English furniture made up the largest category and leading the list, as expected, was an elaborate brass inlaid bureau cabinet of architectural form measuring a massive 9ft 6in (2.9m) in height and 5ft 4in (1.64m) in width. Pictured right, this bore a Giles Grendy trade label to the inside of one drawer and Bonhams had described the piece as by Grendy. However, given the rather Germanic feel of the piece, a footnote suggested the Clerkenwell cabinetmaker could have been working in collaboration with other craftsmen in this instance. This last surfaced in the London salerooms as recently at 1999 when it fetched a massive £340,000 in a stellar multi-million pound English furniture sale at Christie's. Given the lack of market freshness Bonhams were evidently not expecting that height- of-the-market price to be replicated here, setting their guidelines at £180,000-220,000. And it seems that the vendor, a corporate collection, was prepared to accept an even lower figure for it only got away at £150,000.
There was an altogether warmer reception in the opening works of art section for the tea caddy illustrated bottom right. Caddies are a category with cross sector appeal and they can make strong prices but this example proved exceptionally popular.
The piece was an estate offering and had been entered with what Bonhams conceded was a there-to-be-sold estimate of £1000-1500 but expectations of a price in the region of £5000-6000 were being entertained after its popularity at the view. There was interest from the room and on the phones at that level but two bidders took it on to £17,000. The piece was of a desirable early (George II) date and its fine quality brass inlay had stylistic similarities to the work of John Channon and Landall & Gordon. It was also in good original condition and its two japanned canisters, one of which is shown here, are thought to be original.
