(BOYNTON BEACH, Fla.) – A color lithograph depicting the French leader Napoleon on horseback with two other men by renowned Post-Impressionist painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (Fr., 1864-1901) is the expected top lot in an auction slated for Saturday, July 13, at Elite Decorative Arts, in the firm’s gallery located at the Quantum Town Center in Boynton Beach.

Also offered in the auction – dedicated mostly to fine decorative arts and Chinese works –are a large and impressive Chinese carved African ivory emperor and empress, a palace-sized Chinese carved African ivory village, a Chinese carved African ivory relief bird’s vase and a heavy Chinese carved red coral maiden figural grouping. The auction will begin at 1 p.m. (EST).

In all, over 300 quality lots will be sold, most of them fresh to the market. Featured will be a broad and impressive array of estate jewelry, fine art, bronzes, silver and Chinese works, to include ivory, jade, red coral carvings, stone carvings, fine porcelain pieces and more. The Quantum Town Center is located at 1034 Gateway Boulevard in Boynton Beach (Ste. 106-108).

“We are quite pleased to be offering two large and very impressive collections of Chinese antiques in our July 13 sale,” said Scott Cieckiewicz of Elite Decorative Arts. “We expect Asian works to dominate the day's action, but the Toulouse-Lautrec lithograph could well end up being the top lot of the auction. Regardless, it will be a well-rounded sale, with many great pieces.”

The color lithograph by Toulouse-Lautrec, titled simply Napoleon, is #20 in a limited-edition series of 100. In April 2012, litho #48 from the same series sold at Sotheby’s for $146,500, against a pre-sale estimate of $75,000-$125,000. The example being sold is pencil signed to the lower left, measures 22 ¾ inches by 19 1/8 inches and has been matted and framed.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec became one of France’s most popular and famous painters. He brilliantly captured the Paris night life in his flashy illustrations for the magazine Le Rire in the 1890s, earning him a reputation as “the soul of Montmartre.” The diminutive artist was known for his demi-monde paintings, prints and illustrations. All are highly sought after today.

The Chinese carved African ivory tusks depicting a standing emperor and empress are remarkable for their sheer size (41 inches tall, on a 3 ¼ inch base) as well as their beauty. The figures, carrying the Qing Dynasty reign mark, both have a slightly raised dragon and phoenix design to layered robes and bases. Please note: ivory pieces may not be shipped internationally.

A companion lot to the one just described is a massive Chinese carved and reticulated village scene carved from African ivory tusks. The longest tusk width exceeds 66 inches, and the height is 16 inches (on a 3 ¼ inch base). The scene depicts a city wall guarded by warriors and a horseman at the gate, riverside boatmen, villagers moving about, pagodas, temples and bridges.

Another ivory offering is a Chinese carved African ivory covered vase with delicate and detailed relief scenes of birds of paradise amongst trees and flowers. The vase, measuring 12 ½ inches in height, includes a fitted wooden silver inlay base and a fitted silk-lined presentation box. The base is 1 ¼ inches tall. The piece boasts a total ivory weight of about 1,971 grams.

Red coral sculptures, so popular at previous Elite Decorative Arts auctions, will be on display in this sale, too. A large and heavy solid red figural group depicting a maiden with her children, and a bird holding a piece of draping cloth from the maiden’s layered robe, would make a fine addition to any collection. The piece is 10 ¼ inches tall and comes with a presentation box.

Returning to fine art, a 20th century oil painting by the Dutch artist Anton Karssen (b. 1945), depicting women traversing a coastal terrain with a boat visible, should get considerable bidder attention. The work, signed lower right, measures 16 inches in height by 22 inches tall.

An outstanding pair of garniture clock sets is sure to get paddles wagging. One is a 19th century three-piece gilded French bronze and malachite Egyptian Revival set by F. Pelissier. The clock depicts two recumbent sphinx figures with candle holders to the tops of their heads, with extended wings suspending a barrel form clock case. The two urns each stand 10 ½ inches tall.

The other is a stunning early 20th century Tiffany & Company clock garniture set having a cut crystal case, with the case and candlesticks each showing a matching scrolled floral design. The crystal is presumably French and of the quality of Baccarat or Webb. The silvered metal face has appliqué Arabic numerals and the outside of the case is marked “Patent Pending 1909.”

Also sold will be a large hand-carved Chinese white and apple green jadeite Guan Yin sculpture shown in a standing position with a crane to her right holding stalks with lotus blossoms, standing 22 ¼ inches tall; and a pair of large spinach jade form reticulated lantern urns with each having relief palace scenes throughout the body, 16 ½ inches tall, with a wooden base.

A preview will be held on Friday, July 12, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., and on Saturday, the date of sale, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Internet bidding will be provided by both LiveAuctioneers.com and Artfact.com. Telephone and absentee bids will also be accepted. All purchases will be subject to a 15 percent buyer’s premium (for in-house and phone bids) and 18 percent for bidding online.

Elite Decorative Arts is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions. To inquire about consigning an item, an estate or an entire collection, you may call (561) 200-0893 or e-mail them at info@eliteauction.com. To learn more about Elite Decorative Arts and the upcoming July 13 auction, please log on to www.eliteauction.com. Updates are posted often.

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