Discoveries

Malborough's Rediscovered Gem

One of the most dramatic recent rediscoveries we made was a missing gem that had been part of one of the most important 18th century English collections - the Marlborough Gems. The carved sard intaglio, mounted in a later gold ring had survived for nearly a 1000 years. Acquired by the fourth Duke of Marlborough (1739-1817) this Roman intaglio ring had formed part of his vast collection at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock. 

An inheritance via marriage sparked the Duke, William Cavendish's interest in engraved ancient Graeco Roman gems.  This particular intaglio ring, dating back to 30-83BC and depicting Mark Anthony, had been amongst a number of important known missing items from the Duke's personal collection, which had been lost following the Christie's auction of his collection some 200 years after his death. The family, who asked us to value the gem, still had an original copy of the 1899 Christie's auction catalogue.

The rediscovered gem was sold by Cheffins in Cambridge for £45,720. 

The Cat's Whiskers

We uncovered a pretty painting, 'The Cat', by the English artist Sir William Nicholson (1872-1949), father of the celebrated abstract painter Ben Nicholson. The shutters and continental style of the house with its subtle slightly worn facade led Patricia Reed, who produced the Catalogue Raisonné for Nicholson's oil paintings in 2011, to conclude that this picture was probably begun during a visit to Seville in Spain.
 

Reed thought that the title character 'The Cat' was possibly added at a slightly later stage. The artist cleverly visualising how the little black and white cat not only adds balance but animation to this Seville street scene.

This beautifully understated picture went on to sell at Bonhams for £47,560. 

An Officer and Georgian Gentleman's Set

This ingenious Officer's travelling cutlery set certainly conjured up images of William Makepeace Thackeray's 'Vanity Fair'. Military action in the 18th and early 19th centuries often prompted makers to innovate design to improve portability - 'campaign' chests being a perfect example.  

The Silver-gilt cups and smart red case would have been the perfect match for a Georgian officer's uniform and undoubtedly Thackeray's notorious anti-heroine, Becky Sharp, would have had her eye on this desirable set while her husband, Rawdon Crawley, was on campaign at Waterloo.

It proved equally desirable in the 21st Century selling for £4,826.

Luminescent Lalique

An ethereal 1920s powder puff holder by renowned Art Deco French glassmaker, René Lalique, achieved £980 at Cheffins when we included it in a Spring Decorative Arts sale. The attractive 'Tokio' design was, like many works of art of the period, influenced by elegant Oriental aesthetics. Semi-translucent glass providing the ideal material for Lalique to stylise the complex central structure of a Chrysanthemum flower. 

Tanahill's Travelling Inspiration

This playful sculpture by contemporary artist Max Tannahill was sold at Cheffins for £4064.  Tannahill is originally from Northern Ireland but his work has been influenced by travel. Taking inspiration from as far afield as Australia, where he fell in love with indigenous aboriginal art, to the flotsam and jetsam of the shorelines of the Essex Coast Tannahill's work is often created from and directed by, discarded material recovered between sand and sea.

Decorators' Delight

A Chinese footbath decorated with peonies, exotic birds and lion masks found favour with bidders at Rowley's Auction House (based in Ely). The art market has, over the last decade, seen a rise in interest in all things Chinese particularly items emerging from private collections, as this piece did, with many returning home to keen collectors in China. This highly decorative 18th-century glazed footbath eventually sold for £3750.

Constable's Winchester Drawing Hits the Mark in London

Orginal Constable drawings rarely appear in private hands so a pretty view of Winchester's West Gate by this great British artist was a real find. It seemed particularly appropriate that we should uncover it in his beloved Suffolk. It went on to sell successfully at one of Bonhams' 19th-century sales making £22,800.

Captain Scott’s Son -Artist and Naturalist 

Artist, Sir Peter Markham Scott, was just 2 when his father, Captain Scott, died in Antartica.  In his last letter home, Captain Scott asked his wife to encourage their only son to take an interest in wildlife saying - ‘it’s better than games’.  Peter was not to disappoint and this painting discovered in a private collection was sold through Cheffins in Cambridge for £10,500.                     

Fabulous Fabergé 

We sold this Edwardian silver cigarette case on behalf of a private East Anglian client, through specialist Decorative Art auctioneers, Matthew Barton Limited in London(now part of the Olympia Auction Group). Originally catalogued with a top estimate of £6,000 this desirable jewelled case, signed in Cyrillic by Karl Fabergé, eventually made £10,980.