Five Centuries: Furniture, Paintings & Works of Art
Ahead of our two-day May 2024 Five Centuries auction, our team has selected a few of their favourite things, highlighting some of the intriguing pieces that will feature in our forthcoming auction.
LOT 35 | GEORGE III BREAKFRONT MARQUETRY COMMODE, 18TH CENTURY
There are quite a few remarkable pieces in this Five Centuries sale that I could pick as my favourite thing, but I feel compelled to select one of the fine lots of furniture included in Curated: The John Butterworth Collection, which is brimming with desirable things [lots 1-63]. I’m quite taken with lot 35, the exquisite George III marquetry commode. It’s of relatively small size, but golly does it pack a lot of decorative value into that small form. It would fit quite happily into a bijou city pied-a-terre, or grace a well-appointed sitting room in a stately home.
The beauty is in the details: it’s made from an array of exotic and flashy contrasting veneers that would have been even brighter when new, and topped with a lovely slab of Italian siena marble which has a sinuous moulded edge, always a sign of quality. Everything about the design is done for maximum effect, from the overblown diaper pattern on the side panels to the large oval reserve that dominates the front extending across all three drawers. It depicts a large Grecian urn and speaks to the Georgian fascination with classical motifs and the neo-classical aesthetic. With an estimate of £4,000-6,000, it seems a reasonable expense for something nearly 250 years old and of such quality and presence. I envy it’s new owner.
- Douglas Girton, Head of Fine Furniture and Works of Art
Learn more about Curated: The John Butterworth Collection ⇒
LOT 70 | PROVINCIAL GEORGIAN ELM REFECTORY TABLE, 18TH CENTURY
I have always been drawn to provincial vernacular furniture and I was taken with this table as soon as I set eyes on it. It has been hewn from three exceptionally long and solid planks of elm, which are richly gnarled and knotted, with swirling patterns and deep grooves in the grain. The surface is incredibly tactile. The top sits on chunky splayed legs with a well-worn foot rail uniting the ends. The construction is wonderfully honest, with pegged joints visible throughout. One end has an iron ring attached, presumably for securing a dog or animal.
When I look at the table it takes me on a journey, imagining the landscape and the huge elm tree that the wood came from, and then the long history of the table and those who gathered around it to enjoy well deserved food and drink after their labours. It’s a simple and unpretentious piece of furniture, full of character and presence. How super it would look laid with food and flowers. My nana used to say ‘it’s lovely to put your knees under someone else’s table’, and it would certainly be a pleasure to dine at this one.
- Katherine Wright, Senior Specialist
LOT 374 | RUSSIAN ORTHODOX ICON OF THE VIRGIN AND CHILD
My favourite lot in this sale is the Russian Orthodox icon, Lot 374, from the estate of the late Robert Bogdan. In Imperial Russia, icons were very important objects and were usually given as gifts at important events such as coming of age and weddings. They would then be venerated by the owner for the rest of their life, allowing them to pray in front of it and use it as a focal point for their personal worship. Many applied artists were producing works of exceptional quality for their Imperial and aristocratic patrons towards the end of the reign of the Tsars in Russia. This icon was created in the final decade of that decadence and shows this dedication to craftsmanship. How it managed to be spirited away to Britain still remains unknown, but some of Robert’s family’s close connections to that time offer some likely means. I find the way in which the faces of the Madonna and Child have been painted very emotive and it is very touching to be with an object that feels as though it is trying to connect with you. It has been a welcome sight while cataloguing this sale and I hope its new owner continues to treasure it as much as its owners before them.
- Harry Fletcher, Specialist
Learn more about the Property from the Estate of the Late Robert Bogdan ⇒
LOT 422 | DUTCH DELFT TOBACCO JARS, CIRCA 1800
My favourite lot is these two Dutch delft tobacco jars from the 19th Century. Tobacco was an important commodity in the Netherlands from the 17th to the 19th Centuries. It was taken for both medicinal and amusement purposes. The jars, were typically made of earthenware and fitted with a brass lid to keep the leaves dry until they were used. They were often decorated with the name of the tobacco that was contained in there, or the town from which they originally came, such as St Domingo in the case of one of the jars in this lot. Other related decoration, indicating what was in the jar was also a common feature, such as the figure holding a cigar on the same jar. I like them for their timeless decoration and simplicity of shape.
- Katie Hannah, Furniture & Works of Art
LOT 414 | EARLY 17TH CENTURY SWISS PAINTED AND LEADED GLASS PANELS
These two colourful glass panels offer such a lovely glimpse into the lives of people in the 17th century. Especially the Willkommscheibe. While the husband and wife are highly schematic – nearly all couples on known panels are depicted very similarly, with only minor individualisations in colouring and the attributes each of them is holding - the little panels above always seem to show scenes that are unique to each panel and surely must be an important part of the family’s lives. In this case, we see a lively table scene including the husband and the wife bringing more to drink, followed by a fool in typical guise. Since this setting was important enough for the couple to have it captured in glass, one can surely assume that they were very social and will have had many such gatherings in the house this panel was displayed in.
- Kerstin Schaeffer, Junior Specialist
LOT 373 | FRENCH GOLD, ENAMEL, AND ROMAN MICROMOSAIC SNUFF BOX, BY PIERRE ANDRE MONTAUBAN, 1809-1819
The small French gold and enamel box with the Roman micromosaic in the lid, lot 373, is my favourite lot in this Five Centuries auction. It was made by Pierre Andre Montauban in Paris in the early 19th century and is astounding in its quality and detail. Montauban was known for these types of luxury items, often incorporating finely done micromosaic panels into his work. It always boggles my mind the amount of skill needed and the work that must have gone into creating something this fine. The micromosaic was probably done in the workshop of the Roman Nicola Albaccini, who specialised in works like this and it makes me think how I would never have the patience to work on something so intricate!
- Jamie Russell, Furniture & Works of Art
