FINE CERAMICS
TO BE OFFERED AT SKINNER
Featuring The David and Charlotte Zeitlin Collection of English Ceramics
and The Edwin S. Klein Collection of Wedgwood
BOSTON, Mass. - August 21, 2006
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www.skinnerinc.com - Skinner's Boston gallery announces a major two-owner sale of fine English pottery on September 9th, 2006, featuring the David and Charlotte Zeitlin Collection of Philadelphia, Pa., and the Edwin Klein Collection of Flushing, NY. Beginning at 10 a.m., the auction will include extraordinary selections of early works by Wedgwood and his contemporaries, as well as numerous fine examples of later Wedgwood and other makers.
The David and Charlotte Zeitlin Collection of English Pottery
Harwood Johnson, current president of the English Ceramics Study Group of Philadelphia, knew David and Charlotte Zeitlin well. His memories and commentary introduce their collection in the auction catalog, providing insight into its breadth and history, and a glimpse into what he calls the "storied collection that has stories to tell." According to Johnson, pieces from the collection occasionally have appeared on the market over the past several years, including some at recent auctions, which "led to rumors that the Zeitlin collection had been dispersed...but...It has remained almost completely intact under Charlotte's loving care since David's death in 1995." He goes on to note, "[She] always welcomed visitors, but fewer came as the years went by, so memories of the collection became clouded and people imagined that it must have changed, or perhaps even forgot that it existed. This mystique is what makes the Zeitlin collection a storied one."
Johnson describes how the Zeitlin family business, Samuel Zeitlin's Sons, often took David to London, and it was there that he acquired much of his collection at auction. "He had a reputation as an aggressive bidder and buyer," says Johnson, and continues, "David would have been happy to see their collection sold at auction, to give other collectors the thrill of buying a new treasure in the competitive environment of the auction rooms."
In 1970, the Zeitlins founded what is today the English Ceramics Study Group of Philadelphia, which centers on discussion of and lectures about English pottery other than Wedgwood. In a letter dated August 22, David wrote to a selected group of friends, "For some time Charlotte and I have been considering the forming of a small group to study and discuss old English pottery such as Whieldon, Leeds, the Woods, Pratt, etc. We are inviting a few people, who may be interested in such a group, to our home." The group still meets in members' homes today, offering six lectures annually. The Zeitlins also graciously donated numerous fine works from their collection to museums including the Smithsonian Institution, Winterthur, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Colonial Williamsburg.
Edwin S. Klein - Wedgwood Collector
Early on, Edwin Klein pretended to himself that he bought Wedgwood pieces as gifts for his wife, such as the special issues for Mothers' Day, Valentines' Day and New Years Calendar Plates, with an occasional one for birthdays and anniversaries. One day, parked on Madison Avenue he was tempted by some lovely pieces in the windows of Gem Antiques. From that day on, weekends (and some weekdays) were spent in search of the newest piece. For him, there were only three criteria (1) Was it marked Wedgwood (2) Was it a piece he didn't own (3) Could he afford it. The least expensive club ashtray was a special find if the cameos were differently arranged than any he had. The greater metropolitan New York area furnished plenty of fodder as there are plenty of shows, clusters of shops to visit and dealers to bargain with. He never felt the need to travel and could sleep safe in his own bed at night with all his treasures arranged neatly around him. His house became, at the end of his life, a veritable and astounding study collection of over 10,000 pieces,
For some, the reason for collecting is to acquire objects of beauty and admiration. For Ed, whose profession was accounting, the various ways you could list and catalogue the pieces was a major part of the fun. He had three types of lists. First there was an acquisition book with the name of the seller, the date and the purchase price. Next there was a card file where each piece had up to three separate index cards: one for shape; one for body (e.g. bone china, jasper, queen's ware) and in many cases, one for pattern or designer. Lastly he had his little black books that he carried with him that had shorthand notation of all the foregoing information. In spite of attempts to interest Ed in becoming computer literate (it would have made things so much easier) he resisted. To the end he was a green eye-shade, quill pen, high stool kind of guy. Josiah would have recognized him.
Auction Highlights
The Zeitlin Collection is particularly diverse in its variety and includes a wide assortment of Wedgwood wares. 18th century wares in jasper, black basalt and variegated wares of the Wedgwood & Bentley period are all well represented, including a Wedgwood & Bentley Porphyry Vase and Cover (lot 303, $3/5,000), two Wedgwood Solid Blue Jasper Snake-Handled Vases (lots 314 and 317, $3/5,000 each), and a Wedgwood & Bentley Black Basalt Library Bust of Socrates (lot 269, $2/4,000). Numerous examples of queen's ware, Victoria ware, Emile Lessore decorated wares, and an impressive display of fairyland lustre are also featured, including a Fairyland Lustre Dragon King Vase (lot 439, $18/22,000), a Fairyland Lustre Malfrey Pot and Cover (lot 437, $8/12,000), and a Fairyland Lustre Malfrey Pot and Cover (lot 438, $8/12,000). Rounding out the Wedgwood section there is a fine Wedgwood jasper mounted credenza (lot 440, $4/6,000). In addition to the Wedgwood, there is an excellent selection of delftware and 18th century English pottery including salt glaze and lead glaze creamware and Pratt-type wares. A nice assortment of toby jugs of the late 18th/early 19th century, important Wood & Caldwell and Obadiah Sherratt figures and groups transition the collection into the 19th century. The late 19th century and into the 20th century are especially well represented with fine and rare examples of Martin Brothers, including a Martin Brothers Stoneware Fish Jug (lot 54, $5/7,000), numerous Doulton stoneware examples by Tinworth and Barlow, and DeMorgan decorated wares.
The Klein Collection is all Wedgwood and although early pieces are included, concentrates on wares produced in the second half of Wedgwood's production. Artists including Thomas Allen, Harry Barnard, Alfred and Louise Powell, Emile and Therese Lessore, Millicent Taplin, Eric Ravilious, Claire Leighton and Keith Murray are all well represented. Offerings include a pair of Wedgwood Blue Glazed Pearlware Portrait Chargers attributed to Thomas Allen (lot 514, $8/1,200), a Therese Lessore Decorated Hand-Painted Queen's Ware Plate (lot 553, $5/700), and an Eric Ravilious Design Harvest Jug (lot 688, $3/500), among other highlights. Wares including golconda, majolica, marsden, Victoria, veronese, kenlock, lindsey, pate-sur-pate, jasper and bone china are but a few that will be available.
Previews and Catalogue Information
Previews for the auction will be 12 to 5 p.m. Thursday, September 7th, and 12 to 8 p.m. Friday, September 8th. Please note that there is no preview the day of the auction. Illustrated catalog #2357 is available by mail for $32 ($39 for foreign requests) from the subscription department at 978-779-6241 x240. It is also available at the gallery for $29. Prices realized will be available at www.skinnerinc.com during and after the sale. For further information, please contact Stuart Slavid at 978-779-6241 or sslavid@skinnerinc.com. Additional information is available at www.skinnerinc.com. Skinner's site also allows users to view all lots in the auctions, leave bids, and order catalogs online.
Additional Upcoming Auction Information
Skinner's Bolton gallery will host a Discovery sale on the evening of September 7th, which will include a wide variety of Wedgwood wares, primarily from the Klein Collection. For information on that sale please contact Kerry Shrives or Garrett Sheahan at 978-779-6241 or at kshrives@skinnerinc.com or garrets@skinnerinc.com.
The January 27th sale of European Furniture, Decorative Arts featuring Fine Ceramics at Skinner's Boston gallery will include the Clippert Collection of Wedgwood, an exceptional collection of over 300 lots, including a wide variety of wares. Consignments are currently being accepted for that auction.
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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.
