AUCTION FINDS OF THE WEEK- OCTOBER 28TH: ALL THAT GLITTERS...PART II

by Kelly Keating on 11/01/13

In the last few Auction Finds of the Week such as The Connoisseur's Eye and All That Glitters... I selected high end, expensive items whose collector's market is quite small due to these high prices.  Starting with this post, All That Glitters...Part II, I am going to focus on items that are available to a wider market, yet are still quite beautiful and intriguing.  You don't often have to spend a great deal of money to get something that has the right look and feel for your own space.  Many times high price pieces generate lesser cousins, but only less in price not less in aesthetic beauty or enjoyment.  As the title of this post suggests this week also focuses on silver.  All the items selected are from Heritage Auctions' Fine Silver and Vertu Signature Auction to be held in Dallas, Texas on November 5, 2013.

This week's first glittering find is an English biscuit barrel made by the renown Birmingham firm of Elkington circa 1860, lot 68394 with a pre-sale estimate of $500-800.  The biscuit barrel has a cylindrical-form with a rounded bottom and a hinged domed lid topped with a fantastic finial of lion rampant holding an engraved shield.  The entire box is decorated with stylized beading that borders flowers on branches of undulating acanthus leaves against a textured ground.  The handles on either side have  wonderful lion head mounts.  The whole is raised on segmented legs with fan-form feet that are mounted with female masks.  Standing at almost 10" tall the biscuit box would make an impressive addition to any sideboard in pretty much any style.

The next shiny discovery this week is a piece of Chinese Export silver.  It is interesting to note that since the 18th centuy, the West not only bought Chinese porcelain, but also silver often times in Western forms and conventions.  Lot 68002 is a late example of Chinese Export silver, decorated with Chinese motifs, but with a Western form meant for Western taste.  The silver footed compote by Luen Wo of Shanghai circa 1890 has a pre-sale estimate of $1,000-1,500.  The pedestal compote has a lotus form bowl with nine lobed peaked petals.  Each petal has chased repoussé and is decorated with applied foliage and flowers with birds.  The center bowl is supported by three dragons that emanate from the central baluster column that then in turn stands upon a domed foot decorated with an elaborate high relief swirling dragon against a finely planished ground.  The compote is small only about 7" in height, but its rich decoration is very appealing.  It would be interesting grouped with other silver items on a sideboard or perhaps on a coffee table.

This week's third auction find was not made in Asia like the compote, but it took as its inspiration the arts of Japan.  Lot 68200 is a Howard and Company, New York sterling toast rack circa 1882 in the Aesthetic style with a pre-sale estimate of $800-1,200.  The Aesthetic Style beginning in the mid to late 1870's found inspiration for its creations in the arts of Japan which in the late 1860's became open to the West after many, many years of isolation.  The shaped six slot toast rack has a hand hammered metal surface that is reminiscent of Japanese metalwork.  The decoration too of a dragon fly above lily pad which is engraved and chased to one end and on the opposite end a water insect resting upon the bloom of a water lily suggests the Aesthetic Style.  The whole stands on shaped bun feet and the center of six toast slots rises to form a loop handle.  I adore the Aesthetic Style and have myself collected many pieces in silverplate.  Often one finds more adventurous Aesthetic silver designs in plate rather than sterling because plate was simply cheaper to produce.  This toast rack is a wonderful sterling example.  Use it for its intended purpose at your next brunch or turn it into a letter rack for a smart desk accessory.

The fourth glittering discovery this week would make a nice pairing with the Aesthetic toast rack if you were to use it as a desk accessory.  Lot 68441 with a pre-sale estimate of $300-500 is a Shiebler silver chrysanthemum pattern calendar rack with month, day and date cards, circa 1900.  The rack is decorated beautifully with applied chrysanthemum blooms to the front and the sides and is raised on chrysanthemum feet.  It has twenty-five interchangeable cards for the day, the month and the date.  I think that this find is just the most fabulous, gorgeous thing.  What a great gift!  Imagine having it on your desk and enjoying the pleasure of changing the date manually.  Sheer enjoyment!

This week's next treasure is a bit of an archaic tabletop item.  I of course would say use it and enjoy it.  It's not just a pretty thing to look at in a cabinet.  Lot 68188 is a Mauser Manufactering Company, New York sterling grape stand in the form of a leaf, circa 1880, with a pre-sale estimate of $1,000-1,500.  What is a grape stand you might ask?  Read on.  The dish is modeled as a leaf with a ruffled rim.  Coming up from one end of the leaf is a tripartite vine handle with applied leaves.  The whole is raised on three loop feet with a single leaf to center of each foot.  The grape stand is monogrammed MSW to a leaf located at the base of handle.  How does one serve grapes elegantly on one's table?  You hang a bunch of grapes from the tripartite vine handle and then with a pair of elegant grape scissors your guest snips off a smaller bunch of grapes.  Fab, no?  What could be more stunningly awkward and pretenious.  Impress your guests.  Get a grape stand.  They come in plate too.

This week's last find is inspired by the autumn and I cannot really resist a cute Buccellati silver figure.  Lot 68063 is a Buccellati silver figure of a squirrel with gilt acorns with a pre-sale estimate $2,000-3,000.  This sweet little piece is only 3 inches in height, but can't you imagine it nestled in your bowl of gourds on your autumnal table?  It is amazing how the fur is achieved in metal.  And while I don't like squirrels in real life, this little fella would be welcome in my house anytime.

I hope you enjoyed this week's auction discoveries and saw that fabulous items to adorn your space are available at many price points whatever look you are trying to achieve.  Next week will be another silver post with fantastic, stylish and affordable pieces in silverplate.  Then the following week there will be a post filled with modern design objects from Doyle.

If you are looking for something special and need my assistance contact me at [email protected] and take a look at my website www.theantiqueflaneur.com to see how I work with clients.  Or perhaps you have an antique collection you are looking to sell?  I am able to help you with that as well.

Until next week,
Kelly T Keating