What a gent wants for Christmas

With the festive season approaching, salerooms are targeting buyers of gifts for men

IT’S HARD to believe, in an era when hoodies, body piercing and serial tattooing are endemic, that 19th-century Dublin had a reputation for men’s fashion and style.

When the English novelist Thackeray visited in 1842, he was struck by the “vast” number of “dandies” and noted that Dublin had more “smartly dressed young fellows” than even London or Paris.

“The Dublin breed of dandies,” he wrote, “is quite distinct from those of the various cities above named, and altogether superior” and “are to be remarked not so much for the splendour of their ornaments as for the profusion of them”.

Favourite accessories included “big pins” with “large agate marbles” and canes “very splendid, with gold or silver heads”; while the “dandy not uncommonly finishes off with a horn quizzing-glass, which being stuck in one eye contracts the brows and gives a fierce determined look to the whole countenance”. The legacy of this era continues to surface in antiques shops and salerooms.

O’Reilly’s on Dublin’s Francis St has a selection of antique items for gentlemen in its auction next Wednesday.

A Georgian diamond cluster pinkie ring (worn on the little finger of the left hand) featuring a centre rose-cut diamond, mounted in yellow gold, is estimated at €3,000-€5,000.

A Victorian silver travelling playing-cards box, containing two decks of cards, made in London in 1898, and engraved ( Downton Abbeyfans take note) with a baron's coronet and the initials "M.H." has the "below stairs" estimate of €200-€300.

Other highlights are a rectangular 9ct gold sliding-action cigarette case by Dunhill, London (€2,000-€2,500); and a 14ct gold tie slide, with reverse crystal intaglio (carving) of a flying duck (€150-€200).

Also on Wednesday, Adam’s “the wish list” auction of jewellery, luxury items and wines features items of male interest. A pair of 18ct white gold-mounted ruby and mother-of-pearl cufflinks is estimated at €1,000-€1,500; while an art deco tie pin, decorated with amethysts and pavé diamonds, has Austro-Hungarian assay marks (€300-€500). Among the wines is a bottle of Château Mouton Rothschild 1948, Pauillac, Bordeaux. At €1,500-€2,000, it’s a pricey way to toast the New Year – even Horseshoe Bar habitués might gulp.

Men of a more cerebral kind might prefer something from Mealy’s auction in Ballsbridge which starts on Tuesday. More than 1,100 lots go under the hammer including rare books, manuscripts, maps, photographs and historical memorabilia.

Highlights include a copy of the 1916 Proclamation (€40,000-€50,000) and items relating to Michael Collins, Marconi, Brian O'Nolan (aka Flann O'Brien/Myles na gCopaleen) and the Titanic– including a commemorative poster (€250-€350) signed, before her death in 2009, by Millvina Dean – the last survivor of the sinking of the ship on April 15th, 1912.

* O’Reilly’s auction: December 14th at 1pm in 126 Francis St, D8. Viewing begins tomorrow at noon.

* Adam’s auction: “the wish list” sale, December 14th, 26 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, at 6pm. Viewing from 2pm tomorrow.

* Mealy’s auction: December 13th at 10.30am and December 14th at noon, D4Berkeley Hotel, Lansdowne Rd, Ballsbridge, D4. Viewing from 1.30pm tomorrow.