Day One of the Tennants Spring Fine Art sale got off in a similar fashion to the November sale (15 March 2013).
A packed saleroom, hushed into silence, waited in anticipation as Nigel Smith, selling a Chinese Porcelain Bottle Vase, opened the bidding at £1,000. With several active phone lines and many Asian buyers in the room the hammer finally went down to rapturous applause at £950,000.
The vendor had sent photographs of their Oriental ceramics to Tennants after hearing of the success of the £2.6million vase in the November sale, hoping they had something rare among their collection too. Rodney Tennant once again identified the vase as an interesting lot and the client instructed it for sale.
A Chinese porcelain baluster vase from the same client, also 18th century but damaged, sold for £19,000. Not all the top lots of day one however were Oriental: a George V canteen of silver flatware by Hunt & Roskell Ltd sold for £10,000, a diamond solitaire ring went for £10,000, a diamond set collar necklace by Wellendorf sold for £9,000 and Indian Ivory inlaid hardwood cabinet totaled £8,600.
With good prices across the board, the team at Tennants are excited to see what tomorrow brings as the second day of the Fine Art sale kicks off at 10.00am with the highly anticipated picture section, including an exceptional private collection of sporting pictures.
