Best of the furniture was a George III mahogany Lancashire mule chest with a hinged top and two rows of false drawers. The 6ft (1.82m) high chest, which was set on a moulded plinth and ogee bracket feet, was taken up at £3800.
Gillow of Lancaster furniture is always popular and even though an early 19th century mahogany pedestal collector’s cabinet wasn’t stamped Gillows the fact that it was “in the manner of” the famous firm was enough to sell it.
Some people believe that as Gillows did not sign commission pieces, this may make unsigned works more valuable. Whether or not this was the case here, the attractively sized 2ft 5in by 2ft 11in (74 x 89cm) cabinet had seven graduated drawers and a frieze of carved rosettes applied to either side. It was a trade buy at £3300.
An unusual lozenge-shaped lamp table found favour. The top of the 23in (58cm) table was painted with trompe l’oeil writing, sewing accessories, sheet music and an open book. It brought £2150.
Topping the ceramics was a 41/4in (11cm) diameter Royal Worcester plaque painted with a cock and hen pheasant in a landscape. Signed by the renowned Worcester artist James Stinton, it took £1800.
Among the glass, a Lalique Deco figure of a nude girl came up trumps. Despite two chips to the base, the 71/2in (19cm) high piece sold at £1800.
Gillows link fuels mule chest bids
Good stock furniture dominated this 894-lot wide-ranging sale on 13 December at Heathcote Ball sourced from various private sources in Leicestershire and Derbyshire.
