July Hammer Highlights

Wow - what a great run of auctions we had at McTear's Auctioneers last week. From stunning pieces of Jewellery, to some unique items of 'all things Japanese', the auctions definitely provided keen bidders with an array of exciting lots to get their hands on.

The auctions kicked off with the Asian Works of Art auction which included some unique and beautiful pieces from Asia with particular items exceeding their estimated hammer price. The interest in this auction was promising and hopefully a good sign for ‘all things Japanese’ in the coming months. This particular piece - a Chinese Famille Rose Planter - exceeded the estimated hammer price by miles and sold for £1400.



The usual favourite also had some crackers going under the hammer, but the Rare and Collectable Whisky, Wine & Port Auction is never one to disappoint. Black Bowmore Limited edition single Islay Malt Whisky went under the hammer for £3600.



McTear’s Auctioneers went tribal for the next auction which featured a couple of sought after tribal clubs. The Works of Art and Collectables auction never fails to provide bidders with an array of eclectic lots! This Tongan Iron Wood APA'PAI sold for £1900 after an estimated hammer price of just £700 - £1000.



The Jewellery Auction was another successful one with some lucky ladies leaving with some new bling and glamour. An example of this bling and glamour is this stunning 18 carat gold bracelet designed by Charles De Temple which sold for £4000.

For a look at some of our other hammer highlights have a look here. 

Also, make sure you keep an eye on our website for the next dedicated auctions coming soon. 

Diamonds Galore

This forthcoming dedicated Jewellery auction will definitely not leave the ladies disappointed with diamonds to dazzle everyone's' taste buds.

The auction that takes place on the in the evening of the 23rd of July features around 300 lots of stunning jewellery, from splendid Sapphire and Diamond rings, to fabulous Victorian earrings and bracelets. With varied prices from affordable to the more exclusive, there is sure to be a piece for you!

A diamond may be a girls best friend, but how could you say no to Diamonds and Pearls. This stunning set of Pearl and Diamond drop earrings are estimated to go for £1000-£2000.


Lot 1371

Something much different but just as beautifull is this impressive Tanzanite and Diamond set bracelet with approximately 75 carats of Diamonds and Tanzanite totaling about 11.40 carats. An estimated price tag of around £6000 reflects the sophistication of this piece.


Lot 1287

A slightly more affordable yet just as nice item of jewellery would be this Sapphire and Diamond cluster ring in nine carat gold, with an estimated price tag of £150- £250. 

Lot 1209

For more information on this auction and other exciting dedicated ones we have next week, have a look on our website. 

As part of our special auctions that occur every five weeks, our Scottish Contemporary Art Auction on the 22nd June saw many attractive and desirable paintings go under the hammer, with a good few reaching and exceeding their auction estimates.

In particular, this eerie looking oil on hardboard by John Bellany showing a peculiar looking man playing an accordion sold for a fantastic £24,000. Bellany is a highly respected Scottish painter with many of successful paintings and a unique style in this field. This particular piece had never been publicly exhibited or offered at auction before appearing at McTear’s and definitely caused a lot of excitement in the auction house. It was noted that “The Accordionist” was painted not long after Bellany’s trip to Buchenwald where he encountered a very traumatic experience, which could explain the eeriness of the painting. 

Lot 1781: "The Accordionist"

Sadly, Bellanny past away last year but his paintings will maintain and prolong the memories people hold of him and his work. 

“I paint from my very soul and I want to move people to get inside their hearts” 

John Bellany 1942 - 2013 (Credit – http://www.bellany.com/) 

Lot 1716: Wildcat 

Lot 1826: Woman of The Mediterranean Sea 

Our next special auction are as follows: 

The Asian Works of Art Auction - 22nd July 2014 at 10.30am

The Clocks, Scientific & Musical Instruments Auction - 22nd July 2014 at 5.00pm 

The Furniture, Works of Art & Collectables Auction - 22nd July 2014  at 6.00pm 

The Rare and Collectable Whisky Auction - 23rd July 2014 at 10.30am

The Watches and Coins Auction - 23rd July 2014 at 5.00pm 

The Jewellery Auction - 23rd July 2014 at 6.00pm 

The British and International Pictures Auction - 24th July 2014 at 6.00pm 

The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction - 27th July 2014 at 2.00pm

Jewellery Auction

McTear’s ever popular Jewellery Auction will take place on Wednesday 18th June. This auction is held once every five weeks and is dedicated to a range of jewellery at various price points. With 379 lots coming up in this auction, we are sure you will find something that is sure to catch your eye!

In Lot 1386, you can find our beautifully sparkly sapphire and diamond earrings, each set with an oval sapphire of approximately 0.80 carats surrounded by diamonds totalling approximately 0.5 carats in eighteen carat white gold. These eye-catching stunners are estimated between £1500-£2000 and will not go un-noticed.

Another very special piece we have coming up is Lot 1274. This diamond line bracelet is set with brilliant cut diamonds totalling approximately 4.00 carats in fourteen carat gold. The bracelet is 18 cm long and will be a beauty for a very keen customer with estimations between £2500-£3500.



A more affordable piece coming up is Lot 1125 with our pearl and ruby cluster ring. The central white pearl is surrounded by rounded rubies in a nine carat gold band. This ring is sized as M-N and is estimated between £30-£50. This is a nice ring for every day wear and while being affordable… still looks very special.



At the other end of the scale we have a particular highlight in our auction, Lot 1120a. This very impressive early twentieth century diamond solitaire ring has an old brilliant cut stone of approximately 3.50 carats on bifurcated diamond set shoulders in platinum comes in size M. Who will be the lucky lady to win this bid? This ring has an estimated value of £15000 - £18000. We think the smile of the new owner will sparkle just as much as these diamonds!



For updates on our upcoming auctions, click here.

Lalique and Royal Doulton

Our British and Continental Ceramics and Glass auction on the 17th June features many stunning lots of ceramics and glass from Britain, Europe and beyond. This auction will include many beautiful pieces, including some  'Lalique' glass art and Royal Doulton ornaments. 

This opulent pair of Royal Doulton gilt blue porcelain pedestal vases and covers is set to get under the hammer for £100-£150 in the auction. This would be a great statement addition to any mantelpiece. 

Something a bit different - this Royal Doulton porcelain Dickens dream jug with a raised design throughout depicting Charles Dickens characters. This is from 1933 and is estimated to go under the hammer for £200 to £300. 

Something a bit different again and maybe less unusual, but still as stunning as the rest - Royal Doulton flambe vase with an estimate of £100 - £150.

Now a preview of some of the Lalique pieces McTear's have coming up for auction.
This pair of Lalique frosted glass sculptures of eagle heads is estimated to go under the hammer for £300 - £500. 

This Lalique frosted glass champs elsysee centrepiece bowl would be a stunning centre point on a table to give a unique feature. With another estimate of £300-£500, it is sure to be snapped up quickly. 

For a look at some of the other lots going under the hammer in our special auctions follow the links below:

The Silver Auction- Tuesday 17th June at 10.30am
The British & Continental Ceramics & Glass Auction- Tuesday 17th June at 11.30am
The Furniture, Works of Art & Collectables Auction- Tuesday 17th June at 6.00pm
The Rare & Collectable Whisky Auction- Wednesday 18th June at 10.30am
The Watches and Coins Auction- Wednesday 18th June at 5.00pm
The Jewellery Auction- Wednesday 18th June at 6.00pm
The Scottish Pictures Auction- Thursday 19th June at 2.00pm
The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction- Sunday 22nd June at 2.00pm

May Auctions at McTear's

This May McTear’s again have our monthly auctions with a marvelous selection of lots within a variety of departments. We have selected a few specific items of interest to draw to your attention…

Our Asian Works of Art Auction on Tuesday, 13 May 2014 starting at 10:30 AM and includes ceramics, metalwork and furniture dedicated to rare and collectable objects from Asia, including China, Japan and India. In Lot 96 we are auctioning a rare pair of large Satsuma vases, decorated with geisha, with gilt dragon handles on ebonised wood. These are very special, estimated for auction between £3000 - £4000.

Later that day we are hosting our Clocks, Scientific and Musical Instruments Auction at 5PM. We will be showcasing a selection of items from each category, including this early 19th century gilt gesso simulated birds eye maple eight-pedal harp in Lot 330. The fluted column of the harp is moulded with winged angels, anthemion and caryatid figures and the base of the column with further anthemion. The maker has inscribed on the brass plate inscribed 'Sebastian Erard Maker by Special Appointment to His Majesty and the Royal Family', Patent Number 4339. This has been estimated for auction between £800-£1200.

The Furniture, Works of Art and Collectables Auction on Tuesday 13th May at 6PM contains the largest furniture to the smallest miniature, offering a wide range of artworks and objects. Lot 353 is a Hornby Dublo Electric Train Set in its original control unit with ‘Silver King’ Locomotive and is estimated between £100 - £200.

A particular highlight this month is Lot 1106 in our Jewellery Auction on Wednesday 14th May at 6pm. We have an outstanding diamond solitaire ring with a brilliant cut diamond approximately 7.28 carats, in platinum, size N-O. This has been estimated between £60000 - £100000 and is sure to draw a lot of attention!

The British and International Pictures Auction takes place on Thursday, 15 May 2014 at 02:00 PM and is dedicated to the sale of 19th & 20th century British & International paintings. In Lot 1602 we have this colourful oil on canvas by Kate Wylie, a Scottish artist who studied at the Glasgow School of Art and is known well for her floral paintings. This one is estimated between £700 - £900.





We have plenty more where these have come from, check out our other upcoming auctions here and we look forward to seeing you soon at McTear’s!

An Auctioned Packed April...

Well we really sprung into spring with our special April auctions. On top of the usual ‘3 days of auction’, McTear’s had another 3 unique auctions featuring various pieces of Victorian, Edwardian & Scottish Jewellery, Miniature Spirits and works of art. 

All taking place on the 17th of April, The Miniature Spirits Auction kicked off the day of auctions at 10.30am. This auction included 103 pieces of Miniature bottles of Whisky, Gin, Vodka, Rum and Port, with most lots meeting their estimation and a few exceeding them. An example of this would be this Whisky Miniature Ceramic Selection which has some well known items such as a 12 year old Springbank and a 21 year old Glenfiddich. After an estimate of £30 - £50, the miniatures went under the hammer for £120.


Lot 43

Later on in the day we had 300 stunning lots of Victorian, Edwardian & Scottish Jewellery, with prices ranging from £30 - £8000. Again, some of the lots not only met the expectations held, but also surpassed them, like this beautiful Edwardian Opal and Diamond set clover brooch. After an estimation of £150, this ended up going for a whopping £1000.

Lot 202

The last auction of the day featured some out of the ordinary pieces of ceramic, works of art and jewellery. With various Art Deco pieces and even a Mulberry handbag this was a very enticing auction to be at. One particular piece that grabbed the attentions of bidders was this Ceiling lamp in the style of W.A.S Benson. After an estimated hammer price of £150 this unusual lamp sold for a fantastic £1100. 

Lot 537

To see what other exciting items went under the hammer have a look here.

McTear's featuring Muriel Barclay

With McTear's April auctions coming up soon that feature some fantastic examples of Muriel Barclay’s work, we thought it would be a good idea to learn a bit more about her and her painting.

Growing up locally in Glasgow’s West End, Muriel started off at Edinburgh University where she went on to move down to London and work at Jaques O’Hana’s Gallery. On her return to Glasgow, Muriel studied Drawing and Painting at Glasgow School of Art and History of Fine Art, alongside teaching history and raising her three sons. In 2001 she finally left her textbooks and picked up her paintbrush to become a full time painter after encouragement from various Art Institutes.

Muriel paints with an extremely individualised style, influenced by her study of the history of art and culture. She is one of Scotland's best figurative artists who paints with an almost poetic style, capturing the image of her paintings exquisitely. Her work contains collections from portraits to horses, and from ballet dancers to flamenco dancers, all uniquely beautiful and quirky. Muriel has had her work exhibited at some of the best galleries including Thompson's Gallery (London) and Contemporary Fine Art Gallery (Eton) and currently has her solo show at The Lemond Gallery in Glasgow, which showcases some of the best examples of Scottish Contemporary Art.

McTear's are extremely lucky to be auctioning some of her fabulous work and in 2008 'Pink Tutu Tune' sold for £7645*, which was the highest price to be achieved at auction for a maiden painting in a public auction by any living Scottish artist.

The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction on Sunday 13th April includes some superb examples of Muriel’s work with estimates ranging from £400 to £4000.


Lot 1781: 'Finding Chord' Estimate: £3000 - £5000


Lot 1784: 'Pink Passage' Estimate: £400 - £600

With the success of her previous paintings, we cannot wait to see how Muriel's artwork does at our upcoming Scottish Contemporary Art Auction on the 13th of April.

x

April Auctions

It's time again for our monthly auctions and we have picked some of our particular favourites coming up. McTear's Glasgow auctioneers is definitely a guarantee for picking up a unique or special something for those who are regular auction attenders, or even for those who are trying it for the first time.

In Lot 305 we have an Edwardian Circular Wall Calendar estimated between £40-£60. Look out for this in our Furniture, Works of Art, Collectibles, Silver, Ceramics and Glass Auction on  the 8th April 2014.

Lot 305

On 9th April we have our Jewellery Auction that has this truly stunning yellow and white diamond necklace in Lot 1100. The yellow diamonds total 9.6 carats and the white diamonds total 8.4 carats. Undoubtedly an extremely special piece that is sure to be the desire of many.

Lot 1100

Our Rare and Collectable Whisky, Wine and Port Auction always brings great interest. A particular interest will be on this Irish Whiskey, an H.S. Persse Ltd Galway Whiskey which is a 4 year old blended whiskey in Lot 542, estimated between £2000-£3000 and suitable for a very special occasion!

Lot 542

We have many more auctions coming up next week; view the catalogues here.
Find some tips for selling at auction here.

March at McTear's

McTear’s have started off March well with the special auctions concluding yesterday with The Scottish Contemporary Art auction that had a vast selection of unique and eye catching pieces – perfect way to end a successful week of interesting and exciting auctions.

The auctions commenced on Tuesday with rare and collectable objects from Asia including China, Japan and India going under the hammer in The Asian Works of Art Auction. After an estimation of just £100 - £200, this stunning Chinese Cloisonne Censer sold for a whopping £2800! 

Lot 175 

Bidders would also not be struggling to tell the time on Tuesday with our auction of clocks and timepieces taking place. Interest was high in this auction and this Fine George III Ebonised Bracket Clock sold for a fantastic £8000 after an estimation of just £2000. 

Lot 296

For the whisky enthusiast among you we had our ever popular Rare and Collectable Whisky, Wine and Port Auction that saw many enticing bottles go under the hammer. In particular, this beautiful 25 year old Macallan in a crystal decanter reached £1900 in the auction.

Lot 905

One for the ladies in our Jewellery Auction is this glistening unmounted diamond (2.12 carats) that sold for £6900... There will be one lucky person receiving this! 

Lot 1105

The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction brought the auctions to an end nicely with lots of attractive lots going under the hammer. Fitting for a Sunday, this Graham McKean 'Sunday Afternoon' pastel on paper sold for £260. 

This is just a few of what went under the hammer in last weeks special auctions. To see other auctions, lots and the hammer prices, have a look at our website. 

Our next special auctions will be 8th - 10th of April. 

March Auctions

Again, it is time for our run of monthly specialist auctions. We have picked out a few teasers of what is to come, but you can view all of the upcoming auction catalogues here.

Our popular Asian Work of Art Auction is on Tuesday 4th March and we have these two unusual hexagonal shaped satsuma vases in Lot 13. These vases are estimated between £50-£100 and will make a stunning statement in any room.

Later on Tuesday, we have our Furniture, Collectables and Works of Art Auction, with many interesting lots including Lot 394's, Vintage Vellum Travel Suitcase estimated between £70-£100. 

The Fine Jewelry auction has many beautiful lots, including this pair of smoky quartz and diamond earrings in Lot 1328. These earring are estimated between £150-£250.

A familiar Glasgow sight, SECC Lights, by Bryan Evans is a watercolour on paper in a mounted frame. This artwork is coming up in Lot 1714 on Sunday 9th March, in our Scottish Contemporary Art Auction, estimated between £150-£250.

We have many more Lots coming up this week, have a browse here.

Note the days of each auction:
Tuesday 4th March - The Asian Works of Art Auction.
Tuesday 4th March - The Clocks, Scientific and Musical Instruments Auction.
Tuesday 4th March - The Furniture, Collectables and Works of Art Auction.
Wednesday 5th March - The Rare and Collectable Whisky, Wine and Port Auction.
Wednesday 5th March -  The Watches and Coins Auction.
Wednesday 5th March - The Jewellery Auction.
Thursday 6th March - The British and International Pictures Auction.
Friday 7th March - The Interiors Auction.
Sunday 9th March - The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction.

London Olympic Silver Medal Auctioning at McTear's

As Team GB grabs Gold in Russia, McTear’s have a rare Olympic medal on auction from the 1908 London Olympics.

McTear’s are auctioning this medal which was awarded to a member of the Scots crew of the 12 metre yacht race, Hera which took place on a unique race on the Clyde out of Hunters Quay, Dunoon.

It is extremely rare to find any Olympic winners medal coming to auction, let alone one from more than 100 years ago and as such we expect to see considerable interest from collectors and sporting fans from home and overseas.

1908 Silver Olympic Medal

The solid silver medal is estimated between £3,000 and £5,000 and is sure to be a popular bid in our auction on Tuesday 4th March, stay tuned! Read more here.

McTear's Embraces the Chinese New Year

 A Happy Chinese New Year to you all from McTear’s… we are now on the year of the horse!

 This is the year of the horse. Those born within these years are recognised as energetic, bright and intelligent. It is believed those born in the year of the horse have excellent communication skills and enjoy being in the limelight. This year, they will encounter the Year of Birth. It is believed they will offend Taisui, the god in charge of fortune, so their finances may fluctuate. For those not born on a horse year, the year ahead will bring health and prosperity. It is said to be an excellent time to travel, as the next 12 months will bring good luck. You are advised to mingle with the locals, savour authentic cuisine and discover somewhere you have never been before.



 It is traditional in the Chinese New Year to have a clean house to sweep away the bad luck from the previous year… a perfect job for McTear’s Clearance service to help! Also, the colour red is big! Traditionally, doors and windows are all painted and decorated in red which is considered a lucky colour. They also believe that no cleaning should be done in the first few days of New Year, as you risk sweeping away your good luck- well there is a very good excuse not to clean!

 It wouldn’t be a holiday without food, of course! There are festive foods associated with abundance and good fortune, where families sit down and share their food to embrace togetherness. They eat noodles to symbolise longevity and a happy life, dumplings to promote wealth in the upcoming year, lettuce symbolises prosperity and a fresh start, clams which are considered lucky because of their moon-like shape and also the family shares a whole quail or chicken to suggest unity and family togetherness and a whole fish, which in Chinese sounds like the word abundance. Also, mandarin oranges are used as gifts and decorations as they are considered as symbols of good fortune and abundance as their golden colour represents money and fortune in the coming year.

 Another important tradition is to give out red packets of ‘luck’ money called leisee to children. The Chinese New Year is a great time to get together and celebrate Chinese culture, which is beautiful, artictic and filled with great values.

 McTear’s has a specialist department dealing with works of art from China, Japan, Korea, India, Persia, Iran and many other artistically rich nations. From Shang bronzes to Meiji ceramics and woodblock prints to Iznik dishes, Chinese and Japanese objects d’art in particular are more popular than ever at McTear’s, with demand regularly driving prices above estimate. The weekly Interiors auctions include examples of Asian export art and modern items, while finer and rarer examples can be found in the specialist sales, attracting buyers from China, Japan, the Middle East and the USA, as well as Europe. McTear’s have dedicated Asian Works of Art auctions every ten weeks, keep yourself up to date here, and embrace the very unique and traditional styles.

The next auction is on Tuesday 4th March 2014 at 10.30am, for more information click here.
For more information on buying or selling Asian art at McTear’s please contact the specialist:
Magda Ketterer
magda@mctears.co.uk
 

January's Gems

We have some stunning items in our Fine Jewellery Auction on Wednesday 29th January at 6pm. Make this Valentine’s Day (that is the 14th February) more than just a card day for your special someone…

We know that you shouldn’t have to buy material things to let someone know how much you care about them… but it is a very good way of showing it if you can’t put it into words. On the other hand, why not just treat yourself or someone else… because really we shouldn’t need an excuse!

Lot 1243

 Maybe there is a certain bit of bling in our auction that will help persuade a particular ‘yes’ answer to any questions being ‘popped’ while you are in the romantic mood! We have this very persuasive old cushion cut diamond of approximately 1.21 carats on diamond set foliate motif bifurcated shoulders, in this 18 carat gold solitaire ring in Lot 1243 estimated at £2000-£4000, which very much speaks for itself!

Lot 1272

 If you want something different and want to do something personal, Lot 1272 offers an unmounted black diamond which is approximately 96.00 carats. This is estimated at £800-£1200, and will surely look beautiful in whatever venture it follows.

Lot 1107

 We have this beautiful, unusual multi-gemstone bangle which would look truly stunning on any wrist. This beauty in Lot 1107 is a gold bangle with various colours, shapes and sizes of gemstones, and is estimated £1800-£2400. A very unique and special piece of jewellery!

Lot 1170

 We also have this classic 15 carat gold opal set bracelet  with three opals, and a beautiful heart shaped clasp. This is in Lot 1170 and estimated between £200-£300. A truly timeless piece of jewellery.

 Hopefully we have maybe given you some inspiration. Check out our other upcoming auctions here and keep up to date with McTear's website here.

Brian Looks Back at 2013...

In advance of the first Auction Events Preview of 2014 this Friday, this month's 'From The Rostrum' feature from director Brian Clements looks back briefly at last year's events.

On the back of a year that saw McTear's named as Britain's favourite auction house, a look back to 2013 brings to mind numerous highlights, with one auction specifically standing out. The Terry Howson Auction, a sale of the personal collection of Peter Howson sketches belonging to the former wife of the celebrated Glasgow artist, saw a record attendance at the 'white glove' (every lot sold!) auction, with the proceeds helping greatly towards the purchase of a property for Terry and Peter’s daughter, Lucie.

The internet continues to attract an ever increasing international audience, with the last twelve months seeing considerably more sold online to overseas buyers than ever before. Additionally,

we were proud forerunners of 'timed bidding' auctions for The-Saleroom.com, a state of the art and innovative facility that allows an efficient auction style for collections and individual objects,

often too bulky, numerous or awkward to be sold in a conventional way.

We cannot start this year off without mention of our auctioneer, Natasha Gemini Raskin, and her new found ‘celebrity’ status! Snapped up as an onscreen expert by BBC'S Bargain Hunt late last year, Natasha has already shown, with an abundance of natural charisma, that auctions are great entertainment all round. In the impending battles of red versus blue, we hope that she will record more wins than losses in this year's busy filming schedule. C’mon Gemini!!

Lastly, a huge thank you to everyone who has purchased this auction catalogue, once again every penny raised through catalogue sales goes to McTear's chosen charity, this month The Little Sisters of The Poor in Greenock. We are continuing our support of local charities this year and hope that we can exceed last year's total raised. In 2013 McTear's staff participated in sponsored events, raffles, auctions and other fundraisers, helping to raise well over £100,000 for charities throughout Scotland.

Don't forget to purchase a charity raffle ticket from the office, up for grabs this month is an iPad2 tablet.

Best wishes to everyone for a happy, successful and peaceful 2014.