Catalog: Antiques (495)

A finely detailed cast bronze jewel box, the cover decorated with a scene of Don Quixote astride his horse followed by his loyal Sancho Panza on his donkey. The end panels feature bas relief images of Cervantes flanked by cherubs, and the back panel a bas relief of Don Quixote wearing an armored helmet. Cherubs and dolphins decorate the front. The interior is lined in a bright red velvet. The box retains its original key and the lock is in working order. Bronze boxes of this sort were often purchased as souvenirs of the European "Grand Tour". Often, they represent important architectural or artistic monuments or are related to great cultural figures such as Cervantes. The bottom is marked "Made In Spain" to accommodate British import regulations beginning in 1887.

Origin: Spain, ca. 1890. Size: 6-9/16" x 3-11/16" x 2-5/8". Condition: excellent.

An outstanding Restoration period French silver wine taster in the 18th century style typical of Lyon. With the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy, many old styles from the ancien regime once again came into fashion, and this tastevin, building on decorative elements typical of the 1770's, is a perfect example. Tastevins with snake-form handles were particularly popular. Those with a pair of snake heads that somewhat resemble bird's heads flanking a sphere are typical of silver from Lyon. The punchwork decoration of grape clusters surrounded the bowl is also a typical 18th century design. The tastevin is completely handmade and was raised on a lathe in the traditional method, as is evidenced by the pinprick in the middle of the bowl and the remnants of hammer marks. The outer rim is engraved "F. Porcheret-Billard". Stamped with 2nd standard "tete de Minverve" hallmarks.

Origin: France, ca. 1840. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Size: 3-1/2" diameter, excluding handle. Weight: 113.4 grams.

A finely executive elephant ivory seal paste box from the late Meiji period. The cover features a pair of elephants marching around the edges, while the center medallion is engraved with the face of a screeching monkey. The carvings are lightly heightened with ink or another pigment to bring out the details. The elephant often symbolized intellectual strength, while the monkey was thought to ward off evil spirits and thieves. The lid still fits tightly.

Origin: Japan, ca. 1910. Condition: excellent, both portions have crazing, but no open cracks. Size: 2-9/16” diameter; 1-9/16” high.

A lovely set of six sterling silver demitasse spoons in the "Floral" pattern by Tiffany & Co. This lovely Victorian spoons feature a different old-fashioned flower on each handle. The tip of each handle is the flower blossom, while the neck is fashioned as the plant stem and foliage. The flowers represented are marigold, clover, daisy, iris, violet, and wild rose. The unusual elongated bowls are similar to those on egg spoons, and retain their original matte gilding. The backs are marked "Tiffany & Co. Stg."

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Size: 4-1/16" long. Weight: 52.4 gr.

A unusual brass tea caddy from the Imperial Romanov era. These boxes are much more frequently seen as rectangular shapes rather than ovals. The hinged lid is decorated with an ornately detailed appliqué of the imperial Romanov double-headed eagle. The interior is tin-lined in the traditional Russian style. The lid can be locked with a small padlock—a reminder that tea was once an expensive, luxurious commodity that had to be protected from household thieves. The interior is tin-lined as expected in a Russian brass box.

Origin: Russia, ca. 1890. Condition: excellent, no dings, all original. Size: 5-3/16" x 3-7/8" x 2-13/16" high.

Fine Bohemian green-to-clear cut glass Biedermeier footed spa beaker ("spaglas") featuring five panels, each beautifully engraved with Classical symbols. Beakers of this sort originated in the great spa towns of Bohemia, where they were used to take the waters. Wealthy visitors often brought back a goblet as a souvenir of their restorative stay at the spa. This example is packed with finely-engraved symbols of all sorts--an anchor symbolizing hope; a cornucopia symbolizing prosperity; a swan symbolizing erotic love; a lyre symbolizing harmony; and the serpent of Epidaurus drinking from the bowl of Hygeia symbolizing health. The stem is panel cut, while the foot is simply decorated with printies and notches that match the cut vesicas on the sides.

Origin: Bohemia, ca. 1830. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks. Size: 6-1/4" tall.

A rare enameled beaker made as a souvenir of the 1896 coronation of Imperial Russia’s last monarchs, Czar Nicholas II and Czarina Alexandra Feodorovna. One side of the beaker features the Imperial double-headed eagle and the reverse shows the Imperial cipher. The remainder of the body is decorated with traditional Russian strapwork. The beakers were to be given away to the public on the Khodinka field in Moscow. When the gates were opened, there was a great rush to get to the cups, and hundreds of people were trampled to death. Shortly after, the cup became known as the “Blood Cup” or “Cup of Sorrows”. The incident was thought at the time to be a bad omen for the future of the Imperial couple—an estimation that proved unfortunately correct. These beakers are often in very bad condition, but this one is excellent, with just a small enamel nick on the rim, light rust spots in the interior bottom and light wear to the gilding on the rim.

Origin: Russia, 1896. Size: 4-1/8” tall.

A wonderful late 19th or very early 20th century sheet iron weathervane in the form of a sperm whale silhouette. The vane is hand sawn and retains its old coat of oxidized green paint (may be original, but appears to be a second coat). One side still has its black painted eye. The silhouette is attached to its original copper mounting pole. Found in Maine.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: very good, old paint, light rust spotting around edges, welding of mounting pole showing some separating. Size: 15” x 8-1/2” (including pole).

A fine mid-19th century French silver tastevin (wine taster), the base inset with an 1810 Italian silver coin from the reign of Emperor Napoleon I as King of Italy. The bottom edge of the bowl is decorated with curved, scalloped "godrons" which were intended to reflect light through white wine to judge clarity. This tastevin does not have the "cupules" ("ovoides") specifically intended to deepen the color of red wines. The sides are decorated with grapevines and clusters of fruit. The handle is formed as a coiled serpent--as style particularly popular in Burgundy. The whole is raised on a circular ropetwist foot. Napoleonic coins are rarely seen in tastevins, and this piece probably dates to the Second Empire when Napoleonic items were viewed with some nostalgia. Fully hallmarked.

Origin: France, ca. 1850. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Size: 3" diameter excluding handle. Weight: 72.3 grams.

An unusually fine Baccarat pansy glass paperweight from the Dupont era. The blossom is nicely worked with deep purple upper petals and mustardy-yellow lowers. The flower is centered with a complex cane star rods encircling a red and white bull's-eye rod. The flower is accented with ten finely-veined leaves in an unusually bright green color and a well-formed bud. The concave base is finished with a 16-rayed star that visually extends all the way to the periphery when viewed through the dome. The glass has excellent color and clarity from the top; a slightly sugary appearance from the side. Altogether, this is the finest example of a Dupont Baccarat pansy we've seen--on par with a pansy from the Classic period. The dome is quite high and has a couple of moons that are only visible from the side. There is very little scratching on the dome surface (very much less visible than that crossing the purple petals in the photos).

Origin: France, ca. 1930. Condition: see description. Size: 3" diameter.

A rare peacock blue pressed glass Imperial Russian tea box, the lid enhanced with intaglio decoration of Moscow’s elegant Neoclassical Pashkov House. The edges of the hinged lid are pressed in a pattern of diamonds and fans, while the sides are decorated in arched pillars and diamonds. The bottom is impressed with the glassworks’ mark and the date 1911. The edges are mounted in white metal and the box retains its original key. Imperial Russian boxes with architectural scenes on the lids are quite rare.

Origin: Russia, ca. 1911. Condition: very good, minor roughnesses on upper edge, three 1/2” flakes on the underside of the bottom rim. Size: 5-3/4” x 3-1/2” x 3-3/16”.

A handsome chartreuse-cut-to-clear low bowl cut with a ring of printies near the lip and another ring of overlapping printies lower on the sides. Unsigned, but almost certainly Val St. Lambert.

Origin: Belgium, ca. 1920. Condition: no chips or cracks. Size: 9" diameter; 2-3/8" high.

An elegant Art Nouveau glass vase decorated with enameled poppies. The blossoms are worked in shades of cream, yellow, rose and violet, while the foliage is stained a reddish-purple and highlighted with complex lacy gilding. The upper rim is decorated with a band of stained and gilt flowers, as well. The vase is blown in pillar form with an optic paneled design. The workmanship is very fine. Unsigned, but definitely made by Mont Joye (also know as Verreries Saint-Denis and Legras).

Origin: France, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, no cracks, no enamel or gilding wear. Size: 9-1/4”.

A superb pair of bronze candlesticks from the Jockey Club de Paris. The candlesticks’ trefoil bases are decorated with riding equipment and tackle interspersed with the rosettes awarded to race winners. The edges of the bases are finished with borders that suggest horseshoes. Slender columns rise to a central element featuring three fully three-dimension horseheads capped by a spiraling ribbon engraved “Jockey Club”. Shields bearing coats of arms decorate the candle sockets.

Founded in 1833 ostensibly to promote horse racing, the club was in fact the most exclusive Anglos-French social club in France and among the most prestigious in the world. With the Emperor’s half-brother serving as president, the membership in the 19th century was strictly limited to 297 gentlemen and included the reigning kings of England, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Origin: France, ca. 1880. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Size: 8-3/4” tall.

A classic George III sterling silver wine coaster, the bombe sides with egg and dart decoration and the rim with gadrooning. The decoration is finely crafted. The turned wood base is centered with a silver escutcheon bearing an unidentified coat of arms (dancetty with three swords points down) impaling that of Ashby (ermine chevron and three leopard’s heads) tied with a ribbon. The coaster is clearly stamped with hallmarks for London and the second George III duty mark (1786-1821). The maker’s mark is rubbed, but consists of two pairs of initials, the lower pair being “CB”. The year mark is also illegible. Stylistically, the coaster most likely dates to slightly before or during the early part of the Regency Period (1811-1921). The bottom retains its original green baize fabric.

Origin: England, ca. 1810. Condition: excellent, no dings or cracking. Size: 6-1/4” diameter; 1-3/4” high.

A fine early 19th century silver tastevin in the 17th century Burgundian style, inset with a Louis XIV silver ecu coin. The coin is surrounded by a “couronne” of 27 perles from which extend elongated “godrons”. These elongated grooves, without any corresponding circular grooves typically meant the tastevin was intended for use only with white wines. The godrons are further enhanced with small bunches of grapes. The handle, in a stylized design of two entwined snakes, with the heads and beaks of ducks, is also typical of 17th century tastevins. The rim is engraved with the name of the original owner, Vincent Nuits. The tastevin was created by the Orfevre Parrod, an important Dijon silver maker founded in 1816, and is hallmarked appropriately.

After the final defeat of Napoleon, the Bourbon monarchy was restored to France, and reminders of the previous reigns appeared everywhere in French decorative arts. This coin, dating to 1652, depicts the boy king Louis XIV surrounded by the Latin inscription translated as “Louis XIV, by grace of God, king of France and Navarre”. The reverse is decorated with the royal crown over a shield of fleurs-de-lys. Though a 17th century tastevin would never have been made with a coin in the bottom, the combination of these two elements was a masterful stroke by Parrod and makes this tastevin a particularly desirable example.

Origin: Dijon, France, ca. 1840. Condition: ecellent, sharp detail. Size: 2-13/16” diameter (excluding handle); 3/4” tall. Weight: 72.7 grams.

A stunning footed cut glass compote in Hawkes’ “Delft Diamond” pattern. While the pattern is not especially ornate, the deep emerald green color of the blank is amazing. The knopped stem has an elongated airtrap bubble that’s difficult to see because the color of the glass is so rich. The plain round foot is acid-stamped with Hawkes’ trefoil signature, which would suggest a relatively early date.

Origin: America, ca. 1920. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks, normal frosting to bottom of base. Size: 8-1/8” diameter; 6-3/4” high.

A fine first-standard (950/1000 pure) silver tastevin, the bottom inset with a silver 5-franc coin from the reign of Louis Philippe. The coin has good detail, the front showing a bust of the king in profile, while the bottom shows a laurel wreath enclosing the words “5 Francs/1846”. The coin is surrounded by repousse decoration of angled godrons, small convex perles and larger concave cupules. The varying shapes were meant to reflect light through the wine to more accurately judge its color and clarity. The circular cupules and perles were used for red wines and the elongated godrons for white. The handle is in the form of two entwined snakes grasping an apple between their open jaws. The style of handle and the relatively steep sides of the bowl is typical of Burgundian tastevins. The tastevin is marked with the 1st standard “Minerve” hallmark and an illegible maker’s mark.

Origin: France, ca. 1850. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Size: 3-1/4” diameter (excluding handle); 1” high. Weight: 83.7 grams.