March Interiors: A Timed Online Sale Featuring Exceptional Antiques

20 Mar 2025

CAPE TOWN — Strauss & Co is pleased to present ‘March Interiors’, a timed online sale showcasing an exceptional selection of antique furniture and silver. This curated sale — opening on 20th March 2025 and closing on 2nd April at 2 pm —highlights a wide range of rare and significant interior pieces filled with elegance and charm, with a unique history and a connection to a particular period. The sale offers a glimpse into history, reflecting the skill and style of past eras, and the stories of those who cherished them. 

Silverware from the Georgian, Edwardian, and Victorian eras has long been a symbol of wealth, often used in lavish parties and gatherings as wonderful additions to the dinner table. While silver continued to signify status during these periods, its production evolved allowing for more intricate and nuanced designs. 

‘March Interiors’ features an array of fine silver items, each nodding to historical workmanship and design. Highlights include a George II silver tankard (estimate R 10,000 – 15,000), a George III sauce tureen (estimate R 15,000 – 18,000) and a Victorian silver hot water jug (estimate R 18,000 – 20,000). Also included is a set of twelve Elizabeth II silver underplates – each plate is circular with a wavy gadrooned rim, scrolls and flowerhead detail – crafted by Robert & Belk Ltd in Sheffield in 1967. 

Additionally, the sale features a pair of silver Baobab trees by Patrick Mavros, each estimated at R 60,000 – 80,000. These silver trees raised on a Zimbabwean blackwood base are sculptural works that reflect Mavros’s commitment to and admiration for the natural world. 

Remarkable silver tea services are also part of the selection, including a George I silver tea caddy, made by Edward Gibbon in London circa 1720, a William IV silver two-piece tea set from 1836, alongside a three-piece tea service from the same period, created by renowned silversmiths Richard Pearce & George Burrows II in London. Completing the selection is a Victorian silver three-piece tea set from 1869, embodying the intricate designs of the late 19th century. These exceptional tea sets serve as enduring symbols of the artistry and cultural importance of tea-drinking traditions.

‘March Interiors’ features a George III mahogany chest of drawers (estimate R 12 000 – 15 000), with a rectangular inlaid and crossbanded top above four graduated drawers, decorated with oval brass handles and escutcheons. The chest’s mellow patina and decorative frieze make it an ideal example of Georgian elegance, designed to be both functional and stylish. The sale includes other outstanding items such as Victorian brass measures (estimate R 30 000 – 35 000), a Dutch walnut and marquetry chest of drawers (estimate R 20 000 – 25 000) as well as an Anglo-Indian padouk military chest from the 19th century.  These military chests, popularised during the Napoleonic Wars,  were crafted with high quality in mind and designed for portability during military campaigns. 

The sale also includes a stunning Japanese Cloisonné Vase, made by the renowned Ando Cloisonné company in the late 19th/early 20th century, alongside a Japanese Blue and White Bottle Vase from the Meiji period, showcasing Japan’s transition into a modernized nation during the late 19th century.

Another treasure in the sale is the Chinese Blue and White ‘Nanking Cargo’ Porcelain, a set of six pieces recovered from the wreck of the Geldermalsen, a Dutch East India Company merchant ship that sank in 1752. These porcelain pieces highlight the global trade routes of the 18th century.

‘March Interiors’ includes a range of mirrors in varying styles and sizes. Mirrors have long been used for centuries for their practical function as well as their ability to enhance interior spaces by adding light and visual appeal. Among the notable mirrors in the sale is an early Georgian walnut gilded and painted wall mirror (estimate R 6 000 – 8 000), a Rococo style carved giltwood overmantel mirror (estimate R 10 000 – 15 000) and a Regency Federal style convex wall mirror (estimate R 8 000 – 10 000).

‘March Interiors’ tells the story of a slice of history through thoughtful design and timeless furniture and silverware.