EDINBURGH.- The Arch of Constantine, Rome, a painting in oils by the British artist Jacob Strutt (1790-1864), was the top selling lot at
Bonhams Collections Sale at Bonhams Edinburgh on 2 February 2023. The work, from Meldon Park, Northumberland, sold for £21,675 having been estimated at £10,000-15,000. The 246-lot sale made more than £470,000 with 95% of the lots sold.
Other highlights of the sale, which also offered the selected contents of a private Scottish estate, included:
• A seated man holding a lute attributed to Giuseppe Bonito (1707-1789). Sold for £17,850 (estimate: £7,000-10,000)
• A late 16th/early 17th century rare gilt-copper mounted shell-inlaid Japanese Nanban Lacquer cabinet from the Momoyama period). Sold for £15,300 (estimate: £5,000-6,000)
• A rare George II carved giltwood cabinet stand. Possibly attributable to Henry Flitcroft (1697 - 1769). Sold for £12,750 (estimate: £3,000-5,000).
• Soldiers standing before ruins and a young woman at a well by circle of Paolo Panini (Italian 1690-1765). Derived from a composition by Giovanni Paolo Panini, in a private collection, the work sold for £10,838 (estimate £6,000-8,000).
• A pair of Russian style mahogany and gilt metal-mounted commodes, dating from the 18th century with later adaptations. Sold for £10,838 (estimate: £6,000-8,000)
Charles Graham-Campbell, Bonhams Director of Valuations in Scotland, said: “As expected, the sale proved very popular with collectors with many lots doubling their pre-sale estimates. Country House sales are always special events and the opportunity to acquire pieces with such distinguished provenance attracted a lot of interest and some very spirited bidding.”
Meldon Park, in Northumberland, was built in 1832 for the Cookson family and has been their home for seven generations. Described as “the last flowering of the Georgian country-house tradition”, Meldon Park is notable for its huge windows on the south and east sides, a nod perhaps to the glass and chemical works which were the foundation of the Cookson fortune.
