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Louis XVI style pedestal regulator clock, circa 1902-10, from François Linke after Jean-Henri Riesener, led the sale at $75,600 ($10/15,000).
Review By Z.G. Burnett; Images Courtesy of Freeman’s
PHILADELPHIA — On July 13, Freeman’s presented The Tastemaker remote auction, bringing together American and European fine porcelain and ceramics, furniture, art glass, fine and ancient art. “We had a strong interest across the board, with serious collectors competing with the trade,” said Andrew Taggart, Freeman’s specialist for this auction. “Our auction preview (exhibition) had a really strong attendance. A majority of items were sold to US buyers, with a good percentage of bidders from Western States and the West Coast.” Each of this auction’s top lots multiplied their estimates. The Tastemaker’s total was $766,206 with an 86 percent sell-through rate.
Rococo reigned in the upper lots. Leading the lots was a Louis XVI-style gilt-bronze mahogany pedestal regulator clock from François Linke (French, 1855-1946) at $75,600. The clock was one of only three from Linke in this model (Index No. 852) made between 1902 and 1910, and works were from Dufaud, Paris.
Linke created this clock after an 1785 model attributed to the studio of Jean-Henri Riesener (French, 1734-1806), which is now in the Louvre’s collection. This example from a private North Carolina collection was built in three parts with gilt-bronze mounts, showing effusive decoration including putti, swagged garlands and acanthus molding, the lower two parts on paw-form feet and raised on a shaped base with gilt-bronze peg feet, with mounts in the form of floral garlands, urns, cornucopias, horns and foliate motifs, surmounted by bracket decorated with gilt-bronze masque centering sunrays, laurel swags and egg-and-dart molding.
From a private collection in Pennsylvania, this large Meissen group of Amphitrite and her entourage achieved $20,160 ($5/8,000).
Straight from the rococo source, a post-1815, large Meissen figural porcelain group of the Triumph of Amphitrite that was bid to $20,160. This was also after an earlier 1772-74 model by Johann Joachim Kändler (German, 1706-1775). Amphitrite was the Greek goddess of the ocean, and is shown here surrounded by other Nereids, sea creatures and putti. This was joined by a group lot of two Viennese silver gilt and enamel desk clocks from Karl Bank (active 1895-1924) and a maker known only by his mark “PL.” These figural clocks were made circa 1900 in the form of a mandolin and a pipe organ, hand painted with enameled Greek mythological scenes. The mandolin had works by Johann Mayer of Vienna, Austria, and the organ also operated as a music box. The pair sold for $13,860.
Two Black Forest lots ranked second and third in the sale; both also featured friendly English labradors in their design, came from a private Pennsylvania collection and were purchased by the same bidder. First was a carved walnut and rosewood table by Eduard Binder (Swiss or German, late Nineteenth or early Twentieth Century) that rose from a $1,5/2,500 estimate to $27,720 who worked in Brienz, Lucerne, Switzerland. The table is comprised of a simple surface board with one pierced and carved leg decorated with two dogs and fruiting tree branches, balanced by a fully figural lab that holds up the other end as if begging for a snack. Next was another Black Forest carved hall stand with a dog posing on a faux bois stump that also multiplied its $3/5,000 estimate to $21,420.
This Black Forest carved hall stand from the late Nineteenth or early Twentieth Century fetched $21,420.
Tiffany objects almost always find favor at auctions, and The Tastemaker was no exception. A group of three gilt-bronze frames and two brass table items from Tiffany Studios (active 1878-1932) and Louis C. Tiffany Furnaces, Inc (active 1920-28), were bought for $15,120. Also achieving that price was a set of 12 pâte-sur-pâte gilt and enameled porcelain dinner plates decorated with putti from Minton, England, that were marked “1928-29” and retailed by Tiffany & Co, New York City.
Prices quoted with buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. Freeman’s Art and Design auction will be on August 23. For information, www.freemansauction.com or 267-414-1261.
