Furniture

A 14th century French gothic ivory casket or coffret that was completely unknown to the public until shortly before its sale at auction in 2021 has emerged in a UK private collection and is now also the subject of a new book.

Brownrigg, a furniture and decorative dealer in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, is partnering with Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler of Pimlico Road.

Three Arts & Crafts oak furnishings that Charles Rohlfs (1853-1936) created for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, turned in strong performances at Toomey & Co (27% buyer’s premium) in Chicago, Illinois.

A pair of c.1780 George III giltwood mirrors, each measuring 4ft 7in x 2ft 6in (1.39m x 76cm), hammered for $32,500 (£24,035) against a guide of $15,000-20,000 at Roland NY (25% buyer’s premium).

Two early furnishings by the Dutch designer and architect Gerrit Rietveld (1888-1964) beat their guides at Wright (27% buyer’s premium) in Chicago, Illinois. Both came with primary provenances.

This George II giltwood mirror in the Chippendale rococo taste c.1755 sold well over hopes for £20,000 at Moore Allen & Innocent (21% buyer’s premium).

Auction house expert eulogises about a French 17th century piece of furniture ‘jewel for the eyes’

A George III bonheur du jour offered for sale at Roseberys (26/25/20% buyer’s premium) in south London provided a fascinating window onto the collecting tastes of the British aristocracy in the 18th century.

Auctions like this don’t come along often these days.

My local auction house Burstow & Hewett at Battle raised their status with remarkable singleowner collection (ATG No 2702).

French château contents sales, like their equivalent country house sales in the UK, still surface occasionally on the auction market.

Back in July 2019, Lawrences in Crewkerne set a new high for a Mouseman carving when a pair of elephant bookends by master carver Stan Dodds (1928-2012) sold at £10,000.

This stoneware pond by Robert Wallace Martin, measuring 6ft 6in (2m) across, comprises 40 architectural elements, each incised with fish and aquatic creatures among water weeds.

A fine example of French Art Nouveau furniture more than doubled its high estimate at Collective Hudson (30% buyer’s premium) in Kingston, New York.

Paxton House in Berwick-upon-Tweed has been reunited with an important Regency sofa it had lost for a century.

A recent sale at Canterbury Auction Galleries (20% buyer’s premium) was led by this example of early English furniture: an oak aumbry or dole cupboard.