Homes Antiques

5

BRUCE ADDISON

BONHAMS SCOTLAND

FINE FURNITURE

‘We’re noticing a new confidence in taste

and self-expression when it comes to

buying furniture’ says Bruce Addison. At

the top end classic pieces of Georgian

furniture in the Chippendale style and

of ‘London’ quality are as desirable as

always fetching anything up to £40000

and beyond. Buyers are also prepared to

pay £5000–£10000 for visually striking

furniture – display cabinets unusual

bookshelves and desks and so on. At the

other end of the scale canny buyers are

snapping up practical pieces that give

modern furniture a run for its money. A

pair of late 18th-century armchairs for

£2000 for example and plain but hearty

early 19th-century chests of drawers

(pairs favoured) for £1000 or so; late

19th-century Howard sofas are popular

but pricey because they are so well made.

‘Buyers want pieces that knit together

nicely with what they’ve already got’

confirms Addison.

6

ROBIN CAWDRON-STEWART

SOTHEBY’S

20 -CENTURY PRINTS

PHOTOGRAPHY AND

CERAMICS

‘Our Made in Britain sales are attracting

first-time collectors into the market

excited by the prospect of owning a print

by a big name modern artist but at a

fraction of the price of an original painting’

explains Robin Cawdron-Stewart. It helps

when artists have retrospectives and

there’s currently a clamour for prints by

David Hockney (Tate Britain) and Howard

Hodgkin (National Portrait Gallery) whose

work can still be picked up for under

£1000. Works by ‘youngster’ Grayson

Perry (Serpentine Gallery) are similarly

coveted –prints for £4000–£6000 and

pots for £20000–£30000 for the really

big spenders.

‘Photography is attracting new buyers

too who are snapping up Terry O’Neill

portraits of British stars Peter O’Toole and

Roger Moore. ‘And once you’ve caught the

ceramics bug....’ Robin trails off flagging

up Lucie Rie Hans

Coper Bernard Leach

and Ewen Henderson

as the most wanted

• with Leach pieces
  beginning in the low
  hundreds of pounds.

7

ADRIAN

HAILWOOD

FELLOWS

WATCHES

‘While people still

buy pocket watches

it’s the vintage

wristwatch market

that’s growing’ says

Adrian Hailwood.

Men’s watches by Patek

Philippe and Rolex top

the sales; Patek Philippe

is regarded as the

epitome of high-end

watch making while

Rolex has introduced most of the design

innovations over the years. ‘Rolex may only

change minor details to each new model

it issues but it gets collectors excited. The

brand is extremely well marketed too

which helps build the story and makes the

watches more desirable.’

At entry level a 1970s Rolex ‘Datejust’

can be bought for around £1000 but it

may be a little tired around the edges.

For the same price you could plump for a

stainless steel Omega ‘Seamaster’ in tip-

top condition while one rung below the

Omega ‘Constellation’ is even better value.

For a sleek investment consider a Patek

Philippe ‘Gondolo’ or a Rolex ‘Day-Date’

for between £5000–£7000. For super-

glam look at early Heuer examples (pre

Tag) which can fetch up to £30000.

8

CLAIRE GRINDEY SWORDERS

SILVER

‘There’s an undercurrent within the

interiors world

FAR LEFT Terry O’Neill’s

shot of Roger Moore as

James Bond with co-stars

Gloria Hendry and Jane

Seymour in Live and Let

Die 1973 has an estimate

of £1800–£2300 in the

13th September Made in

Britain sale at Sotheby’s

LEFT A late 18th-century

Russian silver beaker

fetched £380 at Sworders

ABOVE This Patek

Philippe ‘Gondolo’

watch fetched

£5400 at Fellows

H&A SUMMER 2017 123

H&A GUIDE: Auction focus