Eldred's, Plymouth, sale
The highlight of Eldred's, Plymouth recent art and antiques sale appeared in the picture section, which came in the form of a private collection of paintings by Cornish based artist Gill Watkiss. They were appearing on the market for the first time and, being early works dating from 1972 to 1979, were eagerly anticipated by trade and private buyers.
Collectors travelled from all over Cornwall and Devon to attend the sale and it was clear from the beginning that conservative estimates were going to be greatly exceeded.
The first titled Back Street, St Just measuring 26.75 x 19in (68 x 48cm) was contested on the telephone at first, but eventually sold in the room to a local Plymouth buyer at £1,450. Top price of £2,300 was won by Winter at Instow, an acrylic on board measuring 17.75 x 24in (45 x 61cm), which – the auctioneer tells me – is believed to be an auction record for this artist.
All nine paintings exceeded £1,000; another top price being Celebration, St Just of 1972 that sold for £2,000 and because of a local collector’s determination, all bar two sold were retained in the city despite strong and persistent bidding by several Cornish galleries on the phone.
A pair of watercolours by marine artist Reuben Chappell had been rescued from a local refuse tip. One had suffered water damage and the other was in its original frame, but both needed restoration. Typically for the artist they were both of the same two-masted vessel, one in full sail and the other heavily reefed off the Eddystone lighthouse, each titled ‘Naiad of Llanelly’ measuring 13.5 x 21.25in (34 x 54cm). Estimated at £400-£600 this went to a local buyer bidding by commission against trade in the room for £1,150.
Despite sluggishness in the 19th century furniture market quality objects were selling well. Top lot here was a pair of good quality late Regency mahogany library chairs, hotly contest between three telephone lines from London and Cotswold dealers. It eventually fell to a local buyer at £4,900 as was a nice quality unusual yew wood low boy of three small drawers with rectangular top on square form legs that reached £1,300 against an Arundel dealer.
Private buyers were much in evidence at this auction with a good quality walnut davenport going at £700 and numerous other furnishing pieces going to local homes. A 19th century mahogany French bijouterie table mounted overall with good quality gilt metal mounts carried an estimate of £600-£800, but eventually went to a Brighton furniture dealer at £1,500.
The silver and jewellery section saw a collection of sovereigns and half sovereigns at between £80 and £170, mainly to the trade, but underpinned by strong private buyers following the recent rise in gold prices.
