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Fine art, clocks, lamps

Fine art, clocks, lamps fresh to Miller & Miller Auctions June 7-8

Fine art, clocks, lamps
One of two Handel Birds of Paradise table lamps. Estimates: CA$9,000-$12,000 and CA$6,000-$9,000. Miller & Miller Auctions image

NEW HAMBURG, Ontario – A two-day, two-session auction featuring over 700 lots of collector-grade art, clocks, fountain pens, lamps, art glass and many items of historical interest from world-class makers will be held Friday and Saturday, June 78, by Miller & Miller Auctions. Absentee and Internet live bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.

The Friday session will highlight vintage and contemporary fountain pens from notable brands such as Parker, Schaeffer, Waterman, Bexley, Conway Stewart, Montblanc and many others – over 150 lots in all. The Saturday session will continue with a representative collection of clocks from the Arthur Pequegnat Clock Co., plus many other fine offerings.

Start times are 7 p.m. on June 7 and 10 a.m. on June 8 (both times Eastern).

Two lots – 430 and 431 – are certain to spark keen bidder interest. Both are Birds of Paradise table lamps (above) made by Handel of Meriden, Conn. They’re similar: both have a domical 17¾-inch-diameter shade (signed) in “chipped” and “sand finished” glass, and both are decorated with two exotic birds of paradise among blossoming branches (est. $9,000-$12,000 and $6,000-$9,000).

All prices quoted here are in Canadian dollars.

A star of the fine art category is an oil on canvas depiction of a warrior on horseback, with others in the distance behind, by Jozef Brandt (1841-1915), 12 inches by 9¼ inches (est. $15,000-$20,000). A complement to that work is a military scene with one cavalry facing the admirer, signed by Dutch artist Jan Hoynck van Papendrecht, 24 inches by 17 inches (est. $6,000-$9,000).

Fine art, clocks, lamps
Oil on canvas depiction of a warrior on horseback, with others in the distance behind, by Jozef Brandt (1841-1915), 12in. x 9¼in. Estimate: CA$15,000-$20,000. Miller & Miller Auctions image

“Out of nowhere this has become one of our most eclectic and exciting sales,” said Ethan Miller of Miller & Miller Auctions Ltd. “A tidal wave of market-fresh collections and individual items of merit have combined to achieve what bidders will see. Friday evening includes an old-time gathering of fountain pens and Saturday features the Curt Davidson Pequegnat clock collection.”

Pequegnat clocks are as much about an impressive Canadian success story as they are about finely made timekeepers. Beginning in 1904 the Pequegnat family beat the odds and made finer clocks than most companies in the United States. Davidson’s complete and meticulously curated collection of Pequegnat clocks includes every model the firm ever produced, and with variations.

Fine art, clocks, lamps
Rare Pequegnat ‘Nelson’ tall case clock, 81in. tall, with beveled glass door and correct ‘twin dolphins’ door key. Estimate: CA$3,000-$5,000. Miller & Miller Auctions image

Pequegnat clocks in the auction include a rare “Nelson” tall case clock, one of only a few known, 81 inches tall, with beveled glass door and correct “twin dolphins” door key (est. $3,000-$5,000); and a Regulator No. 1 wall clock, Pequegnat’s only weight-driven wall clock and arguably the company’s most accurate clock, with a signed dial and quartersawn oak case (est. $2,500-$3,500).

“Complementary to the Pequegnat ethic and spirit,” Miller said, “we have attracted exciting additions, to include original paintings, fine art glass, pottery, early electric lighting and period furnishings.” Miller noted that bidders will delight in finding choice “Pequegnat-quality” antiques by names such as Loetz, Quezal, Steuben, Moorcroft, Tiffany, Handel, and Bradley and Hubbard.

In addition to the Brandt and Papendrecht paintings, other artworks expected to do well include the following:

  • A watercolor of a warrior on horseback by Juliusz Kossak (1824-1899), with a dwelling behind, signed and dated “1886”, 8¾ inches by 11½ inches sight (est. $8,000-$12,000).
  • An oil on canvas by Frederick Stanley Haines (Canadian, 1879-1960), matted and framed, signed on lower left edge, measuring 32 inches by 24 inches sight (est. $8,000-$10,000).
  • A figural forest scene by Canadian artist Homer Ransford Watson, in the original frame, signed lower left edge, measuring 24 inches by 18½ inches sight (est. $6,000-$9,000).

A library cupboard made in the Eastern Townships of Ontario in the 1880s or 1890s, made of solid bird’s-eye maple with paneled sides and pull-out ironing board, should bring $4,000-$6,000. Also, a horse statue plaster cast by the famed Woodstock, Ontario, sculptor Ross Butler (1907-1995) for Dawes Black Horse Ale, 19 inches tall, is estimated at $2,000-$2,500.

Fine art, clocks, lamps
Horse statue plaster cast by Woodstock, Ontario, sculptor Ross Butler (1907-1995) for Dawes Black Horse Ale, 19in. tall. Estimate: CA$2,000-$2,500. Miller & Miller Auctions image

A Stella mahogany music box with 36 discs, the front panel of the original condition case carved with oak leaves and acorns, in excellent playing condition, should rise to $3,000-$5,000. Also, a National Model 3 cash register, the wooden inlaid model coveted by collectors, in untouched original condition, as featured in the book The Incorruptible Cashier, should hit $2,500-$3,500.

Fine art, clocks, lamps
National Model 3 cash register, the wooden inlaid model coveted by collectors, in untouched original condition. Estimate: CA$2,500-$3,500. Miller & Miller Auctions image

A Baccarat close-packed millefiori paperweight, made in France and incorporating canes featuring various figures, to include a monkey, squirrel and birds, signed and dated (“B 1847”) is expected to bring $2,500-$3,500; while a Canadian National “2659” train plate, built in 1910 by MLW for CNR Steam Locomotive, one of two plates in the sale, should achieve $2,500-$3,000.

The auction will also feature Canadian and international art, including works by Thomas Mitchell; Canadiana; folk art and early country store advertising items; period showcases, cabinets and advertising displays of the late Victorian period, and many other fine items.

For details concact Miller & Miller Auctions at 519-573-3710 or 519-716-5606 or email info@millerandmillerauctions.com.

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