AUCTION FINDS OF THE WEEK- JULY 13TH: BITS & BOBS IN BOSTON
by Kelly Keating on 07/12/15
Welcome back to Auction Finds of the Week! This week's lots all hail from Skinner in Boston from their European Furniture & Decorative Arts sale to be held on 18 July 2015. There are four finds this week: two bits of English wood, an Art Deco clock and an American Aesthetic plant stand or pedestal. All of these pieces would be a wonderful addition to your own space giving it distinction and character and hopefully fostering a new/old mix that can be very dynamic and appealing.
This week's first discovery is a bit of probably English oak from the 17th or 18th century. Lot 85 with a pre-sale estimate of $600-800 is a coffer or chest measuring 21.375" H x 43.375" W x 19.25" D. It consists of a lunette-carved frieze above three panels with diamond shaped lozenges inset with a flowerhead. The top has three recessed undecorated panels. The oak coffer could make an interesting coffee table with an added glass top or perhaps placed at the end of a bed for blankets with or without cushion to turn it into a bench.
The second bit of English wood is made of pine not oak. Lot 118 with an estimate of $800-1200 is an English settle originating in England or Wales and dating to the early 18th century. A settle is a wooden bench with a high back and arms and typically incorporating a box under the seat. Lot 118 has a high paneled back of nearly 5 feet with a curved seat and nicely shaped arms, but no box under the seat. This piece which is approximately 50" wide with its warm patina would be striking as seating for one side of a dining room table or in a large kitchen for breakfast seating.
The next find for this week, lot 106, is an American Aesthetic ebonized pedestal or plant stand standing 38.25" tall with a pre-sale estimate of $200-300. The apron of the pedestal has hand painted plaques that depict butterflies, birds and flora and there is a lower shelf. A pedestal like lot 106 is a useful piece of decorative furniture to display an important vase whether Aesthetic or perhaps a striking piece of Chinese blue and white porcelain. The vase can be left on its own or filled from time to time with flowers such as white peonies or blossom branches. A piece such as this can create a dynamic focal point or be a central part of a vignette for a room that is stylish, comfortable and easy.
The final treasure this week, lot 38, is a most likely French Art Deco three piece clock garniture with a pre-sale estimate of $400-600. The set features a central clock with a hexagonal pink marble casement with an Arabic numeral clock face. To the right of the clock sits a typically Deco gilt-bronze female figure holding a parrot, the whole on a pink marble base with gilt-bronze accents. Accompanying the clock are two vessels with pyramidal rims and shallow vacant openings and consists of alternating pink and grey marble. Something with such distinctive style can be hard to incorporate into an everyday room. The clock garniture shouts "ART DECO" and could look out of place unless one is designing a total Deco space. But as I have written before, recreation of style or a pastiche should not be the goal, but rather a mixing of styles and periods, of high and low, to create a space that is visually and dynamically intriguing. So, while lot 38 is fabulous on its own, it would be a tough addition to a designed room.
I hope you enjoyed this Auction Finds of the Week and found inspiration for the creation of your own space or even motivation for a new collection. If I can help you find an antique or vintage piece of furniture or decorative art for your room, please contact me at [email protected] and visit my website www.theantiqueflaneur.com to see the services that I offer. I have multiple sources across the country and even Europe to find you that unique piece.
I am now able to offer insurance and informational appraisals for decorative arts particularly for fine silver and English ceramics. Please contact me at [email protected] if you need an insurance appraisal or an informational appraisal for purposes of selling your antique or vintage items. I also accept consignments of antique and vintage items where I can help you sell your pieces. If you need an estate or donation appraisal for tax purposes, I can bring in another appraiser who will work with me to complete that for you.
In the next Auction Finds of the Week, I will be discussing the demise of the silver tea set.
Until next time,
Kelly T Keating
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