We found 350105 price guide item(s) matching your search
There are 350105 lots that match your search criteria. Subscribe now to get instant access to the full price guide service.
Click here to subscribe- List
- Grid
-
350105 item(s)/page
Lot 70
A collection of curious things to include a blue velvetine covered cowbell door stop with loop handle to top and clacker H x 20cm, a continental 19thc white metal pocket watch key on iron link chain L x 17cm, a bronze standing heron figure H x 13cm, a brass winged lion figure L x 6cm, a thimble, a chinese brass rule L x 15cm and a cast brass rabbit top H x 2.5cm (A lot)
Lot 1403
HENRY SCOTT TUKE (BRITISH, 1858-1929)Portrait of Lord Ronald Charles Sutherland-Leveson-Gower (1845-1916) inscribed 'Lord Ronald Gower' (verso) oil on board 23 x 15cm Provenance The Great niece of Henry Scott Tuke; Sale, Bonhams Oxford, 16th November 2011, lot 98 (catalogued as 'Portrait of a Gentleman'), where acquired by the present ownerFootnoteRonald Gower, who was the seventh son of George, 2nd Duke of Sutherland (1786-1861), sat for Tuke in 1897, a work now held in the National Portrait Gallery (NPG 4841). He had an eclectic career, serving as liberal MP for Sutherland between 1867-1874, but allegedly only made one speech in parliament during that period. He was also a sculptor with his most famous works being the Shakespeare memorial at Stratford-upon-Avon which includes a bronze of The Bard on a pedestal surrounded by bronzes of Hamlet, Lady Macbeth, Prince Hal and Falstaff, representing philosophy, tragedy, history and comedy. Gower was a trustee of the National Portrait Gallery as well as being an author who published biographies of Joan of Arc and Marie Antoinette along with a history of the Tower of London.His most enduring personal relationship was with author Frank Hird (1873-1947), twenty-eight years his junior, who he actually went on to adopt. Gower commissioned Tuke to paint a pastel portrait of Hird (whereabouts unknown) and both are mentioned in Tuke's Diary entry for 11th June 1902: A pleasant drive to Chidingstone with Lord Ronald Sutherland-Gower and Frank Hird. Left at 4 and found Kairns Jackson and Eiloart at the Chess Club. They associated frequently with Oscar Wilde who made a typically witty observation regarding his relationship - 'Frank may be seen but not Hird.' Wilde's 1889 novel The Portrait of Mr W.H is generally considered to be a comment on Gower's immediate circle and, furthermore, he is considered an inspiration for the character of Lord Henry Wotton in The Picture of Dorian Gray.Gower was implicated in the Cleveland Street Scandal of 1889; Police discovered a male brothel but the government attempted to cover the matter up due to the social prominence of many of the clientele. Gower died in relative poverty having been defrauded of his fortune by Francis Shackleton, brother of the Antarctic explorer. Having been entrusted with Gower's finances, Shackleton sold his portfolio in exchange for worthless stocks that only benefitted himself, forcing Gower to sell Hammerfield, his country house near Penshurst in KentMuch of what is known about Gower's life comes from his diaries which are often remarkably candid regarding his attraction to men. Even though homosexuality was illegal at the time Gower would have assumed his high society rank would protect him from prosecution. Condition reportBoard slightly bowed upper left, although this isn't particularly noticeable now board has been re centred (previously it had slipped a little).A small semi circular pale mark visible upper centre edge, this may be original to work. This mark was only visible because the board had slipped a little in the frame, it isn't noticeable now board has been re-centred.Appears in very good, ready to hang condition.
Lot 293
Annora Spence (British, b. 1963) - Horse and Flower - a print on paper. Edition no. 280/295. Signed and titles in pencil on margin. Framed. Measures approx. 39 x 52cm (15 1/4" x 20 1/2"). Annora Spence, (British, b 1963) initially studied printed textiles at Liverpool Polytechnic and the artist continued her education in the 1980s, by completing a master's degree in the same subject at Birmingham Polytechnic. Having completed her studies Spence worked as an independent artist and designer. Since 1990, she has concentrated on her career as a painter and has enjoyed multiple sell-out shows in London and overseas, having a large following abroad including North America and Asia. In 1994 she started producing limited edition Silkscreen prints and each new edition invariably completely 'sold out' within record time. Annora also went on to create etchings and even a bronze sculpture. Annora derives many of the ideas for her work from her extensive travels across Europe, India and Asia and is inspired by the characters, situations and colours she sees around her. Her palette varies from the rich, to pale and subtle, creating layers of tone and texture. This lot is sold subject to Artists Resale Rights, details of which can be found in our Terms and Conditions.
Lot 105
A 19th/20th-century Chinese zitan wood opium pipe with a white jade mouthpiece, paktong saddle and bronze bowl bearing an inscription, regarding the suppression of a rebellion in the South (1911?) and the abundance of military resources. 55 cm long.A private estateWhite and verdigris deposits in the bottom of the copper bowl now filling the pin-size hole, but light can still pass through (see images). The bowl is not filled with a white deposit. One jade end with chips, metalware slightly worn commensurate with age.
Lot 365
Antique Doulton Hand-Painted Ewer Pitcher: Aesthetic Movement, Victorian style. Featuring dark and light pink roses with gold accents, blue and yellow flowers on a cream/ivory background with gold dots. Chintz flowers on a brown/bronze spout, gold highlights on handle and foot rim. Impressed Doulton mark and crown over Doulton Burslem. Issued: 1886-1891Dimensions: 5.25"L x 4.5"W x 10.75"HManufacturer: Doulton BurslemCountry of Origin: EnglandCondition: Age related wear.
Lot 533
Pair of large 19th c. Baroque Revival gilt bronze ormolu candelabra, French Louis XV style. Each with five elegantly curving foliate arms topped by sconces and drip pans in the form of blooming flowers.Each, height: 23 1/4 in x width: 12 1/2 in x depth: 11 1/2 in.Condition:There are no bends, breaks, losses, or signs of restoration. There are two loose components on one of the candelabra; the flower arm and the top half of the base. There is tarnishing throughout. There is wear as expected from age and use.
Lot 315
19th century Chinese bronze censer with four applied mask handles and four shou symbols. The body very thin and the underside bearing a well-carved seal mark.Height: 3 1/4 in x diameter: 4 3/4 in. Weight: 1,368.4 grams.Condition:No visible cracks, losses, or signs of restoration under UV light. No major dents; minute dents throughout the item as expected. Light discoloration throughout as shown in the listing image. Dust collected along the recessed areas. Along the interior, there is heavy discoloration and oxidation. Along the underside, there is oxidation and wear, consistent with age and use.
Lot 421
A small late Roman to Early Byzantine bronze dove oil lamp, possibly a Christian Lampada, ca. 4th-5th century CE. Likely from the time of the First Council of Nicaea.Height: 2 3/4 in width: 5 in x depth: 2 in.Condition:No major bends, breaks, dents, or losses. Discoloration to the metal throughout as expected from age. Some dirt/dust gathered in the recessed areas of the work.
Lot 528
Pair of bronze or copper bookends in the form of elephants climbing a rocky outcropping. Early to mid-20th century.(Each) Height: 5 1/2 in x width: 4 in x depth: 5 1/2 in.Condition:Patination throughout. Some areas where the patination has been worn away to reveal a shiny surface. Some light wear throughout consistent with age and display. Felt affixed to the underside.
Lot 316
Chinese Warring States bronze ferrule with incised or carved decoration along the sides.Height: 3 3/4 in x width: 1 3/4 in x depth: 1 1/4 in.Condition:There are no bends or breaks. There are areas of verdigris and purple patination. There is a loss near the narrow end of the item, measuring approximately 1/2 inch long. Near the wider base there is a loss measuring 1/4 inch wide. There is wear and loss throughout as expected from age and use. There are no major signs of restoration.
Lot 534
Pair of small Louis XV French Rococo style bronze candelabra. Each with three foliate arms topped by sconces and drip pans in the form of blooming flowers. The bases with two small cherubs or putti. One candelabra with an incised T along the underside.Each, height: 13 in x width: 8 3/4 in x depth: 4 in.Condition:The arm of one of the candelabra is loose on the base. Slight tarnishing throughout. No major bends, breaks, or losses.
Lot 515
Tiffany & Co., New York, United States. Set of four desk set pieces. Etched brass or bronze in a grapevine pattern with inset green slag glass. Including one rocking ink blotter marked "Tiffany Studios New York 995" along the side, one picture frame marked "Tiffany Studios New York 947" along the back, one velvet-lined jewelry box (key included) monogramed MFH along the base along the front and marked "Tiffany Studios New York 830" along the underside, and one leather writing pad marked "Tiffany Studios New York 998" along the underside of the metal ends.Height ranges from 2 3/4 in to 12 in; width ranges from 6 in to 19 in; depth ranges from 1/4 in to 6 in.Condition:Throughout there are heavily patinated areas, as expected from age and use. There are fractures in the glass on the blotter, frame, and jewelry box. There are no areas of restoration under UV light. There is debris in the recessed areas.
Lot 514
Antique Dore style French bronze and marble writing desk set. With a seated Roman figure flanked by two inkwells.Height: 12 1/2 in x width: 19 in x depth: 10 in.Condition:There is a small chip along the front corner of the right inkwell. There is a larger chip along the back left corner. There are two pieces of these chips included. Some discoloration to the metal components throughout. There are a few small chips to the glass vials. Some dirt/dust collected throughout. Wear to the feet as expected from age and use.
Lot 11
Sydney Alex Kumalo (South African, 1935-1988)St Francis of Assisi signed and numbered 'K VII | X' (beneath the figure's tunic)bronze on wooden base 70 x 27.5 x 22.5cm (27 9/16 x 10 13/16 x 8 7/8in). (including base)Footnotes:ProvenanceEgon Guenther Gallery, purchased 3rd November 1966;By descent;A private collection.ExhibitedJohannesburg, Egon Guenther Gallery, An Exhibition of Sculpture and Drawings by Sydney Kumalo, (8 May 1962). (edition i/x).LiteratureGavin Watkins and Charles Skinner, The Sculptures of Sydney Kumalo and Ezrom Legae, A Catalogue Raisonné, (South Africa: Strauss & Co, 2023), SK13, p. 143.H. Toerien & G. Duby, ed. Our Art, vol.3, (Pretoria), p. 66. (illustrated).Elizabeth Rankin, 'Sydney Kumalo', ed. E. Burroughs & K. Nel, Re/discovery and Memory: The works of Kumalo, Legae, Nitegeka & Villa,(Cape Town: ABC Press & Norval Foundation, 2018), p. 131. (different edition of the same work illustrated). S. Sack, The Neglected Tradition: Towards a New History of South African Art (1930-1988), (Johannesburg Art Gallery, 1988), p. 51. (different edition of the same work illustrated), (edition 6/10).Born in 1935 and raised in the old suburb of Johannesburg known as Sophiatown, Sydney Kumalo grew up with and became absorbed into a community that would be destroyed by the apartheid, catalysing a generation of some of South Africa's most passionate, driven, and famous artists. Being Zulu in this community meant that Kumalo grew up surrounded people of different political beliefs and cultures, developing a grounding of cohesive societal understanding that would reflect in his later works of art. Kumalo was only seventeen when he began studying at the Polly Street Art Centre in Johannesburg under the guidance of Cecil Skotnes and Edoardo Villa, before becoming a teacher there himself in 1964. Kumalo would go on to exhibit alongside the two aforementioned artists (also prominent figures in today's market) in collaborative shows. Given his background Kumalo would establish himself as a prominent figure in modern African Art who overcame challenging adversity given his position as a Black creative during apartheid, emphasising his importance. Guenther Gallery cast two terrazzos and the first bronze (edition i/x) of this sculpture for the May 1962 exhibition, An Exhibition of Sculpture and Drawings by Sydney Kumalo. Further casts were created on a basis of supply and demand; the present rendition was cast in November 1966. Evidently a popular cast, Egon Guenther Gallery sold all future editions of St Francis of Assisi from 1966 to 1971. Elizabeth Rankin notes that Carlo Gamberini of the foundry remembered 'how Kumalo used to come to the foundry to oversee the finishing of the bronze casts, and also to work on the waxes of his sculptures, often using a saw blade to introduce surface texture.' This practise can be seen on the present work, with hairline etchings of texture most notable to the head, shoulders, and back of the work. This technique would further animate the figures the artist produced and displayed the artist's continuous passionate development of his works. Figures expressing spiritual emotion is a theme that is consistent within his oeuvre. With regards to his wider body of work, Kumalo's renditions of strong semi-abstracted figures, whether they be animals or humans, are somewhat characteristic of traditional African sculptures. As Jean Kennedy notes on the artist's technique: 'The solidity and central axis of his forms convey strength, the interpretation of which ranges from protest to endurance.' (Jean Kennedy, New Currents, Ancient Rivers; Contemporary African Artists in a Generation of Change, (Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992), p. 175.). In this instance, the image of St Francis of Assisi brings to the surface notions of peace which the figure is associated with. Differing from classical descriptive reproductions of the Saint, for instance often portrayed bearing stigmata in Old Master depictions of the Saint, Kumalo portrays the essence of Assisi, focusing on compositional form rather than the imitation of Christ which older western portraits tend to have leaned towards. While most associations of an animal interaction with the Saint are more famously through the legend of Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio, doves themselves are symbols of peace and therefore contribute to the humility of the figure. St. Francis is one of Kumalo's best known works. Conceived in 1962, the sculpture depicts the Christian saint renowned for his acts of compassion. It was described by Watter in Our Art 3 contemporary critic thus:'The mask-like head radiates spiritual serenity, yet the neck is rigid with strain. The wide-legged stance asserts confidence but the arms are pathetically thin. This is a representation of a man rent by spiritual conflict, caught in his frail human body. Movement is concentrated at two points: on the saint's left hand that cuddles a dove protectively against his chest, and on the strong thrust of the right arm reaching heavenwards in a gesture that combines blessing with threat. This double significance reinforces the tension caused by the amalgam of Christian content with forms redolent of African ritual. The soft pot-belly is opposed to hard purpose. The ludicrous little legs provide a stylised base for a gesture that challenges the universe. In Sydney Kumalo's St. Francis a man is portrayed who has galvanised himself through the strength of selfless compassion and so overcomes the limitations set by his fallible human body.'Since the creation of this work, Sydney Kumalo represented South Africa at the Venice Biennale in 1966, and in 1967 participated in the Sao Paulo Biennale. Kumalo received a number of awards throughout his career; he was invited to the Artist of Fame and Promise Exhibition in 1960 further winning the award for most promising up and coming artist. In 1967 won a bronze medal from the Transvaal Academy and a travel bursary from the US-SALEP (the United States/ South African Leadership Exchange Programme) enabling him to travel to the US in 1967. It seems appropriate, given the religious motivation behind much of the artist's work such as the present lot, that Kumalo also received commissions from religious institutions, such as a mural in the Catholic Church in Kroonstad that was completed in 1957. Therefore, we see Kumalo's career extending beyond these art circle bounds and into physical and pivotal societal structures.We are grateful to Gavin Watkins for his assistance with the above footnote.BibliographyGavin Watkins and Charles Skinner, The Sculptures of Sydney Kumalo and Ezrom Legae, A Catalogue Raisonné, (South Africa: Strauss & Co, 2023), pp. 142-145.H.Toerien & G.Duby, ed. Our Art, vol.3, (Pretoria), pp. 66-68.Jean Kennedy, New Currents, Ancient Rivers; Contemporary African Artists in a Generation of Change, (Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992), p. 175.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 47
Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu M.B.E (Nigerian, 1917-1994)Anyanwu inscribed 'ANYANWU/BY/BEN ENWONWU' (plaque)gilt bronze 91 x 28 x 14cm (35 13/16 x 11 x 5 7/8in) (excluding base).109 x 28 x 19.5cm (42 15/16 x 11 x 7 11/16in) (including base).Footnotes:ProvenanceThe collection of Dr Cecil and Mrs Jean Symons;Christie's Auction House, London, 2007;A private collection. LiteratureS. Ogbechie, Ben Enwonwu: The Making of an African Modernist, (Rochester, 2008), (version illustrated) fig.4.3 and fig.4.4.B. Lawal, 'After an imaginary slumber: visual and verbal imagery of 'awakening' in Africa', Word & Image: A Journal of Verbal/Visual Enquiry, (Volume 26 number 4, 2010), (version illustrated), p. 423.O. Offoedu-Okeke, Artists of Nigeria, (Milan, 2012), (version illustrated), p. 57.'Anyanwu, which is the Onitsha Emotan of Benin'. Meaning 'eye of the sun', referring to the Igbo practice of saluting the sun as it rises to honour the Great Spirit ChiUkwu, a supreme being in Igbo spirituality, Anyanwu stands as one of Ben Enwonwu's most famous and credited works. The figure's noble bearing is underlined by her headdress and coral jewellery: the royal regalia of the Bini people. 'My aim was to symbolise our rising nation. I have tried to combine material, crafts, and traditions, to express a conception that is based on womanhood – woman, the mother and nourisher of man. In our rising nation, I see the forces embodied in womanhood; the beginning, and then, the development and flowering into the fullest stature of a nation – a people! This sculpture is spiritual in conception, rhythmical in movement, and three dimensional in its architectural setting – these qualities are characteristic of the sculpture of my ancestors.' (Enwonwu quoted in S. Ogbechie, p. 129-130.)The circumstances surrounding Anyanwu's creation – Enwonwu's spiritual inspiration – connects him with the Igbo tradition of the artist as spirit medium. Personified into the image of the Igbo earth goddess Ani, Anyanwu is a demonstration of divine feminine power. Viewing women as the pillars that uphold society, the female subject has held a prominent position throughout Enwonwu's oeuvre. The Igbo concept of nkais an 'invocation of ancestral spirits through giving concrete form or body to them' as Enwonwu himself said and has indeed practised in this case. (Ben Enwonwu quoted in Nkiru Nzegwu, 'Representational Axis: A Cultural Realignment of Enwonwu', (1999), p.168.)Often elongating their features in his paintings, such as in the Tutu series, Enwonwu embraces the Igbo traditions of image making. While his tendencies to elongate facial and body features was sometimes motivated by aesthetic experimentation, Anyanwu's form came to him in a vision early one morning as he awoke from sleeping:'A supple graceful female form arising out of the sun in a brilliant shower of light...she loomed towards him in a wide curvilinear arch...the classic Ethiopianized features of the face and the decorative horizontal slats of the lower torso that receded into the horizon, tapering off to a point...'The original Anyanwu sculpture was commissioned in 1953 for the National Museum in Lagos, where it still stands to this day. It received such acclaim that another was commissioned for the United Nations headquarters in New York in 1966. This version appears in several major public and private collections, often demonstrating a variety of patina, and small differences in the arms and length of the coiffure. The current work was cast in 1987 at the Burleighfeild foundry in High Wycombe, a foundry that cast many bronze sculptures for the artist from their founding in 1977 until his death in 1994. The present work differs from earlier casts given its fine gold layer; gilded versions came later in Enwonwu's more developed casts. BibliographyS. Ogbechie, Ben Enwonwu: The Making of an African Modernist, (Rochester, 2008), pp, 128-131.N. Nzegwu, 'Representational Axis: A Cultural Realignment of Enwonwu', Contemporary Textures: Multidimensionality in Nigerian Art, ed. N. Nzegwu (New York, 1999), p. 163.Letter correspondence between Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu and Mrs Jean Symons, (27th January 1986).This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 25
SALVADOR DALÍ (1904-1989)Cabinet anthropomorphique signé, numéroté 'Dalí, 168/330 -A' et estampillé 'STERLING' (sur le côté gauche) ; porte la marque du fondeur 'Foneria Mibrosa Barcelona' (au revers)argentConçu en plâtre en 1973 et fondu en argent dans une édition numérotée de 330 par Mibrosa Foundry, Barcelone. signed, numbered 'Dalí, 168/330 -A' and stamped 'STERLING' (on left side) ; bears the foundry mark 'Foneria Mibrosa Barcelona' (on reverse)silverConceived in plaster in 1973 and cast in silver in a numbered edition of 330 by the Mibrosa Foundry, Barcelona.11.7 x 21.5 x 5.1 cm. 4 5/8 x 8 7/16 in.Footnotes:ProvenanceCollection particulière, Europe.Vente, Sotheby's, Paris, 5 décembre 2022, lot 89.Acquis dans cette vente par le propriétaire actuel.BibliographieF. Passoni, R. Morse & A. Field, Dalí, Milan, 1986, fonte en bronze illustrée p. 79B. Levi, The Dalí Universe, Londres, 2000, fonte en bronze illustrée p. 80 et 81.R. & N. Descharnes, Dalí. Le dur et le mou, sortilège et magie des formes, Paris, 2004, no. 683, fonte en bronze illustrée p. 266.F. Lechien, Dalí, Dalí! ou l'éclosion apothéosique d'un sculpteur, Brussels, 2004, fonte en bronze illustrée, p. 70 et 99.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ARAR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 193
Orme (Edward, publisher) The Battles of the British Army, 13 hand-coloured aquatints, engraved title pasted inside bronze lids; [Naval Valour], 12 hand-coloured aquatints, engraved compasses pasted inside bronze lids; [Annals of the Regency], 12 hand-coloured aquatints, engraved compass pasted inside lower bronze lid, together 3 sets of circular hand-coloured aquatint plates, joined in concertina form, some splits to foldlines, letterpress text pasted to versos, scattered spotting and staining, each housed within bronze medallion container, c.75mm diameter, all housed in modern cloth clamshell box, [Abbey Life 466 and 469; Bobins II and IV, 376, 377 and 1458], 1815 [and 1817]. *** Rare survivor of souvenirs depicting naval and military victories for the British army during the Napoleonic Wars. Each suite of circular plates are housed within bronze medallions, two embossed with the image of Admiral Lord Nelson on the front lid and image of Britannia on the reverse, the third with the bust of the Duke of Wellington adorning the front cover and an image of History writing down on a scroll the ‘Record of British Valour’ on the back lid.
Loading...-
350105 item(s)/page