Two important pieces of Irish silver will be offered for sale at JW Weldon’s stand at the National Antique Fair, which will take place at Limerick Racecourse on September 10th and 11th.
A Queen Anne, Cork lidded tankard, made by Robert Goble circa 1710, was once part of the tankard collection owned by Henry Ford II, whose grandfather established the Ford Motor Company. The family had links to Cork, as Ballinascarthy was the birthplace of William Ford, and in 1917 Henry Ford snr selected Cork as the site for the first Ford factory to be built outside north America.
The piece does not have a sterling stamp, as it predates the mark which was introduced in 1712. “As it is older, it has the mark of two castles, which was the town mark of the guild of Cork, and this tankard was the finest in the Henry Ford II collection,” according to Jimmy Weldon, who values the piece at €50,000.
Also of interest will be a rare silver salver: “We have a private collection of Limerick silver amassed over 40 years and some originally came from Dudley Westropp” [former Keeper of Art and Industry at the National Museum of Ireland].
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At just 5in in diameter and standing on three little feet, it dates from between 1745 and 1750, and was made by Joseph Johns, who Weldon describes as the most important of all Limerick silversmiths. Listed at €12,500, Weldon attributes its importance due to the fact that “all the chasing and decoration including the crest is original” which makes it a collectors’ item.
In Cork, Lynes and Lynes will hold a sale on September 10th of the recently sold Ballynoe House in Cobh.
All eyes in the sale will be on a Patek Phillippe Nautilus automatic gentleman’s watch, as the timepiece is known for its price increases. With model number 3700/IA, it is boxed with a valuation from Weir & Sons stating that the timepiece was worth €23,100 in 2015.
“These watches have been rising in price over the past few years with some of them making incredible money as they have become collectors’ items,” says Denis Lynes. “We have listed it with a €30,000-€50,000 estimate, but it would not surprise me if it sold for between €60,000 and €100,000 as it is in excellent condition, has a service record through Weirs and there is already interest from the United States.”
An olive green Nautilus model 5711 achieved €400,000 at Antiquorum’s Auction in Monte Carlo in July last year.
Together with the contents of Rushbrooke in Cobh, the sale has some other interesting lots: a long 19th century profusely carved walnut bench with a carved shield Nun Quam Non Paratus (never unprepared) (€1,000-€1,500); as well as chandeliers, silver and a portrait of a young lady, which Lynes believes was purchased at the sale of Galtee Castle, the mansion taking its name from the foothills the mountain range in Tipperary which was demolished in the 1940s.
