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Jan 20, 2024

Catherine the Great at Adams, Chinese jade at Sheppards

Chinese green jade scholars stand at Sheppards. Limited-edition Wedgwood plates

Chinese green jade scholars stand at Sheppards.

Limited-edition Wedgwood plates with views commissioned by Catherine the Great are among the lots at the James Adam At Home sale in Dublin next Wednesday (June 14). Catherine, who reigned as Empress from 1762-1796 after overthrowing her husband, greatly extended the borders of Russia and annexed Crimea (old habits die hard). She corresponded with Voltaire for 15 years and the magnificent Hermitage Museum started out as her personal collection.

The Frog dinner and dessert service with 50 settings and 944 pieces was commissioned from Wedgwood and completed in 1774. Most of it is now at The Hermitage. Nine modern limited edition Frog service plates by Wedgwood with six Coalport strawberry plates and six Limoges crescent vegetable dishes form lot 433 at Adams with an estimate of €100-€200. They are among lots of interesting pieces at timed online sales at James Adam in Dublin and Sheppards in Durrow next week.

Adams will hold back-to-back online sales with the At Home auction starting to close from 11 am on Wednesday with a smaller sale of jewellery and watches closing from 11 am on Thursday. Sheppards will offer the Chinese jade and snuff bottle collection of the late Dr Jan Mohamed of Pouldrew House, Co. Waterford on Thursday (June 15) from 10 am. The extensive collection from Pouldrew House at Kilmeaden was auctioned over four days early in May.

More than 500 lots will come up at the At Home sale, which offers a large selection of silver including Irish Georgian pieces and a three-piece tea service by renowned London maker Paul Storr. Among a number of dinner services are fine examples of Herend porcelain and a Limoges service by Dior based on buildings designed by Palladio.

A George I burr maple desk bookcase (€7,000-€10,000) is the top lot in the sale. Other prime lots of antique furniture include an overmantle mirror (€3,000-€5,000) once in the collection of designer Sybil Connolly, a Georgian revival bottle tray (€600-€800), a walnut and marquetry inlaid table (€800-€1,200) and an early Georgian sideboard (€1,000-€1,500). Art includes The Slopes of Ben Venue by Alfred de Breanski junior (1,500-€2,000) and Dublin Bay with the ship Eclipse by Joseph Sempill (€1,200-€1,600).

Antique, vintage and designer jewellery and watches come to auction at Adams on the following day. Highlights include a tutti frutti design gem set and diamond bracelet (€7,000-€8,000), diamond rings, watches, Victorian and early 20th-century jewellery and some novelty brooches.

Novelty in the form of Chinese jade and snuff bottles can be found in abundance at Sheppards on Thursday.

The late Dr Mohamed was a distinguished collector, renowned for his passion for and knowledge about Chinese antiquities. The sale is a singular opportunity for collectors, connoisseurs and enthusiasts to acquire unique and exquisite pieces.

It is a once-off offering of a large collection of jade carvings, pendants, puzzle balls, amulets, necklaces, seals, plaques, masques and brush washers. Colour ranges from celadon and spinach jade to white. Most of the 251 lots are estimated at between €50 and €80, with similar estimates on the snuff bottles.

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