Wine cooler adds sparkle to Ramsden sale

SASKIA Antiques dealer and collector Michael Ramsden is said to have impeccable taste in furniture, so the auction of the contents of his house and showroom at 24 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin, later this month is likely to attract huge interest.

However, very little of Mr Ramsden's private collection of furniture is included in the sale, and many items have been "put in," although the dealer himself has vetted everything in the catalogue.

Hamilton Osborne King will conduct the auction in Newman House but viewing will be in Fitzwilliam Square from Saturday March 23rd. According to Hamilton Osborne King, items in the sale will range in price from £25 to £25,000, although it is hard to imagine what pickings there will be at the bottom end of the scale.

There are curiosities galore, architectural details salvaged from Georgian houses, prisoner of war bone model ships from the early 19th century, a mass of pewter ware, old bronzes and a lifesize statue of St John.

However, among the major will be an oval mahogany dining table (£8,000-£10,000); a large Regency Irish bookcase (£20,000); a pair of Georgian mirrors (£6,000-£8,000); an 18th century mahogany side table (£2,000-£3,000); and an 18th century Irish pedestal desk (£10,000-£15,000). There is an interesting collection of furniture by the Dublin firm Mack, Williams & Gibton - seven pieces that were brought together to illustrate the quality of furniture made in Dublin in the early 19th century.

The most impressive piece in the collection is a mahogany wine cooler made by Mack, Williams & Gibton in 1820 for Henry Smith of Annesbrook. This was probably made as part of the general refurbishment of Annesbrook before the visit of King George IV to the house, while he was staying at nearby Slane Castle.

The gothic moulding on the wine cooler echoes the elaborate architectural detail of a gothicstyle banqueting hall that Henry Smith built on to his house specially for the royal visit. The cooler is estimated at £8,000-£12,000.

Mr Ramsden traded out of Fitzwilliam Square for 25 years, first at number 35 and later at number 24, using the fine period surroundings of his Georgian home to show off 18th century English and Irish furniture. He is now retiring to the country, having recently sold his house to the image publisher Kevin Kelly, who is currently based in Monte Carlo.

Fitzwilliam Square is already becoming one of the most fashionable addresses in Dublin, with several high profile business people buying townhouses there. Recently, Tony O'Reilly paid close to £1 million for number 21 Fitzwilliam Square which he intends to use as his Dublin base.