There's lots of interesting furniture, silver, porcelain, ceramics and paintings at a forthcoming James Adam sale, writes Eivlín Roden
A terrestrial globe and a dainty 19th century mantle clock are among the decorative pieces for auction next Wednesday at James Adam on St Stephen's Green at 11.30 a.m. They are among a sale of over 400 lots, including furniture, silver, porcelain, ceramics and paintings.
The large, free-standing globe is an early 19th century example by Cary, standing waist high and fitted into an inlaid mahogany frame with inlaid diamond lozenges. The tripod feet end in castors and a large compass framed in mahogany forms an under tier (€10,000-€15,000).
The 19th century mantel clock is a small oblong piece of ormolu with two birds alighting on a bed of roses on top and resting on a slightly wider base of reddish sienna marble with disc feet. The white enamel dial is particularly delicate with tiny hand-painted floral garlands and black numerals bound by a brass surround and fitted into the bevelled glass and ormolu panels which make up the rectangular body of the clock. Ornate ormolu floral swags and musical instruments surround the dial (€1,500-€2,000).
A very attractive oval cut-glass wall mirror, also from the early 19th century, is Irish and has an unusual frame made up of clear cut-glass square pieces, laid around the mirror which reflect back light. There is a simplicity about this piece (€4,000-€5,000) which would make it suitable for any drawingroom.
Among the furniture there are several interesting side tables included in the sale. Of two Irish serving tables, one is an enormous William IV mahogany breakfront piece (€8,000-€12,000) with a raised gallery back and heavy cabriole legs with acanthus carved knees and large lion paws on disc feet.
The top has a plain frieze with moulding and applied motifs, while the raised back has a beaded trim ending in applied motifs.
The second side table is also Irish, this time in a neater size and a lighter design. From George IV period, its mahogany top also has a raised back, but the carving is confined to rope-moulded rims and sabre legs with paw feet (€4,000-€4,500).
Another Irish piece of furniture is a beautiful inlaid satinwood display cabinet made by James Hicks of 5 Lr Pembroke St, Dublin in or around the 1920s. As is usual with Hicks, the piece is well constructed and uses excellent basic materials, such as satinwood veneer on mahogany.
Its demi-lune shape is enhanced by the fan-like inlay on the top, with fine tendrils of flowers and shamrocks trailing across the radial veneer and a ribbon inlay at the centre and a wide greenish border inlay, also decorated. The glass-fronted cabinet has four glazed doors, interspersed with slim vertical panels with delicate inlay, and the inside has glass shelves lined with pleated green fabric (€20,000-€25,000).
An Irish secretaire George IV mahogany bookcase with twin glazed doors enclosing shelving has a fall front secretaire and cupboard base with spiral turned pilasters (€3,000-€3,500).
Meanwhile, if your taste runs to the ornate and the rococo, you might be tempted by a lush Victorian console table. This is a large piece with a white marble top above a carved giltwood base which has a pierced foliate frieze with floral swags and scrolls, cabriole legs and elaborate stretcher. This would be just the thing for a traditional period hallway (€3,500-€4,500).