Furniture pieces by Francois Linke, art glass vases by Emile Galle. 13 pieces of 19th century European ivory and art prints by Picasso, Chagall and Miro are just a few items to be sold.
(WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.) – A concise and important auction comprising just 175 lots of estate jewelry, fine art and antiques is scheduled for Saturday, Mar. 30, by A. B. Levy’s, in the firm’s West Palm Beach facility located at 5001 South Dixie Highway. A. B. Levy’s is based in nearby Palm Beach, on fashionable Worth Avenue, where the auction’s previews are being held.
Patek Philippe 18kt yellow gold open face keyless lever pocket watch, signed Tiffany & Co. (est. $3,000-$5,000).
It is a tightly packed auction, one that will include an exclusive collection of 40 pieces of art glass, an outstanding 13-piece collection of European ivory that will be sold as a single lot, French furniture (to include stunning pieces by Francois Linke), spectacular men’s and ladies’ watches and other jewelry items, and fine art prints by names such as Picasso, Miro and Chagall.
Previews will be held at the 211 Worth Avenue gallery in Palm Beach, Monday through Saturday from 9:30-6, right up until auction day, Mar. 30.No merchandise will be on view at the West Palm Beach facility. All lots can be viewed online, at www.ablevys.com, where bidders are encouraged to register. The first gavel will come down promptly at 11 a.m. (EST), on Mar. 30.
In addition to Levy’s website, online bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com, Artfact.com and TheSaleroom.com.
“We are very excited about the merchandise in this auction,” said Albert Levy of A. B. Levy’s. “The pieces in the art glass collection are very exclusive and quite striking, the French furniture – headlined by Francois Linke – is remarkable in its condition and attention to detail, the watches are gorgeous and the European ivory collection could easily fetch the most money.”
Indeed, the continental ivory collection has a pre-sale estimate of $250,000-$350,000. The 13 pieces, all 19th century, include a pair of allegorical female figures of “Night and Day” with putti (31inches in height), a hinged cover tankard depicting a battle scene (15 inches tall), Perseus rescuing Andromeda on a turned ebony plinth base (22 ¼ inches tall), and a ewer (or narrow-necked jug) with a stylized handle depicting mythological stories (21 ¾ inches tall).
Other pieces in the group include a vase and cover depicting the Birth of Venus (21 ½ inches tall), a Bacchic putto (cherub) within grape vines on a circular stepped base and ebonized plinth (17 ¼ inches tall), a water nymph standing on a scallop shell on four dolphin feet (22 ¼ inches tall) and a pair of troubadours mounted on carved ebonized wood plinths (21 inches tall).
Francois Linke (1855-1946) was a renowned French furniture designer and maker, as well as a bronzier and ebeniste (or cabinet maker, the term originating from the use of ebony as veneer by 17th century French furniture makers). Linke’s circa-1900 signed gilt bronze mounted kingwood and satine regulateur de parquet clock, 106 inches tall, should hit $200,000-$400,000.
Three other lots by Linke are also expected to generate intense bidder interest. One is a late 19th or early 20th century gilt-bronze mounted mahogany dining room table of oval form, with a set of 12 matching cane-back dining chairs (two arm chairs and ten side chairs). The table, which is signed “F. Linke,” plus three extension leaves and chairs, should hit $80,000-$120,000.
The other two lots are a late 19th or early 20th century Louis XVI-style gilt-bronze mounted mahogany marquetry and parquetry bureau a cylinder (a type of desk, the front of curved quarter-circle form), stamped and numbered 100 (est. $40,000-$60,000); and a late 19th century Louis XV-style gilt-bronze mounted marquetry display cabinet (est. $40,000-$60,000).
Headlining the art glass category is a circa-1900 Emile Galle (Fr., 1846-1904) marqueterie de verre (glass-making technique in which colored pieces of semi-molten glass are set into the body of a glass vessel before it hardens) vase. It is 17 ½ inches tall, with applied and carved foot detail and gilt foil inclusions (est. $50,000-$80,000). It also has the Galle signature.
All of the men’s and ladies’ estate wristwatches are gorgeous examples, but one watch in particular promises to be a standout. It’s a Swiss Chopard L.U.C. Tourbillon Titan SL wristwatch with dial, case and buckle all signed (est. $75,000-$100,000). The watch is water-resistant up to 30 meters, and it is a limited edition timepiece (24/100). It is boxed in a handsome titanium case.
Other show-stoppers include a Swiss-made Harry Winston 18kt white gold and zalium automatic chronograph calendar wristwatch, the “Ocean Diver,” No. 24, with fitted presentation box and papers (est. $40,000-$60,000); and a ladies’ diamond, sapphire and platinum hidden dial bracelet watch composed of 118 round cut diamonds weighing 6 carats (est. $8,000-$12,000).
Also in the fine watches group: a Swiss signed Cartier 18kt yellow gold wristwatch on a solid woven 18kt yellow gold bracelet (est. $5,000-$7,000); a Patek Philippe 18kt yellow gold open face keyless lever pocket watch, signed Tiffany & Co. (est. $3,000-$5,000); an IWC Swiss Portuguese stainless steel chronograph automatic wristwatch (est. 3,000-$5,000); and a Corum 18kt yellow gold and diamond wristwatch with 32 round-cut diamonds (est. $2,000-$4,000).
Fine art prints will feature two Picassos, a Miro and a Chagall. The Picassos include a signed lower right and numbered (46/50) lithograph, titled The Knight and the Page, 20 ½ inches by 15 inches (est. $8,000-$12,000); and a signed lower right, numbered (9/50) etching with aquatint and drypoint, titled Dans L’Atelier, 9 ¾ inches by 15 inches (est. $15,000-$20,000).
The print by Joan Miro (Sp., 1893-1983) is a color etching and aquatint on paper, titled Grans Rupestre IV (1979), signed lower right, 35 ½ inches by 26 ¾ inches (est. $10,000-$15,000). The print by Marc Chagall (Fr./Russ., 1887-1985) is a lithograph printed in color titled Les Mimosas (1968), signed and numbered, 29 ¾ inches by 21 inches (est. $15,000-$20,000).
In addition to the auction house, A.B. Levy’s also maintains an exclusive retail gallery on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach that it has operated for more than 20 years. The firm’s inaugural auction, held in March 2012 in West Palm Beach, was a huge success, the top lot being a Rene Lalique Cire Perdue vase that sold for $212,000.
The premiere auction at the Worth Avenue gallery was conducted May 6, 2012. On Oct. 28, 2012, the firm sold over 250 lots of jewelry, watches, art and antiques on Worth Avenue. The plan is to hold two major auctions per year on Worth Avenue, in May and October.
The next big auction is scheduled for Sunday, May 5. Watch the website for details, at www.ablevys.com.
A.B. Levy’s is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions. To consign a single piece, an estate or an entire collection, you may call them at (561) 835-9139, or you can e-mail them at [email protected]. To learn more about A.B. Levy’s and the March 30 auction, which is currently online, you may log on to www.ablevys.com. Updates are posted frequently