Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2015 | Page 69

ANTIQUES RECENTLY SOLD ITEMS Rex Gully & Rebecca Ball: Ask an expert! W Presentation Cup Sold for £3,000 Mid-19th century gold cup sold to a mainland collector HRD Auction Rooms Silver Cutlery Sold for £2,300 Set of fiddle pattern cutlery, sold to a mainland collector HRD Auction Rooms Still Life Paintings Sold for £2,800 Pair of paintings by Willem Van Leen, sold to local collector HRD Auction Rooms HRD Auctions - 01983 402222 Painting Sold for £4,000 Painting of the Iron Duke entering Malta by Frank Mason Island Auction Rooms Telescope Lens Sold for £7,000 Rare lens with a provenance, sold to an American collector Island Auction Rooms Microscope Sold for £1,800 Victorian microscope sold to an Australian collector Island Auction Rooms Island Auction Rooms - 01983 863441 hether to repair and restore or leave an item in a less than perfect condition is a question which is regularly posed to us by clients, and the answer is not always a straightforward one. Much depends upon whether you wish to sell the item in question, or keep it as part of a treasured collection. The business of restoration and renovation can often be an expensive one, and you are unlikely to be able to recoup these costs with an immediate sale. Whilst potentially making an item look more appealing and, therefore, possibly more saleable, restoration rarely adds value in the short term. However, if you intend to keep the piece and wish to enhance its appearance in your home then it may be worth the investment. If you decide this is the way forward then undertake thorough research and choose your restorer with care, as shoddy workmanship has the potential to completely and irrevocably devalue a previously desirable collectable. We are always happy to offer advice, and hold regular valuation mornings where we are pleased to help you decide upon the best course of action, but if ever you are in any doubt then leaving antiques in their original, if tatty, condition, is always the best policy. Auction report D espite the fact that his work is dismissed by members of the art establishment, who have been quoted describing him as an “indifferent painter” producing “commercial reproductions”, our most recent fine art and antique sale showed that Jack Vettriano continues to laugh in the face of his critics, with the sale of six limited edition signed prints smashing their auction estimate, and delighting their new owner who drove overnight from the mainland to come and collect them in person. A further collection of more widely produced Vettriano prints also exceeded expectations in our modern and vintage auction, demonstrating that there is currently a strong market for modern, stylish pieces of artwork, and illustrating the powerful impact of fashion upon prices and saleability. www.goilife.co.uk 69