It is great that Roseberys London auction house appears to be filling the gap for large frame auctions in the UK. While not a dedicated frame auction, a large number of frames featured, and hopefully this will continue to develop and become a regular event. Below is the after sale press release, detailing some of the sale highlights.
Dutch Antique Picture Frame Sale Success
Antique Picture Frames Achieve at Roseberys London Fine Art Auction
Wednesday 1 July 2015, London
London – Over 175 lots of Antique Picture frames of various styles featured in the 1 July Fine Art & Antique auction. The Antique frames section received thriving interest with 99 lots sold to bidders in the room, online and on the telephone totalling £83,228 (including Buyer’s Premium).
Paintings & Frames Director Marcus Grey said: “Roseberys sales of antique picture frames have been growing from strength to strength over the last year and we are delighted with the success of this sale which was largely focused on more academic Old Master frames than we have previously presented. We now have a good international client base and a large quantity of the frames were bought by American buyers. It was a very varied and interesting selection of frames, especially notable were the painted and ebonised 17th century Italian Cassetta frames, and Dutch nutwood and ripple moulded frames. These frames in most instances were in good original condition with the varied and elaborate techniques of construction visible on the reverse. The dimensions and proportions of many of the frames were very usable and the styles could transcend to compliment contemporary and modern pictures in addition to Old Master works.”
The auction highlight was a large and impressive 17th century Dutch ripple moulded & ebonised frame. The extensive layers of multiple ripple mouldings demonstrates the craftsmanship’s skill and expertise. At 89.5x67cm the frame’s size proved to be very desirable as it exceeded its £2,500- 3,000 estimate. After fierce bidding in the room and the telephone, it sold to an international client for £10,824. [Lot 858]
A further ripple frame which was strongly contested was a smaller ebonised 17th century Dutch frame, with an estimate of £1,500-2,000 the repetitive ripple moulding was complemented by a plain hollow. After heavy interest from Roseberys in-house online bidding platform, RoseberysLive and on the telephone, the successful bid came from a UK buyer on the telephone. It sold for £3,567. [Lot 894].
From the collection of Italian and Tuscan Cassetta frames included in the sale two reached noteworthy totals. The Cassetta frames box linear style and decorative design enhanced sumptuously painted Renaissance paintings, thus were sort after in the 17th century. Inspired by grand Italian doors and exteriors of the period, craftsmen designed frames to compliment the classical interiors it was to adorn. A 17th century decorative Tuscan painted, ebonised and parcel gilded Cassetta frame with hand- tooled foliate corners was contested between an internet buyer and the room, the latter of which successfully secured it for £2,706. [Lot 800].
A late 16th/early 17th century Italian ebonised and parcel gilded Cassetta frame, decorated with scrollwork centres and corners sold in the room for £2,952. [Lot 893].
The auction was held on Wednesday 1 July 2015, and full results can be found online at:
www.roseberys.co.uk.
Further Highlights from the Auction
[Lot 785]
A Dutch Fruitwood Veneered Reverse Profile Frame, 17th century, the multiple wedge sections separated by ebonised reeded courses, 25x20.5cm
Sold for: £3,075
[Lot 861]
An Italian Ebonised and Parcel Gilded Cassetta Frame, 17th century, with cavetto sight, reverse ogee front edge, frieze, torus and reverse cavetto back edge, 66.7x50.5cm
Sold for: £2,091
[Lot 891]
An Italian Black Painted Cassetta Frame, late 16th/early 17th century, with stepped sight, frieze, cavetto and stepped hollow and torus to the front edge, 88x69.5cm
Sold For: £1,968
An English Carved and Gilded Swept Rococo Frame with Oval Aperture, mid 18th century, with later added spandrels mounted with applied shells and foliate festoons on a hand-tooled diaper ground, raked bud course, the hand-tooled hollow with foliate and flower head cartouche centres and corners and rope twist top edge, bears label for Arnold Wiggins & Sons Limited, London, attached to the reverse, 127x94cm
Sold For: £1,230
A Spanish Carved and Gilded Frame, 17th century, with cavetto sight, centre tied fruit and leaf, reverse hollow, the corners with applied foliate scrollwork and reverse cavetto back edge, 56x46.8cm
Sold For: £1,230
