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