Battered and bruised antiques make top dollar

BATTERED and bruised antiques proved their potential by achieving top dollar at Moore Allen & Innocent’s sale of selected antiques last week.

A discoloured and stained dining table with missing leaves achieved the top price of the day at the Cirencester auction, making £12,500 against an estimate of £3,000 to £5,000, thanks to its restoration potential.

The late Regency mahogany dining table measured a generous 2.5 metres long by 1.5 metres wide.

Auctioneer Philip Allwood said: “This was once a lovely table and it will be a lovely table again. It’s rare to find one of that size.”

Similarly, a Japanese moonflask in poor condition achieved the third highest price of the day – £3,000. The 19th century carved flask, featuring a quail on one side and a pheasant on the other, carried an estimate of £150 to £300.

“It was badly damaged, especially to the top, with cracks and splits,” said Philip. It’s rare to find a Japanese moonflask in wood and, again, this piece has good restoration potential, which is why bidders were prepared to spend ten times the top estimate on it.”

In far better condition was a 1930s Rolex Prince wristwatch. With an estimate of £1,000 to £1,500, the hammer eventually fell at £3,400. The rhodium plated silver watch came in a red leather case fitted case with retailer’s stamp of Alfred Chillcott & Co, Park Street, Bristol.

Also from the thirties, a Shelley China advertising figure modelled as a young woman seated on a pillar and holding a cup of tea, wearing a fox stole over her shoulder, made £2,800 – comfortably within the £2,000 to £3,000 estimate.

Back in the furniture section, an early 20th century walnut bow-fronted chest by Gordon Russell of Broadway, Worcestershire achieved £2,300 against a £1,000 to £1,500 estimate, and a set of 19th century mahogany dining chairs in the Chippendale taste sold for £2,000 – bang on estimate.

“People in the industry like to write off brown furniture, but good pieces continue to attract considerable interest from dealers and collectors,” said Philip.

The next auction at Moore Allen & Innocent is the general sale on Friday, October 9 from 10am. For more information about buying and selling at auction, log on to www.mooreallen.co.uk/furniturefinearts

A Japanese moonflask in poor condition, which achieved the third highest price of the day – £3,000	A Shelley China advertising figure, which made £2,800	A 1930s Rolex Prince wristwatch, which sold for £3,400
A discoloured and stained late Regency mahogany dining table, which sold for £12,500