The old world allure of classic card tables proved irresistible in Hansons’ Christmas Fine Art Auction.
Elegant card tables were were a must-have in wealthy homes in days gone by. These beautifully crafted items of furniture were a popular place to retire to after dinner to enjoy, perhaps, a game of whist, primero or piquet.
Card games are still popular today, which may have helped the hammer fall at £1,300 for lot 420, a George III inlaid walnut and mahogany serpentine fold-over games/card table. The top opened to reveal a fabulous green velvet-lined surface. It sold for more than five times its humble estimate of £200-£300.
In similar vein a hammer price of £1,000 was achieved for a George III inlaid mahogany fold-over, demi-lune card table, below, guided at £200-£300.
These strikingly well-made, quality pieces hark back to a different age when dinner was followed by a game of cards in the drawing room at sophisticated soirees.
Classic furniture, out of fashion for so long, appears to be coming back into vogue generally. Lot 416, a George II walnut veneered knee-hole desk with a rectangular moulded top and brass swing handles achieved £660.
Old style grandeur also came to the fore courtesy of lot 268, a pair of North European probably Dutch brass candlesticks, circa 1660, below. They soared to £1,500 thanks to their appealing square-cluster columns and decorative coronet tied foliage.
However, the relentless demand for oriental decorative items sparked one of the strongest results of the sale. A pair of early 20th century Chinese porcelain brush pots, decorated with white ground simulated bamboo canes, dragons, tigers, fish, birds, trees, rocks and foliage, hammered at £4,000. This demolished their £100-£200 estimate.
Charles Hanson said: “New auction trends are always emerging at auction and it’s a joy to see classic furniture doing so well again. Brown antique furniture has spent a period of time in the doldrums but these items were built to late and demonstrate skilled craftsmanship rarely seen today.
“Card tables are also proving popular and we were thrilled to see two examples sell for five to six times their estimates. Perhaps they have been purchased for Christmas family gatherings. They are a perfect size for most modern homes and ideal to be used for their original purpose.
“However, the top lot in this sale was, once again, inspired by Chinese ceramics. This stems from a seemingly unquenchable desire from wealthy buyers in the Far East to return works to their homeland and celebrate China’s phenomenal ceramics heritage.”
Lot 339, a pair of early 20th Century Chinese porcelain brush pots, white ground simulated bamboo canes painted with central red ribbons with dragons, tigers, fish, birds, trees, rocks, foliage with blue fencing and lamps, achieved £4,000 from a £100-£200 guide.
Results in Hansons’ Bishton Christmas Fine Art sale similar mirrored these buyer themes. A Chinese Garden seat, Dragons and Pheonix , late Qing Dynasty, c.1900, achieved £640 from its low estimate of £300 In addition, an oak four-poster bed with drapes hammered at £1,500.
Auction entries invited
Entries are invited for Derbyshire and Bishton Hall’s spring Fine Art auctions.
To book a free valuation or home visit, email [email protected] or call 01283 733988.
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