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Sèvres Palace Porcelain Urns
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in New Orleans, LA
These bronze-mounted Sèvres porcelain urns are monumental in both size and quality and feature the renowned manufactory’s signature deep cobalt blue glaz...
Category
Antique 19th Century French Rococo Urns
Materials
Bronze, Ormolu
Crustacean Flora Danica Plate by Royal Copenhagen
By Royal Copenhagen
Located in New Orleans, LA
This hand-painted porcelain plate by Royal Copenhagen is adorned by the firm's highly regarded Flora Danica pattern. While the majority of the motifs in the Flora Danica pattern capture the native fungi and flowers of Denmark, this plate is part of a rare series of crustacean motifs. At its center is a life-like representation of the Nephrops norvegicus, or Norway lobster, while the creature’s Latin name is inscribed on the reverse. Accented with a delicately gilded edge, this plate is a testament to the skill and talent of Royal Copenhagen artists.
Once the porcelain supplier to the Queen of Denmark, Royal Copenhagen is known throughout the world for their quality craftsmanship and creative innovation. Founded in 1775 under the authority of Queen Juliane Marie, the first pieces ever produced were complex dining services for the Danish Royal Family...
Category
20th Century Danish Porcelain
Materials
Porcelain
Flemish Baroque Tortoiseshell Mirro
By Flemish
Located in New Orleans, LA
This monumental 17th-century Flemish mirror is crafted in the grand Baroque style. The magnificent frame is veneered in exquisite tortoiseshell with wave-moulded bands of ebony providing a flawless accent. Tortoiseshell and ebony were both among the most precious and coveted materials of the 17th century, and are used to their utmost effect in this exceptionally rare looking glass.
Flemish glassworkers enjoyed a reputation of excellence beginning in the 16th century. These skillful craftsmen are credited with the invention of the tin-mercury method of mirror-making, a process that made polished metal mirrors obsolete. They employed and excelled in a number of decorative techniques in creating the frames, including marquetry, japanning (Dutch and Flemish japanning was of the highest quality, surpassing even the English), and the use of tortoiseshell veneering...
Category
Antique 17th Century Baroque Wall Mirrors
Materials
Tortoise Shell, Mirror, Ebony
Royal Italian Writing Desk and Armchair
Located in New Orleans, LA
This Italian carved mahogany writing table is said to have been crafted specifically for use by King Carlo Alberto (Charles Albert of Sardinia, 1798-1849). Both beautiful and functio...
Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
French Musical Automation Picture Clock
Located in New Orleans, LA
This incredible work of art blends the beauty of a painting with the mechanical complexities of both a cylinder music box and an automaton. A clock is integrated within the arched giltwood and gesso frame, and, when activated, this painting quite literally comes alive. As the cylinder mechanism within plays its lovely tune, every character in the farrier's shop becomes animated – from the group of farrier's toiling away at the forge and anvil forming the horseshoes, to the wagging of the charming terrier's tale.
This musical automaton picture clock is attributed to Xavier Tharin of Paris who was the preeminent creator of these fantastical "moving pictures", especially this particular scene. His process mixed oil painting and hand-colored lithograph images that were layered starting from the back and into the middle and foreground to craft the complex series of movements throughout the painting.
A look inside this particular work reveals the complex mechanism (with the three gongs, pendulum and cylinder components immediately visible) which run the timepiece, the cylinder musical component, plus the multitude of moving elements in the painting -- a truly incredible feat considering the technical prowess to create just one of these devices. Musical picture clocks...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Other Wall Clocks
Materials
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
French Fluorspar and Ormolu Clock Garniture
Located in New Orleans, LA
This beautiful French clock garniture, styled in the Louis XV taste, is a charming work of artistry and craftsmanship. Crafted of richly veined and brightly-hued fluorspar mounted wi...
Category
Antique 19th Century French Rococo Mantel Clocks
Materials
Stone, Bronze
Wedgwood Green Dip Tricolor Snake Handled Vase
By Wedgwood
Located in New Orleans, LA
Tricolor jasperware was one of Wedgwood’s most celebrated innovations, and this exquisitely rare vase is an extraordinary example of this wondrous ...
Category
Antique 19th Century English Neoclassical Vases
Materials
Ceramic, Porcelain
19th Century Paul Storr Silver Tea Urn
By Rundell, Bridge & Rundell, Paul Storr
Located in New Orleans, LA
This extraordinarily rare and masterfully crafted tea urn is by the hand of the master Georgian silversmith Paul Storr. Created by Storr while working for Rundell, Bridge and Rundell, Jewelers and Goldsmiths to the King, this magnificent piece truly represents the sophisticated style of the renowned firm and the enormous talents of Paul Storr. Applied and engraved decoration envelop this masterpiece equipped with a carved handle, lion's head spigot and spectacular lion's paw supports. The piece bears the arms of the Neave Baronetcy with those of Digby, for Sir Thomas Neave and his wife Frances Caroline, daughter of the Hon. William Digby, the Dean of Durham.
Though he held no formal title, Storr enjoyed patronage from the most important and powerful figures of the period including King George III and the Prince of Wales, the future King George IV. His first major work was a gold font commissioned by the Duke of Portland in 1797, and in 1799 he created the “Battle of the Nile...
Category
Antique 19th Century English Georgian Sterling Silver
Materials
Silver
Swiss Station Cylinder Music Box
Located in New Orleans, LA
Tiny dancers twirl to the melodious tunes produced by this Swiss station cylinder music box. The cylinder is joined by a drum and bells that give richness and depth to the wonderful music the box creates. Music boxes were at the height of fashion in the late 19th century and served as a status symbol for the European gentry. Switzerland was the birthplace of cylinder music boxes and home to the great majority of the most renowned manufacturers. This example, in its finely crafted English walnut case, boasts two combs, allowing the box to play in harmony for a richer, more complex song.
This particular style, commonly referred to as a “station” or “showcase” box, was used to entertain guests in hotel lobbies, train stations and other similar public places, and as such would have been coin-operated. This example, however, does not accept coins. This, combined with its overall quality, complexity and beauty, indicates it was made for a private household of significant means. Today, these ingenious musical masterpieces are highly sought-after by collectors of musical automata...
Category
Antique 19th Century Swiss Other Musical Instruments
Materials
Brass
Sonderborg Castle Porcelain Plate by Royal Copenhagen
By Royal Copenhagen
Located in New Orleans, LA
This plate by the celebrated porcelain firm of Royal Copenhagen features a wonderfully detailed seascape complete with ships and a quaint Danish village surrounding the Sonderborg Ca...
Category
20th Century Danish Other Porcelain
Materials
Porcelain
James Condliff Skeleton Table Regulator Clock
Located in New Orleans, LA
A horologic masterpiece of precision and beauty, this Victorian-era skeleton clock is an extraordinary example of 19th-century British clockmaking by the famed James Condliff of Liverpool. Regarded as the father of the English skeleton clock...
Category
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Mantel Clocks
Materials
Brass
Chinese Coconut Cup
Located in New Orleans, LA
Carved from the shell of a coconut, this enchanting Chinese cup exhibits exceptional artistry. An elegant floral design encircles the entire cup, while the interior is fully lined with silver. In addition to the poison detecting powers attributed to coconuts, the Chinese believed that silver would tarnish when in contact with poison. In fact, many wealthy Chinese used silver lined cups and chopsticks tipped with silver fittings as an assurance against poisoning. To find a silver-lined coconut cup...
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Other Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Coconut
Durgin Wentworth Flatware Service, 167 Pieces
By William B. Durgin
Located in New Orleans, LA
This rare 167-piece Wentworth sterling silver flatware service was crafted by the celebrated William B. Durgin Silver Company. Each piece bears an intricate, hand-chased pattern featuring florettes, acanthus leaves, scrolls, and an open cartouche surrounding a monogram. Originally retailed by Grogan Company, the leading retail jeweler in Pittsburgh at the turn of the century, this set of 12 is truly exceptional.
The set comes complete in its original fitted, suede-lined case.
American, circa 1902
Marked "STERLING" with script "D" mark for Durgin and retailer's mark "Grogan Company"
Case: 6" high x 23 1/8" wide x 18 7/16" deep
This service comprises:
12 dinner knives12 lunch knives12 butter spreaders12 dinner forks12 lunch forks12...
Category
20th Century American Other Tableware
Materials
Sterling Silver
Louis XV Silver Tureen by Jean-Baptiste-Francois Chéret
By Cheret Francois
Located in New Orleans, LA
Crafted by French master silversmith Jean-Baptiste-François Chéret, this period Louis XV tureen boasts exceptional decoration, including delicate and refined engraving, shell and acanthus accents, and a remarkably detailed cast finial of cauliflower, celery and carrots. Thanks to a very strict guild system, French silver has always been among the finest in the world. It was also subject to the various fiscal crises of the late 17th and 18th centuries, as both Louis XIV and Louis XV issued edicts demanding that all silver be brought to the mint for melting, with the resulting coin to be used to replenish depleted state treasuries. French silver from this extravagant era survives only in relatively small quantities, and is thus in great demand by collectors.
The tureen is marked on the interior lid and underside. The large object charge mark identified as a crown over the letter “A...
Category
Antique 18th Century French Louis XV Soup Tureens
Materials
Silver
Russian Cut-Glass Chandelier
Located in New Orleans, LA
This Russian chandelier is distinguished by its exceptional rarity. The entirety of this important Neoclassical fixture is covered with a myriad of intricately cut glass lusters, all...
Category
Antique 19th Century Russian Chandeliers and Pendants
Materials
Bronze
Napoleon III Porcelain Basket
Located in New Orleans, LA
A delightful French basket mounted in doré bronze which provides the framework for the six panels veneered in mother-of-pearl and set with French porcelain plaques...
Category
Antique 19th Century French Napoleon III Decorative Baskets
Materials
Bronze
Chrysanthemum Silver Gilt Tazze by Tiffany & Co.
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in New Orleans, LA
This impressive set of four Tiffany & Co. silver gilt tazze displays the highly popular and distinctive Chrysanthemum pattern. Sheer brilliance of workmanship is what truly sets apart this timeless pattern, which is still considered Tiffany's finest and most elegant. The exuberant motif’s signature flower graces the scalloped rim of each dish, and extends down to the wide baluster stems and feet. Unlike most Tiffany Chrysanthemum silver...
Category
20th Century American Art Nouveau Serving Pieces
Materials
Sterling Silver
Silver Plate Meat Platter
Located in New Orleans, LA
This fine silver plate meat platter exhibits the finest Georgian-inspired design, with a gracefully scalloped border edged by precise gadroo...
Category
Antique 19th Century English Georgian Sheffield and Silverplate
Materials
Silver Plate
Hupfeld Phonoliszt-Violina Model B Music Cabinet
Located in New Orleans, LA
This incredible Hupfeld Phonoliszt-Violina Model B music cabinet is among the rarest and most advanced automatic music players of its time. The remarkable machine, crafted by renowned Leipzig firm of Ludwig Hupfeld, is one of the most mechanically complex music players ever made, boasting three self-playing violins accompanied by a self-playing piano. Once made in the 1000s to entertain patrons of upscale hotels, restaurants, and cafes, these extraordinary machines...
Category
20th Century German Other Musical Instruments
Materials
Wood
Cameo Glass Vases by Webb
By Thomas Webb & Sons
Located in New Orleans, LA
Exquisitely handcrafted to mimic the subtle luxury of ivory, these cameo glass vases by Thomas Webb & Sons are a remarkable rarity. Webb first developed its celebrated ivory glass in the early 1880s, an era of remarkable inventiveness for the famed glass company. Designed to emulate the Japanese and Chinese ivory carvings...
Category
Antique 19th Century English Other Vases
Materials
Glass
French Louis XVI-Style Bronze Chenets
Located in New Orleans, LA
This wonderful pair of Louis XVI-style bronze chenets features patinated, cloaked cherub figures seated on ornate gilt bronze plateau and keeping t...
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Andirons
Materials
Bronze
French Provincial Walnut Armoire
Located in New Orleans, LA
This monumental Louis XV armoire exhibits the rare beauty of French Provincial furniture. Crafted of lustrous walnut, this armoire features double doors, one of which opens with the ...
Category
Antique 18th Century French Louis XV Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Walnut
Jockey Scale by W & T Avery
By W & T Avery
Located in New Orleans, LA
A fantastic piece of horse racing history, this English jockey scale was specially crafted by W. & T. Avery of Birmingham. These handsome scales were used...
Category
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Sports Equipment and Memorabilia
Materials
Iron
Continental Silver Gilt Salt Cellars
Located in New Orleans, LA
This set of six 19th century Continental silver gilt salt cellars take the triangular form of silver salts used by the affluent in Renaissance-era Germany. The salts are masterfully executed in a bold Mannerist style...
Category
Antique 19th Century Unknown Renaissance Tableware
Materials
Silver
Nautical Gyroscope Cocktail Service
Located in New Orleans, LA
Representing the best of mid-20th-century American design, this nautical "gyroscope" cocktail service is both a stylish and functional addition to one's bar. The set features everything needed to craft a delectable libation, including a shaker and eight glasses decorated with sailboats and anchors that can be stored within the frame, designed to resemble a ship's steering wheel. Its chromed metal form can be easily set into an upright position to save space when not in use. However, the ingenious design can also be repositioned to serve as a horizontal cocktail serving station...
Category
20th Century American Other Barware
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Morello Pattern Cut Glass Pitcher by Libbey
By Libbey Glass Co.
Located in New Orleans, LA
This remarkable American Brilliant Period cut glass pitcher features the exquisite pattern designed by William Marrett and patented by the Libbey Glass Co. in 1903. The quality of the glass, rarity of the pattern and astonishing refraction of light is an example of American Brilliant cut glass at its absolute best.
The Libbey Glass Company was the foremost and most respected producer of the best cut glass of the Brilliant Period. From its very inception, the Libbey Glass Company assumed and maintained a prominent position, considered second to none in the production of premium American glass. The company was founded in 1818 in Cambridge, Massachusetts and was known as the New England Glass Company. In 1878, William L. Libbey leased the company, changing the name to the New England Glassworks, LLC, Libbey and Sons, Proprietors. His son, Edward Drummond Libbey, took over the operation in 1883 and, in 1888, he closed the Massachusetts factory and moved to Toledo, Ohio, renaming the company the Libbey Glass Company. Libbey became the largest cut glass factory in the world during the Brilliant Period (1878-1915). The company's incredible exhibit at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair propelled Libbey's worldwide reputation. They brought 130 of their most skilled craftsmen to blow and cut glass, awing spectators by demonstrating the complicated and precise process of transforming raw molten glass into dazzling works of art. Today, examples of Libbey cut glass...
Category
20th Century American Pitchers
Materials
Glass, Cut Glass
Hyalite Glass Flacon
Located in New Orleans, LA
This fascinating Charles X-period “cathedral” flacon has the appearance of agate, but it is actually crafted of rare red hyalite glass. The sculpted vessel rests within a patinated a...
Category
Antique 19th Century French Charles X Glass
Materials
Agate, Bronze
Mahogany Carriage Clock by James McCabe
By James McCabe
Located in New Orleans, LA
This solid mahogany traveling clock with balance wheel escapement was crafted by celebrated London clockmaker James McCabe for London’s Royal Exchange. Known for exquisite workmanshi...
Category
Antique 19th Century English Other Table Clocks and Desk Clocks
Materials
Brass
Thistle Cameo Glass Jug by Daum Nancy
Located in New Orleans, LA
This splendidly carved cameo glass jug, crafted by the renowned Daum Nancy, is a captivating work of skillfully etched and painted decoration. This carafe displays a dramatic botanical motif, with twisting thistles accented with hand-applied enamel and gilt details set against the warm orange hue of the translucent glass background. Such precise, vivid cameo scenes...
Category
Early 20th Century French Other Glass
Materials
Glass
Russian and Swirl Pattern Cut Glass Candlesticks
Located in New Orleans, LA
This remarkably detailed pair of American Brilliant Period cut glass candlesticks combine the Russian and Swirl patterns. The candlesticks' capital and base display the deeply cut and highly polished pyramidal stars and strawberry diamonds...
Category
20th Century North American Other Candlesticks
Materials
Cut Glass
18th-Century Green Jasper Snuff Box
Located in New Orleans, LA
Mounted in delicate 18K yellow gold openwork is this exquisite 18th-century English snuff box formed from green jasper. For over 300 years, master artisan...
Category
Antique 18th Century English Georgian Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Materials
Stone, Gold
Domestic Medicine Chest by Thompson & Capper
By Thompson & Capper
Located in New Orleans, LA
An invaluable addition to the 19th century home, this domestic medicine chest contained nearly everything needed to nurse a member of the house...
Category
Antique 19th Century English Other Apothecary Cabinets
Materials
Brass
Carved Citrine Pill Box
Located in New Orleans, LA
This exquisite French pill box combines the mastery of the French goldsmithing tradition with the radiance of citrine. The box was crafted by the celebrated French jeweler Gustave-Roger Sandoz, who was renowned for producing exceptional pieces with a variety of gems in the Art Nouveau style. In this example, he brilliantly combined pieces of highly translucent, golden citrine with gold to create the exquisite box. The texture of the carving is exceptional, with a natural and dynamic motif that evokes the very best tenets of the Art Nouveau style. The gold rim is further decorated with tiny beads, while a pearl-mounted gold leaf finial completes the exceptional piece.
Maison Gustave Sandoz...
Category
20th Century Art Nouveau Decorative Boxes
Materials
Mother-of-Pearl, Glass, Art Glass
17th Century Venetian Figural Torchères
Located in New Orleans, LA
Awe-inspiring in size and artistry, these incredible Venetian figural torchères pay homage to two of Italy’s most celebrated merchant explorers–Marco...
Category
Antique Early 17th Century Italian Renaissance Statues
Materials
Wood
Meissen-Style Porcelain Wall Sconce
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in New Orleans, LA
This magnificent Meissen-style porcelain wall sconce features three candle holders and is adorned with hand-painted, floral Rococo decoration.
cir...
Category
Antique 19th Century German Rococo Wall Lights and Sconces
Materials
Porcelain, Meissen
Chrysanthemum Porringer Bowl by Tiffany & Co.
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in New Orleans, LA
Crafted by the legendary Tiffany & Co., this rare sterling silver child's porridge bowl was crafted with a little one in mind. One of Tiffany’s most charming pieces, the bowl is ador...
Category
Early 20th Century American Art Nouveau Sterling Silver
Materials
Sterling Silver
Montesquieu Portrait Tortoiseshell Snuff Box
By Jacques Joseph de Gault
Located in New Orleans, LA
An exquisite miniature of French philosopher Charles Montesquieu graces the lid of this tortoiseshell-lined snuff box. The handsome portrait was fash...
Category
Antique 18th Century French Louis XV Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Materials
Gold, Enamel
Peacock Candle Holder by Jacob Petit
By Jacob Petit
Located in New Orleans, LA
This candle holder by renowned porcelain manufacturer Jacob Petit is extravagantly designed in the form of a majestic peacock. Petit owned one of the most important and well-known po...
Category
Antique 19th Century French Rococo Candlesticks
Materials
Porcelain
Electroplate Table by Elkington & Co.
By Elkington & Co.
Located in New Orleans, LA
This remarkable and historic parcel-gilt electroplate table hails from renowned British firm Elkington & Co., the distinguished company that i...
Category
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Tables
Materials
Gold Plate, Silver Plate
Grand Ducal Pietre Dure Console Tables
By Andrea Brustolon
Located in New Orleans, LA
Among the most beautiful examples of hardstone artistry that have ever entered our collection, these important Grand Ducal pietre dure console tables are in a class all their own. Their powerful architectural elegance, impressive size and rarity make them two of the finest hardstone masterpieces ever created and quite possibly the greatest pair of pietre dure tables in existence.
With their naturalistically rendered flowers and birds, these tabletop panels showcase the particularly fine quality craftsmanship of the Grand Ducal workshops in Florence during the first quarter of the 17th century. Grand Duke Ferdinando I de Medici, one of the most important personages in the annals of art history, established the Grand Ducal Workshop in 1588. The workshop specialized in the art of pietre dure developed from the ancient art of opus sectile, giving rise to the most luxurious and detailed examples of hardstone artistry ever produced. Its patrons were the Popes and Royals of Europe, and the quality of the objects produced in the workshop is without equal. Typically, because of the high level of workmanship the art form requires, pietre dure plaques were crafted in small sizes. The great majority of known examples of pietre dure are a fraction of the size of our grand tables. The combination of pietre dure and extensive use of other rare decorative hardstones such as lapis lazuli and pietra paesina or “ruin marble” meant that these tabletops were surely produced for a wealthy collector.
The tables are further distinguished by their superbly carved bases by Andrea Brustolon, known as the “Michelangelo of wood.” Brustolon was a Venetian wood sculptor known for his exuberant and intricate Baroque furniture. His high Baroque style was influenced by his years studying in Rome, where he was exposed to the sculpture of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Crafted in the early 18th century, these bases display Brusolon’s unmatched talent for both figural and foliate work, combining cupids, masks and oversized scrolling vines for a grand, ornate effect. Similar furnishings by Brustolon are held in museums worldwide, including the Victoria & Albert Museum, the National Museum of Scotland and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, while the Ca' Rezzonico Museum in Venice features an entire room dedicated to the sculptor.
For approximately 150 years, these tables were part of the famed Stoneleigh Abbey collection owned by the Lord Leigh family. This renowned English country estate inspired Jane Austen to write Mansfield Park. Lord Leigh eventually sold the tables at Christie’s London in 1962, and the pair have stayed in the collection of the same Florentine family who purchased them from Christie's until we recently acquired them.
Our tables are prominently pictured in the important Saul Levy book Il Mobile Veneziano del Settencento. The pietre dure plaques date circa 1625-1650. The decorative tops likely would have originally been sold with a pair of plain stone columns to display them, and Lord Leigh would have commissioned the custom bases from Brustolon circa 1714 when he added the impressive four-story fifteen-bay Baroque West Wing to Stoneleigh Abbey.
A similar single Grand Ducal tabletop is in the United Kingdom’s National Trust Collection, and a smaller tabletop resides in Buckingham Palace. The flower and bird panels in our examples relate to the famous Badminton Cabinet...
Category
Antique 17th Century Italian Baroque Side Tables
Materials
Wood
Specimen Games Table Attributed to Gillows
By Gillows of Lancaster & London
Located in New Orleans, LA
This magnificent games table incorporates some of the rarest English marbles, hardstones and fossil specimens, including Derbyshire Blue John. The scarcity of these coveted stones makes an inlaid circular piece of this size a truly exceptional and unique masterpiece. The tabletop, with its fabulous specimens surrounding an Ashford marble chessboard...
Category
Antique 19th Century English Regency Game Tables
Materials
Stone
Regency-Era Card Table
Located in New Orleans, LA
This ingenious late Regency card table was designed with both beauty and entertainment in mind. When not in use, its folded D-shaped top sits against the wall providing an elegant si...
Category
Antique Early 19th Century English Regency Game Tables
Materials
Wood
Mandolin Singing Bird Automaton Music Box
Located in New Orleans, LA
This exceptional singing bird cylinder music box is a wonder of Austrian mechanical ingenuity. Not only does it play a selection of classical airs with remarkable tone and clarity, but its lush sound is accompanied by a colorful, singing bird automaton...
Category
Antique 19th Century Austrian Other Musical Instruments
Materials
Satinwood
Sterling Silver Globe Inkwell Centerpiece by Tiffany & Co.
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in New Orleans, LA
This superb inkwell centerpiece dating to the Edwardian era was designed by the legendary Tiffany & Co. Crafted from sterling silver and bronze, this stunning inkwell boasts a comman...
Category
Early 20th Century American Edwardian Inkwells
Materials
Sterling Silver, Bronze
Georgian Blue John and Silver Urn
By Sir William Chambers
Located in New Orleans, LA
This important George III blue John urn is attributed to famed Swedish architect Sir William Chambers. The solid piece is carved entirely from rare Blue...
Category
Antique 18th Century English Neoclassical Urns
Materials
Stone, Marble
Baccarat Crystal Twenty-Four-light Chandelier
By Baccarat
Located in New Orleans, LA
This Baccarat crystal and doré bronze chandelier of monumental size and opulent design is truly a splendid sight to behold. Boasting 24 lights, this incredible and captivating design is distinguished by the oversized drops of hand wood-polished Baccarat crystals, which hang among garlands of luminous prisms from the doré bronze branches. This stunning chandelier is of exceptional quality and grand size, boasting some of the finest crystal in the world. In original condition and restored for electricity, this is truly one of the most incredible 19th century chandeliers ever created.
The French House of Baccarat has been internationally recognized for its magnificent glass creations for over 200 years. During the mid-19th century, their chandeliers and tableware were favored greatly by European royalty, including Louis XVIII, Charles X, Louis Phillipe, Emperor Napoleon III, Czar Nicholas II...
Category
Antique 19th Century French Other Chandeliers and Pendants
Materials
Crystal
19th Century Exhibition Model of Expanding Table by Samuel Hawkins
By Samuel Hawkins
Located in New Orleans, LA
A masterpiece of both cabinetmaking and mechanical engineering, this one-of-a-kind expanding table was crafted by the renowned cabinetmaker Samuel Hawkins of London for the Great Exhibition of 1851. Diminutive in size, the fascinating table was designed as a model to demonstrate Hawkins’ innovative patent screw movement to visitors of the Exhibition – six million people in total over five months. It was exhibited again a century later at the Victoria & Albert Museum during the Festival of Britain, an event intended “to symbolise two main qualities of the national character: realism and strength on the one hand, and, on the other, independence and imagination” (Catalogue of the Exhibition, 1951, p.117). To this day, the miniature masterpiece demonstrates the quest of English furniture makers to combine technical innovation with superb craftsmanship.
Displaying exceptional ingenuity, Hawkins’ wind-out screw mechanism allowed one to extend the table’s base to accommodate concentric leaves with the simple crank of a handle. It is based on the inventive expanding table originally designed by Robert Jupe in 1835, which used a swivel mechanism to separate sections of the tabletop and allow for segmented leaves to be inserted. Hawkins’ tabletop, on the other hand, extends outwards directly from the center in order to accommodate additional leaves around its diameter. This unique design allowed the mechanism to also smoothly operate on rectangular tables, which could be wound out from the middle to allow for more table space.
Hawkins was not alone in his endeavor to combine the technical merits of engineering and mechanics with the most artful pursuit of cabinetmaking. The first half of the 19th century saw a prolific increase in the popularity of applying new ideas to traditional furniture principles, which allowed furniture to serve many purposes. The resulting “patent” furniture was practical and refined, though few were as innovative as Hawkins’ prodigious design.
Carved with the year of the Exhibition on the beautifully designed pedestal base, the table is a testament to the significance of this innovation. The model is mentioned in detail in the catalog of the Great Exhibition of 1851, the first international exhibition of industry, manufacturing, and science. Held at London’s dazzling Crystal Palace, its visitors were treated to exhibits from around the globe, including feats of engineering, innovations in industry, and marvels of design. Queen Victoria herself was a frequent visitor, along with her husband, Prince Albert, and others including Charlotte...
Category
Antique 19th Century English Other Tables
Materials
Mahogany
Colonial Revival Dining Room Suite
Located in New Orleans, LA
This important and complete American Federal dining room suite is truly a magnificent find. This suite has remained intact for over 150 years, and i...
Category
Antique 19th Century American Neoclassical Dining Room Sets
Materials
Brass
18th Century George III Mahogany Footed Knife Boxes
Located in New Orleans, LA
An exceedingly rare and important pair of George III-period mahogany knife boxes of exceptional quality and condition. The boxes are of serpentine form with refined crossbanded and c...
Category
Antique 18th Century English George III Knife Boxes
Materials
Serpentine
Murano Venetian Glass Water Fountain
By Gino Cenedese
Located in New Orleans, LA
An unquestionable masterpiece of Venetian glass artistry, this incredible glass fountain is the rarest and most fascinating form of Murano glass ever created. Masterpieces requiring ...
Category
20th Century Italian Other Fountains
Materials
Gold Leaf
French Musical Automaton Picture Clock
Located in New Orleans, LA
One of the most amazing timepieces we have ever acquired that offers far more than meets the eye, this incredible work of art blends the beauty of a painting with the mechanical complexities of both a cylinder music box and an automaton. While it is clear to see the integrated clock residing within the arched giltwood and gesso frame, when activated, this painting quite literally comes alive. As the cylinder mechanism within plays its lovely tune, every character in the farrier's shop becomes animated – from the group of farrier's toiling away at the forge and anvil forming the horseshoes, to the wagging of the charming terrier's tale.
This musical automaton picture clock is attributed to Xavier Tharin of Paris who was the preeminent creator of this fantastical "moving pictures", especially this particular farrier scene. His process mixed oil painting and hand-colored lithograph images that were layered starting from the back, middle and foreground to craft the complex series of movements throughout the painting.
A look inside this particular work reveals the complex mechanism (with the three gongs, pendulum and cylinder components immediately visible) which must run the timepiece, the cylinder musical component plus the multitude of moving elements in the painting...a truly incredible feat considering the technical prowess to create just one of these devices. Musical picture clocks...
Category
Antique 19th Century French Other Wall Clocks
Materials
Paint
Indian Arivalmanai Culinary Cutting Tool
Located in New Orleans, LA
Originating from the Kerala region of Southern India, this 19th century arivalmanai, or culinary cutting instrument, is a traditional tool used in the preparation of vegetables throughout India. Comprising an engraved steel blade mounted upon a carved wood base, the user would place their weight on the wooden base by either sitting or kneeling, and prepare their ingredients accordingly. The craftsmanship and size of this fascinating relic denotes its usage in a Hindu temple setting, as offering food to the deities is believed to direct the mind towards spirituality.
Food plays an important role in Hindu worship, and because of the veneration of the cow and belief in non-violence, most followers follow a vegetarian diet. The vast majority of Hindu religious...
Category
Antique 19th Century Indian Other Butcher Blocks
Materials
Steel
Meissen Porcelain Mirror
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in New Orleans, LA
Lavish Meissen porcelain serves as the extraordinary frame for this mirror. Exquisitely hand-painted in polychrome with gilt accents, the bountiful fr...
Category
Antique 19th Century German Rococo Wall Mirrors
Materials
Porcelain, Mirror
Louis XVI-Style Marquetry Side Table
Located in New Orleans, LA
Fashioned in the Louis XVI style, this elegant kidney-shaped French marquetry side table is decorated with a rich diamond pattern inlay. The natural warm...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Side Tables
Materials
Bronze
Venetian Wood Sculpture
Located in New Orleans, LA
An exceptional and monumental Venetian wood sculpture surmounted by two putti holding a footed tray. The base is decorated with a bas-relief of the view ...
Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Other Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Baccarat Ormolu Cave à Liqueur
By Baccarat
Located in New Orleans, LA
This charming and rare 19th-century cave à liqueur by the renowned cristallerie Baccarat gets a unique twist thanks to its oriental design. Taking the f...
Category
Antique 19th Century French Barware
Materials
Bronze
Flora Danica Lidded Ginger Jar by Royal Copenhagen
By Royal Copenhagen
Located in New Orleans, LA
Crafted by Royal Copenhagen, this lidded ginger jar features one of the most prestigious porcelain patterns ever produced — the coveted Flora Danica pattern. The jar is rarity in the...
Category
20th Century Danish Other Porcelain
Materials
Porcelain
Italian Rococo-Style Giltwood Vitrines
Located in New Orleans, LA
This extraordinary pair of Rococo-style vitrines is an exceptional example of Italian cabinetry. Beautifully designed and executed in giltwood, the stunning pair is set apart by a pr...
Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Rococo Vitrines
Materials
Giltwood
Albatross Cameo Glass Perfume by Thomas Webb & Sons
By Thomas Webb & Sons
Located in New Orleans, LA
This exceptionally rare cameo glass perfume bottle by Thomas Webb & Sons takes the form of an albatross. The upper layer of opal glass is expertly carved t...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Bottles
Materials
Glass
Japanese Lacquer Tray
Located in New Orleans, LA
As beautiful as it is practical, this Japanese Meiji-period lacquered tray is distinguished by its exceptional craftsmanship. It exhibits a phenomenal artistry as the entire tray is ...
Category
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Lacquer
Materials
Lacquer
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Wear Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Genius on Your Finger with This Vivid Ring
In his jewelry making, the designer rarely used diamonds — this rare example has two.
You Won’t Find a More Handsome Stopwatch Than This 1890s Pocket Chronograph
A Grand Complication from the golden era of pocket watches, the Marius Lecoultre pocket watch does everything but uncork your wine.