Antique Desire
AUCTION FINDS OF THE WEEK- JANUARY 20TH: 19TH CENTURY EUROPEAN PAINTING AT BONHAMS
by Kelly Keating on 01/21/14
This week's auction finds will be slightly different in that it focuses solely on 19th century European paintings rather than decorative arts or furniture. The 19th Century European, Victorian and British Impressionist Art auction will be held at Bonhams London on January 22, 2014. I have posted some artwork finds in the past, but there has never been a post solely devoted to painting. All of the 9 works I selected are not by big name artists who we all know and see in museums, but they do all command substantial prices for their accomplished work, My choices this week fall into 3 broad categories: sentimental, moody atmospheric landscape and bizarre.
This week's first painting discovery stands squarely in the sentimental category. Lot 12 entitled Orphans by the British artist Thomas Sidney Cooper (1803-1902) depicts a group of sheep in a snowy, wintery landscape. One gets a chill when viewing this painting only heightened by its massive 6'x4' size which envelops you as you look at it. The orphans in the title are 2 lambs in the foreground whose mother lies dead on the ground of some unnatural cause. The father sheep has come to investigate the situation, but one senses he will be no help and the lambs without their mother will soon die in the harsh landscape. The plight of the orphans in the foreground is heightened and contrasted to the 2 lambs in the background who have a mother and will survive. This work of unabashed Victorian sickly sentimentality which hits one over the head with its emotion has a pre-sale estimate of $25,000-33,000. I must say I think it is a pretty fab work and would not mind it hanging on my wall.
The next painting is also sentimental, but not so gruesome. Lot 55 entitled Il gioco a Villa Tasca (The Game at the Villa Tasca) depicts a nanny and her charge sailing a paper toy boat in a fountain. The work is by the Italian artist Antonino Leto (1844-1913) and has a pre-sale estimate of $66,000-99,000. The work in contrast to the Cooper is a small and intimate which only heightens the quiet and sweet activity of the 2 figures in the work. Adding to this sweetness is the group of flowers on the ground at the nanny's feet as one can imagine the nanny and the child wandering in the garden picking flowers before launching their boat.
The next painting from its subject matter to its coloring is like a big mouthful of pink cotton candy that gives you a bad toothache. Lot 60 entitled Welcome Advances is by the Italian artist Vittorio Reggianini (1858-1939) with a pre-sale estimate of $66,000-99,000. In an opulent and ornate gilt interior a smartly dressed gentleman vies for the affections of an elegantly dressed lady whose look and posture suggests she is not as interested as is her suitor despite the title of the painting. Indeee, her feet rest on a wolf? skin rug, the implication being that she has slain her suitor and has him under her foot. The mood is mischevious, playful and ahistorical. The result is thwarted frustration.
A Winter's Evening by Dutch artist Frederik Marinus Kruseman (1816-1882), lot 28, is the first painting from what I designated the moody atmospheric landscape category. It has a pre-sale estimate of $66,000-99,000. The work is bright and crisp and one feels the chill of winter with the low clouds and gnarled bare trees.. The old ruin on the right lends a nostalgic air and the figures in the middleground seem ready to skate on the frozen lake or river providing this work with its focus and sentiment.
The next moody landscape is lot 73 entitled A Moonlit View of the Houses of Parliament from the Thames by British artist Henry Pether (active 1828-1865) with a pre-sale estimate of $33,000-49,000. There is a lovely sense of quiet to this painting. The busy Thames is still except for a small boat in the foreground and the whole is painted with tones of grey, black and white that give the work a very hushed magical quality. I would have it on my wall toute suite!
From London to Venice, lot 53 is entitled Evening Looking Towards The Grand Canal with Santa Maria della Salute in the Distance. The work is by the Spanish painter Emilio Sanchez Perrier (1855-1907) and has a pre-sale estimate of $20,000-30,000. Like the Pether above, there is a sense of quiet to this work, but also storm clouds seem to be brewing. The rendering of the clouds and the water is sublime and having the picturesque church in the background adds to the whole scene. I chose this painting because it reminded me of when I went to Venice in the late 1980's for only a few days, but I found it to be a magical place and of course it always reminds me of the superb Katherine Hepburn film "Summertime".
The final landscape selection, lot 89, is not really quiet in its mood, but rather unsettling. At the Park Gate by British artist John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-1893) has a substantial pre-sale estimate of $250,000-330,000. Barren dark trees are set against a moonlit sky as a lone figure prepares to enter or leave the park. Where is he going? Why is he out so late? Is his destination the house in the distance with the glowing light? Beautifully painted it is hard to tell whether the narrative is innocent or sinister.
The last 2 painting finds fall into what I termed the bizarre category simply because the works are strange, but still engaging and desirable. Lot 77 entitled The Suitor by Benjamin Barnabus Bright with a pre-sale estimate of $13,000-20,000 anthropomorphizes various bird species to enact a human drama. Bird heads are placed on somewhat humanoid bodies. In the foreground a stork dressed in a red and navy military uniform makes advances on a demure parakeet who shies away from his approach. On the right an older parrot couple enter the scene as testament to a long and happy marriage. In the right middleground a slightly older couple than our central pair are married with children. And then there are bizarre cherublike birds flying around the stork and parakeet. In the foreground, 2 bird children play leap frog and on the left there is a birdboy with a wheel. The whole is a whimsical cacophany.
This week's last discovery is lot 51 entitled Interior with Still Life by the Belgian artist David Emile Joseph de Noter and has a pre-sale estimate of $9,900-13,000. In a dimly lit interior 2 dogs one on the floor the other sitting on a chair appear to be having a conversation amidst all the items that are strewn about the room. The table is laden with fruit, dead birds and a giant pineapple plant. The tiled floor is also filled with stuff- more dead birds, vegetables, flowers and an overturned basket. Have the dogs caused this mess? They seem only interested in each other and not a tasty duck treat. And if they did cause the mess, the woman in the background is not rushing in to stop or scold them. It is a bizarre painting and seems almost like an exercise the artist pursued to show off his ability at still life. Either way I find its canine unknown narrative appealing.
I hope you enjoyed this week's all painting edition of Auction Finds of the Week. What was your favorite painting? Leave a comment below. I cannot get enough of Orphans by Cooper with the little motherless lambs or the Moonlit View of Parliament by Pether. Both would be welcome additions to my wall. Don't neglect your walls when designing your own space. It is an essential part of the whole room. There is a tremendous amount of good original artwork- paintings, drawings, etchings, engravings- and at varying price points that can adorn your space.
If you need help finding artwork, please contact me at [email protected] and visit my website to see how I work with clients.
Also, check out my Facebook Page where I post the auction results for the selected blog lots. I just added the results for the lots from Bonhams "Unreserved" auction and from the Christie's New York Interiors auction.
Until next time,
Kelly T Keating
AUCTION FINDS OF THE WEEK- JANUARY 6: "UNRESERVED" AT RAGO ARTS & AUCTION CENTER
by Kelly Keating on 01/08/14
Rago Arts and Auction Center in Lambertville, New Jersey is one of the top auction houses offering 20th century design objects including fine art, decorative art, furniture, jewelry and silver as well as currency and ethnographic property. This week's auction finds were all found at Rago's "Unreserved" auction which is taking place on January 18-19, 2014. The auction is full of wonderful 20th century design lots that are being offered without reserve. I hope one of the objects I have selected generates some new design ideas for your interior space or introduces you to an area of design which was unfamiliar to you.
This week's first find is a small, but gorgeous Rookwood vase by Sallie Coyne circa 1901. The vase, lot 9, only measures 6.25" tall, but its stunning sea green color with an ombre effect and the chestnut branch decoration give it a wonderful presence. This little jewel has a pre-sale estimate of $800-1,200. Imagine a collection of Rookwood and other pottery pieces in a similar color range dispersed throughout a large bookcase with books and a few other well-chosen objects. It would make a wonderful centerpiece to a room, a focal point of color and design.
This week's next object is a very large ceramic vessel compared to the small Rookwood vase. Lot 43 measures 14" tall with a 20" diameter and has a pre-sale estimate of $800-1,200. The massive five-handled glazed piece with floral decoration is French in origin and was made by Clement Massier (1844-1917).
Born into a family of ceramists, Clement Massier took an interest in the business from an early age. In 1884, after years of work, study, and travel, he relocated his share of the family firm to Golfe-Juan and began producing Hispano-Moresque-influenced pottery, with silver and copper oxide glazes made iridescent in a smoky kiln. Following the arrival Lucien Levy-Dhurmer in 1887, Massier introduced fiery luster glazes enriched with etching and painting, applying them to forms ranging from hand-built individuality to slip-cast uniformity. He was soon in command of a busy factory and a showroom that boasted an elite international clientele.
The contrast between the roughly conceived form of this pot and the richness of its glaze and decoration is extremely dynamic. This energetic quality makes this piece particularly captivating. So, too are the 5 handles which in their irregularity speak to the nonuniformity of the object itself. They are decorative, but not really functional, but seem essential to the overall design of the vessel.
From pottery to furniture, lot 62, a Gustav Stickley (1858-1942) trestle library table, is the next discovery in this week's auction finds. The quartersawn oak table was made circa 1915 and has a pre-sale estimate of $1,200-1,800. While American Craftsman furniture (growing out of the British Arts & Crafts movement) is not typically my favorite style, I am often drawn to the work of Stickley whose furniture seems a step above bog standard Craftsman pieces. This library table is very elegant and has all the hallmarks of Craftsman design such as simplicity of design, truth in materials in the use of oak with no stain or other application to disguise the wood as something else and the visibility of construction where mortise and tenon joints are clearly see. This library table would work in a variety of settings from a more traditional space to being the centerpiece in a modern space where such a table would provide a dynamic contrast to the rest of the room.
This week's next find, an English Arts & Crafts work table dated circa 1915 along with the previou find, the Stickley library table, illustrates quite well the difference between the Arts & Crafts and American Craftsman styles. Lot 76 with a pre-sale estimate of $300-500 is made of quartersawn oak like the Stickley and it also exposes the elements of its construction. However, the English work table unlike the Stickley library table has applied ornament in the floral carvings on its corners as well as the shaped apron on its bottom shelf and even its bobin turned feet. The Stickley for the most part is full of straight lines and right angles with minimal use of curves and certainly no applied ornate as in the English piece. The Stickley is purely simple relying on it materials and construction as its ornamentation. That said, the English work table is a nice piece that would be welcome in many settings perhaps as a large table between 2 well stuffed chairs with a good lamp and stacks of coffee table art books on the bottom shelf.
Perhaps you need a rug for the room with your new Stickley library table or English Arts & Crafts work table? Lot 457A is a Danish rya rug from the 1960's with a pre-sale estimate of $250-350. A rya is a traditional Scandinavian wool rug with a long pile of 1 to 3 inches. The rug is a great size at 11.6' x 8'. It is a wonderful combination of black and greys within a graphic design of geometric shapes. It is perfect for the creation of a Mid-century modern inspired interior and pricewise it seems like a bargain.
How about a stylish Danish coffee table from the same period to sit on your new Danish wool rug? Lot 497 is an Illum Wikkelso coffee table from the 1960's with a pre-sale estimate of $1,000-1,500. The table has a stained and lacquered teak sort of X-form base with a cross stretcher and a glass top. This piece is extremely stylish. I love the way the glass just seems to float above the base. The Wikkelso coffee table would look quite handsome on the Danish rug discussed above.
This next discovery is my favorite find from this week. Lot 730 is a very stylish American Art Deco bar cart from the 1920's with a pre-sale estimate of only $400-600. The cart is comprised of 2 circles with 3 shelves with edge molding attached between them. Walnut and birch are the materials used in its construction. The cart is not big only measuring 27" x 28" x 17". I would use it on top of a sideboard rather than on the floor to create an overmantel effect and then I would use it to display various objects or a collection. Or use it on the floor if you have a perfect spot or short wall in a living room or dining room and fill it with glassware and decanters on silver trays for a very elegant look.
This week's next treasure is a gorgeous little French lot that is my second favorite object of the week. Lot 879 is a darling French settee from the 1940's with legs of cerused oak with a pre-sale estimate of $1,000-1,500. Cerused or limed oak is when a paste of a white lead derivative is rubbed into the porous open grain of the oak producing a whitened grain. The technique was popular in the Art Deco period and into the Mid-century modern era. This settee owes something to Art Deco, but it has moved beyond that as well becoming simpler. At only 31" in width, the piece is dainty, but chic and would be a great addition in a neutral fabric to a living room as secondary seating to a sofa.
This week's next treasure is a bit of whimsical fun for your home. Lot 890 is a French brass magazine rack in the shape of a swan by Maison Jansen from the second half of the 20th century. It has a pre-sale estimate of $300-400. Maison Jansen (House of Jansen) was a Paris-based interior decoration office founded in 1880 by Dutch born Jean-Henri Jansen and continuing in practice until 1989. Jansen is considered the first truly global design firm, serving clients in Europe, Latin America, North America and the Middle East by 1900.
This week's last find, lot 1253, is a pair of silvered wood sofa tables from the 1960's by James Mont. The pair of tables have a pre-sale estimate of $600-800. From the early 1930s and into the 1960s, Mont was one of the most prominent designers and decorators on the East Coast. His forte was creating furniture that offered a stylish and dramatic, yet modern, take on historical forms and details—most of his designs drew on Asian influences, though he often employed classical elements in his pieces. This pair of sofa tables are certainly dramatic not only in their metallic finish, but in their bold geometric C shape design with beveled edges and the use of a classical trumpet baluster that attaches the base of the table to the top. Admittedly, these tables are a little over the top, but they exude a sense of luxury and at the same time a sense of fun. To work in a room, they would have to be paired with the right sofa, something simple and streamline as well as other furnishings that would not compete or overshadow their fabulousness.
The Rago "Unreserved" Auction offers many wonderful items of 20th century design from fine art to decorative art to furniture as one can see from this week's auction discoveries. Many pieces have great estimates and since this auction has no reserves, everything must sell whether on estimate or below.
My favorite piece this week is the Art Deco bar cart. I love its dramatic circular shape. I would place it on top a sideboard instead of the floor to make a stunning display. A close second for me this week is the French 1940's settee which is wonderfully sweet and stylish. And coming in third are the James Mont silvered sofa tables which scream "luxury" and perhaps whisper "Las Vegas".
What was your favorite piece this week? Tell everyone about it by leaving a comment below. Did this piece spark a new idea for your interior space or give it a whole new direction?
If you need help finding a wonderful antique or vintage piece from traditional to modern, please take a look at my website for details and then contact me at [email protected].
To find out the sale prices for lots in the Auction Finds, please check my Facebook Page after the auction has ended.
Until next time,
Kelly T Keating
AUCTION FINDS OF THE WEEK- DECEMBER 30TH: CATCHALL AT BONHAMS NEW YORK
by Kelly Keating on 01/01/14
Happy New Year! And a wonderful and prosperous 2014 for everyone!
All of this week's finds are from the upcoming auction at Bonhams New York on January 23, 2014. The sale is a bit of a diverse catchall of lots featuring American and European furniture, silver, folk and decorative arts and clocks. This week's ten finds will cover almost all of those catagories, so like the sale, there will be something for everyone and a perhaps a piece will help you create your own interior space by adding one object that changes its whole meaning.
This week's first discovery is an American Classical carved and veneered mahogany recamier circa 1820-1835. Lot 1068 has a pre-sale estimate of $4,000-6,000. A recamier is a sometimes backless sofa with a high curved head rest and a low foot rest. It is a gorgeous piece for the eyes, but at almost 7 feet in length it is not exactly practical in today's modern interior, unless you treated it as an objet to be looked at, talked about and admired, yet it doesn't really solve the problem of seating in your living room especially when there are guests. That said I would have it in a second as I myself have a modified recamier in my own drawing room with a large head rest, no back or footrest and so am partial to the form. It looks beautiful, but it is not practical like a regular sofa, but practical is not the look I am going for in my interior space.
The Bonhams recamier has wonderfully carved feet with Classically inspired details such as the head of an eagle, part of the bird's wing, swags of drapery acanthus leaves and scrolled feet. The acanthus leaves and volutes of the feet are repeated in the side of the head rest and the top of the partial back rest. A nice touch to the piece is the inlay of figured maple above the foot whose grain and honey color contrast nicely with the darker, more predominant mahogany. It will be interesting to see how this piece fairs at the sale, since it is impractical and not by a big name maker. Stay tuned.
The next find is a pair of Aesthetic Movement circa 1880 gilt side chairs that have been attributed to Herter Brothers New York, the premier name in American Aesthetic furniture. The Aesthetic Movement for the most part looked to Japan for its design inspiration and spark. I collect Aesthetic Movement silverplate and pottery which you can read about on my personal blog The Great Within. Check out these posts and this one and that one and finally this too about Aesthetic pottery and silver. Lot 1089 has a pre-sale estimate of $10,000-15,000. The oval back splat features a stylized inlaid floral motif of lighter wood on a slightly darker ground which is not gilded as are the rest of the chairs. Interestingly, the chairs retain their original silk satin upholstery with flowers. The chairs have an almost Lincoln Log quality in the way the are put together, particularly the back of the chair with its numerous turned parts assembled together.
This week's next treasure is also a piece of Aesthetic Movement furniture. Lot 1091 is an ebonized and brass-mounted cabinet, circa 1870-1880 with a pre-sale estimate of $15,000-25,000. It is definitively by Herter Brothers, New York; Herter Bro's is stamped on the back of the piece. The cabinet retains its original red silk lining. The central cabinet doors are mounted with brass. Carved panels on the side of the cabinet form an intricate lattice work of varying size circles with central carved floral motifs. The ebonized wood of the piece clearly looks to the laquer of Japan for its inspiration and there is something in the carved side panels that also speaks to Japanese influence. This piece would be perfect to display my Aesthetic silver.
A beautiful mirror can make a wonderful focal point in any room. It reflects light and the objects that surround it and creates an illusion of greater space. How about this grand mirror for your living room? Lot 1127 is a George III carved and giltwood pier mirror in the Chinese taste circa late 18th/early 19th century with a pre-sale estimate of $4,000-6,000. This piece is an impressive 75.5" in height and 42.5" in width. I love all of the acanthus leaf C-scrolls of the gilt frame and how the frame of the mirror covers some parts of the glass creating smaller shaped looking glasses. This mirror is pure Rococo by way of China. It will be interesting to see what it fetches at the sale. It's size limits it as does the fact that it probably began its life as one of a pair, the other one now lost.
The next discovery this week is a French clock. Lot 1184 is Directoire (1795-1799) patinated and gilt bronze allegorical mantle clock with a figure personifying Africa with a pre-sale estimate of $25,000-35,000. The female figure representing Africa sits whimsically on the round clock dial with a bow and a quiver of arrows while holding the leash of her pet panther. A tortoise sits between her feet. The "darkness" of her skin contrasts beautifully with the gilt elements and the white enamel dial. A problematic representation to be sure, but of its time and period. It is related to Rousseau's idealized homme naturel as portrayed in popular literature of the time. This particular clock is after a design dated 1799 by Jean-Simon Deverberie (1784-1824) which is preserved in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris. I think French clocks are quite wonderful in their own way. One can always spot them and they come in a variety of price points and themes and seem to me to often have a touch of whimsy or frivolity. In this example, notice the playing cupids on the clock base.
This week's next discovery is a wonderful architectural fragment. Lot 1198 is a large Continental or English painted plaster dolphin circa 18th century with a pre-sale estimate of $4,000-6,000. At 42" in height the dolphin is large, but not too large to be simply used as an objet for one's sideboard or as part of a tablescape on a dining room table. And I love it's grotesque character, so typical of the period as is its position of tail up and head down. There is something about a ruin or its fragment that illicits romantic dreams in a fantastic way. I would have this piece in my own collection tout suite!
The next treasure for this week is a French painting entitled Le Vieux Montlucon by Leon Barillot (1844-1929). Lot 1219 has a pre-sale estimate of $2,000-3,000. I chose this work because it simply appealed to me on several levels. The painting is small 14"x10.75" and intimate. I love the way the old buildings are silhouetted against a cloud filled sky and how the figures and animals in the foreground seem dwarfed by them. And the wealth of detail that exists in such a small canvas. There is a sense of time here and of permanence and perhaps nostalgia that I think is really appealing. My criteria for artwork is always when I see it everyday will it affect me good, bad or indifferent. I think this humble painting would continually hold my attention.
This following lot is a bit of an oddball, but it appealed to me greatly. It was made in the same period of the Directoire as the French mantel clock discussed above. Lot 1242 is a cast and green painted bathing tub circa late 18th/early 19th century with a pre-sale estimate of $1,500-2,000. I love the great big swag decoration on the side held up by 2 rondels. At only 54.25" in length by 21" in width it is probably too small to be refitted for use today. What could one do with such an object? Perhaps a garden ornament filled with flowers. Maybe, but it would ruin the patina of the tub eventually. Oversized magazine rack? No, of course not! An objet to decorate your conservatory? "Oh that. That's my late 18th century French bathtub. Isn't it grand?" I am not sure what to do with it, but I like it. Any ideas readers?
The last two finds for this week are silver which is always my first love. Lot 1342 is an almost 20" tall Art Nouveau floral encrusted sterling silver trumpet vase most likely by Whiting circa 1907 with a pre-sale estimate of $6,000-8,000. The vase is beautifully covered with chrysanthemums particularly around the opening of the piece. I don't go much for Art Nouveau silver, but my love of chrysanthemums attracted me to this object. It's impressive size and workmanship would look gorgeous filled with flowers or just empty.
The final discovery this week is lot 1400 a pair of Danish sterling silver 2 light candelabra by George Jensen circa 1945-1977 with a pre-sale estimate of $4,000-6,000. A small pair at 6" tall, they were designed by Harald Nielsen (1892-1977). They are a nice modern design with some sparingly used, but essential organic decoration- a leaf and bud motif that is under the candleholders and at the base making them quite elegant and wonderful for a modern interior.
This week's discoveries were all guided by my personal taste. I wouldn't mind having any of these ten lots in my home. However, I think my favorite piece is the small jewel of a painting by Leon Barillot and that darn Directoire tub! I hope this week's treasures will spark your creativity for your own space and home. If you are looking for a particular item, antique to vintage, modern to traditional, large to small, I can assist you. Check out my website and email me at [email protected]
And be sure to followup on these lots on my Facebook Page where I post the sale results for items in the Auction Finds posts.
Until next time,
All the best for 2014,
Kelly T Keating
AUCTION FINDS OF THE WEEK- DECEMBER 23RD: INTERIORS AT CHRISTIE'S NEW YORK
by Kelly Keating on 12/21/13
This week's treasures are all from the Interiors auction at Christie's New York to be held on January 14-15, 2014. The Interiors auctions are like large estate sales full of artwork, decorative arts and furniture. All of the lots are offered at a lower price point with estimates starting at only $1,000, but since the Interiors auction is a no reserve auction, items can sale for much less than that. This week I chose a variety of furniture and artwork from the sale to tempt you to bid or at least give you ideas for the decoration of your own interiors.
This week's first find is a pastel and gouache on paper of a smartly dressed 19th century man in black coat and pants with a cream or yellow waistcoat. He sports a black tophat and a jaunty pose as he leans up against a pillar and holds a cane in his right hand. The artist is unknown and the work is simply catalogued as "American 19th Century". Lot 69 is being offered with four companion drawings with a pre-sale estimate of $2,000-3,000. The work is not large only 12.75"x10.75" but it would making an interesting addition to a group of artwork on a wall. There is something very appealing and vibrant about this gentleman with his sly smile that would make you take a look every time you passed him on your wall.
The next discovery this week is a 19th century English portrait done in oil on panel, 15.5"x11.5", of a gentleman in a black coat with a white ruffled shirt. As with our last gentleman, lot 67 is by an unknown artist and simply catalogued as "English School, 19th Century" and has a pre-sale estimate of $2,000-3,000. The lot includes 4 other companion portraits. This piece appeals to me on several levels. I love the oval shape of the work and its gilt frame with the carved spray of roses at the top. Yet, what is really engaging is the sitter of the painting. He is an older gentleman who looks off to his right as if suddenly distracted by something. He seems long lived and perhaps a bit world weary. Does he glance to his waning future? Hard to tell. But like the gentleman in the top hat, this figure has a presence that will continually engage you as he hangs on your wall.
This week's next find is Lot 91 a depiction of the Central Park Zoo in the 1960's. The painting is done in oil on canvas, measures 40.25"x20" and has a pre-sale estimate of $1,000-1,500. The work is signed and dated indistinctly on the stretcher. The date, however, of 1961 is clear. Overall, the work has an abstract and impressionistic feel with a muted color palette. In the foreground the artist paints a famous Central Park Zoo sea lion with spectators behind, two of whom are holding colored ballons. Behind the spectators is a pavillion or another animal attraction which is itself in front of a screen of tall trees behind which are the tall buildings of the city. I like this work for its limited color range (it looks like a gray winter day) and the memories it evokes in me of the old Central Park Zoo with its simple cages and distressed animals that I used to visit as a child. Like the other two artwork above, one will not grow tired of this work and it will continually engage you as it hangs on your wall.
The first furniture lot this week is lot 367, a French ormolu-mounted mahogany, satine and amboyna buffet with a black marble top dated to the late 19th or early 20th century. It has a pre-sale estimate of $3,000-5,000. The buffet is a good size measuring 42.25" tall x 83.25" wide x 20.75" deep. What appeals to be about this buffet is the use of rich woods in an interesting configuration and how the piece though decidely French is not too French or too fancy, so that it could work in a variety of settings. And I adore the big open space at the bottom of the server. While it is not exactly practical, it would be marvelous filled with blue and white Chinese or Delft vases and objects. That would be a cracking look!
This week's next discovery is lot 323, a American Chippendale maple slant-front desk from New England, circa late 18th century with a pre-sale estimate of $2,000-3,000. The slant-front desk is over four graduated drawers each with locks and batwing brass pulls. The whole stands on cabriole legs with claw and ball feet. This piece is a nice, fairly clean example of a piece of American 18th century furniture with a decent color to the wood. It has had some restoration and the brasses have been replaced, but all in all if you wanted to own an 18th century American object, this is a good candidate and at a good price point. And I love anything with a claw and ball foot.
The next discovery this week is another type of desk, an English form, called a Davenport that was very popular in the 19th century. The davenport owes its name to a Captain Davenport who was the first to commission the design, from Gillow's of Lancaster, near the end of the 18th century. In a sense then it could also be considered a campaign desk though there are no records indicating if Captain Davenport was in the British Army or the Royal Navy. Lot 579 is a mid-19th century Victorian burr bird's-eye maple and oak davenport with ink stand, the whole standing on bun feet. It has a pre-sale estimate of $1,000-1,5000. The davenport has an inclined lifting desktop that opens up to reveal a large storage compartment and 4 drawers that are located on the side of the desk. The desk is not large measuring 38" high x 24" wide x 23.5" deep. The interest in this desk is the use of bird's-eye maple with its wonderful grain. As a small desk it would be quite good for apartment living and would work well with a laptop or tablet.
If you are going to have a fabulous desk, then you need a fabulous desk chair to accompany it. Lot 552 is an early 19th century Empire fauteuil de bureau with turned front legs and wonderfully carved lion heads at the end of the chair arms. It has a pre-sale estimate of $2,000-3,000. For me, the carved lion heads make this chair. It is ornate, but not too ornate and the reel and bobbin turning of the front legs simplifies this chair, so that is not typically over the top Empire in its expression.
This week's next treasure is a second quarter of the 19th century North European Biedermeier satin birch meridienne with a pre-sale estimate of $1,500-2,000. A meridienne is a short sofa of the French Empire period having one arm higher than the other. On one level Biedermeier can be considered a domesticated version of the French Empire style that appeared in other parts of Europe such as Germany. I like this piece of furniture with its swirling curves and gorgeous wood. But, unfortunately, in the "brown furniture" realm Biedermeier is very out of fashion. It will be interesting to see how this sofa fars at the auction. It would certainly benefit from a more neutral or modern fabric. The crimson stripe while perhaps historically accurate makes the piece look more old and dumpy than it actually is.
This week's final lot is a fantastic desk from the Art Deco period. Lot 583 is a circa 1935 French gilt metal-mounted mahogany three drawer desk with a pre-sale estimate of $3,000-5,000. Just looking at this desk, one could tell it was French in origin. The gilt metal mounts recall French 18th century furniture. The desk is an impressive size: 30" high x 70" wide x 31" deep. It would look wonderful in a variety of interiors from traditional to modern. Wouldn't your laptop look grand on top of this desk?
The Christie's Interiors auction is like a vast antique shop filled with a myriad of good and not so good items, but with a little looking you can find some fabulous pieces for your home. My favorite lots this week are the 19th century English oval portrait of the older gentleman, the 1961 painting of the Central Park Zoo and the Empire fauteuil de bureau. I would have any of those objects in my home.
What is your favorite piece this week? Leave a comment below. I hope these lots gave you ideas and inspiration for the decoration of your own interiors. If you need help sourcing an antique or vintage item from something small to a large piece of furniture please take a look at my website www.theantiqueflaneur.com and see how I work with clients or email me at [email protected] with details about what you are looking for, your budget, timeframe etc.
And always check my Facebook Page for the results of the lots I post here.
Happy Christmas! Happy New Year!
Until next time,
Kelly T Keating
AUCTION FINDS OF THE WEEK- DECEMBER 16TH: 20TH CENTURY DESIGN AT SOTHEBY'S
by Kelly Keating on 12/15/13
The last edition of Auction Finds focused on English ceramics at both the high and low end of the market. This week's auction finds spotlights important high end 20th century design to be sold at Sotheby's New York on December 18, 2013. The objects this week range from glass to silver to bronze to wood from the Art Deco period to the early millenium.
The first discovery this week is a "Malesherbes" green glass with white patine vase by Rene Lalique. This model, a pear shape covered with cased and molded leaves, was introduced in 1927. Lot 121 with a pre-sale estimate of $6,000-8,000 stands 9.5 inches tall. It is hard to see in the photograph but this vase has subtle white overlay that makes the outline of the leaves pop. The color of this vase with the white patine is extraordinary and it would make a wonderful starting point for a room. Though subtly Art Deco in design it would work well in most interiors.
This week's next find is also green glass, but in a distinctly more Art Deco manner with its cubist facets and vibrant emerald green color. Lot 137 is a "Ruba Rombic" vase by Reuben Haley (1872-1933) with a pre-sale estimate of $5,000-7,000. The circa 1928 vase stands 9.625" tall and was manufactured by the Consolidated Lamp and Glass Company of Corapolis, PA. Distinctly modern in its appearance, this vase still would work well in any type of interior giving a splash of color especially when filled with an equally vibrant flower.
Reuben Haley is considered to be a major contributor to American glass design and is responsible for the most extensive line of 'Art Deco' glassware produced in the USA- Ruba Rombic. This 37 piece collection of Cubist glass was designed by Reuben Haley in 1927 for the Consolidated Glass Company of Coraopolis, Pennsylvania and was manufactured from 1928 to 1932 when the factory closed. Reuben Haley brought Cubism to life in this molded, hand blown and hand-finished glassware which looks like a chiseled block of ice.
This week's next treasure takes us from glass to silver and another example of Art Deco design. Lot 131 is a pair of partially hammered and silverplated metal 11.125" tall candlesticks with a pre-sale estimate of $10,000-15,000 . The sticks were made by Jean Despres circa 1927. Despres (1903-1988) was a jewelry designer by trade but also made other objects such as these candlesticks. He favored the streamlined, modern aesthetic of the age of the machine creating Art Deco objects that were quite beautiful. These sticks reflect this streamline "moderne" aesthetic in their columnar shape with simple spherical "knobs" at the base for decoration, half-globe holders with sinister looking spikes in which to impale your candle and the round hammered base.
This next find moves from silver to the first bronze piece in this week's auction finds. It is another fine example of the Art Deco period. Lot 126 is a large cold painted and patinated bronze, carved ivory, onyx and marble sculpture entitled "Danseuse de Kapurthala" by Demetre Chiparus (1886-1947) with a pre-sale estimate of $30,000-50,000. On an onyx and marble base a dancer strikes a typical Art Deco pose- arms in the air, balanced on one foot while the other foot resting on the opposite knee- while wearing a typical Art Deco costume expressing the exuberance of the circa 1928 period. She stands an impressive 20.75" tall. The subject of the sculpture is enhanced by the use of luxurious materials such as bronze for the body and carved ivory for the face. The contrast of the bronze and the ivory is particularly striking.
The next bronze object this week is a sculpture of the new millenium. Lot 226 is a gilt bronze owl sculpture entitled "Chouette" by Claude Lalanne circa 2004 with a pre-sale estimate of $40,000-60,000. The owl sculpture stands 20.125" tall. I choose this lot because it appealed to me visually and it seemed to fit in well with the other Art Deco lots in this week's finds in its streamlined and ultra "moderne" look as if it was a prop in the movie "Metropolis". It would be at home in 1925 as much as it is a product of 2004. It also seems very tactile as if you want to touch it like an idol and for some reason too it keeps reminding me of The Maltese Falcon though that is a different bird, a different story and a different time. That statue just sold at auction for over 4 million dollars.
This week's last discovery is a wonderful desk by one of my favorite designers Jean Royere (1902-1981). Lot 164 is a three drawer desk made of mahogany and oak circa 1950 and has pre-sale estimate of $25,000-35,000. I love the graphic quality of this desk in how the darker mahogany follows the contours of the desk and contrasts with the lighter oak. It is an exceedingly simple desk, but pleasing in its materials and form. It would look great with a laptop!
I hope you enjoyed this week's auction finds. My favorite piece this week is the Ruba Rombic green glass vase by Reuben Haley. It is such a stunning color with a stunning form, I would have it in my house tout suite. What was your favorite object this week? Leave a comment below.
If you are looking for an antique or vintage piece from high to low, please take a look at my website to see how I work with clients. Then email me at [email protected] and tell me what you are looking for and what your budget is for the piece. I can work in all price ranges.
Check out my Facebook Page for the results of auction lots discussed here and from earlier posts. If you haven't already done so, please "Like" my page.
Until next time,
Kelly T Keating
