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Lot 22
Y RARE CANTON CARVED IVORY PUZZLEBALL CHESS KING PIECE QING DYNASTY, 19TH CENTURY清 象牙鏤雕喬治三世西洋棋子 finely carved as King George III as part of a chess set, he stands on an elevated platform atop elaborately carved ball-within-a-ball ‘puzzleball’ pedestal bases (Dimensions: 16.5cm high) (Qty: 1)(16.5cm high)Footnote: Provenance: Private Scottish collection
Lot 237
Three vintage wristwatches comprising a stainless steel Seiko 5 Sports 'UFO' brown dial 21 jewel automatic day date 6119-6400 on original bracelet strap, a 1960s Eterna-Matic 1000 17 jewel automatic stainless steel wristwatch and a rare retro Seiko S501-4000 Wrist Terminal RC-1000 digital wristwatch.Condition: Seiko 5 appears to be running when wound although not fully tested because the crown is missing, general surface wear throughout including surface scratches, play and slight damage to bracelet at lug end, Eterna not currently running, flywheel not moving freely, although rotor and rest of movement seems ok, date changes fine with repeatedly pulling the crown, some surface scratches including the glass, Seiko RC-1000 requires new battery but is in great cosmetic condition, strap fine and buckle/fastener in good working order.
Lot 298
A Royal Doulton figure - The Windmill Lady HN1400 (a/f) CONDITION REPORT: A rare figure but sadly the entire top half has previously been broken off and re-glued. As a result prominent cracks run through the figure. There is also a small hole to the back. Loss to one of the windmills. See images.
Lot 223
Thomas Hudson (British 1701-1779) Portrait of Sir Watkin Williams-Wyn 3rd Baronet (1692-1749), three-quarter-length Oil on canvas 125 x 101cm (49 x 39¾ in.) Provenance: Sale, Christie's, London, 22 April 1983, lot 67 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn was the eldest son of Sir William Williams, 2nd Baronet, of Llanforda and Jane Thelwall. His grandfather, was Solicitor General under James II and led the prosecution of the Seven Bishops in 1688. After graduating from Jesus College, Oxford, Williams-Wynn became Member of Parliament for Denbighshire in 1716 and was an active member of the Tory Jacobite faction. The blue waistcoat worn in the present lot was symbolic of this. As a leader of the Cycle of the White Rose, a Welsh Jacobite society, he 'burnt the King's picture' during the 1722 General Election and opposed a 'loyal address' to George I following the Atterbury Plot. He also served as Mayor of Oswestry in 1728/1729 and of Chester in 1736/1737. A combination of money and connections made Williams-Wynn a formidable local political power; in 1722, nine out of eleven Parliamentary seats in North Wales returned Tory candidates. While fiercely contested, the election confirmed the dominance of Robert Walpole and the Whig party; their exclusion from government resulted in the continuing expression of Jacobite sympathies among the more extreme Tories. Williams-Wynn employed Welsh colliers to threaten Whig supporters in the 1733 Chester mayoral election but overtly 'Jacobite' displays were rare and often rooted in Tory opposition to Welsh religious Nonconformists. Through his first wife, Ann Vaughan (c. 1695-1748), Williams-Wynn acquired extensive estates in Montgomeryshire and Denbighshire and over time became the pre-eminent landowner in North Wales. In 1719, he inherited the Wynnstay estates on condition he add 'Wynn' to his name, followed by his father's title and lands on his death in 1740. When Anne died in March 1748, he married another heiress, his god-daughter Frances Shackerley (1721-1803); his son and heir, Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 4th Baronet (1749-1789) was born a few months before his death in a hunting accident in September 1749.
Lot 53
A pair of large Italian marmo giallo Grand Tour souvenir models of Temple of Castor and Pollux and the Temple of Vespasian, after the Antique, second quarter 19th century, each mounted to a rosso antico plinth, the larger model 72cm high, 37cm wide Marble renditions of Roman monuments were popular souvenirs for Grand Tourists visiting the Eternal City during the later 18th and 19th centuries, and both temples represented by the present models were much-visited stops at the Forum Romanum. The Temple of Castor and Pollux, or Tempio dei Dioscuri, was erected in 495 century BC to commemorate the victory in the Battle of Lake Regillus - a battle in which the Tarquins, the former Etruscan rulers of Rome, attempted to reclaim their throne shortly after the Roman Republic had been established. The temple was dedicated to Castor and Pollux, the twin sons of Zeus and Leda, as legend had it they fought on the side of the Romans during this battle. The iconic columns however are from a much later date, as the temple was rebuilt after a fire and dedicated by Emperor Tiberius in 6 AD. The Temple of Vespasian was built by the late Emperor's son Titus several decades later, in 79 AD.Both temples sustained significant damage including during the middle ages, and their ruinous nature likely appealed to the romantic imagination of foreign tourists. As Goethe notes in his Roman letters: 'He [who wishes to study art] must patch it up and put it together for himself out of endless, but still gorgeously rich, ruins.' (J. W. von Goethe, Rome, 22 January 1787) The present pairs are rare in their substantial size and attention to architectural detail, which indicates quality craftsmanship. Two sets of similar scale recently appeared on the market, including the pair sold at Christie's London, 12 April 2018, lot 260, and the models offered at Christie's New York, 23 October 2018, lot 333
Lot 253
A New Zealand Totara Knot and Hinan wood occasional table, by Johan Marti Levien, second quarter 19th century, the rounded rectangular tilt-top above a faceted baluster support with a foliate carved collar, on a concave-sided platform with scroll feet and castors, 71cm high, 61cm wide 48cm deep, the top of the block bearing a manuscript label 'this wood imported from Wellington - New Zealand - the native names are Totara with Hinan border and manufactured G.D.M Levene, New Zealand House, New Broad St .... London Johan Martin Levien (1811-1871) was born in Barth, a sea-port in Western Pomerania, Prussia where he undertook his cabinet-making apprenticeship, becoming a Master in 1831. He followed this with an extensive period of travel, visiting Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Russia and Hamburg. During his time in Europe he was not only able apply refine his skills but he also attended various schools of drawing and design prior to setting sail for Pernambuco in Brazil in 1837 to set up his own business. Unfortunately the climate did not suit his health, causing him to leave for Rio de Janeiro c. 1840. Here Levien devoted himself to sourcing exotic timber specimens amongst the interior forests. His appetite for collecting rare wood samples lead him to Wellington, New Zealand later the same year where he believed unknown timbers awaited his discovery. These were very early days for settlers which necessitated Levien building his own house with the assistance of local Maoris - a primitive rush construction secured by poles in ground. Once settled he began exploring the hinterland forests to identify suitable cabinet timbers, drawing on the experience he had gained in Brazil. Here he selected a range of native timbers including Hinau, Kauri, Mai, Matai, Rata, Rimu and Totara. This was heavy work as the newly hewn trees had to be carried back through the forest to the base camp before they could be sawn into planks. Some of the trees were over a hundred feet tall with boughs up to twelve feet in diameter. When Levien arrived in Wellington he could neither speak English or Maori but quickly assimilated both languages and built up a rapport with the native tribesmen. He built a beachside store and workshop on what is now known as Lambton Quay and shortly after married an English woman of high social standing. By 1843 he had built a flourishing business as a contemporary report recorded: 'Mr Levien...has been industriously employed in proving the value of our forests, by working native woods in all descriptions of furniture. His work is beautifully executed, and his prices moderate'. The report went on to state 'We are glad to find a considerable quantity of furniture wood being shipped by all the vessels now proceeding from this port to England. Mr Levien...proceeds in the brig Victoria to London, with a view of establishing a warehouse for the manufacture and sale of New Zealand wood ...Mr Levien takes with him a large quantity of choice specimens of our woods, carefully selected by himself, and well seasoned before embarked...'.However Levien was never to return to New Zealand, possibly for a combination of reasons including the unrest in that country arising over land rights and his rapid establishment of a business premises in London. This was located at the New Zealand Company, Broad Street and a letter from London, dated 17 October 1844 testifies to his success. It noted that 'Levien has an order from the Baron of Rothschild to fit up an entire room with totara and hinau; old Mr.Rothschild is about to do the same thing, and Gillow, Doubiggen, and some others of the cabinet-makers have purchased good quantities of his woods'. On 5 August 1846, Levien received a Royal Appointment, recorded in London Sun of 22 August under the heading MR. LEVIEN. HIS SPLENDID WORKMANSHIP FOR THE QUEEN, AND THE FURNITURE WOODS FROM NEW ZEALAND: 'We are happy to announce that her Majesty has been pleased to confer upon Mr Levien the appointment of cabinet-maker to her Majesty, in token of the very elegant specimens of workmanship made by him from the woods of New Zealand. Her Majesty the Queen was the first to patronise him. And he has secured great favour with her Majesty by his workmanship, his skill, and his woods'.One of Levien's most important early patrons was the Prussian Chevalier Bunson (later Baron Bunsen) who introduced him Frederick William IV, King of Prussia. In 1848 the King presented Levien with a gold medal, 'awarded by the Prussian Court to persons of distinguished merits in the arts' and conferred on him a Royal Appointment. This lead to a series of high profile commissions as recorded in the Morning Post 'Amongst the English nobility and gentry, whose patronage he is experiencing, we may also mention Lord Ingestre, Lord Ilchester, Baron Rothschild, John Abel Smith, Stewart Marjoribanks, G. Tomline...' Later in 1848 Levien married again to Mary Ann Willson and moved to new premises at 10 Davies Street, Grosvenor Square. Throughout the 1840s Levien succeeded in swimming against the tide of conservatism as English furniture was almost exclusively manufactured out of mahogany, walnut, rosewood and oak at this time. That Levien had tested each of his woods brought him public confidence and convinced his clientele of the suitability of his chosen New Zealand timbers. He recommended tawhero (Weinnannia sylvicola), for instance, as a substitute for mahogany, and suggested specific purposes for other particular veneers. However, above all Totara Knot was the most easily distinguishable. It was described in a contemporary periodical as 'of a colour something between bird maple and the walnut, bears a high polish, and displays an exquisite grain in fine and various lines of softening tint', and its durability is manifested by the fine condition of pieces of furniture made from it in existence today'.Levien continued to successfully promote his business throughout the following decades and this included his participation in a series of international exhibitions including The Great Exhibition, London 1851; The Dublin Exhibition, 1853, The Paris Exhibition, 1855 (where he received a medal) and The International Exhibition, London 1862. Few pieces of his furniture bear a label or signature, although many pieces are known through exhibition catalogue engravings and other puplications including 'Art Furniture'- Woods of New Zealand, and their adaptability to art furniture, James S. Virtue, London, 1861. Levien's work is recorded in the English Royal collection, and exhibited at The Museum of New Zealand. He continued trading until 1868 when he sold the business and died three years later in 1871. His Totara Knot sideboard, exhibited at The Great Exhibition 1851 sold for £380,000 at Sotheby's in 1998, one of the highest auction prices ever achieved for an item of 19th century furniture.
Lot 17
An Antwerp Historical Tapestry, probably by the workshop of Jan Frans Cornelissen or Anna Maria Wauters, The Sacrifice to the Unknown God, from The Story of Emperor Octavian Augustus, circa 1660-1690, the design attributed to Justus van Egmont, woven in wools and silks, depicting Augustus, crowned with laurel, standing before an altar with inscription IGNOTO DEO, surrounded by priests, musicians and further kneeling and standing entourage, the fruiting and festooned borders woven with maidens personifying Peace and Victory respectively holding aloft military trophies headed by Imperial eagles, and with central cabochon to the upper swagged and flowering border, 271cm x 457cm The present series is first recorded in 1659, and takes its inspiration from the life of Augustus (63 BC - 14AD), the first Roman Emperor, as recorded by Suetonius. The son of a senator, Augustus served under Julius Caesar and was subsequently adopted by him. After the demise of Lepidus and Mark Antony (see the Brussels tapestry presented in this sale), with whom Augustus had entered into a triumvirate to rule the Roman republic, he became the sole ruler of Rome. His rule is mainly remembered as the start of the Pax Romana, an era of relative stability and peace. Justus van Egmont had studied under Rubens and Simon Vouet, and is known to have designed various tapestry cycles with Roman subject matter. A suite of tapestries attributed to the family-run Antwerp workshop of Wauters and Cornelissen with the same border design, reputedly from the collection of Maria Cristina, Queen of Spain, was sold at Christie's, 10 November 2005 (lots 92-103). Eight panels, whose different borders also include the cabochon motif, are at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. The present episode is relatively rare, though a known surviving example is at the Museu de Sao Roque, Lisbon. A fragmentary panel of the central section is at Cotehele, Cornwall. Parts of the series, again with similar borders, are at Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire.
Lot 162
THE MOTOWN SINGLES COLLECTION - PROMO 7" BOX SET (TMG 1041-1052). Super rare UK promo only box set containing 12 x demo 7" running from 'TMG 1041' to 'TMG 1052' inclusive. The records are mainly in Ex+ condition, a few showing some light marks. Housed with an outer box 'The Motown Singles Collection, 24 Top Hits' though please be aware this is in Fair condition with tape repair and some tears.
Lot 354
An early to mid 18th Century brass ink standish: of rectangular form, the central lift-off candlestick enclosing a circular dipped well for seal wafers, flanked by two circular ink and pounce pots, raised on swept feet, the underside clearly showing traces of silvering with silver leaf overlapping 27cm wide, indistinct mark.* Note Illustrated and described, ''A very rare English brass standish'', in Gentle & Feild, English Domestic Brass, First Edition P178 no 268, 268A.
Lot 494
A rare Elizabeth I oak Glastonbury armchair:, of pegged construction, the twin arcaded panel back with carved lozenge foliate centres and guilloche surrounds, with shaped scroll cresting with incised stylised leaves centred by a carved geometric pendant leaf, bearing the initials 'A. H.', having shaped arm supports and solid panel seat on X-frame legs.* Provenance. Circa 1900, a farm near Oakford, mid Devon.* Note Illustrated Tobias Jellinek Early British Chairs and Seats 1500 - 1700 p119 plate 127.* Note Two copies of this chair are on display at St Nicholas Priory, Exeter. About a dozen comparable chairs are recorded, seven of which have been found in Devon, prompting conjecture that they may have Devon provenance.
Lot 450
A rare graduated set of five 17th Century motto skillets: cast at The Fathers' Foundry, Montacute, Somerset, the second smallest, cast 'PITY THE PORE 1684' is the only dated example, the date referring to the extreme cold of that winter when the Thames froze and supported the Frost Fair.*Note Ref. Butler & Green, English Bronze Cooking Vessels & Their Founders 1350-1830, Pub 2003,pp59-63.
Lot 495
An early to mid 17th Century child's turned ash and oak high chair: the tapered back with urn finials, the arm supports with urn and baluster uprights, having a solid oak seat, on tapered under-framing, united by stretchers, some turnings replaced. Note the rare survival of the many free-running turned rings.* Notes. Illustrated. Tobias Jellinek Early British Chairs and Seats 1500-1700 p.150 plate 169 described as 'very fine and rare'.
Lot 348
A rare and important early 18th Century brass tea kettle on stand with spirit burner: of octagonal pear-shaped form, with engraved domed lift-off lid, ring turned wood swing handle and zoomorphic spout, the stand with three double scroll legs united by an octagonal cradle holding the burner, raised on ball feet, overall height 40cm (handle raised), no traces of silvering found.*Note A brass teapot and stand is discussed in The Journal of the Antique Metalware Society Vol 22 pp 32-37, which shares many similarities and may be by the same maker.
Lot 144
J.Rombach, Regent Strt., London, an unusually small early 19th century wheel barometer: the 4½ inch round silvered dial engraved as above, the small mahogany case with tapered sides and a swan neck pediment, the trunk having an inset thermometer with silvered dial, overall height 87cm.* Biography Joseph Rombach is recorded as working in London from circa 1832 until at least 1857 as a watch and clockmaker. Ref. Brian Loomes Watchmakers & Clockmakers of the World Vol.2 p.202. Pub. NAG Press 1976.* Note The rare small size has been achieved by dividing the mercury tube in two which is interlinked with an alcohol filled tube.
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