Auction Blog



Paul Manship Gilded Bronze ‘Flight of Europa’ Offered at Schwenke Annual Fall Fine Estates Auction


Posted September 21, 2015


Paul Manship - Flight of Europa Gilded Bronze


NE Queen Anne Wing Chair


Federal Inlaid Mahogany Tall Clock


Four Chinese Ming Bowls - Hatcher Collection


Chinese Large Carved Polychrome Quan Yin Figure


Chinese Export Porcelain Charger


Pair Antique Chinese Painted Yoke Back Arm Chairs


George Luks Gramercy Park 1932


Elaborately Framed Old Master Portrait


Balcomb Greene Oil on Canvas - Water And Sunlight


Silas Seandal Cast Stone Bronze Coffee Table

Also Asian Arts, American Furniture, Mid-Century Decorative Arts, Fine Art and Estate Oriental Rugs

Woodbury, CT – On Sunday October 4th, Schwenke Auctioneers will hold its anniversary fall fine estates auction with an offering of over 530 lots of freshly consigned estate property from estates throughout Connecticut and Westchester County, New York. The auction includes a broad selection of Asian decorative arts, Mid-Century Modern decorative arts, American, English and Continental decorative arts, folk art and American country furniture, English & other sterling silver, jewelry, fine art, miscellaneous decorative arts, and estate oriental rugs.

This anniversary sale is being held at 11:00 am in the firm’s auction hall at 710 Main Street South, Middle Quarter Plaza, in Woodbury. Preview times are Thursday, October 1st, 10am - 5pm, Friday, October 2nd, 10am - 5pm, Saturday, October 3rd, 10am - 5pm, Sunday, October 4th, 9am to sale time, and other times by appointment.

The lead item is the sale is a rare and important bronze sculpture by noted American sculptor Paul Manship. The sculpture, Flight of Europa, is a rare gilded example created by Manship in 1925. The captivating Art Deco group, depicting the Greek myth of Europa being abducted by Zeus in the form of a bull, is a well-known and iconic work, with copies held in a number of prominent public collections, including The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Indianapolis Museum of Art, and The Smithsonian. The example being offered by Schwenke Auctioneers was acquired directly from artist Manship by an ancestor of the present owner, and is being sold to benefit a charitable foundation. Conservatively estimated at $100,000-200,000, it represents an opportunity for a sophisticated collector or another American museum to acquire a sought after and dynamic work by this prominent 20th century American sculptor.

Several lots of American formal furniture are on offer in this anniversary sale, including a fine New England Queen Anne wing chair, circa 1740-1760, in early tapestry crewelwork upholstery; a rare Federal inlaid mahogany tall case clock, Philadelphia or Baltimore, circa 1795-1800; a Salem hepplewhite serpentine sideboard with bellflower inlays; two fine New York classical mahogany pier tables, circa 1820-25; a hepplewhite inlaid mahogany "D" shaped card table, probably Philadelphia, circa 1790-1800, 36" wide, 17 1/2" deep, 29 1/2" high; a fine Sheraton carved and inlaid mahogany sofa, having reeded detail throughout and inlaid panels, New England, early 19th century, 35 1/2" high, 75" wide, 25" deep; a fine Boston classical carved mahogany sofa, circa 1825, and a barn found Philadelphia classical mahogany center table, circa 1825-30, attributed to Anthony Quervelle. A number of fine Federal and Classical mirrors are scheduled to be sold, and there are five American tall case and mantle clocks slated to sell on October 4th.

A substantial number of Asian decorative arts items are also up for bid in this fall sale, most gleaned from a recent consignment which Tom Schwenke called a “treasure trove” of Asian items collected over more than sixty years. The auction staff spent Labor Day weekend cataloging the items, numbering over two-hundred lots, comprising Chinese hand painted scrolls, Chinese and Japanese cloisonné and champlevé urns and vases, Satsuma porcelains, Chinese export and domestic porcelains, Asian bronzes, Chinese wood carvings, Japanese woodblock prints, several Asian folding and hanging screens, and Asian furniture and architectural elements. Among the fine cloisonné and champlevé items is an early 19th century large size Japanese champlevé lidded censer urn, 27” high and 18” wide, featuring a bronze Shishi mounted and pierced lid and fine early patina. Also, a group of four Chinese Ming bowls, 1 1/4" high, 3 7/8" diameter, are expected to draw significant interest, carrying provenance from the Hatcher Collection, Christies Auction, Amsterdam 1984. Two pair of Chinese carved hardwood arm chairs are offered on behalf of a Connecticut estate, as well as a Chinese mineral tree set in a fine Chinese cloisonné urn base and a Chinese carved and polychromed wooden Quan Yin figure, 49 1/2" high, 18" wide.

American and European fine arts abound in the sale. Among the more noteworthy lots are an oil on canvas by George Luks, View of Gramercy Park (1932); an elaborately framed Old Master portrait of a maiden; a William Ruthven Wheeler (Am. 1932-1894), "New England Seascape", oil on canvas, signed, dated lower left; Serge Ferat (Russian, 1881-1958) "La Famille Numero 2" gouache on paper, signed in pencil lower right; Jules Benoit-Levy (French, 1866-1952), "Cardinal and Parrot" oil on canvas signed lower left; N.B. Smith (20th century), "Beach Scene with Children" acrylic on board, signed, dated lower right "N B Smith '87"; Ettienne-Prosper Berne-Bellecourt (French, 1838-1910), "Soldier", oil on panel signed lower left; Lowell Blair Nesbitt (Am. 1933-1993), "Lily", signed and titled verso, oil on canvas dated 1964. Provenance: Galerie Jollenbeck, Cologne, Sothebys NY, 9/27/10, Lot 283, Private CT Collection. Exhibited: Andrew Crispo Gallery, NY "Lowell Nesbitt Flowers 1964-1979" Sight size: 77" high, 77" wide; Charles Gruppe (American, b. 1928), "New England Boats, Harbor Scene" oil on masonite, signed lower right; Water Koeniger (American/German, 1881-1943), "Winter Landscape" oil on canvas, signed lower right; Michele Cascella (Italian, 1927-1989) "Little Blossoming Tree", oil on canvas, signed lower right, label verso Galerie Juarez, Ital. Ref. No. 70-79/219 in the Archivo Generale del O'pera di Michele Cascella, compiled by Galleria Torcular, Milan. Sight size: 21 1/4" high, 10 1/4" wide; Keith Miller (Canadian, 20th century), "The Tug Boat Brian McAllister off Liberty Island with Statue of Liberty in Background", watercolor on paper, signed, dated lower right "K. K. Miller '83", with a portrait of the tug verso; Coll Josep Bardolet, Spanish, 1912-2007, "Grupo Mallorquin," oil on panel signed lower right "Coll Bardolet", titled, numbered, signed verso; possibly Josef Israels (Dutch, 1824-1911) "Testing the Water with Father", signed lower right, watercolor on paper, private Connecticut collection; Balcomb (John Wesley) Greene (Am. 1904-1990) oil on canvas of boats at harbor, titled verso "Water & Sunlight". Sight size: 44" high, 54" wide; possibly Edward Redfield (American, 1869-1965), European river landscape scene, with fortifications beyond, oil on canvas, signed lower right; and Nicola Simbari (Italian, 1927-2012), oil on canvas, "Boy with Wine Jug", 1964, signed and dated lower right. Sight size: 23 3/4" high, 13 1/2" wide.

Mid-century modern and contemporary items will also be offered. Notable lots include a modernist chrome Barcelona chair upholstered in blue wool, 27 3/4" high, 26 1/2" wide, 22 1/2" deep; a modernist chrome and black glass dining table marked Calligaris, 29 1/2" high, 33 1/2" wide, 51 1/4" deep; an original Saarinen design glass and chrome tulip table and four lucite chairs by Chromcraft, circa 1960's, chairs with Chromcraft labels on underside; a set of four Calligaris modernist chrome upholstered dining chairs, 32 1/2" high, 17 1/2" wide, 15 1/2" deep; a mid-century upholstered easy chair, possibly Jens Risom, with rounded back and low arm profile, Swedish, 1960's, 34" high, 33" wide, 32" deep; a set of classic eight Edward Wormley for Dunbar bracket back upholstered walnut dining chairs, in perhaps original upholstery; a Fiam molded glass occasional table; an Edward Wormley for Dunbar modern walnut dining table with two leaves, top with banding, sides with recessed apron on shaped straight legs; 30" high, 44 1/2" wide, 67" long; a pair of mid-century flared back upholstered easy chairs, with turned and canted walnut legs, probably Finn Juhl or Jens Risom, 1960's; an Edward Wormley for Dunbar easy chair and matching ottoman, in possible original fabric and finish; a rare pair of Finn Juhl designer sofas, settee form with turned and canted wooden legs, designed in the 1950’s by Finn Juhl for France & Daverkosen of Denmark; an unusual custom mid-century musical themed “bar” cabinet; and a Silas Seandel large cast stone and bronze coffee table, mounted on a square bronze clad pedestal, signed and dated "1982", 15 1/2" high, 25 3/4" wide, 17" deep.

Many lots of fine English and European furniture and related decorative arts will be hammered, most notably a Louis XV/XVI style mahogany and ormolu vitrine cabinet; a pair of French Provincial carved bergere chairs having shell carved crest rails, acanthus carved hand grips on cabriole legs, backs upholstered in floral tapestry panels, 38 1/2" high, 27" wide, 21" deep; a Georgian Revival mahogany and parcel ebonized map chest with two banks of fall front drawers concealing trays, 43" high, 32" wide, 18" deep; a Continental mixed woods inlaid secretaire a abattant, single drawer over drop front with bird and quiver inlay, two cupboard doors below on tapered legs, 57" high, 37 1/2" wide, 17" deep; a Louis XV style marquetry inlaid two drawer chest with marble top, 33 1/2" high, 36 1/2" wide, 18 1/4" deep; a French provincial walnut armoire, 58" wide, 25" deep, 79" high; a rare pair of Regency carved mahogany fire screens, with movable central panel, raised on carved and molded scrolled legs, 19th century, 36" high, 26" wide; a Regency inlaid mahogany and brass mounted breakfront side cabinet, in the Egyptian revival taste, with mirrored doors flanked by open shelved compartments, 19th century with alterations, 36 1/2" high, 95" wide, 15" deep; a French trestle base refectory style dining table 29" high, 35 1/2" wide, 9' 3" long; a companion Set of ten French baroque style needlepoint upholstered dining chairs, 43" high, 20 1/2" wide, 18" deep; and an English regency period drop leaf mahogany sofa table with rosewood crossbanded detail on top and a sabre legged base with casters.

Silver is also offered in some quantity, including traditional sterling silver as well as Mexican artist made items, including a Native American silver and turquoise ladies concho belt stamped "R. Peter Navajo"; a silver cactus form four strand necklace, unmarked, each strand 1/2" wide, 17 1/4" long; a Mexican sterling silver necklace and bracelet, both marked "ARY Sterling"; a Mexican 950 silver and malachite necklace marked TM 153 and a sterling stone pendant marked DK; two Tiffany & Co sterling silver bracelets including an 18K and sterling rope bracelet. 3/8" wide, 7 1/8" long to 3/8" wide, 7 1/2" long; a Mexican sterling silver tray by Juventino Lopez Reyes, 3 1/2" high, 12 1/4" wide; a Danny Martinez Native American sterling silver and turquoise concho belt, buckle stamped "DM Sterling"; an unusual pair of Spanish Colonial silver plaques, framed; and a Jacobi & Jenkins (Baltimore c. 1900) silver repousse rectangular dish 12" long, 9" wide, 2" deep.

Over two dozen estate oriental carpets will cross the block, including Persian, Caucasian, Indian and Turkoman room and scatter sized rugs, together with other regional Asian rugs of varying sizes. Select among the estate carpets is a fine Caucasian gallery rug, 12' 1" long, 3' 11" wide; an early Turkoman rug, 3'7" by 5'7"; and a Persian Kashan prayer rug, 6' 5" long by 4' 1" wide.

The catalog for the sale is viewable at www.woodburyauction.com. Internet, absentee and phone bidding are available for this live gallery auction by registering directly with Schwenke Auctioneers. The sale will be broadcast live through Live Auctioneers and Invaluable. For additional information please call the auction hall office at 203-266-0323



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