Rugs and Brown Furniture boring? Not at a McTear's auction

The Furniture & Works of Art Auction on Tuesday evening, 11th August, was a good night for rugs of all kinds. Lot 774, an Indo Persian design rug sold at four times its lower estimate at £280. Lott 778 was a Persian rug of larger proportions which landed mid estimate at £300 to an eager bidder in the saleroom. And lot 775 was a particular highlight – a Persian design rug, unusual perhaps due to its black ground, soared above estimate and attracted fierce bidding in the room, on the phone and online, with the hammer finally falling to an online bidder at £600.

Away from floor coverings, the lovely Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson book trough made a highly respectable £300, popular as always with bidders the world over. Another lot to note is lot 823, an unusual and lovely Victorian artist’s mahogany paint box, with paints, bowls, brushes and palette, sold above estimate at £380 – what stories it could tell!

Looking to larger pieces of furniture, the fashion for brown furniture never feels flat at McTear’s. Lot 749 was a large oak hall settle, 19th century in date, almost quadrupled its lower estimate to sell at £380. A large Victorian bookcase, lot 787, also sold very well, bringing bidding in the room, on the phone and online to sell to a bidder in the saleroom for £480. A final lot to note is lot 833, an Ercol oak lounge suite, estimated to fetch £100-200 sold for an impressive £500 – a bidding war between two determined parties brought this exciting auction to a close; a resounding confirmation of the benefit of a dedicated auction of furniture and works of art.

The next auction for this department is 15th September and entries are currently invited. For more information please email auction@mctears.co.uk .