The Bath auctioneers contacted a number of potential institutional buyers and this pre-sale marketing paid handsomely when the V&A took the decision to bid. They were ‘saved for the nation’ close to the reserve at £2200 (plus 15% buyer’s premium).
Lucy Wood, senior curator in the furniture, textiles and fashion department at the V&A described the covers as a unique survival – “an extraordinarily rare example of something we did not know
happened” – and said in future they will form part of new galleries devoted to materials and techniques used in furniture making.
Set of six 17th century painted leather chair backs
Among the more remarkable lots sold outside London this season are a set of six 17th century painted leather chair backs (one shown) sold by Gardiner Houlgate on November 12-13. Discovered by the vendor in a box lot at a West Country sale, each of the six elements were decorated (probably domestically rather than professionally) in oil-based paint with secular figures, flora and fauna in a manner reminiscent of 1660s stumpwork.
