Selling on the second day of the major auction, the ornate dressing table has all the attributes of a special piece. Not only is it carved rosewood, but it also has a “dished-out” marble top. “Some would have an ogee or fancy edge on the marble, but a few were worked to leave about a one-inch lip around the perimeter of the marble top,” said Greg S. Kowles, a furniture specialist at St. Charles Gallery. “It’s in beautiful original condition.”
The duchesse, which stands 81 1/2 inches high by 49 1/2 inches wide, was made in the late 1850s or 1860s, said Kowles. It boasts a $6,000-$9,000 estimate.
Also selling on Sunday is an Extra Grade Wooton Patent Secretary. “Wooton made desks in four grades: Ordinary, Standard, Extra and Superior. The Superiors are so rare and in high demand that they can cost up to a quarter-million dollars,” said Kowles. “The Extra Grade came in three sizes and this desk is the largest. John Rockefeller had an Extra Grade Wooton. The Extra Grade is sometimes called a Rockefeller desk,” said Kowles.
The Wooton in the sale is constructed of walnut, burl walnut and figured maple. It is 79 inches high, 45 1/2 inches wide, and 32 1/2 inches deep. It was made in the third quarter of the 19th century. The estimate is $25,000-$45,000.
Another furniture highlight is a Regency mahogany sideboard with ebony inlay. At 99 inches wide and on large carved paw feet, the sideboard is of large scale and has an $8,000-$12,000 estimate.
One of the paintings in the sale is a landscape by Elliott Daingerfield (American, 1859-1932). Daingerfield was already a highly regarded New York artist when he became inspired at the sight of the Grand Canyon, which became his favorite subject. The Pond – Late Afternoon, a 30 1/2- by 36-inch oil on canvas has a $40,000-$50,000 estimate.
Two paintings by New Orleans artist Clarence Millet (1897-1959) will also sell on the second day of the auction. One is a street scene titled St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans. The oil on canvas board painting is 18 by 15 inches and has a $9,000-12,000 estimate.
“That’s real New Orleans,” said Tessa Steinkamp of St. Charles Gallery. “He loved painting the cobblestone streets, the carriages and people in period clothing.”
Several pieces of Newcomb College Pottery will be featured in the sale. A 5 1/2-inch vase potted by Jonathan Browne and decorated in an artichoke décor and vellum glaze by artist Sadie Irvine has a $2,500-$4,000 estimate.
A stunning example of the jewelry to be sold is a 14-karat yellow gold pendant necklace containing a pear-shaped Paraiba tourmaline weighing 59.45 carats, surrounded by a double row of round brilliant-cut diamonds with a total weight of 6.77 carats.
View the fully illustrated catalogs and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet during the sale at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
Click here to view New Orleans Auction, St. Charles Gallery, Inc.’s complete catalog.
ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
