Scarce animated clock may tick past $500K
PITTSFIELD, Mass. – A rare antique Chinese animated triple fusee bracket clock, running and
Rare antique Chinese animated triple fusee bracket clock, running and striking and with all animated mechanisms working ($500,000-$750,000). (All photos courtesy Fontaine's Auction Gallery)
striking with all animated mechanisms working, is expected to sell for between $500,000 and $750,000 in a cataloged auction planned for Saturday, May 21, at Fontaine’s Auction Gallery, in the firm’s showroom at 1485 Housatonic Street in Pittsfield, Massachusetts at 11 a.m. ET.
The clock is both beautiful and functional. The hourly mechanism activates swimming ducks and spinning glass rods resembling a waterfall. A cluster of glass rods forms another waterfall in the top of the large-size gilt bronze case.
The clock is the expected top earner in a 500-lot auction that features not just an extensive clock collection, but watches, music boxes, lamps (by Tiffany, Duffner & Kimberly, Unique, Bigelow & Kennard, Suess, Handel and others), paintings, bronzes and marble statuary, art glass, jewelry, fine silver, porcelain, Royal Vienna, Lalique, sterling and gold items, bird boxes and automatons.
Also sold will be exceptional period furniture by makers such as J. H. Belter, J. &. J.W. Meeks, R. J. Horner, Herter Brothers, Mitchell & Rammelsberg, Karpen and John Jeliff.
For those unable to attend in person, internet bidding will be provided by fontainesauction.hibid.com, LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com
A Tiffany Studios Arrowroot table lamp with a signed 20-inch diameter conical shade should realize $35,000-$40,000; and a mahogany Tiffany & Company and Walter Durfee nine-tube grandfather clock, 108 inches tall and in excellent shape, should rise to $12,000-$15,000. A monumental mahogany nine-tube example with signed movement by Elliot (London), and a brass dial with fancy gilt pierced filigree in the center, 104 inches tall ($15,000-$25,000) also will be presented.
Other auction highlights include:
• Unsigned oil on canvas portrait of George Washington, after Gilbert Charles Stuart (Mass., 1755-1828) and attributed to Thomas Sully (Br./Am., 1783-1872), which may see $20,000 to $40,000.
• Regina 12-disc changer music box, style 35 ($15,000-$20,000).
For more information about this auction or about consigning, visit www.fontainesauction.com, email info@fontainesauction or call 413-448-8922.
