A figurine from a home in Chester is among items available at a sale in the city this week.Byrne’s Auctioneers, Watergate Street are hoping to sell the bronze and ivory figure that was designed by Ferdinand Preiss, at a sale on Wednesday and Adrian Byrne said the last time he had seen one come up for sale was during Elton John’s house sale.Organisers said The Charleston Dancer, a 1930s figure by Preiss (1882 to 1943) found in a Chester home, is the undisputed star of the fine art and antiques sale on Wednesday. The 18-inch figure is expected to sell for £3,000.Mr Byrne said: “This was an amazing discovery. You don’t expect to find gems like this in a house of this type in Chester.“They usually turn up in the catalogues of the big London auction houses and the last ones I remember of this quality were sold in 1988 when Elton John auctioned off his collection of antiques at Sotheby’s.“The house was just an ordinary semi-detached property and the lady had died, so I was called in by the executors of her estate.“The Preiss figure was in pride of place on the sideboard and the family knew it was important, but they had no idea just how valuable it was.”Mr Byrne says the figure that stands on a green onyx and marble base is decorated in silver and bronze and is signed at the base and with the PK monogram that proves its authenticity.“Figures by Preiss are rare today and very desirable,” he added.Bohemian“No two are alike because the hands were modelled separately and each figure strikes a subtly different pose. We expect a great deal of interest, particularly from America.“The lady who owned it had particularly diverse tastes and we found everything in the house from a Russian silver gilt and enamelled podstakannik, or tea glass holder, to a pair of 19th century Bohemian gilded ruby glass goblets decorated in the Persian style.“The family are hopefully in for a pleasant surprise.”Mr Byrne said the 2.75in tea glass holder is decorated with flowers and foliage in red, white, blue and turquoise enamels. It was made by Gustav Gustavovich Klingert in Moscow in 1891 and with its matching silver and enamelled spoon is estimated at £200 to £ 300.The Bohemian goblets are estimated at £400 to £600 and other treasures include Japanese ivory, a rare Goldsmiths and Silversmiths Company silver ring box in the form of a dressing table mirror, hallmarked 1903 (estimated at £300 to £500) and a man’s nine carat gold cased Rolex wristwatch, circa 1935, in need of repair but still worth £100 to £200.From another owner, the most valuable lot in the sale is a watercolour by Francis Wheatley (1747 to 1801) showing farmers’ wives washing on the shores of a lake. Signed and dated 1799, the watercolour is estimated at £4,000 to £6,000.The sale starts at 11am on Wednesday and is on view on Sunday from 10am-3pm, on Monday and Tuesday from 9am-5pm and on the morning of the sale from 9am.Catalogues cost £6 and are available from the auctioneers.For details call Byrne’s on 01244 312300.

Posted: 09|20|05 at 9:27 am. Filed under: UK News.