Antiques & Fine Art: The allure of the big house 

Bygone elegance or Mid-Century Modern, the choice is yours

This eight-panel Qing reverse painted mirror screen is at Sheppards' Barretstown House sale.

Big-house sales are always a draw.

There will be viewing at Barretstown House at Newbridge, Co Kildare, today and tomorrow for a sale by Sheppards to be conducted online in Durrow next Tuesday and Wednesday.

The late Peter Johnson worked on the interiors here. The auction of 788 lots will be broken up into four morning and afternoon sessions starting at 10am on Tuesday.

The range on offer includes everything from a pair of large early 20th-century marble Foo Dogs to a Riley snooker table, a set of 16 George II-style dining tables, a 19th century Chinese lacquered wedding cabinet, and a Qing Dynasty Imperial Court silk robe. 

Chinese lots range from a tiered set of lacquered boxes to a Qing altar table by way of blue and white jars and bowls, monochrome figures, brush pots, and a Qing reverse painted mirror screen.

There is furniture: Couches, rugs, chairs, porcelain, and collectibles with all the trappings of a luxurious nine-bedroomed family home and garden.

Two Red Boots on a Black Ground, a collage on felt by Jim Dine, from the collection of renowned architect Michael Scott, is at the Adams Mid-Century Modern sale next Tuesday.

Meantime, in Dublin there is viewing from 1pm to 5pm today and tomorrow, from 10am to 5pm on Monday and from 10am to noon on Tuesday for the James Adam Mid-Century Modern sale which kicks off online at 2pm on Tuesday.

The centrepiece of this sale is Lilium II by Joseph Walsh. Too large for the auction room and too pricey for most of us, it will be on view instead at the Throne Room in Dublin Castle. This marvellous intricate ash piece is estimated at €100,000-€150,000.

The AdamsLive platform can be used for bidding at a sale which includes a good selection of mid-20th-century furniture by well-known Italian and Danish makers, modern and contemporary paintings, lamps, mirrors, armchairs, desks, and tables.