EDWARD FARRELL REGENCY SILVER TEA KETTLE SELLS FOR £5,200

Michael Bowman’s online auction in July saw a continuation of the very high levels of demand shown throughout 2020. The picture section was led by a
contemporary landscape in oils by John Hitchens (born 1940), entitled ‘Hills & Cloudlights’. This returned to Sussex courtesy of an internet bidder who paid the upper estimate price of £1,500.

A 19th century Chinese blue & white plate decorated with five small fish, took a surprise multi-estimate £970 from a Chinese internet bidder despite several small rim chips. A giant 1930’s Devonmoor pottery toby jug, sitting 24” high made a more predictable hammer price of £550, though its finding a new home in the Peak District of Derbyshire was somewhat less predictable!

A Chinese internet bidder based in the USA, was happy to buy the 19th century Chinese blue silk Imperial robe embroidered to show the royal five-toed dragon for £770. A UK based Chinese bidder prevailed with the pair of Japanese shibayama inlaid ivory tusk vases that sold for £1,050.

One of the biggest surprises of the day came when a 19th century Arabian dagger sold for a multi-estimate £2,800 to an Arabian internet bidder. The
vendor’s original hopes had been just £50! A WWI British Army dress uniform jacket came with associated paperwork and provenance showing that it
had belonged to a 2nd Lieutenant in the West Yorkshire Regiment. This pedigree lifted the bidding above its estimate of £100-150 to a final price of £1,500 after a battle between two telephone bidders.