Catalog (67)

From our European Collection, an absolutely marvelous Victorian sterling silver two-handled oval serving platter by Mappin & Webb, London, 1897, fully marked, with superb chasing and casting featuring floral scrolls and phoenix, open-work gallery lions, basins and ancient mask heads, and with curled serpents for handles. An extraordinary tour de force in silver workmanship, definitely one of the finest trays of its type we have encountered in awhile.

Size and Condition: 30 inches wide a...

From our European Collection, a beautiful, large, and imposing Renaissance Revival gilt pier mirror, third quarter 19th century circa 1875-1895, ex-Bonhams. From the collection of the famed Harry Denton, San Francisco California.

Size and Condition: Height including support base 92 inches; width 52 inches. Superb condition, probably re-gilt. Currently on corporate loan to a private restaurant enterprise in San Antonio, Texas: Please inquire for availability.

From our European Collection, a stunning Napoleon III gilt bronze mounted boulle marquetry and ebonized "bureau en pente," or slope top writing desk, dating to the third quarter of the 19th century circa 1865-1885. This fantastic and nearly pristine example of boulle work features a rectangular top surmounted by a pierced brass gallery, set above a boulle inlaid slant front desk cover that opens to several drawers and pigeon holes above a larger scalloped drawer. This desk is raised upon gilt b...

From our European Collection, a very fine English oak refectory table, late 18th / early 19th century, hand-tooled from solid plank timbers and iron nails, using rustic style hand-carving for design motifs, and with crossbar support on the bottom. This piece has great natural patina to the wood that gives it wonderful character in addition to the charm of its obvious Olde Worlde masculine feel. An excellent example of this style of table making. Can be used as a dining table, work desk, display...

From our European Collection, a superb Empire style side-cabinet or "meuble-a-hauteur d'appui," 3rd quarter 19th century circa 1850-1875, constructed of richly finished mahogany surmounted by a white-veined, dark green marble top, and with a key-locked central door (with original key) which opens to interior shelving, all decorated with exquisite ormolu bronze / dore bronze castings which are an absolute tour de force in metalwork. Utterly spectacular, the metalwork itself is a masterpiece in i...

From our European Collection, a charming Rococo sofa, early 20th century circa 1900-1920, probably French, executed with lovely curvilinear lines true to the style, with hand-carved shell-shaped and floral motifs executed into the wood frame, and finished with an elegant but understated two-tone gold on gold damask fabric. The fabric is not original, but is quite likely a re-upholstery job from the 1950's or so, and has survived wonderfully since then. The sofa is structurally sound and fully f...

From our European Collection, a very fine and elegant Vernis Martin style corner display cabinet, late 19th/early 20th century, probably French. This piece features a three-quarter gallery with a red velvet lined interior (original interior), and inset on the top with a lovely piece of reddish brown marble (also original), nicely veined with whitish / cream colored striations. There is a top frieze applied with fine metalwork consisting of gilt-bronze / dore bronze tassels and foliate scrolls, ...

From our European Collection, a masterpiece by German genre realism painter Carl Johann Spielter (1851-1922), entitled "Sad News," painted in 1901. More information to follow: Size: Framed Size 60 inches wide x 48 inches tall.

From our European Collection, a very fine Napoleon III gilt bronze mounted lacquer side cabinet, late 19th century. Elegantly constructed with black lacquered wood, gilded bronze adornments along the top, side, and bottom friezes, and a wonderful central bronze plaque of frolicking cherubs, all surmounted by a veined off-white marble top that appears to be original. Comes with original functioning key.

Size and Condition" 41 inches in height, 34 inches in depth; 16inches in depth. Overa...

From our European Collection, a truly superb Victorian era marquetry inlaid credenza, late 19th century circa 1865-1890. This amazing example is a masterpiece of old world craftsmanship, intricately inlaid using at least 4 different types of wood, which we believe are most likely ebony, amboyna, tulipwood and fruitwood. The credenza features inlay to the side, top, and bottom friezes, as well as to the central door panel, all raised on a shaped plinth base, flanked by glass doors on either side,...

From our European Collection, a very large late 17th century / early 18th century oil on canvas painting believed to be titled "A Warning to the Wicked Ezekiel." This piece is obviously in relic condition with several notable tears, punctures, and heavy soiling both front and back. Please note that this piece is still currently under study and not fully researched, so we must refrain from posting pricing information at this time. As this piece is potentially significant, we have already put ou...

From our European Collection, a wonderful signed and dated (1860) oil on canvas entitled "The Offering" by British genre painting master John Bagnold Burgess (1830-1897). Burgess was a well -accomplished painter of the mid-late 19th century, regarded as highly in his own time, as he is nowadays. He was nominated to membership of the Royal Academy in 1889, where he had over 70 paintings displayed from about 1850 all the way through to his death in 1897. His works have been displayed at over 40 m...

From our European Collection, a beautiful mid-late 19th Century pastel under glass rendering of a young woman with a pensive gaze, flower in her hair, and time piece in hand, framed in a wonderful gilt-carved and gesso Period frame of the era, with very ornate ribboning at the top. Artist unknown and unsigned, but Continental School 19th century for certain.

Size and Condition: Framed dimensions are 38 inches tall by 31 inches wide, unframed image size is 26 inches tall by 22 inches wid...

From our European Collection, a very fine and elegant Victorian era marquetry inlaid credenza, late 19th century circa 1865-1890. This beautiful piece is dark walnut inlaid in stylized foliate strapwork design, using a softer and lighter colored wood for the inlay material that is most likely either tulipwood or fruitwood. The piece is adorned with wonderful gilt bronze castings on the columns and base area that are essentially artwork unto themselves. There is one central panel door (with orig...

From our European Collection, a lovely and substantially-sized 19th century nautical oil painting of ships in a European port, signed and dated S. Brade 1871. This painting is in excellent condition with only the typical fine craquelure expected in paintings of its age. UV light inspection suggests possible small random areas of touch-up to the sky, but otherwise this piece has survived well in fine original, essentially unrestored condition.

Provenance: De-accessioned from a Boston a...

From our European Collection, a very fine carved marble bust by Giovanni Maria Benzoni, signed and dated 1868. Benzoni (1809-1873) was a world renown Italian neo-classical sculptor. During his time, his works were commissioned by royalty such as The Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia, and interestingly, he enjoyed special patronage and appreciation in Ireland, where he executed several statues of The Virgin for Catholic churches there, and was one of the sculptors engaged to execute the bas-reliefs ...

From our European Collection, a very fine and large Victorian silver tea tray by W.W. Harrison (Sheffield) 1883. The tray is of oval shape with beaded borders and handles of acanthus leaf motifs. The interior field of the tray is very finely engraved and chased with a Greek key border framing a central design of floral swirls, with those floral swirls further encircling a central armorial crest for London's old Shaw family, with a motto in Latin that translates as "Know Thyself." (a very pithy...

From our European Collection, a fine late 19th-early 20th century carved marble bust of Madame Recamier, modeled after the original by Joseph Chinard circa 1801-02, which was previously on display at the Getty Center Los Angeles, where the museum description read as follows:

"Coyly looking down, Madame Recamier holds a veil across her chest. The sheath both demurely conceals and reveals her breasts. Sculptor Joseph Chinard cleverly compensated for the artificiality of the bust form by el...