A COLLECTION of antiques and artworks amassed over four generations of one of Reading’s most celebrated families is set to go to auction next week.
Auctioneers Dreweatts has announced that it has been selected to sell the contents of Bussock Wood, in Berkshire, home to the Palmer Family.
The Palmer Family at Bussock Wood: Four Generations of Connoisseurship will see collections of Chinese vases, paintings, antique furniture, and tableware, put up for auction in June.
Bussock Wood was the home of Bill and Cherry Palmer, descendants of George Palmer, who partnered with Thomas Huntley in 1842 to form Huntley and Palmers.
Bill Palmer, who was the last survivor of the fourth and final generation of the family to serve as directors at the company, died in 2020.
His death was followed by that of Cherry in 2023.
Bill and Cherry bought the Edwardian country house at Bussock Wood in Chievely in 1963, bringing with them curated collections of art and antiques from various family homes.
These collections include those amassed by Reginald and Lena Palmer, famous for their breadth and variety of antique Chinese jade and porcelain.
Now Dreweatts has been appointed to auction the contents, with two separate auctions set to take place over two days.
The first day will see 313 lots made up of furniture and privately collected art pieces, including 10 sculptures, six antique rugs and carpets, four clocks, three sets of antique toys, and more than 100 paintings, prints, drawings, and watercolours.
It features works by Sir William Orpen, Paul Nash, and Duncan Grant.
On the second day, selected items from the collection of Reginald and Lena Palmer will go up for auction, consisting of 88 lots of Chinese art pieces and a group of manuscripts.
The collection includes vases, porcelain, figures, teapots, jewellery, lamps, panels, and carvings.
Among them is a large vase dating to the Kangxi period (1662-1722), estimated to be worth between £30,000 and £50,000.
Among the rest of the collection are Sir Matthew Smith’s Reclining Nude, and Paul Nash’s Studio Interior, currently estimated to be worth between £50,000-£80,000.
The items go up for auction online via Dreweatts on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 4 and 5, from 10:30am.
More information about the auctions, including further details about the items, is available via: dreweatts.com
