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A LIFESIZE figure of a girl in a hammock intricately produced from a single piece of marble and discovered in a garden in South Wales, where it had been for the past fifty years is among the highlights of the second sale of Garden Statuary, Architectural Items and Decorative Fossils at Summers Place Auctions (In association with Sotheby’s), which will take place in Billingshurst, West Sussex on Tuesday, October 21, 2008. The sculpture by Antonio Frilli dates from the late 19th century and is estimated to fetch £50,000-80,000.

More than 150 items comprising fountains; urns; seats; sundials and figures will be offered in the second sale by Summers Place Auctions (In association with Sotheby’s). Their first sale in May was extremely successful and realised over £2million. The sale will include a vast range of objects from the Jurassic period to the late 20th century.

Among the contemporary pieces is a bronze fountain depicting a reclining nude woman by Italian sculptor Enzo Plazzotta, dating from 1979, which is estimated to fetch £20,000-30,000. Plazzotta, who died in 1981, aged 60 years spent more than half his life in London and established himself as a portrait sculptor and also, like Degas, developed an interest in the portrayal of ballet dancers. Nureyev, Fonteyn, Sibley and Dowell were among the many dancers who came to his studio.

Another fountain of interest by William Pye is in the form of a geometric shape and made from bronze. It is expected to fetch £15,000-25,000. William Pye was born in London in 1938 and studied at the Wimbledon School of Art from 1958-61 before studying at the Royal College between 1961-65. He has produced numerous public and private commissions such as Zemran on the South Bank of the Thames and Slipstream and Jetstream in Gatwick Airports North Terminal and the Water Wall in the British Pavilion at the Seville Expo of 1992. Other pieces are at Wilton House and Highgrove.

An extremely rare lead figure of Punch attributed to John Cheere, dating from the mid 18th century is estimated at £20,000-30,000. Until his death in 1787, Cheere was considered to be the leading producer of lead statuary, and focused on more traditional, classical and rustic subjects. Therefore this subject matter would have been a pleasant change allowing him to accentuate Punch's exaggerated limping gait, extravagant moustache, beak-like nose and jutting chin. A rare lead figure of a mower, also by Cheere sold for more than £50,000 in Summers Place Auction’s sale in May 2008.

A powerful stone figure of Hercules, dating from late 17th century and produced in the Low Countries, embodies two of the twelve labours he performed. In his left hand is the olive wood club with which he battered to death the Nemean lion; while in his right hand he holds the two golden apples of the Hesperides. It is expected to fetch £40,000-60,000.

Three fascinating pieces are among the earliest objects in the sale. An exceptionally large Holtzmagen Crinoid is estimated at £30,000-50,000. Dating from the Jurassic period (which began 210 million years ago), the crinoid measures 213cm high by 110cm wide. A smaller crinoid from the same era sold in Summers Place Auction’s sale in May 2008 for world record price of £43,700.

A rare pair of Mammoth Tusks from Siberia and dating from the Pleistocene period (1.6 million-10,000 years ago) is estimated at £20,000-30,000. Each tusk is mounted on a bronze stand and measures 158cm and weighs in the region of 9kilos, while a pair of fossilized Irish elk antlers, also from the same period and measuring a massive 2.5metres is expected to fetch £8,000-12,000. The most well preserved and largest specimens have been discovered in the peat bogs of Ireland often in the 18th and 19th Centuries by labourers digging peat for fuel.

Within the sealed bid auction, which will be on view at the same time as the live auction, and consists of almost 350 lots, will be 10 lots of alpine troughs which were recently removed from Ingwersen’s Nursery at Birch Farm, Gravetye, East Sussex and carry estimates ranging from £250-600. Walter Ingwersen, born of Danish parents in Hamburg had spent a number of years in the South of England working on nurseries and botanical gardens, including running the Rock Garden at Wisley Gardens in the latter years of the First World War. Assisted by his son, Will, Walter built up what is now recognized both at home and internationally as one of the most comprehensive collections of alpines and other hardy plants. Both he and Will undertook many plant hunting expeditions in the temperate mountains of the world. For the last 20 years, under the directorship of Paul Ingwersen, Will’s half brother, the business has expanded. The nursery has exhibited at about 60 flower shows every year, including Chelsea, at which it has been represented, without a break since it’s inception and has received many awards, including gold and silver gilt. It also has close associations with the Royal Horticultural society and with the Alpine Garden Society. Paul Ingwersen is now retiring and selling Birch Farm.