The catalogue has been released online for one of Britain’s largest auctions of rare Derbyshire Blue John pieces, being held at Fellows Auctioneers in Birmingham on Monday 5th October 2015.
The team at Fellows, in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter, have assembled one of the finest collections of Blue John, a semi-precious mineral found only in two locations in Derbyshire, which has been mined and crafted into precious objects since the eighteenth century. Comprising over 250 individual items, the auction will be a major event for Blue John collectors worldwide.
“Blue John is big news at the moment following the discovery of a major new seam at Treak Cliff in Derbyshire and we are expecting interest from around the world for this one-off auction,” said Mark Huddleston, Antique & Fine Art Specialist at Fellows. “The London preview, combined with two additional preview events in Buxton and Ashbourne, will ensure that the collection reaches as many people as possible before the sale in October.”
Believed to have been discovered by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago, Derbyshire Blue John became highly fashionable in the 1700s when it was used to create everything from urns to bowls and jewellery. Examples can be found in some of England’s great houses, including Chatsworth, and it was most famously used by Robert Adam to create an iconic fireplace in the state apartments at Kedleston Hall.
The collection to be offered by Fellows features a wide range of objects from small bowls to large neo-classical vases, cups and trinkets estimated at between £30 and £30,000. The highlight of the sale is a late 18th century ormolu-mounted Blue John urn, attributed to Matthew Boulton, featuring a neoclassical shouldered ovoid body, bifurcated foliate scroll handles and a canthus-cast square base.
Members of the public will have the chance to view the spectacular collection at preview events throughout September in Derbyshire, and before the auction from the 1st - 5th October in Birmingham.
To find out more about the auction visit www.fellows.co.uk or email info@fellows.co.uk to register your interest and keep informed of news relating to the auction.
