Bonhams Offers the Bennett & Judie Weinstock Collection Led by Rare Staffordshire Pottery and Sporting Art

Bonhams lists The Bennett & Judie Weinstock Collection: Part I on its official calendar, scheduled to end on 21 October 2026. The sale presents a remarkable array of English pottery, Chinese export porcelain, and sporting art, led by an Important Staffordshire Lead-glazed Creamware Dovecote of Whieldon-type, Circa 1755-60, which carries an estimate of $40,000^[5] to $60,000^[2][2]. This rare ceramic piece is modeled as an octagonal two-storey building, featuring delicate doves emerging from pierced windows and resting on ledges, with additional doves perched on the tiled roof above.^[2] The doorway is molded in relief with a man and child standing beneath the title "A NEW PAVILION," all raised on a knopped stem and domed foot. This architectural form is understood to be derived from a saltglaze stoneware prototype, similar to a teapot preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Alongside this dovecote, the collection features Polito's Menagerie: An Extraordinary Staffordshire Table Base Group, Circa 1820, estimated at $30,000^[9] to $50,000^[4][4][3][3]. Attributed to the "Sherratt" pot bank, this elaborate group depicts a bustling scene with a six-panelled door lit by three lanterns and surmounted by a brightly colored banner showing an elephant with a crenelated howdah, surrounded by exotic animals and thirteen figures populating the steps below. The sporting art in the sale is led by Daniel Quigley's oil on canvas, The chaise match run by the Earls of March and Eglington, Newmarket Heath, 29 August 1750, carrying an estimate of $30,000 to $50,000. This expansive work is derived from James Seymour's celebrated composition depicting the famous carriage race.^[4] Additionally, a Five-piece Chinese Blue and White Porcelain Garniture Set Kangxi, estimated at $25,000^[8][7][6] to $40,000^[5], showcases the European taste for Chinese export porcelain, comprising three covered baluster jars and two beaker vases of gu form decorated with mountainous landscapes.^[5]

The collection also features exceptional examples of early English pearlware and coaching scenes that reflect the Weinstocks' discerning eye for historical charm and narrative detail. Among these are two distinct Leeds Pearlware Models of a Horse. The first, dating from Circa 1800-20, carries an estimate of $15,000 to $25,000^[8][7][6], while the second, dating from Circa 1820-30, is also estimated at $15,000 to $25,000. These pearlware horses represent a classic genre of English pottery, highly prized for their clean lines and hand-painted details. Complementing these ceramic figures is James Pollard's painting, Quicksilver, a Royal Mail coach, passing the Star and Garter, Brentford, which is estimated at $15,000 to $25,000. Pollard's work captures the energy and speed of early nineteenth-century travel, depicting the famous mail coach as it sweeps past a well-known coaching inn. Another notable ceramic piece is A Remarkable Lead-glazed Creamware Model of a Dovecote of Whieldon-type, Circa 1770, which is estimated at $20,000 to $30,000, offering a slightly later interpretation of the architectural dovecote theme.

To situate this single-owner sale within Bonhams' recent calendar, the house has conducted several specialized auctions in October. These include the Modern Design | Art sale, which realized $813,410^[1] across its offerings. Additionally, the sale of Printing and Process The David Godine Collection Part III achieved a total of $272,192^[1], while the History of Science, Technology & Computing auction brought in a total of $1,272,325^[1]. These varied sales demonstrate the breadth of Bonhams' autumn season across multiple collecting categories.

Looking at the broader market context and the house's operational scale, Bonhams has maintained a highly active presence throughout the year. Across all categories, the house's year-to-date performance stands at $174,567,409^[1] realized, maintaining a solid sell-through rate of 83.1%^[1]. The upcoming conclusion of the Weinstock collection sale will add further momentum to these figures, showcasing how specialized, single-owner decorative arts collections continue to attract dedicated bidding. According to the official Bonhams auction catalog, this sale represents the first part of the Bennett & Judie Weinstock Collection^[1], establishing a significant marker for English pottery and country-house style in the current market.