Rare, antique Chinese animated bracket clock chimes on time for $332,750 at Fontaine's Feb. 27 sale

PITTSFIELD, Mass. - March 9, 2016 - PRLog -- Two Chinese animated bracket clocks – one a rare two-sided model, the other a triple fusee example – sold for a combined $435,600 at a cataloged antique and clock auction held February 27^th by Fontaine’s Auction Gallery, in the firm’s gallery at 1485 West Housatonic Street in Pittsfield. In all, 510 lots changed hands in a sale that grossed $1.6 million.

The two-sided clock, which was set up for two time zones, was the auction’s top lot, realizing a robust $332,750. It showed a Chinese theme on one side and a Western theme on the other. The gilt bronze clock featured an animated, two-tier revolving carousel of figures at the top, rotating clockwise. The upper tier had a multi-rhinestone border and glass rods that resembled a fountain.

The triple fusee clock, housed in a carved teak wood bracket case, was the sale’s runner-up top lot, bringing $102,850. It was in beautiful condition, with the original finish, and boasted a series of rods that rotated, emulating falling rain, while a row of ducks swam right to left in the front. All the while, two carved wood Chinese acrobat figures on a platform appeared and disappeared.

The auction featured antique clocks (by names such as E. Howard & Co., Seth Thomas, Ansonia, Ithaca, Elmer O. Stennes, Walter Durfee and others), antique furniture (by makers such as John H. Belter, J. & J. W. Meeks and R.J. Horner), watches, chronometers, barometers, lamps, art glass, historical and political items, toys, banks, oil paintings, statuary, musical items and more.

“I knew we had put together a nice sale, with fine estate merchandise in a variety of desirable categories, but there was so much advance buzz in the days leading up to auction, I had to go back and look to see what all the fuss was about,” said John Fontaine of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery. “That’s when I realized, hey, we really do have a great sale on our hands. And it was.”

A packed gallery of about 125 people attended the event in person, while 1,200 others bid online via LiveAuctioneers.com (the most ever for a Fontaine’s auction). Another 800 or so bid online using the Invaluable.com platform. A bank of phones was kept busy throughout the sale, and a good number of absentee bids were recorded as well. Between the two, there were 300 bidders.

Following are additional highlights from the auction. All prices quoted include a 21 percent buyer’s premium.

Clock collectors and horologists will instantly recognize the name E. Howard & Co. (Boston). They are a staple at many Fontaine's auctions and this one was no exception. Examples included a street post clock so stately and large (140 inches tall) it had to be picked up by the buyer from the estate location. It gaveled for $41,140. Also, an E. Howard & Co. No. 82 grandfather clock, quite impressive in size at 100 inches tall and housed in a fine mahogany case, fetched $13,310.

A full-sized violin by Giovanni Battista Ceruti of Italy, dated 1801, with two bows, sporting an amber finish with nice patina and contained in a suspension case, brought $22,990. The lamps and lighting category had several star lots, including an impressive pair of fancy brass and iron hanging theater lights, crafted by Black & Boyd Mfg. Co. (N.Y.) and pulled from the old York Theater in Athol, Mass., where they were installed in the late 1920s. The pair went for $20,570.

Two outstanding sculptures did exceptionally well. One was a bronze creation by Dimitri Chiparus (Rom./Fr., 1886-1947), titled Fille au Pyjama (Girl in Pajamas), of a girl standing in her pajamas, stretching as if waking up, 18 ½ inches tall. It went for $22,990. The other, a large bronze sculpture of two hounds (“Pompier” and “Caron”) tied to a tree trunk, a horn hanging on a branch above them, by Auguste Nicolas Cain (Fr., 1822-1894), 25 inches tall, rose to $9,680.

Tiffany lamps and lighting are always a big hit. An exceptional Tiffany Studios bronze and art glass chandelier with six arms and beautiful matching gold iridescent stalactite glass shades, 53 inches tall, with excellent medium-dark brown patina, illuminated the crowd for $21,175, while a Tiffany Studios banded Dogwood table lamp, 27 inches tall, with 18-inch signed domical shade having a geometric brick pattern background in excellent mottled dichroic glass, made $36,300.

From the furniture category, a large two-door walnut Queen Anne three-hinge cabinet desk made by Wooten Desk Mfg. Co. (Indianapolis, Ind.), with spindled gallery top, carved and turned finials, in beautiful condition with an overcoated original finish, brought $16,335; and a three-piece R. J. Horner carved mahogany parlor set – a sofa and armchair with excellent pierced swirling filigree carved crests with seashell center, and matching sidechair – finished at $13,310.

Returning to clocks, a mahogany one-year Biedermeier Laterndluhr wall regulator with signed 9-inch porcelain dial, black Roman hour numerals and a sub-seconds dial, all in a fine mahogany Laterndluhr-style case with striped inlays, breezed to $27,225; and a George Jones astronomical floor regulator with a massive 17-inch bronze astronomical dial with sweep minute hand, housed in a beautiful 92-inch-tall walnut case, sold within estimate when it knocked down for $16,940.

Fontaine's Auction Gallery 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 three cataloged sales in 2016, please visit www.FontainesAuction.com. Updates are posted often.