Auction Preview: Fine & Decorative Arts — Philips Auctions Australia. 15 May 2023

By Richard Brewster, on 10-May-2023

Working in neoclassical and other styles, Paul Storr was England’s most celebrated silversmith during the first half of the 19th century and his pieces currently adorn royal palaces and stately homes throughout Europe.

So prominent was he that both King George III and King George IV purchased much of his work and in 1799 he created a “Battle of the Nile” cup for presentation to the British fleet commander Admiral Lord Nelson.

<p>Quality collectable sterling silver is a highlight of Melbourne-based Philips Auctions forthcoming timed online auction finishing from 10am Monday May 15 at 47 Glenferrie Road, Malvern. The silver is particularly notable for two 1836 pieces by famous London silversmith Paul Storr (1770-1844) &ndash; both William IV period &ndash; one a coffee pot (lot 140) and the other a teapot (lot 141), illustrated above.</p>

Quality collectable sterling silver is a highlight of Melbourne-based Philips Auctions forthcoming timed online auction finishing from 10am Monday May 15 at 47 Glenferrie Road, Malvern. The silver is particularly notable for two 1836 pieces by famous London silversmith Paul Storr (1770-1844) – both William IV period – one a coffee pot (Lot 140 ) and the other a teapot (Lot 141 ), illustrated above.

A George III sterling silver tray and five-piece tea service (Lot 144 ), respectively made in 1790 by London’s Elizabeth Jones and Henry Chawner and John Emes, is another important lot with a $13,000-$15,000 catalogue estimate.

A pair of 1772 George III sterling silver goblets from Dublin silversmith R. Williams (Lot 137 ) also is bound to attract plenty of attention.

Led by prominent French sculptor Demetre Chiparus’s (1886-1947) circa 1925 bronze and ivory figural group entitled “Les Amis de Toujours” (Lot 74 ) with a catalogue estimate of $23,000-$28,000, the auction contains a significant selection of art deco spelter works.

From a deceased estate comes a collection of 76 Lladro pieces (lots 186-222) including a “little explorer” figurine (Lot 194 ) and “sleepy scholar” figure (Lot 200 ).

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About The Author

Richard Brewster has been writing about the antiques and art auction industry for almost 20 years, first in a regular weekly column for Fairfax's The Age newspaper and also in more recent times for his own website Australian Auction Review. With 45 years experience as a journalist and public relations consultant, in 1990 Richard established his own business Brewster & Associates in Melbourne, handling a wide range of clients in the building, financial, antiques and art auction industries.