Property from Boston physicians’ residence, estate of world traveler headline TAC Auction Fine and decorative art and elegant furniture from the residence of two Boston physicians plus the estate of a colorful world traveler and noted photographer headline TAC Auctions’ Sept. 20 auction.
News-Antique.com - Sep 14,2012 - WAKEFIELD, Mass. – Fine and decorative art from the living estate of two Boston-area physicians will team with photographic collectibles and Western Americana from the estate of the late photographer and world traveler William “Wild Bill” Melton at Tonya A. Cameron’s (TAC Auctions) Thursday, Sept. 20 sale. Cameron said the 350-lot auction contains not only quality furnishings and art from the Boston residence of two distinguished doctors who are husband and wife but also “many fun things – in particular from the Melton estate – that you just don’t see at auction.”
A wealth of 19th/early 20th-century Asian, fine and decorative art; silver, rugs, furniture, art glass and both fine and costume jewelry was sourced from the living estate. Asian offerings include Emperor and Wife figurines, a mystery ball, reclining nudes, a carved ivory dagger and an opium pipe. Additionally, there are jade amulets and other jade items, including desirable snuff bottles.
The art-glass section features Tiffany & Co. paperweights, a covered jar, center bowls and candlesticks. French Lalique entries include an eagle sculpture and several large vases.
Cameron said the furniture selection will appeal to many, as it includes traditional New England-style, Asian and mid-century modern pieces. The Asian grouping is led by two pairs of Chinese huanghuali chairs and a Chinese lacquered-ebony, pagoda-shape two-door cabinet with glass panels and interior lighting. It measures 47 inches high by 42 inches wide. “This cabinet is one of the best I’ve seen,” Cameron noted.
Other Chinese furniture lots include a high-end apothecary chest with brass mounts, and a carved side table with rouge inlay. The table has two seals – one made of white jade and the other of dark green jade shaped as a foo dog.
Those who appreciate the timeless quality of traditional furniture design will find many items from which to choose, including numerous pieces of Eldred Wheeler hand-carved, handcrafted tiger maple and cherry furniture from a Cape Cod estate. Among the consigned goods are a Nantucket tea table, porringer and tilt-top tables; a Queen Anne breakfast table and other items.
American furniture highlights continue with a Henkel Harris (Va.) breakfront with banded inlay and a Baker custom-made dining suite with banded-inlay table and four leaves that increase the table’s length to banquet size. The elegant ensemble, which is from the doctors’ residence, also includes two captain’s chairs and 12 side chairs with original ivory silk-blend upholstery. A nicely patinated barley-twist oak lectern with cast-iron hairy paw feet is another interesting addition to the sale.
A bountiful selection of Asian decorative art includes Oriental porcelain ginger jars, famille rose vases and a pair of beautiful 36-inch-high Chinese vases on pedestals with a dragon embellishment. Cameron described the vases as “very ornate and vibrant, with lavender, pink and green flora on a white ground.” The Asian lineup displays its variety with offerings that range from 19th-century Chinese jade cups, a bronze bell and warrior figure on mahogany base to cloisonné chargers, incense burners, brush pots, woodblocks and trays. A
