| Press Contact: | Stuart Slavid, Director | Catherine Riedel, Director |
| European Furniture & Decorative Arts | Marketing & Public Relations | |
| Skinner, Inc | Skinner, Inc | |
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617-350-5400 x306 |
978-779-6241 x255 |
EUROPEAN FURNITURE & DECORATIVE ARTS
AT SKINNER APRIL 22ND AND 23RD
Alan Schoen and Caleb Fullam
BOSTON, Mass. - April 4, 2005 – www.skinnerinc.com - Skinner, one of the nation's leading auction houses, will host a two-day auction of European furniture and decorative arts in Boston on Friday, April 22nd, and Saturday, April 23rd. Friday evening at 6 p.m., the sale will feature a strong selection of British, Continental, and American silver. Saturday's auction begins at 10 a.m., and offers property from the estates of Alan Schoen and Caleb Fullam, as well as a varied assortment of English and Continental furniture, and decorations including clocks, textiles, ceramics, and glass.
Silver
Friday's auction presents over 300 lots of fine silver. Perhaps the most impressive of these lots are a 20th century Russian silver-gilt, enamel, and stone-set chess set and board (lot 103, $8/10,000), and a Tiffany & Co. "Ivy Chased" sterling tea and coffee service dating to 1865-75 (lot 139, $12/15,000). Early pieces include an Elizabeth I silver seal top spoon by Richard Osborne (lot 1, $8/1,200), a George II silver coffeepot by John Wirgman (lot 4, $1,8/2,200), and an Irish sterling coffeepot possibly by John Locker (lot 7, $1,8/2,200). Additional lots feature a Georg Jensen sterling "Blossom" pattern three-piece demitasse set (lot 96, $2/2,500), a Gorham Aesthetic Movement mixed metal vase (lot 162, $7/900), and two Arts & Crafts hammered sterling platters (lot 229, $1,2/1,800). Highlight from the selection include: A Dominick & Haff seven-piece sterling tea and coffee service (lot 232, $8/12,000), a set of twelve Tiffany & Co. sterling acid etched "Lap Over Edge" forks with six different Aesthetic Movement floral designs (lot 164, $8/1,200), and a related set of twelve Tiffany & Co. sterling acid etched "Lap Over Edge" fish knives with six different Aesthetic movement designs of aquatic creatures in natural settings (lot 165, $8/1,200).
The Estate of Alan Schoen
Known for his keen eye, Alan Schoen was a prominent collector, who over his lifetime amassed an impressive array of art and antiques of the finest quality. His property presented at this auction comes from his two residences; a stately pre-war penthouse on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, and a charming Greek Revival mansion in Old Chatham, New York. The Schoen collection features 18th through 20th century American, European, and Asian furniture and decorative arts, as well as paintings, prints, Chinese export porcelain, and Oriental rugs and carpets. Examples include a 19th century George III style inlaid plum pudding mahogany bookcase cabinet on stand (lot 829, $3/5,000) and a Regency giltwood convex girandole (lot 819, $1,5/2,000); as well as a variety of decorative arts including a Chinese Export porcelain hunt bowl (lot 702, $6/8,000), a Rose Canton porcelain punch bowl (lot 703, $2/3,000), a 19th century British School Portrait of a Horse, and a pair of French ormolu figural candelabra attributed to Thomiere (lot 781, $6/8,000).
The Estate of Caleb Fullam
Caleb Fullam, a wildly creative collector and interior designer from Hudson, New York, was perhaps best known for his work in puppet theater. Fullam was a beloved puppeteer, performer, writer, and designer for Boston's Puppet Showplace Theatre and other major puppet troupes throughout the U.S., including the Tatterdemalion Puppet Company, the Other Glove Theater, the Boston Premier Ensemble, and the National Puppet Conference. Bidders will find in this estate an eclectic mix of 19th and 20th century American furniture and decorative arts with particularly fine selections of Eastlake, Aesthetic Movement, and Mid-Century Modern furnishings. Included are an Aesthetic Movement painted and part-ebonized desk (lot 1006, $4/600), an American Aesthetic Movement parcel-gilt and ebonized etagere (lot 1035, $2/2,500), and a large framed Elsa Schiaparelli exhibition poster, ex collection Andy Warhol (lot 1017, $50/100). Other offerings include a 20th century fiberglass scientific model from the Welch Scientific Company of Chicago (lot 1023, $150/200) and a group of five Mid-Century Modern hanging shadow boxes (lot 1054, $75/125).
Furniture and Decorations
Additional highlights in the Saturday auction include a French Regence ormolu mounted kingwood and marble-top bombé commode in the manner of André Criaerd (lot 1101, $8/12,000). Furniture also includes a Regency ebony inlaid and pollard oak crossbanded mahogany writing table (lot 530, $2,5/3,500), an Early Georgian herringbone crossbanded bureau bookcase (lot 606, $3/5,000), and an interesting American Renaissance Revival mahogany metamorphic armchair, c. 1880 (lot 1171, $1,2/1,500). The selection of clocks is led by a fine early 20th century Renaissance-style carved oak long case clock, the works by Elliott of London (lot 1149, $8/12,000), and a George III mahogany bracket clock, c. 1800, the movement by Edward Green (lot 572, $4/6,000).
A group of ancient Greek and Etruscan artifacts also will be offered, including a Greek or Roman marble fragmentary statue of a young boy holding a dove (lot 1081, $3/5,000), a Magna Grecia terra-cotta funerary figure of a Nike from the fourth to third century B.C. (lot 1088, $1,8/2,200), and an Etruscan terra-cotta funerary mask of a poet or actor from the third to second century B.C. (lot 1092, $1,4/1,800). From the 16th century are two French polearms consigned by the Higgins Armory Museum (lots 662A and 662B, $8/1,200 each), and a European cabaset helmet engraved with grotesque scroll bands (lot 562, $2,2,500). Rounding out the selections are several lots of Measham "Bargeware" pottery items (lots 666-669, 854-857), a Berlin porcelain plaque depicting "The Banishment of Hagar and Ishmael" (lot 574, $3/5,000), and a large patinated bronze and onyx figure of a lady beside a birdbath by Edouard Drouot (lot 1191, $5/7,000).
Previews and Catalogue Information
Previews for the auction will be 12 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 21st, and 12 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 22nd. Illustrated catalog #2272 is available by mail for $29 ($35 for foreign requests) from the subscription department at 978-779-6241 x240. It is also available at the gallery for $26. Prices realized will be available at www.skinnerinc.com during and after the sale. For more information, call 978-779-6241, or visit www.skinnerinc.com. Skinner's site also allows users to view all lots in the auctions, leave bids, and order catalogues online.
Note to Editors: Photos available upon request. Contact Catherine Riedel at 978-779-6241 x 231.
About Skinner:With galleries in Boston and Bolton, Mass., Skinner is a full-service auctioneer and appraiser of antiques and fine art. Regularly seen on the PBS series, Antiques Roadshow, Skinner is one of the nation’s leading auction houses. Skinner conducts auctions year-round and has received world-record prices for many pieces sold at auction. Departments include American Furniture & Decorative Arts, Paintings & Prints, English & Continental Furniture & Decorations, Fine Ceramics, Jewelry, Couture, 20th Century Furniture & Decorative Arts, Fine Musical Instruments, Asian Art, Fine Judaica, Toys, Dolls & Collectibles, Science & Technology, Oriental Rugs & Carpets, American Indian & Ethnographica, and Discovery. For more information on upcoming auctions, visit Skinner’s web site www.skinnerinc.com.