Oil paintings prove popular as auction nets £240,000

Organisers at Andrew Hartley's saleroom in Ilkley reported the mood of the auction room as bucking the general economic gloom with more than 250 vendors bringing in a total of £240,000.

It was amongst the oil paintings that the best price of the sale occurred. A pair of oils by Eugenio Zampighi had been purchased by the vendor in the mid-1980s for around £4,000. This instance it attracted a winning bid of £9,400. The second day of the spring event started with pictures, and in the print section the most sought-after was a typical etching by William Lionel Wyllie showing a view of Tower Bridge, London. His sea battles and studies of dreadnoughts usually claim the most money, but this example still acquitted itself well at a sale price of £700.

Also in this section was a small oil painted view of Birk Crag, Harrogate, by William Mellor, selling at £2,200, and a larger much darker view of Bettys-y-Coed £1,850.

The sale commenced cautiously enough with ceramics and glass and strongly featured early on was a collection of Royal Worcester porcelain items. The top of this range was a pair of vases and covers painted by Harper and dated 1917 which trebled their lower pre-sale estimate of £3,500. Another pair of vases by Kitty Blake found £500 and a comport by H Price £720.

A later Walter Moorcroft vase reached £780 and a 19th century potichomania glass vase and cover printed with chinoiserie sold well at £500.

The most striking item in the works of art and curios section were at two ends of the size spectrum. A Continental painted bronze 10-piece pug dog band reached £1,150 and a particularly lugubrious mounted moose head £320.

For the third sale running, a section of antique weapons has been offered and once again considerable interest from private collectors was in evidence. The greatest enthusiasm was directed at a Wesley Richards "Highest Possible" .22 air rifle selling at £530, a Remington .44 army revolver £1,000, a Colt .36 navy revolver £950, another Colt revolver, complete with case and accessories, £1,450, and an Enfield three band volunteer rifle £660.

On the Wednesday afternoon an extended section of plate, silver and jewellery was offered including quite a number of trade entries. The retail market, particularly for silver, appears very sluggish at the moment and the sight of several rows of 20th century tea services might have daunted the faintest hearts. However, the combination of auctioneer's optimism and sensible reserves ensured that 85 per cent of the silver was sold. In particular a George IV three-piece tea set of 43oz found £800, a pair of Victorian wine coasters £625, a George II tumbler cup of 1729 £500, and a George III coffee pot also £500. One of the best prices for weight was Georgian Scottish wine funnel which reached £420.

Electro plate on the other hand suffered from the market forces and some 30 per cent was bought in. However, a spectacular battle on the telephones resulted in a cocktail shaker modelled as a lighthouse achieving a quadruple bottom estimate of £1.250.

It was the big names in watches which took most of the money, the best being a Rolex Oyster 18ct gold gentleman's watch selling at £3,700. A slightly older Rolex Oyster Prince watch £1,500 and a lady's diamond set platinum cocktail watch £1,150.

Once again, much of the jewellery items seemed to escape the notice of the buyers but those that did sold well. A four-stone diamond cluster ring, which is already understood to be half-way to conversion into a pair of drop earrings, managed £2,100, a pair of diamond cluster drop earrings £1,700 and a solitaire diamond ring of around 1.35 carats £2,800.

One experiment new to the saleroom routine this time was a section on garden and architectural items saved up over four or five months and placed on the market to celebrate the onset of spring. This turned out to be almost entirely successful, and, for example, a pair of carved oak wall brackets with cherub heads catalogued as 19th century but presumably 200 years or so older, sold for a cracking £1,200. A bronze heliochronometer, early 20th century, found £600, and a cast iron garden seat with winged dragon ends £800.

The clock section was extended to include mechanical music, the top of the range being a Polyphon coin-operated disc musical box which sold for £2,700. Another musical box with cylinder and comb action reached £1,250.

Amongst the clocks one longcase example sold well. It was an eight-day example of William Dobbie Falkirk which found £1,300. A large "Norfolk" or Parliament wall clock in mahogany case inscribed by M Clayton, Manchester, sold for £1,200.

Furniture has received mixed reports this last 12 months or so and it is always a relief where what formerly was the mainstay of this day still now behaves satisfactorily in this area, 87 per cent of lots successfully sold with several notable prices.

The most interest prior to sale was aimed at a pair of 19th century rosewood Gothic-style open bookcases originally from a local rectory, but actually removed for sale from the diocesan offices. Two others, or the equivalent in a pile of wood had gone through the salerooms 10 or 12 years earlier. On this occasion, in spite of much work still needed to restore them to full strength, the two produced a price of £4,000. Also from the same source was the last lot in the sale, a mainly 17th century oak refectory-style table which sold for £4,800, and Victorian oak partner's desk at £1,100.

Two excellent early Georgian items were a Yorkshire oak enclosed rocking chair which found £2,300 and a similar lambing chair £1,300.

Finally, from three different vendors, a selection of items both large and small was offered from the Yorkshire workshop of Robert 'Mouseman' Thompson. As usual the phones were busy including the inevitable line to New York.

The items included a tallboy at £3,400, a chest of two short and three long drawers at £1,950, and a small blanket chest at £1,250. Amongst the smaller items a pair of light brackets ornately carved with oak leaves and, of course, the mouse, found £520, and, quite perversely, the next lot, a pair of very plain brackets, shot up to £620.