Antique Meissen dresser box brings $14,375 at Elite Decorative Arts An antique Meissen hand-painted oval-covered dresser box with amazing reticulated design throughout sold for $14,375 at a multi-estate sale held Aug. 27 by Elite Decorative Arts in Boynton Beach, Fla.
News-Antique.com - Sep 07,2011 - (BOYNTON BEACH, Fla.) – An antique Meissen hand-painted oval-covered dresser box with incredible reticulated design throughout sold for $14,375 at a multi-estate sale held Aug. 27 by Elite Decorative Arts. The 19th century box was the top lot of the estimated 345 items that changed hands. The auction was held at Elite Decorative Arts’ gallery facility in Boynton Beach.
“We had a great sale, an amazing sale,” said Scott Cieckiewicz of Elite Decorative Arts. “We actually saw higher prices realized for some Meissen pieces than what similar lots brought at Christie’s recently.” Meissen, the colorful German-made antique porcelain, is highly coveted among collectors. There were many Meissen pieces offered in the Elite Decorative Arts auction.
A little over 400 lots came up for bid; 60 failed to meet the reserve. About 100 people attended the event live, while online bidding (through LiveAuctioneers.com) attracted over 700 registered bidders and more than 1,000 bids. Around 180 phone bids were also posted. About one-third of the offerings were consigned by a prominent psychiatrist from Deerfield Beach, Fla.
The Meissen dresser box exhibited stunning workmanship, with female busts and figural cherubs throughout the sides and cover. It also boasted finely detailed floral garlands, with scrolled reticulated designs throughout. The interior was a gilded bowl, with a flat floral design to the bottom of the cover. Standing 7 inches tall, the box had undergone some minor repairs.
Following are additional highlights from the auction. All prices quoted include a buyer’s premium (15 percent for in-house and phone, 18 percent for Internet bidders).
The second top lot of the sale was a rare Tiffany & Company sterling silver Revival urn with figural snake handles ($8,555). One side of the urn showed a depiction of Asclepius, the Greek god of healing, with Greek words. Another Tiffany piece also did well – a sterling silver and cut crystal pitcher with sterling silver stirring spoon in the Chrysanthemum pattern ($5,750).
Without question, Meissen dominated the day’s list of top achievers. Two pieces topped the $3,000 mark. One was a figural group depicting a woman sitting in a seat with three children playing cards ($3,894). It stood 8 ¾ inches tall. The other was a cherubic figure depicting two women in dresses standing near a column and urn and bows and arrows, 10 inches tall ($3,304).
A Meissen figural group depicting five cherubs dancing, playing instruments, eating fruit, looking through a telescope and holding a bird, measuring 5 ½ inches in height, rose to $2,832; and a Meissen figural group depicting two women with cherubs, in a scene with flowers and eggs, brought $2,760. The 9 ½ inch tall piece showed detailed lace work to the women’s dresses.
Two Meissen lots fetched identical prices of $2,530. The first was a pair of antique hand-painted figural candlesticks, each on depicting cherubs with fish fin legs holding figural flowers, into which the candles were inserted. The second was a figural depiction of a cherub holding a torch and flower, as an allegory
