Auctioneer Paul Keen conducted a white-glove auction of the Tony Martin estate sale. The 500-plus collection, sold over three auctions, was a complete sell-out, with this week’s final sale going off with a bang on November 5th.
A rare Royal Worcester “Oscar Wilde” aesthetic teapot attracted a great deal of attention and sold for a record price of £5,200, following a spirited online and telephone bidding battle.
The star of the sale by far was the painting Facing South by Henry Scott Tuke (1858–1929). It drew tremendous interest, with a full bank of phone lines booked for bidding. The price quickly rose from £10,000 to £20,000 and continued climbing until the hammer finally came down at an impressive £32,500, selling to a buyer from Western Europe bidding online.
Two charming paintings by Harold Harvey also performed exceptionally well, selling for £18,500 and £14,500 respectively.
Elsewhere, the auction saw a Victorian silver flatware service achieve £6,200, while a collection of 18th-century English porcelain realised over £5,000 from a host of eager bidders.
Paul commented “We were delighted with these results, which underpin the quality of cataloguing and research carried out by my team. These outcomes further prove what can be achieved in a provincial saleroom when experience and professionalism are in place to handle such important items. Finally, and most importantly, the family of the late Tony Martin were absolutely delighted with the results.”
