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The best R.J. Horner clock money could buy was this nine tube oak grandfather clock no. 10. Standing 10 feet high, this clock has its original finish and a $65,000-$85,000 estimate. Image courtesy of North Georgia Auction Gallery.

Fine figural furniture on the wing at North Georgia Antique Auction Jan. 8

Tom Hoepf
Tom Hoepf
The best R.J. Horner clock money could buy was this nine tube oak grandfather clock no. 10. Standing 10 feet high, this clock has its original finish and a $65,000-$85,000 estimate. Image courtesy of North Georgia Auction Gallery.
The best R.J. Horner clock money could buy was this nine tube oak grandfather clock no. 10. Standing 10 feet high, this clock has its original finish and a $65,000-$85,000 estimate. Image courtesy of North Georgia Auction Gallery.

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – Beautiful full-bodied women carved from hardwood and cast in bronze will be the featured attractions at North Georgia Antique Auction’s debut sale Jan. 9. The auction house will present what is described as the rarest collection of antique figural furniture from one estate ever offered for sale to the public. The auction includes furniture and accessories from such makers as R.J. Horner, Karpen, Belter, Tiffany and the Shop of the Crafters.

LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

“The large majority of the figural pieces came from a longtime dealer-collector from Pennsylvania. It is the rarest and cleanest collection of furniture that I’ve ever encountered. The owner was extremely picky in what he bought,” said Vincent Lindley, owner of North Georgia Antique Auction and 20-year veteran of the auction trade.

A no. 10 R.J. Horner nine-tube grandfather clock, considered to be the best of the best in tall case clocks, could be the top item in the 400-lot auction. Standing 10 feet tall, the clock features carved griffins framing the movement along with mermaid-like full figures flanking the case and a draped woman crest. The works are signed Walter Durfee and play Whittington and Westminster chimes. The face is marked J.E. Caldwell & Co. The clock is in working order and carries an estimate of $65,000-$85.000, although other no. 10 Horner clocks have sold for as much as $125,000.

A smaller (98 inches high) nine-tube Horner griffin grandfather clock in a highly carved mahogany case has an estimate of $15,000-$20,000. It has full-bodied women flanking the clock face, draped women down the sides and winged griffins on the base.

Another outstanding piece by Horner is a quartersawn oak desk with a hand carved shields on the slant front, which is supported by full-body standing soldiers on each side. In original finish, this 1890s desk has a $6,000-$8,000 estimate.

Carved from solid mahogany, a Man in the Mountain bookcase attributed to R.J. Horner has a $4,000-$6,000 estimate. It measures 66 1/2 inches high by 63 1/2 inches wide by 18 1/2 inches deep, and is in excellent original condition.

Also in the collection, a museum-quality Renaissance Revival credenza by Pottier & Stymus, New York City, is one of the finest the auctioneers have ever handled. It features signed “GPG” (G.P. Giru foundry, New York) bronze plaques depicting women on the doors and bronze draped women on both sides. Made of Rosewood with 18K gold incising, a marble top and bird’s-eye maple interior, the 6-foot-wide credenza has a $20,000-$30,000 estimate.

The New York City shops of John Henry Belter produced a laminated rosewood étagère in the Rosalie pattern, which has its original marble top base. The étagère is 85 inches high, 60 inches wide and 15 inches deep. In excellent condition, it carries an $18,000-$20,000 estimate.

An authentic Tiffany Studios three-light Lilly Lamp with its original LCT-signed Pulled Feather shades in original condition – no chips or cracks – has a $3,000-$5,000 estimate. The base is signed, “Tiffany Studios New York #319.”

Two slag glass lamps produced by Apollo Studios in New York, which was started by a longtime Tiffany Studios employee, will be offered. A floor lamp (estimate $4,000-$5,000) that has its original glass and brass overlay is 74 inches high. A similar table lamp that stands 21 inches high and has a 15-inch slag glass shade has a $2,000-$3,000 estimate. Lindley said that a leading Tiffany lamp dealer has authenticated the Apollo lamps.

From the Shop of the Crafters in Cincinnati, a scarce pair of prints of lions in oak frames fitted with iron bars to resemble cages, 33 1/2 inches high by 43 inches wide, has a $2,500-$3,500 estimate.

A rare Karpen bat-wing Morris chair that features drop-leaf armrests is made of solid mahogany. It retains the original label that reads: “Karpen Guaranteed Upholstered Furniture, Chicago.” With later upholstery, the 1880s chair has a $1,500-$2,500 estimate.

Numerous paintings by listed artists will be offered. One standout is a maritime scene titled Clipper at Full Sail by Danish-American artist Antonio Nicolo Gaspara Jacobsen (1850-1921). The 12- by 24 1/4-inch oil on canvas carries a $4,000-$8,000 estimate.

The sale will be conducted at North Georgia Auction Gallery, 31 Successful Way in Dawsonville, which is a 30-minute drive north of Atlanta. For details phone 706-265-9000.

To view the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet during the sale at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

Click here to view North Georgia Antiques Auction’s complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

It’s rare to find a large Pottier & Stymus figural Renaissance Revival credenza in such outstanding condition. This one made of rosewood with 18K gold incising and a marble top is 72 1/2 inches wide. It has a $20,000-$30,000 estimate. Image courtesy of North Georgia Auction Gallery.
It’s rare to find a large Pottier & Stymus figural Renaissance Revival credenza in such outstanding condition. This one made of rosewood with 18K gold incising and a marble top is 72 1/2 inches wide. It has a $20,000-$30,000 estimate. Image courtesy of North Georgia Auction Gallery.

J.H. Belter’s laminated rosewood étagère is from the popular Rosalie pattern. It is 85 inches high, by 48 inches wide. In excellent condition, the étagère has an $18,000-$20,000 estimate. Image courtesy of North Georgia Auction Gallery.
J.H. Belter’s laminated rosewood étagère is from the popular Rosalie pattern. It is 85 inches high, by 48 inches wide. In excellent condition, the étagère has an $18,000-$20,000 estimate. Image courtesy of North Georgia Auction Gallery.

Johann Hamza (German, 1850-1929) painted this oil on canvas titled ‘Introductions in an Interior.’ The 29- by 39-inch signed painting has a $12,000-$15,000 estimate. Image courtesy of North Georgia Auction Gallery.
Johann Hamza (German, 1850-1929) painted this oil on canvas titled ‘Introductions in an Interior.’ The 29- by 39-inch signed painting has a $12,000-$15,000 estimate. Image courtesy of North Georgia Auction Gallery.

Apollo Studios, New York, produced this slag glass and brass overlay floor lamp, which stands 74 inches high. The rare lamp has a $4,000-$5,000 estimate. Image courtesy of North Georgia Auction Gallery.
Apollo Studios, New York, produced this slag glass and brass overlay floor lamp, which stands 74 inches high. The rare lamp has a $4,000-$5,000 estimate. Image courtesy of North Georgia Auction Gallery.