As a Derbyshire man I’m proud to put my home county on the map and Hansons certainly did that at our September Fine Art Auction.
We were overwhelmed by the worldwide interest and publicity sparked by the discovery of a rare Imperial Chinese Beijing enamel wine ewer, Qianlong period. Found in a South Derbyshire garage in lockdown and resembling a tiny teapot, it made a phenomenal £390,000 at auction from an initial estimate of £20,000-£40,000. Eight phone bidders battled to own it and I was absolutely delighted for our vendor.
Countless national and local papers featured the find along with America’s CNN, the Chinese press, radio and television. We were contacted by news agencies as far afield as New Zealand and cropped up on websites as diverse as the India Times and LADbible. I was even invited to chat on Jeremy Vine’s radio show. I have never known a find spark so much interest. Wherever I go, people are still talking about it.
In what has been a difficult year for us all, I was delighted to help make some good news. And I hope the success of the Chinese wine ewer will inspire you to bring along your antiques for valuation at Hansons. Its owner was so unsure about it, he picked out a few other random objects to bring with him, just in case we laughed when he produced the tiny teapot
He dropped into our Etwall Auction Centre to use our free valuation service and the rest, as they say, is history. So, if you’ve always wondered if an object tucked away at home is special, come on down.
Right now, we are sourcing lots for our October 29 Derbyshire Fine Art Auction with entries invited until October 10. To help you understand what sells well, here are some of the top selling items in our September Fine Art sales.
A find boasting immense Derbyshire pedigree was lot 555, a George III John Whitehurst of Derby mahogany sign-post barometer, inscribed and dated 1766. It sold for £7,200. Whitehurst, a scientist and clockmaker, was part of the Midlands Enlightenment, a man with great vision and intellect.
Ceramics always sell well and lot 429, a Royal Worcester fruit-painted coffee set, circa 1920s to post-war, soared to an impressive £3,800. On the same theme, lot 399, a Moorcroft Moonlit Blue vase, circa 1935-40, was contested to £3,000. Beswick, Doulton, Crown Derby, studio pottery, Meissen and more are always welcome in our sales.
One item I was particularly delighted to see do well was lot 564, a Gillow & Co mid-Victorian walnut and marquetry ormolu mounted credenza which achieved £2,900. Gillow & Co was an English furniture-making firm based in Lancaster, Lancashire and London. Initially founded in circa 1730 by Robert Gillow (1704–1772), it became a byword for quality.
Gillow was owned by the family until 1814 when it was taken over by Redmayne, Whiteside, and Ferguson but the Gillow name remained in use. Such is its pedigree, novelist Jane Austen made reference to Gillow.
Another piece of furniture to impress was lot 548, a George III mahogany serpentine fronted chest of drawers, circa 1765, which made £800
And I can’t possibly forget one of the cheeriest Etwall Auction Centre finds. Brought along to a free jewellery and silver valuation day with Kate Bliss was lot 523, a wonderful German Oiseau Chanteur automaton singing bird box in gilt metal in the manner of Karl Griesbaum. Just as we hoped, it sold for £1,000. Kate will be back at Etwall Auction Centre on Wednesday October 14, 10am-3pm.
Perhaps we should finish off as we started with some oriental stars. Lot 483, two Chinese circular bronze mirrors, Qing Dynasty, sold for £1,200 and lot 460, a Chinese famille rose double-walled reticulated porcelain vase and cover, late Qing Dynasty, 19th Century, sold for £950.
These results prove once again that auctions are buoyant despite the unprecedented times we are living in. Our economy may be reeling from the effects of Covid-19, but there are still thousands of people around the world keen to buy at auction. And that is good news if you have something to sell.
Our airy valuation marquee is open six days a week at Hansons, Heage Lane, Etwall, Derbyshire DE65 6LS. Drop by Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm, Wednesday 5-7pm and Saturday, 9am-noon. Plus, wine and whisky expert Benjamin Browning will be available for free wine and whisky valuations on October 6, 10am-12.30pm. No appointments are necessary and safety regulations are adhered to. Appointments can be made outside these hours seven days a week and free home visits can be booked. Could you have the next big find to make the whole world smile? Email: [email protected].
