[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Excitement was in the air at Weschler’s February 12th auction of European & American Furniture and Decorations including Asian Works of Art when a Russian silver gilt cloisonné and en-plein enamel casket went on the auction block. The casket, made by Antip Ivanovich Kuzmichev, Moscow, 1896-1908, garnered a lot of attention prior to the auction and once bidding began the casket soared past its estimate of $30,000-$50,000 and sold to an overseas phone bidder for $256,750. 

With a full house of bidders in the Washington, D.C. gallery, and on the phones and on the Internet, the auction totaled over $950,000, with 89% selling by lot.

Other Russian standouts of the day included a 19th century porcelain Easter egg, probably made by the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory in St. Petersburg ($4,700); a bronze figural group of two mounted Cossacks after a model by Russian artist Eugene-Alexandre Lanceray (1848-1887) ($4,230); and a silver-gilt icon of St. John the Baptist, which realized $4,935 against a $1,000-$1,500 pre-sale estimate.

The auction also featured a noteworthy selection of furnishings, decorations and fine art from a historic landmark in our nation’s capital – St. John’s Episcopal Church.  Among the offerings were a pair of 19th Century Venetian architectural works in the manner of Francesco Guardi ($16,450) and two oils of The Grand Canal, Venice, in the circle of Francesco Guardi (Italian 1712-1793), which realized $35,250 and $9,400, respectively. In addition, an impressive American gilt and patinated metal eight-light chandelier, attributed to Cornelius and Baker, Philadelphia, circa 1860, fetched $22,325 and a pair of Italian Rococo style walnut trestle-base side tables enticed a bidding war and eventually sold for $7,050 against a $1,000-$1,500 pre-sale estimate.

Highlighting the selection of European and American furniture offerings was a Japanese salmon-red ground lacquer cabinet on later George II style giltwood stand ($5,405); a set of eleven Italian Renaissance Revival oak dining chairs ($5,405); a pair of Federal crossbanded mahogany fold-top card tables, attributed to the workshop of Duncan Phyfe, New York, circa 1810 ($7,050); a Queen Anne mahogany stained maple highboy, Massachusetts or Connecticut, circa 1770 ($2,820) and an American cast iron figure of a stag, probably J. W. Fiske Iron Works, New York, circa 1870, which sold for $4,465.

The decorative arts section eatured two lots of late 19th-early 20th century Presidential porcelain plates, which brought $1,997.50 and $3,055; an American ‘Stars and Stripes’ pieced and appliquéd cotton crib bedcover by Amelia C. Johnson, Wilmington, DE, circa 1860 ($5,875); a Mason’s ironstone chinoiserie part dinner service, circa 1820, sailed to $8,812.50; and a pair of life-size Venetian polychrome decorated and giltwood blackamoor torchères, 20th century, realized $6,462.50. In addition, a selection of 18th to early 20h century figural bronzes fared well including two bronzes by Mathurin Moreau (French 1822-1912), Le Retour de la Moisson, which sold above estimate for $10,575 and two Continental bronzes, after the Antique, of The Farnese Bull and  Laocoön realized $5,640 and $4,935, respectively.

Silver continued its strong run with a Tiffany & Co. sterling six-piece coffee and tea service with tray, New York, 1907-1938, selling within estimate for $10,575; a George III Irish silver epergne by Michael Homer, Dublin, 1787, bringing $8,812.50; and a set of twelve Japanese sterling Chrysanthemum service plates by Asahi Shoten, Tokyo, 1946-1950, realizing $7,050.

Among the selection of Asian works of art was a Chinese silver inlaid bronze censer, which caused a stir among the phone bidders, selling to an overseas bidder for $11,750; a Chinese Export ivory box and a sectional bamboo ‘mountain pavilion’ carving sold to an Internet bidder for $6,627.50; and a Chinese Longquan celadon shallow bowl from the Ming Dynasty fetched $2,585.

The next auction of European & American Furniture and Decorations will be May 14th, with a consignment deadline of March 25th. For more information, please contact us at 202-628-1281 or email at info@weschlers.com.