LONE JACK, Mo. – Session II of the lifetime collection of Joseph Earl Candioto – a Kansas City fixture for more than two decades as the owner of Joseph’s Jewelry in the city’s Georgian Village Shops – will be held on Friday, July 8th, at 10:30 am Central time, by Dirk Soulis Auctions, in the firm’s gallery located at 529 West Lone Jack-Lee’s Summit Road in Lone Jack.

This is actually the sixth (and final) sale dedicated all or in part to Mr. Candioto’s vast collection. Session I was a live auction like Session II will be (internet bidding available). That was held in March, and there were four additional online-only auctions. “I think it’s safe to say we saved the best for last with Session II,” said Dirk Soulis of Dirk Soulis Auctions. “The items are superb.”

Mr. Candioto’s collections were extensive, encompassing not just fine jewelry items but any and all things French (especially pieces in the French Egyptian Revival Style, or ‘Retour d’Egypte’), Napoleonic objects, Sevres porcelain, marble sculpture, fine bronzes and more. His home in Leawood, Kansas had French Empire upstairs and Chinese antiques down – a veritable museum.

A strong candidate for top lot of the auction promises to be a 17th century Brussels wool and silk mythological tapestry, depicting figures in armor and two ladies, all in a wooded landscape. The 111 inch by 136 inch tapestry is estimated to bring $7,000-$12,000. It was gifted to Mr. Candioto by Muriel Kauffman, the wife of Ewing Kauffman, the late owner of the Kansas City Royals.

The name Sevres will be chanted often throughout the day. A circa 1900 Napoleon III style gilded wood center table with ormolu mounts and Sevres-style porcelain plaques should realize $5,000-$7,500; while an early 20th century baluster form Sevres type covered vase, regal at 40 inches tall and boasting a cobalt blue neck and hand-painted figures, should bring $3,000-$5,000.

The many bronze offerings will include a fine grouping by Pierre Emile-Hebert (1828-1893), of Oedipus and the Sphinx of mythology, with the head and breast of a woman on the body of a lion with eagle’s wings; and a pair of cast bronze standing figures in Egyptian attire by Emile Picault (1833-1915), turned into electric table lamps. Both lots are estimated to sell for $4,000-$6,000.

A pair of 19th century French bronze candelabra with gemstones, each with a circular acanthus adorned foot supporting four cast juvenile figures playing musical instruments, should hammer for $3,000-$5,000; and a George III-style bronze mirror attributed to Edward F. Caldwell (1851-1914), with female sphinx figures and ram head urn finial, should hit $2,000-$3,000.

A 19th century Italian School carved marble grouping of the standing satyr Silenus and the child Dionysus, unsigned, after the Roman copy based on a Greek bronze statue from the 4th century BC, should command $4,000-$6,000; while a fine 19th century marble bust of The Venus Italica after the life-size model by Antonio Canova, 22 ½ inches tall, should finish at $2,000-$4,000.

Two very different oil on canvas portrait paintings carry estimates of $2,000-$4,000. One is a 17th or 18th century portrait, most likely of England’s King Charles I, a full-length rendering in a hunting pose, 80 ½ inches by 40 inches. The other is a 19th century painting of Cleopatra Testing Poison on Condemned Prisoners, after the 1887 original by Alexander Cabanel (1823-1889).

A circa-16th century Mannerist School oil on canvas portrait of a little girl, her body in a twisting pose as she holds the thin blue ribbon tied to the collar of a Molossus-type dog, is expected to fetch $2,000-$3,000. Also, an Art Deco bronze floor lamp in the form of a snake rising from a basket, after Edgar Brandt (1880-1960), and titled La Tentation, should achieve $3,000-$5,000.

A pair of clock lots are each expected to knock down at $3,000-$5,000. One is a Leroy & Fils French Egyptian Revival bronze dore garniture clock set, with 16 hand-painted porcelains of Egyptian figures, all signed Desfontaines. The other is an Ansonia Clock Company ‘Hanging Antique’ model oak case wall clock with bronzed adornments, in the Classical influence design.

Joseph’s Jewelry was one of Kansas City’s best kept secrets among lovers of fine jewelry. With his own personal sense of style and connoisseurship, Mr. Candioto became something of a “jeweler to the stars.” He was known for big diamonds and bold designs, and he offered them to his clientele without all the usual trappings of a flashy retail presence. He was a true throwback.

His clientele list could have been taken from the pages of ‘Who’s Who in Kansas City.’ Local politicians, celebrities, philanthropists and even a few not-so-local television stars started out as customers and then became close friends, as they shared Joe’s passion for fine jewelry and fabulous antiques, the latter of which he gathered on buying trips over a five-decade period.

For those unable to attend the auction in person, internet bidding will be facilitated by all three: LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and BidSquare.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be taken. For preview times and dates, go to the Dirk Soulis website, at DirkSoulisAuctions.com.

Dirk Soulis Auctions is always seeking quality consignments for future auctions. To inquire about consigning a single piece, an estate or a collection, you may call them at (816) 697-3830; or, you can e-mail them at Dirk@DirkSoulisAuctions.com. To learn more about Session II of the Joseph Earl Candioto collection on Friday, July 8th, please visit www.DirkSoulisAuctions.com.

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