Mary Cooke Antiques sold this George II double lipped sauceboat, made by Hugenot silversmith Elizabeth Buteux in London, 1731, for a five-figure sum.
The event ran from November 1-6 at the west London exhibition centre.
It saw off threats of travel strikes, heavy showers and the distractions of Halloween to attract shoppers to the event and many came prepared to buy.
The sauceboat was snapped up from the stand of Mary Cooke Antiques for a five-figure sum.
The main body is in baluster form with two wide pouring spouts at each end. It features a cast and applied scroll edge, unusual flower head mouldings and an oval shaped stepped foot. It is well marked to the foot and also bears its original scratch weight. Sauceboats with two spouts were popularised by the French in the early 18th century, but few English examples were produced.
Also rare are surviving works by Buteux. Daughter of an important family of Huguenot silversmiths, she took over her husband’s business after his death in 1731. This example of her work was once in the Dr Christine and Jim Chance collection of sauceboats. Many of these were bequeathed to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford after the owners’ deaths.
The firm also sold a Charles II Admiralty oar mace for a high four-figure sum.
Silver linings
Though times are undeniably tricky for those selling at fairs, there are silver linings to be found. The challenging times and some early sales were discussed in ATG No 2567.
However, more sales were to come.
Jeroen Markies parted with an Impressionist oil and a pair of binoculars, each priced at £15,000.
The binoculars went to a home on the south coast of England.
Sue Brown sold a ring with a rare pearl only found in Baja California and Mexico ticketed at £8700 to a new customer and pearl collector.
A John Lowrie Morrison oil offered for £4500 went from the stand of Haynes Fine Art.
Dollar power
Positive effects came via the relative strength of the dollar.
Among the exhibitors reporting sales to US clients were furniture specialists Wakelin and Linfield, Jeroen Markies Art Deco, Paul Pfanner of Timewise Vintage Watches and glass dealer Mark West. Mark Goodger reported selling to US buyers that had flown over for the event.
This gothic arched tortoiseshell and silver clock by Douglas Clock & Co offered by Mark Goodger with a ticket price of £3350 went to existing clients.
Elsewhere at the fair David Stanley, known best as an auctioneer of woodworking tools, brought his entire collection of around 40 paintings, and ended up selling nine works, with two more under discussion.
Freya Mitton sold seven modern British works including a Terry Frost sculpture, while John Robertson, selling right up to the final moments of the fair, found new homes for 17 pictures.
Dates for next year’s winter event are set for October 31-November 5.
