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Heritage Auctions’ April 17 Sophisticated Palate sale showcased Frederick H. Schrader’s eclectic collection of fine and decorative arts, spanning European, American, and Spanish Colonial pieces. The 269-lot auction realized $518,282, with a 93% sell-through rate and 553 registered bidders. Schrader, a Napa Valley vintner and art collector since the 1970s, was known for his adventurous spirit and “bad boy” reputation in Napa Valley, often described as someone with an unwavering commitment to excellence in both wine and art. The sale reflected a growing trend among collectors toward maximalist aesthetics and a renewed interest in traditional collecting categories like Renaissance furnishings and Spanish colonial rarities.
The top lot of the auction was a Seventeenth Century Peruvian Spanish colonial tapestry featuring the arms of Don Pascual de Aragón de Cardona y de Córdova. Measuring 96 by 86 inches, the vibrant red and gold tapestry more than doubled its high estimate, selling for $32,500. It had provenance from the Chevalier textile collection in Paris and was acquired by Schrader in 2016.
Another standout was an Eighteenth Century Spanish colonial low estrado table, crafted from chased and repousséd silver. Measuring 27½ by 18 inches, this rare piece nearly doubled its high estimate, achieving $16,250. Its wear and minimal use added to its charm, with provenance tracing back to a private Connecticut collector.
A Fifteenth Century Venetian Gothic rosso de Verona marble portal surround also garnered significant attention, selling for $16,250—more than double its high estimate. The pink marble surround, though in several pieces, was in relatively sound condition and had provenance from the Florida collection of John S. Phipps.
The art category was led by Antonio María de Reyna Manescau’s oil on canvas, Carnevale on the Grand Canal, Venice, which sold for $15,000. Six works by the Spanish artist were featured in the sale, with Venetian Backwater fetching $6,875. Another Venetian scene, Piazza San Marco, Venice by Italian artist Augusto Lovatti, nearly doubled its high estimate, selling for $9,375. A Nineteenth Century Italian marble sculpture Hebe by Pompeo Cocchi achieved $6,975.
Wilhelm Kuhnert’s King Vulture (oil on canvas laid on board) was another highlight, selling for $6,875. The German artist’s depiction of the bird, with its striking detail, attracted bidders, as did other bird-themed items like an American carved walnut lectern with a spread-wing eagle. The lectern, inscribed “In memory of Gregory Thurston Bedell,” soared to $12,500, well above its $5,000 high estimate. A gilt bronze eagle sculpture also exceeded expectations, selling for $11,250.
Additional notable lots included a 160-piece Garrard & Company Limited partial gilt silver flatware service for 12, which sold for $13,750. Dated to 1984, the set came with a storage canteen and had provenance to a private California collection. A pair of Twentieth Century silver jewelry caskets, each adorned with a muscular man holding a corner, sold for $6,875. The caskets, one marked “Sterling” and the other “RC Sterling,” had a combined weight of 7,784 grams and were lined with velvet.
The sale’s success highlights a resurgence in collector interest in antiques and historical artifacts, particularly Spanish colonial works, Renaissance furnishings, and bird-themed pieces. Samantha Robinson, Heritage Auctions’ director of decorative arts & design, noted that Schrader’s collection exemplified his “tried-and-true” approach to collecting, with a focus on high-quality and historically significant items.
Heritage Auctions will continue to present Schrader’s collection in a series of auctions throughout 2024 and 2025, offering collectors further opportunities to acquire pieces from the vintner’s storied legacy. For more information, visit ha.com or call 214-528-3500.
