Phenomenal Results for Precious Pietra Dura

The 17th-century hardstone pictures of wild animals - eight rectangular examples and one demi-lune, all in matching gilt and gesso frames - came to Sworders from the former home of British art dealer, Sir Jack Mervyn Frank Baer (1924-2016).

As the man who built Hazlitt, Gooden & Fox into a world-class concern, Baer is remembered as one of the most enduringly successful and well-regarded London picture dealers of his generation. He married Diana, a watercolour artist, RADA-trained actress and the daughter of the novelist Mollie Panter-Downs (1906-97) and her husband Clare Robinson, in 1970. The couple chose to live at the Kensington home she had owned since 1955 and so it was 9 Phillimore Terrace that provided a backdrop to their shared passion for collecting, filling it to the brim with hundreds of pictures, furniture, and works of art acquired from local dealers, shops, and fairs.

^{Sir Jack and his wife Diana in Phillimore Terrace, pictured with the panels displayed on their living room wall.}

The set of nine panels, probably created for a cabinet, were hung on one wall of the Baer’s Living Room, alongside another pair depicting a wild boar and dromedary, also sold in last week’s sale to the same London dealer. Together with a further single panel depicting a mountain village from the Baer’s collection, the group realised a total of £195,000 (including buyers premium).

^{After competitive bidding, the set of Florentine pietra dura panels eventually sold for a mighty £130,000}

Sworders Fine Interiors department is entrusted with selling exquisite works of art from renowned estates and private collections, through single-owner sales and our quarterly flagship auction. Our team of specialists, covering furniture, paintings, ceramics, silver, and decorative arts, work together to curate and promote single-owner collections to the highest calibre, taking the time to understand and in turn express the individual spirit and personality of the collectors themselves.

We are currently accepting consignments for our upcoming sale, to take place on 6 and 7 December. For a complimentary, no-obligation valuation and sales advice, please contact:

Fine Interiors | fineinteriors@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778