An Edward Seago oil painting of an Italian landscape caught the eye of many a bidder at Cheffins’ November Fine Sale when selling for £15,000 (Lot 184).
Paintings by Seago, who was born in Norwich, are always in high demand, particularly his landscapes of Norfolk, and this oil on canvas of The Squall, the island of Ponza, Italy, proved no exception.
The sale was boosted by items from the notable estates of Wood Dalling Hall in Norfolk and Moulton Grange in Northamptonshire. From the latter, a John Charlton (British, 1849-1917) oil on canvas of a pack of hounds on a hunt, entitled ‘Gone to Earth’ (Lot 255), sold for £11,000, the second highest price achieved in the sale.
Also from Moulton Grange, a portrait of a lady attributed to Dutch painter Willem Wissing (1656-1687) sold for £6,500. The painting (Lot 193) has erroneously believed to be the Duchess of Burgoine, but the sitter is evidently British.
There was no doubt of the sitter for Lot 195 which came from Wood Dalling Hall. By a follower of Sir Anthony van Dyck, the portrait of Countess of Westmorland (1608-1669) sold for £5,500.
Another painting that sold well was a Charles Spencelayh (British, 1865-1958) oil painting, entitled “Writing a letter”, which made £8,000.
A rare group of Henley Royal Regatta Stewards’ enclosure badges (Lot 364), one for each year from 1926-1939, surpassed its pre-sale estimate of £1,500-£2,500 by some way when selling £10,000.
Other lots from the Collectors’ Items section of the sale were Lot 339, a Giovita Lombardi (Italian, 1837-1876) imposing green patinated bronze group of a goat and kid which sold £8,000; and Lot 288, a late 19th or 20th century Rhinoceros horn walking cane which made £7,000.
From the furniture & rugs section of the sale, a George II shaped mahogany casket stand (Lot 454) that had been in the same family since the 18th century sold for £5,500, while a George III mahogany breakfast library bookcase made £5,000.
At the other end of the age spectrum, a large modern three-seat sofa by designer George Smith (Lot 536) for £6,000, while an armchair by the same maker sold for £2,600.