Furniture, Works of Art and Clocks

To view The Butler Hoard - Day 1, Lots 1 - 347, 1st July 2025 - click here.

To view A Connoisseur's Eye - Day 2, Lots 500 - 808, 2nd July 2025 - click here.

Our Furniture, Clocks and Works of Art auction starts with the ‘Age of Oak’ and includes a selection of pieces dating from the 14^th century through to the early 19^th century. An early highlight is a rare Henry VIII oak counter table (lot 1033), a term used to describe a table marked out with a series of lines and squares to assist with calculating accounts. This example is estimated at £5000-8000. Another rare piece of Tudor furniture is an Elizabeth I yew wood joint stool (lot 1050). With only one other example being recorded, it is offered from a private collection and carries an estimate of £800-1200. The Works or Art include a rare South German copper-gilt and ebonised table cabinet from the Roderick Butler Collection (lot 1102). Carrying an estimate of £8000-12000, each of the eight drawers and the central cupboard are fronted with a plaque chased with a scene from the Labours of the Months and a sign from the zodiac. Amongst the carvings are a North European marble figure of a lady dating from the 15^th or 16^th century (lot 1026) with an estimate if £800-1200, and an unusual carved marble armorial crest from the late 18^th century with an estimate of £1500-2000 (lot 1027).

Among the clocks and scientific instruments on offer, a ‘giant’ George III longcase clock quite literally stands out from the crowd (lot 1167). At over 8 ½ feet, or 2.5m high, it has a substantial brass movement chiming to a nest of fifteen bells, each with double hammers, with an estimate of £600-1000. On a more modest scale, and from a very different period, are two mantel clocks by Jaeger-leCoulture from the mid-20^th century. Both with an estimate of £3-500, one is an Atmos clock (1197), using changes in atmospheric pressure to power the movement, and the other is a ‘Marina’ clock (lot 1198) with a clear dial and leaping fish at the quarter hours.

The British and Continental furniture and works of art include a good, private collection of tea caddies with estimates for £200 to £1200 (lot 1277-1286), a wonderful Italian, Grand Tour micro-mosaic table (lot 1245) with a central view of St Peter’s Square and Basilica surrounded by vignettes or views of Rome estimated at £5000-8000, a fine, late 19^th century Italian fruitwood figure of a Renaissance knight with an estimate of £8000-12000 (lot 1220), a rare George IV tortoiseshell and brass boulle bureau plat, attributed to Thomas Parker (lot 1321), at £3000-4000, and a highly decorative George I style red japanned bureau bookcase at £4000-6000 (lot 1394).