Auction Details

Morphy Auctions’ Early December Premier Fine and Decorative Arts Sale To Present Over 1,050 Lots Of Exceptional Works On Canvas And Paper, Maps, Historically Interesting Ephemera, and Other Important Antiques.
This two-day auction is the third of three 2015 sales events featuring world-class selections from a comprehensive and well-curated Palm Beach collection of 17th to 20th century fine art, antiques, and estate jewelry.
Morphy Auctions, the finest auction destination for fresh to the market collections, is pleased to announce this exciting sale to be held on December 5th-6th, 2015. The event includes many fine works from well-known artists including Burgoyne Diller, Alan Saret, Kathe Kollwitz, Sir Stanley Spencer, Harry Bertoia, James Deneen, Jamie Wyeth, Arnoldo Corrodi, and many others.  This auction also presents collectors a spectrum of exquisite artwork, pottery, documents, decorative items, coins, and jewelry at a full range of price points.  All lots from this sale are on display in Morphy’s auction gallery and available for preview now.
Buyers seeking the finest in fine art need look no further than this sales event. With over 630 lots on offer, this auction includes top-tier examples from every category, including etchings, watercolors, photos, maps, pastels, silkscreens, monoprints, screenprints, paintings, lithographs, architectural renderings, and much more.  Collectors will no doubt want to color their world with Alan Saret’s color pencil on paper “Jay Lee Rose Encounter,” estimated at $3,000-5,000, and Hilla Rebay’s watercolor “Abstract Composition,” estimated at $1,000-2,000.  Kathe Kollwitz’s original etching entitled “Death and Woman,” estimated at $2,000-3,000 and Jamie Wyeth’s limited edition etching of a hen, estimated at $1,000-1,500, are both quite fetching.  A 1930’s-era Georgia Engelhard photograph of Alfred Stieglitz, estimated at $1,000-2,000, vividly captures a moment in time more than eight decades ago.  And cartography enthusiasts will find their true north with a period 18th-19th century map of Russia by cartographer Rigobert Bonne, estimated at $200-300.
Decorative arts are another major category in this auction, with over 80 lots of ornamental and functional rarities available for purchase.  Collectors and interior designers will unquestionably discover many outstanding accent pieces among this sale’s huge selection of ornate lamps, boxes, carvings, vases, plaques, candlesticks, baskets, tableware, napkin rings, and silver, among many other categories.  A set of Wallace Grande Baroque flatware for 12 in its original solid mahogany 2-tier presentation and storage box would make any meal a sterling event.  This shining example, weighing in at 110.5 ounces of silver, is estimated at $2,000-3,000.

Amphora brand porcelain remains extremely popular among collectors.  These masterpieces – produced for only a handful of years at the turn of last century – are known for their elaborate decorations that often featured animals and plants, mythical beasts, and Art Nouveau style portraits.  This sale offers 20 fantastic selections of these rare and highly desirable items.  One Amphora selection worthy of a crown is a 6″ high portrait vase entitled “Renaissance Princess/Allegory of Russia.”   This royal example, in mint condition, is estimated at $1,200-1,800.
This auction features a number of interesting lots of financial and political ephemera certain to catch the eye of historians, museums, and collectors.   These include stock shares, bank checks, Civil War era correspondence, and other 19th and 20th century documents, primarily from the state of Pennsylvania.  It’s easy to turn back time with a group of four Susquehanna Bridge Company stock shares from 1814 and 1820.  These investment grade historical documents are estimated at $100-200.

Fantastic selections of collectible handbags, clocks, Native American items, jewelry, and items from other popular collecting categories round out this exciting two-day sales event.  Fine currencies are well represented, with over 90 examples on offer.  It’s a bank holiday with a lot of 7 uncommonly good Draped Bust Large Cents coins dated 1801, 1802, 1803, 1804, 1805 and 1807.  These coins won’t break the bank with their $200-400 estimate.
According to Dan Morphy, President of Morphy Auctions, “This third sale featuring remarkable examples from a Palm Beach, single owner collection truly offers something for everyone.  Many of the selections are museum quality and would be the crown jewel in any private collection.  The timing of this auction is perfect for seasonal shopping and offers buyers the opportunity to purchase exceptional items for friends and family on their holiday lists.  Our next sale from this outstanding collection is scheduled for February, 2016.”For figural napkin rings: Plate numbers refer to the book, Figural Napkin Rings, by Gottschalk & Whitson.

Page numbers refer to the book, American Victorian Figural Napkin Rings, by Victor Schnadig.