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With the arrival of May, Adam's summer auction series once again showcased an exceptional array of paintings, furniture, jewellery, watches, wine, ceramics, jade and more. As Ireland's foremost Fine Art and Jewellery Auctioneers, Adam's owes its summer successes to both the keen appetite for top-quality works from buyers and the diverse range of pieces offered in these salesrooms. The season was marked by several stand-out moments that underscored the varied and high-quality selections available at Adam's auctions.
We held a total of 11 auctions and sold 2,372 lots collectively realising €4.7million in sales this summer. Important collections from Ireland, Europe, America, and Asia were displayed in our salerooms on St. Stephen's Green. Additionally, Adam's held exhibitions in Paris, reinforcing our role as a key Irish connection to the international market.
SALE HIGHLIGHTS
The Library Collection | Important Irish Art | Fine Jewellery & Watches | Mid-Century Modern
The Library Collection
The annual Library Collection auction presented a distinguished selection of items from a notable private collection, along with American furniture and artefacts from Dawesfield, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
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The top lot of the evening was Tristram Hillier R.A. (British 1905- 1983), whose Étretat, 1939 achieved €93,750, exceeding its estimate of €40,000 - €50,000. Robert Carver's A Capriccio Landscape based on Dunmoe Castle, County Meath also commanded attention, selling for €37,500. Two Italian 'Grand Tour' Siena marble carved models realized €12,500, and a pair of George III serpentine commodes fetched €11,875.
A pair of large George IV Irish silver sauce boats, Dublin 1824, marked by William Nolan and William Law, was sold prior to the auction. Additionally, a portrait of Charles II recently attributed to Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723) went for €15,000.
Important Irish Art
This half of the year saw some phenomenal prices achieved by works by celebrated Irish Artists. Paul Henry RHA RUA (1876-1958) and Walter Frederick Osborne RHA (1859 - 1903) both achieved the highest price of the evening of €137,500 for their respective works: Henry’s The Three Trees and Osborne’s Early Morning in the Markets, Quimperlé.
Jack Butler Yeats RHA (1871 – 1957) saw three pieces total €286,250, including The Black and the White (€125,000), A Lively Lot (€112,500), and A Sad Story (€48,750). Sean Keating's The Fisherman's Return fetched €35,000, and James Dixon (1887 - 1970) exceeded expectations with Mr Wallace Clark and Crew, which sold for €22,500.
Fine Jewellery & Watches
Adam's Summer Fine Jewellery auction achieved an impressive €1.25million in sales. The sale featured a diverse selection of items, with a notable focus on engagement rings, including solitaires, fancy cuts, three-stone, and cluster diamond rings. The Fine Jewellery & Watches auction featured exceptional pieces, including standout items for collectors and connoisseurs from many master jewellers, including Boucheron, Bulgari, Cartier, Chopard, Dior, Graff and Harry Winston.
Among the standout pieces was a 'Serpenti' bracelet watch by Bulgari, circa 1960, which shone brightly with a final price of €117,500,exceeding its estimate of €40,000 - €60,000. Additionally, a Bulgari ruby and diamond ring also performed exceptionally well, realizing €68,750, surpassing its estimate of €40,000 - €60,000.
Mid-Century Modern
The Mid-Century Modern Auction showcased outstanding pieces by legendary designers such as Eileen Gray, Gio Ponti, Niels Otto Møller, and Paola Buffa, as well as an important collection once owned by John Huston (lots 29-35). Notable highlights included Wolfgang Paalen’s Indian Summer, which sold for €62,500; Giulio Turcato’s Untitled, fetching €25,000; and the De SedeDS-600 modular sofa, which realized €17,500.
Asian & African Art
The Fine Asian & African Art sale in June featured a diverse selection of lots consigned from a range of Irish and international collections, with viewings held both in Dublin and in Paris, emphasising Adam’s role as an Irish connection to the international market.
Highlights from the sale include a gilt-bronze figure of Maitreya from the Yongle period, selling well over its estimate of €8,000 - 10,000 at a hammer of €68,750. A pair of gilt-bronze and cloisonné enamel bowls from an important private Irish collection sold for €50,000.
This sale also featured a number of pieces of African art, with notable lots including a Congolese nkisi fetish statue which achieved €4,750. At the same hammer of €4,750 was a wooden statue of a Senufo hornbill bird, an important symbol associated with Poro culture.
Luxury Sales
The luxury auctions showcased a curated selection of fine jewelry and premium wine and spirits.
In the Jewelry Box auction, a diamond single-stone ring achieved €10,875, while a pair of early 20th-century aquamarine and diamond pendant earrings sold for €10,940.
The Fine Wine and Spirits auction featured a case of Château Haut-Brion 1998, which realized €6,875. Midleton 30-Year-Old Pure Pot Still Whiskey fetched €3,500. Additionally, a set of two magnums of Domaine du Clos de Tart 'Clos de Tart' Grand Cru Monopole Cote de Nuits, France 2008 exceeded its estimate of €1,500 - €2,500, selling for €3,500.
Fine & Decorative Arts
The Fine & Decorative Arts auctions featured an impressive array of decorative items for the home.
In the At Home auction, a French giltwood and marble top console table commanded the highest price, realising €5,500, far surpassing its estimate of €1,500 - €2,500. A Celtic Revival silver tray sold for €5,250, exceeding its estimate of €2,000 - €3,000. Additionally, a Victorian cast iron figure of a classical lady achieved €5,000, and an Italian 'Cantagalli' faience glazed charger fetched €3,000.
In the Books and Works on Paper auction, a signed 1937 Constitution of Ireland realized €10,000, with the proceeds going to Vision Ireland. Giovanni Battista Boazio’s map of Ireland fetched €3,500. An interesting Albert Einstein typed letter, signed "A. Einstein," achieved €3,000, surpassing its estimate of €400 - €600.
The Online Picture auction proved popular once again with new buyers. Overall, the Fine & Decorative Arts auctions saw strong results, particularly in affordable art and items appealing to young collectors.
For professional, confidential and informed advice on selling in the forthcoming Autumn Auctions, please contact us via email at info@adams.ie, or by phone at +353-1676 0261.
Buying at Auction and the Role of Antiques in a Modern Home
Important Irish Art Auction Highlights
Oliver Dowling Collection by Aidan Dunne
2024 is a year in which Adam’s wants to recognise the key role buying antique furniture and furnishings at auction contributes greatly to the sustainable initiative. In 2019 the Environmental Protection Agency reported stark figures that each year in Ireland 1.2 million reusable bulky items, primarily furniture goes into landfill. Similar to the problem of ‘fast fashion’, the constant production and consumption of new items is leading to rapidly growing waste problem. We want to acknowledge those who are already buying second hand or antique furniture at auction and to encourage new buyers by highlighting the benefits of acquiring affordable, well-made quality items that are built to last.
Irish author, recipe creator and lifestyle influencer, Indy Parsons, selects her favourite pieces from our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction
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Cork-born Irish actress, Sarah Greene, selects her favourite pieces from our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction
Yvonne Aupicq had met Orpen, we understand, while working as a nurse during the war. He had been admitted to hospital with a suspected case of scabies which ended up being a far more serious case of blood poisoning as he recounts in his wartime memoir ‘An Onlooker in France’. Their relationship continued after 1918 when Orpen was appointed as the official artist to The Paris Peace Conference. They relocated to capital and over the following decade he painted her numerous times, often nude as in Amiens 1914, or The Rape and Nude Girl Reading (1921). Working with her as his model during these early years after the war allowed Orpen an opportunity to re-fuel his creativity.
Editor-in-Chief of IMAGE Publications, Lizzie Gore-Grimes, selects her favourite pieces from our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction
Our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction on September 13th features a prime example of Van Cleef & Arpel's renowned 'Mystery Setting'
Our June auction offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire one of the great masterpieces of Irish art and icons of Dublin’s history.
Georgia Chiesa selects some of her favourite lots in the upcoming Vintage Wine & Spirits Auction
"Beating the bounds is a tradition that can be traced back to the medieval period. At this time, land was divided into parishes and the clergy and church wardens held the responsibility for its upkeep and management. It was up to the Church to ensure that its parishioners knew the local boundary lines and, before maps became commonplace, this had to be kept as a mental record."
Adam’s in conjunction with Suzanne MacDougald are proud to host an online timed auction of artworks to aid the Irish Red Cross’s humanitarian work in delivering vital services to millions of people impacted by the conflict in Ukraine. With no buyers premium 100% of the hammer price will go directly to the Irish Red Cross.
Ros Drinkwater writes of Jack B Yeats' 'The Boat' in the Business Post:
With a consolidated result of €320,000,the At Home sale in Stephan’s Green, was a great success.
James Adam & Sons Ltd, Fine Art Auctioneers and Valuers, 26 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2,
D02 X665, Ireland
