Nearly 1,000 international buyers registered to bid online during a recent Cockermouth auction.
Mitchells Antiques & Fine Art Sale included several artworks by Percy Kelly, 30 original drawings by Alfred Wainwright and a large private collection of rare vintage Scotch Whisky. And there were exciting surprises too with some lots greatly exceeded their estimates.
The highest selling lot in the sale was a charcoal drawing by the renowned local artist Percy Kelly (1918-1993), signed and dated 1959 and depicting ‘The road from West Newton to Allonby', which sold for £6,200.
Another artwork by Kelly, a preparatory sketch for an etching in charcoal originally purchased at Mitchells in 2014 for £620 made an impressive £1,900.
The most valuable of the drawings by Alfred Wainwright (1907-1991) was a signed original pen and ink illustration of ‘Brim Fell’ sold for £2,600 and another Lake District view ‘The summit of Coniston Old Man’ made £2,200.
A signed Wainwright guidebook ‘A Pictorial Guide To The Lakeland Fells Book 1, The Eastern Fells’ greatly exceeded its estimate selling for £500.
From the same private collection was a range of vintage mountaineering books including a 1953 first edition of ‘The Ascent of Everest’ by author and expedition leader John Hunt (1910-1998) which was signed by Edmund Hillary (1919-2008) and Tenzing Norgay (1914-1986) which made £900.
Perfect timing for Christmas and the New Year, the sale also featured a private collection of some 50 bottles of rare single malt Scotch Whisky of which the highest selling was a 1979 St Magdalene Rare Malts Selection Single Malt Scotch Whisky aged 19 years which made £820.
One of the biggest surprises in the sale however was a set of eight early 20th century interlocking graduated Chinese tea bowls which greatly exceeded its estimate of £100-£150 selling for £2,700.
Another big surprise was a quantity of world currency, including bank notes from Syria, China, Egypt, Turley, The Philippines, Guatemala and Greece, which made £2,200 against an estimate of £50-£70. A single owner collection of silver featured an Elizabeth I London 1599 silver seal top spoon by William Cawdell which also did very well selling for £2,100.
The most valuable lots amongst the watches and jewellery were a 1960s Tudor Prince Oysterdate Ranger wristwatch sold for £2,800, a Victorian 18ct gold five stone diamond ring which made £1,600, and a Victorian gold coloured metal diamond and opal set necklace which sold for £1,500.
Highlights amongst the furniture were an Edwardian inlaid mahogany display cabinet which made £1,200, a set of six 19th century beech an elm kitchen chairs which sailed past the estimate selling for £780 and a mid-century rosewood record cabinet which made £600.
Entries are now invited for Mitchells next Vintage & Antique Toy Sale on February 22.
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