Two historic pieces of furniture from the home of Irish literary icon Oscar Wilde are set to go under the hammer in Co Kilkenny this June, offering collectors and literature lovers a rare chance to own a piece of literary history.
© Irish Star | Roger Viollet Collection
Among the items is Wilde's antique writing desk, a Davenport desk crafted in 1830, believed to be the very place where the author penned some of his most renowned works, including The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest. The desk is expected to fetch between $10,000 and $15,000 at auction.
© Irish Star | fonsiemealy.ie
The desk, along with a grand French-style bed once owned by Wilde's mother, Lady Jane Wilde, will be featured in Fonsie Mealy's Summer Fine Art & Antique Sale on June 18 and 19. Both items hail from Wilde's former residence at 16 Tite Street in Chelsea, west London, where he lived with his wife Constance and their two sons before his arrest in 1895.
Wilde's connection to the furniture is deeply personal. The desk was removed from his home by close friend and artist Mortimer Menpes, just before a court-ordered auction of Wilde's belongings following his conviction for "gross indecency." It has remained preserved as a poignant relic of the writer's storied life.
© Irish Star | fonsiemealy.ie
The accompanying bed, estimated to sell for around $5,500, was originally purchased by Lady Wilde during the 1878 Exposition Universelle (Paris World's Fair). A writer and nationalist in her own right, she selected the ornate bed for its extravagant 19th-century French design — a testament to her own refined taste and cultural ties.
In addition to these prized pieces, the auction will also include a selection of rare and valuable antiques, including early 19th-century celestial and terrestrial globes, and a bronze sculpture by Russian artist Evgeny Lanceray.
For admirers of Wilde and lovers of literary heritage, this auction represents a unique opportunity to own artifacts connected to one of Ireland's most celebrated and complex cultural figures.
Source: www.irishstar.com