The King’s Coronation is drawing near and the nation looks set to celebrate in style if the demand for silverware at auction is anything to go by, writes Charles Hanson.
Silver cutlery, candelabra, tea sets, punch bows and condiment sets are sought after and that warms my heart. Dining in style is something few of us find the time to do and yet that special-occasion-meal feel is so important and enjoyable.
Like many people I watch the dining experiences displayed on TV shows like Downton Abbey or period dramas and can’t help but hanker for the past. Oh for the time when TV dinners were unheard of, silver sparkled and crystal glasses shimmered in the candlelight.
Nevertheless, I was heartened when browsing through the results of Derbyshire’s March 30 Fine Art Auction. Bidders galore snapped up silverware to create table flair. Diamonds, designer watches and Chinese ceramics were in hot demand too, all items fit for a king or coronation celebration.
The top ceramics lots may spark a memory as Hansons made international news thanks to the discovery of Imperial Chinese porcelain in a cardboard box of random items brought to our saleroom by a client from Etwall, the Derbyshire village Hansons is proud to calls home.
His treasures, found on our doorstep, soared to glory. The hammer fell at £63,000 for lot 357, four Chinese Ming Dynasty wucai porcelain dragon and phoenix dishes. In addition, lot 358, an Imperial porcelain yellow ground medallion bowl, Daoguang (1821-1850), achieved £14,500 and lot 359, an Imperial porcelain famille rose pink ground medallion bowl, Daoguang (1821-1850), made £8,800.
But they were far from the only items to excel. The aforementioned fine silver proved popular. Its arrival at auction reminds me that many people have valuable silverware tucked away. If you’re considering selling now certainly appears to be a good time.
Good quality vintage silver as well as antiques impressed. For example, lot 11, a silver beaded Old English pattern flatware cutlery service hallmarked ‘Carrs of Sheffield, 1993’, soared to £1,800. Also relatively modern was lot 38, an elegant silver mounted glass claret jug, hallmarked ‘ Garrard & Co., Birmingham, 1972’. It made £110 from a £60-£80 guide. Items like this, often gifts bought to mark weddings and anniversaries, are kept for best or never used, making them even more desirable.
I was swept back to 1950s fine dining by lot 45, a pair of Neo-Classical-style candelabrum, hallmarked ‘Joseph Gloster, Birmingham, 1959 ‘. They made £210, from a £120-£180 guide. More stylish silver from the 1950s came courtesy of lot 96, a Georgian-style salver tray by Joseph Gloster Ltd, Birmingham, 1959. It reached £480, surpassing its £300-£400 estimate.
And I particularly liked lot 18, a Queen Anne-style silver punch bowl made by Edward Barnard & Sons of London, in 1904. This ornate silverware cheered the saleroom, soaring to £1,600 from a low estimate of £800.
Silver teapots and tea services attracted strong bidding too. Lot 13, a beautiful George III Irish silver rectangular teapot, profusely chased and engraved with flowers and foliage and hallmarked by Stephen Bergin, Dublin, 1818, made £340.
Sophisticated oriental tea-drinking came to the fore in lot 134, a circa 1900 Chinese export silver three-piece tea service with matching sugar tongs. Hallmarked by Wang Hing & Co of Hong Kong, it made £1,700 from a £800-£1,200 guide.
If the silver is polished for the coronation spectacle the diamonds are ready to sparkle too. This gemstone is in hot demand and smashing estimates. The March Fine Art sale saw lot 116, a diamond and 18ct gold three-stone ring, achieve £8,000, more than double its £2,500-£3,500 guide.
In similar vein, lot 115, early 20th century diamond and platinum drop earrings, made £4,600 from a £2,500-£3,500 guide. Dazzling bidders, too, was lot 103, a diamond solitaire 9ct gold ring. It soared to £3,900 from a £1,500-£2,000 guide.
The top 10 lots also welcomed vintage timepieces. Watches are hugely popular collectors’ items. In March, lot 141, a Patek Philippe gentleman’s World Time 18ct rose gold wristwatch, sold for £25,000.
In addition, lot 125, a 1950s Jaeger Le Coultre 9ct gold Chronometre Geophysic watch, achieved £8,500 from a £4,000 estimate and lot 126, a gentleman’s Rolex steel cased Yacht-master superlative chronometer, with authentication card and original box, reached £5,500.
Results like these delight clients, demonstrate auction bidding power and underline the fact that many people prefer to invest in tangible assets in difficult economic times.
Auction entries invited
Entries are invited until May 8 for Derbyshire’s June 29-30 Fine Art Auction. To book a valuation of silver, jewellery, watches, ceramics, or any type of antique or collectable, please call 01283 733988 or email [email protected].
