Silver and jewellery collection sells for £20,000 at Shrewsbury auction
A Ludlow seller’s collection of designer African silver and jewellery sold for £20,000.
It was also a great day at Halls Fine Art’s fine art, antiques, silver and jewellery auction in Shrewsbury for a Wolverhampton area seller who saw three pieces sell for £12,600.
The star lots were impressive Elizabeth II silver models of a swan and a snow leopard which sold for £6,800 and £4,300, respectively.
The Ludlow collection included three silver acacia trees in graduated sizes by African designer Patrick Mavros which sold for £4,400 and £1,800 twice. The seller purchased them as three separate pieces but had used them as an impressive table centrepiece.
From the same home, five silver animal models by Mavros also sold well, peaking at £1,100 for an elephant and a South African solid gold collarette sold for £3,100.
The auction totalled £180,000, including buyer’s premium and other leading silver section prices were £4,000 for a George II Irish silver bowl by Alexander Brown, Dublin 1735, and £2,350 for a cased canteen of German silver cutlery.
Stars of the jewellery section were an untested ruby and diamond ring at £3,800, a 9ct gold identity bracelet at £3,250, a two stone diamond crossover ring at £2,600, a three stone emerald and diamond ring at £2,500 and gold decorative bead and tassel necklace with diamond shaped pendant at £2,200.
Watches again performed well as the auction’s top price of £7,500 was achieved by a 1974 Tudor Oysterdate 'Monte Carlo' gentleman's stainless steel chronograph bracelet watch.
In 1971, Tudor introduced its new 7100 series chronographs which became known to collectors as the 'Monte Carlo' because the coloured dial resembles a roulette wheel.
Other leading watch prices were £4,200 for a Rolex Oyster Datejust, £2,400 for an late 19th century U. Montandon-Robert 18ct gold open face chronograph pocket watch and £1,750 for an 18ct gold hunter pocket watch dated 1910.
Speculation that a 16th or 17th century oil portrait of a bearded gentleman, aged 30 in 1564, by an unknown artist, might be of Sir Francis Walsingham (1532-1590), Queen Elizabeth I’s courtier and spymaster, attracted keen bidding. The painting sold for £3,800.
An oil on canvas by Haynes King (1831-1904), titled ‘Asking for Granny's Advice, from a private Shropshire collection sold for £1,100, a pair of bronze figures of dancers after François Théodore Devaulx (1808-1870) made £1,050 and a 17th century Franco-Flemish tapestry sold for £750.
In the furniture section, a late 19th century Renaissance style carved and limed oak sideboard from the collection of Charles George Weight (1914-2010), son of Charles A. Weight, owner of Briton Motor Company and Tractor Spares Ltd in Wolverhampton, sold for £1,300.
Other leading prices were £1,600 for a mahogany chiffonier in the Chippendale manner by Edwards & Roberts, £1,050 each for a Dollond of London brass reflecting telescope and tripod and a late 19th century Syrian, rectangular walnut marquetry centre table, £1,000 for a George III mahogany bookcase cabinet, £900 for a 19th century Dutch walnut, fruitwood and marquetry bombe display cabinet, £850 for a mid-17th century Lake District oak 'wainscot' armchair and £800 for a large 17th century rustic six-plank coffer
Maryanne Lineker-Mobberley, Halls Fine Art silver and jewellery specialist, said: “Our successful run of auctions continues, highlighting the strength of silver, period jewellery, gold and quality watches.
“We were also delighted with the prices achieved for the portrait believed to be of Sir Francis Walsingham and several pieces of furniture. All in all, a very satisfactory result.”
