PITTSFIELD, Mass. – A Seth Thomas No. 8 office double-dial calendar clock with exceptional finish and in excellent condition, and a late 18th / early 19th century English triple fusee animated bracket clock that plays a selection of four different tunes on the hour, are expected top lots in Fontaine’s Auction Gallery’s Antique & Fine Arts Auction, scheduled for Saturday, March 25th.

The auction will be held in Fontaine’s showroom, located at 1485 West Housatonic Street in Pittsfield, beginning promptly at 11 am Eastern time, as well as online, via LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com, EBay.com and FontainesLive. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted.

Previews will be held on Friday, March 24th, from 9 am to 5 pm, and Saturday, March 25th, the date of sale, from 9-11 am.

Fontaine’s has built a reputation for its sales of rare & unique clocks, but despite the fact that the two clocks described are strong candidates for top lot of the sale, this actually will be an eclectic auction with a broad mix of merchandise. In all, 250 lots will come up for bid, to include fine clocks and watches, 19th and 20th century lighting and American oak and Victorian furniture.

But also offered will be paintings, bronze statuary, Royal Vienna, art glass, gold and diamond jewelry, fine silver, porcelains, KPM plaques, Black Forest items, country store and coin-op, carousel horses, phonographs, Disney animation cels, Persian rugs and tapestries, decorative items and related accessories. All items may be viewed now, online, at FontainesAuction.com.

The Seth Thomas calendar clock, 67 inches tall, has the original 14-inch painted metal dials and black Roman hour numerals and is housed in a large, beautiful walnut case with burled walnut trim panels and original canopy top. It’s expected to bring $40,000-$60,000. The English bracket clock features a dial arch with an animated scene of a seated violinist playing, a dancing man in the center and sailing boats in the harbor in the front. It has an estimate of $25,000-$35,000.

An unsigned oil on canvas portrait painting of George Washington, attributed to Thomas Sully (Br./Pa., 1783-1872), 37 inches by 33 inches (in the frame), should garner $20,000-$30,000. Sully, like many aspiring American portrait painters, studied briefly under Gilbert Stuart (circa 1807). Also, an early 20th century figural leaded landing window boasting exceptional quality and vivid colors, impressive at 46 inches wide by 78 inches tall, should reach $4,000-$6,000.

Collectors of carousel horses, rejoice. An extremely rare, circa 1915 bucking bronco carousel horse, one of only three known and in exceptional, restored condition, with glass eyes, cast iron horse shoes and maker-signed “C. W. Parker, Leavenworth, Kansas,” is expected to gallop off for $10,000-$15,000; while an outside jumper carousel horse by Marcus Charles Illions (1874-1949), also in exceptional restored condition, with gold leaf highlights, should hit $5,000-$7,000.

Fine French clocks will come up for bid frequently throughout the day. A French figural conical pendulum mystery clock, 54 inches tall, with a large spelter sculpture of an iron worker titled Le Travail, after Charles Perron, and a movement signed A.R. Guilmet (Paris), has an estimate of $12,000-$15,000; while a Guilmet torsion pendulum clock with a silvered and gilt pyramidal bronze case, depicting a brick lighthouse on a black marble base, should fetch $6,000-$8,000.

Three outstanding French clocks post identical estimates of $8,000-$12,000. The first is a three-piece French annular clock set on a white marble base, with standing gilt bronze nude female figures (The Three Graces) and a matching pair of six-light candelabra. The second is a pair of bronze Napoleon silk thread mantle clocks, two-tone green-brown and gilt bronze, depicting a scene of Napoleon riding his horse through the Alps, very rare and made circa 1840.

The third is a three-piece bronze and champlevé clock set with relief brass dial retailed by “Mitchell Vance & Co.” (N.Y.), with a French brass eight-day spring-driven movement signed “Japy Freres,” and matching pair of covered side urns. Also offered for sale will be a rococo figural hour repeater carriage clock with gilt bronze case with fancy filigree, cornucopias and figural putti (est. $6,000-$8,000).

What would a Fontaine’s auction be without a clock made by E. Howard & Co. (Boston)? Up for bid will be an E. Howard No. 59 wall regulator with original 8-inch painted metal dial, signed, in an oak case and in excellent condition with a good professional refinish (est. $5,000-$7,000). In the American furniture category, a circa 1850 Bembe & Kimbal rosewood rococo étagère with an elaborate carved cabinet base and scroll carved mirrored top, should finish at $8,000-$12,000.

Staying with American furniture, a massive signed R.J. Horner sideboard, 104 inches tall by 86 ½ inches wide, with a large bonnet top with scroll and seashell crest, swirling filigree in the frieze and griffin heads at the corners, is estimated at $6,000-$8,000; and a carved oak hall bench with a back panel having an overhanging cornice top with figural mountain men bust pilasters, and a large inset back panel with an Egyptian scene of a camel, figures and palm trees, should hammer for $7,000-$9,000.

Tops in the jewelry category is a Van Cleef & Arpels fleurette necklace having a marked 18kt white gold chain with five floral seven-diamond clusters, 16 ½ inches long, in the original signed boxes. The lot is expected to bring $12,000-$15,000. Also offered for sale will be a beautiful Cartier diamond and sapphire 18kt white gold cocktail ring, Pave set with diamonds and irregular cut sapphires. The ring, signed “Cartier,” is expected to slip onto a new finger for $5,000-$7,500.

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 Saturday, March 25th auction please visit www.FontainesAuction.com. Updates are posted often.

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