No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VA… Read more

The Sir Ralph and Lady Halpern Collection Christie's is delighted to offer the contents of both the London home and country house of Sir Ralph and Lady Halpern. Sir Ralph is well known in the business and financial world as the former Chairman and CEO who successfully transformed the Burton Group that owned at the time Harvey Nichols, Debenhams, and a variety of some 2000 specialist chain stores. 'This auction is the result of twenty happy years of collecting,' says Sir Ralph Halpern. 'My wife and I are shortly to engage in an overseas adventure which would not enable us to take our collections with us, so we have decided to sell everything, from our maritime paintings and silver candlesticks, to the Wedgwood dinner service, copperware and trinket boxes. It is with some sadness that we will be parted from objects and paintings that have adorned our homes, and given us such pleasure, but we very much hope that they may inspire a new generation of collectors to begin their very own adventure in art and antiques.' Hidden in the Surrey countryside, the Halperns furnished their house with traditional English furniture, pictures and silver. Colefax & Fowler sofas and curtains helped create a comfortable bolt-hole from the hustle and bustle of London life. Among the portraits are one by Enoch Seeman of Dudley North (lot) and another from the circle of Huysmans of John Cowper (lot). The furniture in the dining-room (illustrated later in the catalogue) includes a large George III mahogany breakfront bookcase (lot) and a mahogany four-pedestal dining-table (lot) with fourteen mahogany dining-chairs (lot). The Halperns' London residence, just off the Kings Road, continued the English country house theme. No English country house is complete without equestrian pictures and this sale includes two fine examples. John Wootton, well known in the mid-18th century for his equestrian paintings, executed the superb portrait of Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick (lot), while Charles Towne painted the scene of two hunters in a landscape (lot). A fascinating portrait by Antonio Domenico Gabbiani shows three cognoscenti (lot). The great age of British Naval supremacy is recalled by a small group of maritime pictures by Thomas Whitcombe (lot), John Edward Buttersworth (lot), John Thomas Serres (lot) and Anton Schranz (lot), however, it is not only pictures and furniture that are included in this sale, but also silver, sculpture, objects, clocks, glass and porcelain. MORNING SESSION ONLY 10.30 AM

A PAIR OF MAHOGANY TABLE LAMPS

LATE 20TH CENTURY

Details

A PAIR OF MAHOGANY TABLE LAMPS
LATE 20TH CENTURY
Of turned form on circular bases, including pleated red shades
24 in. (61 cm.) (2)

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

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