Skinner, Inc. will host an auction of European Furniture and Decorative Arts on Saturday, April 6th in its Boston gallery. This sale will feature The Fletcher Collection of Imperial Russia and over 300 lots of fine silver. The sale will also present Continental and British ceramics, clocks, lighting, textiles, antique furniture and a variety of American and European sculpture from a private Midwest collector.
The Fletcher Collection of Imperial Russia
As Russia celebrates the 400th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty, Skinner is proud to present the diverse and eclectic Fletcher Collection of Imperial Russia. John Fletcher always had an intense interest in Nicholas II and his family. After over fifty years working with auction houses and specialized dealers worldwide, Fletcher has amassed a collection reflecting the splendor of Russia’s cultural Golden and Silver Ages.
Highlights from the collection include a white leather child’s shoe, by tradition belonging to Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich (lot 473, estimated between $3,000 and $5,000); a pair of Fabergé gilded silver and enamel napkin rings (lot 387, $6,000 to $8,000); a collodion print of the Russian Imperial Family by the Boisson and Eggler workshop (lot 348, $700 to $900); a letter written by Tsar Nicholas II (lot 536, $2,000 to $3,000); costume designs for a nurse and coachman from Petrushka by Alexander Nikolaevich Benois (lot 458, $500 to $700); and an icon depicting Christ Pantocrator (lot 546, $1,200 to $1,800).
Fine Silver
The silver session features nearly 350 lots, with a broad range of flatware and hollow ware from the United States, Europe, and Central and South America. The bidding will start with British silver, and features an impressive silver trophy from the Victorian Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot made by Hancock & Co. (lot 48, $20,000 to $40,000).
Continental silver follows. Highlights include a five-piece Georg Jensen tea and coffee service with en suite tray (lot 99, $6,000 to $8,000); as well as several fine Buccellati pieces, including four figural table ornaments representing the four seasons (lot 114, $8,000 to $12,000), and a shell-form centerpiece (lot 113, $6,000 to $8,000).
American silver includes a Myer Myers milk pot c. 1760-70 (lot 142, $15,000 to $25,000), which displays the design and craftsmanship expected of this early American silversmith. Highlights from Tiffany & Co. include a seven-piece tea and coffee service (lot 203, $7,000 to $9,000), as well as a Japanesque tea kettle on a stand (lot 153, $1,500 to $2,500). Gorham silver offerings include a four-piece Martele tea and coffee service (lot 225, $12,000 to $18,000).
Sculpture, Ceramics, & European Furniture
Featured ceramic pieces include an extensive Rothschild Bird pattern Herend luncheon service (lot 828, $3,000 to $5,000); a set of twelve Lenox porcelain hand-painted portrait plates (lot 612, $2,000 to $4,000); a Meissen porcelain figural group titled The Broken Bridge (lot 675, $400 to $600); and a Rose Mandarin-decorated porcelain punch bowl (lot 729, $800 to $1200).
Furniture offerings include a Victorian yewwood linen press (lot 588, $1,500 to $2,500), a Renaissance Revival carved oak cabinet (lot 657, $1,500 to $2,500), a late Georgian double-pedestal partners desk (lot 597, $1,500 to $2,000), and a pair of Continental three-drawer commodes (lot 574, $1,000 to $1,500).
Over 100 lots of European bronze, marble and alabaster sculpture will also be available as part of a private collection of a Midwest gentleman. Highlights include an Art Deco bronze and ivory figure of a Spanish dancer by Paul Philippe (lot 764, $800 to $1,200); a marble figure of Ciociara by Auguste Passaglia (lot 592, $2,000 to $4,000); a bronze figure of Diana releasing an arrow after Pierre Le Faguays (lot 787, $600 to $800); a marble figure of a boy playing the flute attributed to Affortunato Gory (lot 550, $1,500 to $2,500); and a selection of Austrian cold-painted bronzes including many by Franz Bergman. Two highlights by Bergman include a cold-painted seated Egyptian figure opening to reveal a nude woman (lot 693, $500 to $700) and a cold-painted bronze boudoir lamp with an Arab musician (lot 896, $1,500 to $2,500).
Attend a Lecture on the Treasures of the Romanovs
As part of a special presentation accompanying the European Furniture and Decorative Arts sale, Skinner will be hosting a lecture by Dr. Scott Ruby, Associate Curator of Russian and Eastern European Art at the Hillwood Museum in Washington, DC. The lecture, Treasures of the Romanovs: Splendors of the Decorative Arts, will take place on Friday, April 5th at 6:30 p.m. in the Boston gallery. Space is limited. RSVP online here.
Previews, Catalog, and Bidding
Previews for the auction will be held on Thursday, April 4, 2013, 12 p.m.-5 p.m. and Friday, April 5, 2013, 12 p.m.-8 p.m.
An illustrated catalog for #2645B is available by mail from the subscription department at 508-970-3240. It is also available at the gallery.
The Skinner website allows users to view all lots in the auctions, leave bids, order catalogs, and bid live in real-time through SkinnerLive!. Visit and “like” Skinner on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/skinnerauctions.
About Skinner
Skinner auctions draw international interest from buyers and consignors alike, with material regularly achieving record prices. The company’s auction and appraisal services focus on fine art, jewelry, furniture, and decorative arts from around the globe, as well as wine, fine musical instruments, rare books, clocks, Judaica, and more. Monthly Skinner Discovery auctions feature a breadth of estate material. Widely regarded as one of the most trusted names in the business, Skinner appraisers have appeared on the PBS-TV series, Antiques Roadshow, since the show’s inception. Skinner has galleries in Boston and Marlborough, Massachusetts with an international audience of bidders participating in person, by phone, and online through the SkinnerLive! online bidding platform. For more information and to read our blog, visit the website at www.skinnerinc.com, find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/skinnerauctions, or follow us on Twitter @Skinnerinc.
