Latest news with #VictorMee
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Everything from dinosaurs to dining sets at two summer sales
Home or garden? The choice is yours at two appetising sales next week, the At Home online sale at James Adam in Dublin on Wednesday (June 11) and the two-day summer garden sale by Victor Mee in Cavan on the evenings of Tuesday and Wednesday. Top lots at Adam's range from Playing in the Sand (€4,000-€6,000), a lovely summer scene by Dorothea Sharp (1874-1955, through a Louis Quinze ormolu-mounted longcase clock (€3,000-€5,000), an Irish Regency oval beaded wall mirror (€3,000-€5,000) and a Milkmaid pattern Irish silver tea set (€2,500-€3,500). A wrought-iron glasshouse in Victorian style, complete with modern accoutrements like remote control glass and automated vents (€18,000-€22,000) leads the offerings at Victor Mee. A Regency oval beaded mirror at James Adam. Lifesize bronze sculptures of a horse and jockey and a galloping horse are estimated at €10,000-€20,000 each, while bronze-effect statues on pedestals of The Four Seasons, a bronze fountain with Mercury and a pair of 19th-century wrought-iron entrance gates are all estimated at €8,000-€12,000. One of the more unusual At Home lots, for use when away, is a complete set of early 20th-century 40 nautical signal flags. Originally drafted in 1855, the code is an international system of signals used by ships to convey important information on safety and navigation. The flags are in a fitted timber case with brass carrying handles and are estimated at €400-€600. With more than 500 lots, the last At Home sale before the summer features a diverse range of home objects, including a pair of brass-framed circular hall lanterns, an Edwardian club fender, and a pair of 19th-century Sitzendorf porcelain wall sconces. A bleached timber library table at James Adam. There are lots of chairs like sofas and Chesterfields, a set of eight Windsor-style oak and elmwood kitchen chairs, a pair of French 19th-century two-seater settees, a pair of red leather wingback armchairs, a George II walnut armchair, a pair of library armchairs, green leather button back chairs, a set of c1820s provincial Irish dining chairs along with Victorian and Edwardian dining chair sets. Among the artworks on offer are two botanical watercolours by Wendy Walsh and Cattle Watering by Thomas Sydney Cooper. A pair of giltwood and marble figural console tables, a bleached timber library table, Georgian and Regency dining tables, side tables and card tables feature along with collectables like silver, clock sets and a Baccarat three-light candelabra. At Victor Mee's sale, you will find exceptional urns and planters, a private collection of antique stone troughs and an obelisk gifted by the Chinese government to the Hely-Hutchinson family at Knocklofty House in Clonmel. The two-day sale features over 850 lots of garden statuary, furniture and architectural features. An obelisk gifted by the Chinese government at Victor Mee. There is a focus too on animal garden statuary with an emphasis on native Irish wildlife. This is an area of collection which the team at Victor Mee has noted is growing in popularity as animal sculptures are increasingly used to add character and whimsy to Irish gardens. Among the offerings are hares dancing, a lifesize bronze sheep, bronze pigs, a cast-iron red squirrel and a pair of boxing hares. A raptor for your garden at Victor Mee. More exotic creatures include a bronze elephant with a Dali-style decoration and a bronze velociraptor. As always, there is a good selection of antique and vintage outdoor furniture. Catalogues for both sales are online.
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- General
- Irish Examiner
Animal magnetism: How to use sculpture to create a garden focal point
When we think about creating beautiful outdoor spaces, our minds often jump to colour schemes, planting plans, or hard landscaping. But one of the most powerful tools in a garden designer's toolbox is something quite simple: the focal point. A garden, like a good painting, benefits enormously from a strong composition. And every good composition needs something to draw the eye, a centrepiece that invites you in and gives meaning to the space around it. It could be a tree, a water feature, or a well-placed bench. But increasingly, I'm drawn to the character and charm of sculpture, especially when it speaks to our landscape, our heritage, and our imagination. Over the years, I have found that one of the most exciting sources for this kind of focal point is local auction houses. Sourcing garden focal points from auction houses ensures your piece of statuary is unique, not forgetting often highly collectable, sustainable and durable within your garden space. One particular auction that comes to mind is the annual Summer Garden Sale, hosted by Cavan-based Victor Mee Auctions. Victor Mee's yearly garden auction has become something of a fixture on the calendar for designers, collectors, and garden lovers alike. And for good reason, as the catalogue is always full of personality, ranging from grand classical pieces to the delightfully unexpected smaller statues and useful garden items. This year, there's a particularly enchanting theme running through the sculptural line-up: traditional Irish woodland and farm animals. We're talking everything from a proud parade of sheep and a pair of pigs mid-snuffle to a flurry of hares in full motion. There are geese, life-sized horses, and even a dramatic sculpture of a horse and jockey clearing a fence, all of which are full of energy and storytelling potential. These garden focal points do more than simply decorate a space. They become part of the garden's soul. Animal sculptures, in particular, have a unique ability to connect us with the land. They reflect the rhythms of Irish life, from the fields to the farms, and they carry with them a sense of nostalgia and folklore. A bronze hare mid-leap can remind us of the flash of movement through a dewy meadow. A grouping of cast-iron sheep brings a sense of calm and familiarity, especially in more urban settings. And a pair of pigs can make even the most formal garden feel grounded and playful. These kinds of focal points do something quite magical in a garden. They catch the eye, spark curiosity, and bring humour and heart into the space. They give you a second to pause, and for me, that's what a great garden is all about. It's not just about plants and paving, which of course are so important, but it's also about creating a place that draws you in and asks you to look again. The beauty of a piece from auction houses like Victor Mee's Garden Sale is in its individuality. Every item is chosen with care, and in Victor Mee's case, many items were held back throughout the year to make this sale a true event. Whether it's a traditional stone urn, a whimsical bronze fox, or a reclaimed wrought-iron bench, each item brings a distinct voice to the garden. And when you build your design around a piece with this kind of presence, the rest of the garden naturally falls into rhythm. It's a trend I'm seeing more and more — garden owners wanting not just style, but story. They want their outdoor spaces to reflect who they are and where they come from. Of course, placing a sculpture well is just as important as choosing the right one. Think about framing it with planting, whether that be tall grasses for movement, wildflowers for contrast, or clipped hedging for formality. Let it surprise people around a corner or make it the centrepiece of your view from the kitchen window. A garden focal point doesn't need to be big to be bold, it's about presence, not size. It should invite interaction, whether that's contemplation, a smile, or even a selfie! The Victor Mee Summer Garden Sale doesn't just offer antiques and oddities; it offers the chance to bring a piece of the story into your space. So this summer, if you're thinking of refreshing your garden or starting from scratch, begin with the focal point. Let it be something that brings joy, sparks a memory, or simply makes you stop and smile. Because that, to me, is what gardening is all about. Victor Mee Auctions' annual Summer Garden Sale will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 10 and 11, live and online from the Co Cavan family-run auction house. Public viewing will take place on location at Victor Mee Auctions, Cavan auction rooms on June 7 and 8 from 12pm-5pm and on June 9 from 10am-5pm. Read More Six ways to use mirrors in your garden or outdoor space
Irish Examiner
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Sacred and profane: Ecclesiastical furniture and pub memorabilia under the hammer
A once-off selection of antique furniture, lighting, religious art and ecclesiastical brass will come under the hammer at Victor Mee's live online sale of contents from the St Louis Convent in Monaghan and other clients on Tuesday and Wednesday (May 14) at 6pm on both days. The sale is led by a large 19th-century six-door bookcase with a realistic estimate of just €800-€1,200. A 19th-century pitch-pine bookcase at Victor Mee's sale of contents from the St Louis Convent in Monaghan. A 19th-century pitch-pine bookcase, another very large piece, has an estimate of €600-€1,200. At the other end of the sale is a striking pair of 1970s leather club chairs by Bart van Bekhoven (€800-€1,200). Oak refectory tables and a French gilded six-branch chandelier are among the standout lots. Pub mirrors are highly collectable and Aidan Foley will offer a number of them at his online sale on Monday and Tuesday (May 12 and 13) at 6pm on each day. A large Jameson Whiskey mirror at Aidan Foley's sale. A rare Watts Tyrconnell Pure Pot Still Whiskey mirror and a large Jameson Whiskey mirror lead the pack. There are concert posters of Limerick interest featuring U2 and The Pogues at The Savoy, and a large selection of hotel furniture. The catalogue is online and the auction is on view from 11am to 5pm today until Monday at the old Cleeves Toffee factory in Limerick.
Irish Examiner
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
For auction: London portrait of Michael Collins in the frame
A full-length portrait of Michael Collins will create interest at Fonsie Mealy's rare book and collectors' sale in Castlecomer on Wednesday and Thursday (April 30, May 1). Collins, who has a moustache in this picture, is photographed standing on a balcony in London. A full-length portrait photograph of Michael Collins in London by Lafayette at Fonsie Mealy. More than 700 widely varied lots will come under the hammer here over two days. These range from rare sporting memorabilia like Kerry's first All-Ireland football championship winners medal from 1903 to a limited-edition illustrated volume of The Vatican Frescoes of Michelangelo and a scarce limited-edition copy of Squarings: Twelve Poems by Seamus Heaney, with four lithographic prints by Felim Egan. This work is signed by both the author and the artist. Lots and lots of all types of lots will come under the hammer in Ireland next week, with rare collectibles leading the charge. The mahogany and brass-mounted country house letterbox at James Adam. With everything from a mahogany and brass-mounted country house letter box that would not be out of place at Downton Abbey to a vintage alligator Gladstone bag, the annual library collection sale at James Adam in Dublin on Tuesday (April 29) offers a selection of 344 lots with something of interest to most of us. Vintage road signs are popular collectibles and feature at several sales. There is bound to be local interest in an old AA mileage sign for Blarney and Cork at Victor Mee's sale at Belturbet on Tuesday and Wednesday. AA road sign at Victor Mee. The online-only auction offers advertising materials and a mix of nostalgic items. Among them are enough Irish carnival and fairground pieces from Warrenpoint in Co Down and Buncrana in Co Donegal to keep any keen restorer busy for months. A 1970s vintage chrome and gilt Italian bar is not something you come across every day. This one, complete with tinted mirror front and stainless steel counter, is at the deVeres timed online design auction, which runs until Tuesday. A vintage Italian bar at deVeres. The auction offers a mix of classic design pieces by Eileen Gray, Arne Jacobsen, Gianfranco Frattini and Gianni Versace and art by John Shinnors, Albert Irvin, Cecil King, Tony O'Malley, Felim Egan and Mark Francis. There are all sorts of highlights at these sales. Franz Ludwig Hermann's The Dedication of the Temple of Solomon at James Adam is monumental and depicts a fantastical view of the temple. Sacrifices to mark the dedication are said to have included 22,000 bulls and 120,000 sheep. A painting by George Mounsey Wheatley Atkinson depicts a crowded harbour with paddle steamers. A child's carousel ride at Victor Mee will evoke many memories, along with several antique puppets and a 1970s tinplate fairground motorcycle. A prototype of the Liam MacCarthy Cup, by tradition, the sample that the trophy's maker, jeweller Edmund Johnston of Grafton Street in Dublin, presented to the Liam MacCarthy committee, is at Fonsie Mealy. In the event a variant was chosen. Choices here also include is a first (1955) edition of Moonraker, the third James Bond novel by Ian Fleming, and a painting of George Best in action by the British artist Tom Croft, approved by Best and originally intended to be made into a limited-edition print run, a plan that was abandoned when Best fell ill. Also for auction are five volumes of the Irish Georgian Society records of 18th-century domestic architecture in Dublin and an official Adidas Argentina team jersey signed by Diego Maradonna. Treasures abound everywhere.
