Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information
Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information

Skinner Auction of European Furniture and Decorative Art to Feature Fine Ceramics on 9 July

Boston, MA – Skinner, Inc. will auction 1100 lots at their European Furniture and Decorative Arts event on Saturday, July 9th, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. in their Boston gallery. The sale will feature Fine Ceramics including The Phyllis Ritvo Collection of Gouda Pottery, along with a diverse range of British, Italian and French furniture and decorations.

Wedgwood Wares
The Fine Ceramics offerings include Wedgwood wares spanning the company’s 250 years of production, such as a large assortment of black basalt and jasper wares. A first rate grouping of Doulton ceramics will also be for sale, highlighted by an important monumental Doulton Lambeth faience floral-decorated vase, lot 68. This vase, estimated at $20,000 to $30,000, stands six-feet-four inches high; its mate was exhibited at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Lot 80 is another exceptionally large vase made by Minton. Designed by Victor Etienne Simyan, it features figures of Prometheus bound in ropes, and stands well over four feet in height and is estimated at $5,000 to $7,000. Additionally, there is an exceptional selection of Royal Copenhagen porcelain “Flora Danica” pattern dinnerware included in the sale.

Gouda Pottery – The Phyllis Ritvo Collection
The Phyllis Ritvo Collection of Gouda Pottery is a particularly interesting part of this sale. An alumna of Wellesley College with a graduate degree from Northeastern University, Ritvo began collecting the Dutch pottery of Gouda in 1962, when she bought her first piece in an antiques shop for $27. Since that time, Ritvo and her husband, Gene, amassed a diverse collection encompassing a wide variety of Gouda wares. Ritvo documented her love of Gouda pottery with the publication of her book The World of Gouda Pottery in 1998.

Lot 786 of this auction, a c. 1920 Gouda semi-matte glaze pottery vase decorated with a magpie, is sure to draw attention. This 16 ¾ inch vase is charmingly enamel-decorated with the bird set within a floral landscape, and is estimated at $800 to $1,200. Lot 880 is a Gouda high glaze pottery plaque produced c. 1905, decorated with a country landscape and signed “M.V. Barselen.” At 14 x 20 inches, this piece is estimated at $1,000 to $1,500.

Frans Leidelmeijer Lecture on Gouda Pottery – July 8 at 7:00 p.m.
In conjunction with the preview on Friday, July 8, 2011, Skinner will host a reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by a lecture at 7:00 p.m. titled “Gouda Pottery and Dutch Decorative Arts,” presented by Frans Leidelmeijer. Leidelmeijer is an internationally recognized expert in Dutch decorative arts from 1880 to the early 1900s.

British, Italian, and French Furniture and Decorative Arts
The July 9th auction will also feature a selection of fantastic furniture and decorative arts. Lots of particular note include lot 305, a Georgian-style Japanned bureau cabinet from the mid-19th century. The cabinet is decorated with chinoiserie motifs on a persimmon ground gilt. The two mirrored doors and slant lid open to reveal an elaborate fitted interior of valanced compartments, drawers, and locked doors, with sliding files formed by the bindings of four volumes of Pinkerton’s Travels. It is estimated at $3,000 to $5,000.

Lot 367 is a whimsical pair of Venetian parcel-gilt and carved wood stands formed as Blackamoor acrobats. Made in the 19th century, each stand depicts a figure wearing an Egyptian kilt and headdress, balancing on his lower back and hands with legs overhead and head between his thighs. The pair is estimated at $5,000 – $7,000.

Lot 476 is comprised of a pair of Russian neoclassical painted and parcel-gilt X-form stools from the 19th century. With upholstered seats, fan-carved friezes, and serpent-form legs, the stools are 18 inches tall and estimated at $3,000-$5,000.

This sale also features a wide selection of bronzes, Russian icons, paintings and prints, German porcelain plaques, and German stoneware and tin-glazed steins.

Previews, Catalog and Bidding
Previews for the auction will be held on Thursday, July 7th from 12:00 to 8:00 p.m. and Friday, July 8th from 12:00 to 8:00 p.m. Illustrated catalog #2554B is available by mail for $35 ($42 for foreign requests) from the subscription department at 508-970-3240. It is also available at the gallery for $32. Prices realized will be available at www.skinnerinc.com during and after the sale. Skinner’s site also allows users to view all lots in the auctions, leave bids, order catalogs, and bid live in real-time through SkinnerLive! To register for real-time bidding go to http://www.skinnerinc.com/buy-sell/skinner-live.php. Or, for more information call 508-970-3000.

About Skinner
Skinner, Inc. is one of the world’s leading auction houses for antiques and fine art. With expertise in over 20 specialty collecting areas, Skinner draws the interest of buyers from all over the world and its auctions regularly achieve world record prices. Skinner provides a broad range of auction and appraisal services, and it is widely regarded as one of the most trusted names in the auction business. Skinner’s appraisal experts regularly appear on the PBS-TV series, Antiques Roadshow, and its specialty departments include American Furniture & Decorative Arts, American & European Paintings & Prints, European Furniture & Decorative Arts, 20th Century Design, Fine Ceramics, Fine Silver, Fine Jewelry, Couture, Fine Musical Instruments, Asian Works of Art, Fine Wines, Rare Books & Manuscripts, Oriental Rugs & Carpets, American Indian & Ethnographic Art, Fine Judaica, Antique Motor Vehicles, Toys, Dolls & Collectibles, Discovery and Science, Technology & Clocks. Skinner galleries are located in Boston and Marlborough, Mass.

For more information on upcoming auctions and events, visit Skinner’s web site www.skinnerinc.com

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *