BOSTON – Fine silver will be the highlight of Skinner’s sale of European Furniture and Decorative Arts on Saturday, April 11. A major force in the sale of high-style European pieces, Skinner will again offer an impressively varied selection of English and Continental decorative works of art, ceramics and furniture with this sale.
The sale features more than 350 lots of fine silver from the early 18th to 20th centuries of British, Continental, Russian and American origin. Highlighted is a group of Georg Jensen silver including a pair of two-light candelabra, design no. 324, (lot 711, est. $4,000-$6,000); an Acanthus pattern flatware service (lot 713, est. $2,000-$4,000); a tall compote decorated with grapes, design no. 264A (lot 719, est. $6,000-$8,000); and a four-piece tea and coffee service, design no. 80 (lot 724, est. $2,000-$4,000).
Also of note is a group of Arts and Crafts sterling, highlighted by several Tiffany & Co. “Special Hand Work” pieces including a fruit bowl (lot 903, est. $3,000-$5,000) and a bread tray (lot 906, est. $1,200-$1,800). Other Tiffany offerings consist of flatware services in two of their most opulent patterns, Chrysanthemum (lot 826, est. $6,000-$8,000) and Olympian (lot 883, est. $8,000-$12,000), as well as a charming boxed child’s set, decorated with cut-card work of a menagerie of animals (lot 877, est. $1,200-$1,800) and an impressive seven-piece repoussé tea and coffee set (lot 814, est. $5,000-$7,000).
British silver offerings are regally represented by an impressive pair of George III silver convertible candelabra, made in London in 1807 by William Burwash and Richard Sibley, (lot 627, est. $15,000-$25,000). Of interest to Anglophiles with a more modest budget, there is a small Victorian silver royal presentation cup (lot 649, est. $800-$1,200) given by Prince Albert to one of his godsons.
The strong selection of furniture includes European and American items from the late 17th through the 20th centuries. One of the most interesting and unusual items is an early Victorian mahogany metamorphic “Jupe” dining table (lot 433, est. $35,000-$45,000), circa 1840-50, with central brass makers’ medallion stamped “Johnstone, Jeanes & Co., 67 New Bond Street, London.” Tables of this design, named after the inventor of the original design in the early 19th century, Robert Jupe, are painstakingly crafted with expanding pie-shaped wedges. The original design was a technical innovation, allowing for ease and flexibility of use. Period tables of this design, especially those with maker’s labels, are rare in the auction market.
Other furniture highlights include an elegant Edwardian bureau-bookcase (lot 6, est. $5,000-$7,000); a Portuguese rococo fruitwood chest of drawers from the third quarter of the 18th century (lot 411, est. $1,500-$2,500); a French Empire-style dining room set (lot 214, est. $10,000-$12,000); a large Regency giltwood convex mirror (lot 410, est. $15,000-$20,000); and a William and Mary chest of drawers, circa 1700, (lot 185, est. $7,000-$9,000).
Gracing the sale is an eclectic selection of ceramics, statuary, clocks, and metal and glassware. Featured items include two fine carved agate cameos, both ex-collection Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. One depicts the profile busts of Hera and Zeus (lot 295, est. $1,000-$1,500), and the other the profile of Athena (lot 306, est. $1,000-$1,500). Other highlights include an Art Deco bronze figural group by Ferdinand Liebermann (lot 75, est. $1,800-$2,200); a Meissen pate-sur-pate vase (lot 121, est. $300-$500); a Berlin painted porcelain plaque in a Black Forest carved wood frame (lot 174, est. $800-$1,200); and a large Italian alabaster figural group (lot 398, est. $3,000-$5,000).
Previews for the auction will be held on Thursday, April 9, from noon to 5 p.m. and on Friday, April 10, from noon to 8 p.m. In conjunction with Friday’s preview, Skinner will host a European gallery walk discussing furniture, decorative arts and fine silver presented by Skinner European specialists Stuart Whitehurst and Sara Wishart. The event kicks off with a reception at 5:30 p.m. and the walk begins at 6:30. RSVP by calling 617-350-5400.
The auction will be conducted at Skinner’s Boston gallery located at 63 Park Plaza. Illustrated catalog #2452 is available at the gallery for $32. Prices realized will be available at www.skinnerinc.com during and after the sale. For more information, call 508-970-3000, or visit www.skinnerinc.com. Skinner’s site also allows users to view all lots in the auctions and leave bids. Online bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.com.
ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
