S.J. Phillips: A Bond Street Legacy

London | [phone] | Marie-Beatrice Morin | [e-mail] Hanae Rebelo | [e-mail]

S.J. PHILLIPS: A BOND STREET LEGACY

A unique insight into one of London's oldest and most cherished antique galleries

Spanning 500 years, this remarkable collection features exceptional English and continental silver and antique jewels, many with a fascinating story to tell

Sotheby's London, 18 October 2017

"A visit to S.J. Phillips has always been the highlight of any London trip for me"- Anna Wintour

"…a myriad of beautiful objects of historical interest and sometimes great value, often invested with tales of romance, connoisseurship, revolution and lost fortunes" - Jasper Conran

London, 20 September 2017 - A remarkable collection of English and continental silver spanning over 500 years, exquisite vintage jewels and objects of vertu from the renowned antiques dealer, S.J. Phillips is to be offered for sale at Sotheby's on 18 October 2017. Celebrating the rich and distinguished history of London's oldest family-owned dealership, the sale will comprise some 260 prized lots from this much-loved treasure house.

Founded in 1869 by Solomon Joel Phillips, S.J. Phillips has long been a London institution known for offering pieces of superlative quality and beauty. Establishing themselves as the largest silver dealers of the mid-19th century, the company attracted the patronage of the great collectors of the 20th century, including generations of the Rothschild family. Today, the business is run by the great- grandsons of Solomon Joel Phillips - brothers, Nicolas and Jonathan, and their cousin, Francis - and continues to attract a loyal and illustrious clientele, including renowned tastemakers and members of the aristocracy, many of whom have a strong and personal relationship with the revered dealers.

Nicolas Norton, Director of S.J. Phillips and great-grandson of the original founder, said: "Earlier this year, we moved to our new premises on the second floor of 26 Bruton Street, marking a new chapter in our history. Owing to the smaller space we now have available, we are no longer able to display all of our collection successfully and have decided to part with a number of beautiful objects which we hope will bring pleasure to new owners. S.J. Phillips and Sotheby's have been neighbours on New Bond Street for over a century now and this sale celebrates our fantastic working relationship."

Commenting on the forthcoming sale, David Bennett, Sotheby's Worldwide Chairman, International Jewellery Division said: "Spanning over a century of jewellery design, this sale offers collectors an opportunity to acquire timeless pieces, rich with the charm and romance inherent in vintage jewels."

Sotheby's Silver Specialist, James Clare added, "Like many others, I wandered past S.J. Phillips of 139 Bond Street countless times, peering through the windows almost daily too see their latest treasure. It is a great pleasure to offer this collection at Sotheby's to a worldwide audience, giving our buyers the opportunity to buy a piece of silver epitomising the family ethos of quality and fine taste, as well as taking away a piece of the company's rich Bond Street history." A Loyal and Illustrious Clientele of Renowned Tastemakers Dame Anna Wintour DBE, journalist, editor and previous editor-in-chief of Vogue - "A visit to S.J. Phillips has always been the highlight of any London trip for me--and, indeed, this is also the case for many of my friends. What I find especially captivating are the estate pieces, those dazzling, romantic reminders of past eras and personal histories. Tortoise-shell hair combs by Cartier from the Twenties sit alongside 19th century rococo charm bracelets by Boucheron. Some pieces date to the 17th century --family heirlooms, lovers' baubles, memento mori. It will be thrilling to see so many of the Nortons' exceptionally beautiful and highly curated treasures find new homes, and to see my great friends embark on the next chapter of the S. J. Phillips story in their new Bruton Street location." Jasper Conran OBE, British designer - "I was first introduced to SJ Phillips one dark, wintery afternoon over thirty years ago by the author Bruce Chatwin. He said to me "Let's go and see Marie Antoinette's hatpins". This was, I thought an extremely odd and incongruous proposition to come out of Bruce's mouth, he of the backpack and muddy boots, totally spare aesthetic and witheringly scornful of the pursuit of possessions by others. However, upon entering the glittering Aladdin's cave of a shop on Bond Street and meeting the extraordinarily friendly and learned members of the Norton family I could quite see how even Bruce might be captivated, I was certainly spellbound. There, nestling in the vitrines with Marie Antoinette's sparklers glittered a myriad of beautiful objects of historical interest and sometimes great value, often invested with tales of romance, connoisseurship, revolution and lost fortunes. Heady stuff.

Since then, like Truman Capote's heroine Holly Golightly, if feeling a bit down I make a beeline for SJ's not necessarily to purchase Barbara Hutton's perfectly matched canary yellow diamonds but to be soothed and amused by being amongst them."

The Duke of Bedford - "It is a place? shop? gallery? I have always loved to visit, not only for the friendship of the Norton family but to see such amazing jewellery, silver, and objects. It is certainly true that there is no such thing as a free lunch - the lunch is delicious, but one almost inevitably buys something. My family and I have been involved with Martin, Jonathan, Nicolas and Francis for over 50 years. To use Tina Turner's words, I would say that S J Phillips is 'simply the best." Highlights from the Sale

Continental Silver

The Marquess of Abercorn's tray, 1791

A fine George III silver-gilt tray, this is an exceptional example of the work of 18th century London silversmith, James Young, expertly and boldly engraved with the coat of arms of John James Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn.

Estimate: £150,000 - 200,000

A French parcel-gilt silver vase, cover and stand, circa 1815

Created by leading Strasbourg goldsmith, Jacques-Frederic Kirstein in the early 19th century, this exceptional silver vase is finely cast and chased in high relief with a lion hunt. A very similar vase is in the Musée Des Arts Decoratifs, Strasbourg.

Estimate: £70,000 - 100,000

A pair of Romanian silver-gilt octagonal dishes, circa 1640

Made by Andreas Eckhardt, these striking dishes are thought to have been engraved with the arms, coronet and motto of Achatius Barcsai, Prime Minister of Transylvania in 1658, almost 20 years after their creation.

Estimate: £20,000 - 30,000

Vintage Jewels

An impressive coloured diamond necklace, circa 1910

Designed as a line of bows millegrain-set with circular-cut diamonds, this exquisite necklace features front suspending swags and pendent floral motifs set with cushion-shaped diamonds of yellow tint.

Estimate: £240,000-£280,000

Gem set and diamond bracelet, 1950s

Designed as an articulated flowering branch and set with carved emerald flowers and carved sapphire and ruby leaves, this bracelet is further accented with onyx, sapphire and ruby cabochons and set throughout with single-cut, marquise-shaped and baguette diamonds.

Estimate: £120,000-£150,000

Gem set and diamond necklace, late 19th century

Composed of links set with cushion-shaped and oval stones including hessonite garnet, pink and white sapphire, aquamarine, pink and yellow topaz, yellow zircon, green tourmaline and alexandrite, this necklace features a pendant set with an octagonal hessonite garnet within a floral open work border with rose diamonds and spaced with similar smaller clusters set with circular-cut spinels.

Estimate: £35,000-£45,000