Record prices were achieved at Rosebery's June Quarterly Select auction with a George II marble topped table fetching £75,000 and a Barbara Hepworth, £62,000. Many other items made considerably more than their estimates, while a Chinese tray, bought for £1 at a car boot sale was sold for £650.
Lot 1644: George II mahogany serving table
Estimate: £8-12,000
Achieved: £75,000
What set this apart was the quality of the carving to the frame and the superb colour. The provenance, later added, suggested the table was fresh to the market and boosted its popularity. Coupled with a relatively untouched frame, the table was sought after by bidders competing for a classic example of English furniture.
Lot 685: Barbara Hepworth, 'Small Sun'
Estimate: £40-60,000
Achieved: £62,000
The recent opening of the Hepworth Wakefield helped draw attention to this polished bronze, cast in an edition of nine. A mixture of private clients and West End galleries contested the lot over five telephone lines and in the saleroom. This is a record price for 'Small Sun'; the last one to come up at auction sold for £21,000 in 2000.
Lot 699: Charles Walter Simpson, Woman Seated on Rocks, oil on canvas
Estimate: £1,500 - £2,000
Achieved: £5,500
This is an atypical image for a painter of landscapes, marine scenes, animals and birds. It is thought to be a rare portrait of his wife in St Ives, where they moved during World War One to open a painting school. The slight damage did not affect buyers' enthusiasm.
Lot 512: Gwyneth Johnstone, Girl with White Hat, oil on board
Estimate: £300 - £500
Achieved: £1,400
One of four paintings by the artist in the auction, all of which made more than £1,000. Johnstone was the illegitimate daughter of Augustus John and her recent death has provoked great demand for her haunting, pastoral paintings.
Lot 1495: Indian miniature depicting Maharaja Shri Naharsingh and his brother Vandansingh
Estimate: £400 - £600
Achieved: £6,800
Bidding was particularly fierce for this lot with phone lines booked from New York, India and the UK. Indian miniatures are very much in vogue at the moment with experts calling India 'the new China'. This one was especially prized because Rosebery's was able to identify the family depicted, which boosted interest and the overall hammer price.
Lot 1367: Chinese carved pale jade pendant, late 19th/early 20th century, central carved temple dog, reverse carries script enclosed within foliage
Estimate: £300 - £500
Achieved: £6,200
The fantastic colour, carving and flawless clarity of this lot made it popular with oriental bidders both in the saleroom, online and on the phone lines.
Lot 905: Signed Beatles photograph
Estimate: £1,200 - £1,800
Beatles memorabilia continues to sell well, especially when it has good provenance. This photograph came with other items from the same vendor that supported its authenticity. Interestingly, a second Beatles autograph achieved £950, despite having been torn in two.
Lot 1177: Chinese white metal and shagreen mounted papier-mache tray, early 19th century
Estimate: £400 - £600
Achieved: £650
It is very unusual to have silver, shagreen, papier-mache and lacquer all on one item. And it is extremly unusual to buy such an item at a car boot sale for £1.
Lot 597: Carl Ronald Giles, In the Audience at Drury Lane Theatre, Christmas matinee; pen and ink
Estimate: 300 - £400
Achieved: £2,100
This was an exceptional price for the late Daily and Sunday Express cartoonist.
Lot 410: 14 ct gold cigarette case
Estimate: £1,200 - £1,500
Achieved: £1,550
Gold and silver continue to be good sellers at auction with a lot of interest due to current prices. Three gold cigarette cases sold above estimate, as did a collection of 11 gold Krugerrand coins.
