A spectacular life-size silver fox, modelled in the late 19th century by famed Victorian taxidermist James Rowland Ward, will be offered for sale with an estimate of £25,000-35,000 (all figures exclude buyer's premium) in Tennants Auctioneers' Fine Jewellery, Watches and Silver Sale on 16th November. The model was presented to Sir Bache Cunard, legendary huntsman and scion of the Cunard shipping family, as a testimonial for his services to hunting in South Leicestershire and was paid for by subscription by members of his hunt. The names of the subscribers were written in a leather book, which is housed in a drawer in the base of the sculpture. The fox, which weighs in at an impressive 16kg, is beautifully rendered in a naturalistic 'on the alert' pose and has been passed down through the descendants of the Cunard family.
From the same family collection is a Graduated Set of Four Edward VII Silver Table Ornaments, made by Sir Bache Cunard circa 1905. Cunard registered his first mark with Goldsmiths’ Hall in 1901, and his works are incredibly rare, as he was presumably only making items for his family and friends. The ornaments, which are in the form of a branches and leaves, are on offer with an estimate of £150-250. By Cunard, too, is an Edward VII Silver-Mounted Coconut Vessel, modelled as a stylised arachnid with a chased face (estimate: £150-250. With good provenance in the sale, too, are four lots of silver once owned by the Earls of Lonsdale; a Victorian Silver Photograph Frame by Henry Charles Freeman, London, 1892 (estimate: £120-180), a Victorian Silver Presentation Key and a George VI Silver-Gilt Presentation Key dated 1838 and 1925 respectively (estimate: £100-150), a George VI Gold Snuff Box by George Unite, 1927 (estimate: £2,500-3,500), and a Victorian Silver Whitehaven Junction Railway Company Token by Benjamin Wyon, 1844 (estimate: £120-180). There are several lots in the sale with provenance from the Estate of the late Lady Buchan Hepburn, including a Set of Four George III Scottish Silver Beakers, with Maker’s Mark ‘RR’ and made in Edinburgh in 1816 (estimate: £500-800).
Further notable lots in the silver section include a Charles I Provincial Parcel-Gilt Silver Apostle Spoon by James Birkby, Hull, circa 1650 (estimate: £2,500-3,500), a Russian Gold-Mounted Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel Pill Box by Fabergé, St Petersburg, 1908-1917 (estimate: £2,500-3,500), and a George VI Silver and Enamel Freedom Casket by Deakin and Francis, Birmingham, 1933 (estimate: £600-800). One of the rarest lots in the sale is an American Silver Porringer by Samuel Casey, Little Rest/South Kingston, Rhode Island, 1750-1770 (estimate: £600-800). Casey was born around 1724 and worked in what is now Kingston. His work was of good quality, and several examples of similar work are held in the collections at the Metropolitan Museum, New York.
In a superb offering of watches in the sale is an interesting selection of vintage pieces, with early and rare examples. The earliest wristwatch in the sale is a good Rolex: 18 Carat Two-Coloured Gold ‘Prince Brancard’ Watch (ref: 971) dating from the 1930s (estimate: £4,000-5,000). The Art Deco Rolex Prince was launched in 1927, and the stylish flared sides were known as the Brancard style, after the French word for ‘stretcher’ which it resembled. One of the rarest watches in the sale is a 1951 Omega: 14 Carat Rose Gold ‘Museum Cosmic’ Triple Calendar Moonphase Wristwatch (ref:3944) (estimate: £14,000-16,000). Reference 3944 was the first watch in Omega’s Cosmic line; it was made in three different metals, rose gold like the present example, being the rarest. Further notable vintage watches include an Omega: British Royal Army Military Issue ‘Seamaster 300 Big Triangle’ Wristwatch (ref: 165024) made and issued in 1967 (estimate: £10,000-15,000), and a Rolex: Stainless Steel ‘Datejust’ Wristwatch (ref: 1603) made in 1975 (estimate: £2,500-3,000).
Highlights amongst the modern luxury watches in the sale include an IWC: 18 Carat Rose Gold ‘Portugese’ Wristwatch (ref: 5001) (estimate: £8,000-10,000), a Patek Philippe: Lady’s 18 Carat Rose Gold Diamond Set ‘Calatrava’ Wristwatch (ref: 7122.200R-001) (estimate: £8,000-10,000), and a Rolex: 18 Carat Gold ‘Submariner Date’ Wristwatch (ref: 116618LB) (estimate: £12,000-18,000).
Period jewellery in the sale is lead by a dazzling Art Deco Diamond Double Clip Brooch by Le Roy et Fils Ltd (estimate: £5,000-7,000), an Art Deco Diamond and Sapphire Three-Stone Ring (estimate: £2,000-3,000), and an Early 19th Century Cannetille Aquamarine Parure comprising a necklace, two bracelets and a pair of earrings (estimate: £1,500-2,000). There is also a good offering of impressive rings in the sale, most notably a Diamond Cluster Ring (estimate: £15,000-20,000), an 18 Carat White Gold Diamond Cluster Ring by Theo Fennell (estimate: £7,000-10,000), a Colour-Change Sapphire and Diamond Cluster Ring (estimate: £5,000-7,000), a Tanzanite and Diamond Ring (estimate: £5,000-7,000) and an Emerald and Diamond Three-Stone Ring (estimate: £3,000-5,000).
Modernist jewellery is also a strong feature in the sale, with a good selection on offer by the likes of Leo de Vroomen, Andrew Grima, Alan Gard, Thomas A Payne and Kutchinsky, including an 18 Carat Gold Sapphire and Diamond Bracelet by Kutchinsky (estimate: £1,500-2,000), and Two Enamel Pins realistically modelled as Mushrooms (estimate: £400-600).
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