Netflix’s The Gentlemen has certainly added a fresh layer to the depictions of aristocratic life in country homes, focusing on an unconventional source of wealth for the 21st-century nobility. The series expertly showcases historic artwork, comprehensive book collections, and decorative fixtures found in many country house libraries, testament to the ongoing public intrigue surrounding the people who inhabit these grand residences.
It is these stately libraries that sparked the idea for Adam’s yearly “Library Collection” auction, set for this Wednesday. The auction house’s James O’Halloran indicated that one standout feature is that more than 80 out of a total 370 lots trace their origins back to a Pennsylvania farmhouse built by Abraham Dawes. This property served as General George Washington’s headquarters in 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, before Washington ultimately went on to become the first president of the United States.
The offering includes an array of furniture, clocks, porcelain, and glass pieces, none of which have been previously made available for purchase. These items have been in possession of the Dawes family relatives in Ireland for roughly the last thirty years.
The auction also has an interesting collection of oddities on offer, such as a variety of walking sticks with ornately carved handles (with estimated price ranges between €70-€1,200), a bronze death mask of notable 19th-century Irish politician Daniel O’Connell (estimated between €3,000-€5,000), and 19th-century replica models of temples in the Roman Forum (including the Temple of Castor and Pollux, and the Temple of Vespasian and Titus). The pair of models has an estimated value of €10,000-€15,000.
Two distinct sundials – a circular bronze Victorian sundial and a bronze and slate solar and lunar sundial (with both estimated between €500-€700) – also form part of the same Exhibition. The auction additionally boasts a broad selection of silverware, including the standout silver owl mustard pot, valued at an estimated €2,000-€3,000.
A painting from the school of Canaletto, positioned to capture a scene of Venice’s Grand Canal during the 18th century is available for purchase (estimated at between €10,000 and €15,000). The representation draws towards the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute at the entrance of the Grand Canal borrows from a composition akin to that produced by renowned 18th-century Venetian artist, Giovanni Antonio Canal, famously known as Canaletto.
For furniture enthusiasts with a fancy for upholstered items, two Chesterfield button back sofas are also on offer (estimated at between €1,200-€1,800 and €1,000-€1,500). Additionally, a George III “Gainsborough” library armchair enveloped in black leather (estimated between €1,200-€1,600), is an impressive piece for a suitable spot. O’Halloran points out that these armchairs, dubbed Gainsborough, became favoured picks among high-society individuals who sat for portrait paintings by the 18th-century English artist.
Collectors interested in historic books could find a gathering of 23 etchings portraying the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris’s 7th arrondissement (estimated at between €1,000-€1,500,) intriguing. Now referred to as Les Invalides, this impressive building complex initially served as a soldier’s hospital and retirement home (much akin to Dublin’s Royal Kilmainham Hospital) and currently hosts museums and monuments detailing France’s military history. This old tome was previously sold in Dublin in 1925 as part of an assortment from Carton House in Co Kildare. It still proudly bears the Fitzgerald crest within its pages.
Auctioneer Michael Sheppard has an action-packed week ahead with three auctions on his roster; termed Great Irish Interiors (April 30th/May 1st), Fine Jewellery (May 2nd), and Irish Vernacular Part III (May 3rd). These events will take place at Sheppard’s auction rooms in Durrow, Co Laois. Mr. Sheppard shows particular anticipation for the sale of a collection comprising 18th-century art, furniture, and artefacts, including Irish glass and Chinese art pieces. These items were gathered over a lifetime by an Irish investment banker who is now relocating from west Cork to southern France.
Sheppard describes the final lot of a considerable selection of Irish artefacts and traditional furniture as a mysterious collection that will leave collectors intrigued. He likens it to the biblical miracle at Cana where the most excellent wine was reserved for the end of the feast, believing that many of these unique pieces will appeal to regular auction attendees.
The assortment features some unusual items for sale, including a collection of vintage bicycles. A penny-farthing and an aged grown-up tricycle are included, each with an estimated worth between €4,000-€6,000. Lord Arlington, the former occupant of Emo Court – the singular country villa in Ireland planned by renowned English architect James Gandon – was the original owner of these. A portrait of Lady Arlington by well-known British watercolour artist Thomas Heaphy, valued at €800-€1,200, could attract the interest of the Office of Public Works, now responsible for managing the estate.
Other items which would give an insight into Irish rural life during the 18th and early 19th centuries might also intrigue regional museums. These include an 18th-century bog oak penal cross (estimate €2,000-€3,000), an Irish ash and elm hedge chair from the same era (estimated €800-€1,200), and a cockfighting chair from the early 1800s (also estimated €800-€1,200).
In addition, Dolan’s Art Auction features a painting by Letitia Hamilton of a Galway hooker on Claddagh Quay, worth an estimated €8,000-€12,000, and many other artworks worth exploring that will be available until the auction concludes on Monday.
Recent auction results include the sale of an Irish pine settle bed, featured in The Banshees of Inisherin, for the hammer price of €800 at Adam’s; a mossed antique trough auctioned off for €900 by RJ Keighery; and a piece by James Dixon, titled Cutty Sark, which fetched a remarkable €36,000 at Adam’s.