Stephenson’s, Philadelphia’s foremost estate specialists, to host diverse Sept. 6 Decorative Arts Auction

Featured: Midcentury Modern and traditional furniture, art glass, ceramics, fine jewelry and silver from estates and residences throughout the Mid-Atlantic region

SOUTHAMPTON, Pa. – Stephenson’s Auctioneers, the Philadelphia region’s premier source for estate-fresh antiques and art since 1962, will conduct a September 6 Decorative Arts Auction of 318 select lots ranging from stylish Danish Modern furniture to high-quality diamond jewelry and American silver flatware. All forms of bidding will be available, including in person at the gallery, by phone, absentee, or live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers.

Stephenson’s has a loyal following that has grown exponentially over the past six decades, due in large part to the company’s reputation for hosting sales that are wonderfully unpredictable. “While certain standard categories are seen in all of our auctions – paintings, decorative art, furniture and fine jewelry – every one of our sales is a treasure hunt,” said company owner Cindy Stephenson. “When we’re invited to visit a residence or appraise estate goods, we never know what we will find. For example, in the September 6th auction, there’s a mini selection of music-related items – a Steinway mahogany piano, a novelty radio shaped like a giant Champion spark plug, and an AMI Cadette jukebox whose Space Age design is straight out of an episode of ‘The Jetsons.’”

Now considered a classic design category, Midcentury furnishings are a staple at Stephenson’s sales and often come direct from the original owners’ residences where they’ve remained since the 1960s. On September 6, two prized Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen Inc Egg Chairs – each with tomato-red upholstery, an aluminum swivel base, and lever-activated tilt function – will be sold individually and consecutively as Lots 229 and 230. Based on Jacobsen’s first Egg Chairs, which he created in 1958 for the Hotel Radisson SAS in Copenhagen, the auction examples are 2016 productions that retain their Fritz Hansen labels. Each is offered with an estimate of $1,500-$2,500. The furniture selection also includes: leather sofas, a Thayer Coggin / Milo Baughman chest of drawers and dresser/shelf unit; Komfort of Denmark lounge chairs, George Nelson for Herman Miller side tables, a Douglass Crowell-designed sectional sofa, Italia Erasmo ottomans, and various pieces by Henredon, Lane, Kittinger, Jonathan Rosen Designs, and more.

Artworks entered in the sale cross a broad spectrum of styles, from 19th-century Continental school landscape and genre paintings to tribal and Western art, religious icons, marine art and several drawings from the estate of noted magazine illustrator Davis Meltzer (Pennsylvania, 1930-2017). An accomplished oil-on-board portrait of a female nude by John French Sloan (N.H., N.M. and N.Y., 1871-1951) measures 9¼in x 7¼ (sight); 13½ in x 11½in (framed) and is artist-signed. Sloan was one of the founding members of the Ashcan school of American art and a member of the group known as “The Eight,” which also included Maurice Prendergast, Ernest Lawson and Arthur B Davies. The Sloan painting to be auctioned by Stephenson’s is estimated at $500-$700.

The curated trove of fine jewelry includes many coveted designer pieces and is led by a gorgeous Hammerman Bros 18K gold, platinum, diamond and ruby bird brooch. Its motif features 28 well-matched round diamonds set in platinum with an approximate total weight of 1.40 carats; and 38 round-cut rubies, 53mm x 40mm, with a weight of 15.3g. The brooch is stamped “DES (DESIGNED) IN FRANCE” and “18K HB Plat.” Its estimate is set at $2,500-$4,000.

Designed by Romain de Tirtoff, better known as “Erte” (Russian/French, 1892-1990), a “Tempest” 14K gold, sterling silver and diamond Art Deco cuff bracelet weighs approximately 68.6g. On its interior, it is marked “CFA Sterling 14K” along with the limited-edition numbers “138/600.” Estimate: $2,000-$2,500

An antique platinum diamond engagement ring is a study in impeccable, tasteful design with its 6.5mm European-cut center diamond and two baguette accent diamonds, each 3.0 x 1.5mm; and 1.0-1.7mm single-cut round accent diamonds. The ring is stamped “10%IRRIDPLAT” and weighs approximately .30cttw with an approximate VS/JKL 1.00ct center diamond. Estimate: $2,000-$2,500

Serpents have inspired jewelry designs since ancient Egyptian times, and their popularity continues to influence artisans to this very day. One of the auction’s highlights is a 14K white gold hinged snake-form cuff bracelet with blue sapphires, white diamonds and red-stone eyes. It is possible that the piece was designed by Effy. Marked “14K” and “585,” it weighs 31.6g and is estimated at $1,200-$1,600.

Two significant late-18th to mid-19th Chinese textiles from the Qing Dynasty era are entered in the sale. The first, a black silk embroidery panel with embroidered images of rabbits and a flowering tree branch, measures 50 by 23½ inches and is estimated at $600-$1,000. The second is a two-tone silk embroidery panel with an image of the immortal God of Longevity Shoulao holding a staff with a deer at his side and two bats flying overhead. It is a vertical piece measuring 69 by 36 inches and is estimated at $400-$700.

An exquisite objet de vertu that is not likely to be overlooked is a Continental 935-silver cigarette case with a Classical Ferdinand Von Reznicek-style enameled scene on the obverse depicting a nude male and female couple. An early 20th-century production, it has a gold-wash interior and is signed “935” on the inner panel. Its weight is 4.54ozt. Bidding is expected to reach the $400-$600 range.

Stephenson’s Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 Late Summer Decorative Arts Auction will be held live at the company’s Southampton (suburban Philadelphia), Pennsylvania gallery, with phone, absentee and Internet live bidding available through LiveAuctioneers. Start time: 2pm ET. All goods may be inspected either by appointment or on auction day, Friday, Sept. 6, from 12 noon until the auction commences at 2pm. Stephenson’s is located at 1005 Industrial Blvd., Southampton, PA 18966. For additional information on any item in the sale or to reserve a phone line for bidding, call Cindy Stephenson at 215-322-6182 or e-mail [email protected]. Visit Stephenson’s online at www.stephensonsauction.com.