A collection of seven tin-lead Christmas candle holders doubled their high estimate to sell for $531.
Review by W.A. Demers, Photos Courtesy Flying Pig Auctions
WESTMORELAND, N.H. – They hauled out the holly and filled up the stocking. Flying Pig Auctions presented its first annual holiday-themed auction on November 22 featuring antique and vintage collectibles, hitting all the stops from Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day and St Patrick’s Day.
Two private collections formed the nucleus of the auction, contributing Christmas ornaments, Christmas tree stands and fences, feather and bottle brush trees, children’s sleighs and more.
There were original boxed sets of lights and other decorations, Halloween costumes, noise makers, jack-o-lantern and black cat candy containers and more. In short, in the small window before the Thanksgiving holidays, the auction house mounted a sale that every holiday dealer/collector would want to see.
A collection of seven tin-lead Christmas candle holders led the fare, doubling their high estimate to sell for $531. Shaped variously as flowers, sunbursts and snowflakes, each with a colored glass center, the holders were fashioned to hang on a tree branch and hopefully lead to Santa rather than the local fire department coming down the chimney.
A wonderful folk art wooden Christmas tree fence in green was a good buy at $500 because of its unique design involving a central candelabrum whirligig in patriotic colors of red, white and blue, further decorated with carved and painted Christmas trees, rock wall and a bear figure. It stood approximately 50 inches tall.
A Victorian German puzzle box illustrated with a great Santa, reindeer and toys graphic was empty, but brought a reasonable $469.
The tease was on with a Victorian German puzzle box illustrated with a graphic of Santa, reindeer and toys. Surprise, it was an empty box with no puzzle. “Great graphics, but empty,” said the catalog. Still it brought a reasonable $469.
Santa made an additional appearance in the form of an 8-inch antique Jaburg Bros. Belsnickel chocolate mold. The Jaburg brothers, sons of seafaring Addig Jaburg, were successful merchants in New York, where they founded the Jaburg Brothers company in 1885, which in addition to the desirable figurative chocolate molds supplied bakery tools from baking pans to shop fittings. The Belsnickel realized $469.
German feather trees are a holiday décor staple, and in this sale a miniature example, unusual because it featured candle clips on the branches, took $406. The early Twentieth Century tree stood approximately 13 inches tall.
Fetching the same price was an early Twentieth Century German composition Belsnickel, 8 inches tall, featuring a white-clad Father Christmas holding a sprig of greenery.
Décor enthusiasts pursued a large glass apothecary jar filled with vintage glass Christmas ornaments and beads. At approximately 30 inches tall, the item started at $50 and was bid to $375.
A collection of four German glass candy cane ornaments also sold for $375. They were made circa 1930s.
Prices given include the buyer’s premium as stated by the auction house. For information, www.flyingpigantiquesnh.com or 603-543-7490.
