‘First edition’ copy Portland Vase may see $60,000
A first edition copy of a Wedgewood black jasper Portland vase is poised to earn upward of $40,000 during Skinner, Inc.’s European Furniture & Decorative Arts auction, slated for July 15.
MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – Skinner Inc. will present a summer auction of European Furniture & Decorative Arts in its Marlborough Gallery on Friday, July 15 at 10 a.m. With more than 750 lots on offer, the auction will feature Part II of the Troy Dawson Chappell Collection of 17th and 18th century English Pottery and Part I of the Paul Lauer Collection of Wedgwood, as well as an expansive selection of fine silver and European fine and decorative arts of the 16th through early 20th centuries
In addition to in-person bidding, telephone and absentee bids will be accepted, and internet bidding can be conducted at SkinnerLive!
The standout lot of the auction is a Wedgwood numbered first edition copy of the Portland Vase from the Paul Lauer Collection ($40,000-$60,000). Wedgwood’s oven book records list 43 of these “first edition” vases fired between 1791 and 1796. Eleven were broken during the process, and the numbers of additional faulty vases are not known. It’s generally believed that somewhere around 30 of these black jasper vases were of first quality. Most, if not all, of these remaining vases bear a number inside the rim inscribed with manganese pencil.
The day opens with over 200 lots of fine silver, including George III sauce tureens by Benjamin Smith II & Benjamin Smith III modeled after the Warwick Vase ($8,000-$12,000), as well as a pair of French silver-gilt chargers bearing the coat of arms of royalty ($1,000-$1,500).
The auction features two collections of English ceramics, which include a tin-glazed wine bottle dated 1649 ($7,000-$9,000), and a tin-glazed punch bowl with central inscription “Success to the British Arms” ($2,500-$3,500), among others.
Additional featured items in this auction include:
• Doulton Lambeth George Tinworth decorated terra cotta plaques ($2,000-$4,000 each).
• Brass flintlock alarm candle clock ($20,000-$40,000).
• Art Nouveau bronze lamp of Loïe Fuller ($25,000-$35,000).
• Several Dutch marquetry cabinets ($1,000-$6,000 each).
• Diamond-shaped solid agate teapot ($5,000-$7,000).
For more information, visit www.skinnerinc.com.
