Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2012 | Page 75

ANTIQUES Worldwide interest at auctions Hose Rhodes Dickson Auction Rooms in Brading report that, despite difficult financial times, there is considerable demand from collectors around the world for their particular passions, whether it be gold coins, jewellery, silver or one of the many other specialist fields. With the advent of worldwide internet bidding, Hose Rhodes Dickson have invested strongly in the latest technology, to make sure their marketing reaches that collector of military miniatures on the east coast of the United States or the lady in Holland who wishes to buy any good antique Dutch silver. At Hose Rhodes Dickson’s recent Fine Art auction there was considerable interest from the sporting fraternity for an oil painting by Lionel Edwards, one of the foremost 20th century equestrian artists. The hammer eventually fell at £2,700. Although the current fashion is for minimalism and people are hanging fewer pictures on their walls, there will always be good demand for the quality painting. Sporting memorabilia has always had a very keen following. Auctioneer Rex Gully said there was keen telephone bidding for a number of signed Manchester United photographs, including some autographs of footballers who were tragically killed in the Munich air disaster. The total collection included images of players from football clubs that are now in the Premiership, and bidding reached £2,060. Chess has been played for centuries and chessmen have been made in every conceivable material and in many styles apart from the now traditional Staunton shape. The demand from chess enthusiasts has always been strong and recently Hose Rhodes Dickson had two good chess sets, one of which, in natural and red stained ivory, fetched £650. The next Hose Rhodes Dickson Fine Art auction is on Thursday, February 23, with viewing on Wednesday February 22. www.visitislandlife.com 75