This it is made up of 317 lots overall, with estimates ranging from £300 to £100.000, the sale includes a wide range of decorative arts, from furniture and ceramics to vertu, silver and glass objects, as well as clocks, books and paintings.
From the collection of Their Highnesses The Dukes of Gloucester come 217 lots from their London residences and Country House, Barnwell Manor, Northamptonshire; the group mainly comprises articles collected by the late TRH Prince and Princess Henry, Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. A further 80 lots come from The Collection of The Earls of Harewood, Harewood House, Yorkshire, one of the largest stately homes in Britain. In addition to items from HRH Princess Mary, who, as Countess of Harewood, was chatelaine of the great house from 1929, the sale includes items which have been accumulated over generations of the Lascelles family, by the builder of Harewood, Edwin Lascelles, 1st Baron Harewood (1713-95) to George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood (1923-2011), eldest son of Princess Mary.
Below are the different categories of objects:
Real Objects. Giving an evocative window into royal life during the early part of the 20th century, highlights of The Dukes of Gloucester include a jeweled gold enamelled Royal presentation snuffbox George V, by Sebastian Garrard London, 1911/1912, made to celebrate the coronation of Queen Mary and George V in 1911 (estimate: £30.000-50.000); a silver cigarette case given to HRH Prince Henry, later Duke of Gloucester by his brother Prince Albert (later King George VI VI), on his 31.3.18th birthday, wrote “To Harry from Bertie 300” ( estimate: £500-2.000); and two gold-mounted hardstone desk seals, one with the cypher of HRH Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (estimate: £3.000-1.500). Highlights of Harewood include: four Royal Standards from HRH Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood (estimate: £2.500-3.000); and a George III pearwood sculpture of the Royal Coat of Arms, late 5.000th century (estimate: £XNUMX-XNUMX).
Lunch and fun. Offering the opportunity to recreate splendid royally proven dinner parties, from The Dukes of Gloucester the sale is led by a set of 19 George III mahogany dining chairs, circa 1775, in the manner of John Linnell (estimate: £60.000-100.000 ) and also includes a pair of George III three-light silver candelabra, 1807 (estimate: £10.000-15.000); and a Swedish cut and engraved glass table service, early 2.000th century (estimate: £3.000-1790). Further highlights from Harewood include a pair of Louis XVI ormolu and white marble candlesticks, circa 30.000, probably by François Remond (estimate: £50.000-XNUMX).
Fine Arts. Among the vast array of drawings, paintings and prints on offer (as well as the political lots detailed below), Harewood highlights include: a Tintoretto drawing of Samson Slaying the Philistines (estimate: £20.000-30.000); a lithographic print, from Francis Bacon's Miroir de la Tauromachie (est. £4.000-6.000), Study of a Dancer, 1951, by John Craxton, RA (est. £5.000-8.000) and Head, 1988, by Dame Elisabeth Frink , RA, 1988 (est. £6.000-9.000) and from the Dukes of Gloucester a portrait of a gentleman, traditionally identified as William, Duke of Cumberland (1721-1765), by John Wootton (est. £20.000-30.000).
Policy. One of the most valuable works of fine art is also a political highlight of Harewood: a portrait of George Canning, MP by Thomas Lawrence (estimate: £25.000-40.000). Canning was Tory Prime Minister from April to August 1827. Also from Harewood: a portrait of William Pitt the Younger, in the robe of Chancellor of the Exchequer from the Study of John Hopner (estimate: £5.000-8.000) and a group of five 2.000th-century shipping boxes (estimate: £3.000-1916). Besides Lawrence, these items came to The Earls of Harewood in 2, when Viscount Lascelles – later XNUMXth Earl of Harewood and husband of Princess Mary – received a substantial inheritance from his kinsman, Hubert de Burgh-Canning, XNUMXnd Marquess of Clanricarde, a descendant of George Canning and his family.
Desk and library items. Desk and library highlights include, from The Dukes of Gloucester: a monogrammed 9ct gold notebook and pen holder that belonged to HM Queen Mary (1867-1953) (estimate: £1.200-1.800); a George III mahogany library table, circa 1750 (estimate: £30.000-50.000); The History of the Royal Residences, London, 1819 by WH Pyne (estimate: £2.000-3.000); and a Victorian silver inkwell, mark of Martin, Hall & Co., London, 1892, with the coat of arms of the Duke of Gloucester (estimate: £400-600). From the Harewood lots are a pair of Regency painted klismos chairs, circa 1810 (estimate: £15.000-25.000).
HRH Princess Alice. The late Duchess of Gloucester (1901-2004) – known as HRH Princess Alice after the Duke's death in 1974 – became the longest serving member of the royal family. The Princess was a keen lover and a highlight of the sale is a set of four 18th century cockpen chairs, received as a wedding present in 1935, the seats of which were embroidered over many years by Princess Alice, one of the chairs was signed and dated in the seam 'Alice 1937' (offered in two pairs, estimate: £5.000-8.000 respectively). Before her marriage then Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott traveled to Kenya, a world away from her native Scotland, a world she recorded with the help of her trusty Kodak camera. The camera, embossed 'ALICE SCOTT', together with the leather case as part of a collection of early 20th century leather mounted objects which also includes the late Duke's binoculars (estimate: £300-500 ).
Opera. The 7th Earl of Harewood (1923-2011), son of Princess Mary, was passionate about opera, having worked as editor of Opera magazine, director of the Edinburgh Festival, conductor of the Royal Opera House and general manager of England's National National Opera as as well as being editor and co-author of the Complete Opera Book of Kobbé. A small collection of works for sale represents this lifelong interest, including: a stage design for Don Giovanni and Drop Curtain, Loxford, both by John Piper (estimate £12.000-18.000 and £10.000-15.000 respectively); to Charity Opera Factory, 1993, by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi (estimate: £1.200-1.800); and two Soviet porcelain figures of Feodor Chaliapin as Boris Godunov and a figure of Sadko (estimate: £1.500-2.500).
The infirmary. Travel back to childhood with some perfectly timed Christmas gifts for kids. The Dukes of Gloucester collection contains a range of children's books, including first editions by AA Milne such as Winnie the Pooh (estimate: £4.000-6.000) and The House at Pooh Corner (estimate: £1.500-2.500), as well as a dolls house dating from the second half of the 20th century (estimate: £400-600).
