Garden Statuary & Furniture - 19 April

Dreweatts’ single owner collection of Garden Statuary and Architectural Ornaments on 19th April together with items from John Hobbs Fine Art Ltd, offers an ideal opportunity to buy grandiose garden ornament as well as decorative and unexpected pieces for the home as well as the garden.

Lot 203: A reconstitued stone model of Phocian the Good, est. £10,000-15,000

‘Garden ornament and furnishings are a perennial favourite at Dreweatts, the attractive grounds and period setting of Donnington Priory, combined with reliably strong local and non-local bidding, tend to attract interesting and varied consignments for sale, and the forthcoming auction is no exception!’ said Dreweatts Director, Cristian Beadman. ‘Garden sales have traditionally been a spring time offering, but it has become apparent that good objects carrying realistic estimates will sell well at any time of year.’

Lot 222: A pair of patinated metal garden models of lions, est. £1,000-1,500

Particularly imposing is the 3 metre high stone model of a helmeted Phocian the Good (lot 203), the Athenian statesman and strategos who believed that extreme frugality was the condition for virtue. This mid 19th century statue was made by the sculptor Felix Austin of Austin and Seeley, the biggest manufacturers of artificial stone in England at the time, and it is estimated at £10,000-15,000.

Lot 226: A pair of stoneware grotto fountains in the Italian Baroque taste, est. £5,000-7,000

A pair of cast iron of Coalbrookdale benches (lot 218) and garden seats (lot 219) from around 1900 in an attractive fern and blackberry pattern are estimated £1,000-1,500 and £500-700 respectively. A pair of recently made large metal, snarling lions (lot 222) is expected to fetch £1,000-1,500 while, possibly more at home in an English garden, is the metal stag with antlers and his mate (lot 223) (estimate £800-1,200).

Lot 269: A varved and silvered wood fourteen light chandelier, in Contentinental 18th century style, est. £8,000-12,000

Foremost amongst the interior ’statement’ pieces, is undoubtedly the massive silvered wood chandelier for 14 lights spanning 240 cm, it is carved in Continental 18th century style with scrolling acanthus branches and it is expected to fetch £8,000-12,000 (lot 269). Another eye-catching item is the 282 cm high carved gilt wood wall mirror in George III style, the plate is divided by borders of rocaille within an ornately carved frame surmounted by a C-scroll (estimated £4,000-6,000, lot 280).