Tiffany lamps, Meeks furniture, more to be sold at Fontaine's Auction Gallery Oct. 3rd in Pittsfield

PITTSFIELD, Mass. - Sept. 21, 2015 - PRLog -- Gorgeous and highly desirable early 20^th century lamps from the Tiffany Studios, magnificently crafted furniture pieces by J. & J.W. Meeks and other noted 19^th century American makers, and a dazzling 5.1-carat Ashoka diamond ring from William Goldberg, in the original box, are just a few items that will come up for bid Oct. 3^rd at Fontaine’s Auction Gallery.

The two-session Saturday auction will be held in Fontaine’s gallery, at 1485 West Housatonic Street in Pittsfeld. The action will get underway with an uncatalogued sale (no internet bidding) of 100 lots that will begin at 11 a.m. Eastern time. At noon, the catalogued antique auction, with a little more than 350 lots, will begin. That sale will feature live, internet, phone and left bidding.

The cataloged antique auction will be packed with period furniture by Meeks, John H. Belter, R.J. Horner and others; rare lamps by Tiffany Studios, Duffner & Kimberly, Handel, Pairpoint, Gorham and others; a large collection of Tiffany Studios desk accessories, estate oil paintings, bronze and marble statuary, KPM porcelain plaques, and historical and political collectibles.

Exceptional sterling and art glass pieces will come up for bid, led by Tiffany Favrile art glass but also to include wonderful examples by Crown Milano, Stevens & Williams, Galle, Loetz, Moser, Alexandrite, Rubina Verde, Nash, Durand, Webb, Quezal and Royal Vienna. Also sold will be sterling and gold items, music boxes, clocks, estate Oriental rugs, advertising items and more.

The Tiffany name will be chanted frequently throughout the day. Two lots expected to realize $25,000-35,000 each are a Tiffany Studios Dogwood table lamp, with a 16-inch domical shade having a geometric background in striated translucent purple glass with flower highlights, 21 ¾ inches tall; and a Tiffany Studios Tulip table lamp, also with a 16-inch domical shade, having a background with wonderful pale green translucent and hammered textured glass, 22 inches tall.

Furniture by J. & J.W. Meeks will feature a laminated rosewood center table with the original white oval marble top on a fancy laminated rosewood pierce-carved apron, in excellent original finish and condition (est. $15,000-$25,000); and a laminated rosewood pierce-carved three-piece parlor suite in the Hawkins pattern, with a sofa, armchair and side chair (est. $12,000-$15,000).

The 5.1-carat Ashoka diamond ring by William Goldberg boasts a rare and large center-cut diamond, graded VVS2 for clarity and “G” for color. The marked 950 platinum ring features a center diamond prong set in a diamond halo, with diamonds along the band and the crown. The ring is expected to make a strong bid for top lot of the auction, with a $40,000-$60,000 estimate.

Two lots will attract attention because they are so visually arresting. One is a Steven Stelz Studio leaded pumpkin window (2005), constructed in multiple layers of quality glass, giving the scene bold depth and color (est. $5,000-$7,000). The other is a gilt carved Santos and hair art shadow box, with a gesso and painted wooden figure with fine silk tapestry clothing (est. $6,000-$8,000).

Fine art will feature an oil on canvas painting by Samuel Colman (Am., 1832-1920), depicting a mountainous landscape with riverbed, artist-signed, 14 inches by 18 ¼ inches in the frame (est. $6,000-$8,000). Political collectibles will include a Young Men’s Republican Club convention banner (Trenton, N.J., 1884), in cloth, promoting James Blaine of Maine (est. $5,000-$7,500).

Returning to Tiffany lamps, a Tiffany Studios inverted hanging hall lamp having an inverted bell form shade with a geometric background, unsigned, 27 inches in height, should garner $20,000-$30,000; while a Tiffany linenfold counterbalance floor lamp having a bronze base with a double “S” shaped arm at the top and matching bronze 12-sided shade is expected to hit $6,000-$8,000.

A Tiffany Studios linenfold harp desk lamp having a ten-sided shade with three rows of green linenfold “Favrile Fabrique” glass and a red-brown patina, signed and dated (1938), 19 ¼ inches tall, should realize $5,000-$7,500, as should a Tiffany sterling silver pierce-decorated basket in a trumpeted oval form, monogrammed and dated “1883-1908”, weighing 38.8 troy silver ounces.

Returning to the furniture workshop of J. & J.W. Meeks, a rosewood pierce-carved marble-top server with a serpentine form and a marble top under two marble shelves, attributed to Meeks, should bring $6,000-$8,000. Also, an inlaid rosewood marble-top credenza attributed to Herter Brothers, in very good condition and with a French polish finish, should rise to $5,000-$7,500.

For those unable to attend the auction live, internet bidding will be facilitated by Invaluable.com and LiveAuctioneers.com. Phone and absentee (left) bids will also be accepted. See the website for terms and conditions: www.FontainesAuction.com. Previews will be held on Friday, Oct. 2, from 10-5, and Saturday, Oct. 3, the date of sale, from 8 a.m. until the first gavel falls at 11 a.m.

The firm will buy outright or accept on consignment fine antiques, collections or entire estates. Call (413) 448-8922 and ask to speak with John Fontaine, or you can send Mr. Fontaine an e-mail to info@fontainesauction.com. For more information about the company and the upcoming Saturday, October 3auction, please visit www.FontainesAuction.com. Updates are posted often.

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