The quarterly Fine Sales remain a stalwart of the auction calendar, combining furniture, clocks, rugs, paintings, Asian art, ceramics and works of art. The sales are carefully curated to appeal to a wide market.
06/01/2025 Fine Art, Furniture, Carpets & Rugs, Paintings, Drawings & Prints
March saw the first Fine Sale of the year and it was certainly a successful start. Included in the auction was an extremely rare 18th century gilt mirror by Thomas Johnson. (pictured below). The exquisite frame was carved with animals and was based on Aesop’s Fables. It sold to an American collector for £35,000.
The success of the furniture department continued into the June Fine Sale when £35,000 was also achieved for a George III commode attributed to Christopher Fuhrlohg (featured image above). It formed part of the contents of Julians Park, Hertfordshire, formerly the home of the Hon. Mrs Audrey Pleydell-Bouverie. The same auction also saw £18,000 realised for a Fijian club, demonstrating the strong market for tribal items.
Given the international flavour of Cambridge and its University heritage bringing academics and travellers from across the globe, Cheffins have had some notable sales of Asian art, and the September Fine Sale was no exception. Lot 48 was a beautifully painted two-volume woven silk and huali wooden book (pictured below) which contained 21 hand painted scenes. After competitive internation bidding, it sold for £17,000.
The December sale also had an important collection of Chinese ceramics, consigned from a Suffolk collection. Amongst the highlights was a Chinese Longquan celadon censer which dated to the 12th century. It originally formed part of the Holtwood collection and hadn’t been seen on the market since the 1950s which contributed to the £17,000 hammer price.
Cheffins has always prided itself on ‘fresh to the market’ collections and house contents and 2024 was a clear indicator that our reputation has secured our position as being amongst one of the top regional auction houses in the country. Amongst the house contents that we were instructed to sell were Caldrees Manor, Cambridgeshire, items from the Peckover family, formerly of Peckover House, Wisbech, Ranelagh Gardens and Melton Court, London.
Private collections also contributed greatly to our 2024 success. The March Fine Sale included the collection of Patricia Jameson which was removed for sale from her Cheslea apartment. Patricia was a much-celebrated interior designer from the 1970s and ‘80s and her collection was a wonderfully eclectic mix of folk art and country furniture which proved incredibly popular.
This was followed by the Barry Lock collection in June, another London property, housed in a residence in Westminster. Barry Lock was a prolific collector of the old school, who, during his long life working as a successful solicitor, put together collections principally focusing on silver, portrait miniatures, enamel boxes and Chelsea porcelain. The selected nature of the collection appealed to collectors and the total hammer value was more than half a million pounds.
In July, we had the privilege of being instructed to sell the collection of Eve Clarke, a Cambridgeshire collector, dealer and bon viveur. Her keen eye and impeccable taste resulted in a single owner sale with items ranging from a noble coronet to a clockwork automaton tiger. As a lover of rare models, toys and antique dolls, another highlight was a 1908 Shackleton painted-lead explorers set which made £9,500, and an Adelaide Huret bisque shoulder head fashion doll which realised £16,000.
