A LATE Islander’s rare art and antiques collection has fetched more than £1 million at a London auction.
A total of 567 lots from The George Farrow Collection went under the hammer at Roseberys in what auctioneers called a “significant” and “popular” array of rare and historical items.
More than 1,000 bidders from all over the world sought to get their hands on one of the items.
The sales totalled £1,071,000, with the standout lot being a 17th-century North Italian marble relief of Marcus Curtius – a mythological young Roman who offered himself to the gods of Hades – which sold for £91,240, far above its estimate of £1,000.
A northern Italian tapestry was also acquired by the Museo di Palazzo Ducale in Mantua, Italy, and will be displayed in its Hall of Arms.
Mr Farrow’s Italianate villa in Anne Port, which housed the collection, is still on sale with Hunt Estates for £14 million.
Anna Evans, head of sales at Roseberys London, said it had been a “privilege” to be entrusted with the sale of Mr Farrow’s collection.
“The sale provided a window into one man’s life-long passion for collecting beautiful works of art from across the globe,” she added.
The collection featured artefacts on par with those found in world-renowned institutions, including pieces from the V&A in London, The Met in New York and the LA Mayer Collection in Jerusalem.
