News & Events

Beauty & Utility | Final Entries Invited for our Autumn 20th Century Sale

Our bi-annual sales have become an eagerly anticipated fixture in the auction calendar and offer a colourful array of 20^th Century and Contemporary art, glass, ceramics, jewellery, sculpture, lighting and furniture, attracting bids from around the world. 

With our saleroom located in the heart of the Cotswolds, we are fortunate to be surrounded by the legacy of the Arts & Crafts movement which thrived in the early 20^th Century.  The past few years have seen a steady increase in value of the work of Ernest Gimson, Sidney & Edward Barnsley, Peter Waals, Gordon Russell, Alfred Bucknell, William Simmonds and other Cotswold craftsmen, and we have a long list of clients looking to buy pieces for their home or collection.

Studio ceramics continue to perform strongly. Among the highlights of last year’s sales was the stunning collection assembled by the late Roy & Margaret Warner, including breathtaking pieces by Edmund de Waal, Richard Batterham and Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie.  This is still a growing market and it is wonderful to see an appreciation of the inspiration and skill of many contemporary potters during their lifetime.  20^th Century glass is also sought after, from the minimalist Scandinavian clarity of Orrefors and Holmegaard to the European exuberance of Lalique, Gallé and Murano.

Our auctions include jewellery and silver by 20^th Century and Contemporary designers. We have buyers seeking items across a wide range of genres, from the Arts & Crafts elegance of Charles Ashbee and Murrle Bennett to the modernism of Georg Jensen and Bulgari.

Pictures and sculpture make up a major part of these auctions.  Recent highlights in our saleroom have been works by Lynn Chadwick, John Piper, Laura Knight, Mary Fedden, Christopher Wood, Bryan Ingham and MacDonald Gill.  While the ‘Modern British’ artists of the mid-20^th Century are making headline prices, we are also keen to entice a new generation of buyers to our auctions by including some more affordable 20^th Century and Contemporary art to brighten up the walls.

Our saleroom in the heart of the Cotswolds is ideally located for easy access from all directions, with plentiful free parking.  All our auction catalogues are available to view online and we offer live internet bidding through The Saleroom and our own website.  Our commission charges are extremely competitive and for higher value consignments, we will be happy to discuss a preferential rate.  If any item fails to reach the agreed reserve figure, we will make no charge whatsoever in respect of it.

Our Autumn sale of Modern Art & Design will take place on Tuesday 27 October and we are already accepting consignments; the closing date for entries is Friday 18 September.  If you have any items you might like to include, we would be pleased to visit you to provide an opinion on the current value, without charge or obligation.

If on the other hand you are more interested in buying than selling, the catalogue will be fully illustrated on our website by mid-October.

For further information or to discuss consigning, please contact Catrin Hampton.

01452 344499

catrin.hampton@chorleys.com