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Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information

Tennants Spring Sale 10 & 11 April Post Sale Report

A house in Saltburn-by-the-Sea provided the day’s most spectacular price – £49,000 paid by a telephone bidder from Italy to repatriate a late 18th Century North Italian Rosewood, Tulipwood and Marquetry Commode (lot 1125).

commode.jpgThis piece was discovered by Tennant’s furniture specialist, Jeremy Pattison, during a routine valuation visit, and even his conservative estimate came as a pleasant surprise for a piece the family had never really liked. The news of the Commode’s success was received with a scream of sheer delight!

Few have heard of the Chinese Emperor Jiajing (reigned 1796-1820) but it was his imperial mark on a porcelain bowl that drew many specialist dealers and collectors from as far away as Hong Kong to Tennants yesterday. The blue, white and polychrome enamelled porcelain bowl (lot 123) was brightly decorated with many auspicious motifs including fungi, pomegranates, peaches and fruiting blossoms, and blew away a paltry £200-£300 estimate by taking £19,000.

The Clock section of the sale was extremely punchy with some fine examples attracting international attention. From the collection formed by the late Dr Peter Bracewell of Mirk Howe, Crosthwaite, Kendal, Cumbria came an imposing and spectacularly detailed Cathedral Brass Chiming Skeleton Clock, of circa 1880 (lot 820). The eight sweet sounding bells of this finely engineered piece charmed one bidder to go to £22,000. From the same estate came a fine and rare Napoleon III Gilt Brass Table Regulator (lot 846) which sold for £15,000.

An Eight Day Marine Chronometer of circa 1887 that originally took six months to make at a cost of £60 (signed Victor Kullberg) (lot 848) saw its rarity value peak at £12,000 today. It was commissioned by Captain Townley Parker for his steam yacht “The Lady Beatrice” and delivered on board to Captain Williams by Kullberg on 23rd October 1887, whilst she was berthed at Victoria Dock, London.

From the windows of Tennants Saleroom on a clear day it is possible to see the White Horse at Kilburn, where the workshops of the world famous ‘Mouseman’ can be found. Tennants are now perhaps the leading saleroom for this country oak furniture with its famous carved mouse trademark. A considerable collection of ‘Mouseman’ furniture was offered. As part of the day’s offering were twelve lots of Mouseman tables (lots 912-923) which came from the Masons Arms, Hopperton near Harrogate where they had been patinated by millions of beer glasses over many years. Six of the most rustic burr oak kidney shaped tables will now be containerised and sent to their successful bidder in New York who paid a total of £19,500 for them (lots 912-917 inclusive). The highest individual price paid was £4,700 for an individual table.

In the Sporting and Natural History section a beautifully observed taxidermy Leopard in ‘climbing down pose’ (lot 803) sold for £7,000.

Continuing the animal theme was a typically polished and detailed farmyard scene in oils (lot 1445) by Edgar Hunt (1876-1953). The presence of a particularly endearing donkey ensured its success – taking a triple estimate of £23,000.

Entries are being invited for Tennants next Catalogue Sale to be held on 17 & 18 July 2008. For more information please contact Adam Schoon at Tennants on +44(0)1969 623780

www.tennants.co.uk