Leading the day was a fine Regency mahogany linen press.
A “lovely piece”, the press, with moulded cornice over a cupboard fitted with the original five pullout trays, had twin marquetry and satinwood crossbanding to the doors and was inlaid to the corners with satinwood marquetry fans. and a Morecambe dealer took it at £3300.
Also among the furniture, a good Regency rosewood and cut brass inlaid foldover top pedestal card table appealed to the trade. At 3ft (91cm) wide, the table was rather sun bleached to the base, but the top was “sparkling” following years of being kept covered and it sold at £2300.
Underbid by a phone bidder from Manhattan was another Regency piece, – a circular gilt mirror surmounted by an eagle on a moulded breakfront plinth fitted with a pair of candle sconces each with 12 prismatic cut lustre drops. Measuring 3ft 4in by 3ft (1.01m x 91cm), it brought £2600 from the West Country trade.
Plainly weather on the Borders was no deterrence to long-distance bids and a London dealer took a majolica blue ground circular dish and cover with pink interior. Locally and privately consigned, the dish was in “beautiful” condition, and sold over the phone at £900.
Jack Dudgeon, Berwick-upon-Tweed,
February 5
Buyer’s premium: 10 per cent
Phone bidders beat blizzards
UK: HEAVY snow on the morning of this 360-lot dispersal in Northumberland resulted in an influx of phone bids and a distinct lack of private buyers. However, bidding was competitive enough to bring a total of around £50,000 exceeding Mr Dudgeon’s expectations.
