Further Discoveries from the Estate of Tony Martin: Plymouth Auction Rooms Announce Third Sale
Plymouth Auction Rooms is pleased to announce the third instalment in the sale of effects from the estate of the late Tony Martin, a well-known former antiques dealer based in Looe, Cornwall.
While smaller in scale, this latest auction (Part III) features around 80 carefully selected lots, several of which are particularly rare and noteworthy.
More Harold Harvey Paintings Come to Light
Following the strong results achieved in the previous sale, where four works by Harold Harvey (British, Newlyn School, 1874–1941) performed exceptionally well, two additional paintings have now been discovered. Both were previously exhibited at the Penlee House Gallery and Museum Touring Exhibition (July 2001 – January 2002) and are:
- ‘Spoils of the Hedgerow’, signed ‘Harold Harvey 98’, framed, 41cm x 46cm
- ‘Girl with Cabbage’ (untitled), signed ‘Harold Harvey 1900’, framed
Estimate: £7,000 - £10,000 each.
Rare Work by Henry Scott Tuke
One of the sale's major highlights is a striking painting by Henry Scott Tuke (British, Newlyn School, 1858-1929), titled 'Facing South'. Signed ‘H.S. Tuke 1913’, the painting measures 45cm x 29.5cm and comes with impeccable provenance, available on request.
The painting was originally acquired from the artist by Captain C. E. Parkes, Master Mariner for the British India Oil Co., directly from Tuke’s London home on 23 March 1925. It was later gifted to Tony Martin around 1974.
'Facing South' (catalogue no. R1118) was painted en plein air on Newporth Beach, Falmouth, in the summer of 1918. It is a powerful nude study of Charlie Mitchell (1885–1957), Tuke’s favourite model and long-time companion. Mitchell, a frequent subject over 25 years, was even left £1,000 in Tuke’s will—a reflection of their enduring friendship.
This study later inspired a larger version of the same title, completed in 1920 and exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1921.
Estimate: £10,000.
Early Chinese Temple Bell Unearthed in Cornwall
Among the more unusual discoveries is a heavy Chinese cast iron temple bell, found stored in one of two garages in Looe. Believed to date from the Kangxi period (1662–1722) and inscribed with the 25th year (1687), it retains its nearly complete carved hardwood stand.
- Height: 79.5cm
- Diameter: 53cm
- Features include: splayed foot, domed top, suspension loop formed as a mythical beast, with inscriptions and a stylised Bodhi leaf.
An extremely rare object, it is difficult to value, but expectations are upwards of £1,000.
Kangxi Armorial Porcelain Tankard
From a fine collection of ceramics comes a rare Chinese armorial tankard, also from the Kangxi period (1662–1722). Cylindrical in shape with a double strap handle, it is beautifully decorated in famille-rose enamels and features:
- On one side: Arms of Lambert over a scroll inscribed Seguitando Si Giunge
- On the reverse: a basket of flowers flanked by floral sprays, with foliate and spearhead borders
This tankard belongs to a service referenced in David Sanctuary Howard’s Chinese Armorial Porcelain (p. 206), believed to have been commissioned by Sir John Lambert, a London merchant and director of the South Sea Company. It is one of the earliest known uses of famille-rose enamels in porcelain influenced by European design.
Estimate: £300–£500.
Oscar Wilde’s “Aesthetic Teapot”
A charming and satirical piece in the sale is the so-called “Aesthetic Teapot”, famously linked to Oscar Wilde and the Aesthetic Movement.
Designed in 1882 by James Hadley for the Royal Worcester Porcelain Company, the teapot features characters from Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta Patience — the poet Reginald Bunthorne (a parody of Wilde) and the milkmaid Patience.
Underneath is a wonderfully witty inscription: "Fearful Consequences Through the Laws of Natural Selection & Evolution of Living Up to One’s Teapot."
Estimate: £1,000.
This Part III sale from the Estate of Tony Martin is a compact yet exceptional offering, rich in provenance, artistic merit, and historic interest. It stands as a fitting tribute to Martin’s discerning eye and lifelong passion for beautiful and unusual objects.
Auction Wednesday 5th November at 10:30am. Catalogue coming soon.