Cowan’s European and Asian Fine and Decorative Art Auction, July 31, 2010 will feature Continental furniture, paintings, pottery and porcelain, and Orientalia.
Leading the sale is a Portrait of a Woman by Frederick Soulacroix titled Resting with Fan. The captivating painting (est. $25,000/35.000) is typical of Soulacroix’s style, depicting a realistic portrait of a woman posing in a space featuring luxuriant fabrics, furniture and fine accents that suggest a wealthy home. Soulacroix spent most of his life in Italy, where he studied at the Academia de Bella Arte and the Scuola di Pittura.
Another important painting is a Townscape by Francesco Bergamini. It portrays a wedding party parading through the town, which appears to follow the old Italian tradition. As it holds, the couple, followed by the guests, walk through the streets to the chapel. The painting is estimated at $10,000/15,000.
Continental furniture has a strong presence in the sale, including several great Spanish items. A Spanish Vargueno Chest, decorated with elaborate iron hardware over red velvet is estimated at $5,000/7,000. A Spanish Stretcher-Base Table (est. $3,000/4,000) features a single-board top above four tapered legs with mortise-and-tenon stretcher base, two dovetailed drawers with facings of carved rosettes, hand-wrought pulls, and frame-and-panel ends.
A Baccarat Crystal Chandelier is another highlight of the auction. With a silver metal frame enclosed in a glass stem, the device has eighteen alternating glass candle arms with lights, each with a crystal bobeche and hanging cut-back crystal prisms. It is estimated at $4,000/6,000.
Also of interest is a Six-Arm German Porcelain Chandelier with a baluster-form center and extending scrolled flower encrusted arms, cylindrical candle lights and hanging lanterns of encrusted flowers. Probably Dresden, the candle tubes, which may be later, are marked with the underglaze double sword Meissen mark. The chandelier is estimated at $2,000/3,000.
Leading the Orientalia portion of the sale is a Pair of Oriental Figures that are signed on the base KAFFSACK. The two well-executed polychrome earthenware figures are of a Geisha with a pug and fan and a Samurai with swords-in-hand. Joseph Kaffsack’s most notable works are public monuments to two emperors, William I and Frederich III, both at Giebichenstein, Germany. The other, six allegorical figures, grace the Leipzig Post Office. His works were commissioned primarily for both public and private buildings, and these figures were supposedly made for the Japanese Pavilion at the Paris Exposition in either 1878 or 1889.
A beautiful handmade platinum and natural fine quality aquamarine ring weighing 36.59 carats stands out in the sale. The medium dark blue ring is estimated at $6,000/8,000. Additionally, there are several beautiful Victorian pieces, including a pair of bracelets and a vintage Cameo brooch.
A late 19th century French Aubusson tapestry woven carpet with cotton underlining is one of several great rugs in the sale. The carpet is estimated at $5,000/7,000.
Cowan’s will offer an extensive collection of maps from the property of Dr. Fred E. Schwab, including Novissima Totius Terrarum Orbis Tabula, a double-hemisphere map (est. $6,000/8,000) of the world as the 17th century Dutch knew. Another interesting collection is titled Kohler, Johann David and includes 44 hand-colored maps plus illustrated title page and index. Johann David Kohler was a German historian whose primary interests were coins as historical artifacts. Many pages have decorative cartouches and artistically stacked historic coins of the region depicted. The lot is estimated at $1,000/2,000.
The full auction catalogue for the European and Asian Fine and Decorative Art Auction is available online at cowans.com. Live, absentee, phone, and live online bidding will be available for this auction.
www.cowans.com