Rare (Late Medieval) 16th Century German Wrought Iron Oak Chest or Stollentruhe

Presenting an absolutely stunning 16th century carved Spanish oak writing desk and cabinet, with amazing provenance and historical and literary significance. This desk/cabinet was purchased by a wealthy Dallas family from a French antique auction held at the club room in the Stoneleigh court (hotel), Dallas on Wednesday the 2nd April 1930. (Now the meridian hotel). The auction was titled: “works of art and furnishings of the Chateau de Turique (Nancy) and the Conde-Rougemont home (Touraine). The cover of the catalog also has a seal of a coat of arms. The second page gives a brief description of the auction contents and states that " this exhibition will be presented by M. Fernand M. Adda of Paris France". The desk/cabinet was lot no: 565 and was described in the auction catalog as: "Carved Spanish writing desk and cabinet...... 16th century period....Upper section a cabinet with two doors which are paneled and display a fine carving. The interior is fitted with eight engraved drawers, and a writing tablet is disclosed in the lower portion. Sustained and central arcade of columns. From Fontana Rosa collection. Supported on four turned legs with bulbous feet." Fontana Rosa is a historic garden situated on the avenue Blasco Ibáñez in Menton, Alpes-Maritimes, on the French Riviera. The Spanish writer Vicente Blasco Ibanez (1869-1928) began to build it from 1922 on, and he set up home here with his second wife, Elena, and died there in 1928. Vicente Blasco Ibanez was a journalist, politician and best-selling Spanish novelist in various genres whose most widespread and lasting fame in the English-speaking world is from Hollywood films adapted from his works. The provenance is impeccable, it belonged to Ibanez and was part of his collection at Fontana Rosa when he died in 1928. The auction in which it was first sold in Dallas was in 1930, which makes perfect sense from a 'timeline' point of view. Ibanez is a very important literary figure. Having regard to the fact that this is a writing desk means that in all probability, Ibanez would have 'penned' some of his famous works at this very desk and using the surviving slope/shelf. Fontana Rosa is a historic garden situated on the Avenue Blasco Ibáñez in Menton, Alpes-Maritimes, on the French Riviera. The Spanish writer Vicente Blasco Ibáñez (1869-1928) began to build it from 1922 on, and he set up home here with his second wife, Elena, and died there in 1928. This garden with Spanish and Menton pottery is found in avenue Blasco Ibanez, near Garavan station, and was created a Historical Monument in 1990. It is also called “Le Jardin des Romanciers” (El Jardín de los Novelistas/The Garden of Novelists), and was frequented by celebrities such as Jean Cocteau. It was the place where Blasco Ibáñez wrote Mare Nostrum, a novel filmed later in 1926. The garden inspired by Andalusian and Arabian-Persian styles contains species such as Ficus macrophylla, Araucaria heterophylla , palm trees, banana trees or scented rosebushes. It is a tribute to Vicente’s favourite writers : Cervantes, Dickens, Shakespeare or Honoré de Balzac, whose busts can be found at the entrance and to whom he dedicated several fountains and rotundas. Its main buildings are a small elevated villa with polychromatic pottery which houses a library and a personal movie projector...

PRESENTING AN ‘ABOLUTELY STUNNING’ PIECE OF IRISH FURNITURE HISTORY, namely, an 18C Irish George II Mahogany Silver Chest on the most amazing and EXCEPTIONAL Carved Stand. Made circa 1745, by an obviously ‘top quality’ Irish Georgian furniture...

PRESENTING A GORGEOUS and beautifully proportioned Mid-18th Century George II Miniature Campaign Bureau Chest on later Chest/Stand. Mid-18th century, made in Britain, circa 1760-1770. The bureau chest sits on a later stand/chest, that we estimate is late 19th century, circa 1860-1880. It is also British. We believe that the primary wood in this piece is either Elm or Sycamore with mahogany elements. Classic Campaign style miniature Bureau Chest, with its ORIGINAL George II brass hardware, including handles on the sides for easy carriage, which is what proves to us, that this chest was made for campaign purposes. The brasses are GORGEOUS and are classically George II in style, design and construction. The quality, thickness and patina to the brasses, is what ‘initially’ tells us, that this is a ‘period’ piece and not a reproduction. Likewise, the dovetailing detail to the drawers, tells us that this was a hand crafted piece and certainly NOT machine made. The secondary woods appear to be a combination of oak and pine, exactly as one would expect. The central keyhole escutcheons are FANTASTIC and are in the form of a pair of opposing ‘lyres’. We have never seen anything like them! Beautiful natural patina! The ‘brasses’ look like they have been polished a ‘little too often and vigorously’, over the piece’s 250+ years history … BUT … the bonus of this cleaning is the creation of a rather appealing, '2 Tone effect’, on the patina of the wood around the brasses. The Bureau has a flat gallery...

Presenting a gorgeous and very rare 18th century Irish Georgian Cork Sideboard of lovely neat proportions. Made in Ireland during the George III Era, circa 1790 and most likely made in the Southern City of Cork. A STUNNING Irish provincial piece from the Georgian Era! Made of solid mahogany, probably imported from Cuba and the secondary woods are oak (as one would expect). Beautiful dovetailing on the inside of the drawers. The ‘hints’ that this is in fact an ‘Irish’ piece are numerous. The ‘scallop shell’ on the center of the back gallery is unmistakably an Irish Georgian signature. The scalloped fans beneath either side of the central drawer are likewise an Irish signal. The shape, design and style is entirely consistent with similar pieces made in Cork at the end of the 18th Century. It has it’s original brasses which is fantastic. Lions Head Ring drawer pulls and stunning urn keyhole covers/escutheons. It has a solid gallery back splat (with central Scallop) and on both sides this ends in curved and carved scroll ends. Beneath the back splat their is a grooved plank section for holding plates etc upright. The server/counter top area is edged and banded with a carved rope style edging. The mid section consists of 3 drawers and 2 doors. The piece sits on 6 legs 4 to the front and 2 to the rear. The front legs are pillars starting at the top with an acanthus style scroll … extending down to another scroll carving directly above the reeded and fluted legs. The 2 rear legs do not have the same fluting detail. The 2 side doors open to reveal a simple one shelf storage area. One probably held a lead lined cellarette at one time. The piece is in excellent condition for it’s age and use. There are some minor aging cracks on the counter top on the left hand side. A small loss of molding to the right lower door. No original keys but we are getting replacements made. Bought in Surrey, England in 1999 by a Private Texas Collector and shipped to Texas. We have the original ‘sales invoice’ and the dealer sold it as a “Regency Mahogany Sideboard circa 1820’and told her that it was an English piece, for the sum of 3,400 GBP. Not only did the dealer not recognize the obvious ‘Irish’ signs...

A very impressive Westphalian Gothic chest or ‚Stollentruhe’, Westphalia, Germany, circa 1500-1550. Wrought iron mounted oak, partially carved. The monumental rectangular standing ch...

A 17th century German oak chest ("Stollentruhe") in the medieval/ Gothic tradition. The rectangular hinged top with three iron straps, enclosing a plain interior with one hinged smal...

Gothic front gallery chest, Westphalia around 1500 - 1550, wrought iron bands, boxy oak body, partially carved. Monumental star-shaped key plate with original key, feet on the front ...

This large chest stands on high legs prolonging the lateral jambs. Presenting a sober and severe appearance the chest still belongs to the Medieval tradition. The piece is made from very high quality Hungarian wood. The jambs are joined to the facade and the lateral sides thanks to pegged mortise and tenon securing a great stability and squareness between each parts. The upper lid is made of two joined parts and so is the facade. The ironwork is present all over the surface of the chest and brings both an additional stability to the construction as well as a rich decor. The lid is secured with hinges. Hinges also run all over the chest in horizontal and vertical lines, ending in a floral motif. The hasp lock is also very ornamental. Those chests always present important proportions especially when they are made early in the period. This model was very popular in Germany and stayed in vogue until the 16th century. However the feet Gothic decor...