Doyle New York’s auction on June 3 showcased fine and decorative arts reflecting the opulence of the Belle Epoque.
Extravagant furniture and decorations of the Louis XV and XVI revivals, Victorian, Art Nouveau and Art Deco eras were offered, as well as art glass, porcelain, silver, marble statues, bronzes, ivories, clocks, sconces, chandeliers, rugs and a selection of Tiffany Studios articles. Complementing the furniture and decorations was an assortment of fin de siecle paintings.
Competitive bidding in the salesroom, on the telephones and via the Internet sent the total to $1,251,284, with a strong 78 percent sold by lot and 92 percent sold by value.
Featured in the sale was a selection of objects from the collection of Hugh J. Grant and Lucie Mackey Grant. The collection was assembled by Mr Grant’s parents, the Honorable Hugh J. Grant and Julia Murphy Grant, for their home at 20 East 72nd Street in Manhattan.
Highlighting the collection was a French Art Deco clock, circa 1935, by Cartier that sold for $158,500. Encased in spinach jade and trimmed in blue enamel and 18K gold, the clock included a moon phase dial and three subsidiary dials indicating the day of the week, the day of the month and the alarm setting.
An unusual pair of Tiffany & Co. makers 18K gold mounted Thomas Webb & Sons rock crystal-style glass decanters achieved $25,000. The glass of the decanters was engraved by William Fritsche, circa 1907′0, with delicate foliate motifs. The Grant family’s extensive sterling silver flatware service by Gorham in the Kings pattern fetched a strong $15,000.
Reflecting the religious devotion of the Grant family were a 14K gold and diamond chalice and paten by W.J. Feeley Co., active 1875‱937, Providence, R.I., that sold for $25,000.
Property from other collections and estates was highlighted by an iconic American bronze, “Choosing of the Arrow,” 1848, by Henry Kirke Brown (American, 1814‱886). The piece was the object of competitive bidding that sent the final price to $86,500, a world auction record for the artist.
The section of the sale devoted to objects by Tiffany Studios featured two table lamps. A bronze and leaded Favrile glass Bamboo lamp sold for $68,500, and a gilt-bronze and leaded Favrile glass Spider lamp achieved $43,750.
A micromosaic circular table top depicting scenes of Rome, including St Peter’s Square, the Coliseum, the Pantheon and other architectural views, sold for $50,000. A large Napoleon III-style gilt-metal mounted marquetry inlaid walnut cabinet from the estate of a Washington, D.C., philanthropist achieved $15,000. Spirited bidding sent the price of a late Nineteenth Century Continental carved ivory and ebonized casket decorated with figural plaques, grotesque masks, fruit garlands and meandering vines to $12,500.
Art Deco furniture was highlighted by a French Art Deco patinated iron console by Edgar Brandt, circa 1925, from the estate of Arlene Meyer Cohen, which sold for $17,500.
The selection of fin de siecle paintings featured a summer view of a lady with a parasol in reverie titled “On the Terrace,” 1895, by Francis William Loring (American, 1838‱905) from the estate of a Washington, D.C., philanthropist that sold for $8,750.
All prices reported include the buyer’s premium.
Doyle New York’s next auction of Belle Epoque: Nineteenth and Twentieth Century decorative arts is scheduled for September. For information, www.DoyleNewYork.com or call Malcolm MacNeil at 212-427-2730.
