Highlights from the Susands' collection

24th June 2025

From the 1970s to the early 2000s, Fulham Road based antiques dealers Michael and Margaret Susands ran Michael Foster Ltd. With a bulging client list that included top names in industry, international society figures, actors and even sports personalities, the couple exhibited annually at the Grosvenor House Antiques Fair, even drawing Royal visitors to their stand. Specialising in 18^th and early 19^th century furniture, the couple’s success lay in their understanding of intrinsic merit of an object, together with a further appreciation of patina. Furniture specialist Mark Yuan Richards said;

‘This is a quintessential collection of 18^th and early 19^th century English furniture. Everything has quality, patination and excellent colour with interesting details.’

The collection spanned furniture, porcelain, glass and Old Master paintings. Our department specialists picked highlights from the sale:

• A favourite piece for Mark Yuan Richards is Lot 519, the George III satinwood secretaire bookcase which he describes as; ‘a classic piece of English furniture. It’s small and pretty. Excellent for displaying collections of fine 18^th century porcelain as seen here.’ The cabinet sold for £5,040*.  Lot 586, the George III giltwood oval wall mirror c. 1770 is mentioned as, ‘A fabulous 18^th century giltwood looking glass in the manner of William and John Linnell, perfect for any living room or wall.’ The mirror sold for £12,600*. Other favourites include lot 588, the very pretty pair of tole peinte lyre wall lights c. 1789-1800, lot 504, a particularly fine pair of Regency mahogany hall chairs (selling for £2,772*) and lot 604. a George II walnut bentside spinet by Jannes Harris, London c. 1735-40 (sold for £10,710*).

 

• Chairman and Asian Art specialist John Axford was drawn to lot 723, a pair of Kangxi period apothecary jars. ‘These Kangxi period (1662-1722) blue and white apothecary jars, lot 723, are exceptionally rare. They almost certainly were a private order by a European merchant in the early 18th century. The rectangular vacant cartouches below the rims allowed for the apothecary to write the names of the particular drug onto the white porcelain, which could then be wiped clean when they were reused. Although this shape is recorded in Kangxi porcelain, no identical examples are known. These are true items for the connoisseur/collector.’ The jars went on to sell for £9,540* (with fees) against an estimate of £1,000-£2,000. 

 

• A highlight for European ceramics and glass specialist Clare Durham was lot 536, a rare and massive baluster toasting glass or goblet c. 1710. ‘This is a fabulous example of a very large and early English baluster glass, with a lovely example of an acorn knop. Glasses of this size were not easy to manufacture and so examples are rare.’ (sold for £17,640* with fees). Clare also mentioned the rarity of lot 673; a cup and saucer which sold for £2,016*. Sevres porcelain of the Republican Period bearing Revolutionary symbols including the tricolore, banded stockade and Phyrigian cap. ‘Sevres were the appointed Royal porcelain manufacturers, so it is interesting to see them producing motifs relating to the French Revolution at this time.’

 

• Amongst the Old Master paintings, specialist Ed Beer picks out four works by well-known portraitist Daniel Gardner (1750-1805), lots 573-576. ‘Daniel Gardner was one of the most successful pastellists of the eighteenth century. The four lots offered here are typical of his distinctive and inventive technique.’ Gardner was taught by George Romney before studying at the Royal Academy schools in the 1770s. From around 1773 he worked in the studios of Joshua Reynolds. The four portraits sold for a combined total of £9,576*. 

The Michael and Margaret Susands collection (lots 500-808) was offered in a single owner sale with all lots (500-808) offered without reserve on Wednesday 2^nd July.  ‘A Connoisseur’s Eye’ catalogue and full sale results are available to browse on our website. *Prices listed here are inclusive of buyer's premium.