Mirrors sold for a pittance recover their value

The two George II carved giltwood mirrors are to be sold at Bonhams' Fine English Furniture and Works of Art sale on November 3.

Originally they were part of a set of four probably designed for Henry, 4th Earl of Carlisle (1694-1758) by John Vardy and showing the influence of William Kent.

The mirrors have attracted a pre-sale estimate of 100,000 – 150,000. Having passed by descent through five generations, the mirrors were bought by a London dealer, Lionel Harris Junior, in 1929.

Three years later, Harris was contacted by the leading furniture historian R W Symonds, who had been employed to find a pair of mirrors for Bowden Hall in Derbyshire.

In the lean times following the Wall Street Crash, Symonds was ready to haggle. Although there were four mirrors, he only wanted two of them and persuaded Harris to sell at a loss.

Harris wrote to Symonds: "The four (mirrors] cost me 650. As I understand your client would require a pair, I would be willing to sell one of the pairs for 250 cash.

"At this price, they are very cheap, as in 1929 I was asking 900 for the four, and it is only in order to do some business that I am willing to cut a loss."