Worcester service, wine cooler lead price charge

Mealy's can afford to feel pleased with the results of the company's two-day auction on its Castlecomer premises last week

Mealy's can afford to feel pleased with the results of the company's two-day auction on its Castlecomer premises last week. A total of £800,000 was realised, with a very fine Worcester blue scale service dating from circa 1770 making £32,600 between its seven lots; a 25-piece dessert service made the best price of the set, selling for £6,200.

The top price paid at the auction was £20,000 for a Regency oval brass-bound mahogany wine cooler, which carried an estimate of only £12,000-£15,000. As expected, an unusual Georgian Anglo-Indian side or serving table, lavishly inlaid with ivory, did well, going for £17,500. A George III carved giltwood mirror with its original glass fetched £12,000.

A Georgian statuary marble fireplace sold for £7,500, a large Victorian oak and figured walnut telescopic dining table made £7,250 and a mid-Georgian period mahogany side table, with a later heavy black slate top, realised £7,000. A rare pair of Chelsea red anchor oval cabbage leaf moulded tureens and covers (circa 1755) went for £6,500 and a 15piece gold anchor Chelsea service (circa 1760) went under the hammer for £6,000.

Among pictures, James Francis Danby's Wreck Ashore fetched £12,500, James Meadows's Unloading Fishing Smacks and Coastal Scenes with Fishing Smacks went for £10,000 and £8,250 respectively and a set of eight early mezzotint engravings of Irish scenes sold for £7,250.