SAMPSON AND HORNE’S LEGACY MAKES OVER £1 MILLION AT BONHAMS
Legendary English antique dealership Sampson and Horne’s collection of British pottery and furniture went under the hammer yesterday (28 April) at Bonhams, New Bond Street with huge success, achieving a total of £1,056,000 with a 91% sold by value.
The auction lasted all day with 740 lots on offer, but the saleroom remained packed throughout with many of their loyal customers attending in person - a poignant reminder of their many visits to Sampson and Horne’s shops. While estimates had been set cautiously, in many cases fierce competition among private collectors meant prices in the auction were at retail levels.
Of particular interest were two fine London delftware blue-dash Royal portrait chargers, which fetched £19,600 and £13,200 respectively against pre-sale estimates of £8,000 – 12,000.
Also fetching a high price were a late 18th century pair of life sand paintings sold for £16,800, having been estimated at £4,000 – 6,000.
A Charles II commemorative cup, thought to have been made to celebrate the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, sold for £15,600.
Jonathan Horne, and Alistair Sampson before him, were among the most respected dealers in London and for nearly 40 years had been regular buyers at Bonhams.
The Director of Ceramics John Sandon, who was the auctioneer for much of the sale and missed their familiar faces bidding in the room, said: “This is the kind of sale Jonathan and Alistair would have loved themselves.”
The auction lasted all day with 740 lots on offer, but the saleroom remained packed throughout with many of their loyal customers attending in person - a poignant reminder of their many visits to Sampson and Horne’s shops. While estimates had been set cautiously, in many cases fierce competition among private collectors meant prices in the auction were at retail levels.
Of particular interest were two fine London delftware blue-dash Royal portrait chargers, which fetched £19,600 and £13,200 respectively against pre-sale estimates of £8,000 – 12,000.
Also fetching a high price were a late 18th century pair of life sand paintings sold for £16,800, having been estimated at £4,000 – 6,000.
A Charles II commemorative cup, thought to have been made to celebrate the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, sold for £15,600.
Jonathan Horne, and Alistair Sampson before him, were among the most respected dealers in London and for nearly 40 years had been regular buyers at Bonhams.
The Director of Ceramics John Sandon, who was the auctioneer for much of the sale and missed their familiar faces bidding in the room, said: “This is the kind of sale Jonathan and Alistair would have loved themselves.”
Bonhams
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street, and Knightsbridge, and a further five throughout the UK. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Boston in the USA; Toronto, Canada; and France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Dubai. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 57 specialist areas. By the end of 2009, Bonhams had become UK market leaders in ten key specialist collecting areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, go to www.bonhams.com
