LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.
Included will be unidentified works of art and abandoned lots ranging from U.S. patent models and antique maps, to Asian works of art and Roman antiquities. The centerpiece of this eclectic offering will be two extraordinary lots from the estate of Doris Duke, beginning the auction as lots 1 and 2, promptly at 10 a.m. Eastern.
The first of the two lots is the Thai pavilion that Duke commissioned in 1964, a replica of the Aphorn Phimok Pavilion at the Royal Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. When fully constructed, the pavilion is 75 feet high and 46 feet long. From foundation to roof, the wood is carved teak decorated with gold, quartz and vermilion paint. There are only five such known replicas in the world. Duke’s pavilion was built in Bangkok by Thai artisans, then disassembled and shipped to the United States. The pavilion is ideal for inclusion in a botanical setting, or any outdoor venue with the breadth to showcase this bold architectural statement piece.
The other notable lot for auction is six original Thai houses that Duke purchased in 1962. These houses were most likely built in the early 20th century and are comprised of carved teak walls. These carved walls could be used to recreate the houses or they would make magnificent architectural elements in themselves.
Both the pavilion and Thai houses were part of Duke’s Southeast Asian Art Collection, which she began acquiring in 1961. Her intent was to recreate a Thai village that evoked the traditional life and culture of Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand and Burma, as it was in the mid to late 19th century, with decorative and artistic works along with functional objects. Unable to identify and acquire the ideal plot on which to execute her plan, Doris Duke shipped the buildings and works of art to her residence in Hillsborough, N.J., in 1972.
Following the sale of the pavilion and Thai house lots, Friday’s auction will continue on with 565 lots, including Chinese, Japanese, Southeast Asian and Near-Eastern Art; Greco-Roman, Egyptian and Pre-Columbian antiquities; Spanish Colonial and Italian furniture, decorative objects, silver and fine art including Old Master paintings and works on paper; French furniture, decorations and fine art from the 19th and 20th centuries, including fine custom draperies removed from 998 Fifth and 980 Park avenues.
Saturday, day two of the three-day sale, will offer 415 lots beginning with science, nature and technology, featuring a single-owner collection of U.S. patent models, mineral specimens, and a large offering of world maps from two New York collections; nautical and marine artifacts and works of art, highlighted by a rare Ulysse Nardin Grand Prix two-day marine chronometer; a collection of Mark Twain bindings from the estate of Wall Street legend Jack Dreyfus; American and English furniture, decorative objects and fine art, including sporting and equestrian art and accessories and a large selection of Brown Jordan and outdoor furniture from the estate of Gerald Tsai.
The third and final day, Sunday’s auction session will bring 578 lots to the block, including Art Deco and Modern furniture, Mid-Century decorations and accessories, including studio glass and pottery; postwar, contemporary and Latin American art, including works on paper from the estate of American photographer Arnold Newman; a selection of antique and contemporary Judaic and Russian paintings and silver; accoutrements for a well-dressed dining table, including porcelain dinnerware, fine stemware and silver accessories; a nice grouping of Tiffany & Co. sterling silver, including Olympian pattern serving pieces; gemstone and costume jewelry and a single-owner collection of precision writing instruments by Montblanc, Montegrappa and Cartier.
Auctions and previews will be held at the Morristown Armory, 430 Western Ave. in Morristown. Property will be available for preview on Thursday, May 20, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 21-23, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. each morning before the auction start. Absentee, telephone and live online bidding will be available. For details visit www.milleabros.com or call 973.377.1500.
ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
