Boston, MA – March 15, 2012 – Skinner, Inc. will host an auction of European Furniture and Decorative Arts on Saturday, March 31st in its Boston gallery. The sale begins with nearly 450 lots of fine silver from England, the Continent, Asia, and the Americas. It continues with 400 more lots covering the range of European furniture, decorative arts, and paintings.
Fine Silver
Among the fine silver items offered will be a Henrik Moller Arts and Crafts Dragestil covered cup (lot 116, estimated between $4,000 and $6,000). Dragestil or “Dragon Style” was a Norwegian architecture and design movement that occurred between 1880 and 1910. A Viking/medieval Scandinavian revival style, Dragestil features motifs from Old Norse mythology such as serpents and dragons. The Moller cup makes terrific (and grotesque) use of such Viking imagery, with frieze illustrations from the legend of Hagbart and Signe featuring dragons, monsters, serpents and other fang-toothed creatures adorning the vessel.
Other fine silver highlights include a George III silver wine cooler (lot 31, $7,000 to $9,000) from 1803 made by William Pitts; a large pair of 19th century, baluster-shaped Chinese export vases (lot 173, $5,000 to $7,000); a Gorham “Martelé” Art Nouveau tray (lot 290, $7,000 to $9,000); an extensive Georg Jensen cactus pattern partial flatware service (lot 131, $7,000 to $9,000); and a 19th century Continental gold and enamel snuffbox (lot 96, $5,000 to $7,000).
A selection of Russian enamels will be offered including a gold-washed silver and cloisonné enamel egg by Dimitri Nikolaev (lot 157, $2,000 to $3,000); a Gold-washed silver and cloisonné enamel Kovsh by Maria Semyonova (lot 153, $2,000-3,000); a set of twelve gold-washed silver and enamel spoons, with marks possibly for Grachev Brothers (lot 160, $2,000 to $3,000); and a gold-washed silver and guilloché enamel open salt made by Genady Pavlov (lot 162, $1,200 to $1800).
According to Stuart Slavid, director of the Skinner department of European furniture & decorative arts, “the March 31st sale presents a very fine and diverse assortment of silver with works from a range of periods, countries, and styles. There is something for every taste and decor.”
European Furniture & Decorative Arts
Notable European furniture items include an early 19th century, French, Louis XVI-style gilt-bronze-mounted inlaid tulipwood corner cabinet (lot 588, $3,000 to $5,000); a bronze-mounted and marquetry-inlaid credenza with arabesque decorations (lot 792, $2,000 to $4,000); an 18th century Continental rococo oak bookcase bureau with rocaille decorations (lot 567, $2,000 to $3,000); an aesthetic movement Longwy pottery and Bradley and Hubbard brass stand at (lot 708, $1,000 to $1,500); and an 18th century Georgian serpentine inlaid mahogany chest (lot 658, $2,500 to $3,000)
Decorative arts highlights include an exquisite white marble bust of a young woman by Thomas Ball (lot 505, $12,000 to $18,000); a set of ten Minton pate-sur-pate decorated service plates with pale blue medallions connected by gold floral and foliate festoons (lot 703 $3,000 to 5,000); a fourth century Greek provincial red figure pelike, very likely from southern Italy, decorated with an image of Zeus receiving Herakles (lot 735 $6,000 to $8,000); a nearly life sized, 19th century bronze sculpture of Mercury after Giambologna incised by William A. Jenner of Ridgefield, Connecticut (lot 593, lot $7,000 to $9,000); and a Della Robbia Pottery molded wall plaque designed by Ellen Mary Rope, depicting a woodland scene of children playing and a central figure lying in a hammock (lot 600, $1,500 to $2,500).
A group of Russian icons includes a 19th century work depicting the Unburned Thornbush Mother of God (lot 616, $600 to $800), and another icon depicting The Pochaev Mother of God covered in chased silver riza with the painted faces and hands of the central figures exposed (lot 660, $600 to $800).
Previews, Events, Catalogue, and Bidding
Previews for the auction will be held on Thursday, March 29, 2012, 12 p.m.-5 p.m. and Friday, March 30, 2012, 12 p.m.-8 p.m.
Illustrated catalogue #2589B is available by mail from the subscription department at #508-970-3240. It is also available at the gallery. 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 catalogues, and bid live in real-time through SkinnerLive!