auction catalogue - Lincoln Cathedral

lincoln cathedr al
800 GUESTS TO CELEBRATE 800 YEARS
THE MAGNA CARTA DINNER
Friday, 5th June 2015
Auction Catalogue
Magna Carta Auction
Lot 01
House of Lords
A tour of the House of Lords followed by
lunch, on a mutually agreed date in the
autumn. Donated by Lord Cormack.
Lot 02
Chiselwood Screen
Nationally acclaimed bespoke kitchen
and furniture company, Chiselwood has a
reputation for attention to detail, quality and
innovative design. These distinctive qualities
are exemplified in this decorative screen
which replicates the nave of the cathedral.
The screen was originally inspired by a brief
from a client who married in the Cathedral
many years ago and who wanted a unique
room divider for their multi-million pound
new house project in the South of England.
It is made from Pippy Oak with the actual
screen being painted.
The highly skilled team of Chiselwood
cabinet makers produced the screen in
Chiselwood’s Saxilby workshop and used
exceptional skills to hand carve and hand
cut the frame and base. The decorative
screen was then laser cut using the latest
technology. It has taken over 80 hours to
create and was designed personally by
Chiselwood Founder and Design Director,
Martin Holliday.
This unique screen would provide a
stunning focal point in a number of
residential and commercial environments
including formal entrance, function room
or private residence or to create a bespoke
backdrop in a high end gallery’
217cm (H) x 110cm (W) x 47cm deep
Lot 03
Painting by former Artist in Residence
Biddy Hodgkinson
When I was asked if I could produce
a piece for the auction, I thought, “Oh
goodness me – what if it doesn’t sell?!”
I have been eating, breathing, and sleeping
Lincoln Cathedral and trying to access
Magna Carta for the past year. To me,
that means colour; colours connect my
thoughts to these places, they are the
colours of ageing and history, this appears
as rusting and decay and, yes, that is what
happens to buildings and documents they
Lot 04
Embroidery
by Dilys Jones,
Lincoln Cathedral’s Needlework Guild
Butterflies worked in fine silk
appliqued onto cloth of gold, being
drawn into the centre of the sunburst
which is worked in Japanese real
gold thread.
Embroidery: 57cm
age and decay, the colourful parts stay
interesting. I hope this painting does that.
It is made with iron, copper, bronze, chalk,
stone, beetroot, gold, and a little magic…..
64cm (H) x 55cm (W) incl frame
Lot 05
Gablet
Including an Apex
This is a reconstruction of a Gablet including
an Apex stone with a fleur-de-lys style of
carving on it. The stones were salvaged
whilst undertaking restoration works in 2012
from the South West Turret of the West
Front of Lincoln Cathedral and are roughly
90ft from the ground. This area is more
commonly referred to as ‘St Hugh’s Turret’.
The stones are dated to the 13th Century
making them part of the Early English
Period of build and varying examples of later
interventions are visible within the stones.
These include the dowels that were used to
fix a finial carving that would have sat on top
and various examples of cements.
100cm x 70cm x70cm
Lot 06
OIL ON CANVAS
Artist | Michael Belshaw
Cathedral Carpenter
This painting depicts the signing of
the Magna Carta under canvas at
Runnymede. Michael opted for the
traditional depiction with King John
signing the Magna Carta with a quill.
Later scholarship suggests that King
John was, or may have been, illiterate,
and that it was the King’s seal that
gave the document its authority.
The frame is of oak and was reclaimed
from the North West Transept East
Triforium roof during restoration work.
Timber in this roof can be dated back
to 1235. You can see one of the
original peg holes made by a Cathedral
carpenter centuries ago. The brackets
set into the corners of the frame are
made of brass, and were handmade for
this piece.
97.5cm (H) x 82cm (W), incl frame.
Lot 07
Lead Planters
Leadwork by Wesley Blythe
This unique pair of planters are handcrafted
from re-cast lead which was removed from
the East Triforium (lower roof) of the NorthWest Transept of Lincoln Cathedral. The
Planters are the first of their kind to be made
by Lincoln Cathedral. Each Planter has
taken approximately sixty hours to hand craft
using a combination of welding, bossing,
and casting techniques using traditional lead
roofing tools. The lead has been removed
from the Cathedral roof and traditionally
melted down to recast on a bed of sand to
form new lead sheets.
The Cathedral face of one planter has been
taken from the stone of the De Wint Tomb
situated inside the North-West Transept.
The Magna Carta face of the second planter
has been cast from a stone carving made
by the Head Carver at Lincoln Cathedral to
celebrate the 800 year anniversary of the
significant document.
Lot 08
Illumination
By Roy McDonald
This piece of work portrays one of the three
original clauses enshrined within the Magna
Carta which are still held valid within the law.
Magna Carta was laboriously penned in
Latin by Royal scribes using goose-quills on
sheepskin material which was easy and cheap
to produce. I have used sheepskin for this piece
of work to provide a touch of authenticity with
the period. However, unlike the Charter, I have
decorated and illuminated it using gouache and
burnished 24 carat English gold leaf.
Documents were authenticated by the
attachment of the King`s seal. In this case I
have illustrated the Royal Arms of England
extant from the reign of Henry II to 1340
when Edward III took the style and arms of the
Kings of France which he quartered with the
lions of England - `Gules three lions passant
guardant Or.` Also included in this piece of
work is the coat of arms of the City of Lincoln.
42cm (H) x 52cm (W) incl frame.
Each 41cm (H) x 41cm (W) x 30–32cm at
base. Please note that the planters weigh 35 kg each.
Lot 09
The Lincoln Pilgrim
Carving by Paul Ellis,
Oak mount lettering by Gary Jackson-Croft
The fleurs-de-lys on the pilgrim’s coat are
symbols of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom
the Cathedral is dedicated. The shell she
carries is a traditional badge worn by pilgrims
throughout the centuries.
Carved in a Lincolnshire Limestone by
Cathedral Stonemason, Paul Ellis, the pilgrim
is mounted on a base of medieval oak.
The oak was taken from the Cathedral’s
roof by the Works Department carpentry/
joinery team, as part of a programme of
conservation and restoration and has been
lettered by Joiner, Gary Jackson-Croft.
65cm (H) x 37cm x 26cm at base.
Lot 10
Stained Glass Lancet
& Stone Plinth
Glass & Metalwork by Dan Beal, Stone by Sebastian Kirmaier
as it was written. The window has been
made using traditional glazing techniques
which have changed little since the time of
King John.
The stained glass lancet, produced to
commemorate the 800th anniversary of
the Magna Carta, has been designed
to emulate the archetypal style of glass
which was prevalent in the early 13th
Century. Windows such as this, depicting
biblical narratives, would have illuminated
churches and cathedrals throughout
England. Extant examples can still be
found in the North and South Transepts
of Lincoln Cathedral.
This autonomous panel depicts the ever
unpopular and avaricious King John. It
represents the Kings duplicitous decision
to add his seal to the Magna Carta at
Runnymede and his subsequent appeal to
have the charter annulled almost as soon
The stone plinth is made of Lincoln
Silverbed, an Oolitic limestone formed
in the Jurassic period approximately 175
million years ago. This type of sedimentary
rock was used in the construction of
Lincoln Cathedral. It would have been
originally quarried in close proximity
to the Cathedral and to this day, the
Cathedral operates its own quarry within
the boundaries of the city of Lincoln from
where this work piece has been extracted.
The design of the plinth is inspired by
original 13th Century mouldings found
on many English buildings from this
period. It depicts the general style of the
Early English gothic period and similar
arrangements of this type of moulding
can be found within the architecture of
the Cathedral.
82cm (H) x 61cm (W) x 26.5cm (D).
Lot 11
Magna Carta
on vellum
To celebrate the 800th Anniversary of the sealing of Magna
Carta, the Dean and Chapter have commissioned an exact
replica of the Lincoln Cathedral original document and, like
the original, it is on vellum (stretched calfskin). This has been
conservation mounted and framed with 12th Century oak from
the Cathedral. This is a unique piece for the auction.
78cm (H) x 76.5cm (W) incl frame
Description on plaque:
In Commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of the
sealing of Magna Carta 1215 - 2015 Lincoln Cathedral
Lot 12
carving of
Stephen Langton
Archbishop of Canterbury
As part of the 800th Anniversary
celebrations of Magna Carta, The Dean
and Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral have
commissioned a carving that would celebrate the significant and lasting
contribution to English history of Stephen
Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury. The
carving will be fixed inside the Cathedral, in the North East transept. To date, this is
the only carving to be sponsored inside the Cathedral.
Archbishop Stephen Langton was a
Lincolnshire man and a key figure in
the evolution of Magna Carta, writing a
substantial part of the finished document,
including the clause guaranteeing the
freedom of the English Church. This is the
first carving in the Cathedral recognising
the importance of this Lincolnshire man in
shaping modern democracy. It celebrates the
life and work of one of the greatest men in
early 13th Century English history.
The successful sponsor will be presented
with a replica cast of the carving: only one
replica will be made.
Commission bid Form
Please bid for me on my behalf for:
LOT NO 1
UP TO £
LOT NO 7
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LOT NO 2
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LOT NO 8
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LOT NO 3
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LOT NO 9
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LOT NO 4
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LOT NO 10
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LOT NO 5
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LOT NO 11
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LOT NO 6
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LOT NO 12
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I agree to pay for each and every lot purchased on my behalf, up to the limit given above.
I note that there will be no commission or VAT payable on the Lots.
I confirm I will contact the Events Office at Lincoln Cathedral to pay for my Lot and
arrange collection by Monday 22nd June 2015
NAME
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Please complete and return to : Rose Williams Events Officer
Lincoln Cathedral | 4 Priorygate | Lincoln | LN2 1PL
email eventsofficer@lincolncathedral.com
COMMISSION BID FORMS MUST BE RECEIVED BY WEDNESDAY 3RD JUNE 2015, TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS