BOCA RATON, Fla. – A beautiful and large micromosaic table made in Rome, Italy around 1850 – circular in shape and made from black marble, with the top inlaid with semi-precious stones – is the expected headliner at the inaugural sale of AuctionLife Florida, set for Sunday, July 24th, in the Ramada Boca Raton hotel at 701 Northwest 53rd Street, beginning at 1 pm Eastern time.

The table carries a pre-sale estimate of $25,000-$45,000 and depicts St. Peter’s Square in the center and four Roman sites interconnected by floral festoons, a motif popularized by the artist Cavalier Barberi, who began using it around 1840. Each scene is bordered with what appears to be coral, followed by malachite, the whole surrounded by a band of micromosaic lapis lazuli.

The table was once valued at $200,000 by the International Society of Appraisers (a valuation sheet is included with the lot). Also, the micromosaic work is attributed to the Vatican Workshop. 

It is the first auction ever for AuctionLife Florida, which has offices in Palm Beach County, but chose a nice hotel in upscale Boca Raton for its debut event. “I’ve been blessed to have attracted several major estates plus other fine consignments for my first sale, said Tarek Jabaly, the owner and auctioneer of AuctionLife Florida. Jabaly has 10-plus years of auction experience in the area.

There will be just over 300 lots for bidders to consider, to include sculptures, bronzes, furniture (some of it Mid-Century Modern), jewelry, coins, artwork, porcelains, fine decorative items and a few Asian objects. For those unable to attend in person, internet bidding will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com. Telephone and absentee bids will also be accepted.

A strong candidate for runner-up top lot should be a marble sculpture by the Italian artist Luigi Guglielmi (1834-1907), titled Eve with Serpent. The 30-inch-tall sculpture, from the Belle Epoque series and executed in the late 19th century, is similar to a work by Guglielmi that was featured and sold at Christie’s (sale price unknown). The sculpture is estimated at $5,000-$8,000.

Two lots carry estimates of $3,000-$6,000. One is a Continental marble clock candelabra garniture set, each set consisting of two pieces, with the candelabra 30 inches by 10 inches and the clock 20 inches by 20 inches. The other is a pair of French 19th century Napoleon III-style ormolu and patinated bronze ewers, 33 ½ inches tall, on round bases, with cherubs throughout.

A gorgeous three-piece, hand-painted and gold gilt French porcelain garniture set, comprising two vases and a tureen dish, with winged lions to the side of each and hand-painted scenes of a maid being courted and picnics, should bring $1,500-$3,000. Also, an antique pietra dura mosaic bird and butterfly table, featuring lapis lazuli, malachite and other precious stones, carefully cut, fit and inlaid in black marble, on a burl walnut triangular base, is expected to hit $2,000-$5,000.

Silver lots will feature a .999 fine silver sculpture of a cheetah by the Dutch artist Loet Vanderveen (1921-2015), titled Speed of the Wind, a limited-edition (“137/250”) fine silver casting of the artist’s bronze statue of the same name, 15 inches long and weighing 123.15 troy ounces (est. $1,500-$3,000); and a four-piece fine English silver set by Lionel Alfred Crichton, 1910/1911, made from Britannia Standard silver, weighing 30.25 troy ounces (est. $500-$1,500).

Mid-Century Modern furniture pieces will feature three directional brass stools by Paul McCobb (1917-1969), marked with dates in 1960 and featuring square tubular brass frames with X-shaped cross stretchers and green plaid upholstery, to be offered as one lot (est. $500-$1,500); another Paul McCobb piece, this one a side table from the Connoisseur Collection; and a platform slat bench made in the 1950s by George Nelson (1908-1986) for Herman Miller (est. $300-$900).

A beautiful pair of Judith Lieber minaudieres (small evening purses) will be sold as separate lots. One is a butterfly chatelaine hand or evening bag boasting Swarovski crystal rhinestones. The other is an abstract geometric minaudiere purse, also with Swarovski crystal rhinestones. Both purses are about 5 inches long by 2 ½ inches wide and carry identical estimates of $700-$1,400.

AuctionLife Florida’s consulting specialists have over 50 years’ of combined experience in the fields of estate jewelry, fine art, sterling silver, diamonds and antiques. Auctioneer and owner Tarek Jabaly has been heavily involved in the South Florida auction industry for years, as an auctioneer, estate buyer, manager, auction coordinator, consignor liaison and other functions.

AuctionLife Florida is currently seeking quality consignments for future auctions. To inquire about selling an item, an estate or a collection, you may call them at (561) 757-1551; or, you can e-mail them at  auctionlifeflorida@gmail.com. To learn more about AuctionLife Florida and the inaugural auction planned for Sunday, July 24th, you may visit www.AuctionLifeFlorida.com.

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