SKINNER OPENS 2006 WITH AUCTION
OF EUROPEAN FURNITURE & DECORATIVE ARTS
Success Across the Board Set the Pace for the New Year
BOSTON, Mass. - January 25, 2006
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www.skinnerinc.com - Skinner, one of the nation's leading auction houses for antiques and fine art, held a highly successful auction of European furniture and decorative arts on Saturday, January 7, 2006 at its gallery at 63 Park Plaza in Boston. The sale's more than 1,000 lots included a wide array of furniture and decorative arts, including a very diverse selection of over 400 lots of fine ceramics. Highlights ranged across the board, with steady competition and solid prices.
Ceramics
Ceramic offerings opened the auction, featuring a nice selection of approximately 40 lots of Wedgwood items. Highlights included a pair of lilac jasper dip canopic jars and covers (lot 36) and a pair of early 19th century Wedgwood encaustic decorated black basalt vases and covers (lot 39), which sold for $12,925 each. A Wedgwood bone china smoking pug dog head, 1880 (lot 187), reached $9,400; and a Wedgwood Fairyland lustre octagonal bowl (lot 27) garnered $8,225. Rounding out the English pottery was a good group of early Delftwares, fine Parian ware and examples of other wares from a number of manufacturers, led by a Copeland Parian figure depicting Night, on a pedestal base, c. 1862, modeled by Raphaelle Monti (lot 43) that went for $7,638.
Russian porcelains also were well represented, with a major collection of early figures depicting a variety of subjects. An extensive group of Gardner porcelain figures marked this selection, including a figure of a standing man looking at a pocket watch (lot 698A) that sold for $18,800, a figure of a nude woman dressing (lot 700) that sold for $11,750, and a figure of a nude woman wearing a pink bonnet, her hands in a fur muff (lot 693) that went for $11,163. Others included a Spaniard (lot 696) that brought $8,225, and a boxer, c. 1840 (lot 226) that went for $5,875. Porcelain also featured a Catherine II Imperial Porcelain figure of a woman, modeled in the Georgian style and supporting a water pot (lot 695A), that brought $16,450. Early 19th century Imperial Porcelain handpainted plates included lot 245A, which went for $15,275, and lot 242, that realized $12,925. Additional highlights included an impressive polychrome enamel foliate Theodore Deck earthenware charger (lot 138) that sold for $7,050, and a Pate-sur-pate porcelain plaque by Marc Louis Solon (lot 137) that reached $7,638. A bone china presidential service plate from the Eisenhower administration (lot 91) sold for $6,463.
Furniture
Furniture in the auction comprised over 160 lots of English, Continental, and American pieces. Of particular interest to bidders was a south German baroque parquetry inlaid walnut desk (lot 127) that topped the list, selling for $24,675. A Louis XV style Provincial walnut bombe chest with antique elements (lot 636) brought $10,575, a Chippendale style oak long case clock with works signed "Walter Durfee, Providence" (lot 163) garnered $8,813, and an empire gilt-bronze mounted French mahogany tall chest (lot 155) went for $7,050. Also of note were an Irish Georgian mahogany "wake" table (lot 461) and a regency mahogany boxwood inlaid bowfronted sideboard (lot 193), each of which sold for $8,225; a 19th century George III style mahogany two-pedestal dining table (lot 291) that brought $7,637; a Georgian carved mahogany and mahogany veneer glazed cabinet from the third quarter of the 18th century (lot 341) that sold for $7,050; and a Jacobean carved folding armchair (lot 538) that realized $6,169. Also not to be ignored were a Regency inlaid mahogany bowfronted sideboard (lot 367) and an 18th century Dutch fruitwood marquetry inlaid walnut cabinet (lot 149) that went for $5,288 each.
Decorative Arts
The sale featured an especially appealing and varied selection of decorative arts, as well, offering lighting, bronzes, glass, clocks and timepieces, in addition to more than 100 lots of paintings and over 25 lots of Oriental rugs and carpets. Highlights ranged from a large and impressive carved Carrara marble bust of a royal lady, after Jacques Caffieri (lot 395), which realized $30,550, to an interesting collection of thirteen well-matched portraits of Napoleonic Military Officers (lot 742) that garnered $18,800. A Popov Porcelain desk set, modeled as a cottage with a man and a dog to the side (lot 244), sold for $14,100, and an oil painting of Saint Francis in the manner of Jusepe de Ribera (lot 289) brought $8,813. Also of interest, a lot of seven late 18th/early 19th century English dog-related enamel and porcelain snuff boxes (lot 314) brought $8,225, a Berlin painted porcelain plaque of ladies bathing (lot 338) sold for $7,638, and a French painted porcelain plaque of Mary sold for $7,638. Rounding out the selection, a lot of three late 19th/early 20th century Russian silver enamel tablewares (lot 822) brought $6,463, a large pair of late 19th century Meissen Porcelain pug figures (lot 174) also sold for $6,463, and a Russian Nicholas II enamel decorated colorless glass palace wine goblet, c. 1915 (lot 824), went for $6,125.
Upcoming Auction Information
Skinner is currently accepting consignments for its next auction of English and Continental furniture and decorative arts, which will be held in April at the Boston gallery. Prices realized at the January 7th auction can be viewed at
www.skinnerinc.com. 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.
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About Skinner
Skinner, Inc. is one of the nation's leading auction houses for antiques and fine art and the only major auction house headquartered in New England. With expertise in over 20 specialty collecting areas, Skinner draws the interest of buyers from all over the world and its auctions regularly achieve world record prices. Skinner provides a broad range of auction and appraisal services, and it is widely regarded as one of the most trusted names in the auction business. Skinner's appraisal experts regularly appear on the PBS-TV series, Antiques Roadshow, and its specialty 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 & Ethnographic Art, and Discovery. Skinner galleries are located in Boston and Bolton, Mass. For more information on upcoming auctions and events, visit Skinner's web site
www.skinnerinc.com.
