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With a busy few months of sales ahead of us we start with the September At Home Auction, a sale that bridges the gap between late summer and autumn period.
As always with this auction, with over 400 hundred items, there are no shortage of lots on offer with a wide range of silver, period furniture, paintings, and soft furnishings.
While on this occasion there is slightly smaller silver section than usual there are still some very interesting and rare pieces available.
Opening the sale is a sweet George III Honey Pot, by Thomas & Daniel Leader (Lot 1 €300 - 500). Another condiment for the table, an 18th century butter dish by renowned silversmith Paul Storr (lot 2 €1,000 – 1,500). From the female silversmith Hester Bateman there is a lovely fruit basket with crest (lot 47 €1,500 – 2,000). For those looking for rarer provincial pieces, lot 34 offers pair of serving spoons by John Toleken from Cork (lot 34 €300 – 400).
This auction presents a range of Arts & Crafts pieces. There are some named examples including an attractive secretaire with classic decorative motifs of the period by George Montgomery Ellwood (lot 118 €2,000 – 3,000) or two large copper chargers by John S. Pearson (lot 142 €500 – 800; lot 143 €400 – 600) while others are attributed to the Devon furniture makers Shapland & Petter, including a large oak dresser and oak desk (lots 140 €1,000 – 2,000; lot 144 €500 – 800.)
Another 20th century design movement popping up in the sale, and not unrelated in terms of style to Arts & Crafts, is the Art Deco school. There is a beautiful porcelain plaque of young woman holding a lily (lot 116 €800 – 1,200) while Lot 112 is the immediately recognisable bronze and ivory female sculptural figures of the 1920s flapper era (lot 112 €1,000 – 1,500)
This sale also offers a selection of fine 19th century French furniture, often decorated in the quintessential Kingwood and marquetry inlaid styles, including an impressive marble topped credenza (Lot 92 €2,000 – 4,000) a Secretaire á abattant in the Louis Quinze taste (lot 104 €500 – 800) and two sets of compact bedside chests (lots 316 & 381 €600 – 1,000)
Further highlights from the sale include two impressive overmantel mirrors, one combined with a marble and giltwood console table that would be striking in a hallway (Lot 208 €3,000 – 5,000) and the other a slightly smaller and more refined example (lot 248 €1,000 – 1,500).
For those in search of lighting and with a high enough ceiling to accommodate it, there is a very fine Victorian ormolu and crystal chandelier on offer (lot 107 €4,000 – 5,000) which would look exquisite when fully lit up.
There is a nice collection of miniature portraits all derived from the single estate of an Irish collector including one particularly fine example of a portrait of James Stuart, son of James II, contained within an elegant carved giltwood frame (lot 124 €400 – 600) as well as the more traditional smaller oval examples, often including a memento mori in the form of cutting of hair (lot 126 €400 – 600).
All lots can be viewed in our Stephen’s Green Salerooms from Thursday 31st August until Sunday 3rd September.
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
