Tennants Review of the Year 2022

2022 has been a year of many highs at Tennants, and it has been a privilege to handle a host of important paintings, rare artefacts, and treasures from private estates. This year we have held 81 sales, including numerous single owner sales, and sold over 30,000 lots with a total hammer price of £15.2m and an enviable 89% sold rate.

It has been an extraordinary year for paintings at Tennants, with stellar results, re-discovered masterpieces, and a record-breaking hammer total for the department. The year was topped by the magnificent L.S. Lowry seascape, “The North Sea”, which sold for £840,000 (all figures exclude buyer’s premium) in the October Modern and Contemporary Art Sale. One of the finest examples of Lowry’s rare large-scale seascapes, the painting was last seen on public view in an exhibition in 1967, the year after it was painted, and had since been in private hands. The Modern and Contemporary Art Sales also saw two world auction records set, with Sheffield-born Joe Scarborough’s “Whitby Regatta” selling for £18,000, and Maggi Hambling’s “Red Head with Cat” selling for £28,000.

“In a Ligurian Garden” by Henry Herbert La Thangue led a host of highlights in the year’s British, European and Sporting Art Sales. The important lost British Impressionist painting sold for £180,000 having been rediscovered in Yorkshire. The year also saw notable sales of paintings from good private estates, including “Silvery Moonlight”, an atmospheric work by John Atkinson Grimshaw, which sold for £90,000 having been consigned from Denton Hall, Ilkley.  

 The specialist collectors’ sales at Tennants are always packed with unusual and interesting lots, and this year they saw some exceptional prices for rare items. The highlight was the timely sale of a 1966 FIFA World Cup Winner’s Medal won by Alan Ball, along with his World Cup Final No.7 Shirt, and his 1966 World Cup Squad Cap. The medal sold for £200,000, thought to be an auction record for a 1966 medal, the shirt for £130,000, and the cap for £115,000. A further highlight of the Toys & Sporting Department was a fine O Gauge 2-6-2T Class 3MT Locomotive, finished as BR 82007 and made by James Stanley Beeson (1906-1990) of Hampshire. Models by Beeson are much sought-after amongst collectors, and this model sold for £16,000. 

Other notable lots from across the specialist departments included a 19^th Century South East Australian Aboriginal Wood Shield, which sold for £32,000 from the Militaria and Ethnographica department. The shield attracted international interest, aided by strong provenance. The first Scientific and Musical Instruments of the year in February saw the sale of a Gibson ES335 TDC Semi-Acoustic Guitar for £16,000. The guitar was bought new by the vendor in 1963 at Jeavons in Newcastle and had been packed away carefully since 1968. A strong year for both Natural History and Taxidermy and Stamps, Postal History and Postcards was exemplified by the sale of a circa 1880-1900 large, cased diorama of Birds of Paradise by Rowland Ward for £18,000, and a British Commonwealth King George VI Mint Collection for £13,000. The Motor Sale, too, saw notable results which included a very rare Forest Rover’ Roadless Land Rover from 1959, which sold for £110,000.

Fresh to market antiques from good private collections was a theme that echoed across the Fine Art and Country House Sales this year, greatly enticing bidders. Notable estates included The Select Contents of Knavesmire Lodge, York, from the Estate of Darrell Buttery MBE, The Contents of Ballachrink, Isle of Man from the Estate of the late Nancy Sutton, The Selected Contents of a Private House, sold on behalf of the 7^th Earl of Durham, The Selected Contents of a Private House, St Judes, Isle of Man, the Contents of The Laithes, Penrith, from the Estate of Ian Stephenson, and Property from the London Residence of Lady of Title.

Interesting highlights from private collections included a cut glass gobelet that accompanied Napoleon I whilst on campaign (sold for £8,800). Whilst on campaign, Napoleon demanded that he was surrounded by luxurious goods that befitted his rank and the glass was engraved with a ‘N’ topped by the imperial crown and sold in the original fitted case embossed with the crowned ‘N’ and gilt bees. One of several outstanding lots sold from the Estate of Ian Stephenson was a French Louis XV Style Kingwood Bombé Commode in the Manner of Francois Linke, which sold for £22,000. A further highlight of the Furniture Department was a stylish late 19^th century Ebonised and Marquetry Inlaid Chaise Longue, thought to have been designed by Owen Jones, which sold for £26,000.

Fine Jewellery, Watches and Silver Sales continue to go from strength to strength, led by a glittering array of jewellery, with many of the top lots again coming from private vendors. Art Deco jewellery was a dominant theme of the year, with notable star lots including a pair of Art Deco Emerald and Diamond Drop Earrings, and a Cartier Coral, Onyx, Diamond and Seed Pearl Tassel Pendant on Chain, both selling for £35,000. Amongst a strong offering of vintage and luxury watches were a 1973 Cartier 18 Carat Gold Tank Normale, which sold for £19,500, and a fine and rare Art Deco 18 Carat Yellow and White Gold ‘Tiger Stripe’ Prince Brancard model Rolex, once owned by Hollywood actor James Stephenson, which sold for £12,000. A Private Collection of Silver, sold in the March sale, saw some of the top lots of silver of the year, notably a set of twelve George III Silver Soup Plates from the Pelham Service, made by Paul Storr in London in 1808. Sold for £12,500, the plates were once part of a service made for Charles Anderson Pelham (1748-1823), later created Earl of Yarborough.