Javanese Volcanic Stone Stele of Vishnu, Possibly 15th Century
Daily Image: A Three Piece Sterling Silver Teaset
Auction Highlights: Week of June 18-24
Pair of Georg Jensen, Denmark Two Light Candelabra, 20th C.
Selections from Nye and Company’s Fine & Decorative Arts, Militaria and Rock & Roll Memorabilia Auction comprise this week’s auction highlights. Top lots include: a Pair of Georg Jensen, Denmark Two Light Candelabra, 20th C.; a Posen 800 German Silver Rococo Jardniere With Liner, Early 20th C.; a Hand Painted Royal Vienna Porcelain Urn, Austria, 20th C.; and a Oil on Canvas entitled “Child in White Dress” by Gustavo Montoya (1905-2003) Mexico, 20th C.
Pair of Georg Jensen, Denmark Two Light Candelabra, 20th C.
Estimate
$15,000 – 20,000
Description
Impressed #244, hand hammered raised on a pod form support on a stepped spreading pedestal base and the two arms each of reeded leaf capped twist, total weight approx. 82 T.O.
Price Realized
$ 23,781 after buyer’s premium
Posen 800 German Silver Rococo Jardniere With Liner, Early 20th C.
Estimate
$2,500 – 3,000
Description
Very ornate floral swirl and putti motif, with removeable copper liner, weight approx. 62 T.O.
Price Realized
$ 7,502 after buyer’s premium
Hand Painted Royal Vienna Porcelain Urn, Austria, 20th C.
Estimate
$800 – 1,200
Description
Depicting a garden scene with two lady’s,one seated and one standing
Price Realized
$ 7,501 after buyer’s premium
Oil on Canvas, Child in White Dress,Gustavo Montoya(1905-2003) Mexico, 20th C.
Estimate
$4,000 – 6,000
Description
Bears signature l.r. Gustavo Montoya
Price Realized
$ 6,900 after buyer’s premium
Other notable lots from last week’s auctions include:
Sapper Engineers, French, Late 19th C./ 20th C
$ 4,200
Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Tea Urn, American 20th C.
$ 4,184
14K Yellow Gold Mesh Evening Bag, American 20th C.
$ 4,080
Elizabeth Locke 18K Yellow Gold Pearl, Venetian Glass and Roman Coins, 20th C.
$ 4,080
Oil on Board Seascape, “The Wild Sea,” Paul Henry (1876-1958) Ireland
$ 3,960
Pair of Cast Bronze Figural Bookends, “Pushing Men,” Isidore Konti(1862-1938)
$ 3,799
Daily Image: A Chinese Cinnabar Bowl
Daily Image: Chinese Porcelain Blue and White Double Gourd Vase, 18th Century
Sale Highlights: Modernist Earrings by Art Smith
Arthur Smith (1917-1982) was one of the most prominent figures within the field of modernist jewelry. Modernist jewelry was a mid-20th century movement that was relevant in its being part of the creation of a new fashion aesthetic that directly was influenced and inspired by the fine art movements of the time, including surrealism, biomorphicism and primitivism. By creating this new aesthetic and fusing fine art with artisanship, the modernist jewelers brought fine art into the everyday experience. This lot from the Small Treasures Auction Presented by Bill Lowrie Antiques is an example of a typical Art Smith silver and hardstone work.
Daily Image: Two Similar Chinese Iron Red Decorated Porcelain Vases, 20th Century
Daily Image: Chinese Porcelain Blue and White Dish, Modern
Category Highlights: Ivory
Pair of Chinese Carved Ivory Figures of Beauties and a Carved Ivory Lohan, c. 1920
Ivory is a term used to describe tusks of large teeth from a number of species, the most common being the elephant. As ivory is derived from animals, it is regulated based on many factors, including species, age, and whether it is carved or raw. For example, ivory from African and Asian elephants fall under different laws and regulations governing their sale because the Asian variety is closer to extinction.
In China, Ivory is prized as a material for being both hard and durable, but also easy to carve, and therefore allows very intricate carving. Craftsmen can take ivory and use it to show off their abilities at carving, as evidenced by the multi-layered puzzle balls above. Puzzle balls can have up to 15 layers hidden within their outer shell.
Also popular in China from as early as the Ming dynasty were ivory figural carvings of deities, a tradition that has lasted and has now expanded to include female beauties, or the emperor or empress.
Daily Image: Japanese Ca. 1930′s Hasui original woodblock print
Nye & Company’s Platinum Print of John Lennon, Jim Marshall Photographer
A video by John Nye from Nye & Company discussing the Platinum Print of John Lennon taken by the photographer Jim Marshall.
Nye & Company’s Platinum Print of John Lennon, Jim Marshall Photographer from iGavel, Inc. on Vimeo.
Auction Highlights: June 11-17
Works of Charles Dickens , 30 Volumes
Selections from Locati Auctions’ June Sale top this week’s list of auction highlights. The top lots include: a Large Chinese Carved Wooden Figure; a Kittinger Williamsburg Mahogany Cabinet; a Japanese Model Palanquin; a Partial Set of Kirk Sterling Flatware; and the Works of Charles Dickens, 30 Volumes.
Large Chinese Carved Wooden Figure- This large wooden figure depicts an immortal holding a scroll and riding a foo dog. Composed of carved wood with polychrome decoration on a rectangular base, this figure sold for six times its high estimate, ultimately achieving $ 3,600 after buyer’s premium over 19 bids and 12 minutes 36 seconds of extended bidding.
Kittinger Williamsburg Mahogany Cabinet – This Chippendale style piece of Mahogany furniture was made by the Kittinger company, a manufacturer of replica antiques from 1929-1995. This cabinet comes in two parts: the lower case with ogee bracket feet below two paneled doors, two short drawers and a sliding writing surface; and the upper case with molded cornice and two glazed doors. This lot sold for $ 1,572 after buyer’s premium over five bids.
Japanese Model Palanquin – This model palanquin dates from the 19th Century and features a fine composition of lacquer and metal mounting. Because of its size, this item was probably made to celebrate a wedding: the repeated decoration of two distinct Mons, emblems used to decorate or identify a family, as a pattern along the outside seems to represent the merging of two notable families. This lot, which had a starting bid of only $ 10, more than doubled its pre-auction high estimate, closing at $ 1,214 after buyer’s premium over 25 bids.
Partial Set of Kirk Sterling Flatware- The notable Baltimore silversmiths Samuel Kirk & Son manufactured flatware from 1815 to 1979, when it merged with The Stieff Company. Known for being one of the pioneers of repousse treatment, which forms patterns in releif. This elegant partial set, however, features only a plain Old English type pattern, each piece monogrammed “G.” The lot is comprised of eight butter spreaders, two serving spoons, eight teaspoons, eight dessert forks, eight place forks and seven place knives with loaded handles and stainless steel blades. After three bids, the lot sold for $ 1,143 after buyer’s premium.
Works of Charles Dickens, 30 Volumes - This collection of Dicken’s works was published by Chapman and Hall circa 1860. Featuring illustrations by George Cruikshank, and full leather binding with gilt lettering at the spines, this elegant set of one of the world’s best known novelists is an excellent addition to any library. The collection sold for $ 972 after buyer’s premium on six bids.
Other highlights from this past week’s auctions include:
Rose Point Pattern Sterling Silver Coffee Service – Wallace
$ 972
Russian 14k gold and enamel egg fringe necklace
$ 960
Sterling Silver Center Bowl and Candlesticks – Tuttle
$ 915
Sale Highlights: Militaria from Nye & Company
Victorian First Cavalry Household Lifeguard Union Standard, English, Second Half 19th C.
Militaria rounds out the collection of antiques currently available at auction in Nye & Company’s Fine & Decorative Arts, Militaria and Rock & Roll Memorabilia Auction through June 19th. The collection of militaria was acquired over the years from a gallery located on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach. This group includes helmets, uniforms and swords primarily of 19th and 20th century English origin.
NCO Clamshell Sword, Ames Manufacturing Company, American, 19th C. – This clamshell sword was produced by the historical Ames Manufacturing Company, Chicopee, Massachusetts, known for producing swords and armaments. The sword was to be carried for all Non-Commissioned Officers from sergeants and corporals to hospital stewards and specialized troops during the last two years of the American Civil War by regulation. Heavily influenced by British swordsmiths, the hilt is is made of of solid brass and all embellishments are cast.
This lot includes a number of regulation holsters and belts, whose buckles feature quintessential American iconography including bald eagles, laurels, and the United State’s defacto motto, “E Pluribus Unum.” The lot has a starting bid of $ 900.
Heavy Cavalry Seventh Dragoon Helmet, British, Late 19th C. / Early 20th C. -
The Seventh Dragoon Guards were a heavy cavalry unit of the British army. The regiment was first raised as Lord Cavendish’s Regiment of Horse in 1685, but did not receive its title of the Seventh Dragoon Guards until 1788, when they were reapportioned for Princess Charlotte, receiving the moniker “The Princess Royal’s Dragoon Guards.” Dragoon guards were trained in horse riding and infantry war skills.
This helmet dates from the late 19th to early 20th century: the medallion affixed to the crest indicates that the helmet predates the company’s amalgamation with the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards to form the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards in 1922. The lot has a starting bid of $ 2,500.
British Dress Officer’s Bengal Lancer Uniform, Indian, Circa 19th C. - The history of Bengal Lancers began during the 18th Century in the state of Awadh, in today’s northern India, becoming Bengal’s first cavalry. By the mid-19th Century, these horsemen were under the control of the British Army, which saw them expanded and reorganised into a force of cavalry regiments known collectively as Lancers for the long and lightweight bamboo lances they carried into battle. Most officers were British or Anglo-Indian; all ranks wore British uniform, often with Indian flourishes and headwear. This lot has a starting bid of $ 2,500.
Victorian First Cavalry Household Lifeguard Union Standard, English, Second Half 19th C. – The Household Lifeguards were a constituent part of the British army’s Household Divisions, the country’s most elite military regiments whose charge it was to protect the heads of state. Originally raised by Charles II around the time of the restoration, the Household Lifeguards were strictly members of the cavalry until World War I, and were merged into the Household Divisions in 1928. This particular lot is inscribed with some of the cavalry’s most distinguished battles, most remarkably at Waterloo. The lot has a starting bid of $ 8,000.
Napoleon First Empire Light Cavalry Seventh Hussars Jacket, Early 19th C. – Hussars refer to a particular type of light cavalry typically found in European armies from the 15th century onward. As light cavalrymen mounted on fast horses, they would be used to fight skirmish battles and for scouting, which was particular useful during the Napoleonic Wars (1796–1815).
The uniform of the Napoleonic hussars included the pelisse: a short fur edged jacket which was often worn slung over one shoulder in the style of a cape, and was fastened with a cord. This garment was extensively adorned with braiding (often gold or silver for officers) and several rows of multiple buttons. Under it was worn the dolman or tunic which was also decorated in braid. The French hussar of the Napoleonic period was armed with a brass hilted sabre, a carbine and sometimes with a brace of pistols, although these were often unavailable.
Hussars were notoriously impetuous, and Napoleon was quoted as stating that he would be surprised for a hussar to live beyond the age of 30 due to their tendency to become reckless in battle. For a Hussar jacket, this lot is in fairly good condition. The lot has a starting bid of $ 5,000.
Click to see other items from the Militaria and Rock and Roll collections.
Click to see all lots in Nye & Company’s Fine & Decorative Arts, Militaria and Rock & Roll Memorabilia Auction.
Daily Image: BERNARD LAMOTTE, ”Painting of the Pavilion 55th St.”, ink wash
Category Highlights: Baccarat and Other Unique Paperweights
Baccarat Squirrel Silhouette Cane Paperweight, 1972
This week, iGavel’s paperweight category features a voluminous collection of notable Paperweights from a Midwestern collector. Today, we examine three various types of paperweights and talk about their methods of manufacture.
Baccarat Squirrel Silhouette Cane Paperweight, 1972 Side – Baccarat is a producer of crystal glass whose name hails from its origin, Baccarat, a town in eastern France’ Lorraine region. The company’s regal history was initiated In 1734 by King Louis XV, who gave permission for the town to found a glassworks factory for the production of window panes, mirrors and stemware. By the time the first crystal oven went into operation in 1816, the company had grown to a sizable stature, and received its first royal commission in 1823. Over the next few centuries, Baccarat has built a reputation as one of the finest manufacturers of glassware including stemware, chandeliers, barware, and perfume bottles.
This silhouette cane paperweight was made by pressing rods of hot molten glass into a mold of the figure, and then pressing another gather of molten glass into a mold for the surrounding glass. The resulting impression would be stretched out into the corresponding shape, in this case a squirrel silhouette, and then incorporated into the paperweight. This one, manufactured in 1972 and marked/numbered ’346′, has a starting bid of $ 150.
Well Defined Sulfide Surrounded by a Red and Green Torsad, 19th Century – Sulfide paperweights are usually made with an inlay, usually a portrait or bust in relief. Sulfides, also called “cameo incrustations,” are made of china clay and supersilicate of potash, contributing to their white, chalky color and texture. These portraits are most often found inserted in paperweights, scent bottles, decanters, and a variety of other glassware.
This paperweight is a particularly nice example of early sulfides, dating to the 19th Century. The portrait is well defined and visible, and the colorful torsad around the edge makes the object both decorative and depictive. The starting bid on this item is $ 100.
English Victorian Floret Pedestal Paperweight and Another Paperweight, 19th Century – Pedestal Paperweights are paperweights mounted on a small pedestal. This example, made during the Victorian era, is interesting because the mottled colors are used on both the flower petals and on the pedestal stem. Further, the globe is arranged with trapped air bubbles along the exterior and one central elongated air bubble around which the entire motif is designed. Often, at the end of the day, glassmakers would use the remaining glass cane to make paperweights for friends or family. This lot has a starting bid of $ 100.
All lots in the Paperweights Sale from a Midwestern Collector are avaiable at auction on iGavelAuctions.com through June 20th.
Daily Image: French Sapper Helmet, 19th C.
French Sapper Helmet, 19th C.
Auction Highlights – Week of June 4-10
Irving Penn (American, 1917-2009), Gelatin Silver Prints inc. Balenciaga, 1950 Single
Last week’s auctions were dominated by a collection from Ruggerio and Associates’ Spring Auction containing some fine examples of American portraiture and Chinese porcelain, as well as a collection of fashion photographic prints by Irving Penn. Highlights from the sale include: a Ming Dynasty Chinese blue and white covered box, Wanli mark and period; a family miniature collection by Charles Campbell Worthington (American, 1854-1944); a Chinese blue and white Ming style porcelain Hu form hexagonal vase with stand; an oil on ivory panel portrait of General James Gadsden by Charles Fraser (American, 1782-1860); and 3 Irving Penn (American, 1917-2009) Gelatin Silver Prints for Balenciaga, 1950.
Ming Chinese blue and white covered box, Wanli mark and period- This uniquely shaped blue and white porcelain box bears a Wanli dynastic inscription on the bottom. Of ingot shape with half rounded ends and deep waisted sides, the box is painted with a pair of five clawed dragons contesting a flaming pool on top, and further dragons in a running frieze around the sides and base. The rims boast demi-florettes in a zigzag pattern.
The lot was extended by two minutes and 32 seconds as it achieved $ 19,796.40, nearly five times its pre-auction high estimate, with buyer’s premium after 14 bids.
Charles Campbell Worthington (American, 1854-1944) Family Miniature Collection – This collection of miniature portraits draws the picture of a quintessential American family. Charles Campbell Worthington was an American industrialist and early PGA founder of Shawnee Country Club. The 6 miniatures include: C.C. Worthington (1854-1944) in blue enamel framed locket, on ivory, unsigned; his mother, Sara Newton Worthington, on ivory, unsigned, in gold plated locket; two sisters, Sara Newton Worthington, in 14k gold locket and another sister, in gold plated locket, both signed C.F. Howard; an early 19th Century miniature portrait of father-in-law Commodore John Thomas Newton (Alexandria, VA, 1793-1857), in tested 10-12k gold frame locket, painted on ivory, unsigned, possibly by Benjamin Trott (1770-1843); another C.F. Howard signed miniature portrait of Helen Alice Rice, on ivory, dated 1907.
After 23 bids and over five minutes of extended bidding, this collection sold for $ 15,600 with buyer’s premium.
Chinese blue and white Ming style porcelain Hu form hexagonal vase with stand – This porcelain Hu form vase, originally from a South Florida private collection, features straight sides and a concave neck with a scrolling lotus design, separated by the broad band of white capped waves pattern around the sloping shoulders. Other decorative motifs include the base with petal lappets, and the neck and foot with key fret decoration repeated on the bamboo sectioned handles. The base is marked with a six-character Qianlong (乾隆) seal mark, and the item is featured on a pierced carved teakwood base.
Estimated at $3,000-5,000, this lot nearly tripled its high estimate, ultimately selling for $ 14,400 after buyer’s premium over 25 bids that extended the sale by nearly twenty minutes of competitive bidding.
Charles Fraser (American, 1782-1860) oil on ivory panel portrait of General James Gadsden - General James Gadsden (American, 1788-1858) was an important figure in 19th century America. He served in the Army under General Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812, established Fort Gadsden and Fort Brooke (present day Tampa) in Florida, was the commissioner involved in the expulsion of the Seminole Indians from Florida and Southern Georgia to Oklahoma, presided over the South Carolina Railroad Company from 1840 to 1850, worked to establish a southern transcontinental railway route and slavery in Southern California, and negotiated in his capacity as U.S. Minister to Mexico the Gadsden Treaty, 1853, in which over 30,000 square miles of land in New Mexico and Arizona was purchased from Mexico and the U.S./Mexican border was firmly delineated. Gadsden was buried in St. Philips Church Cemetery in Charleston, South Carolina. For more information on the portrait’s subject see James Gadsden’s Wikipedia Entry.
This painting, accompanied by a newspaper clipping from Charleston Evening Post from Friday, May 7, 1971 picturing the portrait and discussing the ceremony in Florida, which displayed the painting at the opening of Fort Gadsden State Park, was descended in the Gadsden family until its recent sale on iGavel. After three bids, the lot realized $ 13,800 with buyer’s premium.
Irving Penn (American, 1917-2009), Gelatin Silver Prints inc. Balenciaga, 1950 – This excellent set of fashion prints by iconic American photographer Irving Penn was brought to auction from the estate of Louis J. Gartner, Jr. After graduating from Cornell in 1947, Lou came to New York and became the assistant of the young and brilliant fashion photographer Irving Penn. As Penn’s assistant, Lou became deeply involved in the world of high fashion and design and became very friendly with the great fashion photographers of the period, forming friendships that would continue for the rest of their lives. The Gartner Photographic Archive includes photographs given to Lou during this period, and over 50 photographs by Penn, Horst, Kertesz, and Beaton are included in the sale.
These photographs feature work done for Balenciaga, Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn Fashion Studio, and Conde Nast Publications. After 28 bids and over 21 minutes of extended bidding, the lot more than doubled its high estimate of $ 5,000, ultimately closing at $ 12,120 with buyer’s premium.
Click here to view more auction highlights from Ruggiero and Associates’ Spring Sale.
The
Daily Image: 17th Century Oil on Canvas St. Catherine
Sale Highlights: Pair of Cast Bronze Figural Bookends, “Pushing Men,” Isidore Konti
Isidore Konti (July 9, 1862 – January 11, 1938) was Vienna-born sculptor of Hungarian descent. He began formal art studies at the age of 16 when he entered the Imperial Academy in Vienna where he studied under Edmund von Hellmer. In 1886, he won a scholarship that allowed him to study in Rome for two years.
While in Rome, Konti developed a love of Renaissance art that was to affect the nature of his mature sculpture. Upon returning to Austria, he found work as an architectural modeler.
A Pair of Cast Bronze Figural Bookends, “Pushing Men, by Isidore Konti
was sold at Christie’s New York: Tuesday, September 27, 2011 [Lot 00031]
Fine American Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture
Sold For $16,250 USD
Daily Image: “Aoxomoxxoa” Original Fillmore Poster for Grateful Dead Concerts
Watch: Stephen Colbert’s “Shred Off” Guitar Now On Sale
This clip from Stephen Colbert’s “The Colbert Report” features Chris Funk, guitarist of the band The Decemberists, playing a B.C. Rich silver Warlock guitar currently on sale in the Nye & Company’s Fine & Decorative Arts, Militaria and Rock & Roll Memorabilia Auction. The guitar, signed by Colbert and Funk as well as Peter Frampton, Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick), and Robert Schneider, is a kitschy piece of Rock and Roll and Television history, starting at $1,800. Funk, whose band is known for their folk-indie rock rich with historical references and folklore, takes a page out of the book of rock and roll with a heavily distorted solo as he faces Stephen Colbert in a “Shred Off.”
Stephen Colbert Show “Shred-off” Guitar
Click here to watch the second clip featuring Colbert’s guitar rebuttal (with Peter Frampton).
Daily Image: Chinese Carved Wooden Figure
Chinese Carved Wooden Figure
Featured Item: Triple Strand Cultured Pearl Bracelet With 18K Yellow Gold and Diamond Clasp, 20th C
Triple Strand Cultured Pearl Bracelet With 18K Yellow Gold and Diamond Clasp, 20th C
Estimate:
$2,500 – 3,500
Description:
Clasp stamped JM 18K, clasp containing five round prong set diamonds each weighing approx. .05 carats, and 20 small bead set diamonds, each spacer bar set with five prong set diamonds, each weighing approx. .07carats, set with diamonds, 7MM pearls.
Measurements:
7-1/2″l x 3/4″h
Modern-day cultured pearls are primarily the result of discoveries made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by the Japanese researchers Tatsuhei Mise and Tokichi Nishikawa. Although some cultures had long been able to artificially stimulate mollusks into producing a type of pearl, the pearls produced in this way were only blister and mabe, rather than actual round pearls.In short, the development of cultured pearls took much of the chance, risk, and guesswork out of the pearl industry, allowing it to become stable and predictable, and fostering its rapid growth over the past 100 years. Today, more than 99% of all pearls sold worldwide are cultured pearls.
This bracelet has an 18K diamond clasp that has diamonds set into the gold. The two diamond spacer bars of 18K gold that are placed along the pearls have 5 larger diamonds and are surrounded by an oval of pave set diamonds as well.
Image of the Day: Baccarat Paperweight, Monkey Silhouette Cane, 1975
Sale Highlights: Rock and Roll Memorabilia from Nye & Company
Nye and Company’s Fine and Decorative Arts, Militaria and Rock & Roll Memorabilia, now live through June 19th, contains an impressive selection of famous and iconic pieces from music history.
A New Jersey collector moving to lower Manhattan compiled an impressive collection of Rock ‘N’ Roll memorabilia, and it won’t all fit in his Frank Gehry-designed apartment. Though primarily focused on paintings, prints, photographs and broadsides from Classic music era of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, there are also examples from the ‘80’s too. For local interest and devoted fans there is a fully autographed guitar by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Another guitar is autographed by Stephen Colbert and Peter Frampton.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Fully Signed Fender Telecaster
The sale also includes numerous photographs by Ken Regan, Paul Saltzman and Jim Marshall documenting the likes of the Beatles, Bob Dylan and The Who, respectively. Other works by various artists depict Van Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, The Clash, The Grateful Dead and others such as the Decemberists, Patti Smith and more.
Color C-Print of Paul and Linda McCartney, Henry Diltz Photographer
Color C-Print of Punk Poetess Patti Smith, Danny Clinch Photographer
Color C-Print of Bob Dylan in Woodstock, Elliot Landy Photographer
In this sale, collectors and enthusiasts of Rock and Roll’s greatest era will find many great pieces to enhance their own collection, and newcomers will have the chance to own their very own piece of musical greatness at a reasonable price.
Silver Gel Print of John Lennon, Bob Gruen Photographer
The Clash – Original UK Concert poster for May 8, 1977 Electric Circus Venue
Click Here to View All Items in the Rock and Roll Memorabilia Collection
Image of the Day: Jimi Hendrix from the Limited Edition Portfolio Set of Six Platinum Prints, Baron Wolman
Video: Associate Insights – Carolyn Remmey
Carolyn Remmey, President and Owner of Remmey Antiques, discusses a Plique-à-jour decorative bowl made by the Norwegian silversmith Mauris Hammer, protégé of the famous Fabergé on Lark Mason’s iGavelAuctions.com Associate insights.
Sale Highlights: Tiffany Favrile Art Glass 10″ Jack in the Pulpit Bud Vase
When we think of American Art Nouveau art glass, the objects that first spring to mind are often the leaded lamp shades and iridescent vases of Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933). The son of the famous jewelry designer, Tiffany studied painting with the great landscape painter George Inness. Later, while living in Paris, he learned art glass techniques from the French master Emile Galle. These experiences informed Tiffany’s work at the Tiffany Glass Company, which he established in 1885 to produce leaded-glass doors and windows for private homes and churches alike.
Favrile glass is a type of iridescent art glass designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. It was patented in 1894 and first produced in 1896. It differs from most iridescent glass in that the color is ingrained in the glass itself, lending the finished product its distinctive, shimmering glow. Some of the distinguishing colors in Favrile glass include “Gold Lustre,” Samian Red,” Mazarin Blue,” “Tel-al-amana” (or Turquoise Blue), and Aquamarine.
Favrile glass was often used in Tiffany’s stained-glass windows as well as for decorative objects such as this Jack in the pulpit bud vase. This vase, part of Main Street Antique Center’s Spring Sale, is available at auction until June 19th.
Image of the Day: Small Round Form Art Glass Vase Possibly Loetz
Auction Highlights – Week of May 28- June 3
Henry Rifle, Serial no. 4983
Last Week’s Auction Highlights were rounded out by the overwhelming success of Witherell’s Antique Firearms, Collector Coins, Jewelry, Silver Fine & Decorative Art Auction. The sale, which featured a large selection of estate jewelry, coins, silver and select decorations in addition to select Antique firearms, sold alll 196 of the lots offered. The week’s top ten lots achieved $41,329 after buyer’s premium over 137 bids. Selected highlights include: a Henry Rifle, Serial no. 4983; a Lady’s 1.2 Carat Platinum Wedding Ring; a Patinated Bronze by Vasily Gracher, entitled ‘The Kiss’, Russian, 20th C.; a Cased, Large Caliber Smooth Bore Pistols with Attached Swivel Ramrods; and Thirty Gold Pieces weighing a total of 73.6 Grams.
Henry Rifle, Serial no. 4983 – A rare model from the Civil War era, this Henry Rifle achieved $ 16,210 after buyer’s premium. Collectors showed strong interest in this collectible piece, collecting twelve total bids before closing.
Lady’s 1.2 Carat Platinum Wedding Ring – This wedding ring features a platinum setting, VS2 clarity, and is topped off with 1.20 carat center stone with an additional .24 carats in side diamonds. The ring sold for $ 3,360 after buyer’s premium over 19 bids.
Vasily Gracher, ‘The Kiss’, Russian Patinated Bronze, 20th C. – This evocative bronze sculpture, entitled ‘The Kiss,’ sold for $ 3,121 after buyer’s premium on two bids.
Cased, Large Caliber Smooth Bore Pistols with Attached Swivel Ramrods – This pair of antique pistols complete with their original case achieved $ 3,120 after buyer’s premium on a total of 17 bids.
Thirty Gold Pieces, 73.6 Grams – This lot comprising 73.6 grams of gold pieces sold for $ 3,000 after buyer’s premium on 19 bids.
Other highlights from the past week include:
Towle Sterling Silver “Candlelight” Flatware, 80.12 Oz. (Troy)
$ 1,630
3.33 Total Carat Diamond Pendant
$ 1,500
Tiffany Sterling Silver Four-Piece Tea Service, 63.80 oz (Troy)
$ 1,450
Ten Chinese Porcelain Blanc de Chine and Porcelain Figures and Vessels, 20th C./Modern
$ 1,450
1904 Double Eagle $20 Gold Piece
$ 1,400
