Kevin's Top Picks

No. 1

Lot 25: λ Paolo Buffa for Giuseppe Anzani: A rare Italian marquetry inlaid vellum sideboard, signed Anzani and dated 1941 | Est. £7,000-10,000 (+ fees)

"Visually stunning, this piece ticks the boxes of original design, quality of manufacture and wow appeal.  The avant-garde clean design of Paolo Buffa, combined with the technical brilliance of Giuseppe Anzani’s marquetry inlays make it my favourite item in the auction."

No. 2

Lot 256: Y An Irish-Colonial rosewood side table, circa 1840 | Est. £600-800 (+ fees)

"I love the eccentricity of Irish furniture made for the grand houses, and this unusually proportioned low table with it’s profusely carved legs and attention grabbing silver initials and crest in the top was part of my mother’s personal collection for over 30 years."

No. 3

Lot 240: George Ciancimino: An aluminium and red lacquer console table, circa 1975 | Est. £1,500-2,500 (+ fees)

"George Ciancimino is an amazing and prolific designer – still going strong today at the age of 95 – he called me recently to offer me this table that he made circa 1975 as he was running out of space! It is a one off, and embodies his purity of design and use of strong colour in an iconic piece of furniture."

No. 4

Lot 51: After Fournier- A Napoleon III carved giltwood ropetwist stool, French, circa 1880 | Est. £1,000-1,500 (+ fees)

"I’ve always liked furniture with design elements that make you think – the unique Knotted design of A.M.E Fournier transcends the cycles of antique fashions."

No. 5

Lot 304: Jean Arriau (French Contemporary): A 'Praesidium' mixed medium low centre table, 21st century | Est. £15,000-25,000 (+ fees)

"We’ve been working with Arriau designs for some years now, and their pieces are always showstoppers. This 3 part coffee table is the finest piece that we’ve ever had from them – the design and materials used combine in an achingly cool piece of furniture."

No. 6

Lot 111: A Spanish silver painted iron novelty sign, mid 20th century | Est. £600-800 (+ fees)

"Both comical and sinister, this impressive piece was reputedly made for a bar in Barcelona, and the story goes that the bullet hole was from the Spanish Civil War."

No. 7

Lot 361: A rare wool and silk historical tapestry depicting a scene from The Life of Hannibal, Flemish, late 16th century | Est. £15,000-25,000 (+ fees)

"This is one of the most important historical tapestries we’ve ever had at Guinevere, depicting the story of Hannibal evading Roman entrapment by the use of flaming cattle to create a diversion. I’ve spent hours looking at the intricate details and mini-stories in it. It would have cost more than a house when it was made."

No. 8

Lot 19: A rare pair of French silvered and gilded bronze 'Pompeiian' tripod torcheres/stands, circa 1890, attributed to Barbedienne | Est. £4,000-6,000 (+ fees)

"I’ve always loved classical Greek and Roman design – they are the foundation of Western taste – these stands, almost certainly made by the French house of Barbedienne, encapsulate the beauty of Roman design with “Bling” of 19th century Paris fashion."

No. 9

Lot 20: A French 'Belle Époque' brass rope form handrail, circa 1900 | Est. £600-1,000 (+ fees)

"Pure 'Belle Époque' glamour and opulence in a handrail! My mother bought this in the Paris flea market in around 1980 and installed it in her house situated at the back of the shop. It’s so tactile that running up and down stairs is a pleasure."

No. 10

Lot 219: An Edwardian 'Grand Tour' banded specimen marble walking stick, Italian circa 1910 | Est. £600-1,000 (+ fees)

"A marble mason’s ‘Tour de Force’ The artistry and precision employed in making this walking stick is incredible. It’s also a great resource of marble samples, with 45 segments of different marbles, crowned by a wonderful Portor marble handle."

Marc's Top Picks

No. 1

Lot 5: A French blue lacquer and gilt chinoiserie decorated serpentine commode, mid 20th century | Est. £2,000-3,000 (+ fees)

"This piece was covered in a dark green, almost black, layer of dirt and varnish when we bought it. I asked a restorer to clean it and he phoned excitedly to tell me about the colour he had found underneath. I’ve never had a lacquer piece in such a lovely blue before."

No. 2

Lot 56: A pair of Italian glazed pottery models of leopards, 20th century | Est. £3,000-5,000 (+ fees)

"I have had similar pairs twice before and I always love them. They give a grand and historical feel to a room with a slightly whimsical twist. I like pieces that don’t take themselves too seriously."

No. 3

Lot 65: A set of six early Victorian mahogany large dining chairs, circa 1840/1860 | Est. £2,000-4,000 (+ fees)

"These chairs are of a scale that has to be seen in person. They make you feel so important - Heather and I have been using them at our desk in the office (they are also very comfortable). I sat on them for many years at Paul de Grand’s castle every time we had dinner there. He had previously acquired them from Geoffrey Bennison and would not sell them to me. Eventually he sold the castle and I got the chairs."

No. 4

Lot 66: A large Agra Dhurrie, 19th century | Est. £3,000-5,000 (+ fees)

"We have been sourcing Dhurries in India for over 30 years. For every one we ship to the UK, we look at 50 others. Its hot and tiring work. Our tastes have evolved over that time and we have had many rare and important Dhurries pass through our hands. This carpet is one of the most beautiful we have ever bought."

No. 5

Lot 97: A pair of Val St Lambert glass vases, Belgian, 1975, designed by Samuel J Herman and Louis Leloup | Est. £1,200-1,800 (+ fees)

"Heather and I were recently in the home of a retired antiques dealer in Belgium. We both spotted these vases high on a shelf. We were struck by the colours and techniques used to make them, and bought them without knowing to whom the initials referred. This only became apparent when we received them into the gallery and were able to research them. This is often the way."

No. 6

Lot 122: A good pair of neoclassical six light glass and gilt bronze floor standing candelabra, circa 1900, possibly by Caldwell New York | Est. £4,000-6,000 (+ fees)

"Some years ago Kevin and I were asked to bid on the entire contents of a very large mansion in New England. It belonged to a collector and it took us three days to catalogue. This pair of unusual candelabra were always one of the star pieces in the house. I’ve never seen the like, so that covers the last 40 years! They came to my home for an event and looked fabulous in front of a large pair of Louis XIV gilt mirrors."

No. 7

Lot 186: Y An exotic tamarind wood console table, 20th century | Est. £600-800 (+ fees)

"I bought the Tamarind top many years ago from a specialist importer of timber. It’s striking and unusual, but it somehow ended up at the warehouse and got lost behind other pieces. Recently the same specialist asked me what I had done with that beautiful piece. As a consequence we searched the warehouse and found it, and so had the base made. Contemporary and unique I feel."

No. 8

Lot 259: A large Japanese Imari porcelain model of a court lady, 18th century | Est. £2,000-3,000 (+ fees)

"Imari has been somewhat under the radar for a few years and I think it will only become more sought after as time goes on. This 18^th century Court figure is unusual for being so large. It’s a piece I would happily have at home."

No. 9

Lot 361: A rare wool and silk historical tapestry depicting a scene from The Life of Hannibal, Flemish, late 16th century | Est. £15,000-25,000 (+ fees)

"Heather and I were in northern Europe on a sourcing trip. It was winter and getting late. We were in a very cold warehouse and I was beginning to realise that it was now too late to make it to our hotel over two hours away. Then we saw a folded tapestry and lifted one corner. It was one of those hairs on the back of your neck moment. All thoughts of hotel or dinner disappeared and we took it onto the street to examine with the lights from our phones. I seem to remember it went straight into the car and came to the (new) hotel with us."

No. 10

Lot 405: Y A Spanish ebony, ebonised, and tortoiseshell inlaid side or centre table, late 17th century | Est. £2,000-3,000 (+ fees)

"Heather and I were recently at one of those deballages in the south of France feeling rather underwhelmed by what was on offer, when we came across this beautiful piece and made enquiries with the vendor. He was from Toulouse and was selling it on behalf of the Curé de Lourdes. However, when he realised that he used to deal with my mother more than 20 years previously, he became quite emotional. He also admitted that he was quite scared of her. I was, as a result, quite pleased that we managed to acquire the table. By far it was the best thing we saw there."

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Auction Details

Tuesday 23 May, 10.30am BST
Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE

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