:PITTSFIELD MASS. -
A heavily carved
three-piece Renaissance
Revival bedroom set that
had only been moved twice
in its 100-year-plus
history, with second move
coming recently as it was
relocated to Fontaine's
Auction gallery, brought a
premium price at auction
this past Saturday,
September 29.
Auctioneer John
Fontaine was excited to be
offering the set that he
cataloged as being in
pristine, untouched
condition. "All they did
was dust it from time to
time," stated the
auctioneer.
Thought to be by
Thomas Brooks, the walnut
and burled walnut, marble
top set carried a
$30/50,000 estimate. "I
thought we might come in
around the high end,"
stated Fontaine, but a
battle between ten phone
bidders and several
bidders on the floor,
pushed the final price to
$80,500, with a bidder in
the gallery winning out.
Bidder
Reels in Tiffany Fish Lamp
for $128,800 at Fontaine's
PITTSFIELD, MASS. - A
strong selection of
important lighting led the
way - including several
rare Tiffany lamps - at
Fontaine's summer auction
August 16-17.
Furnishings from the
Romano estate, a banking
family from Oak Park,
Ill., were also among the
more than 1,200 items
offered.
More
than 400 lots were served
up for the catalogued
session on Saturday, while
Friday's "Discovery Sale"
featured more than 800
lots, including some from
the Romano estate.
Highlights from that
estate included a dozen
examples of RJ Horner
furniture, including a
partners' desk and
grandfather clock and a
large painting by the
Russian artist Adolph
Schreyer.
The top
lot of the auction was a
rare Tiffany Favrile and
bronze fish lamp on a
blown metal pumpkin base
which realized $128,800,
slightly above its high
estimate. Also underlining
the strong prices across
the board was a Handel
Poppy lamp, featuring an
18-inch diameter shade
reverse painted with
vibrant red, pink and
orange poppies, which sold
for $56,000. Highlighting
furnishings from the
Romano estate was an RJ
Horner grandfather clock,
which also sold for
$84,000.
The
auction grossed $2.4
million. A complete review
of the auction will appear
in a future issue of
Antiques and the Arts
Weekly.
-
Perhaps we can achieve
something for you. Our areas
of particular strength are:
Lighting by Tiffany, Pairpoint, Handel, Duffner &
Kimberly, others; 19th
century/historic lighting.
A
book paying homage to
the designs of Philip
J. Handel, whose
vision for The Handel
Company of Meriden,
Connecticut, was to
combine individual
craftsmanship with
creative
accomplishment. 
