Meanwhile, demand remains steady for Channel Islands silver and 16 of the 19 such lots found buyers, the most expensive being the highlight of the 310-lot outing on July 22.
This was a christening cup dating to c.1760-1810 and weighing a little over 1.5oz with the Guernsey maker’s mark IA. Later engraved JIG Don de son Perrain 1807, the cup had featured in R.H. Mayne’s 1969 book Old Channel Islands Silver, and at Martel Maides it tripled hopes when it sold at £3100.
An 11oz Guernsey silver tankard dating to c.1720-1767 brought £1650 and a second Guernsey christening cup dating to c.1725-85 initialled PDIR (Pierre de Jersey), fetched £1550.
Firearms are a fairly new specialism for Martel Maides, but although specialist Norman Wilkinson described the estimates as “a shot in the dark”, buyers were found for all bar two entries.
The most expensive entry in the 14-lot section was a W.C. Scott & Co., figured walnut wildfowling shotgun c.1885 that fetched £2300.
Islands’ silver still shines on Guernsey
INTEREST from UK furniture dealers in these Channel Islands sales may have waned of late, but Martel Maides (15% buyer's premium) reckon they are benefiting from Jersey’s lack of a permanent fine art saleroom (although the annual Bonhams sale at St Helier comes round this month).
