1. A clock to captivate
Estimate £20,000-£30,000 Sold £100,800
At Christie's earlier this year, 250 works of art were consigned for sale by three antiquesdealer dynasties based in London, Paris and Geneva. The goodies included furniture, decorative arts and clocks made by some of the most celebrated French craftsmen and factories of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, such as furnituremaker André-Charles Boulle. Among them was lot 84, a sinuous, mid 18th-century, gilded 'cartel' clock, designed to hang directly on the wall. The clock's movement was made by master clockmaker Jean-Baptiste Baillon, who was famous for his pocket watches decorated with diamond flowers. Clock cases were supplied to Baillon by some of the greatest craftsmen of the day, including father and son Jacques and Philippe Caffieri, whose work this case is likely to be. The case, decorated in the rocaille style, which blends exoticism and naturalism, features scrolling foliage, trailing flowers, a Chinese figure, a mythical dragon and a ho ho bird perched beneath the dial. During our research we'd only been able to trace two other examples of this model of clock, both incomplete, making this by far the best example known,' says Amelia Walker, head of Private & Iconic Collections at Christie's. "The magical combination of rarity, quality, exquisite design and condition pushed the hammer price far beyond the estimate.' christies.com
2. Made in Chelsea Estimate £5,000-£8,000
Sold £39,000
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Lisa Coppin
The Cotswold Company’s chief creative officer shares the pieces that mean so much to her
TRAVEL
Six of the best pineta, plus a festive trip to Covent Garden. Review of The Orange, Belgravia by Katie Pike, travel stories
OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE
Stumbled upon by chance, this ingenious material was a more affordable option than solid silver, and well-preserved examples are particularly desirable today
Merrily on high
Summoning servants since the 1700s, bell boards create instant English country-house style (even if you don't have any servants). Emma Longstaff dons her pinny
Let it snow
Nostalgic, magical and highly collectable, snow globes are curious objects of wonder that never fail to instil joy
Velvet Crush
Once the preserve of the wealthy, velvet finally touched all levels of society, thanks to advances in its production process
Celebrating in the Stable
Antiques dealer Julia von Hülsen specialises in Gustavian pieces - all of which look perfectly placed in her German home
THE SHOW MUST GO ON
Victorian toy theatres charming and exquisitely designed miniature worlds have inspired theatre royalty for decades. Today, the tradition is being kept alive by a small but talented network of makers
NICHOLAS LEES
The ceramic artist talks to Dominique Corlett about new ways of working with clay and blurring the edges of solid objects
Candy CHRISTMAS
Pastel hues, vintage decorations and bowls of sweet treats: the festive run-up is gloriously joyful at Bettina Færgeman's historic Copenhagen apartment, where there's an emphasis on entertaining...