Rare 18th-century Russian Imperial Porcelain, Chinese Antiques from Palm Beach Private Collection to Be Auctioned Oct. 19

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Oct. 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — On Monday, October 19, Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches (AGOPB) will present rare and fascinating items from a Palm Beach private collection in their Fall Art and Antiques Auction. All forms of bidding will be available, including live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers.

The featured collection includes 18th-century Russian Imperial porcelain, Chinese antiques, early Russian and Greek icons, and some of the most interesting objects the gallery’s specialists have ever seen. 

The Russian Imperial porcelain was made by the Gardner Factory between 1778 and 1780 for the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. The service will be offered in three consecutive lots: Lot 106 with eight plates, Lot 107 with eight bowls, and Lot 108 with a pair of reticulated fruit bowls. Additionally, Lot 105 includes a group of three Gardner cups and covers, one set being from the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky service. Gardner porcelain is highly desirable, especially to Russian collectors.

“The porcelain is of exquisite quality,” said AGOPB partner Leslie Baker. “The factory’s owner, an Englishman named Francis Gardner, had expert knowledge of the different techniques for decorating porcelain. Catherine the Great was so impressed by the Gardner factory, she commissioned three large services in 1777.”

Several early Greek icons are found in the featured collection, as well. Lot 156 is a 17th/18th-century triptych painted with the Virgin and Child and flanked by St. George and St. Demetrius, while Lot 157, is a 17th-century icon depicting a trinity of angels seated around a table with holy figures making offerings. The latter work measures 42¼ by 32½ inches.

Lot 204 is an inscribed 11th- to 12th-century Byzantine religious chalice of enamel, silver, sardonyx and semiprecious stones. Four round enameled panels with depictions of saints adorn the cup itself. A wonderful example of Byzantine religious art, it is estimated at $3,000-$4,000.

Another beautiful item is Lot 206, a contemporary 18K yellow gold and lapis lazuli automated musical mantel clock with precious stones. It is a scaled-down version of the famous Delacorte clock on the triple archway near the children’s zoo in New York’s Central Park. The Delacorte clock is one of the park’s most amusing attractions, with its revolving animals, musical nursery rhymes and monkeys striking the bell. All of the gold on the clock offered by AGOPB is stamped “750 Italy.” Estimate: $10,000-$20,000.

The auction also features a broad selection of fine art, including a 1962 Pablo Picasso linocut numbered 36 of 50, estimate $25,000-$30,000; and a complete edition of The Birds of America from the Amsterdam edition published in 1985, estimate: $10,000-$15,000.

The Monday, Oct. 19, 2015 auction will be held at the AGOPB gallery, 1609 S. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach, Florida, starting at 6 p.m. ET. Preview goods at the gallery starting at 10 a.m. on auction day. For further information, call 561-805-7115. View the online catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live online at LiveAuctioneers.