A landmark sale of early furniture and sculpture

10th February 2026

Paul Fitzsimmons – A Life in Oak, will be an extraordinary single-owner auction comprising of more than 700 lots from one of the most distinctive and intellectually rigorous collections of early furniture and sculpture assembled in recent decades. 

Formed over more than 35 years by Paul, proprietor of Marhamchurch Antiques in Devon, the collection reflects an approach far closer to that of a private collector or museum curator than a conventional dealership. His acquisitions have been guided by a consistent focus on rare, unusual, and historically significant objects, particularly those that are undocumented or little understood, where authenticity, presence, and historical importance outweigh surface perfection.

Condition has never been the sole determinant of value for Paul. Instead, rarity, originality, and intrinsic significance have always taken precedence. Many of the works in the sale were acquired for what they are rather than how they appear, valued as true survivors bearing the marks of age, use, and history. Together, they form a collection of exceptional depth and individuality, unified by strong intellectual coherence and historical resonance.

Paul Fitzsimmons is widely respected for his scholarly approach and rigorous research. A close friend of the late Victor Chinnery, author of Oak Furniture: The British Tradition, he belongs to a lineage of specialist dealers whose work has had a lasting influence on both private and institutional collections. His clients have included museums and private collectors worldwide, particularly in the United States, and he has worked extensively with historic houses. Notably, he furnished several rooms at Hever Castle, where he continues to act as an adviser.

Paul Fitzsimmons – A Life in Oak represents a rare opportunity to acquire objects from a collection shaped by decades of connoisseurship, study, and quiet dedication to the material history of early furniture and sculpture.

Sale highlights:

• Among the highlights of the sale is a monumental carved sculptural group depicting God the Father, a commanding work remarkable for both its scale and emotional authority. Designed to be viewed from height, the sculpture transforms the space it inhabits, asserting a presence that is at once devotional and architectural. Deeply expressive carving, confident handling of drapery, and a rich, time-softened surface place it among the most powerful objects Fitzsimmons has ever owned.
• Another centrepiece is a Westminster Tudor gilt latten processional cross, dating from the late 15th to early 16th century. One of perhaps only twenty such examples known, with related works held by the V&A and major UK cathedrals, it represents the height of early Tudor metalwork. The survival of the gilt surface is exceptional, and the iconographic programme strongly suggests an ecclesiastical context. Museum-quality in both presence and importance, it stands as one of the defining works of the sale.
• The auction also includes a rare Romanesque 12th-century carved sculpture of a monk, made in Lombardy/Alpine Region, circa 1100-1200. Remarkably, traces of the original polychromy survive. Works of this date, quality, and condition are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, rarely encountered outside institutional collections.
• Furniture highlights include the extraordinary Lambert Table (Object of the Month), a monumental carved oak table that Fitzsimmons considers entirely non-repeatable. Sculptural in conception and execution, the table reads as a unified work of art rather than assembled furniture. Its iconography, heraldic detail, and exceptional carving place it firmly within an elite commissioning context. In Fitzsimmons’ view, it is the defining object of the sale and a once-in-a-generation opportunity to own such an historic piece.
• Completing the group of major highlights is an early 16th-century Italian Maiolica albarello, circa 1500–1520, possibly from Montelupo. Exceptional in both condition and colour, the jar retains extraordinary vibrancy and immediacy, making it one of the finest examples of its type to appear on the market in recent years.

Throughout the collection, Fitzsimmons’ approach is evident: minimal intervention, no heavy restoration, and an emphasis on authenticity. As he notes, when objects are this old, evidence of repair is to be expected — part of their survival and their story. The collection reflects a lifetime of connoisseurship, research, and deeply personal engagement with objects of the past.

Paul Fitzsimmons – A Life in Oak offers collectors and institutions a rare opportunity to acquire works of exceptional character, rarity, and historical importance, many of which will not be seen again on the open market. The sale will take place on 10^th and 11^th March 2026.