More than half of the 57 silver lots in the April 17-18 sale were mid/late-20th century goblets by designers including Piers Hart, Gerald Benney, Brian Asquith, Tom Tudor-Pole, Sarah Jones and Stuart Devlin.
Made for retiring directors of GlaxoSmithKline, these modern pieces remain fairly affordable, mostly selling in the £100-500 range. As auctioneer Guy Schooling said, they could look like very good investments 20 years from now.
Among them was a (18cm) tall, 11oz goblet by Anthony Elson, London, 1990. On a wrythen stem and base with coral inset, the bowl was engraved with a coat of arms and motto, Arte Et Animo. It sold just above estimate at £450.
Top bid by a distance was the £1700 which secured a trumpet-shaped, hammered goblet by Robert Welch, London, 1990. With a circular bowl and gilt interior featuring an armorial and motto, the 6½in (17cm) tall, 10oz goblet had been estimated at £300-400.
