Brown furniture in demand at Tennants

It was good news for traditional ‘brown’ antique furniture at Tennants‘ recent Summer Fine Art Sale, with the auction house reporting the strongest results in recent years.

A late 19th century Jerusalem Olivewood DavenportGood period oak from the 17th and 18th centuries commanded particular interest. Top lots included a 17th century oak three-drawer dresser, which rocketed over the £700-1,000 estimate to reach a hammer price of £3,400.

Elsewhere, it was the fine and the unusual that were eagerly competed over, such as an impressive late Regency mahogany wine cooler from the second quarter of the 19th century, which finally sold at £7,500. Jeremy Pattison, Furniture Specialist attributed its success to the superb quality and rare design.

However, it was the rarest item of furniture in the sale, a late 19th century Jerusalem olive wood Davenport, that caught the eye of bidders. Jerusalem olive wood is usually used for smaller items, such as boxes, but an unusual and beautifully figured desk in the sale sold for £4,400 against an estimate of £500-700.

Elsewhere in the sale, other highlights included:

A rare Donegal Carpet designed by CFA Voysey c.1900, selling for £6,200

A fine and rare ‘Ed White’ Pre-Moon Chronograph Omega Speedmaster wristwatch, selling for £7,500

A London Delft Pill Slab from c.1740, painted with the arms of the Worshipful Company of Apothecaries, sold for its top estimate of £6,000

A Swiss vari-colour Gold Snuff Box probably made in Geneva c.1780 decorated with painted enamels sold for £8,500

An 18ct gold pocket chronometer signed Dent of London 1842 (watchmaker to the Queen and maker of the clock in Big Ben) selling for £6,000

One of the highlights of the picture section was a pencil and watercolour by John Duncan RSA, RSW (1866-1945), the most renowned artist to hail from Dundee; ‘Shining Land’ attracted much interest from Scottish collectors, finally selling for £8,000.

An Arts & Crafts enamelled copper and white metal casket c.1900 that attracted bidding up to £5,000 against an estimate of £300-500

A Lalique ‘Salmonides’ Vase sold for £6,500

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