Whetting your appetite for art deco furniture

IT IS unusual to find a good suite of art deco furniture in an Irish auction so there is likely to be considerable interest in the dining-room furniture in James Adam's sale next Wednesday.

Even those who do not particularly like the art deco style may be taken by this handsome ensemble of walnut/satinwood veneer - there is a big chunky table, six chairs that will be infinitely smarter with new, plain covers instead of their flowered plush velvet, a four-door sideboard with masses of storage space and a chic little drinks trolley for cocktails. There is even a standard lamp to match. The furniture is being sold in one lot with an estimate of £4,000-£6,000.

More conservative buyers will prefer lot 248, a beautiful suite of Louis Seize giltwood furniture, upholstered in pale yellow old silk damask. The seven pieces include a two-seater settee and a pair of armchairs. The top estimate is £5,000.

Otherwise there is a good selection of nice, solid furniture with the odd curiosity thrown in among the 460-odd lots. Among the usual lots of dining tables is a large Victorian mahogany, oval telescopic extending dining table that came from a religious house. It would seat 6 or 20 comfortably, depending on how many of its four leaves you add. The estimate is £3,000-£5,000.

There is a nice William IV supper table, with a beaded rim and carved base (£2,000-£3,000); a good Regency inlaid rosewood card table (up to £3,500); and a fussy Louis Seize lift-top occasional table, decorated with Sevres panels (£1,500-£2,000). A William IV circular table, with its top covered with a needlework panel under glass, must have taken many weary hours to complete. It is also expected to make £1,500-£2,000.

A pretty little pietra dura occasional table could go for as little as £500, and a very large Sheraton-style bowfront sideboard, made by Michael Butler of Dublin, would be impressive in a huge dining-room. Its top estimate is £3,000. A handsome 19th century Dutch marquetry elbow chair, inlaid with mother-of-pearl, could make up to £900 and there are several sets of dining chairs on offer. A miniature George III-style fork-back chair with a hide seat, made by Millar & Beatty, would be a nice introduction to antiques for a child. It is estimated at £200-£300.

A child would also love the collection of colourful, moulded plaster Indian figures - 21 of them dressed in different traditional dress, according to their trade or caste. According to Stuart Cole of James Adam, these could well have been used to instruct British civil servants bound for India on the intricacies of the caste system. Not surprisingly, there has been some interest from UK dealers, and it is likely that the catalogue's estimate of £80-£140 will be just the starting point for bids.