In the form of a brooch depicting
a recumbent dog with two birds, it
had been bought by the vendor the previous week for £1 at a local car boot sale.The fortunate buyer had no real idea of what it was, other than a feeling it was worth more than £1. As it was Italian in origin and in excellent condition, that feeling was accurate. The brooch sold to a Bath dealer at £1250.
Back in the mainstream, good-quality furniture was the strong point of the 1650-lot sale, in particular, an 18th century mahogany foldover top tea table and a George III mahogany serpentine chest.
The 2ft 6in (76cm) wide table with turret-shaped corners and cabriole legs with acanthus carved details to the front pair was expected to bring £2500-4000 but a private bidder took it at £5100.
The 3ft 9in (1.14m) wide serpentine chest with a crossbanded and string inlay above four long drawers was another private buy at £4000.
Other furniture included a Georgian-style breakfront secretaire bookcase with three pairs of panelled doors to the lower section and fall front enclosing a fitted interior to the upper which sold at £2800.
Mirrors were in noticeable demand.
A 19th century rectangular plate in geometrically decorated gesso frame sold at £1950 and a pair of mid-19th century plasterwork oval wall mirrors with a floral, acanthus and C-scroll border brought £1080.
Wotton Auction Rooms,
Wotton-Under-Edge, June 12-13
Buyer’s premium: 10 per cent
£1 boot-sale bargain brooch sells at £1250
Everyone dreams of coming across a real gem at a car boot sale and this was the story behind a privately entered 19th century micro-mosaic oval panel in this Wotton Auction Rooms Gloucestershire sale on June 12-13.
