FLAT ROCK, N.C. – A huge two-day estates auction, comprising more than 1,600 lots, will be held the weekend of Sept. 25-26 in the gallery of Richard D. Hatch & Associates, located at 913 Upward Road in Flat Rock. The undisputed headliner of the auction will be the contents of a wonderful old mansion in the area, undisturbed for decades and now offered fresh to the market.

“This promises to be one of our finest auctions ever,” said Richard Hatch of Richard D. Hatch & Associates. “I’ve been dealing in quality antiques and estates for over 35 years, and I’ve seen my share of treasures, but this is truly a dream auction.” For those unable to attend in person, internet bidding will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be taken.

A walk through the mansion home is like taking a tour of the Biltmore estate. The entrance foyer is tastefully decorated with fine art and sconces, leading into a living room with a floor covered in magnificent Persian rugs. The cabinets are filled with dazzling pieces by Steuben, Baccarat, Meissen, Dresden, Lalique, Royal Worcester, Herend, Galle, Daum, Venetian, Moser and more.

The curios are loaded with high-end paperweights (most of them signed) and figurines. Gorgeous mirrors adorn the walls. Clocks, vases, fine lamps, period furniture, bronzes and fine antiques are seemingly everywhere. The collection of paintings, watercolors, engravings, lithos and etchings features artworks by artists such as Picasso, Miro, Giacometti, Ben Benn and Guillermo Heiter.

Bronzes are also in the sale, as are paintings on porcelain (including KPM miniature portraits on ivory). The Victorian glass includes examples by Mt. Washington, Peachblow, Burmese, Webb, Amberina and others. There is cranberry glass, Waterford crystal, fine perfume bottles (including examples by Lalique), a superb collection of brilliant period cut glass, art glass pieces and more.

The kitchen is packed with fine china sets, many serving plates, oyster plates, Majolica, Venetian stemware and shelves full of Waterford and other fine crystal. A silver closet contains Georgian sterling pieces dating to the 18th century, American coin silver, Tiffany, Cartier, sets of flatware, fancy servers, candlesticks and silverplate (tea and coffee sets, a punch set, flatware and more).

A trip up the staircase leads to a library, with shelves of fine books, steins, a collection of sterling match safes and Asian treasures brought back many years ago. Framed autographed photos of movie stars and other famous people line the walls. Additional Asian items include cloisonné, porcelains, a fine collection of carved ivory figures, collectible netsuke figurines and much more.

An upstairs bedroom reveals a cabinet filled with Victorian art glass and a wall dotted with fine miniature paintings. Another cabinet holds drawer after drawer of estate jewelry items, including gold chains, diamond rings, sapphire, emerald, ruby, tanzanite and other gemstone items, and signed pieces by names such as Tiffany, Cartier, David Yurman, John Hardy, Gucci and others.

The attic holds boxes that have been untouched for so long a thick layer of dust must be swept away to see what’s inside them: Native American items (to include pottery and jewelry), Eskimo items, items brought back from an African safari, early North Carolina documents dating to the 1820s, Confederate Civil War currency, gold coins, silver dollars, quilts, samplers and coverlets.

The auction will also feature a large collection of Danish figurines by Royal Copenhagen, B & G and Dahl Jensen, Hummel and other figurines, Art Deco items, andirons, Southern pottery, tea caddies, pieces by North Carolina artists (including Jane Pieser and Shane Fero), English Studio pottery, period New England furniture and other antique furniture, a clock collection and pewter.

Also sold will be taxidermy birds, a weathervane, railroad lanterns, inkwells, Flow Blue and other ironstone, a pate-sur-pate collection, Capodimonte, primitive tools, a tooled leather saddle, a drop-front desk, a Victorian carved sofa, marble-top tables, antique dressers and chairs. There is also a vehicle for sale: a 2008 Honda Odyssey mini-van with 151,000 miles on the odometer.

Start times are 5 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, Sept. 25; and 11 a.m. EST on Saturday, Sept. 26. Previews will be held on Thursday, Sept. 24, from 1-6 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 25, from 1-5 p.m.; and Saturday, Sept. 26, from 9: 30 a.m. until the first gavel falls at 11 a.m. Dealers and the public are invited to attend. It is advisable to arrive early both auction days; a strong turnout is expected.

A 15 percent buyer's premium will be applied to all in-house sales, 18 percent for all internet and live phone bid purchases. A full catalog, showing photos of all items to be sold, in full color, will be posted on the Richard D. Hatch & Associates website (at www.RichardHatchAuctions.com) about a week prior to auction. Watch the website as the auction nears; updates are posted often.

Flat Rock, North Carolina is located off exit 53 off Interstate 26 (go north one mile). Richard D. Hatch & Associates is always accepting quality items for future sales. To consign an item, an estate or an entire collection, you may call them, at (828) 696-3440, or you can e-mail them, at hatchauctioninfo@yahoo.com. For more information, please visit www.RichardHatchAuctions.com.

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