Examples included a 4in (10cm) squat Pilkingtons Richard Joyce vase, a pair of Grays handpainted 141/2in (37cm) diameter chargers and and a 101/2in (26cm) tall Royal Doulton Jackdaw of Rheims jardinière.
The mottled green and blue vase with iridescent lustre fishes among weeds, carrying Joyce’s monogram, made £630 against a £200-300 estimate and the pink lustre chargers, decorated with medieval-style griffins, bearing a monogram and carrying hopes of £150-200, went at £550.
The jardinière, painted with two scenes from the Rheims story, had suffered a firing crack to the interior and crazing and went a little under estimate at £320.
The Decorative boom is not quite the same as the interior decorator boom but the two are intertwined and it’s a moot point about how many of what were always quintessential collectors’ items now sell on their interesting looks. Such a piece cropped up among the silver – a stylish twin-handled wax jack by
Henry Chawner, London 1792. Illustrated here, the 63/4in (17cm) 5oz piece once had the practical application of providing a stand for a coil of taper to be used for melting sealing wax.
Only the most recherché of clients would want to put it to use these days but the 5oz bright cut item with oval thumbplate undoubtedly had an eye-catching stylish design and it sold at £1000.
As usual, however, the best prices were taken by good mid-range George III mahogany staples such as a set of dining chairs, a demi-lune tea table, a chest of drawers. and a bureau. The 10 (8+2) chairs with rectangular moulded backs with vertical splats, outswept moulded and turned arms, drop in seats and tapered legs with H-stretchers, took a lower estimate £2500 but the 3ft 11/2in (95cm) tea table with inlaid foldover top went way above its £700 higher estimate to sell at £1850.
The 2ft 61/2in (77cm) wide four-drawer chest with crossbanded top and the 3ft 9in (1.15m) bureau with writing surface and fall enclosing pigeon- holes above three long graduated drawers were comparative disappointments, selling at £1400 and £100 respectively.
Wintertons, Lichfield, February 1
Buyer’s premium: 10 per cent
Decorative touches lift Lichfield sale
UK: THE Staffordshire auctioneers are the latest to introduce a Decorative Arts section to their sales to catch the current market trend and, although in this case, these largely comprised the sort of 20th century ceramics seen in most rooms, giving them their own section appeared to pay off.
