What to buy: Five auctions to watch this week (October 8-14 2018)

1.Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood: Robert Manwaring style George III dining chairs

A set of eight George III carved mahogany dining chairs in the manner of Robert Manwaring will lead Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood’s sale in Exeter on October 9-10.

Consigned from Kingsnympton Park, a large estate in Devon, the group is estimated at £30,000-50,000.  

The 18^th century furniture designer and cabinet maker trading from the Haymarket was a contemporary and imitator of Thomas Chippendale. There is no evidence of marked or documented furniture by him and instead he is best remembered for a series of publications in the 1760s of Rococo, Chinese and Gothic designs, from which these chairs derive. Among his writings were The Carpenters' Compleat Guide to Gothic Railing (1765); and The Chair-makers' Guide (1766).

2. Sworders: Fairyland Malfrey pot vase and cover

Fairyland Lustre by Wedgwood was created in the inter-war period by Daisy Makeig-Jones. Coming to the market for the first time since it was bought in New Zealand nearly a century ago, a 13in (33cm) high vase and cover, or ‘malfrey pot’ (shape number 2312 and pattern number 24968), will be offered at Sworders on October 10. Known as Ghostly Wood, it references the drawings of illustrators such as Edmund Dulac, Arthur Rackham and Kay Neilsen. The vase comes with its original receipt, dated January 27, 1926, on headed paper for John Bates & Co, China and Crystal Specialists, Christchurch, New Zealand. It was bought for £31,10s and passed by descent to the current vendor who now lives in the UK. It carries an estimate of £20,000-25,000 at Sworders’ October 10 sale of 20th Century Decorative Art and Design.

3. Cheffins: Charles Robert Ashbee necklace

 Charles Robert Ashbee (1863-1942) was the founder of the Guild of Handicraft and this yellow metal, pearl and enamel necklace is attributed to him. The original design for the necklace is illustrated in a page from the Guild’s first catalogue, published in about 1895 and described as a necklace of ‘Blue Enamel set with Pearls’.

Offered in its original fitted case, it is guided at £2000-4000 at Cheffins of Cambridge’s October 11 auction.

4. Fellows: Andrew Grima ring

 The 1960s and 70s were the peak years for jewellery designer Andrew Grima (1921-2007). He had galleries in London, Zurich, New York, Tokyo and Sydney and his designs were worn by royalty and the stars of the day. His distinctive and daring pieces are now in demand on the secondary market - the biggest name among a group of again-fashionable post-war British jewellery designers. Birmingham’s Fellows is selling an extensive private collection of jewellery from the Seventies, including a range of pieces by Grima . In its October 11 Antique and Modern Jewellery sale is this 1970s 18ct gold diamond dress ring with an estimate £7000-9000.

5. Adam Partridge: Studio pottery

A sale of studio pottery at Adam Partridge this week is the biggest the Macclesfield auctioneer has held so far. The two-day event opens with a collection built up by Ruth Fitzpatrick, now 94, who was assistant to Elisabeth Zuckerman, the formidable director of the Bluecoat Display Centre in Liverpool during the 1960s. Travelling round the UK amassing the best studio ceramics for the centre with Zuckerman and her successor Maureen Bampton, Fitzpatrick personally acquired pieces representing a history of British ceramicists working in the last half of the 20th century. Highlights of the October 11-12 sale include Lucie Rie’s bulbous bottle estimated at £8000-12,000 and a Hans Coper stoneware cup form with cylindrical flower holder at £4000-6000. Famous names whose works are more modestly pitched include the likes of John Maltby, John Ward, Colin Pearson, Betty Blandino and Joanna Constantinidis, such as this winged stoneware vessel by Pearson estimated at £400-600.