A sale of clocks, barometers and scientific instruments at Dreweatts’ saleroom in Donnington Priory, Newbury, on March 15 includes a Victorian reformed gothic oak longcase wall regulator timepiece.
It has a large eight-day five-pillar movement, which probably comes from the workshop of James Condliff of Liverpool. It was made in the third quarter of the 19th century for Isaac Simmons, a retailer and maker of watches and chronometers based in Manchester.
As for the case, the auction house has catalogued it in the manner of AWN Pugin but has not yet established the designer or maker. Dreweatts said the presence of a stencilled rosette trademark on a piece of timber, formerly concealed in the top of the case, may provide a clue, however.
Estimate £5000-8000.
dreweatts.com or see this item on thesaleroom.com
Chorley’s sale on March 20-21 will be led by a private collection of Republican-era porcelain.
The highlight is a set of four rectangular porcelain plaques from 1932 representing the four seasons by Bi Botao (1885-1961), one of the ‘Eight Friends of Zhushan’. The group comprised the best porcelain artists of the period and revitalised the Chinese porcelain industry after the political unrest in 19th century China and the subsequent fall of the Qing dynasty.
The plaques were acquired in 1999 from Peter Wain, the Asian art dealer instrumental in bringing Republican porcelain to the attention of the West. They are painted with frogs (pictured above), a spider, turtles and a snake, and are estimated at £18,000-22,000.
Woolley & Wallis’ picture sale in Salisbury on March 7 will include this landscape by Joseph Farington (1747-1821).
The signed 2ft 9in x 3ft (84 x 93cm) oil on canvas shows Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire and depicts the town’s famous Norman abbey in the background with its large tower.
The picture was originally owned by Lady Louis Mountbatten and was later bequeathed to the Royal Scottish Academy. It has since appeared at Sotheby’s in 2005, when it was acquired by the private vendor. It is estimated at £8000-12,000.
woolleyandwallis.co.uk or see this item on thesaleroom.com
