The cover of the catalogue for Adam's Sunday interiors' auction in the St Stephen's Green saleroom tomorrow features an image of Lot 130, an attractive pastel Portrait of a Lady with a Large Hat by Charlotte Blakeney Ward estimated at €1,500-€2,000.
The portrait isn’t dated but auctioneer Kieran O’Boyle said it was “probably drawn circa 1910”. That fits. Spectacularly elaborate hats, often adorned with ostrich plumes, were a hallmark of Edwardian fashion.
How did women transport these unwieldy wardrobe items? The answer, serendipitously, can be found in an unrelated item in the sale, Lot 160: a "Louis Vuitton travelling hat trunk" (€2,000- €3,000). The rectangular, leather and brass-mounted trunk, with a fabric-lined interior, was made in 1914 and, crucially for collectors, still has the label of the maker.
At the time, according to the label, Louis Vuitton had just four shops – in Paris, Lille, Nice and London.
The auction also features some high-quality period furniture, led by lot 238, a late George II mahogany "serpentine front" gentleman's writing desk attributed to William Vile, a famous 18th-century cabinet-maker, estimated at €18,000-€22,000. Lot 307 is a fine Regency dining table, described as "possibly made by William Trotter of Edinburgh" and estimated at €15,000-€20,000; and lot 245 is "an exceptionally well made George IV breakfront bookcase by James Winter & Sons" estimated at €10,000-€15,000.
Among other lots, anyone looking for a gift for a special 70th birthday celebration may be interested in Lot 471, a bottle of Pommery champagne from 1945 estimated at €300-€400.
And to drink it from? A pair of "Irish George III silver loving cups" made by Matthew West in Dublin in 1790 and estimated at €3,000-€5,000. Viewing today at Adam's, 26 St Stephen's Green 11am-5pm. Auction tomorrow, Sunday, June 14th, at 11.30am. See adams.ie
