PITTSFIELD, Mass. – A fine American mahogany Moorish-style corner étagère attributed to Tiffany (Associated Artists), in excellent condition and with the original finish, just over six feet tall, is an expected star lot in Fontaine’s Auction Gallery’s upcoming Exceptional Estates Auction planned for Saturday, June 17th, in Fontaine’s gallery at 1485 West Housatonic Street.

The auction, which kicks off promptly at 11 am Eastern time, will be a two-session, 325-lot affair, headlined by the contents of a fine Connecticut estate, with selected additions. Internet bidding will be offered by LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com, EBay.com and FontainesLive. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted. Previews will be held on Friday and Saturday.

Items will include 19th and 20th century lighting by renowned makers such as Tiffany Studios, Handel, Duffner & Kimberly, Pairpoint and others; fine clocks and watches, music boxes; animated bird boxes; exceptional furniture; paintings; bronze and marble statuary; art glass; jewelry; fine silver; porcelains; Flow Blue; sterling and gold; rare books; and related accessories.

An étagère is a French-inspired piece of furniture, typically with two or three tiers, often having a pierced brass gallery and a number of open shelves for displaying objects. The étagère up for bid is both important and beautiful, with double bow front upper doors and two shelves below having fine-tuned supports, plus beveled mirror panels in the mid-section (est. $5,000-$7,500).

Clocks are the backbone of Fontaine’s business, and this sale has some marvelous examples, to include a glass dial French mystery clock attributed to Robert Houdin with silk thread movement signed “Thelwell a Paris” (est. $12,000-$15,000). Also from France comes a marble and bronze annular calendar clock with spring movement signed “Grandperrin a Paris” (est. $4,000-$6,000).

Domestic clocks will feature a Gilbert (Conn.) No. 12 hanging pinwheel regulator, 91 ½ inches tall, in a carved walnut wall hanging case with exceptional original finish and in nice overall condition (est. $5,000-$7,500); and a Foster Campos (Mass.) girandole banjo clock with typical fancy pierced hands and dial and movement signed “Foster S. Campos” (est. $2,500-$3,500).

On to vintage lamps – another Fontaine’s staple. Two lots expected to light up the room, both from Tiffany Studios, are an Aladdin linenfold floor lamp with a bronze 12-sided shade having amber Favrile “fabrique” linenfold panels and pierced top (est. $8,000-$12,000); and a desk lamp with a dazzling, rich blue iridescent Favrile glass blown scarab form shade (est. $7,000-$9,000).

From the furniture category will come a rare and early Gustav Stickley No. 403 chalet table in excellent condition, with the original black finish and a 24 ½ inch diagonal top (est. $7,500-$12,500); and a monumental carved oak dining table with a quartersawn oak top measuring 66 inches wide by 78 inches deep, in fine condition, with 15 original leaves (est. $3,500-$5,000).

Bronze and statuary lots will feature a primitive bronze signed by Marcel Debut (Fr., 1865-1933) of a hunter wearing fur garments with a spear in one hand and an axe in his belt, and his terrier dog on a leash, 31 inches tall (est. $5,000-$7,500); and a carved marble statue of a partially robed woman, arms upstretched as if just waking up, signed “A. Cipriani” (est. $1,200-$1,500).

Oil paintings will be led by an oval rendering of three white Persian kittens by Carl Kahler (Austrian/American, 1855-1906), housed in a gold gilt frame, measuring 30 ½ inches by 34 ½ inches (est. $8,000-$12,000); and a busy street scene of a woman and her children seated in a shop’s booth by Henry Bacon (Am./Fr., 1839-1912), titled The Lost Money (est. $4,000-$6,000).

An 86-piece heavy weight sterling silver flatware set by Buccellati in the Empire pattern, with each piece in good condition with no monograms, weighing 106.18 troy silver ounces, should garner $4,000-$6,000; while a Tiffany & Company chocolate pot in the classic Olympian pattern design, with God, winged goddesses and putti, weighing 21.44 ozt., should make $1,500-$2,500.

A German enamel decorated animated singing bird box, with the gilt brass box enamel decorated on the lid with a forest scene and having a bird with nice brisk movement and good strong sound, should bring (est. $3,000-$5,000); and a hand-painted KPM German porcelain plaque titled The Penitent Magdalene, after Battoni, of Mary Magdalene in a forest, should rise to $1,500-$2,500.

Fontaine’s Auction Gallery is actively seeking quality items, to include furniture, lighting, clocks and watches, paintings, porcelains, bronze and marble statuary, Asian items, art glass and cameo glass, Russian objects, silver, musical, coin-op, advertising, toys, banks, gaming and carousel items for future sales. Consignments are currently being accepted for all the upcoming auctions.

The firm will buy outright or accept on consignment fine antiques, collections or entire estates. Call (413) 448-8922 and ask to speak with John Fontaine, or you can send Mr. Fontaine an e-mail to info@fontainesauction.com. For more information about the company and the upcoming Saturday, June 17th auction please visit www.FontainesAuction.com. Updates are posted often.

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