Bellmans, Billingshurst June 15-17 Buyer’s premium: 15 per cent
Best of the ceramics, by some way, was an Italian wet drug jar, believed to be a 16th century piece made in Faenza. Featuring an angled handle and short spout, it had at some stage been sliced across the bottom and repaired.
However, with its profile portrait of a lady and titled La Locretia to the reverse, it was an attractive piece and a local collector had to fight off four rivals on the telephone before securing it at £1950, some five times the mid estimate.
The Nelson touch worked its usual magic among the glass when a pair of dated 1805 rummers with bucket-shaped bowls engraved with HMS Victory, the other with Nelson’s funeral carriage, went over estimate at £850.
Silver included a reference to another martial hero. An early 20th century Swedish lidded peg tankard was inscribed as being presented at the opening of Early School’s rifle range at Ascot by Field Marshall Earl Roberts VC, 14th July 1906. It sold to a Kent dealer at £700.
La Locretia helps sell 16th century drug jar
THE unexpected success of the pair of library chairs discussed above led the way at the Wisborough Green saleroom, but there was keen action, mainly in the three-figure range, across the three days when 1800 lots were offered.
