When the going gets tough, the tough start carving ship models. Or something like that, right? Well, that was the case in the early Nineteenth Century as Britain’s King George III and France’s Napoleon headed off on the high seas in a war replete with casualties and, of course, prisoners of war. Captive Frenchmen, many of them craftsmen in their prior lives, began to establish artisan guilds to bide their time and would trade their goods during civilian open markets at the British camps. What emerged from this, besides Napoleon being defeated and exiled twice, is a series of intricate carved bone ship models with detail that only a prisoner has time to accomplish. A fantastic example at Eldred’s joins this week’s top picks from around the United States.
ELDRED’S
Sale Date: July 20, 2017
Lot 138A
Napoleonic Prisoner Of War Bone Ship Model With Base
Late Eighteenth or early Nineteenth Century. Model of an 86-gun vessel with solid carved hull, finely detailed foliate-carved stern section and figurehead in the form of a Roman warrior. Includes deck cannons, four lifeboats and two anchors. Incredibly detailed rigging includes exceptional miniature deadeyes and blocks. Two-tier circular galleried base raised on four large turned feet. Model and base made from whalebone; 12¾ inches high.
Estimate: $35/50,000
LESLIE HINDMAN AUCTIONEERS
Sale Date: July 17–18, 2017
Lot 700
Pair Of Frank Lloyd Wright-Designed Silver Tureens
Pampaloni Argenti, Florence, for Tiffany & Co., each having a paneled octagonal body and lid with pierced trapezoidal handles. Marked on underside, 15½ inches wide, 163 ozt 6 dwts.
Estimate: $20/30,000
SKINNER
Sale Date: July 13–14, 2017
Lot 73
Wedgwood & Bentley Solid Agate Vase And Cover
England, circa 1775, gilding to glazed white terracotta stoneware, angel-form handles, leaf and berry banded border and drapery swags, mounted atop a square white biscuit terracotta plinth, impressed mark, 9½ inches high.
Estimate $3/5,000
MAIN AUCTION GALLERIES, INC
Sale Date: July 16, 2017
Lot 71
Boston Oxbow Slant Front Chippendale Desk
Circa 1770, mahogany with solid ends and dovetailed top. Wonderful interior with three cubby holes, flanked by shell carved dovetailed drawer at each end, over two rows of dovetailed drawers, flanking central well with tombstone door with glass panel, covering a truly lovely recessed shell carved dovetailed drawer over two recessed dovetailed drawers. Four graduated dovetailed drawers below with cabriole claw and ball carved feet, period and likely original oval brasses, pine secondary wood, 42 inches high.
Estimate: $2/4,000
WHITE’S AUCTIONS
Sale Date: July 16, 2017
Lot 47
Log Book For Whaling Ship Meteor, Mystic, Conn.
Circa 1841–44. Contains parts of voyage of the Meteor in 122 pages. With 67 whale stamps. Voyage one: May 5, 1841–May 7, 1842. Master Austin M Lester. The Meteor returned with 100 barrels of sperm whale oil and 2,300 barrels of whale oil. Voyage Two: July 25, 1842–March 26th, 1844. Master William T. Burrows. She returned with 2,000 barrels of whale oil and 17,000 barrels of whale bone.
Estimate: $2/4,000
LINK AUCTION GALLERIES
Sale Date: July 15, 2017
Lot 104
A Fine And Intricate Yoruba Epa Helmet Mask
Intricately carved wood mask incorporating multiple interconnected figures atop a Janus-faced helmet mask, with polychrome decoration. Attributed to the Yoruba artist Bamgboye (1895–1978); 61 inches high.
Estimate: $7/10,000
ROBERT SLAWINSKI AUCTIONEERS
Sale Date: July 16, 2017
Lot 7030
Herman Struck (1887–1954)
“Deserted Barn,” oil on canvas, 24 by 30 inches.
Estimate: $3/5,000
THE COBBS
Sale Date: July 15, 2017
Lot 13
“1755 Anna Flower” Needlework Textile
American needlework piece depicting a bold group of flowers in a vase with a deer, butterflies, rabbit and a bird around it, silk on silk moire finished and stitched onto a wooden backboard which is wood burned signed in the middle “Anna Flower 1755”; 13¼ by 14¾ inches.
Estimate: $15/25,000
BRUNEAU & CO.
Sale Date: July 22, 2017
Lot 259
American Folk Art Carved And Painted Tuxedo Display
Early Twentieth Century, an American carved and painted wood tuxedo store display of a gentleman. The display was charismatically carved wearing a tailcoat tuxedo with a bow tie and top hat. The display retains the majority of its original paint with pinkish white skin and blonde hair; 61½ inches high.
Estimate: $1,5/2,500
