Turtle-top parlor table climbs to $33,350

ABERDEEN, Miss. – A rosewood rococo marble turtle-top parlor center table with cluster carved finial, attributed to renowned American furniture maker J. & J.W. Meeks, sold for $33,350 at a multi-estate auction held Jan. 17-18, 2014, by Stevens Auction Company, in the firm’s gallery in Aberdeen, Miss.

Rosewood rococo marble turtle-top parlor center table attributed to J. & J. W. Meeks, $33,350. (Photo courtesy Stevens Auction Co)

The auction featured more than 550 lots from prominent Southern estates. It was packed with period furniture by prolific craftsmen, large Persian rugs, 19th century lighting, brilliant cut glass, decorative accessories, home furnishings, early porcelains and art glass.

“It was a cold weekend, but it was warm inside the building, and we may have generated some extra heat with all the spirited bidding going on,” said Dwight Stevens of Stevens Auction Company.

Following are highlights from the auction. All prices quoted include a 15 percent buyer’s premium. Internet bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com.

Victorian eight-tiered crystal chandelier with silver rings and 30-35 strands of roping, $3,910. (Photo courtesy Stevens Auction Co.)

Additional lots attributed to Meeks included a pair of mirror image laminated rosewood recamiers (fainting couches) in the Stanton Hall pattern, upholstered in silk with gilt Napoleonic bees ($11,500 the pair), a rosewood laminated parlor cabinet with original mirrors and finish ($4,025) and a rosewood rococo center parlor game table with drawers on both sides ($2,990).

Monumental beds featured a rosewood half tester bed in mint condition, attributed to Mitchell & Rammelsberg, with original mosquito net hardware ($12,650), a mahogany Empire full tester plantation bed that was made around 1840 but has had just three owners ($8,625) and an ornate mahogany rococo oversized bed with pierce-carved and rounded footboard ($3,220).

A Victorian crystal chandelier with eight tiers of crystal with silver rings and 30-35 strands of roping went to a determined bidder for $3,910. Also, a monumental banquet lamp with marble columns, claw feet and winged cherubs, with a huge antique 11-inch amber shade with lily decor, made $2,070.

American Brilliant Cut Glass (ABCG) pieces are a big hit with collectors, and this sale had a wide selection. An ABCG console bowl that was heavily cut and extremely fine, in mint condition, 15 inches across, fetched $3,910; a stunning ABCG plate, 13 inches in diameter, went for $3,910; and an ABCG square bowl, extremely heavy, signed Hawks, was a bargain at $288.

A pair of French porcelain plaques in gesso frames, hand-painted and measuring 32 inches by 21 inches, circa 1870-1880, sold for $4,600 and a 67-piece set of sterling silver flatware in the Grand Baroque pattern by Wallace (a service for eight, with extra serving pieces) breezed to $4,370.

Other top lots included a bronze Victorian floor vase with the original amber glass insert, 55 inches tall ($1,265); a pair of Majolica figures in Arabian dress with musical instruments, sitting on an attached base, 19 inches tall ($863 for the pair); and a 5-inch-tall Austrian gilt silver doll house bench with hand-painted enamel panels on back and seat ($518).

To learn more about Stevens Auction Company and its events, contact 662-369-2200 or stevensauction@bellsouth.net, or visit www.stevensauction.com.