Can't get this at Ikea

Once the property of Grand Duchess Vera of Württemberg (1854 - 1912). A bed and side table, ca. 1870/80. Walnut veneer. Slightly carved head and foot boards, with detachable side panels. Inventory label "H.V.v.W. G.v.R." of Duchess Vera Konstantinovna, Grand Duchess of Russia, large stenciled inscription "E.v.W. 69" of her daughter Princess Elsa of Württemberg and other stamps.


Grand Duchess Vera with her husband, Duke Eugen of Württemberg




Villa Berg, Stuttgart. Now a shadow of the summer residence originally built in the mid-1800s for Crown Prince Charles of Württemberg by architect Christian Friedrich von Liens. On the death of her aunt and adoptive mother, Grand Duchess Olga, Queen of Württemberg, Grand Duchess Vera inherited the Villa Berg.

Her only sister Olga Constantinovna of Russia, HM Queen Olga, was the paternal grandmother of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.



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The good, the bad and the ugly

Today there will be no good, just the bad.


Southern Counties Auctioneers T/A Netherhampton Salerooms

Weekly auction of Old and Modern Furniture, Collectables and Effects, Antique Auctions first Friday of each month, specialist Antique and Decorative items auctions bi-monthly, full or part house clearance, valuations for sale, probate and insurance.


Finding a good auction house is like finding a good restorer, only much more difficult. Especially since it is a trade that plays both ends against the middle and is rife with incompetence.

An auctioneers statement of condition or authenticity is not fact but merely opinion. An opinion that is often informed by nothing more than limited experience. And that opinion cannot be held accountable.

Caveat emptor.

Of all the many auction houses that I have ever dealt with, the Netherhampton Salerooms must be the absolute worst. And I would not be at all surprised to learn that half of the bids may have come off of the back wall.



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Fauna

Lot No 252
A TAXIDERMY MOUNTED BEAR SKIN
MOUNTED BY VAN INGEN AND VAN INGEN, MYSORE, FIRST HALF 20TH CENTURY
With ink stamp to backing 'VAN INGEN & VAN INGEN, MYSORE 28835'
59 in. (150 cm.) long; 48 in. (122 cm.) wide





Lot No 242
A TAXIDERMY CROCODILE
FIRST HALF 20TH CENTURY
Cased in a William IV mahogany cabinet with brass castors





Lot No 251
A TAXIDERMY MOUNTED LEOPARD SKIN
MOUNTED BY VAN INGEN AND VAN INGEN, MYSORE, FIRST HALF 20TH CENTURY
With ink stamp to backing 'VAN INGEN & VAN INGEN 26423'



Chreistie's Interiors - Style & Spirit
23 Februrary, 2010


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Hello...

Tall, dark and handsome.






Lot # 55

SECRETARY DESK- 18th c. Country Chippendale Secretary Desk with simple molded top over two raised panel doors and three fixed shelf interior set on slant front base, simple pine nested interior over four graduating drawers on shaped bracket base, old black painted exterior. 84 1/2" high, 36" wide, 19 1/2" deep, good condition.



Sophie Tucker - He's Tall, and Dark, and Handsome

Provenance

Copper vessels once the property of the late Ingmar Bergman, whose estate was auctioned by Bukowskis in September.




Ingmar Bergman photographed by Irving Penn, 1964



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Now playing: Benjamin Britten - Cello Suite No. 2, Op. 80 - II. Fuga
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So beautiful

Yet so impossibly out of sync with current fashion.



LOT NUMBER 1219


Rare Pair of German Mannerist Revival Sterling Silver and Shell Cameo Table Lamps, first quarter 20th century, by Ludwig Neresheimer & Co., Hanau, with London import marks of 1911-1912, sponsored by Neresheimer's British agent, Berthold Mueller, each with a lobed base and silver figural standard, one depicting "Diana and Her Hounds", the other "Neptune in His Hippocampi-Drawn Chariot", each fitted with a full conch shell, illuminated from the rear and cameo-cut with a scene from Ovid's Metamorphoses, respectively, "Diana Releasing the Calydonian Boar" and "The Seduction of Europa", h. 16", dia. 6-1/2".





LOT NUMBER 1194


Fine, Large and Rare Louis XIV Verdure Tapestry, fourth quarter 17th century, depicting "The Awakening of Eros", the borders of flowers, foliage and ripe pomegranates, with a peacock at the upper left corner and a dove at the right, the basal corners each with a seated attentive puppy, the palette in cobalt blue, ecru, ivory and green, the reverse properly backed with a later linen support, h. 105", w. 98".


New Orleans Auction Galleries, Inc.
October 10-11, 2009


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Precious

Green Tourmaline and 18K Gold Box
By Manfred Wild
Idar-Oberstein, Germany
Of Baroque design, mounted with broad borders of 18K yellow gold, the hinged lid and body of the box each formed of a single piece of Brazilian green tourmaline of the finest quality having a brilliant saturation of color and a high degree of transparency, with a sizeable weight of approximately 438.0 carats, signed M. Wild, length 2 ¾ in.

Bonhams


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Pig fever

Lot No 361
Andy Warhol
1928 Pittsburgh - 1987 New York

Pig. Polaroid. 10,8 x 8,6cm. Signed bottom center: Andy Warhol. Framed. - Verso mounted in the top sheet edge. Otherwise in perfect condition.

From Van Ham





Lot No 10
Anna Pottery Pig Flask with Rare Map and Form
American, ca 1870-1875, by Wallace and Cornwall Kirkpatrick, Anna Pottery, Illinois. Anna Pottery pig flask of Arkansas stagecoach and river route. Salt glazed molded stoneware with cobalt filled inscriptions include St. Louis near snout, also Poplar Bluff, Fort Smith, Memphis, New Orleans, Little Rock, Benton, Malvern with Texarkana on the rear and Hot Springs on the belly. Inscriptions of rivers include Ark River (Arkansas), Miss River (Mississippi) and Ohio Ri.. Anatomically correct and of rare small size with atypical location of hole at the top center of pig's back; 2.25" high x 4.5" long.

Condition: Undissolved salt spots. Old chip on back leg.


From Cowan's



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Magnificent

Lot 388

The Pelham Water Buffalo

An Exceptional Chinese Imperial Spinach-Green Jade Water Buffalo with a Fine Gilt Bronze Stand.
Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period 1736-95, 20.8cm long.

Description

The recumbent beast with a serene mildly inquisitive expression, carved from a massive spinach-green boulder; is depicted with his head turned and raised to the right, his facial features with flaring nostrils and alert eyes, framed by horns curling back to his spine, the trumpet-shaped ears and horns finely incised with lines depicting the fur, his dewlap beneath the neck naturalistically carved flowing down to the base, the form of the body accentuated by the superbly defined spine extending to the tail that curls above his hind leg, all four hooves boldly carved on the underside. The gilt bronze base incised with flowers and foliage to the surface above a key fret band bearing a four character Qianlong mark. A narrow band of scrolling flowers and foliage dividing elaborated stylized lappets and with a second key fret band at the foot.

For the full provenance visit the Woolley & Wallis catalogue.


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Rogues gallery

Lot No 85
Set of eight portraits of Oliver Cromwell, his sons, his generals and associates.
Irish/English School (Late 18th/Early 19th Century)


Whyte's Auctioneers

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Lot 233

So smart and modern. Frank Lloyd Wright two piece sectional sofa, manufactured by Heritage Henredon, with a Taliesin design base.

This would be my choice as a foil to French salon furniture.


Treadway Toomey Galleries

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Oh, the irony

Lot 187: Antique Chinese blue-and-white 3-part begging bowl
Qing Dynasty, bears 4-character underglaze blue marks, the globular pot decorated with insects, prunus and foliage on separate spreading base and cover with interior band and auspicious symbol, 9.5"h x 9"dia. (total) - Condition: overall good, no damage or restorations observed, glaze flakes to rim of base - Provenance: the Doris Duke Foundation. Estimate: 300-500


Doris Duke's personal effects are hitting the auction block next month... - An Aesthete's Lament, Duke It Out


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Petrology

Lot No 1282
Series of five graduated polyester Rock lights, circa 1970, by Andre Cazenave. Most bearing a paper label to the underside - A. Cazenave, Disderot-Editeur, Paris. Made in France - the smallest h. 5", dia. 7", the largest h. 12-1/2", dia. 19".

New Orleans Auction Galleries, Inc.

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Inspired

A pair of French black and white marble table lamps by Philippe Barbier, c.1970.


Pair of black and white natural-pearl and diamond ear clips, signed Van Cleef & Arpels, once the property of the Duchess of Windsor.


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Puts me in mind of...

Bette Davis on Joan Crawford's contribution to fashion - The only thing she has done for fashion is popularised those come fuck me pumps she wears.



Lot 44
A set of twelve circular modern plaster panels
Collection of Gianni Versace
Sotheby's - 18th March, 2009





When you survey the 500 or so objets d'art taken from the Lake Como villa of the late Gianni Versace - which will go under the hammer at Sotheby's in London on Wednesday - you realise he was a man of taste. Appalling taste. - Daily Mail, King of Kitch


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Anthropology worth having

LOT 170
BINI HORNED FACE MASK, NIGERIA Ekpo society carved wood mask with attached horns, its classicly rendered hair line and beard accented with indigo and white kaolin pigments, early 20th c. Reputed to cleanse the society of disease and protect the village from witchcraft. (Exhibited in ''Images of Authority: From Benin to Gabon,'' Lowe Art Museum, Miami, FL, 1973; ''African Art: Nature, Man, and Vital Force from the Collection of H.B. Greene and Family,'' Richard Madigan, Norton Gallery of Art, West Palm Beach, Fl., 1975. Provenance: Private collection, South Carolina). Some looseness to horns, erosion to back of mask, stress fractures, well handled and used.



Lot No 216
SONGYE KIFWEBE SOCIETY MASK, ZAIRE Boldly carved example with precise linear design, raised finial, protruding four-sided mouth, complete with nose hairs, early to mid-20th c. (Provenance: Jean-Pierre Hallet collection, Belgium. Lifelong collector Hallet [1927-2004] authored several books on African art, including, ''Congo Kitabu'' and ''Pygmy Kitabu,'' and created the Pygmy Fund). Very well-worn interior, light staining to kaolin, small chip to eye, all consistent with field use.



Lot No 200
IMPORTANT BLACK PUNU MASK, GABON Carved wood with classic coiffure complete with human hair, early to mid-20th c. These masks' dark color allude to their ominous nature in potentially condemning the living, and are much less common than their white counterparts. (Provenance: DeCredico family collection. A similar example can be seen in the Musee Dapper, Paris.) Overall fair condition with signs of heavy use. Includes metal display stand.



Lot No 12
IROQUOIS/SENECA FALSE FACE, NEW YORK Exceptional carved wood mask with strong downward mouth, bulging cylindrical eyes, bold red paint, and black horse hair, early 20th c. Worn in healing ceremonies. (Provenance: Private collection, New York). Interior shows wear and handling consistent with ritual use, several layers of paint evident.

All from the upcoming auction at Rago.


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Anthropology worth having

LOT 170
BINI HORNED FACE MASK, NIGERIA Ekpo society carved wood mask with attached horns, its classicly rendered hair line and beard accented with indigo and white kaolin pigments, early 20th c. Reputed to cleanse the society of disease and protect the village from witchcraft. (Exhibited in ''Images of Authority: From Benin to Gabon,'' Lowe Art Museum, Miami, FL, 1973; ''African Art: Nature, Man, and Vital Force from the Collection of H.B. Greene and Family,'' Richard Madigan, Norton Gallery of Art, West Palm Beach, Fl., 1975. Provenance: Private collection, South Carolina). Some looseness to horns, erosion to back of mask, stress fractures, well handled and used.



Lot No 216
SONGYE KIFWEBE SOCIETY MASK, ZAIRE Boldly carved example with precise linear design, raised finial, protruding four-sided mouth, complete with nose hairs, early to mid-20th c. (Provenance: Jean-Pierre Hallet collection, Belgium. Lifelong collector Hallet [1927-2004] authored several books on African art, including, ''Congo Kitabu'' and ''Pygmy Kitabu,'' and created the Pygmy Fund). Very well-worn interior, light staining to kaolin, small chip to eye, all consistent with field use.



Lot No 200
IMPORTANT BLACK PUNU MASK, GABON Carved wood with classic coiffure complete with human hair, early to mid-20th c. These masks' dark color allude to their ominous nature in potentially condemning the living, and are much less common than their white counterparts. (Provenance: DeCredico family collection. A similar example can be seen in the Musee Dapper, Paris.) Overall fair condition with signs of heavy use. Includes metal display stand.



Lot No 12
IROQUOIS/SENECA FALSE FACE, NEW YORK Exceptional carved wood mask with strong downward mouth, bulging cylindrical eyes, bold red paint, and black horse hair, early 20th c. Worn in healing ceremonies. (Provenance: Private collection, New York). Interior shows wear and handling consistent with ritual use, several layers of paint evident.

All from the upcoming auction at Rago.


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Winter warmer

Bisque de homards


Lobster bisque (for a more detailed recipe go to the Noble Pig) - loosely based on a recipe by either Julia Child or Dione Lucas (my go to gals) - in a large saucepan, melt butter. Add shallots, cook until soft. Whisk in flour. Add tomato paste, then the shellfish (chicken will also do) stock. Heat until thick and bubbling. Add sherry and lobster, bring to the boil. Blend. Gradually stir in cream. Simmer and heat thoroughly. Serve.

These would be perfect.


Lot 471
Fine Set of Eight Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Soup Plates, first quarter 20th century, in the 18th-century style, each featuring a different fish or shellfish, each example fully marked and numbered, dia. 10-1/8".

From New Orleans Auction Galleries, Inc.

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This good earth

Lot 985
Two Sliced and Polished Ovoid Geode Sections, one exhibiting an irregular crystalline center with a flow line of opaque agate and surrounded by layers of carnelian and micro-crystalline quartz, the other slice taken from an edge of a geode with scattered areas of carnelian and opaque agate in a crystalline matrix, dia. 10-1/4" and 8".



Lot 982
Rare and Unusual Geode Specimen, the sectioned half of the geode with a gray matrix exterior, sliced to reveal the crystalline interior surrounded by growth band of brown and yellow, presented on a custom steel display stand with gilt spherical feet, h. 10-3/4".




Lot 986
Pair of Sliced and Polished Agate Geode Sections, of circular form, each exhibiting crystalline centers surrounded by bands of multi-colored agate alternating with bands of light gray micro-crystalline quartz and both having "skins" of weather quartz. dia. 9".


From New Orleans Auction Galleries, Inc.
Sale to be held on 7th Febuary, 2009.

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Haunt of intellect and daring

Cafe Royal London 1912 by Sir William Orpen

Café Royal was founded by French wine merchant Daniel Nicholas Thévenon. Fleeing bankruptcy in France, he arrived in England in 1863 with five pounds and his wife Célestine. A new country called for a new name, and he became Daniel Nicols. What didn’t change was his flair and Célestine’s thrift, and in just two years they were able to take over a small shop in Glasshouse Street and turn it into a café.

Good food, good service and Nicols’ knowledge of wines made the Café-Restaurant Nicols a success. Within ten years, he had created one of the most famous and cosmopolitan of establishments. Oscar Wilde made the Café his own and his followers — followed suit. And with them came the beau monde. Their sport was a battle of wits, but the real fights took place under the direction of the National Sporting Club whose boxing activities found a permanent home there in 1955.

On January 20th Bonhams will be auctioning off the contents of Café Royal. The ballrooms and suites with names such as Napoleon, Dubarry and Dauphin, are to make way for a new five-star hotel.

Just what the world needs.



Lot No: 1
Cafe Royal - The Front Hall
A pair 20th century cut glass tent and bag chandeliers.

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