The elegant chair had well-shaped back legs and cabriole front legs and was in good original condition apart from half a pad foot replaced some time ago in oak. Moreover, the roominess of the chair's accommodating bow-shaped seat led Humberts specialist Mark Lambert to believe it was made as a special commission for a portly gentleman. It was contested by four telephone buyers selling at £7800 to a London-based BADA dealer.
Other notable furniture included a 3ft 6in x 5ft 3in (1.06m x 1.6m) 19th century figured walnut and marquetry secretaire à abbatant flanked by barleytwist columns.
A good overall colour, it had a large marquetry and bone-inlaid fall front revealing a fitted interior with marquetry-fronted drawers and pigeonholes. It sold to the South Wales trade at £4000.
Among the most unusual lots from the farmhouse were some Russian items that attracted interest from a major London specialist dealer. Foremost were three 19th century gilt metal Russian "marriage crowns" of the type that would have been placed on cushions during the wedding ceremony.
Each crown pictured a coronet and was mounted with various hand-cut coloured stones.
The group sold to the London specialist at £550. He also took a Russian commemorative enamel beaker, dated 1896, at £200, and a late 19/early 20th century Russian Orthodox hanging incense burner at £150.
Leading the ceramics, and helping the sale to its £115,000 hammer total, was a handsome early 20th century, Harrods cased set of six Royal Worcester coffee cups and six saucers painted with scenes of Highland cattle and signed Stinton.
Entered together with the original set of six silver gilt coffee spoons marked RWB dating to 1939 and in excellent order, the set went to a Worcester-based, Worcester specialist dealer at £3800.
A fat commission in 18th century is £7800 Bourton star
A HEALTHY take-up for the 170 lots entered without reserve from a period farmhouse in Shropshire provided the backbone of Humberts' (10% buyer's premium) 602-lot Gloucestershire outing on June 29, but it was an early 18th century upholstered walnut wingback armchair consigned from a different private source that proved the star turn.