Looking for inspiration this Christmas? Whyte’s auction on Monday 11 December will offer shoppers a chance to acquire something different for their walls or stockings this festive season. From artworks to ceramics, jewellery, silver, sports memorabilia, rare movie posters and fine wines and spirits Whyte’s have Christmas wrapped up!

The first 97 lots in the auction are paintings from The Estate of the Artist Robert Taylor Carson HRUA (1919-2008) who studied in the Belfast College of Art and, on scholarship, travelled worldwide documenting his time in paint. He has been widely collected at auction over the years particularly for his landscapes of Donegal, his keen eye for portraiture and a sympathetic portrayal of animals. This exciting collection - with excellent provenance - includes every genre of picture and among the best examples to be seen on the secondary market in recent years. 

Guides from €150 to €3,000. 

                       

All the well-known names from the major art sale are included in this sale; the difference being their guide range. Affordable examples of smaller works by Gerard Dillon, Daniel O’Neill, Colin Middleton and William Conor will delight those hoping to access the art market on a tight budget. Contemporary names such as Louis le Brocquy, Basil Blackshaw, JB Vallely and Markey Robinson will also attract attention. Academic collectors will be keen on rare editions of art publications such as The Robert Ballagh Monograph (lot 211 €800-1,000) or Vanishing Dublin (lot 213A €200-300) or a “mixed bag” of Christmas cards and original artworks from the McClelland collection (lot 199 €300-500). Ceramics by Sonja Landweer guide from €150 and sleek marble sculptures by Dick Joynt (€800-1,000) are sure to find a new home. 

Rare and interesting wines and spirits are a feature of this festive auction. Few can claim to have a bottle of Acushla Finest Old Irish Whiskey in their sideboard; the brand was part of the Dublin Whiskey Export Co. and flourished in America in the years before Prohibition. Like many Irish whiskeys, Acushla disappeared in the 1920s because of America’s ban on alcohol and the brand faded from memory, until now. Lot 324, a bottle of Acushla, Estimate €800-€1,200. 

There are some fine wines included in this sale such as three lots of two 375ml bottles of Chateau D' Yquem Sur Saluces, 1962. Chateau D’Yquem enjoys a reputation as one of the great wine of the World and it still holds the record of the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold. In July 2011, an 1811 bottle of Château d'Yquem sold for £75,000 at the Ritz in London to a private collector. Someone can sample its delights for more a modest cost at the Whyte Christmas auction. Lots 346-348 each carry estimates of €150-€200.

As anyone who has studied Irish silver knows, fashion in the decorative arts in Ireland typically followed what was happening in Europe but decades later. However, once an innovation was adopted by Irish craftsmen it tended to flourish into something distinctly Irish. One object in this year’s Whyte Christmas auction which illustrates this is this water jug by the Kilkenny Design Workshops. An Irish silversmith’s reaction to the sharp, clean lines of mid-20th century design is apparent in this stylish silver water jug, lot 255 is part of 30-lots of silver and is estimated at €300-€500.

A small range of jewellery and watches includes a rare 18th century Irish gold cased pocket watch by Charles Craig of Dublin. Signed by the maker and in its original numbered, gold case, this is a rare survivor. Lot 268, €2,500-€3,500 is the top lot is a group of pocket watches and wrist watches in this auction. 

Sergio Leone's "Dollars Trilogy" of Spaghetti Western films: A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly must feature in many men’s greatest movies list. Our Whyte Christmas auction includes the posters for all three films, lots 306-308, estimates €300-€700,. For tastes leaning towards the comic, the very rare poster for Carry on Cowboy, lot 310, estimate €500-€700, may fit the bill.    

When Tiger Woods competed in the American Express Championship in Mount Juliet in 2004, he was assisted by his long-time caddy Steve Williams, from whom he later famously spli. A baseball cap signed to the peak by Tiger Woods and Steve Williams, together with a tournament-played Nike golfball named 'TIGER' and a ticket and lanyard for the tournament are lot 302, estimate €500-€700. 

Despite scoring three tries in four matches against Ireland, Jonah Lomu was universally loved here. On one visit to Ireland he was kind enough to sign a rugby ball for a young boy, who, ten years later is now happy to pass it on. It is lot 288, estimate €80-€120.     

All the lots are on display with full descriptions at www.whytes.ie

This wonderful auction – comprising over 350 lots – will be on view at Whyte’s Galleries, 38 Molesworth Street from Wednesday 6 December and through that weekend 10am-5pm mid-week and 2-6pm Saturday & Sunday; admission is free. The auction will take place in historic Freemasons Hall, Molesworth Street on Monday 11 December at 6pm and will be broadcast live on the internet at whytes.ie, invaluable.com, auctionzip.com, encheres.lefigaro.fr and the-saleroom.com; collectors around the world can bid live from their computers, smart TV’s, mobile phones or android devices.