Chinese and Japanese antiques meet items from the Western culture in Converse Auctions' Feb. 27 sale

MALVERN, Pa. - Feb. 17, 2021 - PRLog -- A beautiful hand-painted Chinese bottle vase, a painting of roses by the French 'fleuriste' Raoul M. De Longpré (1843-1911), and an impressive African Dan Guere mask with cowrie shells and bronze bells are a few expected top lots in Converse Auctions' online-only East West Antique Auction slated for Saturday, February 27^th, starting at 12 o'clock pm Eastern.

While the event is Internet-only, with no in-person gallery bidding, online bidding is available at LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and ConverseAuctions.com. Live previews will be held by appointment only in Converse Auctions' gallery at 1 Spring Street in Paoli, Pa., just outside Philadelphia. To set up an appointment, call 610-722-9004 or email info@converseauctions.com.

The auction is packed with over 550 lots of fine American, European, African, Chinese and other Asian items – a tantalizing blend of objects from the East alongside items from the Western culture (hence the title 'East West'). All lots have a starting bid of $10, a tactic designed to encourage newcomers to the collecting world, and old pros as well, to bid early and bid often.

Items from the East will feature Chinese and Japanese artifacts, to include fine furniture, jade, porcelain, cloisonné, paintings and seals, plus items from the collection of Dr. Morris V. Shelanski, a prolific antiques collector from the 1950s-1970s. African artifacts will include rarities from a New York City collector who amassed many visually arresting masks up for bid.

Fine art paintings and prints will come from both the East and West. The watercolor and gouache roses painting by Raoul M. De Longpré is an expected highlight. Measuring 36 inches by 29 inches, the work is artist signed and carries an estimate of $800-$1,200. De Longpré was born in Lyons, Paris, into a family of "fleuristes" (artists who painted flowers).

With an estimate of $5,000-$8,000, the hand-painted Chinese bottle vase in a presentation box could be the sale's top lot. The 12-inch-tall vase boasts tubular handles, a painted garden on one side, calligraphy and an artist's mark on the reverse and four-character mark on the bottom. The African Dan Guere mask, 23 inches by 10 inches, made from wood, wild boar horn, cowrie shells, beads, textiles, raffia and bronze bells, is on a custom stand and should go for $300-$500.

For more information, please visit www.ConverseAuctions.com. Updates are posted often.