WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Approximately 2,000 quality, market-fresh lots in a wide range of collecting categories will be sold at the sixth annual Palm Beach Auction planned for Feb. 14-16 by Louis J. Dianni, LLC. The Presidents Weekend auction will be held inside the Hilton Hotel & Conference Center at 150 Australian Ave. Start times all three days will be 11 a.m. Eastern time.

The Saturday, Feb. 14 session will feature 550 extraordinary lots of 17th through 20th century furniture, porcelains and decorative accessories consigned by the prominent Whitenack estate of Naples, Fla. A stunning jewelry casket box is one of 30 exceptional boxes coming up for bid. Like the other outstanding items being offered that day, the boxes will be sold without reserves.

The Sunday, Feb. 15 session will be dedicated to arms, armor, militaria, historical, nautical items and golf memorabilia. Included will be a Colt M1851 Navy pistol engraved by Gustave Young and shipped in 1861, Admiral John Dahlgren’s pistol descended in the Drexel/Dahlgren family, an 8-inch scrimshaw whale’s tooth Marine Corps signed and dated 1848, a 35-year collection of golf-related items from a Florida estate, and about 200 antique daguerreotypes and ambrotypes.

Day 3, on Monday, Feb. 16, original artwork, sculpture, fine jewelry and Asian objects will take center stage. An expected star lot in the Asian category promises to be a remarkable red coral sculpture of a Guan Yin figure, 11 inches tall on a base. Jewelry from an upscale estate in Florida will feature a Rolex wristwatch and a braided gold bracelet studded with six carats of diamonds.

Artwork will feature an 1849 portrait of Rebecca Janney-Merrefield by British-born Philadelphia portrait painter Thomas Sully (1783-1872). The painting, plus the dress Ms. Janney-Merrefield wore for the sitting, plus a miniature portrait of her husband, Joseph, all items descended in the family, will be sold as one lot. Sully was one of the preeminent portrait artists of the 19th century.

Nine oval miniature on ivory portrait paintings by Charles Wilson Peale (Md./Pa., 1741-1827) will also come under the gavel. These will include portraits of Lt. Col. Richard Cary (an Aide-de-Camp to Gen. George Washington), Gen. Anthony Lamb (who served in the War of 1812), and Robert R. Livingston, one of five men who drafted the original Declaration of Independence.

The miniatures could conceivably draw bids from art enthusiasts as well as collectors of colonial Americana. They're that historically significant. That they were done by Peale will only enhance their allure. Peale was one of the major figures in the early American art scene. He painted 250 portraits of distinguished Americans of the day, which he displayed in a museum that he opened. This collection will sell on Sunday as part of the historical items offered. These miniatures, as well as more than 99.5 percent of items in the sale, will be sold without reserves (or minimums).

Another painting sure to get paddles wagging is an oil on board waterfall scene by John Gadsby Chapman (Am./It., 1808-1889), titled Peyton Falls, Va. (1862). The work was descended in the Peyton family. Chapman was born in Alexandria, Va., and painted in Winchester, but he lived as an expatriate in Italy, too, studying in Rome and Florence before returning to America in 1831.

For those unable to attend the auction live, internet bidding will be provided by Invaluable.com, LiveAuctioneers.com and Bidsquare.com. Phone and absentee (left) bids will also be accepted.

Previews will be held on Friday, Feb. 13, from 3-7 p.m., and on auction days, Feb. 14-16, from 9 a.m. until the gavel falls on the first lot at 11 a.m. Louis J. Dianni, LLC, has been in the business of selling antiques since 1973. The firm’s auctions are big events, held at the peak of the season, in lucrative and historic areas of the country. Dianni uses promotional booths at significant and relative collector shows. E-mails are sent to over 150,000 avid collectors and dealers worldwide.

Louis J. Dianni, LLC, is always accepting quality items for future auctions. To inquire about consigning an item, a collection or an entire estate, you may call them at (954) 895-8727 or you can send an e-mail to ljdmarine00@gmail.com. To learn more about Louis J. Dianni, LLC and the upcoming sixth annual Palm Beach Auction slated for Feb. 14-16, visit www.LouisJDianni.com.

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