Quintessential Things

On offer is a Spanish-American War commemorative mirror and hat/coat rack frame from around 1898–1900. The smooth metal center is the backing plate that originally held an 8-inch squ...

On offer is a traditional Japanese portable shrine, known as a zushi. The fierce figure inside is Bishamonten, the Buddhist guardian god of warriors, wealth and the north—just the th...

This is a hand-blown iridescent gold art glass vase crafted by Lundberg Studios in Davenport, California, just north of Santa Cruz. Measuring 7 inches high by 5 inches in diameter wi...

This is a 1906 Buffalo Pottery "Landing of Roger Williams" commemorative jug. Made in Buffalo, New York, it belongs to a celebrated series of early-20th-century American historical t...

This is a vintage Italian cylindrical terracotta garden planter made by Vaserie Trevigiane in the Treviso region of Italy, likely dating to the mid-to-late 20th century (circa 1960s–...

This vintage inlaid wood artwork depicts a devout Jewish man or rabbi engaged in morning prayer. The Hebrew word inlaid at the bottom is שחרית (Shacharit), which translates to "Morni...

This frame is a beautifully crafted example of late 19th-century rustic woodwork, combining elements of Victorian Black Forest style and Adirondack rustic folk art. This piece stands...

On offer are two miniature display mannequins, also known as counter displays or sample dress forms, that represent two different eras’ ideals of femininity. They were used in depart...

This stunning piece is an exquisite 19th-century French Rococo Revival "Bureau à Gradin,” a term for a writing desk equipped with a raised, tiered shelf or a row of small drawers and...

This exceptional French marble-top commode with ormolu represents the height of Belle Époque craftsmanship from the late 19th or early 20th century. The commode is designed in the Tr...

This John-Richard Fine Furniture Hall Console Table is a high-end, bench-made accent piece that blends historical European elegance with luxury craftsmanship. It features a heavily s...

This elegant Chinoiserie-style tray-on-stand coffee table seamlessly blends Hollywood Regency elegance with traditional Far East design motifs. The top tray lifts away entirely from ...

This upholstered piece, called a lolling chair, is the Danny Devito of armchairs. It's roomy, welcoming, and with a seat height of 15.5 inches, low to the ground. Historically, a lol...

This beautiful Eastlake writing desk is an exceptional example of late 19th-century American furniture craft. This desk was likely manufactured b...

Betting that you’ve not seen one of these before, this distinctive piece of furniture is an iconic English Reading Chair (also historically refer...

This exquisite writing table from Baker Furniture’s Historic Charleston Reproductions Collection is a meticulously detailed piece of historical craftsmanship. The original piece belo...

On offer is a set of four modern wrought iron and oak X Form campaign-style armchairs by noted 1960s California architect, landscape architect and furniture designer Cleo Baldon (192...

This George III-style mahogany writing desk with three drawers is an elegant example of classic English furniture design. It balances structural utility with delicate, refined aesthe...

This stunning piece is an authentic antique Chinese bamboo curio/display cabinet. It was crafted in Southern or Southeastern China in the late 19th or early 20th century (the late Qi...

This stunning piece is an authentic antique Chinese bamboo curio/display cabinet. It was crafted in Southern or Southeastern China in the late 19th or early 20th century (the late Qi...

PURPOSE: It is an antique inlaid document box, dress box, or vanity box, what is called a trinket/keepsake box today. The box was designed for storing valuable paperwork, small personal treasures, or writing implements. The interior features a removable, sectioned lift-out tray with adjustable slots. This feature allowed a person to keep stationary supplies, sewing threads, or vanity items organized. Beneath the tray lies a larger open storage well. DESIGN: The design heavily channels Federal and Centennial Americana revival styles. The central motif features a beautifully detailed marquetry inlay of the American bald eagle perched on an olive branch—a classical symbol of peace and national identity. The border displays a repeating geometric "barber-pole" string inlay typical of early-to-mid 19th-century American cabinetmaking. It was hand-crafted by an artisan or specialized woodworker. The crisp, engraved details on the wings of the eagle inlay...

On offer is a Venetian Blackamoor torchère or candlestick holder. The figure is a stylized, romanticized representation of an African figure, a common motif in European decorative ar...

On offer is a classic mid-20th-century American Folk Art "Coach and Horses" silhouette weathervane top, crafted out of a flat sheet of sheet iron. The silhouette depicts a traditiona...

On offer is a miniature gilded box made as an exquisite souvenir of Florence. It depicts a high-relief rendition of one of the world's most famous artworks housed in that city’s Uffi...

This Reuge Music Mechanical Singing Bird Box is a highly coveted luxury mechanical automaton. The blend of a vibrant cobalt blue, lapis-inspired lacquer case with heavily detailed, e...

On offer is a carved wood, painted and gilt figure of an angel. This piece would almost certainly have come from a Catholic church, chapel, or private family altar. Given its size, a...

This item is a German Reservist Stein (Reservistenkrug) honoring a soldier's historical military service during the years of 1896–1899. The stein commemorates completion of compulsor...

On offer is an Adénlá (or simply an Adé), which is the traditional Yoruba language term for a Yoruba Beaded King's Crown. It originates from southwestern...

This pair of Chinese porcelain vessels is a striking example of Famille Rose (Fencai) "Nine Peaches" vases, modeled after a famous imperial design from the Qing Dynasty. The artwork ...

On offer is a pair of oyster dishes, which are an authentic set of antique French "Terre de Fer" (Ironstone) Majolica oyster plates manufactured by the renowned Faïencerie de Longcha...

On offer is an elegant gilt wood "bullseye" convex mirror, which expresses a classic American Federal period aesthetic that flourished between roughly 1785 and 1830. It was a time th...

On offer is an antique Japanese cloisonné-on-brass cabinet vase, dating back to the late Meiji Period (circa 1870s–1890s) in Japanese decorative arts. It was likely made in early production centers such as Nagoya or Kyoto. DESIGN: The central figure in this piece is a flying dragon. In Japanese mythology, the dragon is a benevolent, water-dwelling guardian associated with wisdom, good fortune, prosperity and rain. This dragon’s Japanese pedigree is confirmed by its three-clawed feet; traditional Chinese imperial dragons typically feature five claws. COLORS: The dragon winds through stylized ruyi-shaped clouds and stylized floral blooms against a deep blue sky, representing its celestial flight. The deep cobalt blue evokes the night sky or the deep waters from which the dragon rules. Green and earth tones symbolize the natural, organic elements matching the grounding tree-bark motifs. Lastly, the white clouds emphasize purity and the spiritual realm. TECHNIQUE: This piece is created using the traditional wire cloisonné technique on a solid brass base. The entire vessel was beaten or cast from a sheet of brass. The exposed, raw golden-brown metal on the flat underside of the base and the circular inner rim of the neck confirms its purely metallic construction. An artisan then used fine brass ribbon wires (the “Cloisons”) meticulously shaping and soldering or gluing them directly to the outer brass walls to form distinct structural compartments. These partitioned brass cells were packed with layers of colored vitreous glass powder paste. The entire brass vessel was then repeatedly fired in a kiln at high temperatures, melting the paste into a glassy finish. Next came the mosaic-like, fractured layout of the deep cobalt blue field, which mimics precious inlay work. This complex style was popularized by master Meiji enamellers like Gonda Hirosuke, who regularly produced specialized 6" x 3" dragon cabinet...

On offer is an intricate Chinese soapstone landscape carving depicting a serene mountain village. The carving depicts a traditional Chinese concept often referred to as a "Literati's...

This beautiful piece is an authentic Victorian shell cameo configured to function as both a brooch pin and a pendant. It dates to the Late Victorian Era, circa 1870–1900. The profile...

This exquisite item is an Edwardian sterling silver and cut-crystal vanity bottle. It features a double-lidded design with an inner gold-gilt metal rim and lid under a primary sterl...

This famous pair of bronze busts is known as "Jean qui rit, Jean qui pleure" (John Who Laughs, John Who Cries). They represent allegorical depictions of contrasting human emotions, b...

On offer is a late 19th-century bronze bust of King Henri IV of France (Henry IV, 1553–1610), also known as "Good King Henry". It is secured atop a turned plinth column and a stepped...

On offer is a 1956 book that presents 24 large-format color plates carefully selected from Pierre-Joseph Redouté’s monumental 19th-century work, “Choix des Plus Belles Fleurs et des ...

This beautiful volume is a 1983 limited-run presentation edition of The Times Atlas of the World, produced in collaboration with The Royal Geographical Society (RGS). This presentati...

This striking pair of table lamps has been crafted from authentic 19th-century toleware grocer’s tea canisters. The canisters date to the mid-to-late 19th century, likely around 1860...

On offer is a Louis XV-style carved walnut upholstered bench. Often classified as a large footstool or window stool, this piece is a beautiful, highly detailed example of late 19th t...

On offer is a highly distinctive Antique Empire/Regency style mahogany dressing table vanity mirror. Such a piece was historically referred to as a toilet mirror or shaving mirror. I...

On offer is a pair of striking silverplate relief plaques in their original frames. These are classic German commemorative pieces manufactured by WMF (Württembergische Metallwarenfab...

On offer is a stunning example of an antique European folding fan, dating roughly from the late 19th century to early 20th century (the Belle Époque or late Victorian/Edwardian era)....

On offer is an authentic George III small mahogany chest of drawers, dating to the late 18th century (circa 1770–1790). It features a highly desirable compact format—often called a "...

On offer is a beautiful 19th-century Georgian-style mahogany chest of drawers. While it mimics 18th-century Chippendale brasses, its refined woodwork, crossbanded inlay and distinct ...

This striking piece is a 19th-century Korean Bandaji, or blanket chest. It features a drop-front opening mechanism, highly stylized iron hardware plate extensions and auspicious symb...

This matched set of English cylindrical cabinets is an exceptional example of 19th-century Victorian design, showcasing the classic elegance and utilitarian functionality of the era. Often referred to historically as pot cupboards or pedestal cabinets, these columnar pieces were popularized in Western Europe during the mid-to-late 1800s to serve as functional luxury accents. Originally created as bedside tables, today they also work as end tables, or sculptural plant pillars...

These 19th-century English Wheel-back Windsor armchairs are exceptional examples of vernacular, country-made British furniture. Likely crafted between 1830 and 1850, these pieces sho...

This elegant pair consists of an American Neo-Grec parlor set, including a luxurious gentleman's armchair and a smaller scale lady's chair with lower arms to allow for the era's volu...

On offer is a late 19th-century Victorian Davenport desk. This distinctively styled compact writing cabinet was named after Captain John Davenport, who first commissioned the design ...

On offer is an exquisite pair of Jacobean Revival console tables, meticulously crafted by a legendary American furniture maker. These tables are a high-quality, early 20th-century re...

On offer is a George III silk needlework picture, an an authentic piece of English textile history dating back to the late 18th century. It showcases the highly skilled, domestic tex...

This exquisite piece is a classic Late 18th-Century European folding fan, meticulously crafted during the Louis XVI period (c. 1775–1790). The fan was most likely made in France or b...

On offer is the Coral Pendant Light, an iconic light fixture widely celebrated as a piece of modern, eco-friendly design. Its intricate, spherical lattice structure was heavily inspi...

This pair of table lamps features a highly distinct Art Deco aesthetic characteristic of 1930s glass artistry. The combination of classical Greco-Roman mythology depicted, frosted gl...

This distinctive pair of mid-to-late 20th-century cylinder table lamps combines organic textures with mid-century modern design elements. MATERIALS: The most remarkable feature of t...

On offer is a classic Art Deco chest of drawers, remarkable for its geometric interplay of rosewood and walnut among the piece’s mixed woods. On top, blonde walnut “spears” are inlai...

This striking object is a Late 19th-century glass hookah base. It features an iconic, hand-painted portrait of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, who ruled the Persian Empire from 1848 to 1896...

Beautiful 19th century,most likely French art nouveau jewelry box. Beautiful enamel cut glass with decorative hand painted flowers. The box measures 5 inches high by 5 inches long ...