Bonhams & Butterfields is pleased to offer Fine European Furniture and Decorative Arts on March 29, 2010 in Los Angeles.  The 500-lot sale will offer an array of works for varied tastes and collecting levels from the 16th through the 20th centuries with a focus on English, French, Italian, Spanish and German property.  Highlights from the sale will include a strong selection of more than 30 clocks by prominent makers as well as property from the Estate of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Z. Wick, Los Angeles, California and the University of California, Irvine Libraries.

"The spring auction boasts a good balance of both 18th and 19th century furnishings, porcelain and silver as well as a robust offering of tall case, mantle and decorative clocks.  Bonhams & Butterfields is delighted to offer collectors a unique selection of property from across Europe," said Andrew Jones, Los Angeles Director of European Furniture and Decorative Arts at Bonhams & Butterfields. 

Among the marquee lots of the fall auction is a fine Regency style gilt bronze mounted marquetry regulateur (est. $50,000 - 70,000).  The parquetry case is ornamented with gilt bronze and measures a notable 103 inches in height.  Mechanics include a white enamel dial with Arabic hours and twin train movement striking on a bell. 

Also offered in the clock section of the auction is an impressive French gilt bronze mounted marble regulateur from the 19th century.  Monumental in size, the piece measures 117 inches in height and is estimated to bring $70,000-90,000 on March 29th. 

Additional timekeeping highlights include a substantial Louis XVI style gilt bronze mantel clock by Beurdeley, Paris, flanked by a putto to either side (est. $15,000 - 20,000); a Napoleon III gilt bronze mounted marble floor clock boasts a painted orb form dial with stellar ornament and alabaster chapters with Roman numerals, third quarter 19th century
(est. $15,000 - 20,000); a musical movement Dutch Baroque paint decorated tall case clock with dial, signed Percival Mann, London, 18th century (est. $8,000 - 12,000); a Louis XVI gilt bronze and marble mantel clock titled L'Etude et la Philosophie, after the model by François Remond, from the late 19th century (est. $4,000-6,000) and a cartouche outline Louis XV style gilt bronze clock garniture with twin train movement striking on a bell (est. $15,000 - 20,000).  The
candelabra, which accompany the clock, feature a corresponding bacchanalian design.

A strong selection of furniture will also be offered during the March 29th sale.  Included within the works of note are an Italian late Renaissance pietra dura panel (est. $40,000-60,000); an impressive Louis XVI style gilt bronze mounted bureau plat and cartonnier by Paul Sormani (est. $20,000-30,000); a handsome George II walnut armchair (est.
$10,000 - 15,000); a Dutch Baroque dowry chest sold to benefit the University of California, Irvine Libraries (est. $2,500-3,500) as well as a marquetry and parquetry inlaid writing table (est. $2,500-3,500) from the Estate of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Z. Wick, Los Angeles, California (please see separate press release). 

Additional highlights from the spring auction include a stunning late 17th/early 18th century tapestry depicting Diana and Actaeon (est. $30,000-50,000); a Berlin KPM porcelain oval plaque depicting a young fisherman and a mermaid (est. $8,000-10,000); a French export 950 standard silver partial table service and matching flatware by G. Keller, Paris (est. $5,000-7,000); a continental carved ivory candle screen depicting a herald blowing a bugle with his horse at his side
(est. $4,000-6,000) and a playful carved sculpture of a bulldog (est. $1,500-2,000).

The illustrated auction catalog will be posted online for review in the weeks preceding the auction.  For more information on the Bonhams & Butterfields Furniture and Decorative Arts Department and its sales, please visit: www.bonhams.com/usfurniture.

Preview: March 26-29, 2010, Los Angeles

Auction: March 29, 2010, 10:00am, Los Angeles

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Press Contact: Jannelle Grigsby (310) 567-7990,
jannelle.grigsby@bonhams.com