Controversial RASE auction raises £400,000
More than £400,000 was raised by the controversial auction of antiques and artwork put up for sale by the Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE).
The sell-off – which included old master paintings, prints, ceramics and manuscripts – raised a total of £400,400 on Friday (11 July).
London sale house Dreweatts & Bloomsbury auctioned off the collection, which was put up for sale to help plug a hole in RASE pension fund.
See also: RASE art and silverware sale tops out at £40,000
But many breed societies opposed the decision to auction off the collection, which included cups and silverware from Royal Shows.
But the sale still raised more than the expected £300,000.
RASE chief executive David Gardner said he was “very pleased” with the result, which would allow the society to address some of the issues it faced.
Several of the trophies were sold to former-winners, with Mr Gardner saying he was “very pleased with where some of the items ended up”.
An oil painting of 18th century stockbreeding pioneer Robert Bakewell sold for £8,060 to John Stanley, who lives near to where the noted agriculturalist once farmed at Dishley Grange, Leicestershire.
Meanwhile, another farmer, who wished to remain anonymous, forked out £26,040 for a 1951 Terrence Cuneo painting of the Royal Show.