Friday 28 October 2011

High light and low light



I should have trimmed the photos, sorry.  I forgot that these were the originals.  But don't look at the background, which is the interior of the light-box, hey.

The Sage got the price he hoped for, which was £34,500.  Everyone who viewed the sale looked at and admired them, and they have been bought by a collector for their own collection.  Since they have been in the same family since 1948 when they were last sold (for £80), it's rather good to know that they will still be handled and looked at closely, not put in a museum to be admired but not loved.

So, the sale went well but I'm too tired to think.  I'll balance the books tomorrow, right now I'm going to bed.

Two of the paintings depict Lowestoft's lighthouses.  The one on the cliff was the High light, the one on the beach was the Low light.  These are real scenes from the period and at least one of the ships can be named, as can the church.

9 comments:

Tim said...

Sounds like a good result (though what do I know?). Once you're rested, can we see those paintings too, please? They sound enticing.

Anonymous said...

Well done!

mig said...

Aren't they lovely. And I rather like the background.

kippy said...

Wow that is quite a profit-even though the family bought them 63 years ago.

Vagabonde said...

What beautiful pieces! I also looked at your last post and found my words – that was fun. Dramatic, thoughtful and talented – did not find any negative words though.

Rog said...

Wow. That's about 9 months turnover for us in one evening! Was there a round of applause as the bidding finished?

Z said...

I didn't really clarify, Tim - the scenes painted on the china are the ones described. The one in the centre of the bowl and the single one on the bottle show St Margaret's Church and the High Light and the one at the top of the bowl pic and the left of the 3 vignettes on the back of the bottle shows the Low Light.

The painter was only about 19 when these were made, he is one of the few known Lowestoft china decorators; his name was Robert Allen and he was already a very experienced workman by then.

The original buyer is no longer alive, but he had the pleasure of them all those years and, although his family kept them for a long time, they've decided the time had come to sell.

Vagabonde, I didn't notice any negative words to begin with, but they are there.

Yes, Rog, there was. It was exciting, I must say - three bidders in the room.

Tim said...

Ah, of course! That'll teach me to post comments after 11.00 pm, when reading ability tends to become impaired.

Blue Witch said...

Glad it went well!