CRANSTON, R.I. – A fine Chinese archaic bronze Gui ritual food vessel dating to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), or earlier, one of nearly 150 lots from the collection of George White, the longtime antique dealer and collector (and owner of Gem Furniture) out of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, is an expected headliner in Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers’ next sale planned for April 6th.

The 428-lot, Saturday sale – officially titled an Estate Antiques & Fine Art Auction – will be held online as well as in the spacious Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers gallery located at 63 Fourth Avenue in Cranston, beginning at 12 noon Eastern time. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted. A 150-lot, live-only pre-sale (no internet bidding), starting at 10 am, will precede the main event.

The bronze Chinese vessel, a centerpiece of the White collection, is finely cast Gui form with figural mythical beast handles and decorated with raised archaic geometric forms between taotie bands on a stepped foot. The surface bears a beautiful natural verdigris to the patination and the underside exhibits a copper-orange hue. The 5 ½ inch tall vessel should realize $3,000-$5,000.

“It’s an honor to handle the estate of George White. As a longtime associate and fellow tradesman, it is interesting to see the personal tastes of an antique dealer,” said Bruneau & Co. president and auctioneer Kevin Bruneau. “His Gui vessel should attract a good bit of attention.”

 Travis Landry, a Bruneau & Co. specialist and auctioneer, added, “The decorative arts in this auction are to die for, from contemporary art to early 20th century design there is an example for it. My two picks for the sale are the Ernst Steger bronze torso and Sol LeWitt glass tumblers.”

The bronze sculpture of a nude female torso by German artist Ernst Seger (1868-1939) carries an estimate of $2,000-$3,000. It is a finely cast work, executed in the Art Nouveau style. The 16-inch-tall sculpture is set on a 19 ½-inch-tall base. The back is signed with an “ES” monogram and is dated “1924”. Seger worked in the same studio of sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840-1917).

The set of four hand-blown glass tumblers by Sol LeWitt (Conn./N.Y., 1928-2007) is edition #212 of 250, produced for the Whitney Museum in New York. The set appears to be unused. Each glass stands 4 ¾ inches tall and is signed and dated “Sol LeWitt” underneath one glass and numbered “212/250” under another. The glasses, in good condition, should reach $1,000-$2,000.

A Chinese Qing Dynasty porcelain fish bowl, produced in the 19th century or earlier, is expected to hit $2,000-$3,000. The bowl is finely decorated, with an incised and textured band of goldfish swimming amongst lily pads and lotus flowers, finished in a subtle celadon green glaze. Bearing a red six-character mark along the underside of the rim, the bowl has a diameter of 15 ¾ inches.

An antique Persian Bidjar room-size carpet rug, handwoven from fine wool around 1900 and measuring in impressive 14 feet 10 inches by 11 feet 3 inches, is estimated at $1,500-$2,500. The rug has a central navy-blue diamond medallion with intricate floral designs with each end having a matching tassel surrounded by an open red field, with corner decoration and colorful borders.

A circa 1800 Newport, Rhode Island Pembroke table attributed to John Townsend (1733-1809), made from mahogany and a beautiful period piece, should garner $1,000-$2,000. The table has a single board top with two leaves, and finger molded edge over one drawer with a faux drawer back with original brass hardware. It measures 32 inches long, 21 inches wide, 28 ¾ inches tall.

An enamel on board naïve primitive landscape painting by the renowned folk artist Howard Finster (Ga./Ala., 1916-2001), titled Inside Peshaw Mountain in Visions of Other Worlds, has an estimate of $1,000-$2,000. The signed and dated (“Howard Finster Sept.-16-1990”) on verso work depicts a horde of people in prayer on a mountain. Included is a copy of the book Howard Finster, Man of Visions, by J.F. Turner. The painting measures 10 inches tall by 10 inches wide.

A 19th century Chinese famille verte (porcelain showing a green enamel overglaze over blues, purples, yellows and iron red) center bowl, 16 ¼ inches in diameter and 5 ¼ inches tall, is expected to hit $800-$1,200. The enameled interior is decorated with a female immortal holding a child and riding a Qilin, encircled by a landscape with men and women entertaining a deity.

Doors will open on auction day right at 8 am Eastern time. Online bidding will be facilitated by bidLIVE.Bruneauandco.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Bidsquare.com and Invaluable.com, or by downloading the mobile app “Bruneau & Co.” on iTunes or GooglePlay. Previews will be held on Thursday, April 4th, and Friday, April 5th, from 9 am to 5 pm. All times quoted are Eastern.

To learn more about Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers and the April 6th Estate Antiques & Fine Art Auction, please visit www.bruneauandco.com. Updates are posted frequently. To contact the company via e-mail, use info@bruneauandco.com. Or, you can phone them at (401) 533-9980.

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