500+ lots of R.S. Prussia, Royal Bayreuth to be sold Feb. 21 by Woody Auction in St. Louis

Jan. 20, 2009 - PRLog -- (St. Louis, Mo.) – Over 500 lots of R.S. Prussia and Royal Bayreuth fine porcelain will be sold on Saturday, Feb. 21, by Woody Auction at the Holiday Inn Airport West in St. Louis, Mo., five miles from the airport. The sale will comprise several important collections. The most prominent are from Bob and Lani Harper of Florida and Helen Bailey of Missouri. Other smaller collections will also be sold.

   “This is our first Prussia and Bayreuth auction of 2009, and it promises to be a good one,” said Jason Woody of Woody Auction, based in Douglass, Ks. “The collections that have been consigned are truly impressive, and will make for a full and complete auction.” He added, “One of the largest selections of creamers and sugars we’ve ever handled will be another unique feature of the sale.”

   R.S. Prussia is considered the cream of the crop in the antique porcelain world. It was made from the late 1800s through the beginning of World War I by Reinhold Schlegelmilch, in the town that is now Suhl, Germany. The most popular and recognized pieces among collectors are those bearing the “R.S Prussia” mark in red lettering, surrounded by a red wreath. These were made at the turn of the century.

   The bulk of the sale will be R.S. Prussia. Some of the expected top lots include the following:

A 12-inch unmarked wall plaque, showing a “Peasant Girl” portrait with gold stencil highlights (Steeple Mold 19).
An 11-inch wall plaque in the “Mill” scenic décor, with gold stencil highlights (Steeple Mold 19).
An 11-inch wall plaque in the “Cottage” scenic décor, with gold stencil highlights (Steeple Mold 19).
An 8-3/4-inch two-handled, fish-shaped vase in the “Melon Eater” scenic décor with skirted base, dark green tones with opal jewels and nice gold highlights (Jewel Mold).
A 13-1/2-inch tankard in the “Dutch Girls” scenic décor, with pink and green tones and a red and gold border (Mold 525, Stipple).
A 6-3/4-inch two-handled, pillow-shaped vase in the “Parrot” scenic décor, with a satin finish in soft brown tones.
An unmarked ball-shaped gold pedestal creamer and sugar, with green background tones and dark red border highlights.
A 10-1/4-inch master bowl in the “Swan” décor, with seven matching 5-1/2-inch berry dishes (Icicle Mold).
A 10-1/4-inch unmarked bowl showing a winter season portrait, with bronze, gold and satin finish border (Mold 9, Fleur-de-Lis).
A 14-1/4-inch tankard in the “Turkey” scenic décor (Icicle Mold).
An 11-1/2-inch dresser tray with a cream center and cobalt blue border, showing portraits of Potocka, Recamier, Lebrum I & II (Medallion Mold).
A 15-inch unmarked cobalt blue centerpiece bowl, with gold stencil highlights (Carnation Mold).
A 7-piece cake set (10-inch plate and six matching serving plates), cobalt blue with gold stencil highlights (Carnation Mold).
A 12-inch chocolate pot, fine cobalt blue, with gold highlights (Carnation Mold).
A flawless 3-piece unmarked tea set (teapot, sugar and creamer), cobalt blue with gold stencil highlights (Carnation Mold).

   Royal Bayreuth is the name of the porcelain factory that was founded in 1794 in Tettau, Bavaria. The firm introduced its very popular figural patterns around 1885. This wonderful porcelain was all the rage in Victorian times because of the wide variety of utilitarian and decorative nature forms. Royal Bayreuth continues to be made today; it was #18 in the Kovels’ ‘Top 20’ collectors' searches for 2008.

   Examples of Royal Bayreuth expected to get paddles wagging at the Feb. 21 sale include:

A 6-3/4-inch vase in blue tones, in the “Polar Bear” scenic décor (Blue Mark).
A 5-inch corset-shaped pitcher, in the “Polar Bear” scenic décor (Blue Mark).
A 4-3/4-inch creamer with blue/green tones, in the “Polar Bear” scenic décor (Blue Mark).

The auction will begin promptly at 9:30 a.m. A preview will be held on Friday, Feb. 20, from 4-8 p.m. A sales tax of 6.08 percent will be collected (current sales tax numbers are exempt). Absentee bids will be accepted, with a written statement indicating the amount of the bid (deadline is noon Thursday, Feb. 19, fax: 316-747-2145). All absentee bids will be charged an additional 10% of the selling price.

The Holiday Inn Airport West is actually located in Earth City, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis. To reserve a room there, call 314-291-6800. The terms of the auction are cash, checks (with proper ID) and major credit cards. A 5 percent clerk’s fee will be added to all sales, but it will be waived if payment is made with check or cash. Online bidding will be facilitated by Proxibid, at Proxibid.com/woodyauction.

Fast on the heels of the Feb. 21 auction will be a Cut Glass Auction slated for March 7, at the St. Charles Convention Center, in St. Charles, Mo. Then, sometime in April (with a time and date still to be determined), Woody Auction will conduct a Lamps and Art Glass Auction, at the Holiday Inn Airport West. Watch the Woody Auction website for detail as the dates approach, at www.woodyauction.com.

Woody Auction is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, an estate or an entire collection, you may call them directly at (316) 747-2694. Or, you can e-mail them at info@woodyauction.com. To learn more about Woody Auction, log on to www.woodyauction.com. Photos of most of the lots to be sold at the Feb. 21 auction have already been posted there for view.

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Ken Hall writes pre-sale and post-sale press releases for auction houses, for a fee ($250 US$). He writes, submits and tracks stories for clients. Submissions are published in trade magazines, posted on industry websites and appear in local newspapers.