Latest news with #Woolley&Wallis
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Pair of rare royal pistols to be sold at auction
A pair of rare pistols from the private collection of an 18th Century prince are to be sold at auction later. The guns were owned by Prince Augustus Frederick, the first Duke of Sussex, the sixth son of King George III. They were made in the 1790s by the esteemed Spanish gunsmith Francisco Targarona and are believed to have been given to the prince as a diplomatic gift. The pair are estimated to fetch between £20,000 and £30,000 at a special sale of medals and coins, arms and armour at Woolley & Wallis, in Salisbury. The duke was well liked and noted for championing societal freedom and reform. He was also known for his large weapons collection, which was put up for auction on his death in 1843, including the pistols. The guns are Spanish 22 bore convertible 'Madrid' lock pistols, which date from about 1795. They are highly decorative, with geometric and floral accents, and can be fitted together to create a short, single gun. They are housed in a fitted mahogany case with velvet lining. On the outside, the case has an oval silver plate on its lid engraved "Purchased at the sale of His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, 1845". Ned Cowell, head of arms and armour at Woolley & Wallis, said the selling the guns was a privilege. "We are honoured to be offering such an outstanding pair of pistols by such a distinguished gunmaker and with such a historic background," he added. Other items in the sale include a selection of military medals, rare coins, swords, cannons and a coronation robe worn in 1937 and in 1953. Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. 'Very rare' five-neck guitars to be sold at auction Titanic pocket watch could sell for £50k at auction Sport commentator's career keepsakes sold
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rare Chinese antiques sell for more than £130k
Two rare Chinese antiques more than 300 years old and part of a family collection in East Sussex have been sold for a combined £135,500. The vase and wine pitcher were from the reign of the Kangxi Emperor (1661 to 1722) and were bought by art connoisseur and philanthropist William Cleverley Alexander in 1907 and 1913. Both items had been in Mr Alexander's private collection at his country home in Heathfield Park for more than a century. John Axford, chairman of the auction house Woolley & Wallis, said the family were "delighted" with the auction result on Tuesday. He added: "What the sale really shows is the importance of history and provenance - collectors prize provenance very highly." The vase, which has a rare underglaze decorated with two squirrels hiding in a fruiting grapevine, was sold to a buyer in the Far East for £94,500 against an estimate of £20,000-£30,000. The pitcher was sold for £41,000 to a European buyer against an estimate of £4,000-£6,000. Mr Axford said: "This shows despite the economic and political troubles in the world, really good items remain highly desirable." He explained ceramic wares modelled in the form of characters like the wine pitcher were a "remarkable" innovation of the Kangxi period - an era of stability following the collapse of the Ming Dynasty. He added the pitcher was a "particularly decorative example". It has a blue Buddhist lion finial, an unusually long neck and moulded as the combined Chinese characters of Fu (good fortune) and Shou (longevity). There were various uses for wine pitchers of this period, including ritualistic, ceremonial or funerary use. "They were were created to literally 'toast' the dead and some for more practical usage," Mr Axford added. Mr Alexander (1840-1916), who was also a banker, was credited for popularising Asian art in Britain during the Victorian era. Born into a wealthy family, he used his financial resources to amass an impressive collection of Asian art. His patronage of arts supported emerging artists of the time, including James McNeill Whistler who was famous for his painting Whistler's Mother. According to the auction house, Mr Alexander bought the wine pitcher for £45 from William Dickinson & Son in 1907. He then bought the vase from antiques dealer John Sparks on June 1913 for just £30. Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Dodo bone and letter fetch £23,000 at auction Hendrix tape sold for nearly double expected price
The Independent
16-04-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Bracelet by Scottish designer sells for almost three times estimate at auction
A piece of semi-precious gemstone jewellery slated to sell for £8,000 has sold at auction for more than three times its asking price to an unnamed collector. Woolley & Wallis auctioneers sold a bracelet designed by the late Scottish jeweller Sibyl Dunlop (1889–1968). It was sold on Wednesday in the auctioneer's fine jewellery sale via an phone call by the collector. The bracelet, made in the 1930s, is made up of a number of different gems and enamel. Jewellery specialist at Woolley & Wallis, Marielle Whiting said: 'We were thrilled to offer such a fine example of Sibyl Dunlop's exquisite jewellery. 'Dunlop uses a variety of semi-precious stones to create the 'carpet of gems' style for which her pieces are best known, and this bracelet is a fine example of this. 'The result achieved in our fine jewellery auction reflects the appreciation of Dunlop's craftsmanship.' The 1930s arts and crafts multi-gem and enamel bracelet in the carpet of gems design was formed from oval cabochon opals framed in black enamel, alternating with geometric bands of opal, amethyst and blue, green and yellow chalcedony. It is mounted in silver and its reverse is engraved with a foliate design, alongside Sibyl Dunlop's signature.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bracelet by Scottish designer sells for almost three times estimate at auction
A piece of semi-precious gemstone jewellery slated to sell for £8,000 has sold at auction for more than three times its asking price to an unnamed collector. Woolley & Wallis auctioneers sold a bracelet designed by the late Scottish jeweller Sibyl Dunlop (1889–1968). It was sold on Wednesday in the auctioneer's fine jewellery sale via an phone call by the collector. The bracelet, made in the 1930s, is made up of a number of different gems and enamel. Jewellery specialist at Woolley & Wallis, Marielle Whiting said: 'We were thrilled to offer such a fine example of Sibyl Dunlop's exquisite jewellery. 'Dunlop uses a variety of semi-precious stones to create the 'carpet of gems' style for which her pieces are best known, and this bracelet is a fine example of this. 'The result achieved in our fine jewellery auction reflects the appreciation of Dunlop's craftsmanship.' The 1930s arts and crafts multi-gem and enamel bracelet in the carpet of gems design was formed from oval cabochon opals framed in black enamel, alternating with geometric bands of opal, amethyst and blue, green and yellow chalcedony. It is mounted in silver and its reverse is engraved with a foliate design, alongside Sibyl Dunlop's signature.
BBC News
23-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
African mask valued at £300 sells for £107k
A 20th-century African mask sold for £107,100, more than 300 times its guide Kwele mask from Gabon was given an estimate of between £300 to £500 by Woolley & Wallis in Salisbury, Wiltshire, but there was "competitive" bidding from all over the object - just 29.5cm high - was from the private collection of an interior items at the sale on Wednesday exceeded expectations including a necklace from North East India which sold for £8,820 against an estimate of £1,500-£2,000. The African mask belonged to the late interior designer Eldred Trewvella "Bill" & Wallis specialist Will Hobbs said: "We had bids from the UK, Belgium, France and USA, phone bids from UK and Paris, but it eventually won out to a French buyer." One of the other successful pieces was a 19th or 20th-century Thai stone Buddha head that sold for £2,772, well above its guide price of £100 to £200.
