Earlier this year a piece of Irish furniture won a Masterpiece Furniture Highlight award, selected from the 128 international exhibitors at Masterpiece London. Described as one of a kind, the “1851 Great Exhibition armchair” is carved entirely from Irish bog yew wood, a timber celebrated for its rarity and ability to achieve a stunning polish due to its close grain.
Made by Arthur Jones & Co. Dublin for the Great Exhibition 1851 at the Crystal Palace, London, it was the most prominently illustrated Irish exhibit at the 19th century exposé – and the most widely referenced – as it had a four-page description and entry.
Jones said in 1853 of the bog yew: “The timber of ancient Ireland has been exhumed from the depths of her peat formations” and “resembles the subject it illustrates”. The inclusion of ancient animals and the important role of Irish music and poetry are represented in his design.
Now a piece from the same suite of furniture is part of the current catalogue for Adam’s annual blockbuster sale at Townley Hall, which will take place in a two-day auction on October 17th and October 18th.
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The Irish yew library table (€10,000-€15,000) was part of the suite that, as well as the aforementioned armchair, also contained a teapoy (three-legged table), a sarcophagus wine-cooler, whist table, occasional table, chair and pole screen. The whist table now resides in the permanent collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the wine cooler in the National Trust in Sydney, and the pole screen at the Art Institute of Chicago, while the teapoy was sold by Adam’s in 2014.
The library table may well achieve more than its estimate as the armchair from the suite is currently listed for sale in the UK for a whopping €228,087.
Other items of interest are fine porcelain and important silverware, including a selection of table silver from Birr Castle in Co Offaly. Sold on the instructions of the trustees of the Earl of Rosse is a neat pair of Regency silver soup tureens from London, 1814 and 1828. Despite being 14 years apart they are made to the same design. Created by Benjamin Smith and Joseph Angell, with the arms of the Parsons family (the Earls of Rosse of Birr Castle), the pair is listed at €15,000-€20,000.
A top lot in the sale is a stunning Irish architectural carved giltwood mirror attributed to John and Francis Booker, circa 1760 (€30,000-€40,000). The brothers were known as ”looking glass merchants” at the time, according to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, where a mirror – not quit
e as impressive as the one in Adam’s sale – is on display.
Running over two days, October 17th and 18th, it is worth noting that the first day is a timed online only auction with the bulk of the sale taking place on Tuesday, October 18th, at Adam’s saleroom on St Stephen’s Green, Dublin. adams.ie
Collectors’ sale
This Tuesday, October 11th, Hegarty of Bandon will hold its Blue Room live online sale of the contents of Classes House in Ovens, which features a lifetime collection of European and Asian ceramics from a Limerick man. The sale includes a pair of large Clarice Cliff “Bizarre” lotus jugs from the 1930s (€400-€800). hegartyantiques.com
On Saturday, October 15th, Mullen’s of Laurel Park will hold its Collectors Cabinet sale in a live online auction featuring historical memorabilia, militaria, rare books, sporting and advertising ephemera. Of interest is Michael Collins’ wedding gift to his sister – a set of six Arts and Crafts mahogany and tooled leather dining chairs by Shoolbred and Co, London. Estimated at €1,800-€2,200, the sale also lists an autograph signature of Collins (€600-€800) and a selection of In Memorium cards for Collins, with estimates at €400-€700 each. mullenslaurelpark.com
Abstract colour
For collectors of Sean Scully, two paintings by the artist will be offered at Sotheby’s Contemporary Evening Auction in London on October 14th and October 15th. The live sale, A Life in Art: The Mallin Collection, lists Wall of Light Red, executed in 1988 and measuring 96 inches by 96 inches at £800,000-£1.2 million (€918,051-€1.37m).
Less dramatic in size is Scully’s Place 5.24.94, which was acquired by the current owner from Galerie Lelong & Co in New York. It features the artists’ signature stripes, which he explained in an interview in 2016 with Allie Biswas, as “always reaching outwards. The stripe can do anything in any direction, and since it is so common, it corresponds to everything around us” (£35,000-£45,000/€40,164-€51,640). sothebys.com
Meanwhile, Damian Matthews will conduct a two-day sale on October 18th and October 19th of the estate of the recently deceased Mrs Imelda “Mel” O’Flynn. A “tour de force”, Mrs O’Flynn, who was a well-known antiques dealer who operated Arcadia Antiques, was also a prominent actor. Her last stage debut was at 91 years of age.
With over 1,300 lots, the eclectic sale covers a wide range of eras and includes her noted jewellery collection, silver and antiques. matthewsauctionrooms.com
