The Hopkins Family Block-and-Shell Carved Mahogany Kneehole Bureau,
probably Providence, Rhode Island, c. 1790.
THE WILLIAM DANA LIPPMAN COLLECTION SPLENDOR OF AMERICAN FURNITURE BONHAMS SKINNER
14 November 2023, 10:00 EST
Skinner Marlborough, Massachusetts
Sold for US$108,450 inc. premium
Extraordinary Chippendale Cherry Carved Chest on Chest,
attributed to Benjamin Burnham (c. 1729-73), Colchester, Connecticut, c. 1770.
THE WILLIAM DANA LIPPMAN COLLECTION SPLENDOR OF AMERICAN FURNITURE BONHAMS SKINNER
14 November 2023, 10:00 EST
Skinner Marlborough, Massachusetts
US$300,000 - US$500,000, Bonhams
Sold for US$381,500
An important Dutch diamond-point engraved calligraphic green glass roemer by Willem Jacobszoon van Heemskerk, second half of the 17th century
November 8, 02:38 PM SAST
Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 GBP
Lot Sold
215,900 GBP Sotheby's
Dealers focus: Dalva Brothers was founded in 1933 by Leon Dalva Sr. and his brothers. He and his wife Jean ran the gallery until they were joined by their sons David II and Leon Jr. The founder’s grandsons, David III, and most recently Adam are the third generation of Dalvas to work here. We have recently moved to a six story historic townhouse at 53 East 77th Street after over 60 years on East 57th Street.
Dalva Brothers has one of the finest and largest inventories of 18th century continental decorative arts in the world, including furniture, porcelain, clocks, and sculpture, displayed in period paneled rooms. We have sold pieces to interior decorators, collectors, dealers, and museums, including the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Louvre. Our collection ranges from masterpieces with royal provenance to beautiful but more accessible pieces that reflect the amazing craftsmanship and design skills of eighteenth century Europe.
Dealer focus: Bluett & Sons were founded by Alfred Ernest Bluett (d.1917) in c.1884. In 1907 Leonard Buckland Bluett (d.1963) joined the firm, and he was joined by his brother Edgar Ernest Bluett (d.1964) by 1910. Bluett's were world famous and leading specialist in the sale of Chinese works of art over the course of the 20th century, selling objects to many major collectors and museums.
In 1978 Dominic Jellinek joined the firm - Dominic also kindly supplied information from his researches into Bluett & Sons. See Dominic Jellinek, 'The Bluett Archive: a curious acquisition', Transactions of the Oriental Ceramics Society Volume 77, 2012-13, pp1-12.
Edgar Bluett was one of the founding members of the BADA in 1918.
The beginning : Gilt bronze and crystal
Marie Jeanne Rosalie Désarnaud (1775 -1842) opens around 1808 her shop in the galleries of the Palais-Royal gardens with her brother Philippe Auguste Charpentier (1781-1815), famous gemstones and crystal engraver. Quickly the business obtains prestige and reputation. In 1812, they specialize the production by associating the cut crystal with the gilt bronze for the fabrication of decorative arts and furniture like the famous dressing table of the Duchess du Berry (Orsay Museum). The folowing year, they continue to develop the production by adding the selling of cristals, porcelaine and alabaster objects. It’s the same year that a surprising stair with crystal balusters is set in the shop, and becomes its emblem.
Owner of the store after her brother’s death, in 1815, the Désarnaud widow continues to make her shop thrive. She’s aiming royal customers and obtains the patent of “Cristals supplier of the King”. She participates during the Louvre exhibition in 1819 and is rewarded with a gold medal for the crystals adorned with bronze. It’s during this exhibition that she exhibits the crystal and gilt bronze dressing table with its crystal chair.
As she became a very rich woman, Marie Désarnaud sold her business in 1829 to Jacques Boin, crystal carver and engraver. 1829-1840
The Boin-Lahoche association and the tableware development
In the beginning of the 1830’s, Boin keeps the prestige attached to the Désarnaud widow’s shop as the Royal customers keep coming. Nevertheless, the new name reduced the mention « à l’Escalier de Cristal » to « Boin tailleur et graveur sur cristaux » (Boin carver and engraver on crystals).
Perhaps because of some commercial difficulties, Boin associates in 1840 with another storekeeper, Pierre-Isidore Lahoche, who strongly contributes to the return of the store’s prestige. This new association coincide with the development of the Russian service in France. Needing new pieces for the service, it’s a real chance for the two sellers. Thus, they participate in 1844 in the Exposition des produits de l’industrie, and are noticed by journalists who are giving their approval for the new store production.
The Pannier family
In 1852, Pierre Isidore Lahoche decides to associate with Emile Pannier, son of a ceramicist and married to his daughter, Célina Lahoche.
The 1850’s are also the beginning of the first International Exhibitions to which the store assidiously participates, causing the increase of its reputation in France but also overseas. Wanting to conquer more and more international customers, Lahoche and Pannier do not hesitate to cross the Alantic ocean and show their articles in New York where they were rewarded with a silver medal in 1853. They also are rewarded with another silver medal during the International Exhibition of Paris in 1855 and an order from Napoleon III. He buys them a ruby crystal cut with a gilt bronze cone.
Their success is due to their capacity to follow the trends and the taste of their time. Moreover, caring to touch always more and more customers, Lahoche and Pannier also produce objects more affordable, especially thanks to new proceeds such as the electroplating. Thus, the store allowed more modest customers to buy objects of “good taste” while imagining belonging to a higher social category.
The London International Exhibition of 1862, where their production wins a bronze medal, is the last one to which the partners participate together. In 1863, Lahoche retired from the business. Émile Pannier, thus only manager, keeps the double name a few years to keep the good reputation associated to Lahoche name. Émile Pannier and the Second Empire changes
The 1867 International Exhibition in Paris is a very important event for Emile Pannier, as it’s his first participation alone. For the occasion, though he still keeps the name of his previous partner, he exhanges the place of the names, his own being read before Lahoche.
L’Escalier de cristal obtains a new bronze medal and many praises. Thus, we can read on the exhibition catalogue « Each exhibition is an occasion to triumph for l’Escalier de cristal ; its reputation seems no to get bigger, and it could take this proud old gentry houses motto : I will maintain. But in the industry, maintaining is progressing. Mr. Pannier-Lahoche, its young and smart director, knows it and prove it. The window displays that were given to him in the palais de l’Industrie are too small to contain all the masterpieces coming out his workshops.
He organizes in his stores in the Palais-Royal a permanent exhibition that allows to judge better the ressources and the importance of his house. It’s there that are set up in all their brigthness, the complete porcelaine tableware and the decorated crystals with gilt bronze mounted and old silver surtouts of which the house has made its speciality[…] ».
The important quality of its production brings to the store a more extended royal clientele. Such as the Tsar, the Austria Emperor, the Spain, Portugal, Prussia, Holland Kings, the Wurtemberg dukes and the Orange and Wales Princes.
The move of the store
After existing almost 70 years and the succession of four different owners, the store l’Escalier de Cristal is moved in the new district of the baron Haussmann, in front of the opera still being built, in the 6 rue Scribe and 1 rue Auber in 1872. Aware of the importance of the famous crystal stairs, true emblem of the store, it is also moved in the new location. Nevertheless, the engravings published in the newspapers show that it now only has one side instead of two. The new store, vaster than the previous one on the Palais-Royal galleries, allows a more extended production and an exhibition more structured looking like a private house, thus, winning the fidelity of the clients.
The Pannier brothers, last owners
Émile Pannier gives the store in 1885 to his two sons Georges (1853-1944) and Henry (1855-1935) who he trained. Trends creators, they succeed to maintain, in the decoration field, a high quality tradition, by adapating the production to the taste of the period. Very creative, it’s to Henry that we owe many creation models and a bigger success of the production in the actual market.
Following the store tradition since its beginnings and not possessing real workshops in the company, the Pannier brothers ask the best artists to realize the merchandise. Henry’s notebooks are a true source of informations. We find in it the partners and clients names and very precise draws of the works of art, allowing attributions when the signature is absent. Nevertheless, there are only the objects created for the store and not the ones that have been droped for sell. The only exception is for the ones imagined by Emile Gallé who put his signature next to the store one.
The Japonisme
After the Japan participation to the 1867 International Exhibition and the discovery of its art so different from the traditionnal European criteria, a true enthusiasm appears. The European artistic production follows this trend and many artists and furniture makers specialize themselves in Japan inspired creations, like Lièvre, Viardot or event Rousseau for the glass. The Pannier brothers find in this new trend the occasion to diversify their production. Henry uses especially the Japanese stamps of which he takes the motif to be inspired or to simply use them to serve as decoration on ceramic or glass pieces.
The furniture production
The marriage of Georges with Julie Damon, heir of the famous furniture house Damon-Kriege was advantageous to the idea of the furniture creation.
From 1891, l’Escalier de Cristal appears in the Didot-Bottin for the first time in the “fabrication and selling of furniture” section.
The Henry Pannier’s notebooks permit to have better and almost complete knowledge of the production. We notice that a large part regards the 18th century inspired furniture, still trending in the late 19th century.
Nevertheless, we also see creation furniture inspired by the Japan trend. It seems important to underline the importance of Edouard Lièvre’s influence, of who some draws and models, sold during his after death sell in 1890, were bought by the Pannier brothers. True source of inspiration for some Henry’s creations, it’s a particular model which was the main inspiration for the series of six Japanese cabinets. Four of them have been today found, one in the Hermitage Museum in Saint-Petersburg bought by a Russian client, the grand Duke Wladimir, three others sold recently in auctions.
We also read in the notebooks the participation of important late 19th century furniture making names such as Gabriel Viardot or even Louis Majorelle, other proof of the importance of the store on the artistic scene of this period.
Closing of the store
L’Escalier de Cristal was closed because of the events that come to disrupt the early 20th century and the sudden death of the main heir.
Indeed, the two brothers have judged that Jean Pannier, Henry’s son was not able to take the direction because of his lack of competences and taste for the arts. On the contrary, Robert, Georges’ son was all destined thanks to the commercial formation he received and his artistic competences. Unfortunatly, he dies in 1907, while he was only 22 years old.
Moreover, even though until now Henry and Georges follow the trends to respond to their clients tastes, we notice that the production lines are not evolving toward the Art Nouveau style and even less the Art Deco style around the 1920’s. Indeed, the decoration which tends to purify is not corresponding to the Pannier brothers spirit.
Finally, the World War I and the Russian revolution of 1917 come to challenge the luxury trade and especially the rich clientele of the store composed in its major part by the Russian gentry.
A George III gilt-lacquered brass mounted mahogany, stained sycamore, tulipwood-banded and inlaid commode, circa 1765-70, attributed to John Cobb
Restricted Species
UK: Greenford Park Warehouse
Estimate
150,000 - 250,000 GBP, Sotheby’s
Sold for 577,850 GBP
FROM THE ROTHSCHILD COLLECTIONS
ANTWERP CABINET OF THE BAROQUE PERIOD
ATTRIBUTED TO HENDRIK VAN SOEST, ANTWERP, CIRCA 1710
Estimate
EUR 200,000 – EUR 400,000, Christie’s
Sold for EUR138,600
Collection of General Baron Haro van Hemert tot Dingshof (1879-1972)
A LONGQUAN CELADON 'PEONY' RIBBED CHARGER
CHINA, MING DYNASTY, 14TH-15TH CENTURY
Important information about this lot:
Diameter: 42 cm. (161⁄2 in.)
Estimate
EUR 3,000 - EUR 4,000, Christie’s
Sold for EUR3,780
Karabagh Silk Embroidery, South Caucasus, 18th Century
1 ft. 10 in. x 1 ft. 9 in.; backed
Estimate: $10,000 - $20,000
Sold for $22,500 Kaffel collection, Grogan and Company
Edmonia Lewis
1844 - 1907
Hiawatha's Marriage
signed Edmonia. Lewis and dated Roma 1870 (along the base); titled Hiawatha's Marriage. (along the base)
marble
height: 27 ¼ in. (69.2 cm.)
Conceived in 1866; this example executed in 1870. Got $1,633,000 at Sotheby’s
When Edmond Walter Rundell, nephew of Philip Rundell, was admitted as a partner in 1804, the firm's name changed to Rundell, Bridge & Rundell.That same year John Gawler Bridge, nephew of John Bridge also joined the firm. Following John Bridge's death in 1834 a new partnership was formed comprising John Gawler Bridge, Thomas Bigge, John Bridge's nephews and Bigge's son, and the firm changed its name to Rundell, Bridge & Co.
The firm was appointed as one of the goldsmiths and jewellers to the king in 1797 and Principal Royal Goldsmiths & Jewellers in 1804, and the firm held the Royal Warrant until 1843.
Amongst its employees were the well-known artists John Flaxman and Thomas Stothard, who both designed and modelled silverware. Directing their workshops from 1802 were the silversmith Benjamin Smith and the designer Digby Scott; and in 1807, Paul Storr, the most celebrated English silversmith of the period, took charge, withdrawing from the firm in 1819 to establish his own workshops.
The Royal Goldsmiths served four monarchs: George III, George IV, William IV and Victoria. In addition, their name was attributed to the 'Rundell tiara', made for Princess Alexandra in 1863.
From Versailles: A Louis XVI amaranth and bois satiné commode by Jean-Henri Riesener, circa 1779
UK: Greenford Park Warehouse
Lot closes
April 11, 05:05 PM SAST
Estimate
80,000 - 120,000 GBP
Sold for GBP88,900
Sotheby’s
A Flemish tortoiseshell and ivory inlaid rosewood and ebony table cabinet, late 17th century
No reserve
UK: Greenford Park Warehouse
Restricted Species
Reserves
Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 GBP
Sold for GBP6,985 - Sotheby’s
North Italian Walnut & Fruitwood Marquetry Commode in the manner of Giovannie Maffezzoli, Lombardy, circa 1800
Price realised
GBP 30,000 at Christie’s 2010
Cited :Francis Picabia Biography
Born in 1879 in Paris to parents from prominent European families, Francis Picabia received a private income that allowed him a degree of freedom that was unusual for artists of his time. Picabia studied at the prestigious École des Arts Decoratifs, and while there he met and befriended fellow artists Georges Braque and Marie Lautencin.
Picabia would experiment with a multitude of styles. At the start of his career, he painted in an Impressionist style, but was soon influenced by the numerous, radical artistic movements happening both within Paris and abroad. He particularly empathized with the shift towards non-objective art, and said at one point that “paintings should not represent nature, but the emotional experience of the artist.” By 1909 he was painting as a Fauvist and Cubist, and in 1913 he travelled to New York City to exhibit at the Armory Show, where he exhibited several Cubist works that were well reviewed. He would return to the US in 1915–16, at which time he immersed himself in burgeoning Dada movement. Working alongside Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray, he aided the early development of Dada, which he would later help solidify as a full movement in Paris around 1919. Always the experimenter, he became bored with Dada by 1921, denouncing it for no longer being “new,” and he became involved with André Breton and engaged with the Surrealist art circles in Paris (although his relationship with them would be short-lived as well, again faulting it for losing its newness).
Picabia’s late career works are generally abstract, and his popularity fell into decline in the years before his death in 1953. A retrospective held in 1975 at the Grand Palais in Paris in 1975, however, reinvigorated interest in his work, and today he is considered a seminal figure of post-modernism. Modern art museums have readily acquired his work, such as the Museum of Modern Art, New York (which held a full-career survey of his work in 2016); the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; and the Art Institute of Chicago, among many others.
Mission furniture is a style of furniture that originated in the late 19th century. It traces its origins to a chair made by A.J. Forbes around 1894 for San Francisco's Swedenborgian Church. The term mission furniture was first popularized by Joseph P. McHugh of New York, a furniture manufacturer and retailer who copied these chairs and offered a line of stylistically related furnishings by 1898. The word mission references the Spanish missions throughout colonial California, though the design of most Mission Style furniture owed little to the original furnishings of these missions. The style became increasingly popular following the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo. The style was popularly associated with the American Arts and Crafts movement. The Mission or Arts and Crafts Movement was a backlash against the extravagant, over-the-top designs of the Victorian era and also against the mass-produced furniture emerging after the industrial revolution. Many designers and companies played an important role in the development of the design over the years. Gustav Stickley, L. & J.G. Stickley, Stickley Brothers, Charles Limbert, Grand Rapids Bookcase and Chair Company (Lifetime), The Shop of the Crafters and Ford Johnson.
Furnishing and decorating your space with a curated collection of antique or secondhand items has major benefits: You can skip the long wait for big-box pieces delayed by the supply chain, create a truly unique space that expresses your personality, and trim your environmental impact by reusing items instead of buying new.
But making your first forays into the world of antiques and collectibles can feel more than a little overwhelming, with multiple options for where to shop—an antique shop, thrift store, or online?—and thousands of types of items on display, from 1970s salad server sets to Victorian-era furniture.
"Most people are looking for something practical, useful, but also beautiful," says Sean Scherer of Kabinett and Kammer in Franklin, N.Y. Sometimes, you'll pay less than you would for new items at a high-end store—sometimes you might pay more—but you'll always be choosing something that's more sustainable, more durable, and often more attractive. "You're getting something authentic, and something you can't get from a new object—the beauty of wear."
But every collector, whether a beginner or a near-pro, should work around one simple question: What do you love? "Before you even head out to the flea market, you have to ask, 'What brings me joy, what do I like, and what do I want around me in my space?'" says Bena Raia, an auctioneer and appraiser based outside of Boston. Once you can answer that, the rest of the pieces—where to shop, what to look for, and how much to pay—will fall into place. "You should really buy things you love," says Scherer. "If you love it, you'll find a place for it."
1. Begin Browsing
Whether you have a general interest in the concept of antiquing or a passion for one specific type of item, scouting thrift stores, antique malls, field shows, and social media can help you define your aesthetic and vision—and your shopping list. "What I always tell people is to really just start looking everywhere and anywhere," says Scherer. "If you're just starting, the best way to educate yourself is by just looking in as many places as possible."
2. Be Specific
It's easy to get overwhelmed by the quantity and variety of secondhand goods available, whether you're at your town's weekend flea market or a major antiques show. Raia recommends getting "very, very specific" when you're just starting out: If you love vintage Pyrex, for example, hone in on a certain color and type of product to begin your collection, like pink bowls or red casserole dishes. "The more specific you get, the better your start," she says. "You now have something so specific, that you know it when you see it. You will be like a hunter."
3. Or Embrace Variety
Another technique that helps newbies ease into collecting, says Scherer, is to choose a broad category and begin watching for a variety of items that fit inside it. Choose a color, texture, or material (like ceramic or glass) and build your collection around disparate pieces with that quality in common.
"You can have a 19th-century red lacquer box next to a 1960s mid-century red ceramic vase, next to something else that's red, and that way you can really mix the eras," he says. "That's an easy way to have objects fit together more easily, when they have something that links them together."
4. Start Small—Literally
You may envision a home full of antique furniture, but replacing all your current pieces at once requires a serious investment of money and time (plus, extra square footage where you can store the pieces you're waiting to donate or sell). Instead, plan to focus on one piece at a time—a side table to go next to your bed, a bench for your entryway, or a reading nook-friendly armchair. "When you're just starting out, you're looking for things in your home that you can really use," says Scherer.
If transporting, shipping, and reorganizing to accommodate new furniture feels overwhelming, look for smaller items that speak to you that you can use to personalize your décor: Think vintage postcards from your favorite beach town, beautifully worn-in antique cutting boards, tiny cut-glass candy dishes, beaded handbags, or concert t-shirts. "Even if you have only have $2, there's something you can collect," says Raia.
5. Prepare to Overpay at First
Many amateurs dream of stumbling across a priceless find—a 400-year-old bowl at the thrift store or a missing Rembrandt at the antiques mall—but don't get your hopes up. "That would be a one-in-a-million kind of happy occurrence," says Scherer. Especially as a beginner, you're far more likely to overpay. "This happens to all of us, myself included. The first time I see something, I've often paid too much for it," says Scherer.
When you regularly visit multiple venues, from thrift store to the antiques mall to Etsy to your favorite antique-focused Instagram feeds, you get a better sense of price points. "It's not as complicated as you might think, but you do have to take the time to look," says Scherer. Sellers also may not have priced an item correctly, says Raia, so it's critical to trust your own gut instinct. "You have to know what you're looking at and trust your judgement," she says. "Don't believe everything you're told."
6. Maximize Your Funds
Once you understand the general price range of the items you're collecting, set a budget—and stick to it, says Raia. "The best advice I got was, 'Buy the best your budget allows,'" she shares. When she started collecting jadeite, that meant she sometimes purchased pieces with chips or small flaws. "They were inexpensive, but as I learned more, I would only buy the perfect ones," she says (and selling the cheaper ones helped her fund the upgrades to her collection).
Sometimes, you'll find an item that's so valuable to you, you're willing to pay a price you know is too steep. "I always try to get a deal, but sometimes you don't get a deal," she says, mentioning a doll she added to her extensive collection without knocking down the cost. "You will at some point pay too much for something. But you always regret what you don't buy."
7. Enjoy the Process
Building a collection can take months—or years—of research and shopping; it's possible that you may never feel like it's finished. But that's part of the beauty of antiques, says Scherer. "It should be a really fun process," he says. "The joy of finding that item or discovering something you never knew existed that you're drawn to, that you love—that's the appeal of buying vintage versus brand new. A lot of times you won't see it again, and that's something to remember and enjoy."
Raia agrees: "There's this feeling when you're a new collector—passion is too simplistic," she says. "There's an adrenaline rush, a drive. You're so motivated, because it's something within you that you're looking for."
https://www.marthastewart.com/8329660/how-to-start-collecting-antiques
For as fun and rewarding as collecting chinaware can be, keeping a large trove organized is no easy feat. Along with making space to carefully store fragile pieces of chinaware, collectors have the added task of also making sure their china is easy to access. Although the pieces are delicate, half the point of china is to use it—so storing it somewhere near the kitchen or dining room increases frequency of use.
"Storage space can always create a challenge when collecting china," says Claire Perry of M. Lavender Interiors. "Also, the delicate nature of china means that certain precautions must be taken to prevent damage."
Although it may seem like a daunting task, there are plenty of ways to organize your china collection in a way that looks elevated, while still ensuring it's safe and accessible.
Take Out Your Collection
Start any organizational project by assessing what you have. Remove your china from its current spot and see if there's any opportunities for downsizing (a broken plate, a set that's outgrown your current style, or a scratched dish, for example). Once know you what pieces are in your arsenal, you can find an organizing solution that works for you.
Organize By Pattern
Most chinaware comes in a set, so storing by pattern is a natural option. This makes it easy if you're planning to use a certain design for a dinner party or need to access your holiday china. "Place heavy stacks of plates on lower shelves, followed by lighter glassware up top, and medium-sized serving pieces and beverage servers in the middle," says Maggie Griffin of Maggie Griffin Design. "A little organization can make pulling together your tabletop quick and fun."
Organize by Function
Instead of separating your china by set or pattern, conserve space by displaying all of your dinner plates together—no matter the pattern. "Do the same with salad plates, cups and saucers, et cetera," says Roger Higgins of R. Higgins Interiors. "When it comes time to host, you can analyze your options for the size and pieces you need rather than choosing by set or pattern. It makes for a fun mix-and-match setting instead of one that's overly match-y."
Keep Servingware Separate
When organizing the servingware in your collection, such as beverage pots, gravy boats, and serving platters, it's smartest to store these pieces together in a designated area. Many servingware items will only be needed for special occasions—like during the holidays—so you don't want them cluttering up a space you visit frequently to grab a plate here or a cup there.
Stack Your China
Stacking china is hard to avoid, especially for collectors who have a lot of it. "If you have the space, stacking china loose in a hutch is great to remind you to start using it," says Ben Soreff, professional organizer at House to Home Organizing. "Dust can be an issue, so either make sure the cabinet or hutch is clean, plus make a habit of dusting every so often." If you do choose to stack your china, place a china-safe paper or thin foam in between each piece to avoid scratches.
Set Up a Decorative Display
If you have an empty hutch or wall with built-in storage, set aside a small assortment of china you love. Not only does this conserve storage space elsewhere, but it also allows you to show off some of your pieces.
Alternatively, go vertical. "You can create a decorative wall feature using plate hangers," Perry says. "Interesting china brings color and depth to an accent wall, and provides a great opportunity to incorporate the surrounding landscape or other themes that complement the interior or exterior environment."
Store China in Padded Bags
Store sentimental china or very fine pieces that are rarely used securely out of plain sight. "Look for padded storage bags that have space for labeling on the face," Kleiner says. "It's important to label them since these completely hide the china and you don't want to have to open each bag every time you set the table."
https://www.marthastewart.com/8047382/how-organize-fine-china-collection
he rectangular white marble top inset with various semi-precious hardstones including amethyst, Sicilian and Corsican jasper, German agate, sardonyx agate, carnelian and lapis lazuli, arranged in a lozenge pattern around a central oval panel of German agate, within two narrow borders of Sicilian jasper and a gilt-bronze beaded outer rim, the frieze of the base inset with rectangular panels of red, green and rose jasper, supported by uprights in the form of male herms, two with beards, two without, each flanked by twinned female caryatids, each long frieze centered by flower and fruit-filled cornucopiae, the tapering herms terminating in hoof feet, with extensive numbering and lettering throughout, the iron stretcher under the top pounced with the letter S twice, the back of the male herms' loincloths on each leg with a pierced hole, originally intended to house connecting rods to attach internally the two main elements of the leg
33. 3/4 in. (86 cm.) high, 30 1/4 in. (77 cm.) wide, 23 in. (58.5 cm.) deep
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Narbonne, France; sold Maître André Meyzen, Narbonne, 31 March, 2001, lot 14 (€975,673).
With Steinitz, Paris.
Private American Collection, Los Angeles.
LITERATURE
W. Koeppe and A.M. Giusti, et al., Art of the Royal Court: Treasures in Pietre Dure from the Palaces of Europe, New York, 2008, pp. 312-314, no. 122 (illustrated).
A. González-Palacios, The Londonderry Table Top, The Exceptional Sale; Christie's, London, 10 July 2014, p. 12, note 4.
A.M. Massinelli, Giacomo Raffaelli: Maestro di Stile e di Mosaico, Firenze, 2018, pp. 290-293, figs. 345, 348.
EXHIBITED
New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1 July-21 September 2008, Art of the Royal Court: Treasures in Pietre Dure from the Palaces of Europe, no. 122. https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-a-magnificent-italian-ormolu-white-marble-and-6411296/?fbclid=IwAR0NaLz9AXFf5uiBV1mObQeONriDn32NuOJUccLdAqOG8P9Dat_qZsEP8j8
A veritable tour de force of Italian craftsmanship of the early nineteenth century, every element of this splendid table is a magnificent piece of art in itself. It sumptuously combines a highly-sculptural base entirely conceived in gilt bronze with a rich combination of chased and burnished surfaces, supporting a marble top elaborately-inlaid with some of the most colorful semiprecious stones available to artists of the time of its creation. Works including an array of exceptional and rare semiprecious stone specimens were highly sought-after in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and were sometimes accompanied by printed materials identifying each stone, as was the case with the luxurious snuff boxes of Johann Christian Neuber. Similarly, this table could have served as a microcosm encompassing ancient history, geology, science and geography, all united by exceptional design and superb craftsmanship in one magnificent work of art. It was this artistic environment in which Giacomo Raffaelli learned his craft and honed his artistic sensibilities, which made him one of the most successful mosaicists and marble-workers of his generation.
GIACOMO RAFFAELLI (1753-1836) LAPIDARY MASTER
Anna Maria Massinelli
‘Giacomo Raffaelli whom I have already named,
and who I will name again as the one who combines
the possession of rare and precious stones
with sublime merit in the art of mosaic’ (Faustino Corsi, 1833 )
This pietra dura specimen top is a celebration of Giacomo Raffaelli’s fascination for the mineral world and his virtuosity as a lapidary artist. The stunning lapidary palette of the table features a rich specimen of semiprecious stones inlaid on a white Carrara statuary marble background. The geometrical pattern comprises one hundred and thirty stones, dominated by the large central slice of agate whose internal microcrystalline formation is brightened by a gold foil underneath. This specimen maintains the natural irregular pebble shape and is immersed in a large border constituted by slices of amethyst. The surrounding stones are arranged symmetrically around a lozenge formed by a sequence of rectangular panels (including Sicilian and Corsican jasper and other rare stones) and a row of round and oval cut agates that frame the central amethyst and agate.
Giacomo, born in Rome in 1753, was a descendant of a family of glass makers. In 1775 he achieved renown with a successful mosaic exhibition held in his studio in Salita San Sebastianello, near the Spanish steps. Contemporary sources crowned Giacomo as the inventor of a new way to use glass mosaic in objets de vertu, such as boxes, small plaques and jewelry. Archival research shows that, while he achieved fame as a glass mosaicist, he was also very involved with a different range of productions, in particular lapidary works, which enchanted the Grand tourists during their stay in Rome.
In 1794, writing a letter to Friedrich Ludwig von Sckell, architect of the Elector of Mainz, Raffaelli announced the opening of his pietra dura workshop in Rome. He asked for some samples of German stones, and ‘pietre nicolate’ (sardonix agate) to carve cameos. He offered in exchange some of his mosaics. It is not known if he succeeded in this specific request, but we know that his lapidary collection was hugely increased at this time.
The celebrated Roman connoisseur and marble collector, Faustino Corsi (1711-1846), described the Raffaelli workshop as a special place where one could find a large assortment of rare stones and specimens, and pointed out that Raffaelli’s son Vincenzo was also a refined lapidary connoisseur. Corsi described an antique, huge specimen of spato-fluore, remarkable for its size, vivacity and variety of the colors and an enormous block of rock crystal, weighing eight hundred and seventy pounds.
Raffaelli’s fame as a lapidary artist quickly widespread and in 1784 he received an important commission from the Florence resident George Clavering-Cowper, 3rd Earl Cowper via the Scottish painter Jacob More, who resided in Rome, for a pair of marble and pietra dura table tops, to incorporate two Florentine Grand Ducal workshop panels already in the Earl’s collection, depicting an interior view of the Coliseum and the harbor in Leghorn. It is significant that Cowper, living in Florence, turned to Raffaelli, rather than the Grand Ducal workshop, for these tables, which included a variety of marmora romana, porphyry, granites, lapis lazuli and Sicilian jasper.
As soon as he was settled, he began a close correspondence with his son Vincenzo who remained in Rome to organize the final move of the studio and of the rest of the family. The letters exchanged with his son between 1803-1804 are a precious source of information about his private life, his works, patrons and collaborators. He was immediately planning to open an ‘antique store’ in Milan to sell his own art works, jewelry and different objects imported from Rome. In one of the first letters to Vincenzo he wrote: ‘hopefully we can do some business, not with the mosaics, that they don’t know it here, but only with marbles and other genres’.
In fact, along with the organization of the mosaic school, Raffaelli focused his private production on the lapidary works. Writing to his wife in Rome, he described how ‘I am sitting here with Giuseppe [his assistant and stone cutters], night and day, trying to arrange stones on papers to make tables’.
His concentration on lapidary works at this time is testified by the lists of objects shipped by the sculptor Pietro Marchetti (1766-1846) from Carrara from 1805 to 1815. These included several pieces of marbles cut for table tops of different size, bases for ‘deserts’, frames for chimneys. Raffaelli was very demanding about the quality of the statuary marble. Marchetti sometime explained how difficult it was to find immaculate white marble as Raffaelli required, but he also remarked that he can easily hide some spots with the inlaid colored stones.
Although the canonical repertoire of marmora romana was adopted enthusiastically by Raffaelli, he was also fascinated by more exotic hard stones, of which he was a voracious researcher and buyer and was especially curious about the most recently mined minerals, including labradorite, which he often inserted in his lapidary works. While in Milan, Giacomo intensified his research of stones and traveled across the Alps in search of famous German jaspers and agates. In 1809 he was in touch with the Caesar Demeaux Gottlie Scriba & Comp workshop based in Idar-Oberstein for the purchasing of hardstone vases and rough stones. The business relationship did not last too long because the German workshop was unable to meet Raffaelli's demanding requests, but nevertheless Giacomo loved the translucent and unique palettes of the agates found there. An undated autograph notebook seems to be a kind of traveler diary where he listed various purchases of stones during one of his trips to Germany. From this we learn, for example, of the purchase of agates, of a red and crystalline stone, petrified wood, several small stones and ‘niccoli’ (sardonix agate), suitable materials for cameos; also a piece of jade from a Frankfurt dealer in exchange for various stones. The vast specimens collected exceeded two thousand samples, accurately described in the inventory drafted in 1821 when Giacomo relocated to Rome: by then, the vast assortment was equal to the most important contemporary lapidary collections. These remarkable jewel-like stones collected by Raffaelli, with their enchanting chromatic variations, added a touch of novelty and richness to his lapidary work.
Raffaelli’s concentration on hardstones during his time in Milan, and his days spent accommodating colorful stones on the papers, is evident in a distinctive group of table tops created during this period, of which the spectacular example examined here is a significant example.
One can certainly recognize his skill, derived from such tireless questing for rare hardstones, in the present table, composed exclusively of semiprecious stones, suggesting the important destination of this sophisticated specimen. The top can be compared for the geometrical pattern, size and use of similar stones, with a pair of Raffaelli tables at the Hermitage Museum (of which one is illustrated here) which together with agates, jaspers and carnelians also include a refined selection of marmora romana (unlike the table studied here which is composed exclusively of hardstones).
Two other larger tables are related to this distinctive production by Raffaelli. One belongs to the Spanish Royal collection and was purchased in Rome shortly before 1800 by the watchmaker François-Louis Godon, whose widow would later sell it to Charles IV of Spain in 1803 (Madrid, Palacio Real, see A. González-Palacios, Las Colecciones Reales Españolas de Mosaicos y Piedras Duras, Madrid, 2001. pp.240-3, illustrated here fig.3). The other was acquired by Charles William Vane, 3rd Marquis of Londonderry (1778-1854) when British ambassador at the Habsburg court in Vienna between 1814 and 1822. According to documents which I discovered, Giacomo was coincidentally in the same city between 1818 and 1819, after an adventurous trip with a caravan of more than one hundred wagons to bring the monumental mosaic of the Last Supper, after the celebrated fresco of Leonardo da Vinci, the mosaic masterpiece that Giacomo produced during his stay in Milan (Wien MinoritenKirche). From the correspondence exchanged with Vincenzo, who remained in Milan, we know that Giacomo opened a small gallery in his Viennese house and he sent to his son a list of mosaics and tables to ship soon in order to display it and try to make good business in the Imperial city. Possibly during his stay in Vienna he had the opportunity to meet Lord Londonderry who bought his outstanding table (see Massinelli op.cit.,pp. 287-293).
In 1821 after relocating to Rome in October 1820, Giacomo shipped 195 boxes filled with finished and unfinished objects, tools, etc. and more than 2000 different stones carefully listed. He went back to his native town as a wealthy artist and merchant, and he bought a building in Via del Babuino where he lived until his death in 1836. Giuseppe Valadier, the celebrated bronzier and designer, remodeled the house for Raffaelli, providing him with a design for the house inscribed to ‘Sig. Giacomo Raffaelli Consigliere di S.M. Imperatore dellle Russie’, emphasizing his connections to the Russian Imperial Court.
Here, in his old age, he was finally able to make his dream true and he founded a 'grande opificio', running it with his son Vincenzo, whose production was very much oriented toward lapidary works.
In the early 19th century, Raffaelli renewed the technique and style of his lapidary works. In a letter to Vincenzo Mora, who was traveling in the south of Italy trying to sell luxury objects to the Bourbon court, Raffaelli described a chimney piece and a pair of tables from his workshop, in statuary marble inlaid in rare stones. The chimney piece was eventually acquired by Pope Pius VII and in 1803 he sent it as a present to Napoleon, who had it installed in the Salon Doré at Malmaison. In the letter which accompanied the chimney Raffaelli listed 126 rare stones in the frieze including agate, carnelians, lapis lazuli, jasper, 177 stones in the pilasters, 151 amethyst stones around the light of the chimney, everything framed in gilt bronze. The frieze included also three micromosaic plaques with Herculaneum subjects (these and most of the stone decoration were removed and dispersed during the Franco-Prussian war in 1870). Giacomo sent to Napoleon the descriptions of the two inlaid tables that matched the chimney and he attached the design showing the top and the stand of one of them (Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale), although the tables were never sent.
In 1804 Raffaelli moved to Milan, capital of the Napoleonic Italian Kingdom, invited by the viceroy Eugenio de Beauharnais to open a mosaic school, at which time the two still unfinished tables were shipped with the rest of his properties. He was able to complete them, with some changes, only ten years later when they were exhibited, in 1814, at the annual exhibition in Brera. They are described in a printed brochure and only about three decades later when Vincenzo inherited them they were sent to St. Petersburg and are now in the Hermitage Museum. The tops are profusely inlaid with rare marbles, hardstones and with micromosaic panels of allegories of the arts and Cupids, while the remarkable stands are similarly inlaid with hardstones in white marble.
The interest of Giacomo for vases, clocks and many other different kind of decorative objects in marble and semiprecious stones is very well documented. He referred to different stonecutters in Rome, one of them was "Domenico scalpellino" who supplied marble vases, in different sizes and stones, and sculptures in "rosso antico". A repertoire of designs for vases, remained between Giacomo papers, it shows some common shapes: urns, craters, amphorae, columns vases. Raffaelli was able to transform these traditional vases into something completely new: he inset the white curved surface of the vases with pietra dura and micromosaic plaques, a very sophisticated technique invented and perfected by Giacomo himself.
In 1803, the year before he moved to Milan, Giacomo met the Duke Francesco Melzi d'Eril and he showed him the design of a monumental centerpiece, or dessert, a triumph of the Roman style with retour d'Egypte accents. The Duke was enchanted and he soon ordered it, following with a second commission of a larger centerpiece for the Royal Palace in Milan to set the table in honour of Napoleon for his coronation as king of Italy on May 26 1805 (Palazzo Reale, Milan). This masterwork, together with his marble pieces donated by the Pope to Napoleon, established his reputation at the Napoleonic court and guaranteed him a very good commitment and compensation during his time in Milan.
Joan Van Gogh is a South African artist whose grandfather was the cousin of Vincent Van Gogh. Her art is available at Ghorbany Benmore.
Boris Chezar (1913-2008) is a listed and highly acclaimed artist who developed a unique sand textured oil painting technique. Born in New York - the son of Russian immigrants, Chezar began painting in his teens and continued until his death completing water colors, oils on canvass, acrylics on wood, still life paintings, landscapes, abstracts and mixed media. His sand paintings are some of his most sought after works.two of his original works are available at Ghorbany Benmore.
Léon Messagé (1842-1901) was a French sculptor, best known for his sculptural collaboration with François Linke for the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. Messagé was also responsible for much of the design and creative work for Roux et Brunet and Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener.
William developed an innovative spring system – the now-famous bouncing Silver Cross suspension – and combined this with a reversible hood to create the first-ever modern pram. They are called the Rolls-Royce of the Prams. The name Silver Cross has long been associated with royalty, first supplying a pram for King George VI.
The tradition continued with Princess Grace of Monaco and HRH Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and a young Prince Charles. Ghorbany Benmore is delighted to showcase a 1960s model ! Either for a lucky baby or for staging a posh baby photography studio!
Founded in Paris by Charles Christofle in 1830, the company is known for making fine silverware. Christofle was acquired in 2012 by one of its shareholders, the Chalhoub family.Ghorbany is proud to be a place to find christofle silver from time to time in South Africa. Artists and designers such as the Parisian silversmith Antoine Perrin, Man Ray, Jean Cocteau, Gio Ponti, Andrée Putman, Martin Szekely, Ito Morabito (Ora-Ïto), Xiao Hui Wang and Richard Hutten are among those whose creations have been made by Christofle.
Ghorbany recently received a fantastic set of 6 vintage Christofle Chinon silver plated fish knives and forks, in store.
Within its marvelous rooms it houses an extraordinary collection of Chinese art: The Imperial Silk and Metal Carpets of the Qing Dynasty which ruled in China between 1644 and 1911.
The exhibition spreads across eight rooms in which 36 carpets of the permanent collection are presented according to a theme dear to the classical Chinese Taoist symbolism, also known as the alchemical journey in search of the elixir.
The eight stages of this journey, through masterpieces of silk and metal, allow the visitor to approach the universe of the Qing court in a completely new manner.
In 1995 Papetti met the writer and biographer James Lord who wrote a significant critical essay on his work. James Lord wrote the following about Papetti: “The first, and perhaps the most illuminating thing to be said about the art of Alessandro Papetti is that it is profoundly Italian. No artist of course ever successfully conceals his national, traditional and psychological origins, though some are more prone to do so than others. One thinks of Van Gogh. But not Papetti. It is not his subject matter that evokes the homeland. In this he is truly international, and entirely his own era despite seeming reminiscences of styles of the past. These are resemblances only. What is Italian about Papetti is his masterly self-effacement in confrontation with the subject matter. As a person he never gets in the way of what the artist is doing. The art is there, and he is the innocent perpetrator of what his hand instructs him to do, he sees, to be sure, what he is doing, but when he is working none of what he sees is visible to the spectator. We see the art. He sees the creation. In this symbiosis dwells the joy – that is, the truth – of aesthetic gratification."
He quickly became the most prominent silversmith of the nineteenth century, producing much of the silver purchased by King George III and King George IV. Storr entered his first mark in the first part of 1792, which reflects his short-lived partnership with William Frisbee. Soon after, he began to use his PS mark, which he maintained throughout his career with only minor changes. His first major work was a gold font commissioned by the Duke of Portland in 1797 and in 1799 he created the "Battle of the Nile Cup" for presentation to Lord Nelson. Much of Storr's success was due to the influence of Philip Rundell, of the popular silver retailing firm, Rundell, Bridge and Rundell. Rundell's firm nearly monopolized the early nineteenth-century market for superior silver and obtained the Royal Warrant in 1806. This shrewd businessman realized the talent of Paul Storr and began pursuing him in 1803, however it was not until 1807 that Storr finally joined the firm. After many years of working for Rundell, Storr realized he had lost much of his artistic freedom and by 1819 he left the firm to open his own shop, turning his attentions towards more naturalistic designs and soon began enjoying the patronage he desired. After only a few years of independence, Storr realized he needed a centralized retail location and partnered with John Mortimer, founding Storr and Mortimer in 1822 on New Bond Street.
Son of Thomas Storr of Westminster, first silver-chaser later innkeeper. Apprenticed c. 1785. Before his first partnership with William Frisbee in 1792 he worked in Church Street, Soho, which was the address of Andrew Fogelberg at which Storr's first separate mark is also entered.
As a teacher and mentor, he has played a key role in the international exchange of glassblowing processes and techniques between the principal American centers and his native Murano, "but his influence is also apparent in China, Japan, and Australia.
