What do we do when searching for a quirky Christmas gift, at a reasonable price, for those who have everything?
Tear our hair out on the internet, perhaps. Or head to the city centre, aiming to hit the shops before they get too crammed.
But here’s another option; get into the car and drive to Sheppard’s Auction House in the village of Durrow, Co Laois, where viewing for its Dublin & Provincial auction starts today.
It’s the ideal spot for some leisurely seasonal browsing. Should the weather keep up the golden glow we’ve been enjoying for the past month, make sure you give yourself time to stroll around the walled gardens at nearby Castle Durrow.
If it’s lashing rain, switch to plan B: a quick dash from the auction rooms to Bowe’s Foodhall and Cafe – handily located right next door –for a bowl of warming soup.
It’s a big auction with quantities of attractive landscape paintings and enough top-notch furniture to furnish a very posh and very rambling country house.
Nestling among the 1,000-plus lots, however, are unusual items with the potential to tick the trickiest boxes on your shopping list –from pistols and walking sticks to fine wine, jewellery and glass bottles.
The pesky ‘person who has everything’ probably doesn’t have the Fijian tribal weapon known as an Ula club, with its elegantly-carved handle grip and, chillingly, 30 notches which may well represent how many skulls it has cracked in its time (Lot 879, €1,000–€1,200).
And the cynic who reckons they’ve seen every Christmas gift in the business? They might just crack a smile at the sight of a piece of Spode creamware which shows that the infamous foot bath can be traced back to the early 19th century. (Lot 820, €180–€200).
Remember the “Armada table” from Dromoland Castle which made headlines when it sold at Townley Hall in October? Get your own personal version – and one which will fit into a regular-sized dining-room – with Lot 936 ( €3,000– €5,000), a refectory table with carved baluster legs.
Another statement table is an ebony and specimen marble centre table with acanthus leaf border (Lot 329, €3,000– €5,000).
Library bookcase
In this 300th anniversary year of the birth of Thomas Chippendale, fans of the great furniture designer will appreciate a pair of side chairs, circa 1790, with serpentine crest rail on square chamfered legs (Lot 314, €800– €1,200).
Those with an eye for the details of home decor might enjoy a chunky mahogany log box from the William IV period (Lot 911, €1,200– €1,800), a brass skeleton clock in a glass case (Lot 1098, €1,400– €1,800), a 19th-century French cameo art glass vase (Lot 855, €600– €800) or an octagonal brass hall lantern with delicate mask-headed pillars (Lot 1010, €1,400– €1,800).
New Year’s tidying-up resolutions are covered too: this is a sale well supplied with bookcases of all shapes and sizes, from a massive rosewood and brass-inlaid library bookcase in the manner of Thomas Hope, circa 1820 (Lot 1162, €8,000–€12,000) to a dinky arts and crafts bookcase with an inlaid mother-of-pearl top and brass gallery rail (Lot 433, €800– €1,200).
To keep a single row of books looking good, there’s the option of a Killarney arbutus and marquetry book slide depicting Muckross Abbey (Lot 800, €250– €350) or a pair of wooden bookends carved in the shape of the Buddha (Lot 206, €100–€150).
Among the paintings are a Hugh Douglas Hamilton portrait of Mary Jervis – a descendant of Humphrey Jervis, who developed the Dublin street of the same name –with her baby (Lot 36, €3,000–€5,000).
Another striking female image, in a very different style, is a luminous 1960s nude by Rene Caty (Lot 72, €2,200–€2,800) and a fine 19th-century bronze statue shows a female falconer in action (Lot 889, €5,000–€8,000).
Big selection
It’s a good time of year to invest in a rug, and the sale has a big selection to choose from including a Dun Emer (Lot 277, €8,000–€12,000) Phoenix carpet designed by William Morris in honour of Emer, wife of Cuchulainn.
Another William Morris design comes in red with a navy border (Lot 264, €4,000–€6,000) while a brightly-coloured geometric rug, designed by the painter Patrick Scott and made by V’Soske Joyce, is number six from an edition of 20 (Lot 306, €8,000–€12,000).
There’s something especially appealing about the earthy red glow of a carved cinnabar box at Christmas time (Lot 540, €100–€150). An 18th-century mahogany-and-brass deed box offers a piece of timeless style – as well as a good place to store precious documents (Lot 751, €250–€350).
And while this auction is a little light on Hatchimals, Fingerlings and the other “must-have” toys of 2018, children of all ages will be enchanted by an early 20th-century model of a steam engine (Lot 854, €1,400–€1,800) and a vintage horse trike (Lot 1116, €300–€500).
Sheppard’s Auction House, Dublin & Provincial, Tuesday November 27th and Wednesday November 28th, 10,30 to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 6.00pm each day. See sheppards.ie
