) had many talents.

Although much less fashionable than they were, a set of silver candlesticks can nonetheless prove solid sellers as did these four, above, at Mallams’ (20% buyer’s premium) sale in Oxford on August 23.

A 19th century topaz pendant with cushion-shaped diamond accents raced to £9000 at Mallams’ Silver & Jewellery sale in Oxford on August 23.

ATG’s weekly selection of items on sale at auctions and dealerships.

Possibly the largest quantity of watercolours by the Second World War artist Thomas Hennell (1903-45) to come to auction in one sitting was on offer at Mallams (20% buyer’s premium) on July 5

This work above by the popular cartoonist Max Beerbohm (1872-1956) was a highlight of Mallams’ library sale on June 21.

A carved wood sculpture by William G Simmonds (1876-1968), one of the great forgotten originals of the Cotswolds Arts & Crafts movement, sold for a record £21,000 (estimate £3000-6000) at Mallams Oxford (20% buyer’s premium) on May 25.

A still-life by Dora Carrington (1893-1932) starred in Mallams’ (20% buyer’s premium) Design & Modern British & Post-War Art sale, selling just shy of the artist’s record.

Estimated at £15,000-25,000, a still-life by Dora Carrington (1893-1932) sold for £72,000 at Mallams in Oxford on May 26.

“It was one of those eureka moments,” said Rosemary Scott, Chinese ceramics specialist at Christie’s. “My colleague Jeremy Morgan was on a perfectly normal valuation visit when he walked into the drawing room and there, on the mantelpiece, he saw these vases. He couldn’t believe his eyes.”

Bronze busts of the Queen and Prince Philip from the Oxfordshire studio of Czech émigré sculptor Franta Belsky (1921-2000) took top honours at Mallams (20% buyer’s premium) in Oxford on April 25.

Primary provenanced Arts & Crafts furniture comes up for sale at Mallams in Oxford on May 25.