Our auction saw a great number of bidders engaged in fierce competition from across the UK and internationally as far as North America, Switzerland and Hong Kong. Our expert packing team have once again done outstanding work securely and affordably packing and shipping lots to successful buyers lots around the world. ‘Beautifully’ and ‘extremely well wrapped’ were among the comments from our buyers upon receipt of their items. Lots from our auction were snapped up by numerous collectors, fine art dealers, jewellery experts and public institutions. 

 

One of Mark’s top lots from our sale was an exceptional piece of local Wealden history. Titled ’Old Bright The Postman’, the work is by George Smart (1774-1846), one of the key figures in the history of English Folk Art. Also known as ‘The Tailor of Frant’, Smart lived and worked in the village of Frant which is located just 2 miles south of our auction room in the Pantiles Arcade, Tunbridge Wells. This work is one of Smart’s earliest depictions of his locally famed subject and likely represents the artist finding his distinctive and unique Naïve style of picture-making. The collage picture was Lot 367in our Eclectica II auction and sold for £3,200 against an estimate of £1,000-£1,500.

 

We also saw success with the sale of a fantastic piece of mid-century pottery by the master Italian ceramicist Guido Gambone (1909-69). His works, known for their bold shapes and use of vibrant colour, exhibit strong influences from Modernist artists such as Pablo Picasso. Lot 19 in our auction was a rare ‘Night Rider’ large oval dish made in his La Tirenna pottery in Florence during the 1950s and shows all the hallmarks of Gambone’s inimitable style. This scarce example sold for £660 against an estimate of £400-600.

 

Another star in our the sale was Lot 27, an early 20th century Chinese jade ‘Rice Grain’ pattern bowl. The bowl attracted fierce bidding both before and live online during the auction and ultimately sold for an incredible £760, reaching over eight times its estimate of £80-£120.

 

Our auction also  included numerous items of vintage fountain pen memorabilia including a number of antique enamel advertising signs, from Waterman to Montblanc to Onoto and Swan, with pre-auction estimates ranging from £50-£250. These enamel on metal signs showcase the extraordinarily bold and vibrant colour used advertising which once lined exteriors of high street buildings during the early 20th century, now documented only by black and white photographs. The enamel signs in our sale greatly surpassed the pre-action estimates, fetching between £60-£660 in our auction. Lot 294 pictured here is rare 1920s Waterman’s Ideal Fountain pen sign and is among Mark’s favourite lots from the sale. This sign sold above and beyond our expectations for £660 against an estimate of £150-£250.

 

We were also thrilled to sell a rare and unique piece of British pencil history in the form of Lot 343, a mid to late 19th century oversized sterling silver propelling pencil. Reputedly shown at the Great Exhibition of 1851 this giant propelling pencil fetched an equally giant price of £3,000. As a historical item this piece symbolises the history and excellence in British pen and pencil manufacturing.

 

Eclectica II was held live online and in person from our auction rooms at The Pantiles Arcade in the historic Pantiles, Royal Tunbridge Wells, in the heart of Kent.

 

 

 

 

 

Lot 367, George Smart (1774-1846), 'Old Bright The Postman', felt, fabric and leather collage picture.

Lot 19, Guido Gambone (1909-69), 'Night Rider', large oval pottery dish.

Lot 27, An early 20th Century Chinese jade 'Rice Grain' pattern bowl.

Lot 294, A rare 1920s Waterman's Ideal Fountain Pen enamelled metal sign.

Lot 343, A unique mid-19th century and later over-sized exhibition quality silver propelling pencil.

 

To find out more about our Eclectica II auction, browse the catalogue under ‘Past Auctions’  where you can explore more of our sale results.