9th Nov, 2022 10:00
Instinct, Scholarship and Curiosity: The Jan Finch Collection
102
A fine prisoner-of-war ship model
A fine prisoner-of-war ship model,
c.1820, French, a forty-eight gun frigate of the Royal Navy, mounted on an oval, galleried, integral marquetry base, inlaid with bone, housed within the original mahogany display case,
51cm wide
42cm high
Provenance: The Collection of Edward Croft-Murray CBE (1907-1980);
purchased on 2 December 1908 from Lisle Court, Wootton, Isle of Wight for £4.12d shillings, subsequently listed in an inventory as 'Model of Frigate, in bone in glass case, made by French Prisoners of War at Porchester Castle about 1810';
thence at Perivale Ryde, Isle of Wight, listed in an inventory, 1926.
Portchester Castle is a medieval fortress located in Portchester to the east of Fareham, Hampshire. It was used as a prison from the 17th century and, in the early 19th century, it housed over 7,000 French prisoners of the Napoleonic Wars.
Take advantage of our Sworders Delivery Service. Please see 'Shipping estimate' below.
After reading Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick as a child, Jan became fascinated in sailor-related art and the allure of the open seas, travel, and voyage that they represented.
Sold for £21,000
Condition Report
The case 62cm wide, 26cm deep, 50cm high. A few very minor breaks to the rigging. Some light loss and wear to gilt and painted detail. One or two very tiny knocks to wooden gallery and parquetry detail, with minimal separation to joints. One or two ebony squares with tiny thin splits. Some dirt and dust. Some light fading of colour to base. Overall appears in very good cosmetic and structural condition for its age and fragility. Please see additional photos. General light cosmetic wear and knocks to case. Glass intact.
IN PERSON
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Please note that we normally offer this service for lots with an estimate of £500 or higher and all telephone bid requests must be received by close of business the day before the auction.
Auction: Instinct, Scholarship and Curiosity: The Jan Finch Collection, 9th Nov, 2022
With a natural curiosity and a tremendous thirst for knowledge, the late Jan Ellen Finch (1952-2021), led the London-based Finch & Co. over four decades to become one of the best-known and exciting dealerships of the modern era. Her impressive career is now marked in a sale of close-to four hundred hugely varied lots, as her husband and business partner, Craig, seeks to downsize and spend more time outside of the UK.
Sworders' sale includes both carefully chosen items of Finch & Co. stock and many pieces from Jan’s personal collection. Presented together, the collection is a celebration of many of her passions, which extended beyond her professional work to include gardening, cookery, and travel.
Viewing
VIEWING
Auction
Viewing will be held at our Stansted Auction Rooms, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8GE, as follows:
Sun 6 Nov, 10am - 1pm
Mon 7 Nov, 10am - 5pm
Tues 8 Nov, 10am - 5pm
All lots are, however, extensively illustrated and carry detailed condition reports - see 'Condition report' at the foot of each lot description.
Highlights
Selected lots will be available to view at our London Gallery, 15 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ, as follows:
Mon 17 to Fri 21 Oct, 10.30am - 5pm
Sat 22 Oct, 11am - 4pm
Please note that this item is not suitable for a pre-sale automated shipping estimate due to the items weight/size.
The below table shows indicative shipping costs for larger items being delivered within the UK mainland. Please note that all the below costs are purely for indicative purposes and are to be used as a guideline only. If you purchase multiple large items, we will combine deliveries to reduce the shipping costs.
Should you be successful in buying this item, a specific shipping estimate will need to be requested after the sale using the link in your invoice email; this also includes all requests for international delivery.
If you would like further information about shipping and collection please see here.
Buying a pre-loved, antique, or vintage item not only provides you with unique style and value for money but it also helps to reduce landfill, and the annual emissions of an antique or vintage piece can be as little as one sixteenth of those of its new equivalent!
Sworders is proud to be supporting the work of Antiques are Green - the movement that was founded in 2009 to promote “a greener future created from the past”. Read their fascinating carbon footprint study of a Georgian chest of drawers versus a modern equivalent here
Request A Valuation
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To help us with your valuation please attach clear photographs of the item where possible. You can submit up to 5.
Approximate dimensions are also useful. Expect to hear from the appropriate valuer as soon as possible.
