Dear blog reader
Here is the third part of the series on the sale of the contents of Shandon House, also known as the Shandon collection. Enjoy.
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THE SCOTSMAN FRIDAY 18 MAY 1877
THE SHANDON SALE
LONDON, THURSDAY NIGHT
There was a fair attendance at the Shandon Sale today, and some unusually keen competition among one or two dealers.
Most of the articles fetched a good price, more especially the knives, forks, and spoons, and some of the rock crystal cups and trays, which, indeed, always command a good price if genuine. The watches sold fairly, and there were one or two very fine lots of ivory and wood carving disposed of. The highest price realised today was for a vase of Celadon porcelain, which went up to £300.
The sale commenced with a number of knives, forks, and spoons, the first lot going for £1 2s; six boxwood spoons with silver handles went for £1 6s. A curious boxwood spoon, the bowl carved with a portrait and inscription, and date 1699, ran up to £4 6s. A silver knife and fork, with agate handles, silver-mounted, fetched £1 2s. Twelve boxwood spoons, the ends of silver, with figures of the Apostles, from Mr Farrer’s collection, sold for 5 gs. A ‘Cuchillo de Albacete’, dated 1693, fetched £1 1s. Nine antique knives and forks with buck-horn handles, from Mr Norton’s collection, were sold for 6 gs, and an ivory spoon, carved with the daughter of Herodias, for £5 10s. A set of twelve silver German Apostle spoons went up to £9 5s, and a set of fine old German spoons of parcel gilt silver to £6. A pair of silver gilt spoons with fluted bowls realised £5 10s, and an Apostle spoon, and one with a mask, £5, while a steel carving fork, with chased handle, fetched £3 12s 6d. A silver gilt knife, fork, and spoon, with ivory handles, carved with a triton, amorial and scrolls, were knocked down for 13 1/2 gs. A desk penknife and eraser, with long ivory handles, went to Mr Lawrie for £3 10s. A carving knife and fork, with mother of pearl and steel handles, Italian work, were bought by Mr Boore, for £14 10s. A razor, with ebony handle and pique work, fetched £3 7s 6d, and a pair of knife and fork handles of boxwood, carved with human masks, very fine work, ran up to £27 10s. A paid of ivory fork and knife handles, carved with animals fighting, sold for £7 10s. A knife and fork, with cut agate handles, fetched £1 6s; and two knives (2028 and the next lot) were sold for 9 1/2 guineas. A folding knife, fork, and spoon, of metal gilt, in blue enamel handles, went for £1 18s.
Then came a pack of old French playing cards, painted and inlaid with satin, in stamped vellum case, with silver clasp, very curious, which went to Mr Pike for 9 guineas; while a complete set of gold, silver, and copper coins of George IV, fetched £11. Crystal came next, and the first lot, a crystal ball cut in facets, went to Mr Lawrie for 5 guineas. Then an oval fluted tray of rock crystal, mounted with silver filagree, fetched 14 guineas. A small malachite ewer and onyx cup together realised 5 guineas. A paper weight, formed as an eagle on a malachite stand, fetched £5, and a rock silver crucifix, mounted in enamelled silver gilt, and set in garnets, was not dear at 20 guineas. A tray of jasper and a beautiful moss agate cup and saucer fetched £4 6s. The next two lots (2051 and 2052) brought 16 guineas; and then a small goblet of rock crystal, engraved with arabesque Italian work of the 10th century, went for 6 guineas. An oval rock crystal cup and cover, surmounted by a statuette 7 inches high, ran to £21. a cylindrical cup and cover of rock crystal, 8 1/2 inches high, fetched £30; and then came a large oval cup of rock crystal on stem, mounted with silver gilt and gold, and with enamels, exhibited at the Art Treasures, of remarkably fine work, which was knocked down for 175 guineas. Next came ewer and salver of engraved rock crystal, mounted in silver-gilt, which fetched £132, going to M Goupil. A rock crystal reliquary, with a relic of the Virgin, went for £9 15s. A tea service of Russian agate (2061) ran up to £36; and then followed more of the clocks and watches.
A small English gold watch, by Halstead, London, inside case of jasper and crystal, sold for 8gs, and the next, by Williamson, in silver case, for £4 15s. A gold repeater, by Stumbels, London, outer case inlaid with jasper, realised £21 10s, going to Mr Pike; and a large watch showing the days of the month etc, by G Margetts, ran to £21. A small watch, by Vigne, London, in onyx case, mounted with diamonds, fetched £24, and the next, in a similar case, 12 1/2 gs, both going to Mr Boore. A very small watch, with seconds dial, in oval gold ring, went to Mr Lawrie for 13gs. An old gold watch, with engraved chatelaine, with emeralds, pearls, and diamonds, fetched £28. An antique watch, in the form of a cross with cut glass round it, realised £10. A large silver watch, by Zacharius of Leipzig, fetched £24; and a small silver watch and one like a ball sold together for £5. An oval watch by Duchene in gold case brought £5 15s, and another, formed like a heart, £5. A very small enamelled watch, in the form of a lute, fetched 14gs, and one shaped like a tower £6 10s. A very small watch in a gold ring, set with diamonds, was soon run up to 50gs, and bought by Mr Boore. A circular clock watch, by Leonardie, fetched 5 1/2 gs, and a gold watch by Ulrich, Hamburg, 17gs. A watch by Lergy, Paris, in Dresden porcelain case, brought £20, and an antique table clock of metal gilt, formed as a crucifix, 12gs. An eight-day clock by Harrison, withthe original gridiron pendulum, of which he was the inventor, with the wheel work of oak, ran up to £35. An astronomical timepiece, showing mean solar and sidereal time, on celestial and terestrial globes, in motion, by Shearer, London, was knocked down for 70gs to Mr Boore. A remarkable timepiece, with the moving power in the end of the hour hands, made by McNab, Perth, fetched 15gs, and an old English clock, in tall case, 11gs.
More carvings in ivory came next. An early gothic carving of the Crucifixion fetched £4, and a triptych, carved with canopies, gothic, early 14th century, 41 gs. Another of the Crucifixion went at 4 1/2 gs, and a group in full relief of Christ led by soldiers, at 35 gs. Moses and the brazen serpent, German, 17th century work, went for 5 gs. A group of two infant angels, holding a cross, fetched £5 10s, and a skull, admirably carved, 11 gs. Carvings in wood came next. A boxwood frieze, carved with a battle subject of the 16th century, went to Mr Marks for £22 10s. A powder flask, formed as two dogs, mounted in silver, fetched 19 gs. A boxwood nutcraker, exhibited at Leeds, brought 9 gs; and another, a grotesque figure, £2 12s 6d. A handsome pair of brackets, carved as busts of a boy and girl, went for 12 gs. A group of the dead Christ and the Virgin, under a canopy, engraved with the monogram of Albert Durer, realised 21 gs. A pair of small boxwood medallions of Luther and his wife fetched £2, and a circular powder flask as many guineas. A pair of figures, after Durer, sold for 5 gs; and then an oval sopra porta panel, carved with figures, for 12 1/2 gs. A large panel of the same kind followed, with amorini as blacksmiths at a forge, at 13gs. A handsome tobacco pipehead, mounted with silver, time of Louis XVI, bought £26, going to Mr Lawrie, and another which followed, 6 gs. A fine Spanish boxwood crucifix, 12 1/2 inches high, fetched 5 1/2 gs. A pair of statuettes of man and woman, in various coloured woods, sold for 12 gs. A pair of Venetian groups, each four feet high, of amorini gambolling on the back of a lion, were knocked down to Mr David for 150 gs. A vase of old Oriental celadon porcelain, formed as two lotus flowers, was speedily run up to £300, and bought by Mr Wertheimer. A frieze for a comb, of Roman shell cameo, sold for 14 gs, and an old buhl box for 11 gs. An Italian coffer of carved bone and marqueterie sold for 9 1/2 gs. A small ebony altar piece, with plaques of enamel on gold, and a miniature of a Queen of Spain, by Lapi, from the Bernal collection, went for £16.
Then came some additions to the catalogue. A tortoiseshll box sold for 2 gs. A small silver-mounted casket went for 7 1/2 gs. A mother-of-pearl box fetched £1 12s, and a group of two amorini in boxwood, 7 gs. A fine monstrance sold for 19 gs, and some antique earrings for £3 7s 6d. Oriental carvings in ivory followed. Two groups, one of a woman and three children, fetched £2 15s. A group of two warriors went for £3, and a group of figures amd foliage for £7. A pair of match pots went for £4 10s. A pair of buckles, carved with dragons, fetched £5 2s 6d. Then came set of chessmen at 12 gs, and next a set of Chinese concentric balls, richly carved and perforated, 5 1/2 inches in diameter, at 18 gs.
The total amount realised today was £2210, which brings the grand total up to £42,679.
Shandon People and History 