Continental Fine Art, Mid-Century Decorative Arts, American Folk Art, American and English Decorative Arts Featured at Schwenke Annual Spring Fine Estates Auction

Posted May 28, 2015

E. Verboeckhoven - Hens & Chicks in Farm Yard Edward S. Curtis - Maid of Dreams Orotone Silver Mounted Violin Bow Folk Art Male Portrait Carving Large Gilded Copper Eagle Weathervane Stickley Oak Slat Back Chairs George II Mahogany Arch Top Secretary Room Size Mahal Carpet

Also Asian Arts, Antique Edged Weapons, Jewelry & Silver, and Estate Oriental Rugs

Woodbury, CT – On Sunday June 14th Schwenke Auctioneers will hold its anniversary spring fine estates auction with an offering of over 450 lots of freshly consigned estate property from estates in Greenwich, New Haven, Bloomfield, West Hartford, Bethel, Litchfield, Woodbury and Southbury CT; Scarsdale, Mamaroneck, Hastings-on-Hudson, Bedford and New York City NY, featuring property from the estate of Gisbert H. Flanz, noted international constitutional law scholar and author. The auction includes Mid-Century Modern decorative arts, American, English and Continental decorative arts, folk art and American country furniture, English & other sterling silver, jewelry, fine art, miscellaneous decorative arts, and estate oriental rugs.

This anniversary sale is being held at 11:00 am in the firm’s auction hall at 710 Main Street South, Middle Quarter Plaza, in Woodbury. Preview times are Thursday, June 11th, 10am - 5pm, Friday, June 12th, 10am - 5pm, Saturday, June 13th, 10am - 5pm, Sunday, June 14th 9am to sale time, and other times by appointment.

An estate find oil on panel by Eugene Verboeckhoven (Belgium, 1798-1881) "Hens and Chicks in Farmyard", signed, dated lower right "Eugene Verboeckhoven 1871", is expected to draw interest from European bidders. On panel on verso is a signed statement in French by artist dated 1871 Brussels declaring work is an original by his hand, with partial red wax collector's seal including the word "Roy", possibly previously in a Royal Collection. The work is in as found condition, in the apparently original frame, and sight size dimensions are 5 1/4" high, 6 7/8" wide.

Other noteworthy Continental fine art lots include a group of framed chalk drawings on paper by a follower of Francois Boucher (French, 1703-1770), including "Portrait Of A Young Girl", black and colored chalk on paper, unsigned, sight size 6 1/2" high, 5 5/8" wide; "Three Winged Putti", black and white chalk on paper, unsigned, with label from L. Bernard Gallery, 34 Rue De Penthievre, Paris, sight size 14 1/4" high, 9 1/4" wide; "L'Amusement De L'Enfance", black and red chalk on paper, unsigned, watermark "LACB AWBN", provenance the collection of Prince Charles De Ligne (1759-1792) Lugt 592, sight size 6 3/4" high, 8 1/2" wide. All works were purchased by the New York consignor at a Christies sale #7256 March 23, 1991. The group also includes a work after Jean Jacques Boissieu (French, 1736-1810), "Portrait Of A Gentleman", ink wash and chalk on light brown paper, initialed lower right, sight size 7 3/4" high, 6 1/4" wide.

Also expected to draw serious interest is a rare work by Edward S. Curtis (American, 1868-1952), entitled "Maid of Dreams", orotone signed lower right "Curtis LA c", lower left numbered "R8-09?", and framed in original Curtis frame, measuring 12 1/2" high, 10 3/4" wide. Curtis was an American ethnologist and photographer of the American West and the Native American people. “The North American Indian” by Edward S. Curtis is one of the most significant and controversial representations of traditional American Indian culture ever produced. Issued in a limited edition from 1907-1930, the publication continues to exert a major influence on the image of Indians in popular culture. Curtis said he wanted to document "the old time Indian, his dress, his ceremonies, his life and manners." In over 2000 photogravure plates and narrative, Curtis portrayed the traditional customs and lifeways of eighty Indian tribes. The twenty volumes, each with an accompanying portfolio, are organized by tribes and culture areas encompassing the Great Plains, Great Basin, Plateau Region, Southwest, California, Pacific Northwest, and Alaska.

Other artworks being offered include works by Renoir, Henry O. Walker, M. Shifano, Andre Dunoyer de Segonzac, Ernest Lee Major, Jean Jannel, Eliza Draper Gardiner, Rene Auberjonois, Allan Hatch, P. Masini, Jean Pierre Capron, John Sloan, Jean Louis Forain, Richard Van Orley, Dodge Macknight, Charles Shepard Chapman, Maurice Vlaminck, P. Chandler, Alberto Prosdocimi, and Kathe Kollwitz.

Another lot of significant interest is a very fine silver mounted violin bow by W. E. Hill and Sons. The round unmarked bow stick has a silver mounted ebony frog with pearl inlay, and has a silver and ebony end screw. The weight is 51 grams, with baleen wrapping, and is presented in the apparently original case stamped “W. E. Hill and Sons, London, England.”

Mid-century modern and contemporary items will also be offered. Notable lots include four mid century German walnut caned side chairs, with upholstered seats, stamped "Made in Germany" on underside, retailed by Fabry Associates, 32" high, 19" wide, 18" deep; two original Saarinen design tulip tables with matching chairs, one set by Burke and the other Chromecraft; a Dux mid century lounge chair and adjustable ottoman, both upholstered in a green patterned fabric, 38" high, 31" wide, 20" deep; a pair of Jack Lenor Larsen side chairs with beige Naugahyde seats, one with original label on underside, 32" high, 19 3/4" wide, 16 1/2" deep; an Italian modern ash and composite occasional table with round top on tapering faux bois legs, 28" high, 23 1/2" diameter; a pair of modern Correia favrile glass candlesticks, signed on base "SCFA 685-11", signed on side, "Correia", 10 1/4" high, 3 3/4" wide; an Angel Ortiz (LAII) "Untitled" mixed media spray marker on wood mannequin signed "LA" in eye sockets, 32" high, 12" wide; a Peter Lipman-Wulf (German, 1905-1993) pottery bowl with enameled montage of musical instruments, signed on base, dated 1954, 3 3/4" high, 12 1/8" diameter; and a work attributed to Elizabeth Gordon Chandler (American, 1913-2006), "Seated Woman" stone composite sculpture, unsigned. Ms. Chandler was the Founder of Lyme Academy of Fine Arts, later renamed Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, 20" high, 10 1/2" wide, 14 1/2" deep.

Unusual American folk art abounds in the sale. Perhaps the rarest lot is folk art "Male Portrait" pink granite carving, circa 1908, unsigned, mounted on display base. This stone carving was discovered in 2006 partially buried in the rear section of land on a Milford, Massachusetts property abutting one of the town’s stone quarries. Milford, Massachusetts was famous for its pale pink granite. The exquisitely carved head has an unmatched and appealing folk art quality about it and measures 12" high, 8 1/4" wide.

Other folk art lots include a large gilded copper full bodied eagle weathervane on cast and wrought iron directional, measuring 30" high, 48" wide, 34" deep; an unusual large folk art hooked rug depicting two roosters amid foliage mounted on fabric covered frame, measuring 42" high, 77" long; a Pennsylvania folk art painted dome top document box, interior with remnants of wallpaper, 6 1/2" high, 14 1/2" wide, 8 3/4" deep; a work by David Bradstreet Wiggins, contemporary folk artist (20th Century), "Resting Cat" acrylic on fireboard, signed and dated 1991, inscribed in pencil on verso, measuring 24 1/2" high, 31" wide; and a fanciful folk art carved and painted carousel style lion wearing elaborate figural saddle with glass eyes, dimensions 48 1/2" high, 60" long, 18" wide.

Formal and country American furniture lots include a fine Massachusetts birch serpentine chest, circa 1790; a Boston area Sheraton inlaid mahogany writing desk; a walnut chippendale linen press and a rare American chippendale drop leaf table with claw and ball feet, both from the estate of Gisbert H. Flanz; several Federal chests in cherry and mahogany from a Connecticut estate; several country tap, tavern and occasional tables, and a rare provincial Nantucket fan back windsor arm chair. A featured American furniture lot is a fine pair of L. & J.G. Stickley oak slat back armchairs, circa 1910, both with red hand screw label in probably original leather upholstery, and measuring 28 1/2" high, 25 3/4" wide, 17 3/4" deep.

Many lots of fine English furniture and related decorative arts will be hammered, most notably a fine George II carved mahogany arch top secretary with original hardware, raised panel doors and fine fitted interior, as well as a wonderful Victorian mixed woods inlaid two drawer desk with elaborate floral and foliate marquetry inlaid top over two drawers with carved legs and stretcher, one working drawer each side, 28 3/4" high, 51" wide, 30" deep; a fine late George III inlaid figured mahogany oval top breakfast table, figured mahogany top with cross banded and string inlaid edge, early 19th century, 72" long, 45 3/4" wide, 27 1/2" high; a George III mahogany chest on chest, top with molded cornice above three short drawers over three graduated drawers, case with drop front desk surface with open cubbies flanked by three drawers and drawers above and below on bracket base, 77 1/2" high, 47 1/2" wide, 23 1/4" deep; a French Directoire burled elm desk with gilt tooled leather writing surface and slides on each side with gilt tooled leather surfaces, central long drawer flanked by single deep drawer on right, two on left, all drawers with banded inlay on tapered legs ending in bronze capped feet, 30" high, 58" wide, 31 1/2" deep; and a Victorian japanned barley twist tuckaway table, top decorated with Asian figures in a landscape, 29" high, 38 1/4" wide, 4" deep.

Asian decorative arts include furniture, porcelains, bronzes and woodblock prints. Among the lots of Asian interest are two decorated Chinese altar tables; a Japanese handled bronze urn, signed on underside, mounted on wood base, 11" high, 11 3/4" diameter; a Chinese school "Mountain, Cranes, Pines and Sea Monster" scroll painting on silk, signed right center edge with two red seals below, one red seal lower left, 68”long, 19 1/2" wide; a Chinese porcelain and wood table screen, the plaque depicting a nobleman with horse and attendants, 6 1/2" high, 7 1/2" wide; a large Asian or Asian style lamp with incised dragon decoration, 30 1/2" high, 10" wide; and a group of Chinese export porcelain items.

Silver is also offered in some quantity, including rare Asian silver comprising a group of eight unique Chinese silver cicada form pendants with hardstone bead drops, 4" long, 1 1/4" wide, and a group of six Chinese silver bookmarks, most with repousse designs, all hallmarked by maker, about 6" long, 2” wide. European and American silver lots include a German .800 silver coffee pot, mark of D. Baron, likely Koenigsberg, 19th century, spirally fluted and pear-shaped with flared swirl base, the hinged domed cover with silver finial, with short fluted covered spout and silver scroll handle. Base engraved "D.Aron" with city marks and ".800", 11 1/4" high, 5 1/4" diameter, weight 21.844 troy ounces; a cased set of English sterling silver and mother of pearl handled luncheon flatware for six made in Birmingham in 1868, maker's mark "E & Co." for Elkington & Co., together with twelve sterling handled mother of pearl spoons, 6 1/4" long, 1 1/4" wide; a pair of elaborate Austro-Hungarian silver candlesticks, each with five hallmarks, first and third illegible, second "13", fourth "4", and "G", weighted, 25" high, 6 1/2" wide; a large sterling silver centerpiece bowl made by International Sterling, marked WV 58-2, 4 1/2" high, 13 1/2" wide, weight 29.270 troy ounces; a Gorham sterling silver four piece coffee service, 30.83 troy ounces; and a William Smith partial sterling silver service in the Winslow pattern, monogrammed, comprising twelve dinner forks, twelve salad forks, twelve seafood forks, twelve soup spoons, twenty-four teaspoons, twelve dinner knives, ten butter knives, three serving spoons, one carving set, one pierced olive spoon, one serving knife, one serving fork, one cream ladle, one jam spoon, weighable silver 84.71 troy ounces.

Fine antique jewelry lots include a pair of platinum, diamond and sapphire wedding bands each containing ten round diamonds and ten round sapphires each weighing approximately two carats total weight, size 6, gross weight 4.9 dwt; a pair of 14K gold coral earrings and 14K coral and pearl pin, 1" long, 7/8" wide to 1" diameter; a Roger French gold, turquoise and pearl jewelry suite comprising an elaborate necklace and matching earrings in original box marked "Roger 155 Palais-Royal 155 Joallier Bijoutier”; a pair of 14K gold coin earrings marked "MS", 1 1/8" high, 1" wide, gross weight 12.1 dwt; and a rare pair of Victorian gold earrings in original box labeled "Joseph Cohen, Khan El Khalili, Cairo, Egypt", 1 1/4" long, 3/4" wide.

Over thirty estate oriental carpets will cross the block, including Persian, Caucasian, Chinese, Indian and Turkoman room and scatter sized rugs, together with other regional Asian rugs of varying sizes. Among the estate carpets is a fine room size Mahal carpet which is 11' 9" long, 9' 9 1/2" wide.

The catalog for the sale is viewable at www.woodburyauction.com. Internet, absentee and phone bidding are available for this live gallery auction by visiting the Schwenke Auctioneers website. The sale will be broadcast live through Live Auctioneers and Invaluable. For information please call the auction hall office at 203-266-0323.