Artworks by two celebrated Cumbrian artists and a large local collection of rare coins were amongst the highest selling lots at Mitchells last week which resulted in one of their best sale totals in recent years.
The most valuable lot was a charcoal on paper drawing by Sheila Fell RA (1931-1979) which sold for £10,400 against an estimate of £1,000-£2,000. Titled ‘Christmas 1979’, the artwork was formerly owned by the Sharrow Bay Country House Hotel on Ullswater and had previously been exhibited at Abbott Hall Art Gallery in Kendal in 1981 and 1989.
Also for sale were 60 artworks by Percy Kelly (1918-1993) from the private collection of Joan David, his close friend and correspondent during the last decade of his life. Comprising mainly illustrated letters, small paintings and envelopes which were sent, gifted or bought directly from the artist himself, this auction was the first time the artworks had been shown in public and made available for sale on the open market.
The collection of 60 lots sold for a total of £59,000 with the most valuable artworks being illustrated letters titled ‘West Cumberland Hamlet’ sold for £3,000 and ‘Brampton Cumberland’ dated 1984 sold for £2,900. A portrait titled ‘Lady in Purple’, a less typical subject for Kelly, made £2,100.
Also of local interest were two historically important industrial landscapes of Barrow's Haematite Steel Company in 1874 by the notable Victorian artist and illustrator George Henry Andrews RA (1816-1898). The most valuable painting, which sold for £4,100, depicted the Bessemer steel sheds, rolling mills and stocks of rails that were used for the booming railway industry at that time. The other painting showed the blast furnaces and sold for £3,200.
From over the border, a still life painting of Irises by the Scottish born artist Elizabeth Blackadder (born 1931) also did well selling for £2,500.
A large single owner collection of over forty gold guineas and half guineas from a source in West Cumbria made a total of over £51,000. Such was the rarity and excellent condition of many of the coins, competition was fierce between collectors both in the saleroom and online resulting in many lots achieving prices well in excess of their estimates.
The highest selling coin was a George II guinea dated 1732 which made £2,350 against an estimate of only £500-£600.
Other sale highlights included an 18ct white gold diamond necklace sold for £7,800. The most valuable lots amongst the furniture were a Waring and Gillows extending mahogany dining table sold for £4,100 and a pair of Regency rosewood brass mounted three tier whatnot stands which made £3,100.
A George III mahogany longcase clock by Nicholson of Whitehaven made £2,000 and a fine 19th century marine chronometer by Graham and Parkes achieved £2,100.
There were a few surprises amongst the ceramics and glassware including a hand blown glass vase with The Holy Roman Empire coat of arms which made £1,600 against a humble estimate of £100-£200 and an early 20th century Chinese vase which sold for £850 against an estimate of £100-£200.
A Dresden porcelain tea for two set with tray, which had been expected to sell for £30-£50, made an impressive £650. A collection of Caithness paperweights sold in three lots totalled £1,120, the most valuable being a collection of eleven paperweights including the Four Seasons which made £420.
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