Our specialists, Emma and Alex from our Homes and Interiors department, reflect on their favourite lots in our past and current Homes and Interiors sales.
9 February 2023
Sworders’ Homes & Interiors auctions have always welcomed quality ceramics in their sale, however, the last six months has featured some very significant results. Aided by the passion for ceramics from sale specialists, Alex Froggatt and Emma Barnett, highlights from recent sales have been numerous.
From our recent January 31 Homes & Interiors sale, a particular highlight was 'George Jones Majolica comport' which sold for £2,210 and a Meissen ‘Pagoda’ porcelain figure from our October sale fetched £1,403 including fees.
A Meissen ‘Pagoda’ porcelain figure - £1,403 (left) & A George Jones Majolica comport - £2,210 (right)
Other notable lots included a pair of Royal Crown Derby ‘Imari’ pattern porcelain candlesticks and a William Moorcroft ‘Pomegranate’ pattern pottery vase, for Liberty & Co.
A pair of Royal Crown Derby ‘Imari’ pattern porcelain candlesticks - £650 (left) & A Moorcroft pottery 'Pomegranate' pattern vase for Liberty & Co - £806 (right)
We are hoping to continue this trend with a delightful collection of English 19th century porcelain from a private UK collector, coming up for sale in our 14 February Homes and Interiors auction. Included in the group is a wonderful pair of Royal Crown Derby ewers by Desire Leroy. Having been apprenticed at the renowned Sevres porcelain factory, the Frenchman ventured to Britain. First taking up residence at Minton and later at Royal Crown Derby, where this pair of ewers were produced.
This pair of ewers perfectly display ‘Limoges enamel’ decoration. A technique similar to pate-sur-pate, meaning paste on paste, which is a process that involves building layers of white clay that are then carved. Limoges enamel gives a cameo glass like finish to porcelain often seen on a deep cobalt blue ground.
A pair of Royal Crown Debry Limoges enamel ewers - £3,000 - £4,000
Irrespective of the techniques used, this group of porcelain is a fine offering that any connoisseur or budding collector can get excited about.
To view more lots in our upcoming 14 February Homes and Interiors sale, click here.
At a recent Stansted Valuation Day, we had the privilege of consigning a remarkable collection of four beautifully handcrafted quilts by Maureen Baker (British Contemporary School). They will be offered in our 22 July Homes & Interiors Auction, with all proceeds generously donated to Alzheimer’s Research UK.
15 July 2025
Few figures in the art and antiques world have shaped taste and defied convention quite like Ken Bolan. From the glamour of continental showrooms to the quiet beauty of rewilded West Country landscapes, Ken’s journey has been one of bold vision and creative instinct. This landmark sale, to be held on Wednesday 24 September, opens a window into that world – a personal collection amassed over five decades, filled with sculpture, furniture, and design with soul and story.
7 July 2025
A major highlight of our forthcoming 'DREAMS | A Unique Private Collection' sale on 9 July is a remarkable archive of letters and manuscripts by John Ruskin (1819–1900), the celebrated Victorian polymath. This unparalleled group – numbering in the hundreds – is believed to be the largest collection of Ruskin correspondence in private hands and spans a vast range of topics from art and architecture to politics, religion, and personal reflection.
2 July 2025