A palace fit for a gypsy king (or queen)

 

Cornucopia of 20th century art up for auction

An important collection of 20^th century art is to be auctioned in Cheltenham next month.

The collection of art, sculpture and design was a labour of love for Gloucestershire collector, the late Maurice Costley.

His treasure trove of modern art will be offered for sale by The Cotswold Auction Company at its Chapel Walk saleroom in Cheltenham on Tuesday, October 29^th, starting at 10am.

20^th century ceramics feature strongly, including three works by the highly regarded and sought-after ceramicist Lucie Rie and a ‘blown away’ stoneware vase by Elizabeth Fritsch.

The Cotswold Auction Company director, Liz Poole, said: “This truly is a spectacular collection of 20^th century art, featuring works by Lucie Rie and Elizabeth Fritsch amongst others.

“Mr Costley built up his collection over 40 years, starting in the 1980s with purchases of East Anglian art before developing a wider passion for modern art and sculpture.

“He enjoyed regular visits to some of the country’s top galleries, gathering an extensive collection of paintings, sculpture and ceramics over his lifetime.”

Two Terence Coventry bronzes were purchased from the Pangolin Gallery in Stroud – both feature in the Cheltenham sale, along with works by Reg Butler and Peter Randall-Page.

The renowned Scottish artist Craigie Aitchison (1926-2009) became a friend – four of his oils and three limited edition prints will be offered.

Other notable artists in the sale include Edward Seago, Alberto Morocco, Carel Weight, Paul Fordyce Maitland, Mick Rooney, Julian Bailey, Campbell Archibald Mellon, Maggie Hambling, Gwen John and John Alfred Arnesby-Brown.

Mr Costley was an avid collector of Josef Herman watercolours, and these will also come under the hammer.

The catalogue is available online at www.cotswoldauction.co.uk several weeks prior to the auction, and the collection will be on view in Cheltenham on Saturday, 26th October, from 10am to 1pm, and Monday 28th October, 10am to 4pm.

For further enquiries, please call 01242 256363 or email info@cotswoldauction.co.uk

An Ard life

Connoisseurs of fine whiskies might conclude it’s not such an ‘ard’ life after all if they get their hands on some of the decadent delights on offer at auction next month.

And while they might like to remain forever young, both people and whiskies inevitably get better with age and often enjoy a late life renaissance.

A series of four Ardbeg single malt Scotch whiskies all bottled from the same batch at different ages is among the stars of The Cotswold Auction Company’s next whisky sale in Cirencester on September 10^th and 11^th.

‘The Young Ardbeg Path to Peaty Maturity’ comprises four bottles, Very Young, 58.3% volume, Still Young, 56.2% volume, Almost There, 54.1% volume, and Renaissance, 55.9% volume – all distilled in 1998.

The four were bottled in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008 respectively. Sold as a set, they carry an auction estimate of £600 to £800.

The company is inviting entries for September and for future sales in what is a rapidly expanding market for auctioneers.

Saleroom manager Niall Fry said: “This is a very unusual set of four Ardberg whiskies at different stages of maturity.

“Vintage whisky is a growing market, and we are keen to hear from anyone who is interested in entering their collection into a future sale.”

Enquiries about selling whisky at auction can be directed to the company’s Cirencester office on 01285 642420, or to ciren@cotswoldauction.co.uk

Flower power sees Spencer illustrations up for auction

Previously unseen illustrations by prominent 20^th century artist Gilbert Spencer are set to go under the hammer in the Cotswolds next month.

Gilbert was the younger brother of Sir Stanley Spencer, one of the best-known English artists of the early 20^th century, and an influence on the work of later luminaries such as Lucien Freud.

The illustrations – for a series of unpublished children’s stories – were the result of a lifelong friendship between Gilbert and aspiring writer Marjorie Freeman.

The drawings and typed stories – along with correspondence between Gilbert and Marjorie about their collaboration, and a series of self-illustrated Christmas cards by Gilbert to Marjorie – are up for sale in The Cotswold Auction Company’s August 13^th sale of Modern Art and Design, Vintage Fashion and Textiles.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Marjorie wrote a series of tales for children entitled ‘Flower Stories’, each recounting the story of an individual flower, such as ‘The Primrose’s Story’ and ‘The Daisy’s Story’.

Marjorie – who wrote under the pseudonym Michal Taunt – retired to Gloucestershire, and in the 1970s she entered the stories into a BBC competition.

The work never found a publisher, but Marjorie’s family kept hold of Gilbert’s drawings for decades after his death.

The illustrations, stories and associated correspondence have now re-emerged and are being offered for sale with an estimate of £700 to £1,000.

A collection of Christmas cards from Gilbert to Marjorie will be offered separately at an estimate of £300 to £500.

The Cotswold Auction Company director, Liz Poole, said: “This is a charming collaboration between Gilbert and a local writer, Marjorie Freeman, born of their long-standing friendship, which lasted for decades until Gilbert’s death in 1979.

“We are expecting interest from collectors of the Spencer brothers’ work. It is rare to come across such an unusual series of drawings by an important artist.”

She added: “Gilbert was the younger brother of Sir Stanley Spencer, but also a highly regarded artist in his own right.

“He studied at the Royal College of Art and the Slade School of Fine Art and later became a member of the Royal Academy. Examples of his work are owned by the Tate Gallery and the RA.”

The sale will take place at The Cotswold Auction Company’s Chapel Walk saleroom in Cheltenham on Tuesday, August 13^th, starting at 10am.

Auction buyers hoping to be cat that got the cream

Before You Tube cat videos there was…Louis Wain (1860 – 1939).

A set of six drawings by the master of meow is sure to have buyers purring as The Cotswold Auction Company announces the highlights of its 21^st/22^nd May pictures sale.

‘Scenes from the Courts’ features feline characters starring as participants in a courtroom drama, all signed by the artist.

The purr-fect gift for any cat lover, the set of six watercolour and bodycolour drawings are estimated at between £3,000 and £5,000.

Wain was certified insane in 1924 – a decade after suffering a head injury in an omnibus accident – and spent the remainder of his life in psychiatric institutions.

He continued to draw and paint throughout this period, and some critics have seen his later abstract works as a precursor of psychedelic art.

Regarded in his day as a leading UK authority on cats, he became president of the National Cat Club and was in demand as a judge at cat shows. 

He was even mentioned in parliament by the first Labour Prime Minister and Wain fan, Ramsay MacDonald. 

Wain’s life was the subject of a 2021 film ‘The Electrical Life of Louis Wain’, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the artist.

Auctioneer Lindsey Braune said: “Louis Wain’s drawings were a huge hit with the public nearly a century before cat videos took over the internet.

“They demonstrate humanity’s ongoing love affair with our cute feline companions, and the set of six we are offering in our next sale are sure to have buyers purring.”

Other highlights in the sale include a late 19^th century Pre-Raphaelite style oil painting of a young woman with windswept hair by an unknown artist, estimated at £300 to £500.

And a trio of landscapes in watercolour by George Arthur Fripp (1813 – 1896) are also being offered at an estimate of £100 to £200 each.

The Cotswold Auction Company’s sale of Pictures, Antiques and Interiors will take place at its Cirencester saleroom in Love Lane on Tuesday 21^st May and Wednesday 22^nd May, starting at 10am.

Viewing is on Saturday May 18^th from 10am to 1pm, and on Monday May 20^th from 10am to 4pm.

Time for a wee dram!

Let’s raise a glass to The Cotswold Auction Company’s inaugural auction of whisky, fine wines and spirits.

The company’s April sale is certainly one to warm the cockles as we bid a not-so-fond farewell to winter.

The star at the bar is undoubtedly a bottle of Highland Park 37-year-old single malt Scotch whisky. Bottle number 60 of 75, it was bottled from cask 8409 and is estimated at £2,000 to £3,000.

Also on offer are a bottle of Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist – a 1990 limited release Islay single malt Scotch whisky, 46% proof, estimated at between £200 and £300.

Buyers might also be tempted by a bottle of The Macallan, whisky makers edition, 42.8% proof, estimated at £150 to £250.

Director Lindsey Braune said: “Demand for vintage whiskies is on fire right now. The market has truly gone global, with collectors in the Far East and elsewhere entering the fray.

“Scottish whisky is one of the UK’s best-loved exports, enjoyed by connoisseurs from Boston to Beijing.”

The Cotswold Auction Company’s next auction of Silver, Jewellery, Watches, Asian and Whisky will take place at its Love Lane saleroom in Cirencester on April 9^th and 10th.

Silver, jewellery and whisky galore!

Whisky galore and some shiny treasures star in The Cotswold Auction Company’s April sale.

Director Lindsey Braune said: “We have some fabulous pieces of jewellery and silver in our April sale in Cirencester, including a collection of 19^th century Italian micro-mosaic jewellery with estimates from £100 to £300 each.

“The sale also features Indian silver, such as a monumental, embossed pedestal bowl (estimate £800 to £1200), and several hundred examples of British and Irish silver, among them a lovely collection of Irish potato rings. An Italian silver toast rack is set to bring £200 to £250.

“Whisky and spirits are a new venture for us and we look forward to offering our customers the very best in this category. 

“The market for vintage whisky is buoyant right now, with keen interest from collectors overseas, particularly in the Far East, as well as at home in the UK. 

“This time we have a bottle of Talisker 1996 Isle of Skye double matured special reserve single malt Scotch whisky, in its original box, estimated at £150 to £250.”

Also in this section are Chateau bottled vintage red wines, a jeroboam of Veuve Clicquot and a good selection of port, which is always popular with collectors.

The Cotswold Auction Company’s next auction of Silver, Jewellery, Watches, Asian and Whisky will take place at its Love Lane saleroom in Cirencester on April 9^th and 10th.

Not horsing around – Elizabeth Frink pictures up for auction

Buyers are unlikely to say ‘neigh’ to one of these – a pair of Elizabeth Frink pictures up for auction in Cheltenham in March.

An etching and aquatint of a horse rolling over, estimated at £1,500 to £2,000, and ‘Man and Horse III’, a lithograph estimated at £700 to £800, feature in The Cotswold Auction Company’s March sale of Modern Art and Design, Vintage Fashion and Textiles.

Elizabeth Frink (1930 – 1993) was renowned as a sculptor and printmaker, particularly for her striking sculptural figures of men and acutely-observed prints of horses.

Work by P J Crook features strongly, with several pictures by the local Cheltenham-based artist in the sale. The highlight of these is a large acrylic on canvas entitled ‘The Angel, The Lion and The Infants’, estimated at £1,500 to £2,500.

Crook’s work is often featured on album covers by progressive rock band King Crimson, fronted by guitar innovator Robert Fripp.

The auction also boasts work by Belarus-born artist Marc Chagall (1887- 1985) – an etching of two female figures entitled ‘L’Envolee’, estimated at £700 to £800 – and by English painter and printmaker John Piper.

Piper was an official war artist during the Second World War – his depictions of bomb-damaged churches and other landmarks turned him into a household name.

Director Elizabeth Poole said: “We have a very strong selection of pictures in our next specialist modern art and design sale.

“We are delighted to be selling work by such well-known names as Elizabeth Frink and Marc Chagall, as well as the prominent local artist P J Crook.”

The sale will take place at The Cotswold Auction Company’s Chapel Walk saleroom in Cheltenham on Tuesday, March 19^th, starting at 10am.

We shall bite them on the beaches!

Winston Churchill’s false teeth, the microphone he used on VE Day to announce the end of World War Two and a treasured RAF Battle of Britain ‘Book of Heroes’ will ensure February’s sale is among The Cotswold Auction Company’s finest hours.

The ‘Book of Heroes’ is extremely rare and contains the signatures of 107 RAF officers – many of whom flew in the Battle of Britain and did not survive the war – collected in 1941.

The book’s leather cover was cut from a mess chair by legendary WW2 pilot Douglas Bader, whose signature and photo feature in the book.

Winston Churchill, in conversation with Bader, called the book ‘not a book of names, but a book of heroes. God forbid it should ever be lost’.

Throw in Paul McCartney’s (signed) ukulele and we can promise a magical mystery tour down the long and winding road of the 20^th century’s heroes and entertainers.

The eclectic assortment of memorabilia has come from the estate of an avid Gloucestershire-based collector, who purchased the Churchill memorabilia and the Book of Heroes at Bonhams and other auctions some years ago. They include all the paperwork showing provenance.

Other highlights of his collection include a framed football boot signed by England World Cup hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst, and guitars signed by The Shadows and Status Quo.

Director Liz Poole said: “This really is a charming and eccentric collection of memorabilia, taking in Churchill, a member of The Beatles, and several sporting and entertainment legends.

“Buyers have a chance to get their hands on a genuine piece of history with the sale of the microphone Churchill used to announce the end of the Second World War in Europe and the legendary Battle of Britain ‘Book of Heroes’.

“Churchill’s false teeth must be among the most unusual items we have ever sold.”

The collection is set to go under the hammer at The Cotswold Auction Company’s auction of Books, Medals, Militaria, Coins, Stamps and Collectables at its Chapel Walk saleroom in Cheltenham on Tuesday, February 6^th from 10am.

Two emperors, three exquisite treasures

Three exquisite treasures from the reigns of two of China’s greatest emperors – Kangxi and Qianlong – will grace The Cotswold Auction Company’s Christmas sale in December.

The highlight is a pair of Qianlong period (1735 – 1796) cloisonne enamel and gilt-bronze tripod censers (incense burners), estimated at £6,000 to £8,000.

Decorated with ruyi-shaped turquoise panels, the censers are enamelled with lotus, scrolling foliage and Chinese ‘Shou’ emblems, and are supported on gilt bronze mythical beast-headed legs.

The sale also features a blue and white oviform porcelain vase, bearing a Kangxi emperor mark, but believed to date from the 19th century. Chinese porcelain often carried the mark of earlier emperors as a tribute to their forebears or as an indication of quality.

The vase, at 45cm high, is painted with dragons among scrolling flowers and is estimated at £1000 to £1500.

The Cotswold Auction Company’s Christmas sale will be held on Tuesday, December 12^th from 10am at its Chapel Walk saleroom in Cheltenham.

Director Lindsey Braune said: “These are amongst the finest Chinese antiques we have sold in recent years.

“The censers are truly exceptional examples, dating from the Qianlong period, while the vase is also of a very high quality.”

In addition, we are offering a pair of Chinese cloisonné enamel candlestick stands, also from the Qianlong period, each with a four character seal mark and estimated at £1000 to £2000.

The three greatest emperors of the Qing dynasty – Kangxi (1661 – 1722), Yongzheng (1722 – 1735) and Qianlong (1735 – 1796) – reigned in succession from 1661 to 1796, as father, son and grandson.

Medieval washbowls set to clean up at auction

An extremely rare group of medieval hand washing bowls will go under the hammer in The Cotswold Auction Company’s annual Christmas sale.

The group of four Limoges gilt, copper and polychrome champleve enamel gemellions – which have come down by descent to the present owner – date to the first half of the 13^th century (circa 1200 – 1250).

Gemellions are shallow bowls that were used for hand washing during the Middle Ages, both by priests at the church altar and by wealthy households in a domestic setting at meal times.

They usually came in pairs, hence their Latin name ‘Gemellus’, which means ‘twin’. Often decorated with colourful enamels and gilding, gemellions are characterised by their jewel-like appearance and are adorned with Gothic figures, animals and heraldic devices.

Similar examples to those on sale can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Louvre Museum in Paris, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Each of the four examples in the sale is estimated at £7000 to £10,000.

The Cotswold Auction Company’s special Christmas sale will be held at its Chapel Walk saleroom in Cheltenham on Tuesday, December 12^th, starting at 10am.

Director of The Cotswold Auction Company Lindsey Braune said: “These are truly exceptional artefacts which rarely come onto the market.

“We feel so privileged to have not just one, but four surviving examples for sale in our Christmas auction.

“It is very unusual to find objects of this age in such wonderful condition coming up for sale.

“It would be fair to say that we expect considerable interest from both private collectors and institutions.”

For further information or a private viewing, please contact The Cotswold Auction Company on 01242 256363 or at info@cotswoldauction.co.uk

Come to the fair – Sir Alfred Munnings invites!

New work by the much-loved equestrian artist Sir Alfred Munnings (1878-1959) is always welcome on market.  The Cotswold Auction Company is very pleased to offer a painting, which has been in the same family collection since 1947, in their next specialist pictures sale to be held at the Cirencester Bankside Saleroom on Tuesday 17^th October, entitled ‘Barnet Fair’.  This small, but very evocative, oil on canvas shows a scene from the leading 19^th century horse fair, regularly held at Barnet in North London.

Familiar Features

Certain characters and indeed animals appear regularly in Munnings’ work, and this picture is no exception – it shows the grey pony which often features in his work, together with a donkey and a boy in cap and red scarf, identified as Jimmy Betts.  The same three are the focus of ‘The Last of the Fair’ (an oil on canvas showing a slightly different group from the same fair and which at present hangs in the Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston, Lancashire). 

In this work the boy stands within the shafts of a cart, minding his charges at the end of the day, hands stuffed in his pockets against the damp chill. Tents and buildings are just visible in the background, but our interest is all on this group, which fills the canvas, and the grey pony is almost luminous in the earthy rural setting.

The work is signed and dated 1903, measuring 10” x 14” (25.5cm x 36cm), and bears an estimate of £30,000 to £50,000.

Privately owned for over 70 years

“This lovely little painting will appeal both to Munnings collectors and to lovers of the countryside and the world of horses alike,” said auctioneer Lindsey Braune. “We are delighted to be handling the sale of a picture which has been tucked away in a collection for over 70 years, and expect that bidders will be very keen to see it.”

For more information or extra photos, please contact the auctioneers on 01285 642420 or email ciren@cotswoldauction.co.uk.  The sale will be on view at the Bankside Saleroom on Friday, Saturday morning and Monday preceding the auction.

Macavity and Friends Come to Cheltenham

The Cotswold Auction Company in Cheltenham is delighted to be offering a rare inscribed and signed copy of T. S. Eliot’s ‘Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats’ ( New Edition , 11th impression 1953) in their specialist books sale on 7th February . The book was an engagement gift to Susan MacEwan, Eliot’s secretary at Faber and Faber, and the inscription reads ‘…For Susan McEwan ( sic) with warm good wishes to herself and her future husband – T S Eliot 16.X.58’.

And this book is accompanied by some fascinating paperwork – including a handwritten letter to MacEwan from New York dated 28.IV.58 asking her to check Eliot’s income tax position with the accountants! The envelope is present, with a postscript on the back. There is also a typed letter relating to the writing process of his last play ‘The Elder Statesman’, and a signed playbill for the first performance at the Cambridge Theatre on 25th September 1958. Other ephemera relating to Eliot accompanies the lot, adding to its huge interest for collectors.

Eliot was American born, but lived the greater part of his life in England, and took British citizenship in 1927. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1948. Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats was an immensely popular children’s poetry collection and the inspiration for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical ‘Cats’.

Jenny Low, Cotswold Auction Company books cataloguer, said “We couldn’t ask for better provenance – all this material comes directly from Susan MacEwan, who has consigned it for auction via her daughter”. She anticipates a strong following for this lot and has given it an estimate of £3000-£5000.

Private viewing can be arranged by contacting Jenny Low at The Cotswold Auction Company info@cotswoldauction.co.uk or by telephone 01242 256363. Public viewing days are Saturday 4th February 10-1pm and Monday 6th February 10-5pm at the Chapel Walk Saleroom, Cheltenham GL50 3DS

The Cotswold Auction Company are delighted to announce the sale of an exceptional collection of ….. lots of Belgian stamps, postal history and wide-ranging exposition, fair, cross-channel maritime & other postcards in our forthcoming collectables Auction on the 7th February. This collection was amassed over many years by the late Tom Pring, a highly respected member of the Belgium Study Circle specialist philatelic society, and consists of:

Þ Postage stamps from the earliest issues, postmarks and postal history of Belgium and its regions both internally and with other countries worldwide, including Tom Pring’s two specialist books on the Belgium stamp issues, and postal covers to officials in Napoleonic armies in Europe.

Þ Belgian Expositions/Exhibitions & Fairs 1840s to 1930s particularly those of Liege in 1905, 1930 and 1939 – their commemorative and promotional stamps (including vignettes & cinderellas), letters/covers, postcards, medals, badges, brochures, guides, maps and other ephemera such as tickets, award labels and trade cards.

Þ Cross-channel mail and postal history with focus on the Dover-Ostend route including a wide range of letters, postcards, brochures, guides, tickets, and other items from Corsini letter of 1575 onwards, with 1700s ‘Bishop-marked’ covers seen.

The son of the proprietor of City Brewery in Exeter, Tom Pring was born in 1937. His uncle Geoffrey Pring initiated his interest in stamp collecting. Geoffrey had an extensive collection of British stamps, and Tom also began his collection with an interest in British issues. Having studied accountancy in the family tradition and despite his dreams of being an architect, Tom was not particularly stimulated by his career and spent his spare time collecting, soon starting a collection of Belgian issues. In 1966 he, his wife Christine and their two young daughters Alison and Susan purchased a small 16th Century hotel in Hartford, Cheshire. As a result of the career change, his stamp collecting was put largely on hold. The hotel was later sold, and as he began work as an auditor in Manchester, he picked up his passion once more, collecting Belgian postmarks and items from the Belgian postal service.

During his retirement in Gloucestershire, he sold his British stamps in order to concentrate on all things Belgian, joining the Belgian Study Circle, and amassing an exceptional collection of not only stamps but postmarks, posters, catalogues, and anything to do with the Belgian postal service and Belgium expositions, exhibitions & fairs from the 1840s onward. He wrote detailed books on Belgian stamp issues, the ‘Fine Barbe Varieties’ (2009) and ‘1893 Armoires du Royaume’ (2015). He was part-way through writing a book on the Dover-Ostend postal route when he suffered a stroke in March 2021 and, unable to complete this work, passed away in August 2022.

Viewing for the sale is at our Chapel Walk saleroom, Cheltenham on Saturday 4th February, 10am to 1pm, and Monday 6th of February, 10am to 6pm. Although we have included many photographs in the listings, we strongly recommend viewing in person to fully appreciate the quality & scope of the lots on offer.

Rare George Washington portrait comes up for auction in Cirencester

Directors Lindsey Braune and Elizabeth Poole of The Cotswold Auction Company are delighted to bring a highly desirable small portrait of the first American president to auction in their 19^th October Pictures sale at the Cirencester, Bankside saleroom.  “This will be extremely interesting for both British and US buyers” said Lindsey, “Because we believe it was executed by James Sharples, a well-known eighteenth century  British pastellist, who worked in the UK and then in 1794 travelled to the United States with his family.  It is thought that Sharples secured a sitting from America’s first president, George Washington, not long after his arrival in the USA, c. 1795-7.”   Once the sitting had been obtained both James Sharples and his wife Ellen produced multiple versions for a ready local market in Philadelphia, then the American Capitol. 

A few of these have survived and come to the market at rare intervals, always met with a great deal of interest by collectors of eighteenth century American pictures and history.

This picture comes from a local house and was formerly at Bowden Hall in Upton St Leonards near Gloucester. From this same family collection, and also with an American theme, earlier this year The Cotswold Auction Company sold the first African-American published book of poetry by a slave girl, Phyllis Wheatley, 1773 for £16,500. 

It is believed that the portrait was once part of the collection of nineteenth century British collector Jeffery Whitehead and was exhibited in London twice – in 1899, incorrectly attributed to Russell, and in 1891 as ‘Sharpless’ (as James Sharples was known at the time).  It then sold at Christie’s in 1915, when Whitehead’s whole collection was consigned for auction.  It was bought by a picture dealer by the name of Schroeder and found its way to this local Cotswold collection near Gloucester.

This rare portrait bears an estimate of £30,000 to £50,000 and the auctioneers welcome enquiries at ciren@cotswoldauction.co.uk or 01285 642420.

Small is beautiful – mosaic pictures in Cirencester auction!

The Cotswold Auction Company are extremely excited to offer a rare pair of micro-mosaic pictures on copper by Luigi Moglia (1813-1878) “Cumaean Sibyl” after Zampieri Domenico and “The Persian Sibyl” after Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, known as Guercino (Domenico’s Sibyl can be found in the Galleria Borghese and Guercino’s Persian Sibyl is listed in the Musei Capitolini, Rome).  Luigi Moglia was active in Rome circa 1850-1870 and worked in the Studio Vaticano del Mosaico (Mosaic Studio of the Vatican).  His expertise was copying in micro-mosaic the famous artworks of Rome.  He was one of the most highly sought after mosaic artists of all time and in 1851 won a gold medal at the Great Exhibition of London for his micro-mosaic “The Ruins of Paestum”.  His work features in the V&A including a mosaic of the Pantheon, Rome from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert collection, one of the world’s greatest decorative art collections.  The V&A also house a Moglia micro-mosaic “Lavinia as Flora” which measures 37cm x 30cm, the same size as the pair of plaques coming up for sale in Cirencester on the 19^th October.  Lavinia as Flora is also a copy of an important painting, this being Titian’s Girl with a Bowl of Fruit.  

Micro-mosaics are made of small glass tesserae and at first glance these works can easily be confused with paintings, as was the case with Arthur Gilbert himself.   The British Museum has a small micro-mosaic plaque by Luigi Moglia of a spaniel and very few works come up for auction. Other pieces by the artist can be seen in the Royal Collection, Cincinnati Museum of Art and several Italian museums.   The most recent Moglia works to have appeared at auction include a small oval plaque, 3.8cm x 9.6cm of a spaniel, which sold on 5^th December 2019 at Christies for £5,000.  In October 2017 another small micro-mosaic plaque by Moglia measuring 6.5cm x 4.3cm, also of a spaniel, realised £6,200. 

This spectacular pair of panels is expected to realise £10,000-£15,000 at The Cotswold Auction Company’s Pictures sale in October.  They have come from a local deceased estate and were hanging by the side of the fireplace for many years, having been passed down to the last lady owner by her great-uncle.  

Also offered for sale in this auction is an oil by Jacques Emile Blanche (1861-1942), head and shoulders portrait of gentleman smoking.  Blanche was a French artist, largely self-taught, and became a successful portrait painter working in London and Paris.  He exhibited in Paris at The Salon and The Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts.  One of his closest friends was Marcel Proust and he is also mentioned in Gertrude Stein’s The Autobiography of Alice B Toklas.   Blanche was influenced by contemporaries such as James Tissot and John Singer Sargent.  His style of colouring and loose brushwork is also reminiscent of Manet.  He visited London for a year from 1884 and had many British patrons including the Duchess of Rutland.  This oil on board showing a gentleman smoking and with slightly rosy cheeks – he may well be a fellow artist.  It carries an estimate of £1,000-£2,000.

Auction preview photos can be seen on www.www.cotswoldauction.co.uk and the sale will take place at the Bankside Cirencester saleroom on 19 October.

Designers Galore

20th Century Design, Textiles and Costume are two great areas of collecting at the moment and The Cotswold Auction Company’s specialist sale on 24th March in Cheltenham is sure to attract huge interest. The catalogue online is already attracting huge interest for an Arts & Crafts Norman Bucknell, after Norman Jewson, brass Fritillary candle sconce with an estimate of £200-£300. This item was made for the current owners in the 1980’s by Norman Bucknell who lived in Bisley, Gloucestershire. One of the other most watched furniture items is a very stylish Martin Hall for Gordon Russell ‘Marlow’ Brazilian rosewood sideboard, circa 1970 which has a wonderful maple interior and would surely fit into any modern home and has an estimate of £600-£900. This sideboard has a matching extending dining table which has wonderful Brazilian rosewood figuring and would surely be great for a party.

The costume is dominated by designer items from Prada, Chanel, Dior, Balenciaga and others. A Chanel black and diamante cuff with original box has an estimate of £200-£300 and a vintage Chanel quilted bag with dust bag will come in at £600-£800. Also in the costume Biba, Issy Miyaki, Yves Saint Laurent, Vivienne Westwood and other desirable names feature. A strong selection of antique embroideries include a 19th century woolwork embroidered picture ‘Freedom’ with two sailors, a 19th century woolwork embroidered picture of 12 masted sailing vessels and a 17th century needlework picture with an estimate of £2,000-£3,000 all coming from one private collection. Other textiles include Chinese silk embroidered skirt panels which have beautiful vibrant colours, butterfly, dragonfly and exotic bird decoration. Handbags and shoes include Coach, Dior, Vivienne Westwood and Philip Treacy. Other stylish top-end items which would fit into any contemporary home are Robert Welch stainless steel cutlery, Bang & Olufsen Beocentre and speakers, stylish lights and screens. Further designer names include Celine, Chloe, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Dries van Noten and Orla Kiely. Stylish and modern furniture included on the day will feature Robin Day, Schonbuch, Eero Saarinen and Herman Miller.

ANGLO-IRISH AUTHOR MARIA EDGEWORTH – STUNNING COLLECTION UNEARTHED

It is a rare event when a significant author’s original source material surfaces after two centuries. But this is just what The Cotswold Auction Company books cataloguer, Jenny Low, found on a visit to a client in a Cotswold village. In February 2018 the Auctioneers were delighted to offer a small collection of works by Maria Edgeworth (1768-1849), the prolific late 18th/early 19th century Anglo-Irish writer. The vendor of these works was a member of the family of Frances Anne Beaufort, who became the stepmother of Maria Edgeworth upon marriage to Richard Lovell Edgeworth as his fourth wife. She was actually a year younger than Maria (1769-1865), one of his twenty-two children, and they became firm friends.

The books offered in 2018 realised a total of just over £4000, many signed and inscribed by Maria, her father, Frances, and other family members. The vendor is still sorting through family belongings and invited Jenny Low to view further works by this author, together with an exciting wealth of source material, including letters to and from her publishers, and a quantity of notebooks with preliminary sketches of Maria Edgeworth’s novels such as “Orlandino”, “Harry and Lucy”, “Popular Tales” and “Parent’s Assistance”.

There is, for example, a fair copy of the poem “Jacob” in Maria’s hand and signed. There is an intriguing letter to “Mr Rogers” – “This is not the first time that you have been called upon by me to act as arbiter elegantorum to decide our family disputes on the rights and wrongs of the English language…” amongst many others.

In her notebooks she sketches character outlines and possible plot development with crossings out, question marks and insertions, which will fascinate the scholar of her work! For example, she muses on “Harry and Lucy”, on the “difference between emulation and envy – grief felt by Edward when he finds that he cannot write as well as Harry – briefly anger – envy and mixture of grief and anger, Harry’s father interferes – shows Edward that his envy gives him pain…”.

There is correspondence from Richard Bentley, her publisher at Bentley and Colburn, relating to “Helen”, her final novel, published in 1834, and even rent slips to Mrs Edgeworth (probably Frances, her stepmother) dated 1850.

The collection will be sold in various lots and the Auctioneers anticipate a great deal of interest on Tuesday, 11th February, in the original collection of this popular novelist. For further information please contact the Auctioneers on info@cotswoldauction.co.uk, telephone: 01242 256363. Viewing will take place at the Chapel Walk Saleroom in Cheltenham on Saturday, 8th February and Monday 10th February. Please see the website for details www.www.cotswoldauction.co.uk

Two book rarities coming up in Cheltenham auction

The Cotswold Auction Company is delighted to be able to offer for sale one of best documented early printed books – and the first to successfully combine illustration and text – The Nuremberg Chronicle published in 1493, from a private collection, formerly residing at Bowden Hall, Upton St Leonards, Gloucestershire.

The author was Hartmann Schedel (13 February 1440 – 28 November 1514), a German historian, physician, humanist and one of the first cartographers to use the printing press – and the book was produced by printer Anton Koberger (c 1440 -1513) in Nuremberg. The Chronicle depicts the Seven Stages of Biblical History and is lavishly illustrated with more than 1800 woodcuts, overseen by two Nuremberg artists Michael Wolgemut and Hans Pleydenwurff – it is possible that Albrecht Durer, who was an apprentice to Wolgemut, may even have contributed, though none of the illustrations is signed. The work also features extensive geographical information of the world as known at the time, showing many European cities never before illustrated, as well as biblical scenes. The book is a massive tome. This copy has been rebound in superb pale blind stamped pigskin by Bayntun in 1977.

It bears an estimate of £40,000- £60,000 and can be viewed online from Friday 21 May or by appointment with the auctioneers.

From the same collection comes an incredibly rare book – an 18th century volume of poetry by a young enslaved woman, the first African American woman to be published, Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784) – ‘ Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral – Negro Servant to Mr John Wheatley of Boston, in New England”, published ‘according to Act of Parliament, Sept, 1st 1773 by Archibald Bell’.

This slender book has an engraved portrait of Phillis as the frontispiece. Phillis herself was a woman who has left an indelible mark on American and world slave history. She was taken as a child from the Gambia in 1761 at seven years old and bought as a companion for the ageing Mrs Wheatley – named for the ship ‘The Phillis’, which brought her, and the for family which purchased her. The Wheatley family realised her intelligence and in addition to teaching her reading and writing, she learned biblical studies, Greek, Latin, British literature, geography and astronomy. She began writing poetry in her early teens, taking inspiration from her African culture and her new-found faith. She was the first African American woman to be published.

Her most renowned poem was written at the age of 15, condemning the evils of racism from a Christian perspective ‘ On Being Brought from Africa to America’ contains the poignant line

“ Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain/ Maybe refined, and join th’ angelic train…”

She visited London in 1773 for the publication of her poems with the financial support of the Countess of Huntingdon, where she was a social and literary success, returning back to America due to the illness of Mrs Wheatley.

After the publication of her poems in 1773, at the age of twenty, she was given her freedom and married John Peters, a free grocer, in 1778. Despite gaining her liberty life was hard, notwithstanding Phillis’s fame in literary and abolitionist circles and the couple lived in poverty, John Peters being imprisoned for debt in 1784, and Phillis died in December of the same year, aged 31, followed by her infant child, possibly the third to succumb.

Jenny Low, book cataloguer at The Cotswold Auction Company, said ‘This book just doesn’t come up at auction – this is such a rare opportunity –and we have placed a wide estimate of £5000 to £10,000 on it. Phillis made history and we anticipate interest from libraries, African American historians and many collectors’.