Latest News
SHROPSHIRE HOUSEKEEPER’S CUPBOARD DESTINED FOR THE USA
FEBRUARY 10, 2012
A mid-Victorian mahogany break-front housekeeper’s cupboard from a Shropshire country home is on its way to the United States after selling for £2,600 at the county’s leading fine art auction house yesterday (Wednesday).
Measuring 243cms wide and 222cms high, the cupboard went under the hammer at Halls’ first antique furniture, ceramics and works of art auction of the year at the Welsh Bridge saleroom in Shrewsbury.
“An American bidder held off strong competition to secure the housekeeper’s cupboard, which was of a nice colour and figure of mahogany and in a restored condition, making it ready for use,” said Andrew Beeston, Halls’ senior auctioneer and valuer.
Also in demand was a rare 19th century whalebone and narwhal ivory walking stick with a rope knot and tortoiseshell handle that sold for £2,400 to a UK collector. “The good condition of the walking stick and the fact that they don’t become available at auction very often made it very popular,” explained Mr Beeston.
On the same theme, a damaged Edwardian carved ivory dog’s head cane handle sold for £360, while an early 19th century brass collar for a small dog or monkey sold for £140. Another unusual item, a Black Forest carved wooden coat hook in the form of a hare, which incorporated a music box by C-Speiss, sold for £950.
The second part of a collection of election jugs, a punch bowl and a mug, reflecting Shropshire’s political history and consigned by a Southern England collector, sold for £3,000.
A restored Coalport blue and white porcelain jug, printed with the arms of Shrewsbury Corporation and Hill, tied with a ribbon and sash marked ‘ The Corporation and William Hill’ and has a Latin motto to both sides below two crests, made £1,800.
The Staffordshire pearlwear punch bowl, which dated to around 1805 and was made in tribute to William Hill of Attingham, sold for £600. It carried the following verse: “Success to Will’m Hill, With a flowing bowl, We will bring him in with honour, When we do come to poll”.
A Coalport cobalt and gilt 1835 ‘Twelve Apostles’ election jug “In commemoration of the Twelve Conservatives of Shropshire, representatives of a free and intelligent people”, made £250, a Coalport blue and white porcelain election jug from 1906, which, commemorated the Shrewsbury election victory of Sir Clement Lloyd Hill, made £360 and a Crown Devon 1959 election mug for members elected for Shropshire made £30.
In the furniture section, a 19th century mahogany pedestal desk, made by the award winning grandfather of the man who founded the famous Sopwith Aviation Company, flew off to a new owner for £1,200.
The desk was made by Thomas Sopwith (1803–1879) of Sopwith and Co, Newcastle upon Tyne, inventor of an ingenious type of desk that had all its drawers secured by a single lock, the monocleid, which won a prize at the 1851 Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace, London. His grandson, also called Thomas, founded the Sopwith Aviation Company.”
Other leading prices in the furniture section were £2,000 for a Victorian mahogany pull-out extending dining table, £1,350 for a George I oak and pollard veneered lowboy, £1,300 for a 20th century buttoned leather porter’s chair and £1,200 for a 19th century North Italian etched ivory inlaid and ebonised bureau.
In the works of art section, a mid-19th century Noah’s ark with figures and animals, originally owned by the Cole family of The Old House, Dogpole, Shrewsbury, sold for £600 and a Victorian tortoiseshell tea caddy made £850.
Momentum returned to the clocks section where there was a complete sell out of the 17 entries. Pick of the section were an early 19rth century oak crossbanded mahogany eight day longcase example by W. N. Evans, Shrewsbury, which sold for £600 and a French eight day repeating brass carriage clock, which made £500.
“We were encouraged by the positive bidding in the saleroom, which augurs well for our spring series of auctions,” said Mr Beeston. “Items similar to those that sold well have already been consigned from various estates to our forthcoming auctions.”
