A large George III walnut armchair was fought over by a dealer on the phone and an online rival at Bishop & Miller (19% buyer’s premium) at Stowmarket. Bidding on the 2ft 7in (80cm) wide chair began on the low estimate at £500 and it finally sold to the dealer at £5000 at the February 24 sale. “It was great to see such a strong price for Georgian furniture,” said auctioneer Oliver Miller.
Another piece of George III walnut was this drop-leaf occasional table which soared above expectations at Leyburn auction house Tennants (17.5% buyer’s premium) on February 24. “The £700-1000 estimate on an 18th century table with satin wood and burr veneers was a conservative one due to condition issues,” said the auctioneers after the table went to a London dealer at £5000.
A Ceylonese rosewood and inlaid centre table was a 19th century eyecatcher at Adam Partridge (20%) of Macclesfield. The rosewood base of carved central column, tripod supports and paw feet had condition issues.
Nevertheless, bidders at the February 22 sale thought the top, inlaid with radiating bands of specimen veneers, made it worth considerably more than the £200-300 estimate and it sold at £980.
