Exotic Art and Decorative Treasures
In 1868, Lyon & Turnbull announced what it described as “one of the most unique and recherché collections of works of ornamental and decorative art ever exposed for public competition in this city”.
The sale included an extraordinary ebony cabinet inlaid with ivory, carved with biblical medallions, alongside mythological paintings by Francesco Albani. These weren’t provincial offerings, they were objects that spoke of a European art world increasingly accessible to Scottish collectors through the saleroom.
Dealers from London and Beyond
Edinburgh may have been home, but Lyon & Turnbull was never isolated. International dealers, including London-based curiosity specialists like Benjamin Benjamin, regularly consigned objects to the firm.
One Benjamin collection offered hand-carved oak furniture, genuine bronze sculptures, ormolu-mounted clocks, and fine European china. The catalogue emphasised their quality to reassure buyers, reflecting how Victorian collectors in Edinburgh and London alike expected the very highest standards.
Jewels with International Provenance
Precious stones also featured prominently. In 1859, Lyon & Turnbull sold a dazzling collection of jewels and pearls, including forty-four large Oriental pearls weighing 735 grains, which fetched £780.
Such lots drew buyers from across Britain, with London dealers, including the eminent Rothschild, travelling north to attend. For a Scottish firm, attracting these kinds of bidders showed not only reach but reputation.
A Transnational Marketplace
These auctions reveal something important: Lyon & Turnbull’s salerooms were not just Edinburgh affairs. They were stages where global trade, European decorative arts, and Scotland’s appetite for collecting came together.
Far from being confined to its city of origin, the firm played a transnational role, connecting Scotland’s collectors to the wider world long before modern transport and communication made it commonplace.
