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Bob Courtney had these large griffin sconces cast from the antique originals. Image courtesy Bob Courtney Auctions.

Courtney’s May 16 Spring Sale is for those who enjoy ‘living large’

Bob Courtney had these large griffin sconces cast from the antique originals. Image courtesy Bob Courtney Auctions.
Bob Courtney had these large griffin sconces cast from the antique originals. Image courtesy Bob Courtney Auctions.
MILLBURY, Mass – From an 11-foot-high painting of Jesus Christ to an 8-foot-tall Black Forest grandfather clock, it is apparent that Bob Courtney Auctions’ 2009 Spring Sale on Saturday, May 16, will be of monumental proportions. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

“Is it going to be a great auction?” said Bob Courtney rhetorically. “I don’t know yet. We’ll find out Saturday.”

The auctioneer is confident he has some fine and unique items to offer.

He will sell a huge oil on canvas painting by Jozef Maganck depicting Jesus with apostles Peter and John and surrounded by children. The painting was exhibited in Brussels in 1860 and had until recently been in a convent in Belgium.

“I was in Belgium, saw it and love it. So I bought it,” said Courtney.

Because the artist painted large works that were installed in institutions, few of his paintings have come on the market, said Courtney, who gives it a $30,000-$35,000 estimate.

A precisely carved eagle with its wings spread open tops the Black Forest grandfather clock, which Courtney hopes will do well. “It’s a rare clock, one of the best you’ll ever find,” he said.

Another grand item in the 574-lot auction will be a four-piece American Renaissance Revival walnut bedroom set, which Courtney describes as museum quality. The step well dresser includes original hardware, oversize mirror, and inset marble and side niches. There set also includes marble-top nightstand, washstand and outstanding bed with elaborate carvings.

A magnificently carved and extra-large sideboard in the auction is attributed to Venetian sculptor Valentino Panciera Besarel (1829-1902). Standing 91 inches high and 139 inches wide, the three-tiered walnut cabinet has a $20,000-30,000 estimate.

The 60-inch-high bronze griffin sconces offered in the sale are new reproductions, which Courtney had cast from the originals. “The originals sold for a half-million dollars in New York,” said Courtney. “I tell everyone these are new and they’re still interested in them.”

Also included in this sale will be Gothic, Victorian, Eastlake, Empire, Rococo, Aesthetic Movement, Arts & Crafts, Art Deco, Art Nouveau and antique oak furniture.

The auction will be held at Bob Courtney Auctions, 12 Providence St. (Route 122A) in Millbury. Previews are through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. For information phone 508-865-1009.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid live via the Internet by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

 

 

Click here to view Bob Courtney Auction’s complete catalog.


ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE


Carved figures abound on this circa 1880 Italian sideboard attributed to Besarel. Image courtesy Bob Courtney Auctions.
Carved figures abound on this circa 1880 Italian sideboard attributed to Besarel. Image courtesy Bob Courtney Auctions.
The Black Forest grandfather clock is 99 inches high and dates to the 1880s. Image courtesy Bob Courtney Auctions.
The Black Forest grandfather clock is 99 inches high and dates to the 1880s. Image courtesy Bob Courtney Auctions.
Jozef Maganck's painting of Jesus is titled ‘Let the Children Come to Me.' Image courtesy Bob Courtney Auctions.
Jozef Maganck’s painting of Jesus is titled ‘Let the Children Come to Me.’ Image courtesy Bob Courtney Auctions.
Bob Courtney had these large griffin sconces cast from the antique originals. Image courtesy Bob Courtney Auctions.
Bob Courtney had these large griffin sconces cast from the antique originals. Image courtesy Bob Courtney Auctions.
Victorian furniture doesn't get any higher than this American Renaissance Revival four-piece bedroom set. Image courtesy Bob Courtney Auctions.
Victorian furniture doesn’t get any higher than this American Renaissance Revival four-piece bedroom set. Image courtesy Bob Courtney Auctions.