Harewood: Collecting in The Royal Tradition

The sale Harewood: Collecting in the Royal Tradition realised £3,912,950/$6,299,849/€4,797,277 and was 87% sold by lot and 96% sold by value.

The top lot was a George III ormolu and tortoiseshell-mounted Bluejohn 'King's' Candelabrum by Matthew Boulton, circa 1771, which sold for £337,250/ $542,972/ €413,468.

Gemma Sudlow, Associate Director and Adrian Hume-Sayer, Specialist, Private Collections and Country House Sales: “The sale ‘Harewood: Collecting in the Royal Tradition’ more than doubled pre-sale expectations; a true testament to the exceptional eye of many generations of the Lascelles Family. The enduring demand for works of art with impeccable provenance was evident throughout, with very strong competition for unusual objects of superb quality, many of which came from the personal collection of H.RH. The Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood, sister of H.M. George VI. The top price of the day, £337,250, was achieved for the George III ormolu-mounted candelabrum originally purchased at Christie’s by Princess Mary in 1947 from the collection of her late brother, The Duke of Kent. Chinese and Russian works of art also generated some exceptional prices: notably the superb flambé glazed, Vulliamy-mounted vase and cover, Qianlong period, which realised £241,250 and the Fabergé cigarette case in the Royal Racing colours, which belonged to H.M. Edward VII and sold for £313,250. We now look forward to ‘Harewood – The Attic Sale’ on Sunday, 9 December at Christie's South Kensington.”