Circa-1820 Quebec armoire at forefront of Miller & Miller May 13 sale
Circa-1820 Quebec armoire, the case, doors, cornice, frieze and stiles all in a strong alligatored yellow paint, earning it the family nickname Armoire Crocodile, estimated at CA$30,000-$40,000
NEW HAMBURG, Canada – For the first time, Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. will leave its home province of Ontario to venture into Quebec, and with good reason. The firm will auction the outstanding Jean-Marc and Danielle Belzile collection of 18th- and 19th-century Quebec furniture, folk art, sculpture and Canadiana on Saturday, May 13. Instead of an online-only sale, Miller & Miller will hold the event live at the Marriott Courtyard West Island/Baie-d’Urfe in Quebec (20000 Route Transcanadienne, Baie-d’Urfe, QC H9X 0B3), starting at 9 am Eastern time, as well as online. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers. All estimates quoted are in Canadian dollars.
“Beginning in the 1960s, Jean-Marc and Danielle Belzile set out to find the rarest, the most iconic and the most unusual antiques in all of Quebec,” said Ethan Miller, the president of Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. “They retained most of what they collected, and many of the highlights in this collection are documented in reference books. Collectors need to mark their calendars.”
Another angle on the circa-1820 Quebec armoire with a unique painted surface that earned it the nickname Armoire Crocodile, estimated at CA$30,000-$40,000
Miller added, “This highly anticipated sale is our first outside of Ontario. Every collector knows that Quebec is the epicenter of Canada’s earliest historic treasures. We may never see a more exciting, fresh-to-the-market collection of French Canadiana anytime soon. The Belzile collection is coming to market, and it’s an incredible opportunity for collectors everywhere.”
Detail of circa-1820 Quebec armoire with distinctive alligatored yellow paint that earned it the nickname Armoire Crocodile, estimated at CA$30,000-$40,000
Two important Quebec furniture pieces, both circa 1820, are expected to finish near or at the top of the leader board for prices realized. The first is a bow-front Quebec corner cupboard with a large single-door having an applied diamond motif and original blue paint, which has an estimate of $10,000-$15,000. The piece is constructed with a base molding in the manner of Louis XIII and boasts a great patina.
Another angle on the circa-1820 Quebec armoire known as the Armoire Crocodile, estimated at CA$30,000-$40,000
The other is a Quebec armoire in exceptional polychrome paint, estimated at $30,000-$40,000. The case, doors, cornice, frieze and stiles are in a strong alligatored yellow paint, earning it the family nickname Armoire Crocodile. The yellow is in dramatic contrast with the deep blue found on the moldings, panel edges and lower rail. The left side is in the original untouched blue paint.
Circa-1840 oil-on-board landscape by Theophile Hamel, estimated at CA$2,000-$3,000
An original oil painting is also expected to pique bidder interest. It’s a circa-1840 oil-on-board landscape by Theophile Hamel (Canadian, 1817-1870), showing a log house at the side of the road and two people in the distance with hills in the background. Hamel is best known for his religious-themed works and portraits of historic and notable individuals. This piece is estimated at $2,000-$3,000.
A sculptural 19th-century Quebec stool known as the Eiffel Tower stool due to the shape of its base, an exceptional example with a thick pine top and gracefully carved legs, showing great patina and wear, is estimated at $1,500-$2,000. Also, a circa-1830 Ile d’Orleans side chair with a Regency-inspired back in the unique Franglais style found only in Quebec, in early colors of deep red, ochre yellow and original blue, is estimated at $800-$1,000.
Circa-1940 carving of a mother bear with her cubs and a salmon, attributed to the Dube brothers of Quebec, estimated at CA$1,000-$1,500
A circa-1940 carving of a mother bear with her cubs and a salmon, attributed to the Dube brothers of Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec, showing great detail and an original dark surface with black paint on the claws, has an estimate of $1,000-$1,500; while a circa-1900 counter-top advertising piece of a ram made in papier-mache, with black eyes and horns, a cream white body and a green base, is estimated at $500-$700. The piece exhibits strong detail and is in good condition.
Circa-1930-1959 Quebec double-sided Art Deco restaurant sign emblazoned with the word LUNCH, estimated at CA$1,000-$1,500
A circa-1930-1959 Quebec double-sided Art Deco restaurant sign in metal and plastic with blue and yellow bands at the curved ends and emblazoned with the word LUNCH in large red lettering on a yellow ground carries an estimate of $1,000-$1,500. Also, a circa-1860 oak and pine deed box from Levis, Quebec, with a raised five-pointed star on the top and front and a raised marquetry border, the center of the star inlaid, is estimated at $300-$500.
19th-century Renaissance Revival style Quebec pine bed with its head and footboard decorated with two carved beavers, estimated at CA$1,000-$1,500
A 19th-century pine bed in the Renaissance Revival style, with its head and footboard having two carved beavers on the arched and sculpted crest rail, found in Charlesbourg (Quebec City) in the late 1960s and attributed to the workshop of Pierre Valliere (Quebec City, 1832-1919), has an estimate of $1,000-$1,500. Also, a dramatic and colorful crazy quilt in silk and velvet, hand-sewn in Quebec circa 1890 with various embroidery stitches, is estimated at $500-$700. Names and initials are included in the quilt as well as images of a squirrel, teapot, birds, Saturn, Oddfellow rings, animals, flowers and snowshoes. It shows some condition issues due to age and usage.
Circa-1890 hand-sewn crazy quilt in silk and velvet, made in Quebec, estimated at CA$500-$700
A Quebec 19th-century child’s carved toy horse with a jointed body, in its original black and white paint, showing good form and in nice condition, is estimated at $1,000-$1,500. Also, a large, early 20th-century decorative parcheesi board with its 12 original playing pieces, plus four throwing cups with dice, has an estimate of $600-$800.
Mid-19th-century Bellechasse rocking chair with its two upper back slats having heart cut-outs, estimated at CA$1,000-$1,500
A mid-19th-century Bellechasse rocking chair with its two upper back slats having heart cut-outs while the lower slat has a capucine profile, is estimated at $1,000-$1,500; while the same estimate has been assigned to a mid-19th-century single-door pine armoirette in polychrome paint (yellow, red, white and green), having a detailed cornice, a simple shaped base and its original porcelain knob.
Mid-19th-century single-door pine armoirette in polychrome paint, estimated at CA$1,200-$1,500
To consign a single piece, an estate or a collection to Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd., call 519-573-3710 or email info@millerandmillerauctions.com. To learn more about Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd., please visit www.millerandmillerauctions.com.
The current rate of exchange is dollar CA 1 = 73 cents.
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