Admirers of Hicks's furniture will certainly not want to miss next Wednesday morning's auction at the James Adam sale rooms in Dublin. No less than 21 pieces by James Hicks are among the day's lots, all of them from the same house in Rathgar for which they were originally purchased during the 1920s and 1930s.
The most immediately attractive item is a George III-style carved and giltwood pier mirror in the Chippendale chinoiserie manner. Identical to a Hicks mirror sold by Christie's at Cabinteely House, Dublin, in 1984, it is expected to sell on this occasion for £6,000-£8,000.
Other drawingroom furniture from the same maker in this sale includes a George III-style inlaid mahogany, serpentine-front display cabinet (£5,000-£7,000), a pair of George II-style mahogany rectangular silver tables (£10,000-£15,000), a George III-style mahogany rectangular folding-top card table (£2,000-£3,000), a pair of George III-style mahogany-framed armchairs in the Chippendale manner (£2,000-£3,000) and a George III Sheraton-style inlaid satinwood wall cabinet (£1,000-£1,500). The last of these was exhibited at the New York World Trade Fair in 1932 and still bears the relevant US Customs label on the reverse. There is also diningroom furniture by James Hicks, such as a Georgian-style mahogany, serpentine front sideboard (£2,000-£3,000), a Georgian-style mahogany, rectangular extending dining table (£2,000-£3,000), a pair of George III-style mahogany dining chairs in the Chippendale manner (£500-£800) and a set of eight other dining chairs of similar style (£3,000-£4,000). Although the centrepiece of this auction, the Hicks lots are by no means the only interesting items being offered by Adam's next week. There is, for example, a pair of 19th century Louis XVI-style gilded fauteuils (£1,400-£1,600) and a late 19th century Louis Philippe-style carved giltwood square occasional table with inset hand-painted plaques showing Napoleon Bonaparte and members of his family (£1,000-£1,500). Then there is a particularly smart George III inlaid mahogany slopefront bureau, its interior impeccably fitted out (£2,500-£3,500) and a really charming pair of George III carved giltwood rectangular footstools with padded seats in floral damask (£800-£1,200). Finally, among the small selection of pictures with which Wednesday's auction opens is an 18th century Italian school oil of sleeping figures discovered by maidens (£700-£900), a large 16th century battlescape scene attributed to Borgognone (£7,000-£10,000) and a delightful pair of French late 18th century oval portraits showing a man and woman in directoire period dress (£1,500-£2,000).
