English Furniture, European Fine Art Lead Missouri Sale

English George III mahogany secretaire bookcase, $12,937.

CLAYTON, MO. - Ivey-Selkirk Auctioneers conducted its first gallery auction of the year at its Clayton location, March 15-16. The sale came within 10 percent of its low estimates at $923,222 for 950 lots and sold 87 percent of the lots offered.

English, American, Asian and Continental decorative arts, furniture and paintings, as well as Oriental carpets and more than 200 lots of jewelry, were offered in the two-day event.

Notably, an antique English George III enamel decorated mahogany secretaire bookcase, finely painted in the Neo-classical style with compositions of ribbons and garlands with flowers and numerous portrait medallions exceeded its presale estimate by 100 percent and sold for $12,937 to a local bidder.

Luigi Chialiva painting, $19,550.

Another unique item offered in the English furniture category was an antique English oak "Youngs" jockey scale with the balance scale marked "Youngs-Bear St. - London," late Nineteenth Century, with brass counter weights in stones and sold for $6,037, also doubling its presale estimate of $2,5/3,000.

Selling 85 percent above its high presale estimate was an American cast bronze figure of a prowling panther by Alexander Phimister Proctor, (1862-1950), signed "Aphimister Proctor 1891-1895-1916" with "copyright" on the back side and stamped "Roman Bronze Works, N.Y." With a nicely blended mix of dark and golden bronze patina and reaching 36 inches in length, the bronze sold for $16,675 to a telephone bidder from the East coast.

Alexander P. Proctor's prowling panther fetched $16,675.

A British oil painting, "The King of Burnham, Beeches," by Alfred Fontville de Breanski, Sr, measuring 24 by 36 inches, sold to a local bidder in the audience for $16,100. This painting was featured on the catalog cover in autumnal tones with sheep in the foreground of a very large tree trunk. A Swiss painting by Luigi Chialiva, featuring a shepherdess and flock, measuring 18 by 14 inches, reached a bid of $19,550 on the telephone to another East coast bidder.

The jewelry department offered an elegant pair of diamond earrings by Van Cleef & Arpels, with a total weight of 5.63 carats, mounted in platinum and signed "VCA NY, #39325-5," which sold for $11,212. A South Sea cultured pearl necklace measuring 18 inches in length with an 18 karat white gold and diamond boulle clasp sold at its high estimate at $9,775.

Other highlights featured a pair of English George Jones majolica candlesticks, late Nineteenth Century, impressed with "GJ" manufacturer's and registry marks and sold for $5,462 to a telephone bidder from London, far exceeding its expectations.

A Waterford crystal eagle in flight, signed Mike Murphy and John Maloney, dated "3/14/98" special edition and standing at 173/4 inches sold for $10,350 to a local telephone bidder.

All prices quoted include the 15 percent buyer's premium.