With over 850 lots on offer, the auction will feature Part II of The Paul Lauer Collection of Wedgwood and The Edward Knowles collection of English Pottery, as well as an expansive selection of fine silver and European fine and decorative arts of the 16th through early 20th centuries.
Fine Silver
The auction opens on Thursday, October 6 at 4PM, with almost 200 lots of fine silver, featuring a broad range of flatware and hollowware from the United States, Europe and Asia. English silver highlights include a George III sterling silver covered tureen (Lot 10, Estimated between $3,000-5,000), a stunning Victorian brass-inlaid and Coromandel toiletry box (Lot 20, $2,000-4,000) and an extensive George III sterling silver flatware service sold to benefit the Worcester Art Museum (Lot 16, $2,000-4,000). A selection of Chinese export silver on offer features a variety of forms including, tea services (Lot 63 and 76, each $2,000-3,000), match-safes, trays, and christening cups. Offerings by American makers are particularly numerous with pieces from Gorham, Tiffany, Whiting, and Kirk; including an early Kirk pitcher from c. 1853 (Lot 80, $2,000-3,000), and several strong Tiffany & Co. flatware services in the English King (Lot 87, $2,500-3,500), Wave Edge (Lot 105, $2,000-4,000), and Palm (Lot 96, $4,000-6,000) patterns. Three exemplary lots by Gorham are featured, including two Martele pieces: a pitcher (Lot 99, $7,000-9,000) and desk set (Lot 98, $6,000-8,000), and a magnificent specially commissioned epergne (Lot 92, $8,000-12,000).
English Pottery & Porcelain
Session II opens on Friday, October 7 at 10AM with nearly 300 lots of English pottery and porcelain featuring an extensive amount of Wedgwood primarily from two collections: The Paul Lauer Collection and The Edward Knowles Collection. Together they cover the breadth of Wedgwood produced over a span of roughly 250 years. Black basalt offerings include Wedgwood and Bentley ornamental wares, and a number of encaustic decorated vases highlighted by an impressive 24-inch volute krater urn (Lot 211, $10,000-15,000) and a monumental Bert Bentley modeled vase (Lot 220, $10,000-15,000). Jasper in a variety of colors is well represented with standouts including an impressive Apotheosis of Homer vase (Lot 308, $4,000-6,000) and two black jasper Portland vases: a John Northwood edition (Lot 311, $4,000-6,000) and a Thomas Lovatt edition (Lot 303, $3,000-5,000). Other Wedgwood offerings include examples in Queen’s ware, dry body wares, majolica, Victoria ware, carrara, a Thomas Allen designed Ivanhoe service, and an assortment of 20th century wares with examples designed by Daisy Makeig-Jones featuring a fairyland lustre lily tray (Lot 435, $3,000-5,000).
Sixty lots of plaques include examples in Wedgwood jasper and black basalt; featuring a large Thomas Allen decorated plaque (Lot 401, $3,000-5,000) as well as a variety of works by Emile Lessore and Minton. Minton pottery is exemplified by a set of seven art pottery studio plaques with depictions representing Shakespeare’s The Seven Ages of Man, designed by Henry Stacy Marks (Lot 466, $10,000-20,000).
English porcelains feature a nice assortment of Worcester porcelains deaccessioned from the St. Louis Museum of Art to benefit their acquisition fund, ex: Zorensky collection. Pate-sur-Pate is also included with a Louis Solon decorated Mintons pilgrim vase (Lot 467, $1,200-1,800) and pair of Frederick Schenk decorated George Jones vases (Lot 468, $800-1,200).
European Furniture & Decorative Arts
European ceramic highlights include a selection Vienna porcelain, Mettlach, 35 lots of Royal Copenhagen’s striking Flora Danica pattern, and Sarreguemines Majolica, highlighted by a Coupe Sandier (Lot 477, $5,000-7,000).
Decorative art offerings include a selection of bronze and marble sculpture, including works after Valli Grachev (Lot 841, $4,000-6,000) and Pierre Jules Mene (Lot 516, $4,000-6,000), as well as various mantel clocks, garnitures, and candelabra.
Furniture highlights include two pianos being sold by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, to benefit acquisitions, an elegant Viennese empire piano, c. 1815, by Joachim Ehlers (Lot 506, $2,500-3,500) and a handsome Chickering & Sons grand piano, made in Boston in 1858 (Lot 672, $2,000-3,000). Other offerings include a Biedermeier birch penwork pedestal table (Lot 647, $1,500-2,500), an Empire-style painted pier table with a carved eagle (Lot 786, $2,000-4,000), a dramatic Chinese-Chippendale-style ebonized and parcel-gilt Mirror (Lot 602, $2,000-4,000); an Anglo-Colonial campaign-style rosewood reclining armchair (Lot 765, $800-1,200) and a stylish Goyard trunk purportedly used in the Vanderbilt family (Lot 739, $3,000-5,000.)
Previews, Catalog, Events, and Bidding
Previews for the auction are free and open to the public. Previews will be held in Boston on Wednesday, October 5 from 12PM – 7PM and on Thursday, October 7 from 12PM – 8PM. Illustrated catalog 2940B is available from the Subscriptions Department at subscriptions@skinnerinc.com or from the Gallery. Prices realized will be available online at www.skinnerinc.com during and after the sale. The Skinner website also enables users to view all lots in the auction, leave bids, order catalogs and bid live, in real-time through SkinnerLive!