The beauty of the world of antiques is that it always delivers magical moments – stunning finds, valuation surprises and results to delight.
And this year has been no different. Despite difficulties caused by Covid, the never-ending voyage of antique discovery has continued to reveal exciting objects and stories to cheer us all.
The excitement, the drama, and sheer delight when something extraordinary is discovered is a joy to behold. And one such find truly captivated the world.
An ancient terrestrial globe which sold shortly before Hansons closed for the Christmas break made news everywhere- and put Derbyshire on the map. CNN, BBC, ITV, the Press Association, Canadian and European news agencies were among those who shared the story. Even more importantly the Derby Telegraph did us proud– home is where the heart is!
I was blown away by the discovery of the 16th century globe. Bought for £150 at a Welsh Antiques Fair during the pandemic, the story of this find unfolded like a fairy-tale.
The seller had no idea it was valuable and thought she’d pushed the boat out to spend £150. She took it to Bishton Hall, our Staffordshire saleroom, with other items for free valuation. There she met our exceptional works on paper and books expert, Jim Spencer. When called over to take a look, he assumed the globe would be a modern repro – but immediately recognised signs of authentic age.
Months of intense research followed. It was identified as an incredibly rare circa 1550/60 globe by, or a derivative of, Francois Demongenet, a French geographer known for globe gores.
The seller watched the sale online in a state of shock. The £20,000-£30,000 estimate, which had already stunned her, was surpassed as five phone bidders competed with the internet to secure what was thought to be the oldest terrestrial globe ever offered at auction. The hammer finally fell at £116,000. The globe went to an American buyer in New York.
Our vendor saw this magic unfold with her friend, husband and a glass of wine. She revealed: “My friend cried, I was in shock and my husband was totally and utterly dumbstruck.”
Finds like this are the reason why I will always love my job. But the globe is far from the only lot to excel in 2021. There was plenty to shout about from a 1960 painting by Singaporean artist Cheong Soo Pieng which fetched a total of £36,400 to a sealed Pokemon Fossil Set 1st Edition Booster Box, £8,500. The painting was found in storage at Ashby School in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire.
Plus, as always, Oriental finds excelled – even though one star lot almost escaped us. I’d made a home visit to value a few items and happened to notice a Chinese vase sitting on a cabinet. Its owner didn’t flag it up because an antiques ‘expert’ had told her it was worthless. They’d promised to check the Chinese mark on the base but never got back to her.
It turned out to be a Chinese blue and white nine-dragon bottle vase. The mystery mark on the base was Jiaqing (1796-1820). That made it around 200 years old. It entered Hansons’ October Fine Art sale with a guide price of £10,000-£15,000. The hammer fell at £40,000. The total paid with buyer’s premium was £55,595. Not bad for a ‘worthless’ item.
We were also pleased to see a stunningly ornate Qing dynasty (1644 to 1912) full length court robe, possibly Qianlong period (1735 to 1796), make £10,000. It featured embroidered dragons, breaking waves and bats. It had been purchased in Hong Kong by the vendor’s mother in the 1980s. She loved vintage Oriental robes and had an eye for perfection.
As is so often the case, the items had been tucked away for years. People often inherit things and can’t bear to part with them for a long time, if at all. Family heirlooms mean so much. But after decades languishing in wardrobes, attics or garages, the surprise element of a high valuation is even more intense.
Jewellery is another area which dazzles us. We regularly find precious gems lost amid costume jewellery and discover items of quality. A shining star in our July Fine Jewellery sale was an eye-catching tiara/necklace boasting a total diamond weight of 9.91 carats. This flexible adornment sold for £13,500.
Then there was the metal detecting find of the year – lost treasure from 400 years ago. A weighty 17th century gold signet ring discovered on farmland at Thornton, Buckinghamshire, in 2018, made £20,000 – double its £10,000-£12,000 estimate.
It had been expertly crafted so the bezel swivelled to reveal an engraved unicorn’s head – the crest of the Curwen family of Workington, Cumbria. This indicated it belonged to Thomas Curwen, second son of Sir Henry Curwen MP (1581-1623).
These are just some of the treasures Hansons has been privileged to sell in 2021. I now look forward to another voyage of antique discovery in 2022. Entries are invited for all forthcoming sales including our Ma Fine Art Auction. Hansons is currently closed for the Christmas holiday but reopens on January 4, 2022. To book a free valuation, please email: [email protected]. Happy New Year!
