Maine Antique Digest May 2015

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30-B Maine Antique Digest, May 2015
- AUCTION -
Famille rose hawk, 18th
century, the bird perched on a
shaded blue rockwork base, its
plumage in shades of brown and
gray, 10 1/3" high, $47,500 (est.
$15,000/25,000). “A pair proba-
bly from the same molds but with
yellow eyebrows is illustrated in
William R. Sargent, The Copeland
Collection, Peabody Essex Museum,
1991, p. 170, no. 79,” according to
the catalog.
Tree-shrew tureen, cover, and fixed stand, circa 1755, mod-
eled as a large tree-shrew nibbling berries, two shrew pups
beside her, on a fixed leaf-shaped stand enameled with flow-
ers and cell-pattern border, the cover in a similar leaf shape
with a seated tree-shrew as the knop, 8½" long, $40,000 (est.
$30,000/50,000). Another example, from the Nutt collec-
tion, was offered at Sotheby’s on January 23 and sold
for $68,750 (est. $10,000/15,000).
According to the catalog, “This rare object
was probably intended as a trinket box rather
than a sauce tureen because of the fixed
[stand]. A charming and amusing decora-
tive object, the tree shrew relates to such
rarities as the crab-form tureens or the
boxes and covers in eggplant form.”
Pair of famille rose pheasants, circa 1755, each with shaded
iron-red breast, plumage rendered in pink, yellow, green, blue,
black, white, and gilt, the eyes black, and the beak yellow,
perched on a blue pierced rockwork base, 15¾" high, $50,000
(est. $50,000/80,000) to a European private collector bidding
on the phone.
“The large heads of this pair are distinctive and enable
accurate dating, as examples of the same form were found on
the wreck of the Geldermalsen , a Dutch ship travelling back
from Canton that sank in 1752,” according to the catalog.
Pair of famille verte phoenix-head ewers of Islamic
form, Kangxi period, enameled with panels of flowers,
cell pattern, and trellis, with curving phoenix-head
spouts, 9 1/8" high, ex-Chait Galleries, $18,750 (est.
$20,000/30,000).
Rare famille rose “Don Quixote” plate, circa
1750, depicting the knight and his attendant
being observed by two maidens, the rim with
landscapes and birds within gilt cartouches,
9" diameter, $30,000 (est. $12,000/18,000). A
teabowl and saucer in the same pattern (not
shown) sold for $9375 (est. $4000/6000).
Rare “Scotsmen” plate, circa
1745, the two kilted figures
shown in the center, one with
a shotgun and the other play-
ing bagpipes, the border with
four grisaille and gilt landscape
vignette panels, 9" diameter,
$47,500 (est. $20,000/30,000).
Large Tobacco Leaf platter with scal-
loped rim, circa 1775, 18½" long,
enameled in the classic pattern with
vivid famille rose colors, with under-
glaze blue, and with gilt, $21,250 (est.
$8000/12,000).
Famille verte rooster tureen and
cover, probably Kangxi period, the
cockerel modeled seated with his head
turned, his comb and wattle in iron-
red, his feathers in shades of iron-red,
green, yellow, blue, and black, 10"
high, $50,000 (est. $50,000/80,000).
This rare 15¾" diameter shipping bowl for the
American market, 1785-1803, was a special order
commemorating Commodore John Barry of Phila-
delphia and his command of the Alliance at the time
of her victory in the final naval battle of the Amer-
ican War of Independence. Decorated front and back
with carefully rendered depictions of the Alliance, the
interior with a third depiction beneath the inscription “John
Barry Esqr / Alliance / Commander,” it sold for $43,750 (est.
$25,000/40,000).
Considered “The Father of the American Navy,” according to the catalog, “John Barry was
first made a captain of the Continental Army on March 14th 1776, where he commanded the
Lexington, Effingham, Raleigh, and Delaware before taking command of the Alliance. His prow-
ess at the helm was much lauded, and allegedly the British offered Barry £100,000 to desert the
American Navy and join the British forces, to Barry’s great offense. After the Alliance’s suc-
cessful victory against the Sybylle on March 10th 1783, Barry captained a number of merchant
ships, helping to open commerce between the United States and China.
“Nearly ten years after Barry’s great victory, Washington revived the Navy permanently, and
Barry rejoined the forces. He was appointed first on the list of captains in 1794 and given com-
mand of the U.S.S. United States , a 44-gun frigate, in 1797 along with the title of Commodore.”
Very large blue-and-white five-piece garniture, Kangxi period,
22" high, two beaker vases and three baluster vases with covers,
painted allover in underglaze blue with scrolling vines, $56,250 (est.
$40,000/60,000) to an American collector who left a bid with the
auctioneer.