Carved giltwood 0vermantel, attributed to John and Francis Booker, basically 18th century, 71inches x 41 inches. Image courtesy of Mealy’s Fine Art.
The sale will include selected items from Lyons Demesne on the instructions of the representative of the late Dr. Tony Ryan (approximately 300 lots); an executor sale of the contents of a period home in the South East; a private collection of family crested Irish and other silver (recently removed from an Irish bank vault); Oriental art from a gentleman’s private family collection, brought out of China before the onset of the Sino-Japanese War in 1937; together with an array of fine and decorative art and other personal property from Irish estates and private collections.
Day one includes ceramics, glass, silver and plate, works of art, Oriental art, tribal art, taxidermy, musical instruments, militaria and edged weapons.
Day two will be 18th, 19th and 20th century furniture, paintings and carpets/rugs, chimney pieces and fire furniture.
Day one highlights include:
203 – Important set of Irish candlesticks (recently removed from bank vault);
451 – star lot, with inscription in Chinese and Manchua, possibly from the Forbidden Palace, inscription hints that this was originally from emperor’s bedroom;
452 – 19th century rhino horn libation cup, very large, already attracting major interest internationally;
453 – 19th century rhino horn carving, same as above;
455 – early Chinese plate, probably early 17th century, with strange image depicted on the front;
597 – Kenyan African elephant foot, with cites license from a private Irish estate;
597A – Leopard skin, also with cites license (as above);
597C – found in Scotland, a massive rack, 9-feet 1-inch wide with 12 points (fossil of now extinct Irish elk, 11,000 years old); and,
598C – Square piano by Southwell (“The Irish Genius”) of Dublin and London.
Day two highlights include:
720 – breakfront library bookcase from Knocktopher Abbey in Kilkenny;
759 – fine cabinet, stately piece from Ryan estate, late 17th century;
851/852 – fine North African suzanis, or wall hangings, rare;
939 – impressive bench, made for the original provincial bank in college green, Dublin (now Westin hotel), designed by G. Murray;
986 – carved giltwood overmantle, Irish , attributed to Booker, basically 18th century;
1019 – early ‘View of New Ross’ by Henrietta Browne Clayton, acquired at clearance sale of Ballinamona Park;
1048 – view of ‘The Lower Lake, Killarney,’ attributed to James Richard Marquis;
1053 – view of ‘Dunbrody Abbey’ by the Hon. Henry Richard Graves; and,
1124 – Boardroom table with provenance, made for the board room of the Guinness Mahon Bank.
ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
Rare four-panel North African Suzani, or wall-hanging, late 19th century / early 20th century, probably Egyptian, with arabic panels and a large roundel with star motif, 99 1/2 inches x 62 inches. Image courtesy of Mealy’s Fine Art.
Ebonised and gilt bronze mounted cabinet, probably Italian, late 17th/early 18th century, 31 1/2 inches x 48 inches. Image courtesy of Mealy’s Fine Art.
Massive Chinese carved full-tip rhinoceros horn ‘Lotus’ libation cup, probably Qing Dynasty, 19th century, 15 1/2 inches. Image courtesy of Mealy’s Fine Art.
Important set of four Irish cast silver figural table candlesticks by John Walker, Dublin, circa. 1773, 11 1/2 inches tall, 101ounces. Image courtesy of Mealy’s Fine Art.
Megaloceros Giganteus, reasonably complete set of antlers of the prehistoric Great Irish Deer, often called the Irish Elk, including 12 points, unmounted spanning 9 feet 1 inch. Image courtesy of Mealy’s Fine Art.