Auction alert: The Art & Design Sale

Sir Grayson Perry CBE, RA, Lion Queen plate


Although we’ve known about Grayson Perry for years, mainly due to his famous penchant for cross-dressing, we didn’t really know much more about him and his work. Thanks to watching his 3 series of Grayson’s Art Club, he’s now a firm favourite (as is his wife, Philippa) in our house – for his work, his warm personality and his infectious laugh.

Today’s featured auction includes a pottery plate by him (pictured above) – and another by Philippa – both with very reasonable estimates. In addition, are a couple of pumpkins by ceramic artist, Yayoi Kusama, who we previously featured on our blog over 20 years ago.

The Art & Design Sale at Cheffin’s takes place on Thursday 23rd February 2023, from 10am. A total of 442 lots come under the hammer and we’ve highlighted eleven of our favourite ones below.

Bid live and online at The Saleroom where additional fees will be charged.

Rambouillet, a suite of 16 Lalique glasses

Lot 7: Rambouillet, a suite of 16 Lalique glasses
To include four water goblets, four Bordeaux wine glasses, four Sherry glasses and four Madeira glasses, each raised on twisted stems and spreading circular feet, acid-etched marks to underside. 13.5 x 10.5cm, 10.5 x 8.5cm, 9.5 x 7.5cm and 9 x 6.5cm
Estimate: £200 – £400

Norman Makinson for Wedgwood - Festival of Britain mug

Lot 37: Norman Makinson for Wedgwood
A Festival of Britain mug, 1951, printed factory marks and hand painted ‘C-6446 B’ to the underside. 7.5cm high
Estimate: £150 – £250

'Normal Life', plate by Philippa Perry

Lot 39: Philippa Perry (1957-), Normal Life
Produced for Grayson’s Art Club, earthenware plate decorated in blue and white, stamped marks to underside
. 27.5cm diameter
Estimate: £100 – £200

Sir Grayson Perry CBE, RA, Lion Queen plate


Lot 40: Sir Grayson Perry CBE, RA (1960-), Lion Queen plate

Printed with a design of Queen Elizabeth II as a lion set within a border of alternating E R initials and head portraits of Queen Elizabeth, printed marks to underside
. 22cm diameter
Estimate: £100 – £150

Julian Opie - 'Walking, Dancing, Undressing, Smoking' moving image print

Lot 77: Julian Opie (1958-), Walking, Dancing, Undressing, Smoking, 2006
A lenticular moving image print. 15 x 10cm
Estimate: £100 – £200

Yayoi Kusama, Yellow Pumpkin and Red Pumpkin

Lot 78: Yayoi Kusama (1929-), Yellow Pumpkin and Red Pumpkin
Two painted cast resin sculptures published by Benesse Holdings, Japan, each stamped to the underside and contained within their original presentation boxes. 10 x 8 x 8cm
Estimate: £600 – £800

A Louis Vuitton lady's hat box or square steamer trunk

Lot 100: A Louis Vuitton lady’s hat box or square steamer trunk
Circa 1940s, the leather-bound monogrammed body with lift-out ribbon Cage Paradis, stamped to hardware. 46 x 51 x 44cm
Estimate: £1,000 – £2,000

Carl Jacobs and Frank Guille for Kandya, a pair of Jason chairs

Lot 184: Carl Jacobs and Frank Guille for Kandya, a pair of Jason chairs
Each with bentwood one-piece seats raised on tapering beech legs, labels to underside. 
73 x 52 x 40cm
Estimate: £150 – £250

A counterpoise model single weight trolley lamp by Hadrill and Horstmann

Lot 201: A counterpoise model single weight trolley lamp by Hadrill and Horstmann
The adjustable chromed lamp stamped with maker’s mark
Estimate: £150 – £250

A bent plywood magazine rack

Lot 221: A bent plywood magazine rack
Of triangular form. 
27 x 41 x 30cm
Estimate: £80 – £120

Sir Peter Blake CBE, RDI, RA: "A for Alphabet"

Lot 442: Sir Peter Blake CBE, RDI, RA (1932-) A for Alphabet
Signed ‘Peter Blake’ (lower right); numbered 30/95silkscreen, unframed.102.5 x 77.5cm
Estimate: £150 – £250

Contemporary & Post-War Art

GRAYSON PERRY '100% Art' plate - 2020

Lyon & Turnbull‘s Contemporary & Post-War Art / Prints & Multiples sale is this week’s Auction Alert highlight. The auction takes place on Wednesday 19th January 2022, from 10am (lots: 1 to 184). After a recess, lots 185 to 317 go under the hammer from 2pm.

The majority of the lots for sale are by British (especially Scottish) artists. There’s a showing of ‘Young British Artists‘ (YBAs) including examples from Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin. There’s a wonderful plate by ‘National Treasure’, Grayson Perry (pictured above) and a couple of thought-provoking artworks by Banksy. There are works by a few artists from across the pond, such as Keith Haring, Andy Warhol and Nan Goldin.

There’s a buyer’s premium of 25% on the hammer price of each lot (up to £300,000) then 20% thereafter (exclusive of VAT). Bidding live via the Lyon & Turnbull website and app doesn’t incur extra fees. They offer a shipping service and also provide details of other companies that they recommend.

PETER HOWSON O.B.E. (SCOTTISH 1958-) 'UNTITLED'

Lot 31: PETER HOWSON O.B.E. (SCOTTISH 1958-) ‘UNTITLED’
Signed lower left, oil on canvas. 30cm x 26cm (11.75in x 10.25in)
Estimate: £1,000 – £1,500

JACK VETTRIANO O.B.E., 'LOOKING DOWN FROM ABOVE'

Lot 99: JACK VETTRIANO O.B.E. (SCOTTISH 1951-) ‘LOOKING DOWN FROM ABOVE’
Signed lower right, oil on canvas board. 50cm x 39.5cm (19.75in x 15.5in). Exhibited: The Atholl Gallery, Dunkeld
Estimate: £10,000 – £15,000

WILLIAM SENIOR, 'STILL LIFE WITH GRAPES AND GLASS' - 1958

Lot 146: WILLIAM SENIOR (BRITISH FL.1940-60) ‘STILL LIFE WITH GRAPES AND GLASS’ – 1958
Signed and dated lower left, gouache on paper. 18.5cm x 36cm (7.25in x 14in)
Estimate: £300 – £500

BANKSY, 'WELCOME MAT' - 2020

Lot 186: BANKSY (BRITISH 1974-) ‘WELCOME MAT’ – 2020
Hand-stitched mat, in fabric repurposed from life vests abandoned on Mediterranean beaches, , numbered to fabric label, fabricated at Greek refugee camps in collaboration with Love Welcomes, London, produced by Gross Domestic Product, London, in original packaging. 45cm x 61cm (17.75in x 24in), unframed
Estimate: £700 – £900

YAYOI KUSAMA, 'RED PUMPKIN NAOSHIMA'

Lot 189: YAYOI KUSAMA (JAPANESE 1929-) ‘RED PUMPKIN NAOSHIMA’
Cast resin multiple, 2019, with the artist’s stamped signature and title on the underside, from an open edition, published by Benesse Holdings, Inc., Naoshima, in the original box. 9.5cm x 14cm x 14cm (3.75in x 5.5in x 5.5in)
Estimate: £800 – £1,200

LAURENCE STEPHEN LOWRY, 'AN INDUSTRIAL TOWN'

Lot 200: LAURENCE STEPHEN LOWRY (BRITISH 1887-1976) ‘AN INDUSTRIAL TOWN’
Off-set lithograph, 134/500, signed and numbered in pencil to margin. Image size 43.5cm x 59cm (17in x 23.25in)
Estimate: £1,000 – £1,500

GRAYSON PERRY '100% Art' plate - 2020

Lot 204: GRAYSON PERRY C.B.E., R.A. (BRITISH 1960-) ‘100% ART’ PLATE – 2020
Ceramic plate, from the first edition, developed for the Holburne Museum, in collaboration with Kit Grover, to celebrate the exhibition, ‘The Pre-Therapy Years’. 21cm (8.25in) diameter
Estimate: £300 – £500

EDWARD BAWDEN C.B.E., R.A., 'THE QUEEN'S GARDEN' - 1986

Lot 207: EDWARD BAWDEN C.B.E., R.A. (BRITISH 1903-1989) ‘THE QUEEN’S GARDEN’ – 1986
Lithograph, 72/160, signed, titled and numbered in pencil to margin. The sheet 63cm x 76.5cm (24.75in x 30in), unframed
Estimate: £400 – £600

ANDY WARHOL AND KEITH HARING, ‘20TH MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL’ - 1986

Lot 233: ANDY WARHOL (AMERICAN 1928-1987) AND KEITH HARING (AMERICAN 1958-1990) ‘MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL’ – 1986
Screenprint. The sheet 100cm x 70cm (39.25in x 27.5in), unframed
Estimate: £400 – £600

DAMIEN HIRST, 'AUROUS IODIDE' - 2009

Lot 271: DAMIEN HIRST (BRITISH 1965-) ‘AUROUS IODIDE’ – 2009
Screenprint with gold glitter, 34/150, signed, numbered and dedicated, ‘For Franco, Big it Up!’ with a pencil drawing of a heart and xxx, published by Other Criteria, London. The sheet 98cm x 75cm (38.5in x 29.5in)
Estimate: £8,000 – £12,000

KEITH HARING, 'MONTREUX JAZZ POSTER' (GREEN) - 1983

Lot 315: KEITH HARING (AMERICAN 1958-1990) ‘MONTREUX JAZZ POSTER’ (GREEN) – 1983
Screenprint. The sheet 100cm x 70cm (39.5in x 27.5in), unframed
Estimate: £300 – £500

Auction Alert: Prints and Editions 1500-2021

Yayoi Kusama 'Pumpkins'

Welcome to our brand new weekly Thursday series, Auction Alert, where we feature interesting lots from upcoming auctions.

We’ll be choosing auctions with online bidding facilities; so anyone, wherever they are in the world, will be able to bid on items.

This week’s auction is Prints and Editions 1500-2021 which takes place on 21 July 2021, starting at 1pm. Here are the stand-out lots for us:

Sybil Andrews 'Mowers'

  • Lot 93: Sybil Andrews (1898-1993) Mowers
    Estimate: £4,000-£6,000
    Linocut printed in colours, 1937, signed, titled and inscribed ‘4 EP’ in pencil, one of 6 experimental proofs aside from the edition of 50

Robert Indiana 'Chosen Love' rug

Damien Hirst 'Spot' clock

  • Lot 195: Damien Hirst (b.1965) Spot Clock
    Estimate: £1,500-£2,500
    White-powdered-coated metal, 2009, with the Artist’s printed signature and studio stamp, published by Other Criteria, London, in the original brown cardboard box, 350mm in diameter

Yayoi Kusama 'Pumpkins'

  • Lot 219: Yayoi Kusama (b.1929) Pumpkins
    Estimate: £1,000-£1,500
    Two painted cast resin multiples, 2016, each stamped with the artist’s name on the base, published by Benesse Holdings, Japan, both in the original printed, fitted, box, each 100x 80x80mm

Wednesday Wish: Trip down to London

"Wednesday Wish" blog post banner

Yayoi Kusama surrounded by a selection of her paintings

We’ve not made a trip down to London in YEARS! It’s not that far for us to travel – only about five hours away, but Fudge isn’t good at spending time in kennels.

self portrait by Lucian Freud

There are two art exhibitions on at the moment in the capital that we’d really love to see – completely different work, but equally exciting. They are the Yayoi Kasama at Tate Modern and Lucian Freud at the National Portrait Gallery.

They both run until early summer, so hopefully we’ll manage to fit in a visit! Have you been to see either? Are there any others you’d recommend? Let us know!