Decorative & Design Sale shapes up well

Decorative & Design Sale shapes up well

RICHARD Winterton’s Decorative & Design Sale was jam-packed with – as you’d expect – all manner of decorative and eye-catchingly designed lots.

But there were also numerous surprises which left tongues wagging following the sale at The Lichfield Auction Centre at Fradley Park on Monday (July 2).

Taking top hammer price was a limited edition signed LS Lowry print.

The framed ‘Industrial Scene’, pictured above with Richard Winterton, was claimed by a telephone bidder for £1,850 – several hundred pounds over the £1,200-1,500 estimate.

A limited edition Sir Terry Frost mixed media collage, ‘Carlyon Sunshine’, pictured above, sold for £1,200 – double the estimated price.

Elsewhere in the pictures section, the above oil painting by David Renshaw, ‘Sunset Mooring’, made £240, way surpassing the £30-50 guide.

And an oil painting by John Silver of a border collie pup chasing a ball, pictured above, chased up an amazing £480 from its £80-120 estimate.

A mixed media painting 'Avocado' by Lucie Bray made £220, well exceeding its £30-40 estimate.

Also attracting a large number of internet bidders was the grittily realistic 'Man Pushing A Cart', an oil on canvas by Danny Howes from the markets series, which is signed and titled on the back.

Birmingham-based Danny was asked to paint the wholesale markets in Birmingham prior to them moving to new premises in 2018.

The work sold for £900, again comfortably fetching more than the estimated price.

In the ceramics section, a limited edition Wedgwood ‘Enchanted Palace’ Fairyland Lustre plaque and a Crown Devon Fieldings Mickey Mouse match holder, pictured below, each went under the hammer for £420, more than four times both estimates.

And a Peter Hayes Studio Pottery Totem sculpture, pictured above, sold for an amazing £380 – its guide price was £30-50 due to some minor chips and scratches.

In the technology section, a strangely matched but beautiful HMV mahogany wind-up gramophone case converted to receive a fabulous Swiss-made Thorens TD124 mark two turntable (pictured below) attracted a lot of interest to sell for £850 – double the estimate.

Another nice but half-expected surprise was a Leak TL 10 point one valve amplifier with its Varislope preamp, realising £650 including fees.

The big surprise came in the form of two lots from different vendors – boxes of various vacuum tubes or valves.

One totalled £450 and the other realised £340 including fees; both boxes contained over 50 valves.

“That was a first for us – never before have any quantity of these made more than £30,” said technology valuer Stuart Hay.

“It just proves that the popularity of the valve amplifier is causing the need for spare parts for these lovely vintage amplifiers.”

From vintage back to cutting edge, a Bang & Olufsen CD radio (pictured above) made well over double the estimate with a hammer price of £460.

Meanwhile, a collection of vintage gaming computers discovered during a house clearance was assessed and split into 10 lots, totalling over £800 for the collector’s family.

In the furniture section, a 1960s teak three piece lounge suite made £520 – roughly five times its estimate.

Two separate lots of Staples Ladderax teak shelving systems sold for £300 apiece.

Richard Winterton Auctioneers are now appealing for items to go into the next Fine & Decorative Art Sale on September 19.

Free general valuations take place every Tuesday from 9.30am-4pm, with free jewellery valuations on Fridays from 9.30am-4pm. For larger items or house clearances, please telephone 01543 251081 or email office@richardwinterton.co.uk to arrange a free home visit.