SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – In 1829, Jonas Hale celebrated the wedding of his daughter Mary Anne to William J. Niles by gifting the couple a fine pair of gilt-framed mirrors. Made in the first quarter of the 19th century, the mirrors featured leaf-banded, divided plates with patera-decorated columnar uprights. The couple’s nephew, Louisa May Alcott’s publisher Thomas Niles, inherited the pair and hung them in his Boston home until 1870. The never-separated pair descended through the family and will be offered with an estimate of $2,500-$3,500 at Fine Estate Auction Gallery on Sunday, June 23. Absentee and Internet live bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.
Other furniture highlights from the period include a New York Classical rosewood games table ($1,000-$1,500) and a New England Chippendale tiger maple chest on chest (below; $3,000-$5,000).
Mid-century American design will be represented in the auction with lots by George Nelson and Warren Platner. Platner (1919–2006) was a prize-winning architect and interior designer who, in the 1960s, designed his iconic “Wheat Sheaf” collection for Knoll, which used welded steel rods as bases. Fine Estate has two vintage Knoll Platner pieces in their upcoming sale. A dining table has an estimate of $1,500-$2,000; a coffee table is estimated at $700-$1,000.
George Nelson (1908-1986) was design director for Herman Miller. The auction will offer a 1946 Model 4658 executive desk and chair having an estimate of $4,000-$6,000.
Fine jewelry will be featured, including a custom-designed jadeite and gold brooch, which has a double-cabochon framed by two coiled snakes and is highlighted with geometric-cut quartz. Accompanied by a GIA report stating, “Natural Color with no indications of impregnation,” this one-of-a-kind pin has an estimate of $3,000-$5,000. A Tiffany retro 14K gold bracelet (below) is estimated at $2,000-$3,000.
Fine Estate’s Chinese art offerings include a rare 1940s ink and watercolor painting by Lin Fengmian (1900-1991). The painting, Boats at Shore, survived two periods of Chinese cultural destruction and has an impeccable and important provenance (est. $100,000-$200,000). Fengmian (1900-1991) was a pioneer of modern painting, blending elements of both Western and Chinese styles into his work. Considered controversial for his adoption of western styles, his home and much of his early work were destroyed by Japanese soldiers during the Sino-Japanese war; his later work was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. His early works are scarce, highly valued and sought after.
Other Asian highlights include a temple-size pair of Buddhist lions (estimate $30,000-$40,000), a Chinese rosewood altar table ($3,000-$5,000) and a three-piece Chinese famille rose garniture set ($8,000-$12,000) bearing Kangxi marks in iron-red.
Also up for auction on June 23 will be a spectacular antique Bakshaish rug ($8,000-$12,000) and 19th-century Dutch floral still life ($400-$600).
Fine Estate Auction Gallery is located in Marin County at 121 Jordan St. in San Rafael. The company has been in the business of transitioning estates and personal property since 1996.
For more information, contact Fine Estate Auction Gallery at 415-419-5012.
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