Traditional and sumptuous antiques will be at the forefront at Fontaine’s Auction Gallery on Saturday, January 19, at 11 am. Auction previews the week of the sale are Friday, 10 am to 5 pm, and Saturday, 8 am to 11 am.
     From highly carved furniture to elaborately worked gilt bronze pieces, this auction will feature 450 lots of antiques and fine art, including American Victorian, Gothic, figural carved and Arts and Crafts furniture, 19th and 20th Century lighting by Tiffany Studios, Duffner and Kimberly, Handel and John Morgan; fine clocks and music boxes, paintings, Royal Vienna and KPM porcelains, gold and diamond jewelry, fine silver, gold coins, art glass and cameo glass, Galle pottery, bronze and marble statuary, Black Forest items, Asian and Russian items, Oriental rugs and more.
     “We are starting off 2019 with a compelling selection for our January sale,” said John Fontaine, owner of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery. Statement pieces figure prominently in this auction and an expected auction leader is a pair of monumental six-light gilt bronze gas floor torchieres standing 6 ½ feet tall ($35/45,000) having a pleasing medium-brown and two-tone gilt bronze patina. Set on urn form bases, the torchieres have mythical faun busts and gilt bronze filigree arms branching up from the top with single faux candle sockets at the ends.
     When it comes to Rococo Revival furniture, one name stands out — John Henry Belter, who created masterful carved furniture pieces from his New York City shop in the mid-1800s so sought after that his works were often emulated and copied by competing cabinetmakers. The more elaborate a Belter piece is, the higher its value. This sale features a J.H. Belter “Fountain Elms” pattern laminated rosewood sofa ($20/30,000) bearing superior carved crests with flowers, fruit, filigree and cornucopias over a serpentine S-scroll framework along with pierced floral and filigree carving in the back with coiled cornucopias. R.J. Horner furniture is also finely carved in exacting detail and crossing the block will be an R.J. Horner oak winged griffin partners desk ($8/12,000) in original finish.
     Well known for clocks and Tiffany lamps, Fontaine’s is also making a name for itself with fine musical instruments, having auctioned off several choice examples lately. In this sale, not one but a total of five cellos will cross the block, led by a Carlo Tononi (1695-1730, Italy) cello ($25/35,000) from the 1700s. Other cello makers with pieces on offer include Carlo Giuseppe Testore, Amedee Dieudonne (attributed), Michael Ignatius Stadlmann and Antonius Bachmann.
     Fine art is also well represented, ranging from an Ivan Fedorovich Choultse (Russian, 1874-1939) oil on canvas, “Autumn River” ($20/30,000) depicting the fiery brilliance of autumn with orange leaves lining the edge of a river and blanketing the ground, to an Edward Percy Moran (American, 1862-1935) oil on canvas painting of General George Washington receiving a surrendered battle flag from a Native American Indian ($6/8,000). In sculptural art, a noteworthy lot is the Grand Tour alabaster sculpture on marble base ($10/15,000) of “The Rape of Polyxena,” after the Pio Fedi (1865) sculpture in Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence, 40 inches tall.
     Tiffany Studios makes a distinguished appearance here, led by a signed Tiffany Studios “Spider” table lamp ($15/20,000) with a 15-inch diameter shade of golden mottled glass in the form of a domical spider web and having a bronze cap with a stylized six-legged spider running down from the top the shade; a Tiffany & Co. carved oak nine-tube grandfather clock ($12/15,000) with a 12-inch silvered dial signed “Tiffany & Co., New York” and applied gilt brass Roman hour numerals, and a Tiffany Studios Acorn double student lamp ($8/12,000).
     Russian items are well represented in this auction with a Signed Carl Faberge jeweled silver kovsh ($6/8,000), two boxed Order of St. Vladimir medals ($4/6,000), a 14-piece silver vodka set marked in Cyrillic “M.I. Drozhin” ($3/5,000) and a silver and niello 12-piece demitasse spoon set, in original fitted case ($1,5/2,000).
     Jewelry and gold coins shine brightly with over 50 lots in the sale being devoted to the precious metal and brilliant jewels, ranging from a 3-piece, 18K gold, diamond and pearl necklace set with earrings and ring ($4/6,000), a pair of 14K gold and 2-carat diamond earrings ($4/6,000), one and two-carat diamond rings ($5/7,500), a 14K gold necklace weighing over 206 grams ($4/6,000) and several lots of jewelry ranging from $1,500 to $7,500.  
      Rounding out the auction will be a scarce C.W. Parker bucking bronco carousel horse ($6/8,000), circa 1915, one of three known to exist, in restored condition and having glass eyes and cast iron horseshoes; and a five-piece French sterling silver and gold vermeil tea set with tray ($7,5/12,500) hallmarked with the French sterling silver Minerva first standard mark with crown over “RL” mark for Robert Linzeler & Cie.
     Fontaine’s Auction Gallery is the oldest operating auction gallery in Western Massachusetts. It has earned the trust of collectors, investors and gallery owners worldwide. All cataloged lots receive nationwide exposure to the firm’s database of more than 20,000 select buyers. Fontaine’s Auction Gallery has been voted “Best Antique Auction Gallery” eight times by the public.
     Fontaine’s Auction Gallery is actively seeking quality items, to include furniture, lighting, clocks and watches, paintings, porcelains, bronze and marble statuary, Asian items, art glass and cameo glass, Russian objects, silver, musical, coin-op, advertising, toys, banks, gaming and carousel items for future sales. Consignments are currently being accepted for all the upcoming auctions.
     The firm will buy outright or accept on consignment fine antiques, collections or entire estates. Call (413) 448-8922 and ask to speak with John Fontaine, or you can send Mr. Fontaine an e-mail to info@fontainesauction.com. For more information about the company and the upcoming auction schedule, visit www.fontainesauction.com. Updates are posted frequently.
     Fontaine’s Auction Gallery is located at 1485 West Housatonic Street (Rte. 20), Pittsfield, Mass. For more information, www.FontainesAuction.com or call 413-448- 8922