Lawrences of Crewkerne

Lawrences of Crewkerne is a Somerset auction house which can trace its beginnings back to the early 19th century. The business underwent a management buyout in 1992 led by Helen Carless who became managing director. The firm was then acquired in 2022 by Swedish online auction platform Auctionet.

Lawrences of Crewkerne hosts a number of sales every month. The sales are dedicated to different fields such as books, maps, manuscripts, decorative antiques, fine art, clocks, furniture and rugs.


Helen Nisbet

New hires, mergers and launches: the latest Movers & Shakers in the world of art and antiques

13 April 2023

A new CEO at arts hub Cromwell Place is among the latest recruitment and business updates.

img_27-1.jpg

Gouaches given a seal of approval

13 March 2023

A pair of unusual works on paper by the Anglo-American painter George Henry Boughton (1833-1905) struck a chord with bidders at a sale in Somerset.

img_22-1.jpg

Somerset saleroom reaps rewards from series of auctions in the new year

13 February 2023

Lawrences of Crewkerne kicks off 2023 with an extensive £1m (premium-inclusive) series of sales over several days

img_18-1.jpg

How pictures ‘attributed to’ or ‘after’ an artist can still attract plenty of interest

06 February 2023

The market for ‘after’ or ‘attributed to’ works is often rather unpredictable. While some works will inevitably fall flat at auction, others sometimes take off.

img_11-3.jpg

Spoon dated 1796 served Lord Nelson

30 January 2023

This otherwise mundane late 18th century fiddle pattern silver dessert spoon is from Lord Nelson’s first personal service.

img_32-1.jpg

Goodwin buyer ahead of the game

14 November 2022

Tory politician acquired the artist’s watercolours before London dealer raised the profile

img_33-1.jpg

Sheila Fell is ‘on the crest of a wave’, says auctioneer

14 November 2022

Outside the John Patten collection at Lawrences of Crewkerne on October 12 were several other good-quality pictures boosting the bottom line.

img_14-1.jpg

Coper and Rie studio pottery supply stays healthy

31 October 2022

Ceramics by Hans Coper (1920-81) and Lucie Rie (1902-95) have been assimilated into the collecting sphere of Modern British art with spectacular effect.

img_12-3.jpg

Perfume burners and famous horse set the saleroom pace

24 October 2022

Leading the sale of Fine Furniture, Works of Art & Clocks at Woolley & Wallis (25/12% buyer’s premium) in Salisbury on October 6 was a very fine pair of blue john and ormolu perfume burners by Matthew Boulton and John Fothergill.

img_11-2.jpg

Hans Coper Spade vase unearthed from lord and lady's collection

03 October 2022

The sale at Lawrences of Crewkerne on October 12 includes a collection of studio ceramics formed by Lord and Lady Peyton of Yeovil.

img_47-3.jpg

Tennyson portrayed by Julia Margaret Cameron

12 September 2022

Estimated at £3000-4000, this 9½ x 12in (24 x 30.5cm) albumen print by Julia Margaret Cameron of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, is offered in the Books, Maps, Manuscripts & Photography auction on September 15 at Lawrences of Crewkerne.

img_14-5.jpg

Angling for Worcester teapot

29 August 2022

This Worcester teapot, offered for sale at Lawrences (25% buyer’s premium) in Crewkerne, dates from the first decade of factory production: c.1755-57.

img_25-1.jpg

‘Manner of Solario’ work ready for restoration project

22 August 2022

A portrait of a young man once thought to be a self-portrait by the Milanese artist Andrea Solario (1460-1524) attracted keen enquiries ahead of sale.

img_17-5.jpg

Go batty about a brooch

22 August 2022

Although, thanks in part to Bram Stoker’s Dracula (first published in 1897), bats have acquired a reputation as ‘creatures of the night’ in many cultures they are viewed as symbols of luck or reincarnation.

img_10-5.jpg

Trafalgar celebrated with a splash of vinegar

15 August 2022

This example of the well-known Nelson memorial vinaigrette made by Matthew Linwood of Birmingham in 1805 sold for £2800 at Lawrences (25% buyer’s premium) of Crewkerne.

img_16-3.jpg

See the one that got away on sale day at a weighty £17,000

27 June 2022

This impressive carved and painted wooden half-block model of a salmon measures an impressive 4ft 10in (1.48m) across.

img_23-1.jpg

Lesser names become estimate-busters in Somerset sale

20 June 2022

Strong prices do not always have to be seven, six or even five figure sums.

img_12-1.jpg

Medals: not just for the military

13 June 2022

Spotlight on honours sold recently includes courageous lifesavers from civilian backgrounds.

img_19-8.jpg

Get the ultimate dressing-up set

30 May 2022

The numerous coronations offer a chance to buy more esoteric objects at auction.

img_27-1.jpg

Acropolis comes into the fold

02 May 2022

The view of the Acropolis shown here is part of a three-section, folding litho panorama found in Selina Bracebridge’s Notes Descriptive of a Panoramic Sketch of Athens…

News

Categories