My initial reaction at the viewing was that overall, there was some very optimistic estimates. On the day, some of the middle market items struggled to reach their estimates and quite a few went unsold. How anyone can expect a Gayday Honeypot with the wrong lid to reach a £300-£500 estimate I will never know. However, the top end soared and most made very high prices. A shape 370 Globe Vase in Orange House that was whisked away from one of Bonhams provincial Auction houses (were it had an estimate of £4-600) made £5000 (perhaps still a bargain). A massive Meiping Vase in House and Bridge doubled its estimate and went for £12,500. A rather smaller shape 362 Vase in the same pattern reached £3,800 and an Applique Avignon in the same shape was £2,800. Rather cheaper, but still very desirable, a 265 Vase in Windbells was £600 and a dinky little Gibraltar in shape 186 was £750. In the Lotus Jug section, the dearest was an example in Orange Roof Cottage for £1700 and the cheapest was a Delecia Citrus one at £220. The Plate section included two Brangwyn Wall Plaques.Wheras these are not to everyones taste, someone loved them and paid £3,200 and £3,500 for them. Two items that were in the last Bonhams sale, and failed to sell were a Solitude Wall Charger and a Conical Teapot in the Luxor pattern. At their last outing the Charger was bid up to £2000 and the Teapot went up to £600. Today, both sold for £2800 and £1200 respectively. In the Biscuit Barrel section, the star of the show was a Stamford shape in the Marigold pattern that achieved £5200. Slightly cheaper was the Applique Windmill for £1600. One of my favourite pieces was a Conical Bowl in the Gibraltar pattern, which had the pattern applied to the feet and made £2600. A sale that managed to satisfy most of the buyers, perhaps requires a more realistic stance on estimates, but where quality shone through. Congratulations to Mark and best wishes to Johanna and family. |
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