Fasten your seat belt for Converse’s Armchair Adventurer Auction, Apr 24
Margaret Tafoya vase, estimated at $3,000-$5,000
PAOLI, Pa. – Converse Auctions invites everyone to bid on something wild and wonderful in its Armchair Adventurer Auction, scheduled for April 24 and beginning at noon Eastern time. Bidders in this 470-lot sale can travel virtually from the comfort of their armchairs to Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.
The catalog features antique and silverplate items; Chinese and Japanese porcelain, paintings, and other objects; African art masks, figures, and textiles; Native American Hopi figures and jewelry; antique clocks from America, Europe, and China; art glass, Fenton, and Baccarat crystal; American homespun quilts and other textiles; and choice maps.
Headlining the auction is a Santa Clara Pueblo ceramic pottery vase signed by the renowned Native American artisan Margarita “Margaret” Tafoya. The vase stands just under 17 inches tall, weighs more than 15 pounds, and shows Tafoya’s incised signature. It’s an exceptional example of her work, and it should sell for $3,000-$5,000.
Oneida Lasting Spring pattern flatware, estimated at $4,000-$6,000
A 1955 Oneida heirloom sterling silver flatware set in the Lasting Spring pattern, including a community silverplate baby spoon and 10 pieces of the pattern still in the original plastic bag, should reach $4,000-$6,000, while a Tiffany Art Deco sterling silver serving tray with garland designs around the border and a central monogram carries an estimate of $1,000-$1,500.
Chinese bracket clock on stand, estimated at $2,500-$3,500
A 19th-century Chinese bracket clock on a stand, having time and strike double fusee movement, a sweeping second hand, and a brass or bronze bas relief back plate with character, tendrils, and bird motifs is estimated to bring $2,500-$3,500. Also, a Waterbury Victorian-era cast metal and porcelain mantel clock should hit $300-$500.
Hopi katsina doll, estimated at $100-$200
A total of five painted wood Hopi Katsina, aka kachina dolls, each one about a foot tall, feature in the sale. Kachina dolls are usually carved from cottonwood root by the Hopi people. The figures instruct young girls and new brides about katsinas, or katsinam, the immortal beings that bring rain, control other aspects of the natural world and society, and act as messengers between humans and the spirit world.
Qianlong porcelain moon flask, estimated at $1,000-$1,500
A Qianlong mark porcelain moon flask accented in gold and standing 15½ in tall has an estimate of $1,000-$1,500. Also on offer is a jade foo dog lion and cub with accents in green and red paint. It measures seven inches tall and should hit $800-$1,200.
Zulu shield, estimated at $100-$200
From Africa, a colorful round Zulu shield in yellow, blue, red, green, and white is expected to sell for $100-$200. The same estimate has been assigned to a Songue mask from Congo.
Set of Baccarat champagne flutes, estimated at $1,000-$1,500
A set of ten Massena pattern champagne flutes by Baccarat in their original boxes should rise to $1,000-$1,500. Lastly, a quadruple silverplate Pairpoint epergne, or centerpiece, carries an estimate of $200-$400.
View top auction results on LiveAuctioneers here: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/pages/recent-auction-sales/
