Rococo Mirrors Lead At Fairfield Auction Sale

NEWTOWN, CONN.

:On Sunday, January 29, Fairfield Auction conducted its first auction of 2006. The gallery swelled with a standing-room-only crowd by the 11 am start. The 366-lot sale included a collection of Eighteenth Century Italian furniture from a Weston, Conn., estate, which provided the sale's top lot, a pair of rococo giltwood mirrors, selling for $27,600.

A selection of Americana included a rare 36-inch American Committee cast metal model of the Statue of Liberty. The largest of three sizes created to help finance the building of the statue's base in 1886, very few of this largest size are known to exist. A collector battled the trade up to $9,775 before prevailing.

Other top lots included two exceptional pieces of Victorian furniture. A two-piece parlor suite with winged griffin arms and original tapestry upholstery dating to 1890 doubled estimates before selling at $16,100.

Other Americana included a pewter breaker by Samuel Danforth, which earned a top bid of $1,495. A giltwood convex mirror with hippocampus crest brought $7,187; a framed collection of fractional currency surprised many, selling at $2,875; a Federal mahogany server with cast brass feet hammered at $1,725; a 30-inch-high astral lamp went above estimate at $1,495; and a New England worktable in old red was a nice buy at $1,150. Additionally, an extensive service of Chinese Export dinnerware hammered at $2,875, while a pair of folk portraits signed Charles Hine made $1,380.

A group of Civil War items used by Warren Hoyt of the 17th Regiment of the Connecticut Volunteers included his musket, canteen, cartridge belt, cap box, wallet, blouse and a framed "Recognition of Service" from Connecticut. With several serious collectors in the gallery and on the telephone, the lot sold at $5,462.

Other furniture performing well included a George III camelback sofa at $4,025, a Regency tortoiseshell sewing stand at $3,450 and a Regency satinwood writing desk at $2,875. A French provincial oak vassalier sold at $2,645. A pair of Italian giltwood consoles with marble tops brought $4,887 and a large baroque-style mirror with gilt applications hammered at $3,162.

A selection of lamps and art glass attracted bidders. A Pairpoint puffy lamp with hummingbirds seemed a good buy at $4,887, as was a Pairpoint reverse painted lamp with jungle birds at $2,587. Lamps by Handel performed better with a 14-inch reverse painted scenic selling to a phone bidder at $3,162, a pair of Handel mantel torcheres going for $1,840 and a Handel desk lamp with Moserine shade hammering at $1,035.

A Daum scenic cameo glass vase with a sail boat went above estimate at $3,450 and a Loetz handled vase with silver drip sold for $1,955. A scarce Galle mold blown vase found a new home at $4,025, and matching set of four Quezal pulled feather shades went out at $1,092.

Other items of interest included a small Dunhill weather station clock that was hotly contested to a final bid of $1,610. A small Russian imperial silver breaker by Pavel Ovchinnokov did well at $2,587; an Eighteenth Century view of Venice, after Guardi, sold to a member of the English trade at $5,175; and a deck of burlesque playing cards, circa 1880, were a good bet to do well, but all exceeded expectations at $1,265.

Prices quoted include a 15 percent buyer's premium. The next auction will take place March 26. For information, 203-364-1555 or www.fairfieldauction.com.