In the SALEROOMS

MATTHEW’S

A collection of original photographs by a tiger hunter from Offaly is coming up for sale at Matthew’s Auction Rooms this Sunday. The photographs, recently discovered in a suburban sideboard, shed light on the life of Lt. Col. Charles Howard-Bury (1883-1963).

Heir to Charleville Castle, Tullamore, Howard-Bury had a spectacularly interesting life. For a start, he had a pet bear. In

1913, he spent six months exploring the Tien Shan Mountains in central Asia. He carried the bear cub with him on his horse throughout the expedition, and bought it home to Ireland. The bear, named Agu, became his companion for the rest of its long life and used to help him practice wrestling.

Howard-Bury was already famous as a hunter. In India, he had shot and killed a man-eating tiger known to have eaten 21 fakirs (holy men). He is probably best known for leading a reconnaissance expedition to the slopes of Everest in 1921.

The 70 photographs

(which include one of the bear as a cub, several of the Everest expedition, and an album of around

20 photographs of a big game hunt) are for sale as 20 separate lots, most with upper estimates of less than €100.

The auction also includes a photographic portrait of a South Sea island man with elephantitis of the testicles, taken in 1874 by Howard-Bury’s father, Captain Kenneth Howard (1846-1885). The sale is the second day of a two-day auction at Matthew’s saleroom in Oldcastle, Co Meath, which takes place tomorrow ( jewellery) and Sunday (antiques/collectables). See matthewsauctionrooms.com.

LEV MITCHELL

A large collection of cased rosettes awarded to the Henderson family for their prizewinning herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle is coming up for sale as part of the clearance auction for Cullen House, Beauparc, Slane, Co Meath.

The auction takes place on Monday, February 19, at noon and is conducted by Lev Mitchell & Sons.

The sale also includes: several antique radios; a number of taxidermy birds and animals; a large wood carving of a butler; a collection of Victorian prams; 17 volumes of Irish Hereford Cattle Society books; and an array of cut-stone mushroom tops.

There will also be a collection of bar furniture and pub memorabilia, including decorative items from Duffy’s of Malahide. Viewing is at Cullen House on February 17 (10am-5pm) and February 18 (12pm-5pm) and the auction will be held at Conyngham Arms, Slane. See milltownauctionrooms.com.

DEVERES

A contemporary compartmented wall mirror sold for €3,200 a deVere’s Online Art & Design auction, which ended on January 30. Other notable results included a set of six EA 108 swivel office chairs designed for ICF, Italy, by Charles & Ray Eames (€2,200); an Eames boardroom table

(€1,300); a pair of Orange Slice chairs by Pierre Paulin for Artifort (€1,200); a pair of 1960s Italian upholstered easy chairs

(€800, pictured); and a pair of 1970s French Perspex cube tables (€420).

For full results, see deveres.ie.