Bids up 10 percent at first sale of the year

 

THE blanket of snow that covered Cirencester on Friday caused no problems for auctioneers or bidders at Moore Allen & Innocent’s first sale of the year  – but a rug covering a large area of the saleroom floor caused a bit of a stir.

 

Carrying an estimate of £40 to £60, there were looks of surprise all round as the hammer fell on a 3.5m by 2.8m foliate-decorated Turkish rug at £820 – more than twenty times its lower estimate.

 

Elsewhere, the falling snow did nothing to discourage bidders from chasing a couple of icy droplets, as a pair of South Sea Pearl and diamond drop earrings in an 18ct white gold setting sold for their estimate price of £1,500, achieving the accolade of top price of the day.

 

Overall, sale attendance was good, despite an expected low turnout because of the weather at the viewing event the day before, and dealers and collectors bid in excess of £47,000 – up 10 percent on the same sale in 2009.

 

The sale had its fair share of unusual lots. A 92cm-tall Ming Dynasty carved tethering post in the shape of a figure sat upon a mythical beast achieved £680 against an estimate of £400 to £500.

 

And a life-sized painted plaster bust of a bald-headed, screaming humanoid, modelled by the movie prop-maker Peter Moole and which graced the cover of the auction catalogue, sold for £75, towards the top end of its £50 to £80 estimate.

 

It was a good sale for furniture too. An 18th century oak dresser with two drawers above two panel doors made £680. A 19th century giltwood and gesso framed mirror, with floral decoration, made £660 against a £600 to £800 estimate.

 

A set of four chairs in the style of Arne Jacobsen’s Series 7, model 3107 – made famous by a famous portrait of a naked Christine Keeler taken in the wake of the Profumo scandal, made £270 against a £200 to £300 estimate.

 

And a pair of early 20th century oak dressers with three-tier plate racks over four drawers and six pigeonholes, which for many years stood in popular Cirencester bakery Viners, achieved £210 and £230 respectively, against a £100 to £150 estimate on each.

 

The next general and antiques sale at Moore Allen & Innocent will be held on Friday, January 22. This will be followed by the biannual Sporting Sale on Friday, February 5.

 


A pair of South Sea Pearl and diamond drop earrings in an 18ct white gold setting sold for their estimate price of £1,500. A set of four teak-faced plywood chairs designed by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen and made famous by a naked Christine Keeler

A pair of South Sea Pearl and diamond drop earrings in an 18ct white gold setting sold for their estimate price of £1,500.

A set of four chairs in the style of Arne Jacobsen’s Series 7, model 3107 – made famous by a famous portrait of a naked Christine Keeler taken in the wake of the Profumo scandal, made £270.

 A life-sized horror film prop, signed by sculptor Peter Moole A life-sized painted plaster bust of a bald-headed, screaming humanoid, modelled by the movie prop-maker Peter Moole and which graced the cover of the auction catalogue, sold for £75.

 

 
Circa 1913 dressers from the former Viner's bakery in Castle Street, Cirencester A 92cm-tall Ming Dynasty carved tethering post in the shape of a figure sat upon a mythical beast achieved £680.

A pair of early 20th century oak dressers with three-tier plate racks over four drawers and six pigeonholes, which for many years stood in popular Cirencester bakery Viners, achieved £210 and £230 respectively.

A 92cm-tall Ming Dynasty carved tethering post in the shape of a figure sat upon a mythical beast achieved £680.