Collecting antiques is one of the best ways to pay homage to the craftsmanship of bygone eras. Although trends come and go, experts say that quality pieces will always hold their value in the long term.
With this in mind, it’s interesting to see Waterford Crystal chandeliers in Keighery’s next online auction in Waterford city on Monday, August 25th.
Crystal may no longer be as fashionable, but it was once a symbol of prestige and glamour. Waterford Crystal was known not only for its homeware collections of glasses, bowls, vases and, yes, even chandeliers, but the Irish-made crystal was also used in trophies for sporting competitions.
Irish people have great pride in the history of the brand, which dates from the 1780s. While production ceased in the late 19th century, it was then reintroduced after the second World War. The revival, by two Czechs, Karel (Charles) Bacik and Miroslav Havel, was a fascinating chapter of Waterford Crystal, as Havel drew on old pattern books of the original Waterford flint glass works stored in the National Museum to create new designs.
RM Block
Waterford Crystal chandeliers were hung in Westminster Abbey for its 900th anniversary in 1966, and later, Waterford Crystal chandeliers graced the halls of Windsor Castle and the Kennedy Centre in Washington, DC.
More than a billion people watched a huge Waterford Crystal ball as part of the countdown at the millennium ball on New Year’s Eve in Times Square, New York, in 1999. Sadly, Waterford Wedgwood, as it became, went into receivership in 2009, and was later acquired by the Finnish group Fiskars. Most Waterford Crystal is no longer made in Ireland.
The Keighery’s auction has 16 lots of Waterford Crystal lighting in total. This includes three nine-branch chandeliers (€2,000-€3,000 each); eight five-branch chandeliers (€1,000-€1,500 each); and three Brenda ceiling lights (€500-800 each). There is also two lots of wall lights.
All the chandeliers at Keighery’s auction date from the 1960s and 1970s, with the original Waterford acid stamp.
Adam’s At Home online auction
Auctions specialising in tableware, furniture and eclectic design pieces offer homeowners an opportunity to refresh the style of their interiors with new additions. Adam’s At Home online auction on Wednesday, August 27th, is a case in point. It has a wide selection of silver – both functional and ornamental – as well as plenty of antique cutlery sets of forks, spoons, platters and other tableware.
The curators of the Adam’s auction suggest the pairing of antique plates and dishes with silverware, perhaps prompting a new design trend for dinner party table design as the autumn evenings beckon. Adding striking pieces to a table – whether that’s an ornately patterned serving dish, a silver saucière (sauce or gravy boat) or colourful antique glasses – can spark unexpected conversations over a meal.
A tea and coffee service with a coffee pot, teapot, cream jug and sugar bowl (€1,500-€2,500) by Irish silversmith and jewellery designer Michael Hilliar and eight 18th-century octagonal blue-and-white Chinese porcelain dishes (€150-€300) are among the items that caught our attention.
The 19th-century oval satinwood and burr walnut breakfast table (€800-€1,000) and the pair of brass mounted stained oak bedside tables (€400-€600), are also practical sizes for contemporary homes.
Among the rugs for sale is a Middle Eastern wool rug, with a large standing lion (€500-€1,000). This would work either as a wall hanging or on the floor in a period or contemporary living space. The latter was purchased from the late Swedish-born antiques carpet expert Per Lindfors, who ran the Peter Linden Gallery in Blackrock from 1979 to 2006, and later advised private clients worldwide on antique carpets and rugs until his death in 2024.
Viewing for the Adam’s At Home auction starts on Saturday, August 23rd, and continues until Tuesday, August 26th, in Adam’s St Stephen’s Green showrooms.
Hegarty Antiques
Hegarty Antiques in Bandon, County Cork is also hosting a live online auction from 11am on Tuesday, August 26th. Among the wide range of silverware for sale are two unusual pieces that might work perfectly as unique gifts.
The first is a pair of Chinese silver filigree enamel bird figurines (€150-€300). These intricate pieces, made in the early 1900s, have filigree silver inset with multicoloured enamel to feathers, beak and eyes. The second piece is a late 19th-century Russian dome-shaped egg casket with a standing lion inside (€200-€400).
Finally, a bit of advance notice for fans of regional antiques fairs. Limerick Racecourse is the venue for a large antiques and vintage fair on Saturday and Sunday, September 6th and 7th, 11am-6pm. With 60 dealers selling everything from small pieces of antique furniture and decorative pieces to silverware, jewellery, militaria and coins, it promises to be a feast for the eyes and a temptation for the pocket.
What did it sell for?
Art deco cocktail cabinet
Hammer price €1,300
Auction house Mullen’s
Petrof upright piano
Hammer price €1,050
Auction house Mullen’s
Samuel Beckett by Richard O’Neill
Estimate €1,000-€1,500
Hammer price €2,200
Auction house Adam’s
The Outsider by Richard O’Neill
Estimate €700-€1,000
Hammer price €1,600
Auction house Adam’s
