The Antiques & Fine Art Auction will be held at Fontaine’s gallery in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. – An exceptional Victorian carved walnut three-piece marble-top bedroom set attributed to John Jelliff, a gorgeous 14-inch Tiffany Studios domical leaded glass Daffodil lamp shade, a heavily carved R. J. Horner figural mahogany bookcase and a stunning set of four J & R Lamb Studios stained glass windows will all cross the auction block Saturday, April 22nd.
They’re just a few of the expected top lots in Fontaine’s Auction Gallery’s two-session Antiques & Fine Art Auction, online and in the firm’s gallery at 1485 West Housatonic Street in Pittsfield, beginning at 10 am Eastern time. Internet bidding will be provided by via LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com, EBay.com and FontainesLive. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted.
The auction will be packed with 325 pieces of quality antiques and fine art, to include 19th and 20th century lighting, fine clocks and watches, American oak and Victorian furniture, paintings, bronze and marble statuary, Royal Vienna, art glass, gold and diamond jewelry, fine silver, porcelains, KPM plaques, leaded windows, Black Forest items and fine old Louis Vuitton trunks.
Also offered will be Arts & Crafts pieces, country store and co-op collectibles, phonographs, tapestries and related accessories. Previews will be held on Friday, April 21st, from 10 am to 5 pm, and Saturday, April 22nd, the date of sale, from 9-11 am. Preview will continue through the discovery session. Fontaine’s is already looking ahead and seeking quality consignments for auctions planned for May 20th, June 17th and August 12th.
With pre-sale estimates of $20,000-$30,000 each, the John Jelliff bedroom set and the Tiffany Studios Daffodil lamp shade are the auction’s expected top lots, and for good reason. The Jelliff set (queen-size bed, dresser and commode) is in remarkable condition, with exceptional carvings. The Tiffany lamp shade boasts beautiful golden daffodil flowers in mottled yellow glass.
The Horner bookcase, impressive at 77 ½ inches tall by 92 ½ inches wide, is carved with serpent griffins, seashells and filigree on the frieze, with a center section having two doors with glass panels. The set of four J & R Lamb Studios stained glass leaded windows, crafted circa 1900, are 72 inches tall by 23 inches wide and show figures of large winged angels kneeling in the clouds.
Both lots carry estimates of $12,000-$15,000. A Horner piece with a more reasonable estimate is the mahogany winged griffin carved sideboard, attributed to Horner, in great shape and deeply carved throughout (est. $5,000-$7,000). Also up for bid will be a rare Gustav Stickley oak work cabinet, two doors over two drawers, with the original fine finish (est. $4,000-$6,500).
Decorative items will feature a carved carrara marble sculpture of St. Agnes, 68 inches tall, wearing long robes and a crown and holding a lamb, from the Daprato Rigali Studios, (est. $7,500-$12,500); and a lovely pair of Austrian cobalt porcelain urns, 17 ½ inches tall, both with hand-painted figural scenes and gilt and enamel filigree highlights (est. $4,500-$6,500).
Clocks have always been the backbone of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery’s business, and this sale’s got some nice ones, to include a three-piece French mystery swinger clock set titled Idylls of Spring, by Geo Maxim (est. $8,000-$12,000); and a large French marble and bronze annular dial mantel clock set on a rouge marble base, with gilt bronze mounts and feet (est. $6,000-$8,000).
Also up for bid will be a mahogany astronomical regulator mantel clock with a quality 8-inch silvered astronomical dial with black incised numbers and numerals, housed in an arched-top case with original glass front door panel (est. $5,000-$7,500); and an R. Korthage carved mahogany grandfather clock, 102 ½ inches tall, with 12-inch silvered dial (est. $4,000-$6,500).
Louis Vuitton trunks are always a big hit with collectors. Each one is rich in travel, history and lore. There are a few in the auction, including an orange leather custom shoe trunk once owned by the J. P. Morgan family (est. $8,000-$12,000). Another is a large wardrobe trunk with monogram canvas exterior, wood straps and brass tacks, in nice shape (est. $6,000-$8,000).
Lamps and lighting will feature a Duffner & Kimberly Louis XV-style No. 507 table lamp with 19 inch diameter shade having panels showing seashells, garland and hanging bell flowers (est. $5,000-$7,500); and a figural carved alabaster Three Graces lamp, with three female figures, all standing back-to-back around the lamppost, holding hands, 43 inches tall (est. $4,000-$6,000).
KPM plaques – another category wildly popular among the people who collect them. Examples will include a large portrait plaque of a young woman, signed on the back with the impressed KPM and scepter mark (est. $4,000-$6,000); and another large, hand-painted porcelain portrait plaque of a young woman, titled Good Night, artist-signed “R. Diettrich” (est. $3,000-$5,000).
Fontaine’s Auction Gallery is actively seeking quality items, to include furniture, lighting, clocks and watches, paintings, porcelains, bronze and marble statuary, Asian items, art glass and cameo glass, Russian objects, silver, musical, coin-op, advertising, toys, banks, gaming and carousel items for future sales. Consignments are currently being accepted for all the upcoming auctions.
The firm will buy outright or accept on consignment fine antiques, collections or entire estates. Call (413) 448-8922 and ask to speak with John Fontaine, or you can send Mr. Fontaine an e-mail to [email protected]. For more information about the company and the upcoming Saturday, April 22nd auction please visit www.FontainesAuction.com. Updates are posted often.