Garden Statuary, Furniture & Sculpture

Summers Place Auctions’ combined Garden Statuary and Natural History Autumn sale took place in Billingshurst, West Sussex on Tuesday, 21st October 2014 and saw contemporary sculpture doing particularly well.

Among the more traditional lots, a rare Coadestone armorial for the Founders Company, stamped “Coade and Sealy, Lambeth, 1800” sold for £7,500. It was most probably removed from the facade of the Founders Hall in London, and we are pleased to announce that it has been bought by the Founders Company to return to their London hall.

Other Coadestone lots did well in the sale with two pairs of Coadestone finals, from 1830, selling for £8,750 and £9,375 respectively – over double their low estimate – after fierce bidding in the room and on the phones.

Rare Double Sundial

One of the highlights among this part of the sale was the fine and rare double-horizontal brass sundial from circa 1690, bearing the Arms and motto of the Cornwallis family, signed Henricus Wynne Londini Fecit

and inscribed and constructed for latitude 52° 24′ N. The sundial measures an impressive 69 cm (27 in) in diameter and the dial plate is seated on three bronze bearings upon a 130 cm high Portland stone plinth with octagonal top and four volute supports. It sold for £25,000 to a private UK telephone bidder.

Camden-Horse-Sale-Results

The modern part of the statuary sale saw the Camden Lock Market bronzes sell very well – top lots were the two monumental bronze horse’s heads (est. £15,000-25,000), which sold for £45,000 and £50,000 and were bought by the same client over the phone. The horses will be going to a private European collector.

Richard Cresswell’s Spitfire created a bit of a battle in the saleroom and on the phone, with it eventually selling to a phone bidder for £25,000 against an estimate of £8,000-12,000. Made of mirror polished stainless steel and 260 cm high and 200 cm wide, it is only one of five made by the artist who has a background in design and engineering. The spitfire went to an Irish private collector.

Among the contemporary artists, David Norris (Emperor Penguin and Chick bronze,£6,875), Martin Williams (Pecking, £12,500), Dorothy Brook (After the Ball, £8,500), Simon Wyard (Daughters of Janus, £25,000), Ann Vrielinck (Think Talk Tell, £18,750) and Martyn Barratt (Leaf bench II, £5,625) also did well.

With the Evolution sale coming up in November, the Natural History part of the sale included mainly lower estimate lots. The surprise lot was the Mute Swan, which sold for £1,125.  Antlers were popular, while fossils, minerals and taxidermy all did equally well.

james-ryland-chairman-of-summers-placeJames Rylands, auctioneer and Garden Statuary specialist, said: “I am pleased that the monumental bronze horse heads were hotly contested and are delighted that the history of these iconic pieces were reflected in the price. The market for contemporary sculpture showed some promising results.”

*all prices include Buyers’ Premium

For further information on the auction, please visit www.summersplaceauctions.com or call 01403 331331.

Summers Place Auctions are the world’s leading auctioneers of Garden Statuary and fossil decoration. The sales are held in the new award winning 5000sq ft gallery nestling within 6 acres of walled gardens and the arboretum of the Victorian mansion, Summers Place.

Their specialist sales of Sculpture and Design for the House and Garden in May and October include examples of the finest garden ornaments. Regular Natural History sales are also taking place with the main sale in November.

 

Forthcoming Sales:

26th November – Evolution live sale

 

Sales in 2015

14th – 15th April – Garden, Design & Natural History

9th – 10th June – Garden, Design & Natural History

8th – 9th September – Garden, Design & Natural History

25th November – Evolution

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014