International bids boost £600,000 sale at Shropshire auction
Bidders from across Britain, Europe and the United States have helped a collection of antiques and fine art sell for £600,000 at a hugely successful two-day auction in Shropshire.
The late Edward V Phillips, a former corn merchant who retired to live near Knighton, insisted on buying the best for his collection which he built up over more than three decades.
He died last December and the auction, conducted by Shrewsbury-based fine art auctioneers Halls on behalf of his executors, featured several important collections, including 18th century drinking glasses.
Scroll down to watch Andrew Beeston, senior auctioneer at Halls, discuss the collection
The first day of the auction on Tuesday saw a rare Jacobite 'Amen' glass, one of fewer than 40 known examples in the world, sell for £43,000.
Yesterday it was the turn of oak, country and fine furniture, alms dishes and metalware, tapestries, clocks and mirrors to go under the hammer.
The top price for one item was made by a William and Mary oyster laburnum veneered cabinet on a stand which sold for £18,000.
Halls' fine art director Jeremy Lamond said 16th century Nuremberg alms dishes sold for £29,000 and a dozen Aubusson-style tapestries made £9,500.
Mr Lamond said early English oak furniture, in particular, was keenly sought after.
"An oak joint stool made in around 1600 sold for £11,000 and two Elizabethan joined oak coffers made £9,600 and £9,400."
Items from the William and Mary period were particulary sought after.
As well as the cabinet on a stand other leading prices included £15,000 for a walnut feather banded fold-over side table, £13,000 for an oyster veneered olive wood chest, £12,500 for a laburnum cabinet on stand, £12,000 for a yew wood gate-leg breakfast table and £7,200 for an oyster veneered laburnum chest.
Mr Phillips also collected antique clocks.
Mr Lamond said: "Quality 17th century items also performed well, with a walnut and marquetry longcase clock by Daniel Le Count, London, making £16,500, an ebony veneered, quarter-repeating, hour-striking bracket clock by Simon de Charmes, London, selling for £13,000 and a walnut and marquetry longcase clock by Joshua Allsop, London fetching £12,500."
Elsewhere in the saleroom, a set of five Victorian graduated imperial grain measures in bell metal made £4,800, a pair of 16th century brass pricket candlesticks and a pair of late 17th century walnut candlestands made £4,200 each and a George I giltwood wall mirror sold for £3,400.
Mr Phillips, who retired with his wife from the Cotswolds to Llanfair Waterdine, began collecting in the 1970s.
Glassware from his collection sold for £265,000. The sale included a Lennoxlove Amen glass, made in the 1750s.
This was one of just 40 known examples of the glassware used by Jacobites plotting a return of a Catholic monarchy. It had been expected to sell for up to £30,000, but in the end fetched £43,000.
"This was the most successful auction of an important single owner collection ever held by the company and augurs well for the future," Mr Lamond said.
"We are absolutely delighted with the response to this collection from across the UK, Europe and the United States."
