Magnificent collection of antique Irish Vernacular set for Victor Mee Auctions
A treasure trove of Irish country furniture and interiors pieces dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries will go under the hammer at the Cloverhill auction room of Victor Mee Auctions on Wednesday 26th February as part of Irish Country Interiors Sale. With Irish Country Furniture being one of the earliest and most sincere passions of auctioneer Victor Mee, this particular sale is one of personal importance to the whole Victor Mee Auctions’ team.
Originating in Ireland in the 18th and 19th centuries, Irish country furniture was built for use by the common Irish person for the common Irish person. Often carved by homeowners themselves from whatever wood and materials that were available and affordable in the region at the time, it is characteristically rugged and a little bit unsophisticated. It is this old Irish charm and striking plainness that forms the draw for buyers of antique Irish Country Furniture from across the world.
The sheer scale of the vernacular furniture and interiors pieces due to hit the auction block later this month is not something that is seen often, as true and genuine pieces of Irish vernacular are extremely rare finds on today’s modern Irish market with many pieces falling victim to the deterioration that comes with heavy usage and years passed. Many of the pieces set to appear in Victor mee Auctions’ upcoming sale have come from a private collection from the South West of Ireland and are in great condition having been forgotten about for years.
Commenting on the Irish Country Interiors Sale, auctioneer Victor Mee said, “Irish Vernacular is a real passion of mine and the upcoming sale is one I am extremely excited about. People around the world feel connected to Irish Country Furniture as it represents the furniture of our ancestors and as is the case with many antique decorative pieces, it makes a fascinating and eye-catching addition to any interior space, telling a story and often contrasting resplendently against the contemporary styles we are more accustomed to nowadays.”
An exquisite array of Vernacular Furniture
Taking prominence in Victor Mee Auctions’ Irish Country Interiors sale will be a medley of antique dressers and chairs, all of which are sure to add an abundance of character to any traditional or modern home. The dresser was customarily the most prized possession in the rural Irish home, acting, like most other furniture of that time, in a multifunctional role providing much needed storage for delph and crockery.
A key lot expected to be of high interest to bidders and collectors is lot 207, a 19th century fiddleback dresser that came originally from Co. Monaghan. At over two metres tall, this dresser is one of the finest and most authentic pieces of vernacular furniture that Victor Mee Auctions has seen in many years and has been given a high estimate of just €500 by the auctioneer. Dressers are continuing to be popular pieces with many younger buyers who are choosing to ‘up style’ each piece to add a touch of ‘shabby-chic’ to their homes.
Other interesting dressers featuring in the sale will include:
Lot 379 - 19th century Clare pine dresser in original paint with two drawers over two panelled doors.
Lot 503 - Early 19th century barrel backed corner cupboard with fitted interior with two panelled doors over tow panelled doors possibly from Co Kilkenny
Lot 425 - Georgian painted pine corner cupboard with two astral glazed doors over two doors
In addition to highly sought-after dressers, another big draw for bidders in the Irish Country Interiors Sale will be the fantastic selection of antique chairs that have been consigned to the auction house. The chair was one of the earliest types of furniture that was introduced to the Irish home and Victor Mee Auctions is thrilled to have been trusted with a great selection of beautiful old Irish chairs, that include a number of early Irish hedge chairs, that are expected to generate much interest on auction day.
Lot 312 will feature a pair of stunning Orkney pine and rush chairs, an extremely rare find on today’s market as the materials - usually straw or rush - from which they were made were extremely vulnerable to things like damp and attack from vermin. The backs of these chairs, woven with rush, were designed to insulate the seating area whilst excluding draughts. These chairs have reached the Victor Mee saleroom in exceptionally good condition and their value is magnified by the fact that they boast their original paint and a functional drawer beneath the seat.
Known for their straightforward crafting materials, usually foraged from hedges, the Irish Country Interiors sale will also feature a number of early Irish hedge chairs. These chairs lack modern binding elements like nails and screws and were crudely pieced together to simply meet the needs of the home. This rudimentary crafting process ultimately saw the deterioration of many of these pieces over time and thus adds to their value and desirability today. Hedge chairs to look out for in Victor Mee Auctions’ February sale include:
Lot 288 - Early 19th century ash and elm hedge chair originally from Co. Cavan
Lot 296 - 19th century Northern Ireland hedge chair with original paint
Lot 64 - Unusual 19th century child's hedge chair
“The diverse range of antique chairs and fittings we have appearing in our February sale is exceptional. Each of the pieces are unique in themselves and tell their own story of days passed. In addition to dressers and chairs we will also have several cupboards and a butcher’s cart hitting the auction block, all of which are sure to add character to any home in Ireland or further afield” said auctioneer Victor Mee.
A rare collection of Spongeware Ceramics
Victor Mee Auctions Irish Country Interiors Sale will offer bidders more than just its fantastic array of simple and fascinating furniture and decorative pieces, as an extremely rare collection of Irish spongeware ceramics is also due to cross the auction block. Like its vernacular furniture peers, spongeware was very authentic to the region it came from and was almost always handmade. The human element of craftsmanship meant that no two spongeware pieces were ever designed identically and this teamed with each piece’s fragility has made them highly coveted amongst collectors.
Highlights within the spongeware ceramics collection include:
Lot 153 - Rare 19th century spongeware potato bowl decorated with birds.
Lot 125 - 19th century spongeware potato basin single banded decorated with an Irish Elk.
Lot 116 - Rare 19th century spongeware jug with rose decoration.
Lot 102 - 19th century spongeware mug decorated with butterflies.
Consigned to the auction house by a private Irish collector who has built up a very impressive range of wares, the collection is one of the largest and most unusual that has hit the auction block in modern times and is likely to be of interest to collectors globally.
“Spongeware ceramics feature quite heavily in many homes throughout Ireland and continue to be popular amongst homeowners of all ages due to their intricate and unique designs, said Victor Mee. Due to their fragility, many antique spongeware ceramics have been lost over the years due to breakages so we expect this mass collection of spongeware to garner a lot of interest from bidders.”
Ironwork and Vernacular Collectables
An element of romanticism will also be reflected throughout Victor Mee Auctions’ Irish Country Interiors Sale as a range of Irish vernacular collectable items will take bidders back in time to sentimentally reflect on Ireland from years ago and a way of life that has long been forgotten. Items showcased within the vernacular collectables section of the sale will shine a light on elements of rural Irish life in the 1800s through vintage advertising, ironwork and an assortment of home essentials. Key vernacular collectable items will include:
Lot 60 – Unusual 19th century pine and elm washboard from the south of Ireland
Lot 99 - Three 19th century advertising boxes - Hudson's soap, Poulson's flour etc
Lot 295 – 19th century hardening stand originally from Co Donegal
Lot 454 – Early 19th century pine settle bench
Lot 170 – Early 19th century toasting fork with heart decoration.
Lot 286 - 19th century floor rushlight originally from Clontibret, Co Monaghan
Commenting on the range of vernacular collectable items, Bryan mee said, “We see a lot of love and interest at the auction house for advertising and interior collectables that evoke nostalgia within bidders and we expect this sale to be as popular as any other due to its great selection of rural home essentials that would have been owned and remembered by generations past.”
