Wedgwood Carrara Figure of Milton, England, 19th century

Parian ware is a type of porcelain produced to imitate carved marble. As it could be cast and molded, the material was ideal for mass production at a scale and cost not possible with carved stone. Unglazed white bisque porcelain was popular in the late 18th century at the Sevres factory in France and Derby in England, each producing very sophisticated bisque figural groups. By the 1820s several other firms were in production, including Worcester, Rockingham, Coalport, and Minton.… Read More

The April European Décor & Design auction drew attention this spring with over 300 pieces of Royal Copenhagen “Flora Danica” dinnerware (Lots 1183-1215). The entire collection came from a single pantry at the Ker Arvor Estate in Newport, Rhode Island. A set of twenty-five seafood plates stole the show, selling at $25,000, with a set of teacups and saucers and an ice dome following close behind, selling for $18,750 and $17,500, respectively.… Read More

The popular Netflix drama miniseries The Queen’s Gambit, written and directed by Scott Frank, has undoubtedly helped to repopularize the game of chess for both novices and enthusiasts. Interest in collecting chess pieces has never waned, and the market has been competitive for many years.

Thirty-two-piece Wedgwood Jasper Chess Set modeled after an original design by John Flaxman, based on characters from Shakespeare’s Macbeth

In the mid 1780’s John Flaxman, Jr., a young sculptor in his early 30’s designed a set of chess pieces for Josiah Wedgwood.… Read More

The European Décor & Design auction offers nearly 500 lots of 18th to 20th century British and European furniture and decorative arts, British and European ceramics, and fine silver.

The auction begins with a selection of American silver hollowware and flatware, including an important Boston tankard, by Samuel Minott, circa 1760 (Lot 1001, Estimate: $4,000-6,000). Examples of Tiffany and Gorham’s offerings feature an unusual Tiffany three-piece berry set in fitted case (Lot 1016, Estimate $1,000-2,000), an extensive Gorham Versailles pattern flatware service in its original case (Lot 1021, Estimate: $7,000-9,000), to name just a few.… Read More

Josiah Wedgwood, the English potter, was an original member of the Lunar Society, a group of prominent figures in the Midlands, including industrialists, natural philosophers, and intellectuals. Matthew Boulton, Erasmus Darwin, Joseph Priestley, and the author and abolitionist Thomas Day were members of the social club formed to discuss issues with other like-minded individuals.

In 1773 Thomas Day wrote the epic poem The Dying Negro, which may have been partly responsible for arousing Josiah’s practical opposition to the slave trade.… Read More

Strong interest nationally and internationally for selections of nearly 75 lots of Antiquities and over 700 lots of Wedgwood, most consigned from a New York City estate that had been in storage for more than two decades, contributed to a $1.79M auction that was 94% sold by lot. Competitive and robust internet and telephone bidding drove consistently strong results for the examples of Apulian and Attic red and black figure wares. An Attic black-figure squat amphora sold for $20,000, and an Apulian red-figured volute-krater sold for and $22,500.… Read More

Left: Ancient Apulian Small Volute-krater, c. 380 B.C. (Lot 196, Estimate: $2,500-3,500). Right: Wedgwood Encaustic Decorated Black Basalt Volute Krater Vase, England, 19th century (Lot 302, Estimate: $5,000-10,000)

The Wedgwood factory’s beginnings coincided with discovering the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum and the blossoming of the neoclassical style based on the architecture, art, and artifacts revealed through archaeological excavations.… Read More

Join us for First Tuesday in Marlborough

Tuesday, March 3 | 1:30PM – 4PM

Specialists Robin S.R. Starr, Jonathan Dowling, Kaitlin Shinnick & Stuart Slavid will be on hand to evaluate items and accept consignments for upcoming auctions.

Robin S.R. Starr – Director of American & European Works of Art, will be on-hand to evaluate paintings, prints, sculpture, and photography for upcoming auctions. She is looking forward to seeing examples by listed, sought-after artists, as well as iconic works of fine art photography from the 19th through 21st centuries, with market interest over $1000.… Read More

Join us for First Tuesday in Marlborough

Tuesday, December 3 | 1:30PM – 4PM

Specialists Robin S.R. Starr, Stuart Slavid & Judith Dowling will be on hand to evaluate items and accept consignments for upcoming auctions.

Robin S.R. Starr – Director of American & European Works of Art, will be on-hand to evaluate paintings, prints, sculpture, and photography for upcoming auctions. She is looking forward to seeing examples by listed, sought-after artists, as well as iconic works of fine art photography from the 19th through 21st centuries, with market interest over $1000.… Read More

European Furniture & Decorative Arts in Boston on April 13

[BOSTON], MA – March 21, 2019 – Skinner will hold an auction on April 13, 2019, of European Furniture & Decorative Arts. With over 600 lots on offer, the auction features fine ceramics, silver as well as furniture & decorative arts from the 18th through 20th centuries.

Wedgwood & British Ceramics

Skinner is pleased to offer Milikins Collection of Wedgwood. Jeffrey Milikins began collecting while a graduate student in New York City.… Read More