This important monumental pair of Sèvres porcelain palace urns, French, Nineteenth Century, 32½ inches high, sold for the highest price of the sale: $240,000 ($3/5,000).
GLEN COVE, N.Y. — A rare and important pair of Sèvres palace urns painted by Moïse Jacobber took center stage at Roland Auctions NY Multi-Estates auction on March 8, selling for $240,000 to a long-standing Roland customer in France, bringing the urns back home again.
The monumental pair of porcelain urns from Nineteenth Century France featured vasiform decorated with bands of blooming flowers, Greek key and acanthus details, and large swaths of ripe fruit and blooming flowers, centered by bronze doré figure heads of Baccchus, all resting on a square gilded plinth.
The auction had offerings from several prominent estates, bringing together elements of New York City’s theatrical and art world past. In the art category, an oil painting on panel depicting “Madonna in Floral Wreath,” after Jan Brueghel the Elder (Belgian, 1577-1640) or Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1568-1625), which was housed in an ornate gilt frame, sold for $18,200, while an allegorical painting on panel after Titian depicting Venus and putti sold for $16,900. Also in an ornate gilt frame, the painting was in good condition.
A Jean Dufy (French 1888-1964) watercolor and gouache, titled “Au Cabaret,” depicted figures dancing alongside a band; it was signed to its lower right. It was previously the property of an important New York philanthropic family and sold for $16,900.
“Au Cabaret” by Jean Dufy, watercolor and gouache, 28½ by 33 inches framed, danced to $16,900 ($15/25,000).
“Love at Sea” by Betty Parsons (American, 1900-1982) was a signed original abstract watercolor in blue, pink and ochre. Pencil signed and dated 1975 to its lower right, the work was also signed, dated and titled to its reverse. Housed in a plexiglas frame, the painting sold for $11,050.
“Le Grand Nu,” a framed oil on canvas painting after Amedeo Modigliani (Italian, 1884-1920), depicted a reclining nude woman and went for $5,525.
Topping the silver offerings was a pair of sterling silver figural candelabras from Zimbabwe, done by Patrick Mavros. The first, weighing 56 troy ounces, depicted elephant mothers and calves with a balsam tree, while the other showed two elephants with balsam trees and weighed 69 troy ounces; both were made in 1998. With marks to their bases and bobeches, the pair went for $16,900. A pair of sterling silver singerie figural candlesticks, made by Ubaldo Vitali in 1976 for Tiffany & Co., were designed to look like monkey butlers with trays. Weighing a total of 54 troy ounces, the pair, with marks to their bases, sold for $5,525.
These two sterling silver candelabras by Patrick Mavros, 12 inches high, featured elephants and balsam trees on their bases; they sold for $16,900 ($8/12,000).
A pair of French Louis XV gilt bronze figural candelabras from the Twentieth Century, depicting Aphrodite with Cupid holding aloft a torchiere of 10 candle holders and decorated with scrolling acanthus motifs and berries sold for $11,700, while a pair of Louis XVI bronze doré eight-light sconces, circa Nineteenth Century, with a central winged bust of a woman — likely Nike — and laurel decoration went for $4,550.
Other notable lots included a Christian Dior dyed and printed mink and fox fur coat with silver leather details. The coat had a batwing sleeve, one inner pocket and no closure. With provenance to the estate of Baroness Gabriele Langer von Langendorff, the coat was donned for $3,900.
Finally, Midcentury Modern furniture was led by a set of eight marked Model 71 teak and faux leather side chairs by Niels Otto Moeller which earned $3,575.
Prices quoted include buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, 212-260-2000 or www.rolandantiques.com.
