Headline lots for the well-heeled at Adam’s sale
At Adam’s At Home sale, every one of the 400-odd lots, from the Derby porcelain ice pail to the ruby dress ring, was crafted with a well-heeled, connoisseur client in mind
It is unlikely that Ken Loach (see main piece above) will be bidding at Adam’s At Home sale: every one of the 400-odd lots, from the Derby porcelain ice pail to the ruby dress ring, was crafted with a well-heeled, connoisseur client in mind.
Silver headline lots range from a practical pair of 1810 navette-shaped tureens and covers by London silversmiths George Smith and William Fearn (€2,000-€3,000), to a commemorative piece with the same estimate.
Gem is indeed the word for the tiny (8cm high) silver presentation cup issued by West & Son, Dublin, bearing the engraved inscription ‘DEFENCE OF TCD/SINN FÉIN REBELLION/EASTER 1916’.
Irish furniture includes three longcase clocks, notably an early 19th-century example by John Chancellor (€1,500-€2,500), and an Irish mahogany bobbin-turned armchair by Williams & Gibton, circa 1835 (€800-€1,200). Hall seating can be found in a multitude of designs, but surely the most stylish is the hall stool. The sale has a pair, oak and brass-mounted, attributed to James Shoolbred who in 1820 opened a draper’s shop that grew to become one of London’s first and most successful department stores, granted a Royal Warrant in the 1880s (€1,500-€2,500).
Prices Hall Stools
The sale has a pair, oak and brass-mounted, attributed to James Shoolbred who in 1820 opened a draper’s shop that grew to become one of London’s first and most successful department stores, granted a Royal Warrant in the 1880s (€1,500-€2,500).
Nautical items include a pair of Venetian metal models of ships, Golden Hind and the L’Orgueilleuse sails billowing in the breeze (€150-€200). A piece with religious significance is a silver Havdalah spice tower, London, 1928, used to mark the end of Shabbat, when a blessing is said over wine and sweet spices, to comfort the soul at the loss of the Sabbath (€200-€300).
Prized by the Chinese as a good luck charm is the devilishly intricate carved ivory puzzle ball. Don’t attempt to solve it - the puzzle lies in the ingenuity of the maker in putting the multilayered spheres together. The sale has a 19th-century example (€400-€600).
A delight to the eye, but with a practical use, is a Continental, silver gilt and turquoise enamel casket (€600-€1,000).
One for the numismatist is a James II Gun Money half crown, circa 1690, issued by James II during the Williamite War, supposed made from melted down guns €100-€150.
A second lot of military interest is a contemporary Russian, blue and white porcelain chess set depicting the Battle of Borodino in 1812, when Russian forces met Napoleon’s Grande Armée, an event immortalised by Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, signed Garanin in Cyrillic (€500-€800).
Chess Set Prices
Depicting the Battle of Borodino in 1812, when Russian forces met Napoleon’s Grande Armée, an event immortalised by Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, signed Garanin in Cyrillic (€500-€800).
At Home, September 8, Adam’s, 26 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2; see adams.ie
