On Sunday April 24th Schwenke Auctioneers presents its April Fine Estates Auction with an eclectic and diverse offering of over 400 lots consigned from several separate estates and consignors from Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. The sale includes several fine groups of Asian decorative arts from three estates, Mid-Century Modern decorative arts, American, English and Continental decorative arts from a Stamford estate, folk art and American country furniture from Stamford and Woodbury estates, English & other sterling silver, a large selection of estate costume jewelry, fine art, miscellaneous decorative arts, musical instruments, a group of ethnic art from a West 93rd Street NYC estate, two fine groups of English formal furniture and decorative arts from Middlebury and Harwinton collections, and many fine Persian and Caucasian estate carpets.

Noteworthy mid-century modern lots include a pair of upholstered mid-century walnut club chairs, unidentified label on base, measuring 28 1/2" high, 36 1/2" wide, 20" deep; an upholstered mid-century modern walnut sofa, possibly Swedish, with exaggerated shaped top, raked out arms, and walnut base, measuring 81" long, 32" high, 28" deep; a large Gae Aulenti for Knoll maroon enameled steel dining table, 29" high, 58 1/2" square; and a pair of Knoll Mies Van Der Rohe flat bar Brno chrome and white nubuck upholstered armchairs, size 31" high, 23" wide, 17" deep. The Brno chair was designed by Mies Van Der Rohe for his renowned Tugendhat House in Brno, Czechoslovakia in 1930. Of special interest in the modernist category of offerings is a Russell Woodard style metal spoke base sofa or settee, 61" long, 27" high, 28 1/2" deep, and a companion Russell Woodard style metal spoke base round occasional table, 21 1/2" diameter, 15 1/2" high.

There are several lots of estate costume jewelry, as well as numerous sterling silver jewelry items. Fine jewelry lots include an 18K white gold ring with approximately 1/3 carat center emerald, and pave set diamonds on either side of emerald, gross weight 2.0 DWT, ring size 7; a 14K gold heart pendant with diamonds, gross weight: 1.5 DWT; and a 14K yellow gold, ruby and diamond ring, gross weight 3.0 DWT, ring size 6.

Several lots of Asian decorative arts are on offer, including a Sino-Tibetan Qing thangka depicting a Shakyamuni Buddha teaching dharma, Qing Dynasty, pigments on fabric, sight size: 32 1/4" high, 22" wide; a Chinese gilt bronze Amitayus Buddha, signed verso, 8" high, 4 5/8" wide; a large Chinese porcelain rose medallion teapot with dome shaped lid together with cream pitcher in same design, 8" high, 11 3/4" wide; a Burmese carved, gilded, lacquered, "jeweled " and mother of pearl inlaid reclining Buddha, 19th century, 13 1/2" high, 46" long, 17" deep; a Tibetan thangka depicting a seated deity and attendants, pigments on fabric, 26" high, 18 1/4" wide; a Tibetan thangka depicting Jetsun Milarepa, pigments and gilt on fabric, 28 3/4" high, 18 1/2" wide; a Tibetan thangka depicting Green Tara, pigments and gilt on fabric, sight size: 30 1/2" high, 19 1/4" wide; a Tibetan thangka depicting a seated deity and attendants, pigments on fabric, 26" high, 18 1/4" wide; a Tibetan thangka depicting Jetsun Milarepa, pigments and gilt on fabric, 28 3/4" high, 18 1/2" wide; and a Tibetan thangka depicting Padmasambhava, pigments and gilt on fabric, sight size: 16 1/8" high, 11 1/4" wide.

The sale includes many fine pieces of formal English furniture from two Connecticut estates. Among the offerings are a William IV carved and inlaid mahogany cabinet, with paneled doors opening to a shelved and fitted interior, on foliate carved bracket feet, 58" high, 55" wide, 21" deep; a diminutive oak Welsh cupboard with three open shelves and two drawers below, 73" high, 47 1/2" wide, 18" deep; a George III mahogany butler's secretary, with astragal glazed bookcase over a fitted desk compartment with satinwood drawers, the lower cabinet with linen shelves, 90" high, 49" wide, 22" deep; a fine George III carved mahogany chest on chest with three small drawers above three long drawers and a four drawer base with bracket feet, 75 1/2" high, 41" wide, 22 1/4" deep; an Irish carved and inlaid giltwood mirror, with shell and dolphin crest over a carved and glass inlaid molded frame, 19th century and later, 57" high, 32" wide; a rare early Queen Anne walnut side chair, of unusual form, with high upholstered back and trapezoidal seat, raised on scrolled tapering front legs ending in block feet and having exaggerated scrolling braces, the molded seat frame centered by a carved cartouche, size 43" high, 21" wide, 20" deep; and a rare George I carved giltwood mirror, the scrolling foliate carved frame enclosing a shaped rectangular beveled plate, 50" high, 33" wide.

Continental furniture and decorations are also featured, most notably a Louis XV rosewood, kingwood and ormolu mounted serpentine commode, stamped "F. Moreau JME", with a serpentine marble top overhanging a conforming case veneered in rosewood with kingwood panels having two drawers and embellished with ormolu mounts and hardware, 31" high, 39" wide, 19 1/2" deep. Other fine Continental items include a Louis XV style kingwood and ormolu mounted bureau plat, with green leather writing surface above three frieze drawers, 30" high, 60" wide, 29" deep; a Biedermeier cherrywood settee with ebonized dowelwork frame, rolled arms and saber legs, Continental, 19th century, 69" long, 34" high, 19 1/2" deep; a French carved and gilded barometer with hand painted dial, 37 1/2" high, 28" wide; and a French neoclassical style gilt bronze and rock crystal six light chandelier, 32 1/2" high, 24 1/2" wide.

Fine silver is also being sold, including a Gorham sterling silver flatware service for eight in the "Buttercup" pattern comprising eight forks, eight salad forks, eight knives, eight butter knives, sixteen teaspoons, eight soup spoons, eight cocktail forks, three tablespoons, ladle, and server, total weighable silver 64.10 troy ounces.
Ethnographic and native/tribal arts include a collection of Inuit items, African tribal masks, figures and tools, and a rare early Cabasset hand forged iron helmet, possibly Italian, with brass rosettes, brim with raised and rolled edge, and ear guards, measuring 7 1/2" high, 10 1/4" long. Of special interest is a Spanish Colonial carved and parcel gilt crucifix, 56" high, 34" wide, estimated $2000-3000.

The sale also features many fine art lots including a large work by Jean Duquoc (French, B. 1937), "Le Soleil Jeut" oil on canvas, signed lower left "Jean Duquoc" signed, inscribed, dated 1990 on verso, the sight size 51 1/4" high, 77" wide. An estate on Long Island yielded several works by an Israeli artist Pinchas Shaar (1923-1996), including "Le Marchand de Poisson", oil on canvas signed lower left, signed verso and dated 1963, in a molded giltwood frame, sight size: 32" high, 23" wide.

Also being sold for a Connecticut estate are several original political cartoons by Charles Lewis Bartholomew (American, 1869-1949 editorial cartoonist). Mr. Bartholomew was known simply as "Bart" and is most widely known for his daily cartoons published by The Minneapolis Journal.

The sale also includes several fine Caucasian rugs and over twenty five other estate oriental carpets including Persian, Caucasian and Turkoman room and scatter sized rugs, and other regional and modern rugs of varying sizes. In addition to a large room size Persian Serapi carpet measuring 14’ long by 12’9” wide, the rug lots include a fine Persian Kashan prayer rug, 6' long, 4' wide.

This sale begins at 11:00 am in the firm’s auction hall at 710 Main Street South, Middle Quarter Plaza, in Woodbury. Preview times are Thursday, April 21st through Saturday, April 23rd from 10:00am to 5:00pm, and Sunday from 9:00am to 11:00 am.

The catalog for the sale is viewable at www.woodburyauction.com. Internet, absentee and phone bidding are available for this live gallery auction by registering directly with Schwenke Auctioneers. The sale will be broadcast live through Live Auctioneers and Invaluable. For information please call Schwenke Auctioneers at 203-266-0323.